The wind blew, and his hands trembled.
When Vice General Jeong Seo Tae saw the sight of the Higher Demonic Spirit engulfing the skies above the Anyang region, he felt fear.
He was seized by the terrifying thought that advancing like this might lead to death.
However, he was a general leading tens of thousands of soldiers.
Though he had lived for decades as a military officer of Cheongdo Palace, this was the first time he had commanded such a large army.
Therefore, he couldn’t afford to show fear right now.
He steadied his breath, drew his sword, and let out a battle cry louder than anyone else.
On the battlefield, he had to always be at the forefront and always be the last to retreat. That was the duty of a leader and the way to earn the loyalty of his soldiers.
Even in the face of the rampaging Higher Demonic Spirit that seemed ready to swallow the world, he drank deeply, smiled, and let out a hearty laugh.
He walked among his troops while showing no fear of death and displaying the courage to kill the demonic spirits.
To those who trembled in fear, he gave a reassuring pat on the back.
To those who wished to flee, he gave them a sound beating.
To the soldiers who wept for their families, he poured them a drink and shared a cup with them.
And… when he entered his tent at night to sleep, his body trembled with fear.
He felt an endless terror at the thought that this place could be his grave.
Even though he knew that living on the boundary between life and death was the life of a soldier, he could never fully shake off the fear of death that came to him at night.
Because he was only human.
***
– The liquor tastes good. Care for a cup?
The first time Seong Sa Wook met Vice General Jeong Seo Tae was when he was serving as the Warrior Commander of the Red Palace.
Seong Sa Wook himself wasn’t exactly a model military officer, but given the importance of his position, he tried to fulfill his duties as best as he could.
From his perspective, Jeong Seo Tae who was always either drinking in the training yard’s back garden or in his own quarters was hard to appreciate.
No matter how often he followed him around to reprimand, punish, or scold him, it was pointless.
Was he just living because he happened to be born? Why did he even become a military officer if this was how he was going to behave?
Even when Seong Sa Wook confronted him with harsh words and complained about his every action, Jeong Seo Tae would simply wander off, drink, and neglect his training.
– Hahaha! Even the Bitter Harmony Poison is quite good! I could probably drink it a dozen more times without any problem!
This was the crazy man who, despite his mother’s desperate attempts to stop him, drank the deadly Bitter Harmony Poison three times.
After consuming that deadly poison, he spouted nonsense and claimed that if he died here, it just meant his path as a man ended there. He seemed to treat the Bitter Harmony Poison which was said to distinguish those blessed by the heavens as if it were just a regular drink.
Yet Seong Sa Wook couldn’t help but acknowledge him because he was someone who got things done when it mattered.
At crucial moments when a military officer had to fulfill his duties, he would draw his sword more decisively than anyone else.
He quickly rose to the position of Vice General; this was largely due to the aftermath of the brutal rebellion where Sword Master Seol Lee Moon had slaughtered more than half of the general-level officers. Someone had to take responsibility for the now-vacant general positions.
After experiencing the huge treason incident that left the high officials of the palace in shock, his eyes began to reflect the weight of a true high-ranking official.
And while he still couldn’t get rid of his weird temperament even after ascending to the high position of vice general … he had at least started to show the qualities of a true general.
– I’ve heard that, under any circumstances, a soldier’s duty is to serve the country.
– Even when my life hangs by a thread and the blade of death is at my throat, I will protect this Cheongdo Empire to the end.
– Living as a soldier, that is my ambition.
On the day Jeong Seo Tae became the Vice General, it was Grand General Seong Sa Wook who bestowed upon him the treasured sword.
Kneeling at the Truth Insight Terrace, and receiving a cup of wine with a solemn expression, he truly embodied the ideal image of a martial artist.
Of course, in private settings, he was the same as always. He would spout out frivolous words and guzzle down alcohol…
But it was undeniable that having such a figure in Cheongdo Palace was a great blessing.
With a single sword stroke, he could bring down dozens of enemy soldiers and slay hundreds of demonic spirits…
He protected the emperor and high-ranking officials above while training countless apprentice warriors below.
