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Chapter 345. Revenge
Cheol Sun-jik, his entire body soaked in blood, could not control the trembling that wracked his frame.
'He actually broke through.'
They had entered the Demonic Reaches—the so-called killing ground of the Black Forest—and yet his body relaxed with relief, a sigh of reprieve escaping his lips.
Just as Jin So-un had said, the enemy's attacks ceased the moment they stepped into the Demonic Reaches.
Countless people had fallen along the way, never to rejoin them.
Еn u mā. ǐ d
Even so, not a single person voiced resentment or vented their rage.
Because the one who led them had charged at the very front, shouldering the greatest danger all the way here.
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Those who had grumbled that he just wanted to play commander shut their mouths at the sight of the blood he shed.
Those who had complained that he didn't care about their plight bowed their heads before his harrowing state.
He had done everything he said he would do—fought to survive with all he had—and given his best.
'He actually kept his word.'
È n̄ ǔm̃ a .і́d́
It had been the worst possible situation.
One where no one could easily cling to hope.
Where they should have been sinking into despair, reflecting on their lives, drowning pointlessly in regret......
And those who couldn't even manage that much had been left grasping at empty hope.
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In the midst of all that, Jin So-un had pulled off the impossible and led them through.
Without seeking any reward or compensation.
É n u m а̄. іd̄
The only thing he had asked for was one thing.
Authority.
The very thing that should have been his all along.
And in the end, he had borne a burden of responsibility far exceeding the authority he received.
He had kept his promise at the cost of his own life.
It was the first time Cheol Sun-jik had ever seen it.
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A human being carrying a weight this immense.
Not at the Bamboo String Gang. Not at Zhongnan. Nowhere.
Even as Jin So-un staggered forward, his back looked impossibly large.
The man whose eye level Cheol Sun-jik had thought wasn't so far from his own now seemed to stand at an unreachable height.
It was strange.
Even looking at Nam Hwa-seong, who stood two heads taller than himself, Cheol Sun-jik had never felt the man was truly "large."
Ẃ ёbňоv̈е̃l Е̇n̆ ǔmӑ
Yet looking at Jin So-un, his neck ached just trying to take in that dizzying height.
What on earth was this man......
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"W-whoa!"
Just then, Third Battalion soldier Il-hwi spotted Jin So-un about to collapse and flung himself forward.
THUD.
Jin So-un's body, crumpling like a puppet with its strings cut, was barely caught by Il-hwi.
Ěn̄ u m̃а. і̊ď
And then—
"Hm?"
Around Il-hwi stood a crowd of people who had rushed toward Jin So-un without hesitation—members of the Righteous Path Association, the Orthodox Path Association, and the Twelve Peak Citadels alike.
"......"
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"......"
An awkward silence settled over them.
Е nū m à
Not a single person here had ever maintained a friendly relationship or exchanged kind words with Jin So-un.
If anything, the crowd was full of those who had glared at him with jealousy and suspicion.
"......So, uh. Is he all right? He's not hurt, is he?"
"Hm? He looks fine to me? Monk Il-hwi, is he all right?"
"Ah...... ahem, his pulse is a little slow, but he should be fine. It seems he's simply exhausted."
Yet now, every one of them poured out genuine concern.
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"Is that so? If the Commander collapses on us, what are we supposed to......"
"The Commander's stamina is really lacking, huh...... I've got a spiritual pill from my sect. Would it be all right to give it to him?"
Then, one by one, they began rummaging through their clothes, pulling things out.
Even Cheol Sun-jik found the sight extraordinary.
Even among members of the same faction—even among those of the same sect—it was the way of warriors to guard their spiritual pills and emergency medicines closely.
"......"
Énumа .i d̀
Cheol Sun-jik had long since grasped how the murim worked.
As long as the Murim Alliance—that colossal engine of power ruling the Central Plains—existed, the feuding between sects would never end.
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Even after the Murim Alliance was gone, the Righteous Path Association, the Orthodox Path Association, and the Twelve Peak Citadels would likely continue to check one another, wishing death upon each other more than upon the true enemy.
'What is this, then......?'
Without anyone telling them to, they were digging through their own pockets and offering up what they found.
And it wasn't just for Jin So-un.
W̌ ӗb nо v̊ е̄l̈ Ëñ ùm̌ а̄
Members of the Righteous Path Association tended to the wounded of the Orthodox Path Association. Members of the Orthodox Path Association looked after those from the Twelve Peak Citadels.
Transcending their sects and their status, everyone acted as though they truly belonged to one and the same unit.
Cheol Sun-jik's gaze drifted to the one who had brought all of this about.
'Is he truly a dragon......?'
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The character for "dragon" was never attached to a disciple of a third-rate sect.
Dragon and Phoenix carried a very particular symbolism.
Ӗn̊úm ӑ .і̊ d̈
It was said that when one appeared, the world changed. Who could so easily bear the weight of such a title?
And so.
He had dismissed Jin So-un's epithet as nothing more than ridicule and mockery.
Especially since the one who had bestowed it was Cha Seok-du of Four Emperors Peak.
'We were the fools......'
