Chapter 320: The War Breaks Out-2
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 320: The War Breaks Out-2
"The Northern Army?!"
"Yes! The Northern Army suddenly appeared. General Lee Yeon told us to move aside... but... everyone said they would block them... so he asked me... he asked the Emei disciples to evacuate!"
Un-hye spoke in a frantic, rambling mess, her mind clearly in a state of urgency.
Hearing her words, Bulsok and Bulheo both furrowed their brows. She was so incoherent that it was difficult to piece together the exact circumstances.
"Calm down and speak clearly. How could the Northern Army, who should be guarding the border, suddenly appear at the North Sea Ice Palace?"
Bulheo spoke with a look of utter confusion.
It made no sense. The Northern Army was the force responsible for defending the northern boundary at the border. How could they have set foot in the North Sea Ice Palace, which lay beyond that very boundary?
Furthermore, General Lee Yeon was the First Sword of the Imperial Palace, an absolute master and the Supreme Commander of the Northern Army. Why would such a man travel all the way to the distant North Sea Ice Palace?
"I... I don't know... They just appeared out of nowhere and told us they were going to erase the North Sea Ice Palace from existence, so we should leave."
"What?!"
Bulheo asked back, stunned. The mere fact that the Northern Army had appeared was shocking enough, but Un-hye’s following words left her even more aghast.
"How can they invade the North Sea Ice Palace? It is a foreign nation beyond our borders!" Bulheo raised her voice, finding the situation absurd.
"I don't know that either. I asked for the reason, but he just barked at me, saying I didn't need to know..."
"Then how did the others respond?"
"Taoist Un-jeok-ja chose to fight."
"What?!"
Bulheo cried out in shock once again. How could he choose to fight against the Imperial Northern Army? That was practically an act of rebellion.
"How could he make such a choice!"
"He said it was to repay a debt of gratitude."
"Gratitude or not, we are strictly people of the Central Plains! How can we defy an Imperial Decree?"
"That’s the thing... he said it wasn't an Imperial Decree."
"Not an Imperial Decree?!"
"Taoist Un-jeok-ja asked him repeatedly. He asked if this was truly an order that came down from the Imperial Court."
"And what did he say?"
"The General said himself that he was acting on his own authority."
"............"
Bulheo fell into a heavy silence, her lips pressed tight. The unbelievable information was giving her a headache. She began to methodically organize the facts in her head—from the invasion of the Northern Army to the fact that Un-hye was currently evacuating the villagers.
Finally, she spoke slowly.
"You said Taoist Un-jeok-ja asked you to handle the evacuation?"
"Yes!"
"Fine! Let’s evacuate the villagers first!"
Bulheo nodded as if she had made up her mind.
"Bulheo!"
At that moment, Bulsok, who had been standing beside her, shouted out.
"What is it?"
"Are you in your right mind?"
"About what?"
"Are you planning to confront the Northern Army?"
"Then what do you suggest we do in this situation?" Bulheo asked with a nonchalant expression.
"There must be a better way!"
"Like what?"
"Dialogue, or perhaps a compromise!"
"Bulsok."
Bulheo looked at Bulsok and spoke in a calm tone.
"My thoughts are no different from Un-jeok-ja's."
"What!?"
Bulsok asked back, horrified. What on earth was she saying? No different from Un-jeok-ja? That meant she intended to stand against the Northern Army.
"Have you lost your mind?"
"I am perfectly sane."
"How can a sane person think of confronting the Northern Army?" Bulsok raised her voice. "This will undoubtedly bring harm to Emei!"
"So you think we should just pretend we didn't see this?" Bulheo asked, her eyes turning sharp.
"I... well..."
"Bulsok, it is true that confronting the Northern Army might bring harm to Emei. Our disciples might get hurt, or even die." Bulheo continued with a composed face. "If we turn a blind eye and walk away, nothing will happen to us. The Emei Sect will be safe, and no disciples will be harmed."
Bulheo’s voice remained steady.
"But if an Orthodox sect lacks chivalry, can it truly be called an Orthodox sect?"