How many of the high-ranking officers in Cheongdo Palace had not been influenced by him?
Peace Stone General Hwa Wol Yong, Blue Graceful General Tae Seong Cheon, Warrior Commander Jang Rae, Benevolent Virtuous Commander Chu Gyeong Eok, and the Bright Moon General Seol Tae-pyeong…
Anyone with the ability to become the sword of the Cheongdo Empire, regardless of their background or disposition, was accepted under his wing and supported to the end. He could truly be called a treasure of Cheongdo Palace.
He was a man who lived without wavering and fulfilled his duties with fortitude.
Ssssshhhh…
Clop! Clop!
“It seems the Bright Moon General successfully lured that monster outside of Cheongdo Palace! It’s probably headed toward the Hwalseong District!”
Despite suffering a grievous injury that left him without an arm, Grand General Seong Sa Wook was riding through the rain.
For any ordinary person, it would not have been surprising if they were bedridden for days, if not months, from such a fatal wound… yet he gritted his teeth and raced toward the Hwalseong District.
The words of White Taoist An Cheon who was following behind him rang in his ears.
“Even if it’s an immortality spell that allows it to stay alive inside the palace, once it’s that far from Cheongdo Palace, it should be powerless! I don’t know what kind of grudge could have triggered such a spell against Cheongdo Palace… but it doesn’t matter now!”
“A grudge…? A grudge, you say…?”
Seong Sa Wook clicked his tongue as he grabbed the reins with one arm.
“That thing… it couldn’t possibly hold a grudge against Cheongdo Palace… it’s not that kind of creature… It’s probably more like a sense of duty rather than a grudge…”
Seong Sa Wook gritted his teeth and rode forward. There was no hint of doubt in his demeanor.
***
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Whoosh!
I signaled with a gesture to the Black Moon Unit, who were restraining the monster with their throwing weapons. The signal meant it was time to retreat.
We managed to lure it far enough away from Cheongdo Palace.
Though some traces of the spell’s influence might still remain, the creature should have been stripped of its immortality, but we needed to buy more time to be certain.
Boom!
At that moment, the monster finally caught up and slashed through the wagon’s wheel with one strike.
Crash! Ka-kak!
The wagon lost balance instantly and toppled over onto the muddy ground, causing the horses to fall as well.
Bi Cheon, who had been driving the wagon from the coachman’s seat, was thrown out and rolled across the ground.
“Ugh!”
“Are you alright?”
“Yes! I’m not injured!”
We dusted off the mud and got to our feet.
Then we saw the monster’s huge form striding towards us.
Bi Cheon’s eyes trembled with fear. For an apprentice warrior of his age, it was an overwhelming terror.
“Go on ahead, Bi Cheon. You’ll be safe if you head towards the Hwalseong District.”
“Will you be alright…General Seol…?”
“You’ve done your part by getting us this far.”
The nearly completed central street of Hwalseong District came into view behind me.
Although it wasn’t fully finished yet, it looked like it would become a decent street once people started filling it.
Since the infrastructure was well established, I didn’t want to cause too much damage, but there was no choice.
“This way!”
Wang Han who was pushing through the rain shouted from inside the central street.
Having arrived first, Wang Han scouted the interior of the Hwalseong District and found the most advantageous location. Manager Ha Si Hwa must have provided significant help with that.
I nodded my head, sent Bi Cheon on his way, and drew my sword.
That monster’s target was me.
If I retreated, it would follow with the determination to kill me.
Shhhhhh
I faced the monster in the pouring rain.
It held its sword aloft while carefully watching my every move.
Yes… the monster’s actions had become exceedingly cautious.
Back at Cheongdo Palace, it had recklessly charged in and destroyed everything in its path without a care for its own safety…
But now, as it reached the Hwalseong District, it was on high alert, ready to defend against any strike I might make.
It had finally shed the state where it couldn’t be killed no matter how many times it was slashed.
Now, it had no choice but to confront me as a swordsman.
“Hoo….”
I exhaled deeply in the cold air.
