Ep508 - I Became a Drunkard in a Martial Arts Novel.

The edge of the sun was veiled by darkness. Slightly away from the battlefield, which had entered a lull, the Heavenly Demon observed this phenomenon. A faint smile played on her lips. "Finally, it begins." The coveted day was near. The long-awaited moment to achieve her objective was almost at hand. "There is ample time." Unlike regular solar eclipses, which disappear as quickly as a cup of hot tea could be consumed, this eclipse would unfold slowly over a prolonged period. This was no ordinary eclipse; it was a ceremony, a moment decreed by the gods. "Heh, hehehe..." Laughter poured out irresistibly. She struggled to suppress the excitement that bubbled within her without tangible achievement yet in hand. She had seen it countless times. Those who, on the brink of victory, let their guard down and were swiftly eliminated. And she was the one who never missed the opportunity to strike at those weak spots. She had not the slightest intention of following their doomed path. Therefore, she calmed and controlled her emotions. "Not yet." Even though the eclipse had finally started, the right time had yet to come. What she awaited was the moment the sun was entirely obscured by the moon, draping the world in deep darkness. Acting too hastily before then could only provoke unnecessary alertness from the enemy. Instead, she directed her attention to Jang-min, who was pondering in the heart of the battlefield. "Jang-min." Her voice sailed softly through the air, resonating solely in his ears with a gentle vibration. Jang-min immediately prostrated himself towards the unseen presence of the Heavenly Demon, offering his utmost reverence. "At your command." Her instructions reached his ears. "Order the demon troops to advance again." Jang-min flinched at the words. "However, my lady, if we advance recklessly in this state..." He hesitated, his concerns manifesting in his question. "Are your eyes mere knots of wood?” the Heavenly Demon reproached. "...My apologies. However, with my limited insight, it is difficult to grasp your intentions." Typically, he never questioned the lord's orders, no matter the circumstances. However, this was not a trivial matter. This was the crucial first step in conquering the Central Plains. Should they falter greatly here, they might turn back without even setting foot upon the land. In response to his worried inquiry, the Heavenly Demon replied. "Look closely at the battlefield." "The battlefield…?" Jang-min's eyes turned towards the battlefield as he remained prostrate. Corpses of demon troops. Intermittent bodies of Gongdong sect disciples among them. Icy iron weapons and dark knives struck into the ground, evoking a chilling atmosphere. Since the lull began, nothing seemed ostensibly different. 'What is it she wishes me to see…?' Frustrated, Jang-min furrowed his brows. How could a mere human hope to fathom the will of the gods? Just as such thoughts invaded his mind. "Ah...!" He saw it. What the Heavenly Demon had intended for him to witness. Simultaneously, he realized how his own vision had indeed been mere knotholes, recognizing his blunder. Had she not enlightened him, he might have missed a significant opportunity. Standing up swiftly, he infused his voice with resolute internal power and shouted. "Advance once more!" His voice resonated thunderously. Simultaneously, the stopped demon troops once again charged forward, accompanied by the followers behind them. The battlefield began to shift. * * * He sensed something amiss immediately after a sliver of the sun was obscured by darkness. The power of the Shaolin disciples' formation, which enveloped the battlefield, weakened. At the same time, the sinister aura emanating from the demon troops, though faint, grew stronger. "...This is no ordinary eclipse." Since the sun was the only thing that changed, his suspicion was likely accurate. Baek Woo-jin discreetly communicated this fact, advising caution for any eventualities. Meanwhile, he quietly prayed inwardly. That the changes were so minimal that they would go unnoticed unless one paid very close attention. However, his hopes were dashed when... "The demon troops are advancing again!" The halted demon troops resumed their assault from afar. "...So they’ve detected it." Baek Woo-jin laughed bitterly as he observed, realizing there was someone sharp-witted in the enemy's ranks. The Arhats of the Shaolin, who maintained the Lion's Roar Formation, were the first to react to the demons' resurgence. "Do not panic! Fully execute the Lion's Roar to bind the enemy!" "Amitabha..." The energy of the Lion's Roar, subdued by the eclipse, surged once more. Simultaneously, the movement of the demon troops visibly slowed, and the disciples of the Gongdong sect, who had been resting within the fortress, seized the moment to rejoin the fray. Slash! Scrape, scrape! The Demonic Sword sliced through the resilient bodies of the demon troops with rough finesse. However, the initial exuberance had noticeably waned. The sharpness of the Demonic Sword, which once cut through like slicing tofu, had visibly dulled. Baek Woo-jin furrowed his brows upon realizing this change. "...The power of the Demonic Sword has diminished." The waning strength of the sword, combined with the now-stronger fervor of the demon forces, had shifted the battlefield’s dynamics. Baek Woo-jin pondered the continually evolving battle conditions. 