Chapter 100
Chapter 100
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 100
Chapter Title: Suicide Squad (2)
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“So, you didn't turn your back on the Emei Sect's crisis after all!”
As I joined the defense force—which was more like a suicide squad—the Hall Master of the Black Dragon Hall, Wi Ji-pung, and the other warriors of the Black Dragon Hall were overjoyed.
Meanwhile, I felt like I was going to die, having been dragged into a fierce battle I hadn't planned for.
Still, since things have turned out this way, I might as well make it look good, right?
“Ahem! Who do you think I am? Jin Mujeon, the man of loyalty! Having received a favor from Adept Hyeongeom, how could I possibly ignore the Black Dragon Hall's crisis? Loyalty!”
Everyone from the Black Dragon Hall cheered, chanting my name.
Jin Mujeon! Jin Mujeon!
Watching them celebrate, I recalled the day I first met my grandfather.
‘Will you come with me?’
‘Do you provide good meals?’
‘Don't worry, you'll get three square meals a day.’
Just as I thought. My mother was right when she said you should never follow someone who tempts you with food.
‘I didn't even get any meat side dishes...’
Just look at me, risking my life all for the crime of eating vegetables and mixed-grain rice.
Still, the thought of repaying the kindness my grandfather showed me all these years wasn't so bad.
“Loyalty!”
Loyalty!
It seemed even the seniors from the Black Dragon Hall, with whom I'd once starved, were looking at me with pride.
While we were catching up in front of the fortress gate, warriors began to gather from all over.
Their numbers reached about a hundred.
As per the Lord's command, the finest warriors from each hall had assembled.
Once everyone had arrived, the Lord spoke.
“Let's go.”
At his single word, the defense force moved out of the fortress in perfect unison.
* * *
Thud, thud, thud, thud.
The defense force advanced swiftly.
They ate their meals on horseback whenever possible and didn't rest until sunset.
The only times they stopped were to change horses at the post stations set up by the fortress.
It made sense. They didn't know when the Ten Demon Alliance would strike Mount Emei.
Of course, from the Ten Demon Alliance's perspective, they might not attack at all now that their plan was exposed.
Or, they could change direction and attack the Hanzhong branch instead.
Nevertheless, the Nine Dragons Fortress dispatched this defense force because the Emei branch held that much significance.
It wasn't just because it was the Black Dragon Hall's home.
The Emei branch, which had served as a frontline base when the Southern Heaven Palace was in power, now acted as a bridgehead connecting the north and south of Yunnan.
If this place were to fall, the Nine Dragons Fortress would lose its control over the region south of Yunnan.
In other words, the deaths of the countless warriors who fought in the Southern Barbarian War would have been in vain.
That was why they had dispatched a defense force comprised of their finest elites.
Riding at the very back, I observed the members of the defense force.
The Red Dragon Hall, true to its reckless nature, had sent the Hall Master's direct descendants, the three Jeok brothers, along with the fifteen members of the Red Blood Squad who protected the Hall Master.
If the three Jeok brothers were to die, the Red Dragon Hall's lineage would be severed.
The Gray Dragon Hall dispatched its Vice Hall Master and their prized Mad Iron Squad.
There were only ten of them, but seeing them exude the presence of Mount Tai put my mind at ease.
Even the Green Dragon Hall, renowned for rarely engaging in external affairs, had for some reason sent Dang Seong and his entire Venomous Net Squad.
No matter how reclusive the Green Dragon Hall was, even I knew the name Dang Seong.
He was considered the strongest master in the Green Dragon Hall, second only to the family head.
And the twenty members of the Venomous Net Squad who assisted him were known as grim reapers on the battlefield.
The Black Dragon Hall, determined not to let their gates be burned down a second time, sent most of their forces, excluding only the young disciples.
For them, who already had few disciples, it was a truly momentous decision.
If they were to be annihilated, the name of the Black Dragon Hall would fade into the annals of history.
In addition, the Gold, Silver, Blue, and White Dragon Halls had also dispatched formidable forces.
Honestly, the White Dragon Hall was a surprise.
‘I thought they'd just make a token effort to save face.’
