The Soul Scorching Squad.
As one of the Six Great Battalions of Evil Spirit Sect, it was a battalion comprised of first-rate experts who had mastered the Soul Scorching Jade Blood Spear to at least the fifth level of proficiency. Originally, their mandate was to roam the martial world and independently eliminate anyone who dared threaten the influence of Evil Spirit Sect. However, having been assigned to escort the successor of Evil Spirit Sect on his journey into the Gangho, they had effectively become his personal guard.
Whirrr.
A dry, desolate wind swept across the Soul Scorching Squad where they stood in formation. Three hundred members, clad in blood-red robes, stood in a triangular formation with their spears held upright, staring solemnly at the entrance of Momentless Fleet. Their collective presence resembled a colossal spearhead dyed in crimson.
At that moment, Bu Eunseol and Hyeok So-jin emerged from the entrance.
Clack.
With disciplined precision, the lined-up unit members shifted left and right, opening a path. Simultaneously, a middle-aged man carrying a long lance separated into two parts on his back stepped forward. Though he stood well over six cheok tall, his frame was gaunt and his eyes were slit-like and elongated. From a distance, he resembled nothing so much as a scarecrow dressed in red.
This was Yo Bul-beom, the Captain of the Soul Scorching Squad.
His martial nickname was the Blood Flower Chaotic Shadow. It signified that wherever he passed, shadows of flowers drenched in blood would bloom in chaotic disarray; in other words, any area Yo Bul-beom entered would soon be stained with blood.
“The successor of Wolf Fang Pavilion, Bu Eunseol, I presume?”
If a hissing viper possessed the faculty of speech, it would sound exactly like this. Yo Bul-beom’s voice was so low, raspy, and gloomy that it made the listener’s skin crawl.
“That is correct.”
Bu Eunseol, however, met Yo Bul-beom’s gaze with a tranquil face, showing not a speck of agitation.
“Did you come to capture me?”
“Heh heh heh. Capture you?”
Yo Bul-beom spoke as if the notion were laughable.
“Even if you are the successor of Wolf Fang Pavilion, in my eyes, you are merely a greenhorn whose fontanelle hasn’t even dried yet.”
Raising the corners of his thin lips, Yo Bul-beom lowered his voice to a menacing whisper.
“Give up on obtaining Momentless Fleet as a support force.”
“Give up?”
“From the start, the Fleet Master made a pact to aid our sect in exchange for the Extreme Fire Returning Flame Pill.” Pausing for a moment, he continued, “But because you suddenly intervened, you ruined everything.”
Jong Wol-hon, the successor of Evil Spirit Sect, had returned after concluding a satisfactory negotiation with Guk Hye-ryeong. However, the meticulous Yo Bul-beom had not left Guilin; he remained behind to monitor the situation. As he had suspected, Guk Hye-ryeong suddenly injected funds into the Wolf Fang Pavilion and Heaven-Severing, Earth-Destroying. Upon hearing the news, he immediately led the Soul Scorching forces to this location.
“There is no need for Momentless Fleet to suffer damage because of you, is there?”
Yo Bul-beom stared intently at Bu Eunseol with his slit eyes.
“Give up on Momentless Fleet. If you make that promise, my squad will quietly return.”
It was Guk Hye-ryeong who had broken the agreement in the first place. Furthermore, Yo Bul-beom was not asking for them to support Evil Spirit Sect again, but merely demanding they maintain neutrality. On the surface, his proposal seemed rational and not overly unreasonable.
“Ridiculous.”
Bu Eunseol, however, let out a short snort of derision.
“To set up camp in front of someone else’s house and demand neutrality… how absurd.”
Smiling coldly, he looked down at Yo Bul-beom.
“If they accept this threat, Momentless Fleet will eventually be forced to support Evil Spirit Sect regardless of who comes next. After all, you intend to stay here and block any other forces from entering until the end.”
“…”
“In the end, what you are doing is no different from holding a knife to someone’s throat and threatening them, even if the blade isn’t touching the skin.”
“Hahaha.”
Letting out a bizarre, jarring laugh, Yo Bul-beom spoke.
“So.”
A wicked light began to flow from his eyes as he paused.
“So, what does the successor of Wolf Fang Pavilion intend to do?”
He surveyed the lined-up members of the Soul Scorching Squad. “Do you two intend to fight us alone? Oh, surely not. You must be under the impression that the Fleet Master will assist you.” With a chuckle, he pointed toward the entrance of Momentless Fleet. “But the Fleet Master will never engage in a fight. Momentless Fleet has detested getting its hands dirty for generations…”
“Is it because you use a spear as a weapon?”
Bu Eunseol sighed softly, wearing a bored expression.
“Your snout is truly long.”
Snap.
