I first stopped and looked around.
"Since when?"
For now, it's certain that I'm caught in a formation.
But I don't know when and from where it was a formation.
I don't know if my senior brothers are also trapped in the formation with , or if that place was safe and I was the only one who got caught after moving around for a while.
"Hmm... what should I do?"
I thought for a little while longer.
"What do you an, what should I do? I'll just do what I was originally going to do."
Having quickly made up my mind, I drew my sword and began to raise my internal energy and load it into the sword.
"It reminds of when I went to save Senior Brother Hyeon Cheong with my master."
At that ti too, I had cut down all the trees in sight to break the formation.
Of course, at that ti, there were three of us, and I had the conviction that I just had to cut down the trees from here to there.
But now, I don't have that conviction.
As I thought before, I haven't even properly grasped where the formation starts and where it ends.
However, there are also a few things that have changed greatly from then.
First, my skills. My skills have greatly improved compared to then, and the amount of my internal energy has also increased trendously, so I will surely be able to cut down the trees several tis faster than then.
And second, I have been studying formations with books whenever I had ti, and I have also developed my senses that much.
So, it's not that I'm just recklessly cutting down trees, but I can roughly guess the approximate outline and then cut the trees.
"When I went this way before, I ca back out on the opposite side, so it's certain that the axis is caught here."
And I lightly swung my sword and cut down the tree closest to .
Wasak-wasak! Kwang!
The tree fell to the ground with a loud noise, and I imdiately swung my sword again at the tree right next to it.
A tree fell, I swung my sword at the tree next to it, and another tree fell...
While cutting down even quite thick trees without much difficulty, I moved forward little by little.
My purpose is to make a path with the felled trees.
Because I thought that if I followed that path, a rule would sohow erge.
And my prediction was sowhat correct.
Because after cutting down trees and moving forward for a long ti, I had returned to the place where I had first cut a tree.
I stopped my sword for a mont, took a rest, and looked back at the sword I had cut and thought.
'For now, I've set the boundary like this... let's cut down all the trees inside the path I've made.'
I, after taking a breath, raised my sword again and began to swing it at the trees with all my might.
It was a very cheerful and simple logging that even a decent lumberjack could never follow.
I, not even knowing the ti was passing, fell into a state of selflessness and swung my sword.
***
Around the ti Unhwi was busy cutting down trees.
Un Cheol, sitting by the fire he had made, said to Un-jeong, who was sitting next to him.
"Un-jeong."
"Yes, Senior Brother."
"Don't you think Unhwi is a little late?"
"Hmm... I think so."
"Usually, the ti he takes to hunt doesn't exceed one 2 hours."
"Could it be because there aren't enough animals to eat in this mountain?"
"It's not that there's no possibility at all... but for so reason, I feel anxious."
At Un Cheol's serious voice, Un-sik, who had been ditating with his legs crossed next to him, opened his eyes and said, "Senior Brother. Don't worry too much. It's not soone else, it's Unhwi, isn't it? To be honest, I don't know about other people, but isn't it hard to even imagine Unhwi being defeated?"
"Well... to be honest, that's true. Unhwi seems like he would solve everything and co back as if nothing had happened, even if he were caught in all sorts of formations and traps."
The three of them, while worrying about Unhwi, swallowed their worries as they rembered what kind of person Unhwi was.
They were just waiting for him with faith.
Basrak—
At that ti, the sound of soone walking this way is heard.
Un-mi reflexively turned his head towards that direction and shouted.
"Unhwi-ya! Why are you so late?"
"......"
But there was no response from there.
At that ti, the four senior brothers made eye contact with each other.
Because they intuitively realized that the sound from a little while ago was not Unhwi, nor was it the sound of an animal.
Seu-euk—
The four of them naturally brought their hands to their swords.
Basrak!
And the mont another footstep is heard.
Chae-chae-chaeng!
They all drew their swords, took a defensive stance, and gathered in one place with their backs to each other.
They are not the sa people who were defeated when Unhwi was not there.
They have now beco masters who would not be beaten up anywhere in the martial world.
Jeo-beok! Jeo-beok!
The sound of footsteps gets closer and closer, and soon, soone appears through the bushes.
He was a middle-aged man wearing a gray martial arts uniform and even a hero's headband on his forehead, and as soon as he ca out of the bushes, he suddenly.
"Ugh!"
Seeing Un Cheol's group, he just scread.
"Wh-Who are you?"
"That's what we want to ask. Who are you?"
Un Cheol asked that and examined the middle-aged man's appearance.
He has a scabbard tied to the back of his waist.
A martial artist who ties a scabbard in that way usually uses a reverse-grip sword.
And the reverse-grip sword is used more by people who have learned evil faction martial arts or assassin martial arts than by those who have learned orthodox martial arts.
So it ans that there is a high possibility that he is a master of the evil faction.
'Unhwi ca here after seeing a treasure map. Unless that treasure map is two, this person did not co to find the tomb of the teor King, but it is highly likely that he happened to be wandering the mountain and ran into us. But why is a master of this level walking on a mountain path?'
