Light Novel: Volume 23 Episode 19
Manhwa: N/A
Autumn passed, and winter quickly followed.
In the space of a few short months, countless people died on Poyang Lake.
After a period of mourning Noh Tae-tae’s death, the two sides fought with all their might.
At first, their battlefield was limited to the vicinity of Poyang Lake. But as time went on, the frontlines kept on expanding and expanding.
Like the eye of the storm, it absorbed everything around it and grew larger.
While some joined the war voluntarily, many sects were forced into the fray.
Neutrality was not allowed in this fight.
Because the Golden Heaven Society and the Silver Lotus Society did not allow it.
They forced a choice.
There was no other option.
Only two sides existed— the Golden Heaven Society and the Silver Lotus Society.
Many sects received visits from the messengers of the Golden Heaven Society and the Silver Lotus Society. Unable to withstand the pressure, the sects eventually chose one of the two sides.
Thus, the war in Jianghu grew, and the area around Poyang Lake, which was at its center, turned into ruins.
The area around Poyang Lake, once one of the most prosperous places in Jianghu, was now filled only with the aura of death.
Seasons changed quickly.
The winter, which had covered the whole world in white snow, was nearing its end. Although the snow had not melted yet, the temperature itself had turned warmer.
Everyone sensed that spring was just around the corner. But for the people of Jianghu, winter was yet to end. On the contrary, it was just beginning.
Yesterday, there was an incident where the elites of the Golden Heaven Society and the Silver Lotus Society clashed, resulting in many deaths.
Now, the two forces had become sworn enemies.
When the two factions first clashed, they had legitimate reasons and ideals to aim for.
Their goals were clear.
However, as the fight dragged on, such causes and ideals vanished, leaving only deep hatred for each other.
Now, they didn’t even know why they were fighting. They only knew that to survive, they had to kill the other side.
“It’s the Silver Lotus Society scums!”
“Kill them! Don’t let a single one escape.”
A fierce battle was unfolding deep in Yuhua Mountain.
Yuhua Mountain was a mountain located hundreds of li south of Poyang Lake.
Since one must pass through Yuhua Mountain to approach Poyang Lake from the south, it was geographically a very important location.
Whoever controlled the mountain would be able to receive troops more easily, while those who did not would have to take a detour to receive their forces.
The difference was significant.
For this reason, the Golden Heaven Society and the Silver Lotus Society sent their elites to seize control of Yuhua Mountain. And it was there that they met.
“Go left and attack them!”
“We need to block their retreat!”
“Those bastards!”
Commands and curses echoed throughout Yuhua Mountain.
The ones who clashed at Yuhua Mountain numbered over a hundred from both sides.
Though the number of combatants was small, each individual was an elite from both sides.
Because of this, the battle was even more fierce than if it had been on a larger scale.
Among them, two were engaged in the most ferocious battle.
“Jeon Muyang. I will definitely end your life today.”
“Bring it on, Geum Dae-myung.”
They exhibited martial prowess that was on a different level from other warriors.
Geum Dae-myung was a martial artist from the Silver Lotus Society, while Jeon Muyang led the martial artists of the Golden Heaven Society.
Both men were in their late twenties, showcasing the prime of their martial prowess.
They were fighting each other fiercely as if they were mortal enemies.
Clang, clang, clang!
Both had elevated their sword techniques to the level of signature moves.
They wielded their swords with terrifying momentum.
Their swords had clashed dozens of times already.
Because the fight drew on all of their internal strength, both were already exhausted.
It was a vicious fight.
Whoosh!
Every time the swords cut through the air, a terrifying sound of slicing echoed.
Their battle was so fierce and dangerous that others dared not intervene.
Not just the two of them, but the battles among their subordinates were also reaching a climax.
The blood from the bodies of the deceased stained the white snow red.
It looked as if red flowers had bloomed on the snow.
“Keuk!”
At that moment, Geum Dae-myung screamed and fell to his knees. A deep cut had appeared on his side.
