Chapter 49

Chapter 49

When I was serving as Changcheon Corps Commander, the first things I taught the corps members were how to survive and how to run away.

Isn’t that right? If they’re fighting for their own honor, I can understand standing against a powerful enemy, but the Muryeokdae’s duties are far from that. Generally, the Muryeokdae’s duties are closer to doing things that someone must do, but don’t want to do.

Doing such difficult and dangerous work while also caring about honor—you won’t have a life left. That’s why I taught the corps members to prioritize saving their own lives first, and thanks to that, most Changcheon Corps members acquired cockroach-like survival skills that could keep them alive for a month no matter where you dropped them.

That should have been the case.

[If absent for more than one month, inform the Uicheonmunju]

“……Is this the place?”

After confirming the code carved into the tree, I let out a murmur and looked ahead. At the clearly bizarrely shaped appearance of the forest.

“The erosion has progressed considerably.”

A Yogyeong isn’t terrain that suddenly appears out of nowhere. If we’re being precise, it’s closer to overflowing Yoryeek eroding the surrounding environment and changing it arbitrarily. What about the forest visible before my eyes?

The forest that should have deep green foliage is dyed a blue color, taking on an otherworldly form. When the grass sways, instead of the sound of a cool breeze, it spits out a desolate ghostly wail, and even the scent brushing my nose is thick with the smell of iron. An appearance befitting the expression “inhuman demon realm.”

Right. This is a Yogyeong. A Yokai’s forest. A Yokai’s nest. A cradle where Yokai are born.

“One month, is it? There’s no time to delay.”

I twisted my neck to loosen my stiff shoulders and slowly drew the Uicheongeom. Sharp energy flowing coldly from the blade.

If Namgung Woo and Cheongha are holding out inside, it’s about time their food supplies run short. The water probably ran out long ago too.

“What a headache.”

─Kyaaaak!

I took a deep breath while aiming at the forest, took one step, and swung my sword. Then in an instant, a Yokai that jumped out from the void split in two.

Watching that sight quietly, I raised my gaze to look at the sun and estimated the time.

“……It’s been a while.”

I must end this matter before the erosion fully completes. I can’t see Jeokgi yet, but that’s still no reason to dawdle.

“My premonition isn’t good, so I should finish this quickly.”

Mission content: Annihilate all Yokai in this place. Combat personnel: Just me.

Expected time is, well, since it’s been a while, generously speaking──.

“About one Shichen.”

I moved my steps.

***

Though it’s nothing new, Oh Ryeong thought her childhood was quite a happy environment.

─Ryeong-ah. I bought you a book──.

─Waaa! Master is the best! Number one in all time!

─Right? This master of yours is the best, right?

Oh Ryeong’s master was the type whose mood improved whenever drunk, so usually after drinking outside, he would stop by an old bookstore and buy one or two books for his disciple. Even emptying his own pockets to do so.

─Ugh, another martial arts novel today?

─Euhihihi. You like them, don’t you?

Of course, that didn’t mean this person, merely a sect leader of a small sect, had much money. That’s why what Oh Ryeong’s master could buy was mostly limited to that field.

Books for studying literature are expensive. Books containing other knowledge are also expensive.

So most of the books Oh Ryeong could read were martial arts novels or popular fiction, and Oh Ryeong always read while projecting herself onto the good and strong protagonists in the martial arts novels.

Perhaps it was from then.

That Oh Ryeong’s dream became ‘Uihyeop.’

“We must retreat.”

Seomun Cheok, who came after seeing Seonwoo Gang’s signal flare, immediately gave his answer after hearing the story. And Oh Ryeong immediately refuted those words.

“Seomun Cheok, what are you saying? Right now……! If we don’t fight, everyone here will die!”

At Oh Ryeong’s heated voice, Seomun Cheok looked at Oh Ryeong with cold eyes and slowly shook his head.

“We don’t know if they’ll all die or not. The information given to us right now consists only of speculation and prediction.”

“But it’s reasonable speculation. It’s speculation with sufficient possibility!”

“That’s why it’s more of a problem. Didn’t you hear? It’s not a request but an order. A superior has instructed us to retreat. You can’t possibly not understand what that means.”

“…….”

Seeing Oh Ryeong unable to answer, Seomun Cheok, who exhaled deeply, pressed his brow. Because it was the truth.

If Gwangyeon hadn’t used the word “order,” he could understand saying they should respond. Though he doesn’t know how powerful the Baekgwiyahaeng is, even so, they can’t miss the opportunity to prevent at least tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of casualties for the sake of their sixteen lives, can they?

