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“Dark Heaven Village”

A little while later, Lee Kwang called Jin So-cheong. When Jin So-cheong was introduced to me by Lee Kwang, she smiled happily.

“I’m Jin So-cheong. Nice to meet you, my priest.”

“Yeah.”

Now that I had decided to become Lee Kwang’s disciple, a brotherly relationship was established between Jin So-cheong and me. Jin So-cheong glanced outside and continued.

“Did Bangil get subdued by the priest?”

“Yeah. The conversation didn’t match up.”

“If he didn’t use an assassin, it shouldn’t matter.”

Lee Kwang said.

“Come here. We have urgent matters to discuss.”

“Yes.”

Lee Kwang walked further into the inner area of Waryong Hall, and Jin So-cheong and I followed him in. As I entered, I thought it was surprising.

‘I thought I would get at least a day to adjust to Azure Dragon Martial Arts School before jumping into a conversation.’

The rescue of General Hwang Yeon!

It seemed to be a much more serious situation than I had anticipated. In the secluded room, Lee Kwang sat at a table and beckoned us to sit as well. Once all three of us were seated, Lee Kwang started the conversation.

“General Hwang Yeon is currently held captive by the Golden Eagle Guard and Duke of Guanzhong.”

“……!!”

Jin So-cheong was startled. It was evident she knew who General Hwang Yeon was, and given her reaction, it was clear she had more than just a passing acquaintance with him. Perhaps Jin So-cheong had a personal connection to Hwang Yeon.

“Is that really true?”

“Yeah. This information was brought by Baek Woong. Jang Gyeong-ik commissioned it.”

“Hmm…”

Jin So-cheong looked troubled. I quietly listened and then asked my burning question.

“Jang Gyeong-ik is the military commander overseeing Shandong Province. Do you have a connection with him?”

At my question, Lee Kwang smiled coldly.

“Connection? Back when I was active as the Azure Dragon, he was just a rookie. He climbed the ranks by riding the coattails of others. I have no personal interest in him.”

“……”

It was hard to imagine Lee Kwang treating someone like Jang Gyeong-ik, who held military authority comparable to the county governor, as beneath him. Lee Kwang glanced at the map and said,

“Since we have a map, we can go and rescue him.”

Jin So-cheong quietly said,

“This is a trap.”

“So you think that too?”

“If the Golden Eagle Guard or Duke of Guanzhong really had General Hwang Yeon captured, they would not have posted him in such an obvious location. They would have at least imprisoned him in the Thunder Pearl of the Imperial Palace.”

“That makes sense.”

As I listened to their conversation, I was surprisingly impressed. The intelligence of these two priests was comparable to Miho’s instincts, honed from long familiarity with complex situations. Lee Kwang, who had been quietly examining the map, said,

“But this trap is a clever one. It’s impossible to avoid even if we know it’s a trap.”

“What do you plan to do?”

“Given that they’ve kindly sent a letter as an invitation, it means General Hwang Yeon’s life isn’t in immediate danger. They wouldn’t rashly deal with hostages if it required time to execute their plan.”

“But the Hwang clan will become increasingly at risk.”

“That can’t be helped. The Golden Eagle Guard has secured his life; who would be safe?”

Lee Kwang’s words contained one fundamental premise: he prioritized General Hwang Yeon over the Hwang clan. As I continued listening in silence, Lee Kwang spoke again.

“Exerting influence through the Clear Stream Faction is the best strategy.”

“The Clear Stream Faction…?”

“I know a few of them. They can be moved properly.”

Lee Kwang glanced at me and added,

“But this time, I will use both the upper and lower strategies.”

“Are you thinking of going in directly?”

“Heh. Upon reflection, this provocation is quite ridiculous. And since my new disciple has just reached the level of enlightenment, I want to help him grow through real combat.”

Upon hearing his words, I understood what was happening.

‘So that’s how it is.’

Even in the history where I hadn’t delivered the letter to Jang Gyeong-ik, Lee Kwang must have received some news about Hwang Yeon in some way. And being no fool, he didn’t plan to walk directly into a trap laid out for him; instead, he had devised a strategy using the Clear Stream faction to apply pressure.

But this time, with me having just joined as a disciple and wanting to give me real combat experience, it seemed he intended to willingly walk into the trap. Stunned, I exclaimed,

“What are you talking about? The Golden Eagle Guard has set elaborate traps, and you want to walk in there willingly?”

