Declaration of Flames
“Heh heh heh, so this woman's the wife of the vice-commander?”
Normally, a bastard like Yugu Su wouldn't just sit idly by if you touched one of his subordinates, but somehow this time he let it slide without a peep.
The reason? Honestly, I had no clue. Maybe he'd earned the guy's resentment somehow? Whatever the case, he'd backed off, which was killing two birds with one stone.
Thanks to that, I'd snagged the woman for this little bet too.
“She looks delicious.”
“Keep that filthy mouth away from me.”
A woman with this much fire in her—her spirit as tough and unyielding as steel—would snap clean if you struck hard enough.
Once you pinned her down like that, she'd crumble endlessly. That's the real delicacy.
“Keep fighting like this, and it'll get boring. Oh, what if your husband gets suddenly drafted to Qinghai or Manchuria? That might spice up this fizzling situation, huh?”
Experience had taught me well. Wives of soldiers—always one step from injury or death—ate up lines like that.
A hellhole every soldier dreaded, where death was no surprise. Those words alone would kill them dead, in the worst way.
No matter how fierce or chaste the woman.
What if she didn't bend to the threat? No big deal. I'd just use force then. But for now, it was time to savor the slow breaking.
…Bijong.
Only his face filled her mind. She squeezed her eyes shut, praying this was a nightmare, but a sickening helplessness wrapped around her, dragging her back to reality.
Revulsion and terror welled up, tears spilling from Yurin’s eyes unbidden.
“P-please, don’t… let me go.”
“Where’s this tantrum coming from? Heh.”
Broken already? He leaned in close, but she still screamed “No!” and fought back hard.
Look at this bitch. Yeah, keep it up. That’s what makes it fun for me. I’ll break you even more, crush you flat.
Then, a strange commotion erupted outside the annex. Jo Unhyeon scowled and barked at someone outside to explain.
“What the hell’s all that noise?”
His irritated question brought a report from the steward about the outer disturbance.
“Ho ho, is that right!”
The sullen mood from moments ago vanished; Jo Unhyeon’s face lit up, like some amusing idea had struck him.
“Kyaaak!”
He grabbed Yurin by the nape and dragged her outside. Far off—visible but out of reach—a man struggled desperately.
“That guy’s your husband, huh?”
The realization only fired Jo Unhyeon up more. Even mid-life-or-death skirmish, Bijong seemed to spot them and bellowed.
“Yu, Yurin!”
“Bijong!”
“Perfect. Just perfect!”
“Kyaaak!”
Jo Unhyeon shoved Yurin down hard onto the floor, trying to pin her under his weight.
“Hic, sob.”
“You bastards!”
Bijong, roaring in fury, swung his military blade at the martial artists blocking his path—members of Sado Gate, the evil sect based in Nanjing.
He’d heard the rumors: best not tangle with them if you lived in Jiangsu Province.
Fear gripped him. Sure, training and experience had beaten it back before—repelling the pirates, vowing a world where no more victims like her would suffer.
—But this? Never crossed his mind.
They ruled these lands. Strong. Numerous. How could he fight back? Even if he reclaimed Yurin, could he handle the aftermath?
Helplessness seeped into his thoughts.
And from the rooftop, someone watched it all unfold—like a theater built just for him. Heuk Ung was thrilled beyond measure.
Yeah, narrative mattered in any act. Layers built emotion in humans.
He’d heard the rumors about her virtue. Dragging a gem like that from heaven to hell, only for her lover to charge in and crumble pathetically? That was the beauty of fall and corruption.
A literati might even agree. If they stuck to pure scholarship—his tastes were filthy, base.
“M-Master! You need to come out!”
“Handle it yourselves; I won’t bitch about minor shit later.”
“B-But…”
“Read the damn room and fuck off! Want me to lop your head off right now?”
—BOOM!
“Aaaagh!”
Crash!
Conversation ended there.
A massive explosion—and a flying log—smashed straight through the Pojeongsa annex roof, splintering it flat.
Thud thud.
Wood chunks and dust settled from the air.
“Cough, hack. What the fuck is this? What’s Sado Gate doing?!”
“Hic, sob.”
Jo Unhyeon bellowed in panic. Warriors snapped to, gripping swords and advancing.
“Ahh, thank god.”
Not too late. Relief eased his tension; trembling hands steadied. But witnessing Jo Unhyeon pressing down on Yurin flooded his head with rage.
Like it was his fight—worse than that.
I approached Bijong, who was catching his breath, and hauled him up with one hand.
“Bijong, you handle those small-fry bastards.”
“…Yujin Gongja?”
“You can do it, right? No—you have to. She’s your woman.”
—You protect her.
Impossible, really. He wasn’t in top shape, couldn’t take a pack of evil sect warriors alone.
