Chapter 54 – Welcoming Uninvited Guests (3)

Chapter 54 – Welcoming Uninvited Guests (3)

*Thud.*

It was the sound of General Jang Yang losing consciousness and collapsing.

For a bodyguard to attack the very person he was supposed to protect was a bizarre turn of events. Jang Jun stared at the Shadow King in utter bewilderment.

"This is no time to be looking away, is it?"

An instinctive chill ran down Jang Jun's spine. At that moment, he felt a suffocating murderous intent explode behind him.

*Whoosh!*

Goosebumps broke out all over Jang Jun's body. His breath caught in his throat.

How could he have known? He was flanked on both sides by the Sword Saint and the Shadow King.

Without a second thought, Jang Jun quickly drew his sword and swung it behind him.

*Boom!*

It was a terrifyingly fast strike, fully worthy of a Flower Realm master. However, his movement came to an abrupt, unnatural halt in midair.

*Grab.*

It was the sound of the wrist holding the sword being caught by the man behind him. It was a completely incomprehensible situation. He had dismissed this man as a mere low-ranking officer and paid him no attention.

"You insolent wretch! Do you know who I am?!"

Contrary to his words, Jang Jun was in a state of panic. No matter how much strength he exerted, his wrist did not budge. Furthermore, the assassin in front of him seemed to be mocking him.

It was the first time in his life he had experienced such utter helplessness. But that was only the beginning.

*Crack, crack!*

It was the sound of his wrist bones groaning under immense grip strength.

Desperate, Jang Jun tried to strike the man behind him with his free left hand. However, he only swung wildly through the air, failing to land a single blow.

Right then, So-mu's right hand moved like lightning, grabbing Jang Jun by his hair.

*Clutch.*

"You hit my daughter?"

"Ugh! Who… who are you?"

Jang Jun realized he had encountered the worst possible situation. To suppress a Flower Realm master like this was impossible for anyone below the Mysterious Realm. He was horrified that such a master was serving under Jang Yang.

But it was too late for regrets. He was completely pinned down and could not even hope to escape.

"I am So-so's father."

So-mu pulled Jang Jun's wrist back while ruthlessly driving his head forward. Taking a few rapid steps, he slammed Jang Jun's head through the wall.

*Crash!*

Jang Jun's head burst through the wall, sticking out of the office. His eyes locked onto the scene outside.

Sitting on the ground, a familiar young girl was rummaging through a pack. She was humming happily, and when she spotted him, she actually offered a bright, cheerful smile. He felt like he would go mad from the humiliation.

"Aaargh! I will kill you!"

So-so blinked her round eyes like a rabbit and asked, "Why?"

When she was with her father, she had nothing to fear. He was the strongest person in the world to her.

Before Jang Jun could shout again, his head was violently pulled back through the wall.

Quickly spinning around, he balled his hand into a fist and threw it at So-mu. It was a blow packed with all his internal energy.

So-mu sneered and met the oncoming fist with his own.

*Boom!*

"Ugh!"

The bone-shattering pain in his knuckles made him groan.

Yet, he had no choice but to throw another strike. This time, his opponent's fist was already flying toward him. The two fists collided repeatedly, unleashing thunderous booms.

*Boom! Bam! Bam! Bam!*

"Aaargh!"

In an instant, Jang Jun's left hand turned into a bloody mess. The skin on the back of his hand tore away, exposing the bones. His right hand, still gripping his sword, was pinned and could not budge. He was left completely defenseless, with no way to block the oncoming fists.

*Crack! Thud! Bam!*

"Aaargh!"

Jang Jun's screams of agony echoed repeatedly. His face was battered and bloody, and his armor was dented like crumpled paper in several places.

At one point, So-mu's right foot kicked him squarely in the chest.

*Crack!*

Jang Jun stumbled backward. Since his right hand was finally free, now was his only chance to escape. However, he coincidentally stumbled right toward where the Shadow King was standing.

The Shadow King spread his right palm and raised it to shoulder height. His hand glowed red, packed with internal force. A split second later, his hand, wrapped in gangqi, struck Jang Jun's back.

*Smack!*

"Urgh!"

Spewing blood, Jang Jun stumbled forward once more. And So-mu's fist drove like a bolt of lightning straight into his heart.

*Thump!*

No more screams came from him. His heart had been destroyed, cutting off his breath.

Eventually, his knees hit the office floor.

*Thud.*

The life was rapidly draining from Jang Jun's body.

His face was filled only with a sense of grievance. How could he have ever imagined he would die so hollowly?

"Do not feel aggrieved. Considering the blood and tears you have forced the people to shed, you are getting off easy."

Whether Jang Jun lived or died, he was no longer of any concern. Leaving the kneeling man behind, the Shadow King asked, "Are you sure it is alright to kill the Privy Councilor?"

"He was someone we had to deal with eventually. It is actually a favor that he came on his own. By the way, doesn't Shadow Gate only act on contract?"

"I did not act in the name of Shadow Gate. Watching beside the General for the last few days, there were more than a few moments I wanted to kill him myself."

"You have great patience for an assassin. In any case, without the Prime Minister's backing, a fool like him could never have become one of the four great generals."

At that moment, Jang Jun's upper body slowly collapsed forward as he gasped out his final words.

