Chapter 1263: I Will Not Send You Alive. (3)

“Waaaaaaah!”

Gwak Hwan-So shook his sword with all his strength.

The Tiger Ghost Troops members’ faces showed obvious bewilderment at that momentum. Soon a fierce, wave-like sword qi swept over them all at once.

“Aaaah!”

A Tiger Ghost Troops member, cut across his body, screamed and retreated. He looked so weak it was hard to believe he was the same rank of warrior who had earlier casually blocked Gwak Hwan-So’s sword.

‘This is...!’

Gwak Hwan-So gripped his sword tightly.

‘This is Mount Hua’s Acting Sect Leader!’

He’s completely different.

Lee Ja-Yang, pushing the enemy from the side, was also swinging his sword almost in a trance. Those following Gwak Hwan-So were likely the same.

‘No, no!’

In fact, saying they were following Gwak Hwan-So isn’t right. The one they’re actually pursuing is Baek Cheon!

Gwak Hwan-So shouted at the top of his lungs.

“Push forward!”

“Yes!”

Seeing the Southern Island attack with all their momentum, the Tiger Ghost Troops members ground their teeth.

“You damned island bumpkins!”

It looked as if fire spewed from their fierce eyes. But it lasted only a moment.

“Aaaah!”

Before they could turn their rage into momentum, a desperate scream rang out from behind. Instinctively turning their heads, they were met by a spectacle of red petals—sword qi—covering the front.

Though notorious as Tiger Ghost Troops members and said to have endured the even more fearsome training of the Ten Thousand People Clan, it was impossible to maintain their usual composure while being attacked from front and rear.

And the biggest problem was that swordsmanship.

“Aaaah!”

“D-damn it!”

If the sword of Baek Cheon flying from behind had been a straightforward strength like those of other justice factions sects, they might have held back their urgency and tried to deal with Southern Island first.

After all, they could buy time while the ones behind them were killed.

But Baek Cheon’s sword wasn’t that obvious a strength. That scattering sword qi was impossible to block entirely. Even using the ones behind as shields didn’t grant them complete freedom.

Therefore...

“Kraaaah!”

“Ugh! My, my back...”

The petal-like flying sword qi pierced repeatedly between the Tiger Ghost Troops’ formations and into flesh. Because the sword qi was thin and small like petals, most wounds ended as cloth-tearing cuts, but depending on where they struck, it was clear they could lead to fatal blood loss.

It was obvious these could become fatal wounds that spilled excessive blood.

Wasn’t it maddening? With sword qi constantly flying from behind and digging into every corner, how could they possibly focus only on the enemies in front?

So even the youngsters who would normally be no match had no choice but to be overwhelmed. Those guys only had to deal with the Tiger Ghost Troops in front, while the latter had to endure attacks pouring in from both front and back.

“Damn them!”

The pent-up fury finally burst out. One Tiger Ghost Troops member shouted toward his rear.

“Damn it! It’s just one man—why can’t you handle him, you stupid bastards!”

“What?”

“At least grab his ankle and hold on! Don’t act like idiots saving that useless life of yours!”

“You son of a—!”

The anger that should’ve been unleashed on the enemy poured onto comrades. They were in intense battle so a proper argument couldn’t happen, but under normal circumstances knives would have been drawn between them.

These people didn’t have camaraderie; they used a single name because they bowed to strength. With lives hanging by a thread, there was no reason or leisure to worry about others.

This crack in their emotions was enough to instantly disrupt the previously maintained momentum of the Tiger Ghost Troops.

“Oooooooh!”

As the enemy wavered, Southern Island’s disciples raised their momentum and charged forward.

A voice cheering them on came from behind.

“Do not forgive the villains! This is Southern Island!”

The moment Southern Island’s sect leader Geum Yang-Baek’s grand voice rang out, Southern Island Sect’s swords grew even sharper.

Seeing the Southern Island sect rushing like a wave, Heo Meng’s face went pale.

‘Ah, no!’

He had to manage this immediately.

The Tiger Ghost Troops were holding a nearly straight formation with their backs to the shore. If the center were broken through, the members would naturally be split in two.

If that happened, those left would be surrounded from all sides by numerous enemies. The already few would be split and their momentum would collapse further.

Not even the Tiger Ghost Troops—no, even if the Tiger Ghost Troops’ grandfathers came—could withstand that. The most efficient way for many weak to tackle a few strong is to surround them from all sides so the strong cannot exert their full power.

That’s how it works.

So the center absolutely had to be prevented from being broken. But...

Clang!

“Ugh...”

“This bastard is looking elsewhere with me right in front of him?”

The rough-haired young Mount Hua fellow blocking him wouldn’t let go. Worse than that—if he made a wrong move, his throat would be pierced by that man’s sword.

Then the Mount Hua man narrowed his eyes and asked.

“Why? You want to go that way? Ah, that’s possible.”

A thick sneer lingered at the corner of Jo Gul’s mouth.

“If you kill me. But would that really happen?”

“Don’t talk shit, just fight, Gul.”

“Ah, seriously!”

Failing to hold his ground, Jo Gul contorted his face and for a moment thrust his sword at Heo Meng.

Swoooosh!

The sword, like in island skirmishes, sharply bent and narrowly grazed Heo Maeng’s cheek as he dodged.

The sensation of skin splitting and blood flowing clearly heated his cheek.

Cold sweat ran down Heo Meng’s forehead.

‘What on earth are these guys?’

Who could still be surprised that Mount Hua was this strong?

