Chapter 105. I Think You Called Me a Brat

The mood on a battlefield always rises and falls.

They must have been elated when they rained hidden weapons down on Sadohaeng, but once the Namcheonryeon forced their way through the perilous path and launched a fierce assault, the mood of the battlefield swiftly turned.

Because the Namcheonryeon had entered the gorge prepared to die from the start, they fought with terrifying ferocity.

But this was a fight in which the Namcheonryeon had been at a disadvantage from the beginning.

A Namcheonryeon martial artist falling from the cliff let out a long scream, which ended along with a thud.

I looked over the stone mountains of Musan Gorge and made note of the spot where an unusual number of Namcheonryeon troops were falling below the cliff.

I also checked Sadohaeng’s condition.

At the entrance on the opposite side of the gorge, Paegeomhoe martial artists had also appeared and were busily shooting arrows and hidden weapons.

I decided on the order of my attacks as well.

I headed toward the stone mountain on the right, where an unusual number of people were falling. A hulking man from the Paegeomhoe was swinging a heavy wolf-tooth club, knocking the advancing Namcheonryeon troops off the cliff.

I immediately unleashed my lightness skill and shot up the sheer cliff on the right.

Since it had been a while since I had climbed a cliff, I prevented any mistakes by smashing the footholds with the tips of my feet, then using my internal energy to propel my body upward again.

I repeated this three times and stood atop the stone mountain in an instant.

As I charged toward the man with the wolf-tooth club, who was indiscriminately slaughtering Namcheonryeon troops, I drew Heukmyoa.

“Move.”

The Namcheon martial artists obstructing my path hurriedly moved left and right, opening a way.

The man with the wolf-tooth club combined external arts with a massive weapon, so even if his opponents blocked with their own weapons, it was useless. Most martial artists were sent flying far away with a single blow.

Whenever a thud rang out, without fail, the long scream of someone falling below the cliff followed. Hall Master Cheon had probably been involved in even such detailed manpower assignments.

The man with the wolf-tooth club spotted me, spun his body, and swung the club toward the point where it would strike my side.

Maintaining the speed at which I had been running, I tilted into the air, narrowly avoided the wolf-tooth club, and then drove Heukmyoa into the man’s neck.

Thuk!

It was a simple strike, but of course, my attack was on a different level of speed from the Namcheonryeon rabble.

When I pulled Heukmyoa out and moved forward, the Namcheonryeon swarmed in from behind and drove more than ten blades into the man’s body at once.

Thuk-thuk-thuk-thuk-thuk!

I cut down three or four Paegeomhoe martial artists, then descended again in a stiff posture that narrowly grazed the cliff. At the midpoint, I pushed off the cliff with my rear foot, sprang out in a curve, landed on the ground, and fixed my gaze on the opposite side.

An officer of the Namcheonryeon and an officer of the Paegeomhoe were fiercely clashing weapons atop the cliff. If I subdued that side, most of the hidden weapons pouring down below the cliff would stop.

I unleashed my lightness skill, shot upward, stepped on the middle of the cliff, then ran diagonally as I ascended. This time, I suddenly arrived right in the middle of the troops who were still aiming for Sadohaeng and throwing all manner of hidden weapons.

The expressions of the twenty or so men changed as they saw me appear out of nowhere, as if by prior arrangement.

There, I swung Heukmyoa wildly and unleashed blade energy imbued with wood-element power. Since there wasn’t anyone who could properly block my blade energy anyway, I slaughtered them as if I were lashing a whip in every direction.

Blood spurted everywhere as it pleased.

As soon as the Namcheonryeon officer noticed the unexpected variable I had created, he encouraged his subordinates.

“Push them…….”

I left the rest of the situation to the officer, then stood on the cliff and watched Sadohaeng. That ignorant bastard had only advanced about fifty paces in the meantime.

At the opposite entrance, Hall Master Cheon and the heads of the subordinate forces belonging to the Paegeomhoe were continuously sending troops at Sadohaeng.

I walked along the edge of the cliff as if taking a stroll, approaching the place where Hall Master Cheon was. To the side, martial artists of the Namcheonryeon and the Paegeomhoe were clashing, but no one could approach me as I took my cliffside stroll.

I threw myself from the cliff near where Sadohaeng was fighting.

In midair, I used the palm force of my left hand to instantly adjust my body’s movement in the opposite direction, then landed lightly on the ground.

As I approached Sadohaeng, I said,

“You fucking bastard, Sadohaeng…….”

“…….”

“What are you going to do about these meaningless deaths? I laid the board out for you, and yet you still took losses like this. Did I tell you we should turn back, or did I not?”

Sadohaeng, who had been breathing roughly, looked around.

The Namcheonryeon was fighting hard, but the Paegeomhoe had a great many troops to begin with, and the terrain was unfavorable as well. Quite a few Namcheonryeon subordinates had fallen from the cliff.

