[Chapter 93]
In the shadow of the Black Emperor's might, stood the archer Mokbi, hailed as the second in command for her monstrous skill with the bow.
There she was, yet not the Mokbi that Yeon Hojeong knew.
Her face, stoic like Baek Gungcheon's, betrayed a raw emotion—despair.
With a thunderous roar, an iron arrow cleaved the air, carving a trench in the earth and splitting a boulder in twain. The aftermath was unbelievable for a single arrow.
"Baek Sokyeong!"
Baek Gungcheon's form blurred into countless afterimages, closing in from all directions—ground, trees, branches, rocks—pressing the enemy with supreme agility, even amidst rage. His martial arts did not falter in anger, the archer's coolness shone through the fiery aura.
"Hmph!"
A middle-aged woman sneered, pulling her bowstring taut.
Flames erupted before Baek Gungcheon, a wall of fire three zhang wide.
Yeon Hojeong's eyes wavered.
"Fireworks?!"
Arrows tipped with fireworks created a massive ring of flames between him and the enemy.
To a master like Baek Gungcheon, the wall was harmless. Yet, it served its purpose, disorienting and blinding momentarily.
Baek Gungcheon instinctively retreated as an iron arrow, unfazed by the fireworks, grazed his shoulder.
It was a rapid shot, less powerful but enough to tear flesh. Had it been imbued with the power of a dragon, his arm would've been severed.
"Such cheap tricks!"
"I thought you were dead after waiting so long. Still alive, are we?"
Baek Gungcheon's face flushed with anger.
He had intended to snipe Baek Sokyeong with the box Gopyeong gave him. It seemed Baek Sokyeong knew this too.
Charge at an enemy who knows your strategy? S*****e. Even with a skill gap, the enemy was a master archer, a sniper of the highest caliber.
"You've tainted the Yi Shen He Zhan with petty tricks, unheard of in the history of Guan Yigou!"
"Laughable! You, who despise Guan Yigou more than anyone!"
"Why not poison instead!"
"Ha! I must pin an arrow in the greatest archer's head to prove my worth!"
"I will kill you!"
The air tore with the flight of dozens of arrows, turning the area into a death zone.
A battle of escalating intensity, no room for interference.
But Yeon Hojeong was indifferent to their fight.
Suddenly, a woman, Baek Hyang, startled, rose, and drew her bow with incredible speed, matching Baek Gungcheon.
Confusion crossed Baek Hyang's face.
"Who's there?!"
Yeon Hojeong almost called out Mokbi's name.
'Still the same.'
Mokbi, despite being over fifty, looked in her early thirties, a testament to her profound energy and youthful appearance.
'Still the same stance.'
Yeon Hojeong, returned to the past, felt as if summoned back to his days under the dark reign of the Black Emperor. Mokbi's unchanged face and stance transformed him back into the Black Emperor.
Yet, he could now detach from that identity, all because of Mokbi's eyes.
'She's scared.'
Fear filled her gaze, her honest emotions transmitted unfiltered.
Baek Hyang, silently watching Yeon Hojeong, shouted.
"Whoever you are, run! You could die!"
Her voice was laden with emotion.
'You could shout?'
Yeon Hojeong shook his head.
"Lower your bow."
"Didn't you hear? Run!"
"I get it, lower your bow. I'm not the enemy."
"Ah…"
Realizing she was aiming her bow, Baek Hyang lowered it.
Yeon Hojeong's gaze deepened. Now that they had met, he was at a loss for words.
But one thing was certain.
"You shouldn't be here. Get away."
"What did you say?"
"Get away."
Determination flickered across Baek Hyang's fear-stricken face.
"I'll escort you to the foot of the mountain. Move!"
That's when it happened.
A round hole pierced the tree above Baek Hyang's head.
A perilous moment. She ducked.
An iron arrow, not from Baek Gungcheon but Baek Sokyeong, embedded itself before Yeon Hojeong's feet. The arrow meant for the enemy had aimed to kill Baek Hyang.
A life-and-death struggle, a competition where killing was the only way to survive.
Baek Hyang dashed towards Yeon Hojeong.
'As expected.'
She was incomparable to her time as one of the Black Emperor's Five Generals.
But still fast. Her basics, honed to perfection, not just in archery but also in movement, ready to be called the best in the world.
"I'm sorry!"
In a flash!
Baek Hyang appeared behind Yeon Hojeong.
She had run forward but appeared from behind—a remarkable technique.
Baek Hyang's hand reached for Yeon Hojeong's neck, intending to knock him out and carry him away.
Then, Yeon Hojeong's hand moved like a writhing snake, the same technique that had neutralized Namgung Sanghwa in his first fight after returning.
"Ah!"
Surprise filled Baek Hyang's eyes. She was caught in a pressure point.
Yeon Hojeong inhaled sharply and spun with incredible speed, slicing Baek Hyang through the air.
