Chapter 135

Cheong quickly grabbed the blanket and shook it off.

With a rustling sound, the noise of the fabric fluttering and the clattering of wooden pieces echoed.

“Fire, fire! Cannon!”

“Huh?”

“Hey!! Danger!!”

Tang Nan-ah leaped toward Cheong like she was diving into water, and the two of them tangled up, rolling over the bed and creating a chaotic mess.

And then, kaboom!!

With an explosive sound that could tear through eardrums, all kinds of crashing and splitting sounds erupted, leaving my ears ringing and a mild tinnitus setting in.

As a veteran girl, Cheong was jolted into alertness by the massive explosion.

Cannon fire!? This is cannon fire!?

“No way, what kind of martial world has a deity-level weapon?!”

Unfortunately, it’s the people of China who have made burning a national spirit, turning history and ancestors into charred remains.

They even had their children lead the charge to slaughter their predecessors, boasting about their ruthless sacrifices for a supposed greater good!

So, it wouldn’t even cross the minds of the Chinese, the inventors of gunpowder and pioneers of explosive weaponry, to launch a bomb far away.

Moreover, the martial artists were grinding their teeth at the imperial family, needing to wipe out the roots for over a hundred years as they worked tirelessly overnight.

“We need to get out now!”

Knowing about cannon fire and actually facing it are two very different things.

Terrified, Cheong was about to bolt when Tang Nan-ah quickly grabbed her wrist.

“Clothes! Put on your clothes first!”

“I’m about to get blown to bits, and you want me to worry about clothes?”

“Hurry!!”

So, as the ground vibrated with booming sounds from afar and near, the two women frantically fumbled to get dressed.

With a crack, another explosive shell burst through the wall, and they dove to the floor as it went boom! The world seemed to shake ominously—

Creeeak.

Suddenly, all the wooden structures twisted dramatically, emitting an eerie sound.

“What are you doing? It’s collapsing! We have to hurry out.”

“Poison! We have to gather the poison!”

Tang Nan-ah frantically opened drawers, stuffing whatever she could into her arms, strapping some on her thigh, and pushing a bunch into her arm guards while getting ready.

Then, with a jolt, a deafening explosion resonated, and Cheong quickly tucked Tang Nan-ah under her arm as they charged through the door.

After all, it was just a wooden door with paper on it, something a martial artist could smash through easily.

“Ouch!”

But since Tang Nan-ah was tucked under Cheong’s arm, her head hit the door first.

Her head slammed into the door like a battering ram, embedding itself into it.

Once outside and having set her down, Tang Nan-ah glared at Cheong with the door frame stuck around her neck like a callous criminal’s punishment.

“Ah, that was a mistake.”

“Shut it!”

Tang Nan-ah tossed the door frame aside.

Chaos reigned all around.

The air was filled with the scent of burning.

In the dark night, thick clouds of smoke billowed upward, while flames leaped from the ground.

The sound of a shrieking wind, explosions dropping nearby, and roofs and walls smashing to pieces rang loudly in their ears.

And a desperate scream echoed:

“Hey! No! Hey!”

“Grandpa! I’m over here!”

Choi Riyong, digging through the wreckage of the collapsed annex, rushed over and felt Cheong’s limbs.

After confirming her well-being, he visibly relaxed and quickly covered her with a cotton cloth.

“What are we going to do now!?”

“Underground! There’s a passage here!! This way!! Step only where I step and follow!”

Just like that, Tang Nan-ah unfolded her martial arts skills and dashed toward the ruined Tang Family interior.

Cheong followed, leaping over the shattered gate, weaving through narrow alleys, and dodging burning buildings.

And near a pond behind a building, Tang Nan-ah knelt, tapping the ground, then miraculously lifted the floor with a jerk.

“This way, hurry!”

Tang Nan-ah said this and grabbed a ladder attached to the wall and rapidly descended.

Is it okay not to close the cover? That thought crossed her mind, but since the landlord’s daughter said so…

As Cheong climbed down the ladder, she heard a loud bang as the cover closed midway.

Boom, boom. The cannon fire from below sounded like a gigantic drum echoing.

With each bang, dust cascaded down to hit the brim of Cheong’s cotton hat.

Meanwhile, Tang Nan-ah, her head bare, just shook off the dust, agitated.

As they maneuvered through the underground passage, a spacious area, large enough to fit a couple of buildings, opened up.

“Grandpa!”

“Ah! Seomun, you’re safe! What a relief!”

Surprisingly, the underground space was calm.

It was gloomy but not sad, shocked yet not terrified.

In the center, the elite masters of the Tang Family encircled a large table, faces familiar to Cheong.

With pale skin and a gentle expression, he looked like someone who could easily lose themselves in a book.

“What’s going on, Jayu? I thought your friend had run away?”

“How dare you! Who do you think you are to speak out of turn in front of someone of high standing? Bow down and show your respect!”

Just then, a small woman wielding a spear barked loudly.

Cheong blinked in astonishment.

“Oh? Why? Who’s the important person here?”

“His Highness Prince Deokhyeon, Lord of Sichuan, is present! How dare a mere martial artist lift their head and act cocky!”

“Oh? A prince?”

“Ah! I’m done for! The girl has committed a grave sin!!! Please forgive my previous rudeness!!”

A scream erupted from beside Cheong.

