'First, the Black Wolf Troop Leader grips his nine-cheok-long halberd almost at the very end. If you close in on him, it will be inconvenient for him to wield such a long weapon. Of course, he swings it with considerable speed, so getting in close won't be easy. But if you pretend to block, then evade, and immediately close in after the halberd passes, catching him off guard, it wouldn't be a bad tactic. Once he experiences that even once, the Black Wolf Troop Leader will become more cautious in his attacks, which will reduce his striking power.'
These were the words Cheon Ryu-yeong had conveyed through the Kunlun disciple. Neung Un-bi mulled over them.
'Also, the Black Wolf Troop Leader's strikes are extremely powerful, but simple. He either cuts broadly across (heng) or chops straight down (jong). And… it seems to be a habit—when he swings sideways, his chin tilts upward first; when he chops downward, his chin drops. If you know the direction in advance, it should help you block.'
That was the second of the three messages. And the last one:
'His attacks are so overwhelmingly forceful that you end up focusing solely on blocking them. But think of it the other way around. If you calmly watch the Black Wolf Troop Leader's movements, you'll see that his lower body is often exposed. It may be a weakness caused by using such a long weapon, but it doesn't seem to be just that. Below the knees, he is almost completely unguarded. If you were to abandon all concern for appearances and roll in to strike, it could put him in quite an awkward situation. Of course, this should be a last resort. If you fail, you could lose your life.'
As Neung Un-bi listened to the Kunlun disciple and observed the Black Wolf Troop Leader closely, a shiver ran down his spine.
The first piece of advice—he might have thought of that himself. After all, anyone wielding a polearm would want to avoid close quarters.
But the second and third? If it hadn't been for Cheon Ryu-yeong, they never would have crossed his mind.
On a battlefield where life and death were decided in an instant, he had only briefly glimpsed the Black Wolf Troop Leader in combat. Everyone else had been overawed, yet also ignited with fighting spirit.
But Cheon Ryu-yeong—who didn't even know martial arts—had in that moment discerned the habits and vulnerabilities of a peak master.
How such a thing was possible, Neung Un-bi could not fathom. And now was no time to ponder it.
Cheon Ryu-yeong had given vital advice, and after observing the Black Wolf Troop Leader himself, Neung Un-bi knew it was true.
As he ran past Dokgo Seol and Jo Jeon-hu, Neung Un-bi silently thanked the heavens.
Truth be told, he had been shocked to see the Yaksha Sword, Jo Jeon-hu, so easily overpowered by the Black Wolf Troop Leader. A man whose skill matched his own being beaten so one-sidedly had been hard to believe.
For a moment, he had thought today might be the day of his own funeral.
He was afraid, yes—but his fighting spirit had also surged. At that moment, Cheon Ryu-yeong's message had been like sweet dew to a parched throat.
"Here stands Neung Un-bi, Unit Leader of the Black Tortoise Unit!"
As he shouted boldly and charged, Cho Ji-myeong sneered at him, lifting the Azure Dragon Halberd high into the sky.
At that instant, Neung Un-bi caught the slight upward tilt of his chin.
Side strike!
Using the Thousand-Catty Drop technique, he abruptly halted his rapid advance.
Vwoooosh—
The Azure Dragon Halberd swept past right in front of his chest.
Without hesitation, Neung Un-bi darted inside. Cho Ji-myeong's eyes narrowed in irritation.
"You sly fox!"
It was a curse aimed at Neung Un-bi, who had seemed about to clash head-on, only to suddenly stop. But Neung Un-bi answered with a faint smile, thrusting his sword forward with force.
Shaaack—
His sword shot toward the Black Wolf Troop Leader's face like an arrow loosed from the string. But the Azure Dragon Halberd spun back around with astonishing speed, smashing into Neung Un-bi's blade.
Clang!
The sword struck the middle of the halberd's shaft.
Taken aback by Neung Un-bi closing in so unexpectedly, Cho Ji-myeong had swung with all his might. Fortunately for him, he wasn't too late—Neung Un-bi let out a low groan as he was driven backward.
Yet deep in Neung Un-bi's eyes, a fierce light shone.
The Black Wolf Troop Leader's follow-up was faster than expected. He had never truly believed the man would be so easily toppled. But from this exchange, Neung Un-bi gained confidence.
If he had aimed for the legs instead of the face, he might have injured him. But considering the man's impressive reflexes, Neung Un-bi sensed it could also be dangerous.
Indeed, rolling in to strike below the knees would be a desperate gamble. Even without Cheon Ryu-yeong's advice, he knew that if it failed, he would likely be unable to dodge the halberd's descending blade.
Cutting the legs might mean losing his life.
