Chapter 175: Striking Gold in a Ditch (1)
The place So-mu discovered seemed to be a place where siege weapons were being developed.
Craftsmen were busily moving among the guarded. Various weapons such as Unje, Jeongran, and siege towers caught the eye, but they did not attract So-mu’s attention.
His gaze was directed at three catapults lined up in a row. It was similar in size to the Great Artillery, the super-large catapult of the Son Dynasty. Not only that, but its appearance was also unique. Unlike existing catapults that used a lever, it looked like a huge pendulum was hanging.
A person wearing a yellow cloth wrapped around her was directing the scene. Judging by his slurred voice, he seemed to be a high-ranking technical officer from the western region.
“Handle with care, you bastards!”
Although his pronunciation was not correct, everyone knew that he was swearing. The craftsmen frowned and continued assembling the catapult.
So-mu, who was watching this, had an unusual expression. This was because the structure of the catapult was unusual.
“Do you mean they even brought technology from the West?”
Although it was a quiet country on the outside, it was steadily preparing for a re-invasion. That too in many ways.
Since I had come this far, I had to check the power of this new catapult. Otherwise, we won’t be able to prepare for the coming battle.
Upon closer inspection, I noticed that one of the catapults was loaded. If the string that held it in place was loosened, it will fire.
“If the commotion grew here, reconnaissance will no longer be possible.”
A choice had to be made. As soon as you make a fuss, all the Luoyang masters will flock in.
So-mu thought for a moment and then made up his mind. Time was limited anyway, and it seemed difficult to collect additional information within that time.
So-mu took long strides toward the loaded catapult. Then the officers and craftsmen from the western region looked at him in confusion. From the looked of it, he was a soldier dressed as an overseer. I was curious why he was coming here.
So-mu ignored their gaze and stood tall in front of the catapult. And just as someone was about to shout something. He suddenly untied the catapult’s rope.
The mouths of everyone watching were wide open. At that moment, a huge pendulum fell heavily towards the ground.
Cooung-!!!
At the same time, the launch pad soared, and the huge coal inside flew high into the sky.
Toukwaaagh-!!!
The projectile rose with a roar and began accelerating at an incredible speed towards the castle wall. So-mu’s expression gradually darkened as he watched. Even at a glance, it was because it far exceeded the power of a large cannon.
A moment later, coal hit the inside of Luoyang Castle’s walls.
-!!!
The city shook as if an earthquake had occurred along with the sound of strong thunder.
The coal dug deep into the walls and created cracks. If it was hit a few more times, it had enough destructive power to collapse the castle wall.
So-mu, who watched the scene, immediately made a decision.
“It must be eliminated. If this weapon was revealed to the world, Yangyangseong Fortress will collapse and Hamgokwan will fall.”
A catapult misfire caused an uproar in the surrounding area. The artisans’ faces turned pale.
At that time, an officer wearing a yellow cloth on his head raised his eyebrows at So-mu and shouted in a slurred voice.
“Where do you belong, you idiot!”
He was a westerner with a big nose and dark face. He must have been the one who spread this catapult technology here.
So-mu chuckled at the sight of him approaching and shouting.
“How are you laughing now!?”
The western officer took out a moon sword with a curved end from his belt. Looking at his posture, he seemed to have learned some unique martial art.
“This will be the last attack of your life, so do your best.”
He rolled her eyes at So-mu”s provocation.
“What a piece of shit!”
The sharp blade of the moon sword curved and approached my neck. So-mu just held out two fingers with an indifferent expression.
Up!
The sharp blade of the Woldo was held between So-mu’s thumb and index finger. It was blocked using just two fingers.
No matter how much force the Western officer applied, Woldo did not budge. Just as swear words were about to come out of his mouth again, the back of So-mu’s hand hit his cheek.
Wood-duk-!
It was just one blow. The officer who initiated the attack suffered a sprain in her neck and fell to the ground. The guarded who were watching this were startled and urgently blew their whistles.
