There are people you can deal with using words. (5)

Lee Songbaek gritted his teeth as he took a deep breath.

“Ugh!”

“Be careful!”

At that moment, Tang Soso’s sword intercepted and deflected the staff of the Beggars Sect’s elder pressing down on his sword. Maintaining her defensive stance, she asked,

“Are you alright?”

“Thank you, Sojeo!”

Expressing his gratitude, Lee Songbaek bit his lip.

‘Their internal energy is overwhelming.’

The aura emanating from the staff was fierce. While it was true that the martial prowess of the Beggars Sect’s elders was not particularly high, martial skill and internal energy were different matters.

Time flows equally for everyone. The elders of the Beggars Sect hadn’t aged faster than anyone else. Their technique might be lacking, but the internal energy they had accumulated over the long years was embedded in their weapons and infused into every strike.

Lee Songbaek, too, had grown up nurtured by the teachings of Jongnam, but he hadn’t yet amassed enough pure internal energy to counter theirs entirely.

Moreover, his sword style was specialized in direct confrontation. It was poorly matched against opponents who pressed down with sheer internal energy.

Given more time, he could become a deeply rooted tree, but his swordsmanship had not yet reached perfection.

“Hyaah!”

Swish!

Nevertheless, Lee Songbaek intercepted and blocked every single staff flying towards him from all directions.

As Tang Soso fought alongside him, her eyes couldn’t help but be filled with admiration. Perhaps this was what they meant by the term “iron wall.” The heavy and intricate sword, different from Hwasan’s sword, was flawlessly blocking even the attacks pouring down on Tang Soso herself.

‘Impressive.’

Objectively speaking, Hwasan’s swordsmen had been given many opportunities. They had obtained remarkable elixirs that couldn’t be replicated elsewhere, experienced numerous real battles, and, above all, had Chung Myung on their side.

Yet, Lee Songbaek, without such privileges, was demonstrating a swordsmanship that impressed even Tang Soso.

How relentless must he have been in his efforts? He must have struggled continuously, grasping at himself every time he wavered, to have come this far.

‘People like this are the ones who stand at the pinnacle of Gangho.’

Yes, this is how it’s supposed to be…

“Hyaaaaah! Dieeeee!”

At that moment, amidst the elders, Jo Geol’s figure leaped in, swinging his sword wildly in all directions. He might be reckless and pathetic, but his swordsmanship was unbelievably formidable.

Indeed, the current Gangho was bizarre. When you think about it, that pathetic human occupies the position that should belong to Lee Songbaek.

“…Something is wrong.”

“Huh?”

“Oh, no! It’s nothing.”

Putting aside feelings of guilt and sadness, Tang Soso gripped her sword once more.

Meanwhile, standing guard behind them, Pung Yeong Shin Gae charged forward, swinging his staff with all his might.

Kwaaaang!

The elders, who had blocked the flying jade-colored energy, glared at Pung Yeong Shin Gae with hardened faces.

“Sect Leader!”

“Are you still calling me Sect Leader?”

“…Just give up. If you surrender now, you can save your life. After all, you’re not particularly skilled in martial arts, are you? If you surrender, we can save everyone.”

Pung Yeong Shin Gae sighed heavily with a somber expression.

“That’s a misconception. Even if I surrender, they won’t stop. He’s never given up, not even once, from the past until now.”

“Who are you talking about?”

Pung Yeong Shin Gae shook his head.

“Words are unnecessary. Come at me. I will choose a fitting punishment to those who defy the authority of the Sect Leader.”

“If you have the ability, then show it!”

Kwaang!

The clash between Pung Yeong Shin Gae’s staff and the elders’ staffs reverberated through the air. With each strike, it felt like his insides were twisting, but what truly tormented Pung Yeong Shin Gae was not physical pain, but the anguish in his heart.

‘Where did we go wrong?’

They knew he was the Sect Leader, yet they sought to kill him. How could they not understand the significance of that?

Chung Myung’s words echoed in his heart like a piercing thorn.

‘Master, we were wrong.’

Beggars Sect has deteriorated. It no longer follows the principles of righteousness. It has become a place where only the cunning pursue their own interests and safety.

And it was he who made it so.

With a heart filled sorrow and tears of blood in his eyes, as he was about to swing his staff, a small, jagged staff flew from the side and struck Pung Yeong Shin Gae’s side with force.

