That Person Is My Friend. (2)

The Yin Monster of the world was going to challenge the invincible swordsman, Zhejiang Province’s top warriors, to a duel.

Who would pass up such an opportunity if they could see it?

Martial-world people who heard the news joined the procession without hesitation.

And before long, they were almost at their destination.

“Elder, the number who have joined already exceeds three hundred.”

At Cheon Il-ho’s words, Yu Jinsan sighed.

Looking around, a colorful throng of people had formed a sea of bodies.

“This is going to be a burden on Soyo Mountain Villa”

“Is that a problem? They’re just saying they’ll watch.”

“Still, they won’t welcome such a crowd coming like this.”

Worry clouded Yu Seol’s face as she listened idly from the side.

“Grandpa. What if the Villa Chief refuses my challenge?”

“It doesn’t matter. If we just find Storm Rider and defeat him, his disciple will automatically be considered beaten.”

“Phew. That wouldn’t do.”

“What’s the problem? Why do you look so troubled?”

“If he doesn’t accept my challenge, all those people will have made a wasted trip.”

After marching together so much, Yu Seol had grown quite close with the eastern people.

Perhaps for that reason, she didn’t want to see them disappointed.

“Why should we worry? They came on their own accord.”

“But everyone is expecting something. We don’t even know where Storm Rider is.”

He couldn’t help but laugh at his granddaughter’s grumble.

She had become so close with the eastern people already—truly an astonishing affinity.

“There’s nothing to worry about. He won’t avoid the duel.”

“Why?”

“If he did that in front of so many people, wouldn’t he be rumored a coward? He is, after all, the top expert representing Zhejiang Province.”

“Phew. That’s a relief.”

“Still, since he bears us no ill will, be gentle with him.”

Yu Seol, now in a better mood, smiled brightly and waved the Dragon Flower Spear.

“Understood. I’ll just stroke him pretty with this.”

“You really have learned to joke more.”

They were laughing together for a moment when it happened.

A group was running toward them from the distance ahead.

They were martial-world people who had taken the lead as guides.

They approached in a single bound, panting as they shouted.

“Um, Yin Monster Great Warrior!”

“Why? What’s the matter?”

“There’s a problem. The entrance to Twin Dragon Valley is…”

Twin Dragon Valley was the name of the gorge where Soyo Mountain Villa stood.

They had heard that warriors were controlling the path starting at that entrance.

“They won’t let people in?”

“Th-that’s not it. The warriors guarding the entrance of Soyo Mountain Villa are all dead.”

It was incomprehensible. What on earth had happened there?

They had to hurry and check.

“Take the lead, sir!”

“Yes, Great Warrior!”

It wasn’t far from here.

This was no time to stroll leisurely as before.

When the vanguard began to speed up, the ranks rippled like a wave.

It was a spectacle to see over three hundred martial-world people simultaneously unleash their light footwork skill.

Twin Dragon Valley. It was the name of the gorge where rugged cliffs rose endlessly on both sides.

The entrance looked as if two dragons were ascending to the heavens.

It was a place full of mystery, as if it were part of the celestial realm.

And before that majestic scene, a number of corpses lay scattered.

“W-How could this be…”

“They’re all dead.”

The eastern martial-world people were speechless.

Who would dare kill the warriors of Soyo Mountain Villa? It was utterly baffling.

“Everyone, step back a moment.”

At Yu Jinsan’s single word, the martial-world people stepped back at once.

And in that spot lay six corpses.

They all wore gray robes embroidered with lilies.

Cheon Il-ho quietly went behind Yu Jinsan and asked.

“What do you think, Elder?”

“Each has a single wound. All six were killed with one strike.”

“A terrifying warrior must have attacked.”

“It’s not the work of a single killer. And…”

His gaze was fixed on one place.

A robe was stained with blood, but the corpse showed no wound marks.

Yu Jinsan ripped the clothing with his hands.

Tear—!

A black palm print showed through the torn opening of the garment.

And everyone flinched at the sight of the flesh having rotted away.

“Th-this can’t be…”

“This is clearly demonic arts!”

“Who on earth used forbidden demonic arts here?”

The crowd gathered here numbered a full three hundred.

Someone among them guessed the nature of the martial art and shouted.

“That’s the mark left by the White Flower Blood Cult’s Black Killing Soul-Shattering Palm!”

Yu Jinsan had also long heard of the White Flower Blood Cult.

Eun Hwa-rin of the Black Night Clan had said they were at war with Soyo Mountain Villa.

But to strike the main base in this manner would require overwhelmingly superior strength.

There were clearly suspicious aspects.

“Wasn’t Storm Rider supposed to cover Soyo Mountain Villa’s rear? Then how could these men think to attack the main base? What if he were here?”

No one could answer that question.

Someone tilted their head and asked again.

“Could it be they noticed he was out?”

“Could such a great expert’s whereabouts be so easily exposed? I mean we must consider the possibility that something has happened to Storm Rider.”

It was mere speculation, but his instinct was clearly pointing that way.

Yet Yu Jinsan was the only one making that assumption.

The martial-world people here had firm faith in Storm Rider.

“Th-That can’t be.”

“Something happen to someone so strong?”

Storm Rider was a figure who had achieved Age Revival twice.

He was probably at least twice his age.

If so, he would have become a guardian who had protected Zhejiang Province for a very long time.

As if understanding their feelings, Yu Jinsan waved his left hand.

“We’ll learn the details in time. For now, let’s go up.”

The gorge led deep into the earth.

They had to go endlessly along the narrow path between the cliffs.

And not long after, the procession was halted again—more corpses had appeared.

But this time, it was no small number.

