The Humiliation of Paradise (5)
As they passed through the forest, clear moonlight bathed the world. There it is. Carrying Dang Yang-seon on his back, Dang Gwan launched himself forward.
Whoosh!
Despite the burden of another person, his movement technique was light and ethereal.
It was a far more advanced display than when he had fought the armed forces of the Shinwha Sect. This was thanks to his sparring and discussions on martial arts with Yeon Wi. They had thoroughly dissected each other’s techniques, forging a strong trust and explosive growth in the process.
Of course, such results would not come from crossing hands with just anyone. Dang Gwan and Yeon Wi had opened their hearts to one another, and because their martial arts were so different in nature, the effect had been synergistic rather than conflicting.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that the current Dang Gwan had reached a level where even Gong Gong Dae-sa would struggle to determine a victor.
And the same was true for Yeon Wi.
Whoosh.
After stepping on dozens of branches, they arrived before a three-story building on the outskirts of the county.
“Who goes there?!”
The warrior guarding the entrance placed a hand on his waist. Instead of the usual saber, a coiled whip hung at his side.
Dang Gwan took a small plaque from his robe and tossed it.
The warrior caught it in surprise, his eyes widening.
“Hah?!”
After checking the plaque and Dang Gwan’s face several times, the warrior prostrated himself on the spot.
“I greet the lord of the great Sichuan Tang Family!”
The gesture was excessive even for the head of a noble house. It bordered on the five-point prostration reserved for a monarch.
Looking down at the warrior, Dang Gwan spoke in a stiff tone.
“Who told you to prostrate yourself like that?”
“P-pardon?!”
“If I had been an impostor disguised as the family head, you would have died without even fighting.”
“……!”
“I distinctly ordered every branch to discard all unnecessary formalities.”
Those very words proved that Dang Gwan was the family head.
The warrior’s face turned ashen.
“I-I’m sorry!”
“It is not something you need to apologize for.”
Dang Gwan raised his head.
“Inform those inside.”
“Yes!”
A moment later, Hwang Gak, the branch leader of Daejuk County, came rushing out and prostrated himself.
“Branch Leader Hwang Gak greets the family head!”
Dang Gwan frowned.
It seemed he would have to issue an official notice across all of Sichuan. Excessive loyalty could become poison. Visiting the branch had made it clear that communication between the main house and the local branches was not functioning properly.
“Rise.”
“Yes!”
Dang Gwan set Dang Yang-seon down on the ground.
“Confine him in the lowest level of the prison.”
The order to imprison someone without explanation was abrupt, yet Hwang Gak voiced no questions.
“I receive your command!”
The warrior lifted Dang Yang-seon.
Watching his son being carried away on the warrior’s shoulder with an unreadable gaze, Dang Gwan asked casually,
“Has any message arrived?”
“Pardon?”
“There should have been a separate contact from Yeon Hojeong.”
“Ah! There has! I will escort you inside first.”
“No need. Just bring the letter he sent.”
“Understood.”
Shortly after, Hwang Gak handed Dang Gwan a red envelope.
Opening it and reading the letter, Dang Gwan soon furrowed his brow.
“That damned brat.”
The letter stated that “that man” had been summoned as reinforcements to resolve the Sichuan crisis.
Calling him without consultation irritated Dang Gwan. He especially disliked involving that man in this matter.
Yet on the other hand, he understood.
At least when it came to schemes and stratagems, the man was no less capable than that rude brat. In some ways, he was even superior.
If he truly helped, he would be a great asset. The problem is whether that man might cause unnecessary trouble here. He wondered if it was possible, but recalling the man’s past record left him uneasy. That rude brat wouldn’t have overlooked that possibility either.
There were two possibilities: either the situation was so urgent that he was willing to accept the risk, or he had his own countermeasures. Or perhaps both. In any case, Yeon Hojeong was not the type to bring such a dangerous individual into Sichuan without any thought.
Dang Gwan tucked the letter into his robe.
“Where is Yeon Hojeong?”
“He passed through here half a day ago and was heading west. If his speed is fast, he should have reached Daechung County by now. If he took his time, he is likely still on the road.”
Then he would be in Daechung County. The boy knew well that time was of the essence in this matter.
“Well done.”
“Not at all!”
“The one I confined in the lowest prison level will not wake for three days. Even if he wakes in the meantime, do not release him under any circumstances.”
“I receive your command!”
“Good work.”
Hwang Gak bowed his head in deference. …… Some time passed.
When Hwang Gak cautiously raised his head, he realized that Dang Gwan had already vanished.
“Hah.”
Hwang Gak clicked his tongue.
“He is truly remarkable.”
Since the branch was not far from Chengdu, his own martial prowess was at the peak level.
Yet he had not sensed a single trace of when Dang Gwan had disappeared.
“But what is going on?”
Hwang Gak tilted his head.
“He seemed to be in quite a hurry.”
* * *
Boom!
The explosive wind pressure of the Tiger King’s Nine Wall Fist sent three masters flying backward.
Pung Hoe-ja was dumbfounded. How can he possess such power?! The fist pressure was immense. Though it looked like a casual strike, the sheer force alone pushed three supreme masters back without them being able to resist.
That was not all.
Clang!
The rotating twin axes’ slashes were supported by the fierce wind of his footwork, denying any approach.
Rotation inevitably exposed blind spots for a brief moment.
Yet there were no openings. His rotation speed was fast, but more importantly, he had accurately predicted their attacks and preemptively positioned himself.
Whoosh!
Yeon Hojeong charged at Pung Hoe-ja like a ghost.
Even before his speed, the aura he emitted was terrifying. That aura alone restricted movement.
Though this was a fight where one had to give their all, he was simply too strong. None of the current leaders of the Qingcheng Sect had reached such a realm. To find a master of this caliber on Qingcheng Mountain, one would have to search among the previous generation’s elders.
