Chapter 430 : The Season of Harvest (2)

The ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍Heavenly Demon Divine Cult versus the Imperial Army.

Two ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍armies of roughly ten thousand men each were slowly closing the distance between them.

The ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍two forces that had been separated by a tense two-hour march were now close enough to clearly see each other's eyes.

For ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍a while, they were caught in a suffocating standoff where the enemies were visible but still out of range for arrows or cannon fire.

BOOM! ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍BOOM! BOOM!

With ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍the signals from the war drums, the imperial army began its advance.

The moment they crossed into range, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's drums answered in kind and the Divine Cult's archers raised their bows toward the sky.

"Shields up!!"

"Raise your shields!!"

Mid-level officers scattered across the imperial army bellowed at the top of their lungs. A heartbeat later, a storm of arrows came screaming down on their heads.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

Clang!

"AAAARGH!!"

The raised shields managed to deflect the vast majority of the volley, but a handful of slower soldiers didn't react in time and went down where they stood from stray shots.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The screams didn't slow their march for a second. The imperial army kept pushing through the arrow storm until they finally crashed into the Divine Cult's front line.

"PUSH THROUGH!"

"DIE!!"

"KILL THEM!!!"

The shouts of the surviving mid-level officers mingled with the spite-filled roars of the soldiers. With bloodshot eyes, they wildly swung their respective weapons at the shield-bearing enemy forces.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Metal rang against metal in every direction. Screams and grunts filled the air. From the back of the imperial army, wave after wave of reinforcements kept piling in, and the Divine Cult's archers fired without pause to slow the tide of the enemies’ march.

It was a textbook example of hellish infantry battle.

But right then, the situation on the battlefield changed.

"Disciples of the Mount Heng Sect, follow me!!"

"Namgung!!"

"Azure Heaven!!"

Yangmuja of the Mount Heng Sect and Namgung Jin of the Namgung Family suddenly threw away their disguises and charged into the Divine Cult’s warriors.

Slash!

In the front lines of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, there were no martial artists present who dared to take even a single sword strike from Yangmuja and Namgung Jin. Like wolves unleashed among a flock of sheep, they butchered the soldiers in front of them with ease and carved their way deeper into the enemy’s formation.

Riding that momentum, the elite martial artists of the Namgung Family and the Mount Heng Sect surged in right behind them.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

"FALL BACK!!"

The Divine Cult's command must have spotted them, because the retreat order rang out almost immediately. But the Divine Cult's soldiers were hardened veterans of a dozen bloody campaigns; even as they pulled back under heavy fire, their disciplined shield walls and formations refused to break.

"After them!"

"Cut down every last one of those Demonic Cult bastards!"

Namgung Jin and Yangmuja bellowed and swung their swords like madmen as they chased the retreating line deeper into the enemy's rear.

It was at that point that someone finally stopped them.

CLANG!

Two young fighters stepped up and caught both of their blades at the same time. A young man and a young woman.

"You hid yourself quite well, like a little rat."

Namgung Jin spat condenscingly at Il-mok, while Yangmuja snorted and cursed outright at Jin Hayeon.

Namgung Jin muttered it almost under his breath, eyes fixed on Il-mok, who had just blocked his strike. Yangmuja, for his part, looked Jin Hayeon up and down and spat out something nastier.

"You got lucky and managed to crawl away from Mount Wudang alive, bitch. Looks like you've grown cocky since then."

Jin Hayeon completely ignored the blatant provocation. She just kept her twin palms moving while showing her signature deadpan face.

Over on the other side, Il-mok smoothly parried Namgung Jin’s heavy-sword strikes and calmly observed the battlefield.

"By the looks of it, the Divine Monk is not here."

That had been the main reason Il-mok had stayed hidden and watched the situation unfold for as long as he could. When he noticed that the Divine Monk never appeared despite these two charging blindly into the enemy line, he suspected that the Divine Monk wasn’t in this battlefield.

The moment Il-mok said the name out loud, the expressions on both Namgung Jin and Yangmuja's faces soured hard.

"You think not having that old bastard around means you're safe from my sword?"

"Make sure you tell the King of Hell who sent you! Tell him it was Yangmuja!"

Il-mok honestly had no idea why they'd both suddenly flared up like that, and he didn't particularly care to find out.

'So Divine Monk really isn't here. Good.'

The moment that confirmed, Il-mok let loose a roar.

"Execute the Second Plan!!"

The order had barely left his mouth before the drums and horns started up again inside the Divine Cult's formation.

Immediately, the situation on the battlefield changed again. The soldiers who'd been conducting a controlled retreat stopped and started fighting back. The front line dug in against the advancing government troops while fighters from the interior closed in around those who had already pushed through and cutting off any escape route.

Among them, the one displaying the most outstanding performance was none other than Jeong Hyeon.