Before he knew it, So-mu was holding the stolen Woldo sword in his hand. His main weapon was a sword, but those who have reached this level have almost no restrictions in their ability to use whatever they grab.
As he flew into the air with Woldo, a group of blue lights came out and approached the catapult.
Kwakwang-! Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-!!!
The catapults that were shattered by the river were in such a miserable state that repair was impossible.
So-mu walked towards the pale-faced craftsmen and snapped his fingers.
“I don”t have time, so I”ll just talk about it once. Bring them all. The production blueprints for this catapult.”
The artisans here were originally from the Song Dynasty. Therefore, there was no loyalty to the State of Hui from the beginning.
They hesitantly approached So-mu and handed out their respective drawings.
“Mo, please just spare my life.”
“This is all we have.”
So-mu nodded once in silence, took the drawing and kept it in her arms.
There was no reason to stay here any longer. I wanted to scout a little more, but I had no choice but to be satisfied with this.
Before we knew it, about a hundred soldiers clutching shields were blocking the road.
“Who are you?”
“Reveal your identity!”
The soldiers moved in unison and gathered their shields to form a barrier.
So-mu, who was watching the scene, disappeared from his seat. In the blink of an eye, his body had moved right in front of the soldiers. At the same time, his wide open left hand struck the center of the shield wall. It was a blow full of profound power.
Oh my gosh-!!!
The shield wall, which seemed like an iron wall, collapsed in a single blow.
“Kaaak!”
“Tsk!”
So-mu began to break through, squeezing through the gap between the shield soldiers bouncing in all directions.
Soldiers gathered around him and tried to stop him, but there was no way. In an instant, he was over fifty zhang away.
And it was when the castle gate was about a hundred feet ahead. Suddenly, about a dozen shadows darted in front of the running So-mu and blocked him.
At that moment, So-mu reflexively leaped and spun.
Pot-! Papapapot-!!!
Dozens of strong energy passed by So-mu’s whole body, which was spinning like a top. After straightening his posture on the ground, he grabbed the woldo and took a nose-to-tail stance.
“” ” What were these guys talking about?”
It was at a level that far surpassed the Shadow Guard, the existing elite unit of the state of Hui.
All of the elite soldiers I saw in front of me were wearing red armor. While examining them, So-mu discovered the symbol of the Divine Demon on part of their bodies. They were definitely not ordinary soldiers. Everyone’s eyes were open, as if something had been done to them.
After a while, one of them rushed straight towards So-mu. I couldn’t help but feel absurd that he would dare attack me alone.
As the distance got closer, So-mu’s left hand moved like a thunderbolt and grabbed her neck.
Wow-!
“””.”
So-mu, looking into the guy’s eyes, sensed something strange. Even when faced with his own force, he showed no signs of fear. No, I didn’t feel any emotions.
And one more thing. He realized that the soldier who had just thrown himself at him was merely a decoy.
The remaining red-armored soldiers were already forming a formation, surrounding them on all sides.
Wood-duk-!
It was the sound of So-mu breaking the neck of the soldier he was holding.
At that moment, a black air current spewed out from the swords of the elite soldiers and engulfed So-mu. They started attacking first again.
“This was absurd.”
So-mu’s body rose from the ground and spun like a storm.
Talhon Sword Technique, 3-second style, Fierce Tiger Descending Mountain .
Dozens of crescent-shaped rivers of energy poured out in all directions from the moon sword he was clutching.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-!!!
The bundle of strong energy emitted by So-mu instantly neutralized the approaching black air currents and pierced more than half of the red-armored soldiers.
However, when he got down to the ground, his expression was not bright. If this level of force was shown, it was normal to be frightened, or at least demoralized. Nevertheless, the red-armored soldiers were looking for an opening again without the slightest hesitation.
So-mu, looking at their eyes, guessed the reason.
“It”s hypnotism” ” . Is it a joint work between the Hui Dynasty and Divine Demon? “How many more people like this were there?”
Their movements were such that anyone other than Wolf Fang Squad could not withstand them. Moreover, if you didn’t know fear, it was literally a murder weapon.
