Chapter 73: To the Qingcheng Sect-5
Chapter 73: To the Qingcheng Sect-5
"There they are! After them!"
"Don't let them get away! Do not let them escape no matter what!"
We were still fleeing through the night streets.
And we were doing so while deliberately adjusting our speed so that they wouldn't lose us.
To ensure they kept their eyes fixed on us and continued the pursuit, I was still pretending to be an injured woman, being supported by Jeong Yeon.
Of course, since I wasn't putting any weight on her at all, there was no discomfort for Jeong Yeon in moving.
Truth be told, the discomfort was entirely on my side.
When I had been cornered with no way out and first decided to pretend to be a woman, I had felt a deep sense of despair.
'Me? In women's clothing?'
What kind of preposterous nonsense was this?
Just imagining it was utterly mortifying beyond words.
But once the operation actually began, that wasn't the important part.
In fact, since I was only wearing a blood wind robe over my bone-shrinking art, there was no real need to pretend to be a woman at all.
Jeong Yeon displayed such remarkable acting skills that I simply had to coast along with her.
How that young lady, who was always so quiet and perpetually serene, could immerse herself so realistically in the act was nothing short of astonishing.
But that wasn't the problem.
What was truly uncomfortable for me lay in something I had utterly failed to anticipate.
And that was physical contact.
- Young Master Seonwoo, if we are to look convincing, you must lean on me more.
- Y-yes? Ah, yes.
From the very beginning, as if burning her very soul into the performance, Jeong Yeon demanded that I press closer to her.
So for a while now, our posture had been one of complete bodily contact, with my arm draped over her shoulder and her arm wrapped around my waist.
For me, this was an unbearable ordeal of the highest order.
I, the human being Seonwoo Jin, through two lives, over thirty years of existence, had shamefully experienced full-body contact with a woman only once before in all that time.
'And even that one time wasn't in my past life, but in this life when I rescued Lady Dang.'
Back then, of course, I had also been tormented by countless stray thoughts that kept surfacing.
But at least then, I had the desperate urgency of needing to save Lady Dang, so there was scarcely any room for other thoughts to arise.
This time, perhaps because the enemies weren't that threatening and I had leisure, my mind kept drifting in that direction.
Why in the world were women's bodies so soft, despite them being trained martial artists?
That soft sensation kept consuming my attention, making it utterly impossible to focus.
I was ashamed.
Jeong Yeon seemed to be concentrating solely on unfolding her sword techniques without a single extraneous thought, and the fact that I was so preoccupied made me feel nothing but guilt.
Ah, how disappointing, Seonwoo Jin.
What a pathetic wretch you are.
I'm sorry, Miss Na. Ugh.
***
"Hyaaap!"
Jeong Yeon fearlessly unfurled her sword forms against the warrior blocking their path.
Once again, it was a technique from the Ami Sect's most aggressive sword art, the Extinction Sword Technique.
Chae-chae-chae-chae-chaeng!
"Urrgh, kuaaak!"
Puhwaak!
The warrior who had blocked the path before her eyes collapsed in an instant, spraying blood.
It was astonishing.
He had possessed martial prowess at the mid-level first-rate, equal to her own, and his internal energy even seemed greater than hers.
Jeong Yeon felt it distinctly.
Her own martial prowess, which had been stagnating at mid-level first-rate for so long, had risen by at least one stage in this very moment.
Until now, whenever she crossed blades with an opponent, stray thoughts had always swirled chaotically in her head, making her constantly hesitate.
Boldly extending her sword, seizing opportunities—these had always been far too difficult for her.
But now it was completely different from those times.
'Not a single thought arises. My sword simply moves on pure instinct.'
It was a wondrous thing.
Moreover, what was even stranger was that the Extinction Sword Technique she was continuously using now was a sword art she had hardly ever employed before. The reason being that it was too heavily offense-oriented, making defense unstable.
She felt as if her body was floating somewhere, untethered.
She could hear her own heart pounding in her ears, and swinging her sword without any stray thoughts was so exhilarating it was indescribable.
She didn't know if this was truly a genuine step forward in her growth or just a temporary phenomenon, but at the very least, she could clearly tell why it was happening right now.
'Young Master Seonwoo.'
Seonwoo Jin's body, pressed tightly against hers—the sensation of that steel-hard, muscular physique—was making her heart pound ceaselessly without rest.
In truth, this wasn't an emotion that had suddenly arisen just now.
Because Jeong Yeon prided herself on her self-restraint, she had deliberately ignored it, but from the very first time he rescued her, her gaze had been stolen by Seonwoo Jin.
It couldn't have been otherwise.
