Chapter 105
Chapter 105
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 105
Chapter Title: The Suicide Squad (7)
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It was the fifth day of the battle for Mount Diancang.
Despite seven or eight hundred casualties, the Ten Demon Alliance showed no signs of giving up.
We managed to fend them off each time they attacked, but our anxiety grew with every passing moment.
This was because no true masters, like the old man from the Blood Sect we saw on the first day, had appeared.
In other words.
‘Just like those demonic bastards, they're sacrificing their own forces.’
The Ten Demon Alliance was planning a war of attrition.
They were saving their masters for that very purpose.
It seemed they had noticed our poor supply situation.
The problem was that, even though we knew their intentions, we had no choice but to play along.
When they charge at you with weapons drawn, you can't exactly refuse to fight.
Because of this, the defenders grew more exhausted by the day.
All our supplies, including weapons, had run out.
The Green Dragon Hall had long since run out of poisons and even hidden weapons, resorting to makeshift ones carved from coins and iron chopsticks.
Swordsmen and saber wielders faced the enemy with chipped blades.
The biggest problem, of course, was food.
Masters could supposedly survive for a fortnight without eating, but that was just surviving.
It was difficult to fight at full strength.
We were hunting wild animals as a stopgap, but it wasn't enough to feed over a hundred people.
Developing a technique to convert internal energy into calories is an urgent priority.
The one bit of good news was that Bukgung Baek returned today.
For some reason, his return was two days later than expected.
Seeing him emerge from the pavilion was so reassuring, I almost called him ‘Dad’.
“You've worked hard.”
If only he hadn't dismissed all our bloody battles with that one phrase.
I was a little disappointed, but what could I do?
That's just the kind of person he is.
Anyway.
Upon his return, Bukgung Baek did not reclaim command of the defense force.
“Mount Diancang is where the soul of the Black Dragon Hall resides. I believe it is right for Adept Inhyeon to remain in command.”
This was an excellent decision.
For the past few days, Adept Inhyeon had led the defenders remarkably well.
As a Taoist who had spent his life cultivating the Way, he might have lacked strategic prowess, but he was an excellent virtuous commander.
And frankly, it's not like that old man Bukgung Baek had proven himself in that regard.
He may have been the hero of the Southern Barbarian War, but he won not as a commander, but by capturing the Lord of the Southern Heaven Palace through sheer force.
And even that was by ganging up on him with the Black Mountain Tigers.
Just because you're strong doesn't mean you're a good commander.
Of course, the return of an absolute master greatly boosted the defenders' morale.
In the martial world, a master of the Transcendent Realm commanded a reverence akin to the heavens themselves.
That wasn't the only good news.
*Waaaah!*
The Red Dragon Hall had succeeded in bringing supplies.
Filled with the hope of finally being free from hunger, I rushed over.
I'd been avoiding Jeok Il because he kept mentioning me becoming his brother-in-law, but right now, I could even give him a peck on the cheek.
Though I'd rather die than marry the petty Jeok Hwa-ran.
“You've done well.”
“It was nothing.”
Jeok Il shrugged as if it were nothing in response to my respectful greeting, but it was far from nothing.
The number of Red Blood Squad members had dwindled from fifteen to thirteen, and the bodies of the three Jeok brothers were covered in wounds.
It was to be expected.
Even with a secret passage, it only led to the foot of Mount Diancang.
To get there, they had to pass through the enemies surrounding the mountain, so a fierce battle was unavoidable.
It would have been difficult even empty-handed, so imagine how grueling it must have been carrying man-sized packs on their backs.
In fact, it was commendable that the Red Dragon Hall had completed their mission with such minimal losses.
Sensing their hardship, Adept Inhyeon patted Jeok Il's shoulder.
“You've endured much. We will never forget the Red Dragon Hall's contribution.”
“Not at all, Adept. Our comrades from the Fortress also fought with their lives on the line. It is a credit to everyone.”
“Haha, the Red Dragon Hall Master must be very proud. To have such a fine grandson.”
“You flatter me. And this…”
While receiving the praise, Jeok Il took a red envelope from his robes.
“What is it?”
“It's a letter from the Grand Chancellor that came with the supplies. It seemed important, so I kept it separately.”
“I see. You must be tired. Go and rest.”
Jeok Il gave a small bow and left.
And then.
“This…!”
Adept Inhyeon's eyes widened like saucers as he read the letter.
It was almost certainly bad news.
‘Could it be?’
I considered the worst possible news in this situation and quickly came to a conclusion.
The arrival of the main force dispatched from the Fortress must be delayed.
If so.
The key question was by how much.
‘A week. Any longer than that will be impossible.’
No matter how skilled the defenders were, they were still human, and their limits were clear.
Unless the entire defense force was armed with K-2 assault rifles, they couldn't last more than seven days.
That was true even with Bukgung Baek joining us.
The Ten Demon Alliance's ranks also had masters of comparable skill.
If the Grand Chancellor's order was to hold out for more than seven days, I thought it would be better to just surrender the branch.
But the situation was even more serious than I had anticipated.
“…A force dispatched from the Ten Demon Alliance is heading for Hanzhong.”
“Wow…”
This is insane.
***
Hanzhong is in danger.
Which means.
The Fortress's main army, which was supposed to come to Diancang, couldn't make it.
They couldn't afford to lose Hanzhong, which was situated right above the main fortress, just to protect Diancang—a place they could always recapture later, however difficult.
Of course, with the help of their allies, the Righteous Path Alliance, they could protect Hanzhong if they just bought enough time.
The problem was that Diancang would fall into the hands of the Ten Demon Alliance before that happened.
Knowing this, the Grand Chancellor had urged a retreat.
An hour after confirming this shocking news.
Adept Inhyeon, having composed himself, summoned Bukgung Baek and me.
