Chapter 199
Chapter 199
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 199
Chapter Title: Why Did You Come to My House (5)
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The Eastern Defense Line upon arrival.
Yin Xia Lian had judged that Eon Yong-un was where the command flag was, and hurriedly dispatched Jeong Hyeon there.
And in the meantime, she stared at the changing battlefield situation.
'Fragrant Orchid Squad's First Unit suddenly started getting pushed back. Professor Chang Ryang must have headed to where Young Master Eon is.'
Wu So-ryeong and Eun Ha-seong, whom she had sent south and north respectively to call for Kyung Hye and No Sam, were still nowhere to be heard from.
Thus, she was worried about Eon Yong-un and Dang Ok-gi under the command flag.
But if Chang Ryang had gone there, the side with the command flag could catch a breather for now.
"Fall back to the next defense line! Take care of the wounded! The resting Second Unit moves to the front!"
Of course, the only place that could truly catch a breather was where Eon Yong-un was.
With Chang Ryang having shifted positions, Fragrant Orchid Squad's First Unit—the mainstay of the eastern defense line—was helplessly retreating.
'Help First Unit push back the Demonic Cult forces, and ultimately coordinate an attack from both inside and out with Young Master Eon's side.'
Having finished her thoughts, Yin Xia Lian opened her mouth toward the Blue Bamboo Hall students she had brought.
"We will assist Fragrant Orchid Squad's First Unit. Blue Bamboo Squad, form the basic Crane Wing Formation..."
At Yin Xia Lian's words,
the Blue Bamboo Hall seniors and peers each drew their weapons and shuffled into formation.
However, seeing them like that, Yin Xia Lian couldn't help but be taken aback.
'They don't seem motivated at all.'
Most of the Blue Bamboo Hall students appeared to be moving reluctantly.
A few eyes showed some fighting spirit, but that was truly just a handful.
'...At this rate, we can't even stand before the enemy.'
Some might dismiss motivation and fighting spirit as trivial, but they were anything but.
'Historically, even armies of ten thousand have routed forces of four hundred thousand.'
Morale could turn a winnable battle into a loss, or a losing one into victory.
It was a crucial factor that decided individual survival or the outcome of the fight, from small to large.
'The situation is urgent, but we can't deploy Blue Bamboo Hall students in this state.'
Throwing unprepared people into battle would only increase casualties.
'How do I turn this atmosphere around?'
Of course, she could understand it.
The atmosphere at the rear, where Blue Bamboo Hall students had been contributing, was worlds apart from the front lines.
The death rattles echoing everywhere, the acrid smell of blood, and the swarm of dark thoughts...
All of it was undoubtedly bewildering them.
Blue Bamboo Hall had steadily trained for such scenarios, but training and real combat were starkly different.
In a situation where even protecting their own lives seemed burdensome, who would feel motivated to risk it for Fragrant Orchid Hall students?
'People from Fragrant Orchid Hall, who despised and looked down on us Blue Bamboo Hall as naturally as breathing.'
As students of the Righteous Martial Academy, which exalted righteousness and camaraderie, they probably didn't think "serves them right" about Fragrant Orchid Squad's plight.
But they would surely question whether there was reason to stake their lives for those bastards.
Even Yin Xia Lian wasn't free of such thoughts.
'I'm the same, so I get it.'
She too had ground her teeth at Fragrant Orchid Hall's behavior more than most.
No, she was the one who disliked Fragrant Orchid Hall the most.
After all, nearly all of Blue Bamboo Hall's administration had passed through her hands.
She simply understood the reality before her.
That helping Fragrant Orchid Hall in this situation benefited everyone.
'What to do?'
The problem was how to convey that to the Blue Bamboo Hall students and ignite their fighting spirit.
At that moment, Yin Xia Lian thought of Eon Yong-un.
'...What would Young Master Eon do in a time like this?'
If it were Eon Yong-un, he would seize the crowd in an instant.
But Yin Xia Lian couldn't use such methods.
It was because Eon Yong-un himself was born with the qualities to lead others.
Coldly assessing if she had such ability, she shook her head.
'Young Master Eon makes people feel a vague expectation that if they follow him, things will somehow work out.'
In contrast, what could Yin Xia Lian offer?
In the face of the stench of death, money lost its value, and logic fell on deaf ears.
Both seemed insufficient to instill will in the Blue Bamboo Hall students.
In her dazed mind, Yin Xia Lian unwittingly bit her lip.
