episode_0038

“Pant, pant.”

Bang Soo-woon ran desperately.

But his escape was not without thought.

He carefully considered the situation on the battlefield, his route, and the distance as he ran.

Running inside right now would be foolish.

With Mu Yeong-dae charging like a madman, he would corner himself and be caught.

So, what should he do?

He had to go outside.

And among the options, Bang Soo-woon chose the direction of the lake.

Where the pier was.

However, the boats had already been cleared.

He could be used by the enemy.

Sigh.

“Phew….”

Bang Soo-woon finally arrived at the pier and sat down, sighing.

But he didn’t have much time to rest.

Mu Yeong-dae had finally arrived nearby.

“So, you’re the bastard who killed Jang-joo!”

A Mu Yeong soldier shouted with bloodshot eyes full of murderous intent.

But that wasn’t all.

Every surviving Mu Yeong soldier had a look of pure rage in their eyes.

It was a rage fueled by blood.

“Oh, really? I’m Jang-jun, so what?”

Bang Soo-woon shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, not even getting up from his seat.

It was a provocative gesture to anyone watching.

The veins on the Mu Yeong soldier’s forehead bulged as he trembled with anger.

“You bastard! Die!”

Thwack!

The first Mu Yeong soldier to reach him threw a punch without hesitation.

He knew they had almost top-tier combat abilities.

An opponent impossible to face head-on.

But Bang Soo-woon’s eyes remained calm.

After facing such a crazed opponent, nothing seemed intimidating anymore.

Of course, there was more to it than just that.

It was because of a corner of trust.

And that corner of trust was soon revealed.

The moment the Mu Yeong soldier who threw the punch stepped on the ground.

Crack!

“Huh?!”

The ground collapsed in an instant.

And what awaited him was…

Thud, thud, thud, thud!

A pitfall.

“Ughhh!”

The Mu Yeong soldier turned into a corpse, sprawled out on the ground, letting out a horrific final scream.

That’s right.

That was Bang Soo-woon’s corner of trust.

A trap of death.

Just as meticulously, traps were laid near the pier.

But Bang Soo-woon had already safely reached the pier.

Why?

Because he had left small marks on the ground that only they could recognize.

It was the most basic of basics.

“Why are you bastards dying before attacking me?”

Bang Soo-woon taunted loudly, as if inviting the approaching Mu Yeong soldiers.

The Mu Yeong soldiers’ footsteps abruptly stopped in front of the triggered traps and the horrific sight of their comrades’ bodies underneath.

“Do we have traps here too?”

“These damn bastards! How many traps did they set up, these crazy bastards!”

“Argh! You cowardly bastard! Just wait! I’ll tear you apart piece by piece and kill you! You bastard!”

The Mu Yeong soldiers, already filled with rage, screamed at the top of their lungs.

At that moment.

“Don’t waste your breath! We don’t have time!”

Mu Yeong shouted with authority.

The Mu Yeong soldiers fell silent as he spoke.

He was right.

There was no time.

The enemies were fiercely pursuing them from behind.

A decision had to be made.

Either break through the trap field and aim for the enemy’s heads, or turn around and fight the pursuing enemies.

“….”

Mu Yeong quickly scanned the ground, trying to guess where the traps were laid.

If he could understand even a little, he would charge forward.

But.

“Damn, I don’t know.”

He couldn’t figure it out.

He couldn’t understand anything.

If it were Loo-joo, he would have known.

But Loo-joo was not here right now.

There was no time to wait.

In the end, Mu Yeong’s choice was clear.

“We’ll fight the enemies coming from behind, risking our lives.”

Exactly ten enemies.

Each one seemed like a top-tier expert.

They were outnumbered and outgunned.

But they had something that the others didn’t.

Organizational skills accumulated over time.

“Listen! You must not let a single year pass without living! Fight to the very end!”

Mu-yeong gave a resolute command.

Everyone knew that it could be the last command.

A heavy seriousness settled on the faces of Mu-yeong’s subordinates.

“I leave the rest to Ruju. Please fulfill our wishes….”

“Let’s go!”

“Uwaaaa!”

The Mu-yeongdae charged forward with a shout.

Mu-yeongdae and ten Jeolhwadae collided head-on.

***

Thud!

Every time the ground was struck, the divine blade cut through the sky.

The woman of Yahaebok desperately chased after that divine blade.

Eun Hwayoung and Yi Yeon.

“….”

Grit.

Eun Hwayoung bit her lip.

If it weren’t for Yi Yeon’s interference, she would have already caught up with Bang Sooun and killed him.

But her close friend, who was not in his right mind, was doing everything to stop her.

Every time she saw his face, which had been ruined by madness, it felt like her heart was being torn apart.

Her heart wavered.

But.

There was no time to delay now.

It was time to make a decision.

Even if it was a difficult decision.

“I’m sorry.”

Eun Hwayoung murmured softly.

In an instant, her sword danced.

Beautiful, but hiding hundreds of blades within it.

Yi Yeon faced her with a quiet but heavy swordsmanship.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Successive cracking sounds.

Each time, the afterimage of Yi Yeon’s sword disappeared.

But in the end.

