Chapter 526: If It’s a Request Like That, Go to the Murim Alliance
Chapter 526: If It’s a Request Like That, Go to the Murim Alliance
Dan-ah wanted to refuse.
She had a nagging premonition that she should somehow back out of this particular contract.
Of course, refusing a contract was what brokers hated most. Naturally, they would stop giving work to ronin who frequently turned down assignments. However, the sisters had built a solid reputation over the last ten years—enough that they could afford to decline this one.
Yet, there was one thing holding her back.
Dan-ah’s gaze shifted toward the woman, who was waiting for her fate with a terrified expression.
‘If we give up, this woman dies.’
The feeling was overwhelming. It was precisely because of this thick scent of death that she wanted to walk away.
Dan-ah looked at her younger sisters. Having been together for so long, they knew exactly what their eldest sister was agonizing over just by her hesitation. They showed no reaction. In moments of decision like this, they followed her will implicitly.
Finally, Dan-ah made her choice.
“We will escort you to the Heavenly Flower Pavilion in Guizhou.”
A look of relief washed over the woman’s face as she heard the verdict.
“Thank you.”
“We leave immediately.”
As they turned to walk away, Cho-hui spoke from behind them.
“My name is Cho-hui.”
Dan-ah replied without looking back.
“It’s a pretty name.”
It was just as the four of them were descending from the hermitage.
Whiz!
A hidden weapon flew rapidly toward Cho-hui.
Clang!
Dan-ah swung her sword, parrying the projectile, and shouted, “In the tree to the left!”
But even before her cry rang out, a dagger thrown by the youngest, Dan-yeon, was already embedding itself between the branches. A masked man, struck by the dagger, tumbled from the tree.
From the opposite side, more hidden weapons flew through the air with a sharp whistle.
“Run!”
Dan-ah scooped Cho-hui up and leaped down the stone steps.
Thud, thud, thud!
The hidden weapons slammed into the spot where Cho-hui had just been standing.
Dan-bi and Dan-yeon, who had jumped down alongside her, batted away the incoming projectiles with their swords. The area around the hermitage was already crawling with enemies in ambush. The situation was dire. The fact that the meeting point had been exposed meant the broker had likely been compromised.
While parrying the weapons, the three sisters launched daggers of their own. The youngest, Dan-yeon, was particularly skilled in the flying dagger technique; masked men fell one after another under her barrage.
“Behind that boulder!”
The four of them dove behind a large rock.
Clatter, clatter!
Hidden weapons sparked against the stone the moment they took cover. Despite her quick judgment, blood was already seeping from Dan-bi’s shoulder.
“Are you okay?”
“It just grazed me. I’m fine.”
However, Dan-yeon gasped as she inspected the wound. The area had already swollen into a deep purple.
“It’s poison.”
At Dan-yeon’s shout, a curse escaped Dan-ah’s lips.
“Those bastards!”
Among the three sisters, she was the most foul-mouthed.
Dan-yeon quickly pulled a vial from her robe and applied medicine to the wound. It was a temporary measure to stop the poison from spreading.
“It won’t hold for long! We have to get out—”
Right then, masked men vaulted over the boulder and attacked.
Swish! Squelch!
Dan-ah’s sword pierced the flank of a masked man lunging for Cho-hui, then tore through his flesh.
Spurt!
The blade, exiting his side, immediately plunged into the throat of another masked man rushing in behind him. Blood sprayed across her face, but she didn't have a spare second to wipe it away. Blades clashed, sending sparks flying, and hidden weapons crossed paths, drawing lethal lines in the air.
Dan-yeon’s dagger flew and embedded itself in the neck of a masked man trying to ambush her sister from behind. His descending sword lost its strength and sliced through empty air.
Behind the falling man, even more masked figures surged forward. Dan-ah threw herself toward the blades glinting in the sunlight and screamed.
“Get back!”
*
Rumble.
The carriage jolted violently as it passed over a rutted section of the road.
