That night, Sangbaek, the Gwanju of the Manhwa Martial Arts Hall, gathered on a small hill overlooking the Hyeolsapa’s estate.
He was accompanied by eighty of his martial disciples and Mak Bi.
The leader of the Hyeolsapa, Dam Sajin, known by the nickname Blood Demon Claw.
He was famed as a master of sword techniques, said to be invincible when wielding a pair of Blood Claws in his hands.
But such praise only held true among average martial artists.
On their side stood Mak Bi.
Tonight, it was certain that Dam Sajin would fall at Mak Bi’s hands.
The moonlight was obscured by clouds, cloaking the night in darkness.
Sangbaek carefully selected the ten swiftest among his disciples and ordered them to infiltrate beyond the estate walls.
Their objective was the dispersal of Soul Qi Po Baek San.
Soul Qi Po Baek San was not a poison that killed.
However, even inhaling a trace of it would cause anyone, regardless of their martial prowess, to become dazed and confused for at least two shijin.
Of course, after two shijin passed, no trace of it would remain.
The drawback was that it was expensive and difficult to procure.
Noyujung, the Baekryong Association Leader, had spent heavily to prepare this drug and entrusted it to Sangbaek.
“Do not get caught. If you fail, it’s over.”
Sangbaek’s cautious command cut through the silence.
The men quietly scaled the wall, muffling their footsteps.
The moment the first man set foot on the ground, a faint metallic sound echoed from afar.
“Stop.”
Sangbaek’s sharp voice immediately tensed the men.
They crouched down and ceased moving instantly.
Inside the estate, an eerie stillness prevailed.
There were no signs of guards or any human presence.
“Gwanjunim, it’s too quiet.”
One disciple whispered.
Sangbaek frowned, scanning the surroundings.
“This is strange. But we can’t stop now. Proceed.”
With heightened alertness, the ten approached the target building cautiously.
Reaching the window, they retrieved the pre-prepared vials of the drug according to the prearranged signal.
Slowly, they pushed the vials through the window gap and blew the drug upward toward the ceiling.
Soon, the room would be filled with the dispersing powder.
***
After completing their mission, the men carefully retreated, scaling back over the wall.
“Mission accomplished.”
Upon receiving the report, Sangbaek felt both relief and an uneasy tension.
The excessive quiet inside the estate still lingered in his mind.
“Prepare now. Charge.”
Two shijin later, Sangbaek gave the order to attack.
Eighty disciples vaulted over the walls and surged into the estate.
“Waaaaah!”
They broke down the doors and rushed inside, but all that awaited them were empty rooms.
“…There’s no one here?”
Suddenly, the estate lit up brightly.
The Hyeolsapa warriors appeared atop the walls, aiming their bows and sneering.
“Foolish rats. Hahaha!”
“Surrender peacefully, and we’ll spare you the pain.”
Only then did Sangbaek and his disciples realize they had fallen into a trap.
Despair shadowed their faces.
“Gwanjunim.”
Outnumbered and caught off guard, their expressions turned blank.
‘Did we underestimate this Blood Demon Claw too much?’
Someone called Sangbaek with a trembling voice.
But Sangbaek could no longer reply.
They had planned to resolve the manpower shortage with the poison, but not only had the poison failed, they had walked straight into the enemy’s trap.
There seemed to be no way out.
Unconsciously, Sangbaek’s gaze shifted to Mak Bi.
Yet, Mak Bi’s face remained composed and confident.
At that moment, a voice rang in his ear via a communication device.
“Order your men to concentrate their attack on the northern wall and secure a retreat path there.”
Sangbaek made a snap decision.
There was no time to question the order’s reasoning.
Whether Mak Bi’s decision was right or wrong, swift action was the only way to survive.
“Everyone, attack the north.”
Before Sangbaek finished speaking, a figure burst forward like lightning.
Mak Bi leapt onto the estate wall and began swinging his sword wildly toward the archers stationed there.
Crash!
A section of the northern wall collapsed.
The Hyeolsapa archers were thrown into confusion by the sudden assault.
Mak Bi sprinted along the crumbling wall, wielding his sword like a storm.
Warriors struck by him screamed and fell.
“What are you waiting for? Shoot! Stop him!”
The Hyeolsapa shouted, but their response was slow and clumsy.
“Aaah!”
Before they could aim, many were cut down along with their bows.
Mak Bi’s sword swept the wall relentlessly as if it knew no end.
“Sang Gwanju——!”
Mak Bi’s powerful shout filled with internal energy shook the dispirited disciples.
Frozen in despair, the disciples suddenly regained their senses and started chasing after Mak Bi’s astonishing onslaught.
