Chapter 243: The State of So's Number One Guard (1)
Elder Mujin of the Wudang Sect narrowed his eyes and shouted, “They are fleeing!”
The Hui Emperor had no intention of fighting here. He was escaping somewhere with his closest aides.
The masters of the coalition forces followed closely, maintaining their formation to ensure he did not escape.
“It is a lure, not a flight.”
Yeon Seo-hwa, who was running shoulder-to-shoulder with So-mu at the vanguard, spoke. As someone from the Demonic Cult, she did not have a very good relationship with the elders of the orthodox sects.
Knowing the habits of their opponents, she intuitively realized that they were being lured somewhere. Even so, they had no choice but to pursue them.
“A lure in this situation? What do you mean by that…?”
“Does that still look like a flight to you? I wonder how you ever earned the title of Wudang’s Number One Sword.”
Moving in an orderly formation made the idea of a simple flight seem suspicious.
Despite Yeon Seo-hwa’s provocation, the orthodox elders kept their mouths shut.
Her movement technique was like an immortal walking on clouds. They had realized that she had entered the Realm of Demon Transcendence. Under normal circumstances, this should have been cause for celebration, but their expressions were not bright. Although she was someone who had retired from the martial world, they could not help but be wary.
Following behind them were Il-gwang, General Jin Gwang of the Po State, and the volunteer leaders Yue Fei and Sama Cheol.
Every single one of them was a prominent figure whose name shook the world.
Running at the vanguard, So-mu called out to those behind him.
“I suspect this will take some time. Leave these men to us, and it would be best for the heroes of the martial world to head to Chang’an.”
This was because of the Crimson Tiger Corps, whose whereabouts had become a mystery.
It was incomprehensible that the Hui Dynasty’s finest elite unit had not shown itself until now. And the first target they would aim for was undoubtedly the palace of the So State, which had formed the coalition.
Abbot Jeongmyeong, the leader of the Alliance of Righteous Sects, asked with a worried look, “Will it truly be alright?”
So-mu nodded without hesitation.
“There is no issue. If my guess is correct, it might already be too late, so please hurry.”
The Alliance of Righteous Sects had no reason to refuse. Was that not where the young geniuses of the orthodox sects whom they cherished were gathered? It was exactly what they wanted.
Four absolute masters, including Abbot Jeongmyeong, broke away from the formation and turned back.
“It does not matter what awaits us. We must capture the Emperor today, no matter what.”
The commanders following So-mu gripped their weapons, hardening their resolve.
“Of course.”
“Let us quicken our pace.”
The distance between them and the enemy gradually closed. At one point, So-mu at the vanguard drew his sword and murmured, “Get ready.”
As if waiting, some of the aides protecting the Emperor halted their movement.
About fifty cultists stood directly in the way of the pursuers, looking ready to embrace death.
Every single one of them was beyond first-rate, and they seemed to have trained extensively in martial formations. Seeing them deploy a defensive formation, their intention was clearly to buy time.
Although it was an excellent formation rarely seen even in the orthodox sects, to those watching, it was merely laughable.
The six masters charged straight ahead, clutching their respective weapons.
“Hmph!”
From Yeon Seo-hwa’s hands, black flowers the size of houses flared up. When she was in the realm of extreme demonic arts, the size of the black flowers was only a handful, but now their power had increased tenfold.
The first strike belonged to So-mu and Yeon Seo-hwa at the vanguard.
A deep blue sword qi surged from So-mu’s sword.
A moment later, two streaks of light tore through the darkness, piercing the formation.
BOOM—!!!
“Ugh!”
“Agh!”
In an instant, two massive holes were carved into the formation. The defensive array crumbled at once.
No matter what formation they deployed, blocking the joint attack of a Profound Realm master and a Demon Transcendence master was impossible from the start.
What followed was the onslaught of the charging generals behind them.
Slash! Clang! Spurt!
Thud! Thump!
It was the sound of things being torn apart and scattered.
Where the six superhumans passed, nothing was left alive. The cultists who had stepped forward bravely failed to buy even a moment of time.
As the distance closed, several more suicide squads blocked them, but it was to no avail. Before they knew it, only the Great Protector and six elders remained by the Emperor’s side.
Although the Hui camp had two more people, the coalition was by no means at a disadvantage in terms of quality.
However, the tide could turn at any moment. Sama Cheol, who was running in the middle of the formation, asked with shining eyes, “Where are they trying to go?”
General Jin Gwang, running alongside him, gave him an obvious look.
“They are likely trying to lure us to Kaifeng, where the imperial palace is. There must be another garrison army there.”
“But even if there are troops there…”
No matter how many ordinary soldiers there were, they were no match for them.
Hearing their conversation, So-mu looked at the distant mountains and spoke.
“If my guess is correct, we are heading toward the headquarters of the Divine Demon Cult.”
If So-mu was correct, this was not a simple situation.
The exact location of their headquarters had remained unknown until now. Thus, they could not even guess what dangers might lie in wait.
Shortly after, their worries became reality. They were drifting further and further from the road to Kaifeng.
The superhumans of the coalition were covering a hundred li in just fifteen minutes. Yet, not a single person’s breath was disturbed.
About an hour passed in this manner. Finally, the pursuers’ movements halted simultaneously.
