#172. The Black Flame Dragon Swallowing the Blood Sea (2)
Seong Moran, traveling alongside Cheol Sunjik, hadn't uttered a single word the entire way. Jukhyeonbang, which held the second peak among the 108 Peaks, and Iron Sword Sect, the longtime overlords of Hebi, had always looked down on each other, making their joint movement unbearably awkward.
That's not all, though.
More than anything, the events at the preliminary exam had left Seong Moran feeling deeply uncomfortable around Cheol Sunjik. To her straightforward and clear-minded nature, he seemed like a shady figure—full of calculations, with a face that didn't match his true intentions.
"Heh heh heh. It seems Lady Seong doesn't like me much."
As if reading her thoughts, Cheol Sunjik didn't seem bothered by her attitude at all.
"Pardon?"
Seong Moran feigned ignorance, but Cheol Sunjik just smirked leisurely, as if even that was amusing.
What a prick.
"Or perhaps Lady Seong doesn't trust me."
"What on earth are you talking about...?"
"You're always trailing behind me and the 12 Bongseong, aren't you? Doesn't that mean you don't trust me enough to show me your back?"
"......"
Only then did Seong Moran realize she'd been sticking right behind Cheol Sunjik and the 12 Bongseong the whole time, but she didn't panic at being called out.
"......My last memory of you wasn't exactly a good one."
Cheol Sunjik chuckled at her sharp retort.
"Isn't it an unwritten rule of the jianghu to leave preliminary exam matters at the preliminary exam?"
"Warriors forget results but remember the process—it's instinct."
"Fair enough."
His attitude made it clear he didn't care whether she trusted or doubted him. In the end, Seong Moran spoke first.
"So, what's your scheme this time?"
"Scheme about what?"
"Why are the 12 Bongseong following Lord Jin?"
"Isn't it only natural for academy students to take interest in the representative's actions?"
Her eyebrows shot up at his shameless reply.
"So that's why you skipped the Muryangbulgolmokhonjin event and sent people to investigate instead?"
"......"
Cheol Sunjik's face hardened for the first time.
"Did you think we wouldn't know? Jeongdohoe moved first, but then Baekdohoe and the 12 Bongseong tried the same thing."
"You knew, then."
He just shrugged, looking unconcerned.
Seong Moran's cheeks trembled with anger.
"You people are just... utterly shameless."
"We had no choice. If Jeongdohoe and Baekdohoe uncovered the Muryangbulgolmokhonjin, it would deal a huge blow to the 12 Bongseong."
Seong Moran voiced the root of her doubt.
"Why can't you just follow Lord Jin from the start? The 12 Bongseong are just one of the 108 Peaks, after all."
Cheol Sunjik smiled as if looking at a child.
"If the existing order crumbles, chaos follows. And Lord Jin is trying to shatter that order."
"The Lord Jin I know seems different from the one you see."
Cheol Sunjik shook his head, insisting otherwise.
"Even now proves it."
"Proves what?"
"The academy representative is here in Sichuan, neglecting his duties to save someone close to him. And he's even mobilized Sahwal-dan."
"There's a dangerous presence."
Cheol Sunjik pulled a messenger pigeon letter from his bosom and handed it to Seong Moran.
"This is the Beggars' Sect's investigation into the Sichuan incident. Their conclusion is clear: the mass deaths during the preliminary exam happened because the victims, already gravely injured from the fierce entrance exam competition, were ambushed."
Seong Moran clutched the letter, speechless.
"The Beggars' Sect says the attackers weren't that strong. The elders' assembly event is just a flashy name for an excursion. The 'danger' Lord Jin mentioned doesn't exist."
"......"
Cheol Sunjik smiled broadly. Seong Moran wanted nothing more than to punch that infuriating face right then.
"Whether it's a botched investigation or overreacting to something minor, he's still unfit as representative."
A small burst of laughter rippled through the 12 Bongseong ranks.
"That's why we need structure. A single outstanding person, competent or not, always causes problems."
"So you chased him all the way here to drag him down from representative?"
"......Let's say we're here to correct a mistake."
"As expected, you never intended to listen to Lord Jin from the beginning."
"No reason to follow a mistake."
Seong Moran turned away, signaling she was done listening. But Cheol Sunjik didn't seem ready to end the conversation.
"Lady Seong must fully trust Lord Jin. Do you know everything about him?"
"No."
"Oh ho, that's unexpected..."
"Better to say I don't know him well. I don't even know his heart."
"Pardon?"
"But I do know this: the moment he says something is 'dangerous,' it's truly dangerous."
Seong Moran continued with unshaken resolve.
"It was like that at Ma-ryeong Plateau, during the preliminary exam, and at the Muryangbulgolmokhonjin. I've faced countless life-or-death crises alongside him, but when he truly calls it 'dangerous,' the threat is on another level entirely."
She scanned Cheol Sunjik and the 12 Bongseong staring at her.
"That's why it's frustrating. No matter how much 'danger' he warns about, you refuse to believe him properly. Worse, you doubt him more and invite the danger yourselves."