'What should I do now?’ The situation was turning unfavorable. Since the sun had partially dipped into darkness, their forces weakened while the enemy's grew stronger. This implied that as the eclipse progressed, the advantage would further tilt toward the enemy. 'The eclipse is proceeding at a frustratingly slow pace.' What should have concluded within the span of a single day’s time was dragging on at a snail’s pace. At this rate, it was uncertain how long it would take for the sun to fully descend into and emerge from darkness. 'At least a few hours.' More than enough time for the strengthened enemy to potentially seize the fortress of Cheonghae. There were two tactical options available. Hold the fort using the fortress walls or go out to engage the enemy on the field. Both had their pros and cons. The former minimized allied casualties, but a single breach and it would be over. The latter might increase allied casualties, but there would still be an opportunity to fall back and defend the fortress. "Hmm..." Baek Woo-jin found himself at a critical juncture. The moment where gaining one advantage required sacrificing another. Thousands of lives and the homeland of countless civilians hinged on his command. Time was limited. Failing to make a decisive choice could result in losing everything. "Ugh." As he struggled with the depth of his decision in a short span of time, "Master Baek-!" Jeagal Yeon-ji's voice shattered his train of thought. She exclaimed, "Defend! We must defend!" Defense of the fortress. 'But if we choose that, the fortress could be at risk…?' As he hesitated, his gaze fell on someone standing beside Jeagal Yeon-ji at the rear. It was the lord of Cheonghae Fortress. With a hardened expression and resolute eyes, he communicated his determination to Baek Woo-jin. Understanding his intention, Baek Woo-jin commanded a retreat to the disciples of the Gongdong sect positioned outside. And he issued orders to the warriors inside the fortress. "Prepare for the defense!" At his command, the warriors scurried into action. They had pre-designated sectors each faction was responsible for in preparation for defense. The same went for their supplies. As the members of the alliance hurried to their assigned positions, "The enemies have retreated! Charge!" "We will bathe in their blood!" "Break, trample, kill!" Fueled by regained morale, the demon cultists charged with cries of mania. In the blink of an eye, demons approached near the fortress walls. Their sturdy bodies began pounding indiscriminately at the gates and walls. Witnessing this, the warriors of the Tang clan bent their bows, loaded with iron-tipped arrows. "Fire-!" Whoosh! Thud! Thud! Demons fell, pierced by the torrents of arrows. But those from behind stepped over the fallen bodies and resumed their assault on the gates. "Fire again!" Another volley of arrows rained down. As fierce battles raged at the northern gate, groups circumvented to the eastern and western walls, launching attacks. "They’ve come!" "Kill them-!" The warriors guarding the east and west walls began their defense. Those trained to their physical limits hurled massive stones, crushing demons mercilessly. In the west, practitioners fired gigantic fire demons steeped in blazing Yang energy. In the east, those adept in Yin energy unleashed bitter cold that froze and incinerated the demons. Watching this, Jang-min sighed. "Hmm…, they’ve fortified their defenses well." Thud! Bang! Demons reached the fortress gates but fell dead in their tracks. No matter why, the demons, despite growing stronger, couldn’t endure beyond a couple of hits. Thus, the number of fallen demons far exceeded anticipations. "What should we do…" No matter how thorough the preparations, even the fortress walls had their limits. The moment they chose to defend, the capture of Cheonghae Fortress seemed predetermined. However, one must not forget. The true objective of the Heavenly Demon Cult was the conquest of the Central Plains. Cheonghae Fortress was but the first mountain to overcome in that greater campaign. 'If we suffer too much damage here, it will disrupt our plans to conquer the Central Plains.' Should he adjust the number of demons climbing the walls to control the pace of the assault? As Jang-min deliberated, "Do not slow the advance." "……!" The Heavenly Demon's voice interrupted his thoughts. ‘Master…’ He was curious. But he refrained from questioning. He had just recently been reminded of the vast difference between the perspective of the god they served and his own limited, narrow view. Thus, he chose blind faith. Anything commanded by his divine leader surely held deeper meaning. ‘Then I’ll simply follow…!’ Resolving himself, Jang-min raised his voice. "Press the attack even harder!" At that moment, another portion of the sun slipped into darkness. The ever-hardening bodies of the demon troops battered the walls with fervor. And finally. Crash! Thud…! "The wall has collapsed!" "Advance!" "Slaughter the filthy Central Plains scum!" At last, one side of the fortress wall crumbled away. And it did so in a most devastating fashion. Author's Note: I shall return with the next installment. Thank you, as always, for reading. Have a restful night. (_ _)