Deployment (3)

Hyu Jaseng, captain of the Martial Alliance’s Shadow Unit Eighth Squad, clenched his teeth against a rage he could not contain.

“Dog and pig? How dare he….”

Blind obedience to orders without judging right or wrong—was there any description that nailed the Shadow Unit more precisely?

He even wondered if the insult was deliberate.

How many years had it taken to turn away from that self-loathing?

He thought he had finally reached the point of carrying out missions without feeling anything, but one Flying Dragon brat had ripped the wound open again.

After chewing on the anger for a long time, Hyu finally let out a hollow laugh.

Fine. The man was right.

He really was nothing but a dog and a pig.

But what choice did he have?

If he could not escape being a beast, he would just be a loyal dog instead.

Hyu Jaseng gave an order to his men.

“Call the Seventh and Eighth Squads at once. We have thirty Flying Dragon warriors trying to desert the front. We’ll annihilate them.”

“Yes, Captain!”

In the end, he decided to handle them exactly as his rage dictated.

If he was going to be a beast, he might as well deal with the eyesores however he pleased.

The Shadow Unit had authority to kill any warrior attempting to leave the front and report later, so there was no obstacle.

Telling himself it was the price for tearing open his wound, Hyu smiled grimly.

---

Captain Jeon Sanggu of the Seventh Squad raced through the forest with his squad like shadows of lightning and shouted.

“Hurry! We have to reach the target point and set the ambush first!”

“Yes, Captain!”

Jeon Sanggu felt excitement for the first time in a long while.

It was a rare chance to kill.

Recently, there had been no assassination targets in his sector, and the days had been tedious.

But now, suddenly, there was a chance to kill thirty at once—he couldn’t miss it.

If possible, he wanted to handle them all himself.

Jeon Sanggu enjoyed killing.

He thought that without the thrill of murder, he would never have endured the dull life of the Shadow Unit.

Of course, at first, even he had felt repulsion at killing orthodox warriors.

But man was an animal of adaptation.

Now he had thrown away all guilt and could enjoy murder purely.

And he was not the only one; many in the Shadow Unit had come to enjoy killing.

It was then, while they ran like the wind, that he saw a figure ahead.

A man in black uniform with a bamboo hat pulled low—clearly the attire of the Shadow Unit.

Jeon Sanggu shouted to his men.

“Stop! Everyone halt!”

He himself stepped down before the black-clad figure.

“Are you from the Eighth Squad?!”

But the man lifted his bamboo hat slightly, showing his face, and instead asked Jeon Sanggu,

“You are Captain Jeon Sanggu of the Seventh Squad?”

Recognizing him, Jeon Sanggu exclaimed in shock.

“You’re Captain Sag Muhun of the Fourth Squad?! What are you doing here?”

Just then, screams erupted from behind.

“Guhhh!”

“Urghhh!”

“Arghhh!”

Startled, he turned. Three men and women had appeared from nowhere, ambushing and slaughtering his squad.

They must have been hidden.

“Who are they?!”

As he drew his sword and tried to charge,

Thrust!

A sword pierced Jeon Sanggu’s back and burst from his chest.

“Ghhhk!”

He could not understand.

Turning his head, he saw the face of Sag Muhun.

Why would he…?

“Why…?”

Those were his last words before he collapsed.

Sag Muhun already pulled his sword free and cut into another soldier.

“C-Captain?!”

Lieutenant Yi Ho of the Seventh Squad, a Pinnacle Expert, hastily raised his sword to defend.

But even he could not withstand Sag Muhun, acknowledged as one of the finest swords in the Shadow Unit.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

After just a few exchanges, his sword was knocked aside. Sag Muhun’s blade swept through his chest as lightly as air.

Slash!

So swift and natural that he barely felt pain.

By the time his chest split open and blood sprayed out, Sag Muhun had already left him for another.

Splurt!

“Ghhhaaaah!”

Another Pinnacle-level warrior of the Seventh, Il Ho, knew his commander was dying but could not turn to look.

A man with steel claws attached to both hands charged straight through toward him.

It was Seol Pung.

As he swept past, three of Il Ho’s comrades were tossed aside like rag dolls, blood spraying.

Splurt!

“Arghhh!”

“Ughhh!”

“Gaaahhh!”

Though not huge in stature, to Il Ho he seemed like a giant tiger pouncing.

The pressure was overwhelming.

Feeling he might not even resist, Il Ho forced a shout and thrust his sword at the charging Seol Pung.

“Uaaahhhh!”

Swish!

A yellow sword-qi pierced the space like a spear.

It was his full-strength thrust.

Just before it struck Seol Pung’s head, Seol Pung roared and slashed with Tiger Claw.

