It Is Not Reliance, But Walking Together (3)
“Kkh!”
Baek Cheon’s hair whipped wildly around his face as he staggered.
With bloodshot eyes, he glared at Yado.
Yado was covered in minor wounds as well, but Baek Cheon’s sword still couldn’t quite penetrate his body.
“Go on. Keep barking, brat.”
“……”
Yado had the clear upper hand.
But he was just as anxious.
How the hell did things end up like this…?
It had been a simple mission.
Mount Hua might once have been a prestigious sect, but now it was only just beginning to stretch its limbs again.
By contrast, Maninbang was the sect that now commanded the Jianghu.
That was why he had thought it absurd—more than absurd, truly laughable—to deploy one unit and three squads just to deal with a place like Mount Hua.
And yet… yet how had the situation turned into this?
Yado’s bloodshot eyes swept across the surroundings.
Heoksi! That bastard!
The Black Claw Unit, the one he had trusted, had left the battlefield together with that Chung Myung or whatever his name was.
And the underlings who should have swept away Mount Hua’s trash long ago were being blocked by two brats who had suddenly appeared, unable to break through the defense at all.
Damn it.
In that case, either Dokhyulsu or he himself had to shake that defense apart…
Fwaaaaat!
“Kkh!”
Yado twisted his body just in time. The keen edge of a sword skimmed past his cheek by a hair’s breadth.
Drip.
A line of blood ran from the split wound. As the burning pain spread, Yado’s face twisted even more.
“You annoying little leech!”
Murderous intent surged up in Yado’s eyes.
Even so, he still couldn’t recklessly rush in. The brat in front of him was far from easy.
Damn it.
That flawless middle stance was as steady as a massive boulder.
Unable to hide his rising irritation, Yado spat on the ground.
He could understand having talent beyond one’s years.
He knew better than most that the world was not fair—that the Jianghu was full of monsters who would casually appear, people who could reach in a few months a realm that others spent decades bleeding themselves for.
But even if his skill made sense, where in the world did that calm come from? That composure utterly unlike his age?
On a battlefield where blood and flesh flew in all directions, even seasoned veterans tended to lose their calm in the heat of the moment.
But that bastard was holding himself as firmly as some battle-hardened old general.
Are all Mount Hua bastards like this?
Crushed by that thought, Yado’s lips went white.
He was like a leech.
Just like Hyun Jong had done a moment ago, Baek Cheon latched onto Yado without mercy, refusing to let go. Even if he couldn’t win, he fought and endured as if he would never allow Yado to swing his saber at anyone else.
It was enough to make even Yado feel worn down first.
It made no sense—no common sense at all—that a disciple young enough to be a spring chicken could be stronger than the head of a sect, but this damned Mount Hua was a place where common sense simply didn’t apply.
“Looks like…”
The moment Yado opened his mouth, Baek Cheon stamped down hard and charged in at a terrifying speed.
It was a motion so refined it looked as though only the sword had come alive, without the slightest unnecessary movement. A perfect thrust, clean and complete.
“Kkh!”
Yado twisted his head, dodging the stabbing sword, and swept his saber horizontally.
But—
Kang! Kaang! Kang!
Before his saber could fully swing through and gather power, the sword had already occupied the space it was meant to cut through. As a result, the internal force that had nowhere to go surged backward, sending a pain through Yado’s wrist like it might snap.
Kaang!
Baek Cheon violently shoved aside the saber that had wavered for an instant, and his sword immediately bloomed into a spray of more than ten plum blossoms.
Yado had no time to think. He hurled his body backward and rolled across the ground.
Shrrk!
Even so, his shin was sliced open, blood scattering into the air. After rolling once more and regaining his stance, Yado glared at Baek Cheon with murderous eyes.
“……You bastard…….”
Without a word, Baek Cheon dropped back into his lower stance.
His eyes.
Baek Cheon’s relentless, dogged gaze chilled Yado’s chest.
Like a beast staring at its prey.
What lay beneath that stare was surely cold fury. Yado let out a low breath.
I don’t have time to worry about anything else.
If he didn’t deal with this properly, he would be the one to lose.
“Why are you so angry, brat? You’re practically shaking.”
It was a taunt, meant to change the mood just a little. And surprisingly, Baek Cheon responded to it.
“……You people wouldn’t understand even if I explained it a hundred times.”
“Hm?”
Baek Cheon’s voice continued, cold as ice.
“What you’ve done to that person. What he means to us.”
An anger cold enough to freeze the marrow dripped from every word.
Hyun Jong.
In every sect, the head was a symbolic presence. For a sect leader to be wounded by the hand of another sect was an intolerable humiliation.
But the fury Mount Hua’s disciples felt was on an entirely different level from ordinary shame.
How could Hyun Jong be called a mere sect leader?
He had willingly cast himself aside in order to support Mount Hua’s disciples. To them, Hyun Jong was a parent, a teacher, and someone precious they must follow and protect.
