Moon-Shadow Sword Emperor

Episode 159

In the current situation, there were two main options given to me and the others.

Should you press ahead with your journey or give up and return to Chengdu?

It was obvious why the English music college, which had not been seen until now, was suddenly making moves.

This is because the probability of success in the mission can be increased by attacking in the middle of Gwando, where there are few people, rather than in the city of Sichuan, where it is difficult for demon cultists to operate.

‘A normal person would give up their schedule and try to go back.’

The problem was that it had already been a while since we left Chengdu.

Of course, Chengdu was much closer than the destination, Anhui.

However, that was only relatively true.

In the end, no matter which side you choose, the risk is the same.

‘If it is equally dangerous no matter which side you choose, it is better to lure the enemy and fight him.’

This wasn’t the only one who was overdoing things.

From the point of view of the English College of Music, it was a never-to-be-received opportunity, so they wanted to make a decision now.

After completing the calculations in my head, I spoke as if making a declaration to the group sitting around the campfire.

“I plan to use this opportunity to wipe out the swarm of assassins.”

Although it was said in a solemn tone, it was actually a natural conclusion.

There is no reason for this side, which is superior in terms of power, to avoid a fight.

Above all, there were seven warriors from the Tang family here.

If you are harmed and do not pay back, it is not a party.

There was no option to run away from the beginning.

‘Well, the sweep is nothing more than subjugating one or two groups dispatched by the cult leader, but there’s no need to talk about it that much.’

Of course, there were some things that bothered me one way or another.

It was especially painful to lose all of our luggage, including food.

Since the player had already been taken away, it seemed like it would be a very disadvantageous fight.

“First of all, we will not be stopping by nearby villages to resupply.”

“May I ask why?”

Tang Seo-yeon tilted her head and asked.

Not only her, but most of the party members looked puzzled.

“Because it has no meaning.”

“……?”

“The enemy is aware of our movement routes. “The proof is that they prepared a trap in advance using bandits.”

“…….”

“There is no way they wouldn’t have occupied a private house after occupying a mountain village.”

“I understand what you mean. But there will be limits to how much we can endure without supplies.”

“Everyone here is a talented person who has overcome at least the peak barrier. “You won’t collapse just because you eat poorly for a few days.”

“Even so, a decline in skills will not be avoided. We’re already in a situation where we have to move to Gyeonggong…”

“We’re not really stuck in Cheonnajimang, so we’ll be able to take a break in between. The point is to avoid conflict with the shooters as much as possible. “If we move along the mountain path instead of the Guando route, it will be difficult for them to follow our movements.”

I took the map out of my pocket and spread it out on the floor.

He then pointed to a small village located on the border of Sichuan and Shaanxi.

“We will set our destination here. “If it were a village this far away, it would not have been touched by the demon cultists yet.”

“…….”

“The key is to move without exposing the movement on this side as much as possible. Please keep that in mind.”

* * *

Kaang!

An arrow flew from a distance and collided with the sword, making an unpleasant collision sound.

I frowned and raised my head, and about a dozen people in black lined up on a ridge about fifty feet away came into view.

I recognized their identity at a glance.

‘Movie College.’

It seemed like the travel route had been read.

They were truly ghost-like.

I deliberately traveled to a mountainous area untouched by people.

Tang Seoksu, the representative of the six guards dispatched by the Tang family, clicked his tongue and lowered the sword in his hand.

“It’s Chu Jong-hyang.”

“…!”

I was able to understand the situation immediately.

Not long ago, my group and I fell into a trap prepared by the English Academy.

The arrows that flew in while the piles of rocks were falling seemed to have been scented with a scent.

It was a different type of Chujong incense than the one used in the Tang family, so no one had noticed it until now.

‘That’s right.’

As I watched the English teacher glaring at me as if provoking me, I burst into laughter.

It was not difficult to guess why they, the assassins, had appeared in front of their target.

To psychologically drive the prey.

‘We can take your life anytime, anywhere, so don’t let your guard down.’

It was clear that the intention was to take time to tire this side out.

The problem was that even though I knew it, I had no choice but to suffer it.

‘Damn it.’

I was fiddling with my sword and swearing in my mind.

Should I call it a Young Music University?

It seemed like it would be a much harder fight than expected.

Teuong!

The arrow fired by Bangcheoksam flew towards the man in black in the center with a heavy impact.

The strength surrounding the arrowhead gave an idea of the power of the attack.

Whoa!

A heavy crash sound echoed throughout the area.

The man in black drew his sword like a thunderbolt and struck down the arrow.

The vivid shape of the blade covering the surface of the sword.

Seo Ho-seon let out a scream-like cry.

“Geongan (劍罡)!”

Everyone had a stern look on their faces except for Damun, who had heard about Yeongeumdae from me in advance.

The men in black leisurely left the place as if all their business had been accomplished.