“Haahhh!”

Clanggg!

“Ghhk?!”

His sword was battered aside by sheer force he could not control.

At the same moment, four blazing steel claws, glowing with red qi, slashed down.

That crimson light was the last sight Il Ho ever saw.

Splurt!

Seonu Jin had been lying in wait with Hae Cheong-yeon and Seol Pung. He struck first, killing two instantly.

By now his stealth skill in the Thousand-Kill Secret Arts had reached a level where even Shadow Unit warriors sensed nothing until the blade touched them.

His sword rose from the shadows, drew a line across the world, and their consciousness simply vanished.

Slash!

“!”

“!”

Then Seonu Jin leapt with Hae Cheong-yeon and Seol Pung at more targets.

The Seonu Thirteen Swords’ Divine Response Wings unfolded like radiant wings before a startled opponent. The man flailed wildly with his sword to deflect them.

“Urgh?!”

Clang! Clang!

From the center of the wings shot a single line of light, piercing his chest.

Thrust!

“Ghhhk?”

It was an instantaneous thrust so fast he could not even react—the Four-One Sword Method’s “One Breath, One Kill,” now executed with full mastery.

Satisfied at the seamless transition between the Seonu Thirteen Swords and the Four-One Sword Method, Seonu Jin smiled.

After killing his third man, he looked around. Nearby, Hae Cheong-yeon had just finished one with the Saintly Luo Sword Art.

Seonu Jin flicked blood from his blade and glanced around leisurely.

They hardly needed to move further.

In the short time he and Hae Cheong-yeon each slew one, Seol Pung had killed four and Sag Muhun had dispatched three, including the squad captain.

Seonu Jin sheathed his sword and spoke to Hae Cheong-yeon.

“It feels almost too easy—hollow, even.”

“It was an ambush. And only possible because Brother Sag was with us—otherwise it wouldn’t be so easy.”

“True enough.”

He looked at Sag Muhun with a pleased smile.

Thanks to him, things were far simpler.

Before leaving for the Alliance, Sword Saint Hae Unbaek had entrusted his unnamed disciple Sag Muhun with protecting Hae Cheong-yeon in secret.

Sag Muhun gladly accepted, and so the Seventh Squad effectively had four Pinnacle Experts.

‘And not just any four—two with over seventy years of inner strength. At this point, they’re no mere squad but almost the equal of a Flying Dragon core unit.’

Through him, Hae Cheong-yeon had managed several covert tasks.

Even their easy access to the Hao Clan’s Seonwi branch had been thanks to Sag Muhun.

This time too, after provoking the Shadow Unit, Seonu Jin asked him to trail them secretly.

He had expected a reaction, and Sag Muhun indeed uncovered their decision.

The best case Seonu Jin had hoped was that they would contact the Alliance and leave them alone.

‘That would have been ideal….’

Even if they came back later with persuasion, that would have shown they wanted to avoid conflict.

The worst case had been if they decided to kill them.

Then he would have had no choice but to kill them in turn.

‘But they chose even worse than the worst.’

What Sag Muhun discovered was astounding.

They decided to kill without even reporting to the Alliance.

So there was no need for mercy.

In fact, their lack of reporting made things easier.

Thus Seol Pung, Seonu Jin, and Hae Cheong-yeon moved with Sag Muhun at once.

Since they knew the plan and routes of the three squads, there was no need to wait.

That was how the Seventh Squad fell to ambush.

When Il Ho’s head was split into five by Seol Pung’s Tiger Claw, Sag Muhun said,

“Quickly tidy the bodies and let’s move. I’d hoped to annihilate all three squads separately, but time won’t allow it.”

But despite the easy battle, his face looked dark.

Killing comrades of the same unit left him unsettled.

His companions exchanged glances, and Seol Pung spoke.

“Brother Sag, if it burdens you, we can handle the rest ourselves.”

“Yes, you don’t have to push yourself.”

“Truly, just scouting for us was enough.”

But Sag Muhun shook his head with a bitter smile.

“No, that’s not it. It’s just… I think I understand why they chose this. There are many who, after joining the Shadow Unit and killing, eventually come to enjoy it. Most who carry out killings without even reporting first are like that.”

He sighed deeply and went on.

“Isn’t it absurd? Those who joined the Alliance in pursuit of justice and chivalry end up enjoying the slaughter of innocents. Worse, such men later join the official military forces of the Alliance.”

Saying this like a lament, Sag Muhun then shook his head and smiled.

“But time is short. Enough rambling. Let’s go.”

Hae Cheong-yeon spoke firmly.

“We can change it.”

“Eh?”