Boom!
Pung Hoe-ja coughed up blood and retreated.
He had expected an axe strike, but at close range, Yeon Hojeong twisted his body and struck with his elbow.
The movement was incredibly natural. The speed at which he transitioned from a slash to an elbow strike was lightning fast. A monster.
Crack! Boom!
Yet even against such a monster, the sheer number of enemies could not be ignored.
After instantly changing his attack to drop Pung Hoe-ja, Yeon Hojeong blocked the sword strikes and palm forces of the masters aiming for his blind spots.
However, there were simply too many attackers. In the end, Yeon Hojeong was forced to take a palm strike to the back.
Flash!
Yeon Hojeong’s pupils burned with crimson flames.
Whoosh!
With explosive speed, he spun and lashed out with a kick, tearing off one of Ja Mo Shin-ni’s arms as she unleashed her palm force.
“Aaaagh!”
The pain of having an arm ripped off raw was something only those who had experienced it could understand.
Deflecting the attacks raining down from all sides, Yeon Hojeong charged straight at Ja Mo Shin-ni.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
He pinned her collarbone with the Black Dragon Axe, then struck her head twice with the White Dragon Axe.
Normally, one strike would have sufficed. But he had poured his inner energy into defending against the attacks coming from behind and his blind spots. That left him short on power, forcing him to strike twice instead of once.
Yeon Hojeong kicked Ja Mo Shin-ni away.
She rolled across the ground, her head gruesomely crushed.
“Huff!”
Whoosh!
Gasping for breath, he raised the output of the Vermilion Bird Flame Art to its peak.
The masters who had been about to attack again flinched and retreated. The firepower radiating from Yeon Hojeong’s body was too intense to press the assault to the end.
Wiping the blood from his lips, Yeon Hojeong spoke.
“One down, for now.”
Whoosh!
Beyond the surging flames, an even fiercer killing intent began to swirl.
“……!”
The eight masters hesitated.
The look in Yeon Hojeong’s eyes as he glared at them was that of a demon.
He had been strong before, but now he was different. Unlike earlier, when he had been concerned about his allies’ sacrifices and watched the overall battle, the current Yeon Hojeong—fully focused on fighting the supreme masters—had finally regained his true self as a god of war.
Whoosh.
His exhaled breath carried a potent killing intent.
His rising killing aura and his battle senses beginning to ignite.
The moment he perceived the fight not as fifty against four, but as eight against one, the man transformed completely.
Even so, Yeon Hojeong could not ignore the overall situation. If it were only these guys, it would be one thing, but there are also assassins elsewhere.
Deunghwa had called those assassins the Black Eyes.
He had killed some himself, but they were no match for his group. Though they were first-rate, they seemed more focused on espionage and information gathering than assassination.
Still, they could become a serious threat if everyone was exhausted. They are still observing for now. It does not seem like they will charge in immediately. In a way, it was an efficient strategy.
If it turned into a chaotic melee with everyone rushing in, those using orthodox martial arts would inevitably suffer losses. It was doubtful they had ever coordinated before, and even if they had, having so many people swarm a small group was not ideal. In that case…
Kang Liang’s slightly faster intervention had disrupted their original tactics.
But it was not enough to derail the plan itself. He had never intended to face them without that level of flexibility. I need to turn this into a chaotic battle.
Boom!
With a devastating aura, Yeon Hojeong charged and swung the Black and White Twin Dragon Axes like a madman.
Whoosh! Boom! Rumble!
Explosions, thunderous roars, and flaming slashes forced the eight supreme masters to retreat.
If they had attacked despite the risk of injury, they could have inflicted internal and external wounds on Yeon Hojeong.
But they did not overextend. Though the enemy was putting up an unexpected fight, the gap in strength was still clear. There was no need to risk ending up like Ja Mo Shin-ni.
And Yeon Hojeong had seen right through their mindset.
Boom!
Instead of pressing the attack harder, Yeon Hojeong instantly changed direction.
The masters who had been bracing for the next strike were startled. Given the momentum and force of his charge, changing direction at that moment was practically insane.
Yet he had done it.
Whoosh!
In Yeon Hojeong’s line of sight appeared Myeong Jin, locked in combat with Pae Yul. Good.
The sudden change in direction sent pain shooting through his knees and hip joints as if they would shatter. Only because he had tempered every part of his body—muscles, joints, everything—to the extreme could he endure it.
“Hah!”
Startled by the terrifying killing intent from behind, Myeong Jin threw himself to the side.
At that moment, Pae Yul’s short spear was imbued with tremendous force.
Boom!
With a powerful footwork, he thrust the spear in a single strike.
The Sun-Piercing Flash, like a beam of light, grazed Yeon Hojeong’s shoulder and pierced through Pung Hoe-ja’s thigh.
“Aargh!”
Pung Hoe-ja collapsed on the spot.
Simultaneously, Yeon Hojeong hurled the White Dragon Axe at Myeong Jin.
Flash! Boom!
Myeong Jin coughed up blood and fell. Though he twisted his body and unleashed a fist wind to deflect the axe, the force behind it was too great. A single blow had shaken his entire internal organs.
Catching the White Dragon Axe like a ghost, Yeon Hojeong shouted,
“Senior! Turn this into a melee!”
“Got it!”
Whoosh!
The two men crossed paths and each dashed toward Kang Liang and Hwang Seok-tae.
After exchanging glances in that brief opening, the two pairs spread out to the left and right of the hill.
Myeong Jin yelled,
“Damn it! Catch them!”
The remaining thirty or so masters of the Three Great Clans scattered in confusion to the left and right.
The formation battle that would bring defeat to them and victory to Yeon Hojeong’s group had begun.