1570화. 산책은 이런 날에 가는 거란다. (5)
"Why are the Southern Edge bastards here!"
Carved on the chests of those mercilessly wielding their swords at the front were cloud-shaped patterns. This sight was clear to Black Dragon King's eyes as well.
Southern Edge was practically the same as Mount Hua, so why were they here helping Mount Hua? And it was obvious that these men were targeting only Black Dragon King.
"This...?"
As he gritted his teeth, veins bulged on his robust jawline adorned with a thick black beard.
At that moment, a mocking voice echoed in his ears.
"...Are you scared?"
Black Dragon King's head turned sharply. His chewed lips and bloodshot eyes revealed how deeply insulted he felt.
In his fierce gaze, Nangong Dowi, who was dying, chuckled.
"Surely not? The Black Dragon King of under heaven?"
"Shut your mouth!"
Pahhh!
With a tearing sound cutting through the air, Black Dragon King's guandao swung fiercely. Nangong Dowi raised his sword. The weak sword qi-adorned blade blocked the guandao flying towards him.
Kwahhh!
Nangong Dowi's body was like a child tossed a toy, repeatedly hitting the ground and bouncing back up.
But he still managed to get up again, even as blood trickled down his mouth.
"The... worth of a person... is only revealed... at death..."
"This...!"
As Black Dragon King poured all his strength into his guandao and prepared to charge at Nangong Dowi again...
"Calm down, Black Dragon King. Now is the time to retreat."
Black Dragon King's head turned abruptly. His expression showed how deeply offended he felt by someone restraining him instead of stopping Nangong Dowi.
But even with his fierce momentum, the face of the one restraining Black Dragon King remained calm and composed.
"Don't forget your mission."
Uddd!
Black Dragon King gritted his teeth. The hand holding the guandao trembled uncontrollably.
This was Black Dragon King's aura. He was the leader of the Eighteen Bandits of the Yangtze River, the master of the vast Yangtze River.
And yet, he was being stopped by someone like Jang Ilso or Hu Jiaming... No, even by Hu Jiaming's lackeys!
"Black Dragon King!"
But the force that had momentarily pushed heavily against his guandao quickly dissipated.
Uddeuk.
As if venting his anger, Black Dragon King bit his lower lip until it bled and lowered his guandao.
"Because of those bastards..."
"You don't need to take risks here. There will be plenty of opportunities for revenge. Killing those few men isn't your goal, is it?"
Black Dragon King glanced sharply at the Myriad Man House members before him. They remained expressionless under his gaze.
"They're just mosquitoes."
The Myriad Man House member turned his gaze towards the rushing attackers. Their formidable momentum was undeniable.
"Arrows are terrifying. Especially arrows coming from behind that even a seasoned warrior can't avoid."
"Hmm."
"But arrows without a target are nothing but signal arrows. They are neither more nor less than that."
"You have a talent for dressing up fleeing as noble."
"I'm not suggesting running away temporarily and then escaping. By that logic, all the heroes in history would be cowards."
Black Dragon King glanced briefly at the young warriors from Mount Hua and Southern Edge who were charging towards him.
'Certainly...'
In the past, he would have easily crushed these youngsters. Even if it was considered a risky move, his choice wouldn't have changed.
But now, Black Dragon King was different.
"Instead... if those guys leave here alive, I'll tear you apart first."
"That won't happen."
With firm conviction, Black Dragon King nodded heavily.
Despite this, he couldn't completely tear his gaze away from the approaching attackers.
"Black Dragon King!"
There was a hint of urgency in the military advisor's voice.
"Hmph!"
It was finally the moment when Black Dragon King reluctantly rose from his seat.
"Where... are you going?"
"...."
As he turned back with a heavy heart, he saw Nangong Dowi, who had managed to stand up shakily and was approaching him.
"You... coward..."
"This...!"
"It's just an aggressive plan, Black Dragon King! Leave him alone!"
Black Dragon King looked at Nangong Dowi as if he wanted to burn him alive with his eyes but then turned away again.
