It’s not just a fox. (2)

“Die!”

Baek Cheon’s face contorted.

The frenzied charge of the pirates? He had faced it all before.

The devastating strike of an absolute powerhouse, aiming for his life, with enough force to distort reality? He had endured worse.

Even if the Black Dragon King was formidable, he had faced a Bishop in Hangzhou who were no less.

But absurdly, this was the first time both had merged.

“For heaven’s sake!”

Baek Cheon fiercely cut down the charging pirates.

In that moment, amidst the pirates, the Black Dragon King swooped in, unleashing his guandao.

Baek Cheon’s eyes blazed.

‘Do not underestimate me!’

Because he has already been prepared, Baek Cheon easily parried the guandao. However, it wasn’t without its consequences.

Thunk!

Crack!

At the moment the sword and the blade collided, the impact went through his entire body. His insides felt shaken, and bitter blood surged back into his throat.

If Baek Cheon had been in perfect condition, he might have somehow endured such a blow, but now it was difficult.

“You bastard!”

Nevertheless, Baek Cheon forcibly swallowed the blood pooling in his mouth and swung his sword in desperation.

But to his dismay and frustration, it cleaved through nothing but empty air. The Black Dragon King had already slipped away behind the pirates.

“You coward!”

Jo Geol cursed, watching the relentless attackers and the elusive Black Dragon King who had slipped away behind them.

“And you call yourself the Black Dragon King! You don’t even know shame!”

“…That’s probably just a Sapa way of thinking. Hope for the best.”

“He might be a Sapa, but they are not all cowards like that bastard!”

Jo Geol and Yoon Jong’s desperatly tried to realize their battle tactics.

They tried to provoke their opponent, but the Black Dragon King merely stared at Jo Geol with a snake-like stare, scanning for any vulnerability to exploit and strike ruthlessly.

“…Damn it.”

Jo Geol’s expression hardened gradually.

The situation had shifted. Behind the hunting dogs charging blindly, a skilled hunter stood firm, aiming calmly and waiting to strike at the slightest opening.

‘Was this an impulsive leap?’

His thoughts became increasingly tangled.

Then it happened.

“Amitabha!”

With a rougher than usual shout, Hye Yeon threw a golden torrent of energy.

Hundred Step Divine Fist. In the opinion of Shaolin, there was no better technique for striking the opponent by distorting space!

However, the Black Dragon King had evaded his opponent’s golden energy, opting instead to bend his body.

“You can’t run away!”

Paaaaah!

As if it had been expected to some degree, Hye Yeon rushed straight towards the Black Dragon King like an arrow.

In an instant, the Black Dragon King smirked viciously, then grabbed a nearby pirate and hurled him towards Hye Yeon.

“You fiend…!”

Hye Yeon snarled as he attempted to push away the flying pirate.

Thud!

Suddenly, something sharp and black burst forth from the pirate’s chest. It was the Black Dragon King’s guandao.

By throwing the pirate to block his view, he pierced through the pirate’s body, aiming directly at Hye Yeon.

“What…?”

It was a brutal strike. Even Hye Yeon, typically composed, couldn’t help but freeze.

The crescent blade of the guandao lodged into Hye Yeon’s chest.

Thud!

“Mooooooooonk!”

Jo Geol, startled, erupted in a scream.

Hye Yeon, who had been pushed back, lifted his head. His reputation was not mere empty talk. Amidst this, he tightened his grip on the blade of the guandao, crossing his hands over his chest.

Thanks to this, the guandao, which should have already pierced his heart, now merely halted after grazing his ribs.

However, in exchange, Hye Yeon obtained deep wounds on both wrists.

“Hmph!”

Whoooosh!

As the Black Dragon King reclaimed his guandao and swung it horizontally, Hye Yeon’s body, struck, floated into the air.

The corpse of the pirate, whose chest had been pierced, was torn to pieces at the spot, scattering in all directions.

“Black Dragon Kiiiiing!”

Lee Songbaek roared in great anger. Blood vessels were prominent in his reddened eyes.

He had never heard of such a thing, nor had he ever imagined it.

