#1
7
5.
Moyong Jaehwa was gasping for breath.
My face turns bright red, and my hands and feet tremble.
The blood vessels in my face and throughout my body are tensed up as if they are about to burst.
Proof that internal energy was used to its limit.
“Miss Eun, I apologize for the inconvenience, but could you please cool your face down a bit?”
Watching Mo Yong-jae-hwa, whose voice was even cracking and ringing, Eun Seol-ran drew up her So Su-shin Gong instead of answering to cool him down.
Moyong Jaehwa closes her eyes for a moment, looking as if she wants to collapse and sleep at any moment.
but.
Squirt.
Moyong Jaehwa, who had opened his eyes wide at the sound of an arrow cutting through the air, pushed Eun Seol-ran and collapsed.
“Are you alright, Miss?”
Eun Seol-ran tensed up at the sight of Mo Yong-jae-hwa superimposed on her body and barely managed to answer.
“Yes, I-I’m fine.”
It looks like those guys are trying to start over.
Moyong Jaehwa quickly stood up and nocked an arrow to his bow.
Eun Seol-ran personally retrieved and brought back the arrows that the enemies had shot.
Since it had already been used once, the axis of the wing and the direction of the tip were twisted, but at least it was much better than using a broken branch.
An arrow shot from Moyong Jaehwa’s hand flew across the encampment toward those wearing blood robes.
Although it was merely a drop in the ocean compared to the dozens of arrows they had shot, the Blood People could not take their eyes off Moyong Jaehwa’s arrow.
Pow. Bang!
After the one man at the front, holding two shields stacked on top of each other, blocked the arrow, the formation was thrown back a considerable distance by the impact.
“Ugh!”
“Cough!”
The Bloody Troops, who were about to advance, hide behind the rocks once again in the blink of an eye.
Seeing that, Moyong Jaehwa let out a long sigh.
It’s already been half a day.
It was a time spent fighting against the Blood Men, leaving behind the academy students who had collapsed under the illusion.
Each moment is waking people up one by one, but those who have barely managed to regain their senses are unable to move easily because the inside is in such a mess.
‘The only saving grace is that after I fired a few Tongmasi towards where the sorcerers were, the illusion formation stopped unfolding?’ ‘Should I really consider this a relief?’ Although I was using Tongmasi to keep the Blood-Clothed Men from approaching, I found myself completely surrounded by them before I knew it.
It cannot move forward or backward.
No, the moment when we can no longer stop that net from tightening.
It was clear that everyone here would die.
Rustle, rustle.
As soon as the sound of footsteps came from behind, Eun Seol-ran gathered a lot of cold energy in both hands.
A chill even more biting than the cold winds of the high mountains settles in her two hands.
Eun Seol-ran immediately slams both hands down toward the source of the sound.
Whoosh.
Crack, crack! Crack!
Sharp ice spikes shot out from the ground in the family forest, targeting the ankles of the Blood People.
Moyong Jaehwa briefly set down the palace, picked up a sword whose owner was unknown, and lunged at the Blood Man.
Phew.
Chaechaechaeng.
He killed two of them instantly, but due to his unfamiliar swordsmanship, he continues to make contact with the remaining two.
And then, they slowly start to be pushed back. ‘Damn it… fighting with a sword like that is so unfair!’ ‘Let’s fight with bows!’ If they were the kind of opponent who would listen to that, they wouldn’t have used sorcery and attacked out of the blue.
Moyong Jae-hwa, who was inwardly cursing the opponent’s cowardice, gradually began to find the Blood Censers’ swords too heavy to handle.
“Young Master Jaehwa! Bow down!”
As soon as Eun Seol-ran’s words were heard and they bowed their heads like a bolt of lightning, ice spikes pierced the chests of the Blood People.
*Cough*.
“Grrr.”
The Blood-clad men slump down, spewing blood.
Behind her, Eun Seol-ran was gasping for breath with a pale complexion.
“Are you alright, Miss Eun?”
“Huff, huff, huff. I-I’m fine.”
She originally had skin so clear that her veins were visible, but now her face is pure white, as if the color has completely drained from her.
It was a situation that had been pushed to the absolute limit, to the point where anyone could see it. ‘Damn it.’ Even though he had learned from Jin So-un how to fight the majority as a minority in the first place, he hadn’t been able to put it to use.
Twisted arrows often missed their targets, and the enemies, realizing that the arrows they shot kept returning, were now throwing spears or stones instead. ‘If only I could use Thunderbolt Arrows…’ Although Moyong Jaehwa had never felt wronged throughout his life by the fact that his martial arts were not strong, he now desired powerful martial arts more desperately than ever before.
If only he had completed the Thunderclap Poem, he could have reduced the damage to the academy students.
If only I had the Thunderclap Arrow, I could have helped Eun Seol-ran escape.