Thud!

One remaining afterimage of Yi Yeon’s sword deeply pierced his left ankle.

“Ugh.”

Yi Yeon groaned as he knelt on one knee.

The wound on his left ankle was so severe that he couldn’t put weight on it.

Eun Hwayoung trembled as she held the bleeding divine blade in her shaking hand, trying to move it.

And then.

“I have to stop her. I have to stop her….”

Even in severe pain, Yi Yeon dragged his foot, trying to stand somehow.

Eun Hwayoung’s eyes were filled with anger and madness once again.

I will kill him.

I will definitely kill him.

Even if I die, I will kill him.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

The enemies who had been chasing them from behind were almost within reach.

“Tsk.”

Eun Hwayoung quickly leaped away.

This was the opportunity.

It would only come once.

In that one moment, she would kill him.

Definitely.

***

“Panting, My Lord!”

The first to arrive was Jang Il.

Yi Yeon seemed to be buying time as expected.

“Come here right away.”

“What?”

“Don’t you see over there? If we hesitate, we’ll die.”

The fierce battle between Mu-yeongdae and Jeolhwadae.

It felt like the splattering blood and the fighting spirit were transmitted directly to the skin, as if they were not far away.

“Ah.”

Jang Il gasped in surprise and hurriedly ran towards where Bang Sooun was.

Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!

“Heuk… Heuk….”

When the bear-like body arrived and gasped for air.

“Listen to me carefully.”

Bang Sooun spoke.

“Yes, yes.”

“When I give the signal, you jump into the water without hesitation.”

“What?”

“You won’t last even a second on land, you’ll just die. If you want to last a little longer, you have to go into the water.”

Even the same peak, Yeonsurin, lasted five moves.

But that was only possible because Yeonsurin was addicted to Sangongdok and couldn’t use his inner strength properly.

If he had been in good health, he would have been a one-move enemy in the martial arts world.

But.

The water is different.

One of the fundamental reasons why masters can exert strong power is a solid ground that can support them.

With the support of the ground, they can wield strong slashes and thrusts without any shaking, and they can also perform powerful leaps and new techniques.

It’s not for nothing that the water bandits of Janggangsuchoe couldn’t easily overwhelm even stronger masters in the water.

“Ah… I see! As expected, My Lord, you had everything planned!”

Only then did Jang Il realize the intention behind their escape to this place.

They were natives of Hangju.

Being asked for water was like asking a friend who was a native of the area.

Diving was the most basic of basics.

Of course, he hadn’t mastered the water skills like the water people, but he was comfortable enough to move his body underwater.

“What do you take me for? This is basic. I always move while thinking.”

Bongsoun said as if it were obvious.

“In the end, all we have to do is buy time. If we buy time, we win. Dive and hold out.”

No matter how strong the fox was, it was outnumbered.

And they even had Yeonsurin on their side.

If they just brought out their full power, victory was a foregone conclusion.

As long as they didn’t die before then.

As long as they didn’t die.

…Ah, even if he became a cripple with his arms and legs cut off, it wouldn’t be so bad.

When Bongsoun had such thoughts.

“Ah! They’re here!”

Jangil shouted in a panic.

The fox’s new form appeared on the other side.

“I saw it too.”

Bongsoun remained calm.

“Shouldn’t we go in right now?”

“No, not yet.”

Even if it was Eun Hwayoung, she wouldn’t be able to quickly navigate the traps hidden in the battlefield.

So they couldn’t easily approach.

They needed to buy some time here.

While doing so, Bongsoun discreetly checked something in his pocket.

It was a smoke bomb.

A tool mainly used by the Salsoo to escape.

It was prepared in case the enemies didn’t fall into the trap properly.

They didn’t need to use it so perfectly, but thanks to it, they had one more move.

Before jumping in, they covered their sight with it to buy more time.

“Fox! Are you here to kill me?”

Bongsoun provocatively said to the approaching Eun Hwayoung.

It was do or die.

They had to finish it here.

“I’ll kill you!”

Thud!

Eun Hwayoung immediately extended her new form.

The moment Bongsoun hoped for even a slight hesitation from her, his wish was shattered.

Thwack!

Eun Hwayoung stepped on the ground and ran forward without any hesitation.

‘Already figured it out?’

Bongsoun bit his lip.

He thought it would take some time, but the clever fox seemed to have already seen through the trap’s layout.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to rush in without any hesitation like that.

Even though he knew that one wrong step could lead to disaster…

“Y-Young Master! W-We should go in, shouldn’t we?”

“…No, not yet. Just a little more.”

Bongsoun waited for the final moment.

Thud!

Eun Hwayoung stepped on the ground again.

Her new form was almost within reach.

“I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you!”

With madness flashing in her eyes, Eun Hwayoung extended her sword.

It was filled with a blue glow.

“Now! Go in!”

Bongsoun shouted urgently and leaped into the lake.

At the same time, he threw the smoke bomb without hesitation.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Several smoke bombs exploded simultaneously.

The thick gray smoke quickly obscured the surrounding view.

Splash!

The sound of hitting the water.

Bongsoun held his breath.

He submerged himself in the water.