Could anyone in the world use their subordinates as bait, just to inflict wounds upon their opponent?

A person couldn’t, or rather, even someone disguised as a human shouldn’t, and certainly couldn’t have done such a thing.

A sword, brimming with Lee Songbaek’s anger, fell down from the sky to the ground like lightning bolt.

It wasn’t the Black Dragon King who stopped Lee Songbaek.

Swish! Clang!

In an instant, as Lee Songbaek lost his composure and aimed at the Black Dragon King, long harpoons flew at his side. The flashing harpoons viciously tore through Lee Songbaek’s skin and muscles.

Yet, amidst this chaos, his sword and the Black Dragon King’s guandao collided head-on.

Kwaaaang!

The outcome was practically predetermined.

With a thunderous roar as if a bomb had exploded, Lee Songbaek’s body was slammed into the ground like a stone. The pirates caught in the aftermath also fell, spurting blood.

The Black Dragon King quickly surveyed the surroundings again and retreated behind the pirates. His movements were truly ghost-like.

Seeing this, Baek Cheon felt cold sweat run down his back.

From the start, Black Dragon King Jeok Segwang was stronger than them. How terrifying is it when a strong person can create a situation where they only fight when they want to?

‘What about reinforcements?’

There were none. Apart from Namgung Dowi, Namgung clan was barely holding on.

And even those they had brought, including Baek Sang, would take much more time to reach this place. Baek Sang was fighting valiantly, but it was realistically difficult at the moment.

That meant they had to capture the Black Dragon King with just those who were present here and now.

For the first time, a strange emotion appeared on Baek Cheon’s face.

‘…No, I wasn’t wrong.’

He wasn’t wrong. He definitely wasn’t wrong. The choice he made was right.

But… was he really prepared to bear it? Could he accept the situation where he loses everything because of this choice?

…Was he just underestimating the opponent?

Baek Cheon bit his lower lip hard.

The Black Dragon King is strong.

It wasn’t just about his martial prowess. Even in a desperate situation, he remained calm and used everything he had to corner Cheonumaeng.

Even though Baek Cheon knew that the “strength” discussed in Gangho was not just about personal martial prowess, he had pushed forward with all of this. He knew that someone like the Black Dragon King, with his experience and cunningness, was incomparable to this side.

“Are you not coming any closer?”

As proof, the Black Dragon King was staring at them without a hint of impatience. It was the face of someone who knew that the more time passed, the more advantageous it would be for him.

A fox.

That one word wouldn’t leave Baek Cheon’s mind. A fox backed by the might of a tiger. The fox exploits the tiger’s might [호가호위(狐假虎威)].

Baek Cheon tightly gripped his sword.

At that moment, a faint, trembling voice came from beside him.

“…Isn’t it time for him to arrive?”

Jo Geol, carrying Namgung Dowi on his back, was looking around as if searching for something.

“He must have heard the news too… Then by now he should…”

Crunch.

Baek Cheon gritted his teeth.

He wasn’t angry at the complacency.

The longer they waited, the more pirates would gather. It was a situation where they couldn’t afford to delay for even a moment.

Yet Baek Cheon was stalling under the pretext of planning a strategy. Jo Geol’s words had brought to light Baek Cheon’s own true feelings, which he hadn’t fully realized. And that realization infuriated him.

He had been waiting. Waiting for Chung Myung to come. Waiting for him to resolve the crisis as he always did.

Yes, like a fox cub waiting for the tiger.

The Black Dragon King was right. Without the tiger, the fox cub could do nothing. A stupid and arrogant fox, deluded into thinking the tiger’s might was its own.

Crunch.

Unable to overcome the surging self-loathing and disgust, Baek Cheon gripped his sword tightly when someone’s voice pierced his ears.

“He’s not coming.”

“Sahyeong!”

It was Yoon Jong. Bleeding from his side, he stepped forward and pointed his sword at the Black Dragon King.

Yu Iseol, her lips stained red with blood, also stepped forward, speaking more firmly than usual, standing beside Yoon Jong.

“We mustn’t let him come.”

Her cold gaze was fixed on the Black Dragon King. The ones who flinched at that gaze were Baek Cheon and Jo Geol.

