episode_0036

In the distance, a light could be seen.

Although it was so far away that it looked like a mere dot, it was clearly visible to Mu-young’s eyes.

In the darkness, his sharpened vision, honed through countless trials, surpassed that of ordinary humans.

“The information was correct.”

The crucial information that Yi Yeon had finally obtained was indeed accurate.

To light a fire and do something in Seonsan late at night?

It was suspicious to anyone who saw it.

If their actions were indeed to quickly remove evidence of a crime, then their behavior was fully explained.

Tick.

Mu-young’s hand dropped down.

A signal to slow down.

There was no need to sprint at full speed now that they had come this far.

There was a possibility of being detected before launching a surprise attack.

Mu-young’s speed decreased.

Watching this, Mu-young fell into deep thought.

“Ruju is coming.”

There was no direct mention of Ruju moving personally.

He was probably still undecided until then.

But Mu-young, who had known Ruju longer than anyone else, understood.

Ruju would definitely make the decision to come here in person.

That was the kind of person Ruju was.

However.

“I arrived first.”

Because he had been lurking near Geumryongjeonjang, he could arrive here before Ruju in Jeokhwaru.

The distance was definitely closer.

“I can’t wait.”

Mu-young made a quick decision.

If it had been a different mission, he would have waited.

But this was a mission where time was of the essence.

There was no time to leisurely wait for Ruju.

Ruju wouldn’t want that either.

Thuck.

Mu-young continued to signal to move forward.

The distance to Sayeongho was getting closer.

The workshop there was the source of the production of the drug.

They had to strike before the humans of Geumryongjeonjang could handle the evidence there.

They wouldn’t be late.

Calculating the narrowing distance and time, Mu-young expected that.

A perfect surprise attack.

The enemy would never have dreamed that anyone would come here.

Approach quietly and launch a surprise attack.

Then smoothly eliminate the enemy…

Crackle!

Crackle!

“?!”

It was exactly at that moment.

Suddenly, flames began to shoot up from Sayeong.

“This is!”

Mu-young couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise.

But that wasn’t important right now.

Even if they had to give up on stealth, they had to run at full speed in this urgent situation.

“Everyone, run at full speed!”

Mu-young ordered, increasing the speed of his own flying.

Tap, tap, tap, tap!

Mu-young led the way.

The distance closed quickly.

The enemies finally noticed and turned this way, but it didn’t matter.

It was going to end like this…

Crunch!

“?!”

At the moment his foot touched the ground, a strange sound rang out.

It wasn’t the sound of stepping on dirt.

It was the sound of stepping on a thin wooden plank that was about to break.

Instinctively realizing this, Mu-young leaped just before the ground completely collapsed below him.

Swoosh.

Thud.

Mu-young landed after falling from the air, barely managing to land safely.

A trap!

Without another thought, Mu-young immediately tried to shout a warning to his subordinates.

But…

Crunch!

Crunch!

The sound of trap triggers breaking all around.

And then.

Thud!

Whoosh!

Thud! Thud! Thud!

“Gah!”

“Aaah!”

“Nooo!”

The agonizing screams of his subordinates filled the air.

It was a terrible sight.

If there was hell on earth, this was it.

Numerous spikes laid out densely under the trap.

Former humans pierced by those spikes.

Sharp blades stained with red blood protruding from their bodies.

Head, neck, chest, stomach, groin, thigh, arm, leg, hand, foot……

The forms that existed just moments ago were now shredded pieces of flesh, weakly impaled on the blade.

There was no sign of life.

The ground was painted red with the insane splatter of blood raining down.

“Ahhhhhh!”

Unable to bear the unbearable shock, Mu-yeong, his eyes gone wild, finally vomited up the lion’s head like he was spewing blood.

***

Clippity-clop!

A horse galloped through the dark night alone.

Its speed far surpassed that of an ordinary horse.

A sweat-blood horse.

It was the precious steed said to run a thousand li in a day.

Riding on it was a silver-haired woman in red armor.

Eun Hwa-yeong, the Red Flower of the Enemy.

Unable to make it in time by foot, she had brought out the precious thousand-li horse, the only one in the Red Palace.

“I won’t be late.”

Eun Hwa-yeong muttered to herself.

If by any chance she was late, Mu-yeong would be there.

With that thought in mind, she had come out herself, believing that Mu-yeong could handle any situation.

That’s what she believed.

No, she had to believe.

However.

A sense of unease crept into a corner of her heart.

Was it the unease that Mu-yeong might be late and fail in his mission?

Thinking about the situation, it made sense.

But…

“No.”

Eun Hwa-yeong shook her head, erasing the thought.

This is not a reliable feeling.

Her state of mind was different from usual, clearly indicating urgency.

She had to reap the rewards of her efforts so far.

This kind of feeling could not be trusted.

Thwack.

Eun Hwa-yeong’s hand struck the horse’s flank.

“Sorry. Give me a little more strength.”

Hee-yah!

