Death Is Fair to Everyone (2)
The thunder of hooves rolled across the land.
More than a hundred riders surged over the plains at terrifying speed. These were no ordinary mounts. They tore through rugged forest trails with unnatural grace, and their training went far beyond that. They had been drilled relentlessly to achieve perfect unity between rider and horse, capable of executing flawless tactics even across sand dunes or treacherous mountain terrain.
That’s fortunate, Yeon Hojeong thought.
Guizhou Province was dominated by mountains. For martial artists confident in their footwork, dismounting and running might actually be faster. But the Dragon Fang Iron Cavalry were different.
Their horses were massive yet astonishingly agile, and despite their weight they possessed greater endurance than even the imperial army’s finest steeds. This was all thanks to Yang Cheon’s generous support. These animals had been raised on spiritual herbs that most humans could only dream of tasting. At this point, each mount was practically a weapon of war in its own right, powerful enough to hold its own against seasoned martial artists.
After crossing several mountain ridges, the party finally slowed and came to a brief rest.
“Here,” Hwang Seok-tae said, scanning the surroundings. “Do you see that dark building over there?”
Yeon Hojeong raised his internal energy and sharpened his gaze. Far in the distance, nestled within the forest, stood a small structure. It was barely large enough to be called a building, and it blended so perfectly with the trees that even most martial artists would pass by without noticing it.
“Yes, I see it.”
“That is one of the few information outposts the Black Dragon Department maintains in Guizhou. The agents there will bring us up to speed on the current situation.”
“Good.”
Hwang Seok-tae issued orders to the squad leader. “They should already know we’ve arrived. Go and retrieve every piece of information they have on Hundred Weapons Divine Lord Mak Won.”
“Understood!”
The squad leader and several men dismounted and raced down the slope with blinding speed.
Pae Yul slid off his horse. “Let’s rest while we can.”
“As you say,” Yeon Hojeong replied, dismounting as well. The two of them settled onto a flat boulder.
Hwang Seok-tae frowned. “We may need to move at any moment. It would be wiser not to let our guard down.”
“Resting when you can is also a skill,” Pae Yul grunted.
“You’ll regret it if you get stabbed in the back.”
“Don’t confuse mental tension with physical recovery. Keep your senses sharp, but let the body relax. The Iron Cavalry may live by discipline and military rigor, but from here on we have no idea what kind of fights we’ll face.”
Hwang Seok-tae stared at Yeon Hojeong for a long moment, then turned to his men. “All of you, rest.”
“Yes, sir!”
Yeon Hojeong smiled faintly. Whatever else one might say about Hwang Seok-tae, the man knew when to listen. His pride was immense, but he kept both his ears and his mind open.
Hwang Seok-tae approached Yeon Hojeong. “What do you think?”
“About what?”
“The air in this place.”
Yeon Hojeong turned to Pae Yul. “What is your opinion, Senior?”
“What opinion? It’s filthy as hell,” Pae Yul answered bluntly. He had drawn his short spear and was cleaning its blade. “There’s a thick, ominous killing intent riding the wind. The air itself is clean, but it feels like it’s mixed with dirt and grime.”
He spat on the ground. “Tastes unclean. Like it’s full of garbage.”
“I agree,” Yeon Hojeong said.
Hwang Seok-tae looked at Pae Yul with surprise. He had often heard Yeon Hojeong address the man as “Senior.” He also knew Pae Yul was an elder of the Jeomchang Sect and that his martial prowess was in no way inferior to his own. Still, Yeon Hojeong’s presence was so overwhelming that Pae Yul tended to fade into the background. In truth, someone of Pae Yul’s level would have been qualified to serve as the founding ancestor of most ordinary sects.
Hwang Seok-tae glanced at Pae Yul’s short spear. “I heard the Jeomchang Sect is famous for its Shooting Sun Sword.”
Pae Yul’s face twisted into a scowl. “Don’t say things that’ll put me in a bad mood.”
Hwang Seok-tae tilted his head. “Was I wrong? When people speak of Jeomchang, they speak of the Shooting Sun Sword. I was under the impression it was renowned as the greatest piercing technique in the orthodox faction.”
“There is no such sword now.”
“No such sword?”
Hwang Seok-tae secretly circulated his qi, sharpening his senses. Only then did he truly feel the depth of Pae Yul’s power.
It was perfectly refined. Every ounce of his powerful internal energy was contained without the slightest waste. Even those who had crossed the wall of martial mastery possessed different strengths and weaknesses. Yet from what Hwang Seok-tae could see, Pae Yul’s foundation was flawless.
And he uses both sword and spear…
The Jeomchang Sect’s sword style emphasized lightning-fast thrusts. Their blades were supposedly narrow, with dull edges and extremely sharp points. But Pae Yul’s sword was only slightly longer than a small blade, and its width was considerable. No matter how short the sword, that shape didn’t seem suited for rapid piercing strikes.
An elder of the Jeomchang Sect who uses an irregular sword and short spear as his main weapons…
Hwang Seok-tae’s gaze shifted to Yeon Hojeong.
They really do flock together.
An elder of the Jeomchang Sect, famous for the Shooting Sun Sword, was carrying weapons that didn’t suit the sect at all. Yeon Hojeong was even worse. The Byeoksan Yeon family was a prestigious sword clan that carried on the orthodox sword tradition of the Central Plains. Yet their eldest son wielded a brutal axe as his primary weapon, currently carried a spear on his back, and had wrapped his body in strange iron chains.
When he thought about it, the entire group was bizarre. Among them, Kang Liang was practically the most normal.
Though even that one was strange, laughing without a care inside an organization whose leader was his mortal enemy.
“By the way,” Pae Yul said, turning to Yeon Hojeong. “You said you’re being chased by government experts?”
