The Blue Woman #2
After that day, the remnants of the Meng Hu Dai never crossed paths with us again. Even Gong Son-tan, who had sparked the whole incident in the first place, could only glare at us without saying a word. Likewise, the Brocade Guards stopped issuing orders through the Meng Hu Dai. They just gathered up us Murim folk and kept sending us out on reconnaissance.
"Hmm."
They didn't seem all that interested in our reports, yet they kept ordering more patrols. What the hell did these bastards want? At this rate, the Sa-gwi Legion would reach Cheonghae whether we scouted or not.
I had my suspicions, but no real answers. We had no choice but to follow the Brocade Guards' orders. With the Meng Hu Dai—decently organized as they were—out of the picture, our recon efforts dragged on pathetically. We'd poke around just far enough to gauge the enemy's numbers, how far they'd advanced, how many cavalry they had. That was it.
Even after carrying out those missions, the Brocade Guards showed no reaction. Just more orders to keep scouting.
Anyway. One day, as the righteous sect warriors headed out on their daily patrols like clockwork, the Sa-gwi Legion finally marched to within spitting distance of the city. The stench of corpses filled Cheonghae, and the civilians started trembling in fear. The city gates slammed shut, and conscription began in earnest. Able-bodied men, handed spears under the officials' watch, shook like leaves on guard duty.
"The attack will begin soon," Serin said gravely.
"Be careful. Fighting the Sa-gwi Legion is nothing like clashing with fellow Murim warriors. Unleashing martial arts against a wall of flesh surging forward like a tide would be foolish."
"I get it. Facing armed fighters is one thing—battling an army that moves as a horde is a whole different beast."
"As expected of Geun-hyeop. So sharp."
But one thing bugged me.
"Serin. They don't have siege weapons or anything. Can they even scale the walls?"
If it was like World War Z, with zombies piling into corpse mountains to climb over, maybe. But could these things pull that off?
"Even by our estimates, their numbers exceed ten thousand. Imagine them slamming into the walls, forming stairs of their own bodies."
"Ah."
World War Z it was.
"We'll fight fiercely from atop the walls, supporting the soldiers. Unfortunately, the Great Ming Empire's army hasn't arrived yet... This could get rough."
We steeled ourselves, and finally, the Brocade Guards' orders came down.
"Meet my deputy, Gyo-hu. He'll be commanding you from here on. You Murim folk will climb the walls and carry out strike team duties under Gyo-hu's orders."
Just as Serin had predicted. We'd wait on the walls and rush to reinforce any breach points.
Under that sly-looking bastard Gyo-hu's command, no less.
"You heard him! Gyo-hu commands you! The Sa-gwi Legion will hit the walls soon. Climb up!"
"Yes, sir!"
As war loomed, the righteous sect warriors—taut with discipline—roared their response.
"Go!"
"Yes!"
We filed out of the command post right away.
"Absolute Rakshasa! How's it going?"
"What do we do now?"
The Nachal Bang members, conscripted for labor all this time, greeted me. Galbi Jong had been busy managing the sect and businesses; Jae Mi-son had been hauling rocks with the grunts.
"Mun Do! Awaiting orders!"
"Bangju-nim!"
What lovable faces.
"The Sa-gwi are almost here. Us Murim folk head to the walls to support the danger spots. Alright, let's move!"
"So it comes to this... No telling when reinforcements arrive!"
"Kuk kuk, finally time to tangle with those rotten corpse bastards."
We climbed to the walls.
An ominous aura hung over the walls.
"Eek...!"
"W-We’re all gonna die!"
"I don’t wanna die!"
The conscripts' morale was in the gutter from the start. Terrified civilians clutching spears for the first time muttered in horror at the corpse legion sprawling below.
"Fuck."
Even I had to admit it was gruesome.
"Grraaah..."
"Gruk."
The walls weren't that high, making the horde below feel way too close. Reeking of rot, jaws clacking, every last one stared up at us on the walls, arms outstretched.
"Hiiiik!"
Terrified shrieks erupted. A quick glance showed even my Nachal Bang crew looked scared shitless. Made sense—half were probably street thugs who'd only bullied the weak. Facing a zombie horde? No way they weren't freaking out.
"Hey, Mun Do."
"M-Mun Do?"
"Scared?"
I said it low, eyeing the Mun Dos.
"Mun Do! Not scared!"
"Good."
Time for a speech.
