94. Well, Pride Over Something Like That...
Won Seung pulled off his mask to show his face, then flipped it back on.
As the two dashed toward the rear garden, Hwa Yeo-wol asked,
"Why are you wearing a mask?"
"Who'd take one look at my face and think master?"
Hwa Yeo-wol couldn't immediately grasp what Won Seung was getting at.
"There are some terrifying bastards outside right now, gunning for Cheongsu Gate. Twenty of 'em! Dosanrim's nothing compared to this."
"What?!"
The ten members of Red Flame First Squad charged straight for Gwancheonbang's main gate without hesitation. Trailing behind them were thirty black dao thugs from the black society.
These guys aren't even bothering with the authorities?
The black dao thugs thought the Huangdo newcomers were far too arrogant.
They were marching right down the main road toward Gwancheonbang.
Come at me if you dare prepare defenses!
It was practically announcing their attack to the enemy.
Squad Leader Ho Yu-gu hadn't even considered a sneak attack. Ambushing a sect like this would be a disgrace to Red Flame Squad. They had to smash through the front gate.
Gwancheonbang came into Ho Yu-gu's view.
Beep!
Horns blared, torches darted about, and all hell broke loose.
They'd heard the sect leader was dead. It felt a bit like robbing an empty house, but... they still had to show Red Flame Squad's fearsome might.
"Burn it all down!"
Burning didn't just mean the buildings. They burned people too. Even incinerating corpses to sever reincarnation—that brutal act had etched Red Flame Squad into people's minds as terror incarnate.
I need to carve what Red Flame Squad really is deep into these country bumpkins' bones.
Yu Bul-gun had tried to stress leaving no traces, but Ho Yu-gu had let it go in one ear and out the other.
At the squad leader's command, the three teams split into three directions and advanced. One team hit the front gate, while the other two targeted the side walls.
But then heads popped up over the walls...
Shwick!
Iron arrows flew, but they couldn't stop the Red Flame Squad members. Each deflected them with swords, blades, or even small hand shields.
Yet the squad members trying to vault the side walls had no choice but to drop back to the ground.
Ho Yu-gu grimaced at the sight, then charged forward, leaping into the air and slashing horizontally with a single stroke.
A massive sword qi swept sideways, carving a long gash along the wall.
Kaboom!
"Urk!"
Tiles exploded, and the Gwancheonbang fighters shooting arrows from the walls tumbled down in a heap.
At the same time, Red Flame Squad members scaled the walls. Those charging the front gate smashed the doors and poured in.
Whoa!
The black society thugs following behind gaped in awe.
Just ten men, yet their overwhelming might was impossible to stand against.
With this, Gwancheonbang is done for...
As the black society thugs surged after them over the main gate...
A thunderous roar exploded like a bolt from the blue.
"Who the hell are you bastards?!"
Then—boom!—like lightning striking, one of the Red Flame Squad members who'd just shown overwhelming power sprayed blood and flew back three zhang.
What the—?
The black society thugs looked toward the source of the shout.
There stood Cheon Seok-san.
Behind him, Gwancheonbang fighters had lined up in formation.
Ho Yu-gu's brow furrowed.
"Who the hell are you?"
The sect leader was supposed to be dead. Even if he were alive... this level of skill was impossible, right?
One Red Flame Squad member had been shattered by a single fist strike. That meant this guy was an insane master.
For a monster like that to be hiding in a third-rate sect...
Cheon Seok-san had crushed Kwon-wang's disciple eight years ago. Since then, he'd hidden deep in the Sangyang clan's rear garden, training relentlessly to evade Kwon-wang's pursuit.
He couldn't face the world again until he surpassed Kwon-wang, so he'd trained with desperate fervor. And just now, he'd swallowed a spirit pill that doubled his internal energy and physical prowess.
Cheon Seok-san could barely contain the power surging through him.
He'd just obliterated a guy who seemed pretty skilled with one punch.
Without the pill, he wouldn't have sent him flying in one hit.
Keh heh heh...
Even against Kwon-wang now, he felt he wouldn't lose. Kwon-wang was a Transformation Realm master—one of the Ten Great Experts. To match him...
Cheon Seok-san grinned at the thought that his self-proclaimed title, One Fist Shaking Heaven, was soon to claim a spot among the Ten Great Experts.
His already fierce face twisted into a grotesque smile that looked more like a malevolent demon than laughter.
"......"
Silence fell after Cheon Seok-san's punch.
The Gwancheonbang fighters were just as stunned by their new sect leader's prowess.
At the same time, they swelled with anticipation—if they survived this night, a bright future awaited. A sect's prosperity ultimately hinged on its masters.
With their new leader at an unheard-of level... Gwancheonbang's dominance was assured.
One Gwancheonbang fighter spotted a black dao thug behind the Red Flame Squad.
"Those guys are from the black society!"
"Black society? These black dao small fries dare eye Gwancheonbang?"
Even as he spoke, Cheon Seok-san scanned Ho Yu-gu and the assembled Red Flame Squad members.
These weren't black dao.
They dressed like black society, but their auras screamed professional killers.
Ho Yu-gu sent a transmission to his team leaders.
—Take that guy first!
The team leaders relayed it to their members, and Ho Yu-gu charged first, swinging his sword.
