Have you ever seen hell? (5)

“Sasuk! Behind us…!”

“I know!”

“The rear is collapsing, Sasuk!”

“I know!”

Jo Geol, who was shouting in distress, flinched at Baek Cheon’s stern response.

Meanwhile, Baek Cheon swung his sword without a hint of hesitation.

Phaaat!

The sword energy emanating from the tip of his sword swept away the enemies blocking their path in an instant.

“Aaaah!”

Amidst the incredible scene unfolding behind them, the concentration of the members of Sapaeryeon momentarily faltered and they were swept away by Baek Cheon’s sword energy, screaming in terror.

“Push forward!”

“But…!”

“Shut up and focus on the front!”

Baek Cheon’s voice boomed with authority.

Jo Geol’s sword trembled slightly.

“If we can’t break through, we’ll all die! Saving one or two more people won’t make a difference!”

Upon hearing Baek Cheon’s words, a resolute glint finally sparked in Jo Geol’s eyes.

“Euaahp!”

Swishh!

The swift sword pierced through the wavering enemies one after another.

“Aaah!”

Swish!

He kicked the ground with all his might.

Jo Geol’s sword conjured dozens of sword afterimages simultaneously.

With a force that seemed enough to fill the gorge, the swords fiercely flew towards the enemies.

In a moment of apparent excitement from Jo Geol, Yoon Jong, like a ghost, surged past him, leading the charge.

His sword pushed back the retreating foes in one swift motion.

Baek Cheon reinforced their determination.

“If you’re worried about the rear, use all your strength to clear the way forward! That’s the only way we can save everyone!”

“Yes, Sasuk!”

Yoon Jong and Jo Geol surged forward with increased momentum.

“Get out of the way, you bastards!”

With unstoppable force.

They moved through the canyon as if there were no obstacles.

But even this speed felt unbearably slow to them now.

Their hearts were already racing ahead, leading them on.

Baek Cheon consciously fought the urge to turn back, fixing his gaze forward and scolding himself.

‘Don’t look back!’

He wanted to run back immediately.

But what he needed to do now was crystal clear.

Trying to handle everything on your own is both greedy and arrogant.

‘I’ll leave the rear to you!’

With a forceful sweep of his sword, Baek Cheon conveyed his determination to leave the task to someone else.

Even without looking, he could envision it.

He imagined what those struggling behind them must be witnessing.

The familiar sight he had always seen, the small figure standing in front of him.

This small figure would firmly protect everyone.

“Don’t just stand there staring blankly, follow me!”

Baek Cheon’s shout startled the disciples of Haenam, snapping them back to reality.

“Hurry!”

Following suit, the disciples of Haenam quickly followed Jo Geol and Yoon Jong, sprinting with all their might along the path they had opened.

❀ ❀ ❀

Chung Myung’s piercing gaze, now cold and clear, exerted pressure on the gathered Maninbang’s warriors.

As a result, despite their fervor, the eager enemies could only growl and hesitate, unable to easily rush towards Chung Myung.

Chung Myung, observing them closely, opened his mouth.

“Nokrim King.”

“Yes.”

“Send the elders to the rear.”

“Understood.”

“And the slouching octopus head.”

“…Yes.”

But even after responding, Im Sobyeong remained still for a moment.

He simply stared at the back of Chung Myung’s head with a rigid expression.

“Hm….”

Sensing that gaze, Chung Myung chuckled softly.

“Why, did you think I was prepared to die here?”

“Well, it’s not that, but…”

“I see. I’m someone who knows how precious my life is.”

“…”

“And facing those guys, there’s no need to even prepare for the worst. Just…”

Chung Myung trailed off for a moment and smirked.

However, there was one regret he had.

“Tang Pae.”

At Chung Myung’s call, Tang Pae flinched and lifted his head.

He was as pale as a sheet of paper.

Because he knew exactly what he had gotten himself into.