Kwaang!

“Ugh!”

“Sect Leader!”

“Oh no…!”

Pung Yeong Shin Gae staggered, and the elders rushed in, launching their attacks. At this critical moment, Lee Songbaek jumped in, risking his life to block the staffs aimed at Pung Yeong Shin Gae.

Kwaang! Kwaang!

The surge of internal energy propelled by the swords overwhelmed them.

“Cough!”

Blood gushed from Lee Songbaek’s mouth.

“Sohyeop!”

Frightened, Tang Soso lunged forward with her sword, pushing the elders back momentarily, but Lee Songbaek had already sustained significant internal injuries.

“Now’s the time!”

“Don’t give them any openings! Finish them!”

The elders, driven by determination, charged forward with malicious intent. They had no other choice now – the sooner they ended this, the better.

“Protect them!”

Standing in defense of Pung Yeong Shin Gae and Lee Songbaek, Tang Soso confronted the attackers head-on. Her swordsmanship had matured to the point where she could proudly represent Hwasan. However, facing this many opponents, there were inevitably limits to what she could do.

“Tang Sojeo!”

Recognizing the imminent danger, Hye Yeon swiftly unleashed his power.

Boom!

The golden energy surged fiercely, knocking back several elders. However, there were too many opponents to block with a burst of energy shot from a distance.

“I can’t let you pass! Get back…”

Desperately wielding her sword and deflecting the incoming staffs, Tang Soso momentarily paused. In her effort to protect others, she had only just noticed a staff flying directly towards her face.

‘Oh…?’

It was unstoppable.

Sensing the impending impact, Tang Soso kept her eyes open and focused on the incoming staff. Yet, at that moment, a sword suddenly flew in and blocked the staff in front of her.

“Sago… it’s not… huh?”

“Do you even know what ‘Sahyeong’ means?”

“Why are you here? The other side is collapsing!”

“Like I don’t know! Dammit!”

Rushing to Tang Soso’s aid in her dire situation, Jo Geol swung his sword in frustration. Following closely behind, Yoon Jong shouted.

“Stay calm, Soso!”

“Yes, Sahyeong!”

Nodding determinedly, Tang Soso tightened her grip on the sword.

‘But…’

They shouldn’t be here. The formation has broken. If they gather in one place, they’ll be surrounded and unable to escape.

“Argh!”

“Amitabha!”

As the defenders struggled to hold their ground, gradually succumbing to the pressure from behind, Jo Geol’s sword, fueled by his anger, momentarily emanated a powerful aura. But then…

“Geol-ah!”

“…Damn.”

Yoon Jong’s shout subdued the energy imbued in Jo Geol’s sword just in time. Frustrated, Jo Geol glared at the approaching elders, resembling a cornered beast.

Yoon Jong bit his lip, scanning the surroundings. The situation was dire.

Certainly, if they fought using lethal force like against Sapaeryeon, they could fare much better. But that was out of the question.

‘Sasuk…’

The biggest issue, however, was that Baek Cheon seemed to be in poor condition. A profound sense of pressure weighed down on Yoon Jong and everyone else.

“Cough…”

Another elder grasped his chest and collapsed.

Chung Myung took a moment to catch his breath and glanced at the surrounded group. At the moment his expression hardened, a raspy voice spoke up.

“Truly remarkable. But while you may not know, they aren’t as impressive as the rumors suggest.”

Chung Myung remained silent and turned his gaze again. The relaxed demeanor of Ilho Shin Gae caught his eye.

“…Seems like a misunderstanding. Those guys will become impressive from now on.”

“Ah, that might be true.”

Ilho Shin Gae nodded approvingly at Chung Myung’s words.

“But the extent of their greatness can change depending on the situation, isn’t that so?”

Chung Myung remained silent.

“In your heart, you probably want to kill all those who stand in your way. But you know better than anyone that it shouldn’t be done.”

Chung Myung narrowed his eyes.

It was a painful realization. To make the elders switch sides and kill them all? Then Beggars Sect would never ally with Cheonumaeng. No, they might even become enemies.

Moreover, with his already limited influence, Pung Yeong Shin Gae would have no way to salvage the situation afterward.

No, there was no need to go that far with the calculation.

