Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 1103

“Th-this can’t be!”

Yongseon Jin-in was flustered as he watched the cavalry descend the slope.

Of course, the enemy cavalry had to come down the slope. However, he never expected the Murim Alliance forces to be so helpless.

The Third and Fourth Divisions, personally led by Moyong Gun, were units that had grown through numerous real battles. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that those two thousand troops were a force capable of fighting against even the Hwasan Sect [one of the major martial arts sects].

Yet, they were retreating without even putting up a proper fight.

“Sect Leader!”

Peeeeeek!

The elders, also flustered, called out to Yongseon Jin-in. At that moment, Moyong Gun’s signal flew from afar.

Yongseon Jin-in shouted,

“All troops advance! Let us show these ruthless bastards the power of the Shaanxi Murim [the martial arts world of Shaanxi]!”

“Waaaaaah!!”

Fortunately, the morale of the two thousand allied troops had not died down. Some were even mocking the Murim Alliance forces’ hasty retreat.

Whatever the case, the important thing was that they were full of fighting spirit.

Pa-ba-ba-bak!

The two thousand allied troops rushed forward.

They maintained a steady pace, keeping a good distance between them. The fact that they didn’t rush ahead of the vanguard, even in their excitement, showed that their discipline was well-established.

‘They’re moving too!’

Even in a situation where the senses of even the greatest masters would be shaken by the shouts, Yongseon Jin-in knew that the Left Army, led by Jongnam, was also moving.

Yongseon Jin-in’s face was filled with fighting spirit.

He was greatly worried when he saw the Murim Alliance forces retreating, but he never intended to defend Shaanxi with only the Alliance’s forces, even though they were a righteous Murim coalition.

The crisis in Shaanxi must be resolved by Shaanxi. Even if the Murim Alliance forces had not come, they would not have retreated.

‘We must win!’

Yongseon Jin-in, who had newly ascended to the position of Sect Leader after the disgraceful death of his senior brother, Yonghwa Jin-in, was a man with both the martial prowess and spirit to be the leader of Hwasan, despite being seen as a political figure.

Just as the two thousand troops of the Right Army, led by Yongseon Jin-in, had closed the distance to about three hundred yards from the retreating Murim Alliance forces.

Flash!

The Murim Alliance forces, who had retreated to an open field, suddenly turned around.

Then, the leaders of each division and brigade shouted in resounding voices.

“Combined formation attack! Push them from the left and right!”

Ku-ru-ru-rung!

The Murim Alliance forces, who had seemed to be scattering and fleeing haphazardly, quickly regrouped and split into left and right flanks.

The speed of their formation change was a sight rarely seen anywhere. Yongseon Jin-in was impressed by the Murim Alliance forces’ movements.

‘So fast! They are truly amazing!’

As a commander of troops, not a martial artist, Yongseon Jin-in couldn’t help but be amazed.

At the same time, he became tense.

Even after seeing it again, the Murim Alliance forces’ movements and momentum were truly impressive. The enemy’s ability to push those forces back in an instant must be far greater than he had vaguely imagined.

Yongseon Jin-in shouted.

Pa-ba-ba-ba-bak!

The Plum Blossom Swordsmen of Hwasan, who were following behind him, rushed forward with explosive footwork.

Several dozen Plum Blossom Swordsmen deployed the Eight Plum Blossom Sword Formation, the symbol of Hwasan. It was a top-tier sword formation that both pressured the enemy and provided thorough defense.

Du-du-du-du-du! Sreuk.

The cavalry was charging at a terrifying speed.

Surprisingly, the Murim Alliance forces did not even look back, but instead, they finely divided their formation to expose the Hwasan’s sword formation.

It was a combat ability honed through tremendous real battles. Yongseon Jin-in reaffirmed his determination to win as he watched the Murim Alliance forces’ flexible formation.

Thus, the vanguard of the Silver Tiger Horse Soldiers clashed with the Murim Alliance forces.

Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwang! Peo-peong!

With terrifying roars, dozens of warriors flew into the sky.

Blood burst like fireworks. Shattered bodies and fragments of weapons decorated the night sky like stars.

The majority of them were soldiers of the Murim Alliance. It was too gruesome and too many died to call it a noble sacrifice.

“Kill! Kill them!”

“Aim for their legs!”

“The horses’ legs are tough! Kill the riders first!”

Various shouts filled the air. The sounds of hooves, curses, shouts, and clashing weapons made those in the middle of the battlefield feel their ears go numb.

They raised their voices even louder to open their deafened ears. The center of the battlefield was filled with unimaginable noise, leading the messengers of the underworld.

Peo-beo-beok! Pu-hwa-ak!

The Silver Tiger Horse Soldiers’ charging power and spearmanship were tremendous.

They displayed truly overwhelming destructive power. In particular, each horse was practically a demon, and even with reckless sword strikes, they were not easily cut down, let alone killed.

Pa-ba-ba-ba-bak!

The elders of Hwasan, led by Yongseon Jin-in, flew into the sky and charged at the cavalry.

Flash! Flash!

They had made a misjudgment in the initial tactics, but their will to protect Shaanxi was second to none.

The sight of them wielding their plum blossom swords at the forefront was like watching gods descend upon the battlefield. They skillfully moved through the air, displaying Hwasan’s pride, the Hidden Fragrance Fluttering, and unleashing all sorts of Hwasan sword techniques to ravage the cavalry.

That wasn’t all.

Waaaaaah!!

The Left Army, with twice the strength of the Right Army, attacked the front and flanks of the Silver Tiger Horse Soldiers in a gentle diagonal line.

Yongseon Jin-in, who was madly cutting off the necks and arms of the cavalry, was momentarily startled.

‘A Diagonal Formation!!’

It was a formation that swept through the enemy by moving the ends of a straight line formation with a time difference. The Left Army was charging in a way that enveloped the enemy, starting from the left wing, then the center, and finally the right wing.

The Silver Tiger Horse Soldiers’ terrifying destructive power could break through any formation in an instant, but their destructive power was largely due to their simplicity, in addition to the characteristics of cavalry.

In other words, in order for the Silver Tiger Horse Soldiers to crush the enemy in an instant, they had to charge in a straight line. Since it was difficult to use various formations with cavalry even with considerable training, the massed cavalry focused on pushing the enemy with overwhelming weight and speed.

However, against such a cavalry, the Left Army was using a diagonal formation to collide with the enemy in a way that enveloped them, inducing internal chaos.

‘Amazing!’

Even in the urgent situation, Yongseon Jin-in couldn’t help but be impressed.

It was easy to say a diagonal formation, but to properly create a formation that moved diagonally required not only countless practices but also people with excellent military skills.

Moreover, since they charged from the end, the area of contact with the first enemy was small. The fear of the soldiers who charged first and faced the enemy was bound to be more extreme than in a straight charge.

Yet, the fact that they had successfully deployed the diagonal formation was proof that the Left Army’s morale was superior to the Right Army’s, and it also meant that the hierarchical relationship was thorough.

Pu-hwa-ak! Jjeo-jeong!

The moment he cut off the neck of one cavalryman, he was almost hit by an arrow that flew from the left.

Yongseon Jin-in quickly deflected the arrow, pulled down the dead cavalryman, and mounted the empty horse.

Hi-hi-hi-hing!

The horse was acting up.

It was keenly aware of someone who was not its master. It seemed to be recognizing not just the difference in weight, but also the true energy and aura emitted by the rider.

Yongseon Jin-in shouted angrily.

“You beast!”

Whik!

He somehow managed to turn the horse’s head, but the horse would not obey Yongseon Jin-in’s commands.

Peo-beo-beok!

One of the arrows that flew from afar pierced the horse’s right eye.

The horse, letting out a cry, raised its front legs and changed direction.