As if sensing its owner’s heart, the sweat-blood horse sped up, racing forward faster.

***

“I see him.”

Mu-yeong’s figure came into view.

She had caught up without being late.

Approaching like this…

That’s when it happened.

Mu-yeong suddenly increased his speed drastically.

“What’s going on?”

There must be some change.

Otherwise, Mu-yeong wouldn’t have come all the way to the destination and called for a full sprint.

In that case.

“Have they started?”

Eun Hwa-yeong realized that they were taking action to eliminate evidence at the Golden Dragon Battlefield.

This was a battle against time.

Thwack.

Eun Hwa-yeong urged the sweat-blood horse again, hitting its side.

Clippity-clop!

The horse started a mad dash at full speed, using up its last bit of strength.

The distance closed quickly.

“Huh?”

In a moment passing through the dark grassy entrance of the Shadow Valley, Eun Hwa-yeong felt it.

The presence of humans hidden in the grass.

This is…

An ambush?!

In an instant, Eun Hwa-yeong’s mind came to a conclusion.

Her face hardened.

The presence of an ambush meant being drawn into the enemy’s prepared battlefield.

It wouldn’t just be an ambush.

She had to somehow stop Mu-yeong in his tracks.

“Just stop right…”

Eun Hwa-yeong’s sharp voice was cut off.

Crack!

Crack!

Crack!

The ground weakly collapsed all around her.

The unbalanced Mu-yeong fell down along with it.

And then.

Thud!

Whoosh!

Thud! Thud!

The chilling sound of sharp blades piercing through human flesh.

“Aaaah!”

“Cough… Cough!”

“Aaargh!”

The horrific screams echoed in all directions.

Hee-yah!

The clever sweat-blood horse sensed its owner’s danger and stopped on its own.

But that place was already a battlefield of death.

“…”

Eun Hwa-yeong, on the horse, did not say a word.

Her expression…

Was eerie.

Her eyes were open, but she seemed to be seeing nothing.

Dead eyes, sucked into her own thoughts.

Behind her, a group of women dressed in night attire had suddenly appeared, closing in on her as if surrounding her.

They were the hidden members of the ambush.

“…Ah, so that’s how it is.”

Finally, Eun Hwayoung spoke up.

Was the information leaked?

No.

That wasn’t the issue.

The problem was the information itself.

A trap.

The information written in the letter was a trap.

It was deliberately leaked by the new leader.

Someone knew they were eavesdropping.

The presence of Yi Yeon, hidden in the secret passage, had already been revealed to the new leader.

But instead of dealing with Yi Yeon on the spot, they threw out valuable false information as bait.

And she fell for that bait.

“…I was foolish.”

When was the last time she had been manipulated by someone like this?

Except for when she was very young, she couldn’t remember.

But now, in this situation.

No… what was important wasn’t such things.

“Yeonah….”

The name of her only friend slipped out of Eun Hwayoung’s lips.

The fact that things had escalated to this point meant that Yi Yeon had already been captured, and in the worst case scenario, she might have even lost her life.

A suffocating darkness weighed heavily on her mind.

Her chest felt like it had been pierced by a blade.

Clang!

Her tightly clenched hand’s nails dug into her flesh, drawing blood.

Everything was her fault.

Blinded by ambition, she had sent her friend to her death.

That was the judgment of a heartless human.

That was the judgment of a cruel human.

That’s how she had lived.

But she didn’t know.

She didn’t know that she had emotions she couldn’t handle.

That her heart would be torn apart by such despair.

And so.

And so.

“….”

Eun Hwayoung closed her eyes tightly, her lips trembling so violently that blood dripped from them, her body shaking uncontrollably.

That’s when it happened.

“Aaaah!”

A scream filled with the agony and sadness of a shattered soul erupted from Mu Yeong.

A man’s desperate cry.

It was only natural.

He had lost so many of his Mu Yeong clan members, whom he had cherished like siblings or children, in one place.

The survivors were few.

And even they knew what would soon happen to them.

“….”

Eun Hwayoung opened her eyes again.

Her expression was colder and more indifferent than ever.

She couldn’t afford to grieve.

She couldn’t afford to be angry.

Those were emotions for those who weren’t responsible.

The responsibility for all this tragedy lay with her.

She had to be cold.

Infinitely cold.

And so she had to find.

What she could do in this hopeless battlefield.

What she must do.

Swish.

Her gaze, now icy, turned back.

The enemies were already setting up a proper encirclement and closing in on her.

There was no way she could break through that.

She quickly gave up on trying to escape through the passage.

Instead.

Eun Hwayoung’s red eyes looked ahead again.

The battlefield that had turned into a mess due to the trap.

But because of that, the enemy couldn’t enter properly either.

So they were setting up the encirclement from a distance.

But what was peculiar was.

They left the entrance to the mountain path empty and blocked only the path to the lake.

The reason was clear.

They had set a trap there too.

If she tried to escape through the mountain path, the same deadly field as before would be waiting for her.

“….”

But.

Hee-yah!