He had been slashed by Jeon Muyang’s sword.
Geum Dae-myung looked at Jeon Muyang while holding his side.
Jeon Muyang was not unscathed either.
Though not as fatal, he had sustained a quite deep wound. However, he stood firmly on his two legs.
The outcome of the battle between the two was decided.
Jeon Muyang, pointing his sword at Geum Dae-myung, said,
“Geum Dae-myung. Yuhua Mountain will be ours.”
“Fine! Take it for all I care. The Silver Lotus Society will eventually take it back anyway.”
“Hmph! Let them come. Anyone who comes will be cut down by my sword.”
“You might have been lucky this time, but such an opportunity will not come again. Jeon Muyang!”
“Enough prattle. Losers don’t get to talk. Just stretch your neck.”
Jeon Muyang snorted and raised his sword high into the sky. All he had to do now was swing his sword down, and Geum Dae-myung’s life would be over.
Geum Dae-myung had given up on life.
He knew all too well that there was no use in resisting and fighting back with his current injuries.
He didn’t mind his own death, but he resented the fact that his beloved and innocent subordinates had to die as well.
Already, most of his followers were lying in the snow.
‘Is this how it ends?’
Just as he was about to close his eyes in despair—
“The smell of blood is thick here.”
Suddenly, a strange voice came from somewhere.
It was a deep bass voice that seemed to echo from a cave, and the battle that had been raging so intensely was momentarily silenced.
Not only the warriors of the Golden Heaven Society and the Silver Lotus Society but also Geum Dae-myung and Jeon Muyang turned to look where the voice was coming from.
From where their gazes were directed, a man in his mid-thirties with an imposing stature was walking towards them.
However, his appearance was odd.
Where his left arm should have been, only a sleeve was fluttering in the wind.
From the shoulder down, the arm was missing, making him a one-armed man.
Jeon Muyang frowned and shouted,
“Who are you? Don’t you know that this is not a place where anybody can just wander in?”
“Hm? Isn’t a road made for people to walk on? So, what kind of bullshit are you talking about?”
The middle-aged man asked with an expression of not understanding.
Jeon Muyang pointed his sword at the middle-aged man and shouted,
“This place is the territory of our Golden Heaven Society. No one can pass through without the permission of the Golden Heaven Society!”
“That’s the most original nonsense I’ve ever heard.”
“What?”
“Did the Golden Heaven Society buy Yuhua Mountain or something? On what basis are you claiming it as your territory?”
“How dare you insult the Golden Heaven Society!”
“You’re a fool, aren’t you? Who insulted whom? Is speaking the truth now an insult?”
The middle-aged man snorted.
In an instant, Jeon Muyang’s rage exploded.
“How dare a one-armed man speak so carelessly!”
“I may have one arm, but you, on the other hand, seem to lack a brain. Decide for yourself which one of us is more pitiful.”
“You—!”
In the end, Jeon Muyang’s anger exploded.
He left Geum Dae-myung behind and lunged towards the middle-aged man.
Swish!
His sword was swung towards the middle-aged man.
He intended to split the middle-aged man’s body in half in one go.
He thought he could kill the one-armed man with a single stroke of his sword.
Everyone expected the middle-aged man to die.
Even Geum Dae-myung, whose life was hanging by a thread, thought so.
‘An innocent person is about to lose his life just for getting caught up in our fight—’
Bang!
At that moment, an explosion sounded.
Surprised by the unexpected explosion, Geum Dae-myung looked towards the middle-aged man. Then, he saw an astonishing scene.
“Keugh!”
Jeon Muyang, who had charged in with such ferocious momentum, was sprawled on the ground, but his condition was strange.
His upper chest was completely crushed, as if he had been hit with a large mace.
“My God!”
“What kind of punch was that?”
This entire disaster occurred with just a single punch from the middle-aged man.
The middle-aged man had thrown a light punch. Yet, Jeon Muyang’s sword broke like a piece of straw, and his upper body was crushed like minced meat.
