Episode 59

All eyes were fixed on Haecheongyeon, but at least the leaders on both sides weren’t swayed.

Heo Gyeong, determined to keep morale high with their momentum, and Hwang Jang-gon, intent on turning the tide, both had no intention of conceding this round.

Heo Gyeong called out to Lee Gongsan, the deputy commander of the escort unit, whom he had initially planned to send out.

“I’m counting on you, Deputy Lee.”

Lee Gongsan responded with a fierce glare and a resolute shout.

“I will never disappoint you!”

Meanwhile, on the Jeonghyeopbang side, Hwang Jang-gon was also giving last-minute instructions to his fighter.

“I was going to hold you back a bit longer, but this isn’t the time for that. You know what you have to do, right?”

Standing before him, Geohan bowed respectfully and replied with determination.

“I will crush their spirit completely with an overwhelming victory.”

Hwang Jang-gon nodded with a satisfied smile.

“Exactly. That’s what I want.”

Like Cheon Ju-eun had done earlier, Lee Gongsan of Sangeommum swiftly moved forward across the plain, his light-footed agility drawing cheers from the Sangeommum warriors, whose spirits were already soaring.

“Wooooah!”

“Deputy Lee Gongsan!”

“Deputy Commander, cut them down with a single strike!”

The duel between the female warriors had turned the atmosphere into something like an exciting martial arts exhibition.

As Lee Gongsan arrived and stood tall, facing Jeonghyeopbang’s side, a figure began to approach slowly from their ranks.

It was Geohan, a towering, shirtless man wielding two massive axes, looking more like a bandit than a martial artist.

When Geohan reached Lee Gongsan, the latter gave him a dismissive glance and asked incredulously,

“I heard Jeonghyeopbang was a righteous sect… so why are you sending out a bandit-looking brute like this?”

Geohan grinned slyly, like a true bandit, and replied,

“Heh heh heh. Killing scum like you heretics—that’s what righteousness really means. What else matters?”

Lee Gongsan’s eyes narrowed, and he drew his sword.

“Then you’re clearly no righteous man. You won’t kill me—you’ll be the one kneeling before me! I am Lee Gongsan of Sangeommum!”

Geohan raised his axes and took a battle stance.

“I am Yang Ho-ung of Jeonghyeopbang.”

Lee Gongsan studied the two massive axes in Geohan’s hands and thought,

‘He’s confident in his strength to wield two heavy weapons like that. Then I’ll rely on speed, moving swiftly around him.’

Just as he was formulating his plan, Yang Ho-ung suddenly charged, smashing his foot into the ground.

Smack!

“Ugh?!”

They had been about nine meters apart, so Lee Gongsan had let his guard down, making the sudden charge all the more unexpected.

And Yang Ho-ung’s speed was beyond anything Lee had anticipated.

‘He’s fast!’

Caught off guard, Lee Gongsan leapt sideways, aiming to evade and buy time by moving opposite to the charge.

But what happened next was even more surprising.

Smack!

Yang Ho-ung pivoted sharply, following Lee’s movement.

For a man of his size, such dynamic agility was unimaginable.

Watching the duel, Hwang Jang-gon smiled knowingly and murmured,

“The day I first discovered him, I realized that this ‘heavenly power beyond human limits’ truly exists. Though he hasn’t yet unleashed his full energy, his physical abilities rival those of the top masters. The moment you try to judge him by common sense, the match is already over.”

With a roar, Yang Ho-ung charged like a wild boar, sweeping horizontally at Lee Gongsan’s lower body.

The sheer force forced Lee to leap upward hastily.

“Haah!”

But in that instant, Lee caught a glimpse of Yang Ho-ung’s eyes, curved into a crescent moon with a triumphant smile—as if he had him exactly where he wanted.

Yang Ho-ung leapt after him, and with a fierce yell, brought down one of his axes vertically with all his might.

“Ughhh!”

The strike was so powerful it seemed capable of splitting a mountain.

Mentally cornered, Lee Gongsan could only raise his sword to block, unable to think of counterattacking.

Then—

Clang!

Shing!

The warriors from both Sangeommum and Jeonghyeopbang gasped and fell silent.

Lee Gongsan’s body had been cleaved in two along with his sword.

Two chunks of flesh dropped to the ground, and Yang Ho-ung, drenched in blood, cast a grim smile toward Sangeommum.