"Don't lose heart! The Great Ming army's coming to back us up soon! We just hold the walls and smack down any Sa-gwi that climb! Got it?!"
"Yes!"
"Understood!"
My shout must've carried—righteous sect warriors scattered along the walls started yelling and roaring cheers. It seemed to give the conscripts atop the walls some spine.
"Woooaaah!"
"Ooooh!"
It wasn't long before—
"Gruk, grrruk!"
"Kruuuh!"
The mood shifted in an instant. The zombies clustered at the base convulsed, shoulders heaving in spasms. Instinct told me: somewhere out there, a command entity was using yokai energy to order the Sa-gwi.
"Grroooaaarrr!"
The legion bellowed, jaws gaping wide as they scraped at the walls, clawing to climb. And not just that—they shoved the front ranks aside, trampling their own in a frenzy to scale the stone!
"Kyaaak!"
Corpse mounds formed as they piled up, boosting each other higher.
"They're coming! Murim folk to positions!"
"To positions!"
We rushed to our assigned spots on Gyo-hu's order.
"Remember! Stab 'em with spears and shove 'em off! No arrows incoming! Just stab and push! Spears keep the bites away! Stab, stab again, and push!"
The officers bellowed. Then—
"Uwaaaah!"
"Grroooar!"
The most hellish siege warfare imaginable kicked off.
"Push, push!"
"Stab 'em!"
Conscripts and soldiers lining the walls stabbed wildly at the Sa-gwi scrambling up corpse piles.
"Gwehk!"
"Kek!"
Fresh climbers took spear thrusts and tumbled off. They were slow, but not sluggish—knock one back, another shoved its head up immediately.
"Truly impressive."
"First time seeing a sight like this."
Serin and Ha-young said it with tense faces. I gripped my hilt, sweat-slicked palms and all. The Sa-gwi weren't hitting one spot—they poked their heads up everywhere.
"Hya aaak!"
"Aaaak!"
Mid-frenzy stabbing—
"Nachal Bang!"
Gyo-hu yelled!
"Support over there!"
"Yes!"
Where he pointed, Sa-gwi had shoved soldiers aside and crested the wall. I led my Nachal Bang crew charging over.
"Uwaaak! It bit me, bit me!"
"Stab that fucker toooo!"
Pure pandemonium.
"Outta the wayyy!"
I shoved soldiers aside, thrusting my sword into a Sa-gwi that had just topped the wall and chomped a soldier—splitting its skull clean.
"Kuhk...! S-Save...!"
A bitten soldier reached out, weeping. But—
"Sorry! You're too late!"
We'd been drilled on the rules: euthanize anyone bitten mid-battle.
Shunk!
I decapitated him mercifully, then swept away the next climbers.
"Kuk kuk, skewer 'em all!"
"Behold Nachal Bang's might!"
"Mun Do! Kill 'em all!"
"Kraaaah!"
"Slaughter!"
Jae Mi-son, Galbi Jong, the Mun Dos, all Nachal Bang—gripping weapons, unleashing hell on the climbers. They'd grown!
Shunk, shunk!
Jae Mi-son dropped one per spear thrust; Galbi Jong shone too. And Ha-young—
"Yahp!"
She hurled a fireball at a clustered pack below.
Booom!
Exploding them for massive damage.
"We got this! Soldiers! Rally your lines if you've got your shit together! Hurry!"
"Y-Yes! Move your asses!"
On my shout, a squad leader snapped to and reformed ranks. We'd turned the tide there, then fell back.
Keep this up, and we'd win. No doubt.
"Hee hee hee."
Saseon-nyeo, the Blue Beauty, sat atop a cloud surveying the battlefield with a soft laugh.
"Ah, found it?"
She'd locked onto her target. The lingering power aura was too potent to miss.
Kraaaah!
A young warrior leading his men atop the walls.
"Oh my, such a handsome man."
Pale skin, sharp features—he looked fiercely valiant. Powerful swings of his sword, skillful command amid combat. A warrior with boundless potential.
"...How tragic."
Saseon-nyeo watched him sadly throughout the battle.
Time passed, and the first assault tapered into a lull. Murim warriors atop the walls rotated down for rest. Her gaze followed the young warrior. Exhausted, he trudged alone toward his quarters.
Swish.
Saseon-nyeo rose gracefully from the cloud. Her form was cloaked in sorcery.
"Ufufu... Shall we chat?"
An absurdly sinister presence trailed after Geun-hyeop.