Chapter 322: Lee Yeon Displays His Might
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 322: Lee Yeon Displays His Might
"Do you really think I would tell you?"
"I don't understand. That general cast you aside like a worn-out rag. Why do you remain loyal to the very end?"
Un-jeok-ja spoke as if he truly couldn't comprehend the situation.
"What is wrong with a soldier following his general's orders?"
Seo Gwang countered, his tone suggesting it was Un-jeok-ja who was being nonsensical.
"General Lee Yeon is a man whose martial arts are powerful enough to face all of us alone! And yet, he stands afar, merely watching as his soldiers are slaughtered! How can you offer your loyalty to such a man until the end? He is a monster! A monster without emotions!"
Un-jeok-ja pointed a finger toward Lee Yeon in the distance as he continued.
"As I thought, you are nothing but a typical martial artist."
Seo Gwang spoke with a mocking smile.
"What!?"
"A soldier has no need for emotions. One only needs to hold the principle of Obedience to Superiors deep within their heart. I do not care what the General was thinking when he gave the order. Even if he intended to kill us all, it matters not. We received an order, and we simply follow it."
"You fool!"
Un-jeok-ja barked out the words.
His anger flared at the sight of the incredibly stubborn soldier before him.
"So..."
Seo Gwang gripped his spear tightly as he continued.
"Hurry up and kill me!"
With that, he began to swing his spear.
Thwack.
Unfortunately, his spear was forced to stop before it could even reach its target.
Un-jeok-ja, sensing the sudden movement, had already pierced his throat.
"Cough..."
Blood sprayed from Seo Gwang’s mouth as his throat was impaled.
A massive surge of pain and the sensation of a foreign object filled his neck.
Seo Gwang looked at Un-jeok-ja with bloodshot eyes, a smile spreading across his lips.
He looked satisfied.
"...You foolish man."
Un-jeok-ja looked at Seo Gwang with pity in his eyes.
He felt a deep sorrow for the man who cried out his loyalty even in the moment of death.
Whether he sensed Un-jeok-ja’s feelings or not, Seo Gwang met his end with that same satisfied smile.
Un-jeok-ja pulled his sword out.
Thud.
Seo Gwang’s massive frame collapsed onto the ground.
And so, Seo Gwang, the vice-commander and third-in-command of the Northern Army, met his end.
*
"Hmm."
Lee Yeon observed the state of the battle.
'One hundred and twenty-nine cavalrymen, seventy warhorses.'
At a glance, it seemed he was merely scanning the field, but in his mind, he was accurately calculating the exact number of fallen soldiers and horses.
After some time had passed, Lee Yeon finally began to walk forward.
Step. Step.
The losses were sufficient.
Now, all that remained was for him to move personally.
"Order the retreat. I will step in myself."
Lee Yeon spoke, looking at the adjutant beside him.
"Understood!"
Upon hearing the command, the adjutant bowed slightly and gave a fist-and-palm salute.
He quickly turned toward the front.
"Retreat!"
The adjutant’s voice, infused with internal energy, began to ring out like thunder.
"Retreat!"
As his voice echoed, the other soldiers began to shout along with him.
Before long, their voices reached the cavalry units currently engaged in the struggle.
"Retreat!"
The cavalrymen in the heat of battle also raised their voices in a shout.
"Retreat!"
After shouting, the cavalrymen jerked their horses' reins and began to gallop toward the rear.
Thunder, thunder, thunder.
There were no exceptions.
Everyone moved.
The cavalrymen who had been pressing the Qingcheng disciples—who were holding their ground in a square formation—abandoned them and moved. The cavalryman who was about to pierce Cheonggil’s heart also moved.
The vice-commander who had been engaged in a magnificent duel with Cheongsong moved, and even those who were being hacked apart by Un-jeok-ja turned their horses and retreated.
Thunder, thunder, thunder.
Soon, the vast number of cavalrymen began to disengage from the front lines.
'What is this?'
The Qingcheng disciples watched with bewildered expressions.
