It’s different from back then. (2)

“What, what is this!”

Kwaaang!

The white sword energy exploded all at once.

Caught off guard by the sudden and unimaginable attack, the pirates were torn to pieces without even having the chance to scream.

A formidable sword technique.

Namgung of the Azure Sky. The awe-inspiring sword energy lived up to its name, spreading under the clear blue sky.

Swoosh!

Namgung Dowi, who had instantly shredded the front line of Surochae’s pirates, charged forward. The white-clad swordsmen, with resolute expressions, followed behind him.

“Enemy attack!”

The pirates screamed in terror, their faces pale, as they saw the explosion and the advancing swordsmen.

But before they could respond, another surge of white sword energy shot up, piercing the sky.

Kwaaaang!

“Young Lord! You must conserve your strength!”

A desperate cry came from behind.

But Namgung Dowi bit his lip instead of replying.

He knew. He knew well.

There was still a long way to go to reach the Black Dragon King. If he exhausted himself dealing with every scattered enemy, he would be worn out before even facing the Black Dragon King.

Yes, he knew it all too well.

But what was he supposed to do? His heart felt like it would burst if he didn’t swing his sword right at this moment.

‘Surochae!’

He could never forget. No, he can’t forget.

Surochae’s pirates who cornered them on that small island and rushed towards them like hunters.

His family dying miserably on that cold island. His father’s face in his final moment, slowly sinking deep into the Yangtze River after being cut by the Black Dragon King’s sword energy.

He can never forget. Even if everyone here was chewed and swallowed, they will not be forgotten.

That’s the brand of fire that Namgung Dowi must bear in his heart for the rest of his life.

But just because he can’t forget doesn’t mean there’s nothing he can do. Even if he can’t bring back the dead, even if he can’t cut out those horrific memories, he can at least console the souls of the deceased.

With the blood of these people and the Black Dragon King.

‘Is it foolish?’

Wooooong!

Namgung Dowi’s sword cried in response.

Namgung Dowi was well aware that his choice was not a wise one. Those who knew him would certainly call it foolish and stupid.

‘But what can I do, Dojang?’

Sometimes, a person needs to be foolish.

More important than being smart is not ignoring the cry of one’s heart.

‘It was none other than you, Dojang, who taught me that!’

A faint smile, not suited for the situation, crept onto Namgung Dowi’s lips.

Yes. The one who taught him that was Chung Myung. So even if he gets angry and spews curses, won’t he understand a little?

“Ooooooh!”

Namgung Dowi let out a mighty roar and charged forward.

“Young Lord!”

“Young Lord! Calm down!”

“Do not try to stop me!”

Namgung Dowi shouted with a thunderous voice.

“If you want to stop me, don’t just try to hold me back, stand before me! If you want to protect my sword, use your swords to clear a path! That is the way of Namgung!”

The swordsmen’s eyes changed at his words.

Words were unnecessary.

Namgung’s swordsmen pushed each other aside and stepped forward. Namgung Dowi was right. The reason his sword kept cutting down enemies was because they stood before him. If there were no enemies in front of him, there would be no reason for him to swing his sword.

Namgung Dowi was not the only one who couldn’t forget Maehwado.

Everyone had left a part of themselves there. Everyone had buried the name Azure Sky there. Now, they were on the path to reclaim that name. This was not a matter of giving way to anyone.

Namgung Gil [남궁길(南宮吉)], who had charged forward in an instant, drove his sword into the lower abdomen of a retreating pirate.

“Ugh…”

Seeing the trembling man, Namgung Gil sneered with a voice full of resentment and rage.

“What’s wrong? Why don’t you try firing that fancy cannon again?”

The memories from that time came flooding back.

The helplessness of being unable to do anything despite holding a sword. The agony of watching comrades get blasted into pieces by cannons fired from the distance, left with nothing but to cry out in anguish.

‘To think we suffered at the hands of such scum!’

The rekindled memories ignited their resentment, and that resentment infused their swords with murderous intent.

Swish!

As Namgung Gil pulled out his embedded sword, he sliced the enemy in half, gritting his teeth as he watched the blood spray into the air.

This was not filthy blood. It was glorious blood.

The eyes of Namgung clan’s swordsmen began to redden.

Since that day, they had undergone training so grueling that the word “severe” didn’t do it justice. If they couldn’t display their swords here, what was the meaning of all that training?

“Uoooooh!”

The swordsmen surged forward, competing with each other.

Twelve Strikes of the Iron Sword [철검십이식(鐵劍十二式)].

A practical swordsmanship representing Namgung clan. Newly forged by the masterful hand of Chung Myung, based on Namgung’s foundation, the techniques revealed their true value against Surochae’s pirates.

Clang!

The sword, thrust out like a lightning bolt, split the sharp harpoos like reeds and pierced the chests of the pirates.

A simple and basic sword technique, stripped of any flashy maneuvers. When Namgung clan’s unique immense inner strength was applied to this ultimate simplicity, the sword was reborn, fitting the name ‘Namgung.’

Swish!

It was just as one of Namgung clan’s swordsmen was about to shout in rage after cutting down the waist of a retreating pirate.