"Haaah!"
But at that moment.
Somehow, Nangong Dowi leaped forward and flew towards Black Dragon King.
His momentum broke through the barely contained anger of Black Dragon King.
Black Dragon King roared like a wild beast as he swung his full strength at Nangong Dowi.
Kwaaaahhh!
Nangong Dowi's body was thrown back even faster than when he was shot forward.
Uddeuk!
As Black Dragon King prepared to swing his guandao again with the momentum to shatter, the restraining voice stopped him once more.
"Black Dragon King! Are you going to die here!"
"Ugh!"
Black Dragon King's arm trembled.
"Don't forget the time you lost that arm."
At the mention of this, madness flashed in Black Dragon King's eyes.
Growling at the one who had come from the military advisor, he snarled.
"If you mention it one more time, I'll tear your mouth apart!"
"Calm down."
Reluctantly, Black Dragon King lowered his guandao. His hand still trembled with humiliation.
"I... can't..."
Now Nangong Dowi, who couldn't even stand up, was crawling towards him with a sword in hand.
For a moment, Black Dragon King's eyes flickered with hesitation.
Nangong Dowi reluctantly lifted his head. His pupils were unfocused. For a moment, Black Dragon King felt his heart sink.
"What the hell are these guys..."
"Black Dragon King!"
"Lead the way!"
"Yes!"
Shame, anger, humiliation, and perhaps even embarrassment.
Suppressing all of these, Black Dragon King followed the one who had taken the lead.
"Where are we going?"
"We're blocked by the remaining Yangtze River, so it's not a good option."
"I have my boat on the Yangtze River."
"That's not a good option either. It's better to escape to the west first."
It might be an incomprehensible statement, but there was no need to scheme. If the youngsters behind caught up with Black Dragon King, he would be the first to die.
"Then stop wasting time and move!"
"Ugh!"
Jo Gol's sword had pierced the enemy's throat several times already.
Yu Yiseol swiftly cut the wrist of the one targeting him.
"Get out of the way, you bastards!"
Jo Gol spat out curses.
At this rate, Nangong Dowi would die. It was obvious to anyone. He didn't want to see someone he knew die in front of him anymore.
"Get out of here... Huh?"
At that moment, Jo Gol's eyes widened.
"S-Senior brother!"
"What is it?"
"Huh, Black Dragon King is running away!"
"What?"
Yun Jong, who was swinging his sword, looked surprised. Soon, his eyes widened too.
"T-That...!"
He had seen it too.
Black Dragon King, one of the leaders of the Eighteen Bandits of the Yangtze River and one of the most famous figures in the evil sect, was retreating with his back turned.
"No..."
Yun Jong was momentarily speechless.
Running away? It was possible. When faced with danger, it's common sense to retreat.
But Black Dragon King couldn't. If the renowned Black Dragon King of under heaven fled from mere righteous sect rising stars, what would the world say? Even if he survived, he would have to endure ridicule and mockery for the rest of his life.
So, Black Dragon King fleeing like this was something they hadn't considered.
"Damn it..."
A groan-like voice escaped from Baek Cheon's mouth, suppressed.
Before the conflict could even be resolved, someone's sword swept through Heo Kong like a breeze.
Jin Geumryong, who had sliced three river bandits' chests horizontally in one stroke, chuckled coldly and said, "Can you reverse the arrows that have left the bow?"
"Jin Geumryong."
"I'll open the way. We have no other choice now."
Right. It was a profoundly right statement.
Baek Cheon quickly acknowledged and nodded.
"Open the way by any means necessary!"
"Yes!"
At Baek Cheon's command, the swords of the Mount Hua sword masters changed slightly from before.
They had been holding back some strength to pierce Black Dragon King's body at the last moment. But now, they poured all their strength into opening the way.
"Get out of the way! Move!"
"Block and die!"
"Haahh!"
Mount Hua and Southern Edge swords mercilessly crushed the river bandits without distinguishing friend from foe.
"Aaaargh!"
"Hehehe!"