From the moment the sun rose until now, there have been more than a few moments when I wanted to write an unfinished thunderbolt poem.
But I couldn’t bring myself to try.
squeak
– Every time the bowstring is pulled, the sound of the joint between the horn and the wood splitting can be heard.
Attempting the Thunderclap Arrow just before it breaks, as it did when the bow was still intact, was no different from abandoning the bow.
It is not something that can be attempted in a situation where one’s own life, along with Eun Seol-ran’s life and even the lives of the academy students behind him, depend on a single mistake.
“Phew…….”
A situation where you can’t do anything.
Moyong Jaehwa looks at Eun Seol-ran.
The face, once as pure as an elegant snowflake, was covered in soot, and the clothes were heavily stained with dust.
His eyes were bloodshot from the aftereffects of sorcery and sleep deprivation, and his hands were trembling from using his martial arts to their limit. ‘At least… … at least the young lady… …’ While he was making such calculations for a moment.
Pow pow pow! Bang! Bang!
A corner approached, knocking down the Blood-clad men.
“Jaehwa offering, Seolran offering……! Are you alright?”
The state of affairs in some quarters, where people are asking about the other party’s well-being, does not look good at all.
The perfect form of Ilgak, one of the most formidable warriors at the Murim Academy, did not exist here.
As you can see, it’s not exactly fine.
Moyong Jaehwa forces a smile as he answers, but Ilgak immediately realizes what he means.
“Things can’t go on like this.”
Il-gak looked at the two people and said.
Please both of you practice Qi circulation.
“huh?”
“…….”
The suggestion by some to practice Qi cultivation in urgent situations is utterly absurd.
Nevertheless, some continue speaking as if nothing is wrong.
“Even just a handful of internal energy is fine. Just gather enough to use the movement technique.”
Only then did Moyong Jae-hwa realize what the intention of the corner was and shook his head.
“that…….”
However, one of the men interrupted Moyong Jaehwa and spoke firmly.
“Now is not the time for arguing. We must inform the Murim Alliance of this news immediately.”
Moyong Jae-hwa nodded and spoke to Eun Seol-ran.
Miss Eun, please practice Qi cultivation.
“Huh? What do you mean…? What about Young Master Jaehwa?”
I will stay.
“Give a donation of wealth!”
Despite the urging from some quarters, Moyong Jaehwa spoke without wavering.
If delivering the news was important, you should have done so a day in advance.
Gak clamped his mouth shut at the remark pointing out his fault.
“If we drop out now, everyone over there will die. Are you still okay with that?”
Gak turns his head to look behind him.
The senior brothers of the Samun, the senior brothers of the Seokgamumun, and dozens of people who shared relationships at the Jeongdohoe.
They all die here.
Il-gak unconsciously clenched his hands tightly. He absolutely did not want to see such a sight.
I’m not okay.
Who would want to see such a sight?
But now, at least one person must survive.
And the people who had to live had to be those who were not responsible for this.
Whether or not he knew the feelings of those in the corner, Moyong Jaehwa continued speaking.
Besides, thinking of Brother So-un who will be arriving soon, I don’t want to show him running away alone.
At Moyong Jaehwa’s words, some wanted to immediately refute them.
Do you still believe he will come here?
He said that he wouldn’t be able to come here, and that expecting it was wrong in itself because it was something no one could do easily.
However, Il-gak suppressed his feelings and barely managed to ask.
“Even if that trust is betrayed… do you think you still won’t regret it?”
He asked heavily, reflecting the skepticism he felt.
and.
“yes.”
Moyong Jaehwa answered without the slightest hesitation.
“……!”
Without a shred of doubt.
He stared straight at a corner with unwavering eyes and spoke again.
Without any conditions.
It even looks sublime.
Pure faith.
At this point, some became curious about the source of that belief.
The basis of that faith is.
Is it Moyong Jaehwa’s naivety?
Is it the product of the sense of responsibility Jin So-un showed?
“Understood. Then at least Miss Seolran…”
Ilgak and Moyong Jaehwa look at Eun Seol-ran.
However, Eun Seol-ran answered with a sullen expression.
“I heard Brother Jin is coming. Why would I go out of my way to do something dangerous?”
Ilgak and Moyong Jaehwa nodded at the same time. ‘That’s right.’ ‘I see.’ Without even realizing it, Ilgak ended up believing it just like Moyong Jaehwa.
While the two were realizing their foolishness, Eun Seol-ran pointed forward and spoke.
It’s coming!
Ilgak turned his head and frowned.
You have prepared countermeasures against the arrows of the wealth donor.
Realizing that ordinary shields could no longer block Moyong Jaehwa’s arrows, the Blood Clan members began carrying iron plates with cauldron lids attached and large rocks on their heads.
