Chapter 119
The Ronin Corps' ambush had failed.
Of the eighty ronin, only about sixty had returned, and a significant portion of the Human Sword Corps' masters were also missing.
"Hmm."
The returning members of the Human Sword Corps and the ronin looked at Bu Eun-seol's party resting in perfect condition with displeased expressions.
Mun Gwang was no exception.
'They're just hired ronin we didn't even pay... I can't really say anything.'
Just as he was suppressing his anger, a bald man with a massive axe slung over his shoulder stomped toward Bu Eun-seol, huffing angrily.
He was the leader of the Third Squad—Jo Cheon-san, the Blood-Ringing Axe.
"Must be nice living the high life, eh?"
Determined to pick a fight, he spat a thick glob of saliva onto the rock where Namgung Un was lounging.
"So this is why you didn't take payment? Just here to watch people drop dead, huh?"
Jo Cheon-san's eyes burned red with fury as he spoke.
"If you sold yourselves as ronin, you should've joined the damn fight! Why the hell are you just lying around here like you're setting up shop?!"
"What kind of bullshit is this? That Leader Mun guy told us to guard this place, so we did!"
"Guard? You guarded it like a bunch of damn puppies? While the rest of us were dropping like flies?!"
"Huh? Puppies?!"
Namgung Un shot to his feet, ready to snap back, but Heuk-pyo grabbed both his hands.
"Young Master. Please hold back."
"Hold back? What's there to hold back? We were also nearly killed yesterday—"
Namgung Un, who had been about to shout, suddenly clamped his mouth shut.
Heuk-pyo's expression was too dark, too desperate.
"He's grieving for his lost comrades..."
Even ronin who sold themselves for money still had bonds of camaraderie.
Jo Cheon-san was in agony.
The kind of pain that made lashing out the only way to endure it.
"I beg you, Young Master. Please endure this."
At Heuk-pyo's whispered plea, Namgung Un pressed his lips tightly together.
"Fine. I won't say another word."
Gritting his teeth, Namgung Un turned his head away and sat back down.
Just then, Mun Gwang stepped forward in front of the ronin and spoke.
"The failure of this ambush lies entirely with me."
His face twisted with anguish as he bowed his head.
"The Blade Tyrant Gate had complete intelligence on our movements—even our ambush."
Raising his head, he swept his gaze over the ronin and the Human Sword Corps before continuing.
"The main sect has ordered us to abort the operation and return. But I intend to face them head-on one more time."
At that, a ronin carrying a greatsword on his back stepped forward.
"No matter how you look at it, that's just suicide. You might as well be ordering us to die gloriously."
Another man nearby added in a hoarse voice,
"He's right. That mountain cabin's entrance is covered in some bizarre boundary formation. Unless we break through that, we'll be slaughtered before we even get to fight."
The ambush had failed not just because of the assassins' numbers, but primarily due to the boundary formation laid at the cabin's entrance.
Mun Gwang bit his lip.
"I'll add twice what you've already received to your pay. Twice what you've already received!"
But the ronin's expressions remained cold.
No matter how mercenary their lives were, none wanted to die in a battle with no chance of victory.
"A boundary formation, huh."
Just then, Bu Eun-seol, who had been silently listening, spoke up.
"We'll dismantle the formation for you."
"What?"
Mun Gwang's eyes widened. Bu Eun-seol pointed at Namgung Un.
"He's an expert in breaking formations. No matter what's laid out, he can unravel it easily."
Namgung Un's jaw dropped.
Since when had he become an expert in breaking formations?
Flustered, he waved his hands in denial, but Mun Gwang rushed over and seized his shoulders.
"Y-you're serious?"
His eyes burned with fervent hope and indescribable anticipation.
"No, I'm not—"
As Namgung Un shook his head, Bu Eun-seol answered with absolute confidence.
"Of course."
"I see. If you can break the formation, I'll triple your pay."
Mun Gwang nodded vigorously, moved. But Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
"We don't need the money."
"You don't need the reward? Why?"