How could they forgive the bastard who had so brutally attacked such a man?
Cold fury, enough to freeze the heart itself, wrapped around Baek Cheon’s entire body. Then Yado twisted his lips and said,
“I see. So that’s how it is.”
And at that very moment, his saber roared with blue blade aura as it came crashing down.
KWAANG!
Baek Cheon’s sword bent as though it might break while blocking the blow. With terrifying force and power behind the single slash, his body was shoved back a long way.
“You’re getting too emotional, brat.”
Baek Cheon clenched his teeth.
His hand on the sword was trembling, and his legs were growing weak. That man called Yado was at least a notch above the Red Saber he had fought before—a true expert.
There was no question he was still too much for him.
“And what exactly do you think will change if you keep standing there?”
Yado sneered as he looked at Baek Cheon.
“You’re just enduring. In the end, you’ll all die by my hand. Looks like you’re hoping that bastard Chung Myung will come back, but no one has ever survived the Black Claw Unit. If your bodies are still intact afterward, you should count yourselves lucky.”
As he thought of Heoksi, Yado shuddered slightly.
He was a creepy, disgusting bastard, but if he were on your side, there were few more reliable than him. If that bastard set his mind to it, he would absolutely, by any means necessary, cut the opponent’s throat.
“That Chung Myung brat is in a pretty sorry state. Heoksi never just kills people outright. That bastard’ll probably die after tasting every ounce of suffering this world has to offer.”
It was a truly terrifying thing to say.
But instead of being frightened, Baek Cheon sneered.
“Seems like you don’t know much.”
“……What?”
“That bastard has never once been the one who ended up in a sorry state. The poor ones are the people who have to face him.”
He might take risks, but he never made mistakes that led to failure. That was the Chung Myung Baek Cheon knew.
“And don’t get it twisted. I’ve never been waiting for Chung Myung.”
“……”
Resolute determination shone in Baek Cheon’s eyes.
“If I let something this small slip and had to wait for that bastard, I’d have no excuse even if my skull got split open. If I can’t beat some lowlife like you, then how the hell am I supposed to call myself his sasuk?”
“……Honestly, this place is full of lunatics.”
Yado shook his head and reset his grip on the saber.
“I’ll crush that arrogant mouth of yours within ten seconds.”
“Then try it if you can!”
At that instant, Baek Cheon’s eyes darted across the surroundings.
Kuuuuuuung!
On the side, a series of thunderous booms kept exploding.
Hye Yeon was clearly forcing Dokhyulsu back. That was partly because Hye Yeon’s martial prowess was powerful enough not to lose even against a Maninbang great squad commander, but also because Dokhyulsu’s poison and sinister energy met Shaolin’s martial arts—those who purify all evil—like perfect opposites.
Sure enough, Dokhyulsu’s face was full of frustration. That side didn’t seem like it needed worrying about.
And then…
“Go! Jo Gul!”
“YAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
Behind him, Mount Hua’s disciples fighting Maninbang’s armed force were driving the enemy back with ferocious momentum.
Purely by skill, Jo Gul was now among Mount Hua’s best sword masters. He had a bad habit of getting excited too easily, which led to more mistakes than his talent should have allowed, but Yoon Jong was controlling him perfectly.
Jo Gul went half-mad swinging his sword, and Yoon Jong kept tightening the reins whenever necessary to help.
Because they hadn’t let go of the momentum once it had taken hold, they were holding their own even against Maninbang.
Then in the end…
That left only Baek Cheon.
If he could beat Yado, then the initiative in this battle would be seized by Mount Hua in an instant.
“Die!”
Wooooooong!
A vicious saber aura came flying toward Baek Cheon.
Baek Cheon dragged up every ounce of internal force he had and blocked it.
Kuuuuuuung!
The instant saber and sword collided, a deafening blast rang out.
With impossible force behind it, Baek Cheon lost his balance and was flung backward.
“Kuh!”
Thrown hard to the ground, a stifled groan escaped his lips.
But he had no time to feel the pain.
Yado leaped into the air like a hawk and descended toward the fallen Baek Cheon. The force in his saber only grew stronger, and the assault came pouring down like a great waterfall.
It was an attack so overwhelming that Baek Cheon couldn’t even think of raising his sword to block it. Clenching his teeth, he slammed a fist into the ground with all his strength. Then, using the recoil, he flung himself away, skimming across the floor.
KWAAAAAANG!
The blue-stone floor was crushed like tofu, fragments spraying in every direction.
After rolling across the ground several times and forcing himself back up, Baek Cheon lifted his head—only for a foot to fill his vision, already driving straight toward him.
Puuuuuuk!
Yado’s foot slammed into Baek Cheon’s chest. He was sent flying through the air like a broken string puppet.
“Sasuk!”
“Sahyung!”
Baek Cheon was falling through the air toward Jo Gul’s position.
Jo Gul violently swung his sword, shaking off the enemies clinging to him, then caught Baek Cheon.
