Chapter 51: Dispatch-1
Chapter 51: Dispatch-1
At dawn the next day, our squad members quickly departed the Thirteenth Squad. The destination was the northwest direction where the Twelfth Squad was positioned.
The squad members' speed was very fast.
Even Miss Cheon Ju-eun, who had the lowest martial prowess, had surpassed the entry level of first-rate, and movement techniques were practically our squad's specialty.
Perhaps, judging solely by movement techniques, our squad might have been among the top few in the entire frontline.
As we ran atop the trees with the feeling of conducting dawn training, we soon had the Twelfth Squad's barracks in sight.
And there, a Twelfth Squad member waiting for us relayed instructions to head toward Seonwi in Yunnan Province.
The Twelfth Great Lord seemed to have already pursued Georyeokma north to Seonwi, the northeastern tip of Yunnan Province.
As she dashed swiftly atop the trees, Miss Cheon Ju-eun asked.
"Will we be able to catch Georyeokma?! They say he's a monster with over ninety years of internal energy?!"
Having over ninety years of internal energy meant he had the hundred-year wall, the realm of the transcendent peak, right before his eyes.
Even Commander Pungyang or Squad Leader Han Gyo-seong, the officially recognized top masters of the Thirteenth Squad, had yet to breach the eighty-year wall, so Miss Cheon Ju-eun's concern was only natural.
But Bi Sa-yeong laughed cheerfully and answered.
"Worry not, Miss Cheon! Do we not have Squad Leader Seol Pung, who has faced off against a true transcendent peak monster like the Bloodthirsty Demon Lord Ji Gwang-ok?! Furthermore, the most outstanding squads of three different battalions will assemble and launch a combined attack, so we will surely be able to capture him!"
When Miss Cheon Ju-eun's face brightened slightly at his words, Bae Jong-gwan also spoke in a booming voice.
"Have no fear whatsoever, Miss Cheon! Even if the squad leader were absent, I, Bae Jong-gwan, would stake my life to protect your safety!"
Why was the embarrassment ours to bear....
That he could say such things in sincerity meant he was truly an incredible fellow.
We cleared our throats awkwardly and turned away from him, and Miss Cheon Ju-eun also replied with a troubled smile.
"Ah, yes. Thank you, Young Master Bae."
I glanced at Miss Cheon Ju-eun's expression, which looked slightly uncomfortable, and shook my head.
Tsk, you foolish bastard, knowing so little about a woman's heart.
I didn't know women well either, but at least not like that.
I felt sorry for the guy.
I suspected he might have to truly stake his life to draw Miss Cheon's attention, but it didn't seem likely such an opportunity would arise on this dispatch at least.
Of course, as Bi Sa-yeong said, it was because our squad leader had exchanged blows with the Bloodthirsty Demon Lord himself.
But even so, it was only natural that if actual combat occurred, one could not know what unforeseen contingencies might arise.
Sufficiently dangerous situations could certainly unfold.
But....
'I already know the outcome.'
Thanks to the memories of my past life, I already knew the result of this dispatch.
That we would ultimately fail to pursue Georyeokma to the end and return.
So I was actually thinking of this dispatch as something like an outing.
After running for a few more hours, we arrived at Seonwi, a place situated almost where Yunnan Province and Guizhou Province touched.
And there, at the entrance of Seonwi, we also discovered the Twelfth Great Lord, Jeungak Dogak Man Jong-im, waiting for us while leading a single squad.
He, who had earned the moniker Jeungak Dogak because he so utterly detested the followers of the evil and demonic paths, was a middle-aged martial artist with an extremely rigid appearance, characterized by his stern gaze and stubbornly shut mouth.
"Thirteenth Squad, Seventh Squad Leader Seol Pung and six others. Might you be the Twelfth Great Lord Man Jong-im?"
Squad Leader Seol Pung asked politely with a smiling face.
At this, Man Jong-im swept his sharp gaze over us and then asked in return.
"Seventh Squad? Seol Pung, you said? Not the Blue Wind Sword Dragon of the First Squad or the Jeomchang Sword Dragon of the Second Squad? And furthermore, why are there only seven members?"
From his very first words, his tone was sharply interrogative.
