Chapter v17c4

The two disciples’ surprise attack, which caught the enemy off guard, was effective, but it didn’t yield the desired results. Their numerical disadvantage was too great to overcome with a single surprise attack. However, it wasn’t entirely fruitless. Their greatest gain was that they had managed to prevent the enemy’s formation from being completed. Jin So-ryeong and Yu Eun-seong relentlessly disrupted their coordination. If the formation was completed, the overwhelming difference in power would become insurmountable. So they fought with desperation.

Jin So-ryeong’s sword danced through the air, unleashing a barrage of Emei techniques. Her movements were swift like a swallow, fluid like a cloud. Even in the midst of this fierce battle, she maintained remarkable control over her body and mind, a testament to her skill.

The man in the straw hat nodded approvingly, a satisfied smile on his lips.

“The Emei Sect has a fine disciple. A future pillar of the sect, perhaps?”

He wasn’t as impressed with the young man. What a pathetic display.

Yu Eun-seong was frantically swinging his sword, fending off the attacks of four enemies. His swordsmanship was fierce, a whirlwind of blades surrounding him.

But the man in the straw hat was still dissatisfied. It was unacceptable, considering the young man’s background.

He could see that the young man’s attacks were flashy but lacked substance.

“Hey, young man! What are you doing?”

He couldn’t stand it any longer and called out to the young man, who was still caught up in the melee.

“Sir?”

His voice, though quiet, was clear and sharp, as if he was speaking right next to him.

“You’re a disciple of the Mount Cang Sect, aren’t you?”

“Y-Yes, sir.”

Yu Eun-seong replied, still fending off his attackers. He was at least still conscious.

His enemies didn’t wait for him to finish his conversation. They pressed their attack, taking advantage of his distraction.

“Then what are you doing?”

“Sir? Wh-What do you mean…?”

He had to parry seven attacks, dodge two thrusts, and block three consecutive strikes before he could answer.

The man in the straw hat clicked his tongue, annoyed by the young man’s cluelessness. He had to defend against eight attacks just to answer a simple question. It was unfair. Shouldn’t they show some courtesy during a conversation? Reality was harsher than dreams.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. A Mount Cang disciple, just swinging his sword around! What are you doing?”

He asked incredulously.

“Have you learned the Sun-Shooting Sword Technique, the secret art of the Mount Cang Sect?”

“Of course I have, sir.”

He blocked three thrusts, deflected five strikes, and dodged one attack.

“Then use it properly! Why bother learning it if you’re not going to use it? Are you trying to waste time?”

His criticism was sharp.

“I still don’t understand what you mean, sir.”

He replied, his voice laced with irritation. His mind was distracted, and one of his enemies’ attacks grazed his shoulder, tearing his clothes and drawing a thin line of blood. Fortunately, it wasn’t a serious wound.

“You’re a Mount Cang disciple, and you’re just swinging your sword around. That’s what I’m asking you. Unless you’re trying to abandon your strengths and embrace your weaknesses, you shouldn’t be doing such a foolish thing. You shouldn’t!”

And then, he delivered the final blow.

“You’ve learned the Heaven-Piercing Sun Strike, and you’re making such a pathetic display?!”

His words pierced Yu Eun-seong’s heart like a bolt of lightning. He shuddered.

*The swords of Mount Cang are light, but they can pierce the sun.*

It was a common saying among martial artists, praising the Mount Cang Sect’s swordsmanship.

The Sun-Shooting Sword Technique was primarily a thrusting style. Slashing was just a supplementary technique. The essence of the style was its lightning-fast thrusts, said to be as swift as arrows.

He ignored the blades flashing past him, the concerned voice of Jin So-ryeong. It was the man in the straw hat’s voice that brought him back to reality.

“How many suns can your arrows shoot down?”

“H-How did you…?”

He was stunned again. Only someone from the Mount Cang Sect would ask such a question. Who was this man?

“Five, sir.”

He answered honestly.

“Is that so? Impressive for your age. Except for the fact that you haven’t used it in actual combat. And you almost died because of it. And…”

He paused.

