Chapter 161 : The Beginning of the Counterattack. -02
Chapter 161: The Beginning of the Counterattack. -02
Unlike yesterday, when they had charged straight at them, the sight of the Orthodox Martial World crouching low made the warriors of Ironblood Fortress snicker.
Hunched up like turtles, they looked as though they were frightened.
Perhaps because of that, the momentum of the warriors advancing on horseback began to rise steeply.
It felt as though they could pierce straight through the formation of the Orthodox Martial World at this rate.
“Good! We’ll impale them as we are!”
“Send those cowards straight to the underworld!”
“Everyone, cha—!”
The words of the warriors who had been advancing in high spirits were cut off midway.
They were momentarily rendered speechless by the thousands of wooden spears densely filling the sky.
The moment they reached a certain distance, the wooden spears that had flown in parabolic arcs rained down like a torrential shower, covering hundreds of cavalry.
Pupupupupuck!
They were not made of iron, merely hastily fashioned wooden spears, but the problem was their number.
As the wooden spears continued to pour down, the warriors of Ironblood Fortress hurriedly swung their swords and spears.
They were neither steel nor infused with inner energy, so blocking or breaking them was easy.
But the wooden spears had not been aimed at the warriors.
Hiiiihing!
With harsh neighs, the horses collapsed.
The warriors were unharmed, but the horses they rode were not.
With sickening sounds of flesh being pierced, the blood-soaked horses fell.
Only then did they realize the intent of the Orthodox Martial World, but many horses were already dead.
“Kuhk!”
As the horses collapsed, several warriors were thrown from their saddles, injured, or even crushed to death beneath other horses.
They had dismissed the wooden spears as trivial, only to be thoroughly punished for it.
“Kill them!”
“Wipe them all out!”
At that sight, the warriors of Ironblood Fortress charged forward, spewing killing intent.
They were enraged to the extreme by the deaths of their comrades.
In contrast, a smile formed at the corner of Sama Uiseong’s mouth.
It seemed the first button had been fastened correctly.
Pupupupupung!
In the meantime, the battle began in earnest.
However, the pattern was markedly different from yesterday.
Unlike yesterday, when both sides had exchanged fierce blows, today it was Ironblood Fortress that was being battered.
As Ironblood Fortress launched relentless wave offensives from the front and both flanks, the Orthodox Martial World held firm at the center and maintained the front line.
“Hold your positions!”
“Stay calm! Don’t rush out! Don’t fight alone—fight together!”
If yesterday’s battle had been a succession of chaotic skirmishes, today was different.
Though the time had been short, Sama Uiseong had clearly delivered the operation to each sect and martial family.
Under no circumstances were they to fight alone, and they were not to leave their assigned positions.
Of course, he had not told them to stubbornly cling to a single spot without thought.
He had instructed them to move flexibly according to the situation, leaving such judgments to the heads of each faction.
If separate orders were required, Sama Uiseong planned to issue them personally.
“For now, building the front line has been a success. The deployment was well done.”
“That’s because everyone followed along well.”
Yesterday, Seo Joun had guarded Sama Uiseong, but today Ban Hojin stood in that position.
Instead, Seo Joun was now venting the resentment he had been unable to resolve yesterday.
Moving like a separate detachment between the Seonwu Family and the Murong Family together with Jeong Iryong, he hunted only those martial artists of Ironblood Fortress who seemed somewhat strong.
“That’s because of what you showed yesterday. That’s why everyone’s following without complaint. They saw the Seonwu Family and the Murong Family in action. Now the key will be the Great War Gods.”
“I just hope it goes according to plan.”
Even as he answered, Sama Uiseong’s eyes moved without rest.
Ironblood Fortress was pressing in from three directions, so he continually checked the state of the battle.
Whenever there was somewhere that required separate instructions, he quickly sent voice transmissions.
“Even without time to coordinate properly, this is decent. Having each force deploy joint formations by affiliation was truly a good decision.”
With his arms folded, Ban Hojin slowly surveyed the battlefield.
