Garak Becomes a Rat
Seobaek burst out from the forest beyond, with Seo-wi-ryang right behind him.
"Aigoo, Buddha. Thank you."
Jo Yeong summoned even the Buddha he rarely believed in, sighing in relief.
Seobaek first checked Jo Yeong's body. "You okay?"
"Lucky for me, I'm fine. But how did you know to come here...?"
"The lord told us to check it out. So, you're saying that guy's the one who killed the teahouse owner?"
"That's right."
"Looking at his ugly mug, I bet he's never gotten a proper glance from a woman in his life. Doesn't mean you can go around doing crap like that, though."
Seobaek glared at Garak, provoking him.
Seo-wi-ryang drew his sword and moved to Garak's right flank.
Seobaek warned, "He's no ordinary guy. Be careful."
Seo-wi-ryang nodded silently and slowly took position on Garak's right.
Seobaek furrowed his brow. He already knew Garak was an extraordinary master. That made it even harder to understand.
How dare he commit murder in a city not far from the Iron Blood Family... Is he insane, or is there something about the teahouse owner we don't know?
Meanwhile, Garak stared at the suddenly appeared Seobaek and Seo-wi-ryang, his eyes cooling.
To think a mere arrow could pack this much destructive power...
Blocking it hadn't been hard. But the shock he'd felt upon doing so was astonishing.
Garak glanced at Seo-wi-ryang on his right. Even being generous, the kid looked mid-twenties. Yet from his gaze to the aura flowing through his entire body, it was no different from a battle-hardened veteran of the jianghu.
Seo-wi-ryang narrowed his eyes and shouted, "Hey, who the hell are you? What gives you the right to rampage in Iron Blood territory?"
So that's it. Men from the Iron Blood Family.
Garak flushed red with anger at himself.
To let a moment of lust blow everything up like this...
If even one of them escaped alive, the whole plan could fall apart. With Jeokhon already on the move, screwing up because of him could turn everything he'd built in the Blood Clan to dust in an instant. It would all trace back to his failure to control his lust and assaulting the teahouse owner.
Of course, there was still a way to fix it all.
Kill them all.
Garak poured internal energy into his sword, praying Ilho had taken out the others.
Ching!
Seobaek slung his bow and drew his sword. Jo Yeong channeled energy into his blade and moved to Seobaek's left.
Garak targeted Seo-wi-ryang first—he was closest.
Bang!
As Garak moved, space warped, dozens of afterimages trailing behind. Ihyeonghwanwi—the domain of those who had reached the Absolute Realm.
Seo-wi-ryang's sword sliced empty air. At the same moment, Seobaek leaped in, and sword energy erupted from Jo Yeong's blade.
Boom! Pop-pop! Bang!
Three explosions rang out almost simultaneously. The first from Garak's sword clashing with Seo-wi-ryang's, the next two from Seobaek and Jo Yeong's strikes hitting trees and rocks in Garak's wake.
"...!"
Garak was the most shocked in that single clash.
Reeeeng.
More astonishing than the shock climbing his wrist was that Seo-wi-ryang had only retreated two steps.
This is bad...
Garak finally realized his mistake. In his excitement over the potential plan disruption, he'd failed to properly gauge his foes.
This guy's no pushover.
Seo-wi-ryang advanced. Vmmm! His sword emitted a blue glow.
"Hey, you rat-faced old bastard. Did you learn martial arts just to rape weak women? What a waste, you son of a bitch!"
Shhh...
Killing intent spread from Garak's body. He unleashed Ihyeonghwanwi again. But not at Seo-wi-ryang. Feinting an attack on him, he bolted like lightning toward Jo Yeong approaching from behind.
Jo Yeong didn't retreat, swinging his sword. Seobaek targeted Garak's waist at the same time.
Boom!
"Ugh!"
Jo Yeong groaned and flew back. Garak used the recoil to twist sideways, slapping Seobaek's sword with his left palm.
Boom!
Blood—whose, it was unclear—splattered into the air. It all happened in a blink.
Yet unexpectedly, Seo-wi-ryang held his ground. His pride wouldn't allow a three-on-one.
He acknowledged Garak as a master. That made it even harder to stomach.
I want to face him one-on-one...
A warrior's fighting spirit boiled within him.
Garak was just as frustrated.
Damn it...
He'd ambushed Jo Yeong, whom he judged weakest, to thin their numbers. Up to the thrust, he'd been sure it was a kill. But at the last moment, Jo Yeong's sword unleashed far more power than expected, foiling the lethal blow.
The other two are no jokes either. Even if I win like this, I won't come out unscathed. In that case...
As Garak's mind raced, Jo Yeong—half-buried in the forest—rose with a pained groan.
"You okay?"
