Episode 370

 

Meeting at the End of Despair (2)

 

Bang Yeok-san was a burly man in his early fifties.

 

His primary weapon was a massive horse-slaying sword, typically used for beheading horses.

 

The sight of him charging towards the enemy while wielding the horse-slaying sword struck fear into the hearts of many.

 

His appearance, reminiscent of a venomous imoogi, earned him the nickname “Poison Dragon.”

 

Bang Yeok-san was a trusted subordinate of Po Cheon-wol, the lord of Sky High Castle.

He rarely left the castle, but this time he came out to lead his men on a particular mission at the request of the Young Strategist, Lim Sobo.

“If we can recruit Yeo Joong Wol, it will undoubtedly be a great advantage.”

 

Sky High Castle’s biggest problem was its lack of clever minds.

 

Given its origins as one of the eighteen Green Forest clans, this was somewhat inevitable.

 

Their people tended to act on intuition rather than reason, and were more influenced by emotions than rational thought.

 

Things had somewhat improved once Lim So-bo was brought into the alliance between Sky High Castle and the Thousand Kingdom School. However, as more people began to underestimate her due to her young age, the reform efforts were delayed.

 

Lim So-bo’s abilities were not to blame. The problem was her age. Her young age was holding her back.

 

Her solution was to recruit her master, Yeo Joong Wol.

 

After all, Yeo Joong Wol was someone they had to rescue anyway. If they could save him and offer him the position of military strategist in the alliance, Lim So-bo could relieve herself of some of the burden and push forward with reforms more freely.

 

This was why Lim So-bo had requested Bang Yeok-san’s assistance. He was one of the most rational and powerful figures in the Sky High Castle.

 

Bang Yeok-san turned to his subordinate and asked, “How much time is left until the meeting?”

 

“About two hours,” the subordinate replied.

 

“They’re late.”

 

“Could it be that the mission failed? Rescuing someone locked in the Thunder Prison of the Jade Heaven Alliance seems impossible from the start. No matter how much the young strategist trusts that man…”

 

The subordinate’s voice trailed off.

 

He couldn’t understand why such a critical mission had been entrusted to a single person when even dozens or hundreds might not be enough.

 

Bang Yeok-san stared ahead and spoke, “We’ll know in two hours. If there’s no news by then, we’ll withdraw.”

 

“Understood.”

 

 

 

Though there was some discontent in his heart, the subordinate was not foolish enough to provoke Bang Yeok-san. He respected him deeply. Among those present, there was no one who didn’t trust Bang Yeok-san. He was a figure who commanded respect.

 

Just as Bang Yeok-san was scanning the horizon, a sharp whistling sound pierced the air.

 

Who’s there?”

 

With a shout, Bang Yeok-san swung his massive horse slaying sword like a bolt of lightning.

 

Kaaang!

 

With a loud bang, a martial artist in his late forties was sent flying.

 

“What the—?”

 

“An ambush!”

 

Bang Yeok-san’s men shouted in alarm behind him.

 

The martial artist who had been repelled by Bang Yeok-san flipped gracefully in mid-air and landed softly, making no sound. Bang Yeok-san felt a sting in his wrist, and his face hardened.

 

The man was wielding a narrow, slender sword, while Bang Yeok-san’s weapon was a massive blade capable of decapitating a horse. Conventional wisdom held that longer and heavier weapons held the advantage in combat.

 

Of course, at higher levels of martial prowess, the distinction between weapons became meaningless. Still, a heavy weapon like the horse slaying sword should have had the upper hand in a direct clash.

 

Despite the apparent superiority of his weapon, Bang Yeok-san was the one who ended up at a disadvantage, indicating the remarkable martial prowess of the attacker.

 

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

 

Suddenly, more than ten martial artists appeared beside the attacker, each of them displaying extraordinary qigong skills. Bang Yeok-san’s expression turned grim.

 

“Attacking without warning? If you’re not afraid of the Sky High Castle, reveal your identity,”.

 

“So it is the Sky High Castle. I am Gyu Oh, leader of the Righteous Heaven Squad of the Jade Heaven Alliance.”

 

“The Righteous Heaven Squad?”

 

Bang Yeok-san’s eyelids twitched.

 

The inner court of the Jade Heaven Alliance was divided into four squads: the Loyal Sword Squad, the Righteous Heaven Squad, the Pure Blood Squad, and the Law Enforcement Squad.

 

While the Pure Blood Squad protected the alliance’s inner court and the Law Enforcement Squad enforced discipline, the Loyal Sword and Righteous Heaven Squads handled external affairs under the direct command of the alliance’s leader. They were known for their formidable martial prowess.

