Chapter 260: A Critical Moment
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 260: A Critical Moment
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!
The ground-shaking roar grew louder, vibrating through the earth.
Neung So-hwa, Chief Ma, and the remaining merchants wore grim expressions as they stared toward the source of the thunderous noise.
After what felt like an eternity, the tremors began to subside, finally coming to a complete halt not far from their position.
Thump.
A man dismounted from the Blood-Sweating Horse at the very front. The impact of his feet hitting the ground released a heavy, dull sound.
"Wait here," the man said curtly, glancing back briefly.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Having given his order, the man began to walk slowly toward the wagons.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
He was a man of massive proportions, and his heavy footsteps rang out with every stride. Those booming steps were more than enough to strike terror into the hearts of the merchants.
Before long, the man reached the rear of the caravan, his gargantuan form fully revealed.
He was a giant of a man with a bald head and a bushy, unkempt beard. He was so tall that one had to tilt their head all the way back just to meet his eyes. Furthermore, he carried an enormous greatspear; the blade alone was as thick as a grown man’s thigh.
The sheer pressure emanating from his physique completely overwhelmed the merchants.
Reaching the very back of the line, the giant scanned his surroundings with a casual glance. Soon, his brow furrowed deeply.
The survivors looked far too unscathed.
Hadn't their unit leader, a man driven by a madness for slaughter, arrived here first? How could these people still be alive?
Scratch, scratch.
The giant scratched his clean-shaven scalp a few times before surveying the group more closely.
"Oh!"
An exclamation of genuine wonder escaped his lips.
He had spotted a woman who possessed a transcendental beauty—fiery red hair and eyebrows that were rare even in the Central Plains, let alone the North Sea.
The giant stared at her with lecherous eyes, saliva practically pooling in his mouth. Her curvaceous figure was enough to make his phallus stir instinctively.
It seems the Unit Leader didn't get his hands on her yet, fortunately.
He assumed the mad leader hadn't touched her. It was the only explanation for why such an alluring wench was still standing there unharmed.
"Hm?"
As he shifted his gaze, already imagining taking her for himself, he noticed something out of place.
It was a slumped corpse behind her.
Though he could only see the back, the wolf-skin clothing was something the giant knew very well.
Stomp. Stomp.
Driven by curiosity, the giant strode toward the body. As he approached, Neung So-hwa and the merchants retreated further, widening the distance.
Poke. Poke.
Reaching the corpse, the giant poked it a few times with the butt of his spear before rolling it over.
Thud.
The body rolled onto its back, and its face came into the giant's view.
The giant froze in horror.
The corpse was none other than the Bloody Demon Sword, Pi Sang-deuk.
Who was Pi Sang-deuk?
He was a notorious murderer, a monster whose martial arts were so formidable that he had escaped the Heavenly Net of the Cheonmu Alliance to flee to the North Sea. Since arriving in the North, his already terrifying skills had deepened even further. Aside from the Evil Demon currently residing in the North Sea Ice Palace and Lee Yeon, the First Sword of the Imperial Palace who commanded the Northern Army, Pi Sang-deuk was a man no one could hope to stop.
And yet, that very monster was dead.
He had died with his eyes wide open in a glazed stare.
The giant blinked repeatedly, unable to believe his eyes. But no matter how many times he blinked, the man lying on the ground was undoubtedly Pi Sang-deuk.
Shiver.
A chill ran down the giant's spine. If even Pi Sang-deuk, the leader of the Northern Wind Unit, had been killed, he realized that even their combined strength might not be enough to face the opponent.
The giant fell into deep thought. He wondered if he should retreat immediately.
The Northern Wind Unit was essentially a pack of killers who obeyed Pi Sang-deuk out of fear of his martial prowess. There was no such thing as loyalty to the man. He was simply calculating the profit and loss—deciding if this was prey he could swallow or a poisoned meal.
The giant slowly turned his head, carefully observing each person.
Five pot-bellied merchants, one man who looked like a martial artist, and one peerless beauty.
