They headed for the Sichuan branch.
While sparks were flying in the heated exchange between Cheon Ryu-yeong and Baek Un-hoe, Yacha Sword Jo Jeon-hu, who had been watching from a distance, tilted his head and asked Dokgo Mu-yeong beside him,
"Clan Leader, doesn't this seem a little strange? Isn't their conversation going on too long? Could they be having an argument?"
Dokgo Mu-yeong rubbed the sweat from his palms onto his trousers and replied with an incredulous look,
"They're about to fight with swords—what need is there for bickering?"
"That's exactly why it's strange, isn't it? They could just exchange the hostages and fight afterward, but why keep talking like that? Surely… the Young Master isn't trying to save us by offering up his own life?"
At Jo Jeon-hu's worried remark, every member of the righteous faction clenched their teeth. Dokgo Mu-yeong bit his lip, then shook his head.
"No. It can't be. Seol went along with him, didn't she? She wouldn't just stand by and let the conversation go that way."
"You think so?"
Jo Jeon-hu asked again, still uneasy. If Cheon Ryu-yeong threw away his life to save them, it would be the greatest shame possible for a martial artist.
"Yes. I don't believe Young Master Cheon would give up his life so easily. He's stronger than we are. But… there is one thing that concerns me."
Jo Jeon-hu frowned.
"What is it?"
"If I were the Celestial Demon Sword… I might try to win him over. Cheon Ryu-yeong could even agree to join him in exchange for sparing our lives."
Jo Jeon-hu's eyes twitched at the thought.
The Celestial Demon Sword was known for his greed for talent. He could very well offer Cheon Ryu-yeong exceptionally generous terms—and if, as the Clan Leader said, he also promised to spare their lives, there was a real possibility Cheon Ryu-yeong might accept.
Dokgo Mu-yeong swallowed a sigh.
"All we can do now is trust him. Even though it's only been a day, we became one. We fought together, risking our lives. We have to believe that our sincerity has reached him."
Jo Jeon-hu nodded vigorously.
"You're right. I don't know Young Master Cheon very well yet, but he doesn't seem like someone who'd abandon us so easily. We must trust him. I pride myself on being a good judge of people."
But then, his eyes wavered with doubt.
"But… have we actually done anything for him? Something worth trusting?"
"…"
"When you think about it, even 'fighting together with sincerity' is just a vague phrase—in reality, we've only used him."
Dokgo Mu-yeong bit back a bitter smile. That very thought had been nagging at him. If only they had met him earlier… there might have been a chance to truly do something for him.
"You're right."
Jo Jeon-hu chewed on his lip and then spoke.
"Then at least let's cheer for him once more. He'll know—we believe in him."
And he shouted with fierce determination,
"We will fight! We will fight and win with Young Master Cheon!"
"Waaaaaaah!"
The righteous faction roared again, as if Jo Jeon-hu's voice was their own.
The wind that had paused began to blow again.
Baek Un-hoe brushed his hair back from his face as it stirred in the breeze and laughed.
"Heh, hehehe… hahahahaha. A match, you say?"
He glanced back briefly. At last, two hundred Heavenly Wolf Troops were joining up with the Black Wolf Troop.
They made their entrance in true Heavenly Wolf fashion—
Majestic and imposing!
Though they had run at great speed, their formation was perfectly aligned, without a hint of disorder.
Chaaang!
Two hundred Heavenly Wolf Troopers drew their swords at once, fighting spirit rising palpably from every single one of them.
The killing intent to avenge their comrades' humiliation, the pride of belonging to the Heavenly Wolf Troop—it swept across the field, enough to unnerve their foes.
Dokgo Seol's eyes widened at the sight.
Even without crossing swords, she could feel it instinctively—there was no way they could win against these troops as they were now.
But she steeled herself.
Cheon Ryu-yeong—
A man with no martial skills had openly declared battle, standing firm. He had refused even the Celestial Demon Sword's overwhelming offer. How could she allow herself to waver?
Perhaps the others felt the same—
The righteous faction, quiet until now, shouted again, their fighting spirit reignited.
Dokgo Seol looked at Cheon Ryu-yeong with relief.
It was all thanks to him.
Even if they were annihilated in battle, they would not collapse in disgrace.
He had awakened the pride of warriors within them—and that alone was enough for her.
