Chapter 1266: Worry About The Ten Thousand People Clan Bastards! (1)

‘These are the Heavenly Friends Alliance!’

Geum Yang-Baek could not hide his astonishment.

In fact, when the initial plan was discussed, Geum Yang-Baek had no doubt that they would be the ones leading this operation.

It’s a slightly different issue from who devised the plan; it’s about whose strength will carry out the created plan.

In Geum Yang-Baek’s view, of course that should have been him and the elders of Southern Island.

Reason? Isn’t that obvious?

No matter how the reputation of Mount Hua’s Sword Saint covers the land, and the fame of Mount Hua’s Five Swords reaches even Southern Island, and though those who came with them will become lords of the Five Great Families, they are after all still young youths.

By that measure, aren’t they even younger than Southern Island’s great disciple Gwak Hwan-So?

He acknowledged their fame and positions, of course, but he had trained decades longer than them, so the idea of being outmatched in skill was unthinkable.

But the leaders of the Heavenly Friends Alliance, especially Mount Hua’s disciples, shattered that notion.

“Haaaaaah!”

Mount Hua Acting Sect Leader Baek Cheon’s sword spewed streaks of crimson sword qi. The blade-qi scattered as if oxidizing in midair, then turned into red petals that swept over the enemy.

It was a sword qi that made it impossible to tell what was real and what was fake.

The point of such illusions is to nullify defenses that honest, straightforward attacks cannot pierce.

But the illusions of this sword exceeded even that realm.

Among the hundreds of scattering sword qi it was meaningless to distinguish the real from fake. Even if you perfectly identified them, you couldn’t block them.

“Ugh!”

“Aaaah!”

And that fact was vividly proven by the struggles of the Ten Thousand People Clan warriors facing Baek Cheon’s sword qi.

In this mêlée, blocking each of those tiny sword qi one by one is by no means easy task.

One might think it far harder to block those attacks alone, but the reality is different. In a one-on-one duel there’s abundant space to use, but in a situation like this, stepping back is impossible.

In other words, Mount Hua’s sword technique displays astonishing power on a battlefield fought in groups.

‘It’s easier said than done.’

If wielding such sword qi were as easy as words, wouldn’t every swordsman in the land have made the same choice?

Sword qi is the qi extended through the sword. To finely segment that qi and move it exactly as desired is an incredibly difficult task.

It’s unimaginable what intense training they must have undergone to deploy it freely even in such urgent circumstances.

‘How did such young people gain such skill...’

If someone else thought that it might be rude. But Geum Yang-Baek was more than qualified to think so. He was, after all, the sect leader of the Southern Island Sect, one pillar of the Nine Great Sects.

And even to him, the skill of these young swordsmen matched the elders of Southern Island. Objectively, beyond the title of sect leader, they might even surpass them.

“Die! You Ten Thousand People Clan bastards!”

“Gul! I told you not to rush out like a lone foal!”

“But they’re the Ten Thousand People Clan, sahyung!”

“Please shut up ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) and keep your feet on the ground! You damned brat!”

Moreover, their experience in handling enemies apart from swordsmanship is incomparable to Southern Island Sect’s elders.

Even as those possessed by battlefield madness surge toward them, they raise morale instead of cowering, as if ready to charge out.

‘Is this Mount Hua?’

Geum Yang-Baek realized anew.

While the Southern Island Sect was trapped in the dream that they honed their swordcraft here on this distant Southern Island, these others had become strong by fighting countless battles.

Stagnant water rots.

It struck him that what he had done for Southern Island may have turned Southern Island not into a vast sea but into a stagnant puddle trapped on a small island.

“Sect leader!”

“I understand!”

The intense voice from beside him snapped Geum Yang-Baek back to his senses.

Boom!

He stomped his qi release strike harder than usual. At the same moment, from his drawn sword surged a storm-like sword qi rampaging wildly.

Kraaaaaa!

Southern Island’s sword was like a gusting wind and an advancing wave.

Geum Yang-Baek’s sword sliced once, then again and again.

Wave after wave! Another wave! Another wave!

Like waves endlessly lashing the shore, Geum Yang-Baek’s sword qi surged endlessly toward the enemy.

The faces of the Ten Thousand People Clan warriors turned pale.

Unlike Mount Hua’s swords—flashy and threatening but lacking heft—the sword qi Geum Yang-Baek unleashed was rough and heavy. The internal qi contained within was enough to make people recoil.

“Hold the line! We must stand here until the ships are completely secured!”

“Yes!”

Seeing that sword qi, the elders too grew a hundredfold braver and brandished their swords.

Im So-Byeong, watching the situation from the rear, grinned.

“The Nine Great Sects are what they are.”

The Southern Island bratlings running to seize the ships were hardly much help. Coldly judged, no matter that they were Southern Island Sect, it’s hard for those experiencing real combat for the first time to perform their roles; if they show half their usual skill it’d be lucky.

It would be fortunate if they managed even half.

But Geum Yang-Baek and the elders were demonstrating the hours they’d accumulated in the murim world without reserve. Their joining made the front noticeably firmer.

However......

‘We can’t hold for long.’

Even so, the limit was clear.

“Kill them!”

“Kill them all!”

The Ten Thousand People Clan warriors trampled over their fallen comrades’ backs and lunged forward like mad dogs.

Those holding the line numbered only about thirty. No matter how many warriors could fight a hundred to one, they couldn’t possibly hold against that many Ten Thousand People Clan fighters to the end.

