The Resurrection of the Phantom (2)
Galsaryang thought it was the end.
He knew better than anyone what kind of people the Gwanghyeol Mutong Army were. It would be one thing if there were just a few, but there were thirty of them.
The Byeoklidan couldn’t win in a straightforward fight, and he had to protect himself as well.
“So this is how it ends.”
He wasn’t afraid of dying. But the thought of dying without avenging Cheonhajin was too bitter. He had planned to leave the martial world with a triumphant laugh after his revenge. He wanted to die with style, even if it was alone.
“I’m sorry. Because of me, you’re going to die too.”
Galsaryang’s genuine regret was palpable.
“Do you remember what I told you before?”
“What was it?”
“I asked you to trust me when danger comes.”
“I remember.”
“That time is now.”
Galsaryang looked puzzled for a moment, then nodded.
“Alright, I trust you.”
Of course. How could you wear such a hopeless expression when you’re with me? Even if there were three thousand of them, you shouldn’t look like that by my side.
The main goal of this fight was to protect Galsaryang safely.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
Two men exchanged glances and charged from both sides.
I dodged the attack from the left and swung my sword swiftly. The Suramyeongwang Sword traced a flawless arc, slicing through the opponent’s neck. As the blade cut through the neck bone, my body was already spinning in the opposite direction. Having achieved its first goal, the sword flew back in the other direction.
Swish!
Just as cleanly as the first, the sword severed the neck of the man on the opposite side. Two heads rolled to the ground in succession.
I stopped the rolling heads with my foot, nudging them to a halt. I kicked a nearby stone to move it aside.
Galsaryang and the onlookers watched in confusion, not understanding what I was doing. They would never guess that the heads were serving as makeshift stones.
This time, I pulled out a dagger from my sleeve.
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
The daggers didn’t fly towards the enemies. Instead, they embedded themselves in the ground around Galsaryang. Both he and the enemies were taken aback.
As the heads, stones, and daggers settled into their designated positions…
A mist seemed to rise, and in an instant, Galsaryang vanished from sight.
-Don’t move from that spot. This formation will hide you for a very short time. I’m still not skilled enough to maintain it for even half a quarter of an hour.
That was the last message I sent to Galsaryang.
This formation was something I learned from the Guimundunseo. I had memorized it for emergencies, and now I was using it.
It was my first time using it in real combat, and it was truly fascinating. The martial arts of the Demonic Cult were indeed remarkable.
Since my skills were still rough, the formation could break sooner than expected, so I had to hurry.
Elegance and grace had no place in this fight. I needed to eliminate the enemies quickly and accurately.
Galsaryang was watching from within the formation, and there might be observers from afar, so I couldn’t use the Chuhonsuragum technique.
Instead, I used my family’s secret martial art, the Baekwol Sword Technique. Having mastered it, it was more than sufficient.
I dodged the attack from the man charging at me from the front and lightly severed his neck.
Despite their comrade’s death, they showed no fear. Ordinary martial artists would have been paralyzed with terror.
These were beings that wouldn’t die immediately even if their hearts were pierced. It took a long time for them to die even after a heart wound. The only way to kill them instantly was to cut off their heads.
As their fallen comrade died, they charged at me from all directions.
The first opponent I faced was the man in front. I moved a step faster than his attack and charged at him.
Swish!
After swiftly severing his neck, I hid behind his headless body. The attacks aimed at me struck the corpse instead.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Using the corpse as a shield, I pushed forward and leaped.
Swoosh! Thud!
This time, the neck of the man behind me flew off. I switched shields and charged at another man with the corpse.
As the man dodged to the left, my sword precisely sliced through his neck.
Slice!
I hadn’t just recklessly pushed the corpse. I had anticipated his move to the left.
I narrowly dodged the sword coming from the left. The risk was worth the reward.
Swish! Slice!
The head of the attacking man fell to the ground. Before it hit the ground, I kicked it.
Simultaneously, I charged with it. The two men standing there were caught off guard by the unexpected attack.
Swish! Swish!
My sword cleaved through both sides in quick succession, and as I landed, the two men’s necks were severed, and they collapsed.
Fear was evident on the faces of the remaining men. Originally, they couldn’t feel pain, so most of them didn’t experience fear.
This fear wasn’t from the death of their comrades.
It was a primal fear, instinctively felt by their bodies, at the sheer precision of the killing method.
Their fear was my advantage, and I didn’t let it slip away.
I faced the enemies swiftly and calmly, without letting my guard down.
Each time the Suramyeongwang Sword left a sharp arc in the air, another corpse was added to the count.
The men at the back simultaneously drew their hidden weapons.
At that moment, the Suramyeongwang Sword unleashed its pent-up energy.
Swoosh!
A single arc of sword energy swept through them, severing their necks simultaneously. Cutting through multiple necks with a single stroke was no easy feat.
I faced them with optimal movements.
Their movements grew sluggish. Normally, they would be frenzied by the scent of blood, but they were trembling with fear.
Suddenly, I recalled the past. When I fought them before, even with more internal energy than now, they didn’t react like this.
Back then, I had fought recklessly with the Chuhonsuragum technique, killing many at once without instilling fear.
Had my skills improved? Or was it the change in my fighting style? Whatever it was, they feared me more now.
Swoosh.
Thud!
The last man’s head fell.
As I retrieved my sword, my gaze lowered. Seeing the thirty-nine headless corpses, it hit me anew that they had resurrected these beings.
I wasn’t surprised and could handle them, but ordinary martial artists would struggle. Who knows how many of these disasters had been created?