Unlike yesterday, when they had fought in a disorderly tangle, today there was a clear structure.
Moreover, because they were fighting alongside those of the same affiliation, the casualties were fewer.
Just looking at the Mount Hua Sect alone, once they deployed the Plum Blossom Sword Formation and established a defensive line, ordinary martial artists did not dare cross it.
“Yesterday, the command structure collapsed, which also increased the damage. It was everyone’s first time in a battle of this scale.”
“Peace had lasted long.”
“That’s right. Everyone was overly excited. On the other hand, Ironblood Fortress was different. It’s a place where battles are frequent, so the difference from that experience was unexpectedly large.”
“And yet you’re commanding well right now.”
“It’s because we’re all doing this together.”
Sama Uiseong answered modestly.
He did not believe that he had created the current situation by his own power alone.
And although yesterday’s achievements were one reason everyone followed his instructions like this, the biggest reason was Ban Hojin.
It was thanks to Ban Hojin’s influence that the present balance had been achieved.
‘For now, since the Blade King is obediently following.’
Sama Uiseong’s gaze turned toward the Mount Hua Sect positioned at the very center.
The center of the Orthodox Martial World was held by the Mount Hua Sect and the Mount Zhongnan Sect, and among them, it was naturally the Mount Hua Sect that displayed the greatest performance.
Despite being injured, Ilwoo did not take rest. He commanded the elders and disciples while blocking the fierce offensive of Ironblood Fortress.
At intervals, he swung his sword to assist as well.
“Keep that mindset you have now. Don’t forget it in the future.”
“I’ll keep it in mind.”
Sama Uiseong answered with a resolute expression.
Even without Ban Hojin’s words, he had no intention of ever forgetting his original resolve.
And he felt that he would not forget.
These emotions he felt now.
“Well, you’ll manage on your own.”
“It’s all thanks to you, Brother.”
“Thanks to me? It’s the result of your own hard work. Still, don’t relax too much. The battle has only just begun.”
“Yes.”
Even as he answered, Sama Uiseong’s eyes continued to sweep across the battlefield.
They were holding well for now, but there was no guarantee this balance would last indefinitely.
Since neither side’s elite forces had yet made their move, Sama Uiseong swallowed dryly.
“It seems they’ve arrived.”
“Ah!”
At that moment, in the distance, Sama Uiseong saw white smoke rising.
Something was burning.
Seeing it, his face brightened.
The reason was that he knew very well what that smoke signified.
“The problem is whether the Special Operations Unit can withdraw.”
Unlike Sama Uiseong’s bright expression, Ban Hojin’s face was slightly dark.
Rather than rejoicing over the success of the operation, he was worried about those who had been mobilized for the special mission.
In his heart, he hoped they would withdraw safely, but both he and Sama Uiseong knew that would not be easy.
Moreover, while there were troops guarding the encampment, the target had been far closer to the camp of Ironblood Fortress. The possibility of total annihilation was far higher than that of returning alive.
“They won’t give up first. Before deploying them, I told them they absolutely had to survive.”
“A reason?”
“I told them it would be too unjust to burn the food supplies and die. If they were going to do it anyway, wouldn’t it be better to kill at least one more enemy—to honor the spirits of their dead family, comrades, and senior and junior brothers?”
“That’s certainly motivating.”
Ban Hojin let out a short laugh.
Not only was the operation itself well conceived, but psychologically it was excellent as well.
At the same time, it was the image of the Demonic Strategist he remembered.
Such meticulous management had been what created the Demonic Strategist of his previous life.
“Lives are precious. They volunteered for the Special Operations Unit prepared to die, but even so, I hope they all return alive.”
“I hope so too. Ironblood Fortress started this war in the first place—why should we be the ones to die?”
“That’s right.”
Sama Uiseong’s eyes shone fiercely.
In a sense, they had been beaten while standing still.
No—this was no different from being slashed with a blade.
The Central Plains Murim had every right to be enraged and to seek revenge.