With a crash!
Baek Hyang hit the ground hard.
Despite the loud crash, Baek Hyang remained unscathed, shielded perfectly by her Wall-Crushing Force.
Confused, Baek Hyang looked up at Yeon Hojeong, unable to comprehend the sudden turn of events.
Yeon Hojeong's hand moved swiftly.
"Ah!"
Baek Hyang's body stiffened, three pressure points precisely struck.
Yeon Hojeong observed his trembling fingers.
'Impressive inner strength.'
The force was formidable, almost breaking his fingers with its recoil. Excluding Myeongcheon, it surpassed any inner strength from dispatched masters of prestigious families.
Without his adapted Black Tortoise Technique, he wouldn't have been able to strike accurately.
Yeon Hojeong hoisted Baek Hyang onto his shoulder.
"What are you doing?!"
"A soldier who won't fight has no place on the battlefield."
Baek Hyang's eyes wavered.
True to Yeon Hojeong's words, she couldn't bring herself to aim at Baek Gungcheon and Baek Sokyeong.
The reason was simple yet clear: they were her family, friends, and mentors.
And it wasn't just them; all the archers in the competition felt the same.
"Put me down! Release my pressure points!"
"You'll die if I do."
With a thunderous leap, Yeon Hojeong soared, leaving a sizable crater where he stood.
"What's that?"
Baek Sokyeong approached at a terrifying speed, with Baek Gungcheon in pursuit. His bloodied form and staggering movements seemed perilously unstable.
Yet, even with such rapid movement, his archery stance was unwavering, a testament to his arduous training.
"Release her!" Baek Sokyeong bellowed.
Yeon Hojeong's eyes blazed with fury.
An explosion shattered the tree behind him.
Baek Sokyeong's eyes widened in shock.
'What?!'
She thought she had him, but the man carrying Baek Hyang had vanished.
'Where?'
Suddenly, a heavy darkness enveloped her.
A black mist seeped into her limbs, binding her movements as the air grew thick and sluggish.
'Is this?'
It was killing intent, pouring down like a torrential rain from above.
Baek Sokyeong looked up, her face stricken with horror.
Her leg, raised with fluid grace, now descended like an axe. It wasn't just a leg—it felt like an actual axe, heavy with killing intent and inner power.
If she didn't move, her face would be smashed. Baek Sokyeong quickly retreated.
Yeon Hojeong's foot hit the ground.
Debris from the shattered tree and leaves rose into the air, covering a radius of nearly five zhang.
Baek Sokyeong's face turned pale.
'Such a monster!'
He was an incredible master, seemingly on par with Baek Gungcheon, the strongest of the archers.
But there was more.
As she retreated and drew her bow, Yeon Hojeong was already upon her.
His speed was unbelievable, closing a distance of three zhang in the blink of an eye. Even Baek Hyang, the deepest practitioner of the Dragon Flight Technique among the archers, couldn't match this speed.
Baek Sokyeong released her bowstring.
Simultaneously, Yeon Hojeong's hand moved like lightning.
The arrow didn't leave the bowstring, vibrating violently as it was caught mid-flight by Yeon Hojeong.
Not only that, but after catching the arrow, Yeon Hojeong folded his arm and pushed against Baek Sokyeong's collarbone.
A loud crash echoed.
"Ugh!"
A great tree hollowed out. Baek Sokyeong staggered to her feet.
Then, a voice filled with malice thundered out.
"Don't kill her! Cough! She's mine!"
With unknown strength, Baek Gungcheon, who had pushed Yeon Hojeong aside, kicked Baek Sokyeong in the abdomen.
"Ugh!"
Baek Sokyeong coughed up blood and collapsed against the tree once more.
Baek Gungcheon's left arm pinned Baek Sokyeong's shoulder, and his right knee pressed into her abdomen.
"Ugh…"
She was rendered combat-incapable in an instant.
The moment Yeon Hojeong caught the arrow, the bowstring snapped, and his hand bones shattered. A simple swing of the forearm broke the collarbone.
Most critically, Baek Gungcheon's ruthless leg technique had wreaked havoc on her organs. It was a wound that could have been fatal on the spot.
Baek Sokyeong, with an arrow aimed right at her face by Baek Gungcheon, who was panting and grinding his teeth, sneered.
"Damn you. I'll kill you!"
"Cough! Ha!"
Baek Sokyeong smiled wickedly, blood foaming at her mouth.
"If it weren't for that bastard, I would have won."
"Shut up! You were never going to…"
"Really? I might have overthought it, but I don't think I would have lost to an idiot who can't even recognize his own blood."
"…What?"
Baek Sokyeong burst into laughter.
"How would you know if that girl is your daughter or not?"
Baek Gungcheon's eyes reddened with rage.
Tears welled up in his bloodshot eyes.
"Aaaah!"
With a crushing blow, Baek Sokyeong's head shattered into pieces.