While I was quietly staring at their backs, I took the lead and encouraged my group.

“It would be burdensome for them to start an all-out war right away. There is no need to feel intimidated. “Let’s move first.”

* * *

Late at night.

My group and I had a quick meal with fruit collected from trees along the way.

There was no bonfire lit.

You might be thinking that there was no point in not lighting a fire in a situation where the fire was already buried, but even so, there was no harm in being careful.

‘Because all the castings have been used up, we can no longer set up the formation.’

Chu Jong-hyang was not all-powerful.

You can only detect its scent if you approach it within a certain distance, and as time goes by, the scent gradually fades.

All that can be determined is the approximate location of the object, and in some cases, the scent may deteriorate for some reason and cause disturbance.

Above all, the nose is a sensory organ that gets tired easily.

The human nose is not designed to smell the same smell over and over again for long periods of time.

“…….”

I quietly stared at the back of my hand, which I guess was covered in scent.

Since I had sprinkled the incense powder that Dang Seok-su had given me, I could expect some effect.

Not only me but also other members of the group sprinkled incense powder on body parts or objects that were believed to have been covered in incense.

‘I’m a little worried because the Demonic Cult’s followers are different from the Tang Cult’s.’

Currently, I don’t know if the English College of Music has an accurate understanding of its location.

They may be preparing to attack while the party is asleep, or on the other hand, they may just be maintaining a distance that allows them to smell the scent.

The reason we did not light a bonfire was because we had the latter case in mind.

Even though it was cold, everyone in the group was a talented person who had reached a peak level or higher.

It never occurred to me that experts of that caliber would freeze to death in their sleep.

‘If we sleep close together, we’ll be able to maintain enough body temperature.’

Bangcheoksam and I decided to take turns keeping watch until we arrived at our destination.

This was a consideration so that the other party members could preserve their physical strength as much as possible.

Once you become an expert in flower techniques, you can survive for several days without sleeping properly.

Of course, this is based on the premise that you can relieve fatigue by practicing fortune-telling for about half an hour every day.

I approached Bangcheoksam, who was sitting against a tree trunk and looking up into space, and spoke to him.

-Seniors. Take this.

-……?

-This is Chujonghyang borrowed from Sojeo.

– Chu Jong-hyang?

-If the assassins appear in front of us again, then use this.

-That’s a good idea. If all goes well, this side might be able to attack them in reverse.

-There will be no backtracking. At least until you reach your destination.

-Is there a reason?

-The first reason is that they did not have a clear understanding of the military power they had, and the second reason is that if they engage in an all-out war, casualties are bound to occur. And above all…

I had a cool smile on my face.

My creed was to repay what was done to me.

-If possible, I want to clear out everyone without missing a single person.

-It looks like they have a plan.

-You will naturally find out when you arrive at your destination.

* * *

Yeumdae has been persistent and persistent in its pursuit.

Not only did they sometimes fire arrows or memorized weapons to upset the enemy, but they also laid traps using geographical features along the movement route.

After a war of nerves that lasted for two days.

Sigh!

“Ugh!”

Finally, the English music team attacked.

The group, whose skills had deteriorated due to fatigue and hunger, was unable to properly respond to the sudden surprise attack.

One of the guards dispatched by the party stepped back, clutching his forearm.

Jang Han, whose face was covered with a mask, did not miss it and followed suit, swinging his dagger.

Kaang!

Seo Ho-seon, who quickly got between the two, swung his sword, struck away the dagger, and drove his fist into the opponent’s face.

The masked man fell out, groaning, crawled into the grass, and hid himself.

Immediately after, the masked man lurking on the tree jumped down at me and swung his sword.

The energy that had been swaying along the surface of the sword rose and took on a clear shape.

‘Did the great lord come forward in person?’

I thrust my sword forward as if I had been waiting.

Kwaaaaang!

A deafening noise echoed throughout the area.

The masked man somersaulted and landed on the ground, his eyes widening.

It seemed like he never thought he would lose power.

‘Well, my level of being known to the world is at its peak.’

I drew a fierce smile on my lips and closed the distance between me and the masked person.

The masked man, who regained his composure as if he had been embarrassed for some time, naturally bit down on Shinhyeong and swung his left hand, which was not holding the sword.

A memorized note protruded from the inside of my sleeve, threatening to pierce me between the eyes.

Teuong!

I reflexively threw it away and saw that it was an iron ball the size of half a fist.

Seeing that its shape was not distorted even after colliding with a sword full of black energy, it seemed to be a mixture of cold steel.

Immediately after, something amazing happened.

Isn’t the iron ball, which should bounce and fly, circling in the air and landing on the masked man’s hand?

‘It doesn’t seem to be an object in the void. Is there a thread connected?’

I raised my guard and swung my sword sideways.

White current covered the blue river.

Quadddddddd!

A storm of energy swept across the front lines.