“So they’re coming out like this after all.”
“They’re moving?”
“About one gak at most. If they move faster than now, they could arrive within half a gak.”
Ban Hojin smiled meaningfully.
In contrast, Sama Uiseong felt a slight tension.
Ban Hojin had said they might respond like this, but he had not expected them to move exactly as predicted.
“That’s really soon.”
“There’s no need to worry too much. We’ve prepared for it, haven’t we?”
“I’m not worried. You’re here, Brother.”
Sama Uiseong grinned.
The tension had not completely left his face, but it was not severe.
Just the right amount of tension.
With that expression, he answered.
“I’m more reliable than Joun, after all.”
“Some people are a bit dissatisfied.”
“So what? They can’t say it in front of me.”
“There’s not much they can do.”
Sama Uiseong laughed awkwardly.
Ban Hojin was supported not only by Sang Il-gi, but also by Peng Mancheol and Namgung Ho.
On top of that, he had subdued even the Blade King, the Mount Hua Sect Leader. Even if someone had something to say, they could not say it in front of Ban Hojin.
At the very least, one would have to be someone like Peng Mancheol to even attempt to speak.
“They’re here. Prepare yourself.”
“Yes.”
Sama Uiseong answered firmly.
In truth, there was nothing he personally had to do.
He only needed to continue directing the overall command as before.
Ban Hojin would handle the rest, and Sama Uiseong trusted him completely.
Chwaaaat!
Just as Ban Hojin had said, the ground around Sama Uiseong surged upward.
The Martial Artists of Ironblood Fortress had tunneled underground and launched their ambush the moment they reached their destination.
The problem for them was that Ban Hojin already knew of their ambush.
He had also informed those nearby in advance, so no one was flustered by the sudden appearance of the Martial Artists of Ironblood Fortress.
Pupupupuk!
Instead, only Ban Hojin, looking slightly annoyed, welcomed them.
While the ambushers were the ones taken aback by the sight of the Orthodox Martial World calmly continuing their tasks, Ban Hojin’s Wind Blades sliced through the air.
As if there were no such thing as waste, his Wind Blades never missed.
No matter where they were, they pierced precisely through foreheads and the backs of heads.
“Ugh!”
“Ghk!”
They were an assassination unit, but not typical assassins, so dying wails sounded here and there.
Yet no one pitied them.
In the middle of war, such feelings toward the enemy were a luxury.
Rather, they looked at the corpses that had fallen the moment they appeared as though they were an annoyance and had them removed.
“Done.”
“……If you hadn’t been here, Brother, we would have suffered significant losses.”
There were only around thirty of them, but the attack had occurred not somewhere else, but inside their formation.
The damage would have been unimaginable.
If that move had worked as intended, this single strike might have collapsed the Orthodox Martial World. Sama Uiseong shuddered at the thought.
“It would have. But what matters is that I am here, isn’t it?”
Ban Hojin grinned.
The process mattered, but in the end, the result was what truly counted.
No matter how good the process was, if one lost, it meant nothing.
Having experienced that personally, Ban Hojin intended to seize both process and result in this life.
“That’s why I’m truly grateful. That you are here.”
Sama Uiseong spoke sincerely.
If Ban Hojin had not existed, everything would have been different.
The Orthodox Martial World gathered here would have struggled endlessly, and he himself would not have been commanding thousands in this place.
And it would have led to a dreadful outcome.
“Save the thanks for later. The war isn’t over yet. The Great War Gods are starting to move. They must have realized the ambush failed.”
After patting Sama Uiseong’s shoulder a couple of times, Ban Hojin gazed into the distance.
Perhaps the news had reached them—the Great War Gods were beginning to stir.
“Now it truly matters.”
“We’ll have to trust in it.”
As the Great War Gods showed signs of stepping forward, this side began to move as well.
Excluding Ilwoo, Sang Il-gi, Peng Mancheol, and Namgung Ho stepped forward as if to respond.
But the numbers did not match.