Chapter 741: I Think You Stole My Heart
Chapter 741: I Think You Stole My Heart
Ji Han tore through the darkness.
His heart hammered against his ribs, threatening to burst. In all his years as a martial artist, had he ever felt this level of terror?
‘What did I just see?’
In the blink of an eye, the Blood Wind Four Swords had been cut down. Because he had been watching from a distance, he couldn't tell exactly how the man had finished them.
‘Was it poison? Or hidden weapons?’
He didn't know the method, but it had happened in an instant. However, what truly made Ji Han’s heart race wasn't the fact that the man had killed them.
‘He definitely saw me.’
The man had looked straight at him, even though he was hidden in the shadows. It wasn't an illusion. The man had even waved his hand.
Even though Ji Han was so far away. Even though he was concealed in such thick, suffocating darkness.
How long had he been running?
Ji Han finally skidded to a halt, gasping for breath. He had been so panicked while performing his lightness skill that he hadn't regulated his breathing properly. His internal energy had nearly surged out of control; he had come dangerously close to suffering a cultivation deviation. Truly, this was a first for him.
“Haah… haah…”
The image of the young man smiling at him from atop the carriage flickered in his mind again. His ominous premonition had been spot on.
‘He is someone who must not be touched.’
Now he understood perfectly why Elder Song had refused to sell the information.
‘He’s a giant. Someone we cannot handle.’
He realized now that the advice to wash his hands of this and leave had been a sincere warning for his own sake.
But if one deserts the organization without permission, they use every means possible to track the traitor down. One might think they would give up after a few years, but the pursuit continues forever. The more wicked and base the organization, the less they ever forgave betrayal.
Since he knew more about tracking techniques than anyone, he might not get caught, but he would have to spend his entire life on the run, living in constant anxiety. Leaving was never as easy as it sounded. Even if he were to leave, he couldn't do it so abruptly. He needed to make thorough preparations first.
Therefore, for now, he had to return and report.
How would Cheon Dae-ung, the Fire Dragon Unit Leader, take the news of the Blood Wind Four Swords' deaths?
—The Blood Wind Four Swords are dead. Those people are opponents we must not touch.
The moment he uttered those words, Cheon Dae-ung might explode in a rage over losing his right-hand men and kill him on the spot. He was the type of man who acted recklessly without considering the consequences.
In this moment, where his ally felt more dangerous than the enemy, Ji Han recalled Elder Song’s words.
—If you cannot leave… then charge toward death.
He surely didn't mean for Ji Han to actually die. He had said it while showing him a kindness. Would that death truly be merciful?
Standing alone under the starlight of dawn, Ji Han’s dilemma deepened.
*
Cheon Dae-ung was pouring wine behind a silk curtain.
It had been a very long time since anyone had seen him pouring wine for someone so respectfully. It meant the person he was drinking with was someone of immense importance.
Only after pouring the wine did he repeat the report he had just received.
“The Blood Wind Four Swords are dead?”
Ji Han felt an even greater sense of dread at the lack of agitation in his voice.
“Yes. All of them are dead.”
From behind the curtain, Cheon Dae-ung spoke politely to his guest.
“Please, continue enjoying your drink for a moment.”
One side of the curtain was pulled back, and Cheon Dae-ung stepped out. The moment he left the curtained area, the refined man vanished. He was a different person entirely.
Without warning, Cheon Dae-ung threw a punch toward Ji Han.
Swoosh!
Boom!
The palm force grazed Ji Han’s face and shattered the door behind him. The martial artists guarding the door were caught in the blast.
“Who did you say is dead?!”
Swoosh! CRASH!
Cheon Dae-ung began smashing everything in sight. The man behind the curtain and the man standing here now were two completely different entities.
I am originally this kind of person, but acting refined behind the curtain was a mark of respect for you.
In a way, throwing a tantrum outside seemed like a way to emphasize his respect for the person still behind the curtain.
Boom! Bang!
The ground around Ji Han was torn up as the palm force pulverized the surroundings. Debris flew at Ji Han’s body, but he did not dodge. This Cheon Dae-ung was the type of human Ji Han loathed the most—a man who expressed his anger through violence, a man who believed that because he was strong, he was entitled to vent his emotions however he pleased.
The only saving grace was that the rage wasn't directed at Ji Han personally. Only after a bout of destruction did Cheon Dae-ung’s temper subside.
“Whose doing was it? Was it the old man traveling with them? Or did that mysterious woman kill them?”
Ji Han had seen at least one thing clearly: it was the work of that young man. Unless the other two had managed to display such martial prowess while lying down.
Ji Han answered honestly.
“I did not see it clearly.”
He expected a thunderous scolding, but Cheon Dae-ung actually considered that normal.
“Right. Of course you didn't.”
He considered Ji Han to be far weaker than the Blood Wind Four Swords. In fact, many in the organization disliked and looked down on him, treating him like a mere hunting dog meant for sniffing out trails.
