Monochrome Sovereign (Novel) - Chapter 177 - Destiny (2)
Chapter 177 – Destiny (2)
===================
Translated by Heavenly Cat
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
===================
Whirr!
The blazing flames soared high into the sky like an ascending dragon.
“Aaaaargh!”
“R-run away! Hurry!”
“Don’t run! Block them… G-gaaah!”
Pshwak!
From the eerie sound of tearing flesh and coarse screams to the sound of pouring blood soaking the earth.
All sorts of horrific noises, large and small, were heard from all directions. And those hell-like sounds were all signaling the downfall of a merchant group.
Kwang!
Surprisingly, hundreds of attackers advanced, even tearing down the massive stone walls in their entirety.
There was no mysterious martial art or great tactic. Giants holding iron hammers with ends as large as human heads smashed the walls at random, and bandits as fast as arrows infiltrated through the collapsed walls.
It was simple, but their coordination was perfect. Those who broke the defensive barriers, those who infiltrated, those who were skilled in long-range attacks, and so on… each knew remarkably well when they should step forward.
No matter how common raids were for a bandit group, it was too systematic. They were seasoned warriors who drew maximum efficiency with simple tactics.
That was the Gray Wolf Squad.
Pwak!
“Kyaaaaaah!”
“Aaaah!”
They were in a momentum to sweep everything away.
From the guards to the elderly and children, they were killing everyone they saw.
The Sea Dragon Merchant Group was located quite far from the market. That location made their presence even more special, but it had the disadvantage of being difficult to notify the surroundings when they suffered such an overwhelming attack.
Of course, there were almost no cases where a merchant group was ruined by external invasion. Because a merchant group was not a Murim sect.
“Just who on earth are those guys!”
Yeong Cheon-hyang was extremely enraged.
“How dare a group of the Black Path fearlessly attack us…!”
It was then.
Flutter!
Several giant flags were seen fluttering in the wind in the distance.
On the gray flags, the characters for Wolf (狼) and Bandit (賊) were carved in large letters.
‘Bandits? Could those really be bandits?!’
He could not believe it. What kind of bandit group in the whole world was this strong? Moreover, their numbers well exceeded five hundred.
In an instant, Yeong Cheon-hyang’s eyes widened.
“C-could it be the Gray Wolf Squad?!”
The characters for Wolf and Bandit written on the gray flags.
Who else but the Gray Wolf Squad, said to be the number one bandit group beyond the borders, would fly such flags? It was surprising enough that a mere bandit group carried around such elegant flags.
Kwang!
Not only did the western wall collapse, but now even the northern wall had crumbled.
It seemed they could not control their overflowing strength. They even had large numbers and considered killing people common. Even the Sea Dragon Merchant Group, which was among the top in Shandong, could not help but be rendered helpless.
Now there was nothing that could be done. Already more than three hundred bandits had entered the outer perimeter and were carrying out a slaughter, and dozens had even pushed into the inner perimeter.
If this continued, everyone would die. It was time to make a decision.
“Gu Hyo! Secure the escape route and let the people out!”
“G-Group Leader! What about the treasures in the warehouse…?”
“Everyone is about to die, so what use are those treasures! Guide the people at once!”
“Understood!”
He said that, but Yeong Cheon-hyang had already stored a significant amount of treasure outside. If not for that, he would have cleared out the warehouse first.
It was when the surviving members of the merchant group were moving to the escape route through a side path using a secret passage.
Pwaaaaak!
Three people covered in blood flew through the air.
“Heh!”
“B-bandits!”
Surprisingly, at the end of the escape route that only the top brass of the merchant group knew, more than three hundred bandits were lined up.
Hang Chun shouted coldly.
“What are you all doing? Tear them all to death!”
“Uaaaaah!”
The bandits let out strange shouts and swung their weapons.
Those who had been filled with the hope of survival died while embracing despair. It was truly a dilemma with no way out.
It was the same for Yeong Cheon-hyang, who was seized by fear. He also learned martial arts, but it was not at a level he could boast about anywhere.
It was then.
In Yeong Cheon-hyang’s eyes, a man standing at the rear of the charging bandit group was seen.
“You!”
The reason he could accurately recognize the person even from that distance.
It was because he was his blood brother.
“Go-wi! Why are you there, you bastard!”
Yeong Go-wi laboriously turned his head away.
Yeong Cheon-hyang’s eyes became bloodshot. He could tell how the situation was turning out just by that turn of the head.
“You damn brat! You’re joining hands with bandits to try and kill your family?!”
It was then.
“You’re chirping noisily.”
