The World Does Not Change (5)
KABOOM! A deafening roar erupted as a thick cloud of black dust billowed upward. Flash!Flash! Bolts of thunder qi pierced through the cloud in every direction, radiating a menacing glow.
Cheong Ho, poised for another assault, swiftly pulled back. His movement was incredibly elastic, but his body had already reached its limits.
This can't be.
Disbelief flickered in Cheong Ho's eyes, which had been brimming with savage killing intent like a wild beast.
Was the head of one of the Six Great Families really this strong?!
Moyong Gun's martial arts were nothing short of jaw-dropping. It was said that Baek Seo, the eldest of the Twelve Branch Gods and the one who had served Yang Cheon the longest, matched the prowess of a Six Great Families patriarch. Yet among the other Twelve Branch Gods, there were those who came close to Baek Seo's level—namely, Ox, Dragon, Goat, and himself, Tiger.
It's different.
Cheong Ho lowered his stance.
I don't know the exact level of a true Six Great Families patriarch. But Lord Moyong's skills are clearly exceptional even among them.
WHOOSH! The dust cloud split in two as a streak of blue thunderbolt shot straight toward Su Ryong.
"Eek!"
KABOOM! The thunderous sword strike grazed Su Ryong's sleeve and neatly cleaved a massive boulder in half.
When it came to evasion, Su Ryong outshone even Cheong Ho and Gwang Gyeon. Yet even he was reduced to desperate dodging, a testament to the strike's overwhelming power and speed.
What the hell is this?
SWOOSH! Cheong Ho lunged like a predator spotting prey, swinging his Tiger Iron Claw.
What is that martial art?!
Moyong Gun's eyes flashed.
BOOM!
"Guh!"
Cheong Ho spat up blood and was hurled back, azure lightning scattering from his body like shattering glass. As he scrambled to rise, he suddenly doubled over.
"Urk!"
A massive gush of blood poured from his mouth.
His Tiger Iron Claw, capable of slicing through iron plates like butter, hadn't even scratched Moyong Gun's internal energy barrier. Instead, Cheong Ho had suffered severe internal injuries from a casual palm strike.
Terrifying!
He could scarcely believe such martial arts existed in the world.
"Truly…"
Moyong Gun grimaced.
"Truly persistent pests. I'll give you that much, at least."
Cheong Ho had stamina to spare, Su Ryong excelled at evasion, and Gwang Gyeon had a keen eye for openings. Without his supreme arts—the Thunderclap Art and Impartial Heavenly Thunder Style—he might have been in real trouble.
In a one-on-one duel, his patriarchal art, Heaven-Earth Martial Solution, would hold its own against the Thunderclap Art. But in this chaotic melee, the thunder qi itself instilled psychological terror in his foes. That was why Moyong Gun could afford such leisure against three peak masters.
They're holding out better than expected.
Moyong Gun glanced up at the sky.
This should be enough.
The sunset had already dyed the horizon red, slowly sinking into the encroaching darkness. By now, the operational unit should have largely escaped Muk Ryong Bu's sphere of influence.
Yeon Hojeong.
Moyong Gun furrowed his brow.
You knew I'd cover the rear no matter what… Hah!
He couldn't fathom whom Yeon Hojeong had rallied to strike at Muk Ryong Bu. But if he'd put his mind to it, gathering manpower wouldn't have been impossible.
Turn the main family and Muk Ryong Bu into mortal enemies?
What audacity. He'd been impressed before, but this attack was utterly unforeseen. He'd never even considered the possibility of betrayal.
Diminish the main family's influence in Hunan, is that it?
Yeon Hojeong surely knew a ploy like this wouldn't topple House Moyong. It wasn't because House Moyong was stronger than Muk Ryong Bu. At least for now, Muk Ryong Bu couldn't afford to touch House Moyong.
Striking House Moyong would be tantamount to a declaration of war on the Martial Alliance. Unless their strengths were equal—which they weren't—Muk Ryong Bu couldn't take such a reckless gamble.
But since the attack had been launched under the Moyong name, Muk Ryong Bu would now have its eyes firmly on House Moyong. No more carefree dominance for them. They'd have to constantly calculate where Muk Ryong Bu might strike next.
Planting that sliver of "what if" anxiety. For a powerhouse like House Moyong, that alone imposed massive constraints and damage.
But you see…
The corner of Moyong Gun's mouth curved upward.
It hurt, but not enough to make us stagger.
Clashing with Muk Ryong Bu was inevitable anyway. This just brought the timeline forward a bit.
One thing puzzled him, though.
Does he think this is enough?
He wasn't certain. Was this truly the end? Or was some unimaginable strike coming next?
"You dog bastard."
Gwang Gyeon ground his teeth.
"Daring to raid our headquarters? You must have a death wish!"
Moyong Gun replied leisurely.
"Who knows. Right and wrong can hardly coexist—nothing new there, is there?"
"You son of a—!"
"Besides, whether Muk Ryong Bu falls or the main house does, what concern is it of yours?"
ZIIING! Terrifying thunder qi surged from Moyong Gun's blade. It was twice as potent as anything he'd unleashed before.