Even now, without invoking the Thunder God technique, I was unsure if I could take on two units of the Golden Eagle Guard. They could certainly dig pits and wait for us. For just the three of us to go there was a thought that would leave anyone nuts.

Lee Kwang replied.

“This trap isn’t terrifying; it’s merely a dirty trap. So if we can avoid it, we will, but there’s no need to do so. In fact, if we step on them a bit, they would come to their senses and stop coming at us with useless plots.”

“……”

“Now, pack your bags and let’s set off. Our target is Water Merging Valley.”

Lee Kwang moved with lightning speed. Even a day’s worth of preparation seemed insufficient, yet his attitude suggested we should just go for it. I returned to the annex and, feeling incredulous, said to Jin So-cheong, who was busily packing beside me,

“Don’t you think this is reckless, brother?”

“… Huh? Reckless? Why?”

“……”

Seeing Jin So-cheong appear puzzled, I had nothing to say. Jin So-cheong genuinely seemed to believe that a trap of this level was no big deal.

‘Wait, then why did you act so serious earlier?’

My expression must have contorted, as Jin So-cheong burst into laughter.

“Haha, priest. Don’t worry. We’re just going to have a blast, so don’t feel any pressure.”

“‘A blast,’ huh…”

I replied helplessly. After all, I had witnessed firsthand how much destruction that “blast” could cause when Jin So-cheong and I had once participated in breaking the Zhongnan Sect’s plaque.

If I hadn’t experienced it, I wouldn’t have known what nonsense Jin So-cheong was saying now.

‘These people have a destructive demon spirit.’

Chuckling, Jin So-cheong tightened his pack and said,

“And General Hwang Yeon is like a grandfather to me. I’m actually glad I can go rescue him myself.”

“Huh?”

“It’s a fuzzy memory, but I think General Hwang Yeon played with me when I was very young. Maybe my parents were close friends with him…”

“……”

I fell silent. I knew Jin So-cheong well after spending a couple of years with him.

I had heard that Jin So-cheong’s parents died in some accident, and it was Lee Kwang who took care of the orphaned Jin So-cheong. In other words, Lee Kwang was like a father to Jin So-cheong, and Jin So-cheong was like a son to Lee Kwang. That’s why Jin So-cheong confided in me that he could dedicate his life to martial arts as his lifelong goal.

I asked just to be sure.

“Brother. If General Hwang Yeon is really there and they threaten his life, what will you do?”

“Huh?”

“If they say, ‘If you don’t drop your weapon, General Hwang Yeon will die!'”

“Hmm…”

Jin So-cheong paused to think for a moment before answering.

“Then, well, I’ll just charge in and kill them all.”

That was an unexpected answer.

“Wait, General Hwang Yeon…”

“If I get caught, he’ll die anyways. So I’ll just tell him to leave it to me for revenge and then wipe them out without hesitation.”

“……”

“Don’t overthink it. The enemy is the Golden Eagle Guard, and if they are set on action, any compromise is impossible.”

That made sense.

I could tell Jin So-cheong had a very cool and rational way of thinking. On the surface, he seemed gentle and mild-mannered, but in reality, he was as unfeeling as Lee Kwang. He could clearly distinguish between public and private matters and wouldn’t get swept up by emotions.

Once Jin So-cheong had finished packing, he said,

“It’s our first meeting, but I feel like we’ll hit it off. Let’s work well together this time.”

“Understood, brother.”

Soon enough, the three-member rescue team composed of Lee Kwang, Jin So-cheong, and me set out from Azure Dragon Martial Arts School. We began riding along the official road and soon passed Hangu Pass. Taking a break at Hangu Pass, Lee Kwang said,

“Water Merging Valley is three hundred and forty li from here. We’ll switch to walking after we’ve one hundred li left to our destination.”

“Understood.”

At that moment, I heard a voice in my mind.

[What’s going on all of a sudden? Why are you so far away?]

Miho was trying to communicate with me telepathically over long distances. I hesitated, unsure how to reply. No, more importantly, how was I supposed to respond?

[Just think it strongly in your mind. We don’t have time; hurry!]

I quickly briefed Miho on everything that had happened so far in my head. Then Miho replied.

[Got it. This maiden will be waiting for you at Water Merging Valley, so let’s meet there.]

