Luring the Prey
Every time the twin flying daggers sliced through the air, unleashing a torrent of hidden weapons that blanketed the space—
"Whoa!"
"As expected of the Branch Leader!"
The warriors of the Martial Alliance raised their voices, believing Dang Maeng had gained the upper hand.
It was a tactic to cheer their leader on while simultaneously mocking the enemy, hoping to corner him psychologically.
Yet, there was one exception among them.
'No, how is this possible...?'
Moyong Geon's expression grew increasingly rigid.
On the surface, it appeared as though Dang Maeng was dominating the fight and securing his victory.
But to Moyong Geon's eyes, the reality was the exact opposite.
The attacks were flashy, but Dang Maeng was failing to achieve any meaningful results.
Even the effects of the Poison Source Blood Flow Art, the pride of the Sichuan Dang Family, had clearly been neutralized.
Otherwise, his opponent could not possibly move so nimbly without showing a single symptom of poisoning.
'Moreover, the enemy hasn't even unleashed his full strength. He still has another sword.'
Moyong Geon focused his gaze on the other divine weapon at Jeok-un's waist, Il-cheon.
Even a cursory glance revealed it was not a weapon worn merely for show or as a spare.
He was undoubtedly a practitioner of twin-sword style, just like himself.
The twin-sword style was an art where two blades moved as one.
In his current state, the enemy was essentially fighting Dang Maeng with only half his arsenal.
'And yet, he isn't losing ground. He's matching him blow for blow...'
It was a terrifying, almost absurd level of talent.
No, more importantly, what kind of sword art was he using?
'The Seven Sages Sword? The Heavenly Secret Sword? No, it's neither. As far as I know, the Jegal Family doesn't even teach a twin-sword style.'
Moyong Geon swallowed a low groan.
It was a style he had never witnessed before, yet its execution was incredibly refined.
For a style to reach such depth, it must have been honed and tested over generations.
'Even if that isn't the case, it makes no sense. He only fled the Jegal Family Manor a short while ago...'
Even if he had received ice arts or miraculous elixirs from Sadocheon, was it truly possible to reach such a realm in less than a year?
To Moyong Geon, it was an absolute impossibility.
Yet the sight unfolding before his eyes shattered that common sense, forcing him to accept the impossible as truth.
The absurd reality was that this youth had grown strong enough to match a branch leader of the Martial Alliance in a mere fraction of a year.
*Swish! Swish! Swish!*
Suddenly, the flying daggers in Dang Maeng's hands multiplied into nine.
It was the ultimate technique of the Dang Family's throwing arts: the Nine Ring Killing Daggers.
Realizing his poison arts were useless, Dang Maeng was staking everything on this final, lethal strike.
'Surely he can't deflect this too...'
Moyong Geon swallowed hard, his breath catching in his throat.
*Clang! Clang! Clang!*
Jeok-un effortlessly dismantled the Dang Family's ultimate technique.
Whether there were nine daggers or ninety-nine, he simply shattered them all.
It was the simplest, most brutal solution—provided one had the skill to pull it off.
And the youth executed it to absolute perfection.
'Wait...!'
A sudden chill ran down Moyong Geon's spine.
Instinct told him exactly what was about to happen next.
"I'll be taking those useless eyes of yours."
"Aaaaargh!"
Dang Maeng's agonized shriek cut through the air before Moyong Geon could even move.
An eye was gouged out, and an arm severed, falling to the dirt.
"...?!"
The surrounding warriors stood frozen, their mouths agape at the unbelievable sight.
Only Moyong Geon snapped out of the shock, his voice ringing out across the clearing.
"Protect the Branch Leader!"
Though bewildered, the Martial Alliance warriors lunged forward reflexively at Moyong Geon's command.
Moyong Geon moved with them.
He charged at the very front, faster than anyone else.
But.
'Perfect. Just as planned.'
Even as dozens of blades lunged for his throat, Jeok-un merely smirked.
His confidence stemmed from a single calculation.
'It's time to lead these fools to the fox's den. I wonder if he's doing his part properly.'
Long before he had breached the gates of the Tongseong County branch, the trap had already been set.
To the southeast of Tongseong County lay a low, rolling mountain.
