The Alliance Leader lowered his gaze again to the fan shape. He pointed to the tip of the fan, not the curved line.“Here, this is the entrance where we are standing now.”He moved the scabbard along the slanted line, tapping the end he had called the West Gate.“From now on, we will head straight toward the West Gate. The Blood Demon’s formation is a land made of dozens of connected fragments. If we touch the boundary of the formation, the gatekeepers will recognize us as intruders and come to seize us. At the same time, the ones at the West and East Gates will hear the sound and rush in to capture the intruders first.”The Alliance Leader shifted the tip of his scabbard from the West Gate toward the center.“If I run from the West Gate to the central gate, where Young Lady Tang is, at full speed, it will take about two quarters of an hour. That’s not particularly fast. The Blood Cult bastards bursting out from the East Gate will also take two quarters of an hour to reach the central gate. Once I enter the Blood Demon’s pavilion, the ones from the East Gate will keep running toward the West Gate. They won’t have the courage to cause a commotion inside the Blood Demon’s pavilion.”The Alliance Leader spoke lightly, almost teasingly, then his expression hardened.“It means it will take the ones bursting from the East Gate four quarters—half a shichen, one hour—to reach the West Gate.”“Anyone can do that kind of arithmetic.”Heukcheon Amgui shot him a look to keep it short, but the Alliance Leader ignored # Nоvеlight # it and repeated firmly,“It means that after half a shichen, you must retreat without fail. Once the East Gate bastards surround the formation in front of the West Gate, your retreat will be cut off.”Despite his warning, Heukcheon Amgui asked arrogantly,“Didn’t you say the East Gate elites are in the Central Plains? Even if they block the retreat, it doesn’t sound that dangerous. Can’t we just break through?”“This is the Blood Demon’s land. Winning or losing isn’t the issue here—it’s time. If we waste time dealing with them, we’ll end up facing the Blood Demon himself.”“And what if we do face the Blood Demon?”“Absolutely not.”The Alliance Leader’s tone was firm.“In the Blood Demon’s own land, he cannot be defeated.”Then, the Tang Clan Head—who had remained silent—spoke up.“Without Sohwa, we cannot return.”His cold voice was as frigid as the gaze directed at the Alliance Leader. But the Alliance Leader did not avert his eyes.“Clan Head, I do not wish to say this, but if I cannot bring her out, you must give up.”“Then I will go with the Alliance Leader to the central gate. I will bring her out myself.”When the Clan Head insisted, the Alliance Leader sighed.“That will not do. Searching the Blood Demon’s pavilion while keeping you hidden would be too difficult.”But the Clan Head did not reply. The Alliance Leader’s voice grew stern.“Judge wisely, Clan Head.”“Do not interfere with my judgment.”“Everyone here has risked their life to save your daughter. Is leading your comrades into danger how the Tang Clan repays its debts?”“Then I will remain alone. This is my personal decision, separate from the Tang Clan. You need not concern yourselves.”“Did you not promise to trust my words unconditionally?”The Alliance Leader’s question met silence. He did not try to persuade the Clan Head again. Brushing the dirt from his scabbard, he said firmly,“Then I will return to the Central Plains. The Sagye Hall Administrator will, of course, return with me, and those who wish to go back to the Central Plains should come with us.”Whether he meant it or not, the Alliance Leader turned his gaze to the others. The Zhuge youths subtly shifted closer to his side.The Clan Head could no longer insist.The Alliance Leader knew the Blood Cult’s fortress well, but the Clan Head knew nothing—neither how to reach his daughter’s location nor how to pass through the formation.He did not fear death, but he feared failure. To bring Sohwa out safely, he had no choice but to rely on the Alliance Leader.To break the heavy atmosphere, the Taeguk Sword Sovereign murmured,“Ah, whatever the case, there’s no need to think of failure already. The Alliance Leader seems to know a lot, so let’s trust him. As long as we draw the West and East Gate demons well, won’t that allow the Alliance Leader to rescue Young Lady Tang safely?”Thud.The Sword Sovereign nudged Wu So’s arm, urging him to respond.Wu So rubbed his arm and replied,“Yes, let’s discuss what comes after later. We don’t know what’s happening inside, so we’d better move quickly.”At those words, the Tang Clan Head’s face hardened. Even the Young Clan Head’s expression stiffened.Seeing the Clan Head finally ease his stubbornness, the Alliance Leader spoke again.“There is nothing else to warn you about in the formation. As long as you don’t step backward and touch the boundary, there should be no problem. Occasionally, illusions appear to test intruders—be careful not to be deceived and follow closely.”The moment he finished, the Alliance Leader began walking.Inside the fortress wall lay a dark forest. Even though visibility was poor, the Alliance Leader walked ahead easily, as if familiar with the place.After a while, he stopped before a tree and took out a small bottle, the size of a finger joint, from his robe. It was a night-luminescent pearl bottle. He set the faintly glowing bottle into a gap in the tree.