Chapter 379
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## Chapter 379. I will certainly keep them safe.
Jin Useong wasn’t the only one surprised by the failure of the northern offensive.
Yeon Jeokha, who was observing from the left bell tower alongside Dong Yuso, the Southern Warrior, asked:
“Did you say before that the northern offensive had failed?”
“That’s right.”
“Why did it fail?”
“I don’t know. All the experts who participated in that mission died.”
“…”
Yeon Jeokha, blinking, turned his head towards the courtyard.
Only Monk Xianzhang, ten guards, and four flag bearers carrying flags remained.
On the colorful flags of the flag bearers were written the phrases: “Over the heavens and earth,” “Only I exist,” “The whole world suffers,” and “I will protect them.”
If Monk Xianzhang’s position within the Yoomyung Cult hadn’t declined, his guards would have been the same.
‘Did they kill all the experts of the northern offensive with those people?’
While Yeon Jeokha frowned, the disguised Golden Guards and the guards clashed.
The Golden Guard is an organization based on military strength.
Therefore, the higher the rank of a field operative, the stronger they are.
For example, a “deputy commander” is stronger than a guard, a “commander” is stronger than a deputy commander, a “white tiger (Wang Muyang)” is stronger than a commander, a “commander-in-chief” is stronger than a white tiger, and a “southern warrior (Dong Yuso)” is stronger than a commander-in-chief.
Neung Gyeong, the commander-in-chief, was an expert comparable to the experts of the Seven Great Sects.
Neung Gyeong and Tian Zilin, the captain of the guard, were the first to confront each other.
Neung Gyeong’s embroidered spring dagger fiercely attacked Tian Zilin, but he didn’t fall behind.
Clang-.
Between the two, sparks flew incessantly.
It was a fierce battle where the blades of the dagger and the longsword sank deeply, and if they were distracted for a moment, they could lose a limb.
Next, Jongsamyeong, the general commander, with ten deputy commanders, attacked the remaining guards.
The ordinary guards couldn’t resist Jongsamyeong.
Every time Jongsamyeong’s embroidered spring dagger moved, blood splattered from the guards’ bodies.
The deputy commanders were also not inferior to Jongsamyeong, who fought like a tiger.
The guards were just wandering warriors.
In contrast, the deputy commanders were not just those who had passed the military exam. They were those who had honed their skills in battle and had finally become deputy commanders of the Golden Guard.
The guards were knocked down like autumn leaves in the wind without a proper counteroffensive against the swords of the deputy commanders.
The deputy commanders, who had defeated Monk Xianzhang’s guards like a storm, stopped for a moment.
This was because the battle of the commander-in-chief, Neung Gyeong, was not yet over.
At that moment, the tip of Jongsamyeong’s, the general commander’s, sword pointed towards Monk Xianzhang.
“Don’t stop, attack!”
With those words, Jongsamyeong ran towards Monk Xianzhang.
At that moment, he saw nothing else.
Monk Xianzhang’s only followers were the four flag bearers.
Jongsamyeong planned to behead Monk Xianzhang with one blow and retreat.
But what happened?
Even though all the guards had fallen, Monk Xianzhang had no intention of fleeing.
His expression was calm.
A gentle Buddhist chant came from his mouth.
“Namu Amida Butsu, Namu Yumeong Daegyoju Muryangsu Yulrae-bul…”
At the same time as he chanted, the flag bearer of “Over the heavens and earth” stepped forward.
He brandished the flag towards Jongsamyeong, who was running towards him.
Whoosh-.
A red flame engulfed Jongsamyeong.
Jongsamyeong, unable to dodge in time, was enveloped in flames and screamed.
“Aaah!”
In an instant, Jongsamyeong was petrified with his hands grabbing his head.
White smoke emanated from his blackened body.
The deputy commanders, surprised by the unexpected situation, did not lessen their offensive.
They knew they had to attack quickly at that moment.
The deputy commanders rushed towards the flag bearer of “Over the heavens and earth” like a swarm of bees.
Baek Useon, the Taoist of the Quanzhen Sect, also entered the battle when the flag bearer exhaled fire.
He came out to counter what he thought was magic.
The flag bearer of “Over the heavens and earth” brandished his flag horizontally this time.
Swoosh-.
