The Demonic Supreme Sword Novel - Chapter 97

Chapter 97
## Chapter 97: Crafting the Grand Design (3)

“The Poyang Lake!”

Man Chu bellowed, gesturing toward the immense body of water that rippled away into the distance like an ocean.

“People claim it’s the most magnificent in the world, and by the heavens, the scale of it is truly absurd.”

Cheol Woo clicked his tongue, his eyes fixed on the horizon that seemed never-ending.

“Is it actually broader than Dongting Lake? I caught a glimpse of that one back when we were fleeing the pursuit of the Heavenly Demon Cult, and it seemed just as massive.”

Noe Jeon, having actually laid eyes on Dongting Lake, questioned the comparison with a look of genuine uncertainty regarding the dimensions.

“How would I know? Everyone says Poyang Lake is the world’s largest, so I just repeat what I hear. What’s your take?”

Cheol Woo shifted his gaze toward Man Chu.

“I’ve got no clue. Like you mentioned, brother, that’s just the common word on the street.”

“In that case, Dongting Lake might actually be the bigger of the two.”

Having been the only one to witness the other lake, Noe Jeon felt a flicker of pointless competitive pride.

“Maybe it is.”

“My money is on Dongting Lake being wider.”

“I couldn’t care less,” Cheol Woo shot back with a face of pure apathy. “Anyway, where is this Hongik Stronghold located?”

Sima Geon finally spoke up, interjecting his question.

“I’ve been told it sits on the northern bank of Poyang Lake. We should be able to secure some assistance as we make our way there.”

“Let us move quickly.”

“Understood.”

Sima Geon’s party reached the shores of Poyang Lake, but they had to ride for an additional half-day before the silhouette of the Hongik Stronghold finally appeared before them.

The fortress was built on a piece of land that thrust out into the water like the protruding neck and head of a tortoise, which had earned the location the nickname Turtle Head.

The Hongik Stronghold occupied the center of Turtle Head, protected by a single, treacherous route winding along jagged precipices. A network of spiral stairs had been hewn directly into the rock face, linking the heights to a bustling pier at the water’s edge.

“That narrow pass is the solitary entrance to the Hongik Stronghold.”

Wang Chuk, a member of the Beggars’ Sect who was assisting the group at Man Chu’s request, pointed toward the dangerous path ahead. He had traveled to Jingde Town with Man Chu two years prior after linking up in Hangzhou, and even then, he was considered one of the sect’s rising stars alongside Man Chu.

“What’s the word on those scum?”

Wang Chuk offered a strained grin at Man Chu’s inquiry.

“I arrived only moments ago myself. If I’d received word sooner, I might have made better arrangements, but the timeline was simply too narrow.”

“Are none of our fellow brothers in the area?”

“Not a soul. Those criminals have been rampaging so much that everyone is keeping their distance.”

Having endured his share of trouble from them, Wang Chuk jerked his chin toward the fortress, his eyes burning with a simmering resentment.

“You’re going to watch them get what’s coming to them today.”

Man Chu gave a knowing smirk, looking at Cheol Woo with an expression of total confidence.

“Isn’t that right?”

Cheol Woo let out a dry chuckle and gave a firm nod.

“Heh heh heh! You can consider them all as good as buried. Boss, are we launching the assault immediately?”

“Yes.”

Sima Geon observed the bandits darting back and forth in significant numbers before turning away with a short, decisive answer.

“You aren’t going to change your mind?”

“I am not.”

Man Chu nodded with resolve, his features tight with the nervous energy of someone anticipating their first true taste of war.

“If the chaos becomes too intense, I may not be able to shield you. It could turn lethal.”

“I’ll be alright. I never intended to just hide behind your back like a child.”

Man Chu spoke with bold determination. However, Sima Geon had already made a quiet request to Noe Jeon to keep a protective eye on him.

“Brother Wang, stay back here. This won’t take very long.”

“What? No, I really should help—”

“No. You’ve done more than your share by getting us here. The rest of this is our burden to carry.”

Sima Geon politely but firmly waved off Wang Chuk’s offer of help.