Despite their family head, Baek Jung-cheon, and the next in line, Baek Ja-cheon, both being bedridden, they had sent a proper combat unit.
It seemed Baek Ryang-ji, the acting Hall Master, had made a bold choice.
Despite all this, the hall that dispatched the most formidable force was the Outer Hall, which had sent only two people.
It was only natural.
Bukgung Baek himself, one of the greatest masters of the Nine Dragons Fortress, was personally leading the defense force.
I looked around at everyone and thought.
‘This is doable.’
I couldn't be sure, but with a force of this caliber, we could probably take on two of the Ten Demon Alliance's ten sects in an all-out war.
‘By the way, that guy really gets involved in everything...’
Seeing Dan Un riding hard at the very front, I couldn't help but frown.
A smile of anticipation played on his lips. He must have rushed over as soon as he heard there would be a fierce battle.
I wondered how a guy like that could stand it during peacetime, always itching for a fight.
As I rode on, taking in the surrounding scenery, the sun began to set and the moon started to rise.
Chk.
Bukgung Baek gave a hand signal, and the hundred or so members of the defense force stopped as one.
“Shall we rest here for the night?”
Acting as his aide, I quickly approached Bukgung Baek to ask his intentions.
“Let's do that.”
As soon as he answered, I raised my voice and announced it to everyone.
“We're resting!”
Shouting a proper command would have been cooler, but as long as the meaning got across, it didn't matter.
At my shout, everyone dismounted and began to set up camp for the night.
After the insane forced march, everyone chose to get a little sleep rather than eat.
And I was no different.
Fwump.
I quickly started a campfire and squeezed myself into the bedding I had made, modeled after a modern sleeping bag.
“Ugh... this is nice.”
Spring in Sichuan is usually warm, but riding a horse against the wind makes your fingertips go numb.
After shivering on horseback the whole time, slipping into the warm sleeping bag felt like my hands and feet were finally thawing.
“Immunity to heat and cold, my ass...”
I thought once I reached the supreme level, I'd be able to get through winter in just a short-sleeved shirt...
The cold energy couldn't invade my body, so I wouldn't catch a cold, but I still felt the chill just the same.
Just as I closed my eyes to sleep, I sensed several people approaching.
I peeked open my eyes and saw it was the three Jeok brothers, Dan Un, and Wi Ji-pung.
‘Just go away.’
I'm dead tired.
But my hope was mercilessly crushed.
“You don't seem to be asleep. How about you get up and have a drink with us?”
Regardless of whether my eyes were closed, the uninvited guests had already settled in a circle around me and opened a bottle of liquor.
“Aren't you tired?”
“A young buck like you, whining...”
Hey, you guys are in your twenties too.
They weren't the type to give up even if I told them I was sleeping, so I had no choice but to get out of my sleeping bag and sit down.
“Catch.”
Jeok Sam tossed me a bottle nonchalantly.
“Much appreciated.”
I took a sip, and heat immediately spread through my insides.
“Whoa.”
“How's the taste of the Red Dragon Hall's prized Fiery Inferno Liquor?”
“Three more cups of this and I won't even recognize my own parents.”
“That's the point of drinking it.”
The drinking session that started like that didn't have a bad atmosphere.
The three Jeok brothers were busy stoking their fighting spirit.
“We'll finally get to show those Ten Demon Alliance bastards the taste of the Annihilation Sword.”
“You said it, brother. Kehkeh.”
“This time, we'll teach those bastards just how terrifying the nights in the Central Plains can be.”
Dan Un, meanwhile, was spouting incomprehensible sword theories.
“The true path of the sword's intent originates from the clash of blades...”
Wi Ji-pung aired his worries about Mount Emei.
“We cannot suffer the humiliation of having our gates burned down twice. We won't let a single enemy who sets foot on Emei leave alive.”
The problem was.
‘If this is how it's going to be, why did we even gather?’
The conversation wasn't flowing at all.
They might as well have been drinking separately.
This won't do.
It seems I have no choice but to step in and foster some unity.
“Alright, alright, look here everyone.”
All eyes turned to me.
“Do you know the name of an island that may or may not exist?”
Just as I was about to deliver a joke I'd been saving.
Thump, thump, thump.