I hadn't expected a warm welcome, but this was an unexpectedly hostile reaction.
A somewhat flustered Squad Leader Seol Pung answered.
"Commander Pungyang determined that we were the most suitable candidates for this mission. And although we number only seven, our entire squad is composed of martial artists who have surpassed the first-rate realm. There will be no need for concern."
Even viewed objectively, a squad composed entirely of martial artists above first-rate was quite a remarkable thing.
But apparently not to the Twelfth Great Lord Man Jong-im.
Without any comment on that point, he had asked with a still-displeased look.
"I have never heard the name Seol Pung before. Where is your sect?"
It was an exceedingly rude response, but the squad leader again tried to let it pass with a gentle smile.
"I learned family-transmitted martial arts. I cannot speak of the details. My apologies."
At that, Man Jong-im glared at the squad leader and asked again.
"Cannot speak of it? Surely it's not because you are the dregs of the evil faction?"
Naturally, not only Squad Leader Seol Pung but all of us were now looking at him with dumbfounded expressions.
While it was rare for evil faction martial artists to serve on the frontlines, it wasn't entirely unheard of.
Even within our own squad, weren't the squad leader and Miss Cheon Ju-eun of evil faction origin?
Yet to insult them out of the blue like that.
The squad leader answered briefly with a hardened face.
"I am not of orthodox faction origin, however."
At this, Man Jong-im's face contorted, and soon he shouted in an enraged voice.
"What?! Pungyang, did he dare send me the dregs of the evil faction?! And for such an important mission at that?!"
It seemed this mission had gone wrong from the start.
To have to move alongside such a narrow-minded and discourteous man.
I shook my head side to side.
Bi Sa-yeong suddenly muttered.
"They say only after the flowers fall does one realize it was spring; it seems only now I realize Commander Pung was a celestial maiden."
It was true, but even without comparing him to Commander Pung, he was far too unpleasant.
To have our squad leader suffer insults over a dispatch where we wouldn't even manage pursuit—just as I, my mood soured, was about to tell the squad leader to turn back.
Suddenly, from the opposite direction we had come, ten men were dashing over like the wind.
"Eleventh Squad, First Squad Leader Je Won-yeong and nine other squad members, arrived just now! It appears we are the latest! My apologies! Hahaha!"
He was a man with a robust physique and a hearty voice.
And he was also a man whose name I had already heard before.
Jeomchang Sword Tiger Je Won-yeong was a famous martial artist counted as the second-in-command among Jeomchang Sect disciples, following Jeomchang Sword Dragon Sa Gun-il.
Then, astonishingly, upon seeing him, the face of Twelfth Great Lord Man Jong-im broke into a satisfied smile entirely different from the one he had shown us.
"Oh oh! Jeomchang Sword Tiger! Truly worthy of Commander Yun! He sent a proper talent!"
At Man Jong-im's blatantly spoken words, we gave hollow laughs once more.
So, in other words, he was implying that we were not proper talents.
"Welcome! You have worked hard coming all this way!"
Man Jong-im greeted Je Won-yeong with a welcome that we had not received at all and exchanged pleasantries with him warmly.
Je Won-yeong laughed heartily as he exchanged greetings with Man Jong-im and then looked our way.
"These people here are.... Could it be you've come from the Thirteenth Squad?"
At that, Man Jong-im, immediately frowning, looked at us and said.
"That's right. I requested an emergency dispatch, and all I got was...."
But Man Jong-im could not finish his sentence.
Because Je Won-yeong had addressed Squad Leader Seol Pung with eyes full of surprise.
"Could you, my elder brother, be Squad Leader Seol Pung of the Thirteenth Squad's Seventh Squad?"
It was a tone in which no malice whatsoever could be felt.
No, rather than malice, only some unknown goodwill was strongly felt.
The squad leader nodded with a puzzled look.
"That is so."
At that, he let out a hearty laugh and ran over to the squad leader.
"Wahaha! I finally get to meet you! I heard about you through Sa Gun-il's messenger hawk! When I heard a martial artist even more outstanding than Blue Wind Sword Dragon Han Gyo-seong had entered the Thirteenth Squad, I was desperately curious! I was so curious I even worried over whether to transfer my posting to the Thirteenth! If it weren't for that bastard Ma Yu-gyeom, I truly would have transferred! Wahahaha!"
