Chapter 144: Get Out Of The Way, You Bastards! (1)
Chapter 143 – Get Out Of The Way, You Bastards!(1)
Crack!
“Aaaaack!”
Whether Namgung Cheon had broken his wrist, the man screamed and tumbled down.
In a split second!
Whoosh! Thud!
“Argh!”
An arrow that flew in from somewhere lodged in a Righteous Sword member’s neck.
Simultaneously, hidden weapons and arrows began to fly in from all directions.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whizzz!
“It is an ambush!”
Swish! Whoosh!
“Ah! Bl-Block them!”
Clang! Clang!
Thud! Thud!
“Argh!”
“Aaack!”
Screams and shouts erupted everywhere.
“Kyaaaack!”
“Whoa! D-Dodge!”
The market street turned into a chaotic mess in an instant. The commoners, who were hurriedly trying to flee the scene, became entangled with each other and fell over wildly.
“Argh! M-Move!”
“Ugh, don’t step on me! A person fell over!”
Thud, thud!
“Argh!”
“Ugh!”
As flying arrows and deflected hidden weapons also showered down upon the commoners, casualties occurred helplessly.
“Damn it! Everyone, stay calm!”
Gye Du-sik grit his teeth and wildly deflected the incoming arrows and hidden weapons.
The Righteous Sword member right next to him looked around with a completely dumbfounded expression.
‘A-An ambush!’
During the past several years, an ambush had never occurred while the Righteous Sword Unit was escorting.
Because they had made thorough preparations and stood ready that much. Behind the fact that the Righteous Sword Unit was called a folding screen, such thoroughness was backing them up.
However, this time it was a mission hurriedly dispatched with only a small number of Righteous Sword members.
Even so, they had not even thought that something like a surprise attack would actually happen.
As their thoughts froze, every scene unfolded slowly.
People colliding or tripping over legs and falling, a child crying in front of a collapsed parent, a commoner limping with blood flowing from an arrow lodged in his leg, a woman staggering with a cracked head.
It was truly a living hell.
What was cradled in the man’s bosom was a newborn baby, not explosives.
‘What is that?’
His chest was bulging as if there was something in the man’s bosom.
‘Explosives?’
Instantly, the Righteous Sword member rushed toward the man and swung his sword recklessly, just as he did during training.
“You bastard!”
“Gasp, aaaaack!”
The man who saw the Righteous Sword member backed away in terror and fell flat on his buttocks.
“Whoa! Sp-Spare me!”
The moment the Righteous Sword member’s sword was about to strike the man’s neck!
Clang!
Along with a metallic sound, the Righteous Sword member’s blade was deflected.
“W-What!”
As the Righteous Sword member turned around with a heavily furrowed brow, unexpectedly, was Namgung Cheon not standing there?
“Y-Why you…?”
“Get your head straight!”
Namgung Cheon shouted abruptly.
The Righteous Sword member frowned deeply.
“Look at this bastard, who are you to talk! That guy has explosives in his bosom…!”
The Righteous Sword member, who was shouting while pointing his finger, flinched.
‘A… baby?’
What was cradled in the man’s bosom was a newborn baby, not explosives.
Only then did the baby’s crying squeeze through the surrounding noise and lodge into the Righteous Sword member’s ears.
“Wah! Waah!”
Namgung Cheon pushed the Righteous Sword member’s chest roughly and growled softly.
“If you are going to fumble at an ambush of this level, you might as well just stand like a folding screen.”
“……!”
While the Righteous Sword member could not say anything in reply, Namgung Cheon deflected another flying arrow.
Whoosh! Clang!
“Th-Thank you! Thank you!”
The commoner who saved his life thanks to Namgung Cheon ran away somewhere while clutching the baby.
Meanwhile, as the surroundings became a chaotic mess due to the surprise attack, Gye Du-sik soared like a bird onto the cart.
Swish! Tap!
“Righteous Sword Unit! Deploy the Hexagonal Formation! Be careful not to harm innocent commoners!”
“Understood!”
Once the instruction was given, the Righteous Sword members quickly began to realign their ranks.
