Chapter 183 : The Night Ambush, Begins

Chapter 183: The Night Ambush, Begins

“Bin, why are you so late?”

Songhwa’s voice came from the darkness. 

“Sorry. There’s been too much work lately. Are you angry?” 

With her back turned, Songhwa said nothing, as if she really was. 

“Haha! You know nothing moves without me, right? If I finish this job quickly, we can always be together.” 

“When will that be?” 

Her voice sounded faintly desolate. 

“Soon. Please wait a little longer.” 

“Is what you people are trying to do really that easy?” 

“Not exactly, but…” 

Her blunt question caught him off guard. There was irritation and weariness in her tone. 

Of course, it was understandable. Living alone in a strange place was enough to make anyone sensitive… Wait a second, she was supposed to be at the main base of the Black Way Alliance. Then how was he talking to her here? 

At that moment, Songhwa slowly turned around. 

Her face was covered in blood. 

“Songhwa!” 

Calling her name, Dan Woobin’s eyes flew open. Drenched in sweat, he looked around. 

He was in his office. He must have dozed off while working. 

“What was with that shitty dream.”

For the second night in a row, he had a nightmare. 

“Should I really have someone make me a tonic?” 

He muttered to himself and tried to shake off the bad feeling that clung to him. 

He glanced out the window. 

Soft moonlight was spilling quietly over the world. 

It didn’t feel like a night when he could easily fall asleep. 

* * *

A voice shouting his name woke Pung Haryang from sleep. He was now the Leader of the Black Way Alliance, appointed by Lee Jaseung himself. 

“My Lord, you must wake at once.” 

The one speaking urgently was Baek Yong, Captain of the Guard Hall. He had been serving as acting commander in place of Mook Young. 

“What’s the matter?” 

Baek Yong pushed the door open and entered. 

“The main base is under attack.” 

“Under attack? What are you saying?” 

“A group launched a night raid on the main base.” 

“Who are they?” 

“It hasn’t been confirmed yet, but the situation looks dire. I believe you should withdraw immediately.” 

“Withdraw! What nonsense is that! Call for the Night's Moon Captain right now!” 

“We are unable to reach him.” 

“What? What do you mean?” 

Pung Haryang couldn’t make sense of what he was hearing. 

Even the idea that they were being ambushed felt unreal. Who would dare attack them, attack the main stronghold of the Black Way Alliance itself? 

Only the Orthodox Faction or the Asura Demon Sect might attempt such a thing. 

In other words, it meant war. 

But war could not erupt so suddenly. It always came with signs. Moving great numbers of soldiers and supplies could never be done without notice. 

Even in the case of a surprise assault, you could always tell at least a few days in advance. 

So then what was this sudden night raid supposed to be? 

Even if someone had launched an ambush, the claim that they couldn’t reach Captain of the Night's Moon made no sense at all. 

“Send another person to the Night's Moon again. Also contact the West Pavilion and the Sword Grove.” 

“Understood.” 

As Baek Yong turned to go, a commotion rose outside the window. 

Clang, clang, clang, clang! 

The sound of weapons clashing filled the air. 

Pung Haryang and Baek Yong rushed to the window. 

The sight outside froze them both. At the entrance to the inner court, Black Way Alliance warriors were fighting a group of men. 

Alliance warriors were falling one after another. The enemy’s skill was anything but ordinary. 

The guards of the inner court were all First-rate martial artists. The group leaders and Captains were at least Peak Realm masters. 

But the enemy leading the attack were masters at Transcendent Peak Realm, and even those following behind were all Peak Realm masters. Despite the Alliance having superior numbers, they were being overwhelmed. 

The enemy’s skill was impressive, but what mattered more was that they had already breached the inner court. 

They even slaughtered the servants and attendants who knew no martial arts, cutting them down without mercy. 

Realizing the severity of the situation, Pung Haryang gave rapid orders. 

“Sound a full alarm immediately.” 

“Understood.” 

“And evacuate all women and children who can’t fight to the Glory Vault.” 

The Glory Vault was a secret vault of the Black Way Alliance that doubled as a shelter in emergencies. 

“Yes, understood.” 

Baek Yong took a set of fireworks from his robe and fired them into the air in succession. 

Boom, boom, boom! 

Each explosion lit the sky in different colors, and the bursts lingered instead of fading. The color sequence carried coded orders. 

“Let’s move.” 

As the two left the room, the sound of steel rang from the end of the corridor. 

Clang, clang, clang, clang! 

Shockingly, enemies had already reached this far. 

A man was striding toward them, swinging his sword. Each strike sent a Guard Hall warrior crashing down. 

‘He’s a Transcendent Peak Realm master!’

Baek Yong recognized it instantly. Before Pung Haryang could charge, Baek Yong slapped his hand against the wall of the corridor. 

In the next moment, a massive iron door dropped down, blocking the passage. 

Bang, bang, bang! 

