The Net Closes In
Thud-thud-thud-thud.
Yeon Wi’s eyes gleamed.
Far to the east, the sun was slowly rising. More than three hours had already passed since Moyong Gun departed.
Even so, Yeon Wi kept his senses fully extended. Though it left him quite fatigued, he could still hear the distant sound of galloping hooves.
Whoosh!
Yeon Wi shot forward at terrifying speed toward the source of the hoofbeats.
A moment later.
“Halt the entire army.”
The man who stopped his horse at the front was a neatly dressed young man.
Though he looked youthful, the sharpness and wisdom in his eyes made it clear he was older than he appeared.
A martial artist in heavy armor, mounted on a famed steed of the Central Plains. At his waist hung a military longsword—longer and broader than ordinary Central Plains blades.
It was Moyong Woo, commander of the Tangma Army.
“You’ve arrived.”
Clatter.
Moyong Woo dismounted and clasped his hands in a precise salute.
“Moyong Woo, commander of the Tangma Army. I greet the patriarch of the Yeon family.”
Yeon Wi’s eyes shone. ‘Just as I felt before, he truly is an extraordinary individual.’
His gaze, bearing, and every word and action felt close to perfection.
He was the complete opposite of the eldest son. If Yeon Hojeong embodied the aesthetics of the unconventional, Moyong Woo lived by the aesthetics of orthodoxy. Where Yeon Hojeong burned hot and dangerous like fire, Moyong Woo flowed steady and stable like calm water.
Two young men who had reached the pinnacle of the younger generation despite possessing entirely different temperaments. ‘To think such a youth is the younger brother of the Moyong patriarch… truly, one never knows.’
Even though they shared the same blood, it was hard to believe they could be so different. His own two sons were also vastly different in nature, yet both fundamentally upheld the value of righteousness.
In that sense, it was almost suspicious whether Moyong Gun and Moyong Woo were truly of the same bloodline.
“It must have been exhausting to come all this way.”
“Not at all.”
“I heard the sound of the Tangma Army’s horses from your distant encampment. I came ahead, fearing the enemy might notice if you advanced any farther.”
“I see. I was also considering stopping around here.”
“Good.”
“However…”
Moyong Woo looked around.
“Where might Patriarch Moyong have gone? I don’t sense his presence.”
If he had heard the hoofbeats, Moyong Gun should have arrived before Yeon Wi. His absence was puzzling.
Yeon Wi spoke with a serious expression.
“I have something to discuss with you regarding that matter.”
He relayed the operation he had planned with Moyong Gun.
Moyong Woo’s eyes wavered.
“…Do you truly believe that is possible?”
“Honestly, I cannot be certain. However, the Moyong patriarch seemed confident it could be done. Though we are in a position where we must ask for help, if you think about it, the woman is an enemy you must defeat one way or another. In that case, I believe there is a chance.”
“I see.”
“The problem is you and your men.”
Yeon Wi asked with a somewhat worried tone.
“This is a tactic I came up with on the spot… Have you trained for something like this before?”
It was a question asked without much expectation.
Surprisingly, Moyong Woo nodded.
“Of course.”
“What? Truly?”
“Yes. The Tangma Army is different from the Myeolsa Army. If the Myeolsa Army specializes in special operations, we of the Tangma Army excel in frontal assaults.”
“Then it is not so strange after all. If anything, it would be more surprising if the Myeolsa Army had trained for this…”
“No. The Tangma Army always faces the enemy head-on. We must overwhelm them with superior strength and combat power, but there are times when the enemy’s bizarre tactics can drastically reduce our forces.”
“Hmm.”
“We have conducted extensive training to prepare for such situations. You and Patriarch Moyong need not worry too much.”
Yeon Wi nodded.
“If you are that confident, then I understand. I will trust you.”
“Thank you.”
Moyong Woo pointed toward the Tangma Army with his hand.
“I will go issue the orders briefly.”
“Do so.”
After a short bow, Moyong Woo called the squad leaders and began relaying the operation.
Watching from afar, Yeon Wi found himself smiling without realizing it. ‘A fine young man.’