I looked at Sadohaeng’s dazed face and spoke with sincerity.

“If you’re ignorant and stupid, don’t be a leader. You useless bastard.”

Sadohaeng answered with a distorted expression.

“Fine. It’s my fault. It’s the fault of this ignorant Sadohaeng.”

“Alliance Leader!”

In a tone that sounded as if he were grinding his teeth, Sadohaeng said to his officers,

“Brothers, this is all my fault. But even if I die with all of you today, I will have no regrets, so tear the Paegeomhoe to pieces!”

Sadohaeng looked at me with bloodshot eyes, then charged once more toward the Paegeomhoe troops ahead.

The officers followed after Sadohaeng.

This bastard intended to break through with brute force to the very end.

In truth, in a situation like this, breaking through was the only answer. Still, it was impressive that Sadohaeng had transformed into a fierce general whose caliber had risen a little from usual.

Here is what I think.

Most fierce generals are ignorant, just like that Sadohaeng. That bastard probably became a fierce general because his innate strength was combined with ignorance.

If strategy is added to that aspect of being a fierce general, then one becomes a great general.

That must be why great generals are rare.

“Pathetic bastard.”

At last, that ignorant fierce-general bastard charged all the way to the entrance on the other side and collided with the main force protecting Hall Master Cheon. They were a mix of swordsmen in red garments and the heads of subordinate forces, but even with Sadohaeng and his officers attacking fiercely, they did not give an inch.

Sadohaeng did not ask me for help, nor did he concern himself with the difference in troop numbers. He simply swung his sword himself with brute ignorance and fought against the Paegeomhoe.

Had the deaths of his subordinates awakened Sadohaeng? As if he had resolved to fight the bravest and then die, he swung his sword like a man in a trance.

“Good. If you’re stupid, you should at least be good at fighting.”

This was the kind of fight I had wanted as well.

I applauded half-heartedly and cheered both sides on with all my might. Literally, it was a cheer telling them to fight and go drop dead.

“Kill them.”

I walked comfortably along the path Sadohaeng had opened, occasionally kicking or slapping the bastards who attacked me.

I headed toward the middle of two men fighting in front of me, pushed away the head of a Namcheonryeon officer with my hand, and at the same time kicked the crotch of the swordsman in red.

“Move, you bastards.”

“Ghk!”

As the Paegeomhoe swordsman staggered while clutching his crotch, the Namcheonryeon officer swung his blade and cut down the opponent he had been facing.

Splaash!

I have always been a biased man.

When I advanced farther, Sadohaeng was swinging his sword like a madman. Perhaps the executives of the Southern Sky Alliance had suffered plenty because of the ignorant Sadohaeng on ordinary days, for they fought quite viciously as well.

Watching them, I added a few words of encouragement.

“You’re all working hard. If you’re ignorant, your body has to suffer. Keep it up. Strength.”

Sadohaeng, swinging his sword a little distance away, suddenly roared.

“Would you please… shut that mouth… of yours!”

Pwaak!

With those words, Sadohaeng split the body of a red-clad swordsman and was drenched head to toe in crimson blood.

I laughed as I passed Sadohaeng.

“What a temper. You fight with your mouth shut. You third-rate bastard.”

One of the Southern Sky Alliance executives, who had been holding back until now, shouted at me.

“Are you on our side or the enemy’s!”

“If I were the enemy, do you think you’d still be alive like this? Get your head on straight.”

After answering, I immediately shot into the air and moved in an instant over the forces of the Southern Sky Alliance and the Hegemon Sword Society. Landing on the ground, I crouched like a toad, then exploded upward as if bursting with temper.

Hall Master Cheon, standing like the commander-in-chief of the Hegemon Sword Society, and the swordsmen who looked like his personal guards raised their heads and stared at me at the same time.

In midair, I wrapped the Flame Realm around my right palm and unleashed the Great Flame-Realm Hand Seal.

‘These goddamn bastards.’

A gigantic red palm-shaped force slammed down on Hall Master Cheon and the other executives.

Kwaaaaaaaaaang!

A dozen or so men drew their swords at the same time and blocked the Great Flame-Realm Hand Seal, then retreated. But each ended up differently. Some were shoved back with both feet planted on the ground, some went rolling, and some were sent flying outright while vomiting blood.

As soon as I landed, I drew Black Cat Fang again.

“Hall Master Cheon, it’s me.”

Cheon Seryeong narrowed his brow and replied.

“Who are you?”

“The man who mercilessly beats to death bastards who insult his parents. That’s me.”

“What kind of mad……”

I approached Cheon Seryeong with a smile on my face.

“Your strategy was good, and so was your provocation. I’ll praise your skill in seizing control of the Hegemon Sword Society in an instant, and it was good that you didn’t neglect gathering information. But your mouth shouldn’t have crossed the line. What kind of pain should I gift you?”