Moreover, if it were the previous Muryeongwando, it might be different, but now their confidence has risen greatly through a month of training. At this level, they should be able to face the Baekgwiyahaeng relatively smoothly.

However, such thoughts are their own judgment to the end.

“Branch Leader Gwangyeon told us to retreat from the battlefield. Conversely, that means he thought the scale of the enemy was a scale we absolutely cannot handle. At least the Branch Leader made that judgment and gave us that order.”

“But we’re also quite……!”

“That’s only from our perspective. Unless you’ve directly experienced Yokai, saying ‘we can do it’ is nothing but arrogance.”

Everyone has plausible plans before entering battle, before entering the battlefield. They imagine how to respond if the opponent attacks this way, how they’ll attack, things like that. But what’s the actual probability of that being realized?

‘Extremely low.‘

Seomun Cheok remembers when he first stood on a battlefield. At the age of thirteen. When he went out as an arrow-catcher holding a cheap wooden spear without decoration or embellishment.

It was the same back then. He thought there would be no damage since his unit would strike from the side. He also thought winning wouldn’t be difficult since the enemy’s scale was much smaller. But what was the result?

An unexpectedly skilled expert joined the enemy side.

Those who survived from Seomun Cheok’s unit didn’t even reach ten percent. Seomun Cheok cried beneath the corpses of his unit members, holding his breath and covering his mouth.

That’s how he survived. Relying on luck. Relying on the enemy’s mercy.

“If things go wrong, it’s a dog’s death. We can’t guarantee we can hold out, and even if we do hold out, it’s insubordination. At minimum, we’ll be expelled from Muryeon Hall, and in the worst case, your sects themselves might be expelled from the Murim Alliance.”

“…….”

“Think realistically. The reason we came here is to acquire capabilities as Muryeokdae members, not to act as Muryeokdae members. Once you become a Muryeokdae member, you can save as many people as you want. You can practice chivalry then…….”

“──Are you done talking?”

At Oh Ryeong’s desolate voice, Seomun Cheok quietly lowered his hand that was pressing his brow and looked into Oh Ryeong’s eyes. Oh Ryeong’s eyes, now filled with anger.

“Right. You’re correct.”

“…….”

“We can practice chivalry later. If we become stronger, we’ll be able to help more people. If we can help more people by becoming stronger, that might be more beneficial. You’re smart and I’m stupid, so I’m always swept up by the mood, so it’s right to follow what you say.”

“If you know that…….”

“But that doesn’t bring back the people who die today. You idiot!”

Ppeudeudeuk!

Oh Ryeong, who bit down hard on her teeth, firmly grasped the red banner hanging at the end of her whip that proved she was a Muryeongwando, tore it off, and threw it away.

“I might not be a Muryeongwando anymore, if I think of my sect I shouldn’t step forward? Don’t bullshit me. Then why aren’t you putting down your spear? Are you the Alliance Leader’s child or something so you won’t be punished?”

“……I was planning to flee.”

“Bullshit. You’re joking. Asshole!”

People who bluntly speak harsh truths are ostracized everywhere. Nevertheless, Seomun Cheok was considerably trusted among the Muryeongwando. What’s the reason for that?

It’s simple. While Seomun Cheok pushes reality onto others, he himself chases ideals. He always throws his own body into the most difficult things.

“Did you think I wouldn’t notice you also tore off your Gwando banner? Am I blind? It’s exactly the same as before. You think it’ll end if you sacrifice alone! Is that cool? Is it? Getting intoxicated by yourself, this is why men…!”

“…….”

At Oh Ryeong’s words, spewing anger while fuming, Seomun Cheok unconsciously looked at his own spear tip, maintained silence, then slightly hid his spear behind him and spoke.

“Call me selfish if you want. I have nothing to lose, and you all have much to lose. Then you should flee. I’ll protect the honor.”

“What if I don’t flee! I’m saying I’ll fight, so why are you telling me what to do!”

“Then I have no choice but to knock you out and drag you away.”

Seomun Cheok, who slowly extended his spear tip forward, looked at Oh Ryeong with cold eyes and drew up his Naeryeok.

“Have you ever beaten me even once, Oh Ryeong?”

“…….”

“Don’t make useless resistance. If we waste our strength on each other, it’ll only become harder to flee. Compared to you, I’m lucky and have abundant experience. If I’m alone, even if I’m defeated in battle, the probability of survival increases dramatically.”