The locals called it Mount Bang. Because of its proximity to the Martial Alliance's Tongseong County branch, civilians rarely ventured near it.
The branch used the rugged terrain for mountain training exercises.
Knowing that crossing paths with touchy martial artists could easily cost them their lives, the common folk wisely stayed away.
With a soft rustle of leaves, a figure clad in a black mask and dark martial robes emerged from the brush.
"Damn it. I'm supposed to be a squad leader of the Ten Heavens, and here I am doing this dog work..."
The figure was none other than Jang Bo-heum.
He was currently executing a separate set of orders given to him by Jeok-un.
Jang Bo-heum recalled the instructions he had received back at the charred ruins.
Even now, the plan struck him as utterly insane.
"You'll be moving separately."
"Separately, sir?"
"Yes. You're going to make contact with the Geumhwang Merchant Group."
"What? Me? With the Geumhwang Merchant Group?"
The question Why? rose to the tip of his tongue, but Jang Bo-heum forced it back down.
Asking would only earn him a beating.
"Think about it. Now that these bastards have all crossed the River Styx, the Geumhwang Merchant Group has no way of knowing what happened. If we pretend to be them, they'll never suspect a thing."
"B-but isn't that a bit too dangerous, sir...?"
Jeok-un's reply had shut him up instantly.
"Would you rather come with me to raid the Martial Alliance?"
"I shall depart immediately, sir! May fortune favor your path!"
And so, he had bid his farewells and set off.
Naturally, he hadn't forgotten to strip the black robes and mask off a dead Blood Slaughter Squad member of similar build before leaving.
'Wearing a dead man's clothes feels incredibly cursed...'
But who was he to refuse?
This was an order from the monster who had single-handedly annihilated the entire Blood Slaughter Squad.
And right now, that same monster was on his way to dismantle a Martial Alliance branch all by himself.
'Sigh...'
Jang Bo-heum shook his head in disbelief.
No matter how he looked at it, the man was a complete lunatic.
No sane person could ever act the way Jeok-un did.
'Isn't the Tongseong County branch leader that mad dog from the Sichuan Dang Family? Two lunatics clashing... I wonder which madman will come out on top.'
Jang Bo-heum entertained the thought for a moment before shaking his head to clear his mind and scanning his surroundings.
The appointed time was fast approaching, yet despite arriving at the rendezvous point, he couldn't sense a single presence nearby.
'Well, let's just do what I came here to do.'
Reaching into his robes, Jang Bo-heum pulled out a small flute.
It was the Ghost Horn Flute of the Geumhwang Merchant Group, which they had looted from the Blood Slaughter Squad.
Jeok-un had assured him that blowing it at the designated hour would yield a response.
*Peeeeee—!*
He blew into the flute with all his might, yet no sound came out.
One might have thought it was broken, but that was the nature of the Ghost Horn Flute. It produced a pitch inaudible to the human ear.
'Now, we wait and see.'
Jang Bo-heum crossed his arms and waited for a reaction.
Only the cold wind brushed past.
There was no response whatsoever.
Had the flute malfunctioned, or had something gone wrong on the merchant group's end?
Jang Bo-heum glanced up at the sky, his brow furrowing.
'...Should I just head back for now?'
Just as he convinced himself that the plan had failed—
*Rustle!*
*Rustle!*
The sound of something slithering through the brush echoed, and the shadows on the forest floor rippled.
Out of thin air, a group of martial artists materialized.
A sharp gleam flashed in Jang Bo-heum's eyes.
'They must be the Geumseong Squad!'
The warriors before him belonged to the Geumseong Squad.
Funded by the astronomical wealth of the Geumhwang Merchant Group, they were a secret elite force rumored to rival even the Ten Heavens.
Previously, Jang Bo-heum would have scoffed at the idea of a mere merchant group's private army matching the Ten Heavens.
'...But seeing them now, those rumors weren't entirely baseless.'
Sensing the heavy pressure radiating from the Geumseong Squad, Jang Bo-heum had to begrudgingly acknowledge their strength.
Meanwhile, the leader of the Geumseong Squad was equally surprised by Jang Bo-heum.
'...So this is the Blood Slaughter Squad. His martial presence is formidable.'
