Chapter 109: Chapter 109
* * *
When the sound of horse hooves first came charging over in a herd, sensing that something was amiss, Dan Sang-woon grabbed a sword hanging half as decoration on his house wall. He then led Chae-yun and the children into the living room and locked the front door.
Looking out through the window with a nervous face, the approaching men were thirteen mounted martial artists in uniform robes. With sturdy physiques and sharp eyes, their momentum was so intimidating that even a layman could tell they were formidable experts.
Reaching the center of the farm, they surrounded Dan Sang-woon’s house in a circle and brought their horses to a halt. Then, one mounted man stepped forward, dismounted, and walked steadily toward the front door.
Reaching the front door, the man did not knock, but reached out his hand and lightly pushed the wooden door. With a click-clack sound, the door lock shattered effortlessly, and the door swung wide open.
Standing inside with his sword raised, Dan Sang-woon swallowed hard as he faced the man who opened the door. However, the moment he verified the man’s face, his eyes widened in shock.
“···Senior Brother?”
The man standing at the door was none other than Cho Sang-ryong.
Looking at Dan Sang-woon, Cho Sang-ryong gave a subtle smirk.
“Long time no see, Junior Brother Sang-woon.”
“How··· How could Senior Brother be here··· No, weren’t you dead seven years ago? Master said Senior Brother fell off a cliff and died···”
At Dan Sang-woon’s bewildered question, Cho Sang-ryong let out a dry laugh.
“Fell off a cliff and died? Yes, that old hypocrite must have told you so. That is what he wished for, after all.”
His voice was cold, filled with deep hatred. Seeing his senior brother’s altered appearance and terrifying atmosphere, Dan Sang-woon stepped back unconsciously.
“Senior Brother, what on earth happened? Why are you holding such hatred toward Master?”
“Hatred? That is far too light a word. I survived the abyss of hell solely to kill that old hypocrite.”
Cho Sang-ryong stepped into the living room, scanning the interior of the house. Behind Dan Sang-woon, Chae-yun was trembling while holding the children tightly. Looking at them, Cho Sang-ryong smirked again.
“So you married and had kids. That old man must have been truly delighted. Seeing those brats, he probably felt like he had grandchildren.”
“Senior Brother··· Where did you come from just now? Don’t tell me you visited Master’s home···”
“···That was truly shitty. So I burned the whole place to ashes and came back. By now, likely only black ashes remain.”
Stepping back hesitantly, Dan Sang-woon asked with a pale face:
“What, what do you mean by that, Senior Brother? Setting Master’s house on fire··· No, visiting after seven years and doing this kind of···”
“Curious about the story? Then tell me where that old man might be hiding. Ah, no. There’s no need to tell me. Just become my hostage. Since that treacherous old man seems to regard your family as his own, he’s probably watching the situation from somewhere nearby. So you and your wife will have to serve as the bait to draw out that old man.”
Speaking thus, Cho Sang-ryong recalled Taoist Wang, who had broken through the Soaring Eagle Unit’s siege at dawn and fled. Fitting an Imperial Army veteran, he displayed monstrous internal energy and lethal strikes at every moment, yet unbefitting that background, the moment he spotted an opening, he fled without looking back.
The Soaring Eagle Unit attempted to pursue immediately, but during the time it took to run to where their horses were hidden, Taoist Wang had long vanished beyond the dark plain of night. Despite his injured body, the speed at which he fled was astonishingly fast. It was a speed as if a horse were galloping. After staring dazedly as he escaped, they searched the remaining house, but what Cho Sang-ryong desired did not turn up, so ultimately they decided to target Dan Sang-woon’s family as a second-best option.
“I don’t understand what you’re talking about, Senior Brother! Don’t come any closer!”
Dan Sang-woon drew the sword he had been fidgeting with, aimed it at Cho Sang-ryong, and shouted. His face was confused, shifting from joy at meeting his senior brother after a long time to bewilderment at being unable to understand the current situation.
“Master is not the good person you think he is. He experimented with martial arts on me, of course, and on you as well···”
Cho Sang-ryong raised both hands, appearing to persuade Dan Sang-woon, but suddenly let out a dry laugh and let his hands hang down.
“···No, it’s all meaningless talk now. Junior Brother Dan, if you don’t want to die, stay quiet. If you try to face me with a mere Mind Fasting Sword of yours, your head will fly off before half a exchange. Didn’t you say you have kids now? You ought to spare your life.”
At those words, Dan Sang-woon’s movement of stepping back subtly came to a halt. Gazing at Cho Sang-ryong with a hardened face, he lowered the sword he had aimed and took a stance. It was a stance Cho Sang-ryong knew full well, for it was the basic stance of the Mind Fasting Sword.
Seeing that, Cho Sang-ryong smirked even deeper.
“Right, not having one arm won’t be a problem for farming, right? I’ll take just your right arm for now.”
Speaking thus, Cho Sang-ryong slowly reached over his shoulder for his sword.