"..........."
"I believe those in the Murim are all outlaws. Because of the non-aggression pact between the government and the Murim, they kill and pillage as they please, and even collect protection money without ever facing the judgment of the law. Despite being such outlaws, why do you think we are called a prestigious sect and treated with respect?"
Bulheo looked at Bulsok with a serious gaze.
"I believe the reason is Hyeop—Chivalry. It is because we revere chivalry and act upon it. For an Orthodox sect like ours to abandon chivalry is to walk the same path as the Evil and Heretical Sects."
".............."
"If—just if—we ignore this situation and return safely to Emei, could we stand proudly before our ancestors? Could we tell them that the proud disciples of Emei have returned?"
"..........."
"I couldn't. I would live the rest of my life with a heavy heart, consumed by the guilt of having turned my back on our benefactor. I don't want to live like that."
"......Bulheo."
"If you want to leave, you may. I have no intention of forcing you."
Having said her piece, Bulheo began to walk away. Bulsok watched her back intently, her face contorted in a scowl. She hated how Bulheo acted so emotionally without thinking of the consequences.
"Where is the shelter?" Bulsok asked, turning toward Un-hye.
"It's the Ice Palace!"
"Fine. Then have the disciples personally carry the children and the elderly who are slow on their feet."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Un-hye answered vigorously and immediately began to move.
"Whew."
Watching them, Bulsok let out a long sigh. She still wasn't certain if what she was doing was right. However, she soon began to follow them, wearing an expression that said she had no other choice.
*
Whoosh!
Boom!
"Urgh!"
Cheongsong barely managed to deflect a flying great spear, the force of the impact sending him tumbling backward through the air.
"Hup!"
Thud!
However, he quickly used the Thousand-Catty Press to minimize his airtime and landed firmly on the ground. Immediately, another great spear whistled through the air where he had just been. They were clearly aiming for him while he was mid-air.
Cheongsong quickly spun around and charged at the cavalryman who had thrown the spear. Because the great spears possessed such immense destructive power, they were slow to recover, naturally leaving the wielder's defense delayed.
Cheongsong swung his sword, which was shrouded in blue Sword Qi, at the rider. The cavalryman violently pulled the reins, causing his horse to rear up. The thick forelegs of the North Sea Blood-Sweating Horse rose to block Cheongsong’s sword path.
The rider let out a thick smirk. He assumed that under these circumstances, the swordsman would have no choice but to pull back his blade.
Unfortunately for him, the situation unfolded in the exact opposite way. Despite the horse blocking his path, Cheongsong did not withdraw his sword. Instead, he poured even more strength into the swing, intending to cleave through both the horse and the rider in a single blow.
Squelch!
The Blood-Sweating Horse was sliced completely in half, and the rider was thrown to the ground.
Crash!
"Aaaargh!"
The rider screamed as he hit the dirt, the massive impact racking his entire body.
Cheongsong did not miss the opening. Having cut through the horse, he immediately leveled his sword and lunged straight for the rider's throat.
Stab!
"Gah...!"
His body completely skewered by Cheongsong’s blade, the rider made a wet, gurgling sound before his head slumped forward. He was dead.
Confirming the kill, Cheongsong quickly withdrew his sword and spun around.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Two great spears were already flying toward his back. Seeing this, Cheongsong adjusted his grip and swung his blade.
Clang!
The two great spears and the single sword collided, sending a sharp, metallic ring echoing through the air.
*
Boom!
The great spear of Seo Gwang and the sword of Un-jeok-ja collided, creating a roar so loud it made their ears ring.
"Not bad, you horse-nosed Taoist," Seo Gwang remarked with a stoic expression.
"I should be saying that. I never imagined there would be such a talent within the military," Un-jeok-ja replied, looking at Seo Gwang with shock in his eyes.
He was truly impressed by Seo Gwang’s formidable skill. Usually, military martial arts were practical but lacked depth, as the prevailing culture prioritized combat efficiency over enlightenment.
But the man before him was different. His spear techniques, which blended raw practicality with a sense of profound realization, put even Un-jeok-ja—a master of the Transcendent Realm—on the defensive, at times even threatening his life.