He could endure the criticism from others as much as needed.

But if he were to hear from Chung Myung that everything was okay, he felt like he would truly crumble.

After all, that would be the limit of Tang clan.

Please, he hoped, let that miserable phrase not come out, Tang Pae wished again and again.

At that moment, Chung Myung reached forward with his hand.

Swish!

Something was pulled out from the pile of corpses at an incredible speed.

Chung Myung caught it and then tossed it towards Tang Pae at the back.

“Uh…”

Tang Pae, taken aback, stared blankly at the object in his hand, that he suddenly received.

What Chung Myung handed over were the flying daggers that hadn’t been retrieved during the intense battle.

“Stick close behind me.”

“…Yes?”

“Watch my back.”

At the surprising request, Tang Pae’s eyes widened slowly.

So, right now…

“Why? Can’t you do it?”

“Oh, no! I still have the strength!”

While he didn’t dare to shoot poison arrows, regular flying daggers were fair game.

As long as he didn’t use excessive force, daggers didn’t consume much energy, wasn’t that their advantage?

“But I…”

Would he be of any help to Chung Myung in this situation?

That question remained unspoken, swallowed back.

But Chung Myung shrugged, as if guessing what Tang Pae had swallowed.

And he said nonchalantly,

“It’s better than doing nothing. I need something familiar now.”

Familiar?

Tang Pae couldn’t understand the meaning behind those words.

Chung Myung continued.

“Don’t worry. We’ll make up for what you are lacking.”

“Yes? What do you mean by that…?”

Fortunately, the answer to this question came very quickly.

Tap.

A faint sound of footsteps came from beside Tang Pae.

As he turned around, Yu Iseol stood there, expressionless as usual, cold and unwavering.

It was as if she belonged there from the beginning.

Yu Iseol spoke calmly.

“Don’t step forward.”

“…Yes?”

Tang Pae asked, taken aback by her sudden statement.

Yu Iseol responded simply.

“Because I’ll already be there.”

Tang Pae nodded slowly.

His role was to counter with flying daggers.

So, going beyond his role and stepping forward excessively would only be a hindrance.

While Tang Pae understood Yu Iseol’s words perfectly well, he had no intention of holding back.

A sense of determination filled his eyes.

He tightened his grip on the daggers.

‘I’ll give it my all.’

It was the least he could do for those who trusted him!

“Move!”

Im Sobyeong finally began to lead the elders with reassurance.

Several elders vomited blood as they tried to take their steps, but Im Sobyeong shouted calmly.

“Whether you go and die there or stay and die here makes no difference! Move! Now!”

The elders gritted their teeth and rushed forward.

Despite relying on one’s strong internal energy to hold out, there was no telling when one might suddenly collapse.

But even so, they had to keep moving.

Because they were alive.

Because they weren’t dead yet.

They had to keep struggling until the moment they collapsed from exhaustion.

Im Sobyeong, trembling, supported Hye Yeon as he rose to his feet, glancing back.

“I’ll go first! Don’t lag behind, follow us!”

“No need for nagging.”

As Chung Myung spoke gruffly, Im Sobyeong shot him a fierce look before moving away.

Now, only Yu Iseol and Tang Pae remained behind Chung Myung.

He chuckled at the strange feeling.

‘To be honest, this isn’t exactly a familiar situation.’

While he had plenty of experience breaking through, retreating while buying time like this didn’t quite suit his temperament.

In the past, there were others who could handle this kind of situation, so he could just dive into the chaos and wreak havoc.

But not anymore. Now, he couldn’t just do whatever he wanted.

It wasn’t about doing what he wanted – he had to do what needed to be done.

“Being an adult is exhausting.”

“You are still young.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Despite his joking tone, there was no trace of amusement on Chung Myung’s face.

The reason the enemies hadn’t completely overwhelmed them was simple.

If there’s no room for maneuvering, it’s more advantageous to wait patiently, buying time until the poisoning becomes severe.