"...Feels like death. Ptoo!"
Jo Yeong spat blood-mixed saliva, glaring at Garak with eyes blazing like flames. "Come at me again, you dog!"
That was when it happened.
Bang!
Garak suddenly kicked off the ground, leaped over Jo Yeong's head, and vanished into the forest.
As Seo-wi-ryang moved to pursue, Seobaek shouted, "Don't chase!"
Seobaek showed Seo-wi-ryang his sword in hand. Cracks everywhere, it shattered into dozens of pieces.
Clatter.
"Too dangerous for you alone."
"You looking down on me?"
"Don't get cocky. Listen."
That was when it happened.
Thud!
Jo Yeong toppled backward like a log. "Wait... just catching my breath. Huff huff huff!"
Seobaek gave a wry smile. "There might be more around, but we can't leave this guy and chase."
"Then say so sooner."
Seo-wi-ryang wrinkled his nose, staring where Garak had fled.
Seobaek clicked his tongue. "No idea where he's from, but colder than a snake. A master like that should fight to the death, not run..."
Seo-wi-ryang nodded in agreement. He'd never imagined Garak fleeing.
Finally met someone stronger than those Ghost Corps bastards...
He regretted not clashing properly with Garak.
"Why the long face?"
"It's a shame."
Click!
Seo-wi-ryang sheathed his sword and approached Jo Yeong, who was still gasping at the sky.
"That was unwise. Mu Yeong-hyung would chew you out if he knew."
"It's... luring that monster here drained too much energy... Tell the instructor for real. Huff huff huff!"
Pfft.
"Got it. Still, you blocked pretty well."
That was when it happened.
Flutter!
A few birds burst from the forest.
Seo-wi-ryang's eyes sharpened. "He hasn't left."
"Might be waiting for backup, so stay sharp." Seobaek turned to Jo Yeong and said quietly, "There's a rock right behind the trees. Circulate your qi there."
"Got it."
Jo Yeong, breath somewhat steady, dashed into the woods and sat cross-legged.
Seobaek looked at his bow and muttered, "Sword's broken, so guess it's time to reveal your secret."
"What're you talking about?"
"You'll see."
Seobaek moved left, back to the woods where Jo Yeong had gone. Seo-wi-ryang eyed him curiously, then took position on the right.
Whoooosh.
Shhh...!
Fierce winds battered the forest.
* * *
Garak peered through the brush at Seobaek and Seo-wi-ryang, brow furrowed.
How can kids that young...
Then something flashed in Garak's mind. The hottest names in the current world.
If they're from Iron Blood, then Yeon-hoo and his guards? Yeah, no other way kids that age could be this strong.
Garak was convinced. From Iron Blood, that power at their age—it had to be Yeon-hoo's guards.
He hesitated.
Let them live and go back, I might take all the blame.
Garak knew Jeokhon's ruthlessness better than anyone. Even trusted aides got their heads chopped if they harmed the organization.
To avoid that, he had to kill all three and eliminate the threat.
But as he'd seen, they were no easy marks.
And I couldn't even properly gauge that one's skill.
Garak's gaze fixed on Seo-wi-ryang. The other two rushing in had prevented a clear read—that nagged at him most.
Kill him first, and the other two fall easy.
Garak resolved to assassinate Seo-wi-ryang via ambush.
Whoooosh! Shhh!
Fortunately, gale-force winds shook the trees violently—perfect cover for his stealth approach.
Garak crept forward, suppressing his presence. Then his face reddened.
Me, Garak, reduced to fighting like this...
To his ambitious self, this was humiliating. He looked no different from the assassins he despised.
Snap!
Damn...
Garak's face twisted in dismay. A moment's distraction had made him step on a twig.
He stared at Seobaek and Seo-wi-ryang. Sure enough, they were looking this way. Ambush ruined.
That was when it happened.
Garak's head snapped back. A presence approached from behind.
The instant he sensed it nearing, it was already close.
Not Ilho!
The energy came from the north. Ilho had gone south after the others.
Garak slipped into the rear woods, distributing energy throughout his body for any contingency. He focused every nerve on identifying the approaching force.
Moments later, its speed slowed drastically, and a figure emerged from the brush.
"...!"
Garak's eyes widened. It was Yeon-hoo.
His throat tightened; he let dry saliva drip from his mouth rather than swallow—swallowing might give him away.
Shhh...
Almost buried my bones here.
Garak shivered. Had he attacked sooner, he'd face Yeon-hoo too—the worst scenario.
He watched Yeon-hoo pass him toward Seobaek and Seo-wi-ryang, eyes steady. No more worries about aftermath.
To survive, he had to flee now. Garak gathered energy in his legs for lightness skill.
That was when it happened.
"How long are you going to hide like a rat?"