“My apologies!”
The frantic shout came from Seo Dae-ryong.
Geom Mu-geuk’s voice drifted from inside the carriage.
“My father was drinking tea and just spilled it all over his face.”
It was, of course, Mu-geuk’s mischief. He hadn't forgotten the joke Seo Dae-ryong made when they first set out—that if the carriage jolted, his head might go flying.
Snapping to attention, Seo Dae-ryong asked Hwi, “Would you like to take the reins yourself?”
He expected Hwi to take over after such a blunder, but Hwi simply shook his head and let Seo Dae-ryong continue driving.
“The road is rough. Stay focused.”
He had been hyper-focused at first, but human nature is fickle; once he grew accustomed to the task, his mind began to wander. Unknowingly, he had been thinking about the woman he met at the inn.
‘Driving the carriage of the Cult Leader himself... I must be insane.’
Seo Dae-ryong shook off his stray thoughts and gripped the reins tightly.
Geom Mu-geuk poked his head out of the window. As the carriage moved from the open road into a narrow path through the woods, the scenery, which had felt slow like a heavy sword, suddenly seemed to accelerate like a fast sword.
“Why does the journey back always feel faster than when we started?”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon, his eyes still fixed on the book he was reading, replied, “What is the Young Cult Leader so regretful about?”
Feeling the wind on his face, Geom Mu-geuk answered, “I wonder. Why do I feel so lingeringly regretful?”
Mu-geuk’s gaze shifted toward Seo Dae-ryong on the driver’s seat. He was certain that his regret over the past two days wasn't just because of the memories with his father.
“Pavilion Master Seo, watch out for that pothole!”
*
Thud.
Dan-ah was covered in blood as she pulled the barn door shut. Fortunately, the blood belonged to her enemies, but the problem was the second sister, Dan-bi. The wound from the poison was continuing to swell.
Dan-ah grabbed Cho-hui by the collar.
“You! Just what kind of mess have you dragged us into?”
Cho-hui, who had run when told to run and ducked when told to duck, finally came to her senses after the frantic flight.
“I’m sorry.”
She had asked for protection knowing she was in grave danger. It was a choice born of desperation, but because of her, these women were now in mortal peril.
“Do you even know who is attacking us?!”
Dan-ah had felt despair the moment she realized who their opponents were.
The Seven-Road Pursuit Squad.
They were also ronin, but they specialized in tracking and assassination. Even among pursuit squads, they were the most vicious and notorious. If the sisters were ronin who walked in the light, the pursuit squad belonged to the darkness. And among them, the Seven-Road Pursuit Squad was the deepest abyss.
It was a miracle they had even broken through a single squad. But this wouldn't end just by killing a dozen of them. They would keep coming like a swarm of ants until the target was eliminated.
The fact that the Seven-Road Pursuit Squad had been mobilized meant someone had spent a fortune to hunt Cho-hui down. Why go to such lengths for a mere courtesan?
But there was no time to argue about the reasons. The bastards would be upon them soon.
“How is Bi-ah?”
At Dan-ah’s question, Dan-yeon replied worriedly, “I’m barely managing to keep the poison from spreading, but if she moves any more, it’ll circulate through her whole body.”
Then, Dan-ah’s eyes fell on Dan-yeon’s flank. When she pulled aside the blood-soaked fabric, a deep sword gash was revealed.
“When did you get stabbed?”
“Earlier. I stopped the bleeding, but it opened up again when we ran.”
She had been so caught up in the frantic fighting that she hadn't even realized her youngest sister had been wounded.
“You!”
“It’s okay. I’m not going to die. I’m fine!”
But the lack of color in the youngest’s face suggested otherwise. Dan-ah pressed on her sister’s pressure points to staunch the blood and applied golden wound medicine.
“Just lie down and rest for now.”
“Yeah, I’ll do that.”
Looking at her two sisters lying there, Dan-ah felt a wave of regret. She shouldn't have taken this contract. Her intuition had been so right.