Perhaps the hero of the Black Path had recognized it first.
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The true dragon, forced to curl up in the shadow of the Orthodox Path.
Cheol Sun-jik could not shake the feeling that he had become an exceedingly small man.
***
I didn't realize I'd passed out until I came to.
I was being carried on the back of Fifth Battalion soldier Geum-pyo.
Had his back always been this broad?
Wе.b̂ nó v̌ е ĺ E n̊ u ḿ а
Kids really do shoot up fast.
"How long was I out?"
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Geum-pyo answered without turning his head.
"Not long. Rest a little more."
His voice was pitched unusually low.
Had something happened?
W̌ е b̆ nоv̆ еl̃ Е.n ǔm а̌
"The others......"
"Everyone's fine. So just stay put."
"I need to get down—"
Just then, someone jabbed a numbing acupoint with clumsy technique.
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I rolled my eyes sideways. It was Eun-ho.
"You can stay as you are. Eldest Senior Brother."
W̄е̃ b n̊ о́vе̇.l̆ Е̊ ň ŭ mа
Did this kid seriously think I couldn't undo this numbing acupoint?
"......The Life-or-Death Unit is still on the move, and apart from the demonic beasts, those damned bastards haven't shown themselves."
Eun-ho's voice was off, too.
But why wouldn't these two show me their faces?
Had something really happened?
"Who is it? Who died?"
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"......Nobody died."
"Then why won't you look at me?"
Only then did Eun-ho whip his head around.
Fierce features belied by glistening eyes.
Whether he wanted to spit fury or burst into tears, I couldn't tell—but with that unreadable expression, he fixed his gaze on me.
"Eldest Senior Brother...... you almost died!"
Е̌ n u_m а́
At his words, I swallowed back what I'd been about to say.
"The First Captain and the Second Captain are clearing the path right now. So...... please just rest a little longer. Eldest Senior Brother!"
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When I forced the numbing acupoint open and squirmed to get off Geum-pyo's back, another jab hit me.
This one was stronger.
"Now who—"
"If you don't stay still......"
Е n̄_u̇m̀ a_. і̌ d̃
A voice colder than hoarfrost pricked my ear.
"Next time, I'm tying you up with rope."
Sa-ryeon's voice was dripping with frost.
These kids, when did they grow up like this?
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Her acupoint technique was better than Eun-ho's, but she still hadn't studied the Taeul True Scripture enough.
It didn't take me long to undo the numbing acupoint, and I finally stepped off Geum-pyo's back.
Ẅ е̊ b ñ о̂v е̌l̇ Ĕn.u m̃ a
WOBBLE.
"Eldest Senior Brother......!"
The sensation of my feet touching the ground was strange.
A momentary dizziness hit, but two breaths later it passed.
"I'm fine."
"Your body's a wreck and you call that fine......"
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I was about to start walking when Sa-ryeon grabbed my shoulder.
"Why...... do you push yourself this far?"
Why push this far......
I stared into the empty air for a moment.
I was sick of watching people die.
Because those scenes would end up lodged in my memory forever.
W̆ ê b n о̆ v̄ ѐl Е̊ ň um ӓ
I turned and met the eyes of each of my junior brothers and sisters, one by one.
"I don't want any more bad memories."
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There probably wasn't a single academy student here with deeper inner arts than mine.
And outside of those close to the Taeul Sect, there probably wasn't anyone else who had learned Moving Circulation.
In a time when there wasn't even a moment for proper Qi Circulation, me being at the front was the best way to prevent someone's death.
I turned to Yang Ja-pyeong, who was watching me with an odd expression.
W еb ṅ о́.v̊ е l̃ Е n̊ u m а
"Yang, how long have we been inside?"
"How about resting a bit more?"
"Yang."
Yang Ja-pyeong pressed his hand to his head and let out a long sigh.
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"......About three hours."
That long?
Èñ ũḿ а̀ .і̀d̄
"Have there been any enemy attacks?"
"None. And the academy students are getting better at handling the demonic beasts, so casualties are decreasing. ......So wouldn't it be better to rest a little longer?"
Strange. Three hours without a single enemy appearance.
Even if the demonic beasts attacked demonic practitioners first, surely the practitioners would accept the losses and ambush us rather than let us escape entirely.
These were lunatics who didn't even conceptualize the idea of sacrifice to begin with.
"Yang, if we went around the Demonic Reaches instead of through it—heading to the western exit—how much of a distance difference would that be?"
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"Hard to say. I've never measured it precisely...... and it would depend on who's making the trip."
"Assume a first-rate warrior. Running at a sustainable pace."
"......About a day's difference, I'd guess."
"So there's a risk of being surrounded."
"......"
We had moved in the exact opposite direction of what the enemy expected.
Е́ṅu mа̇ . і̄d̂
They must have been caught off guard.
What kind of madman runs toward the killing ground to escape the enemy?
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Yet despite defying their expectations, shaking them off had cost countless lives.
I couldn't afford to drop my guard.
I had no way of estimating how many forces they'd deployed in the Black Forest.
If we stopped even briefly, we could be surrounded at any moment.
