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The Specter’s Resurrection (3)

Not long after setting off, the carriage came to an abrupt halt.

“The road is blocked.”

It was as if a landslide had occurred; uprooted trees lay strewn across the path, completely obstructing it. Beyond that, the road was severed, making it impossible for the carriage to pass.

Given the circumstances, it was clear someone had deliberately blocked the way.

“We’ll have to proceed on foot.”

At Im Joong-tae’s words, Ma Bong-gi stepped out of the carriage, his expression one of clear displeasure. But what could he do? The road was impassable.

A woman followed him out. She was strikingly beautiful, though visibly exhausted. The warriors accompanying them gathered their belongings from the carriage.

The broken path required us to leap across using light footwork.

One of the warriors approached to carry Galsaryang, who couldn’t perform martial arts.

That’s when I intervened.

“I’ll take care of the officer.”

The warriors looked at me in surprise.

“You know martial arts?”

“Yes, I can manage this.”

“What if you make a mistake?”

“Don’t worry.”

“I’ve heard rumors that the chief officer knows martial arts. But carrying someone across is a different matter.”

Without hesitation, I hoisted Galsaryang onto my back and leapt across.

The warrior was astonished. I crossed the gap with far more ease than he had anticipated.

I had intentionally demonstrated my martial prowess. Given the situation, it was wise to let them know I could fight alongside them.

As I set Galsaryang down, he expressed his gratitude.

“Thank you.”

“It was nothing.”

Meanwhile, Ma Bong-gi didn’t bother to assist the woman from the carriage. He simply leapt across, leaving a warrior from the Mengho Clan to help her.

What a pathetic man!

The more I saw of him, the more his flaws stood out. Objectively speaking, Ma Bong-gi was a truly despicable character.

With the carriage out of commission, our pace slowed considerably, casting a somber mood over the group.

Im Joong-tae made a suggestion.

“There’s a branch of the Martial Alliance not far from here. We should stop by and request assistance.”

Needing a morale boost, Galsaryang agreed to the plan.

But when we arrived at the Martial Alliance branch, there was no morale to be found. Instead, we were met with a horrific scene.

Just like in the village before, dozens of warriors from the branch had been slaughtered. It was a massacre, sparing neither the warriors nor the kitchen staff and servants.

My heart turned cold.

These bastards!

Whatever their goal, their actions were unforgivable. I vowed to hunt down every last one of them responsible for this atrocity.

“Let’s move.”

We were about to leave the building when we saw them.

Dozens of warriors were approaching, each holding a flag. The red character on the flags spelled out “kill.”

I was taken aback, and Galsaryang voiced what I was thinking.

“The Demon Banners!”

The Mengho Clan warriors were equally shocked. The Demon Banners were infamous figures from the Blood Heaven Demon Cult. Some of the older warriors had faced them before, while the younger ones had only heard tales.

One thing was certain: the Demon Banners were terrifying.

Im Joong-tae, the leader of the Mengho Clan, shouted a warning.

“Be careful! They’re elite members of the Demon Cult!”

Seeing them brought back memories of the past. Their attire and flags were exactly as I remembered.

How could they recreate it so perfectly?

It was enough to make one wonder if the Demon Cult had truly been resurrected.

There were fifty of them. It wasn’t a full resurrection, as the original Demon Banners numbered a thousand. When the plains were covered with those red flags, it was a sight to behold.

One thing was clear: someone with intimate knowledge of the Blood Heaven Demon Cult had survived. Otherwise, this level of replication wouldn’t be possible.

As they approached with a menacing aura, Galsaryang spoke quickly.

“This time, the leader must take charge.”

“Hmm.”

He seemed slightly displeased, but he listened to Galsaryang, perhaps having anticipated this.

“If they’re truly the Demon Banners of old, the leader must act, or the Mengho Clan will be annihilated. You’re not planning to face them alone after we’re all dead, are you?”