That’s why Ho Gamyeong, knowing this fact, hasn’t issued a command to attack.

But not anymore.

“So…”

Chung Myung slowly lifted one foot.

This standoff couldn’t last forever.

So, there was no need to prolong it unnecessarily.

Chung Myung knew exactly when the moment would come for the predator, who had been holding back from pouncing on exposed prey, to reveal itself.

“Let’s begin.”

The moment that foot descended not forward, but clearly backward, indicating a retreat.

“Kruhahahaha!”

Like a snapped leash, the tense posture of Maninbang’s warriors suddenly shifted into an aggressive charge towards Chung Myung.

As if a forcefully suppressed energy had burst forth all at once, an immense murderous intent engulfed Chung Myung.

Amidst this chilling intensity, the corners of Chung Myung’s mouth curled upwards eerily.

He infused all his internal energy into the Dark Plum Sword.

The muscles of the arm holding the sword twitched, and blood surged fiercely through his entire body.

Maninbang’s warriors swung their swords with malice.

Three in front, and two above!

The simultaneous flurry of swords from above and below resembled the gaping maw of a giant monster.

Cung Myung’s sword was pulled back as far as possible.

And just as the swords, resembling the jaws of a monster, seemed poised to tear into Chung Myung’s body…

Swish!

The sword shot out at an astonishing speed.

It wasn’t so much as swinging the sword but more like shooting an arrow, a powerful strike that seemed to fly and multiply in the air.

In an instant, the gleaming blade of Chung Myung’s sword pierced through the necks of the five Maninbang’s warriors charging at him.

Thud!

Simultaneously, his foot slammed into the ground.

But it wasn’t a step forward.

Tang Pae, Yu Iseol, and Chung Myung. The three of them had swiftly retreated.

As they saw the three retreat amidst the fallen bodies of their comrades, madness filled the eyes of Maninbang’s warriors.

“Chase them!”

No matter how powerful the opponent, even if the path they took ultimately led to death, the side chasing the fleeing opponent would inevitably boost their morale.

The fact that they were pursuing the formidable swordsman with their weapons raised was enough to ignite the cruelty within Maninbang’s warriors.

“Kruhahahaha!”

Roaring like beasts, they practically sprinted towards their targets.

Though those who had fallen but still drew breath were trampled and crushed underfoot, the charging ones paid no mind.

They were just busy chasing after Hwasan Geomhyeop, with ferocity akin to a beast.

Swish!

Tang Pae’s dagger pierced through the forehead of one charging towards him.

“Get out of the way!”

A sword flying from behind swiftly cleaved through the waist of another.

With his fallen comrades’ upper body slashed aside, he displayed viciousness and determination, targeting Chung Myung.

“Aaaargh!”

With a force that seemed capable of splitting the world in two, a sword descended straight towards Chung Myung’s neck.

An attack that completely abandoned the notion of defense.

In that single swing, containing everything, it was a relentless strike that didn’t consider the consequences.

Thunk!

Chung Myung’s quick thrust pierced through Maninbang’s warrior’s neck and the sword jutted out from the back.

But the enemy’s sword, already in motion, didn’t halt – instead, it accelerated further, descending towards Chung Myung.

Swish!

Chung Myung’s foot lightly pushed against the ground.

In response, the sword, carrying fierce momentum, narrowly passed by his face.

His bangs fluttered in the gust of wind.

A chilling sensation, as if his skin had been grazed by jagged saw, followed suit.

Though not a single part of the sword made contact with his body, the malice and momentum contained within seemed to pierce through the air and infiltrate his being.

Embracing the eerie yet familiar sensation, Chung Myung swiftly twisted his sword without hesitation.

Crack!

Infused his internal energy, the pierced neck burst open, and the head, now lost, shot upward.

Warm blood sprayed into the air.

It was like the beginning of a relentless battle signaled by a cannon blast.