Seven people in total.
"Hmm..."
His dilemma deepened. They looked far too easy to handle—so much so that he couldn't imagine how they could have killed Pi Sang-deuk.
The only capable-looking martial artist was barely standing, using his sword as a crutch, likely wounded by the Unit Leader. A single strike would probably send him toppling over.
Moreover, the woman with that transcendental beauty was too precious to give up. She wasn't just beautiful; her charm was so mysterious and profound that he doubted he would ever see her like again in his lifetime.
The thought of letting her go felt like a physical ache. Images of grabbing her red hair and taking her from behind like a dog began to swirl in his mind.
It was while the giant was lost in these thoughts...
Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap!
The sound of multiple footsteps echoed from behind the merchants. Startled, the giant looked forward.
The owners of the footsteps soon revealed themselves. They wore martial uniforms with the characters for "Seven Stars" engraved on their chests.
The escorts and guards of the Seven Star Escort Agency had arrived.
They were all drenched in blood, breathing heavily as if they were in a state of high agitation.
"Ha... ha... Are you alright?"
The man in the lead gasped for air as he spoke to the Chief Merchant, Seok-gyu.
"Escort Jo!"
Recognizing the voice, Seok-gyu called out in relief. In this desperate moment, the appearance of the escort leader, Jo-chil, was more welcome than anything else.
"I am fine. But you all... the blood..." Seok-gyu asked with a worried expression.
"It's alright. All the blood on us belongs to the enemy," Jo-chil replied, shaking his head. "You can rest easy now."
With a determined look, Jo-chil raised his sword toward the giant. His gallant posture drew admiration from the merchants. Chief Ma also let out a sigh of relief. He had thought they were surely dead, but it seemed heaven hadn't abandoned them yet.
Damn it.
The giant cursed inwardly. The arrival of reinforcements irritated him.
Should I give up?
He weighed his options again. To be honest, the reinforcements were in no condition to be called "good." Their breathing was ragged, and they were covered in shallow and deep cuts. They had clearly been injured while fighting the vanguard.
And so, he hesitated. He wouldn't lose, but the damage would be significant. Yet, he couldn't bear to leave the woman behind. When would a northern boor like him ever get to hold a woman like that again?
Thump!
The giant slammed the butt of his spear into the ground. The vibration traveled through the earth, reaching the merchants and escorts.
"I am Jang Gwang! Vice Leader of the Northern Wind Unit!" he roared, glaring at them. "The ones you fought were just the vanguard—the weakest members of our unit!"
He infused his voice with internal energy, making his shout ring out like thunder. The resonance was clear in everyone's ears.
"And behind me, there are more killers of the Northern Wind Unit, far stronger and more numerous than the vanguard you faced. If I so desire, I have the power to wipe you all out in an instant."
Jang Gwang continued in a deadly serious tone.
"However, I am feeling particularly merciful today. Unlike my Unit Leader, I am not a man obsessed with slaughter."
He scanned the merchants.
"If you hand over that wench and half the food in the wagons as a toll, I will withdraw the Northern Wind Unit."
Jang Gwang flashed a sinister smile.
"Well? What will it be?"
"..."
"..."
"..."
The merchants fell into a collective silence. The escort leader and his men were the same. They all realized that, given the circumstances, this was an incredibly favorable offer.
"Don't make me laugh!"
Chief Ma, standing in the back, screamed. His face was flushed red with rage as he glared at Jang Gwang.
"You think we'd accept such a ridiculous proposal? We will never hand over the Young Lady!"
He shouted at the top of his lungs, his face contorted with emotion.
"This is nonsense not even worth listening to! Attack him at once!" Chief Ma urged, looking at the escorts.
"..."
"..."
"..."
But no one responded to Chief Ma's plea. A sudden chill washed over him.
"Escort Leader?"
"..."
"Chief Merchant?"
"..."
He called out to the leaders of the caravan one by one, but they remained silent, offering no answer.
They were tempted. Tempted by that sweet, treacherous offer.