Above all, for now it was more important to draw the enemy further into the formation.
Vwooom—swish!
Once the risky moment had passed, the Black Wolf Troop Leader swung his halberd with greater caution. The weapon's arcs grew smaller, and its power diminished accordingly.
Moreover, Neung Un-bi could anticipate the direction, making it easier to block the halberd again and again.
Though still driven back, he showed no sign of losing heart. Instead, a flicker of impatience appeared on Cho Ji-myeong's face—he realized the Black Tortoise Unit Leader was holding him evenly.
To be tied up by a mere unit leader before the Invincible Sword had even entered the field was nothing short of humiliating before his men.
That impatience was what narrowed his vision. Without the Black Wolf Troop realizing it, the wings of the crane formation were spreading wider and wider.
Meanwhile, behind Neung Un-bi, Jo Jeon-hu watched with a mixture of concern and disbelief.
"Was the Unit Leader… always this strong?"
There was relief in his tone, but also jealousy. Dokgo Seol shook her head.
"It's not that—he's reading the Black Wolf Troop Leader's movements."
"Reading them? How? And even if you predict them, that's not a strength you can simply block."
"When he first closed in, he almost landed a critical blow. That's why the Black Wolf Troop Leader can't swing as broadly as before, so his power has dropped. Look—he's even gripping the halberd a full cheok closer to the head."
Jo Jeon-hu bit his lip.
"Damn it. He was trying to take my head off earlier, and now he's going easy on the Unit Leader? That's just playing favorites."
Dokgo Seol smiled wryly at his grumbling. She too was astonished at the even fight Neung Un-bi was putting up—but more chilling was her certainty that this was possible only because of Cheon Ryu-yeong's role.
The Unit Leader is definitely reading the Black Wolf Troop Leader's attacks—but how? And how did Cheon Ryu-yeong figure that out?
Questions burst in her mind like fireworks. But it was time for the 5th Squad to advance again.
"Gather your strength! We move out!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
The replies of the 5th Squad and the Kunlun disciples rang with vigor, thanks to the Unit Leader's performance.
"Let's go!"
Dokgo Seol shouted, charging forward, with Jo Jeon-hu and Seok Hyeon-ja taking their positions beside her.
"Waaaaah!"
The war cry!
In response, the 2nd and 3rd Squads of the Black Tortoise Unit fell back, faces drawn with exhaustion.
Claaang!
Blades clashed with ferocity.
Dokgo Seol once again faced Squad Leader Pareuk. But this time, Jo Jeon-hu stood beside her—possible only because Unit Leader Neung Un-bi continued to occupy the Black Wolf Troop Leader.
Pareuk smirked at the sight of Dokgo Seol returning to face him, then grew serious as he sensed the formidable aura from Jo Jeon-hu at her side.
"Kuhuhu. You've brought a decent one along. But that won't be enough to take me down."
Dokgo Seol answered calmly,
"This time will be different."
Having once stepped back from death's door, she now gripped her sword with greater caution. Without realizing it, she had grown.
The Yaksha Sword rested his blade on his shoulder, smiling.
"As long as it's not the Black Wolf Troop Leader, you're nothing. Hahaha."
A taut tension stretched between them, until Pareuk took the initiative—he couldn't just stand idle while the others pressed forward.
"Haaah!"
With a fierce shout, he charged at Dokgo Seol, aiming to take out the weaker opponent first before dealing with the stronger one.
But Dokgo Seol knew exactly what her role was now.
She slipped sideways, moving in behind Jo Jeon-hu.
Pareuk narrowed his eyes and barked,
"Hmph! What's the matter, lost your nerve?"
Jo Jeon-hu grinned and answered for her.
"Before that—try my sword first!"
Shaaack!
Clang!
Pareuk's eyes narrowed upward—this one had even more monstrous strength than he'd expected. At that instant, Dokgo Seol, who had been keeping behind cover, suddenly appeared and slashed with her sword.
The flawless coordination between Dokgo Seol and Jo Jeon-hu finally drew a curse from Pareuk's lips.
"Damn it!"
From the rear, where he had been silently watching the battle, Cheon Ryu-yeong finally opened his mouth.
"Complete the crane-wing formation!"
At his ringing command, the wings of the crane, which had been moving quietly, spread wide. Led by Dokgo Mu-yeong, the Dokgo clan let out a roar and charged fearlessly—now without hesitation—toward the rear of the Black Wolf Troop.
"Waaaaaaah!"
With shouts, their two wings extended long, and from there Dokgo Mu-yeong pointed his sword toward the enemy rear and cried,
"Strike!"
At their clan head's order, the elders and mid-level officers shouted in succession:
"Attack!"