The cart was completely stopped in the middle of the market street.
Sure enough, when the Captain stepped forward himself to give specific instructions, the panicked Righteous Sword members also swiftly built up the formation.
Yun Jong-seung grit his teeth hard enough to break them as he watched the scene.
‘T-This is real combat…!’
People were dying. Because of arrows and hidden weapons whose origin of flight was unknown, people fell helplessly.
Even in the midst of that, the Righteous Sword members moved swiftly according to the orders.
It was on a completely different level from friendly duels.
Was the feeling of standing on the boundary of life and death exactly like this?
His entire body trembled.
If he did not grit his teeth tightly, it felt like his teeth would chatter and make noise.
Just then, someone among the commoners rushed toward Yun Jong-seung.
“Huh…?”
Why is that person running this way? He has a somewhat angry expression?
Instantly, the man drew something shiny from his bosom.
‘A dagger…?’
The next moment, along with the man’s sharp shout, a dagger flew toward his throat.
“Out of the way!”
“Gasp!”
Regaining his senses too late, Yun Jong-seung raised his arms and backed away in confusion.
In a split second,
Slash!
Spurt!
A streak of light brushed past his eyes, and hot blood splashed over his face.
The opponent, who sprayed blood like a fountain from his severed neck, collapsed like a log just like that.
Thud!
Standing beside the fallen man, Bi Ryang swung his sword to shake off the blood stained on it.
“Jong-seung-ah, you must keep your wits about you.”
Bi Ryang spoke with a smile and scanned the cadets.
“While the Righteous Sword Unit is deploying the Hexagonal Formation, let us evacuate the injured to a safe place. Yu Hyeon, Jong-seung.”
“Yes!”
“Yes? Yes!”
“Move the injured Righteous Sword members.”
“Understood!”
“Yes!”
“Su-hyeok and Cheon will cover us with me.”
“Understood!”
Paeng Su-hyeok answered loudly and simultaneously deflected an incoming arrow.
Clang! Slash!
Namgung Cheon also quickly stepped forward and deflected three or four incoming hidden weapons.
Clang, clang!
It was at that moment.
Thud, clatter!
Psssssh! Psssssssh!
Did dozens of smoke bombs emitting dense smoke not pour down around the cart?
“Damn it! We already can’t distinguish friend from foe…! This is going to be a headache!”
As Paeng Su-hyeok grumbled, Bi Ryang shouted.
“Since commoners might get hurt, do not attack rashly and only deal with the enemies who charge at us!”
“Understood!”
This is why urban combat is difficult.
The reason Namgung Cheon said to be careful of urban combat was also here.
The unorthodox martial artists with a purpose usually did not care whether commoners were hurt or not.
Since they had no justification to uphold from the commoners anyway.
However, the Martial Alliance was different.
Was it not to the extent of living for a cause and dying for a cause?
No matter how noble their purpose was, if they massacred innocent commoners, the Martial Alliance’s very existence would be endangered.
Therefore, in this kind of urban combat, the Martial Alliance side was absolutely disadvantaged. Because they had to distinguish who the real enemy was among the swarming people.
Just then, through the thick smoke, a man flew toward Namgung Cheon.
‘Right!’
Discerning the opponent’s flow of internal energy, Namgung Cheon quickly turned direction and thrust his sword.
The opponent open his eyes wide as if surprised by Namgung Cheon’s agile movement. To him, it must have looked as if Namgung Cheon already knew all his movements in advance.
Although that was true to some extent.
In any case, he could not even be surprised anymore.
Slash!
Because Namgung Cheon’s clean, efficient sword form sent his head flying in a single blow.
Thud, roll, roll.
Spurt!
The man who lost his neck collapsed on the floor just like that.
Even after that, Namgung Cheon cut down without mercy whenever unidentified enemies appeared holding weapons.
Had anyone seen that sight, they would have felt a chilly sensation for some reason, but because it was entirely enveloped in thick smoke right now, there was no one who saw Namgung Cheon’s active performance.