The door shook violently as if it would break right away, but it didn’t. It had been built exactly for moments like this. 

“You must go now. Their sacrifice is regrettable, but you can’t be caught up in this fight. You must withdraw first, assess the situation, and organize the response. That’s the only way to minimize the damage.” 

Pung Haryang realized he was right. This was not the time to act emotionally but to think rationally. 

“Yes, let’s go.” 

The two of them ran down the corridor toward the emergency passage. 

“We’ve already sent urgent messages in several directions. Even if some are intercepted, at least one should have gotten through.” 

At the end of the corridor, a secret door opened. 

They stepped through, and it closed behind them. It was an escape route leading out of the inner court. 

As they ran through the dark passage, Pung Haryang’s face was grim. 

In truth, there was a reason the inner court had fallen so easily. 

Compared to when Lee Jaseung had been in command, Pung Haryang had drastically reduced the defenses. 

Since he now held the position of a Lord, he had decided it was unnecessary to waste manpower and enormous funds maintaining constant formations and watch patrols. 

The problem was that the layered surveillance networks around the compound had been breached. Even the outer court had been overrun too easily. 

‘What in the world happened outside?’ 

For now, he couldn’t understand any of it. 

* * *

The next morning, Dan Woobin burst into Lee Jaseung’s room without knocking. 

“It’s terrible. This is an emergency.” 

It was the first time he had ever entered so recklessly. 

This wasn’t even the office. It was the bedchamber shared by Lee Jaseung and Baek Seolyoung. 

Realizing his mistake as soon as he saw Baek Seolyoung, Dan Woobin froze. Fortunately, the two were already awake, having tea together. 

“I’m sorry.” 

But there was no time to waste on politeness. 

“The main base has been attacked.” 

Lee Jaseung shot to his feet after hearing the news from Dan Woobin. Baek Seolyoung’s eyes widened in shock as well. 

“I had a dream… no, that’s not the important part...” 

Dan Woobin stumbled over his words. 

“Judging from the urgent message, it’s serious. We’ve received the first report, but nothing after that. The current forces stationed at the compound are part of the Night's Moon and…” 

It was then. 

Lee Jaseung walked towards him and placed a hand on his shoulder. 

“Calm yourself.” 

Dan Woobin was clearly panicked. 

Lee Jaseung met his eyes and spoke again. 

“Strategist Dan, calm down.” 

“Understood.” 

Dan Woobin drew a deep breath. His thoughts steadied. He held out the message he had brought. 

“This is the fastest emergency message from the main base. Judging by the distance… The attack seemed to have happened last night.” 

The message said only that the compound was under attack. 

Rustle. 

Then, Mook Young appeared just then. 

“May I see that message?” 

“Yes, here.” 

Dan Woobin handed it to him. 

After reading it, Mook Young looked at Lee Jaseung and spoke. 

“This was sent from the Guard Hall. My subordinate Baek Yong must have ordered it personally.” 

He had recognized the handwriting on the scroll. 

Lee Jaseung’s face turned grave. If the message had come under attack, it should have been from the Three Eyed Pavilion, which handled intelligence, or from the elite Night's Moon. If not those, it should have been from those guarding the outer or inner courts. 

“That means by the time the message was sent, the fighting had already reached the inner court. The others had no time to send word.” 

Mook Young nodded gravely. That meant the situation was desperate. 

Dan Woobin’s body trembled. 

He saw again the image of Songhwa’s face covered in blood. 

“She might already be…” 

The thought that she might have died and appeared in his dream as a ghost made him feel like he was going to burst out in tears any moment. 

“I’ll go myself.” 

Lee Jaseung’s words made Dan Woobin step forward to stop him. 

“It’s already too late by now.” 

Even for Lee Jaseung, it would take too long to reach the compound. 

The thought crossed his mind that this could be a trap meant to lure and kill him. He feared for Lee Jaseung’s safety as much as he feared Songhwa’s fate. 

“It could be a trap.” 

“Yes, that’s likely.” 

“My Lord! You mustn't go alone. I’ll dispatch the Iron Cavalry Regiment and the Divine Sword Regiment immediately.” 

“If everyone moves together, it’ll take too long. Don’t worry about me and wait here.” 

Lee Jaseung spoke calmly. 

But it was the calm before a storm. 

Having served him for years, Dan Woobin could tell. Lee Jaseung was angrier than he had ever been. 

Lee Jaseung opened a drawer and took out five small wooden cases. Inside were elixirs, medicine pills that instantly restored inner Qi. 

He placed them into a small leather pouch and tucked it into his robe. 

He was going to use all his Qi to reach the Black Way Alliance’s main base. When it ran dry, he would take a pill to replenish it and continue. 

“I’ll be back.” 

Before the words were even finished, he was gone. 

He had leapt through the open window, and in an instant, his figure became a dot before disappearing from sight. His speed was faster than any bird. 

Standing by the window, Baek Seolyoung watched with anxious eyes. 

Please, be safe.