Although various suspicions and judgnts ca to Un Cheol at the sa ti, for now, he swallowed his curiosity and said to him, "We are Taoists of the Wudang Sect. We were on our way and are camping here for a while. Since we have revealed our identities, you should also reveal your identity."
"Wudang Sect? What brings a Taoist of the Wudang Sect here?"
"Since I answered first, if you want to hear the next answer, I would appreciate it if you would also answer one of my questions."
"You're so stiff. If it's your wish, I'll tell you. I am a person nad Yu-hoe."
"Yu-hoe...?"
"Unfortunately, I don't have an affiliation that you Taoists would know. Because my family has been ruined. So you can just know as Yu-hoe who lives in the mountains."
Un Cheol felt a sense of unease from his attitude.
First, his attitude is strangely relaxed. Even though he t four strangers in the mountains, he is not flustered or afraid at all.
Co to think of it, when he first encountered them, the voice he scread with was not really surprised, but strangely playful.
'He either already knew of our existence and ca... or he is a master who finds us laughable. And perhaps... both.'
He, feeling that instinctively and looking at Yu-hoe, at that ti, he opened his mouth.
"Everyone, what are you doing here?"
"Can't you see? We were just trying to rest here."
"I see. Then are you just passing through here? Or did you co with a purpose?"
"Well, of course... to pass through."
"Haha! I see. Then instead of camping hard here, would you like to go to my house? I don't know how many years it's been since I've seen an outsider, so please stay at my house for a day. We have a warm room, of course, and also food to treat you to a delicious al."
He, as if he wanted to say that he was a harmless person, said with a bright smile, but Un Cheol, without thinking for long, shook his head and said, "Thank you for your words, but I will decline. I will just stay here quietly and pass through."
"Huhu... the words I just gave you were not a suggestion."
"......?"
"Co with right now. If you don't follow my words... I have no choice but to take you away rather violently."
He said with a grin.
It seems he is finally showing his true colors.
Un Cheol and his junior brothers naturally changed their formation.
During the long ti they spent in the Wudang Sect, they also trained hard in coordinated attacks.
Because they thought that there would be many cases where they would have to face a stronger master than them outside the Wudang Sect.
Un Cheol is at the very front, Un-sik and Un-mi are on the left and right respectively. Finally, Un-jeong is at the rear.
Although it was not a formal sword formation, it was a secret plan that they, who had gained so enlightennt about martial arts, had devised to face a strong enemy when Unhwi was not there.
"Hoo... are you expressing that you won't follow with your body like that?"
"......"
"You look like you won't move a single step from this spot. Are you perhaps waiting for soone?"
"......!"
"Huhu... you're a Taoist of the Wudang Sect, so you're really bad at lying. There's one more?"
Un Cheol, this ti, found his composure and did not answer.
He just raised his sword-wielding arm tightly. Then Yu-hoe shook his head and said, "Alright. Let's see who wins."
Seu-reung—
He stealthily drew his sword. As Un Cheol had expected, he took a stance of holding the sword in a reverse grip.
As he walked a few steps forward, at so point, suddenly.
Sya-syak!
Yu-hoe, lowering his waist and his center of gravity, rushed at Un Cheol.
Kka-ang!!
The sound of weapons clashing echoed, and Un Cheol, with one exchange of blows, realized that he was by no ans below him.
No, he even has a feeling that he might be a much higher master.
He barely endured being pushed back slightly, but Yu-hoe still seed to have room in his hands.
"Now I'm going for real!"
As if to prove it, Yu-hoe, with a grinning face, jumped at Un Cheol again.
—Let's endure! We have to endure until Unhwi cos!
At that mont, Un Cheol sent a telepathic ssage to his junior brothers and exchanged blows with Yu-hoe.
As if they had practiced, when Un Cheol was struggling, he would slightly step back, and Un-mi and Un-sik would fill that spot, and when they endured one or two blows, next, Un-jeong, who had been conserving his energy until now, would co forward again and pressure Yu-hoe.
And so, when Un-jeong also bought ti, Un Cheol, who had recovered in the anti, would exchange blows with Yu-hoe again.
Although they had always only trained and this was their first ti experiencing a real battle, they moved organically as if they were one body and faced Yu-hoe.
At first, Yu-hoe's face, which had been full of smiles as if he were looking down on Un Cheol's group, could be seen gradually hardening.
"Chi-it..."
They exchanged about five hundred blows like that.
If they were ordinary martial artists, they would have been exhausted after swinging their swords this much, but for them, who had trained with Unhwi, emphasizing stamina first and stamina second, about three hundred blows were nothing.
At this point, it was rather Yu-hoe who was flustered.
"What, they're not even getting tired?"
He, as if he were talking to himself, at so point.
Pa-ak!
He kicked the ground and moved away from them, with whom he had been exchanging blows excitedly.
Un Cheol and his junior brothers stared at him with calm, sunken eyes.
Now, they were not just ordinary martial artists who could do nothing without Unhwi.
For a mont like this, they had always trained until they were on the verge of collapsing, and sotis, they had trained to the point of wanting to give up.
But, even if they fell, they got up again, and they have not given up until now.
"At this rate... I can do this all day."
Un Cheol's eyes were full of will.
(End of Chapter)
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