Even with the reinforcements, their strength was pitifully inadequate to face the main force. They had already lost significant power just dealing with the vanguard. If it was true that the main force was even stronger, they would surely be annihilated.
And so, they began to waver at Jang Gwang's proposal.
Had the Seven Star Sword, Kwak Man—a man who valued honor over life—been alive, things might have been different. But those remaining were merely calculating their own survival.
"Answer me!" Chief Ma screamed at the merchants. "The Young Lady saved all of your lives!"
"..."
"..."
Still, no one answered. There was only a heavy, suffocating silence.
Chief Ma was livid. Every single one of them owed their lives to her. How could they sacrifice her so heartlessly, like a worn-out shoe?
"Chief Merchant! Say something!"
"...I'm sorry."
At Chief Ma's furious outburst, Seok-gyu could only offer a weak apology. That apology made Chief Ma even angrier. It was the apology of someone who had already made up his mind.
"Don't you dare apologize!"
"I'm sorry."
"I said, don't apologize!"
Chief Ma's voice rose even higher. How could they be so ungrateful? Was there not a shred of gratitude for the lady who had risked her life to save them?
He was so angry he felt like he was losing his mind. While a woman without a lick of internal energy had faced the monster Pi Sang-deuk herself, what had they done? They had huddled in the distance, trembling and throwing stones.
And she was the one who had reached out to save them. How could they even think of handing her over?
"Heh heh heh... It seems a decision has been made."
Jang Gwang, who had been listening, let out a vile laugh.
"Shut your mouth! You're not taking her!"
Chief Ma raised his sword, his legs trembling as he forced himself to stand. He pointed it at Jang Gwang and screamed.
Thwack!
Suddenly, Chief Ma felt a massive impact on the back of his neck.
"Gah..."
Thud.
Struck from behind, Chief Ma's eyes rolled back, and he collapsed face-first into the dirt.
"Escort Jo... How could you..." Seok-gyu stammered, looking at Jo-chil, who had knocked Chief Ma unconscious.
"I believe this is the choice for the sake of everyone," Jo-chil replied calmly.
He had a family of five depending on him. He didn't want to die a dog's death here. The honor of the escort agency was important, but what use was honor if they were all dead?
"My lady, I am sorry. I will accept the punishment for this sin after I die."
Perhaps feeling a prick of conscience, Jo-chil offered a formal apology to Neung So-hwa.
"..."
Neung So-hwa merely watched him with an expressionless, hollow gaze.
"Hahaha! A wise decision indeed!"
Jang Gwang burst into a delighted laugh. Without shedding a single drop of blood, he had obtained a beauty unlike any other in the world. Moreover, he was now in a position to take over as the leader of the Northern Wind Unit. How could he not be in high spirits?
Jang Gwang began to stride toward Neung So-hwa to claim his prize.
His hands were shaking. The thought of this breathtakingly beautiful woman becoming his made his entire body tremble with anticipation.
Just as his hand was about to reach her...
KABOOM!
A thunderous explosion suddenly erupted from behind him.
Startled, Jang Gwang whipped his head around. Through the distance, he saw a massive cloud of dust billowing up.
KABOOM!
Before long, another deafening roar echoed. The rising dust began to rapidly approach the position of the Northern Wind Unit.
KABOOM!
Another explosion went off, and soon the dust began to envelop the unit.
What the—?!
Jang Gwang's eyes widened in confusion and alarm.
KABOOM!
A roar erupted right in the center of the Northern Wind Unit, and the thick dust was instantly blown away.
Whoosh!
A terrifying pressure of wind brushed past his side. For a moment, Jang Gwang felt goosebumps erupt all over his skin. There was an inexplicable sense of dread in that passing wind.
"Hey."
Then, an unfamiliar voice reached his ears. It was a voice he had never heard before.
Jang Gwang slowly turned his body.
And there, he saw him.
A man was glaring at him with eyes as cold as ice.
"Are you Pi Sang-deuk?"
Jang Gwang's face began to turn deathly pale.