The telepathic connection felt like it was getting cut off. It seemed to be held together by a slender thread of spiritual energy that could only last for a short while. I figured having Miho around would greatly help during the interrogation, so I didn’t bother to stop her.

As we rode for approximately half a day, we neared our target, Water Merging Valley. Just as Lee Kwang had predicted, he abandoned the horse one hundred li away and we began walking to our destination. As we walked near the reed fields, suddenly—

“Attack!!”

People dressed in black suddenly sprang out from all sides. Armed with swords, spears, Qimen weapons, or arrows, a staggering amount of them rushed towards us, easily numbering over a hundred.

Lee Kwang said impatiently,

“You handle this.”

“Yes.”

I took the north side, and Jin So-cheong took the south side, as if we had implicitly agreed. I immediately drew my sword and charged forward, unleashing my sword Qi and cutting down three of them in an instant. With a burst of energy, I turned and decapitated another twelve.

As a dozen of their ranks crumpled to the ground, the black-cloaked figures stepped back in shock.

“Ugh, ugh!”

“What?! Who are these guys?!”

Realizing their skills were nowhere near the level of the Golden Eagle Guard, I noted their abilities didn’t even exceed the standard of second-class experts, with a few first-class mixed in. Still, comparing them to standard Golden Eagle Guards was an insult.

‘These must be ambushers hired by the Golden Eagle Guard with their identities hidden…’

But I still had no intention of showing mercy.

Though medical techniques may involve humanity, there was no reason to go easy on those aiming for my life. Especially if they were minions of the Golden Eagle Guard, they were merely playthings for my frustrations.

With a chilling smile, I let loose the Ten Thousand Success Sword Technique, combining speed with torrent-like sword flames. Each swing conjured a windswept storm, slicing through all life in the vicinity.

“Kraaaak!”

On Jin So-cheong’s end, things were not much different. With just a few movements, explosions rang out as enemy heads burst open from intangible attacks. In a sense, his method of killing was far more terrifying than mine.

“Aaaah!!”

“Kyaaak!”

Blood poured like rain onto the reed fields.

The air was thick with the stench of blood.

And within seconds of the attack starting, when the enemies’ numbers dropped below forty percent, they stopped charging and began to flee.

“Aaaah!!”

“Save me!!”

Jin So-cheong and I exchanged glances with Lee Kwang, who coolly commanded,

“Kill them all.”

“Understood.”

With that order of annihilation, Jin So-cheong and I dashed forward like the wind, making sure not a single rat remained. We eliminated them quickly and efficiently, leaving not a living soul behind. Returning, Lee Kwang said,

“Well done.”

“Was it really necessary to kill them all?”

“Killing them is the kindest act. Do you think the Golden Eagle Guard would allow those guys to live in one piece?”

“……”

It dawned on me what was meant by Lee Kwang’s words. Anyone who survived would inevitably face the torture of the Golden Eagle Guard, so to cut off any chance of them revealing information meant eliminating them. That was the ‘kindness’ he spoke of.

‘As expected from a former guard of the Imperial Palace, he understands the cruelty of the Golden Eagle Guard better than anyone…’

Deep in thought, I was startled by Lee Kwang’s voice.

“If it’s started off like this, then there will surely be someone formidable waiting for us at the end. I’m looking forward to it.”

I found myself wanting to ask exactly what he meant by “formidable,” but I bit my tongue out of fear. Lee Kwang’s logic and my own were worlds apart.

Not long after, we arrived at Water Merging Valley. As we entered the vast opening of the gorge, the sound of a Lion’s Roar echoed from somewhere.

[Azure Dragon, don’t do anything reckless! We have General Hwang Yeon hostage!]

In the distance, two dark figures appeared atop a cliff. One looked to be an old man bound tightly to a chair, while the other was a man clad in a white cloak with golden embroidery. Whether the old man was General Hwang Yeon was debatable, but the other was undoubtedly a member of the Golden Eagle Guard.

Lee Kwang commented deadpan.

“Foolish. Even preparing a hundred thousand troops and spreading poison or traps would be insufficient.”

“What should we do?”

“What else? We kill them.”

With that, Lee Kwang unleashed his sword form, and the next moment, a blast shot forward.

In an instant, more than a hundred feet away, a spear shot up from the ground. After an impressive leap into the air, it was clear Lee Kwang’s Light Body Technique was at least above Heavenly Sovereign grade.