Shortly after, the soldiers began leading their horses in various directions. They fed the horses hay and rested comfortably, though their eyes scanning the surroundings remained sharp.
Moyong Woo approached.
“I will take charge here. When Patriarch Moyong returns, how about we meet again then?”
“Of course. We must also keep an eye on the situation over there.”
“Yes, understood. Ah!”
“What is it?”
Moyong Woo asked curiously.
“What happened with Commander Yeon? Has there been no word yet?”
Yeon Wi shook his head.
“The battle probably ended several hours ago.”
He did not mention the outcome of that battle. Of course, he believed Yeon Hojeong, Dang Gwan, and Muk Bi would have handled it well, but one never knew how things would turn out.
Seeing the trace of anxiety on Yeon Wi’s face, Moyong Woo smiled and spoke.
“Do not worry too much. Commander Yeon will have done well. Moreover, since Patriarch Dang accompanied him, they will surely send word of victory soon.”
“I hope so.”
“Even if they did not win, everyone will be safe. From what I have seen, Commander Yeon is not the type to cling to a losing battle. He will surely act wisely.”
Yeon Wi smiled.
“It seems you know my son well.”
Moyong Woo smiled back.
“Of course I must. If I do not know at least that much, how could I ever hope to catch up to even the tip of Commander Yeon’s toes?”
“What? Haha.”
Yeon Wi burst into laughter at Moyong Woo’s words. He knew it was meant to ease his worries, but hearing such words truly did lighten the burden on his heart.
Time passed like that.
Moyong Gun, who had said he would return within two days, arrived at their location only after two days and half a day more.
It was dawn, just past the hour of the Ox.
“I have returned.”
Yeon Wi spoke calmly.
“You are later than expected.”
“My apologies. I tried to send word in between, but things were quite hectic.”
“Hmm?”
“Let us gather first.”
Moyong Gun called for Moyong Woo.
“How is the Tangma Army?”
“We are ready to fight at any moment.”
“Good.”
Yeon Wi asked.
“So, what did the woman say?”
Moyong Gun smiled.
“It succeeded. She will send the supplies here within the next hour.”
“…That is fortunate.”
It was fortunate, but from now on, they would have to be truly tense. The moment those supplies arrived, the battle would begin.
Just then, Moyong Gun spoke with a meaningful expression.
“In any case, the fight should become somewhat easier.”
“What do you mean?”
“The people bringing those supplies will become our allies.”
“Hmm?”
Moyong Gun grinned.
Yeon Wi and Moyong Woo, unable to understand, could only tilt their heads in confusion.
* * *
Two days earlier.
Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!
Dang Gwan’s hidden weapons were nothing short of terrifying.
He seemed to scatter them carelessly, yet with each throw, someone died. Even excluding Seok Gyeong and Mu Seong, none of the Shinwha Sect members could be called weak by any stretch, yet people kept falling.
Seok Gyeong ground his teeth.
“What the hell is this!”
Poison, and hidden weapons.
He had not let his guard down, but honestly, he had believed such petty tricks would be completely useless before the sacred flames of the Shinwha Sect.
It was a natural confidence. No matter what poison arts or hidden weapon techniques existed in the Central Plains, none should have been able to exert their power against the heat arts of the Shinwha Sect.
But when the one wielding that poison and those hidden weapons was at Dang Gwan’s level, the story changed.
If the elders of the Tang family had attacked in a group, it might have been manageable. However, Dang Gwan was a supreme master who could wield poison arts the elders could not, and handle hidden weapons they could not manage as naturally as breathing.
The threat of death he scattered alone was, astonishingly, completely blocking the advance of the Shinwha soldiers. Of course, if they charged forward sacrificing their lives, they might eventually break through the barrier, but that would be like killing dozens of hunting dogs just to catch one wolf.
No matter how important the orders were, they could not do that.
That was why the battle had become stagnant. They had tried everything to break through, but they simply could not reach Dang Gwan.
In that case, there was only one way out.
Crash!
Yeon Hojeong’s axe swing, arcing upward from below, finally made Mu Seong cough up blood.