“I understand. I’ll wait here, then.”

Seeing Man Chu nod in agreement, Wang Chuk didn’t push the matter any further.

“My thanks.”

Sima Geon offered a brief nod of gratitude and began walking forward with purpose.

“Who goes there?”

He hadn’t even covered a few paces before a voice dripping with suspicion roared out.

Three men dressed in tattered rags, each wielding a uniquely curved blade, stepped out to block the path.

“Are you lot with the Hongik scum?”

Cheol Woo asked the question. They were still roughly a hundred yards from the main fortress, and though the enemy presence seemed dense, he didn’t want to rush in blindly just yet.

The answer to Cheol Woo’s question came not in words, but in the piercing wail of a signal horn.

Screeeeech!

At the sound of the alarm, Noe Jeon blurred into motion, his blade flashing as he severed the arm of the man blowing the horn.

“What’s wrong with these idiots? Waking the whole neighborhood the second they see us.”

Annoyed, Cheol Woo spun on his heel and threw a heavy punch toward the retreating scouts. With sharp yelps, they collapsed to the dirt, their bodies twitching briefly before falling silent.

However, in the interval, warning horns began to echo from every corner of the terrain.

“That’s strange. It feels as if they were expecting us.”

Cheol Woo tilted his head, noting the calculated way the scouts were repositioning.

“It changes nothing.”

Sima Geon wore a frozen smile as he watched the scouts blowing their horns frantically while falling back toward the fortress.

—

“They’ve arrived.”

Yu Wol burst into the inner chamber, his expression rigid with tension.

“So soon? Didn’t you predict they wouldn’t show until tomorrow morning at the earliest?”

Yu Han, who was just shaking off the grogginess of a nap, couldn’t hide his sudden panic.

“We have to move. Right now!”

Yu Wol’s voice was sharp with urgency.

“Ah, I see.”

Finally realizing the gravity of the situation, Yu Han scrambled to pull on his robes.

“Are the preparations complete?”

“The majority of the wealth has been moved to the vessel, but the inventory in the southern storehouse is still sitting there.”

“So we’re just leaving it behind?”

Noticing the glint of avarice in Yu Han’s eyes, Yu Wol let out a heavy sigh.

“Simply getting away will be difficult enough. If we try to drag that hoard with us, we’ll be caught for sure.”

“Fine, fine. Let’s get moving.”

Under Yu Wol’s stern direction, Yu Han finally let go of his greed.

As they stepped out of the room, Yu Wol’s most loyal subordinates were already waiting.

“Jin Wu Gi.”

“Present, Deputy Leader.”

“Guard the Chief and take him to the Black Dragon Ship.”

“As you command.”

At a signal from Jin Wu Gi, the guards formed a defensive circle around Yu Han.

“Aren’t you coming with us?”

Yu Han looked at Yu Wol.

“I need to assess the perimeter first. Someone has to delay them so you can make your escape.”

“There’s no need for you to take that risk. Aren’t there still some fools in the yard talking about a fight? Let those idiots buy the time.”

“They aren’t the kind of men who can hold a line even if they wanted to.”

“Then what about you? Do you really think you have the strength to stop them?”

“No. I’m only looking to buy a few moments…”

“If it’s just a few moments, the others can handle it. Come with me.”

When Yu Wol hesitated, Yu Han gripped his arm, his voice suddenly thick with emotion.

“This isn’t an instruction from your leader. This is a father making a plea.”

In contrast to his usual rough exterior, Yu Han’s genuine fear for Yu Wol’s safety reached the younger man, erasing the emotional distance he had felt as an adopted son.

“I understand, Chief. I will stay by your side.”

Yu Wol nodded with newfound resolve and stepped out toward the docks.

*‘You cannot perish in this place. You have far too much to accomplish for your younger brother.’*

Thinking of his youngest son, who was currently honing his skills at the Yangtze Water Alliance headquarters, a crafty grin played across Yu Han’s lips.

—

“Open fire!”

By the time Sima Geon’s group reached the threshold of the Hongik Stronghold, the bandits had already organized their ranks and unleashed a storm of arrows.