“There are four of them.”

That was all he said. But it was enough.

Yu Eun-seong trembled, as if struck by divine revelation.

His movements changed dramatically. His passive, defensive stance vanished, replaced by a sharp, piercing aura.

His grip on his sword loosened, his wrist becoming more flexible, his stance lighter. He shifted his weight, extending his right arm, his sword held lightly, like a willow branch, its tip pointed at his enemy’s heart, the organ that represented fire.

His body tensed, like a drawn bow, like a tiger gathering its strength for a leap.

He was ready to spring.

A bow was a weapon of offense, not defense. If the arrow missed its target, the archer would die.

One strike, one kill. If the strike connected, the enemy would die. If it missed, the archer would die. It was a true one-strike kill technique. The Mount Cang Sect’s Sun-Shooting Sword Technique was built on this philosophy.

Four of the Eight Guardians hesitated, wary of his sudden change in demeanor. But that was their mistake.

“First Arrow!”

His sword shot forward, a silent arrow piercing the air.

It was a thrust that transcended the speed of sound. Nothing could stop it.

“Ugh!”

The swordsman with the number “three” on his robe cried out. A spray of blood erupted from his right shoulder. Yu Eun-seong’s sword had pierced him.

His sword flashed again, a five-pronged attack, a series of lightning-fast thrusts.

“Ugh! Argh! Gah! Huh! Ugh!”

The swords of Mount Cang could pierce even the sun. The name “Sun-Shooting” wasn’t just a fancy title.

With Yu Eun-seong pulling his weight, the pressure on Jin So-ryeong eased, and her movements became lighter and faster.

The tide was turning.

“Stop!”

Oh Ma-kwang had seen enough.

“Retreat!”

The Eight Guardians immediately obeyed, abandoning their futile attack. They didn’t dare to disobey their master’s order. And they were in no condition to fight.

Something had changed. Yu Eun-seong’s thrusts were now swift and relentless, his sharp blade intent on turning their bodies into pincushions. And Jin So-ryeong’s swordsmanship, despite her young age, was surprisingly sophisticated. She was a worthy ally.

Their incomplete formation was no match for the two disciples’ combined might.

Their faces were grim. They would be punished for their incompetence when they returned to the fort.

Jin So-ryeong was certain.

*He’s going to fight himself!*

The Four Hegemons of the Jiangnan region were not only the names of the four most powerful organizations in the region, but also the titles of their leaders.

And the most ruthless of them all was Oh Ma-kwang, the master of the Thousand Horses Fort, who was now approaching them, his aura radiating menace.

Clank! Clank!

With each step he took, the heavy chains wrapped around his body rattled ominously. The chains connecting his two axes were especially formidable, their whirling motion creating a whirlwind of death on horseback.

He was followed by Oh Gyeong, his right-hand man, the Bloodtooth Saber. He seemed eager to share the burden.

*The Four Hegemons of the Jiangnan region are truly formidable. Such a powerful aura… It’s suffocating.*

Her instincts screamed at her. Yu Eun-seong also tensed, his body on high alert.

The tyrant’s advance stopped.

“I’ll finish you in ten seconds!”

He was too enraged to waste time talking.

He swung his arm without warning, without any preliminary movements.

The massive double-headed axe, attached to a thick chain, whistled through the air. It was at least ten chi long, a whirlwind of steel hurtling towards them. It was his signature move, the Gale Slaughter.

Jin So-ryeong and Yu Eun-seong dodged, knowing they couldn’t block it head-on. Their thin swords would be shattered like toys. They were right.

“Hmph! Do you think you can escape?”

Oh Ma-kwang sneered, swinging the chain in his right hand.

The axe soared into the air, its two blades spread wide like the wings of a giant black bat.

Thunderclap Earth Splitter!

He yanked the chain downwards with his thick right arm.

The axe crashed down like a thunderbolt.

Jin So-ryeong and Yu Eun-seong leaped back.

“Do you think we’d fall for such a telegraphed attack?”

Power was useless if it didn’t connect.

He swung the chain again, this time horizontally.