Even a qi barrier had its limits. The weight of the Mad Dragon Axe was not something that could be blocked just by trying. The accumulated shock kept causing internal injuries.
“Huff.”
Yeon Hojeong’s face had also turned somewhat pale.
It was because he had fully opened the Yeon Family Divine Elixir and drawn out all of the Four Gods Qi for the battle.
No matter how powerful the inner core was, sustaining this level of output would inevitably lead to exhaustion. If he had not built up his cardiopulmonary capacity through extreme physical training, his breathing would have already begun to falter.
Whoosh!
Seok Gyeong, who had been watching Dang Gwan, suddenly charged at Yeon Hojeong.
Crash!
Yeon Hojeong coughed blood and retreated. He had blocked the force with the shaft of the Mad Dragon Axe, but the penetrating energy that followed shook his insides.
Whoosh!
The Black Tortoise Qi surged up and blocked the heat-based penetrating energy. However, while it stopped the energy, it could not prevent his internal organs from being rattled.
At that moment, Dang Gwan’s eyes flashed.
Whoosh! Bang!
Seok Gyeong retreated three or four steps at just the right moment.
He had known that attacking Yeon Hojeong would inevitably be followed by Dang Gwan’s attack. Because he had prepared for it, the three or four steps back allowed him to offset the impact. If he had not, he would have been poisoned by the poison palm.
Just then, something astonishing happened.
Whoosh!
Spitting blood, Mu Seong charged forward, grabbed Yeon Hojeong by the collar, and pushed him back.
Seok Gyeong’s eyes widened.
“Mu Seong!”
“Uwaaah!”
Mu Seong swung his fists like a madman.
Bang! Bang!
With each explosion, Yeon Hojeong’s body shook.
Thud! Crack!
Yeon Hojeong also swung his limbs wildly. Mu Seong’s face became a mess from his knee strikes and elbow attacks.
However, neither of them could put their full strength into their attacks. The distance was too close; if they used more than a certain amount of force, both of them could lose their lives.
Just as it seemed the two were catching their breath, they began swinging their fists at each other like madmen once more.
Thud! Thud-thud-thud! Splash!
It was a sudden brawl. Seok Gyeong could not hide his shock at seeing Mu Seong like this for the first time.
Mu Seong shouted.
“Fall back! We have lost the first engagement!”
Seok Gyeong’s eyes shook as if an earthquake had struck.
It was a statement he could not believe, and did not want to believe.
Indeed. Even though the difference in strength was this vast, they had failed to break through Yeon Hojeong and Dang Gwan.
It was because Yeon Hojeong’s martial arts were more impenetrable than expected, and Dang Gwan’s poison and hidden weapons were more terrifying than imagined. If it had been a one-on-one duel, it might have been easier, but in this “war” where they had to utilize the terrain, they had been defeated.
“Cough! I will hold these bastards off, so fall back to the entrance immediately! First, we need to create distance from them and regroup…!”
Just then.
Whoosh!
Yeon Hojeong knocked Mu Seong’s arm away, grabbed him by the collar, and slammed him into the ground.
“Gah!”
It felt as if Mu Seong’s entire back, embedded in the earth, would shatter.
Mu Seong instinctively kicked upward with his leg technique.
Thud!
Blood sprayed from Yeon Hojeong’s mouth. At some point, Yeon Hojeong’s face had also become as bloodied as Mu Seong’s.
But Yeon Hojeong did not retreat.
Crack!
“Krrgh!”
Using the shaft of the Mad Dragon Axe to choke Mu Seong’s neck, Yeon Hojeong buried his head against the man’s back and shouted.
“Muk Bi!!”
In that instant, Seok Gyeong saw a flash of light from the distant cliff.
“No!”
Bang!
A long iron bolt blew Mu Seong’s head clean off.
Seeing that sight, Yeon Hojeong grinned. With his swollen face, he looked triumphant.
“You held out well. From now on, it is our turn to join the fight.”
Whoosh!
Like a bird taking flight, Muk Bi soared into the air with five iron bolts nocked on her Red Lotus Bow.
Seok Gyeong cried out without realizing it.
“Retreat! Everyone, retreat!”
Ting-ting-ting-ting!