It was an unbelievable display of power.
Jeon Muyang’s subordinates gasped in shock.
Being distracted during a fight was akin to shortening one’s own life. However, the opponent was equally frozen in surprise.
The martial prowess displayed by the one-armed middle-aged man was beyond all reason.
One of Jeon Muyang’s followers yelled,
“To kill a martial artist of the Golden Heaven Society? You don’t expect to live after this, do you?”
“Ah, was this guy a martial artist of the Golden Heaven Society? He was so weak I thought he was just some rabble.”
The middle-aged man mumbled as he scratched his head with his only arm.
The sight of him only infuriated the martial artists of the Golden Heaven Society even more.
“Charge!”
“Kill him!”
They abandoned Geum Dae-myung’s subordinates and rushed towards the middle-aged man.
“Hoo!”
The one-armed middle-aged man let out a light sigh.
He hadn’t wanted this fight, but he didn’t want to avoid it either. Even if the opponent was the Golden Heaven Society.
The middle-aged man concentrated his energy into his only arm.
Mist swirled around his large and thick hand, as big as a pot lid.
“Cha!”
The middle-aged man swung his fist in the air.
Boom!
“Ugh!”
“My, my ears…”
Geum Dae-myung and his subordinates covered their ears with their hands in agony.
The tremendous explosion had pierced their eardrums and reached their brains. The sound shook their brains like tofu, and they were unable to regain their senses for a while.
The first to come to his senses was Geum Dae-myung.
Geum Dae-myung opened his eyes and looked towards where the middle-aged man was.
A large crater had formed around the spot where he stood. It was a large circular depression in the ground as if a meteorite had fallen. And around the crater, the martial artists of the Golden Heaven Society who had charged at him were strewn about.
Their limbs were bent in grotesque directions, reminiscent of wooden dolls with broken joints.
“Keugh!”
“Ugh!”
The few survivors gasped for breath.
The one-armed middle-aged man’s single strike had killed ten and injured twelve. The martial artists who were lucky enough to be out of the way were frozen, unable to do anything.
“What?”
“How in the world…”
They couldn’t even dream of attacking again.
The one-armed middle-aged man was not someone they could deal with. With such martial prowess, only the leaders of the Golden Heaven Society, or the Silver Lotus Society, could possibly stand a chance against him.
“Ugh!”
“Let’s, let’s run…!”
The martial artists of the Golden Heaven Society fled, carrying the bodies of their comrades.
The middle-aged man dusted off his hands and mumbled.
“Did I overdo it? It seems like I still can’t control it well.”
He hadn’t originally intended to use such excessive force.
He had only intended to give them a light scolding and chase them away, but he ended up exerting too much energy.
“I still have a long way to go.”
It was then.
Geum Dae-myung approached the middle-aged man, using his sword as a cane.
Arriving in front of the middle-aged man, Geum Dae-myung greeted him with a fist and palm salute.
“I am Geum Dae-myung from the Silver Lotus Society. Thank you for your help.”
“There’s no need for you to thank me, I wasn’t really trying to help you.”
“Still, how can I simply pass by after receiving such a favor? Please, if you would tell me your honorable name, I promise to repay this kindness.”
“Hoo!”
“I earnestly beg you, please tell me your honorable name.”
Moved by Geum Dae-myung’s earnest request, the middle-aged man reluctantly answered.
“My name is Hwangbo Chiseung.”
“Hwangbo Chiseung?”
“Yes!”
“Hwangbo Chiseung! If you have no place to stay, why not come to our Silver Lotus Society? We will surely treat you as a distinguished guest.”
“I’m sorry. I have someone I must find.”
“Who are you looking for?”
“I am searching for my lord.”
“Does that mean you already serve someone?”
“Yes! This, Hwangbo Chiseung, has already sworn loyalty to my lord. That’s why I cannot join the Silver Lotus Society.”
LUNACAVE
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