Whether aware or not that this was the day of destiny, the sun rose unfailingly in the eastern sky once again today.
At the southeastern edge of the village, about fifty wagons came into view.
At that moment, smoke billowed from the northeastern sky, accompanied by loud, raucous noises.
Gangcheol, together with the village youths, set fire to five predetermined locations in advance.
After confirming the flames, they gripped their long bamboo spears and charged at the thirty bandits guarding the northern entrance.
The attack was so simple it could have made someone laugh.
Yet their youthful, vigorous charge was swift.
Caught completely off guard by the unexpected assault, the bandits momentarily faltered.
Riding that momentum, Gangcheol thrust his spear into the abdomen of one bandit.
Thunk! Agh!
The chilling sensation of flesh being pierced.
Despite the unpleasant feeling radiating through his fingertips, Gangcheol gripped the spear tighter with more force.
In an instant, over a dozen bandits fell dead or incapacitated, stunned by the sudden strike.
Just then, a relatively older bandit shouted, “Snap out of it! They don’t know martial arts!”
His words took effect.
The bandits quickly regained their composure and surrounded Gangcheol and his group.
“Those bastards!! They should be begging for mercy, not attacking.”
As the bandits’ mood shifted, Gangcheol’s group shrank back, trembling in fear.
Any further attack would be courting death.
They had to run no matter what.
To buy time, they had to trail the enemy as much as possible.
“To the north!”
At Gangcheol’s trembling cry, the other nine raised their bamboo spears and charged forward in unison.
Gangcheol saw nothing ahead.
Only the instinct that they must run north drove him onward.
Again came the dull thuds and agonized screams.
Thunk! Aaaagh!
Even if their martial arts were weak, their youth lent their blows power.
Their minds were already in chaos.
Three bandits surrounding them were pierced through the abdomen by bamboo spears.
Meanwhile, bandits at the rear drew their blades and began attacking Gangcheol and the village youths.
The cold chill crawling down Gangcheol’s neck made him sense danger.
Yet he dared not look back.
If he fell from a surprise attack, it would be unavoidable.
Without turning, he leapt over a bandit who had collapsed with a spear in his abdomen and plunged into the northern forest.
Nothing was visible.
He simply ran forward blindly.
Suddenly, he felt something strange in his leg.
Looking down while running, he saw his right leg stained red.
Against his will, Gangchan stopped.
He caught his breath briefly and examined his body.
From his back shoulder down to his waist, he felt nothing.
‘Had the bandits’ blade cut him?’
That seemed likely.
But oddly, there was no pain.
Gangcheol considered this fortunate.
He focused carefully on the surrounding sounds.
Voices came from several spots.
Perhaps some of the Cheongangmun disciples had survived and escaped as well.
Pushing those thoughts aside, Gangcheol began running again.
While he still could move, he had to run farther to lure the bandits away.
***
The bandits guarding the village’s southwest edge grew tense when smoke appeared in the northeast.
A slightly older bandit looked at the others.
“Did something happen?”
“Could they be running that way?”
“It’s driving me crazy how suddenly quiet it’s gotten.”
“Shouldn’t we check it out?”
“Then who guards this place?”
“That’s true, but if everyone from the village has fled that way, can thirty men really hold the line? Those bastards will run for their lives…”
It was a difficult situation.
If things went badly, they’d be scolded later by the harsh Danju.
Hesitating and exchanging glances, an older bandit finally shouted, “This won’t do. Five stay here. The rest follow me northeast. Move quickly!”
With that, twenty-five bandits ran north.
***
Moments after their departure, around three hundred people quietly gathered, barely breathing.
“We need to take out the five remaining bandits first. If we do this as planned, take them down silently and slip away quietly.”
Most of those gathered were elderly or women.
Fear had stifled even their breathing.
“If we fail, don’t do anything—stay here. That’s the only way you’ll survive.”
The ten Cheongangmun disciples reassured the villagers before quietly moving behind the remaining bandits.
By sheer luck, the five bandits left had their attention fully on the north.
“Nothing will happen, right?”
“Just some country bumpkins. Even if something did, we’re here. Haha.”
“That’s right, lucky break. Ha ha.”
Before their laughter ended, from behind the bandits on the far left, spears suddenly pierced through their chests almost simultaneously.
Thunk. Aagh.
The lightning-fast attack left the five bandits dead before they could scream.
“Move quickly along the route I told you.”
With that, most of the villagers succeeded in escaping.
Originally, Cheongangmun had taken position north of the village to defend against the Mongol Tribe on the plains.
Cheongangmun Master Ganghwan and ninety other disciples were hidden in the forest near the northwest entrance, where the path to the plains began.
