Chapter 124: The Saintess and the Witch (2)
Baek Myo-jin quickly scanned her surroundings.
Fortunately, the officer who had locked her in the dungeon was nowhere to be seen.
I have to escape before that bastard returns.
However, the current situation was far from easy. The government soldiers swarming like ants were all elite warriors trained in martial arts.
“Sigh…”
A heavy sigh escaped her lips. Just then, Officer Jin Lip appeared and shouted to the soldiers, “Combined Linked Bow Formation!”
The shields were brought forward in unison, and tips of arrows peered through the gaps. The soldiers did not hesitate for a second.
“Fire!”
Hundreds of arrows rained down from all directions.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
But Baek Myo-jin was not to be brought down by such simple tactics.
She leaped off the ground, letting the arrows zip past beneath her.
The deflected arrows clattered against the shields of the soldiers on the opposite side.
Clatter! Clang!
Suspended in mid-air, Baek Myo-jin searched for an escape route. But her respite was short-lived.
“Aim trigger crossbows!”
From the rear of the formation, a squad of soldiers armed with trigger crossbows moved into position.
These heavy trigger crossbows were powerful enough to pierce the protective qi of a peak master.
The first volley was already loaded. Once they had their target locked, they did not hesitate.
“Fire!”
Fifty trigger crossbows unleashed a thunderous roar.
Boom! Crash!
The recoil was so immense that the crossbowmen were thrown back upon firing.
Baek Myo-jin realized that leaping into the air had been a grave mistake.
Her sword spun frantically, deflecting the incoming bolts.
Clang! Clack!
Her movements were worthy of a peak demonic master, her sword tip creating dozens of phantom shields. Yet, she could not maintain it forever. In mid-air, the sheer force of the heavy crossbow bolts was too overwhelming to block completely.
Tear!
“Ugh!”
A groan escaped her lips. A bolt had grazed her thigh, leaving a deep gash.
Having no time to dwell on the pain, she landed and dashed forward, attempting a frontal breakthrough.
The distance between her and the shield-bearers closed in an instant.
A brilliant burst of sword qi erupted from the tip of her sword. A shield was no match for such power.
Just as the distance closed to within thirty feet, another command rang out.
“Shield Throw!”
At the shout, the soldiers flung their heavy shields into the air. They were trying to block her vision.
Though she quickly sliced the flying shields in half, there were simply too many of them.
The endless barrage of shields completely obstructed her view.
Baek Myo-jin’s irritation boiled over.
“I will kill you all!”
She accelerated even further.
Slicing through dozens of shields, she reached her destination, only to be met by a forest of long spears.
Hundreds of spears, each over ten feet long, were pointed directly at her. She tried to stop her momentum, but it was too late.
“Advance!”
With a roar, the spearmen charged forward in unison.
“Aaargh!”
“Charge!”
Though she deflected the spears frantically, they were too numerous.
Eventually, several spear tips struck her protective qi.
Thud! Bang!
“Ugh!”
The repeated impacts threw her internal qi into disarray.
To think she was struggling against mere foot soldiers… The absurdity of the situation left her disoriented.
As she stumbled back, the archers unleashed another volley of arrows.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Deflecting the arrows, Baek Myo-jin was driven to near-madness. The training of these government soldiers was beyond belief.
They were employing highly sophisticated tactics to minimize their own casualties while grinding her down.
Half an hour later.
Her stamina virtually depleted, she gasped for breath.
“Pant… pant…”
Never in her life had she been cornered like this. Her resolve was beginning to crumble under the weight of her helplessness.
But at that moment, a commotion erupted at the rear of the government troops.
“Enemies! We are under attack!”
“Watch the rear!”
An enemy attack in the middle of the military camp? Bewildered, Baek Myo-jin focused her vision to see what was happening.
A dozen demonic practitioners were carving a path through the soldiers. It was a rescue squad sent by the cult. They had been hiding nearby, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.
“We are here to rescue you!”
“Hold on a little longer!”
Each of them was a formidable expert of at least first-rate caliber. The ordinary soldiers tried to block them, but they were cut down effortlessly.
Slash! Splat!
“Aaargh!”
“Ugh!”
Like a wedge driving through wood, a gap began to open in the perimeter.
Baek Myo-jin dashed toward the opening.
Frustrated and angry, the soldiers could only watch. With their formation broken, the only unit capable of stopping the cultists was the Wolf Fang Squad, but they were currently out on a mission.
Except for one.
“Get out of the way!”
A booming voice charged with deep internal energy echoed in the ears of the soldiers.
A giant of a man, his upper body wrapped tightly in bandages, forced his way through the ranks toward the melee.
“C-Captain Il-gwang is here!”
“We’re saved!”
Having heard the commotion while resting in the medical hall, he had rushed over. Though his wounds were not fully healed, he was fit enough to fight.
“How dare you bastards crawl in here? Prepare to die today.”
As he clenched his fists, a suffocating aura erupted from his body.
The sight of Il-gwang sent the soldiers’ morale soaring. While he was no Captain So-mu, he was a legendary figure among the troops.
Baek Myo-jin was the first among the cultists to sense his presence. In her exhausted state, she had no desire to face a master in the Flower Realm.
Reaching her allies, she shrieked, “Block that bear first!”
Following her command, the cultists rushed toward Il-gwang, while she took the opportunity to flee alone.
The wound on her thigh flared with pain, making it difficult to use light movement. Her speed was severely reduced.
“S-She’s escaping!”
“We must catch her!”
Hundreds of soldiers swarmed after her in pursuit.
