Hyeoljeol's face changed drastically when he saw yet another group of people charging down from the mountain, shouting. They were headed straight for the empty center.
For an instant, the minds of all the Black Path warriors went blank. At that same moment, the Dokgo Clan and Kunlun—who had been gradually giving ground—suddenly surged forward with a thunderous roar, throwing all their strength into the attack.
It was as if they hadn't been retreating out of weakness at all, but had been defending to conserve their strength—only to unleash it now. The sudden shift to offense sent the front ranks of the Black Path troops into rapid collapse.
Hyeoljeol whipped his head around, glancing to the front, side, and rear in frantic succession.
This… this can't be…! The Orthodox scum all came here instead of splitting up? Damn it, if we lose the center, we'll be cut off and they'll complete their encirclement. We could be annihilated!
His heart raced. But if he split his forces now, the front line against Kunlun and the Emei Sect would inevitably crumble.
"What in the hell is Elder Heuk Gwido doing?"
The words hissed between his teeth were pure fury. If Elder Heuk Gwido didn't detach forces to defend the center, there would be no avoiding a crushing defeat.
At that moment, Han Chu-gwang—who had been fighting elsewhere against other subordinates—came running like the wind to stand before him.
"Heh… now the real fight begins."
Hyeoljeol's sword tip quivered.
The Invincible Sword. So you've been avoiding me on purpose until now.
"If I'd fought you from the beginning, we wouldn't have been pushed back. And your two units wouldn't have ended up so far apart."
Hyeoljeol ground his teeth. Who was behind this? Who had kept the Orthodox forces from being divided, striking blow after blow to drive them into this corner? Could it be… could the Martial Alliance's Grand Strategist Jegal Cheon himself be here?
A swarm of questions battered his mind, but there was no time to find answers—Han Chu-gwang's sword was already descending like lightning.
CLAAAANG!
The two blades clashed, ringing with a fierce metallic shriek. Hyeoljeol's eyes went wide.
In that instant, he understood why Han Chu-gwang bore the title Invincible Sword, why Kunlun revered him so, why the Orthodox world still held the Kunlun Sect in such regard.
The pain in his grip was as if his hands were being torn apart.
The sense that even the slightest mistake would mean his death flooded his mind.
Damn it! So this is the Invincible Sword's true strength…
Clang! Claaang!
With a cold expression, Han Chu-gwang pressed Hyeoljeol hard, forcing him to focus entirely on saving his own skin instead of issuing orders to rescue his endangered men.
The only relief was the sound of Elder Heuk Gwido's voice booming across the battlefield, imbued with his internal energy.
"Black Wolf Unit, fall back and hold the center!"
At the order, the Black Wolf Unit barked "At your command!" in unison and moved.
From his hidden position, Neung Un-bi held his breath. Everything was unfolding exactly according to Cheon Ryu-yeong's plan.
To block Kunlun under the leadership of Taecheong Hall Master Seok Hyeon-ja, the Black Path forces had split up. The Black Wolf Unit now ran past his position, faces taut with urgency.
The ninety warriors of the Black Tortoise Unit and one hundred of Kunlun felt sweat dampening their palms as they took deep, steadying breaths. At that moment, two thoughts filled all their minds.
First—meeting Cheon Ryu-yeong today was one of the rarest strokes of luck in their lives. Without him, they would have been picked off piecemeal and left as wandering spirits.
Second—the vow to avenge the comrades who had died at the Sichuan Branch the day before, and to repay the Emei Sect's blood debt.
All around them, screams and shouts filled the air. Neung Un-bi spoke in a low voice.
"Remember—at my signal, we move to support the Dokgo Clan immediately."
The hundred from Kunlun had eyes that blazed like cold steel. The unit fighting the Dokgo Clan right now was the Cheonrang Unit. The red and black twisted headscarves on their foreheads marked them clearly.
The Cheonrang Unit!
The very ones who had burned their sect hall and slain their sect leader. Even without their master, the Heavenly Demon Sword, striking down some of the Cheonrang Unit would be glory enough.
At last, the tail of the Black Wolf Unit passed by, and Neung Un-bi gave the order.