“I’m sorry,” Cho-hui said again.
This time, Dan-ah didn't take her anger out on her. She was the client, the customer. The decision to accept had been Dan-ah's own.
“It’s fine.”
“Shouldn't we find a physician for your sisters first?”
If only they could. They couldn't take them to a clinic. In situations like this, the pursuers would search the clinics first. That was the basics of tracking.
“We’ll never make it to Guizhou with the Seven-Road Pursuit Squad on our tails. We have to ask someone for help first.”
She pulled a map from her robe. It was a map she had made herself for emergencies, marking sects where they could seek aid—sects they had even the slightest connection with.
But she couldn't ask an ordinary sect for help while being hunted by the Seven-Road Pursuit Squad. Those monsters wouldn't hesitate to slaughter an entire sect just to get to their target.
“We need to ask the Murim Alliance for help.”
But it was too far. They would have to leave this village and travel another thirty li to reach a Murim Alliance branch. It was impossible to get there while carrying her injured sisters and protecting Cho-hui. Moreover, the enemy would likely be guarding the roads, anticipating they would head for the Alliance.
Then, one location caught Dan-ah’s eye.
The Demonic Cult’s Jing'an Branch.
There was a branch of the Cult not far from here. However, if they just showed up at the Demonic Cult and begged for help, they might suffer a fate worse than being caught by the pursuit squad.
Then, she suddenly remembered the man she saw yesterday.
— I belong to the Divine Cult.
The words he said as he turned away, and the characters engraved on his great blade.
Peerless.
It was a name that didn't suit his innocent, shy gaze at all.
Dan-yeon, who was lying down, asked softly, “What are you thinking?”
Dan-ah bit her lip slightly and replied, “Something crazy.”
*
The Demonic Cult’s Jing'an Branch was a small office with only about twenty resident members. Unless a war broke out, what could possibly happen at a Cult branch? The man in charge of this peaceful place was Branch Leader Gang Dal.
“Branch Leader, you need to come outside.”
Following his subordinate’s report, he stepped out to find an unexpected scene. At the entrance of the Jing'an Branch, four women stood with their backs to the gate, surrounded by a large group of masked men.
It was Dan-ah’s group, and the Seven-Road Pursuit Squad had tracked them all the way here.
“Please open the gate! I have something to say to the Branch Leader!”
Because of the cultists guarding the entrance, the pursuit squad had only surrounded them and hadn't dared to attack yet.
The gate opened, and Gang Dal stepped out. A dozen branch warriors followed behind him.
Gang Dal looked at Dan-ah’s group first. Only Dan-ah was standing upright, holding a sword dripping with blood. Cho-hui was cradling the unconscious Dan-bi’s head in her lap, and Dan-yeon was lying asleep beside them. They were covered in wounds, looking like they had barely managed to crawl here.
In front of the four women, a dozen masked men stood in a semicircle.
Gang Dal looked up at the plaque above the entrance. He wondered if the sign had fallen off and caused this mess, but the plaque for the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s Jing'an Branch was still firmly in place.
His subordinate whispered, “The masked ones are from the Seven-Road Pursuit Squad.”
Gang Dal frowned at the name. He knew them well. They were vicious bastards who would kill their own friends or family for money.
“Those guys are crazy to begin with, so whatever. But who are you?”
At Gang Dal’s question, Dan-ah replied, “We are ronin known as the Three Dan Sisters. Please, help us.”
“If it’s a request like that, you should go to a Murim Alliance branch.”
Gang Dal looked at the masked men and said, “Clean this up and get out. If you leave even a single bloodstain, you’re dead.”
He was telling them to kill the women and leave. As Gang Dal turned to go back inside...
“An expert of the Divine Cult sent us here!”
Gang Dal froze. He turned back toward her with a cold gaze.
“Which expert?”
Naturally, Gang Dal assumed the woman was lying to save her life. He hadn't received any such notice.