“Seomun Cheok! You really……!”

Oh Ryeong, who ground her teeth at the spear tip aimed at her, placed her hand on her whip. However, before she could draw her whip, a hand landed on Oh Ryeong’s shoulder.

“Stop it, Oh Ryeong.”

“Right.”

Looking at that hand, Seomun Cheok nodded.

“Seonwoo Gang is right. At the very least, if it were before hearing the order, it would be worth reconsidering. But Muryeon Hall isn’t just you alone. If you stay, what happens to the other guys who have sects but must leave…….”

“No.”

Ppeudeudeuk!

Seomun Cheok, who was speaking, turned his head blankly at the suddenly heard sound. His classmates who had already risen and were looking at him.

In front of them, Seonwoo Gang burst into a grin.

“I mean we don’t need to fight each other. Because we’re not going to run away.”

“……Are you in your right mind, Seonwoo Gang?”

“Unfortunately, it seems I’m not in my right mind. Not just me, but everyone.”

Ppeudeuk! Ppaddeudeuk!

As soon as Seonwoo Gang’s words ended, the Gwando one by one forcibly grabbed and tore off the banners sewn onto their bodies somewhere and threw them onto Oh Ryeong’s banner. Banners piling up abundantly in an instant.

“You seem to have forgotten something, Seomun Cheok. Do you remember what you heard before coming?”

“……What story?”

“The story the sect leader told us. Though we’re Muryeongwando, while we’re here, we temporarily belong to Uicheonmun.”

Tuk! Tuduk!

One, two.

Seomun Cheok, who was staring at the piled banners growing tall like a tower, blankly turned his gaze to look at Seonwoo Gang.

And as if answering that gaze, Seonwoo Gang casually spat out his words.

“Would the Uicheonmundo you saw run away abandoning people in this situation?”

Even if we say Uicheonmundo, there are only Seohwa, Wangpal, and Baek Riyun. Would those three run away abandoning people in this situation?

“……There’s no way they would.”

“Right.”

Seonwoo Gang, who affirmed Seomun Cheok’s words, nodded.

“What we carry isn’t just our sects. The Muryeongwando are pillars of the Orthodox Path. What the Muryeongwando carry is the entire Orthodox Path. If it’s an Orthodox Path sect, they won’t run away in this situation. Am I wrong?”

“You’re not…… wrong.”

“Then, it’s decided. We fight. For Uicheonmun’s honor, and for the Orthodox Path’s honor. This is an order as squad leader.”

Chaeng!

Seonwoo Gang, who burst into a grin, drew his sword and approached Seomun Cheok, lightly tapping his shoulder.

“For now, I’m still the training instructor, so I have authority, don’t I? What do you think?”

“Ridiculous. You idiot.”

“Shouldn’t you know by now after four years together?”

“……Right. That’s how it was.”

Seomun Cheok, who lowered his spear tip helplessly, looked at the Gwando. The sight of his classmates preparing for immediate battle without any trace of the depressed atmosphere from before.

“……I heard from a senior before that Changcheon Corps members disobey orders like eating meals.”

“……What story?”

“Well, if we learned from the Changcheon Corps Commander, wouldn’t we be reserve Changcheon Corps members or something?”

There’s no point trying to persuade them; they won’t change their minds. If they were such people, they couldn’t have come this far together.

There’s only one option. Then the action to take when thinking rationally is one.

Seomun Cheok, who exhaled deeply, planted his spear shaft into the ground with a thud.

“Dan Riyeon. Grasp the scale of the Baekgwiyahaeng as quickly as possible. If not the scale, then even the direction is fine. Someone with fast feet would be better at grasping it.”

“…….”

“Unjin, Oh Ryeong, you two check the surrounding terrain. Fighting in the city is suicide. We must intercept them before they arrive.”

“That means…….”

“Right.”

Seomun Cheok, who quietly closed his eyes, continued speaking while feeling the pulse flowing through his wrist.

“If we retreat and ‘unavoidably‘ fight, it doesn’t matter. Isn’t that right, Oh Ryeong?”

“Ri, right! Yes. Right!”

“Then, there’s one thing to do. From now on, we──.”

To survive, you must do whatever it takes. Utilize everything you’ve learned. The sharpest dagger always flies from an unknown place.

Seomun Cheok, who finished his thoughts, opened his eyes and declared quietly. And.

“We hunt the Baekgwiyahaeng.”

The moment Seomun Cheok’s declaration fell.

Everyone kicked off from their seats and rose.