Dozens of shafts whistled through the air, yet they failed to slow the group’s stride. The moment the bows were loosed, Noe Jeon sprinted to the front, batting the projectiles away with contemptuous ease.

As Noe Jeon pressed forward with a look of disdain, a much larger wave of arrows rained down from above.

Surprised by the sudden increase in volume, Noe Jeon sneered at the lack of power behind the shots and began swinging his blade in a defensive blur.

“Strike now! Release!”

At the low command, a second set of arrows tore through the sky, moving at three or four times the velocity of the previous volley, hidden within the mass of slower projectiles.

They were few in number, but they were nearly impossible to distinguish within the swarm.

“Be careful.”

Cheol Woo shouted a warning.

His ego bruised, Noe Jeon’s expression darkened as he increased the speed of his strikes. Not a single arrow aimed at the party managed to pierce through his defensive perimeter.

“Hah!”

With a thunderous cry, Noe Jeon vaulted forward.

Each flash of his steel as he closed the distance resulted in agonized screams from the bandits.

Not one of the twenty-odd defenders could withstand his assault, and they were all cut down in the blink of an eye.

“Is this a repeating crossbow? Since when did common thieves start using military gear like this?”

Cheol Woo kicked a discarded repeating crossbow with his boot, looking perplexed.

“Well, look at this. A genuine heavy crossbow.”

Cheol Woo retrieved a larger weapon from a fallen man and tossed it toward Sima Geon.

“Clever. They used the rapid-fire shots to distract and blind us, while hiding the heavy hitters to deliver the killing blow.”

Sima Geon tested the tension of the string a few times. The draw weight was formidable.

“In a confined space like this, it would be incredibly difficult to evade.”

Cheol Woo ground another repeating crossbow into the dirt under his heel and cracked his knuckles, watching Noe Jeon search for fresh targets.

“Regardless, the gatekeepers are finished. It’s time for the real players to show their faces.”

As if answering his challenge, a mass of bandits flooded out from the end of the narrow cliffside path—easily more than a hundred of them.

“What kind of bandit troupe keeps a small army like this?”

While Cheol Woo looked them over as if they were mere insects, Noe Jeon took action.

“I’m heading in.”

With that curt remark, Noe Jeon dove headfirst into the enemy ranks by himself.

“Look at that brat. Boss, didn’t you tell Noe Jeon to protect the kid?”

Cheol Woo gestured toward Man Chu, who was staring in awe at Noe Jeon’s display of martial prowess.

“I did. But given the circumstances, you’ll have to be the one to cover him instead.”

“Me? You’ve got to be joking.”

Cheol Woo shook his head in feigned annoyance, but Sima Geon had already begun to follow after Noe Jeon without saying another word.

“Die, you bastard!”

An outer hall commander named Jo Gon, a man whose physical bulk was a match for Cheol Woo’s, swung a massive nangabong that was as thick as a small tree trunk.

“Idiot.”

Noe Jeon evaded the blow with a graceful tilt of his body and smirked. Jo Gon lashed out again in a blind rage, but before his weapon could land, a thin red line bloomed across his throat.

“Wha…? Uh…”

Jo Gon couldn’t process what had occurred.

His heavy club, capable of crushing a man’s skull to powder, froze in mid-air. His limbs turned to stone, and a veil of darkness rushed in to meet him.

Noe Jeon rested a boot on Jo Gon’s massive, lifeless chest and glared at the surrounding bandits who were paralyzed with fear.

“Who is next?”

But silence was the only response. No one dared to move.

“You cowards…”

Noe Jeon’s mockery was cut short. Every bandit within his field of vision suddenly crumpled like stalks of wheat during a harvest, their heads tumbling away from their shoulders in a chaotic mess.

“Ha.”

A hollow, breathy laugh escaped Noe Jeon’s lips.

There was only one person capable of decapitating more than a dozen men without him even noticing the movement.

Confirming that it was Sima Geon walking past him, Noe Jeon quietly returned his sword to its sheath.

Once Sima Geon decided to stop holding back, staying too close was simply a good way to get in the way.