Novel Martial Artist Lee Gwak - chapter 347
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Episode 347
It’s Not Easy to Tell Friend from Foe (1)
An Pyeong-san stood atop the fortress wall, gazing out over the vast expanse of Hwangwon Plain.
The sight of golden rice fields swaying like waves in the wind was truly magnificent, but An Pyeong-san had no time to enjoy it.
Thanks to Lee Gwak and the Black Wind Squad, the Hundred Eyes Fortress had at least been lucky enough to receive its supplies on time. The other strongholds were not so lucky.
Although Dragon Heaven Valley had informed them that they would be sending new supplies, it would inevitably take time.
As a result, all the other strongholds in Dragon Heaven Valley were on high alert.
Although the situation in the Hundred Eyes Fortress was slightly better, it was still far from crisis-free.
What are they planning?
No matter how he looked at it, he couldn’t figure out what they were after.
No matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t see the Jade Heaven Alliance’s endgame. They had to know that simply looting supplies wouldn’t be enough to completely shut down the strongholds of Dragon Heaven Valley. So what was their motive?
An Pyeong-san’s martial arts were so formidable that he’d earned the nickname ‘Thunder Blade of Chaos’
Having experienced countless dangers and brushes with death, he had far less fear than most. Yet his chest felt strangely unsettled.
A sense of unease kept him from leaving the fortress walls.
It had been a long time since An Pyeong-san had felt such emotions.
“Hoo!”
He let out a frustrated sigh.
“Fortress Lord! Over there…!”
Suddenly, a martial artist in the watchtower shouted, pointing off in one direction.
Without even realizing it, An Pyeong-san followed the man’s gesture and widened his eyes.
“What, what is that?”
“There’s a fire in Hwangwon Plain!”
Far off in the distance, the sky was dyed crimson.
Flames were soaring high into the sky.
“Damn it!”
The rice, almost ready to be harvested, was burning in a massive blaze. If left unchecked, it was obvious that the fire would spread to the entire plain.
If Hwangwon Plain were to burn, it would be a devastating blow to Dragon Heaven Valley. The rice harvested from Hwangwon Plain was a major source of income for Dragon Heaven Valley.
Without further thought, An Pyeong-san shouted:
“Everyone, go outside and put out the fire!”
His voice, charged with internal energy, rang loudly throughout the Hundred Eyes Fortress.
Startled, the fortress’ martial artists rushed outside, only to be horrified by the immense flames consuming the Hwangwon Plain.
Grabbing whatever weapons or tools they could, they ran towards the flames.
“Urgh!”
“What kind of fire is this…?”
Upon reaching the site, the martial artists hesitated, overwhelmed by the intense heat far beyond their imagination.
The intense flames and heat engulfed the entire area as if a volcano had erupted.
An Pyeong-san’s face contorted in pain.
Even with his strong internal energy, the heat was unbearable. He hadn’t even gotten close and was already gasping for breath, sweat pouring down like rain.
“Why is this fire…?”
Occasionally, lightning strikes on dry land could cause fires, but they were never this intense.
An Pyeong-san realised that the rapidly spreading flames engulfing the Hwangwon Plain were not natural. A naturally occurring fire would never spread so quickly.
“What is that?”
He smelled a strong scent of sulphur and oil in the smoke carried by the wind. The overwhelming smell nearly made him faint.
“It’s the Jade Heaven Alliance. It must be them! They’ve started the fire in Dragon Heaven Valley,” An Pyeong-san shouted, his eyes bloodshot.
There are lines that should never be crossed.
Even in warfare, setting fire to the plains was a taboo in Jianghu.
A line that must never be crossed.
The rice from the Hwangwon Plain was not only a vital financial resource for the Dragon Heaven Valley, but also a vital source of food for the people in the area.
This disaster would leave many people starving throughout the winter.
“Those damned bastards! How could they even think of setting fire to the fields…?”
An Pyeong-san shook with anger.
“Hurry, put out the fire.”
“We have to stop it from spreading.”
The martial artists of the Hundred Eyes Fortress scrambled to control the flames.
Some fetched water from nearby streams to douse the fire, but instead of extinguishing it, the flames spread even further.
