Digging My Own Grave
The tracking team had spent half a shichen investigating along the riverbank, but they only found fake traces.
“The words of the Great Hero Po were indeed correct.”
Jang Hyeon-nam trusted the tracking team more than Po Un, as they had put in the effort to chase the traces.
Po Un had merely made a guess, while the tracking team had evidence, so trusting their words was only natural.
But upon seeing the broken traces, he regretted that he should have been more cautious.
‘If the place where the Great Hero Po went is indeed the enemy’s hideout, could we properly rescue Baek So-je with that number of people?’
Except for a few Tang Clan martial artists who had accompanied Po Un, the martial artists who went with him were not at a level where one could relax.
The Shaanxi Four Heroes were barely at the Second-Rate level, and the other wandering martial artists from the inns were of similar strength.
‘The only one I can trust is the young lady Tang Seol-yong. If it’s her, I can at least rest easy.’
But I couldn’t just sit here and wait.
Even now, the best course of action was to go to the place Po Un had mentioned and help.
“Let’s quickly leave this place and enter the Weinan central hub. I’ll run with light kung fu, so from now on, adjust your qi circulation.”
Among the people gathered here, there was not a single one who had greater internal energy than Jang Hyeon-nam.
The Mount Hua Sect disciples who had followed were all Third-Rate, so their internal energy was one thousand.
‘At least with Sang Hero here, I feel at ease.’
Thinking about it, Sang Ryo was also a Sapa expert, so in the orthodox martial world, he was looked down upon as a martial artist.
But right now, he was the strongest martial artist present.
‘This time, the Sapa martial artists will be a great help. Seeing the Great Hero Sang and the Great Hero Po.’
Until now, there had been prejudice against the Sapa martial world, but this incident was changing his thoughts.
As Jang Hyeon-nam turned to leave the riverbank, someone shouted.
“Hey, there’s a boat there that looks like one from Macheon Chong.”
One of the tracking team shouted, and Jang Hyeon-nam approached the riverbank.
Using his sharp eyes, he saw that there was indeed a Macheon Chong mark on the stern.
“Since the boat is approaching from the riverbank side, it seems to be coming to the pier.”
The pier had already been checked and passed.
“It might be carrying Baek So-je already.”
“If they’ve loaded Baek So-je, they should be leaving. Why are they coming back?”
In response to the Mount Hua Sect disciple’s question, the tracking team answered.
“It might be to load someone onto the boat now. So, we need to investigate. However, given the size of the boat, it’s likely carrying high-level people, so moving rashly could be dangerous.”
Considering various circumstances, it was a boat worth investigating thoroughly.
“From now on, everyone pay attention to concealment and head to the pier. Do not attack rashly, and do not move until instructed.”
Jang Hyeon-nam skillfully led the martial artists as if he had been commanding for a long time.
His sturdy appearance beyond his years and his status as a Wudang Sect disciple made people trust him.
The sect that wields greater fame than Shaolin in the current martial world is Wudang.
Due to the influence of constantly producing and leading great martial artists in the martial world, the martial world of the current era could not be said to be formed around Wudang.
His background also played a part in gathering the martial artists at the inn.
***
The area around the pier was paved with mugwort, making it good for concealment.
The silver waves of the mugwort flowing in the wind created another river.
“Someone is disembarking.”
One young man and two middle-aged men.
The young man was wearing a yellow robe, which immediately looked like a high-ranking official of Macheon Chong.
The two middle-aged men guarding the young man exuded the aura of experts.
“Do you not know who that person is?”
One martial artist who had been assigned to the tracking team opened his mouth.
“There is one high-ranking official of Macheon Chong who frequently wears yellow robes.”
“Who is he?”
“Do you know Bulsama Hyeok Chung, one of the Twelve Demon Lords of Macheon Chong?”
“Ah! Bulsama!”
“Hyeok Chung!”
Exclamations erupted from all around.
Among them, no one was unaware of Bulsama Hyeok Chung.
Or rather, it would not be an exaggeration to say that there was no one in the orthodox martial world who did not know him, a major expert of Macheon Chong.
When mentioning the top ten experts of the orthodox martial world, comparing them to the experts of Macheon Chong was one of the daily routines of martial artists.