The cold air flowing out from the drawn Cold Iron Heavy Sword spread across the wet ground.
“Finally, we’re crossing swords properly.”
With that, I kicked off the ground and launched myself forward.
Whiiish
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Each clash echoed through the area.
Birds that had been sheltering under the leaves from the rain fluttered away, and the shaking leaves released the water they had been holding.
Clang!
I rushed into the Sun Demonic Spirit’s chest, leaped up by pushing off its knee, and swung my sword toward its neck.
But it quickly deflected my attack with the hilt of its sword.
Then it grabbed my arm as if it was about to tear it off, but I tore my sleeve to escape the monster’s grip.
Clang! Clang!
If the fight at Cheongdo Palace had been a brutal brawl to kill each other…
This battle in the Hwalseong District was a true sword fight, where neither side allowed even a single strike.
This is what a battle between those wielding real swords looks like.
In a fight between people, even a single slash to the neck can lead to a quick and pointless death.
At last, this monster was forced to fight like a human.
Whoosh!
However, no matter how human it acted, it was still a monster far beyond human limits.
The Sun Demonic Spirit lowered its sword to its waist, and then with a powerful step, it executed a full-force horizontal slash.
The movement was broad, making it easy to anticipate. It made no sense that a swordsman of my level couldn’t dodge such a slow strike.
But the monster poured all its strength into this one swing.
Whoosh!
I never even considered that the sword would hit me.
But the aftermath of that huge swing sliced through all the trees in the area.
The gust of wind that followed. Was it due to the shockwave from the sword or the sudden fierce storm?
In any case, it was so powerful that it engulfed the entire area.
– Neiiiiiigh!
Even the horses that had been sprawled on the ground and the entire wagon were swept away. A nearby tree was uprooted, and soon my feet, which had been firmly planted on the ground were floating in the air.
That’s right. It knew.
No matter how skilled a human might be, they cannot dodge a sword in midair.
As my body was caught in the gust and lifted off the ground, the monster kicked off the ground and charged at me with its sword.
There was no way to dodge or deflect it.
Clang!
I managed to brace my sword and block his strike, but I had no choice but to be slammed into the ground.
Crash!
“Ugh!”
Dust rose as I crashed beneath the large sign at the entrance of the Hwalseong District’s main street.
Before I could even regain my vision, another strike came hurtling toward my neck.
Clang!
My vision was almost completely obscured, but I managed to parry the sword by sensing its presence.
However, that didn’t lessen the impact. A buzzing sensation spread through my entire arm.
The monster’s seemingly endless stamina and strength far beyond human limits were not due to some sorcery.
It was pure muscle, endurance, and skill. These were the true powers of that demonic spirit.
I tried to push off the muddy ground with all my might while jumping back to widen the distance between us.
But it realized it had the upper hand in stamina and kept pressing forward.
It knew I wasn’t the kind of opponent who would fall to a few wild swings from a distance.
The Sun Demonic Spirit instinctively understood that to land even a single blow on me, it needed to continuously press and exploit any opening in my senses.
There were almost no openings.
The reason I could endlessly cut off its neck inside Cheongdo Palace was because it didn’t care. No, it didn’t need to care.
But if it was cut now, it would die.
After realizing that fact, it began mixing defensive stances with feints to confuse me.
Before it was a monster, it was a swordsman.
Before it was a demonic spirit, it was human.
As if it had absorbed the best traits of both a demonic spirit and a human, it pressed me with the most efficient methods.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
I parried the sword several times, only to be flung near the yet-to-be-opened market square.
Boom!
That was the moment.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Was it the explosives stored for mining?
The inside of the wooden building behind the demonic spirit exploded before collapsing onto its back.
Boom! Boom!
No matter how immense its strength was, even the Sun Demonic Spirit couldn’t immediately withstand the sudden collapse of such a huge structure.
For a brief moment, it had no choice but to be swept away by the explosion.
Amidst the pounding rain, a few more huge explosions erupted. The buildings near the wreckage that had buried the Sun Demonic Spirit exploded one after another.
Rumbleee! Bang!