I thought he wanted to exchange opinions before informing everyone…
“I entrust everyone to you.”
What kind of nonsense was this?
Even Bukgung Baek, who rarely showed any change in emotion, couldn't hide his surprise.
“…You intend to stay.”
“That is correct.”
To Adept Inhyeon's calm reply, Bukgung Baek asked in a slightly angered tone.
“That would be a pointless death.”
“I cannot show our ancestors the sight of our mountain gate burning down in vain. Not for a second time.”
“…”
Bukgung Baek's gaze turned to me.
It was a look that said, ‘Do something.’
‘He always leaves the difficult tasks to me.’
I, who had even worked part-time at a cell phone store in my past life, was confident in my powers of persuasion.
“It's not like their souls are wandering around after death. How would men who died hundreds of years ago know the mountain gate is on fire?”
*Thwack!*
“Ack!”
“You haven't changed a bit, you rascal.”
“I'm telling you, it's all just superstition…”
“Do you need another smack to come to your senses?”
“Ugh! This is so frustrating I could die.”
Where in the world are there ghosts?
“If you stay, Hall Master, won't the disciples stay too? Are you going to get all those kids with bright futures killed? And…”
“…”
“Do you think staying here will stop the mountain gate from burning? There are only thirty disciples of the Black Dragon Hall here. Thirty. We wouldn't even last an hour.”
“But wouldn't we be able to show the spirit of Diancang?”
“No!”
What's the point of showing that crap?
I was so worked up I almost screamed.
As I stood there fuming, trying to calm myself, Adept Inhyeon chuckled and spoke.
“Do you know the first thing one learns when they take up the sword of Diancang?”
“Isn't it justice and the Way? I've spent years eating and sleeping in the Black Dragon Hall, you think I wouldn't know that?”
“You haven't forgotten.”
“Does fighting to the last man here protect justice and the Way?”
“If we die, the Fortress will surely avenge us. Then, the people of Yunnan won't have to live under the rule of the Ten Demon Alliance, will they?”
“Even if we flee now, the Fortress will surely retake this place.”
“But, the timing might be delayed.”
For a moment, I was at a loss for words.
Adept Inhyeon was absolutely right.
Considering the Grand Chancellor's cautious nature, he would likely only move after the threat from the north was completely gone.
During that time, the people of Yunnan would surely suffer all sorts of hardships under the Ten Demon Alliance.
However, if the Black Dragon Hall was annihilated here, it would be a different story.
They would move as quickly as possible to punish the Ten Demon Alliance.
That would be the only way to protect the honor of the Nine Dragons Fortress.
Unable to think of anything else to persuade him, I looked at Bukgung Baek.
He sighed and shook his head.
“There's no other way.”
Judging from my years of experience with him, that was his way of saying he was giving up.
“We have no choice but to kill all those Ten Demon Alliance bastards outside.”
Somehow, he'd given up in a strange direction.
Then again, I was thinking something similar.
‘Why can't anything ever be easy?’
How could I just stand by and watch the Black Dragon Hall, where my grandfather spent his entire life, disappear?
I spoke to Adept Inhyeon, whose eyes were wide with surprise.
“We live together, we die together. There's no ‘some live, some die’ situation here.”
I wonder if you've ever heard of martial world communism.
***
As soon as we left Adept Inhyeon's quarters, Bukgung Baek lit a large bonfire in the middle of the branch.
And then.
“All comrades of the Nine Dragons Fortress, gather here!”
He summoned the entire defense force.
Since the order to retreat had come from the main fortress, we needed everyone's consent to continue fighting.
A moment later, once the defenders had all gathered, Bukgung Baek began a passionate speech.
“…Those who wish to flee, leave Mount Diancang at once. I promise you will face no criticism.”
Of course, as per my advice, he had created an atmosphere that made it impossible to flee.
He said there would be no criticism, but anyone who fled in that atmosphere would surely be ostracized not just from the Nine Dragons Fortress, but from the entire martial world.
‘By the way, I never knew he had that kind of charisma.’
Not as much as me, of course, but for a man who spent his life drinking, to suddenly show such charisma...
I guess a crisis can even get Bukgung Baek to move.
Leaving the defenders to listen to Bukgung Baek's impassioned speech,
I headed to the deepest part of the branch to play the trump card I had been saving.
***
The next day.
Having consumed all the remaining food, the suicide squad began preparing for battle at sunrise.
They tied bandanas around their heads in preparation for the melee.
They checked the poisons and weapons that had been supplied yesterday.
Each warrior sharpened their blade.
An hour passed.
*Rumble.*
A large group emerged from the deepest part of the branch.
Two hundred and ninety-eight people in total.
They were the martial artists from the Southern Heaven Palace who had been captured during the last Southern Barbarian War.
I had brought them out of the prison, telling them they would be granted freedom if they just broke through the Ten Demon Alliance's formation.
In other words, I had offered them a pardon in exchange for becoming our cannon fodder.
The prisoners from the Southern Heaven Palace accepted my offer.
After all, the moment the Ten Demon Alliance captured Mount Diancang, they were fated to die anyway.
Although their martial arts might have weakened from the long period without training, they were more than enough to supplement our meager numbers.
Freeing prisoners without permission from the higher-ups was an insane act, but what wouldn't one do to survive?
Surviving today was what mattered most, regardless of what happened later.
That was why everyone in the suicide squad had agreed to use the Southern Heaven Palace prisoners.
Soon after, the warriors of the Diancang branch handed each of them a small vial.
It was the antidote to the Lethargy Pill, the Green Dragon Hall's semi-permanent energy-scattering poison.
After all the prisoners had taken the antidote.
“Let's go.”
*Rumble.*
We began our descent from Mount Diancang.
With the conviction that defeat meant death etched in our hearts.