Looking puzzled, Sag Muhun listened as she said with conviction,

“Trust my father, Brother. We cannot undo what’s done, but he will ensure it is not repeated. And you’ll have a part in that.”

Hearing her certainty, Sag Muhun finally smiled and nodded.

“Yes. I’ll trust Master too.”

---

Hyu Jaseng, captain of the Eighth Squad, frowned from his hiding place in the thicket.

The assassination targets were nearing the ambush site, but the Seventh Squad still hadn’t arrived.

Captain Jeon Sanggu was not one to miss such a mission.

Something was strange.

At that moment, Ninth Squad Captain Yang Wondang sent a voice transmission.

—What will you do? Do we strike alone?

Hyu studied the targets again.

Twenty-five remained—three fewer than before, but still too many for just two squads of twenty-two.

And among them was Man Jongim, commander of the Flying Dragon Twelfth Unit, a Pinnacle Expert with over eighty years of inner strength.

If things went wrong, their side could suffer heavy losses.

At present they had four Pinnacle Experts—two from the Eighth and two from the Ninth.

Had the Seventh joined, they would have had seven, and there’d be no concern….

After weighing it, Hyu chose to let this chance go.

Better to wait and regroup with the Seventh than risk disaster.

—We’ll let them pass this time. Join with the Seventh and wait for another chance. Keep Ghost Breathing active and pass word to the Ninth.

—Understood.

Hyu relayed the order to his squad as well.

They stayed hidden, waiting for the Flying Dragons to pass.

He had no fear of being discovered.

With the stealth arts of their Blood-Soaked Phantom Techniques, their concealment was nearly perfect.

So long as no fool charged out at the enemy, they would not be found.

Yes—so long as no one charged.

But then it happened.

As the Flying Dragons passed their hiding place, a Shadow warrior suddenly shouted,

“Attack!”

And he leapt first.

Hyu cried in shock.

“You fool?!”

It wasn’t his man—likely someone from the Ninth who hadn’t received the order.

But there was no time to dwell.

Clang!

“Who goes there?!”

The attacker’s sword was blocked by a Flying Dragon warrior who had drawn like lightning.

It was Bi Sayoung, though Hyu did not know.

“What?!”

“An ambush!”

The Flying Dragons drew weapons and took guard, while several other Shadow warriors, caught in the moment, charged after the first.

Clang! Clang!

“They’re assassins!”

“Be careful!”

Those who had rushed out floundered, uncertain what to do.

It was chaos.

Hyu ground his teeth and shouted.

“Attack! Hit all at once and then withdraw!”

He too leapt like a leopard, hurling throwing blades at Man Jongim.

Whirr!

Even in the chaos, he knew someone had to hold the commander.

But Man Jongim, already on guard, easily deflected them.

Clang! Clang!

He crossed swords with Hyu just as the other Shadows sprang out to attack.

Clash!

Then, suddenly, three figures swept in like ghosts from behind.

“Haaahhh!”

Thrust!

“Ghhhk?!”

It was Seol Pung.

His Tiger Claw pierced Captain Yang Wondang’s neck from behind.

An unstoppable ambush.

Nor was he alone.

To one side, Seonu Jin’s Seonu Thirteen Swords unfurled radiant wings, slashing through two more Shadows.

Whoosh!

“Urgh?!”

“What—what is this?!”

As the wings shattered into rays of sword-qi, they shredded the men.

Splurt!

“Arghhh!”

“Gaaahhh!”

Bloodied, they fell.

It was the seamless combo from Divine Response Wings to Divine Response Beak.

Beside him, Hae Cheong-yeon’s Saintly Luo Sword Art flashed.

Her blade streaked like a meteor, piercing two backs in an instant.

Swoosh!

“Ghhhk!”

“Aaahhh!”

Too swift to react—the Saintly Luo’s fastest thrust, Meteor Pierces the Darkness.

Hyu, locked with Man Jongim, panicked.

His squad was collapsing under the rear ambush.

Two fell to Je Wonyoung of Diancang, another to Do Mugon of the Twelfth.

Hyu’s heart raced.

This was dire—at this rate, they’d be annihilated.

“Retreat! Everyone retreat now!”

He hurled his remaining blades at Man Jongim and fled.

Whirr!

Clang! Clang!

“You won’t escape!”

Man Jongim started after him—

But someone shouted,

“Do not pursue, Commander!”

“What?!”

Startled, Man Jongim halted, and Hyu caught the glimpse as he fled into the forest.

He did not know why pursuit was halted, but it was fortune.

Once he had put distance, Hyu glanced around.

Only a few followed him—eight in total, counting himself.

Just eight had escaped.

It was absurd.