Galsaryang’s tone was firm. Though reluctant, the leader couldn’t argue. The situation was dire.

Im Joong-tae interjected.

“That’s unacceptable! As long as we’re here, we can’t let the leader go first!”

The Mengho Clan was, after all, the leader’s guard. Their reaction was expected.

“If you insist, the leader will perish as well.”

With that, Galsaryang quickly laid out a plan.

“The leader will take the center, and you, Im Joong-tae, will form the Black Formation to handle the right flank. I and the wall officer will take the left.”

Im Joong-tae expressed concern.

“Two of you can’t handle it. We’ll split our forces to protect you. We can spare two men.”

Ma Bong-gi interrupted.

“Those two are supposed to help me!”

Galsaryang swiftly countered.

“Two would only hinder the leader.”

Ignoring Ma Bong-gi, he addressed Im Joong-tae.

“Im Joong-tae, we have just enough people to form the Black Formation. You know this.”

“But—”

“Don’t worry about us or the leader. Trust my judgment.”

Im Joong-tae relented.

“Understood.”

Galsaryang’s confidence suggested he had a reason.

Ma Bong-gi stepped forward, disgruntled.

“Damn it! Fine.”

He, too, refrained from unnecessary stubbornness. His survival instincts were sharp, and he sensed the danger in ignoring Galsaryang’s advice.

We positioned ourselves as instructed.

“Don’t be distracted by the flags. Don’t try to cut them down in panic. That’s exactly what they want. Ordinary swords can’t cut the poles. Treat them like spears and deflect them while looking for an opening. Be cautious when three or more gather in a 品 shape. That’s when they’ll attempt a combined attack. And…”

Galsaryang shared his insights on how to handle the Demon Banners, drawing from past battles with them. His tactical instructions flowed seamlessly.

After finishing, he stood behind me.

I whispered to him.

“How do we hold them off?”

“You’ll handle it.”

“What?”

I looked at him, bewildered. He whispered back.

“They’ll think I’m directing you, so take them out as you see fit.”

He truly trusted me. Galsaryang was indeed clever. A smart person should grasp things quickly.

“I do the work, and you get the glory, huh?”

“That’s why they say, ‘If you’re resentful, rise to the top.’”

“Ha.”

Our relaxed demeanor surprised everyone. The two most concerning individuals were the calmest.

Meanwhile, the Demon Banners closed in, surrounding us.

Galsaryang stepped back, pulling the trembling woman behind him. Though he lacked martial skills, he was still a man.

The key to this battle was for me to swiftly cut through my side and assist the others.

“Who the hell are you people?”

Ma Bong-gi shouted in a booming voice. Despite his lecherous reputation, he had once been the head of the Heavenly Path Sect.

One of the men held a different flag. Unlike the others, his was red with white characters.

“It’s pathetic that the Martial Alliance leader doesn’t know us.”

A dark energy emanated from him. Astonishingly, it was demonic energy. A true practitioner of demonic arts had appeared.

Well, well.

The previous signs of the Demon Cult had been artificially created through drugs or techniques.

But this energy was genuine demonic energy, indicating the transmission of demonic arts. This could be a challenging fight.

Just as the two were about to exchange more words, I made the first move. The Demon Banners were formidable due to their unique, dazzling attack style and well-coordinated tactics.

The best strategy was to strike before they could synchronize.

The man at the front thrust his flagpole.

Whoosh!

The flag obscured my vision.

But it didn’t just obscure mine.

When he swung the pole where I should have been, I was no longer there.

Swish! Thud!

I appeared on the opposite side, slicing through his neck with my sword. His fall marked the start of the battle.

“Kill all those Martial Alliance bastards!”

The leader of the Demon Banners shouted.

But I was the first to carry out the order.

I slid along the pole aimed at me, slashing the next man’s chest. Blood sprayed as he fell, and his flag fluttered to the ground.

Flagpoles flew at me from both sides.

I soared into the air.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

Half a dozen poles whistled through the air, converging on my position.