 

Among them, the Righteous Heaven Squad was especially notorious for their brutality. Ever since the Jade Heaven Alliance began its war against the Nine Sects, the Righteous Heaven Squad had been deployed to most of the battlefields, earning a fearsome reputation. Their cruelty was so well known that no martial artist within the Seven Sects was unaware of it.

 

“Why is the Righteous Heaven Squad attacking us?” Bang Yeok-san asked, glaring at Gyu Oh.

 

“Do you really not know why you are being attacked?”

 

“Is it because of the military strategist?”

 

“Exactly.”

 

Gyu Oh replied in a cold voice.

 

The leader of the inner court, Joo Shin Yoon, had sent the Soul Reaper Squad to capture Yeo Joong Wol and had also ordered the Righteous Heaven Squad to search the area.

 

While the Soul Reaper Squad pursued the assassins, the Righteous Heaven Squad was tasked with eliminating any potential allies. That’s how they stumbled upon the Sky High Castle forces and attack them.

 

Gyu Oh’s killing intent flared. “How dare a mere sect like the Sky High Castle kidnap our alliance’s strategist.”

 

The fact that Sky High Castle  had infiltrated the heart of the Jade Heaven Alliance and abducted their strategist was a blow to the pride of Gyu Oh and his men.

 

“Where is the strategist?”

 

“Find out for yourself.”

 

“Fine! Don’t regret this.”

 

Gyu-oh extended his long sword towards Bang Yeok-san and began to advance, followed by the martial artists of Righteous Heaven Squad.

 

As the elites of the Jade Heaven Alliance, they radiated an overwhelming aura.   They had been deployed to countless battlefields, and their skill and presence were unmatched.

 

“Mm.”

 

Bang Yeok-san furrowed his brow.

 

Instinctively he knew that they were at a disadvantage. To save his men, they would have to retreat. But judging by the enemy’s behavior, it was unlikely that they would let them go so easily.

 

‘There’s nowhere to retreat anyway.’

 

He resolved himself and shouted:

 

Everyone, fight to the death!”

 

The martial artists of Sky High Castle let out a battle cry and charged at the Righteous Heaven Squad.

 

“Attack!”

 

“Die!”

 

Blood splattered; flesh was torn.

 

In an instant, the battlefield became a living hell.

 

“You’re mine.”

 

Gyu Oh pointed his sword at Bang Yeok-san.

 

Whoom!

 

Bang Yeok-san swung his gigantic chamado.

 

“Who said I’d give in so easily? I’ll slice your throat wide open with my Horse Slaying Blade! Come on!”

 

“Insolent Bastard!”

 

Gyu Oh unleashed his killing intent and charged at Bang Yeok-san.

 

***

 

“Ugh!”

 

Cheon-wol gasped for breath as he straightened his back.

 

His entire body was drenched in sweat, and his face was flushed red as if it might burst at any moment.

 

is internal energy was nearly depleted, and he was on the verge of collapse.

 

He needed to cultivate and replenish his energy immediately, but Cheon-wol chose to continue walking instead.

 

If the Soul Reaper Squad had chased after him, at least he’d know he’d succeeded in drawing them off. And he wouldn’t feel such desperate urgency.

 

But the Soul Reaper Squad never came.

 

‘It seems that the strategist’s formation has been discovered.’

 

For now, he might hold out, but as time passed, the situation would only grow more dire for Yoo Jung-wol. Cheon-wol needed to reach the rendezvous point with the reinforcements and bring them to Yoo Jung-wol’s location as quickly as possible.

 

Fortunately, once he crossed the next hill, he would reach the meeting point.

 

Cheon-wol trudged forward, step by step, with great difficulty.

 

Finally, he reached the top of the hill.

 

In an instant, his eyes widened in shock.

 

A horrific scene unfolded before him.

 

“What…?”

 

The elite forces of the Sky High Castle, who should have been waiting for him, lay in a pool of blood.

 

“Ugh…”

 

Bang Yeok-san let out a small groan as someone held his throat. His lower body hung limply, as if his spine had been broken.

 

“Bang… Lord Bang!”

 

Cheon-wol shouted without thinking, then immediately bit his tongue. But it was too late.

 

Gyu Oh, who had been holding Bang Yeok-san by the throat, noticed him.

 

“So it’s you.”

 

Gyu Oh released Bang Yeok-san and turned to face Cheon-wol.

 

Thud!

