Brothers! Now Go!
“Call them all right now!!”
Luk Ban-jang’s words prompted Yeop Hyeon to speak.
“Luk Ban-jang, I don’t want to drag you all into my personal affair…”
“Who said it’s personal?”
Luk Ban-jang shouted in a cold voice.
“Your fight is our fight—all of ours!”
“……”
At that moment, Ya Ri, who had been standing off to the side gnawing fiercely on a chicken leg, yelled out.
“Sis is right! Brother Yeop, everyone here shares life and death. We live together, die together—that’s how it is!”
Neung Han nodded.
“Brother Yeop, this isn’t just your burden. Chang Mok Academy and the Dark Realm didn’t just target you—they came after us too, with no grudge against us whatsoever. We can’t stand by and watch this unfold!”
Luk Ban-jang shot Neung Han a cold glance.
“Why are you drawing a line between you and me? Aren’t we all in this together?”
Neung Han gave an awkward laugh.
“Slip of the tongue, slip of the tongue!”
He turned to Yeop Hyeon.
“Brother Yeop, we’re like brothers now, so no more needless words. If we needed help, we wouldn’t stand on ceremony with you either.”
Ya Ri nodded vigorously at those words.
“Let’s all die together!”
“……”
Meanwhile, O Lu-ju, who had been watching all this, wore a complicated expression.
Luk Ban-jang’s group were geniuses who had crossed over from Jungto Sinju. Such people usually had egos that pierced the heavens. It wasn’t just Yeop Hyeon’s talent that had earned their recognition.
The trait of true geniuses was this: once they acknowledged someone and accepted them, they upheld that loyalty to the end.
Young warriors especially stood out in this regard. For reasons unknown, once they formed a bond, they treasured it more than gold.
At that moment, Luk Ban-jang pulled out a transmission stone and infused it with energy. The stone trembled faintly, and a woman’s voice emerged.
“Honey, did you miss me?”
“……”
Luk Ban-jang replied in a flat tone.
“Qingzhou, Danguk, request combat support.”
A moment later, the voice returned through the stone.
“On my way!”
With that, the transmission stone fell silent again.
Luk Ban-jang sat down and addressed Neung Han’s group.
“What are you standing around for? Call them quick!”
At her words, everyone hurriedly pulled out their own transmission stones.
Those they called were all friends. For warriors like them, asking family elders for help was utter humiliation—like kids calling their parents in a neighborhood brawl. A fight among kids had to be settled by the kids themselves.
Watching this, O Lu-ju smiled.
They were all extraordinary warriors. How could their friends be ordinary?
A spectacle was surely on the horizon.
Just then, an elderly man entered the room.
“Lord, Chwi Seon Ru has been surrounded by Danguk troops.”
The room fell silent.
O Lu-ju nodded lightly.
“Just soldiers?”
“Seems to include non-soldiers as well. And there’s a message from the Danguk lord: he requests a visit to the Imperial City.”
“Hah. Tell him we have nothing to say.”
The elder glanced at O Lu-ju, nodded, and left the room.
O Lu-ju turned to Yeop Hyeon’s group.
“You all look exhausted, so rest well tonight. Chwi Seon Ru will protect you without fail.”
With that, O Lu-ju departed.
Silence settled in the room. As if on cue, everyone began devouring the food on the table.
A moment later, Yeop Hyeon tossed out a casual remark.
“Is Jungto Sinju worth living in?”
‘Worth living in?’
Everyone paused mid-bite, frowning.
“Haha, what’s with the faces?”
Luk Ban-jang stared at Yeop Hyeon wordlessly.
Neung Han shook his head.
“Can’t say it’s livable… especially among young warriors—fights never stop.”
He pointed to himself.
“Without Sis here, I’d already be gone from this world!”
“Hm… if I went, would I get by easily?”
Everyone turned to stare at Yeop Hyeon.
Neung Han shook his head again.
“No one knows. It all depends on who you face.”
“……”
Ya Ri chimed in.
“Jungto Sinju’s the harshest place imaginable. Need resources? Take them from someone else. Don’t take, and nothing moves. Don’t fight, and no one respects you. If you don’t want to live pathetically, you fight like mad and seize what you can—whether you like it or not.”
Yeop Hyeon nodded. Truth was, this world demanded fierce struggle anywhere you went. Jungto Sinju just amplified it.
After the meal, they rested.
Warriors slept too. Especially after entering Danguk—they hadn’t properly closed their eyes once, exhaustion weighing heavy.
Yeop Hyeon walked to the window. Outside, nothing but soldiers and warriors clutching weapons. Chwi Seon Ru was already airtight, yet more troops poured in endlessly.
The building’s formation was active. Unless it was a Myriad Laws Realm powerhouse, ordinary soldiers couldn’t breach it.
But Yeop Hyeon knew even this mighty formation would only stall them briefly.
Come dawn, blood would flow again.
Luk Ban-jang approached him then.
Yeop Hyeon murmured softly.
“Aren’t you going to rest?”
She gazed down at the troops below.
“No need.”
“……”
Staring at the packed Danguk soldiers, Luk Ban-jang asked.
“Got a plan?”
“Qingzhou’s young powerhouses will swarm soon. Plan? Just sweep them away. All of them.”
Luk Ban-jang nodded.
“Then that’s what we’ll do.”
She pulled out a massive pancake and started munching.
“……”
Time passed, dawn breaking. Chwi Seon Ru was now a sea of people on all sides.