They couldn't understand why the enemy was suddenly abandoning the front.
The current situation was unfavorable for Qingcheng.
In the beginning, they had been able to match the enemy through their overwhelming martial arts and coordinated attacks, but as time passed, they were being pushed back by the enemy's mobility and superior numbers.
Had more time passed, casualties would have surely begun to mount one by one.
Yet, in such a situation, the enemy had suddenly retreated.
There was no way they could understand this behavior.
'Sigh...'
Un-jeok-ja let out a silent sigh as he watched the retreating cavalry.
He was just as confused by their sudden withdrawal.
Even though he was holding out as best as he could, the battle was becoming increasingly disadvantageous due to the numerical inferiority and his depleting internal energy.
To order a retreat in such a situation made no sense.
'What are you planning, General Lee Yeon?'
Un-jeok-ja looked forward with an uneasy gaze.
Step. Step.
And then, he saw it.
He saw Lee Yeon walking through the ranks of the retreating cavalry.
His gait was incredibly firm and rugged.
Step. Step.
Each step carried an immense weight, as if a massive boulder were approaching.
Gulp.
Seeing this, Un-jeok-ja swallowed hard.
He knew the man was strong, but he never imagined Lee Yeon could project such an overwhelming sense of weight through his footsteps alone.
'He is stronger than Hero Jang.'
He realized it then.
Lee Yeon’s realm was even higher than that of Jang Sun-woo, the strongest member of the search party.
Step. Step.
After walking for a while, Lee Yeon finally came to a complete halt.
He stopped about thirty feet away from Un-jeok-ja.
"The disciples of Qingcheng are strong indeed."
Having stopped, Lee Yeon spoke in a calm, quiet murmur.
Though it was a mere murmur, his voice reached the Qingcheng disciples thirty feet away with perfect clarity.
Shiver.
The disciples felt a chill run down their spines as his voice echoed in their minds.
Normally, if one shouted using internal energy, the sound could be transmitted to a distant opponent.
This was because internal energy could amplify the voice to its maximum.
However, for a mere murmur to be heard clearly inside one's head was a completely different matter.
It wasn't the voice that had been transmitted, but the intent.
Wisdom Light Heart-Speak.
The legendary technique of transmitting intent rather than words had manifested from his lips.
How could they not feel a chill?
"It seems I underestimated you all quite a bit."
Lee Yeon spoke as he looked at the Qingcheng disciples.
"To think that not a single casualty has occurred while over thirty percent of my troops were wiped out."
Lee Yeon spoke as if in admiration.
"Especially you, Un-jeok-ja."
Lee Yeon turned his gaze toward Un-jeok-ja.
"Your sword was truly beautiful."
"......I am honored."
Un-jeok-ja replied with a heavy expression.
In any other situation, he might have playfully accepted such praise from someone in a vastly higher realm, but the circumstances were different now.
The praise didn't feel like praise when he felt he might die at any moment.
"Might I ask the name of the sword technique you used to kill Seo Gwang?"
"It is the Blue Cloud Red Sunset Sword."
"Splendid. Just as the name suggests, it truly captured the blue sky."
Lee Yeon spoke, looking at Un-jeok-ja with a lofty gaze.
"I am overwhelmed by your praise."
"It is a pity. I shall never see that beautiful sword again."
Hearing Un-jeok-ja’s words, Lee Yeon looked at him with indifferent eyes.
Shudder.
A cold shiver ran down Un-jeok-ja’s spine.
For a split second, a vision of his body being sliced in two flashed before his eyes.
"I truly find it regrettable, so I shall give you one more chance."
Lee Yeon spoke, his eyes devoid of any emotion.
"Do you truly have no regrets?"
"None."
"Even after facing me?"
"If I were the type to have regrets, I wouldn't have stayed here in the first place."
Un-jeok-ja replied in a calm tone.
"Impressive. To maintain an Immovable Mind while standing before me."
Lee Yeon spoke as if impressed.
"Disciples of Qingcheng! Is your will the same as Un-jeok-ja’s?"