Clad in a black mask and dark robes, the man carried no visible weapons.
Yet the faint, sharp aura radiating from him warned the squad leader that this man was easily his equal.
It was only natural.
Jang Bo-heum might have been treated like a dog by Jeok-un, but he was still a squad leader of the Ten Heavens, one of Sadocheon's elite.
As they silently sized each other up, Jang Bo-heum broke the silence, adopting a deeply solemn tone.
"You must be from the Geumhwang Merchant Group."
"We are. But are you the only representative of the Blood Slaughter Squad?"
"Of course not."
Jang Bo-heum shook his head slightly, delivering his rehearsed lines.
"First, I must offer my apologies."
"...?"
"We succeeded in capturing that lunatic Jeok-un alive. However, a slight complication has arisen."
"A complication? What do you mean?"
"The bastard managed to break free while we were transporting him here."
"You lost the target?"
The Geumseong Squad Leader's face darkened instantly, prompting Jang Bo-heum to quickly wave his hands to placate him.
"Ah, do not worry. We are simply running a bit late because we had to recapture him."
"Can we trust your word?"
"We already severed his Achilles tendons. Recapturing him is merely a matter of time."
"Hmm."
If his tendons had indeed been severed, he couldn't have fled far.
Observing the leader's reaction, Jang Bo-heum added another detail.
"They should arrive with him in about half a gack."
"Very well. We shall wait."
Right on cue, a massive clamor erupted from the distance.
*Waaaaaaah!*
"Capture him!"
The thunderous shouts shook the trees of Mount Bang, accompanied by the heavy footfalls of a massive crowd.
The sheer weight of their numbers carried an overwhelming, violent momentum.
"What is that...?"
Seeing a crowd of dozens—perhaps even a hundred—charging toward them, the Geumseong Squad Leader and his men frowned in confusion.
'Since when did the Blood Slaughter Squad have so many men?'
'Wait, is it really wise to make this much noise right in the Martial Alliance's backyard?'
Doubts began to sprout in their minds.
But before those doubts could take root, Jang Bo-heum spoke up.
"Ah! It looks like our squad leader and the rest of the boys are driving Jeok-un up the mountain! Why don't we head down to meet them and secure the target together?"
"Very well."
Swayed by Jang Bo-heum's quick tongue, the Geumseong Squad Leader nodded.
The prospect of successfully capturing Jeok-un overshadowed his minor suspicions, washing them away.
Led by Jang Bo-heum, the Geumseong Squad began descending the ridge of Mount Bang.
*Thud! Thud! Thud!*
A massive cloud of dust billowed in the distance.
"Oh...!"
Running at the very front, moving as fast as a galloping steed, was Jeok-un.
Recognizing the face from the portrait he had memorized, the Geumseong Squad Leader gasped.
"It's him!"
Any lingering doubts vanished instantly.
The Geumseong Squad Leader drew his blade and pointed it toward Jeok-un.
"Draw your weapons!"
It was time to hunt their prey.
Yet, even as he gave the order, the Geumseong Squad Leader couldn't help but marvel.
'To think he can run at that speed even with severed tendons.'
The rumors of his monstrous nature were clearly true.
But then.
'...Wait.'
Something felt off.
The appearance of the "Blood Slaughter Squad" chasing Jeok-un was highly unusual.
'What is that flag...?'
A flag bearing the character for Martial was fluttering in the wind.
That was unmistakably the banner of the Martial Alliance.
Why on earth would Sadocheon—let alone the Blood Slaughter Squad—be carrying the flag of the Martial Alliance?
The moment the Geumseong Squad Leader turned to question Jang Bo-heum—
"Hey, what in the world is the meaning of—?!"
The squad leader's words cut short.
He saw the massive surge of internal energy gathering in Jang Bo-heum's palms.
*Whoosh!*
Before the squad leader could even react, Jang Bo-heum unleashed his power.
He hurled a devastating palm strike past Jeok-un, aiming directly at the pursuing Martial Alliance warriors, and roared at the top of his lungs:
"It's the dogs of the Martial Alliance! Protect the Squad Leader!"
*BOOM!*
Jang Bo-heum's palm strike slammed directly into the front ranks of the charging Martial Alliance warriors.