Chapter 805: "Hey! Grab Any Leftover Liquor!" (5)

 

“…Sapae Alliance?”

Namgung Hwang’s hardened face betrayed his shock.

“Sapae Alliance, you say?”

Jang Il-so nodded with a relaxed expression.

“It’s a new name, indeed. But soon enough, it will be known by everyone. The Eighteen Waterway Factions, Black Ghost Pavilion, Hao Sect, and the Ten Thousand Houses will unite under one name.”

“…So the unorthodox factions have formed an alliance?”

A hundred years ago, during the war with the Demonic Cult, the unorthodox sects also united. But it was a temporary coalition for survival, flimsy and far from perfect.

And now, the factions that once tore each other apart have gathered under a single flag?

But there was no room for disbelief.

The heads of the Nine Great Sects gathering together was conceivable. The patriarchs of the Five Great Families meeting was not unusual.

‘But who could have imagined seeing these four men standing side by side?’

Yet, that very vision unfolded before their eyes.

“Hmph!”

Namgung Hwang snorted loudly, refusing to show any sign of weakness before them.

“What’s so impressive about a bunch of unorthodox scum banding together?”

“Indeed.”

Jang Il-so’s smile remained calm.

“To a lord of a prestigious family, it may seem trivial. But we have come together after much consideration, so a word of congratulations wouldn’t hurt, would it?”

Namgung Hwang glared at him, eyes sharp and dangerous.

“You don’t seem inclined to congratulate us. That’s unfortunate.”

But even Namgung Hwang’s hostile gaze did not faze Jang Il-so in the least.

Every word, every gentle gesture, exuded an air of ease.

Watching him, an unexplainable unease crept into Namgung Hwang’s mind.

Heo Do-jin subtly glanced behind him.

‘Too narrow.’

Upon entering this narrow valley, it seemed an ideal place for defense. But given the current situation, it looked harder to escape than to press forward.

‘It’ll be a hellish bottleneck.’

There was no time to wait in line for retreat, either; the enemies would pursue them the moment they turned their backs.

‘The notion of a retreat was meaningless from the start.’

Even if they had secured an exit route, it would be useless now. A retreat only matters when it can be used.

Heo Do-jin looked back up at Jang Il-so.

“Sapae Alliance, is it? Any alliance is a fine thing. Perhaps I should congratulate you.”

Jang Il-so nodded deeply.

“To receive congratulations from the head of Wudang is an honor beyond words.”

“I’m glad you’re pleased. But, Conqueror…”

Heo Do-jin’s gaze turned sharp as he fixed it on Jang Il-so.

“A proper congratulations should be given face-to-face. If you truly desire our applause, shouldn’t you come down here instead of looking down from above?”

“Hahaha.”

Jang Il-so laughed heartily, nodding his head.

“You’re right. Quite right.”

“…”

“It would indeed be the proper course of action. But what can I say? I am nothing more than an unrefined pest of the unorthodox. It would be foolish to start observing manners now, wouldn’t it?”

“Don’t tell me that the leader of the Sapae Alliance is… afraid?”

“Haha. Such an obvious taunt.”

A twisted smirk spread across Jang Il-so’s mouth.

“Shaolin, Wudang, Namgung, even Cheongseong. Who wouldn’t be afraid to face such might? My knees are already shaking, you see. Hahahahaha!”

Heo Do-jin’s expression turned icy.

‘This man…’

His jab was meant to provoke, but it had zero effect. Usually, those new to high ranks feel compelled to save face, regardless of their nature.

But Jang Il-so showed no such inclination.

Heo Do-jin understood well: such individuals were the most challenging opponents.

“So then…”

Heo Do-jin glared coldly at Jang Il-so.

“It seems you only came here to say hello.”

His tone grew rougher, a clear indication of his mounting frustration.

“To say hello…”

Jang Il-so ran a pale hand across his chin slowly.

“Coming here without invitation and brandishing weapons… is that truly something you should be saying?”

“This is the first I’ve heard that permission is required to exterminate bandits.”

“Haha. True. Permission wasn’t necessary. It hasn’t been so… until now.”

Jang Il-so’s sly gaze bore down on Heo Do-jin, full of arrogant amusement.

“But now, permission will be required—from me, Jang Il-so.”

Gritting his teeth, Heo Do-jin glared furiously.

Who had ever dared to speak to him like this?

“Permission, you say?”

He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly.

“And if we refuse?”

“Hahaha. Isn’t that obvious? You’ll have to pay the price.”

Namgung Hwang, unable to bear it any longer, shouted in his thunderous voice.

“You arrogant brat! If you’re so confident, come down and face my blade!”

“Hmm.”

Jang Il-so looked around, a peculiar expression on his face.

“It seems none of you understand the situation you’re in.”

Then he nodded, as if acknowledging the thought.

