Chapter 95 - Blood Wind (1)
A fierce wind whistled past, clawing at Sin Hwi's face. Strands of hair whipped across his eyes, but they couldn't hide the chilling glint in his gaze. His eyes were fixed on the massive complex of grand halls rising like a fortress in the heart of the vast plain. Even the mountains and grasses seemed to hold their breath under his aura. The warhorse carrying him didn't dare twitch, lest it disturb its master.
Blood King. That was what the world called Sin Hwi. Alongside the Demon King Akso, he occupied one of the seats as the Two Demons Under Heaven.
A man approached on horseback beside him—a young man in his mid-twenties who bore a striking resemblance to Sin Hwi. It was his younger brother, Sin U. He drew up next to Sin Hwi and stared at the row of halls stretching out like battlements.
Whoosh! The gale swirled again, savagely lashing their bodies as it passed. The two men simply gazed ahead in silence, as if words had failed them.
Sin U broke the quiet first.
"They're all waiting."
"Little brother."
"Yes, brother."
"What do you think?"
"I'll follow your lead, as always."
"Pretend you're the one leading them. Make the call."
Sin U responded without hesitation, as if he'd been waiting for the question.
"We won't pass by the Lord's enemies without a fight. Especially not Jangga—the den of that upstart Jang Cheon who dares covet the Lord's throne."
Flames ignited deep in Sin U's eyes. Sin Hwi turned to him with a faint smile.
"Then that's what we'll do."
"Shall we attack?"
"We can't ignore the Lord's foes right in front of us. But we can't keep the Lord waiting either—he's expecting us as soon as possible. No all-out battle."
"Then..."
Shing. A massive longsword appeared in Sin Hwi's hand.
"Ruffling Jang Cheon's nerves should suffice."
"Understood."
Sin U bowed his head and spurred his horse back toward the vast plain behind them. There, five thousand riders blackened one side of the field, their eyes fixed on the low hill where Sin Hwi and Sin U stood.
As Sin U crested the hill, they raised their weapons in unison, roaring with bloodthirsty cheers.
"Waaah!"
Shing. Sin U slowly drew his sword and pointed it forward. A long trumpet blast echoed across the plain, and the five thousand riders surged toward Jangga like a raging storm.
"Haaah!"
"Charge!"
Thud thud thud!
* * *
Sin Hwi didn't join the fray. Commanding the battle fell to Sin U. From the hill, he impassively watched his subordinates assault Jangga.
Boom boom boom!
Clang!
"Argh!"
"Ugh!"
Endless screams of agony. Flames erupted everywhere, black smoke blotting out the sky.
Only one man stood guard at Sin Hwi's side. He glanced at his lord and ventured cautiously, "If we go all in, we could bring the whole place down, Commander."
"That would take too long."
"Even so, just two days at most..."
"The Lord has summoned us. We need to reach him as fast as possible. This skirmish is just to sate the boys' battle hunger a bit. Nothing more, nothing less. Say no more."
"...Yes, sir."
Jangga's resistance was no joke. What they called walls were as high and sturdy as any fortress ramparts, bristling with troops. Breaking through wasn't easy.
Yet barely after the fight began, fires broke out across Jangga. Several halls beyond the defenses were already belching black smoke.
Sin Hwi's brow furrowed slightly. His voice carried dissatisfaction.
"They're definitely rusty."
"Must be from sitting idle on the Lord's orders until the summons came."
To shake such a formidable defense this quickly—and still not be satisfied. If anyone from Jangga, or anyone else, had overheard, what faces would they have made?
"Jang Cheon, huh... I'm curious what kind of bastard he is. Daring to rebel against the Lord."
"If he knew even a fraction of who the Lord is, he'd never dream of it."
Sin Hwi nodded silently at his guard's words.
Whoosh!
Boom boom boom!
"Argh!"
"Uwaaak!"
The battle grew fiercer by the moment. The five thousand riders dashed along the walls, howling like mad beasts, their eyes gleaming with unhinged frenzy.
"Time to pull back."
"Yes, Commander."
The guard drew a trumpet from his bosom.
Toot!
At the sound, the blood-mad riders wheeled their horses and retreated as if by magic.
Thud thud thud!
A faint smile tugged at the guard's lips.
"See how they obey you without question?"
It was true. Without their absolute loyalty to Sin Hwi, pulling back so swiftly would have been impossible.
But Sin Hwi remained impassive. The guard's smile deepened at his commander's nonchalance.