Cheon Ryu-yeong looked at the Heavenly Wolf Troop ahead and listened to the cheers of the righteous faction behind him, then spoke to Baek Un-hoe.
"They truly are the Heavenly Wolf Troop. Impressive. But… my side hasn't lost heart either."
Baek Un-hoe smirked.
"That much I'll grant you. But! That doesn't change the outcome. Cheon Ryu-yeong, go ahead—try to block our blades. Use that fake retreat you pulled on the Black Wolf Troop, form a crane wing formation, or come up with some other outlandish trick—do whatever you like. None of it will save you from feeling powerless."
With a chill in his voice, he turned away.
The final, life-or-death battle was all that remained.
Dokgo Seol took a deep breath, then quickly lifted the Black Tortoise Squad Leader, Neung Un-bi, into her arms.
He was heavy—especially for her, wounded internally and exhausted. But she felt she had to carry him herself.
For Cheon Ryu-yeong.
For the man who could have had everything but threw it all away to stand by their side—she wanted to offer even the smallest help she could.
"Young Master Cheon, let's go."
Cheon Ryu-yeong scratched the back of his head and smiled.
"Honestly, I keep telling you—I'm not a young master."
His smile was so bright and guileless that she nearly forgot the danger they were in and laughed.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Thump… thump-thump.
That awkward, shy smile of his—
It was strange.
Just yesterday, and even earlier today, he had seemed so ordinary. But now… she realized he had a very handsome face.
Not so handsome as to feel intimidating, but the kind that was naturally pleasant and likable. And when he smiled like this…
Thump, thump-thump.
Dokgo Seol was flustered with herself.
How could she be feeling this—of all times—when they stood on the brink of what could be her last battle?
I'm crazy. I must be crazy… It's just because death is so close that I've lost it.
She turned her eyes away from him.
"If you're not a young master, then what should I call you? Never mind, we'll talk later. For now, let's go back and get ready to—"
Cheon Ryu-yeong suddenly put on a serious face, raising his hand to stop her mid-sentence. Watching Baek Un-hoe's retreating back, he smiled faintly.
"Isn't his pace a little too slow?"
Baek Un-hoe's thick sword-like eyebrows twitched.
He stopped, turned his head slightly, and looked at Cheon Ryu-yeong. But he said nothing—just stared silently.
Cheon Ryu-yeong's smile deepened.
"Are you hoping I might change my mind even now?"
A faint smile touched Baek Un-hoe's lips.
"Well… I wouldn't mind if you did. But you don't look like you have any intention of doing so."
"In that case, you could have ignored my words. So why did you stop?"
A strange tension lingered between them. Cheon Ryu-yeong shrugged and spoke in a pleasant tone.
"It must be because there's something you still want to hear from me. No—something you want to confirm."
A glint of curiosity flickered in Baek Un-hoe's eyes. He slowly turned back to face Cheon Ryu-yeong.
"What do you mean? That I have something to confirm with you?"
"Brother Celestial Demon Sword, you've made a mistake. You acknowledge me, but aren't you underestimating me a bit too much?"
Baek Un-hoe's gaze wavered. Cheon Ryu-yeong's words flowed on without hesitation.
"In truth, right now, you must be feeling uneasy—something is gnawing at you. Isn't that so?"
"I… uneasy?"
"Isn't your mind filled with a certain troubling question?"
Baek Un-hoe didn't answer. He just looked steadily at Cheon Ryu-yeong.
Then Cheon Ryu-yeong turned to Dokgo Seol, who was flustered and clueless.
"Miss Dokgo, do you remember what I said earlier?"
"…Pardon?"
Her round eyes rolled slightly as she tried to recall. Cheon Ryu-yeong had said many things—what exactly was he asking about?
A memory surfaced: just before they had come here, he had said—
"Could it be… when you said it was fortunate the Celestial Demon Sword came?"
Cheon Ryu-yeong gave her a thumbs up.
"That's right. And there was one more thing, wasn't there?"
"That the Celestial Demon Sword is a general skilled in both the literary and martial arts?"
Cheon Ryu-yeong shook his head with a faint look of regret.
"That's already included in the fact that he came. What did I say right after that?"
A small frown formed on Dokgo Seol's forehead.