"Now! Attack!"
"Waaaaaaaah!"
Another roar like thunder burst from the forest, leaving countless Black Path warriors staring in dazed disbelief.
The third shockwave Cheon Ryu-yeong had predicted smashed through what little stability their minds still had, dragging primal fear and the instinct to survive to the surface. At this point, even if something else leapt out at them, they would have no strength left to be surprised.
The Black Wolf Unit, charging to hold the center, gaped when they saw Orthodox warriors emerging from a forest not far from where they had just passed. They tensed, but realized those warriors were rushing past them—straight toward Elder Heuk Gwido's Cheonrang Unit.
"What… what the hell is going on?"
"How many of these bastards are here?"
Fear crept into voices that would never have shown it under normal circumstances—not from the Black Wolf Unit, elite outer forces of the Demonic Sect. And scattered among them were murmurs that fanned the confusion.
"We need to turn back. There's no time."
"What are you talking about? If we lose the center, it's over!"
"What if there's another ambush waiting?"
"We should retreat."
"We're the Black Wolf Unit! There's no such thing as retreat!"
The unit captains shouted over one another—some calling for a fallback, others insisting on holding the center, others wanting to aid the Cheonrang Unit, and still others suggesting splitting their forces to do both. Opinions flew thick and fast.
But their unit commander, Cho Ji-gwak, made no decision at all—his face pale, frozen in place.
The Black Wolf warriors' expressions twisted in despair. In that moment, many wished the unit's grand commander—Cho Ji-gwak's elder brother, Cho Ji-myeong—were here instead.
When Cho Ji-gwak stayed silent, the captains resumed arguing.
Retreat. Hold the center. Aid the Cheonrang Unit. Split forces. The flood of conflicting ideas threatened to drown them.
Finally, the Fourth Captain barked at him.
"Commander! Get a hold of yourself! If you stand there gaping, we'll all die for nothing!"
Cho Ji-gwak's eyes snapped wide, some color returning to his face.
"Right!"
All eyes turned to him with renewed hope. He pointed toward the mountain ahead.
"That is our only road to life!"
Except for a few, most of the Black Wolf warriors' faces contorted in dismay.
It was, in the end, an order to abandon the rest and flee.
The Fourth Captain shook his head and shouted.
"Are you telling us to leave our comrades and run?"
"Would you rather die like dogs here? Live and take revenge later."
Cho Ji-gwak had already started moving forward.
"The Black Wolf Unit does not retreat!"
"Better to crawl through filth in this life than die in glory in the next."
His pace quickened, and about twenty subordinates followed Cho Ji-gwak. When he saw that the majority weren't coming with him, he frowned.
"If you're not going to follow me, then forget it. Take that oh-so-great loyalty and camaraderie of yours and either hold the center or go help the Cheonrang Unit."
In fact, he preferred it that way—if they stayed to fight, the enemy wouldn't be able to chase him right away.
The Fourth Captain of the Black Wolf Unit cried out, face stricken.
"Commander! Please reconsider!"
"My order's been given. If you want to live to fight another day, follow me. If not, stay and fight."
With that, Cho Ji-gwak used his light footwork to flee quickly, the twenty men in tow.
Even amid the chaos, there are always those who see deserters. From the Cheonrang Unit and the Black Heaven Pavilion, voices rang out calling them cowards and ordering them back. But once the first few broke and ran, warriors from the Black Heaven Pavilion also began slipping away in droves.
Interestingly, the Cheonrang Unit didn't react at all.
From his position on the mountain, Cheon Ryu-yeong let out a soft sigh and smiled faintly.
"Fewer are running than I expected. They really are the elite of the elite. Still, even that many desertions is enough."
Dokgo Seol nodded. Seeing a comrade flee in battle was more devastating to morale than anything else.
"Everything's gone just as you planned. Congratulations."
Cheon Ryu-yeong shook his head.
"It's too soon for congratulations. The Black Path warriors facing the Dokgo Clan are holding their ground better than I expected in this situation. The casualties will be heavier than I'd hoped. Huuuuu…"
It was a sigh tinged with deep regret.