"You know what's amazing?"
"What?"
"You and the Demon King—you're both starting to resemble the Lord."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"Of course."
"Bow."
Sin Hwi extended his hand. The guard unslung the massive bow from his shoulder and handed it over.
Sin Hwi nocked an arrow with a blood-red banner fluttering from it. The bowstring creaked ominously as he drew it back slowly, emitting a metallic groan.
Twang!
The arrow streaked over the retreating riders and buried itself in Jangga's main gate.
Thud!
The blood-red banner fluttered wildly with the shaft. Blood King was emblazoned upon it.
* * *
Thud thud thud!
Cheol-u narrowed his eyes at the dust cloud swallowing the horizon. The green treeline was steadily turning black.
Dongbang Ri's gaze grew heavy.
"How many do you think that is?"
"At least fifty thousand."
"And that's not all of them, right?"
"Probably..."
Dongbang Ri glanced at the cave. Yeon-hoo still hadn't emerged.
"Shouldn't we tell him Jang Cheon's horde is coming?"
"He'll come out when it's time."
No sooner had Cheol-u spoken than the cave depths rippled, and Yeon-hoo stepped forth. He was as impassive and composed as ever; the only change was the thick beard now covering his face.
Yeon-hoo strode straight to the cliff's edge and eyed the darkening horizon.
"Faster than expected."
"They've been preparing for this far in advance, even if it was opportunistic."
"We need to delay their link-up with Jang Cheon as much as possible. If they seize the area around Iron Blood Family and form a defensive perimeter, it'll be a real problem."
"Agreed."
Dongbang Ri's eyes widened at their exchange.
How the hell are we supposed to stop that massive army...?
The forces here—Bu Cha and Baek-un's men, the Demon Corps included—numbered fewer than forty. Even with powerhouses like Yeon-hoo, Cheol-u, and Baek Mu Yeong, halting an army seemed impossible.
"That spot looks good."
Yeon-hoo pointed left—to the densest stretch of forest on the path to Iron Blood Family, riddled with towering rock faces.
An ambush? Even that won't stop an army...
As doubt clouded Dongbang Ri's eyes, Yeon-hoo continued.
"Gather everyone."
"Yes."
Moments later, they assembled around Yeon-hoo. Baek Mu Yeong and Seobaek had just returned from scouting.
Yeon-hoo issued orders with unflinching confidence, as if he'd foreseen this exact scenario.
Dongbang Ri was inwardly stunned but still skeptical. Sama Song shared her doubt.
The others, however, lit up with fervor, grinning fiercely at their assignments.
"Just kill 'em all, right? Heh heh heh!"
Bu Cha licked his lips. Baek Mu Yeong shot a warning glare at the Demon Corps.
"Remember: to aid the Lord to the end, not one of you dies."
"Of course. Heh heh heh."
Orders complete, they dispersed to their posts. Dongbang Ri received hers too: no fighting—just climb the peak, watch the battle, and light a signal fire at the right moment. The smoke would trick the enemy into thinking a large force lurked nearby.
Before heading up, she asked Yeon-hoo, "Did you anticipate this?"
"I thought it through from Jang Cheon's perspective. What would I do first in his shoes?"
"Did it play out as you expected?"
"Close enough. See you later."
"...Be careful."
"I will."
Dongbang Ri watched Yeon-hoo's back as he descended with Cheol-u, unable to look away. Skeptical still, but his unshakable confidence sparked a flicker of hope—maybe he really could crush Jang Cheon.
She realized something else too.
Maybe their confidence isn't in their own strength... but in him.
Only when Yeon-hoo vanished from sight did she climb the peak and gather thick pine branches heavy with fresh resin. To make the smoke as thick as possible, she'd need plenty—and the slope was thick with young pines.
"Hoo!"
She took a deep breath and scanned the direction of Jang Cheon's advancing army.
Thud thud thud!
The vanguard was now close enough to make out armor and weapons.
If he doesn't come back...
Regret shadowed her face. Without Yeon-hoo, she might have joined the rebellion against Iron Blood Family. Her grudge against Lord Yi Yeom ran that deep.
Clench.
Her pearly white teeth bit into her lip as resolve hardened her eyes. An image surfaced in her mind: the kind face of a gentle woman.
Yeon-hoo's birth mother. Recalling her tragic life brought tears unbidden to Dongbang Ri's eyes.
I'll stake my life on your son.