NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 10
“Sect Leader!”
“Mujin! Why have you returned alone?!”
“Right now, we must lead everyone to the western port! They’ve set up camp there!”
“What? Set up camp?”
“Yes! We must hurry! Before I left, I heard the sound of swords clashing, so there’s no doubt that a battle is already underway!”
After finishing his report, the warrior named Mujin caught his breath. It seemed he had exhausted all his energy to rush here as quickly as possible.
Indeed, this wasn’t just a simple raid.
It was strange that the pirate bandits, who supposedly lacked both discipline and skill, had swept through the village so quickly.
Typically, bandits would chant their threats and then miss the chance to escape, ending up dead more often than not.
This kind of orchestrated movement suggested that either their leader had military experience or it was a group of pirates disguising themselves with an ulterior motive for invading Hainan Island.
“Mujin, head straight to the main hall and relay this news.”
“Understood!”
The figure of Mujin blurred instantly as he sped away. The Sect Leader watched Mujin’s departing figure for a moment, then turned his head toward me.
“You mentioned you had military experience in the past, did you not?”
“Yes.”
“Have you ever dealt with a situation like this?”
“More than once.”
This was territory I knew all too well. Guerrilla warfare was something I’d encountered many times, especially during the campaign to reclaim the holy site when we lost many comrades due to the Middle Eastern guerrilla tactics.
“What do you think of this situation?”
What do I think…
The Sect Leader was asking for my professional opinion on the situation. He didn’t dismiss my judgment outright and sought counsel, which was more than I expected from him.
“These are no ordinary pirates. Even if they were, they’re closer to bandits. It’s impossible for someone like them to conduct such a precise attack. Clearly, they’re either disguised pirates or are cooperating with another force.”
While my best guess would be the Demonic Sect, I couldn’t outright mention it now. My knowledge of their existence might seem suspicious if others didn’t know of it. If I claimed to learn about it from Hye-ryeong, the lie could be exposed the moment I questioned her.
It was prudent to label it as an “unknown force” for now.
Besides, we couldn’t entirely rule out that possibility.
“I see. I agree with your assessment.”
“Therefore, we must quickly send reinforcements to the frontlines. Preferably, we should divide into two units, sending our highest-skilled warriors ahead and keeping the less experienced as a second group to guard against surprise attacks.”
“Two units?”
“Yes. Since we don’t know their strategy, this is the best way to minimize casualties.”
“Wise advice indeed. It was fortunate that I asked your opinion.”
The Sect Leader smiled faintly and turned his head, shouting loudly,
“Disciples of the Hainan Sword Sect! Cease all current tasks and form ranks!”
In response to his cry, the swordsmen, who were busily cleaning up the village’s devastation, gathered one by one. They arranged themselves neatly, like well-trained soldiers, all gazing at the Sect Leader.
“The vanguard has sent ill news. Let’s move quickly to support them.”
“Yes!”
The disciples of the Hainan Sword Sect, though sooty and disheveled with blood and dirt, had sharp and alert eyes.
“You seem unable to use light body techniques… How shall we proceed?”
“If you could assign someone to assist me, I can keep up with little trouble.”
“I’ll assign Hye-ryeong to you. Hye-ryong!”
“M-m master, I’m right here!”
In a voice uncharacteristically subdued, Hye-ryeong raised her hand and hurried toward the Sect Leader. The Sect Leader looked at her with a sorrowful expression, then gently patted her shoulder before issuing his command.
“Hye-ryeong, you will accompany William.”
“But…”
“Hye-ryeong.”
“…Yes.”
Did she have a personal history with the pirates?
Since the original story only mentioned her darkened past, it wasn’t too surprising to find hidden details.
She wasn’t even the main heroine, just a secondary love interest, and honestly, a minor one at that.
“Senior disciples will lead the charge with me! The junior disciples will follow at a safe distance. Understood?”
“Yes!”
“Then we depart!”
The swordsmen of the Hainan Sword Sect started running towards the western port like wolves hunting prey. Watching them for a moment, I began to follow at a slower pace alongside Hye-ryeong.
—
‘Damn it…’
“So this is the end? How underwhelming.”
The armored man swung his sword in the air, flicking off the blood. The light from the setting sun illuminated his blade, making it gleam.
‘Why is there such a master swordsman among the pirates…’
No less than a master swordsman at the peak of his art.
In fact, a swordsman who had practiced for quite some time after achieving mastery. For someone like Ha-jin, who had just broken into the realm of mastery, this was an opponent too formidable to handle.
“You… a swordsman of your caliber… why ally with pirates?”
“Does a sword need a reason to spill blood?”
Horrified by this response, Ha-jin tightly gripped his bloodied shoulder as he looked up. The unnamed swordsman was looking down at him with the expression of someone wondering why such a question was asked.
“How could a person… be like this…!”
“A sword is ultimately created to cut down opponents. It’s merely doing its duty, isn’t it?”