Those who blocked screamed in agony, and those who hadn't yet were paralyzed with fear and hesitated to retreat.
But still, Black Dragon King's figure continued to shrink. The gap between them kept widening at this moment.
"Nangong young warrior!"
"Young family lord!"
Jo Gol, who had finally reached where Nangong Dowi had fallen, almost ran and rushed to support him, embracing and lifting him up.
"Are you okay?"
"Damn it, how did it come to this...!"
Yun Jong and Jo Gol expressed concern and anger simultaneously.
"Where's... Black Dragon King...?"
Nangong Dowi, with a breathless voice, asked Jo Gol, who stiffened his face.
"He's being pursued right now..."
At that moment, Nangong Dowi grabbed Jo Gol's shoulder firmly. It was a surprising strength, enough to be astonishing.
"Sir young family lord?"
"Take me... Take me!"
Jo Gol quickly nodded. Even without hearing everything, he knew what Nangong Dowi was saying.
He lifted him up on his back in one swift motion. Then, he followed the elder brother who was clearing the way.
"There he is!"
"Over there!"
Jo Gol gritted his teeth. Black Dragon King was now even further away.
"Damn it! Is that evil sect bastard too afraid of us young bastards to face us?"
"Heh..."
A forced laugh escaped from behind Jo Gol.
"Young family lord?"
Jo Gol's face hardened in an instant with an unpleasant feeling. It was difficult to imagine how much bitterness was contained in that laughter.
To have missed the one he wanted to kill so badly, and now to have to worry about his life too.
But then Nangong Dowi's murmured words came unexpectedly, unrelated to the situation.
"The net of heaven is wide, but lets nothing through."
"What?"
"That saying... seems to be right..."
Jo Gol was puzzled by why this conversation came up at all when he turned his head.
"Gol! There! Look there!"
"What? Why all of a sudden?"
Jo Gol saw it. No, he heard it first.
Faintly echoing from afar. It hadn't even crossed his mind, which made the sound all the more joyful and heartwarming.
"A---mi---ta---bha---!"
Now, the familiar golden light and solemn Buddhist prayer.
"Namo Amitabha!"
Hye Yeon, leading the disciples of Mount Hua, appeared and blocked the path of the fleeing Black Dragon King.
The one who had fulfilled her duty for others now stood in the way of someone fleeing from theirs.
"Now's the time! Catch him!"
"Yes!"
Baek Cheon, who had been conserving his strength until the end, pushed his internal strength into his sword with all his might. His determination momentarily restored the exquisite precision to his sword as it was in the past.
A crimson plum blossom bloomed.
Though the color was not clear and was rather murky with sorrow, it was just as heavy and deadly.
"Aaargh!"
"Uuaaargh!"
Those swept away by the sword qi spewed blood from their bodies and fell away. That's how Jin Geumryong charged forward.
"You fool! If you're weak, stand aside!"
White sword qi scattered like a snowstorm. But the internal strength infused within it was not cold but rather hot.
"Haahh!"
Jin Geumryong's sword scattered the enemies, and above them, a straight vertical sword qi plunged down. It was a sword that seemed to split the world in two with its righteousness and determination.
It was a sword qi that only Li Songbaek could produce.
"Move aside, deputy sect leader! Jo Gol disciple!"
There was no time for thanks. Jo Gol and Baek Cheon, carrying Nangong Dowi, were shot forward like arrows.
Their target was only one. The back of Black Dragon King, who was facing off against Hye Yeon.
"Enemies, aargh!"
Fluttering his white robe like a banner, Baek Cheon swung his sword as if to divide Heo Kong in two.
"Kuk!"
Black Dragon King, who was trying to push Hye Yeon away, desperately twisted his body.
*Squeak*
But soon, a long, red line appeared on Black Dragon King's face.
Drip.
The engraved wound and the trickle of blood formed a crimson character on his face.
Baek Cheon aimed his unwavering sword at the neck of Black Dragon King.
"This is it, Black Dragon King."
Black Dragon King's face of enemy lights distorted horribly.