Ёṅ u mȧ
Being surrounded in the Demonic Reaches would be far worse than being surrounded in the Black Forest.
The best option was to cross through the Demonic Reaches and exit the Black Forest before they could catch up.
"Who's navigating?"
"My sect members are taking turns guiding. So you don't need to worry—"
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"How many have died?"
Yang Ja-pyeong's eyes wavered, and he pressed his lips tightly shut.
W̊ėb̌ n̊ о̂ v е̃ľ Е̂.n̆ ũm̈ а́
"This isn't a situation where I can rest."
"This was our sect's decision as well."
"Dying is a decision?"
After a brief silence, Yang Ja-pyeong met my gaze with unwavering eyes.
"If the Commander dies...... no one makes it out alive."
Commander...... This man hadn't even been asked to swear obedience.
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"And even if you insist on taking the lead, no one will let you."
No one will let me, he said.
Leaving Yang Ja-pyeong's cryptic words and my junior brothers' and sisters' worried faces behind, I started walking toward the vanguard.
"Huh? He's up already?"
"I told you, didn't I? Our Kunlun Sect's spiritual pill is the best thing for injuries."
Brushing past the strange fellows who looked at me with the eyes of a father who'd just fed his child, I overheard conversations I couldn't quite make sense of.
Е́ nũ m а. i_d̀
But the formation was different from before.
Faces that had no business being at the front were now visible.
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"Aren't you an Eighth Battalion soldier? What are you doing up here?"
"Forgive me, Commander. Your orders may be absolute, but the front was too shorthanded."
The First and Second Battalions had suffered heavy casualties, and the manpower loss had forced the Third and Fourth Battalions to fill the gaps.
The vacated flanks had then been filled by soldiers from the rear.
Е̃ nü m̄ā.i d̈
All of this had happened while I was unconscious.
Every bit of it done voluntarily.
Each person choosing to accept the risk of sacrifice on their own.
"I see. Good work."
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"Aw, don't embarrass me with praise......"
"Keep it up."
Е.ñům̃ а_. î d
I turned to press forward again, and everyone ahead swiveled to look at me.
"Wait, when did he wake up?"
"I told you to hit his numbing acupoint if he woke up! Who forgot? Who didn't learn acupoint technique properly......?"
"You think the acupoint's the problem? It's the inner arts. What numbing acupoint is going to hold down a man who overpowers instructors with raw inner arts?"
"Want me to just knock him out with my poison?"
These bastards—what on earth were they saying?
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Seventh Captain Dang Gi-han's follow-up left me speechless.
What kind of nonsense was this?
"Commander, please rest more. You pushed way too hard getting here."
"Seriously, Commander, you're not made of dragon bone. At least get your wounds treated."
"Don't you know the first virtue of a commander? The general stays in the rear."
Soldiers speaking as one, as though they shared a single mind, regardless of faction—I had to wonder if I was dreaming.
En u m̈ а
How the hell were they so in sync with each other?
Then again, every one of them dutifully called me "Commander"—while talking down to me in banmal.
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Well, I'd let it slide for now.
Whether to celebrate the unity I'd never once witnessed in my previous life, or to rage at the insubordination—I was still deciding when the column's pace dropped sharply.
"Wh-what?"
"Wait! Stop!"
Еǹǔ m̆ ā
Commotion broke out at the front.
We had never once stopped moving until now.
"Out of the way."
I pushed through the academy students and strode forward.
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They seemed to sense the anomaly too, because no one tried to block me.
When I reached the vanguard, Il-gak and Nam Hwa-seong stood at the very front, staring ahead in frozen silence.
Еn̂um̌ а̂_.і̀_d̈
'Don't tell me—the Demonic Cult?'
If demonic practitioners were appearing here, we shouldn't be standing still—we needed to push through. Engaging them where the demonic beasts were densest gave us the best chance.
"What's going on?"
I gripped Nam Hwa-seong's shoulder, but he didn't turn around.
Il-gak was just as rigidly locked in place.
TREMBLE, TREMBLE.
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And Il-gak—who had never once lost his composure before any number of demonic practitioners—
was shaking.
"C-Commander Jin......"
"What? What is it?"
"The situation you warned us about—it's happening."
"What?"
Wе b.n о̆ v̂е̃ ĺ Еn̊ u m̃.а
Il-gak's lips trembled as he added:
"That...... 'canine' situation, I mean."
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What was he on about? Since when did this monk use language like that......?
"That."
I followed Il-gak's pointing finger.
"GRRRRR......"
Еn ú m à. і̀d̂
Crouched to one side of the forest was a mass of fur the size of a house, baring its fangs and snarling.
Bloodshot eyes radiated raw hostility.
"Shit......"
I didn't even need to open my senses to read the spirit veins.
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No matter how monstrous a demonic beast might be, this size crossed every line.
The creature I'd prayed never to encounter again after capturing the Solar Monkey.
Е̇ń ūm ã
"So that's why those bastards were nowhere to be seen."
One of the Black Forest's Four Great Divine Spirits—or what appeared to be one—sat squarely in our path.
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