But it hadn’t reached me. It seemed like a close miss, but it was exactly the leap I had calculated. As narrowly as I had dodged, my counterattack was swift.

Sliding down one of the flagpoles, I swung my sword.

Swish!

The arm gripping the pole was severed, and I launched myself toward another man.

I tangled with them recklessly, and that was the core of my strategy. Flags were essentially weapons like spears, requiring a certain distance.

But I gave them no such distance. Having mastered the art of close combat, I was strongest when fighting in a tangle.

I moved freely among the fluttering flags. My opponents were skilled, reminiscent of the old prowess of the Ma Clan.

I cut down the dozen men who had attacked my side.

Meanwhile, Ma Bong-gi was locked in combat with the leader of the Ma Clan. Surprisingly, the man was a match for Ma Bong-gi. With the rest of the Ma Clan aiding him, Ma Bong-gi was slightly on the defensive.

I bypassed their fight to assist on the right flank. With Hyun Hyun-jin, who was most effective against the Ma Clan, we held our ground despite being outnumbered.

What if Gal Sa-ryang and I hadn’t been there? If we had faced them head-on without a plan? Our side would have been littered with bodies. Even Ma Bong-gi might have been dead by now.

But with me holding one side and Hyun Hyun-jin the other, the outcome was entirely different.

No one had died, and we were holding our ground. As my side crumbled, the Ma Clan panicked.

If the left had fallen, why would the right be any different?

Once I joined the fray, the tide turned instantly. The enemies fell one after another, and the Ma Clan leader, who had been facing Ma Bong-gi, turned to support his side.

My sword was swift and precise. The warriors of the Mengho Group fighting alongside me were impressed. It wasn’t about flashy techniques or overwhelming internal energy. It was about striking quickly and accurately at the right moment.

Could such simple attacks work? But they did, perfectly.

Even the enemies were impressed. With my addition, Hyun Hyun-jin’s power doubled.

Eventually, the right flank of the enemy collapsed. Im Joong-tae and the warriors assisted Ma Bong-gi. I stayed back, supporting them from behind.

Gal Sa-ryang nodded as he watched my choices. He might not have known, but I had been keeping an eye on him throughout the fight. If anyone had tried to attack him, my dagger would have flown.

The number of enemies dwindled.

I chose to help the warriors instead of Ma Bong-gi. To be honest, I didn’t care if Ma Bong-gi died here.

As a result, more warriors of the Mengho Group owed me their lives.

In the final moment, Ma Bong-gi took the life of the Ma Clan leader. He had the skill to handle such a man on his own.

The man, in his last moments, showed disbelief at the situation.

Unless they factored in my presence, that disbelief would persist.

With his death, the remaining Ma Clan members fled.

“Don’t chase them!”

At my shout, the warriors didn’t pursue. With their leader dead, chasing them down to annihilate them was pointless and only dangerous.

There was a more important reason. They would go and report this battle. Those who survived had all fought Ma Bong-gi.

It meant no one had seen exactly how I fought. To their superiors, this battle would be reported as Ma Bong-gi’s victory. Hyun Hyun-jin’s success would be attributed to Gal Sa-ryang. My presence remained hidden.

“You’re incredible, Leader! Your skills haven’t dulled a bit!”

Gal Sa-ryang’s praise made Ma Bong-gi’s shoulders rise with pride.

“Well, these guys were nothing.”

“We should move quickly.”

“Let’s do that.”

We began moving toward Namhyeon Pyo-guk again.

After walking for a while, Gal Sa-ryang spoke in a low voice, just for me to hear.

“I think we could dream big together.”

I smiled, pleased at the growing closeness. And truly, it was what I wanted to say to him.

I want to dream big with you too.

I was certain. The moment to say those words would come soon.

In the distance, the buildings of Namhyeon Pyo-guk came into view.

What awaited us there? Another damned trap? Or would their true leader be waiting for us?