‘Madman…’
“Ugh…”
“Big Brother…”
Ha-jin gritted his teeth at the voices of his comrades from behind. Though there were casualties on the pirate side as well, the losses of the vanguard were catastrophic.
Half of their members had perished. Most of the survivors suffered injuries of various degrees. A few managed to escape, though the enemy was far from safe.
‘How could beggars know the terrain of Hainan so intimately?’
Turning the tables with knowledge of the island’s geography. Arrows rained from the forest in ambushes and, in their panic, the disciples fell victim to those arrows. Even those who had managed to remain uninjured until now fell under the blade of the armored swordsman.
It was a desperate situation.
‘Master… I don’t think I can survive this…’
Ha-jin once again grasped the fallen sword on the ground. Better to fall in the final fight than kneel in shame before the pirates. He braced himself to fight until the bitter end.
“Cowardly pirates… come forth. See the sword of Hainan!”
“A beaten dog making too much noise.”
As Ha-jin staggered to his feet, the armored swordsman mocked him. A defeated man rising had nothing to gain.
Still, one who faced death with his weapon in hand couldn’t be totally dismissed.
Slowly, the swordsman lifted his weapon into the air.
Gazing down at Ha-jin with his sword held aloft like an executioner about to decapitate a convict, it was a strike Ha-jin had no way to block in his current state.
And yet, Ha-jin squeezed every ounce of internal energy he had left, coating his sword blade with a faint blue glow.
“Sword Qi…”
Sword Qi.
Something that only top-tier swordsmen could use when they reached a higher level, and even then only after becoming highly proficient. This Qi had the power to slice steel and cut through armor, though it was difficult to control.
In Ha-jin’s current condition, the faint glow wrapping his sword almost caused him to cough up blood.
“Big Brother!”
“Gu-hwan. I’m sorry.”
‘If only I had been a little stronger…’
Regret for failing to protect his juniors weighed more heavily on his heart than his own defeat. In his final desperation, he began to draw all his remaining vital energy from his dantian.
“But we don’t have much time. So-”
The bloodthirsty ghost’s sword was about to fall like an executioner’s axe when—
“Tch…”
The sword ghost swiftly redirected his strike to block a sword force approaching from afar. Though the block was effective, the impact was so strong it sent the sword ghost over ten paces backward.
Spitting out blood from his mouth, the sword ghost glared at an old man approaching from a distance.
‘This level of sword force… is it the Sect Leader? Time to retreat.’
Having no need to fight a superior-level expert, the armored swordsman sheathed his blade and shouted.
“All forces, retreat!”
At his command, the pirates began withdrawing almost immediately. Although the Sect Leader wanted to chase them, he couldn’t leave now as the vanguard was still in dire condition.
“Sect Leader… I’ll be fine, so please… pursue them…”
“Ha-jin! Even if revenge is important, can you leave your comrades alone? Stay still!”
The Sect Leader laid Ha-jin down and immediately began emergency first aid.
The other disciples who followed also immediately began staunching the bleeding, filling the forest with the scents of blood and medicine.
“Big Brother!”
“Hye-ryeong… have you come?”
“Big Brother! Don’t die!”
Hye-ryeong’s tears, like chicken droppings, fell onto Ha-jin’s clothes.
Ha-jin tried to reassure her with a forced smile, though his expression lacked strength.
“I’m not going to die…don’t worry.”
“Hye-ryeong. You should return.”
“But…”
“You must go, and that will be the last.”
“That’s right, Hye-ryong. Please go back as well.”
“Mr. William…?”
“Jangman.”
The late-arriving William called the Sect Leader, whose attention was still on the emergency care.
The Sect Leader looked up to meet the voice.
William spoke with an expressionless face.
“Please assign ten warriors to me. Ideally, they should be familiar with the geography of the western port.”
“Can I trust you with this?”
Worries filled his eyes.
William declared firmly while meeting his gaze.
“I’ve survived situations far worse than this. I have a plan, leave it to me. This kind… this is my specialty.”
“…Understood. Everyone, listen! I need ten disciples to pursue the pirate band!”
“I’ll volunteer!”
“No, I should go-”
“I wish to avenge my brothers!”
Driven by the desire for vengeance, the warriors began clamoring to join the pursuit. Watching the chaos, the Sect Leader started calling out the names.
He chose the disciples he had kept an eye on.
Once all those named had gathered, the Sect Leader issued his orders.
“From this point forward, you will follow William’s commands. Do you understand?”
“Yes!”
A resounding reply came from the ten disciples, including Mu-gwang.
Having observed this, William turned to the Sect Leader for the final affirmation.
“I’ll return with their heads before morning.”
“…If it gets too dangerous, retreat immediately.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Asher…?”
“You should stay here. The battlefield is too dangerous.”
William, with ten warriors, began following the trail of the pirates.
Watching them go from behind, Hye-ryong murmured weakly.
“Asher, be strong…”