“This is the boundary of the formation. When retreating, use this as your marker.”Heukcheon Amgui gasped.“What? Has the formation changed?”When he turned around, he flinched. There was no one on the forest path. Though they had been walking together, everyone had vanished.“Alliance Leader…!”Just as Heukcheon Amgui turned to call out in alarm, the Taeguk Sword Sovereign appeared from the darkness, followed by Wu So and the others, one by one.They looked calm, unaware that anything was wrong.The Sword Sovereign laughed and teased him.“Brother, what’s wrong? Did you see a ghost?”Heukcheon Amgui turned with a sour face and glared at the Alliance Leader.The Alliance Leader stood beside the tree where he had placed the night pearl. Meeting Tang Min’s confused eyes, he gave a small nod.“That’s how this formation works. Once you cross, it’s difficult to find the way back.”After calming Heukcheon Amgui, he raised his voice again.“From here begins a new boundary of the formation. When retreating, use this as your marker. I cannot come back to guide you again, so confirm this well.”He repeated the same words, and similar reactions followed.“Huh? Has the formation changed?”“So that’s why our brother here was startled seeing us. He looked like he’d seen a ghost.”The Alliance Leader tapped the night pearl lightly.“If you step again on a boundary you’ve already crossed, it will mark you as intruders and trigger an alarm. That sound will draw the blood fiends. Since none of you can discern the boundaries, just remember not to step backward in this place.”“But if the Alliance Leader steps on it first, isn’t it fine for us to step after him?”“The Blood Cult’s formation is the work of a sorcerer. A sorcerer’s formation operates in fixed time units—half a gak. Moving within that time frame doesn’t matter.”“How in the world does the Alliance Leader know all this?”When the Sword Sovereign asked again, the Alliance Leader chuckled.“Aren’t you tired of that question yet?”“I’m famous across the Central Plains for being persistent.”The Alliance Leader smiled bitterly and lifted his head.“They say the Blood Cult bastards navigate by looking at the sky. Because a sorcerer’s formation requires heaven’s permission, the heavens cannot be deceived.”As the Alliance Leader raised his head, Heukcheon Amgui followed.The stars scattered across the night sky looked as if they would pour down.“If you walk guided by Mercury, you’ll reach the West Gate. Follow Jupiter in the middle, and you’ll reach the central gate. But for first-timers, it’s hard to tell which is which.”“…Which one is Mercury and which one is Jupiter? Do those Blood Cult bastards have gold in their eyes or something? How are they supposed to know which star is which?”The Alliance Leader laughed softly.“If you travel this path often enough to grow used to it, you’ll learn to tell them apart.”Lowering his gaze again, he looked at the many eyes on him and pointed toward the night pearl.“That’s why this old man brought all this extra baggage, isn’t it?”Heukcheon Amgui stared at the Alliance Leader and asked uneasily,“Alliance Leader, have you ever attacked the Blood Cult alone before?”Heukcheon Amgui didn’t ask if he belonged to the Blood Cult—he asked if he’d fought them.Such simple trust was rare. Though he acted thoughtless, Heukcheon Amgui was, surprisingly, someone who could see the essence of things.The Alliance Leader looked at him with a faint smile.“I was not alone.”“…Did Sohwa help you, then?”At the sudden question, the Alliance Leader’s expression twisted.“Absolutely not.”Of course, Heukcheon Amgui’s guesses were not always correct.When the Alliance Leader’s face hardened, Heukcheon Amgui gave up his suspicion.“Alliance Leader, just in case, let me warn you—don’t even think about taking help from that girl. I’m not saying this to defend Sohwa; I’m saying it because I don’t want to see you ruined. That girl’s calculations are thorough—too thorough. She’s selfish beyond reason. That wicked thing would treat you like her sponsor. So if you need something, just ask me instead. Don’t let yourself get drained in your old age.”“Then, Heukcheon Amgui, you mean it’s fine if you’re the one drained?”“Well, I can just take it back from the Clan Head afterward.”The Alliance Leader laughed as he placed another night pearl into a crack in the rock.“Ah, so we’ve already crossed another boundary?”Heukcheon Amgui turned around in surprise.The Alliance Leader said to him with a faint smile,“Heukcheon Amgui, I have a favor to ask.”Heukcheon Amgui looked at him with a crooked expression, as if asking what.“Don’t die.”“What?”“And if you must die, then die without pain.”“……”“With your level of resilience, you won’t die just from losing a few limbs. You won’t escape pain that way. So if you’re going to die, do your best to die quickly.”“Are you picking a fight with me?”The two old men, now in a new domain, exchanged such strange words.“It’s concern and advice.”The Alliance Leader’s voice lost all trace of laughter as he added,“So do not hold out to the end against an opponent you can never defeat.”

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