Jo Jeon-hu, arms folded, spoke.
"They're the Cheonrang Unit. You can tell by the headscarves."
His expression was grim. While most were shaken, the Cheonrang Unit stood firm. Just as a commander can be judged by his subordinates, so too can the quality of a commander be read from the men under him.
For the first time, Jo Jeon-hu was reevaluating the Heavenly Demon Sword. Even the Black Wolf Unit—though some fled—was now holding the center without further defections.
Dokgo Seol addressed Cheon Ryu-yeong in a flat voice.
"If we go down now and hit them with a fourth shockwave, we could reduce the casualties."
She wanted to move immediately. Standing idle while their comrades fought felt shameful.
But Cheon Ryu-yeong shook his head firmly.
"Those who remain are the ones who value honor more than life. If our sixty go down, yes, we might reduce our allies' casualties slightly—but not by much."
"But just standing here watching…"
He met her gaze.
"You are the reserve in case enemy reinforcements arrive. I'll say it again—save your strength for that."
"If the reinforcements don't come, then we've missed a chance to save a few allies. And those few could be someone's father or child—people worth protecting."
He gave a wry smile.
"Still upset over what I said earlier?"
"No… it's not that. You were right. I was shocked at the time, but it was a good lesson."
Cheon Ryu-yeong looked at her in surprise. She was a woman who had everything—family, beauty, wealth, martial skill—and yet, she was humble. Somehow it felt unfair.
"Well, thank you for taking it that way."
"Just don't misunderstand me. If we can save even a few—"
He cut her off.
"You're right. It might not be a few—it could be ten, thirty, even fifty or more. Seeing how the enemy is still responding without wavering, they'll likely take more losses."
"Then why?"
Her tone held puzzlement.
"If we go down first, and then enemy reinforcements arrive, everything changes. There's a big difference between enemies fighting to die with honor and enemies fighting with even the slimmest hope that reinforcements might save them."
Jo Jeon-hu, with his many battle experiences, agreed.
"He's right. If one relief force arrives, the enemy can imagine more might come. Even the smallest hope of survival can draw out strength they didn't know they had."
Cheon Ryu-yeong smiled warmly.
"Exactly. If we stay put, yes—dozens of allies may die. But if we go down now and reinforcements come later, it won't be dozens we lose—it'll be hundreds."
Turning back to the battlefield, he continued.
"Even without fighting directly, everyone in this space shares the same fate. To achieve the best outcome, you endure. If there's even a slight risk, you guard against it. Victory comes from resisting those tempting urges."
Dokgo Seol shrugged and smiled, showing perfect teeth.
"Thank you for the wise answer."
Caught off guard by the praise, Cheon Ryu-yeong rubbed the back of his neck.
"Ah… well… sorry if I sounded like I was showing off."
"You don't have to be modest. If someone else had said it, I'd have cursed them and walked away… but you've earned the right."
"…"
"My hands itch to help, but I'll endure. We're the important reserve, after all."
At that, the Fourth and Fifth squads of the Black Tortoise Unit smiled softly. They'd been feeling guilty about standing by, but the conversation eased that burden.
Everyone thought the same thing: this man has fought in large-scale battles before. You don't gain such insight from small-scale escort conflicts.
Seeing that they still wanted to fight, Cheon Ryu-yeong spoke.
"It could be… you'll end up fighting the hardest battle of all. Among you…"
He didn't finish. Saying that the reserve might take the highest proportion of casualties was too cruel.
He only wished the battle would end before enemy reinforcements came, so they could withdraw safely.
After studying the situation, he was certain the fight was entering its final phase.
"All right, I don't think there's any reason for us to remain here as the reserve. Let's move."
Everyone looked at him—where to?
"We'll move along the ridgeline. That way."
He pointed toward where two low hills stood side by side, giving way to open ground—about seventy jang behind the embattled Dokgo Clan.
Jo Jeon-hu chuckled low.
"Heh. So we're positioning for the enemy reinforcements."
"Yes. If they take that spot, even with few men, we'll have a serious problem. If they come, you'll have to hold that key point until our allies get out."
Everyone nodded, faces tightening slightly as they began to move.