“It’s understandable. With Shaolin, Wudang, Namgung, and Cheongseong united, you would surely feel no threat from anyone. Not to mention this high cliff offers no advantage to your position.”

They couldn’t retreat.

But they couldn’t be attacked either.

Even if arrows rained down, rocks rolled, or boiling oil poured, these top-tier warriors would suffer minimal harm.

‘Moreover, remnants of Black Dragon Stronghold are still here.’

Although many had perished, over two-thirds remained. Ignoring them to launch a full assault would be risky, even for the unorthodox.

In the end, to attack, they would need to descend the cliff.

If it came to direct combat, even against the Sinjoo Five Fiends, the orthodox warriors stood a chance. Their enemies, after all, hadn’t brought their full force.

Jang Il-so understood their thoughts precisely.

“But…”

The smug grin on Jang Il-so’s face twisted into a distorted sneer.

“That is underestimating me, Jang Il-so, far too much. It seems you need a reality check.”

In an instant, Heo Do-jin felt a chilling dread seize his heart.

Jang Il-so snapped his fingers lightly.

Snap.

The sharp sound echoed through the valley.

‘…What is this?’

Heo Do-jin looked up at the cliff, wary. Jang Il-so had clearly signaled something, yet there was no visible movement. An unsettling silence hung in the air.

‘A bluff?’

No, it couldn’t be…

At that moment.

Rumble.

“…”

A fearsome sound, like the trembling of one’s heart, echoed through the valley. It wasn’t loud, but in the dead silence, it was clear.

“What…?”

BOOM!

Suddenly, a deafening explosion filled the sky.

An unbelievable sight unfolded before their eyes.

The cliffside where their enemies stood erupted in a massive explosion. Dust billowed like a cloud, and debris scattered like fireworks.

Rumble! Rumble! Crash!

“T-that…”

Even Heo Do-jin, one of the most renowned martial artists, could only gape in shock.

One side of the cliff, having exploded, slowly began to lean, teetering.

For a moment, his mind went blank.

Crash!

The massive rock formation cast a looming shadow over the four sects, plummeting towards them.

“Ah, ah… aaaaaagh!”

“Run for your lives!”

Warriors known for their fearlessness screamed and fled in panic.

These elite fighters, willing to die for their comrades, instinctively shoved others aside, fighting desperately to escape the impending doom.

It was an overwhelming spectacle.

Beyond reason or logic, it was something terrifyingly beyond comprehension. Even Heo Do-jin stood frozen, speechless, overwhelmed.

“Aaaaagh!”

Surprisingly, Namgung Hwang moved first.

A tremendous burst of sword energy erupted from his blade. It was twice as large and intimidating as the attack that had decimated an entire ship. He roared with all his might, swinging his sword.

Slash!

His strike carved a five-foot scar into the falling rock, but it didn’t shatter or crack.

“Aaaaagh!”

Refusing to yield, Namgung Hwang poured every ounce of energy into another slash.

“Amitabha!”

Beopgye, understanding his duty, shouted a prayer and threw his fists.

A massive golden aura joined Namgung Hwang’s sword energy, smashing into the rock.

Crash!

Finally, the boulder, large as a temple, split in two. But it wasn’t enough.

“What are you doing? Break it! Break it down!”

Beopgye’s desperate scream echoed, snapping others back to their senses. Each warrior unleashed their energy, directing sword and fist alike towards the falling rocks.

“Haaaaah!”

“Aaaagh!”

It was a near-desperate struggle.

Beams of multicolored energy struck, cutting and smashing the rock, gradually chipping away at it.

“More! Give it everything you’ve got! Or we’re all dead! Now!”

“Hraaaah!”

With bloodshot eyes, the elite warriors of the Nine Great Sects gave it everything they had. But destroying the massive rock was impossible from the start.

The colossal boulder shattered, breaking into hundreds of pieces the size of men, crashing to the ground.

Boom! Boom! BOOM!

The falling rocks crashed into the hard ground, embedding deep like mud.

Boom! Boom!

The relentless rain of debris continued for a long while.

The earth trembled, and the cliff groaned as if in agony.

If this place wasn’t hell, then what could it be?

Thud! Thud!

Finally, the last rock hit the ground.

Dust filled the air, thick and choking, as if to hide the horrific scene from the world.

A gust of wind swept the dust away, revealing a scene of utter devastation.

Heo Do-jin looked on, dazed, staring at the carnage before him.

“Gah…”

“M-my leg… my… aaagh…”

Those crushed beneath the rocks.

Those thrown aside, bleeding.

The blood-stained dust mingled with fresh blood, endlessly flowing.

Heo Do-jin stared at the devastation, then slowly looked back up at the cliff.

“Hahahahahah!”

“…”

“Wahahahahahahah!”

The mad laughter of Jang Il-so, mingled with the jingling of his jewelry, echoed mercilessly through the valley, drowning the groans of the fallen.