The deputy commanders quickly blocked the approaching flag with their embroidered spring daggers.
But the flag didn’t stop, and the daggers were bounced back.
Bang-.
The internal energy contained in the flag overwhelmed the deputy commanders.
The deputy commanders scattered in all directions to avoid the powerful flag, but it relentlessly pursued them.
Meanwhile, Baek Useon faced the flag with a mantra to subdue demons when the flag bearer brandished it again.
However, what came out of the flag was not magic, but powerful internal energy.
The internal energy that had bounced the daggers of the deputy commanders hit Baek Useon.
“¡Kugh!”
Baek Useon, the sorcerer/mystic/shaman, fell backward without strength.
Soon, he got up with difficulty and spat out crimson blood.
He had suffered a serious internal injury with a single blow.
Meanwhile, two deputy commanders fell when they were hit by the flag.
“¡Ugh!”
“¡Kugh!”
It seemed they had suffered a great impact, as they couldn’t get up immediately and writhed on the ground.
Then, the flag bearer, who had jumped into the air, struck the heads of the deputy commanders with the flagpole.
Before the other deputy commanders could do anything, the heads of the two were crushed.
The deputy commanders couldn’t hide their expressions of despair at the overwhelming power of the flag bearer.
“This isn’t going to work. I’ll go first.”
Dong Yuso, the Southern Warrior, dashed towards the bell tower.
Dong Yuso’s body fell diagonally towards the flag bearer wielding the flag.
Shim Tong, the Old Dao of the Nine Heavens, who was watching the courtyard, said:
“Now I understand why the northern offensive was annihilated. What do you think they are?”
“Corpses.”
Yeon Jeokha replied briefly and took out a green snake from his clothes.
The flag bearer of “Over the heavens and earth” slightly raised his head and looked towards the sky.
Someone was flying towards him from the bell tower.
The aura of the one who brandished his sword was unsettling, but his expression remained impassive.
At that moment, a faint moan was heard from the side.
“¡Kugh!”
The flag bearer of “Over the heavens and earth” looked back and saw Tian Zilin, the captain of the guard, clutching his chest.
It seemed the attackers had won.
But even in the face of a critical situation, he didn’t blink.
Neung Gyeong, who had injured the captain of the guard, Tian Zilin, grabbed his embroidered spring dagger again and ran towards the flag bearer of “Over the heavens and earth.”
“Damn you!”
Even with the combined attack of Dong Yuso, the southern warrior, and Neung Gyeong, the commander-in-chief, the flag bearer didn’t flinch.
He brandished his flag widely in the air.
Whoosh-.
A strong wind arose from the flag and enveloped Dong Yuso.
Dong Yuso tried to maintain his stance with his slight footwork, but it was in vain.
Dong Yuso’s body, caught by the strong wind, was pushed away.
The flag, which had spun in the air, fell on Neung Gyeong’s head.
Neung Gyeong raised his embroidered spring dagger to block the flag.
Then, the flag bearer seemed to pick up the flag and stuck the pole in the ground.
Thump-.
Immediately after, the earth five zhang (approximately 15 meters) around Neung Gyeong cracked.
It was invocation magic.
“¡Ha!”
Neung Gyeong knew it was an illusion, but he couldn’t move.
Even one step would take him to a precipice.
The moment he took a cautious step in the air, his body moved forward.
It wasn’t a simple illusion.
Neung Gyeong couldn’t move despite seeing the flag bearer standing in front of him with the flag.
The flag bearer of “Over the heavens and earth,” who had defeated two people with a single blow, pounced on a nearby deputy commander.
Jin Useong brandished his sword wildly as the flag bearer approached.
Swish- swish-.
The flag bearer suddenly jumped into the air in front of Jin Useong, panicked.
Then, he lightly struck Jin Useong’s forehead with the flagpole.
Jin Useong just stared at the flagpole rapidly approaching.
Just before the flagpole pierced Jin Useong’s forehead, a mass of blue light flew from the bell tower towards the flag bearer.
Whiz-.
For the first time, the eyes of the flag bearer, who had remained impassive until then, moved.
‘Sword control?’
If he didn’t deflect or block that light with the flagpole, he would definitely not be unscathed.
The flag bearer hastily stepped back and blocked the light with the flag.
Crack-.
‘Eh?’
