Just engrave that name. (5)

“Here they come!”

At the command, Yoon Jong slammed the ground immediately. Sapaeryeon was charging in from all sides, pitch-black and relentless.

‘Damn it! It never ends!’

They had fought fiercely to escape the gorge, yet it seemed like the enemy numbers were not decreasing. If anything, they were increasing.

Of course, those charging now were not the elite of Sapaeryeon but hastily gathered bastards. Even if they were lucky to be considered second rate, they were still mediocre.

Yet even such people, when gathered in numbers like this, became a burden. Especially for those who had exhausted both their energy and stamina in the gorge, it was not just a burden but a threat.

“Yoon Jong! Head to the center!”

“Yes!”

Following Baek Cheon’s command, Yoon Jong turned towards the center, plunging into the incomplete encirclement.

The enemy’s strength lies in their overwhelming numbers. However, their weakness lies in the fact that there are excessively many of them.

Yoon Jong aimed his sword at the point where the forces from both sides were converging. As his sword descended from above, the energy emanating from it split the oncoming attackers apart as if parting the sea.

Seizing the opening created by the forced split, Yoon Jong rushed forward and swung his sword once again. The energy from the sword spread in all directions.

Swish!

“Aaargh!”

The enemies, without even a chance to retaliate, were struck down, blood spraying as they fell. Though not swift or flashy, the timely strike of Yoon jong’s sword was exerting a clear impact in that moment.

For a moment, Baek Cheon’s eyes widened.

‘He’s solid!’

Despite already being exhausted to the limits and having to squeeze out every last ounce of remaining energy, there was no sign of wavering in Yoon Jong’s sword.

Perhaps that unwavering composure was Yoon Jong’s most remarkable trait, setting him apart from Baek Cheon.

However, regardless, Yoon Jong too was undeniably pushed to his limits.

“Take this!”

Baek Cheon soared like a falcon into the gap created by Yoon Jong, simultaneously swinging his plum blossom sword horizontally to intercept the charging Sapaeryeon’s members on both sides.

“Ugh, ugh!”

Fear filled the eyes of the enemies. They were not trained warriors of Maninbang, and unless given sudden orders, they would never have to face the disciples of Hwasan. They were merely acting out of fear of retribution, blocking the way because they had no other choice.

Baek Cheon knew how to use the momentum of such opponents to dominate them and lead the flow of the battlefield.

Crack!

Stepping firmly into a stance, Baek Cheon unleashed energy waves in all directions. It looked incredibly flashy, but it was actually a superficial strike filled with empty illusions.

In traditional martial arts, such hollow strikes were not encouraged. However, there were times when unconventional methods could prove to be highly effective.

“Aaargh!”

“P-please spare us!”

Despite being superficial strikes, the assailants who were already off balance simply screamed and collapsed on the spot. Those rushing in from behind also recoiled in fear and quickly retreated.

Baek Cheon’s eyes gleamed.

These attackers couldn’t even muster the courage to charge in right now. But when the moment came for them to face all these opponents and their swords, even the swinging of swords would become a threat.

So the best course of action was to break through as quickly as possible without engaging in a full-blown confrontation.

“Keep going, Yoon Jong!”

“Yes!”

Yoon Jong and Baek Cheon led the disciples of Haenam along the path, rushing forward.

Moving a stagnant lake is no easy task. Sapaeryeon’s members, having been given an opening, couldn’t aggressively charge forward. Instead, they swung their swords with their tails between their legs.

“These bastards!”

However, the current disciples of Haenam were not ones to fall victim to such clumsy attacks.

Swish!

“Aaargh!”

The opponents were indeed lacking, but Haenam was a reputable martial arts sect that would be recognized for its skills anywhere in the world.

Moreover, the disciples of Haenam had gained experience and determination on their journey from Hainan island to this place. So, the haphazard attacks of the hastily gathered Sapas were unlikely to be effective.

However, as always, the terrifying aspect of Sapaeryeon lay not in their individual strength but in their overwhelming numbers.

“They’re coming again, from the front!”

“Ugh…”

Baek Cheon’s eyes momentarily narrowed as he observed the enemies surging like waves from the front.

Judging by their speed, their skills might still be mediocre, but their momentum was quite threatening. Overwhelming numbers had a way of instilling confidence.

In a battle, momentum is half the battle. If you handle things haphazardly, you’ll be swept away in no time. And when that happens, even those who were just scared a moment ago will gather their strength and come charging back.

“To the right!”

“Sasuk, then the other side is at risk!”

For a moment, Baek Cheon hesitated. That meant not they, but Haenam, would be fully exposed to the attack.

At that moment, a voice filled with anger came from behind.

“Damn it, keep running, don’t stop!”

“Nokrim King?”

“Do not stop! If you stop, you’ll be surrounded immediately! Do you understand what that means? I’ll handle the rear somehow, so hurry up!”

“Understood! Yoon Jong, to the right!”

“Yes!”

Im Sobyeong’s words were right a hundred times over. This terrain is unforgiving. Unlike in the gorge, the lack of numbers cannot be compensated for here.

If they were in the same condition as before entering the gorge, even if surrounded, they might have been able to break through momentarily. But in their current exhausted state, it’s impossible. Their energy has been depleted, and with wounded comrades to carry, their mobility is less than half of what it was.

At the moment of being surrounded, there seems to be no way to break through.

But even in this desperate situation, Baek Cheon and Yoon Jong were fully utilizing their abilities.

“To the left, they’re coming!”

“Don’t worry about it! Keep moving forward!”

