Chapter 30: Foundation Stones for the Future

The fire blazed fiercely, and the unit members used the raging flames to s*oot fire arrows into the trifoliate orange forest.

Shwiiiii……!

Small flames rained down on the trifoliate orange forest like a shower.

However, mixed with the fire arrows, arrows with round, rice-cake-shaped mud clumps attached to their tips fell into the trifoliate orange forest.

The mud clumps shattered upon impact with the trifoliate orange branches and trunks, scattering on the ground.

The unit members continued to s*oot arrows relentlessly.

They threw hardened mud clumps by hand at closer targets.

I, too, continued to s*oot arrows towards the trifoliate orange forest.

I aimed my arrows to fall in various locations, some long, some short, ensuring an even distribution.

The flames, which had been blazing vigorously, gradually died down.

The unit members gathered dry branches and threw them into the burning flames, but the fire didn’t last long.

The fire, which had spread to the trifoliate orange trees due to the wind, also lost its momentum as it moved inwards.

Flames did erupt where the fire arrows landed, but they quickly subsided.

Kururung! Kurung……!

Just then, dark clouds gathered in the distance, and thunder began to rumble.

It seemed that the strong wind had been a precursor to rain.

Despite this, the unit members gathered all the surrounding branches and dry grass to try and keep the fire alive.

“D*mn it……!”

“This is driving me crazy……!”

As raindrops began to fall, Yeon Ja-ryong and the unit members let out frustrated sighs.

Swaaaaa……

The raindrops, which had started falling sparsely, soon turned into a downpour.

As the rain poured down, the remaining flames were quickly extinguished.

‘Maybe the rain is better now. The grass seeds mixed with the soil will scatter everywhere with the rainwater.’

As I was thinking this, Yeon Ja-ryong’s voice reached me.

“Retreat!”

The unit members reluctantly retreated.

The members of the Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, and White Tiger Units, who had been scattered in three directions, gathered again.

At that moment, the sun emerged from behind the dark clouds that had covered the sky.

As the sunlight shone down, the unit members looked up at the sky and grumbled.

“D*mn it……”

“The heavens are on the bandits’ side.”

The unit leaders and vice unit leaders, who had gathered again, also had grim expressions.

“The fact that the bandits didn’t react at all when we shot fire arrows and set the fire means they have something else up their sleeves. We need to be careful when we descend the mountain.”

Yeon Ja-ryong also felt the unease that Ak Mun-yeong expressed.

Despite the fire arrows and the fire, there hadn’t been a single shout from the mountain stronghold.

Baek Mu-ho, also sensing something amiss, frowned and nodded.

“You’re saying they might ambush us?”

As if his words were a signal, the sound of wind suddenly arose.

Shwiiiii……

The unit leaders and members immediately understood what the sound meant.

“Dodge!”

Arrows rained down from the sky like a shower.

Tadatadatadang!

The unit leaders and vice unit leaders drew their weapons and deflected the incoming arrows, while the unit members hid behind rocks or used their weapons to block the arrows.

Kugh……!

Kwak!

However, some unit members were still hit by arrows in the process.

Krahahahahahaha!

With loud laughter, the bandits appeared on the ridge of the mountain ahead.

They all held bows in their hands, and their numbers exceeded three hundred.

“You bastards, it’s good to see you!”

Baek Mu-ho immediately recognized the man in his early fifties who was holding a fangtian ji.

Beside the man with the fangtian ji stood a man with a cold expression, a sword at his waist, exuding an extraordinary aura.

Apart from that man, five other men in black clothing had a different aura compared to the other bandits.

Among them was someone holding a long spear with a tassel.

“Jang-bo!”

Yeon Ja-ryong recognized one of the five men.

The man holding the long spear was none other than Jang-bo, the head of the Red C*iff Stronghold.

Jang-bo, the head of the Red C*iff Stronghold, stepped forward.

“It would be rude of us to let you go down after you’ve had your fun setting fire to the trifoliate orange forest. So, we’ve been waiting to say hello. How have you been, Yeon Ja-ryong?”

Jang-bo wasn’t particularly large, but his eyes gleamed with a venomous light.

Judging from that, he seemed to have a cruel and persistent nature.

However, Yeon Ja-ryong didn’t even glance at Jang-bo.

He was observing the man with the fangtian ji and the man with the cold expression and the sword at his waist.

“Are you from the Divine Cult?”

At that moment, Jang-bo’s eyes wavered.

Despite the distance, Yeon Ja-ryong noticed his hesitation.

“So, it’s true. You’re called the Southern Barbarian Lord, so I guess you should be called the Northern Barbarian Lord. Am I right?”

Yeon Ja-ryong raised his hand and pointed at the man with the fangtian ji and the man with the sword.

This time, the man with the fangtian ji and the man with the sword seemed surprised as well.

“I heard Yeon Ja-ryong was the best in the Four Divine Units, and it seems the rumors weren’t exaggerated.”

When the man with the fangtian ji expressed his admiration, Baek Mu-ho bristled.

“I’m the best, you b*stard!”

Yeon Ja-ryong smiled and gave Baek Mu-ho a thumbs-up.

“You’re the best, Mu-ho.”

“Of course.”

Jang-bo couldn’t tolerate Yeon Ja-ryong and Baek Mu-ho’s playful banter any longer.

“K*ll them!”

As his murderous shout erupted, the bandits simultaneously fired their arrows.

Swaaaaa……!

Tadatadatadang!

However, this time, the unit members were prepared, hiding behind trees and rocks or deflecting the arrows with their weapons.

Jeong Bong, after deflecting the arrows, launched himself towards Jang-bo.

He had been targeting Jang-bo from the start.

In response, Jang-bo also charged with his spear, and the bandits followed, rushing down the mountain.

Waaaa!!!