The unexpected sound made the flag bearer’s gaze unconsciously turn to the flag.
In the next instant, the flag bearer’s eyes widened.
Leaving behind the broken pole, the blue light flew directly towards him.
Thump-.
The mass of light pierced the flag bearer’s head.
The flag bearer’s body slowly fell backward.
Thump.
When the flag bearer fell, the calmness on Monk Xianzhang’s face disappeared.
The cracked earth returned to its original state.
Dong Yuso, who had been thrown back like a dry leaf, quickly approached Neung Gyeong.
The surviving deputy commanders gathered around Dong Yuso.
Immediately after, two figures fell from the sky.
They were Yeon Jeokha and Shim Tong.
At the appearance of the powerful intruders, Monk Xianzhang calmly asked.
“I am Xianzhang, the monk of the imperial palace. Who are you to help those rebels?”
Then, Shim Tong replied with a chilling laugh.
“Jajaja, if you are the monk of the imperial palace, then I am Buddha. Come and kneel.”
Monk Xianzhang’s white beard trembled at the rude and ignorant comment.
After suppressing his anger, Monk Xianzhang spoke.
“Seeing that you speak such ruthless words without hesitation, you must be someone from the Evil Faction. You should go to the eighteen-story hell to reflect.”
With these words, Monk Xianzhang struck the ground with the staff he carried.
Then, the three flag bearers who had been standing silently behind Monk Xianzhang approached.
The flag bearer of the “Only I exist” flag was the first to move.
When he brandished the flag, darkness descended and eerie screams resonated everywhere.
“Kkkkkk-.”
“Ohohohot-.”
“Kyyaaaak-.”
The cries, laughter, and screams grew louder.
Baek Useon, who was barely standing, sat on the ground and chanted a mantra to subdue demons.
But the eerie screams became even louder.
Baek Useon, who had resisted the screams, spat blood again and closed his eyes tightly.
At that moment, a clear voice echoed from somewhere.
“In the name of Yeon Namcheon, disciple of the Five Dragons Palace and Cheongbulno, I command! Disappear, the evil spells of heaven and earth!”
“…”
The eerie screams ceased as if by magic.
Next, the black darkness faded, and things returned to their original state.
When the spell was broken, the flag bearer of “Only I exist” spat out a bowl of blood.
Then, the flag bearer of “The whole world suffers” ran like lightning and brandished his flag.
Kwa- kwa- kwa- kwa-.
Powerful internal energy, like a blade, pounced on Yeon Jeokha and Shim Tong like a gale.
“¡Ha!”
Shim Tong, who had unsheathed his willow-leaf sword, took a large step forward and cut the gale.
It was the Ninth Technique of the Nine Heavens, Martial Dragon Dance.
The powerful force emanating from the willow-leaf sword shattered the gale.
When the flag bearer, surprised, quickly tried to pick up his flag.
The internal energy extending from the tip of Shim Tong’s sword grazed the flag bearer’s neck.
“¡Kugh!”
Due to the intense pain, the flag bearer of “The whole world suffers” quickly grabbed his neck.
But his head slowly separated from his body.
The flag bearer of “I will protect them,” horrified by the deaths of his companions, deeply stuck the flagpole in the ground.
Thump.
A white mist sprouted around the flag.
In an instant, the mist enveloped Monk Xianzhang and the flag bearer.
“¡Young Master!”
At Shim Tong’s shout, Yeon Jeokha used his power again.
“In the name of Yeon Namcheon, disciple of Gongyaja and Cheongbulno, I command! Disappear, the mist!”
Shhh-.
With a soft sound, the mist dissipated.
“¡Ha!”
Shim Tong’s mouth, who had unsheathed his willow-leaf sword and was about to run forward, opened wide.
Neither the flag bearer of “I will protect them” nor Monk Xianzhang was in sight.
After a while, Shim Tong, who had circled the area, shook his head.
“Incredible! There’s no trace. Is it possible?”
Yeon Jeokha was also surprised.
He hadn’t been able to detect the flag bearer and Monk Xianzhang fleeing even with his perception.
“Truly incredible! Not even a ghost could do that.”
Yeon Jeokha shook his head with a bitter expression.
Thinking about it, it seemed that everything had happened according to the meaning of “I will protect them,” which gave him a strange feeling.