Regardless of the village’s chaos, fifty wagons pushed swiftly through the village toward Cheongangmun.
At the northwest entrance sat Yeopae of Hyeollangho, leisurely waiting for them.
Upon hearing the disturbance in the village, Sub-leaders and Deputy Leader Muchideok quickly moved east to respond.
Yeopae, staring at the gold piled on the fifty wagons, felt as if he were dreaming.
More than he expected.
With this much gold, he wouldn’t need to resort to banditry anymore.
After lingering over the gold for some time, Yeopae moved toward the plains and whispered quietly,
“Come out now. Since you’ve all come at once, I’ll kill you painlessly without fuss.”
As his words ended, murmurs rose from the surrounding forest as Cheongangmun disciples began to appear one by one.
At their forefront stood Ganghwan.
He sensed the opponent’s martial arts far exceeded his expectations.
‘They knew we were hiding.’
He swallowed dryly.
“What about your promise to spare all the villagers if we meet your demands?”
“Did I make that promise? If not, even if I kill you, it’s not a lie.”
“What nonsense are you spouting?”
Ganggeomdaejoo Gang Muk shouted furiously.
Ganghwan raised his hand to stop him.
It was clear the enemy had no intention of sparing them.
‘What meaning did further talk have?’
Resolving himself, calmness washed over him instead.
“Hahaha. What’s the point of fighting monsters who aren’t human? If I can take even one more to the afterlife, that’s enough. Listen, disciples of Cheongangmun! Though we die here, our kin will live. Thank you all for everything.”
With renewed spirit, the disciples charged at Yeopae with their swords raised.
Yeopae, unfazed by their zeal, calmly drew his treasured beast blade, the Yasudo.
And then unleashed his unique martial art, Blood Wolf Explosive Stream Saber (Hyeollangho Pokryudo).
A brutal, destructive chain saber technique that only ended when the opponent died.
The Yasudo slashed in all directions, leaving wounds as if inflicted by a beast’s bite.
Kyaaaak!
In a single clash, over ten Cheongangmun disciples were reduced to bloody corpses.
Yeopae stepped forward and swung the Yasudo again toward the clustering disciples.
Bang!
Among the ninety disciples charging in, only Ganghwan managed to block the beast blade’s brutal strike even once.
Two clashes later, nearly half of the Cheongangmun disciples lay dead.
Meanwhile, the enemy remained silent as if nothing had happened.
The gap in martial skill was immense.
‘Even if our attacks land, it must be when many disciples remain alive.’
Only then would it matter.
Summoning his last strength, Ganghwan prepared a desperate final attack and swung his sword with all his might.
Clang.
But his all-out strike was futilely blocked.
Startled, Ganghwan quickly withdrew his sword and stepped back.
The block was made not against him, but toward the Cheongangmun disciples.
Then followed a merciless slaughter.
Whenever Yeopae smiled brightly, he was looking at Ganghwan.
Ganghwan glanced around.
No living soul was left.
“Cruel bastard!”
Among the mangled corpses, something caught his eye—someone staring at him with wide eyes.
It was the severed head of his cousin, Gang Muk.
‘Muk… wait for me up ahead.’
He poured every ounce of his remaining strength into swinging his sword madly at the foe.
Huff… huff…
His heart pounded as if it would burst.
His right arm was gone, severed at some point.
Barely able to stand, Ganghwan heard the enemy’s sneer.
“Had your fun? Shall we finish this now?”
Raising his drooping head, he met the gaze of Yeopae.
The world strangely bled red.
Shaking with cold, Ganghwan forced himself upright and raised his sword with his remaining arm, stepping toward Yeopae.
“Cheon, Chan, you must live…”
At that moment, the Yasudo swung horizontally, spinning with Yeopae.
Whoosh…… Thud.
Ganghwan’s raised sword and his neck parted instantly.
Before his last words could finish, smoke billowed from the northeast and cries echoed.
Deputy Leader Muchideok felt an inexplicable unease.
Because of it, he had come himself instead of sending only the sub-leaders.
When he arrived at the northeast entrance, a dozen of his men were already dead, and several more lay wounded, moaning in pain.
And traces led into the northern forest.
Muchideok sensed some villagers had escaped.
Yet something felt off.
Nearly five hundred villagers lived here.
If they fled this way, the number of dead subordinates was too few.
Also, some villagers should have died.
But there were no villagers’ bodies.
Moreover, other than the ten dead men, no other subordinates were present.
This meant they were chasing after the fleeing villagers.
Scanning the area, a single word struck Muchideok’s mind.
‘A trap?’
He turned his gaze to the south.
‘That must be it.’
After a moment of thought, Muchideok pointed toward the forest and ordered the sub-leaders,
“Someone fled. We must catch them.”