Chapter 27

Under the high sun, a dry wilderness stretched out. Countless hooves and carriage wheels trampled the ground roughly, raising a pale cloud of dust. The carriage driver continuously lashed the whip, urging the horses on, while behind him, those trying to protect the carriage and those trying to seize it shouted and cursed, spurring their horses.

Jang Geon, who was following at the back and watching the chase, smiled slyly. A little ahead, Yang Hong shouted.

"Damn it! Shoot some arrows!"

Jang Geon thought Jian Zhongzhan might curse. Shooting from a galloping horse was not an easy task. One had to be trained in both horsemanship and archery from a young age, and why would such a specialist be wandering in this wilderness?

However, surprisingly, Jian Zhongzhan was such a specialist. He let go of the reins of his galloping horse and, with controlled movements, drew an arrow from his back. His upper body was as steady as if he were standing on the ground. The bowstring drew a perfect semicircle.

He nocked the arrow, drew the string, and released it.

The arrow, whistling through the air, pierced the back of a guard riding ahead. Yang Hong and the Gong brothers cheered.

"Great! Good job! Keep shooting!"

"That's it!"

The guard hit by the arrow struggled on his horse without even a scream. Everyone ahead, seeing this, turned to look at Jian Zhongzhan in shock. Jian Zhongzhan, meeting their gazes, calmly drew another arrow.

A guard checking on the wounded guard shouted at the carriage ahead.

"Damn it! Do something! We're all going to die if this keeps up! Ah-!"

Jian Zhongzhan's arrow whistled past the guard's face. The guard, terrified, urged his horse on. But the horse was already running at full speed and couldn't go any faster.

One arrow missed, but Jian Zhongzhan, showing no sign of regret, drew another. The guards and the other bandits were at a loss. The next ones to be targeted would be them, but if they tried to get closer to block him, his own gang would stop them, and then his arrows would aim for their lives.

"Damn it! Who the hell are these guys?"

"Shit! First, catch the carriage! If we get the carriage, we win!"

"What are you going to do with the carriage in this situation, you idiot!"

As the bandits panicked and another of Jian Zhongzhan's arrows was about to fly, a thud came from the carriage, and the roof opened to reveal someone. He was a large man with sharp eyes, looking like a brave general.

Yang Hong, seeing his face, shouted.

"Damn it! Xie Shangzheng!"

Gong Ping, riding beside him, asked.

"Who? Who the hell is it?"

"Xie Weiliang's son!"

Yang Hong, turning to Jian Zhongzhan, shouted again.

"Get that kid first! He's the most dangerous! He learned martial arts from the Lian family!"

Nodding, Jian Zhongzhan aimed his bow at the carriage. But Xie Shangzheng, seeing this, sneered and pulled something out from under the carriage.

"...A short spear?"

Yang Hong muttered as he saw the long, thin object in Xie Shangzheng's hand. Suddenly, a spear flew.

"Ugh!"

The spear, flying straight, aimed directly at Jian Zhongzhan. He barely managed to dodge, but the spear grazed the bow in his hand, breaking it in half. Jian Zhongzhan, ignoring the blood streaming from his arm, stared blankly at the broken bow.

"That kid is throwing another one!"

Xie Shangzheng pulled out another short spear and threw it. This time, it hit one of the bandits riding ahead. Unlike Jian Zhongzhan, he couldn't dodge and was impaled through the chest, falling off his horse.

One of the bandits shouted.

"Uncle Gu!"

It was a woman's voice. Jang Geon, hearing it, noticed for the first time that there were women among the bandits. The woman, trying to turn her horse to go back to the fallen man, was stopped by others and had to continue forward, but she kept looking back worriedly.

Jang Geon could sense that they were not just simple bandits.

Meanwhile, the guards' faces brightened. Xie Shangzheng, emerging from the carriage, had changed the tide. Even if he only had a few more short spears, it would be enough to drive these bandits away.

Xie Shangzheng, seeing the guards' brightened faces and the bandits' confusion, sneered again and pulled out another short spear, throwing it. Another bandit fell off his horse. The bandits' morale visibly sank.

"Damn it! Shouldn't we run? Our bow is broken, how are we going to stop that guy? Let's just get out of here!"

Gong Ping, seeing the bandit fall, shouted in a frightened voice to Yang Hong and his gang. Yang Hong, his face contorted under his mask, glared at Gong Ping.

"You cowardly pig! If you run, I'll kill you first! Everyone, focus! The carriage is slowing down! The horses are getting tired! We're almost there!"

It made sense that the carriage's horses, which had been running for a long time, were getting tired. But the problem was that they might be hit by spears before the carriage stopped.

Just as Gong Ping was about to speak, Xie Shangzheng, satisfied after throwing two bandits off, pulled out another short spear and pointed it at Jian Zhongzhan, as if passing a death sentence. It seemed he was determined to finish him off this time.

Jian Zhongzhan, receiving the finger and gaze, his face hardened, threw away the broken bow and drew his sword. However, his hand, trembling from the wound on his arm, indicated that his tendons were likely damaged.

Xie Shangzheng, finding his appearance amusing, smirked and raised the spear over his shoulder. The sharp tip of the spear, held high by the large man, glinted in the sunlight.