“Amitabha…”

Hye Yeon also nodded and walked forward.

“It’s true that Chung Myung is extraordinary… but we are not incapable without him.”

Yoon Jong turned his head to look at Baek Cheon. His eyes carried no discernible emotion.

Baek Cheon trembled slightly.

It was as if Yoon Jong’s eyes were asking him, is this really the situation you wanted? Rushing in blindly despite losing your martial arts, dragging other disciples into it, and ultimately making their lives meaningless sacrifices – was that truly the right thing to do?

Of course, he knew that this was the voice of guilt from within him. Yet, he couldn’t help but lower his head.

But what came out of Yoon Jong’s mouth was something entirely different.

“Sasuk.”

“…Yoon Jong-ah, I…”

“Give us the order.”

Baek Cheon’s face became slightly blank with surprise.

Yoon Jong’s eyes did not hold reproach. They held… unwavering trust.

“…This isn’t an opponent we can defeat by fighting haphazardly. If the enemy is trying to fight as a group, shouldn’t we do the same?”

“That’s right.”

“Indeed!”

Yu Iseol nodded lightly, and Jo Geol agreed vehemently.

“If it’s an order from the Vice Sect Leader, we can trust it.”

Even Lee Songbaek, who had been thrown back by the Black Dragon King’s blow, wiped the blood from his lips and approached Baek Cheon.

Jin Geumryong, his face openly showing displeasure, also came to stand on the opposite side. He didn’t like it, but there was no other choice right now.

Baek Cheon stared blankly at all these movements and at the trust visible on each face. His eyes trembled slightly.

Just a mere fox cub. A fool boasting with the tiger’s might.

But they believed in him, without any doubt, in the one who had driven them into this crisis.

So, what was he supposed to do?

‘…It was decided from the beginning.’

What he must do. What he intended to do.

Baek Cheon swiftly reached out towards Namgung Dowi, who was weighing down Jo Geol.

“Sasuk?”

“Here.”

Baek Cheon took Namgung Dowi and carried him on his back. He even pulled out a bandage from his robe and securely wrapped it around his body to fix him in place.

“Jo Geol! Yoon Jong! As always, open the path!”

“Yes.”

“Leave it to us!”

For a moment, he had forgotten, but from the start, Jo Geol and Yoon Jong were a pair. Their strength was best exhibited when they fought together rather than alone.

“Monk! Lee Sohyeop!”

“Speak, Siju.”

“Yes, Vice Sect Leader!”

“He puts all his strength into a single strike. When the two in front clear the path, block that attack perfectly just once!”

“Yes!”

“We will definitely succeed.”

Baek Cheon’s gaze fixed on Yu Iseol’s back.

“Samae, target his rear! At any moment!”

“Understood.”

Yu Iseol responded calmly.

“What about me?”

Baek Cheon glanced at Jin Geumryong.

The moment he saw that irksome face, a curt voice came out of Baek Cheon’s mouth.

“Cover us, you idiot.”

“If we make it out alive, you’re next. Remember that, Jin Dongryong.”

Baek Cheon chuckled at Jin Geumryong’s angry voice.

He gripped his sword tightly, his eyes fixed on the Black Dragon King, who still moved cautiously.

There wouldn’t be many opportunities. No, there would be only this one. If this strike failed, what remained would be dying as a truly pathetic fox.

No… even being a fox didn’t matter.

From the beginning, what he had learned was not how to become a tiger. It was how to fight even as a wildcat if not a fox. If he couldn’t become a tiger, he would become the fox that bites and kills the tiger.

As he stared intently, he could see it.

The end of the Black Dragon King’s crescent moon blade swayed slightly with his breath.

Up. Down. Up again. And then…

“Now!”

At Baek Cheon’s signal, Jo Geol shot forward like lightning. Everyone else followed suit as if drawn by an invisible force.

The thick scent of blood, the heat searing their faces, the crushing pressure on their hearts, and the life-threatening aura pricking their skin.

Overcoming all of it, Jo Geol’s sword thrust forward.

The true sword named Jo Geol that Baek Cheon had gained after losing his own.