When the Northern Sea Dries Up (2)
The warriors of the Northern Alliance drew their swords in unison.
Earlier, they had been caught off guard when they rushed to kill the coachman, but now, no one was taking any chances.
Jong Hwon, the leader of the Northern Alliance, spoke up.
“By now, Galsaryang should be in our hands.”
“And?” I asked dryly, catching Jong Hwon by surprise.
“Isn’t Galsaryang the one you serve?”
“So what? Are you suggesting I throw down my weapon and kneel?”
“Exactly. There’s no need for unnecessary bloodshed. Surrender peacefully, and we’ll take you in without harm.”
I glanced down at the four bodies sprawled on the ground. They were the ones who had charged at the coachman on orders and met their end.
“Isn’t it a bit heartless? Shouldn’t you avenge your fallen comrades and honor their spirits?”
Jong Hwon’s face hardened. My words might not shake his men, but they were certainly a provocation meant to lower their morale.
“We’re not children swayed by personal feelings.”
“Perhaps. But you’re nothing more than expendable tools.”
“What did you say?”
“You don’t even know who you’re fighting against, yet you’re expected to kill them. And you’re supposed to spare the ones who killed your comrades. Fine, let’s say that’s understandable for a warrior in an organization. But can you answer this? Who are you fighting for, and what are you fighting for?”
Jong Hwon had no answer, and I pressed him further.
“Of course, you wouldn’t know.”
A dangerous smile crept onto Jong Hwon’s lips. It was the moment he decided there was no point in further conversation.
“Kill him! Tear his body to pieces and assemble it right here.”
The men advanced, exuding a murderous aura.
I didn’t know exactly what kind of organization they belonged to, but judging by the enemies who had been deployed in previous failed attempts and the current situation, one thing was clear: these men held significant positions within their organization.
When the opportunity arises, you must strike decisively.
I slowly drew my sword and addressed Jong Hwon and his subordinates.
“If you chose the wrong organization and leader, you should have at least chosen your enemies wisely.”
With that, I launched myself toward the man on the right. He responded by swinging his sword.
Our blades clashed in mid-air.
Swish! Slash!
The man’s neck was severed, marking the beginning of the real battle.
I hadn’t intended to use my Deadly Phantom Sword technique from the start. If they recognized my swordsmanship and scattered, my martial arts would be exposed. I planned to reserve it for a decisive moment.
Swords whistled through the air from all directions.
Whoosh, swish! Slash! Swoosh!
Instead of leaping into the air, I crouched low and swung my sword. The man on my left had his thigh sliced open. As he fell, I struck his chest with my shoulder.
Crunch!
Using the man with shattered ribs as a shield, I pushed forward.
Thrust! Thrust! Stab! Stab!
The man in front of me thrust his sword repeatedly. If he thought he could attack me by piercing through his comrade’s body, he was sorely mistaken. To do that, he would need to be as precise and swift as I was.
Swish!
My sword pierced through the shield of a corpse. His sword cut through empty air, but mine found its mark in his chest.
I hurled the two bodies forward and spun like lightning, swinging my sword.
Swish!
A wave of sword energy swept through the three warriors charging behind me, slicing their bodies apart.
I soared into the air. Sword energy flew toward the spot where I had been standing.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
In a battle of sword energy, the opponent was at a disadvantage. I could simply dodge, but they had to worry about their comrades behind them.
Yet, they freely unleashed their sword energy. They trusted their comrades rather than worrying about them. The incoming sword energy was precise, and even if it missed, they had the skill to dodge it. Of course, that was in a typical fight.
Twisting my body in mid-air, I charged at the man on the left.
I dodged just before the sword energy flying from behind could tear into my back. The man behind me wasn’t so lucky.
This time, I targeted the man on the opposite side.
My sword pierced his heart in quick succession.
Stab! Stab!
Simultaneously, I threw myself aside to dodge.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sword energy from behind swept through the area.
I rolled on the ground. Thinking they had an opportunity, the men leaped at me, ready to unleash their sword energy.
Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish!
Five daggers flew from my hand, three of them embedding in their chests and necks.
Caught off guard by the unexpected daggers, my attack became a deadly surprise.
I then used their own sword energy against them to kill three more. After that, they stopped using sword energy.
“Wait!”
Finally, Jong Hwon intervened.
“If you keep this up, Galsaryang will die!”
His voice echoed loudly, a clear attempt to shake me. It was a sign that he felt the fight was turning against him and was growing anxious.
I flicked the blood off my sword and spoke to him.
“Is this really the time for you to be worrying about someone else’s death?”
With a flustered expression, Cheol-gyeol rushed out of the building.
“He’s not here!”
“What?”
“We searched everywhere, but Galsaryang is nowhere to be found.”
“What about his quarters?”
There was a temporary lodging next to the operations room where Galsaryang had been staying.
“He’s not there either. He’s not in this building.”
Cheol-gyeol was as bewildered as Heuk-seok.
“Are you sure Galsaryang hasn’t left the Jeongui Pavilion?”
“Yes, Ju Cheol-ryong confirmed it.”
Ju Cheol-ryong had stationed people around the Jeongui Pavilion to keep watch.
Heuk-seok suppressed the rising unease.
“Then where on earth is he?”
“Something’s not right. We should leave immediately.”
“Let’s go.”
The two men hurriedly turned and left.
They quickly made their way out of the inner courtyard and headed toward the outer courtyard. As they passed through the middle gate and walked about twenty paces, Heuk-seok suddenly stopped.
“Wait.”
“What’s wrong?”
Cheol-gyeol tensed, scanning the surroundings for any sign of enemies, but there was nothing. The reason Heuk-seok had stopped was unexpected.