Cheon Seryeong’s gaze paused for a moment on Black Cat Fang.

“You……?”

A dozen or so red-clad swordsmen, including Cheon Seryeong, charged at me all at once. I raised Black Cat Fang vertically and wrapped it in Flame Blossom Fragrance.

When the flames that began at the hilt blazed up to the tip of the blade at eye level……

I brought to mind scattering plum blossoms and poured them forward.

When the Plum Blossom Form, split into swaying little flames, unfolded before the eyes of the red-clad swordsmen……

I released the palm force of the Great Flame-Realm Hand Seal with my left palm. Cheon Seryeong and the red-clad swordsmen also swung their swords all at once.

Kwaaaaaaaaaang!

The red-clad swordsmen were evenly blasted away in a half-moon shape; some struck the wall and died instantly, while others lay facedown on the ground and did not rise. Cheon Seryeong, who alone had blocked part of the Plum Blossom Form, stared at me with a shocked expression.

“…….”

I looked at Cheon Seryeong’s expression for a while, then opened my mouth.

“What, dumbass? Say something.”

When I told him to speak, Cheon Seryeong turned and began to flee. I immediately used my lightness skill and chased after him.

“Hall Master Cheon…… you’re not running away. Come here.”

Cheon Seryeong’s lightness skill was quite impressive. Anyone becomes faster when they feel death following behind them. Cheon Seryeong ran for his life as if he were breaking a new record.

Following close behind him, I said,

“Hall Master Cheon, faster…… faster…… faster! Looks like I wasn’t in your plan. Run faster. Don’t stop. Hahahahaha…….”

When I had closed in enough that my longsword would soon reach him, Cheon Seryeong, slightly airborne, spun his body and swung his sword in a surprise attack, adding rotational force to the strike.

Kaang!

I knocked away the sword that had reached near my neck with Black Cat Fang, then clashed with Cheon Seryeong in a bout of swift swordplay. While I was watching the sparks made by our blades colliding, there suddenly came a clicking sound, and green powder abruptly sprayed from Cheon Seryeong’s mouth.

I held my breath, pushed off the ground with my left foot, retreated, then scattered the poisonous mist with blade wind.

When Cheon Seryeong turned his back……

I picked up a stone from the ground and threw it with my left hand. Cheon Seryeong’s head snapped to the left, and the stone shot on ahead.

He was truly a bastard fleeing without the slightest hesitation.

But this wasn’t enough for me to lose him. I put Black Cat Fang away as I ran. Letting a bastard like that escape would disgrace the name of the Swift Hall. After about five long breaths, I caught up to Cheon Seryeong again.

Cheon Seryeong burst out with curses, then used the same trick to rise into the air, this time pouring out sword qi.

Swaeeeeeeeng!

I watched Cheon Seryeong’s expression, then thrust out my left palm, infused with the Wood Realm, in midair. Cheon Seryeong countered with his own left palm.

In midair, I seized Cheon Seryeong’s hand and pulled him in, then stabbed the inside of his right arm, which was swinging the sword, with the Flash Dagger.

Puk!

I let the Flash Dagger float slightly in the air, then caught it again in a reverse grip and immediately drove the dagger into Cheon Seryeong’s body.

“Ggaaaaaaah!”

Puk! Puk! Puk! Puk! Puk! Puk! Puk! Puk!

I stood up with Cheon Seryeong’s blood splashed across my face and looked around once to see if there were any traps nearby I hadn’t anticipated.

“…….”

Suddenly, it seemed a drop of blood might get into my eye, so I wiped around my eyes with the back of my hand. With my bloodstained hand, I picked up Cheon Seryeong’s longsword and scabbard. Returning to the entrance of Musan Gorge, I examined the blade of the longsword. From clashing with Black Cat Fang, several chips had been knocked out of it.

I arrived at the entrance of the gorge and looked over the battlefield.

The dead lay on the cold ground, and the living, exhausted, sat on the floor as well.

With my face plastered in blood, I glared at Sadohaeng, who was also drenched in blood all over. Even amid this, I recalled what Sadohaeng had said.

‘What did this bastard say again…… I think he called me a brat.’

In truth, I couldn’t clearly remember what he had said; only the unpleasant feeling came back to me.

I said this to Sadohaeng, who was staring blankly.

“What, dumbass? Say something.”

Sadohaeng, dispirited by the deaths of his subordinates, still said nothing.

“…….”

The battle at Musan Gorge was already over. The survivors of the Southern Sky Alliance were all looking at me.

I declared to the bastards who still had breath in them.

“The Hegemon Sword Society has been defeated, and the Southern Sky Alliance fought a stupid battle that’s no different from defeat.”

I snorted, then continued.

“But there’s no way I would lose. This is my victory.”

The atmosphere was not exactly pleasant.

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“……”