Instead of answering, Bu Eun-seol merely curled his lips into a faint smile.
Seeing that expression, Mun Gwang pressed his lips tightly together.
Because that smile looked exactly like the grin of a Death God laughing in the pitch-black darkness.
"F-fine."
In the end, Mun Gwang turned away with an uneasy expression.
Bear Family Mountain Villa.
An abandoned mountain lodge deep in the forests of Sangyang Mountain.
To reach it, one had to wind their way up a narrow path after passing through dense bamboo groves, making it a natural fortress.
Bu Eun-seol, Heuk-pyo, and Namgung Un were swiftly ascending the steep, narrow trail using Light Body Art.
"This is going to be tough. The only path leading to the villa is guarded by a battle formation."
Namgung Un, who had been carefully observing the small trail leading up to the villa after passing through the bamboo forest, finally nodded.
"And it's not just any ordinary formation—it's one embedded with mechanisms, like the Divine Maiden Palace's Twenty-Four Heavenly Generals Formation. There must also be countless hidden weapon devices laid out."
Though he was infamous as a reckless ruffian, Namgung Un had still received an elite education growing up in the Namgung Clan.
That education included not just swordsmanship but also poetry, calligraphy, art, and battle formations.
"A formation of that caliber was clearly designed to annihilate at least several hundred masters. There's absolutely no way we can dismantle it with just our numbers."
In response to Namgung Un's explanation, Bu Eun-seol replied flatly,
"We don't need to dismantle it."
"Didn't you just boast to that Mun Gwang fellow that you'd break it?"
"What I mean is, we don't necessarily have to dismantle the formation to enter the villa."
"What are you talking about?"
Bu Eun-seol stared straight at Namgung Un and said,
"Didn't you just say it yourself? A formation of that level was clearly designed to massacre large numbers of people."
"Well, yes."
"Then think of it this way—they failed precisely because they brought exactly the right number of people to trigger the formation."
"I don't quite follow."
As Namgung Un shook his head, Bu Eun-seol's eyes gleamed.
"What if only one person entered that place?"
"Well... since it's a formation meant to kill large numbers, it probably wouldn't expend all its Harmonization on just one person."
A foreboding premonition struck Namgung Un, and he quickly added,
"But that's just speculation, isn't it?"
"We'll know once someone goes in and checks."
"Haha, right. Who in their right mind would walk alone into a formation capable of slaughtering hundreds?"
Bu Eun-seol silently fixed Namgung Un with a deep, unreadable stare.
Feeling the ominous weight of that gaze, Namgung Un took a half-step back and forced a smile.
"You're not suggesting I'm that one person, are you?"
Instead of answering, Bu Eun-seol turned to Heuk-pyo.
"Wait here. If the villa gates open, fire the signal flare. The Wanderer Corps and the Heaven-Shaking Gate's masters waiting below will come up."
"Understood."
In the end, the Wanderer Corps had set a condition.
They would only join the fight if Bu Eun-seol's group dismantled the formation and opened the path to the villa.
"Eun-seol. Are you serious? You want me to go in alone?"
"You said you wanted to gain experience in the Martial World."
"Yeah, that's right. But I didn't say I wanted to take a tour of hell."
Namgung Un wiped cold sweat from his brow and shook his head.
"If I wanted to commit suicide, there are plenty of easier ways... Why choose the most complicated and difficult one?"
When no answer came, Namgung Un's eyes lost focus.
"Eun-seol. You know what? They say the assassins of the Valley of Dark Death don't just kill people—they slice them. That's why they love using twin blades that carve flesh like butter."
"Is that so?"
"So what I'm saying is... I'm not going in."
As Namgung Un backed away, Bu Eun-seol curled the corner of his lips.
"Are you scared?"
"What did you say?"
"I asked if you're scared."
—Are you scared?
Those words were like magic, instantly triggering Namgung Un's temper.
"Damn it! Who said I was scared?! I'm just saying it's a bad idea!"