""We have no regrets!""
The disciples answered in unison.
"Excellent. If a man sets his path, he must see it through to the end."
Lee Yeon nodded with satisfaction.
"Had you entered my service, you would have made excellent soldiers."
Lee Yeon slowly extended his hand to the side.
"If you are born again in the next life, be sure to join the Northern Army."
""Even if we are born again, we shall be disciples of Qingcheng!""
The disciples raised their voices once more, answering simultaneously.
"I truly like that unyielding spirit of yours."
Having fully extended his hand, Lee Yeon spread his palm wide.
Swoosh!
A spear lying on the ground flew up and landed perfectly in his hand.
'Remote Grasping!'
The disciples swallowed hard.
They realized Lee Yeon was about to demonstrate his martial arts in earnest.
Swoosh!
Another sound of cutting wind echoed as another spear flew toward Lee Yeon.
The spear reached him and began to hover above his shoulder.
That wasn't the end.
Swoosh!
Swoosh!
The spears of those who had fallen in battle all rose into the air at once, flying toward Lee Yeon until they were all floating around him.
Swoosh!
Swoosh!
After some time, every single spear that had been lying on the ground had flown to Lee Yeon, and he held them all suspended in the air.
"I shall ask one last time."
With hundreds of spears floating in the air, Lee Yeon looked at the Qingcheng disciples and spoke in a calm tone.
"Do you truly have no regrets?"
A cold smile played on his lips.
The Qingcheng disciples looked on with expressions of utter despair.
An unbelievable situation was unfolding before their eyes.
What on earth was happening?
How could hundreds of spears float in the air all at once?
What was one even supposed to call such a thing?
Remote Grasping? Void Manipulation? Spear Kinesis?
They didn't know.
No, it felt like it couldn't even be defined.
To call it Remote Grasping or Void Manipulation, the movements were far too fluid.
It didn't feel like he was simply pulling them; it felt like he was controlling them freely.
Then was it a form of Spear Kinesis?
That didn't seem right either.
The scale was far too massive to be considered a mere form of Spear Kinesis.
It wasn't just one spear, but hundreds, all floating in the air and aimed directly at them.
Who would dare call such a thing Spear Kinesis?
It was beyond that.
This technique resided in a realm far more distant and elevated than something like Spear Kinesis.
Despair began to cloud the faces of the Qingcheng disciples one by one.
It felt as if they were facing an irresistible force of nature.
Even at a glance, every single spear seemed to be infused with an immense amount of energy.
It was doubtful they could block even a single one if it were launched at them.
And yet, hundreds of such spears were aimed at them.
How could they not feel despair?
Chatter, chatter, chatter.
Their teeth began to clatter uncontrollably.
Tremble, tremble, tremble.
Their entire bodies shook as if they had been seized by a violent chill.
Despair and terror began to consume their hearts.
"Disciples of Qingcheng!"
At that moment, Un-jeok-ja shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Do not be afraid! You have me, and you have Qingcheng!"
Un-jeok-ja raised his indigo Astral Qi as he continued.
"Come to me! We shall endure this together!"
Un-jeok-ja glared at Lee Yeon with a determined gaze.
In truth, he was terrified as well.
He was terrified of Lee Yeon, who radiated a fear akin to an unstoppable natural disaster.
But he couldn't just collapse in despair here.
If he gave up, the disciples wouldn't be able to hold on either.
""Yes, sir!""
Whether they understood his heart or not, the disciples began to gather as soon as his shout ended.
Though terror and despair still lingered in their eyes, the intensity seemed to have faded slightly.
The disciples, having gathered around Un-jeok-ja in an instant, formed a square formation with him at the center and pointed their swords toward Lee Yeon.
"Your answer is sufficient."
Seeing this, Lee Yeon murmured once more.
"Now, die."
As he finished speaking, Lee Yeon threw the spear he was holding.
And along with that thrown spear, the hundreds of spears floating in the air began to rain down upon them all at once.