“That’s right.”
Pae Yul’s eyes deepened. Yeon Hojeong had specifically said “government experts” rather than “imperial experts.” To most martial artists the two sounded the same, but Yeon Hojeong clearly distinguished between them. And Pae Yul knew exactly why.
“Even a rotten fish is still a fish. I’ve heard the imperial palace is another den of demons. Supposedly it’s crawling with incredible experts the world knows nothing about.”
“It’s likely true. Especially among those protecting the emperor’s bloodline, there are probably absolute masters who would leave your jaw on the floor.”
“But the government offices don’t have experts on that level, do they? No matter how excellent their tactics and strategies may be, their opponent is Hundred Weapons Divine Lord Mak Won. Even if they brought in cannons, they’d be lucky not to be annihilated instead of capturing him.”
Yeon Hojeong had personally smashed cannons and charged straight through them when rescuing Ki Woo-hee.
Against a supreme expert possessing both devastating martial arts capable of shattering steel and outstanding tactical acumen, cannons were useless. Even a supreme expert might die instantly if struck directly, but who would let themselves be hit so easily?
And this was Mak Won they were talking about—an absolute master who had entered the Limitless realm and established his own unique domain.
Unless they trapped him in an enclosed space and fired hundreds of cannons at once, capturing him would be impossible.
“That would normally be the case,” Yeon Hojeong said. “The problem is that Mak Won is currently being pursued for some unknown reason.”
“Hmm.”
“A warrior of his caliber could simply flee far away if he didn’t want to face his enemies. Yet he is clearly being chased. That leaves two possibilities.”
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes grew profound.
“Either the government has dispatched an overwhelming force capable of capturing Mak Won, or Mak Won himself is not in normal condition.”
“……”
“Or possibly both.”
Pae Yul stared at him for a moment, then let out a chuckle. “I really did follow the right person.”
“Pardon?”
“I told you, didn’t I? Following you is always entertaining.”
Yeon Hojeong gave a bitter smile. “This is a rescue operation, not an extermination campaign. And whether it’s rescue or extermination, it will involve bloodshed. I find no enjoyment in that.”
“I do. I plan to keep tagging along after you like a shadow.”
“Do as you wish.”
With a disinterested wave of his hand, Yeon Hojeong scanned their surroundings once more.
It really is filthy.
He fully agreed with Pae Yul’s assessment. The mountain air itself was fresh, yet the killing intent mixed within it was so oppressive it made proper breathing difficult.
Yeon Hojeong fell into thought.
Who could it be?
Whether he had been ambushed or not, even if he wasn’t at full strength, Mak Won would still be formidable. Masters who had reached the Limitless realm defied common sense. Even if they lost limbs or suffered severe internal injuries, the Holy Heaven experts could still display power that would trouble even the current Yeon Hojeong.
The government was chasing such a being.
Whether through cannons or otherwise, there would undoubtedly be experts among the pursuers capable of facing Mak Won directly. At the very least one, possibly several whose numbers would be difficult to count.
Did the imperial palace secretly dispatch experts? Or has the government been secretly cultivating them without anyone knowing?
But the government ultimately served as the palace’s limbs. It might be best to consider the two as a single entity.
A sudden thought made Yeon Hojeong frown.
Surely the Three Sects aren’t involved in this?
At first the possibility had felt strong. But after traveling this far, he had dismissed the idea.
If the Three Sects were involved, it would most likely be the Shinhwa Sect. Many of the Shinhwa Sect’s experts who had entered the Central Plains had already died at the hands of Yeon Hojeong and his allies.
The Shinhwa Sect was attempting to seize control of the imperial palace and had achieved considerable success. Under those circumstances, it would be difficult for them to invest high-level forces just to capture a single person, even if that person was a Holy Heaven expert.
Of course, all of this is mere speculation. I still know too little about both the Shinhwa Sect and the imperial palace’s internal affairs.
It was analysis based on fragmentary information. Therefore, the possibility that the Three Sects were involved could not be entirely ruled out.
I still don’t know.
He had tried to dismiss the idea of the Three Sects’ involvement because he feared being swept up in emotion and losing his cold reason.
But what if they truly were involved?
“Huu.”
After a light deep breath, Yeon Hojeong smiled faintly.
Then we fight.
There was no need to overthink it. Whether it was the Three Sects or anyone else, his mission was to bring Mak Won into the Orthodox-Dark Alliance. For now, that was all he needed to focus on.
Nothing else.
Boom!
Yeon Hojeong’s head snapped toward the west.
“Hm? What is it?” Pae Yul asked, tilting his head. Hwang Seok-tae wore the same puzzled expression.
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes narrowed. “Didn’t you hear that strange sound just now?”
“I didn’t hear anything.”
“……”
“Why? Did you sense something?”
Pae Yul’s face grew serious as well. Yeon Hojeong’s senses were sharper and more refined than anyone present. If there was a sound the rest of them had missed, he would be the one to catch it.
“It was… an explosion. It sounded similar to cannon fire, but the echoes made it hard to distinguish clearly…”
At that moment—
Flash!
Yeon Hojeong sensed a single streak of light rising subtly into the sky from the direction the sound had come. It was so far away that even martial artists would struggle to see it clearly.
From that exact spot, he witnessed a tail of golden flame ascending.
Yeon Hojeong shot to his feet.
“Senior Pae Yul! Let’s move first!”
Hwang Seok-tae’s eyes widened. “What?!”
“You make contact with the information unit and follow after us! The situation is urgent, so we’ll go ahead!”
“Hey—!”
With a explosive burst of sound, Yeon Hojeong and Pae Yul vanished.
Hwang Seok-tae stood there, utterly dumbfounded.
“He beats his own drum and plays his own flute. Just what the hell does that bastard think he’s doing?!”