“Sasuk!”
At Jo Gul’s cry, Baek Cheon, who had seemed half-conscious and slack, suddenly snapped his eyes open. He hurriedly shoved Jo Gul away and planted his feet on the ground.
“Ptuh!”
He spat out a mouthful of blood and steadied his wobbling legs, taking his stance again.
“……You’ve got some skill.”
Yado strolled forward along a path opened by his underlings and sneered.
“Looks like you still have enough breath to keep running your mouth after all that beating.”
“……”
“Trash like you. I’ll kill you all!”
Baek Cheon also stepped forward without yielding, meeting him head-on.
“Sasuk!”
Jo Gul tried to stop him, but Baek Cheon silenced him with a single look.
“I’ll handle him.”
“……Understood.”
Baek Cheon knew it well. If he gave ground here, the balance would collapse in an instant.
By whatever means necessary—whether by clinging to Yado’s trouser legs or anything else—he had to be the one to hold Yado here.
“This is heartbreaking.”
Yado finally could not hold back his irritation and barked out,
“Young or old, every last one of you is just here to piss me off!”
“Commander!”
Without even looking at the one who had spoken beside him, he lashed out.
Puuuk!
With the sound of a drum bursting, the struck man sprayed blood and went flying.
“You useless bastards! Why are you dragging this out because you can’t even handle a few brats?”
“S-sorry!”
“Kill them all! If you can’t kill every last one of those bastards within half a koku, I’ll kill you myself!”
“Yes, sir!”
Maninbang’s sabermen, their eyes now filled with killing intent, began closing in on Mount Hua’s disciples.
“……”
The presence of a supreme expert.
Just as Chung Myung had earlier pinned Maninbang’s fighters in place simply by existing, now Mount Hua’s disciples were being crushed beneath Yado’s presence.
Damn it.
Baek Cheon ground his teeth.
He had tried to keep Yado tied down precisely because he had feared this kind of situation…
“Jo Gul! Yoon Jong!”
“Yes, Sasuk!”
“I’ll hold this bastard. Protect the disciples no matter what!”
“Yes!”
The two of them nodded with unwavering resolve.
“Kill all those brats!”
“As ordered!”
Separated from their commanders and unable to receive proper orders, Maninbang’s sabermen now bared a far more brutal killing intent than before.
That rising momentum alone was enough to break the precarious balance they had been forcing into place. Mount Hua’s disciples were shoved backward in an instant.
Yado’s lips curled into a grin.
Yes. That’s more like it.
Young bastards like these sometimes managed to do more than they should once the tide turned in their favor.
But that also meant that if you could crush that momentum, they couldn’t show their true ability.
That Baek Cheon, the so-called Righteous Sword of Mount Hua, and a few others might have surpassed that level, but most of Mount Hua’s disciples were still heavily influenced by morale.
“Charge all at once. Kill them all—”
“YAAAAAOOOOUUUUUU BASTAAAAAAAAARDS!”
Yado snapped his head around.
Toward the place where a lion’s roar thundered so loudly it seemed to shake all of Mount Hua.
That voice…
Someone was entering through Mount Hua’s shattered mountain gate.
An old man?
An elderly man, his face full of wrath, ground his teeth furiously.
“Y-you motherf…! Huuuff! Damn it all, huuuff! I’m gonna die.”
The roar had been mighty, but the one who had arrived was in rather poor shape.
His whole body was drenched in sweat, and his dripping hair clung tightly to his face. The old man grabbed his knees and took deep breaths over and over again.
“……Elder Hyun Young?”
Yoon Jong’s dazed voice slipped out.
As though he had heard it, Hyun Young’s head jerked up.
And then he roared again.
“How dare those evil bastards think they can act like this here! You damned scum!”
At the soul-burning shout, the Maninbang sabermen looked at him with faintly dazed expressions.
And then, at that very moment—
“Kids!”
“Yes, Elder!”
Behind Hyun Young, who stood tall before the mountain gate, Mount Hua’s disciples who had just arrived from Xi’an surged in through the broken gateway like a flood bursting through a shattered embankment.
Hyun Young gave the order.
“Go bite them to death!”
“Yes!”
At the same time Hyun Young drew his sword, Mount Hua’s disciples, drenched in sweat from head to toe, charged forward with bloodshot eyes.
They came in as rough as a raging torrent, and began sweeping away Maninbang’s sabermen in a single surge.
“Sasuk!”
“Right!”
Baek Cheon clenched his fist hard. Then he glanced briefly to the side.
Chung Myung.
Chung Myung, who had vanished together with the Black Claw Unit, kept bothering him. What Yado had said earlier kept gnawing at the back of his mind, stoking a growing unease.
But no.
He steeled himself, gritted his teeth, and shouted,
“Press them! We finish this with our own hands!”
“Yes, Sahyung!”
Baek Cheon leaped toward Yado.
I believe in you, Chung Myung!
Now was the time for him to do what he had to do.