“Good heavens…”

“It looks to be roughly fifty.”

“What on earth happened here…”

The martial-world people who had come along couldn’t keep their mouths shut.

The causes of death among the corpses varied.

Some had skin blackened, others had limbs torn or holes in their bodies.

Among them were occasional corpses in black clothes, but not many.

Someone ground their teeth at the sight and said.

“Judging by the corpses, it’s certainly the White Flower Blood Sect.”

“Why did these bastards come all the way here?”

“Is the Villa Chief unharmed? And what on earth happened to Elder Storm Rider?”

No one could answer those questions.

As the murmuring continued,

Yu Jinsan, watching from one side, quietly asked his granddaughter.

“Child. What do you make of it?”

“The enemies were far more numerous. They fought better, too.”

It appeared that way even to Yu Jinsan.

Both numerically and qualitatively, the White Flower Blood Sect seemed to have overwhelmed Soyo Mountain Villa’s warriors.

Otherwise, such traces would not have been left.

“And?”

“It looks like they held the narrow pass with a formation. It seems they tried to buy time rather than win.”

The brutal marks left everywhere certainly suggested that.

Yu Jinsan inwardly admired his granddaughter’s ever-improving deductions.

“That was probably the best they could do. Still, they seem to have held out for quite some time.”

“But something’s a bit odd.”

“What is it?”

Yu Seol pointed with her index finger at a corpse in black clothes from the White Flower Blood Cult.

“Those guys. There are many traces of entering, but it seems they didn’t come back out.”

The footprints left on the congealed, sticky blood all pointed in the same direction.

Yu Jinsan couldn’t hide his pride.

“You’re the one who checked that far? Remarkable. So what do you think it means?”

“It must be one of two things: either they’re still fighting in there, or they went in and were all killed.”

“Right. Then we must hurry and check.”

A moment later, Cheon Il-ho, who had received Yu Jinsan’s signal, blew a whistle.

“Brothers! From now on we’ll increase our speed, so follow closely!”

A narrow gorge not even three feet wide.

A group, breathing hard, blocked the entrance nestled in the cleft of the cliff.

Their number was about fifty.

They were the last survivors of Soyo Mountain Villa.

Not a single one looked uninjured; each bore numerous wounds, big and small.

“This is now the last defense line, brother. There’s nowhere left to fall back to.”

Villa Chief Meng Nam-cheon nodded with a dark expression.

He felt as if he were about to go mad.

The White Flower Blood Cult’s attack had begun out of nowhere.

The Villa had been devastated by the unexpected surprise attack.

“Even if they’ve absorbed the remnants of demonic cult, I didn’t expect their true strength to be this great.”

Incredibly, it wasn’t a full-scale frontal assault.

The Cult Leader’s form was nowhere to be seen. They had attacked with only a single armed group.

Hwa Mu-geuk, panting beside the Villa Chief, wore an expression of constant indignation.

“We stood no chance from the start. We should have sensed when the Murim Alliance bastards backed off.”

“What good is regret now? A moment’s arrogance has brought us to this state.”

Centered on Meng Nam-cheon, Soyo Mountain Villa’s elite formed up again.

Opposite them stood men in black clothing with swords pointed—their numbers were as much as three times Soyo Mountain Villa’s.

For a moment there was a lull as both sides rearranged their ranks.

“But what about the Elder? Could something really have happened to him?”

“Master is not someone who would die there. Surely there’s some reason.”

“Whatever the reason, if we’re any later we’ll be annihilated. It’s a miracle we survived this long.”

“…If he intended to return, he would have arrived by now. It seems this is as far as it goes.”

Having finished speaking, Meng Nam-cheon once more drew his sword at the center of the ranks.

Though he had already slain about fifty foes, there was no sign of hope.

“When your strength is exhausted, that bastard will move.”

Jeok Sa-gwang, the leader of the White Flower Blood Cult’s Blood Sword Unit, gleamed in his eyes.

He hid among his subordinates while exuding a dense aura of evil energy.

“So what do you propose?”

“Many of our kin were killed by that bastard. This seems like the end—let’s go out and fight.”

It meant abandoning their geographical advantage and charging out from the narrow pass.

Doing so would mean certain annihilation, but there was a slim chance they could catch the enemy commander.

If death was inevitable, it was better to at least try something.

“Yes… It’s best to go without regrets for the last one.”

“Give the signal.”

Meng Nam-cheon nodded, raised his sword diagonally, and shouted.

“Brothers of Soyo Mountain Villa fear not death! Let us go together with honor!!”

“Waaaaah!”

“Waaaaaaaah!!”

There was no choice left anyway.

Wounded warriors, weary-faced, prepared to charge.

The Blood Sword Unit’s enemies welcomed it and merely waited for them to approach.

All that remained was Meng Nam-cheon’s order to charge.

But he hesitated on his first step despite being ready.

Hwa Mu-geuk beside him asked with a puzzled look.

“Why are you hesitating? It’s unlike you, brother.”

“Look… look over there. Something is approaching behind them.”

A fierce cloud of dust was rising from afar.

They couldn’t make out what it was, but it seemed a very large number was approaching.

Hwa Mu-geuk averted his gaze as if it were nothing serious.

“Don’t you know? There’s no force that will come to help us. They’re the enemy reinforcements.”

“Damn them. Reinforcements at a time like this.”

Even the slightest hope was gone. Meng Nam-cheon crouched and prepared for the final charge.

And just as he was about to take his first step,

His eyes suddenly widened.

‘What is it?’

Meng Nam-cheon instinctively realized that something unpredictable was happening at the rear of the Blood Sword Unit.