Danguk soldiers had it surrounded tight.
Inside, Ya Ri’s group had finished resting and risen.
O Lu-ju entered their room, scanned the interior, and spoke.
“Thirty Divine Fusion Realm experts from our branches are en route. Once they arrive, we’ll break the siege. Don’t get too entangled in the fight.”
He paused, meeting Yeop Hyeon’s group’s eyes.
“Once you’re out, take care. This is all Chwi Seon Ru can do—don’t hold it against us.”
Yeop Hyeon replied.
“We’ll never forget Chwi Seon Ru’s aid this time. It’s just that the Danguk branch…”
“Haha, no worries. It’s just a small outpost—abandon it and move on. Now, let’s begin once you’re ready!”
O Lu-ju left the room.
Then Luk Ban-jang addressed the group.
“Anyone not ready?”
All shook their heads, but Sang Wol spoke.
“Sis, I’m staying here.”
Gazes turned to him.
Sang Wol removed a ring from his finger and placed it on the table.
“Please deliver this to my brother. It’ll be useful for him.”
“Don’t talk nonsense!”
Luk Ban-jang snarled in fury.
“What do you mean stay? I’m warning you—if you die, I’ll drag your corpse myself!”
She turned to Gam Mu-wi nearby.
“Mu-wi, carry Sang Wol. Everyone else, cover them.”
As Sang Wol tried to protest, Gam Mu-wi swiftly hoisted him onto his back.
Yeop Hyeon told Luk Ban-jang.
“You and I clear the path. Simple: kill them one by one!”
He strode out.
Luk Ban-jang eyed the group with grim resolve.
“That’s an order. Everyone survives.”
Half an hour later.
Chwi Seon Ru’s gates opened, and twelve black wolves leaped out in unison.
In the air, thirty Divine Fusion Realm experts provided cover.
“Fire!”
A roar echoed, and arrows blanketed the sky like a storm, hurtling toward Yeop Hyeon’s group.
The sun vanished; darkness fell like night.
Neung Han’s group paled.
Then, the thirty Divine Fusion Realm experts waiting behind surged skyward. Thirty mighty auras swept away countless arrows.
They unfurled shields, blanketing Yeop Hyeon’s group overhead. The shields formed an airtight dome, blocking the rest.
Below, countless soldiers aimed long spears at them.
Yeop Hyeon shot upward. Earth power coalesced around him; the Great Dark Sword gleamed in his hand.
Grinning, he swung down at the packed soldiers. Sword intent and battle will erupted like a gale. Backed by earth force, the single strike felt like a heavenly army charging.
“Die!”
The blade fell.
Boom!
Dozens struck by the sword burst into bloody pulp. Shockwaves hurled surrounding soldiers flying. Where his blade hit, a several-zhang-deep gully formed.
Pure carnage.
“Stick tight behind me!”
Yeop Hyeon charged with his greatsword, plowing into Danguk troops.
Luk Ban-jang’s group followed swiftly.
Black-armored warriors with long sabers blocked their unstoppable advance.
Leading them was Ha Hu-do, the Sword Master they’d faced the day before, glaring at Yeop Hyeon’s group.
Hundreds more Black Guard warriors appeared, encircling them.
Ha Hu-do raised his blade tip at Yeop Hyeon and bellowed.
“Where do you think you’re going without my permission!”
He lunged. Twenty black-armored warriors followed, radiating murderous intent.
Yeop Hyeon and Luk Ban-jang blocked them, but attacks were repeatedly parried.
Simultaneously, hundreds of Black Guards charged Ya Ri’s group.
Ya Ri grinned ferociously.
“Kill them all!”
Ya Ri and the others boldly leaped at the enemy.
But they were soon swarmed by endless soldiers. Their individual prowess was formidable, but against ten thousand troops and hundreds of Black Guards, it fell short.
Meanwhile, Luk Ban-jang, battling Ha Hu-do and others, suddenly shouted at Yeop Hyeon.
“Hold them off a sec!”
She flashed away, appearing before struggling Ya Ri.
Her palm slammed the ground.
Her palm strike shattered the earth in a massive quake.
Boom!
Vast tremors collapsed dozens of zhang around her. Shockwaves flung soldiers airborne. Nearby ones were torn flesh from bone. Even distant foes staggered back.
Luk Ban-jang’s face paled, blood trickling from her mouth.
She’d poured too much energy into that palm.
She whipped her head toward Ya Ri’s group.
“Go—now!”
As they neared the exit, Sang Wol forced himself down from Gam Mu-wi’s back.
He turned to Gam Mu-wi, who was covered in wounds—especially his chest, blood pouring ceaselessly. That wound came from protecting Sang Wol moments ago.
Without Luk Ban-jang’s intervention, Gam Mu-wi would be dead.
Sang Wol slowly closed his eyes.
“I know none of you want to abandon me. I don’t want to die either… but!”
He roared.
“I can’t be a burden on my brothers! Dying as a warrior due to lacking skill isn’t shameful! I blame no one! So train hard, survive with all you’ve got!”
Sang Wol smiled, handing his ring to Luk Ban-jang.
“Sis, give this to my brother. And tell him not to go picking fights… Also, there’s a woman I never married. Tell her I hope she finds a good man and lives happily…”
Before anyone could stop him, Sang Wol raised his hand and smashed his own skull.
Thud!
His head split, blood streaming down.
With fading eyes, he gazed at Luk Ban-jang and the others, murmuring weakly.
“B-brothers… now… go……”