Cheol Sunjik shook his head in disagreement.
"He judges danger from his own position. Just as we can't equate Jukhyeonbang and Tae-eul Gate, what seems 'dangerous' to him might not be to us."
Seong Moran bit her lip but shut her mouth. Arguing further would just hurt her throat. Right now, confirming what Jin Sowoon meant by 'danger' and stopping the others was more urgent.
Cheol Sunjik pressed on with his view.
"Lord Jin is a man wrapped in stubborn conviction..."
"Shut it!"
His triumphant expression bloomed at her shout—proof his logic had won, as she'd cut him off unilaterally.
But instead of defeat, Seong Moran wore a grave look and pointed to one side.
"Look over there."
A sinister shadow loomed under the moonlight.
"......"
"......"
Not just Cheol Sunjik—the 12 Bongseong's lightness skills halted abruptly. They each drew their weapons.
"Stay alert."
Seong Moran warned the 12 Bongseong, then slowly advanced. A foul stench assaulted her nose.
Corpses...
Darkness cloaked everything. Seong Moran quickly pulled out her flint from her bosom and struck it.
Click, click.
Each spark briefly illuminated and vanished. A sigh escaped the 12 Bongseong's lips.
"What the...?"
"Aren't those academy students?"
"What happened here...?"
Cheol Sunjik approached Seong Moran. She struck the flint again, revealing the bodies.
"Cheongsung Sect disciples and those from Hyangjangmun, a Cheongsung lay affiliate."
Something was off. Their group two—Huashan, Gongdongpa, and lay affiliates—should have met them. Instead, they'd encountered group three: Cheongsung Sect and affiliates.
Whatever was happening, the situation had veered far from Jin Sowoon's expectations.
"Were they in such a hurry they couldn't even recover the bodies?"
"......"
Cheol Sunjik asked the silent Seong Moran.
"Lady Seong?"
She murmured haltingly.
"You said Jukhyeonbang... is stronger than Tae-eul Gate, right?"
Pointing to the strewn corpses, she continued.
"How do they compare to Cheongsung Sect and its lay sects?"
"What are you—?"
The 12 Bongseong checked the bodies while staying vigilant.
"Academy students, confirmed."
"Cheonggwanmun disciple."
"Cheongyeobang too."
Identities were confirmed one by one.
"Is the 'danger' Lord Jin warned about nothing to you, Lord Cheol?"
"......"
"I'm going to look for other survivors, like Lord Jin said. What about you? Still refusing to heed him?"
Cheol Sunjik, face drained of color, stared at the corpses again. He had only one choice.
"......Lead the way. We'll follow."
#
Staring into a space darker than darkness, Jin Sowoon said,
"Whatever you do, don't break the lanterns."
"What?"
Before Nam Hwaseong could reply, Jin Sowoon shot forward like lightning and vanished into the gloom.
At the same instant, harsh metallic clashes echoed from the darkness.
Chiang chiang chiang chiang chiang chiang chiang!
No sooner had the steel-on-steel frenzy ended than explosive blasts rent the air.
Boom boom boom boom boom boom!
Golden radiance churned in the dark, like thunderclouds roiling before a storm.
"What the hell...?"
Rumble rumble rumble!
A massive human shadow emerged from the black mist. Giant silhouettes clashed fiercely, fell, and reengaged in endless cycle.
Ziiing──────
A stabbing headache gripped Nam Hwaseong's skull. He clutched his head, collapsing to offset the pain, then jolted at sudden killing intent and unleashed a fist blast rearward.
Boom boom boom boom boom!
A hit connected where nothing should be, sending chills through his chest.
If I'd been even a bit slower, I'd be dead.
The razor-sharp sword touch carried unmistakable murderous intent—unlike sparring for class.
Nam Hwaseong heightened his senses to the limit, hunting the invisible foe in the dark.
"There!!!"
Roaring to shake off fear, he launched himself. But a colossal abdominal impact hurled him backward.
"Kuhuk, urk."
One exchange revealed it: the darkness hid no ordinary foe.
Nam Hwaseong readied Samwonmun's ultimate, Green Thorn Radiant Fist. Green glows flickered from his fists, piercing the dark and glimpsing hidden figures.
"Hah!"
His Green Thorn Radiant Fist streaked like firefly tails, hitting a dark point and spreading green light toward vital spots.
Boom boom boom boom boom boom boom!
Thirty strikes in one breath, yet no flesh-splattering feedback. It felt like punching through water—his limbs heavier than usual.
"Uwaaaaaah!"
Pouring fifty years of inner energy, the radiant green cleared the dark, revealing the foe piecemeal.
Nam Hwaseong's eyes twitched violently.
How many are there?!
Over a hundred in the cleared spot alone—who knew how many more lurked.
In that split-second distraction, countless sword auras poured from the dark.
"Damn it."
He blasted fist energy like a storm, but couldn't block all, much less counter hidden ambushes.
Boom boom boom!
Struck by ambushes, Nam Hwaseong flew like cannon fire.