He was her lifesaving benefactor, and on top of that, he had that handsome face, kind eyes devoid of any selfish intent, a gentle way of speaking, and consideration for others.
There wasn't a single aspect of him that didn't shake a woman's guarded heart.
And as it turned out, wasn't he also a renowned chivalrous hero possessing outstanding martial prowess and a righteous spirit?
Her fellow disciple Jeong-an, being a diehard follower of Senior Brother Hwa Yeong-bin, would surely disagree, but in Jeong Yeon's eyes, Seonwoo Jin didn't fall short of Senior Brother Hwa—the ideal man of every Ami Sect disciple—in any way whatsoever.
'No, he might even be better.'
She even found herself thinking that compared to Senior Brother Hwa, who always seemed sorrowful, Seonwoo Jin—with his bright yet not frivolous personality—was a far more charming person.
And now, that very Seonwoo Jin's body was pressed completely against Jeong Yeon's.
That pleasant pounding of her heart had blown away all the hesitation and stray thoughts that had kept her stagnant for so long. She felt as though she wished time would simply stop like this.
But in the meantime, more and more Blood Cultists were catching up to them.
It was reaching a point where even Jeong Yeon, who had now grown by at least one stage, would find it hard to handle alone.
"That bitch has some skill!"
"Strike all at once!"
"Euhaaap!"
As three enemies surrounded them and charged simultaneously, a flustered expression finally appeared on the elated Jeong Yeon's face.
But at that moment, as always, Seonwoo Jin's telepathic transmission came through.
- My lady! Only deal with the one on the far right! You need not concern yourself with the rest!
The right?
Since Jeong Yeon was supporting Seonwoo Jin on her left side, engaging the enemy on the right was indeed the most convenient.
Jeong Yeon ignored the two swords on her left without hesitation and focused solely on the one on the right.
It was nothing short of perfect trust.
"Haat!"
Extinction Sword Technique, second form.
Heavenly King's Wrath.
Syuhaak!
Jeong Yeon's sword became three lightning strikes, thrusting at the Blood Cultist.
It was a killing form that, rather than defending against the opponent's thrusting sword, thrust her own sword alongside it without defense—aiming to pierce the opponent first.
"Th-this bitch?!"
Faced with a technique of mutual destruction, the Blood Cultist flinched in alarm and tried to defend against Jeong Yeon's sword.
Because he had two comrades with him besides himself, there seemed to be no need to risk danger.
But at the same moment Jeong Yeon thrust her sword, two more streaks of light shot out from within Seonwoo Jin's blood wind robe.
It was a throwing weapon technique at close range, at a speed that warriors of the first-rate level would find hard to react to.
Pushuk!
"Keok!"
Chaeng!
One man's throat was instantly pierced, while another barely managed to defend against the throwing weapon.
And that too was a result of luck rather than skill.
The Blood Cultist, having barely saved his life and feeling a chill run down his spine, hastily retreated backward.
At the same time, the sight of his comrade who had been clashing swords with Jeong Yeon failing to block her lightning-like strikes and spraying blood entered his eyes.
"Th-this is absurd!"
The Blood Cultist retreated, resolving to attack again together with his comrades.
Alone, it was utterly impossible.
But at that moment, another streak of light flew out from within the blood wind robe.
Pushuk!
The startled Blood Cultist frantically threw himself aside.
His sole thought was to flee somehow.
He didn't even have the presence of mind to confirm the throwing weapon's position.
But in the next instant, as he hurled his body, the throwing weapon lodged into the side of his neck.
He had no choice but to die on the spot.
Puuk!
"Keuheok!"
He couldn't even perceive what had happened. He had clearly thought he had evaded the throwing weapon's trajectory...
In a single moment, his consciousness simply vanished.
Jeong Yeon, having struck down her opponent dead, was looking toward Seonwoo Jin when she was taken aback with shock.
She had witnessed the throwing dagger that Seonwoo Jin had launched change direction in midair to pursue the enemy.
It was as if he were watching the legendary sword-control technique.
"Tha... that's!"
The fact that a thin silver thread was connected to that throwing blade was something Jeong Yeon only realized when Seonwoo Jin pulled the thread and retrieved the blade.
Jeong Yeon looked at him with wonder in her eyes, wanting to ask about it.
But at that moment, from behind her, a different kind of opponent came flying in.
"You insolent bitches!"
With his mean-looking impression and the red radiance blazing from the saber in his hand, he was a peak-level master.
The moment she saw the opponent's blade energy, a look of fear surfaced on Jeong Yeon's face.
He still seemed to be at the initial stage of peak-level, but even the initial stage meant he was on par with her respected senior sister, Ami Sword Peak Jeong-in.