Turning her head, she saw Tang Nan-ah had dropped to the ground, prostrating herself in a square position.

In her haste, she hadn’t even tied up her hair, and her locks spread out like a brush frantically, having knocked her head down so hard.

Cheong stared down at her with half-opened eyes.

She’s just like last time.

Isn’t she a bit too humble?

Anyhow, while Tang Nan-ah remained motionless like a statue glued to the ground, Cheong glanced at Jayu.

“Oh. Umm. So, you’re a prince?”

Jayu shrugged, looking embarrassed.

—-

In chess, why do the pawns usually sit close to the king or around the king?

Because they’re that important.

In the same vein, the elite soldiers of the Golden Army are the cream of the crop, handpicked from among the best.

They weren’t just strong but were also loyal warriors who excelled in artillery skills.

Thus, the protection of the artillery unit wasn’t like typical soldiers; they trained alongside martial artists to defend it.

Speaking of martial artists, those at the end of the first grade would be at least competent with weaponry, so setting up a strategy would make it hard to face a martial artist.

Yet there was a peculiar group among the ten great families of the martial world, deemed incompetent against masters but notorious for bullying weaker opponents.

“Hey, can you smell that? What is it? It smells sweet?”

“Peach! It smells like peaches.”

In the cold night air, the fragrant scent of peaches mixed in the atmosphere.

“Peach? It is indeed peach season, but who eats peaches at this hour—cough, cough.”

Suddenly, a soldier coughed up a phlegmy lump and rubbed his itchy nose.

“What? Blood? Uh…”

At that moment, the soldier staggered and collapsed on the ground.

“Sir? What’s wrong?”

“I feel a bit… strange. Why is this happening?”

Then something flowed from his eyes, blood trickling down his cheeks.

“Sir, blood! Cough, cough, cough!”

In the turmoil, a soldier who had been panicking choked and suddenly vomited.

“Uh…?”

It was then.

A projectile, the size of a child’s head, came flying from afar, slamming down between them and rolling around.

“Damn it! Cough, cough! It’s poisonous gas! Everyone swallow the antidote and cover your mouths!”

Boom!! Unfortunately, it wasn’t poisonous gas but an explosive shell.

Shattered shrapnel tore through their flesh and bone, leaving their bodies unrecognizable, scattered across the ground.

—-

Slowly, the cannon fire lessened, and the thunderous explosions that ripped through the night gradually faded.

In the command center, Deputy Commander Door-sa fumed.

“What’s going on? Who ordered to cease fire! Keep shooting! We need to turn them to ash…!”

“Urgent report, one artillery unit has been annihilated.”

At that moment, another messenger rushed into the command center.

“It’s bad news! This artillery unit has been wiped out!”

Door-sa ground his teeth.

“Is this a joke? What is the artillery unit doing?”

“Explosive shells! The Tang Family is using explosive shells!”

Even a soldier not trained in martial arts could cause havoc with explosive shells.

Just light one and throw it far enough.

But if a master used it, it would be even more devastating.

Especially if they were martial artists of the Tang Family, known for their expertise in various throwing techniques.

Mixing the subtleties of throwing techniques with explosive shells meant they were practically human artillery capable of launching precise long-range shots!

“How could a mere civilian family use explosive shells?! How dare these rebels!”

Fuming, Door-sa released an exasperated breath.

Manufacturing gunpowder was strictly forbidden by national law, and those who broke it were in serious trouble.

As Door-sa stomped around, unable to contain his anger, fresh news arrived declaring three artillery units had been obliterated.

“No! The Emperor’s soldiers!”

Only then did Door-sa take a long breath and exhale deeply.

“No, no. Indeed, the rebels are finally showing their true colors. This might actually be a good thing. Now the army can charge…”

He decided to be optimistic.

Losing the artillery was painful, but at least he had discovered that the Tang Family was secretly manufacturing explosive shells.

Of course, Door-sa was aware that illegal explosive shells were circulating among civilians, but it was an issue that could condemn them as rebels and traitors regardless of whether they bought or made them.

No matter how prestigious the family or skilled the martial artist, how long could they withstand an army of hundreds of thousands?

The evidence was clear, and even in the martial world, no one would dare interfere with the imperial family’s affairs.

Indeed, hundreds of thousands, hundreds of thousands.

In a single military shop, there are approximately six thousand soldiers, and each administrative unit has several military shops, so when mobilizing for war, nearly thirty thousand soldiers can gather from Sichuan alone.

Adding forces from nearby Hubei, Shaanxi, and Guizhou would easily exceed over a hundred thousand soldiers.

Door-sa is the head of the imperial Inspectorate.

He possessed vast authority to mobilize armies under a single city’s command, so once a justifiable reason was established, he’d have command over a significant force.

It was then.

Another messenger burst through the tent, urgently breathless.

“This is serious!”

Door-sa shot back with a dismissive snort.

“Oh yeah? Have four artillery units been wiped out too?”

Losing the artillery was painful, but there were only about two hundred cannon shooters among the eight hundred soldiers compared to the whole imperial army, which was nothing more than a grain of sand.

If they gained justification from throwing a grain of sand, wouldn’t that actually be welcome?

“It’s not that! The prince’s banner has been raised! They’ve raised the prince’s banner!”

Hearing that, Door-sa’s expression twisted in horror.

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