Eun Hwayoung, for some reason, abruptly turned her horse and started racing fiercely towards the mountain path.

***

“Haha, it looks like it’s over.”

Jang Il laughed happily.

Even if they were enemies, experiencing the horrors of the battlefield and the pitiful corpses for the first time must have been tough, but seeing him laugh so casually, it was clear that he was no ordinary person in this regard.

After all, whether you liked it or not, anyone who set foot in the martial arts world should have already prepared themselves mentally for such things.

“Kid. Still, don’t let your guard down. Haven’t I always told you that?”

Bang So-un said with a smirk.

Of course, Jangil’s words were not wrong.

The enemy’s core, the Mu Yeong Dae, was already on the brink of destruction.

Only a few individuals, who seemed to be the leaders, had survived.

Even the slightest hint of morale had plummeted.

They were just a group of fallen individuals.

It was impossible for them to withstand the twenty elite masters led by Yeon Soo Rin and the top twenty martial artists on this side.

And one more person.

Bang So Woon’s gaze turned towards Eun Hwa Young, who was riding a horse.

She was isolated in the middle of the battlefield.

Behind her, the Jeolhwa warriors were blocking the retreat route diligently, slowly closing in.

There was no way to retreat.

The state of being alone and isolated.

In that state, what could she possibly become?

No, nothing.

Her fate would only be a humiliating capture.

Bang So Woon’s eyes were filled with confidence.

Starting from the counterattack, everything was going according to plan flawlessly.

That’s when it happened.

Heung!

Clang clang clang!

Suddenly, Eun Hwa Young began riding her horse towards the mountain path.

“Huh?”

Bang So Woon’s eyes widened.

Is she trying to escape…?

Unless she was a fool, she would have noticed that traps were laid thickly in that direction.

Otherwise, there would be no way that the path of escape would be left empty.

But an intelligent woman like her rushing towards that place…?

Damn it!

Whether it was a false rumor or a moment of madness, he had to stop her immediately.

If Eun Hwa Young fell into a trap and died, all the carefully laid plans would turn to dust.

“Six of you go out and stop her right away! Bring her back alive no matter what!”

Bang So Woon shouted urgently.

The six Jeolhwa warriors in the front swiftly flew towards the mountain path.

Among them was Yeon Soo Rin.

A master of the Biyeonsin technique.

She might not be too late.

Bang So Woon bit his lip, hoping it would be so.

Tap tap tap tap!

The six warriors quickly heading towards Eun Hwa Young.

“…As expected.”

‘Huh?’

Bang So Woon doubted his eyes.

For a moment, it seemed like Eun Hwa Young was looking in his direction.

And at that moment.

Clang clang clang clang clang!

The horse Eun Hwa Young was riding suddenly changed direction near the trap.

Something impossible for an ordinary horse.

Bang So Woon realized that it was an extraordinary warhorse.

And it started galloping towards him.

The movements of the six warriors who were flying towards Eun Hwa Young came to a halt in front of the trap.

They turned around, but they were already a step behind.

“…Ugh, was that her plan?”

Bang So Woon, who realized her intentions too late, muttered with a grimace as if blaming himself.

It was a possible action because she had realized that the goal was Eun Hwa Young herself.

Bang So Woon had no choice but to use all his strength to stop her.

But she turned the tables and easily outmaneuvered the six in an instant.

In a split second, the forces were halved and scattered.

Eun Hwa Young was galloping towards them at a fierce speed to break through this place.

“Huh? Are… are you coming this way, my lord?”

Jangil made a bewildered expression.

“…Everyone knows that.”

“What?”

“Shut up and stop her! Somehow!”

…Just a moment ago, Bang So Woon had dismissed Jangil as useless, even going as far as to insult him.

Now, he gritted his teeth, drew his sword, and blocked a corner of the road.

“That’s right!”

Jangil, with his large build, did not stick close to Bang So Woon but stood back at a distance.

“Hey, you!”

“I-I’m a secret weapon that Lord Bang So Woon clearly said…”

“Ah, this annoying guy.”

“…I was just trying it out, just trying it out.”

It seemed inevitable as Jang Il once again appeared and stood next to Bang Soo-un.

However.

“Ahhhh!”

To make matters worse, the remaining Mu Yeong-dae also began to charge towards this direction.

It seemed like their last chance.

Despite the fierce pursuit from the Jeolhwa-dae members behind, it was obvious that Mu Yeong-dae would arrive first.

“Hey, this is suddenly a mess!”

Bang Soo-un shouted in frustration.

“Come on, bring it on! Show us what you’ve got, you cowards!”

Displaying the majesty of the Daegumryong battlefield…

“…Block them well, you guys.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“…Young master.”

“Huh?”

“You seemed to be cool for a moment there.”

“I’m glad you have a sense of humor.”

“It wasn’t a joke…”

“Enough, here they come!”

Thud thud thud thud!

Finally, the distance on the other side of the field was within sight.

The enemy’s Eunhwa-yeong, the Silver Falcon.