Namgung Un drew his Golden Needle Sword, baring his teeth as he shouted:
"Then watch closely whether I'm afraid or not!"
Like a wild boar fleeing a mountain fire, he charged headlong up the steep path toward Bear Family Mountain Villa without hesitation.
Whoosh!
The moment he stepped onto the path, dozens of steel needles rained down from both sides and above.
Under normal circumstances, Namgung Un would have proudly deflected every hidden weapon with his swordplay, as if to show off.
But his recent experiences had stripped away all unnecessary formalities in real combat. Crouching low, he dashed forward like a fleeing man, narrowly avoiding the barrage of hidden weapons.
Whiiip! Thud-thud-thud!
At that moment, trees and boulders came crashing down like a meteor shower from above.
What the hell is that?
The falling debris was overlaid with faint, overlapping shadows—an effect of the Battle Formation. No matter how hard he strained his eyes, he couldn't distinguish the real from the illusory.
"Tch!"
Namgung Un sprinted forward, slashing through the falling objects with his Golden Needle Sword.
But the blade was too thin and narrow—while it could cleave through wood, deflecting massive boulders was nearly impossible.
"Damn it! If a whole group came through here, they'd be wiped out."
On this narrow path, a large force would have no room to evade. But since Namgung Un had entered alone, he could cut through the trees and dodge the boulders.
However, as the Boundary Formation's influence intensified, the shapes of the trees and rocks began blending with the shadows.
"What now?"
Though he pushed forward with all his might, his speed was slower than usual.
Looking closely, he realized the ground had turned sticky like glue, shifting backward as if flowing against him.
This is Divine Maiden Palace-level Boundary Formation.
For a mere assassin sect to deploy such an advanced formation was impossible.
The Blade Tyrant Gate, too, was nothing but a gathering of blade-wielders—none among them had achieved mastery in Formation Study. There had to be another force aiding them.
This feels bad.
Gazing at the endless barrage of wood and stone, he activated his Movement Technique and resumed his ascent.
"Hah... hah..."
His tongue hung slack beneath his chin, but Namgung Un couldn't stop running. If he paused even for a moment, the formation's effect would drag him back into the path of the falling boulders.
Crack!
Then, with a sharp pop, a cloud of white powder burst into the air.
"Qi-Scattering Powder again?"
Namgung Un gritted his teeth, recalling the trap Wang Jeong had sprung on him in the ravines of Buddha's Crown Mountain.
"You think I'll fall for the same trick twice?!"
Executing the Swift Blade Untangling Form of the Sky Vault Flying Swallow Sword, he sent the powder swirling back upward in a whirlwind.
It was a moment where his hard-earned experience in the Rivers and Lakes shone brightest.
"How's that?!"
But his triumphant grin froze as he looked up.
This time, an enormous slab of metal—large enough to blanket the ground—was plummeting straight toward him.
"W-what the hell is that?!"
The sheer size of the slab spanned at least about four kilometers from front to back. No matter how fast he ran, dodging was impossible.
BOOM!
A deafening tremor shook the earth as something massive landed beside him.
Now he could see—it wasn't a slab of metal, but a giant temple bell large enough to imprison a person.
"The Blade Tyrant Gate really came prepared."
"Brother Seol."
Namgung Un turned to see Bu Eun-seol standing behind him, having followed unnoticed. He exhaled sharply, steadying his pounding heart.
"When did you get here?"
"You broke through cleanly."
Bu Eun-seol surveyed the triggered traps around them and nodded.
No more hidden weapons rained down, and the formation's influence had dissipated.
They had finally pierced through the Mechanism Formation-laden path and arrived at the gates of Bear Family Mountain Villa.
Creeeak.
As the great doors swung open, revealing the villa's interior, despair flickered in Namgung Un's eyes.
"What... is this?"
The buildings inside were completely empty. Instead, another sprawling forest stretched before them.
And lurking within that forest was the viscous, suffocating Killing Intent of assassins lying in wait.
In the end, the villa was nothing more than a shell—its interior no different from the wilderness outside.