Chapter 1575: Not Just Any Fox (Part 5)

A chilly silence settled in.

Yoon Jong stared blankly at the fallen Black Dragon King.

The blue sky was reflected in the lifeless eyes of the Black Dragon King, unable to be closed even in death.

An inevitable end, death.

Yet, the end that felt premature of everyone had finally arrived for the Black Dragon King.

A strange discomfort pierced Yoon Jong's chest.

Those who worshipped the Black Dragon King Jaeksekwang, even those who pointed fingers and cursed, could not deny his stature as the giant leader of the Eighteen Yangtze River Fortresses.

Yet, he finally met his end here.

"Uh…."

Thump.

A sound of someone collapsing reached Yoon Jong's ears. Turning around, he saw Jo Gol sitting weakly in that spot.

"Get up!"

In response, Baek Cheon hastily lifted Jo Gol, who was sitting helplessly, and shook him by the shoulders. Then, with a rough touch, he helped Jo Gol stand.

"It's not over yet!"

Growling, Baek Cheon looked around with sharp eyes. The pirates led by the Black Dragon King's Eighteen Yangtze River Fortresses stared blankly at this place.

Individually, they may not seem threatening, but the experience had shown how formidable they could be when gathered.

No one knew how the pirates would behave in this situation.

Therefore, they had to somehow maintain resilience, even if it was just for show. It was better than showing their backs to excited beasts.

"Draw your swords!"

The tense atmosphere, which had momentarily eased at Baek Cheon's rough voice, tightened again.

The battered swordsmen and Hye Yeon, who became a wreck, exchanged wary glances, ready to defend each other at any cost.

However, the gazes of the pirates were not directed towards them from the beginning.

"Huh, the Black Dragon King…."

"…This can't be happening."

As they observed the cooling body of the Black Dragon King, the faces of the pirates gradually paled.

The Black Dragon King was indeed a vicious ruler.

At least for the forces of Eighteen Yangtze River Fortresses, he was literally a king and an emperor.

It could not be said that the Black Dragon King's reign was peaceful. However, no one would have expected him to end so futilely.

Even looking at the corpse before their eyes, it was an unbelievable death.

"What do we do?"

"Is he really dead?"

"Revenge…."

A rumbling sound spread like ripples on a lake. Confusion, anger, fear, and countless other emotions.

Since thousands had gathered, the emotions flowing through the place also divided into thousands of branches.

However, this chaos would not last long. Soon, all emotions would converge into one. It would become an irresistible whirlpool of human power.

The one who threw a stone towards the powder keg about to explode was none other than Baek Cheon.

Bang!

Baek Cheon kicked aside the body of the fallen Black Dragon King.

"Sasuk!"

"What… what are you doing!"

Showing disrespect towards the corpse of a lion was the ultimate taboo. This was not something any human, let alone a self-proclaimed Taoist, would do.

Thunk!

However, Baek Cheon did not intend to disrespect the Black Dragon King. His true intention was revealed when the fallen Black Dragon King's corpse was exposed vividly.

"Uh…."

"Hieeek…!"

The miserable state of the corpse was blatantly revealed to everyone.

After seeing that sight, no one could deny the death of the Black Dragon King. The eyes of the pirates began to tremble.

Baek Cheon casually picked up the scimitar lying on the ground and aimed it at the pirates.

His gaze was incredibly cold. Just looking at it sent shivers down the spine.

Having belatedly grasped Baek Cheon's intentions, the Five Swords quickly gathered momentum and infused strength into their movements.

"Euhhh....Ahhh!"

"Run!"

"The Black Dragon King is dead! The Black Dragon King!"

"Uh, we're all going to die too! We need to return to the Yangtze River, hurry!"

The collapse of balance happened in an instant.

Once the dam broke, completely stopping the rushing water was impossible.

However, the direction in which the water burst could be somewhat redirected.

Fortunately, the turbulent currents created by the Su Lo Chae poured in a direction different from Baek Cheon's group. Thanks to Baek Cheon instilling fear in them.

"Aaaah!"

The pirates, gathered like clouds, started fleeing without looking back.

The scene of them pushing and jostling each other resembled a flock of sheep fleeing a tiger.

Baek Cheon, who had been monitoring the situation without relaxing, finally let out a relieved sigh and gently lowered the scimitar he had been holding.

Thump.

As if it was a signal, Jo Gol slumped to the ground. This time, it wasn't just Jo Gol. Others who had been holding on desperately also collapsed in their places. The tension, which had been maintained to the limit like a taut string, loosened as if the string had snapped all at once.

"…I survived."

"I...I really thought we were going to die."

"That was terrifying."

"You bastards. Don't relax yet…."

Baek Cheon, who was about to say something, momentarily staggered. He could barely support himself by sticking the scimitar into the ground.

"Ung…."

Groaning, Baek Cheon, looking at the scattered pirates, raised his head with a tired expression.

"Now, I don't know either."

He didn't even have the bit of strength left to lift a finger. Each one of them looked like a mess, and it was impossible to tell who was in better or worse condition.

"Namgung Siju, are you okay?"

"…Do I look okay?"

"Seeing that you still have the strength to joke, you're probably not dead."

"Well… I might...be able to break your…."