Swoosh!

Thwack!

In the midst of the chaotic melee, she was methodically picking off the high-level martial artists who'd punched into the friendly lines with her godly archery.

With Jeong Hyeon going all in, the Divine Cult's elite forces moved in earnest and began slaughtering the trapped enemy forces.

Realizing that Il-mok's shout had just closed a massive trap around his men, Namgung Jin's face cycled between red and purple.

"You bastard!!"

He realized that the Divine Cult's earlier cautiousness wasn’t due to his might, but rather out of wariness toward the Divine Monk. The blatant implication that they didn't even view Namgung Jin as a threat worthy of retreating from bruised his pride immensely.

'I'll make you regret this.'

He gritted his teeth and swung his sword harder. He poured his intent into his sword and unleashed the Sword Form of the Emperor with all his might.

The suffocating will of the martial art bore down fully on Il-mok's shoulders.

In respond, Il-mok poured out his Qi and pushed back Namgung Jin’s imposed will by forming a Force Qi Armor.

CLANG!

After Il-mok had deflected Namgung Jin's fierce offensive a few times without much difficulty, a gruesome noise reached their ears from nearby.

THUD.

"Ugh…"

It was the sound of people dropping dead one after another. 

Recognizing the dying gasps of his own men, Namgung Jin snapped his head to the side.

Lying slaughtered in the mud were the elite swordsmen of the Namgung Family.

And standing tall amidst the carnage was the man who'd just put them there.

"Long time no see, Head of the Namgung Family."

It was Jeok Ri-gang, the Battle King.

"What the hell are you doing here?!"

Seeing Namgung Jin’s face twisted from anger, Jeok Ri-gang threw his head back and roared with laughter.

"Hahaha! Oh man, that look on your face is absolutely priceless! I didn't think a snooty bastard who spent his whole life looking down on the rest of us was even capable of making a face like that!"

Of all the major Orthodox Faction powers among the Nine Great Sects and Seven Great Families, the Namgung Family had always had the worst reputation for their suffocating arrogance. It was exactly that arrogance that had made them the target of Jeok Ri-gang's hatred ever since he'd clawed his way up from nothing.

Namgung Jin was about to open his mouth to answer the mockery but forced himself to shut up.

Tap!

Capitalizing on the distraction, Il-mok blitzed into Namgung Jin's blind spot for a sneak attack.

CLANG!

"Ggh…"

Namgung Jin barely blocked the shot and let out a low grunt from the effort.

"Hahaha! Beautiful!"

Jeok Ri-gang laughed again and drove his spear straight at Namgung Jin's chest.

Namgung Jin was already struggling to handle Il-mok's dizzying sword strikes from the front, combined with Jeok Ri-gang’s mocking and his spear striking in tandem with Il-mok’s sword, Namgung Jin’s footwork began to fall into disarray.

When Jeok Ri-gang's spear finally came at his exposed back, Namgung Jin ditched his pride entirely and threw himself to roll across the dirt.

"HAHAHA! The high-and-mighty Head of the Namgung Family had just performed the Lazy Donkey Roll! Good boy, roll for me again!”

Namgung Jin's face burned so hot with shame it looked like it might literally explode. But despite all of his mockery of Namgung Jin, Jeok Ri-gang’s spear strikes never ceased to press Namgung Jin. He kept poking his spear at the tumbling Namgung Jin like he was trying to skewer a filthy rat.

Namgung Jin couldn't get up, nor could he stop rolling. He just kept throwing himself across the dirt with his face cycling between choking purple and explosive red.

While Namgung Jin was being humiliated on the edge of death, Yangmuja was watching from the corner of his eye as he traded blows with Jin Hayeon.

His expression had gone sour. "Tch."

Jin Hayeon was undoubtedly a notch below Yangmuja himself, both in skill and the cultivation realm. The problem was that the gap wasn’t so vast that he could end her in short exchanges. Not unless he threw caution to the wind and staked everything on a single decisive move.

Jin Hayeon's robes were scorched and blackened in places where Yangmuja's Yang Qi had gotten through, and blood trickled down her pale skin where his blade had sheared through her clothes. But despite her wounds, her eyes remained as calm as ever.

BOOM!

When her left palm struck against his Yang Qi-imbued sword, the impact shook the air.

Yangmuja used that moment to roar loud enough to carry across the field.

"Disciples of the Mount Heng Sect, retreat this instant!!"

He'd been watching Namgung Jin out of the corner of his eye. Watching him get tag-teamed by the Demonic Cult's young Left Guardian and the Battle King made Yangmuja sure that Namgung Jin was surely done for.

"Yangmuja, you traitorous bastard!!"

Namgung Jin had caught the shout and screamed back in panic.

But Yangmuja ignored him completely and kept hammering his sword into Jin Hayeon to push her back far enough to create space for his disciples to disengage.