The proposition that Mount Hua was strong was already solid within the Ten Thousand People Clan. After all, they were the Evil Sect; if those who live by the battlefield couldn’t properly gauge an opponent’s skill, they wouldn’t have survived until now.

But the movements of these kids couldn’t be explained so simply to their brains. Even while spread across a wide battlefield and unable to even exchange a glance, they moved organically as if shouting conversation to one another.

No sooner had that pale fellow begun to lead the flustered Southern Island than the others, as if they knew, began cutting off support heading that way.

‘How can this be?’

Strategic movement isn’t related to individual ability. Even someone with tactical skill can’t fully deploy it in real combat.

It’s a world of difference between desk-bound strategists drawing maps and being in the middle of a battlefield where sharpened weapons pass.

Only those who’d been through countless battlefields could even gain a sense of such things—so how on earth did these youngsters display such movement?

“Aha!”

Swoooosh!

At that moment, a flying sword pierced Heo Meng’s shoulder.

“Ugh!”

Heo Meng flew backward uncontrollably. Blood gushed from the perforated shoulder.

“You shouldn’t daydream with me right in front of you! You weak Evil Sect bastard!”

“Gah, you damned bastard...!”

“If you’re upset, then win!”

Despite his light words, Jo Gul’s eyes poured out a blue, heavy murderous intent.

Meanwhile, similar things were happening elsewhere.

“Oooooooh!”

Kuuuuuung!

“Haaaaah!”

Kwaaaaang!

The Tiger Ghost Troops hadn’t won the title of Ten Thousand People Clan’s force by gamble. They knew they had to stop Southern Island Sect’s main force breaking through the center.

“Waaaaaah!”

But what poured ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) down on those trying to stop them were Hae Yeon’s golden firelight, Namgung Do-Wei’s white sword qi like cannon shells, and the Tang Pae’s pink poison powder that covered even the sky.

“Th-this...”

No matter how bold, who would advance while risking Shaolin’s authority, Namgung’s sword ki, and the Tang family’s poison? It was nothing less than suicide.

With the situation like this, there was nothing they could do even as they watched their formation collapse.

As they floundered for a moment, Southern Island Sect’s vanguard finally pierced right through the center of the Tiger Ghost Troops’ formation!

‘Th-this...’

Heo Meng’s face turned ashen for an instant.

‘Damn that leader!’

The leader who should’ve quickly given orders at a time like this had already had his neck sliced by Mount Hua’s Sword Saint. So there was no one else here to issue commands to the lower level members.

“R-retreat! We’re being surrounded. Change formation...”

Swoooosh!

Heo Meng, who had stopped speaking, twisted his waist hurriedly. Jo Gul’s sword, as always, sliced long across his face.

“You keep looking elsewhere, eh?”

“You bastard!”

Despair colored Heo Meng’s face. At this rate, their fate was all but decided. If the Southern Island and the Heavenly Friends Alliance turned their directions and surrounded them after piercing the center, it would be the end...

But at that exact moment.

“Run! Board the ships!”

“Yes!”

Instead of changing direction after cutting through the Tiger Ghost Troops’ center, those who did so ran straight to the shore. Then they leapt toward the anchored ships.

“There will be enemies on the ships too! Don’t let your guard down—seize them!”

“Yes!”

At Geum Yang-Baek’s swift command, Southern Island sect’s disciples quickened their pace and began rapidly boarding and seizing the ships.

‘What?’

Heo Meng involuntarily opened his mouth.

What the hell are they doing? They’re not destroying the ships—they’re boarding them?

So they brought all their strength and fought the Tiger Ghost Troops only to board those ships?

‘Why on earth?’

This is the Southern Island.

Ships are as plentiful here as carts on land. What possible reason could there be for such madness on the Southern Island?

No, before that...

‘They had the chance to encircle them and they’re just throwing it away like that?’

If the main force boards the ships, the Tiger Ghost Troops left on the shore would gain time to reorganize.

By any common sense, it was a decision that could only be called insane.

“Wh-what are you doing?”

Asking wouldn’t get a straight answer, but the situation was so absurd the words slipped out. The young Mount Hua fellow facing him certainly wasn’t sane either.

“Your ships are ours now.”

“...Ships?”

“Yeah. Doesn’t that piss you off?”

“...”

For a moment Heo Meng’s mind went blank, not knowing what to say, and he shut his mouth. They weren’t even in a position to talk to one another.

He couldn’t understand why they coveted the ships. But at least he quickly understood why they hadn’t encircled them.

“They’re coming!”

“Huh?”

At someone’s shout, Heo Meng hurriedly raised his head.

The forest leading to the shore was shaking as a whole!

“Comma...”

A shout burst from Heo Meng, a mix of unexpected relief and fear.

“Commander! The main force! The main force has arrived!”

Krrrrrung!

Trees burst as if hit by cannon fire as a vast number of Ten Thousand People Clan troops appeared. From among them stepped out the Ten Thousand People Clan’s commander Ho Ga-Myung, who swept his gaze coldly across the shore.

His gaze stopped at a corner of the shore. More precisely, at a single person standing there leisurely.

Ho Ga-Myung slowly opened his mouth.

“...I didn’t expect to meet you in a place like this.”

He continued without changing his expression.

“What business does the Mount Hua Sword Saint have on this distant island?”

Chung Myung looked steadily at Ho Ga-Myung, then slightly tilted his head.

“Uh... sorry.”

“Hmm?”

“Who are you?”

A momentary silence fell. Ho Ga-Myung’s thick eyebrows twitched slightly.