What tormented her now was the conversation with Jeon Gal-seolji before leaving headquarters.
'...Who can draw out Blue Bamboo Hall's strength.'
Then, Jin Kyung-ryong spoke up.
"Does everyone remember this year's exemption ceremony?"
This year's Blue Bamboo Hall exemption ceremony.
Originally a event where incumbents hazed new students, but in Blue Bamboo Hall, it was the opposite—incumbents got brutally beaten by Eon Yong-un and Jeong Hyeon.
"Ugh."
"Hup."
Some shuddered at the memory, others gave awkward smiles.
But Jin Kyung-ryong hadn't brought up the exemption ceremony to reminisce about that dizzying day.
"That day, Professor No Sam said of Vice Chairman Eon that he embodies the spirit of the man who founded Blue Bamboo Hall."
With that opening, Jin Kyung-ryong continued calmly.
"I've always thought Vice Chairman Eon rolling into Blue Bamboo Hall was a stroke of luck, but honestly, I didn't fully understand the professor's words that day. How vicious does a person have to be?"
At this point, some students burst into hollow laughs.
But Jin Kyung-ryong pointed toward where the command flag stood and spoke plainly.
"Everyone knows Vice Chairman Eon's temperament. You know he'd glare like a demon at Fragrant Orchid Hall students. Yet, despite that, Vice Chairman Eon rushed here first. It must be because he prioritizes righteousness and camaraderie over personal grudges."
"......"
"Today, I finally understand what Professor No Sam said at the exemption ceremony. He teaches righteousness to anyone ready to embrace it. Isn't that Blue Bamboo Hall's spirit? Vice Chairman Eon's actions fit perfectly."
"......"
"Vice Chairman Eon said that only we can handle this detached unit role for Blue Bamboo Squad. I don't think it just means we're prepared. He believes that as Blue Bamboo Hall students inheriting that spirit, we can step up for what's right, setting aside old grudges and our own skills."
"......"
"Will we betray Vice Chairman Eon's trust, who believed in us and led us when we were withering without a ray of light?"
Jin Kyung-ryong's words held no logic guaranteeing victory if they followed.
In truth, it was speculation Eon Yong-un might dismiss as overinterpretation.
Yet, every Blue Bamboo Hall student who had spent time with him tightened their grip on their swords.
"Of course not! As seniors of Blue Bamboo Hall, we can't just follow—we lead!"
"Right, it's because it's us! Even in the same situation, those Fragrant Orchid bastards couldn't act like Vice Chairman Eon!"
"What's there to fear about dying? This world's just a pass-through anyway!"
"Heh, dying ain't bad—finally free from Vice Chairman Eon's nagging, right?"
Thus, fighting spirits rose from all around.
They seemed finally ready to commit to righteousness and camaraderie.
"......"
Yin Xia Lian stared blankly at them.
In that moment, she realized she had been greatly mistaken.
Blue Bamboo Hall's strength wasn't something one person could draw out.
'It's not about drawing out strength. Just remind them of the time they've spent and the direction they wish to go, trusting that time.'
Blue Bamboo Hall students were proper martial artists too.
What they needed was a reminder of the time they'd spent and why.
Suddenly, memories of time with Blue Bamboo Hall students flashed in Yin Xia Lian's mind.
As her vision blurred, Jin Kyung-ryong called her.
"Um... Chief Administrator?"
Lifting her head, not just Jin Kyung-ryong but all of Blue Bamboo Hall looked at her.
"I gave a suitable speech since everyone seemed hesitant, but I don't know where or how to strike."
Just as she trusted them,
they trusted Yin Xia Lian and awaited her orders.
"Will you... give the orders?"
Yin Xia Lian nodded quietly.
Her eyes still stung, but this wasn't the time.
She had to fulfill the role of issuing orders amid their trust.
"Someone said dying isn't bad earlier—don't you dare die. Young Master Eon would chase you to the afterlife and drag your corpse back to work."
Yin Xia Lian no longer pondered what to say.
She now knew better than anyone what moved Blue Bamboo Hall students.
"What's important is trust. In the time training with Young Master Eon, in yourselves who endured it all, in the comrades beside you on this battlefield. And... in what we've pursued."
No one spoke.
But in that moment, they understood each other's unspoken words.
As morale peaked,
Yin Xia Lian spoke again.
"Blue Bamboo Hall! Deploy in Crane Wing Formation!"