This was a far cry from the fights the female warriors had put on earlier.

As both sides stared in shock, unable to utter a sound, a Jeonghyeopbang officer, prompted by Hwang Jang-gon’s signal, shouted loudly,

“Cheokmamyulsa! Kill the heretics!”

Warriors all around echoed the battle cry.

“Cheokmamyulsa! Kill the heretics!”

Soon, every Jeonghyeopbang fighter was shouting the fierce slogan.

“Cheokmamyulsa! Kill the heretics!”

The Sangeommum warriors, who had been watching the duel like a show, suddenly realized this was no longer a contest—it was war.

The atmosphere flipped in an instant.

Jeonghyeopbang’s warriors roared with murderous intent, while Sangeommum’s fighters stood frozen, faces pale and silent.

Hwang Jang-gon smiled with satisfaction.

This was exactly the atmosphere he had wanted.

He was certain that the fear now etched into their minds would cause Sangeommum to collapse from within.

Sangeommum’s sect leader, Heo Gyeong, grew desperate.

He urgently called for the escort unit’s commander.

“Commander! You must avenge this!”

“Don’t worry, Sect Leader! I will return having avenged Deputy Lee!”

Though somewhat older, Heo Gyeong sent out the escort commander, believing only someone of that caliber could stand against the enemy.

But the result he soon witnessed was brutal.

The commander was split in two within seconds.

“No, this can’t be!”

And then another.

Three Sangeommum officers fell one after another, unable to even put up a proper fight before being cleaved by Yang Ho-ung’s axes.

Jeonghyeopbang’s warriors erupted in cheers.

“Wooooah!”

“Yang Ho-ung!”

“The reincarnated Han Wu, Yang Ho-ung!”

From the rear, Bisea-young muttered,

“Brutal. He’s a complete monster.”

Sak Mu-heun nodded.

“Amazing. Beyond martial skill, his speed and strength are incredible. No top-tier warrior could match him.”

“Our young masters’ efforts have only lowered our morale. Sangeommum’s mood is like a funeral now.”

“Indeed, it looks grim.”

As they said, Heo Gyeong felt utterly hopeless.

There was no one left to send out.

And no one seemed willing to step forward.

Everyone avoided his gaze.

Yang Ho-ung stood ahead, loudly taunting them.

“Is this all Sangeommum has? Pathetic! You’d have an easier time chopping firewood in the mountains! Hahaha!”

His provocation crushed Sangeommum’s spirit further, while Jeonghyeopbang’s warriors kept up their relentless cheers.

“Wooooah!”

“Cheokmamyulsa!”

“Kill the heretics!”

Only now did Heo Gyeong understand why Hwang Jang-gon had proposed a one-on-one duel.

With a monster like that on their side, no master short of a supreme expert could hope to win.

The feeling was crushing.

He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to think of what to do next.

He could already foresee it.

Even if they didn’t fight the enemy today, they had already suffered a crushing defeat.

After this battle, they would inevitably collapse from within.

Then, a deep voice spoke to him.

“Please send me out, Sect Leader.”

At those welcome words, Heo Gyeong’s eyes snapped open.

“Oh! Who are you—?!”

But as he looked up, he realized the person before him was so tall that his eyes only reached the man’s stomach.

He raised his gaze higher.

There stood a muscular giant, as solid as an iron tower, looking down at him.

“I am Bae Jong-gwan, eldest of the Five Eagles siblings.”

“…The Five Eagles siblings?!”

Hae Gyeong’s eyes brightened at the name.

The Five Eagles siblings had already made an incredible impact today—enough to deserve great praise even if this was the end.

If the eldest could match his sisters’ feats…

Heo Gyeong asked in a trembling voice,

“Do you think you can defeat him?”

Bae Jong-gwan answered in a steady voice,

“I will return before the wine goes cold.”

There was no wine to be warmed, but Heo Gyeong understood the meaning behind the words.

He nodded firmly.

“Good. I’m counting on you!”

Bae Jong-gwan strode confidently toward the plain.

There, amidst six shattered bodies, stood Yang Ho-ung, axes in hand, drenched in blood, wearing a sinister grin.

Yang Ho-ung said,

“Oh! This one’s a bit bigger. The feeling of splitting him will be exquisite.”