“General Seol! Are you alright?”
If you wanted to accurately calculate the timing of the explosion and the direction of the falling debris, you would need to have a clear understanding of how the buildings in this mining site were arranged and structured.
And as far as I knew, there was only one person capable of that.
“Manager Ha!”
“Even if we can’t kill that thing, we can at least buy some time! This is a message from Secretary Wang Han! You should head toward the center of the construction site! Wang Han has rigged many buildings with explosives there!”
Ha Si Hwa who had ridden out on horseback shouted the report to me.
It seemed she had just finished setting up the explosives. It hadn’t been a long time, but she must have moved quickly.
“You’ve ended up destroying the work you created with your own hands.”
“…Buildings can always be rebuilt… but please, General Seol, ensure your safety!”
Ha Si Hwa gritted her teeth, dismounted near me, and bowed deeply.
“Although I will return to my post as an Inspector of Studies, for now, I am still the manager of the Hwalseong District … I must fulfill my duties.”
“We’ll deal with your position later. If you have any reports, make them quickly. That thing won’t die just from being buried under a few buildings… we’ll be back in combat soon.”
Ha Si Hwa nodded with a heavy face in the rain.
“The Heavenly Maiden and the Maid from the Crown Prince’s Palace are being protected in the office building. Considering the situation, it wouldn’t be good if that monster learned of their location.”
“Are both of you unharmed?”
“Yes. But the maid of the Crown Prince’s Palace ran out of the government office, saying she needed to help her younger brother, and the Heavenly Maiden is on the roof, saying she has something to do.”
I couldn’t help but furrow my brow at those words.
Bringing the two of them to Hwalseong was meant to lure that thing here.
Now that they’ve fulfilled their role, it would be better for them to hide in a safe place…
“Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun intends to sever what remains of that monster’s taoist magic using the power of the Heavenly Dragon, though she said it’s difficult to fully unleash her strength before sunrise due to the thick yin energy.”
“…Is that so?”
“In any case, sunrise isn’t far off, but I’m not sure if the sun’s yang energy will show well in this heavy rain. The air is thick with demonic mist, so it might remain dark even when dawn arrives.”
There’s no need to question Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun’s actions. She understands the situation better than I do.
Though we’ve come out all the way to Hwalseong District, traces of the Taoist magic binding that monster still linger.
If it’s just that much, Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun, even with her weakened Heavenly Dragon power, should be able to handle it.
However, I was a bit uneasy about Seol Ran’s unusual behavior.
“Where did Ran-noonim go?”
“It seemed she went to retrieve something. She rode off on her horse so suddenly that I couldn’t stop her.”
“Ugh… As much as I’m worried about Ran-noonim’s safety, killing the Sun Demonic Spirit in front of us comes first. For now, return to the government office building and keep an eye on the situation.”
Ha Si Hwa quickly mounted her horse again and spoke.
“General Seol, you absolutely must not die.”
“Don’t die either, hold on tight.”
“Yes.”
Ha Si Hwa gritted her teeth and sprinted toward the government office.
At the same time, a huge explosion erupted from the pile of building debris.
Boom! Crash!
Strictly speaking, it wasn’t an explosion.
It was the sound of the demonic spirit buried beneath the wreckage letting out an ear-splitting roar as it forcefully burst through the ground.
Rumble!
Thud, thud!
Dust and dirt cascaded down from the Sun Demonic Spirit’s body as it settled atop the rubble.
A large iron rod was lodged in the side of the monster’s heavily scarred torso. Was it part of the construction material?
Blood poured from the wound where the rod had pierced through, but unlike before, the injury showed no signs of healing.
The only thing the blood did was wash down to the ground with the rain.
“Graaaah!”
Despite this, the monster’s roar still carried the same intensity.
As it grabbed its sword and charged at me, I leaped back, kicked off the wall of a partially constructed building, and landed on the roof.
I continued to dash between the rooftops, dodging and parrying its attacks…. and trying to find an opening.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Each time our swords clashed, my bones screamed in agony as if they were about to shatter.
Each exchange was a blow beyond human endurance.