“Ugh!”
“Damn it! Fall back!”
Eventually, the martial artists had no choice but to retreat from the intense heat and smoke, unable to contain the flames.
Despair clouded their faces.
They realised that their own strength was nowhere near enough to deal with such a massive fire.
“A-are we just going to stand here and watch our crops burn?”
“Those monsters who poured oil everywhere! They’ll never be forgiven, even in death!”
Some despaired, while others cursed the Jade Heaven Alliance martial artists for starting the fire.
Then it happened.
Whoosh!
A sharp whistle echoed across the Hwangwon Plain.
“Ugh!”
At the same time, a scream erupted as a small weapon lodged itself in someone’s forehead.
“An ambush!”
“Everyone, be careful!”
As they looked at the scene, a group of martial artists burst out of the rice fields.
“Kill them all!”
“Die!”
They were the Sword Heaven Squad, led by Baek Seo-mun. Taking advantage of the distraction caused by the fire, they launched a surprise attack on the martial artists of the Hundred Eyes Fortress.
Swoosh!
Swords and blades sliced through the air.
The price of their carelessness was high. The martial artists of the Hundred Eyes Fortress fell, bleeding profusely without putting up much resistance.
“Ugh!”
“S-Save me!”
Screams echoed across the Hwangwon Plain.
“You bastards!”
An Pyeong-san’s eyes burned with fury. He drew his blade and charged at the Sword Heaven Squad martial artists.
Whoosh!
His blade emitted a thunderous aura, living up to its nickname, ‘Thunder Blade of Chaos’. But his strike was blocked by a sudden flash of white steel.
The owner of the sword was none other than Baek Seo-mun, leader of the Sword Heaven Squad.
An Pyeong-san’s eyes widened.
“Who are you?”
“Baek Seo-mun, leader of the Sword Heaven Squad.”
“The Sword Heaven Squad? So it is the Jade Heaven Alliance. How can you call yourselves human after committing such a heinous act?”
“Hmph! Spouting nonsense about morality on a battlefield. You’re still naive, An Pyeong-san.”
Baek Seo-mun scoffed at An Pyeong-san’s rebuke.
The goal of war was victory.
As long as they achieved victory, they could bear any criticism.
Just as An Pyeong-san had suspected, the fire in the Hwangwon Plain was the work of Baek Seo-mun and his Sword Heaven Squad.
The carts brought by the outer hall martial artists had been loaded with various inflammable materials such as sulfur and oil.
The Sword Heaven Squad had scattered these materials all over the Hwangwon Plain and then set them on fire. Then they hid and waited for the elite martial artists from the Hundred Eyes Fortress to appear.
An Pyeong-san’s face twisted in horror as he realised the worst-case scenario.
“Don’t tell me you’re targeting the Hundred Eyes Fortress…”
“Taking an unguarded fortress is hardly a challenge.”
Baek Seo-mun grinned maliciously.
By now, the Jade Heaven Alliance martial artists hidden in the underground fortress would have reached the Hundred Eyes Fortress.
Since An Pyeong-san had taken most of the fortress’s troops with him, only minimal forces were left at the Hundred Eyes Fortress. Attacking an empty fortress was not a difficult task.
An Pyeong-san exploded with anger.
“I’ll kill you all!”
Whoosh!
His blade aimed straight at Baek Seo-mun’s neck.
Since An Pyeong-san had taken most of the fortress’s troops with him, only minimal forces were left at the Hundred Eyes Fortress. Attacking an empty fortress was not a difficult task.
An Pyeong-san exploded with anger.
“I’ll kill you all!”
Whoosh!
His blade aimed straight at Baek Seo-mun’s neck.
An Pyeong-san poured all his strength into it; he had to kill Baek Seo-mun as quickly as possible and return to the Hundred Eyes Fortress.
Purple blade qi surged from his weapon, targeting Baek Seo-mun’s throat. But Baek Seo-mun calmly parried the attack, showing no sign of panic.
Zzeo-eong!
With a fierce metallic clang, the air itself seemed to crack
The two men unleashed their martial arts with all their might. Sword strikes as swift as lightning and blade strikes as fierce as thunder clashed countless times.