There was a clear reason they hated Ji Han. Most of his targets were those who had deserted the organization. In short, Ji Han was the man who would come after them if they ever tried to escape.
“I suppose you were hiding far away like a coward?”
“The Blood Wind Four Swords told me to stay back, saying I would only get in the way of the fight. They said I would accidentally reveal our presence to the enemy.”
That was a lie. After pointing out the location, he had moved back on his own. Because it was a midnight ambush, the Blood Wind Four Swords had been brimming with confidence. They were men who believed that as long as the four of them were together, they wouldn't lose to anyone, even in broad daylight.
“Still, you must have seen something.”
“The battle ended so instantly that I saw nothing.”
Cheon Dae-ung grabbed Ji Han by the collar.
“If you can't even manage to tattle properly, what use are you other than sniffing? Should I just slice this nose off?”
Avoiding that contemptuous gaze, Ji Han lowered his head deeply. Cheon Dae-ung threw him aside. Ji Han tumbled across the floor. He could have landed gracefully using his lightness technique, but doing so might have provoked the man into using a killing move.
Cheon Dae-ung turned back toward the curtain and spoke respectfully to the person beyond it.
“I believe you will have to handle this matter, Elder.”
The shadow behind the curtain took a sip of wine and set the cup down.
“Very well.”
The curtain was pulled aside, and the man called 'Elder' revealed himself. Upon seeing him, Ji Han understood why even the foul-tempered Cheon Dae-ung was showing such deference.
“Lead me to them.”
*
The carriage set off early the next morning.
Geom Mu-geuk acted as if nothing had happened the previous night, making Tae-su wonder if he had just dreamed the whole thing.
“By any chance, do you know who those attackers were last night?”
Geom Mu-geuk nodded. “I do.”
“You do? Who were they?”
“Why are you curious now?”
“I feel like I should at least know the names of the men I buried.”
That wasn't the real reason. He was curious about just how powerful the experts were that Geom Mu-geuk had killed. Last night, he had been too shocked and frantic to ask.
“The Blood Wind Four Swords.”
Tae-su jumped in surprise, then immediately shook his head. “Oh, come on. Stop joking.”
He was certain Geom Mu-geuk was just picking a random name of a four-man group because there were four bodies. Even for a joke, he should have picked something believable. The Blood Wind Four Swords?
The Blood Wind Four Swords were famous experts of the Unorthodox Faction. The number of martial artists they had killed was uncountable. Many of their victims were famous masters whose names everyone knew. Furthermore, as expected of Unorthodox experts, they had committed countless atrocities. They were the kind of people whose very name would cause a tavern to fall silent the moment someone mentioned them.
And those men died without even getting to swing their swords properly? That was impossible.
“I’m not that naive. I’ve rolled around the Jianghu long enough. So stop teasing me and tell me who they really were.”
Geom Mu-geuk just drove the carriage in silence. He didn't insist they were the Blood Wind Four Swords. Ironically, that made it feel more real. Recalling Geom Mu-geuk’s lightning-fast movements from the night before, Tae-su asked again in a trembling voice.
“Was it really the Blood Wind Four Swords?”
When Geom Mu-geuk nodded, Tae-su’s face turned pale. Back when the scramble for the treasure map first began, those chasing him were just nameless martial artists blinded by greed. He could just avoid them with his lightness skill and Bone-Shrinking Art. He didn't need to know their names, nor was he curious.
But now, the big names were starting to appear. The Blood Wind Four Swords. The terrifying Blood Wind Four Swords he had only heard stories about had pointed their blades at him and died before his eyes.
Perhaps this was only the beginning of the terrifying names he would hear. Composing himself, Tae-su looked at Geom Mu-geuk. Did this man really kill the Blood Wind Four Swords?
“Did you know who they were when you killed them?”
“I didn't know when I was killing them.”
“Then how do you know now?”
“Because a report flew in this morning.”
“From whom?”
“The Heavenly Demon Escort Agency has information networks all over the Central Plains. We have a thousand horses; imagine how fast we can exchange messages.”
Tae-su looked at him, unsure whether to believe this or not. Geom Mu-geuk pulled a piece of paper from his robe and handed it to him. As Tae-su read the contents, he let out a scream.
“Agh!”
It was because of another name written on the paper.
—The Blood Wind Four Swords are currently serving as the right-hand men of Cheon Dae-ung, the Fire Dragon Unit Leader of the Evil King Sect.
“They belonged to the Evil King Sect?!”
The Evil King Sect. It was a sect notorious for being the most violent and infamous in the Unorthodox Faction. Originally, they hadn't been this infamous, but at some point, they began taking in those who had committed crimes and fled from the Murim, and the sect's power changed. Now, it was a gathering place for so many villains that people said if you caused trouble in the Murim, you should hide in the Evil King Sect.
“We have to hide. This is no time to be out in the open!”