Meanwhile, Gye Du-sik, who was commanding the Righteous Sword Unit, shouted while enveloped in the smoke.
“Cadets! Protect the cadets!”
Even if they were guys who ran wild like reckless brats, if an apprentice cadet died, it was a situation where he could not help but feel responsible as the Captain.
However, at the voice heard after a short moment, he had no choice but to feel frustrated.
“The cadets are nowhere to be seen!”
What?
Damn it, are they dead already?
Gye Du-sik, who did not know that the cadets were protecting the injured under Bi Ryang’s instructions, had no choice but to think that way.
‘This is why I absolutely hate playing the babysitter!’
Slash! Spurt!
Gye Du-sik, who cut down the enemy that suddenly popped out through the smoke with a single strike, clicked his tongue internally.
‘Damn it! Just how many of them are charging in!’
Clang! Spurt!
Blocking, slicing.
Slicing, even when slicing, there was no end.
To the point where even an illusion arose that all the commoners around had joined the surprise attack.
To think the Thieving Ghost was receiving this much protection from unorthodox martial artists.
Although he had merely regarded him as a petty thief who knew how to use a blade.
Whoosh!
At that moment, a sword flew in, piercing the fog once again!
‘Where!’
Gye Du-sik quickly executed footwork to evade and struck his sword upward just like that.
Clang!
As he rotated his body and sliced horizontally with his sword, blood sprayed along with the sound of tearing flesh.
Spurt!
“Urgh!”
Following the groan was the sound of a heavy collapse.
Just then, a chilly sensation felt from his back!
“……!”
Gye Du-sik whirled around, and a blade flashed in the light and was falling toward his head.
‘Oh, damn it!’
In that moment filled with dismay!
A streak of light brushed past, and did the falling blade not fly off entirely along with the arm?
Spurt!
“Aaaaack!”
The fellow who lost his arm floundered and disappeared beyond the smoke.
Gulp!
Having saved his life from a desperate moment, Gye Du-sik swallowed dry saliva.
The one who appeared from beyond the smoke was none other than Bi Ryang.
“Ahem. Thank you.”
“Do not mention it.”
Bi Ryang replied with a bright smile.
“What about the cadets? The cadets are not visible!”
“The cadets have evacuated the injured to a safe place and are guarding them.”
“Ah… we have received help.”
“It is what the apprentices are naturally supposed to do.”
While the two conversed, the smoke from the smoke bombs was gradually growing thinner.
The sound of clashing weapons also decreased slightly, and now only occasional groans were heard.
Bi Ryang scanned the surroundings once and let out a sigh of relief.
“We can catch our breath now.”
“It is still too early to slacken our guard. When they might launch another ambush…”
Just then, a sharp sound was heard from the cart.
“Ah! Captain!”
“What is it?”
As Gye Du-sik spun around and ran, the bars of the cart were visible beyond the fading smoke.
Gye Du-sik, who approached closely, opened his eyes wide in surprise.
“Oh, damn it!”
Torn cloth and wide-open bars. The prisoner who was supposed to be inside was nowhere to be seen.
“What happened!”
“T-That was already in this state since we checked it…”
“You idiots!”
Gye Du-sik burst into anger, but soon composed himself and gave an order.
“Search the surroundings thoroughly! If you see any traces, pursue immediately!”
“Understood!”
Simultaneously with the answer, the Righteous Sword members scattered.
However, another unexpected thing occurred.
“Ah! Captain! Th-They are not here either!”
“Damn it, what else has disappeared?”
As Gye Du-sik ran while shouting irritably, the injured Righteous Sword members were visible in front of the fabric shop.
The member who had just discovered that place ran over.
“Captain, the cadets are not visible here either.”
“What? What happened?”
“Well… even the injured are unable to grasp the situation due to the smoke bombs.”
“God dammit!”
Gye Du-sik whirled around and looked at Bi Ryang.
“What in the world happened?”
“Mmm… well. They were clearly here until I left the spot… where did they go?”
No, why are you asking me that? My good man!
Truly, he was frustrated to death.
‘I was an idiot for relying on them even a little bit!’