If that were possible, would the Ten Thousand People Clan have become the losers of the Four Sects Alliance?

The one reason they could hold now was that Mount Hua had cleanly seized the initiative and broken the enemy’s momentum.

But that couldn’t last forever.

Numbers can be nothing at times and everything at others. No matter how strong those blocking the front were, knowing they had overwhelming numbers, the Ten Thousand People Clan continuously pressed and pushed the Heavenly Friends Alliance forces.

“Ugh!”

“Hold on!”

Swish!

Jo Gul’s left arm was longly sliced by an incoming blade. Blood splattered.

“Gul!”

“Don’t make a fuss, sahyung!”

“Fall back! I’ll...!”

“Ah, I said don’t make a fuss!”

Clenching his teeth and shouting, Jo Gul instantly pierced the neck of the attacker charging him.

Crunch!

The moment he drew his sword, hot blood gushed from the blown-out hole and splashed onto his face.

‘There’s no end to them.’

No matter how many he killed, they showed no sign of dwindling. Honestly, here he couldn’t even sense where this army might end.

It felt as if this vast shore were filled entirely with the Ten Thousand People Clan.

“Aaaah!”

At the scream beside him, Jo Gul almost turned his head. Only at the last moment, with superhuman patience, did he fix his gaze forward. He must not look away now.

‘No!’

That voice wasn’t one he recognized. It was probably the sound of one of Southern Island’s elders falling.

But that was no reason for relief. After all, more and more of those unable to hold were appearing.

“Bastard!”

The enemies’ response grew even swifter.

Realizing that chopping at the few would only cut them down, the Ten Thousand People Clan slowed their momentum a bit and pushed more people forward. Someone threw daggers over heads, someone thrust swords recklessly through the gaps between people.

Those seemingly meaningless blind swings were nevertheless enough of a threat to those holding the line.

“Ugh!”

“Sago!”

“Keep your position!”

Yu Yiseol’s calm voice snapped Jo Gul fully awake.

“Damn it! Green Forest King! Are they far?”

“...No, they should be about here now, what are those bastards doing?”

“Yes?”

Suddenly a shout burst from Im So-Byeong’s mouth.

“Hey. You foolish bastards! What are you doing now!”

What Im So-Byeong was watching were Southern Island’s disciples who had jumped from the ships and were pushing hard toward the sea. As if protesting the curse from behind, one of them shouted.

“The ship, the ship! The ship is resting on the sandbar! We must push it out!”

“What?”

Im So-Byeong looked at the ship again with startled eyes. Now he could clearly see the bow was resting on the shore.

‘It wasn’t like that a moment ago?’

There was no way he’d misread the situation, was there?

“The tide is ebbing, the water’s receding because of the ebb!”

“Ebb tide? What do you mean?”

Then Lee Ja-Yang rolled his eyes in frustration.

But Im So-Byeong had his own excuse. Having lived his whole life in the mountains, how on earth was he to know the island’s tides?

“Push it out at once!”

“The ship, the ship is so large...!”

Just then, Im So-Byeong bit his lip as if maddened.

“Green Forest King! This way!”

“Yes?”

“Monk, Hae Yeon!”

“Yes!”

Before Im So-Byeong could make a decision, Hae Yeon, ordered by Baek Cheon, dashed like lightning. Seeing that, Im So-Byeong’s eyes went wide as saucers.

“You crazy monk! Then the front will be e—”

“I’ll comeeeeee!”

“Aaaah! Move! Not you, you bastard!”

Im So-Byeong kicked aside Seol So-Baek, who was about to rush off, then shoved into the spot where Hae Yeon had been and began wildly waving his fan.

“You idiots who don’t know the worth of a strategist! Only when you all die will you come to your senses!”

No matter what Im So-Byeong jabbered, Hae Yeon reached the bow of the ship and shouted.

“Stand aside!”

“Yes?”

“Quick!”

Southern Island’s disciples jumped back in alarm and made way. Hae Yeon gave a short nod, then pressed his palm-mind to the ship.

“Huph!”

Woooooooom!

Hae Yeon’s clothes swelled as if about to burst.

“Oooooooo!”

At the same time, Hae Yeon stepped forward and began pushing the large ship out.

“W-wait!”

Startled, Gwak Hwan-So hurried to pull him back. Of course the ship was very sturdy, but after all it’s made of wood and thus also fragile. If such force were focused to push that huge ship out, wouldn’t the timber crack before it moved?

Wouldn’t the wood splinter and a hole be torn before it even moved?

“Stop at once—”

But Gwak Hwan-So’s worry was dispelled in an instant.

Golden energy spewed from Hae Yeon’s palm-mind and widely covered the bow, and soon the massive ship began to move back with a creak.

“...This is impossible...”

How on earth could one person push that huge ship out alone? This wasn’t simply a matter of martial strength.

“Ooooooooo!”

At that moment Hae Yeon let out a roar like a lion and in one breath fully pushed the ship out. The vessel shot off the sandbar and slapped the water, rocking mightily.

“It’s done!”

“W-we did it!”

“Amazing!”

Southern Island’s disciples cheered as if they themselves had pushed the ship.

“Next!”

“This ship! This way!”

“Those remaining, board the ships at once. Hurry!”

“Yes!”

Hae Yeon shouted as he immediately moved to push another ship.

“Drive the ships out! Right now!”

“Unfurl the sails!”

“Those with free hands, get down and take the oars!”

The ships that had been grounded on the shore began to slowly move toward the open sea.