Black and White Martial Emperor

Mookbi’s timing in joining the fight was nothing short of exquisite.

THUD! BAM-BAM-BAM! BAM-BAM-BAM!

Every time she drew Red Lotus Bow’s string, Divine Flame soldiers collapsed without even managing to scream.

One shot, one kill. Every time an iron coin split the air, the life of one Divine Flame soldier was cut down with it.

It could not be any other way. She was not piercing their chests or abdomens, but drilling straight through the exact center of their brows. No matter how tenacious their vitality was, recovery was impossible once the brain had been destroyed.

Seok Gyeong was thrown into extreme confusion.

An archer?!

Before facing the enemy, he had been uncertain whether there were two hostile presences or three.

But once the battle began, he had been unable to pay attention to that point. The qi wave Yeon Hojeong poured out seemed to pierce the heavens, while the qi wave Tang Gwan created was sinister and deep, like smoke from hell.

Caught between those opposing, overwhelming qi waves and the frantic battle raging around him, he had not been able to think of the possibility of a hidden hand.

Only now did Seok Gyeong realize it.

These bastards aren’t merely targeting us.

Perfect coordination, and an efficient assault.

Even while risking their lives to hold them back with only two people, they had shown enough caution not to bring out an archer of that caliber until the decisive moment.

Gyu Jeok told them about us? Even if that’s true, the fact that they’re conducting this battle so boldly, yet so cautiously......

Seok Gyeong’s eyes flashed.

These bastards don’t just know about this Cult. They must know about the existence of the remaining two Creeds as well.

In that case?

Headquarters is in danger!

He inferred that much from the archer’s appearance. Seok Gyeong’s mind was certainly no ordinary thing.

Seok Gyeong shouted.

“Everyone, fall back! We return to headquarters immediately!”

Hearing that, Yeon Hojeong frowned.

Tang Gwan asked, “Return to headquarters? All of a sudden?”

“He realized it.”

“Realized what?”

“He realized we’re targeting all of them. He realized the other forces, meaning my father and Mo Yonggun, are targeting headquarters.”

Tang Gwan’s gaze turned gloomy.

“We absolutely cannot let them go.”

“Of course not.”

PAAAAAK!

The two of them threw themselves at Seok Gyeong and the sixty or so remaining Divine Flame soldiers with all their strength.

But the speed of their retreat was astonishingly fast.

There was a world of difference between a temporary withdrawal and a movement to return to headquarters. Tang Gwan and Mookbi kept hurling hidden weapons and arrows without pause, but Seok Gyeong’s defense from the rear, knocking aside their attacks, was so solid that he was minimizing their losses.

“No choice, then.”

A look of resolve flowed into Tang Gwan’s eyes.

The extreme consumption of Inner Qi might leave him unable to fight for a short while.

But there was no other way. If these bastards made it back to headquarters, the entire operation would go awry. More than his arrogance, Tang Gwan was a man who valued the enemy’s complete annihilation.

I’m not thrilled about showing this bastard.

But there was no helping it. With this one blow, he had no choice but to completely cut off their escape.

That was when it happened.

“It’s all right.”

“......?!”

“You don’t need to overdo it.”

Tang Gwan’s eyes shook.

This bastard, surely not?

Did he know? Did he know what martial art Tang Gwan was about to drive into them?

Of course, Yeon Hojeong knew. But for Tang Gwan’s sake, he pretended not to know the details.

“It seems you were planning to bring out a hidden art you have never shown publicly, but you do not need to.”

“......Why not?”

“Can’t you hear it?”

“What?”

Yeon Hojeong smiled. His face was pale from the severe consumption of Inner Qi, but his eyes alone shone brilliantly.

“They arrived right on time. Our allies.”

At that instant, Tang Gwan’s ears pricked.

Dudududu.

From far away came the sound of horse hooves.

Their number was not great, but each horse seemed to be a famous steed under heaven. The speed with which they charged in, pounding across the earth, was truly astonishing.

Yeon Hojeong grumbled quietly.

“Damn bastards. They should’ve come sooner. They just had to make my heart shrivel first.”

PAAAAAK!

Mookbi, who had been climbing the cliff and shooting arrows, came down beside Yeon Hojeong.