In that instant, a thick vein bulged on Yo Bul-beom’s forehead. Glaring as if he wanted to kill Bu Eunseol immediately, he extended both arms forward.
Clack!
At that signal, the lined-up unit members combined the spear shafts they carried split on their backs. Just seeing the disciplined precision with which they assembled their spears without a single beat of hesitation revealed just how terrifying the martial power of the Soul Scorching Squad was.
“You wish to die, then.”
Blue murderous intent rippled in the eyes of Yo Bul-beom, veins throbbing on his forehead.
“No need for long words. Kill!”
With a short command, three hundred members surrounded Bu Eunseol and Hyeok So-jin.
Swoosh!
Indeed, no further words were needed. The first formation, consisting of about thirty members, swung their spears chaotically toward Bu Eunseol and Hyeok So-jin.
Shing, Clang!
Simultaneously, Bu Eunseol’s Dark Sword and Hyeok So-jin’s treasured sword were drawn. The pouring shadows of the spears were so dense that not even a single ray of light seemed able to pass through. The surrounding area of ten jang was completely filled with the shadows of spears, appearing to erase the very forms of Bu Eunseol and Hyeok So-jin.
Clang-lang-lang!
However, Bu Eunseol and Hyeok So-jin were defending without a single leak, accurately striking down the pouring spear shadows.
Whirl! Slash!
Not only that, but they moved alternately left and right as if by prior agreement, unleashing sword techniques that compensated for each other’s gaps. Even in moments where they faced each other to launch attacks, their movements did not tangle; instead, they poured out attacks as if they were a single entity.
“Did the successors of the Ten Demonic Sects practice combined attack techniques?”
A look of bewilderment rose in Yo Bul-beom’s eyes as he watched.
Bu Eunseol and Hyeok So-jin.
The two were achieving a perfect harmony of offense and defense, truly as if they had become one. When a spear tip thrust forward, Hyeok So-jin’s Divine Splitting Demonic Energy would pour out to scatter the formation and force. In that split second, as if waiting for it, Bu Eunseol’s Dark Sword would unleash a sharp killing move. They brushed past each other dangerously close, shoulders nearly touching, pouring out sword strikes, palm force, and fist techniques, yet there was no hesitation, as if they were one body.
It wasn’t simple or ordinary martial arts, but profound, supreme martial arts from different lineages harmonizing perfectly. The only explanation was that they had predicted this situation and practiced combined techniques beforehand.
“Aaaagh!”
Constant screams erupted from the mouths of the first formation of the Soul Scorching Squad who had rushed at Bu Eunseol and Hyeok So-jin. Even Bu Eunseol was using the demonic arts of Heaven-Severing, Earth-Destroying as proficiently as Hyeok So-jin. When they poured out the same demonic supreme arts as if promised, sometimes switching to different ones, Yo Bul-beom’s eyes widened significantly.
‘A bastard from Wolf Fang Pavilion using the demonic supreme arts of Heaven-Severing, Earth-Destroying?’
Crumble!
In the meantime, the formation of the first wave completely collapsed, revealing the blood-soaked figures of Bu Eunseol and Hyeok So-jin.
“Is the war corps of Evil Spirit Sect only at this level?”
Bu Eunseol looked down at the unit members who were retreating hesitantly. His blood-drenched figure displayed a majesty akin to a Martial God dominating the battlefield.
“Hmph, do not make a fuss just because you broke the first formation of the main unit.”
However, Yo Bul-beom did not panic and instead wore a vicious smile. No matter how great the martial arts of Bu Eunseol and Hyeok So-jin were, the Soul Scorching Squad numbered three hundred. Even if they died and woke up again, those two alone could not handle them all.
Chik-chik!
Finally, the second and third formations of the Soul Scorching Squad were deployed simultaneously. Moving in a dizzying array, the unit members adjusted their distance as if drawing two overlapping circles, pressuring Bu Eunseol and Hyeok So-jin.
Flash! Clang-lang!
The sound of weapons clashing chaotically rang out in succession. As about half a gak (approx. 7.5 mins) passed, about half of the members of the second and third formations also fell. However, wounds began to appear gradually on the bodies of Bu Eunseol and Hyeok So-jin as well.
The Soul Scorching Jade Blood Spear. As elite experts who had mastered this bizarre and supreme spear art of the Demonic Path attacked endlessly, the two finally began to reach their limits. It was a case of being outnumbered and outmatched. Just as Yo Bul-beom had boastfully predicted, two people could never defeat the three hundred members of the Soul Scorching Squad alone.
“Haa…”
Hyeok So-jin, who had been pouring out Divine Splitting Demonic Energy, gritted his teeth. No matter how many he cut down, the enemy poured in endlessly. Perhaps if it were the old him, he would have already looked for a retreat path or prepared to pull out.