He must have been close with Sa Gun-il, the type to exchange personal correspondence with the squad leader.
It was rather fascinating that the taciturn Squad Leader Sa Gun-il had a friend he communicated with via messenger hawk, and one with such a different personality at that.
He was a man of excellent impression, possessing a masculine demeanor yet not feeling arrogant in the slightest.
For a moment, it was enough to make me think of the Third Squad's deputy squad leader Myeong Sa-hyeon, who had died not long ago.
He continued speaking with eyes full of goodwill.
"I've also heard the story of how you earned the alias Gale Flying Dragon this time! To perform such heroic acts without hesitation even against a massive gang like the Heuksangbang, I was genuinely impressed! It was truly regrettable that I hadn't been able to befriend Brother Seol earlier! When I heard that the Thirteen Squads were sending personnel this time, I wondered if it might be you, and now I, Je Won-yeong, have finally had my wish fulfilled! Hahaha! Ah, by any chance, are the Flying Sky Black Wolf Young Hero Seonwoo Jin and the Swift Wind Flying Falcon Young Hero Bi Sa-yeong also here?"
He even knew the names of me and Bi Sa-yeong.
When we awkwardly introduced ourselves, he shared boisterous greetings with happy laughter toward me and Bi Sa-yeong as well, then turned back to Man Jong-im and apologized.
"Ah, my apologies, Twelfth Daeju-nim. I've admired these people so much in my everyday life that my excitement got the better of me. I offer my apologies."
At his respectful apology, Man Jong-im nodded and glanced at us.
Somehow his expression seemed complicated.
Roughly understanding what was on his mind, I chuckled and said to the squad leader.
"Squad leader, since the Twelfth Daeju doesn't seem to like us very much, shouldn't we return now?"
Bi Sa-yeong also laughed and chimed in.
"That's right, squad leader. What use could the likes of us castoffs be? Wouldn't leaving quickly be the best way to help the Twelfth Daeju-nim?"
At that, Je Won-yeong asked with a puzzled look.
"What do you mean? Even at a glance, all of you except Seolpung Jojang appear to have already surpassed the first-rate level, so why would the Twelfth Daeju not like you? And what's more, what do you mean by castoffs?"
As he stared with eyes full of doubt, Man Jong-im coughed dryly and answered.
"Ahem, ahem. There seems to have been a misunderstanding. Me, sending you back in such an urgent situation? How could that be?"
Then he hurriedly began explaining the situation.
We chuckled and exchanged glances, deciding to just let it slide for now.
"Three days ago, Georyeokma Jeo Woong-won took nine subordinates and slaughtered the squad members of the Twelfth Battalion's Fifth Squad who were on patrol, then kidnapped two female squad members. We sounded the emergency alarm and quickly pursued them, but finding their trail was not easy. So we divided into squads and were each in pursuit, but this squad, which had been sweeping the northeastern direction, was struck as well. We only found out about it in the evening. This squad had also been completely wiped out, only there was no body for one of the female squad members."
According to that, it meant that in a single night, two squads of the Twelfth Battalion, about twenty people, had been annihilated.
His sharpened nerves became a bit more understandable.
Je Won-yeong let out a low hum and asked.
"Are there no survivors at all?"
At that, Man Jong-im drew a deep sigh and answered.
"Barely one person did survive. Though with one arm and one leg cut off, living on as a martial artist will be difficult from now on."
We closed our mouths with expressions of regret.
Two squads annihilated — we didn't even need to ask to guess what the atmosphere of the Twelfth Battalion must be like.
Man Jong-im continued with burning eyes.
"I absolutely cannot let those bastards live. I intend to catch them without fail and take revenge. So I need you all to lend me your strength."
Suddenly, Lady Cheongyeon asked.
"If there is a survivor, the enemies' strength must have been assessed?"
At that, Man Jong-im answered with a darkened face.
"According to what he said, besides Georyeokma Jeo Woong-won, there were three peak-levels and seven first-rate upper-level demon soldiers."
"!"
"!"
We could not help but be shocked at his words.