“They’re here.”

“Yes, they are.”

Yeon Hojeong looked beyond the retreating Divine Flame soldiers.

At the far end of the narrow path sealed in on both sides by cliffs, a thick cloud of dust rose.

“Now, let’s squeeze out the last of our strength!”

PAAAAAK!

The three of them charged with terrifying force.

What is this?

Seok Gyeong, who had been wondering why no attacks were coming from behind, suddenly felt the earth tremble and looked ahead in shock.

“Aaaaaaah!”

Fifty or so horsemen were charging in with a roar.

As if they had known this situation would unfold from the beginning, they charged while forming an encirclement. Their momentum was like an enraged wave.

“What the hell are those bastards now?!”

“What do you think?”

WOOOOONG!

Mad Dragon flew at tremendous speed, wrapped in Vermilion Bird Qi.

JJEOOOOOEONG!

Seok Gyeong’s face contorted. The force of Mad Dragon as it came flying in, raising a wheel of fire, nearly broke both his arms.

PAAAAAK!

Yeon Hojeong leapt into the air, caught Mad Dragon again, and raised the axe high above his head.

“They’re my subordinates.”

Yeon Hojeong brought Mad Dragon down toward the earth with all his might.

KWAKWAKWANG!

The cleaving strike fell with a red-white firestorm of Vermilion Bird and White Tiger, shattering and hurling up the ground across the area.

The split in the earth reached past Seok Gyeong and all the way to the feet of the Divine Flame soldiers.

The instant the sixty or so Divine Flame soldiers lost their balance and staggered.

That was when the Evil-Smiting Corps crashed into them.

“Kill them all!”

“Uaaaaaah!”

KURURUNG!

The advance of the Evil-Smiting Corps, blocking the entrance and driving in, carried tremendous destructive power.

A look of hollow disbelief appeared on Seok Gyeong’s face.

FLASH! THUD!

A throwing knife lodged in his shoulder. It was a knife Tang Gwan had thrown.

Chiiiiik!

He evaporated the Bone-Melting Acid as it pierced his skin and seeped in. But the momentary circulation of Inner Qi made his footwork waver.

Mookbi coldly drew her bowstring.

PIPIPIPIPING! THUD!

Four arrows lodged in the bodies of two Divine Flame soldiers, and one arrow sank into Seok Gyeong’s thigh.

Tang Gwan rushed forward and passed straight by Mookbi.

With a single brief remark.

“Not bad.”

FLASH!

Tang Gwan curved in like lightning and unleashed both palms against Seok Gyeong’s chest.

PUH-PUH-POONG!

“Kuh-heok!”

Seok Gyeong retreated while vomiting blood, then toppled among the Divine Flame soldiers.

BOOOOOM! KWAKWANG!

From the front, the Evil-Smiting Corps pressed in while unfolding a three-kill formation, and from the rear, Tang Gwan and Mookbi madly poured out hidden weapons and arrows.

Seok Gyeong, who had fallen and been trampled under the feet of the Divine Flame soldiers, barely regained his senses and rose.

“......!!”

For an instant, he felt the illusion that the world had gone dark, and he looked up into the air.

There, a black-shadowed killing fiend holding a massive axe was descending upon him.

“Playtime with fire is over, you bastards.”

Mad Dragon plunged toward Seok Gyeong’s skull.

KWAAAAANG!

*****

“The one shichen you mentioned is almost up.”

“Wait just a little longer.”

Mo Yonggun was calm.

Time was on their side. Even at this moment, Yeo Sangdo’s intelligence organization was deceiving the eyes and ears of the Divine Flame Cult’s masters.

But there was nothing good about wasting more time. In other words, launching the surprise attack even a moment sooner was advantageous for them as well.

Are they still far?

A hint of impatience appeared on Mo Yonggun’s face.

They must arrive at least before dawn. No matter how much one opens one’s vision with Inner Qi, the difference between night and day is clear. We must end the battle before the sun rises, no matter what.

That was when it happened.

Dudududu.

From far away came the powerful sound of horse hooves.

Surprise spread across Yeon Wi’s face, and a hint of gladness appeared on Mo Yong-woo’s.

Mo Yonggun let out a quiet sigh of relief.

“They arrived right on time.”