But beyond the breach, rogue experts from the rebel mob had pushed to the estate walls.
They’d broken through the garrison resistance to reach here.
“I’ll back you up.”
No clue if they were allies, but our goal aligned now. They’d have to help.
So Bijong could hold here.
“…Grr, raaaagh!”
Gritting his teeth at my words, Bijong lurched forward on his limping leg—faster than ever, ignoring the agony, the future damage.
“The traitors threaten Lord Pojeongsa!”
“Stop him!”
Sado Gate goons guarding Jo Unhyeon blocked his path.
Exhausted, Bijong scraped up qi to bat attacks aside, pressing on relentlessly.
“Firearms Division—that guy!”
“Heard he’s a musclehead with zero neigong. Just hack him down!”
My turn now, watching that.
From the outskirts, Sado Gate disciples swarmed to bar my way.
“What romantic era bullshit.”
Novels romanticized honing ultimate martial arts for justice, but murim was beast territory.
Stealing another’s woman? Heroic boldness.
BOOM!Crash!
“Kyaak!”
Weaklings groveled to the strong, excusing any atrocity for favor.
“He just fired! Hit him before he reloads—now!”
Whoosh, crunch!
“Argh!”
“What kinda swing is that?!”
Heroines enduring filth, then warming to the tolerant hero? Magnanimous manhood.
“Fuck that.”
—Like hell I’d allow it. For the goal, dirty deeds were fair game.
“Eat shit.”
Click, clack.
People die to bullets. One musket shot into the blockers.
BANG!
But these martial artists were superhuman; bullets just swelled flesh, cracked bone—no gore show.
Just a light lesson.
Enough, though.
“What the hell are Heuk Ung and Sado Gate doing?! Get these crazy traitor fucks outta my sight!”
Heuk Ung finally looked up. A seasoned warrior, he hated this mess.
Ruining his thrilling vibe—these clueless shits barging in.
—That guy.
“Fuck, the weakling showed the gap last time, and he’s charging again?”
Zhejiang military recruited him big, so I’d tensed at first.
But nah—dumb brute strength, punchbag dummy.
No learning curve? Brains turned to muscle too?
Despite me toying him last spar, backed by mob, he’s cocky? Some ace up his sleeve? Zhejiang gunner, like that girl.
“What’s with this insane shit? That bitch put you up to it? This rebellion’s too fishy to ignore.”
Shing.
He slowly drew his prized blade, aiming at Yujin.
“Think you’re hot shit? Zhejiang gave you some play, sucked you off a bit, so you fancy yourself skilled?”
Time to school him proper.
True growth came fighting with stakes.
What to take? Wrist? Cripple his junk? Fingers’d do.
Dumbass needed that to learn.
BOOM!
Iron shot flew at Heuk Ung—but he’d predicted from afar, dodged easy.
Whip, thud!
Glancing at the cratered ground, Heuk Ung smirked again.
‘I see every damn thought.’
I pitied the fool.
Still arrogant from last bout, posing superior.
Pathetic. Didn’t even know I’d hauled new weapons from far Zhejiang just for him.
“Weird getup, whatever. Eat one first. It’ll hurt.”
Mouthy prick. Still thought I was beneath him.
Fake reload on the Hyunja Chongtong—he pounced with max footwork speed.
Yeah, that velocity. Battlefield threat for sure.
Faster than last spar, murderous charge—scary, honestly.
Even with ironcloth skin, one slip-up slash? Bisected.
But my body didn’t shake.
No tension, no fear—instead, heart pounding like it’d waited for this,
“Gift for you, you fucking bastard.”
Clank, thud! —A thirst for vengeance.
I casually dumped the Hyunja Chongtong and sidearms in the corner, swiftly retied Hon Yeon’s straps.
Ahh, this heavy heft. Nearly a month.
Hiss!
Pump the bellows—air in, fierce oil sprays from the nozzle.
Mmm, that rancid oil stink.
Good. Pump fine, sloshing weight fueled instant confidence.
Though pre-use worry: test run singed the gunner’s eyebrow.
Confession: still not fixed. …Busy schedule.
Safe here? Fuck it. No turning back.
Won’t tolerate wife-stealers or their voyeurs. Mind fixed on purging trash.
Cheon Gi-seong (Hḗphaistos) heeds the apostle's choice.
Tick tick, clack!
—WHOOOOSH!!!
Sparks hit the nozzle—erupting a ferocious pillar of flame.
Midnight made it blaze brighter, fiercer.
Terrifying to most—but not Yujin.
Spotlight natural, unintended. Roar.
Flames spread their domain, illuminating the dark.
Sado Gate warriors couldn’t help recoiling—nature’s law.
“I’ll show you hell, you rotten heretic fucks.”
That was Yujin’s true declaration of war on the world.