The moment the glint turned into a long streak of light, Jang Geon kicked the saddle and leaped.

Only three people saw the next move clearly: Xie Shangzheng, who threw the spear, Yang Hong, who had special training, and Jian Zhongzhan.

Jang Geon, leaping from the saddle, lightly kicked the tip of the flying spear. The internal energy in his foot redirected the force of the spear, spinning it half a circle. Jang Geon, twisting his body in mid-air, kicked the spear again, sending it back towards Xie Shangzheng.

The short spear, which was heading towards Jian Zhongzhan, returned to Xie Shangzheng.

"Ugh!"

Xie Shangzheng quickly twisted his body to dodge. The spear embedded itself in the carriage roof with a dull thud. Xie Shangzheng, looking at the spear in disbelief, turned to Jang Geon, who was already sitting on the saddle, as if nothing had happened.

The bandits and guards, who were still riding, didn't see the move clearly. But those nearby knew that Jang Geon had leaped and the spear had flown back and forth.

Xie Shangzheng, recognizing the level of martial arts, could only stare at Jang Geon. Meanwhile, Jang Geon lightly kicked Zhaosun's side.

Zhaosun, as if waiting for this, neighed loudly and began to gallop fiercely. The speed was so fast that it quickly overtook the bandits leading the charge. The bandits could only stare in amazement at Jang Geon and Zhaosun passing by.

However, for the guards ahead, this speed was a terrifying sight.

"Damn it! What is that guy? How can he be so fast!"

"He's coming! Draw your swords!"

The three guards, excluding the one hit by an arrow, drew their swords and knives. Seeing Jang Geon, who was now much closer, they gasped and swung their weapons frantically.

But Jang Geon and Zhaosun passed through them without any hindrance. At the same time, a short metallic sound rang out three times. The three guards, their strength suddenly drained, fell off their horses.

The bandits and Yang Hong's gang, following behind, looked on in disbelief. Gong Lang, his mouth agape, asked Yang Hong.

"Where did you find such a master?"

"…I don't know, damn it… Where did such a guy come from…"

Yang Hong's mutter was so low that Gong Lang didn't hear it. Only Jian Zhongzhan, looking at Jang Geon with a strange expression, heard it.

While they were stunned, Xie Shangzheng, who was in the carriage, quickly regained his composure. He picked up another short spear and aimed it at Jang Geon. But the next moment, he couldn't help but contort his face.

Jang Geon, having sheathed his sword after dealing with the guards, stood with his hands spread wide, not even holding the reins, as if daring Xie Shangzheng to throw the spear.

"You bastard! Where did you learn that!"

Xie Shangzheng, his sharp eyes narrowing, shouted and climbed onto the carriage. Unlike before, when he only leaned out, he was now preparing to put his full body strength into the throw.

The carriage continued to race, raising a cloud of dust, and Zhaosun, breathing heavily, followed closely behind. The speed made the rocks and ground around them blur and streak by.

Sweat formed on Xie Shangzheng's nose. Despite the approaching autumn, the sun in the wilderness was still scorching. The sweat, formed by the madly racing carriage, was immediately blown away by the wind.

Xie Shangzheng's eyes, glaring down at Jang Geon, were intensely bright. Whatever martial arts he had learned, the fact that his eyes glowed with qi light indicated a high level of mastery.

Jang Geon's eyes, in contrast, were calm and composed. However, the combination of his calmness and the vulnerable stance, with his hands spread wide and no reins, gave Xie Shangzheng a strange feeling, as if he were being drawn into a deep, bottomless lake. The mask, which only revealed his eyes, added to this effect.

The two men, riding on the carriage and horse, stared at each other. Despite the rapid movement around them, they were intensely focused on each other. The bandits and Yang Hong's gang, following behind, felt the tension and held their breath.

"Haah-!"

With a shout that didn't quite fit his appearance, Xie Shangzheng's spear, like a bolt of lightning, left a trail of light as it aimed at Jang Geon. It seemed it would pierce him through.

However, the moment Xie Shangzheng's lightning bolt met Jang Geon's moving hand, it twisted and spiraled around his body, stopping abruptly. Xie Shangzheng's eyes widened.

"…What, what is this?"

Jang Geon, unharmed, twirled the short spear around his body. A satisfied smile appeared on his face.

This was a result of the increased internal energy from the Lingdan, the inspiration from the strange techniques of the valley tribe, and his inherent boldness and flexibility.

He looked up at Xie Shangzheng, who was staring at him in a daze, and gave a slight smile before twirling the spear and throwing it. The spear, flying through the air, embedded itself in the wheel of the moving carriage.

A loud crash echoed as the wheel, entangled with the spear, shattered. The carriage, now lopsided, dragged along the ground and, catching on something, suddenly lifted into the air.

At the same time, Xie Shangzheng, standing on the roof, was thrown far away. The driver, the horses, and the carriage, all mixed up, tumbled and crashed in a heap, making a sound like a collapsing house.

"Whoa, whoa."

Jang Geon and Zhaosun, due to their momentum, passed the tumbling carriage and then slowly slowed down, turning their heads back.

Thanks to this, the bandits and Yang Hong, following behind, saw the scene: the wrecked carriage and Jang Geon, standing calmly in front of it, looking at them.