Kwang!
It felt as if a giant boulder had crashed in.
The one who crashed in with his massive body and turned more than ten warriors into blood pies was none other than Pa Sa-reuk.
Yeong Cheon-hyang’s face turned as pale as a sheet of paper.
Pa Sa-reuk’s pupils glaring at him were as sinister as a snake’s, unbefitting his size. Before those eyes, Yeong Cheon-hyang could not even budge, like a mouse in front of a giant venomous snake.
“Are you the head of the merchant group?”
“Y-you bastard!”
“Bastard?”
Pa Sa-reuk swung his large fist like a hammer.
Kwaduk!
The fist that crushed the crown of the head and came down vertically to split between the collarbones was powerful enough that one could not believe it even after seeing it.
The survivors’ faces turned white. They realized for the first time that a person could die so horribly.
Pa Sa-reuk snorted.
“Even for a mere merchant group, I heard you were among the best in Shandong? But why are you so weak?”
Pa Sa-reuk, who took control of the atmosphere with the shocking murder, shouted.
“Men, women, young and old, regardless of age, capture and kill them all! Leave only ten useful women!”
“Uaaaaah!”
A storm of blood raged, and torn flesh and bone fragments were scattered in all directions.
It was none other than a hell of screaming and confusion.
* * *
“Commander!”
“…….”
“Please give the order immediately!”
Gyu Byeok, the leader of the 2nd Unit of the Demon Sweeping Army, shouted.
Murong Yu did not answer. He just looked down at the burning Sea Dragon Merchant Group with infinitely deep eyes.
Gyu Byeok was impatient.
“Commander!”
At that time, Jin Pae, the leader of the 1st Unit, said.
“Calm down, Unit Leader Gyu.”
“Damn it! Does this look like a situation where I can calm down, brother!”
“We are on official duty. Refrain from using personal titles.”
Gyu Byeok, who was trembling, took a deep breath and shouted.
“Commander! Please send at least our 2nd Unit! We will strike those bastards immediately!”
It was then that Murong Yu opened his mouth.
“There is no meaning in attacking with a single squad.”
“Commander?!”
Jin Pae shouted.
“Unit Leader Gyu! Can your eyes not see the prowess of that bandit group! Even if we clash without any plan, both sides will only suffer extreme damage!”
“……!”
“Calm your excitement. You are a Hundred-Man Unit Leader responsible for a hundred soldiers. Remember that your hasty judgment could lead your subordinates to a dog’s death.”
Gyu Byeok bit his lip.
Why would he not know that? However, those bandits were cruelly killing not only warriors but even commoners who had not learned a handful of martial arts.
It was a situation that was hard for anyone to bear. At least for someone who knew the Orthodox Path.
Jin Pae looked at Murong Yu.
‘Commander.’
Murong Yu looking down at the invaded merchant group with an expressionless face and clear, deep eyes.
But Jin Pae could see that his jaw was clenched. Murong Yu was also forcibly suppressing his rising anger.
If the leader wavered, the subordinate soldiers would be in danger. Murong Yu knew that by instinct.
After a moment, Murong Yu spoke.
“First, we must make the fighting stop.”
“Yes?”
Murong Yu said to Gye Eok, the leader of the 5th Unit.
“When the Evil-Annihilating Army finishes clearing out Heyun Village, they will come up through the valley to the south. Unit Leader Gye, lead your subordinate soldiers to the Evil-Annihilating Army.”
“To the Evil-Annihilating Army?”
“Tell Commander Yeon. That the Evil-Annihilating Army is needed for the first surprise attack. Tell him that we will decide the outcome with a single surprise attack.”
“……!”
“He will know if you just tell him that.”
“I obey your command!”
Gye Eok led the soldiers of the 5th Unit and went down the slope.
Murong Yu looked toward the northwest flank and rear.
‘Vice Commander Muk.’
The only person remaining from the Evil-Annihilating Army was Muk Bi. It was because of Yeon Ho-jeong’s order.
Murong Yu vigorously raised his left hand and held it in a fist.
That was the end of it. If it was Muk Bi, he would have certainly seen it and understood the meaning.
Murong Yu opened his mouth.
“All forces.”
Chang!
He drew a heavy greatsword.
“Advance.”
Waaaaah!
The four hundred soldiers of the Demon Sweeping Army, who rode down the steep mountain path at a terrifying speed, reached ten zhang in front of the collapsed barrier of the Sea Dragon Merchant Group in an instant.
It was then.
Piiiiing!
A single arrow shot rapidly flew toward Murong Yu’s head.