"…That it was fortunate the Heavenly Wolf Troop came in great numbers?"
"Yes. That's the one."
He lifted his thumb again and waggled it.
Dokgo Seol was bewildered. But when she looked at Baek Un-hoe's face, she couldn't help swallowing hard.
The Celestial Demon Sword—Baek Un-hoe—
He was clenching his teeth. The lines of his jaw stood out like cracks in stone, twitching faintly.
What…?
Why is he making that expression?
Cheon Ryu-yeong, still watching the stiff-faced Baek Un-hoe, spoke.
"You should return."
Baek Un-hoe let out a low sound in his throat, fixing Cheon Ryu-yeong with a piercing gaze.
"Cheon Ryu-yeong…"
"If you don't want to lose everything… you should go back, brother."
"You…"
Dokgo Seol's mind was reeling from their exchange.
If her eyes weren't deceiving her, the weakest man here—Cheon Ryu-yeong—was cornering the strongest master present, the Celestial Demon Sword.
Meeting Baek Un-hoe's searing gaze head-on, Cheon Ryu-yeong pressed on.
"You haven't forgotten the Tang Clan, have you? The most feared family in Sichuan, masters of poison and hidden weapons, dreaded by every sect under heaven!"
Dokgo Seol's eyes widened.
That's right! The Tang Clan is still out there!
If they could just hold out long enough, perhaps there was a sliver of hope.
Baek Un-hoe bit down on his lip. Still, the corners of his mouth twitched faintly.
A brief silence—
Then Baek Un-hoe said confidently,
"I can wipe you all out long before they arrive."
Cheon Ryu-yeong frowned slightly and shook his head.
"That's not like you, brother. By now you should have realized what I'm getting at. Or are you still testing me?"
"…"
"The Tang Clan isn't coming to save us."
"…!"
Both Baek Un-hoe's and Dokgo Seol's eyes shook—but for entirely different reasons.
Dokgo Seol had felt a flicker of hope at the mention of the Tang Clan, only to have it crushed. Baek Un-hoe, on the other hand, was shocked precisely because they weren't coming.
Cheon Ryu-yeong, locking eyes with the visibly tense Baek Un-hoe, continued.
"Because I asked Clan Leader Dokgo to send the carrier pigeons elsewhere. They're on their way to the Sichuan branch right now."
Baek Un-hoe's gaze turned icy. Dokgo Seol, too, froze at the unexpected revelation.
The Tang Clan… is going to the Sichuan branch?
Cheon Ryu-yeong's steady baritone continued.
"You made a mistake, brother. Not just coming here yourself, but bringing too many of your men. With the forces left at the Sichuan branch… even if it's as strong as a fortress, they won't be able to stop the Tang Clan."
"…"
"If you run without pause, and get there first, there'll be no problem."
Baek Un-hoe said nothing—just stared at him.
"Go back. You're not thinking you can finish us all here and then leave at your leisure, are you?"
Cheon Ryu-yeong paused briefly, then gestured to the righteous faction behind him.
"Look. If we were cowering in fear, you might have a chance. But we're ready to fight to the death. You'll win, but you won't crush us quickly. You won't have time to end it here before you need to move. And wouldn't it be better to return with your forces intact?"
At last, Baek Un-hoe exhaled a long sigh.
"So that's why you said you wouldn't lose. The moment you spoke those words, I had a feeling something like this might happen."
He sighed through clenched teeth.
Cheon Ryu-yeong was right—it was a miscalculation, a mistake.
But… it was inevitable.
Cheon Ryu-yeong had made too strong an impression. He was not an opponent to take lightly, and Baek Un-hoe had prepared for him with everything he had. If he could go back, he'd probably make the same decision again.
"Cheon Ryu-yeong…"
Baek Un-hoe bit his lip as he looked at him.
From start to finish, this "ordinary" man hadn't made a single mistake.
He had identified the spies Baek had planted, bought time with only thirty men, tricked even the elite Six Hundred and the Black Wolf Troop—
And now, he had forced him into a corner.
Worse still, the Sichuan branch itself was now in danger.
It was maddening.
What had seemed a flawless victory moments ago was now at risk of becoming nothing more than a hollow glory.
Because of this one man.
A faint but deadly gleam began to rise in Baek Un-hoe's eyes.