Book 11: Chapter 2: Besieged on All Sides

A young man of a size reminiscent of a giant.

Gong Dam-ung, the next heir of the Gong Family, wrapped his arms around a large martial artist of the underworld.

It was an attack that was beyond honest, border-line crude.

"Foolish bastard!"

The unorthodox martial artist caught by him sneered at Gong Dam-ung, holding his ground with his own weight and the Thousand-Catty Drop technique.

His poison-coated dagger hacked at Gong Dam-ung's back, which was fully exposed from wrapping his arms around him.

"…Huh?!"

Although Gong Dam-ung's back armor was torn to shreds like a rag.

For some reason, not a single scratch appeared on the robust muscles of his back.

"Uoooooo!"

Vajra Arhat Art.

With golden light spilling from his eyes, Gong Dam-ung lifted his opponent high.

"Kuh?!"

The opponent was also a martial artist who had experienced all kinds of hardships in the back alleys of the underworld.

His dagger, loaded with internal energy, stabbed into the crown of Gong Dam-ung's head, and his other hand gouged at Gong Dam-ung's eyeballs, but.

Before the attack could properly connect.

With a bone-chilling crack, the underworld martial artist went limp.

Gong Dam-ung had constricted his torso like a bear and snapped his spine.

"Uoooo!"

Then, even before the corpse of the unorthodox martial artist, which still had warmth, hit the ground, Gong Dam-ung charged toward the next opponent.

Boom!

At the formidable charge, the underworld thugs who were between Gong Dam-ung and the unorthodox martial artist were violently thrown in all directions.

Shaolin, Vajra Arhat Art.

Iron Ox Plowing the Field.

That sight was not like a human, but rather.

It was like looking at an ironclad fortress charging ahead with two spiritual beasts leading the way.

"Crazy…!"

Avoiding Gong Dam-ung's charge, the unorthodox martial artist lifted his body into the air using his movement technique.

But there was someone else waiting for him. "……."

Without a single shout of focus.

The sword of the woman who appeared before him with an elusive movement technique, the Emei Sect's superintendent nun, flashed in all directions.

Emei, Secret Technique.

Wind-Cleaving Chaotic Sword.

Leaving behind the corpse of the unorthodox martial artist who fell while spraying a shower of blood with severed limbs.

The place where the superintendent nun lightly landed was atop the crown of an underworld thug's head.

"…Kill!"

"Die!"

The thugs filling the surroundings, high on Poppy with bloodshot eyes, ruthlessly brandished their weapons toward her. "……."

Just like before, the superintendent nun leaped into the air once again without a shout.

"Argh?!"

The thug she had been stepping on vomited blood, hacked by the weapons of his own allies pouring from all directions.

Next to them.

"Good! Just hold out like that! Keep a cool head!"

The enemies, with eyes that were more than bloodshot, were charging at the shield wall as if they had lost their minds.

"Put strength into your hips! Don't be pushed back!"

Although corpses piled up high below it, like a city wall under actual siege, the enemies instead stepped on their allies' corpses and climbed over the shield wall.

"Graaaah!"

The spears relentlessly thrust by the Heavy Armored Unit of the House of Benevolence and Love ruthlessly ran them through.

Although the enemy's blood poured down through the gaps in the shields.

"Die! Die! Die!"

Those who were run through by the spears even reached their hands through the shield gaps to stab with their weapons.

Enemies more than twice their number.

Even now, unorthodox martial artists were pouring out of the alleys in the upper reaches.

Despite this, the front line of Yeon So-hyeon's side held out.

Chaotic battle.

Was there any other word to describe this situation?

* * *

"Good! You're doing well! Crush the enemies!"

The leader of the Black Steel Gang, holding the railing with sweaty hands, screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Since it has turned out like this anyway, mobilize the entire waiting force and push the front line!"

Even as he shouted with a hoarse voice, the leader of the Black Steel Gang constantly worked his brain.

'Among the known forces of the Eldest Young Master, those who haven't appeared are…'

"Their armored carriages won't be able to play a proper role in a chaotic battle!"

Once allies and enemies mingled, the charging power of the armored carriages would become meaningless.

It would not even give the government soldiers in the rear, who had low morale and low training, a chance to join.

"So push them even harder!"

Because he was constantly shouting while channeling his internal energy, his dantian felt empty.

'If we just push them back from the upper reaches like this…!'

A joyful look faintly appeared on the face of the Black Steel Gang's leader.

More troops than Yeon So-hyeon's side.

More martial artists than Yeon So-hyeon's side.

The enemy's armored carriages, unable to maneuver properly due to the chaotic battle.