Limping and running desperately, Baek Myo-jin managed to escape the camp and enter Suzaku Boulevard. It was a densely populated area filled with residential houses and markets.
Since she couldn’t outrun them, she had to find another way. She veered off the main road and headed toward the crowded market.
The citizens gasped in horror as they saw her. A woman covered in blood, clutching a sword, was a terrifying sight.
“L-Let me go!”
Baek Myo-jin grabbed the fleeing citizens and threw them behind her to obstruct the soldiers.
“Aaakh!”
“Run!”
Before long, she had entered the heart of the busy market.
The pursuing soldiers were in a bind. Charging blindly would result in heavy civilian casualties. An officer quickly shouted, “Split into squads and seal off the market!”
The soldiers formed squads of a hundred men each, drawing a wide net around the area.
Baek Myo-jin was at her limit. The continuous exertion of martial arts had depleted her internal energy, and the wound on her leg was a severe handicap.
She stopped at a street tea house. The terrified customers tried to run, but it was futile.
Her bloodstained sword swept through the air, striking the fleeing patrons.
She needed to vent her rage.
Slash! Splat!
“Aaargh!”
“Ugh!”
Witnessing the horrific sight, the remaining customers froze in terror.
A cruel smirk played on Baek Myo-jin’s lips.
“Sit down. I will kill the next person who tries to run.”
No one dared to defy her. The terrified customers slowly crept back to their seats.
She sat down on a nearby chair.
Her narrow eyes made her look like a white viper.
“Bring me a cup of safflower tea.”
The government soldiers were drawing a perimeter around the tea house, and their numbers grew as the constables joined them. Yet, she sat there calmly ordering tea. The sight of it was chilling.
With trembling hands, the owner prepared the safflower tea, his face pale with fear.
“H-Here it is.”
The owner wanted nothing more than to escape his presence as quickly as possible.
As he carefully placed the cup down and turned to walk away, a cold, emotionless voice spoke from behind him.
“You should collect the payment before you leave.”
He turned back to see her holding a silver coin. It was the last thing he would ever see.
Baek Myo-jin flicked her finger, launching the coin with a burst of inner force. It struck the owner squarely in the forehead.
Thud!
The tea house owner collapsed without even a whimper. Ignoring him completely, she began to sip her tea.
The watching soldiers shuddered at her brutality.
They couldn’t easily launch an attack. The tight space left no room for tactical formations, and there were hostages inside. It was a worst-case scenario.
As she drank, her gaze drifted to the sky.
“It is a fine day. I will likely die today. But how many of you will I take with me?”
Her words sent a shiver down their spines.
The soldiers held their weapons ready, but none dared to speak.
A moment later.
Having finished her tea, she stood up.
“A hundred. I will kill whoever steps forward first.”
She was certainly capable of doing so. No one wanted to be the first. The soldiers simply held their stances.
Taking a few steps forward, Baek Myo-jin sneered.
“Looking back, this world has been nothing but tedious. Let’s get this over with. Come at me. If you don’t, I will start killing these hostages one by one.”
She targeted a young woman sitting nearby, trembling in fear.
It was the owner of the accessory stall.
Meeting her gaze, the woman begged, “P-Please spare me…”
Having made a record sale today, she had decided to treat herself to some expensive tea. She thought it was her lucky day, but it had turned out to be the exact opposite. She couldn’t bear the thought of dying here.
“I did not say I would kill you. Why do you beg me for mercy?”
“P-Please…”
“I will take that as a request to end your life.”
Her sword struck an empty teacup on the table.
Clang!
The teacup soared into the air and hurtled toward the woman’s face.
But at that moment, a brilliant flash of light erupted in front of her.
Clash!
A dull impact echoed as the light faded.
The onlookers stared in disbelief. A young girl was standing there, holding a small sword over her head.
“Why are you hurting people? You’re bad!”
Baek Myo-jin was stunned, murmuring, “Unbelievable… to project sword qi at such a young age. What a waste of talent. But meeting me here is your misfortune.”
Just then, she heard the soldiers whispering.
“Isn’t that So-so?”
“The famous child warrior…?”
“She’s the daughter of the Wolf Fang Squad Leader.”
“So-so, it’s dangerous! Come over here quickly!”
Hearing that she was the daughter of the Wolf Fang Squad Leader, the architect of her ruin, Baek Myo-jin’s eyes burned.
“Heaven is indeed helping me, giving me a chance for revenge before I die.”
A torrent of demonic qi erupted from Baek Myo-jin’s body.
Faced with the terrifying aura, So-so grew frightened.
“D-Don’t come any closer!”
“You tell me not to come closer, yet you do not take a single step back. What pride. You are indeed the daughter of that miserable bastard.”
Hearing her father insulted, So-so’s anger flared. She furrowed her brow like an angry puppy and screamed, “Don’t talk about my father like that, you ugly old woman!”
Ugly old woman… Baek Myo-jin had never heard such words in her life.
“Today… is truly driving me mad.”
She took a step forward, radiating cold, murderous intent.
Just as the distance closed to within fifteen feet, Baek Myo-jin frozen. A heavy, chilling voice had spoken behind her.
“Hey, you Hui bitch.”
The voice sent a shiver down her spine. Startled, Baek Myo-jin whipped around.
At that moment, a palm enveloped in black qi shot toward her face like lightning. The speed was unavoidable, forcing her to channel all her protective qi.
Crack!
The burning pain wrung a groan from her lips.
“Ugh!”
If not for her protective qi, the blow would have killed her instantly. Though her lips were split and blood ran from her nose, she couldn’t care less. A familiar figure was glaring at her.
“Who the hell are you calling a miserable bastard?”