Sama Cheol looked up at the mountain peak piercing through the clouds and murmured, “It is Mount Evil Dragon.”
It was the place where the Emperor and his aides had vanished.
Legend had it that an evil dragon once lived on this mountain, which was made of endlessly steep and rugged peaks. As a result, it was a place where human footsteps never trod.
“So they have been hiding here all this time.”
There was no reason to hesitate. They began to climb toward the summit of Mount Evil Dragon, following the tracks.
***
Spurt—!
It was the sound of a sharp spear qi tracing a curve, slicing a Crimson Tiger soldier’s armor in two.
Yang So, Commander of the Patrol Guard responsible for the palace’s security, was currently losing his bearings.
No one knew when or from where they had appeared.
About five hundred soldiers clad in crimson armor. Before the Crimson Tiger Corps, where each individual was comparable to a first-rate martial artist, the soldiers of the So State were falling one after another.
He swung his spear frantically, screaming in desperation.
“We must stop them! If even this place is breached…”
Squelch!
A sword blade ruthlessly pierced through his abdomen.
“Argh!”
An excruciating pain that threatened to rob him of consciousness washed over him, but he could not afford to fall like this.
Stumbling, Yang So grabbed the collar of the Crimson Tiger soldier who had stabbed him with his left hand.
Immediately after, the shaft of his spear whipped upward, striking the enemy under the jaw.
Crack!
He brought down another Crimson Tiger soldier, but he himself was in no shape to continue. His armor was in tatters, and he had countless cuts all over his body.
Finally, his left knee touched the ground.
Thump!
The Crimson Tiger soldiers did not even spare a glance at the dying commander.
They bypassed Yang So, marching ruthlessly toward their target.
“…Not there.”
Where the Crimson Tiger soldiers were heading was someone far more important than his own life.
Yang So tried to stand by leaning on his spear, but his body refused to listen.
The swift-moving Crimson Tiger soldiers were already vanishing from his sight.
A moment later, several patrol officers arrived and supported him.
“Your injuries are severe. Please get on my back!”
Yang So raised his left hand, signaling them not to touch him.
“Ugh… What happened to the martial artists who came from the Alliance of Righteous Sects to help?”
“Seeing the situation was unfavorable, they have all retreated.”
“…Damn it.”
“The final line of defense has not been breached yet. There is still a chance, so please receive treatment first.”
Leaning on his spear, he looked ahead with difficulty. He knew what his subordinates were referring to.
All that remained was the legendary guard of Jang-yang.
Although he had never seen the guard fight in person, it was not a force that could stop this onslaught alone.
“…Help me up.”
Trembling all over, he tried to stand by gripping his spear.
Watching him with pity, a patrol officer struck Yang So on the back of the neck with the edge of his hand.
Thwack!
Losing consciousness, Yang So was quickly hoisted onto another officer’s back.
“The Eiseondang Hall is still safe, so take him there. The rest of you, follow me!”
The patrol officer led dozens of guards toward the direction where the Crimson Tiger soldiers had vanished.
Before long, they halted, their mouths agape. It was because of a single warrior blocking the entrance to Jang-yang’s office.
A man dressed in dark robes like an assassin was catching his breath, clutching a longsword. The whip wrapped around his waist was striking.
Around him, the corpses of over thirty Crimson Tiger soldiers already littered the ground.
Although there were still dozens of times more enemies remaining, he did not even blink.
The Shadow King, Baek Ri-hyeon. He opened his mouth for the first time, uttering softly.
“It is a good day to die.”
Jang-yang’s office was simple and modest, but the outer walls and ceiling were reinforced with a special material that could not be cut even by sword qi. It was the work of Military Strategist Jin Yoo-so. Thus, the entrance was the only way in or out.
Surrounding Baek Ri-hyeon, the Crimson Tiger soldiers caught their breath and took their stances, looking for an opening to attack.
The standoff dragged on.
Observing the situation, the patrol guards realized it was not a fight they could interfere in, so they turned back to call for reinforcements.
At that moment, the Shadow King lightly drew his longsword across his palm.
Slice!
With his left hand stained with blood, he smeared it across his face.
It was the ritual performed by the assassins of the Shadow Gate when embarking on their final mission before facing death.
A moment later, as the sigil of the Shadow Gate was completed on his face, his aura transformed completely.
“None shall pass unless they go through me. Come.”
Rattle—!
The whip wrapped around his waist unwound, extending straight.
The commander of the Crimson Tiger Corps gestured to his men.
“Strike!”
Because they were backing a wall, they could not all rush him at once. Thus, the Crimson Tiger soldiers charged in groups of five.
From the moment he performed the Shadow Gate’s ritual, death had become a part of Baek Ri-hyeon.
As he prepared to strike, a suffocating killing intent erupted from his body.
Whoosh—!
Were these not the Crimson Tiger soldiers who knew no fear because their emotions had been erased? Yet, the Shadow King’s killing intent was sharp enough to make even them flinch.
Seizing that opening, his feet kicked off the ground. He was initiating the attack.
The sight of the Shadow King charging alone into an enemy host of five hundred was truly legendary.
He could not predict how many opponents he could bring down before he died.
The only thing that mattered was that he was already walking with death, and he could not stop.