The underworld forces high on Poppy, jumping in without regard for their lives.

The government soldiers, who would be too busy fleeing together rather than joining if the front line were pushed back.

'I can see the chance of victory!'

The calculations were set in his mind.

* * *

Far away, from a rooftop in the lower stream of the valley, the Old Strategist, who was grasping the war situation, spoke.

"If bitten, they bite back; if pressed, they pop out. They are simple to the extreme, possessing intellect inferior to wild dogs."

It was a harsh criticism of the enemy command.

"But, Elder."

The son-in-law of the Seo Family, whose predictions had constantly missed the mark until now, cautiously spoke.

"Isn't it true that your armored carriages have become useless now?"

Addressing him as "Elder" and "your side".

His phrasing had also become much more cautious.

"Meanwhile, the enemy's momentum shows no sign of fading, but is instead growing fiercer like a fire riding the wind."

Although his pride had been hurt several times.

He was not a simple fool either.

And he clearly felt that he should not judge the old man in front of him as an ordinary military strategist.

"Do you have some clever trick, Elder?"

The son-in-law of the Seo Family glanced at the Eldest Young Master, but the Eldest Young Master had not said much for a while. "……."

He merely watched the battle in the upper reaches with his arms crossed.

'He acts as if it's not his business.'

Just what was he thinking?

The Eldest Young Master's inner thoughts could not even be guessed.

"A clever trick to untangle the war situation? Like a surprising scheme?"

Since the Old Strategist, whose origin and status were unknown, did not use honorifics either, the son-in-law momentarily felt a surge of anger, but.

Realizing his current position here, he coughed dryly and shut his mouth.

"…Ahem."

Without even casting a glance at the son-in-law—or rather, to be precise, without taking his eyes off the battle—the Old Strategist smiled.

"When the situation becomes difficult on the battlefield, everyone, without exception, demands a surprising scheme from the strategist that can overturn the entire situation at once. But."

Starting with a soft murmur as if talking to himself, the Old Strategist held up both of his hands.

"Isn't that kind of scheme only needed when one is losing?"

"What does that mean…?"

As the Old Strategist waved his right hand, the signaler looking at him from the watchtower on the roof held up a new flag and waved it.

As if a beacon fire deployed on every mountain peak was spreading.

The flags of the signalers deployed throughout the valley fluttered sequentially.

Then, a long horn sound echoed from the upper reaches.

Without even looking back, the Old Strategist said.

"If one already controls the battlefield, it is meaningless."

* * *

"Right side!"

The subordinate looking around from atop the tower screamed.

"There's an anomaly on the right side managed by the Three-Five Union…!"

No sooner had the leader of the Black Steel Gang turned his head to the right at those words.

"It-It's collapsing! The right front line is collapsing!"

It was not 'like a scream,' it was a scream itself.

"What?!"

In his view as well, the troops of the Three-Five Union forming the right front line were seen retreating as if chased.

As he focused his vision, he could see those who were pushing the retreating troops of the Three-Five Union even harder.

"Ma-Martial artists?!"

He was astonished.

"That Eldest Young Master bastard has that many more martial artists?!"

The right front line was collapsing.

Having committed the unorthodox martial artists to the center, it was an inevitable result.

* * *

"What one must truly guard against on the battlefield is not the enemy's powerful main force."

The Old Strategist muttered to himself as if giving advice toward the upper reaches.

"It is the enemy's hidden force."

[Spring of Luoyang.] recognizing them, Yeon So-hyeon spoke briefly through sound transmission.

[They are the young heroes who remained without fleeing Luoyang.] the Old Strategist nodded refreshing.

"Indeed, Eldest Young Master."

Because he had no talent for internal energy, the Old Strategist replied aloud only with less sensitive details.

"They are those who did not need to flee Luoyang because they were not wanted. Since they rested well, they must have plenty of physical strength and internal cultivation left."

The elderly heroes had prevented the young heroes from entering the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering arena construction site, which was practically a place of death.

Thus, the young heroes had not participated in the highway robbery in the first place.

Consequently, they became an excellent force for Yeon So-hyeon, remaining in Luoyang.

"Wanted? Who on earth are they, Eldest Young Master?"

When one patriarch of the new allied families asked Yeon So-hyeon.

"The flag signals of the signalers haven't ended…?"

The acting patriarch of the Seo Family muttered.

She was watching the changes in the war situation in the upper reaches.

"The signals haven't ended?"

"Yes."

She nodded at the son-in-law's question.

"Just now, at the moment the enemy's right front line collapsed, the signal changed…"

Her hand followed the direction where the changed signal connected.

"Left side?"

* * *

"Right side! Turn all the martial artists who haven't been deployed yet to the right side!"