My quiver was empty.

I had to make all the arrows into either seed arrows or fire arrows, so my quiver had been empty since we started ascending the mountain.

I reached for the sword at my waist.

At that moment, Yeon Ja-ryong dashed forward with a low voice.

“Dong-jae, you have no arrows, so stay back.”

Yeon Ja-ryong hadn’t properly witnessed my swordsmanship or fist techniques yet.

“I’m going to fight too.”

In response to my retort, Jang Ryong patted my shoulder as he passed by.

“I’ll witness the best martial arts under heaven next time, so stay behind. It’s an order.”

Jang Ryong wasn’t tall, but he had a sturdy build, and it seemed like he wouldn’t be easily pushed back in a fight against anyone.

‘This…… d*mn it.’

I had only mentioned my martial arts being the best under heaven to Yeon Ja-ryong and Baek Mu-ho.

But even Jang Ryong knew about it.

The one who would have spread such a rumor to the unit members was undoubtedly Baek Mu-ho, who was playful and simple, not Yeon Ja-ryong, who was playful but tight-lipped.

Kuku……

Judging from the Azure Dragon Unit members near me trying to stifle their laughter, the rumor had already spread widely.

Yeon Ja-ryong launched himself towards the man with the cold expression, while Baek Mu-ho was already engaged in a fight with the man with the fangtian ji.

Kwang! Bang!

Distinct internal energy swirled around the fiercely clashing fangtian ji and the large sword.

Jo Cheon-myeong, who was standing near me, also charged towards the bandits.

With even the unit members launching themselves at the bandits, I was left alone at the back.

I watched as the man with the cold expression and Yeon Ja-ryong clashed.

As expected, the man with the cold expression was a master among masters.

Sword aura swirled around his sword, and sword aura also emanated from Yeon Ja-ryong’s sword.

Kwang! Bang……!

I observed them for a while and then looked around.

‘If you don’t have teeth, you can use your gums.’

I drew the short Bakdo I was wearing at my waist and cut off a straight branch.

Then, I put it into my quiver.

Thwack! Swish!

The spearhead pierced through the bandit’s neck and then sliced off the neck of another bandit who was charging in.

The spearhead, spinning and changing direction, crossed paths with a sword falling from the air.

Thwack!

The bandit who was falling from the air had his chest pierced by the spearhead, and blood spurted out.

The bandit’s body, with its pierced chest, fell onto Ak Mun-yeong’s head.

Thud!

However, she had already disappeared from that spot.

Thwack!

Ak Mun-yeong, after piercing another bandit’s chest with her spear, quickly swung the spear shaft.

Clang!

With a loud noise, the tasseled spear that was aimed at her chest was deflected.

“Even the spear shaft is made of iron.”

The bear-like man stepped back and aimed his tasseled spear again.

Ak Mun-yeong recognized at a glance that this man in black clothing was different from the other bandits.

“Divine Cult minion.”

“Smelly b*tch.”

As the bear-like man sneered, Ak Mun-yeong’s spear pierced his chest like lightning.

The man hurriedly twisted his tasseled spear, trying to deflect the spear.

At that moment, her spear instantly changed direction and pierced his neck.

Thwack!

As the spearhead exited the enemy’s neck, a cold blade pierced her waist.

‘D*mn it……’

The man with the tasseled spear wasn’t an ordinary master.

The reason she was able to pierce him with a single spear thrust was because she had focused solely on him.

Ak Mun-yeong instinctively knew it was too late to dodge or block the sword.

Then, the only option left was to minimize the injury.

She used footwork and moved swiftly.

The blade grazed her waist.

Thwack!

Ak Mun-yeong, who had intended to give up her waist and thrust her spear into the enemy’s forehead, hesitated in surprise.

It was because an arrow was embedded in the enemy’s neck.

Kugh…… Grrr……

Thwack!

She thrust her spear into the chest of the enemy who had collapsed and was struggling on the ground.

But the shape of the arrow that had pierced the enemy’s neck was quite peculiar.

“A branch?”

The arrow was a straight branch.

Thwack!

Ak Mun-yeong, after piercing another bandit’s neck with her spear, turned her head and looked around.

Then, she saw a man not far away, s*ooting branches instead of arrows.

Kang Dong-jae, seemingly having run out of branches in his quiver, looked around.

At that moment, a bandit charged at him, brandishing a long Bakdo.

Ak Mun-yeong hurriedly tried to throw her spear at the bandit.

Thwack!

Ugh!

But the bandit who was charging at him collapsed powerlessly.

A short Bakdo was embedded in the forehead of the bandit sprawled on the ground.

Kang Dong-jae nonchalantly pulled out the Bakdo from the bandit’s forehead.

And then, he grumbled and used the Bakdo to cut off a thin, straight branch.

Ha……

His actions were so casual that a chuckle escaped her lips.

Thwack!

Ak Mun-yeong pierced the neck of a bandit who was charging from the side with her spear and turned her head back to the battlefield.

Clang! Thud……!

Jang-bo, the head of the Red C*iff Stronghold, was currently in a difficult situation.

He was forced to retreat repeatedly, flustered by Jeong Bong from the Jeong family, who was charging at him without regard for his own life.

Jeong Bong’s martial arts were as strong as his own, making him a formidable opponent.

‘D*mn it……’

Moreover, the Four Divine Units’ members’ martial arts were exceptional, and it was his subordinates who were constantly being killed.

The current Four Divine Units were far superior to the Four Divine Units from a few years ago.

‘It’s best to retreat at this point.’

The only consolation was that several members of the Four Divine Units had also fallen.

Clang……!

“Retreat to the mountain stronghold……!”

Jang-bo deflected the blade aimed at his entire body and leaped backward.

But at that moment, two arrows pierced his neck and leg.