 

Bang Yeok-san’s massive body collapsed to the ground. After a few labored breaths, his movements ceased. He was dead.

 

‘Damn it!’

 

Cheon-wol bit his lip until it bled.

 

He recognized Gyu Oh immediately. Gyu Oh’s cruelty was infamous even within the Jade Heaven Alliance. Having been a member of the alliance, Cheon-wol knew all too well who he was dealing with.

 

‘That cold-blooded monster is here.’

 

Cheon-wol’s body trembled slightly. Even at full strength, he wouldn’t have been confident of defeating Gyu Oh. Now, exhausted and wounded, he had no chance. Besides, Gyu Oh had his men with him.

 

The odds of Cheon-wol winning this fight were zero.

 

He considered fleeing, but in his current state, fleeing would only hasten his death.

 

“Ugh…”

 

Cheon-wol steadied his breathing and drew his sword.

 

If he couldn’t run, he would have to fight.

 

Even if the outcome was certain death.

 

‘So-bo… It seems I might fail the task you entrusted to me.’

 

 

 

From the moment he joined the Jade Heaven Alliance, Cheon-wol had prepared himself for death. But the thought of dying without fulfilling Lim So-bo’s wish weighed heavily on his heart.

 

Gyu Oh pointed his sword at Cheon-wol.

 

“Don’t think that you will die easily.”

 

He already saw Cheon-wol as captured prey. It was clear that Cheon-wol was completely exhausted. For Gyu Oh and the Righteous Heaven Squad, subduing him would be as easy as flipping a hand.

 

“Capture him. Make sure he doesn’t die… yet.”

 

“As you command.”

 

The Righteous Heaven Squad closed in on Cheon-wol.

 

Whoosh!

 

Cheon-wol mustered his strength and swung his sword at the approaching enemies.

 

‘I won’t die easily.’

 

Cheon-wol prepared himself for death. Against so many enemies, he had no hope of survival. All he could do was fight with everything he had.

 

The Righteous Heaven Squad attacked Cheon-wol with precision. Wounds began to cover his body under their relentless assault.

 

Cheon-wol gritted his teeth against the bone-deep pain and continued to swing his sword.

 

Clang!

 

His blade clashed with an enemy’s, and the recoil reverberated through his arm. Any ordinary sword would have shattered, but Cheon-wol’s blade held firm.

 

Time had passed and many things had changed. His sword had been replaced many times. But the unwavering will in him remained the same. The will he had learned from Lee Gwak kept him standing.

 

‘Brother!’

***

 

 

 

***

 

Lee Gwak, who had been chewing on a piece of dried meat, suddenly raised his head.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

Seok Yi-cheon looked at him with a puzzled expression.

 

“I thought I heard someone calling me.”

 

“We’re in the middle of the river. Who could be calling you?”

 

As Seok Yi-cheon said, they were still on the boat. The boat was crossing the middle of the river, making it impossible to hear anyone else’s voice.

 

Lee Gwak shook his head slightly and said, “It must have been my imagination.”

 

“That’s unusual. Even a master like you hearing things.”

 

“I’m human too.”

 

“Yes, you are. I sometimes forget that. Hehe!”

 

Seok Yi-cheon chuckled as if he found it amusing.

 

Bang Ye-in, watching the scene, shook her head watching them.

 

“Really, that man is not normal.”

 

Since reuniting with Lee Gwak, Seok Yi-cheon laughed even at trivial things. He laughed so much he seemed like a sixteen-year-old girl.

 

Cheol Gwang-woo also smiled at Seok Yi-cheon.

 

Somehow, he felt he could understand his heart.

 

Seok Yi-cheon, who had lost his comrades and had no place to turn to, found Lee Gwak to be the only person he could trust and rely on.

 

“Look over there!”

 

A voice broke Cheol Gwang-woo’s thoughts.

 

Suddenly, the front of the boat became noisy.

 

“It’s a body.”

 

“What? There are corpses floating downstream.”

 

The people on the deck began to murmur.

 

Lee Gwak and his group rushed to the railing.   Sure enough, bodies were drifting along the river.

 

“Are they martial artists?”

 

They immediately realized that the floating bodies belonged to martial artists.

 

Seok Yi-cheon, who had been carefully examining the bodies, suddenly spoke.

 

“I’ve seen them before in the Jade Heaven Alliance.”

 

“Does that mean these are Jade Heaven Alliance’s martial artists?”

 

Cheol Gwang-woo looked at Seok Yi-cheon in surprise.

 

Seok Yi-cheon nodded with a stone-cold expression.

 

“I’m sure of it!”