Consequently, martial artists could recite the top ten experts of the orthodox martial world and the top ten Sapa outsiders in a row.
Among the martial artists who knew well how strong Bulsama Hyeok Chung was, a deep silence clung.
Even if all the martial artists gathered here attacked, they could not guarantee to touch even his clothes.
Jang Hyeon-nam looked over the martial artists following him.
‘With just us, we definitely cannot handle them.’
Jang Hyeon-nam was not a fool who would rush to death despite his hot-bloodedness from being a martial arts rookie.
Instead of expressing that retreating would be better, someone opened their mouth.
“Eh? Look there.”
A martial artist carrying a woman on his side was handing her over to the Bulsama’s guard martial artists.
“Is it Baek So-je?”
Using his sharp eyes to look at the woman, but he couldn’t recognize her because her entire body was covered with a black face veil.
“We can’t tell because she’s wrapped in cloth. But there’s a high possibility it’s Baek So-je.”
If the traces leading to this place were from Baek I-jin’s kidnapping, the woman wrapped in the veil was likely Baek I-jin.
If the woman being handed over was Baek I-jin, it was a situation where we must definitely rescue her.
If they escaped on the boat, there would be no chance to rescue Baek I-jin.
“It seems the moment has come for us to stake our lives. Have you prepared your hearts? Right now, we will be fighting an unwinnable battle. So, there’s no one to scold even if you retreat now. You can quietly slip away from this place.”
There was no one in the group who was shaken by Jang Hyeon-nam’s words.
“After all, while living in the martial world, one’s fate is to die by someone’s sword someday. But if it’s now, it might not be that unfair.”
Seeing that they were all calm even in a situation where death was possible, Jang Hyeon-nam realized that they were indeed seniors of the martial world.
“When I was about to disembark, one of my hyungs said, ‘It seems there aren’t many chivalrous heroes in the martial world than one might think. While roaming the Jianghu, you might not meet any chivalrous heroes. My hyung was lamenting that the chivalry of the Jianghu is disappearing.’ I remembered that hyung. But it seems that hyung was just unlucky. Because I met so many chivalrous heroes on my first Jianghu journey. That means there are plenty of chivalrous heroes in the martial world, right?”
One martial artist replied.
“I don’t mean to insult your hyung, but chivalrous heroes gather around other chivalrous heroes. Since Jang So-je has strong chivalrous spirit, chivalrous heroes have gathered around him.”
“That’s right. Staking one’s life even in a situation where death is possible on one’s first martial world journey is something anyone can’t do.”
Although their spirit was soaring, they didn’t think they could steal the woman from the Macheon Chong experts.
They just thought showing the chivalry of the orthodox martial world would suffice.
“If we ignore the injustice in front of our eyes because our power is weak, that is not chivalry.”
“Even though there’s a way to live, seeing them trying to enter the path of death, it seems we’re not the kind of martial artists who will live long.”
At this moment that might be their last, they were chatting to pass the time.
That made Jang Hyeon-nam’s eyes sting.
“Still, to increase the probability of rescuing Baek So-je, we will devise a strategy. Divide into five groups. One group will infiltrate the boat and burn it. If the boat burns, the demonic path people will be greatly surprised. At that time, this group will attack Bulsama to tie up his feet. Taking advantage of that brief moment, the third group will attack the guard martial artists and rescue Baek So-je. I will be at the forefront attacking Bulsama. So, is there anyone who will participate?”
“I will participate.”
“I will go too.”
One martial artist stepped forward.
“Originally, my skill would interfere, but I heard that Bulsama is weak to fire. I know how to unfold the Flame Art, so I hope it helps.”
“Indeed, the orthodox high-level experts fought Bulsama several times and revealed his weakness to flames. I don’t know the reason, but it seems related to his martial arts. If we can use the Flame Art, we can definitely harass Bulsama a little.”
Thus, the five-person Bulsama attack group was formed.
To fight Bulsama Hyeok Chung was to mean to burn one’s own death.
The group became solemn in their will.
Jang Hyeon-nam nodded his head while looking at the four strongest martial artists in the group.
“The group that will attack the Bulsama’s guard martial artists, please lead them, Sang Hero. I’m sorry to entrust you with such a difficult task.”
