The Man in Light Blue Robes (2)
A short while later, the two entered an inn and ordered two bowls of yangchun noodles.
"The broth tastes even blander than before."
"They must've watered down the morning batch."
The pair grumbled but devoured every last drop of broth without leaving a single noodle behind.
As they strolled the streets to aid digestion, the air buzzed everywhere with people praising the Wang Family Fortress.
"The scouting party confirmed there's no revenant horde."
"Really? Good call coming to the Wang Family Fortress."
"Tell me about it! You can stretch out and sleep soundly here."
The discussion from the central tent meeting had spread like wildfire throughout the entire fortress.
But Seo Baek and Wang Yi Sam, who knew exactly what had transpired there, could only muster bitter smiles.
"Feels kinda disappointing, somehow."
"What do you mean?"
"They say martial artists don't discriminate based on sect or affiliation, but they ignored that light blue-robed man's advice."
"You feeling slighted 'cause the Wang Family Fortress isn't giving their senior some extra attention?"
"Yeah, that's part of it."
Seo Baek joked, but true to form, Wang Yi Sam readily admitted it with a grin.
"No special treatment for broad dao or anything—that's for the best."
"Why's that?"
"If we took on some random commission, it'd just delay our trip to Shaolin even more."
"Any delays on the journey are all this junior's fault, huh."
"No excuses here."
Wang Yi Sam teased, but Seo Baek took it in stride just as easily.
The two bantered back and forth, but without Yu So Un, their conversation lacked its usual warmth.
Before they knew it, evening had fallen and the sun dipped below the horizon. People scattered to find places to sleep, and the streets, teeming with crowds moments ago, emptied like the receding tide into silence.
Above all, with no torches or oil lamps lit anywhere, the streets plunged into pitch darkness in an instant.
The fortress suffered from supply shortages, so aside from the walls, they refrained from lighting torches.
"It turned spooky like ghosts might pop out any second."
"Nothing more to see anyway. Let's head back and crash."
Seo Baek and Wang Yi Sam made their way through the darkened streets to the communal barracks.
Stepping inside the tent, a pungent stench of sweat assaulted their noses.
Wang Yi Sam pinched his nose and groaned.
"Ugh! These damn martial artists need to learn to bathe."
"Senior, it smelled the same back in Sichuan."
"Not anymore!"
He had a point.
Crossing the Long River Three Gorges had dunked them in water countless times, effectively giving Seo Baek and Wang Yi Sam an involuntary bath.
The barracks had been empty when they'd arrived earlier in the day, but now, with nightfall, it was packed to the gills—barely a mat spot left.
They barely managed to snag two adjacent mats.
"A bit later and we'd have been sleeping in the rain."
"At least that's one bit of luck."
They stowed their gear by their heads and stretched out on the mats.
"So, plans for tomorrow?"
"What plans? We head out for Shaolin."
"Can't we rest another day or two?"
"No."
"Tch. Guess I'll stuff myself with yangchun noodles tomorrow morning."
"Couldn't agree more."
Who knew when they'd next get a taste of proper human-cooked food once they hit the road again.
"Night, then."
No sooner had he spoken than Wang Yi Sam started snoring.
Krrraaack... fwoooo...
Even Seo Baek, unflappable in most situations, jumped slightly at the sudden eruption.
It was a thunderous roar that, if unleashed in an inn by day, would've had martial artists mistaking it for a Shaolin lion's bellow!
'He falls asleep the instant his head hits the ground.'
With that thought, Seo Baek drifted off into deep slumber.
Meanwhile, in the central tent of the fortress, a dozen or so martial artists had gathered.
Wang Chong, patriarch of the Wang Family Fortress, had called an emergency meeting. These dozen were the real power holders running the place.
Before them knelt a single warrior on one knee, delivering his report.
It was the same disheveled scout who'd rushed in during the daytime meeting and whispered to Wang Chong.
"...A truly staggering number. Thousands—no, possibly tens of thousands."
"Did you count them?"
"No, but they blanketed the entire plain, and the end wasn't in sight."
The martial artists furrowed their brows with grim expressions.
Wang Chong, who had maintained a dignified air like a renowned sect elder during the day, now scowled deeply, as if shedding a mask with the night.
"They're heading this way for real?"
"Yes. First spotted three days ago. But..."
The warrior rose and approached the large table in the center, where a detailed map of the fortress vicinity lay spread out.
He pointed to a spot on the map with his index finger.
"Spotted here three days ago."
The Wang Family steward standing by the table dipped his brush in ink—not black, but blood-red dye—and marked the spot with a dot.
"Moved here the next day..."
Another red dot for the second point.
"And today, to here."
A third dot. The steward then connected them with a straight line.
The line extended straight toward the Wang Family Fortress, overlapping it precisely.
The implication was clear.