“Calm your fury!”

Namgung Myeong’s cold voice pierced their ears.

“I’m not telling you to forget your resentment! Just don’t mistake the target of that resentment! We haven’t even reached our true enemy yet!”

The swordsmen exuded a fierce killing intent.

The Black Dragon King, Jeok Segwang.

Their true enemy, and the target their swords must aim for. Namgung Myeong was right.

Killing these small fry and cheering was not enough to satiate their deep and heavy resentment.

“Clear the way! We will sever the Black Dragon King’s head!”

“Yes!”

Namgung’s swordsmen moved as one, starting to run.

They would not return. Even if everything went perfectly, more than half of them would have to bury their bones here. But that didn’t matter.

Even if everyone had to die here in exchange for severing the Black Dragon King’s head, no one would regret it. Compared to losing the head of the one who killed their Lord to someone else, or the fear of him continuing to breathe, what was there to fear about death?

Their resolve enveloped their bodies like iron armor, and the momentum pouring from behind them ignited their spirits.

“Stop them!”

“It’s Namgung!”

Sharp whistles rang out from all directions.

Sensing the presence of Namgung clan, Surochae sent waves of tense energy in all directions.

It felt as if the entire forest in front of them was shaking. Like a giant, ferocious beast that had been crouching was now rising to its feet, an overwhelming sense of pressure filled the air.

Yet Namgung’s swordsmen charged towards the beast that was Surochae without a moment’s hesitation. Their goal was to pierce the heart that moved this monster with their own hands.

“Out of the way!”

Swish!

Their extended swords instantly decapitated the pirates.

As the swords were swung, the heads of the pirates flew, and severed limbs scattered. Namgung clan plowed through the human barricade like a cart rolling down a steep slope.

However, the name “The Eighteen Strongholds of the Yangtze” wasn’t a hollow title that only echoed across the Yangtze River.

“They’re gathering!”

“Run faster!”

Everyone could see it. The scattered pirates were gathering ahead of them.

Like ants swarming to finish off a still-struggling prey.

This sight pierced Namgung clan’s swordsmen.

A scene they had already witnessed. They had already painfully experienced how terrifying these seemingly insignificant pests could be when united.

The feet of the charging swordsmen began to slow.

It wasn’t a conscious decision. The deep-seated fear that had awakened in their hearts gripped their ankles.

And at that very moment.

Wooooooong!

“Young Lord!”

Namgung Dowi’s sword rose to the sky, seeming to pierce the heavens. The sword began to emit a brilliant white light.

The white sword energy, growing more and more concentrated, soon became as large as a massive boulder.

“Lord..”

Following Namgung Dowi and witnessing the spectacle, Namgung’s swordsmen couldn’t help but think of one person’s sword.

The one who could shatter mountains with a single strike, who could split rivers with a single sword.

The one who was more regal than anyone, more domineering than anyone.

It was none other than Namgung Hwang’s sword.

“Ooooooooh!”

The white sword energy, now even larger, soared as if to pierce the sky, then shot toward the pirates gathered in front of them.

Boom!

A massive explosion.

Everything that had existed in the path of the exploding white sword energy was obliterated. The sword of an emperor that allowed nothing to stand before it. Originally belonging to Namgung Hwang, the lost sword was now reborn in Namgung Dowi’s hands.

“Shatter everything in your path! We are the Namgung Clan of Azure Sky!”

Namgung Dowi roared.

And there was no need to think about what that roar had given to Namgung clan’s swordsmen.

“Ooooooooh!”

The power in their once hesitant steps surged beyond what it had been before. Namgung clan’s swordsmen, their eyes filled with a fierce determination, became one with their swords and charged forward.

The pirates, unable to flee or retreat, stained the world red with their flowing blood as Namgung clan advanced.

“Black Dragon King!”

“Hmmm.”

The Black Dragon King’s lips twisted grimly as he saw the soaring white sword energy from afar.

A sword energy he had seen somewhere before. Once seen, it could never be forgotten. But the owner of that sword energy should have become a cold corpse under his blade.

The Black Dragon King, staring intently at the place where the sword energy had erupted, turned his gaze to his fluttering right sleeve.

“How dare they…”

The Black Dragon King growled like a wounded beast.

No matter that he had lost an arm, for Namgung clan to dare target him was an insult. In the past, Namgung clan might have been a threat, but now, for them to challenge him was a disgrace.

“They say Namgung Hwang’s son leads the Namgung clan?”

“Yes. He is called Namgung Dowi.”

“Namgung Dowi…”

Suppressing his rage, the Black Dragon King let out a mocking laugh.

“A barking pup not knowing its place, just like a newborn puppy. Who would have thought that such a whelp would emerge from under the tiger like Namgung Hwang?”

The Black Dragon King chuckled as he grasped his favorite weapon with his remaining arm. His eyes began to gleam with murderous intent.

“If he wishes to die so badly, I should grant his wish. Today, I will eradicate Namgung clan from this world!”

A maddening light emanated from the Black Dragon King’s eyes.

A light so intense it could darken the entire blue sky.