It was the moment Blue Bamboo Hall's Crane Wing Formation spread its wings on the eastern battlefield.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ With Jeong Hyeon joining by unleashing the Jeunjong steps, the fight against Man-u gained a slight breather.
Ssaek!!
Ssaek! Ssaek!!
While Jeong Hyeon's sword drew continuous Taiji patterns to block Man-u's strikes,
Pachichik!
Namgung Yun's sword spewed its signature lightning-like sword aura, targeting the left flank.
Naturally, that gave me a chance to aim for the bastard's heart or back.
"Just die already, you crazy ox bastard!"
Ssaek!!
But this slight breather only meant occasional openings for counterattacks.
Man-u was far from an easy opponent.
It was the same now.
Whiririk!
Whiriririk!
Man-u spun the axes in both hands like windmills with immense strength, shaking off Jeong Hyeon and Namgung Yun.
Kang!
Kang!!
And immediately kicked off the ground toward me, crossing his axes wrapped in qi in an instant.
"The one dying is you, Eon Yong-un."
Taking that head-on would sever my head from my neck.
In the stretching time, I twisted my footwork while deflecting the thrusting sword tip upward.
Kang!!!!
Infusing Heaven-Splitting internal energy precisely to strike the flat, Man-u's left axe lost its trajectory.
Of course, he still had the right axe.
But we had Dang Ok-gi here.
I had pulled this move trusting him from the start.
Pisuk! Pisuk!!
Sure enough.
The two poison needles Dang Ok-gi threw whistled sharply toward Man-u's brow and the axe in his right hand.
Man-u abruptly halted like in a fit.
And swung his axe to bat away the needles flying at his face.
Ting!!!
Thus, I escaped the moment of life and death.
Right away, Dang Ok-gi drew the waist sword he wore half as decoration and sent a transmission.
[Eon Yong-un, I'm out of hidden weapons now. Don't pull that again.]
[You should've saved some. I knew when you kept throwing two at that ox bastard each time.]
[What if he planned to take one hit and kill you first? Even if I save you, it's chaos!]
Bickering with Dang Ok-gi as we pulled back, I glanced around.
Ching! Ching!
Chaeching!
Chang Ryang and the old wanderer's skills were evenly matched, unlikely to resolve soon.
At least, seeing Fragrant Orchid Squad's defense line stabilizing in the distance, Blue Bamboo Hall's reinforcements seemed to be doing their part.
'Professors No Sam or Kyung Hye haven't arrived yet.'
Well, Song Gil-jun wasn't a complete fool; he must have prepared something when sending Man-u.
'Or he went there himself.'
Either way, we had to handle the Man-u before us.
'Precisely, me.'
The reason Man-u felt overwhelming was we couldn't form sword aura manifestation like him.
Our attack trajectories were fixed for deflection, and devising paths amid that tangled our movements.
'So huge, places to slice everywhere, but my sword won't reach.'
And among us four, I was closest to sword aura manifestation.
'Hoo.'
I assumed the breathing stance and exhaled faintly.
Toward me, Master's voice continued.
- Yong-un, even now, you're looking far away. At Man-u before you, enemies around, and that Nangjung Demon Army beyond. Trying to grasp everything, you keep looking afar.
'......'
- The day you crossed swords with that Gongson kid. You said you just added a crack to the blocked wall. Yet, why chase the movements of Man-u, who is a move above?
'......'
- You have too much you want to hold, so you haven't even tried pushing the wall. You're already ready. Where is the wall you must overcome?
...The wall I must overcome.
At Master's words, I quietly looked down at Regret in my hand.
'I thought too much was riding on my hands.'
It started around when the battle began.
Even as I cut the enemy before me, my mind was foggy, unable to focus.
How would Song Gil-jun move?
How to shift the battlefield?
And if my misjudgment caused needless casualties, it gnawed at me.
Necromancy and swordsmanship alike, I focused on reserves, mindful of potential crises.
'But... thinking of all that might have been arrogance.'
With an enemy before me, thinking of others was a mistake from the start.
Academy students, including Blue Bamboo Hall, weren't as weak as I worried.
Even now, weren't they fighting valiantly against demons they faced for the first time?
'Perhaps... the wall is one I created myself.'
Not looking at the enemy before me, but thinking of distant things.
The wall blocking me now was no different from self-made.
Then... couldn't I break it myself?
Wooong-
Shaking off all stray thoughts.
The moment I focused solely on the enemy before me.
The vibrations of Heaven-Splitting internal energy began weaving an unprecedentedly thick haze around Regret.