Proof that the revenant horde was marching directly on the fortress!
"No idea why, but the horde's coming straight for us. Other scouts approached to confirm and... fell in the attempt."
"Enough."
Wang Chong cut him off with a raised hand and turned to a nearby martial artist, his face scarred with a long sword wound.
"Any chance the horde veers away from the fortress?"
"Impossible."
The man shook his head and pointed at the map.
"They'd turn if blocked by a cliff, but this line runs right past the fortress."
"What if we wait for the right moment and maintain absolute silence? Could the horde pass without noticing?"
"Possible. If everyone inside stays dead silent like mice. But..."
"But?"
"One whiff of a living human, and the whole horde turns our way. The entrance could get swarmed by tens of thousands."
"..."
Wang Chong fell deep into thought.
The fortress had faced revenant hordes before, but those were dozens at most, a hundred or two tops.
This one? Thousands, maybe tens of thousands!
Even then, repelling them had cost heavy casualties. No martial art, however supreme, worked against undead that kept coming even headless.
The walls were crumbling in multiple spots from prior damage, but manpower shortages made repairs a pipe dream.
The scarred martial artist scowled and continued.
"Only two exits from the fortress gorge: north and south. If the horde blocks the south, we're done."
Every martial artist's face darkened.
North led to the capital, ground zero for the revenant outbreak.
Fleeing that way was suicide.
South was their only escape.
Wang Chong asked the warrior.
"Horde speed?"
"At latest, before dawn tomorrow. Possibly tonight..."
Tonight?
A nightmare scenario with no escape!
As Wang Chong hesitated, the scarred man spoke up again.
"We leave now."
"What about the fortress?"
"Build another one later."
"The fortress holds countless martial artists and refugees. Warning them means at least until morning..."
"And if the horde blocks the gates tonight, the Wang Family takes responsibility?"
"..."
"Speaking of which, what martial artists are even here? Even beggars form beggar gangs—these are just third-rate posers leeching off the Wang Family."
The other dozen nodded eagerly, chiming in.
"Right. No real experts here—just third-rates."
"Has any of 'em ever helped defend the fortress? Not that I've seen."
"We've protected it this long. Job's done."
The martial artists debated noisily.
Wang Chong stroked his long goatee with a troubled look.
But beneath it, his lips curled into a sly grin.
Soon, he clasped his fists in salute.
"Very well. The Wang Family shall follow the consensus."
Wang Yi Sam, who slept so soundly he wouldn't notice being carried off, had a surprisingly sensitive side.
Especially his bladder—he couldn't hold it in.
On days he'd drunk heavily, he'd inevitably wake in the dead of night to relieve himself before dozing off again.
Suddenly, his eyes snapped open.
"Damn it. Drank too much during the day..."
He hauled himself off the lumpy mat and slipped out of the barracks.
Too lazy to hunt for a latrine, Wang Yi Sam wandered farther out until he hit a wooden wall. He dropped his pants and let loose.
Shiii... hiiiing...
For some reason, the trickle sounded mixed with an animal cry.
"That's a horse neigh..."
Something felt off, but in his groggy haze, he ignored it.
Pulling up his pants, he realized he'd pissed on the fortress wall!
The woven timber was soaked around the spot. If guards caught him, utter humiliation!
'Gotta bolt.'
He spun around and melted into the shadows.
But something was wrong.
No torches due to shortages made sense for streets, but the walls? How else would guards stand watch?
Peering out uneasily, Wang Yi Sam scanned the wall and froze.
No guards—not a soul, not even a rat.
'Where the hell is everyone?'
He swept his gaze along the long stretch. No doubt—daytime's scraped-together sentries were gone.
Then, something even more shocking: both inner and outer gates stood wide open!
'Gates flung open? Then how...'
Are they holding back the revenants?
Realization hit.
The fortress lay utterly defenseless against a horde assault!
'Disaster... Gotta wake junior...'
But as he turned—
A shadowy figure leaned against the open inner gate, staring coldly at Wang Yi Sam.
Missing guards, open gates, eerie silence on the walls, and those chilling eyes.
'Gho-ghost?'
Wang Yi Sam always scoffed at ghost stories, saying he'd believe only what he saw with his own eyes.
Never dreamed he'd see one for real.
He gulped and slowly turned to flee.
Then, a hand shot from the darkness and gripped his shoulder.
Thud.
"Gahhhh!"
Wang Yi Sam screamed bloody murder until he realized it was Seo Baek.
"Junior! Why scare a guy like that?!"
"I'm the one startled by Senior's banshee wail. Why the scream?"
"Ghost over there..."
"Where?"
Seo Baek looked where he pointed—nothing.
"Weird. Was definitely there..."
"You mean me?"
A voice emerged from the dark.
The cold-eyed figure from the gate.
Wang Yi Sam unleashed another fortress-shaking scream.