Tae-su was truly terrified. Every rumor about the Evil King Sect was enough to make one's skin crawl. The fact that they killed people wasn't the point. What horrified everyone was how they killed. They killed with extreme cruelty. They were people who had abandoned their humanity, and they used that terror to grow their sect even stronger.
And he was this calm after provoking the Evil King Sect?
“Give me the reins. I’ll find a place to hide.”
Since Tae-su was accustomed to running and hiding, he felt he had to take charge. The two people inside the carriage and this Geom Mu-geuk—why were they so nonchalant when the name of the Evil King Sect had come up?
“I’ll teach you the Bone-Shrinking Art, so let’s go back to the Ten Thousand Holes Cave and hide in those holes.”
He wasn't joking; he was dead serious. Other sects might be different, but the Evil King Sect was crawling with true monsters.
“I could go in, but I can't exactly ask our elders to squeeze into such a cramped space, can I?”
“The opponent is the Evil King Sect! I’m telling you, they aren't people a mere escort agency can handle! If we hide somewhere for a few years, they’ll forget about the treasure map.”
Geom Mu-geuk laughed as he looked at Tae-su. Neither he nor the Demon Lords had a few years—they didn't even have a few days to spare. Kid, we’re busy people.
“What about your scent?”
“Ah!”
Tae-su had momentarily forgotten. He had forgotten what they were using to track him. Unless he cut off his own hands, he couldn't escape the Evil King Sect’s pursuit.
Geom Mu-geuk mentioned a certain place. “Should we ask the Unorthodox Path Alliance for help?”
Tae-su looked at him as if he were absurd. “You want to call in a tiger to chase away a wolf?”
“It’s called 'treating poison with poison.'”
“No matter how villainous the Evil King Sect is, blood is thicker than water, isn't it? If the Evil King Sect falls, the power of the Unorthodox Faction weakens. The Unorthodox Path Alliance won't strike them.”
“If a war breaks out with the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult or the Orthodox Faction, do you really think the Evil King Sect will fight on the front lines? Not a chance! They’re the type to use that chaos to gain their own profit. The current Unorthodox Path Alliance probably wants to wipe them out. Even evil should have a minimum level of class.”
Even if Geom Mu-geuk was seeing that part correctly…
“Even if the Unorthodox Path Alliance stops them, do you think they’ll just leave the treasure map alone?”
“And if they don't?”
“They’ll obviously steal it. And they’ll kill us all to keep the secret.”
“I doubt it.”
At that carefree answer, Tae-su finally let out a sigh. Could they really survive with the Evil King Sect targeting the treasure map? Was this nonchalance truly born from composure and skill?
“If experts appear that we cannot handle, please just hand me over.”
Of course, he didn't mean it; he was testing Geom Mu-geuk.
“Naturally, I should.”
It was the logical answer, but Tae-su felt a pang of disappointment nonetheless.
“However, that won't happen.”
“What?”
“Because there won't be any opponent we cannot handle.”
Hearing those words, Tae-su suddenly remembered something his father had told him.
—Do not covet the treasure map! It is an object we cannot handle.
Even if it was an object he couldn't handle, at least in this moment, he wanted to believe Geom Mu-geuk’s bluff.
Please, let you be able to handle it!
How much further had they traveled? An old man stood blocking the road.
Exuding a massive presence, he was the very same old man who had been drinking wine with Cheon Dae-ung earlier. He stood with his white beard fluttering over his white robes, looking very much like an immortal. On the surface, he looked like someone who had transcended the mundane world, but he was someone who had transcended it in a different way.
Knowing the opponent was the Evil King Sect, it wasn't hard to deduce who this old man, wearing clothes embroidered with the character for 'Ten Thousand,' was.
“Manak Sanin!”
Tae-su trembled from head to toe. Manak Sanin was an absolute master of the Unorthodox Faction who had committed every imaginable atrocity. There were countless rumors about him. Some said he was called Manak Sanin because he had killed ten thousand experts, others said it was because he had committed ten thousand evils. Some said both were true.
‘No matter how strong these people are, they can't face Manak Sanin!’
Manak Sanin didn't ask who had killed the Blood Wind Four Swords.
“Who has the treasure map?”
Without hesitation, Geom Mu-geuk looked at Tae-su.
Wait, even if it’s the truth, you’re looking at me that blatantly?
Tae-su felt that the moment they couldn't handle had finally arrived. It had come much sooner than expected. He understood why Geom Mu-geuk was abandoning him. Who could possibly handle Manak Sanin? His bluffing ended here.
If things had already come to this…
Tae-su spoke to Manak Sanin with a look of grim determination. He didn't know why he felt this way, but the words came out.
“I have memorized the treasure map. Take me and let these people go. If you kill them, you will never know the location of the treasure. Please, let them live!”
At Tae-su, who was trying to set conditions, Manak Sanin gave a laugh filled with killing intent. On the other hand, beside Tae-su, a broad grin broke out that seemed to offset all that coldness.
“Kid, I think you just stole my heart.”