‘But…’
Bu Eunseol, standing beside him, was facing the enemy without retreating a single step. Small and large wounds accumulated on his body, and his breath grew ragged. Yet, the more he was drenched in blood, the longer the fight continued… Bu Eunseol’s eyes burned hotly, and his entire body seemed to blaze with red fighting spirit.
This was the Gangho journey. This was the fight of a martial artist.
A duel risking one’s life is not about lining up according to martial proficiency. It is a collision of life and vitality, a clash of will against will. Gazing at Bu Eunseol, Hyeok So-jin felt something hot boil up in his chest.
‘Winning or losing is no longer important!’
There are fights from which a martial artist cannot retreat. One might die by the enemy’s hand. What matters is how one fought. If one shrinks back to survive, there will be no growth even if one lives. But if one pours out everything with heart and soul, and survives that way… their martial level will surely advance a step further.
Whoosh.
In that moment, a hot flame like Bu Eunseol’s ignited in Hyeok So-jin’s body as well. Finally, he too had entered the fight of a true martial artist.
Boom!
As he unfolded the Divine Splitting Demonic Energy, an unprecedented explosive sound erupted. It was not merely internal energy but a form combining his power and burning will.
‘It doesn’t matter if I die!’
Hyeok So-jin unleashed the Divine Splitting Demonic Energy with all his might, wishing for everything he possessed to be burned away without a trace in this fight.
“Th-that…”
The experts of the Soul Scorching Squad, overwhelmed by the momentum of Bu Eunseol and Hyeok So-jin, stepped back again. The more they fought, the more intense the energy the duo released. Their movements became slightly duller, but their spirit and vigor became even sharper. It was clearly a fight the unit should win, a fight they couldn’t lose even if they tried… yet the unit members were actually retreating little by little.
At that moment.
“Ah, it’s hot.”
In front of the entrance to Momentless Fleet, a man with a fine physique and a fan tied to his waist slowly revealed himself.
“I don’t know how long it’s been since I saw a fight like that.”
Behind the man stood about ten martial artists carrying different weapons. They were the guests staying at Momentless Fleet: the Broken Line Divine Bow, Jeong Ri, and the other freeloaders.
“This is the kind of thing we, who always waste rice, should do.”
At Jeong Ri’s words, the guests standing behind him drew their weapons and chuckled low.
“Well said.”
“Shall we earn our keep this time and stay at Momentless Fleet a bit more comfortably?”
“Sounds good. Let’s begin then!”
As Jeong Ri drew the bow he held in his arms…
Kwa-woooong!
An arrow flew with a tremendous sound of tearing air, piercing through the bodies of two Soul Scorching Squad members at once.
Simultaneously.
—Waaaaaah!
Starting with a massive roar, the guests of Momentless Fleet joined the fray.
“Just the maggot-like freeloaders of Momentless Fleet.”
However, Yo Bul-beom didn’t even blink at the sight. No matter how great those ten or so experts were, they would never be able to help Bu Eunseol and Hyeok So-jin, who were surrounded at the center.
“The martial world is full of moths flying into the fire.”
Just as Yo Bul-beom sneered and looked back at the battle situation…
“We will help too!”
About thirty women ran out from the entrance. They were the Hundred Flower Ladies who had received martial arts instruction from Hyeok So-jin.
Clang!
The Hundred Flower Ladies drew their swords and immediately rushed at the unit members. Although they lacked actual combat experience and couldn’t be a significant force, as they attacked the unit members with all their might, the encirclement of Bu Eunseol and Hyeok So-jin in the center loosened slightly.
“What is this?”
Yo Bul-beom, who had maintained a relaxed expression all along, finally showed signs of bewilderment.
“Are you saying the disciples of Momentless Fleet are engaging in a chaotic brawl?”
From the beginning, Momentless Fleet had almost no history of defeating enemies using martial arts. Wasn’t that what the spy who infiltrated the interior had reported? He had been assured that they had almost no combat power to join a melee, and even if they did, Guk Hye-ryeong would never permit it. Yet, not just the guests, but even the disciples of Momentless Fleet were jumping directly into the battlefield?
Yo Bul-beom rubbed his eyes.
“That old hag who loves calculating profits sent her disciples into someone else’s succession fight…”
There were at least eight thousand disciples in Momentless Fleet. If Guk Hye-ryeong participated in the fight in earnest, the Soul Scorching Squad would have no choice but to retreat immediately.
“That cannot happen.”
Yo Bul-beom clenched his fist tight. Even if the battle situation became unfavorable, there was one thing that absolutely had to be taken care of. That pale bastard called the successor of Wolf Fang Pavilion had to be eliminated at all costs.