Hurry Up and Pick a New Country Lord
In the depths of a dense forest, Yeop Hyeon and the others stood in solemn formation. Before them were two small mounds.
These graves had been raised for Yi Bong and Wang Myeong.
According to their code, the two had been buried where they fell.
Yeop Hyeon stood silently before the graves for a long while.
How much time passed? At last, he opened his mouth and spoke in a quiet voice.
"May we be brothers again in the next life... too."
Luk Ban-jang squatted before the two mounds and placed a large flat rice cake atop each.
"I hope you're born as my little brothers next time too."
One by one, Neung Han and the others followed her lead, bidding their final farewells.
Gam Mu-wi clutched Yi Bong's grave and wept for a long time.
At the sight, the eyes of the others quickly reddened.
From Jungto Sinju to here, they had endured countless battles. With each one, their numbers had dwindled.
But in this cruel world, without struggling and striving, one could live no better than a dog.
Better to burn bright like a fleeting flame, risking life in glorious sacrifice.
Anything was preferable to scraping by in wretched survival!
Meanwhile, Yuk Gwang and his group watched the scene in silence.
They could well understand Yeop Hyeon and the others' grief. They had been through the exact same trials. In the mad rush forward, it was commonplace to suddenly realize a brother who had been at your side was gone.
The comrade you'd shared drinks with last night could be found cold and lifeless come morning.
No one knew what tomorrow would bring!
A moment later, Yeop Hyeon and the group began clearing the site. Hundreds had died here, and the belongings they left behind were far from ordinary.
Half a shichen later, Yeop Hyeon and the others set off toward the Danguk imperial city.
Riding his Black Wolf, Yeop Hyeon had Yuk Gwang and Luk Ban-jang flanking him on either side.
Behind them, Bai Ze, Neung Han, and the rest of the Nine District mercenaries charged into the wind.
With the demon beasts Bai Ze had brought added to their ranks, their force now rivaled a nation's army—and an elite one at that.
Wherever they passed, the grasses and trees bowed flat, and even the wind seemed to shy away.
Meanwhile, chaos reigned in the Danguk imperial city.
The hundred thousand Black Armored Cavalry who had camped before Yangjie City had already returned to bolster the defenses.
Moreover, the Danguk lord had ordered every army across the land to converge on the capital.
Should the imperial city fall, Danguk itself would crumble. It housed the nation's vital institutions and leaders. Invaded, the city would collapse like a sandcastle in an instant.
Thus, not only soldiers but any commoner who could wield a blade or had trained in martial arts flocked to defend it. The crisis at hand would decide Danguk's fate—ruin or survival.
Danguk imperial city.
Yeop Hyeon and his group entered without bloodshed, heads held high. No one dared bar their path.
Without a Myriad Laws Realm expert stepping forward, none could stop them.
Soon, they arrived boldly before the imperial palace.
The palace gates were shut tight, thousands of archers atop the walls aiming at Yeop Hyeon and his men.
Before the main gate stood an elderly man awaiting them—the Danguk National Scholar.
Fixing his gaze on Yeop Hyeon, the elder spoke.
"Do you truly intend mutual destruction? If you press on like this, both sides will surely...!"
In that instant, a flash of sword light streaked through the courtyard. Heads flew from several soldiers who had peeked over the wall.
Taking it as the signal, Yuk Gwang and the others leaped onto the ramparts. Dozens of archers tumbled down in moments.
As Bai Ze and the rest joined in, the tide swiftly turned in Yeop Hyeon's favor.
Then, the Spirit Water Sword flew from Yeop Hyeon's hand straight at the palace gates.
Boom!
The massive doors shattered under the impact.
Behind them emerged some two thousand imperial guards. They glared at Yeop Hyeon and his group with resolve, faces devoid of fear—they had already steeled themselves for death.
The Danguk forces had no retreat. They could only fight with their lives.
Without wasting words, Yeop Hyeon gripped his Spirit Water Sword and charged into the palace, followed by nearly ten thousand demon beasts.
Throughout, he ignored the National Scholar.
The elder clenched his fists, his face darkening as he watched Yeop Hyeon—what thoughts raced through his mind?
As Yeop Hyeon began swinging his sword in earnest, dozens of soldiers fell in seconds. With the ferocious demon beasts pouring in, the soldiers' lines collapsed inevitably.
About half a geng later, the area near the walls was piled high with corpses—the soldiers there all slain.
Still, the National Scholar made no move.
Nay, he could not dare.
The Sword Immortal behind Yeop Hyeon was fearsome enough, but facing Yuk Gwang's Nine District mercenaries was exceedingly awkward.