Horror dawned on the three men's faces.
Moyong Gun's expression turned icy.
"I'm planning to bury you all here."
He swung his sword with full force.
Su Ryong shouted.
"Dodge!"
Flash! A massive crescent of azure sword light hurtled toward them.
The density of power, the speed of the slash, the range of internal energy projection—it was on another level entirely. Even anticipating it, the strike's velocity made evasion nearly impossible.
Damn it!
Defeat etched across Cheong Ho's face.
So that's it!
This was a killing blow. In other words, unleashing a strike like this would inevitably create an opening. Moyong Gun had held it back until now to dull their reaction speeds.
Indeed, Cheong Ho couldn't even dream of dodging as the slash closed in right before his eyes. His body was no longer normal.
Damn it all.
Cheong Ho squeezed his eyes shut.
Forgive this subordinate's disloyalty for departing first without serving you longer…!
That was when it happened.
CRACK!SPLAT! A gruesome sound of rending flesh was followed by something wet pattering to the ground.
Cheong Ho opened his eyes. He and Gwang Gyeon stared in shock.
"…You dodged like a rat, but now that I've caught one, this fight just got twice as easy."
Moyong Gun tapped his blade, regulating his breathing. As Cheong Ho had guessed, this strike consumed an immense amount of internal energy, too burdensome to chain.
But the gain was worth it.
Squish!Squish! Su Ryong's lower body, his upper half cleanly severed, sprayed blood before collapsing.
It wasn't a slash—it was a thrust. Moyong Gun's target had been Su Ryong, the evasion specialist, from the start.
"…!!"
Cheong Ho and Gwang Gyeon felt chills crawl up their spines.
"Don't run, you two. No, you can't run. Aren't I your sworn enemy?"
Crackle. Ominous thunder qi spread from Moyong Gun's body. After such an explosive strike, he couldn't fully control his energy for the moment.
Yet that only amplified the terror for Cheong Ho and Gwang Gyeon.
"Shall we begin the second round?"
Cheong Ho gnashed his teeth.
"Gwang Gyeon."
"…What?"
"I'll buy time somehow. Head back to base and call for reinforcements."
"Bullshit."
"Gwang Gyeon!"
"You think we can even escape? Didn't you see that madman's internal energy? The moment we turn tail, we're dead."
Gwang Gyeon growled.
"We fight here and now, win or die."
Cheong Ho nodded grimly.
"Fine. We end it here."
That was when it happened.
BOOM! A thunderous explosion echoed from the western riverbank, accompanied by horrific screams. It was House Moyong's forces and the Twelve Branch Gods' subordinates locked in a desperate deathmatch.
The battle had been raging for a while, but this blast was exceptionally massive.
Gwang Gyeon cursed.
"You filthy dog! You even brought explosives?! Shameless bastard! Fine, even if I die today, I'll take one of your arms…"
Mid-sentence, Gwang Gyeon frowned. Moyong Gun's face had changed. His eyes, fixed westward, were filled with shock.
"…Muyeon?"
The Moyong forces laid along the river-to-mountain path had no explosives. Acquiring them was difficult to begin with. Besides, they were mere sacrificial pawns to secure the retreat—no need for each to carry bombs.
But Muyeon was different. He always carried small explosives for self-detonation.
Was it really Muyeon? No way!
Muyeon was a master of stealth. When he truly concealed his presence, even Moyong Gun couldn't detect him.
Had he fallen? Why? How? The man with whom he had endless future plans—dead here?
ZIIIIING! Heavenly thunder descended upon the merciless blade.
"No time for games."
Moyong Gun's face twisted in rage.
"Playtime's over, scum."
Flash! The thunderous sword strike engulfed Cheong Ho and Gwang Gyeon.
Moyong Gun, consumed by fury—alas, his misfortune was far from over.
* * *
Thud-thud-thud-thud. Hoofbeats shook the mountains and rivers.
Nearly fifty warhorses charged without exception, each radiating tremendous majesty. Their muscular builds propelled them three zhang per stride with effortless bounces, their gaits brimming with elastic power.
No mere fine breed could produce such steeds. They required precise herbs suited to their frames, abundant feed, and meticulous training regimens.
Neighhh! The lead horse, riderless, bellowed like a dragon's roar. Exceptionally large and sturdy, its neck and forelegs bore scars from spear and sword thrusts—clear marks of a battle-hardened mount.
"Faster!"
Right beside the riderless steed, a woman with a red bow slung across her back bellowed thunderously.
"Half a day's ride left! Keep your wits about you! Battle could erupt any moment!"
The fifty-odd warriors trailing her roared back.
"Yes, my lord!"
Their voices, infused with internal energy, drowned out even the hoofbeats. All were martial artists versed in supreme arts.
But they were no ordinary fighters. Greaves on shoulders, chests, forearms, and shins marked them as a fully formed army.
Battle-tested eyes gleamed with ferocity and poise; their unyielding auras coalesced into a massive military spirit that rattled the air itself.
The fearsome southward charge of the Martial Alliance's independent elite unit. The dash of the era's finest combat force—the Myeol Sa Army.