In the meantime, the flames continued to devour the Plains at a terrifying speed. The world seemed to be engulfed in a sea of red fire. Black smoke rapidly expanded across the crimson sky. Animals fled in panic, and birds soared high into the air. It was a scene of devastation, as if the end of the world had come.
“Ugh!”
Amidst the chaos, a sharp cry of pain rang out. An Pyeong-san fell to one knee, vomiting blood.
His chest was split open, revealing his bones—a fatal wound inflicted by Baek Seo-mun’s sword. His once-reliable sword was now broken, serving little more than a crutch.
Covered in blood, An Pyeong-san barely managed to lift his head and glare at Baek Seo-mun.
“You… you will face divine retribution. How dare you use such cruel methods…?”
“If there is a heaven, perhaps,” Baek Seo-mun replied with a twisted grin, a clear mockery in his voice.
He did not believe in heaven. Nor, of course, did he believe in divine retribution.
What Baek Seo-mun believed in was only the reality of life, which allowed him to use any brutal means without hesitation.
In life, where death is the end, there was no need to choose his methods carefully.
Thud!
The head of the Lord of Hundred Eyes Fortress rolled to the ground.
Without even glancing at An Pyeong-san’s head, Baek Seo-mun surveyed the surroundings.
The battlefield had suddenly become quiet.
The martial artists from the Hundred Eyes Fortress who had come with An Pyeong-san were all lying in a sea of blood.
It was a victory for the Sword Heaven Squad.
Baek Seo-mun spoke to the martial artists of the Sword Heaven Squad.
“Let’s go to the Hundred Eyes Fortress. They should have opened the gates by now and be waiting for us.
“Yes!”
They left the place, and the flames spread to where they had been.
The crimson flames greedily consumed the corpses of An Pyeong-san and the martial artists from the Hundred Eyes Fortress.
***
“Ugh!”
“Blah!”
Seok Yi-cheon and the outer hall martial artists lay on the ground, vomiting.
The scene in front of them was horrible.
The main gate of the Hundred Eyes Fortress was wide open and numerous people were lying on the ground in a horrible state.
It looked like a slaughterhouse after the slaughter of cattle.
Limbs and body parts were strewn everywhere. Blood from the corpses stained the floors of Hundred Eyes Fortress red.
Even for Seok Yi-cheon and the outside martial artists, who had considerable experience, the scene was shocking.
It was the martial artists hiding in an underground fortress who had taken control.
When the fire broke out in Hwangwon Plain, they had secretly moved there and attacked the Hundred Eyes Fortress, where the main forces had retreated.
The martial artists left at the Hundred Eyes Fortress fought with all their might, but the disparity in strength was too great.
The Jade Heaven Alliance martial artists swept through the Hundred Eyes Fortress with overwhelming force.
They killed all those who resisted, and those who surrendered were also killed mercilessly.
Seok Yi-cheon and the outside martial artists who had unknowingly followed them were all shocked by the scene.
Even more shocking was the fact that the huge flames that engulfed Hwangwon Plain were caused by the flammable materials they had transported.
Seok Yi-cheon’s face twisted with guilt.
How could this have happened?
The ripe grains in the fields were burning fiercely.
He couldn’t believe that this massive disaster was caused by the flammable materials he had transported.
Although it was the Sword Heaven Squad that had set the fire using the materials, neither Seok Yi-cheon nor the outer hall martial artists could be free from responsibility.
“Brother!”
“Are you okay?”
Go Cheon-gwang and Woo Il-young approached him.
Their faces also bore deep guilt. They too were devastated by the disaster they had inadvertently become a part of.
Though they had not intended it, they had become accomplices in this tremendous event.
They were at a loss for words in the face of the huge flames that seemed to cover the entire world.
Then the gates of Hundred Eyes Fortress opened, and Baek Seo-mun and the Sword Heaven Clan triumphantly entered the castle.
“Woah!”
“We won.”
“The Hundred Eyes Fortress is now ours.
The cheers of the Jade Heaven Alliance martial artists pierced the sky.
That day, Hwangwon Plain burned entirely, and the Hundred Eyes Fortress fell into the hands of the Jade Heaven Alliance.