According to his instructions, those who were just about to join the center were seen starting to run toward the right.

But due to the terrain and distance.

It was unknown whether the final defense line on the right would hold until they arrived.

"Never! No matter what happens! You must not give up the alleys at once! Hold them off in the alleys somehow!"

With a throat so hoarse that his voice barely came out.

The leader of the Black Steel Gang screamed at the top of his lungs.

"If we give up the alleys to the enemies, there is no way out!"

Instead of an answer to that instruction.

"Argh!"

The screams of his subordinates were heard from the lower floor.

Or rather, just as they were heard, they stopped immediately.

"Fi-Find out what is going on!"

At the leader's words, a subordinate stuck his head through the door leading to the lower floor.

"Hey…! What's going on down there—!"

The subordinate who was shouting toward the lower floor fell silent.

"…What? You bastard. Why aren't you saying anything?"

The leader pulled the subordinate's shoulder.

Then.

The body of the subordinate, who had lost his head, fell backward. "……!"

At the moment blood sprayed.

The leader channeled all the internal energy he could muster from his body and threw himself off the rooftop.

But.

A black snake-like shape that flew without a sound tightly wrapped around his ankle. "……?!"

Then, with a thud, it dug into his thigh.

"Argh?!"

Hanging upside down, with his leg bound and thigh pierced, he bounced here and there against the walls on the front, back, left, and right.

Because he had leaped down strongly by channeling his energy, the force of colliding with the walls was also strong.

His vision went white, his head spun, and a scream burst out naturally.

"Ugh?!"

Even in the midst of that, he regained his composure and checked what was biting his thigh.

It was…

"A-A chain-sickle…?"

What bound his leg was a black chain.

What dug into his thigh was a black sickle.

Creak-!

As the owner of the chain-sickle pulled the chain, the leader had no choice but to flap like a fish caught on a hook.

"Argh, aaargh!"

And the more he flapped in pain.

Inevitably, the chain tightened further, and the sickle dug deeper into his thigh.

"Aaaaargh!"

Eventually.

Pulled back up to the rooftop upside down, what he saw was a middle-aged man with a desolate impression dressed in black.

An individual who, by any standard, was by no means ordinary.

But more than that.

What caught the eye of the Black Steel Gang's leader was another person's head tied to the man's waist.

"The leader of the Three-Five Union…?"

The owner of that head was the leader of the Three-Five Union.

Just as he thought the man was fleeing to the underground space to avoid the catapults, he was 'harvested' like this, leaving only his head.

"H-How…?"

The Black Steel Gang's leader muttered, receiving his own blood flowing down his thigh.

"The elites of the Fourth Young Master's side should all be bound to the front line with the Great Immortal Merchant Group…"

There was no answer.

Instead, the middle-aged man of desolate impression spoke in a voice even more emotionless than his look.

"The leader of the Black Steel Gang, indeed."

The owner of the chain-sickle.

The Blood Wind Envoy of the Tang Family.

The Head Collector of the Tea Horse Road.

Seeing Tang Baek's other sleeve flutter and hearing a rattling sound. "……!"

Was the end for the leader of the Black Steel Gang.

* * *

"The infiltration into the enemy's left formation, which became the thinnest, was successful."

Far away, from a building rooftop at the highest reaches.

Confirming the blue signal smoke raised by Tang Baek, Yeon So-hyeon nodded.

"It's over."

Beside him, the Old Strategist chuckled and laughed in a low voice.

"From the beginning, once the Fourth Young Master's elites returned, there was no chance of victory for them."

"Because the Central Inspection Department and the Inner Courtyard are now managing the Great Immortal Merchant Group."

To secure the massive black money that the Great Immortal Merchant Group was smuggling, the Central Inspection Department and the Inner Courtyard bit them.

Therefore.

The elites of the Fourth Young Master's side were no longer needed at the front line of the Crescent Moon Pavilion and the Great Immortal Merchant Group.

"Great Immortal Merchant Group? That is the Second Young Master's side's…"

When one patriarch started speaking to Yeon So-hyeon, reacting to the name he knew.

"Ah…!"

An admiring voice flowed from the mouth of the Seo Family's acting patriarch.

Everyone's eyes turned toward the upper reaches of the valley she was looking at.

"The detour breakthrough through the enemy's right was also successful."

Behind the underworld forces that were pushing the center with numbers.

What appeared after bypassing the enemy's right formation, which was breached by the young heroes of the Spring of Luoyang.

And what slammed straight into the rear of the enemies as soon as it appeared.

"Armored carriages…"

Was the train of armored carriages of the Eldest Young Master's side.