Tak!
Murong Yu, who caught the arrow with his left hand as if not surprised at all, broke the shaft just like that.
Woooooong!
A famous sword that Murong Jun had personally ordered and made by the best master in Henan when he appointed Murong Yu as the Commander of the Demon Sweeping Army.
The Heaven and Earth Eight Extremes True Qi poured into the Demon Sweeping Greatsword.
For a moment, Murong Yu’s eyes emitted an immense killing intent.
Kwang!
With a single sword stroke swung from horseback, the burning flames were scattered, and the bodies of three nearby bandits were sliced apart.
“……!”
The bandits in the outer perimeter looked at Murong Yu in surprise.
Murong Yu said calmly.
“Bring the boss.”
* * *
“Gaaaaah!”
“Y-you crazy! Who are you guys!!”
Pwak!
Dong Ho, who blew away a bandit’s head with a single strike of the Bamboo Leaf Hand, said coldly.
“We are the Evil-Annihilating Army.”
Jajajajang! Pwak! Suguk!
Behind the sound of clashing weapons, the sound of human bodies being crushed was heard.
The Evil-Annihilating Army was strong.
Having learned the mountain-shaking martial arts of the Nine Great Sects, the pillars of the White Path Murim, they were drawing out more than ten-tenths of the power of their martial arts after experiencing countless real battles and crises of death.
It was a world of difference from when they first fought.
Even though their martial arts had not significantly developed compared to that time, the difference was immense. The bustling movements had completely disappeared, and clean killing swords that annihilated the enemy with minimal and unnecessary movements slaughtered one hundred and fifty bandits of the Gray Wolf Squad.
Kwang!
The most prominent person among them was Peng Man-ho.
He had also become strong enough to be incomparable to before while experiencing real battles, but his movements were not as clean as the others.
It was not because Peng Man-ho was weak. It was because his natural strength and martial arts were thoroughly centered on powerful attacks.
Perhaps because of that, Peng Man-ho always stood at the vanguard when a battle occurred. This was because he was skilled in breaking the enemy’s morale with a single strike in the initial battle.
After one kack had passed since the battle began.
Unlike the Evil-Annihilating Army, which had no casualties, the Gray Wolf Squad had all crossed the river of death except for five out of the one hundred and fifty.
“Kuh!”
Cheon Gwi ground his teeth. His entire body was carved with countless blade marks.
“What are you guys? Did you come out of the Murim Alliance?!”
The soldiers of the Evil-Annihilating Army looked down at the five bandits without a word.
Cheon Gwi felt his speech being choked off.
There were also quite a few women in the Evil-Annihilating Army. If it were the usual Cheon Gwi, he would have toyed with the enemy with all kinds of insults and lewd talk, but he could not do so now.
‘This…!’
The Evil-Annihilating Army looking down at them with expressionless faces and eyes that did not show any emotion.
It was an eerie sight beyond measure. That strange pressure was even closing the mouth of Cheon Gwi, who was the most vicious even in the Gray Wolf Squad.
It was then.
“The Commander is coming.”
Chiriring!
They all sheathed their weapons at once and quickly lined up.
Yeon Ho-jeong appeared from among the soldiers of the Evil-Annihilating Army. His clothing was stained in various places, but not a single drop of blood was on the blade of the Crazy Dragon Axe.
‘……!’
Cheon Gwi’s body trembled.
When he met the eyes of Yeon Ho-jeong, who looked down at him while holding a massive axe, it felt as if his vision was turning dark.
Yeon Ho-jeong asked.
“Why did you leave these guys alive?”
Yeo Guk said.
“They said they would provide information about the Gray Wolf Squad. We left them for now, just in case.”
Yeon Ho-jeong smirked. It was because he knew it was a trick whose intentions were transparently visible.
Just then, a minute vibration was transmitted to the ground.
Click!
The soldiers all put their hands on their weapons at once.
After a moment, Gye Eok, the leader of the 5th Unit of the Demon Sweeping Army, appeared.
“It is a message from the Commander of the Demon Sweeping Army!”
Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes gleamed after hearing Gye Eok’s words.
“A surprise attack…”
He nodded his head.
“We will move immediately.”
“Understood.”
Flutter!
Yeon Ho-jeong mounted his warhorse.
“Commander. What should we do with these guys?”
“The talk of giving information is nothing but a dog’s trick.”
Yeon Ho-jeong added with a cold face.
“Kill them all.”
“I obey your command.”
Cheon Gwi shouted urgently.
“W-wait…!”
Pwak!
The heads of the five bandits flew through the air.