But Bae Jong-gwan paid no mind and raised his voice with a formal salute.

“I am Bae Jong-gwan, eldest of the Five Eagles siblings!”

The warriors on both sides stirred.

“The Five Eagles siblings?”

“Is he one of the Five Eagles too?”

“So, the same as those young masters from before?”

Yang Ho-ung’s eyes flickered with a strange expression.

“You’re saying you’re that young master’s older brother from earlier?”

His tone had shifted.

Catching the hint of why, Bae Jong-gwan let out a short, amused laugh.

“Come on then. If you can kill me, maybe my sister will take a little interest in you.”

At that, Yang Ho-woong’s eyes ignited with fierce intensity.

“Oh? Is that so?”

He raised both of his axes and declared,

“Then draw your weapons! Let’s get this started—now!”

But Bae Jong-gwan just chuckled softly in response.

“You don’t need weapons against someone like me.”

“…What?”

Yang Ho-woong’s face twisted in disbelief at being dismissed. The fighting spirit that had burned in his eyes now blazed with deadly intent.

“How dare you… Don’t regret this!”

With a thunderous stomp, Yang Ho-woong charged forward.

It was a lightning-fast assault—his third time already catching his opponent off guard with such speed.

Yet Bae Jong-gwan didn’t dodge.

A conversation he’d just had with Hae Cheong-yeon flashed through his mind.

“Impressive. He’s a top-tier martial artist, no doubt. His physical abilities are at their peak. His speed and strength might rival Bae Gongja’s, but his martial skill seems superior.”

Bae Jong-gwan had asked seriously,

“So how should I respond to someone like him?”

Hae Cheong-yeon had smiled gently and replied,

“Is it really necessary to respond at all?”

As Bae Jong-gwan recalled this, Yang Ho-woong barreled in, swinging his axes down with all his might.

“Ughhhhhh!”

The strike was charged with a fierce determination to cleave Bae Jong-gwan’s massive body in one blow.

The axe crashed down like a lightning bolt onto Bae Jong-gwan’s head.

KRAK-KSHHH!

Yang Ho-woong’s axe hand moved relentlessly, sliding from Bae Jong-gwan’s head all the way down to his groin.

The warriors from Sangeommun watching the duel held their breath, anticipating a gruesome scene.

“Ugh!”

“No!”

“Again?!”

But what actually unfolded was quite different from their expectations.

Yang Ho-woong stared dumbfounded at the shattered remains of his axe handle.

The blade that had struck Bae Jong-gwan’s head had completely shattered.

“What… what is this…?”

Sun Woo-jin, hidden nearby, clenched his fist and muttered under his breath.

“That’s enough.”

Sak Mu-heun, watching beside him, blinked in disbelief.

“Is that even possible?”

Sun Woo-jin smiled knowingly and explained,

“Once you reach the highest level, you can focus your internal energy precisely to amplify the effect of your external strikes. Since he knew his opponent would aim for the head, he concentrated his energy there. At this state, Jong-gwan is probably on par with mid-level demons or spirits. Without the power of a supreme master’s aura, you can’t even scratch him.”

Hearing this, Sak Mu-heun nodded in admiration, eyes fixed on Bae Jong-gwan.

Then, in that moment, Bae Jong-gwan moved.

With all his strength, he delivered a crushing punch to Yang Ho-woong’s jaw, who was still staring blankly at his broken axe.

Bwoooom!

Mentally stunned, Yang Ho-woong couldn’t defend himself and took the full force of the blow.

Crack!

“Grrrkk!”

His jaw shattered, and his massive body was sent soaring into the air.

Moments later, he crashed headfirst into the ground.

Boom!

That single strike had already sent Yang Ho-woong’s consciousness far away.

It was a complete victory.

Bae Jong-gwan roared triumphantly toward the sky.

“Waaaaaahhhhhhh!”

A beast-like roar announcing his triumph.

The stunned warriors from Sangeommun quickly snapped back to their senses and erupted into thunderous cheers.

“Wooooooah!”

“We won!”

“Dongshin Iron Bone, Bae Jong-gwan!”

“Unbreakable Diamond, Bae Jong-gwan!”

The cheers filled Bae Jong-gwan’s chest with a fiery pride—the reward of a lifetime spent mastering the art of external martial skills.