NEEEEIGH!

The horses’ cries were truly majestic.

Yeon Wi shouted in a voice filled with emotion.

“Hojeong!”

Yeon Hojeong, riding at the head of the group, smiled and waved.

“That was close, wasn’t it?”

“How did you get here......?!”

Mo Yonggun said, “I told you, did I not? Our allies would bring the goods.”

“That was Hojeong and the Evil-Smiting Corps?”

“That is right. Two days ago, I received word after the battle ended that they would come straight here. Given the quantity involved, I thought it would be better to entrust it to those men.”

“Huh!”

PAAAAK!

Tang Gwan kicked off his stirrups, flew forward, and landed before the two men in one breath.

“It has been a while.”

“Clan Lord Tang.”

Tang Gwan glanced at Mo Yonggun and snorted. Mo Yonggun pretended not to notice him.

Yeon Wi asked, “How did the battle go?”

“Can you not tell when we came all the way here? We wiped them clean and are on our way back.”

Yeon Wi’s expression brightened.

“You worked hard. Truly, you went through a great deal.”

“Hmph! It was not such great hardship.”

Tang Gwan turned to Yeon Hojeong.

“That foxlike bastard used his head so well.”

Yeon Hojeong smacked his lips and climbed down from his horse.

“I almost died because of it. Do you know I passed out in the middle because it was so hard?”

“Shut up, you insolent brat.”

Yeon Wi approached Yeon Hojeong and Mookbi.

“You both worked hard.”

As Yeon Wi took and shook the hands of his son and the girl he regarded like a daughter, deep relief settled over his face.

No grand praise or many words were needed. That expression alone showed how anxiously Yeon Wi had been waiting all this time.

“Bia? You are not hurt anywhere?”

“No.”

Mookbi spoke as if embarrassed.

“I was only providing support fire from behind. Young Master Yeon did all the hard work.”

Yeon Wi chuckled.

“That boy is so reckless by nature. I am sure he went wild at the front alone again.”

Yeon Hojeong scratched his head.

“How did you know? Then again, that is how I always do things.”

“You fool. So, can you even fight right now?”

“Of course. I raised my strength while accumulating qi on the way here. I can help a little.”

“Good. Do not push yourself.”

“Of course.”

After finishing the conversation, Yeon Hojeong went over to Mo Yonggun.

Mo Yonggun looked Yeon Hojeong up and down, then snorted.

“If you ended up in that state, I need not even see the enemy’s condition. You must have turned them into minced meat.”

“That much is necessary before those bastards die.”

At that moment, Tang Gwan sneered.

“That bastard is ridiculous too. I wondered why he had not told me in advance that those bastards do not die under ordinary circumstances, but it turned out he did not know either.”

Yeon Hojeong looked sheepish.

“I really did not know. At first, I was wondering why you were killing them so brutally, Clan Lord.”

“Even without knowing that, you tore that bastard Gyu Jeok to pieces. You are quite the madman yourself.”

Then Mo Yonggun spoke.

“Let us end the conversation here. Should we not begin the battle soon?”

He asked Yeon Hojeong, “Did you receive all the goods?”

“Of course.”

Yeon Hojeong looked toward the Evil-Smiting Corps. Each soldier drew three or four golden sachets from his waist.

A cruel smile spread over Mo Yonggun’s face.

“Good. Shall we get going?”

“Let us.”

A quarter hour later.

The sixty or so masters surrounding the Divine Flame Cult’s headquarters lit the golden sachets.

FWIIIIIIIT!

One iron coin shot high into the sky.

That was the signal. Everyone holding a golden sachet threw the smoking pouches with all their strength toward places where they sensed human presence.

A moment later.

KWAKWAKWAKWAKWANG! KWAKWAKWANG!

With an earth-shaking series of explosions, dozens of buildings burst apart as if detonating.

“Kraaaagh!”

“Aaaagh!”

Horrific screams rang out in every direction. They were all screams from the Divine Flame Cult’s masters, from the Divine Flame soldiers.

Then Mo Yong-woo’s booming voice cut across the sky.

“Do not leave a single bastard alive!”

KURURURUNG!

Five hundred elite soldiers of the Demon-Sweeping Corps charged in with terrifying force.