“But, but the gap between us and the rear is too wide now. We might get caught in a pincer attack!”

“Nokrim King will handle it!”

“But right now…”

“Go! I’ll keep an eye on it!”

“Yes!”

Yoon Jong forcefully pushed aside the anxious thoughts that popped into his mind. His ability to calmly assess and deal with the changing situation might be better than Baek Cheon’s. Baek Cheon tends to be swayed by emotions from time to time.

However, the ability that Yoon Jong dared not to imitate, but rather trusted Baek Cheon’s decisiveness, is none other than his determination. Yoon Jong trusted that determination, believed in it wholeheartedly, believing that Baek Cheon would make the right judgment without fail.

But not everyone trusted Baek Cheon as Yoon Jong did.

“Vice Sect Leader!”

Namgung Dowi, who was running from behind, shouted to Baek Cheon.

“Dojangs from the rear haven’t arrived yet! We need to slow down!”

Baek Cheon bit his lip. Then, with unwavering voice, he spoke up.

“If you have the strength, help Yoon Jong break through the front, Young Lord.”

Upon receiving a command instead of a response, Namgung Dowi’s face contorted in disbelief.

“What do you mean, Vice Sect Leader? Do you understand that Chung Myung Dojang has failed?”

“I know.”

“You know? Is that something you would say knowingly? What on earth are you thinking? Are you suggesting we use Chung Myung Dojang as bait and flee? Are you out of your mind?”

In an instant, Baek Cheon reached out and roughly grabbed Namgung Dowi by the collar. His fearsome eyes glared intensely at Namgung Dowi, who looked bewildered in response.

Baek Cheon spoke with a growl in his voice.

“What will you do after rushing back to save him?”

“V-Vice Sect Leader?”

“What’s the plan after that?”

Tandons bulged on Baek Cheon’s clenched jaw.

“Are you suggesting we all just die here peacefully? Are you satisfied with rescuing him with our best efforts and then all dying together?”

With no response from Namgung Dowi, Baek Cheon pushed him away.

It was an incredibly rude gesture, but instead of getting angry, Namgung Dowi stared back at Baek Cheon with cold eyes.

“So, are you saying we should be the only ones to survive because we don’t want to die together?”

Baek Cheon ignored him, as if he wouldn’t engage further.

“…If you have the energy to talk, then swing your sword.”

“Vice Sect Leader!”

Baek Cheon turned back sharply at Namgung Dowi’s shout. The pent-up frustration that he had been holding back all this time suddenly burst out.

“What do you know to speak like that! I want to run back right now, even more than you, you bastard!”

Namgung Dowi was taken aback by Baek Cheon’s outburst. It wasn’t just the overwhelming force of his voice, but the emotions behind it that struck Namgung Dowi deeply.

Baek Cheon struggled to contain the emotions that had erupted within him, his hands trembling uncontrollably.

“…Please, assist at the front, Young Lord.”

Baek Cheon spoke with difficulty, casting his gaze somewhere else. A single trickle of blood escaped from his tightly clenched lips.

There they were.

Chung Myung, Samae, and even Jo Geol.

Baek Cheon felt an intense urge to rush back immediately, to change his direction and go to their rescue.

But he couldn’t.

The one who would despise that choice the most would be Chung Myung. That bastard wouldn’t stand to see others perish because of him, even if it meant his own death.

‘There’s no such thing as dying in peace, is there?’

Baek Cheon clenched his fist tightly, as he asked a question without anyone to answer.

Even with a blade at his throat. There was no room to surrender. The only thing he needed to focus on right now was finding a path where everyone could survive.

“…All of them will definitely come back!”

Baek Cheon’s words echoed fiercely. As he shouted, Yoon Jong’s shoulders, who was swinging his sword, trembled faintly. Baek Cheon could almost picture the expression on his face without looking.

“That damn bastard Jo Geol went in my place.”

Baek Cheon spoke with conviction… No, with an intensity born of desperation.

“Among those behind us, there isn’t a single one less capable than us. They will definitely come back!”

His eyes blazed with determination.

“So, we won’t just stand by and watch them die because we didn’t open the path! Do you understand?”

Paaaaaa!

With a resounding burst, Yoon Jong swiftly cut down the oncoming enemies, as if to affirm his agreement with Baek Cheon’s words, silently trusting in them as well.

Namgung Dowi, who had been staring at Baek Cheon with a somewhat complex expression, eventually nodded. Without further ado, he gripped his sword tightly and stepped forward.

Baek Cheon briefly closed his eyes.

‘That damned bastard.’

There was no turning back. Even if everyone here were to go to save Chung Myung, Baek Cheon couldn’t do it. That bastard wouldn’t tolerate that choice.

Even if all these choices turned out to be wrong and led him to face that bastard in hell, he would willingly accept the curse of being called foolish. But he didn’t want to hear accusations of not trusting himself.

Baek Cheon forcefully resisted the urge to look back.

What he needed to do now was not to doubt but simply to believe.

Stupidly and foolishly.

As the path that had opened began to narrow again, a wave-like avalanche of Sapaeryeon’s warriors surged forth. With the realization that dealing with them with just Namgung Dowi and Yoon Jong alone would be difficult, Baek Cheon’s foot struck the ground fiercely.

A crimson aura poured out toward Sapaeryeon like a waterfall.

Kwaaaah!

Amidst the cascading aura, Baek Cheon’s eyes gleamed ominously.

‘You must come, you damn bastard.’

He’ll gladly receive all the curses when the time comes.