Their backing could hardly be ordinary.
For him to act against them would only worsen the situation.
At last, deep in the palace, Yeop Hyeon and his forces halted before vast stone steps, at least a hundred zhang wide. At the top stood a middle-aged man in dragon robes—the Danguk lord.
Around him clustered soldiers, officials, and even concubines.
In this era, where women trained in martial arts was unremarkable, it was no surprise the concubines joined the fray.
Yeop Hyeon advanced slowly, sword in hand. The lord's personal guards stepped forward to shield him.
Yet the Danguk lord strode ahead himself. Directly behind him stood an elder with twin blades strapped to his back, his gaze fixed on Yeop Hyeon from the start.
The lord shook his head with a wry smile.
"I thought I'd accounted for everything... but I overlooked you. Who would have dreamed one man could bring Danguk to this pass."
Ignoring him, Yeop Hyeon shouted to Luk Ban-jang and the others.
"Go in and take everything worth taking. If anyone resists, slaughter the entire palace!"
'Slaughter the entire palace?'
Outrage filled the faces of the Danguk folk at Yeop Hyeon's insolence. Yet none dared step forth.
Thus, Luk Ban-jang led her warriors dashing toward the imperial treasury.
Plundering the Danguk imperial palace?!
Excitement lit the faces of Neung Han and the rest. They were looting none other than the palace itself.
The Nine District mercenaries could scarcely hide their thrill. It was their first time raiding a palace.
Even as they charged eagerly into the halls, the Danguk soldiers made no move to stop them.
They lacked the power.
The Danguk warriors' eyes turned to Yeop Hyeon. His words about cutting down any who barred the way rang no jest.
Should they twitch a finger, the palace—not to mention all Danguk—could become a hellscape.
Silence fell over the courtyard.
Just then, hordes poured into the palace—martial artists rallied to defend it. But at the sight of the corpses stacked everywhere, the fury in their eyes swiftly faded, their momentum broken.
Yeop Hyeon and his group had slain not a few, but five or six thousand. The foul stench of blood permeated the palace.
To draw arms now was suicide.
The Danguk lord bit his lip before Yeop Hyeon.
Had Yeop Hyeon come to kill, they would have fought to the death.
When facing doom anyway, one must thrash at least once!
But with Yeop Hyeon holding back, they had no intent to throw away their lives needlessly.
Not the soldiers alone—the lord too shunned mutual destruction.
So long as they lived, they could plot anew.
Meanwhile, in the treasury, Luk Ban-jang and her band swept up everything in sight—a frenzied pillage. How much treasure lay in a nation's palace!
Their spatial pouches filled in no time. Fortunately, they found over a dozen more inside, allowing them to haul even greater spoils!
Before the steps, Yeop Hyeon and his myriad demon beasts still faced off against the Danguk lord and his retinue.
More warriors flooded the palace, yet none advanced.
The lord's inaction made him seem fearful of death.
Else, he would have ordered the attack long ago.
About half a shichen later, Luk Ban-jang and the others emerged from the treasury.
They grinned ear to ear.
The haul from stripping the palace bare was beyond measure.
They took position beside Yeop Hyeon, tension thickening the air.
Outside the palace, armies from nearby cities confronted Bai Ze's demon beasts.
Yuk Gwang and Luk Ban-jang's gazes fixed on Yeop Hyeon.
'Do we fight?'
Should battle erupt, both sides would suffer heavy losses. The reinforcements' numbers were no trifle.
Of course, Yeop Hyeon could choose that path if he wished.
In this moment, all hung on his word.
Yeop Hyeon approached the Danguk lord.
"You have two choices. One: come with me to Kanguk and parley with our lord over this affair. The other... you die."
"Parley?"
The lord scoffed.
"That's just telling me to become your prisoner, isn't it? Demanding a king become your slave—what madness is—"
In that instant, Yeop Hyeon's sword flashed like light. No one could react to the sudden strike.
The courtyard fell deathly still.
The Danguk lord stared at Yeop Hyeon in disbelief.
A light breeze stirred.
Thud.
The lord's head hit the ground limply.
Blood gushed wildly from the cleanly severed neck, drenching the body.
Time seemed frozen; all faces stiffened.
'He... just killed him like that?'
Not only the Danguk folk—even Luk Ban-jang and the others could scarcely believe it.
Yeop Hyeon wiped the blood from his blade and spoke lowly.
"I told you: if you won't come with me, you die."
He whipped his head toward the imperial household and bellowed.
"Well? What are you waiting for? Hurry up and pick a new country lord so we can finish our talk!"
"......"