After enduring dozens, even hundreds of strikes, my strength was pushed to its absolute limit.
Yet I gritted my teeth to the breaking point and kept my focus on the tip of the Sun Demonic Spirit’s blade.
Whoosh!
When the Sun Demonic Spirit stomped on the tiled roof and swung its sword fiercely, all the surrounding tiles were swept away by the wind.
It was at that moment that I blocked the following strike.
Clang!
Whoosh!
The tip of the Cold Iron Heavy Sword, which had been pushed to its limits, snapped and flew into the air.
As the shattered blade spun and sailed through the sky, blood spurted from my right shoulder.
The intense pain that followed threatened to blur my consciousness.
Sshhk!
Whoosh!
—My opponent lost their weapon.
—My attack landed.
Perhaps certain of this, a small gap appeared at the tip of the monster’s sword.
The moment an opponent is most vulnerable is when they believe they’ve won. Even in this extreme situation, I couldn’t afford to miss that chance.
Without bothering to stop the blood flowing from my wound, I quickly spun my body and gripped the broken Cold Iron Heavy Sword in a reverse grip.
I aimed to thrust the blade into the monster’s neck, but my unstable stance caused it to veer off course and plunge into its collarbone instead.
Thunk!
I failed to deliver a fatal blow in one strike. However, it seemed this hit was critical for the Sun Dtoo, as it let out a loud scream.
“Graaahhh!”
“Haaahhhhhh!”
I also screamed.
I couldn’t tell if it was a cry of pain or a battle cry to muster strength. Perhaps it was both.
Whoosh! Thud!
The momentum of my spinning body remained. I kicked the monster’s knee, grabbed its collar, and used its disturbed balance to slam it onto the tiled roof.
Crash! Boom!
There was no way a wooden structure under construction could withstand such a massive impact.
The Sun Demonic Spirit’s body crashed through the roof, broke it, and fell through all four floors of the building, all the way down to the ground.
Rumble! Boom!
The falling debris buried both me and the Sun Demonic Spirit equally.
I tried to push off from the Sun Demonic Spirit’s body and leap away, but the pain surging from my shoulder made it impossible to gain much distance.
I had no choice but to be buried under the falling rubble again.
***
Swoosh
Crackle! Thud! Crash!
Was this building supposed to be used as a warehouse?
The first floor was completely empty, like an open space.
Above it, a huge hole had been torn open by the Sun Demonic Spirit’s body as it crashed down.
Rain poured through the hole, leaving puddles inside the half-collapsed building.
Rumble. Thud.
Seol Tae Pyeong pushed aside the debris, stood up, and held the Cold Iron Heavy Sword that was broken in half.
His sleeves were torn in various places, and his entire body was in shambles.
Blood gushed from his shoulder, flowing down his arm and staining the hilt of the sword he gripped tightly.
It seemed even standing was a struggle; he couldn’t straighten his back properly and was gasping for breath.
But the best-like fierce light in his eye was locked straight on the other side.
The rubble on the other side shifted… and there, the Sun Demonic Spirit’s huge body rose, shaking off the dust and dirt.
The iron rod that had been lodged in one side of its waist was pulled out, but the flesh was torn away with it, causing blood to flow freely. Unlike when it was inside Cheongdo Palace, the wound showed no sign of healing.
The stab wound near its collarbone from Seol Tae Pyeong was deep, and as the chunk of ice created by the sword fell away, blood gushed down its muscular body like a torrent. The Sun Demonic Spirit seemed barely able to breathe, and even the fingers gripping its weapon were trembling uncontrollably.
Inside the warehouse where rainwater and blood flowed mixed together. In that battlefield filled with dirt and dust, two monsters gripped their swords firmly.
Both were at their limits. They both knew it instinctively.
This was the final duel that would decide whose head would fall to the ground.
Claaaang!
It was a fight to the death.
Both warriors were utterly determined to kill the other, even if it meant their own bones would be crushed. Their swords collided with fierce intensity.
The sound of their battle cry echoed through the rain and it cut through the sky above the Hwalseong District.
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