At the same time, the Red Flame Squad members lunged from both flanks.
Cheon Seok-san stomped forward with a thunderous step, diving into Ho Yu-gu's sword momentum.
Bam!
"Kuhk!"
The nine Red Flame Squad members clashed with Cheon Seok-san. Fist winds exploded, sword qi scattered. Cheon Seok-san's prowess was astonishing.
Like phantom shifts, he flickered here and there, unleashing punches and kicks.
Weaker fighters couldn't even track their techniques.
Moments later.
Despite their overwhelming might, Red Flame First Squad was shattered by the even more overwhelming Cheon Seok-san.
Finally, Ho Yu-gu knelt, blood gushing from his mouth, his guts pulverized by a punch to the abdomen.
H-How... A Transformation Realm master here...? I have to tell the grand leader...
He'd been confident First Squad could take even a True Realm master. But this opponent was on another plane.
One of the legendary Ten Great Experts? They were commonly known as Transformation Realm masters.
To catch a Transformation Realm master, the grand leader and an entire squad would need to swarm. Even then, he doubted it. They'd never succeeded before.
That strategist Yu Bul-gun had said as much... but the guy's words were never trustworthy.
"It'll be an easy takeover," my ass. Mouthy bastards like him can't be trusted.
Ho Yu-gu's head slammed into the dirt.
Having wiped out Red Flame First Squad, Cheon Seok-san was inwardly shocked. Without the spirit pill, he'd be the dead one. Even the grunts were first-rate or better.
Where did these guys come from?
Definitely not black society.
Cheon Seok-san's gaze turned to the black society thugs. They'd already been surrounded by Gwancheonbang fighters.
The moment Cheon Seok-san swept away Red Flame First Squad, they dropped to their knees.
When the odds turned, grovel flat. That way, you could strike from behind later!
Cheon Seok-san demanded of the black dao thugs,
"Who the hell are these guys?"
"We don't know much. Heard they came from Huangdo."
"Huangdo?"
"Yes! Thirty of them in total."
"Then why are you with them?"
As Cheon Seok-san glared fiercely, the black society thugs spilled excuses.
"They dragged us here by force."
"Yeah, that's right. Said we were for cleanup. We really didn't want to come."
"Shut up! Thirty came, but only ten here. Where's the rest?"
"They went to Cheongsu Gate."
Cheon Seok-san said to Pyeong In-gang,
"Gut these bastards and toss 'em in the Sang River!"
"Aigoo, mercy, please!"
The black society thugs begged.
Pyeong In-gang replied,
"How about executing just the ringleaders? These small fries aren't worth the blade."
Killing them all would mean all-out war with the black society. Pyeong In-gang knew Sangyang's black society had deeper roots than it seemed.
These were the pawns; the real powers lurked in the shadows. No point provoking them.
"Handle it however you see fit, Elder Pyeong."
Cheon Seok-san's mind was buzzing with other thoughts.
Huangdo guys, thirty total. Ten hit us, twenty went to Cheongsu Gate?
Even ten had nearly wrecked Gwancheonbang without his intervention.
Twenty of them... even he might be in danger.
Unless Dosanrim's masters were there...
Wait. Where were the Dosanrim masters?
Cheon Seok-san knew Cheon Il-hae had summoned five Dosanrim experts. He'd overheard Cheon Il-hae griping that they were gorging themselves.
After such treatment, with the sect leader dead and enemies invading, not a single one showed?
Cheon Seok-san called for U Pyeong.
"Where are Yin-Yang Twin Blades and the Three Mountain Heroes?"
"Huh?"
U Pyeong finally realized, flinching as he said,
"Around evening, they had a private talk with the previous sect leader, then headed to Cheongsu Gate. That's all I know."
"Private talk, then to Cheongsu Gate?"
Did that mean they went to hit Cheongsu Gate?
Another doubt arose. Cheon Il-hae arranged that, then killed himself? It had seemed suspicious, but now his suspicions solidified.
Cheon Il-hae was murdered. By an incredible master...
Maybe these guys? Their leader must be insane.
"Hmmm..."
Cheon Seok-san's forehead burned from all the hard thinking. He wiped it absentmindedly—sweat poured down.
At the same time, he felt a slight drain of energy.
Ah!
Cheon Seok-san had rolled in the jianghu long enough.
In that moment of fatigue, he realized the spirit pill doubled power temporarily. Such drugs wore off after time.
Hmm... Usually six to twelve hours, I heard...
Did the intense battle burn it off early?
A chill ran down his spine.
If twenty of those guys came after the effects faded... back to endless flight.
He was sick of running.
Finish them while the effects last!
"Elder Pyeong!"
As Pyeong In-gang hurried over, Cheon Seok-san pointed to the Red Flame Squad corpses being carted off.
"Their group's thirty strong, and twenty seem headed for Cheongsu Gate. They only sent ten at us... it's insulting."
Well, pride over something like that...
Not grasping Cheon Seok-san's intent, Pyeong In-gang just listened silently.
"Looks like the black society teamed up with them to wipe out Sangyang's twin powers."
Fierce light burst from Cheon Seok-san's bulging eyes.
"Time to show everyone who rules Sangyang. Gather every fighter who can hold a blade. We're heading to Cheongsu Gate to sweep them all away!"