Sang Ryo smiled faintly.
“Whether we succeed or not, we will rescue Baek So-je.”
Among the gathered group, Sang Ryo was the only Sapa person.
So, they had secretly been on guard against him, but his behavior so far showed him as a Sapa with strong chivalrous spirit.
So, one middle-aged martial artist, wanting to see through Sang Ryo’s intentions, asked a question.
“However, why did Sang Hero join this matter? Honestly, it’s hard to understand why a Sapa person would join to rescue Baek So-je. And since it might be the last moment, I’d like to hear the reason.”
From some angle, it was to eliminate doubts to smoothly carry out the operation.
But Sang Ryo could not say that.
He had been called a Sapa because he was avenging his master, and somehow it had come to this.
Because he had stained his hands with blood for revenge, the mark of being a Sapa in the martial world had been stamped on him.
Originally, Sang Ryo was a Kunlun Sect disciple and a warrior of the Nine Great Sects.
So, he could not speak the truth to not defame his sect and master.
Although Sang Ryo was pointed at as a Sapa, he always thought of himself as an orthodox person and lived that way.
This incident was also the foot of chivalry.
“If I were a demonic path person, I would hate it terribly. Especially Macheon Chong, I hate it more than death.”
It was because among those who killed his master, there were also Macheon Chong experts.
The killing intent flashing in Sang Ryo’s eyes like sunlight reflected in his eyes made everyone feel his sincerity.
After Sang Ryo finished speaking, Jang Hyeon-nam opened his mouth.
“Now, let’s move.”
Jang Hyeon-nam entered the strategy.
***
Jang Hyeon-nam entered the pier with the five people and approached the place where Bulsama Hyeok Chung was.
Since there was no guarantee of inflicting fatal damage by ambushing, they chose to confront him boldly.
Thinking that it was the chivalry of the orthodox martial world.
“Bulsama Hyeok Chung!”
When Jang Hyeon-nam called Bulsama, the Bulsama who was drinking water at the pier turned his head towards Jang Hyeon-nam.
Thinking that since no one had so far recklessly called his name and fame, it must be a hallucination.
But again, a hallucination.
“Are you Bulsama Hyeok Chung?!”
Bulsama Hyeok Chung sneered as he saw the day-flies approaching with killing intent.
“Those who went mad wanting to die. You’re provoking me even though you know who I am?”
With that one word, the fighting spirit of the day-flies disappeared.
His momentum was so strong that even though it was fifty zhang away, it was felt.
Jang Hyeon-nam raised his killing intent even more and said.
“I’m trying to kill you, so prepare to fight!”
It seemed like he was giving the opponent time to prepare, but in fact, it was a tactic to stall for time.
The longer he held Bulsama, the higher the probability that the other groups’ strategies would succeed.
“Today, I found a good plaything for myself and am in a good mood. I don’t want to stain my hands with blood, so get out!”
Indeed, a faint smile was hanging on Bulsama’s face as he spoke.
‘It seems that woman is probably Baek So-je. So, that’s why Bulsama likes her so much.’
Bulsama Hyeok Chung’s hobby was widely known in the martial world.
He was so lustful that he was called the Undying Yin Demon.
“Hey, you crazy bastard. Why? Do you have a woman you’ve been watching today? You’re going to make her a widow.”
A martial artist provoking Bulsama.
Jang Hyeon-nam was startled.
He was surprised at the curse he had never heard before, and when Bulsama Hyeok Chung reacted to that curse, he became tense.
“You’re determined to die!”
Bulsama faced the Jang Hyeon-nam group.
“Fire!”
At that moment, fire broke out on the boat he had boarded, and Bulsama’s face distorted.
“Ha! Look at these bastards! You’re provoking me to use such tricks? Go put out the fire.”
“But.”
Bulsama ignored the guard martial artist’s retort and waved his hand.
The two guard martial artists jumped into the boat with the woman on their sides.
Bulsama said to the Jang Hyeon-nam group.
“Since you’re saying you want to die, there’s no need to stop you. Come here!”
Jang Hyeon-nam shouted at those words.
“You come! This way!”
Shouting as if he had prepared something, Bulsama laughed.
“I will beat you to death.”
Bulsama Hyeok Chung strode towards them.