Chapter 78 – Unrivaled Hero (3)

Chapter 78 – Unrivaled Hero (3)

Slash!

It was the sound of Temur’s head being severed and tossed into the air.

“Phew…”

So-mu let out a breath and caught the falling head. Perhaps because the man was a supreme commander, his resistance had been more formidable than expected.

Around him, more than a hundred of Temur’s guards lay scattered on the ground. So-mu looked up at the command tower atop the wall. He saw the King of Assassins delivering the final blow to the fierce general Hua Lun.

Nearby, General Jang-yang was staring down at him. The general had been waiting for the exact moment the enemy commander would be slain.

Nodding once to So-mu, Jang-yang turned and gave an order to the officer behind him.

Puuuuuu—!

The grand blare of the horn echoed across the battlefield. The soldiers fighting along the wall stopped in confusion and looked around. At that moment, Officer Wi Jin-cheol roared with a booming voice:

“The enemy commander is dead!!!”

Both sides were stunned. The supreme commander, who had not even directly entered the fray, had been slain. To confirm the news, everyone turned their eyes toward the Hui headquarters.

The blood-drenched command post had been completely decimated and thrown into chaos. And not far from the city gates, in a highly visible spot, a single warrior held Temur’s severed head, radiating the terrifying aura of an unrivaled hero.

“W—What?”

“H—How did this happen…?”

The Hui soldiers were struck with horror. To make matters worse, the head of the fierce general Hua Lun was being hoisted on the flagstaff of the command tower. Their entire command structure had been completely wiped out.

Faced with such despair, the legs of the Hui soldiers gave out, and the strength drained from their hands.

In contrast, the morale of the Hanzhong defenders soared to the heavens.

“Woaaaah!!!”

“Victory!!!”

Even those with the simplest minds could see that the tide of battle had completely turned. The Hui soldiers faltered and prepared to retreat.

However, General Jang-yang had absolutely no intention of letting them return home safely. Standing at the center of the wall, he pointed his sword toward the retreating horde and commanded:

“Do not let a single one of them escape alive!!!”

Although they still possessed overwhelming numbers, the enemy had lost all will to fight. What awaited them was Hanzhong’s counteroffensive.

First, a wave of fury swept from the top of the walls. The defenders, no longer feeling any fear, fought with mad ferocity.

“Push them all down!”

“You dared to invade this place!?”

“Die!”

Defenders stabbed the retreating enemies in the back, kicked them off the battlements, and shoved them down the walls.

It was no easy task for soldiers who had climbed the walls to retreat. The soldiers on the ladders were thrown into chaos, and the overcrowded siege towers became easy targets for Hanzhong’s ballistas.

With nowhere left to run, the Hui soldiers were pushed to the edge of the battlements.

“D—Don’t come any closer!”

“Aaargh!”

Like water bursting through a collapsed dam, enemy soldiers began to rain down from the top of the wall. It could no longer be called a battle; it was a one-sided slaughter.

Defenders swung their blades with burning rage at the fleeing enemies. The soldiers below who had not yet climbed the walls turned and fled. It was a magnificent sight as tens of thousands of soldiers retreated simultaneously, like a ebbing tide.

At that moment, drums began to beat from the command tower.

Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!

Hanzhong’s north gate began to move. The fortress gate, which had been firmly shut, was now opening of its own accord.

Creeeeak—!

Through the opening gate, Officer Han Baek rode out, clutching a long spear. Behind him, Hanzhong’s cavalry, which had been waiting on standby, lined up.

Han Baek was an experienced veteran, second only to Jang-yang in the army. His presence alone commanded respect from the other officers.

The long scar running diagonally across his face twitched. His booming voice echoed in the ears of the cavalrymen preparing to charge:

“Cavalrymen of Hanzhong, listen! Until now, we could not participate in a single battle! We had to watch while our comrades fought and bled!”

More than two thousand riders gripped their spears, their faces flushed with anticipation as they stared at Han Baek.

“It was all for this very moment! We will soothe the souls of our fallen comrades! Those who dared to covet Hanzhong will pay the price starting now! Cut off every last one of their breaths!!!”

Finishing his speech, Han Baek spurred his horse forward.

“Charge!!!”

As he cleared the gate, he swung his long spear with one hand. The blade flashed, and two heads flew into the air.

Thud!

Behind him, the cavalrymen roared with fury, driving their horses forward as if possessed.

“Aaaaah!”

“Gah!”

The thunderous sound of hooves shaking the earth reverberated from Hanzhong’s north gate.

Rumble-rumble-rumble!!!

Although the surviving enemy soldiers still numbered over fifty thousand, they were exhausted infantrymen who had lost all will to fight. Hanzhong’s cavalry ran rampant, cutting down the retreating host.

Plunge! Slash!

“Aaargh!”

“Ugh!”

Every time a rider thrust his spear, it pierced through an enemy’s back. Experienced riders even demonstrated the skill of skewering two enemies in a single motion.

There was no need to worry about the enemies near the walls; the Hanzhong infantry would deal with them.

Han Baek led the charge, spear in hand.

“Break through!!!”

Determined to let no enemy survive, the cavalry sliced through the retreating columns from the rear to the vanguard.

Before long, the melee infantry from the walls joined the pursuit, and even the reserves from the gates poured out.

The most eye-catching unit was, without a doubt, the Wolf Fang Squad. Scattering into the center of the fleeing enemy, the squad members displayed a terrifying, demonic martial prowess, resembling wrathful asuras.