"What are you standing around for?! GET BACK!!"

He wrapped Yang Qi around his sword and swung it like a madman.

Tongues of flame scattered in every direction, and the Divine Cult’s soldiers around them flinched back from the fire, buying the Mount Heng Sect disciples a few precious seconds.

But by pouring all his energy into protecting his disciples, Yangmuja had inadvertently left his guard wide open, allowing Jin Hayeon to slip past his defenses and unleash the White Hand Demonic Art directly at him.

"Ggh."

He managed to block her twin palm strike, but his stance had already broken. Worse for him, her Yin Qi had bled into him through the contact and started to drill into his acupoint,

"RRGH!!"

With a furious roar, Yangmuja forced himself to eat the internal injury and pulled up every scrap of his internal energy to shove Jin Hayeon’s Yin Qi out of his meridians by brute force.

"You filthy Demonic Cult bitch!!"

Blinded by rage, Yangmuja launched furious slashes twice as fast as before, forcing Jin Hayeon to step back and hurriedly form a Qi barrier to block them.

BOOM!

An explosive roar rocked the air. Shrapnel-like sparks of unextinguished Yang Qi blew past her shield, catching onto her robes and setting them ablaze.

Even though it was an incredibly dangerous situation where she could suffer horrific burns and scar her beautiful face, no change could be observed in her emotions. In contrast to her apathetic expression, her movements were incredibly obstinate and ruthless. She kept cornering Yangmuja by using the White Hand Demonic Art without a moment’s rest.

"Guh…"

Then a familiar voice reached Yangmuja's ears.

A horrified Yangmuja whipped his head around, only to see a Demonic Cultist burying a sword deep into his disciple's stomach.

“YOU SON OF A BITCH!”

Blind with rage, Yangmuja spun and cut at the cultist.

Scorching Yang Qi ripped through the air toward him and the cultist was burned.

However—

THWACK!

Jin Hayeon's right palm finally slammed into Yangmuja's side.

"Guh…"

It was the first clean hit she'd landed on him, and Yangmuja coughed up blood. But the pain only served to stoke the fire burning in his eyes.

"I'll tear you limb from limb and burn you to cinders!!"

As Yangmuja let out a spiteful roar and swung his sword toward her once again, Jin Hayeon took a single step back and opened her mouth for the first time.

"You are both contradicting yourself and being a hypocrite."

She wasn't referring to the hypocrisy of a man who loved his students unconditionally while showing cruelty toward the Divine Cult and its perceived believers. It was more specific than that.

"You claim to care for your disciples, yet here you are making every decision with your feelings while disregarding their safety."

She was openly mocking his stupidity for charging straight into the heart of enemy territory with his disciples in tow and getting them all killed one by one for nothing.

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!!"

Driven completely mad, Yangmuja unleashed a blinding storm of fire from his sword.

Faced with the incoming wave of fire, Jin Hayeon simply walked past the strike with serene grace like she was dancing.

She barely held on against each exchange, but with every exchange, the remaining Mount Heng Sect disciples were crumbling all around her. Some fell to arrows from Jeong Hyeon. Others had their hearts pierced by Hyeokryeon Seon-ah's fingers.

"You're just a filthy demonic bitch! Don't you dare try to lecture me!!!"

Watching Yangmuja foam at the mouth and scream like a lunatic, Jin Hayeon felt something closer to pity than fear.

And for just a moment, a rare smile touched the corner of her lips.

It was a smile born not of mockery, but of pure relief.

She knew all too well that the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was packed with hot-headed fools like this man.

‘If the person I served had been someone like the Head of the Dokgo Family, I might have met the same fate as them.’

Even Wi Jin-hak had not been so different from Yangmuja a few years ago.

Yangmuja mistook her smile for mockery and howled. "A Demonic Cult whore who's sold her body to survive dares to—!!"

Matching his hysterical scream, Yangmuja swung his sword with savagery unbefitting of a Taoist priest.

"Kuh…"

But mid-swing, Yangmuja coughed up blood again.

The ribs Jin Hayeon had cracked with that earlier palm strike and the wild trashing from his rage had done numbers to his organs.

Not only had his stupidity driven his own students into a slaughterhouse, but it had also caused him to literally rip himself apart from the inside.

Jin Hayeon stepped forward without hesitating and sent her left palm into him one final time.

With a soft sound, the palm that was full of Yin Qi struck directly at Yangmuja’s heart.

Thud.

Yangmuja’s heart ceased its beating.

Jin Hayeon looked at him for a moment, and one thought settled quietly in her mind.

‘Thank the heavens I was assigned to serve the Left Guardian.’

Looking past the frozen corpse, the slaughtered bodies of the Mount Heng Sect disciples scattered in the mud seem to reflect what she might have become if she'd followed the wrong master.