To indiscriminately kill those who haven’t committed grave sins due to differing opinions, what would that make them but no different from the Evil Sects?

That’s why Chung Myung and Five Swords couldn’t bring themselves to kill the elders. They may be prepared to inflict injuries, but the goal should be suppression, not murder.

That’s what’s tripping everyone up right now.

“I’m not one to talk about handling information, but rumors are certainly unreliable. Jumping into a battle you can’t win, that’s foolishness. Your swordsmanship was impressive, sure, but your cunningness was exaggerated. You shouldn’t have set foot here.”

“Shut your mouth…”

“Argh!”

Chung Myung, about to smirk, hardened his expression and turned his head sharply. It was the voice of someone from the group defending themselves amidst the encirclement. He had no choice but to turn and see, as if his nerves had been roughly grabbed.

He knew. They wouldn’t easily succumb.

But he couldn’t completely detach himself and focus solely on this place. Chung Myung couldn’t be the same as Chung Myung of the past anymore.

He bit down hard on his inner cheek.

There’s no time to waste like this. This fight was unlike any they had experienced before. Breaking through a fight meant if one side crumbled, someone would open the path, but defending and suppressing meant if one side collapsed, chain reactions would occur in an instant.

With the opponent fiercely defending, there was no opportunity for Chung Myung’s sword to reach Ilho Shin Gae. Utilizing allies as shields, whether they lived or died, and thoroughly withdrawing one’s body – a combat style like that was not commonly seen even among Just Sects.

Chung Myung gritted his teeth.

“You seem shameless.”

“Shame? None at all.”

Ilho Shin Gae chuckled.

“I’ve lived for decades, struggling after losing my position to Saje. Adding one more shame to all that shame, what difference would it make?”

Another groan pierced Chung Myung’s ears.

“Urgh!”

Instantly, Hye Yeon’s power surged. It was a formidable force, capable of blowing away the elders in one go, but speaking simply, it meant the situation had become dire.

“Sasuk!”

“Don’t come closer! Protect your position!”

Even without seeing, it was evident. They were cornered on a dead-end path.

“Feeling anxious?”

Ilho Shin Gae smiled triumphantly. A glint of killing intent flashed in Chung Myung’s eyes.

“No need to despair just yet. True despair is now…”

Paaaaaat!

Before Ilho Shin Gae could finish his sentence, Chung Myung’s body elongated like a spring and lunged forward. In reflex to protect Ilho Shin Gae, elders’ staffs fiercely thrust forward.

Clang!

The sword sliced through the gaps between the staffs, clearing a path. Without hesitation, Chung Myung darted through.

“You!”

Once again, staffs flew from all directions.

He could block them, but that would only waste time by getting entangled again. Quickly assessing the situation, Chung Myung didn’t block but instead propelled his body even faster forward.

Crash!

Crash!

With a tremendous force, staffs heavily laden with internal energy crashed down on Chung Myung’s back and shoulders. Blood gushed from his clenched teeth.

Yet, even in that moment, Chung Myung’s eyes were solely focused on one person.

Ilho Shin Gae.

Раaaaaat!

The sword extended like lightning.

Clang!

Blocked, but it didn’t matter.

“Hah!”

Chung Myung, unusually, gathered his energy and unleashed a fierce strike. With explosive force, he deflected all the flying staffs. Riding on that momentum, the shining Dark Plum Sword surged toward Ilho Shin Gae’s neck.

“Yaaaah!”

In the midst of his panic, Ilho Shin Gae, deeming it insufficient to evade the sword, also emanated internal energy from his entire body.

Woooooom!

From his fingertips, jade-colored energy radiated like clouds.

The jade-colored internal strength, swirling like a storm, and Chung Myung’s sword, imbued with crimson energy, collided head-on.

Clang!

The spinning Dark Plum Sword, seeming to stagger, piercing through Ilho Shin Gae’s attack, gnawing away at it.

Ilho Shin Gae’s eyes widened.

“Aaargh!”

Desperately, he pulled all remaining energy and pushed it into his attack.

Clang!

But Chung Myung’s sword, steadily, pierced through the cloud-like force and stabbed Ilho Shin Gae’s neck.

Thud!

Ilho Shin Gae’s body was thrown backward.

Blood sprayed from his neck, tracing a crimson arc in the air.