In the middle of the farm under the blazing sun, the two martial brothers gripped bladed weapons and glared at each other. The mounted Soaring Eagle Unit merely watched with silent eyes, while inside the house, Chae-yun and the two children watched that standoff outside the window with frightened eyes.
Sweat beads sprouting on Dan Sang-woon’s forehead trickled down his face and dripped from the tip of his chin. Even seven years ago, he had never defeated his senior brother. The Mind Fasting Sword and Sitting in Oblivion Fist he learned were far too slow and lacked sharpness compared to his senior brother’s martial arts. Yet he could not step aside.
Whatever was happening, the returned senior brother was threatening his master’s life and his family. To him, his family were people he must protect at the risk of his life.
Just then, Cho Sang-ryong, who held the sword behind his back, abruptly turned his head toward the distant plain. It was an action born of regarding Dan Sang-woon as thoroughly trifling, and facing him, Dan Sang-woon also felt humiliation at that. However, rather than attacking that opening, he turned his own eyes, curious about what his senior brother had seen.
From the eastern plain, a pair of horse and rider was galloping over.
Not only Dan Sang-woon, but Cho Sang-ryong also knew who it was. Unlike his flustered junior brother, Cho Sang-ryong wore an even deeper smirk as if he had expected as much.
“You made an interesting friend in the meantime, Junior Brother. People who don’t fear the name of the Martial Alliance are rare.”
“Wh-What! Brother Jang is someone completely unrelated to us!”
“Now he is related. Squad One, go dispose of him. Do not leave anyone alive who opposes the Martial Alliance.”
“Senior Brother! What on earth—”
Dan Sang-woon stepped forward a pace as if to stop Cho Sang-ryong. And in the next instant, Cho Sang-ryong’s sword, drawn before anyone noticed, was aimed at his neck.
Having seen nothing from the drawing of that sword to its approach, Dan Sang-woon felt a chill run down his spine and shut his mouth.
“Stay still. Let’s see if that hidden master of ours will stay still while that unrelated friend of yours dies as you claim.”
While he threatened Dan Sang-woon, five members of the Soaring Eagle Unit who received orders began galloping toward Jang Geon. Galloping on horseback, they immediately drew their weapons. Sharp blades flashed in the bright sunlight.
* * *
“Drawing bladed weapons right away, are we?”
Galloping on Jojo back toward Dan Sang-woon’s house, Jang Geon let out a dry laugh upon seeing the Soaring Eagle Unit members drawing weapons and charging immediately upon discovering him, without warning or anything. From their momentum, they seemed to have no intention of stopping or giving warning. Rather than martial artists, it felt like seeing strictly disciplined soldiers.
Jang Geon, who originally intended to see what the situation was first, ultimately drew Azure Dragon as well.
A light so deep blue it felt cold hovered atop the blade. The sunlight was warm, but Azure Dragon reflecting that light was merely ruthless.
Having drawn his sword thus, Jang Geon composed his breath while watching the five members of the Soaring Eagle Unit galloping head-on toward him. The five were galloping split long into two flanks. When multiple cavalry faced a single target, it was a tactic of disposing of one through relentless barrage from left and right. A simple yet effective tactic.
In Jang Geon’s eyes, Dan Sang-woon standing with a sword at his neck in the middle of the farm was visible. There seemed to be no time to waste idly. Simultaneously, Jang Geon was also curious whether his martial arts could break through those Martial Alliance strike squads head-on.
The Martial Alliance strike squads were the strongest forces created according to the Imperial Army’s system, including warriors of ancient noble clans. At least that was how it appeared on the surface. In the end, the reason the Martial Alliance’s justice could be accepted in this New Continent was that they could exercise such formidable martial force.
Seeing them charging over with weapons drawn right away without any words or explanation, Jang Geon felt martial ambition surge. That might be because their appearance felt as though there was no need to resolve another’s circumstances or misunderstandings, as if everything was fine as long as they enforced their justice with sword and spear. Or it might simply be excitement at them being the strongest opponents he had fought so far.
The blue-glistening Azure Dragon and spears and swords rapidly drew close. The warriors atop the horses were like statues made of stone or iron due to internal power condensed to the extreme and muscles crouched like springs. Yet even in that rigid state, their eyes glittered terrifyingly to find the opponent’s opening. It felt as though the momentum of the five Soaring Eagle members and Jang Geon collided before their bodies did, distorting the air.
In the next instant, metallic clashing sounds rang out five times in precise succession.
Azure Dragon vibrated and trembled from the collision experienced for the first time since being newly forged. Blood on the blade could not withstand that vibration and lightly scattered off.
Jojo, who had been galloping furiously, slowly slackened his speed and checked behind. Five horses also slackening their speed were visible, and five riding atop them tumbling down entered his eyes as well. Jang Geon had defeated the five members of the Soaring Eagle Unit.
However, Jojo soon felt that Jang Geon’s breathing atop the saddle was irregular. As he turned his head to check his condition with a side glance, Jang Geon pulled his reins first.
“Let’s go. That friend’s head is about to fly off.”
Feeling anxiety, Jojo approached the farm as Jang Geon wished.