I wanted to check their level more, but I couldn’t take any more time. This was because two strands of creepy energy were approaching at high speed from somewhere.
To make matters worse, the soldiers’ siege continued to thicken.
“It”s an intruder! Attack!”
As the soldiers poured in, So-mu kicked the ground and leaped.
He advanced a dozen steps at a time, stepped on the head of a soldier, and flew up once again.
The gate in front was already closed. But it didn’t matter. All I had to do was jump over the castle wall.
The distance from the castle wall approaching was 50 chang. So-mu ran towards that place with all his might.
Paang-!
A storm raged behind him as he shot out as a ray of light. The soldiers in his path began to bounce back mercilessly.
After a while, So-mu’s body rose up towards the castle wall like a volcano exploding. It was Eogichungso , a difficult divine method that cannot be practiced without enlightenment.
So-mu’s eyes turned to the top of the castle wall. At the same time, his eyebrows drew my river. That’s because soldiers in red armor were waiting there, clutching strong swords. And the white-haired woman who commanded them was Baek Myo-jin, the Heavenly Sword Witch and the leader of the Divine Demon.
There was deep resentment in her voice as she shouted with evil.
“firing!!!”
Papat-! Papapapot-!!!
About twenty arrows were shot at So-mu’s whole body floating in the air. The arrow fired from trigger crossbow has the power to pierce steel like a sheet of paper. Moreover, it was at a level that could not be ignored if it was right in front of us.
Intangible energy appeared from So-mu’s whole body and trembled like waves. It was a half-tank technique that was a higher technology than self-defense technique.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-!!!
With a strong explosion, the arrows fired from trigger crossbow shattered and scattered in the air.
So-mu was thrown back by the repulsion force and fell to the ground. Below him, two generals were waiting, ready to attack. They were masters of Hwagyeong belonging to the Five Dragon Generals. So-mu was also sensing them.
So-mu changed his stance in the air and began falling like a meteor toward the ground.
Lee Cho-sik, the method of soul-searching, Lightning Flash hit.
Kwaaaaang-!
A ray of light passed through the two generals.
“Ugh!”
“Bwak.”
The generals of the State of Hui staggered with a short groan. However, there seemed to be no trauma. It was a fleeting moment, but he managed to block it. I didn’t expect to be able to kill them in one blow anyway.
The defense posture of Luoyang Castle was beyond imagination. So-mu, who was looking at the retreat route again, was shocked. It was because I heard a creepy voice from somewhere.
“I can”t believe it. The greatest military commander of the Su Dynasty sneaked into this place alone. Isn”t this an opportunity given by heaven?”
It was a voice that came from fifty feet away, but it felt as if it came from right next to me. I knew who it was without even having to look. It was Wan Anhui, the general of the Hui Dynasty.
He was walking towards this place with great strides. As he passed, soldiers began to stand up, clearing the way like a wave.
Suddenly, So-mu”s face took on a meaningful smile.
“That”s fun.”
“What do you mean fun?”
Wasn’t it a situation where we were completely surrounded in the center of the enemy’s lines? It was an expression that did not suit the current situation at all.
When So-mu opened his left hand, a nearby soldier was dragged in. To be exact, it was the long sword he was holding.
“Ugh!”
The sword that the soldier missed flew through the air and was grabbed by So-mu’s hand.
So-mu grabbed the sword with both hands and stretched it out.
To his left and right, two of the Five Dragon Generals blocked his defenses and prepared to launch. In addition, Wan Anhui, an expert in county police. It was a breathtaking tension that I felt for the first time. This extreme situation actually made his heart beat harder.
“””.”
So-mu waited silently. May Wan Anhui come closer.
Eventually, it was time for him to stand shoulder to shoulder with Chief Oryong. So-mu’s eyes suddenly changed, and the tip of the sword vibrated. At the same time, his deeply subdued voice muttered one word.
“One annihilation .”
It was the season of the proclamation of the swordsman who reigned as the best master of the martial arts world, and the beginning of the breakaway swordsmanship.