"You… bastards…"

*Thud.*

"He couldn't have come here alone, right?"

"He brought about a hundred soldiers as his bodyguards. What will you do?"

"Since we drew our swords, we must see it through. I will handle it from here, so when the General wakes up, make up a suitable story."

"Understood."

So-mu poked his head through the hole in the office wall.

"Do you like the gifts?"

So-so's smile already reached her ears. She ran to him, puckered her lips like a sparrow, and kissed So-mu's cheek.

"Yes, I love them! Hehe."

"I bought some for A-hae and Cheong-ah too. Shouldn't you go and share them?"

"I'll be back, Father!"

"Have fun."

The effort of buying the gifts had been well worth it.

Pulling his head back in, So-mu slung Jang Jun's body over his shoulder. Leaving the office, he sprinted like lightning toward the Wolf Fang Squad's barracks.

He saw the squad members resting and chatting. Because of the incident today, they had lost the drive to train and were relaxing in the barracks.

*Thump!*

A body was thrown onto the floor of the barracks, shocking everyone.

"Gasp!"

"Why is this piece of trash here?"

"What is the meaning of this, Captain?"

Although they didn't know what had happened, the death of the Privy Councilor, a major official of the state, was no small matter.

So-mu spoke with a grave expression.

"You have all grown soft. Leaving trash rolling around the camp without clearing it."

The squad members had no way of knowing how things had turned out this way, but they were certain that something monumental had begun.

Il-gwang was the first to stand. A chilling smile spread across his face.

"Actually, cleaning is my specialty."

The Wolf Fang Squad members, who had already been seething with anger, picked up their weapons and unleashed their murderous intent.

"Those Evil Dragon Corps bastards, let's show them what we've got today."

"How dare they stand against our General?"

"Sigh. I've been waiting for this moment."

From their reactions, So-mu could easily guess the trouble the enemy had caused.

Leaving the barracks, the Wolf Fang Squad stealthily moved toward the Military Guest Pavilion.

A quarter of an hour later, about a hundred squad members stood in formation nearby. The Evil Dragon Corps soldiers were relaxing in three two-story pavilions.

"Let's begin."

Il-gwang led fifty squad members to follow So-mu, while Cheong-hae led the rest to block all exits of the Military Guest Pavilion. Their movements were seamless.

So-mu was the first to enter, bursting into the central pavilion.

*Bang!*

At the sudden intrusion, about a dozen Evil Dragon Corps soldiers near the door turned in surprise. Being elite soldiers, they quickly drew their weapons despite their shock.

In that instant, So-mu's figure dashed forward.

His first targets were the soldiers gambling at the central table. His sharp blade flashed, tracing a clean arc.

*Slash!*

Before they could even draw their swords, two heads flew into the air. Shocked, a soldier beside them cried out.

"Wha-what? Urgh!"

Piercing the soldier's throat, So-mu's sword was retracted and swung backward.

*Slice!*

A soldier attempting to ambush him from behind was cut in two, his upper body separating from his legs as he hit the floor.

Having felled four men in the blink of an eye, So-mu headed to the second floor. The squad members would handle the rest. Since there were no onlookers here, he did not need to hide his strength.

On the second floor of the central pavilion, three soldiers were present. They were officer-rank figures, including the captain of the Evil Dragon Corps. They projected their sword qi and demanded.

"Can you handle the consequences when the Privy Councilor finds out?"

"He's already dead."

Jang Jun, one of the four great generals of the Song Empire, had died in this place. They could not believe it.

"You bastard! How dare you mock us?!"

The captain of the Evil Dragon Corps lunged, projecting his sword qi toward So-mu.

Just as he swung his sword, So-mu vanished in a flash of light. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared a few feet away.

A breath later, the sound of slicing wind echoed.

*Whoosh!*

Blood sprayed like a fountain from the captain's throat. The captain of the Evil Dragon Corps had been killed in a single strike.

No matter how elite, he was only an officer-rank soldier, not a general. It was impossible for him to block a full-strength strike from the Sword Saint.

The two remaining officers froze in fear. So-mu did not hesitate. In the blink of an eye, he swept past them, spinning once.

*Slash!*

As two heads fell, So-mu was already standing at the pavilion window, looking down.

The Wolf Fang Squad and the Evil Dragon Corps were locked in combat everywhere. The battle was completely one-sided. Against the sword qi of the Wolf Fang Squad, the Evil Dragon Corps could not even hold their ground.

"Aaargh!"

"Urgh!"

The agonized screams of the Evil Dragon Corps soldiers echoed continuously throughout the pavilion. Il-gwang's prowess at the vanguard, brutally crushing the enemy, was particularly striking. Those caught by him had their necks twisted and limbs broken ruthlessly.

As the battle quickly turned against them, the surviving Evil Dragon Corps soldiers tried to flee. However, all exits of the Military Guest Pavilion were already blocked. Squad members stood on the roofs of the pavilions, relentlessly striking down any enemies who tried to escape.

They had to finish this as quickly as possible before the commotion spread. Fortunately, not a single friendly soldier was nearby. Since the visitors had been terrorizing everyone they saw, it was only natural that the area was deserted.

After watching for a moment, So-mu gripped his sword once more and leapt out the window into the fray.