"Subdue the demonic cultists!"
The orthodox warriors charged. Running on a diagonal toward the Black Wolf Troop's rear, the two wings soon joined, completing the encirclement.
The Black Wolf Troop had been trying to break through in a wedge formation.
The wedge's greatest weakness during an attack was the rear—because the vanguard was filled with masters. If the vanguard was halted and the tail caught, what then?
The rear of the wedge would have no way to avoid massive casualties.
Noise and confusion erupted among the Black Wolf Troop's rear guard.
"B-block them!"
"Arghhh!"
The Dokgo clan's top masters slammed into the enemy's rear.
Meanwhile, the two hundred and forty Kunlun disciples advanced, one hundred and twenty on each side, forming impenetrable walls to the left and right, moving forward step by steady step.
One step. Then another.
It was an encroaching pressure that tightened like a noose. The side walls now targeted the flanks of the Black Wolf Troop, who were still locked in fierce combat.
"Go!"
"Waaaaah!"
With shouts, the Kunlun warriors on the walls advanced—but still not running. They moved one step at a time, maintaining their tight formation.
It was as Cheon Ryu-yeong had instructed: if they tried to sever the enemy's midsection too hastily and failed, they might instead open a hole in the encirclement.
The Black Wolf Troop Leader, Cho Ji-myeong, suddenly came to his senses and stepped back three paces.
"The crane-wing formation…?"
He had heard Cheon Ryu-yeong's shout. His head whipped left, right, and back.
The orthodox forces' formation was shifting—those who had been pressed back to the sides were now charging behind the Black Wolf Troop with shouts. The side walls tightened, forming a solid defensive posture, and began pressing in.
Too late—he could now see the whole picture in his mind.
Grit.
Blood vessels bulged in his eyes.
His rear guard was in danger. But if he turned back, the vanguard would collapse, causing even greater losses.
Ask those unfamiliar with war when the most men die in battle, and they'll name the initial clash or the bloody middle stages.
But in reality, the deadliest moment is when one side cannot withstand the enemy's strength and begins to retreat.
There are many causes, but the two biggest are:
The collapse of morale. And the collapse of formation.
Cho Ji-myeong knew that if, in the midst of falling morale, he turned back to save his men, the formation would break and they would destroy themselves.
As a commander, he had only one wise choice left—continue piercing through according to the original plan.
His gaze turned like a sharpened blade toward Neung Un-bi.
Kill him.
He had to break through, even at the cost of taking wounds in return. Otherwise, the Black Wolf Troop's rear would collapse at speed.
He shouted toward the vanguard, who were faltering,
"Break through! Ignore minor wounds or losses—just push through!"
"Yes, sir!"
The masters at the head—the 1st and 2nd Squad Leaders among them—answered with force, grim-faced, fully aware of how dire the situation was.
At that moment, from behind Neung Un-bi, a middle-aged man emerged, leading a hundred Kunlun disciples. These were warriors who had been hidden among the injured until now.
The Black Tortoise Unit, panting heavily, withdrew. Among them, Neung Un-bi shook his head, drenched in sweat. Even knowing his opponent's weaknesses, even being prepared for them, he had found no way to break into the Black Wolf Troop Leader's defenses.
The man at the head of the hundred spoke calmly.
"I am the Invincible Sword, Han Chu-gwang. A disciple of the Kunlun Sect you've trampled underfoot."
"…!"
"Black Wolf Troop Leader, I have well witnessed your remarkable martial prowess."
At Han Chu-gwang's bold words, Cho Ji-myeong let out a low groan.
He had… fallen into the mire.
Over Han Chu-gwang's shoulder, he saw a young man mounted on horseback.
That one.
The unidentified strategist the Heavenly Wolf Troop Leader had warned him about.
In that instant, Cho Ji-myeong made a decision. No matter what happened, that youth must die. He had to die!
A sharp instinct told him that if that man lived, his sect's domination of the world would be severely hindered.
Han Chu-gwang, sensing his gaze, drew his sword with a steely expression.
Shiiing—
"You will not get the chance to approach Master Cheon. Ah, and one more thing!"
The eyes of two peerless masters met in the air. Han Chu-gwang continued,
"You probably don't realize it, but you have one bad habit. When you lift your chin, it's a side strike; when you drop it, it's a downward cut."
Cho Ji-myeong's pupils shook. Only now did he realize it was true—that the Black Tortoise Unit Leader had seemed oddly quick to read and guard against the direction of his attacks.
"Is that so? But why tell me?"
"Because I want to take your head fairly."
Han Chu-gwang smiled coldly.
A fight that had barely begun skipped past its middle stage and raced straight toward its conclusion.