Fortunately, the formation was still intact.
“Phew.”
A sigh of relief escaped me. It seemed like an easy fight, but it had drained me mentally. I had been on edge, unsure when the formation might break.
As I stood and circulated my energy, the formation began to change.
Sssss.
Mist rose, and the formation dissolved.
Galsaryang stood there, just as he had before. He had witnessed my entire fight from within the formation. He must have been quite shocked.
“You’re much more skilled than I thought.”
“Yes, I am.”
I admitted it readily.
“I’ve already mastered my family’s secret Baekwol Sword Technique. I’m probably the first at my age. I haven’t even told my parents.”
“Why keep it a secret? It’s a matter of family pride.”
“I grew up hearing that to survive long in the martial world, you must hide your strength.”
“When did you learn the formation?”
“I only learned the basics for emergencies. I believed that knowledge would help me survive longer in the martial world.”
Galsaryang, who had been quietly observing me, realized something.
“You didn’t join Jeonguigak to become a military officer, did you?”
“No, I didn’t. I’ve always been a martial artist, and I always will be. I’m sorry to say, but I joined Jeonguigak as part of my learning. I believed a clever sword would survive longer.”
Galsaryang looked at me without displeasure or suspicion.
I had never claimed not to know martial arts. I had demonstrated my skills in front of him several times. I was just stronger than he had expected.
In fact, Galsaryang seemed pleased. There was one crucial fact above all else.
“Thanks to you, I’m alive. I’m truly grateful.”
Once again, I had saved his life.
“Now, shall we get going?”
“Yes, let’s. I hope the leader is safe.”
Together, we searched the village for two horses and quickly left.
Fortunately, Mabonggi and his group were safe.
They had been waiting for us about ten li away.
“Why are you so late? We almost went looking for you.”
“We were attacked.”
“Attacked?”
“The demons attacked us.”
Everyone was shocked at the mention of demons.
“Yes. In the process, the martial artists protecting us were killed.”
Mabonggi sighed in relief.
“It’s a good thing you broke through.”
He was referring to his carriage breaking through. No one said anything, but their expressions were bitter. He was right. Of course, the leader’s carriage had to break through.
But in this situation, what he should have said was a word of condolence for the two martial artists who died protecting him.
Mabonggi ordered Im Joongtae.
“Send for help from the alliance.”
“Yes, I’ll send an urgent message.”
A member of the Maenghodan sent a carrier pigeon. It was well-trained for emergencies, but whether it would safely deliver the message was uncertain.
Mabonggi turned to Galsaryang.
“What do we do now?”
“We can’t tell if this attack is related to the person we’re supposed to meet.”
Was it a trap set by the mastermind, or had the demonic cult appeared in this region?
“And if it is?”
“Then we’re in deep trouble. If not, we should go and seek their help immediately. The decision is yours, Leader.”
After a moment of contemplation, Mabong-gi asked Galsaryang, “What do you think?”
“If this meeting was a trap from the start, there’s no turning back now. In that case, we should consider the possibility that it wasn’t their doing and head to the agreed location. It’s a day’s journey there, but returning would take at least four or five days, even at full speed.”
Galsaryang suspected it was indeed a trap. Yet, he suggested going because he felt an inexplicable pull towards the place.
“Hmm.”
Mabong-gi’s expression twisted. He was only concerned about his own survival, not the impact of the demonic cult’s appearance on the martial world.
“I’ll follow your lead.”
A middle-aged woman in a black robe sat at a table, sipping tea. Her face and figure were generous, the kind that would suit kitchen work perfectly if she donned an apron.
Her robe was plain black, without any decoration or design. Her martial attire underneath was also black, as were her shoes and the iron disc at her waist.
She was Heukseok, a key figure in the mysterious organization.
In the spacious room, she was accompanied by Baekseok, another crucial member of the group.
A subordinate entered and bowed deeply. He, too, wore black martial attire.
“Mabong-gi passed through the area as planned.”
“Did you kill Galsaryang?”
The original target had been Galsaryang. Sending the first carriage and capturing the second was no coincidence.
“No, we failed.”
“Failed?”
“The entire Gwanghyeol Mutong unit was wiped out.”
The woman’s eyes twitched slightly. She set down her teacup and asked again, “Has Mabong-gi returned?”
“We can’t be sure since everyone involved was killed, but that’s our assumption.”
There was no other plausible explanation.
“Didn’t you have anyone watching?”
“We never expected them to be annihilated.”
She didn’t get angry about that. It was an outcome she hadn’t anticipated either.
“That’s unlike Mabong-gi.”
“There’s one thing that comes to mind.”
“What is it?”
“There was speculation that Galsaryang was responsible for Gono’s death. Perhaps that speculation was correct.”
“So Mabong-gi saved Galsaryang?”
“Yes.”
Recently, Galsaryang had been producing unexpected results.
“Still, losing thirty Mutong units? What a waste.”
Creating a single Gwanghyeol Mutong required a fortune. Specifically, the cost was in the method to transform them into Gwanghyeol Mutong. The expensive materials aside, it took a year.
“We must see it as a sacrifice for the greater cause.”
In any other situation, such a loss would be significant, but this was a matter of great importance.
“And what about them?”
“They’re still heading towards Namhyeon Pyo-guk.”
“At least the plan is on track.”
“Yes, it is.”
“Proceed with the next phase.”
“Understood.”
The subordinate quickly disappeared from the room.
The first button had been fastened incorrectly.
But it didn’t matter.
This outfit wasn’t meant to be worn with all the buttons done up. It would end when the second button was fastened.