Moyong Jae-hwa cursed as he saw the sight he least wanted to see.
“Damn it…….”
Knowing that the Tongmasi would no longer work, Moyong Jaehwa desperately performed his martial arts and gathered a handful of true energy.
It looks like we’ll have no choice but to engage in hand-to-hand combat.
At the sound of someone’s words, Moyong Jaehwa looks toward the back.
There are still no students among the academy who are capable of properly engaging in combat.
“This isn’t the Battle of Changban, so it is preposterous to expect three men to hold off hundreds. I guess I have no choice.” Then, he took out a proper arrow that he had refused to use until the very end.
“It is still incomplete, but this single strike should be able to deal a significant blow to the front-line units. If it fails……. then…….”
Moyong Jae-hwa did not say anything more.
Because I didn’t even want to imagine such a terrible future.
Moyong Jaehwa, with a desperate heart, nocked an arrow to the bowstring and began to draw it.
Screeeeeeek.
The composite bow, having reached its limit, lets out a scream. ‘Just once… … Just hold on just once!’ The power of the Murong clan’s martial art, the Geongonpaseomgyeom, is channeled into the arrowhead.
The arrow held in place with both hands shakes violently, and the composite bow trembles just as much in response.
Kkkk
The moment the arrow is released from the bowstring, carefully pouring out the minimum power of the Geongonpasem Sword.
Crunch.
Eventually, the composite bows reached their limit and separated from each other.
Ting.
The broken protest hangs limply.
“shit!!!!”
As soon as they saw Moyong Jaehwa’s composite bow break, the Blood Men threw down rocks and shields and started running.
Il-gak and Eun Seol-ran did not even have time to comfort Mo Yong-jae-hwa.
The Blood Men were running like mad, as if they were furious about having been hiding to avoid the arrows of Jaehwa all this time.
“Donors of wealth, please come to the back.”
After joining his hands together in prayer, Ilgak unleashes two fists shimmering with golden light in front of him.
Puff puff puff puff.
The Blood-clad men are knocked away by the Dragon King’s Fist, which is fired about thirty times a second, but their places are quickly filled by Blood-clad men rushing in from behind.
“Haaah!”
Whoosh.
The Water Divine Art scattered by Eun Seol-ran froze the bodies of the Blood Censers, but the ice art, having exhausted its internal energy, was not very threatening.
Moyong Jaehwa also picks up his sword once again and displays clumsy swordsmanship.
Just when they were all surrounded by the Bloodthirsty Ones with no way to defend themselves and anticipating their end.
“Aaaaaaaah!!”
A green light falls in all directions, crushing the heads of the Blood-clad men and grinding their chests.
Puff puff puff puff puff puff.
Pow pow! Pow pow!
As sand dust scatters in all directions with a violent explosion, Ilgak and Moyongjaehwa, who had instinctively closed their eyes, barely manage to squint to identify their opponent.
“Gasp, gasp, gasp!”
The hulking opponent has the very definition of a pale face, as if he has completely exhausted all his mental and physical strength.
Moreover, he even harbored large scars in every nook and cranny of his body.
I’m actually wondering how on earth you even made it this far.
The giant looked at Moyong Jaehwa and spoke.
“Gasp, gasp, you, you. Moyong Jaehwa! You’re Moyong Jaehwa, right?”
Moyong Jae-hwa, who had been singled out, looked shocked at the massive face.
“Me, Nam Hwa-seong? Why are you here…?”
“Gasp, gasp, I, I’m so glad I’m alive. What a relief!”
Nam Hwa-seong trembles with emotion, as if he has met a long-lost sibling.
Moyong Jaehwa, the person directly involved, was simply bewildered by the situation.
Why on earth is Nam Hwa-seong, of all people, popping up here?
And why would he be relieved about his own survival?
Nam Hwa-seong swallowed hard with a pained expression and barely managed to continue speaking.
“……
“Jin So-un, I came because Jin So-un sent me.”
“Ah!!! Just as I thought!!!”
Nam Hwa-seong handed the luggage he was carrying to Mo Yong-jae-hwa as if throwing it.
I wanted to hear the inside story, but given the current situation of being surrounded by the Blood Men and the state of Namhwaseong, it is absolutely not a situation where I can hear the story.
Moyong Jaehwa, who was absentmindedly inspecting the luggage, tilted his head at the sight of a long iron bar sticking out. ‘What is this…’ Small grooves at both ends and a leather-wrapped grip in the middle of the bar.
And even bundles of arrows and silkworms filled inside the bundle.
Items that inevitably make you wonder why Jin So-un tried to deliver them.
Then, suddenly, something comes to mind.
“S-surely not…….”
Moyong Jaehwa’s gaze passed between Cheonjamsa and Cheolbong.
“W-iron bow?”