“He left the Yuyoung Inn yesterday. He’s short and carries a massive great blade. The word ‘Peerless’ is engraved on that blade.”
A sudden silence fell.
Gang Dal asked again, “And who is that?”
After a brief pause, she replied, “I don’t know who he is either.”
A cold remark escaped Gang Dal’s lips.
“You crazy bitch.”
Yes, even she thought this was insane. But she had already made her choice, and there was no way out. The Seven-Road Pursuit Squad was in front of her, and the Demonic Cult was behind her.
“That man, who didn't reveal his name, told us to seek help here if we ran into trouble.”
Lying to a Demonic Cult Branch Leader was a gamble with her life. Even if they could get help, if the man she saw at the inn wasn't a cultist, or if he was just a low-ranking martial artist, they would be killed by these people.
“I am certain he is someone of higher rank than you. If you save us, you will live. If we die here, you will die too.”
Right then, more members of the Seven-Road Pursuit Squad arrived. With a dozen more joining, their numbers now reached twenty. It seemed they were all converging on this location. The bastards didn't seem intimidated at all by him or the branch warriors. Instead, they radiated killing intent, as if saying, Just wait until we’re all gathered.
‘These bastards, do they want to die?!’
But Gang Dal simply turned away and said, “Close the gate.”
Then came a desperate plea.
“Please, just let these three inside.”
Gang Dal turned back to Dan-ah.
“I don’t care about myself, but please let these three in. When that man arrives later, you’ll need to have something to say to him, won't you?”
Dan-ah was prepared to fight and die alone. Gang Dal stared at her for a moment before saying something unexpected.
“If you sisters are ronin, then that woman must be the one the pursuit squad is after.”
Gang Dal looked at Cho-hui.
“Since their target is that woman anyway... I’ll take the three of you and leave her behind.”
Dan-ah looked at Cho-hui. The woman, still holding Dan-bi, nodded. Her eyes told Dan-ah to just save the three of them.
Dan-ah said to Gang Dal, “Just take my sisters. I will stay with this woman.”
If she could save her sisters, that was enough. Cho-hui shook her head, telling her not to, but Dan-ah was not the type of person to abandon a client, even if it meant losing her life.
Gang Dal stared at Dan-ah and suddenly spoke.
“If you had tried to enter alone, no one would have gotten in.”
Which meant...
“Everyone, get inside.”
The Jing'an Branch had accepted them.
“Thank you.”
“Thank you so much.”
Dan-ah and Cho-hui looked at each other in relief. Cho-hui bowed her head to express her gratitude to Dan-ah. The sisters were carried inside, and Dan-ah and Cho-hui followed.
Gang Dal suppressed Dan-ah’s internal energy and took her sword. She didn't resist and accepted it submissively. His suspicion was only natural.
Gang Dal gave orders to his subordinates.
“We don’t know what those lunatics outside will do. Sound the alarm and wake everyone up.”
“Understood.”
“And send an emergency missive to Tongcheon Pavilion! Report the current situation.”
Dan-ah took a step forward, signaling him to include what she had said.
“Add what that woman said. Looking for someone who left the Yuyoung Inn yesterday, short stature, using a great blade with ‘Peerless’ engraved on it.”
“Yes, sir!”
The cultists began to move busily. Martial artists clad in weapons emerged from the buildings, and they began distributing hidden weapons from crates.
“If you told me some bullshit just to escape those guys, you’d better be prepared.”
Despite Gang Dal’s threat, Dan-ah wasn't intimidated at all. The wheels of fate had already begun to turn.
“Give me back my sword and release my internal energy. If a fight breaks out, you’ll definitely need me.”
She remained dignified even before a Demonic Cult Branch Leader. In fact, it was this dignity that had moved Gang Dal’s heart—the courage to stay behind and protect her client.
And then, she added a sentence that Gang Dal could never have understood.
“Because I want to live to hear that poem again.”