“Isn’t this the same place we passed earlier?”
“That can’t be.”
Heuk-seok pointed to a rock on the side.
“Do you see that rock?”
“Yes.”
“I saw that rock when we passed by earlier.”
“It must be something similar.”
“The markings on the rock are identical.”
Indeed, the rock had a distinctive mark, like a spot on a person’s body.
“We’re on the right path, so that can’t be. Let’s keep going.”
The two men resumed walking. They exited through a small gate and continued, but this time, Cheol-gyeol was the one who stopped first.
In front of them was the same rock with the identical markings. Even if it wasn’t the same rock, they should have already exited the inner courtyard.
Heuk-seok’s expression darkened.
“Damn it!”
What they had thought was morning mist now seemed to emit a mysterious energy, and Heuk-seok spoke gloomily.
“We’re trapped in a formation.”
“Block him!”
Desperate shouts echoed from the men.
I was charging toward Jong Hwon. It might have seemed like I was following the military strategy of taking out the enemy leader when outnumbered, but my true target was the men blocking my path. By pretending to aim for Jong Hwon, I forced them to protect their leader.
Even if they focused solely on killing me, it wouldn’t be an easy fight. Worrying about the person behind them was a mistake. It was exactly what I intended.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Stab! Stab! Stab!
Three men fell to my sword. More warriors quickly moved to block my path.
I abruptly changed direction, as if abandoning my attempt to kill Jong Hwon, and sprinted the other way. This time, I acted as if I were fleeing in panic.
“Catch him!”
Did they really think I would run away? I was merely luring them into complacency.
Two men, overexcited and reckless, fell to my blade once more. It might have seemed like they were dropping easily, but they were all skilled fighters.
That’s why I was employing every psychological tactic I could. Even with equal skill, the mindset with which you fight makes a significant difference in power.
That small difference feels enormous to people like us.
An unfocused opponent required two strikes instead of one, while a determined enemy might need three instead of one. In a battle like this, that difference is crucial. It has a cascading effect.
Swish.
A sword flashed past my face. In that fleeting moment, I clearly saw my reflection in the blade.
And the enemy charging from behind.
Whirl!
I flipped the man charging from behind and slammed him into the ground.
Thud!
Combining swordsmanship with the Crane Technique, I was truly a force to be reckoned with.
In a past conversation with Chilho, I had pondered deeply about whether I could harmonize two seemingly opposing martial arts.
Though I hadn’t yet mastered the Crane Technique, I was confident.
They could be harmonized.
It wasn’t a matter of skill but of mindset.
In my past life, I had a definite bias regarding martial arts.
Now, I finally understood.
That rigid preconception had led me down a path other than the way of the Sword of the Heart.
Throughout the battle, I was a whirlwind of motion, gaining small and large insights with every clash. I never moved in the direction my opponent expected.
Jonghwon was still just watching. He was probably impressed, but also trying to find my weakness.
Go ahead, look all you want.
Though it seemed chaotic, I was counting every opponent I faced with precision.
I poured all my focus and energy into the fight.
As a few more fell, the enemy changed tactics.
Four men who had been waiting in the wings rushed forward.
Whoosh!
Thud!
As I cut through one, a cloud of powder burst from his body like flour.
Sssshhh!
The others threw something into the air. It was poison.
The ones who spread the poison collapsed, writhing in agony as they died. They were a suicide squad, carrying poison in their bodies to take down their enemies with them.
From a distance, Jonghwon called out.
“You idiot. I told you we could do this the easy way.”
I brushed the poison off my hair and body. Seeing me treat the poison like mere dust, their eyes widened in fear for the first time.
“He’s a monster.”
Heukseok, searching for a way out, sat down as if to rest. They were still trapped in the formation.
The formation itself wasn’t particularly terrifying. It didn’t send you plummeting off a cliff or flood you with water or rain down weapons. It simply prevented you from finding your way.
But without knowing the exit, the fear of being trapped forever was overwhelming.
Cheolgyul stood beside her.
“This must be the work of Galsaryang.”
“Probably. Damn it!”
She kept thinking they had chosen the wrong opponent. She had done many things since joining the organization, but this was the first time she felt such fear.
“If Baekseok finds out I’m in this mess, that ugly fool will be thrilled.”
Cheolgyul raised his voice at her resigned words.
“Why say such things?”
Heukseok looked up at him.
“When you reach my age, your instincts become sharp. I don’t dream often, but when I do, they’re accurate.”
“Never mind instincts, did you have a bad dream?”
“No. Actually, it was a good dream. I didn’t realize it then, but now…”
Cheolgyul was annoyed by her ominous words in such a dire situation, but he showed no sign of it.
“Trust Bukmyeongdae. They’ll come to save us.”
“Will they really?”
Cheolgyul spoke firmly to her doubt.
“You know, Bukmyeongdae is invincible.”
“Form the Bukmyeong Sword Formation!”
The enemy’s tactics shifted again.
The chaotic skirmishers gathered and formed a sword formation.
It was the Bukmyeong Sword Formation, the pride of Bukmyeongdae.
The formation itself exuded a powerful aura. Indeed, the Bukmyeong Formation unleashed an overwhelming energy.
As the formation took shape, Jonghwon regained his confidence.
“To make us use the sword formation? It’s the first time for a single individual. Consider it an honor.”
I silently observed the formation’s movements. Warriors clustered in the center, forming a large mass, with smaller formations flanking them.
“Kill him!”
At Jonghwon’s command, they surged forward. The sheer force of their advance was enough to overwhelm an ordinary master, blocking their energy flow.
I summoned my inner strength.
Finally, the Suramyungwang Sword let out a long, resonant cry.
Jing!