Crack.
Something shattered in his back, but he sprang up, assuming stance. The foes had melted back into shadow.
"If you're man enough, come out! Let's fight fair!"
As if responding, the darkness began to lift. A moving shape emerged.
Shrrrrip.
To confirm it, Nam Hwaseong craned his neck upward.
"......!!!"
Hairs stood on end at the sight.
"Th-the Blue Scale Poison Horn Ghost Dragon?"
The monstrous serpent, called dragon for its immense, heavy body—rare even for seasoned warriors.
Flicking its tongue at him. Instinct drove Nam Hwaseong back, but another sound behind snapped his head around.
Ssk, ssk, ssk.
A house-sized spider with eight legs.
"H-human-Faced Blood Spider?"
The horrific beast, with a human-like face and four fangs, tilted its head at him.
"U, uurrgh!"
Strategies and Jin Sowoon faded—only survival mattered.
I'm dead! Dead!
As he unleashed Green Thorn Wind Cloud Step to flee desperately, the Blue Scale Poison Horn Ghost Dragon whipped its massive body ghost-like, coiling around him in one go.
"Uwaaaaaah!"
Held aloft, more monsters swarmed from what he'd thought held only the spider, eager for a taste.
"Damn it, I'm all muscle—no flavor!"
Fists and energy blasts ignored, they gaped their maws.
-Nam Hwaseong!
A booming voice thundered in his mind.
-Burn the talisman.
A voice he'd hated before—now salvation. He ignited the talisman in his hand.
Whoosh.
As it burned to ash, space tore like cloth, and a golden sword-wielder leaped through.
"Duck, Nam Hwaseong!"
"Uwaaaaaah!"
The golden sword bearer plummeted like lightning, cleaving the Blue Scale Poison Horn Ghost Dragon in half.
Thud.
Nam Hwaseong hit the ground.
"Uwaaak!"
Pain notwithstanding, he rose battle-ready. Jin Sowoon whirled on him.
"You idiot! I said don't break the lanterns!"
"I-I didn't!"
"Then why's the Corpse Mountain Blood Sea Array activated?"
"C-Corpse what?"
"Illusion array! Ever learned Breaking Evil or Spirit Control?"
"I-I know the Anti-Demon Mantra Bead..."
"Damn fools, that's no silver bullet. You think it'd work on Demonic Cultists?!"
Jin Sowoon spat incomprehensible curses. Nam Hwaseong sensed something wrong instinctively.
"Wh-what do I do?"
"What can you do? Your pure heart can't even withstand this illusion."
"Th-then I..."
Jin Sowoon regripped his sword.
"......Rip through and get out."
Nam Hwaseong blanked. Monsters everywhere, no clue where entrance or exit—escape?
"......you moron!"
"Wh-what?"
A stinging slap rocked his cheek.
"Snap out of it! Wanna die here?"
"......N-no!"
"On the battlefield, listen only to the commander's voice. Forget your puny brain! Got it?!"
"Y-yeah..."
Jin Sowoon shoved two Demon-Exorcism Talismans into his hand.
"You survived, so two. Survive again, get three."
"Th-thanks."
"From now on, we escape their illusion array. Eyes on me only—stick tight. Got it?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Go!"
Jin Sowoon charged the encircling monsters without pause. Golden radiance cloaked his sword; a long golden chain extended from his left hand.
The massive Human-Faced Blood Spider gaped to swallow him—Jin Sowoon whipped his sword.
Slash, slash.
The golden chain bound it tight; the sword cleaved it into pieces.
He dispatched monsters relentlessly, pressing forward.
Boom boom boom!
Boom boom boom boom!
The surreal scene defied belief, but Nam Hwaseong followed Jin Sowoon's cries.
"Blast fist energy!"
"You idiot! Saving inner energy for what—hell after death?!"
"Is that all Samwonmun's got?"
"Hit 'em, hit 'em! Illusion arrays have weak durability. Keep pounding, it'll break!"
Miraculously, the oppressive aura thinned. Breathing eased; monsters seemed smaller.
On the battlefield, trust only the commander. Only the commander.
Nam Hwaseong chanted madly, running for dear life.
How long? Suddenly, Jin Sowoon and monsters vanished.
"J-Jin Sowoon! Jin Sowoon! Where?!"
Like a lost chick, he called. Then, something yanked his collar upward.
"Hup!"
Panicking, a familiar voice hit his ear.
"It's me! Quit squirming—you're heavy!"
Riiip.
Space tore like fabric; clear moonlight flooded in.
"Hah, hah, hah. Wh-what..."
Earth underfoot, chill air—escaped the illusion into reality.
"J-Jin Sowoon..."
Before joy, questions flooded. He was 12 Bongseong, here to monitor Jin Sowoon.
But...
Jin Sowoon had saved him from the illusion.
"Th-thanks, Jin Sowoon..."
The reply was curt.
"Shut up and get up. The real show's starting."
"Huh?"
Jin Sowoon now stared ahead. There, the Light Blood Humans from the illusion stood arrayed.