The sound of horse hooves echoed from the distance.
“Huh?”
It wasn't an enemy.
If it were, the ground would be shaking from their numbers.
In that case.
“It's a messenger.”
Just as Jeok Il said, it meant a messenger sent from the branch.
Sure enough, as he neared our camp, he spotted us and headed our way.
Hee-hee-hing!
“Whoa, whoa! Where is Hall Master Bukgung?!”
At the messenger's question, everyone looked at me.
‘Sigh.’
It meant that I, the aide, should greet him.
“I am Jin Mujeon, the Hall Master's aide. I will guide you.”
“So you're the Fighting Dragon. A pleasure. I am Lee Sang-baek, the Vice Master of the Emei branch.”
“You're the great warrior, the Flame-Tipped Spear of the Silver Dragon Hall.”
“Never mind 'great warrior,' I have an urgent message. Let's hurry.”
Seeing his urgency, I quickly led him to Bukgung Baek.
As soon as Lee Sang-baek saw Bukgung Baek, he handed him a piece of paper with a short message written on it.
“Is what's written here true?”
“Yes, it is a letter sent directly to the branch by the Grand Chancellor.”
“How much time has passed?”
“I rode here as soon as the carrier pigeon arrived, so it must have been at least seven days and nights.”
Hearing the answer, Bukgung Baek frowned.
The atmosphere was tense.
As I stood there blankly, Bukgung Baek explained the contents of the letter to me.
“It says the Ten Demon Alliance's forces have crossed into Xizang and are advancing on Mount Emei.”
* * *
Since the sun had set, the defense force abandoned their horses and used their lightness techniques.
As it was a gathering of only high-level masters, there were no stragglers, even during the incredibly dangerous march through the mountains at night.
For eight hours, we did nothing but follow the back of Bukgung Baek as he ran like a madman.
By the time the sun began to rise, the defense force had reached the wide Yangtze River.
And beyond it, the great Mount Emei, stretching high into the sky.
Bukgung Baek paused, turned around, and said.
“Cross over as soon as you find boats.”
Then, he immediately headed for the Yangtze River.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa.
Each time he extended his foot, the water parted, and his figure shot forward.
Everyone stared, jaws agape, at the sight of him performing the Art of Treading on Water across the Yangtze.
However, there was no time to stand around and watch.
“We need to find boats and cross the river as quickly as possible!”
The situation was urgent enough for Bukgung Baek to rush ahead alone.
At my command, the defense force acquired twelve small boats from a nearby ferry, paying a premium.
There was no need to row.
Boom. Boom.
They generated propulsion with palm strikes.
Just like this.
KABOOM!
As I unleashed the Explosive Death Force, a water bomb erupted, and the boat shot forward.
On the smoothly gliding boat, I thought about what was to come.
‘It's been seven days since they crossed into Xizang...’
Depending on the enemy's strength, Mount Emei might have already fallen into their hands by now.
Considering the treacherous terrain of the Emei branch, retaking it would not be easy.
We had brought almost no supplies, including food, in order to travel quickly.
Even masters have to eat to fight.
If the branch had fallen, we would have no choice but to fight with empty stomachs or retreat meekly.
In the end.
‘The best-case scenario is that the branch hasn't fallen.’
All we could do was hope the Emei branch was holding out.
I continued to mull things over as I gazed at Mount Emei across the river.
The mountain peak, soaring high into the sky, looked particularly ominous.
* * *
...Ominous, my ass.
When we arrived, Bukgung Baek had already wiped out the enemy's advance party.
Waaaah! All hail the Ten-Hand Heavenly Conqueror!
The warriors of the branch, covered head to toe in blood as if they'd been through a gruesome battle, raised their hands and cheered.
Every one of their faces was filled with the joy and relief of having survived.
“Hoo...”
Bukgung Baek approached, catching his breath.
Looking at the corpses around him, I counted over a hundred. Judging by their well-developed temples, every single one of them had been a master.
Even for a master of the Hwagyeong realm, it must have been quite a strain.
I filled a gourd with water and brought it to Bukgung Baek.
“You've worked hard.”
“What, did you even see any of it?”
Hey, you're the one who ran off alone.