“Sixty-seven!”

Cheol-du of the Wolf Fang Squad was habitually shouting the number of enemies he had slain.

Plunge!

Pulling out his sword, he shouted again:

“Sixty-eight!”

Terrified by the sight, the nearby enemy soldiers scattered like chickens in a slaughterhouse. But Cheol-du’s lightfoot technique easily outmatched them. His sword qi drew a crescent moon, slicing down two fleeing soldiers at once.

Slash!

“Seventy-one!”

At that moment, Song-hwa of the Wolf Fang Squad, drenched in blood, appeared at his side.

“Brother Cheol-du, that was only two, not three!?”

Embarrassed, Cheol-du cut down another soldier and shouted:

Slash!

“Seventy-one!”

The massacre before Hanzhong’s north gate raged on without pause. From this point, it was simply a matter of how many fleeing enemies they could hunt down.

***

By the time the defenders secured their absolute victory, So-mu had already left the north gate. He walked toward Xianhua Hall near the west gate.

From the entrance, he saw countless Salatai corpses. Most of them had died with charred, blackened limbs—undoubtedly the work of the Jade Flower Maiden’s demonic arts.

‘Was I worrying for nothing?’

The situation had already been completely resolved. Il-gwang and the thirty squad members were nowhere to be seen, likely having moved to another sector.

In the courtyard of Xianhua Hall, amidst the gruesome corpses, Yeon Seo-hwa stood with an indifferent expression.

So-mu walked up to her, inspecting the aftermath of the battle.

“I’m glad you are safe.”

Yeon Seo-hwa crossed her arms and asked, “Did you actually worry about me?”

Her sharp question made him flinch inwardly.

“A little. Though I didn’t think you would ever lose.”

“Showing up so late and being so shameless.”

He felt a bit guilty for forcing her, who had retired from the martial world to live a quiet life, to use her demonic arts again.

“There was a situation. Where is So-so?”

“Sleeping over there.”

Looking inside the hall, he saw his daughter sleeping spread-eagled on the floor, completely out cold.

The lion’s roar was a martial art that consumed a massive amount of true qi and stamina simultaneously. Having used it with only a low level of mastery, it was natural for her to be completely exhausted. Understanding the situation, So-mu smiled softly.

“I owe you one. Both as her father, and on behalf of the army.”

Yeon Seo-hwa asked with a prim expression, “How do you plan to repay it?”

“If there is anything you want, just say it.”

She asked immediately, as if she had been waiting for the offer:

“Then, can you protect me?”

To think that the Jade Flower Maiden, who had once struck terror into the hearts of the martial world, was asking for protection—a terrifying peak master of the demonic path, no less. There could be no more absurd request.

“What do you mean?”

“The beggars of the Beggars’ Sect have caught my scent, so the executioners of the Murim Alliance will surely come to capture me.”

She was currently at the very top of the Murim Alliance’s blacklist. Since such a commotion had occurred within Hanzhong, it was impossible to keep her presence hidden. Before long, the renowned elder masters of the orthodox sects would gather here.

While So-mu was pondering a solution, she spoke in a slightly disappointed tone:

“I was only joking. The Sword Saint must take the side of the orthodox faction, so what am I to you?”

Although he had retired from the martial world, he had spent many years fighting the Demonic Cult on the side of the orthodox faction. However, if the Murim Alliance threatened Yeon Seo-hwa’s safety, he could not guarantee how he would act.

Moreover, his personality would not allow him to ignore the debt, especially since he had used her to ensure his daughter’s safety.

“I will find a way. I won't let So-so’s master die.”

At So-mu’s words, Yeon Seo-hwa’s face brightened, and a faint smile appeared on her lips. However, her tone remained dismissive:

“Forget it. The city has become too noisy anyway, so I was planning to leave.”

Hearing that she was leaving made him feel strangely disappointed.

“You’re leaving…?”

“I can't just sit here and let those orthodox hypocrites kill me. Especially since there’s no one to help me now.”

“Where to?”

“I’ve been looking for a place for a while. Somewhere with a nice view near Mount Dingjun.”

Mount Dingjun was very close to Hanzhong. Every time he trained in lightfoot techniques with So-so, they traveled near that area. This meant she wasn't leaving Hanzhong entirely, but simply relocating Xianhua Hall.

For some reason, So-mu’s mood improved instantly. A faint smile appeared on his face before quickly vanishing.

“Well, playing music in the middle of nature isn't a bad idea.”

Suddenly, she leaned closer, staring intently at his face.

“You just smiled, didn’t you? You must be happy that I’m not leaving.”

Yeon Seo-hwa’s face was right in front of his. Having undergone marrow-cleansing twice, her skin was as flawless as a baby’s.

Flustered, So-mu blushed. Finding his reaction amusing, Yeon Seo-hwa burst into laughter. It was impossible to associate this laughing woman with the Jade Flower Maiden who had slaughtered the Hui soldiers just moments ago.

“I was only worried So-so would lose her master.”

“Who said otherwise? I’ve shared my internal energy with her, so there’s no way I’m giving up now.”

Letting out a sigh, So-mu prepared to leave and said, “Let’s stop joking. I must go.”

Although the army had secured its victory, he could not leave his post vacant for too long. After saying goodbye to Yeon Seo-hwa, he walked through the streets toward the north gate.

Even though the west gate had been breached, the damage inside the city was remarkably light. It was only natural, as Xianhua Hall near the entrance had acted as a buffer.