Snapping back to reality, Sangbaek also dashed toward the gap in the northern wall at full speed.
Making a quick judgment, he shouted fiercely to his disciples.
“Focus! If you want to live, break through there!”
With Sangbaek’s cry, the martial disciples charged toward the northern wall.
The northern encirclement had loosened due to Mak Bi’s ferocious attack, and the Hyeolsapa warriors’ morale was rapidly collapsing.
Mak Bi’s unrestrained swordplay mercilessly cut down the archers along the wall.
His unstoppable movements were like a tempest that overturned the entire battle in an instant.
“What’s going on? Stop that man!”
The Hyeolsapa warriors’ frantic shouts echoed throughout the estate, but their responses were sloppy and chaotic.
“Ugh… who is that guy?”
The Hyeolsapa warriors, who had relaxed upon trapping the martial disciples, now found themselves gripped by fear in the face of Mak Bi’s overwhelming momentum.
Amidst the relentless assault, the encirclement crumbled, and the Hyeolsapa soldiers began to retreat in terror.
The tide of battle reversed in an instant.
Mak Bi was like a wolf unleashed among sheep, showing no hesitation.
Watching this, the Blood Demon Claw Dam Sajin judged that stopping Mak Bi would determine the battle’s outcome, and with a magnificent leap, blocked his path.
“Stop if you don’t want to die.”
Mak Bi slowly raised his sword with a smile.
“You’re the one who doesn’t want to die.”
Dam Sajin threw his pair of Blood Claws with force, but Mak Bi remained unmoved.
Dam Sajin shouted coldly.
“What exactly are you? You don’t seem involved in this fight.”
“Ask the King of the Underworld if I die!”
Mak Bi’s sword flew toward Dam Sajin’s throat.
Clang!
Dam Sajin caught the blade between his left-hand Blood Claw and simultaneously aimed his right-hand Blood Claw at Mak Bi’s chest.
Mak Bi swung his sword vertically, breaking free from the Blood Claw’s control and blocked Dam Sajin’s strike with his now-free blade.
Dam Sajin attempted a low attack with his left hand, but Mak Bi raised his sword diagonally to defend and searched for an opening to counterattack.
Dam Sajin became defensive, and the battle’s momentum gradually shifted in Mak Bi’s favor.
Clang-clang!
Several exchanges passed in the blink of an eye.
Dam Sajin grew anxious as he witnessed the Hyeolsapa’s defense lines collapsing while trying to hold Mak Bi back.
‘I can’t let this fall apart.’
He quickly stabbed the Blood Claw toward Mak Bi’s head.
Clang—!
Mak Bi’s sword precisely intercepted the Blood Claw again.
‘Enough!’
When the Blood Claw aiming for the head was stopped by Mak Bi’s sword, Dam Sajin seized the opportunity to fix Mak Bi’s sword with his left-hand Blood Claw and deliver a decisive blow with the right-hand Blood Claw.
However, Mak Bi smoothly rotated the sword caught in the Blood Claw, nullifying Dam Sajin’s attack angle and creating a deadly opening.
Dam Sajin hurried to close the gap, but a faint gleam flashed from the tip of Mak Bi’s sword toward the Blood Claw.
The light severed the Blood Claw instantly and flew toward Dam Sajin.
Startled, Dam Sajin stopped his attack and quickly stretched forward to block the sword.
Kaaang!
Mak Bi’s sword cut through the remaining Blood Claws, grazing Dam Sajin’s right arm.
A chill ran down Dam Sajin’s spine as he hastily retreated.
Had the cut been deeper, his arm would have been severed completely.
He tore at his sleeve to staunch the bleeding and scanned his surroundings.
In a short time, Hyeolsapa’s men were falling helplessly.
Dam Sajin no longer hesitated.
“Retreat to the second retreat point!”
His voice echoed in the darkness.
The Hyeolsapa warriors quickly climbed over the estate walls and withdrew.
Survival was paramount.
As the Hyeolsapa fell back, the Manhwa Martial Arts Hall disciples pursued, shouting in triumph.
“Waaaaah!”
Despite falling into a trap, the victorious disciples erupted with joy.
Sangbaek quickly assessed the remaining forces.
Out of eighty, only twenty were unscathed, fifteen lightly injured, thirty seriously wounded, and fifteen dead.
“Leave the seriously wounded and dead here. The rest will move to the Heukcheonhoe immediately.”
Thus, Mak Bi and Sangbaek led thirty-five disciples and set off for the Heukcheonhoe.
***
Meanwhile, the Baekryong Association’s situation attacking the Heukcheonhoe was far from easy.
Though the Heukcheonhoe had suffered minor losses from the surprise attack, they gradually stabilized over time.