At that moment, Yongseon Jin-in faced the oncoming enemies.

Numerous long spears were aimed at Yongseon Jin-in.

Yongseon Jin-in kicked off the saddle in an instant.

Ka-ga-ga-gang! Peo-beok!

Most of the spears did not hit the horse. However, the impact caused the horse to fall, and it was trampled into mincemeat by the other horses that followed.

‘How gruesome!’

Yongseon Jin-in, who had soared high into the air, felt overwhelmed by the murderous intent of the cavalry.

These guys seemed to have no emotion about the deaths of their comrades. They only charged, and charged again. They tried to kill the enemies within their range with spears, swords, and arrows, but they ran forward without even looking back, even if a corner of their formation collapsed.

It seemed like they were trying to break through the enemy’s forces and escape no matter what.

‘That won’t do!’

He couldn’t feel even a shred of fear from these guys.

Only a thick murderous intent and a quiet burning excitement were conveyed. If the cavalry broke through the allied forces, even a well-formed formation would be split into pieces.

If that happened, the formation itself would become disadvantageous. If they started pushing from the left and right after splitting the formation, the sacrifices of the allied forces would increase exponentially.

“Don’t let them break through! All the swordsmen of Hwasan, use the Eight Plum Blossom Sword Formation to withstand the enemy’s onslaught!”

It was a harsh order to only defend against a cavalry that was charging so aggressively.

But there was no other choice. If they attacked head-on and broke through one part, countless holes would appear afterward.

Of course, the opposite was also possible. If the left and right armies of Shaanxi, centered around the Murim Alliance forces, broke through the cavalry’s formation, they could push from the left and right in the same way.

The problem was that the cavalry was not easily cut by the swords of even skilled masters, and they were not easily pushed back due to their tremendous weight.

Decisively, if the left and right armies were breached, the capital and cities of Shaanxi would have to face the cavalry. It would be one thing if they charged after finishing the battle here, but the moment they ignored the battlefield and ran towards the cities, the Shaanxi Murim would have lost this battle.

‘Damn it! We misjudged!’

It was meaningless to think about anything other than the battle while the battle was going on.

Still, Yongseon Jin-in had no choice.

‘The young Alliance Leader was right.’

The geographical advantage and the power of the Shaanxi Murim itself.

He thought that would be enough to stop the enemy. Although the number of cavalry was said to be ten thousand, he thought that if they faced the enemy’s cavalry in the open field, the enemy would become disorganized.

He was wrong.

The enemy’s cavalry had bodies as strong as steel that were not easily cut even by the swords of masters who had trained in internal energy. To cut a horse in one stroke, one had to be at least a master of the peak realm.

Moreover, their weight was much heavier than the horses of the Central Plains, and they did not feel fear, no matter what tricks they used. Their red eyes were filled with demonic energy, and it was no exaggeration to say that they were modified demons.

And what was that speed? It was as if they could compete in footwork with a master of the peak realm.

‘We should have prepared thoroughly! We should have prepared thoroughly with poison traps or any other tricks, and then faced them!’

Because they did not know the enemy well, they should have used any means necessary.

Yongseon Jin-in looked back at the elders.

The elders’ faces were also flushed with murderous intent and excitement, but their eyes held an undeniable sense of helplessness. They also had not imagined that the battle would unfold in this way.

Kwa-kwang! Peo-eo-eong!

Explosions and explosions, death and death.

Yongseon Jin-in’s gaze turned towards the rear of the allied forces.

‘This can’t be!’

Some cavalrymen were running past the center of the Right Army and into the rear.

They would be caught. But if the enemy’s forces had already passed the center of the Right Army, it meant that the Right Army could soon be breached.

Yongseon Jin-in shouted angrily.

“Compress the formation! Withstand them with force! You must not let them break through!”

Would they really not break through if they did that? Yongseon Jin-in was not confident.

‘Even if I have to give my life, I will not let them pass!’

It was then.

Flash!