The Golden Eagle Guard was caught unprepared and tried to drop Hwang Yeon as they gritted their teeth. However, before they could even make a move, Lee Kwang’s spear had already crushed the head of one of them.

Blood mist filled the air over the cliff.

[Die, Azure Dragon!]

I could see the Golden Eagle Guard experts rushing towards Lee Kwang like a flood. An urgent sense of danger hit me.

‘At least more than four squads…!! It’s too dangerous!’

The Golden Eagle Guard comprised of elite members, martial artists of the highest caliber, and top-level Heavenly Tigers. Judging by their number, I estimated there were at least forty of them, and seeing such experts rushing in was a terrifying sight.

But the next moment, I had to doubt my eyes.

[Secret Technique: Thunder God Palm!]

With the explosion of Lee Kwang’s Lion’s Roar, a massive spear technique fell from the sky like a storm. Even at this distance, the vibration shook the ground with the spark of lightning dazzling my vision.

Boom!

Crack!!

The world turned upside down.

“Aaaah!”

“Kraaaak!”

With the explosion, the cliff crumbled, and around ten members of the Golden Eagle Guard fell to the ground, instantly torn apart by the Thunder God Palm. The surviving Golden Eagle Guard members hurriedly retreated, but then Lee Kwang began combining his techniques.

[All of you, die!]

A massive whirlwind-like spear technique conjured in the air, attacking in hundreds of streams. The Golden Eagle Guard desperately tried to resist with their sword Qi and martial techniques, but as the lightning-dripping spearheads spread irregularly, their limbs went flying.

“Kugh!”

“Aah?!”

Blood and flesh painted the blue sky red.

Boom!

A second explosion resonated. This time not just a cliff but the entire forest below Water Merging Valley was swept away by Lee Kwang’s power. The ground seemed to flip over, and a mild earthquake rippled through.

Even the five capable Heavenly Tigers from the Golden Eagle Guard joined forces against Lee Kwang.

“Die!”

“You monster!”

“Aaaah!”

Their combined efforts unleashed a torrent of sword qi, and it looked as if any blow could spell doom for even myself. Yet the Golden Eagle Guards weren’t fighting with leisure but were overcome by urgency to save their lives.

Lee Kwang burst into wild laughter.

“Hahaha! This is the best the Golden Eagle Guard can do?!”

In a shocking turn of events, Lee Kwang’s spear wiped clean all incoming attacks effortlessly, piercing through the Golden Eagle’s Heavenly Tigers in hundreds of places.

While the bodies of the Tigers fell apart like pieces of meat in the air, Lee Kwang sprang up once more, slicing one from his crown to the groin, then turning to another to crush their skull with knee strikes.

Smash!

When another attempted to attack him, incredibly, he employed his clone technique and crushed the tiger’s chest with a Thunder God Fist.

The last one, risking everything in his charge, found himself struck down as Lee Kwang casually swept the spear and knocked him to the ground.

Boom!

“Go after them!”

In the blink of an eye, Lee Kwang had killed four Heavenly Tigers and ended it with throwing his spear at the surviving Golden Eagle Guards.

“Aaaah!”

“Save me!”

It was just a throw, but the results were terrifying.

Thud thud thud!

The guards who had been screeching for mercy were impaled like skewers by the soaring spear. When it struck the cliff, blood erupted, and soon after, the spear began to spin.

Swoosh!

As the spear spun, the bodies still impaled were shredded apart. Blood showered the battlefield wildly.

The events unfolded in the time it takes to take a breath. By this point, hardly anyone remained standing other than us. If there was, it had to be the trembling captain from the Golden Eagle Guard, who was previously spared, lying on the blood-soaked ground on the verge of fainting.

Bang!

Finally descending from the air, Lee Kwang gripped his spear, stained crimson with blood. Having killed countless foes, not a single scratch or drop of blood stained his own body. Lee Kwang remarked,

“The ones up on the cliff were just fakes brought in from the nearby village.”

“……”

“It seems like a decent one was waiting, but he fled, which is unfortunate.”

It seemed some peak expert or equivalent figure had been hiding there.

However, judging by Lee Kwang’s power, it made sense that any opponent would deem it impossible to fight back and choose to run instead.

‘Crazy…’

I was left speechless.

At this moment, I had witnessed with my own eyes the might of the former Four Great Experts of the Imperial Palace, the Azure Dragon, who had painted the martial world of Shaanxi in blood and death.

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