Among them, Hye Yeon, who was relatively unharmed, took care of Namgung Dowi. He went forward with a calm and casual voice, but his touch was swift and accurate, tending to Namgung Dowi's wounds and infusing energy.

Observing the scene in silence, Yoon Jong discreetly shifted his gaze towards Jo Gol.

"Are you okay, Gol-ah?"

"Yes, Sahyung."

Jo Gol nodded slowly. However, even while doing so, he couldn't take his eyes off the sprawled body of the Black Dragon King. It seemed as if he was afraid that the Black Dragon King might suddenly rise and attack them even now.

"He's really dead, right?"

"Probably."

"That damn bastard…."

Well, no matter how tough one's life was, if their heart was pierced, there was no way to survive. Of course, even Yoon Jong, for a moment, felt as if the Black Dragon King could rise and start rampaging at any moment.

"I never thought it would be this hard...."

That wasn't something to say after toppling the world-famous Black Dragon King. Even if someone heard this and cursed, it would be considered a reasonable reaction.

However, the Five Swords' perspective was different.

The Black Dragon King may have resisted with all his strength, but the current Black Dragon King had lost one arm, hindering him from using his full capabilities.

Never did the Five Swords think that they would've had to gone through such hardships to defeat him.

"The battlefield is such a place."

However, Jo Gol shook his head as if he were tired, and Yoon Jong made an effort to maintain a composed posture. [not sure]

The direction of the battlefield was not necessarily determined by the power one possessed.

'We might have missed it if we weren't careful.'

They had faced even stronger opponents. 

The Black Dragon King was indeed formidable, but even if he had been in perfect health, he would not have been on par with the level of the bishop of Hangzhou.

However, the Black Dragon King had different strengths than the opponents that the Five Swords had faced so far.

The cunningness to not care about appearances, the audacity of running away without shame, and a relentless determination to achieve one's goals, even at a great cost.

'In Kangho, this is called skill.'

In that sense, the appearance shown by Jaeksekwang might be fitting for the appearance of a 'veteran' in Kangho.

What was frightening wasn't his strength, but the person himself.

At that moment, Jo Gol spoke up.

"But...."

"Hmm?"

He was looking at the lifeless body of the Black Dragon King with a puzzled expression.

"...Why did he come back?"

Yoon Jong couldn't answer.

He had seen it too. The Black Dragon King had eventually broken through the encirclement. If he had charged straight ahead, the Black Dragon King could have plunged into the sea of pirates and eventually escaped. On this side, worn out and injured, capturing the Black Dragon King again would have been difficult.

Of course, the injuries sustained by the Black Dragon King were severe, but if he had managed to escape, couldn't he have survived?

"But why..."

What was the reason for coming back? Jo Gol looked at Yoon Jong as if seeking an answer, but Yoon Jong had no specific response.

"Well... I don't know. Maybe he shed too much blood and lost his mind."

"...Is that so?"

"Yeah. And..."

Yoon Jong spoke calmly while looking at the fallen Black Dragon King.

"Even if that guy had escaped, he would have died here eventually. He would have chased him a hundred or a thousand times and ended his life."

"Sahyung?"

"Well, I don't know..."

Yoon Jong's gaze shifted elsewhere. At the end was a person leaning on the Black Dragon King's scimitar like a trophy. Yoon Jong's eyes took on various shades.

"...If it were that guy, he probably would've done it."

"..."

In response to Yoon Jong's words, Jo Gol looked at Baek Cheon, nodding as if confirming.

"That makes sense."

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

* * *

Seokgeok!

"Krr..."

A large hole appeared in the chest of the enemy, emitting foamy blood. The dying pirate's eyes, losing their light, reflected despair.

"Why... Why..."

Among the elites of the Eighteen Yangtze River Fortresses, the head of the powerful Red Dragon Fortress (赤蛟埰) 'Tower-Lifting Ax' (托塔血斧) Ban Wi Gong (潘偉塨), slowly fell downward. The sword carrying his entire weight bent slightly. Soon, the body, having lost its strength, flowed down the sword and collapsed limply.

"Krr..."

In the still-living eyes of the fallen pirate, there was a multitude of corpses. This entire forest was painted red with the bodies and blood of those who had rushed to save the Black Dragon King.

All of them had to give up their lives to a single person's sword.

"Why... did you... come here..."

Squelch!

The pirate's neck was pierced by the ruthless sword.

Ban Wi Gong convulsed, then stopped breathing.

"An Evil Sect bastard blabbering."

Devoid of emotion, Chung Myung observed the scene.

A dense forest surrounded him, and between the trees, a wide field could be glimpsed.

Chung Myung turned his gaze towards the distant place and muttered.

"A fox cub..."

As the Dark Fragrance Plum Blossom Sword cut through the air, blood droplets clinging to the blade scattered.

Chung Myung lightly slipped the sword into its scabbard, then scanned the area before redirecting his steps toward the field.

However, after walking a short distance, his steps came to a halt.

Standing there, as if contemplating something, Chung Myung hesitated for a moment before muttering again.

"...Just."

It was a voice mixed with a strange emotion.

"It's not just any fox."

A refreshing smile finally appeared on his lips.

"Now."

His lightened steps moved forward decisively.