He couldn't help but be impressed by Seo Gwang, who had reached a level equal to his own using military martial arts.
"You underestimate the military too much!"
Flicking the sword away with his spear, Seo Gwang instantly lunged for Un-jeok-ja’s throat.
Clang!
"It’s not underestimation! It’s the truth!" Un-jeok-ja shouted back after blocking the thrust.
"Unlike you lot who sit in meditation in deep mountains and secluded valleys shouting about justice, we are warriors who protect the safety of the people on the northern front! How can you show such contempt!"
Seo Gwang’s face crumpled in anger. He tightened his grip on the spear, pressing down on Un-jeok-ja with even more force.
Tremble...
"Then you should have stayed on the front line you were protecting! Why have you come to the North Sea!?" Un-jeok-ja grunted, barely enduring the immense strength flowing from the spear.
"For a soldier, obedience to superiors is the principle! We simply follow orders!"
"Even if those orders are wrong!?" Un-jeok-ja snapped back, his voice rising in irritation.
"I have no opinion on the matter!" Seo Gwang roared with a stubborn face. "I only execute!"
"I really don't get along with soldiers." Un-jeok-ja shook his head.
The principle of obedience existed within sects as well, but it was common to refuse if an order was clearly wrong. Yet this man, despite clearly knowing the act was wrong, intended to carry it out regardless. How could someone be so stiff-necked?
"I don't get along with martial artists like you either," Seo Gwang countered, shaking his head in return. He found it pathetic that Un-jeok-ja spoke as if disobeying a superior was an option.
"The introduction has gone on long enough for two people who don't get along."
Clang!
Un-jeok-ja quickly parried Seo Gwang’s spear and continued.
"Agreed. We’ve talked too much for people who don't see eye to eye."
Seo Gwang quickly widened the distance as his spear was parried.
"It seems I must properly engrave the terror of the Northern Army into your soul."
As he finished speaking, Seo Gwang began to pour his internal energy into the great spear.
Wuuuuuuuuuung!
An aura that looked vicious and savage began to flicker around the spear.
"I was born on a battlefield, knowing neither father nor mother. I have spent my entire life on the front lines as a soldier and an officer. I know the harshness and cruelty of war better than anyone."
Seo Gwang’s voice was flat and calm.
"There were times when massive warhorses charged in to trample my men, and more than once or twice, my life was at stake while surrounded by an overwhelming enemy force."
"My, how impressive."
"It is impressive. But what’s more impressive is that I survived those perilous situations in the end. Do you know how I survived?"
"I wonder. Was it not thanks to your excellent martial arts?"
"Heh, wrong. If I had relied on something like martial arts to survive, I wouldn't have lasted two months."
"Then what was it?" Un-jeok-ja asked, genuinely curious.
"It was the will to survive. My will to live, the fact that I would do anything to stay alive, is what brought me to this position."
Seo Gwang’s eyes widened manically.
"But could that will have been realized without martial arts?"
"No. Even without martial arts, I would have survived. My will far transcends something as trivial as martial arts."
"How tragic. That someone who holds martial arts in such low regard has reached such a lofty realm," Un-jeok-ja said with a look of pity.
"Hmph. What would a bastard who spent his life swinging a sword in the mountains, thinking martial arts is everything, know about it?" Seo Gwang snorted. "The spear technique I am about to show you is the ultimate skill, born from the union of my will and my martial arts. Consider it an honor."
"What honor would that be?"
"The honor of seeing the best move of me, Seo Gwang!"
Seo Gwang poured even more internal energy into the great spear.
Whirrrrrrrr!
A whirlwind erupted around the spear, coiling around the shaft. Soon, the gale completely enveloped Seo Gwang’s weapon.
"You won't be able to block this. This is the move that has crushed warhorses, fortress walls, and castle gates alike!"
Swoooooosh!
The moment he finished speaking, his spear lunged toward Un-jeok-ja like a bolt of lightning.
Un-jeok-ja’s expression turned deathly serious.