Not only was there Georyeokma with over ninety years of internal energy, but there were three more peak-level masters, and even seven first-rate upper-levels.
That level of force was enough to cleanly wipe out any ordinary mid-sized sect all on their own.
Perhaps it wasn't that two squads had been annihilated, but rather that we were fortunate only two squads had been annihilated.
As we stirred slightly, the Twelfth Daeju spoke with furious eyes.
"Of course, the enemies' strength is not to be trifled with. But I will trust that as martial artists of the orthodox faction, none here will value their lives above cutting down the demon heads of the Blood Cult."
At his words, we briefly exchanged glances.
Even though he had said we weren't orthodox faction just earlier.
With every single word he spoke, he could not help but keep lowering our goodwill, drop by drop.
For a moment, I was almost seized by the impulse to ask if we could just leave if we weren't martial artists of the orthodox faction.
And it seemed Bi Sa-yeong had actually been about to do just that.
"Well then...!"
I held back Bi Sa-yeong as he tried to say something, and the squad leader stepped forward and answered him.
"We have no intention of turning back. Please continue."
When Je Won-yeong also nodded, Man Jong-im burst into laughter with a pleased expression.
"Uhahaha! As expected of the Flying Dragon Squad members! Proper martial artists of the orthodox faction would of course...!"
As he was about to say something again, Lady Cheongyeon cut him off and asked.
"So where are they? Did they go into Seonwi? And you are still pursuing their trail?"
It was an intervention at a perfectly opportune moment.
Just as expected of Lady Cheongyeon.
Man Jong-im frowned as if displeased at having been cut off.
But perhaps because the matter was urgent, he first coughed dryly and answered.
"Ahem, ahem. We followed the bastards' trail and arrived at Seonwi yesterday. But at the entrance to this Seonwi, the trail vanished completely without a trace. Judging by the direction, it seemed they entered inside Seonwi, so we inquired around, but strangely we could not find anyone inside who had seen them."
Hearing that, Lady Cheongyeon spoke coldly.
"So you are saying you lost them."
At that, he snapped and shouted.
"It is more that we took a moment's pause, rather than lost them! Since we would need to wait anyway to join up with you all! Where else would the bastards go?! Wouldn't they be inside Seonwi anyway?! So from now on, we just have to search every last inch!"
But Lady Cheongyeon asked again, her voice still cool.
"What is the probability that they've already slipped out toward Guizhou City or Sichuan Province? Do you have a reason to be certain they did not? Why do you only assume they went into Seonwi?"
At Lady Cheongyeon's question, Man Jong-im's face finally became flustered. It seemed he had not thought of that at all.
"Th-That! Does that even make sense?! If Georyeokma had entered Guizhou City, there is no way rumors would not have spread, is there?! For the Georyeokma, famous since the last Jeonghyeol Great War, to move without any rumors...!"
"But it is possible for Georyeokma to have entered Seonwi without any rumors? Even though this is a place much closer to the frontline and thus has far more intelligence about the Blood Cult's demon heads than other regions?"
"Th-That is...."
As Man Jong-im was finally unable to answer, Lady Cheongyeon let out a small sigh and shook her head.
She could not say it out loud, but to anyone watching, it appeared to be an expression of sheer pitifulness.
Then, before Man Jong-im, whose face had turned red and blue and was about to shout something, she asked him first.
"Have you contacted the Hao Gate?"
"How dare...! Wh-What? The Hao Gate?"
"Yes, the Hao Gate. If they truly went inside Seonwi, there is no way the Hao Gate's Seonwi Branch would not know, is there?"
"The Hao Gate, how could I possibly know their branch? The branches of the Hao Gate are only known to the members of the Hao Gate...."
At that, Lady Cheongyeon cut him off and spoke firmly.
"Then let us go there first."
And without any hesitation, she began to walk.
We squad members followed after her, holding back our laughter, and behind us Je Won-yeong followed leading his own squad members.
Then he came up close behind me and asked in a whisper.
"By chance, is that sojeo from the Hao Gate?"
When I smiled and shook my head, he whistled as if impressed.
"Phew, what a remarkable sojeo."
Glancing back, I saw Man Jong-im, his face now even more red and blue than before, eventually leading the squad members of the Twelfth Battalion and following behind us.