Two shockwaves, originating from the axe’s impact, ripped through the ground, heading straight for them. This was his true aim. The flashy, powerful attack had been a feint, a distraction to create an opening.

Jin So-ryeong and Yu Eun-seong raised their swords, blocking the incoming shockwaves. But they were a fraction of a second too slow.

“Ugh!”

“Aah!”

They cried out in pain. A moment of carelessness could decide the outcome of a battle. They hadn’t blocked the attack in time, and they couldn’t fully deflect the remaining force.

They were thrown back three zhang, crashing to the ground.

Jin So-ryeong coughed up blood. She had suffered internal injuries.

*What incredible power! My insides are still shaking.*

She was terrified.

*Just the shockwave was this powerful? If I had been hit by the axe itself…*

She wouldn’t have survived.

Yu Eun-seong was also alarmed. His hand was numb, and his internal organs felt like they had been rearranged. This was a different level of strength compared to the Eight Guardians.

And his reach was much longer than theirs. And his massive axe was surprisingly agile and fast. They were trapped in his domain.

If they didn’t change the situation, it was only a matter of time before his axe cleaved them in two. The problem was the distance.

*We have to take a risk!*

The only consolation was that his axe movements were large and flashy. And there were two of them. Oh Gyeong, the Bloodtooth Saber, was standing behind his master, but he didn’t seem eager to join the fight. The Gale Slaughter was a technique that was difficult to coordinate with others. It was a reckless, indiscriminate technique that could easily harm allies. Its power and range made it difficult to control precisely. And that was their chance.

Jin So-ryeong signaled to Yu Eun-seong with her eyes. They exchanged a few whispered words, formulating a plan. They weren’t lifelong friends, battle-hardened comrades, or lovers. They weren’t soulmates who could communicate without words. They weren’t going to risk their lives on vague assumptions. They needed to communicate clearly.

Oh Ma-kwang, as if to emphasize their predicament, swung his axe above his head, creating a large circle, a whirlwind of steel.

Yu Eun-seong, the designated bait, moved first. He gathered all his internal energy and focused it on the tip of his sword, a point smaller than a grain of rice.

“Torrential Rain Scatter!”

He shouted, unleashing a barrage of sword energy towards Oh Ma-kwang. His role was to distract him, to draw his attention, from a distance.

“Useless!”

Oh Ma-kwang sneered, swinging his chains, intercepting the incoming sword energy.

“Die!”

He didn’t forget to punish Yu Eun-seong for his audacity. He flicked his wrist, and the axe, attached to the chain, shot forward like a whip.

*I knew it was a long shot!*

Sword energy dissipated after a certain distance. Qi, separated from its source, couldn’t exist in the air for long. It would eventually be absorbed by the universe, the vast collection of Qi. The distance varied depending on the user’s skill and internal energy, but it was never infinite. Yu Eun-seong’s skill wasn’t high enough to project his sword energy across ten zhang. He had known that, but he had used all his strength to distract Oh Ma-kwang. And it had worked. The axe was flying towards him.

Ten zhang wasn’t a short distance.

Jin So-ryeong seized the opportunity, her body shooting forward. It was the Flashing Lotus, the fastest technique of the Emei Sect’s Water Lily Steps. It was the fastest step she had ever taken. She closed the distance in an instant, like an arrow loosed from a bow.

“Flickering Sword Arrow!”

Yu Eun-seong dodged the axe, unleashing one of the three secret techniques of the Sun-Shooting Sword Technique. His sword, leaving his hand, shot towards Oh Ma-kwang’s forehead like an arrow of light. It was his strongest and final move. If it failed, he would die. A one-strike kill technique was only truly a one-strike kill technique if it killed the enemy or the user. One of them had to die.

“Excellent!”

The man in the straw hat exclaimed.

“It’s over, villain!”

Jin So-ryeong’s sword flashed, unleashing the Emei Sect’s secret technique, the Flashing Shadow Lotus, a beautiful and deadly flower blooming in the air.

But they had forgotten one crucial detail. Why was his nickname “Double Axes”?