Finding an opponent who had sunk underwater in a place like this was extremely difficult.

Bongsoun’s plan was to hold his breath and endure.

He had told Jangil to do the same, so he must be somewhere holding out.

Thump, thump, thump.

The lake water at night was as cold as ice.

It felt like his body would freeze instantly.

But Bongsoun calmed his mind and endured.

Endure.

He just had to endure somehow.

But time passed very slowly.

No, it was more like he couldn’t even properly perceive the passage of time.

He just focused all his mind and strength on enduring in the water.

Suddenly, a chilling sensation ran down his spine.

Bongsoun reflexively turned around.

“…?!”

Thud!

My heart sank to the bottom.

Thump thump!

My chest surged as if it were about to burst, and my blood raced madly.

I almost let out a breath I had been barely holding in.

The menacing enemy was right in front of me.

So close that I could feel the length of a single eyelash.

The sword moved.

Slice!

Flesh tore and blood splattered.

Avoiding a fatal blow was almost miraculous.

No, it wasn’t a miracle.

It was the cunning strategy of dragging the enemy into the water that saved my life.

If it had been on land, my heart would have been pierced by now.

Splash! Splash!

Desperately, Bang So-woon swam to the surface.

It was the first time in his life he had swum with such urgency and speed.

“Huff… Huk… Huff……”

His suppressed breath gasped.

Intense pain surged from the wound.

Blood dyed the water red.

He quickly turned around.

But.

The fox was already following him.

“Did you think you could survive in the water?”

Eun Hwa-young spat out coldly.

“Goodness….”

He had thought that being a former nun would make her inexperienced in swimming.

The image of the glamorous and exotic Red Light District on the surface always came to mind when thinking of nuns.

Besides, it seemed that beauties were not familiar with water.

The women around him were only concerned about getting their clothes wet.

But it was not the case at all.

She seemed even more skilled than he was.

Moreover, the fact that she was injured made the difference even more apparent.

The distance between them quickly narrowed.

“Huff… Huk… Stop right there!”

Bang So-woon shouted in panic.

But the repulsive fox was already right behind her.

The enemy’s eyes flashed with madness.

The sword moved, strangely slowly.

So this is death.

A fleeting thought crossed his mind.

It had been a life well lived, enjoying everything to the fullest.

So, no major regrets……

“Brother!”

Suddenly, a bear-like figure leaped out and covered Eun Hwa-young’s back.

Crash!

Both of them were dragged into the water.

“Jang-il!”

Wide-eyed with shock, Bang So-woon quickly dove again.

There was no time to waste.

If he hesitated, Jang-il would die at the hands of the fox.

‘Oh no!’

Underwater, a suffocating struggle was taking place.

Jang-il desperately held on to Eun Hwa-young, wedging his waist between her thick legs.

Fortunately, he had seized a strategic position by catching her off guard earlier.

Eun Hwa-young struggled to free herself by wriggling her legs, but she couldn’t easily escape due to the water and Jang-il’s strong grip.

But the danger was on the arm side.

Eun Hwa-young swung the sword indiscriminately behind her.

Jang-il moved his body desperately each time.

There were many missed slashes, but he couldn’t avoid them all.

With each tear of flesh, blood spread in the water.

“I have to help!”

Bang So-woon swam quickly towards Eun Hwa-young.

And finally, he wielded his sword.

A weak attack without any force.

But in martial arts, there is a fundamental truth.

In front of a blade, a back alley thug and a top master are equal.

Being stabbed and blood flowing are the same law.

Eun Hwa-young had no choice but to block Bang So-woon’s attack.

The clash of swords underwater.

Bang So-woon felt like all of this was unreal.

Was he, a third-rate nobody, really exchanging blows with a top master?

……Father, is this reality?

Jang-il sent a grateful look and hugged Eun Hwa-young’s waist even tighter.

Back and forth.

Nervousness arose in Eun Hwayoung as she found herself with two places to worry about, her mind beginning to spin.

Though her heart was eager to quickly attack Jang Il and escape, it didn’t go as planned when Bang Sooun attacked first.

How much time had passed?

Suddenly, Eun Hwayoung’s mouth fell open.

Her eyes cleared, then rolled back, revealing the whites.

She had lost consciousness.

Her mind grew frantic, failing to control her suppressed breath, reaching the limit of her breath first.

Without anyone saying a word, they exchanged looks of astonishment.

We caught them…?

The top experts…?

Us…?

In the midst of tremendous shock, they belatedly surfaced.

“Huff….”

“Cough… cough….”

Bang Sooun and Jang Il were barely catching their breath.

“Is this… reality?”

“Y-yes. It is.”

Touching the unconscious fox’s teats, they felt the squishy sensation.

Yes, this is reality.

They had succeeded.

“…Wait, why are you suddenly touching the teats?”

Jang Il looked at Bang Sooun as if to say, “Are you out of your mind to do that when we’re in such a dire situation?”

“Just to confirm.”

“If you wake her up suddenly…”

“No, it’s okay now.”

Bang Sooun chuckled.

Before them stood Yeon Soorin and the disciples of the Jeolhwadae.

“This is our victory.”