The Heukcheonhoe warriors’ morale was rising due to their steadfast endurance.
Conversely, the Baekryong warriors struggled to muster enthusiasm.
No matter that this was a war among black-suited factions, without a just cause, the warriors found it difficult to raise their spirits.
Amid this atmosphere, Gwak Jagoh, the Heukcheonhoe Leader, shouted across the battlefield.
“You, Noyujung! If you’ve done wrong, you should apologize—but instead, you launch an ambush? You beast!”
Even Baekryong warriors flinched at Gwak Jagoh’s scolding.
However, Noyujung retorted calmly.
“I do not understand. Wrongdoing? What wrong have I done?”
“Do you mean to say you alone don’t know what everyone else knows?”
“Then what is this thing everyone knows?”
Noyujung deliberately drew out the argument to buy time.
He awaited the return of Mak Bi sent to the Hyeolsapa.
Gwak Jagoh could no longer tolerate this and shouted, “Enough talk. Everyone, attack together!”
As the Heukcheonhoe surged forward, Noyujung instinctively sensed his impending doom.
The ambush had failed as expected, and there was still no sign of Mak Bi.
Worse, if the Cheonrangpa learned of this and joined the fight, Baekryong’s defeat would be inevitable.
Noyujung’s mind swirled with worry.
If Sangbaek had properly used the poison, Mak Bi should have returned by now.
If the operation failed and Mak Bi was stuck, then this battlefield was hopeless.
And if the Cheonrangpa joined Heukcheonhoe, the outcome was all but decided.
A fight already at a disadvantage in justification.
Their only hope lay in sheer strength, but even that was unfavorable.
No clever solution came to mind on how to hold out any longer.
‘Sang brother, Mak Bi… please hurry.’
Noyujung clung desperately to hope for the return of Sangbaek and Mak Bi, barely holding the front line
After the Hyeolsapa gave up the fight and fled, Mak Bi headed straight for the Heukcheonhoe without looking back.
In the distance, the clashing of weapons grew louder.
Mak Bi breathed a sigh of relief—at least the Baekryong warriors had not been wiped out.
As soon as Mak Bi arrived on the battlefield, his sword flew toward Gwak Jagoh.
Gwak Jagoh, focused on Noyujung, was caught off guard by the swift attack and hastily retreated.
But Mak Bi’s sword was relentless.
Gwak Jagoh could not mount a proper defense and was pushed back continuously.
Had it not been for his men sacrificing their bodies to shield him, he would have been cut down in one place.
***
After the storm passed, Mak Bi steadied his heavy breathing.
Even a martial artist at his peak couldn’t ignore the toll of frantic movement.
And pressing Gwak Jagoh immediately upon arrival prevented his breath from returning smoothly.
Those from Heukcheonhoe who witnessed the duel were shocked to see their Leader being driven back.
The arrival of the Manhwa Martial Arts Hall disciples shouting as they joined the fray completely broke their morale.
At that moment, Gwak Jagoh bellowed.
“Do not retreat! Hold on just a little longer! The Cheonrangpa is coming!”
Did those words help?
The faltering formation stubbornly refused to break.
From afar came the sound of many approaching footsteps.
The Cheonrangpa had finally arrived.
With the Cheonrangpa joining, the battlefield returned to a stalemate.
Both sides continued their fierce exchanges, cutting into each other.
Mak Bi still dominated the battlefield, but his movements were growing sluggish.
His exhausted body was reaching its limit.
Mak Bi pointed his sword at Noyujung standing in the center and shouted, “What will you do, Gwanju? Will you continue like this?”
He shook his head and added, “You are the commander of this battle, so you must make a decision.”
Noyujung looked at Mak Bi.
If Mak Bi fell, the fight would be over.
But Mak Bi was worn out.
Noyujung didn’t want this battle to drag on.
With no just cause, the longer the fight lasted, the more he would lose ground in legitimacy.
As he hesitated, Sangbaek arrived late and approached him.
“Brother, the ambush’s effectiveness has already ended. If we regroup and hold out for just one more day, Mak Dahyup will have time to recover.”
Noyujung asked, “Mak Dahyup, will one day be enough?”
Mak Bi answered briefly, “It will.”
After a moment’s thought, Noyujung nodded.
If Mak Bi recovered for just one day, the battle would shift in Baekryong’s favor again.
“Understood. We will withdraw today.”
Noyujung ordered the retreat.
“Everyone, fall back!”
Once the retreat was decided, the Baekryong warriors withdrew quickly.
Neither Heukcheonhoe nor Cheonrangpa pursued the retreating Baekryong forces.
All were exhausted and simply grateful the battle was over.
Thus ended the long and brutal bloodshed, and the night over Hangju was stained red.