* * *
Cho Sang-ryong looked at the approaching Jang Geon with astonished eyes. The other members of the Soaring Eagle Unit widened their spacing with rigid expressions, forming a semicircle.
“Astonishing. To my knowledge, your house is merely a merchant clan. Exchanging strikes with five unit members in succession like that is impossible even for me. Is the Alliance Leader capable? I do not know.”
“Lower that sword.”
Jang Geon’s first words upon approaching caused Cho Sang-ryong to tilt his head, then realizing it meant lowering the sword he currently aimed at Dan Sang-woon, he let out a dry laugh.
“Since when did you share friendship with Junior Brother Dan? It cannot exceed seven years at most, yet to risk your life for such a relationship.”
“···Brother Jang.”
Dan Sang-woon swallowed hard. His eyes turned toward Jang Geon’s wounds.
Standing before the two martial brothers and the Soaring Eagle Unit, Jang Geon carried a spear tip with its shaft broken off embedded in his left shoulder, and from a torn coat gap on his right flank, raw red flesh was exposed. Though he seemed to have somehow stopped the bleeding, blood already shed was soaking the saddle and Jojo’s back.
Yet his eyes were glowing brightly as if such injuries were nothing. He looked at Dan Sang-woon like that and spoke:
“I paid a bit too much for lodging. I came to get the change.”
Dan Sang-woon could not answer. Only Cho Sang-ryong let out a dry laugh again.
“What kind of nonsense is··· No, right. You are a chivalrous hero.”
Cho Sang-ryong lowered the sword aimed at Dan Sang-woon’s neck and turned his body completely toward Jang Geon. His gesture indicated that since someone of Dan Sang-woon’s level could be subdued anytime, he would focus on Jang Geon for now.
“Conducting business in this wilderness, I see more fellows like you than expected. Fools who interrupt business with a bit of ignorant personal skill. Claiming to perform chivalry while making their own place to die—”
At that moment, the door of Dan Sang-woon’s laboratory and warehouse on one side of the farm shattered, and something flew straight toward Cho Sang-ryong. Even while talking, Cho Sang-ryong swung his sword fiercely toward it in his flustered state.
With a metallic clang, Dan Sang-woon’s steam device was sliced in half. And in the gap created while swinging his sword thus, a figure leaping out of the warehouse together pounced on Dan Sang-woon. Dan Sang-woon was shocked upon seeing his face and shouted:
“Master?”
Bursting out of the warehouse, Taoist Wang abruptly slung his surprised disciple over his shoulder and leaped toward Jang Geon.
“Here! Catch this fellow!”
Even in that out-of-the-blue situation, Jang Geon quickly sheathed his sword and caught Dan Sang-woon. Whatever had been done to him, Dan Sang-woon had lost consciousness upon flying over, his body stiffened and trembling violently. Simultaneously upon putting Dan Sang-woon down, Taoist Wang spun his body in midair.
Something flashed and flew from his spinning body, targeting the horses of the Soaring Eagle Unit.
As something suddenly pierced their necks or heads, startled horses thrashed about, and the Soaring Eagle members riding them quickly kicked off their saddles, leaping into the air to target Taoist Wang.
Meeting them in midair, a thunderous roar rang out from Taoist Wang’s two palms. Unprepared for the sudden situation, the Soaring Eagle members were pushed back unable to withstand that thunder.
“Master—!”
“Now run! Quickly!”
Shouts from Cho Sang-ryong and Taoist Wang followed. However, frowning from the shoulder pain felt while catching Dan Sang-woon, Jang Geon did not pull Jojo’s reins. Rescuing only Dan Sang-woon was meaningless, for his family was over in that house.
However, though he neither pulled the reins nor kicked his flanks, Jojo abruptly turned his body and began running.
“Hey, Jojo···”
Jang Geon pulled the reins while experiencing true fluster after a long time. However, Jojo completely ignored his touch and ran out toward the open field. The horse knew that what soaked his back warmly moments ago was Jang Geon’s blood. And he also knew that eight more of those who inflicted those wounds remained.
Even with a whole body he barely won against five, so he couldn’t face the rest while suffering major injuries. Jojo judged that Jang Geon had no chance of winning at that moment.
By then, Jang Geon also realized what the horse was thinking. Feeling that judgment was cooler than his own moments ago, he pulled the reins no further.
“They aren’t, pursuing. Are you, okay?”
At that moment, Taoist Wang ran alongside Jojo and asked Jang Geon haltingly. Judging by his unstable breathing, pale face, and blood seeping above his clothes, he seemed to have suffered injuries as well. However, Jang Geon offered no response, staring blankly at Taoist Wang’s lightness art, and after verifying that no hostility could be found in his eyes, he slowly closed his eyes.
He needed to recover his body quickly for the next fight.
* * *
“···Are we not pursuing?”
Turning around, he looked at his junior brother’s house. Out of there, Chae-yun, dragged out by his subordinates while holding the children tightly, was glaring at him with a hardened face. Meeting those eyes, Cho Sang-ryong spoke to his subordinates:
“Ready the horses. We head to the village. We will wait for Junior Brother there.”