Then, from within Seonwoo Jin's blood wind robe, three more shafts of light shot out.
Pushushuk!
These were Seonwoo Jin's throwing weapons, which until now had never required more than one per person.
But the bastard was not flustered in the slightest.
"As if!"
Chae-chae-chaeng!
Even while deflecting all three throwing weapons, the bastard charged in without slowing his speed at all.
Just as the saber emitting red blade energy was about to cleave down upon Jeong Yeon with full force, the blood wind robe Seonwoo Jin had been wearing suddenly unfurled wide in an instant.
Hwaaak!
The fourth of the Jangsan Sama, Hyo Woo-bu, scowled deeply at the blood wind robe that completely obscured his vision in that single moment.
It was a rather troublesome move.
To proceed safely, the standard tactic would be to retreat momentarily and secure his vision first, but that was far too bothersome.
"Hmph!"
Letting out a scoff, Hyo Woo-bu pressed forward and unleashed his saber strokes with full force.
"Euh-haap!"
Chwaaaak!
It was a devastating strike, like watching red lightning bolts split into countless branching limbs.
Jeong Yeon stared blankly as the red lightning descending from the sky shredded the blood wind robe to tatters in an instant.
Though it was an attack unleashed by the enemy, it was both terrifyingly powerful and beautiful.
But she was also able to see something else.
Seonwoo Jin, who had at some point returned to his original body, rising from his crouched position beside her and extending his sword forward.
His handsome profile wore a fierce smile, and before him unfurled wings of magnificent sword light.
It was like a scene straight out of a legend.
As the wings formed of sword light enveloped the opponent falling from the air, the eyes of that demon, who had seemed so colossal to Jeong Yeon, were staining with bewilderment.
The demon gnashed his teeth and swung his saber wildly in all directions.
Even to Jeong Yeon's eyes, his movements looked extremely desperate.
And the next moment, Jeong Yeon could not see.
Shuk!
No, it was as if she had seen it.
Just a single streak of light flashing.
But unable to recognize what that flash was, the sight that Jeong Yeon witnessed was Seonwoo Jin's sword already piercing through the demon's heart.
Jeong Yeon could do nothing but stare blankly at the scene.
She could not fathom what had just happened.
It felt as though the intermediate process between Seonwoo Jin thrusting his sword and that sword piercing the enemy's chest had been deleted.
A feeling as if she alone had skipped over a span of time.
It was thanks to a voice that suddenly rang out that she learned what that supremely swift sword stroke Seonwoo Jin had just unfurled was.
"One Strike, One Kill? Are you a Jeomchang Sect brat?"
Jeong Yeon flinched and turned her head that way to see a middle-aged man with a menacing impression, grinning unpleasantly as he stared at Seonwoo Jin.
A tremendous momentum that seemed to radiate from his entire body—somehow, just looking at him sent chills down her spine.
And it was not only him; those standing to his left and right also appeared to be masters of considerable skill.
Seonwoo Jin looked at him naturally, as if he had known all along, and answered.
"I'm not an official Jeomchang Sect disciple, but I suppose it's something similar. So, who are you? A demon of the Blood Cult?"
In the face of these opponents, Seonwoo Jin was completely unshaken, composed and at ease.
Seeing his relaxed demeanor, Jeong Yeon felt a small measure of relief.
But immediately after, the telepathic transmission that reached Jeong Yeon's ears was a desperate voice utterly at odds with that appearance.
- This is a master I cannot face. He seems to be a master with over eighty years of internal energy. It looks like we'll have to flee at full speed. When I count one, two, three, you must climb onto my back. Prepare yourself. One, two....
***
At the same time,
Bi Sa-yeong and Jeongan had discovered the location where the women were presumed to be imprisoned.
It was a place deep within the Gwageommun, close to the main hall, and unlike the other buildings, it was the one place where two sentries stood guard.
Moreover, it felt as if they were guarding not against intrusion from outside, but to prevent anyone from coming out from inside, so this was surely the place.
Jeongan asked Bi Sa-yeong through telepathic transmission.
- Bi Gongja, what do we do now?
Bi Sa-yeong slowly gauged their martial prowess.
The two opponents' martial prowess was roughly mid-to-upper first-rate. They appeared to be warriors of approximately the same level as Bi Sa-yeong himself.
Jeongan's martial prowess was also said to be around mid-first-rate, so under normal circumstances, fighting the enemies head-on like this would not be a wise course of action.
This was enemy territory, after all, and even a slight commotion could bring enemies swarming from anywhere.
But now, it seemed like it might be possible.
After all, his friend Seonwoo Jin had drawn all the enemies away—wasn't it true that he could not sense a single human presence around them?
Bi Sa-yeong focused his mind, surveyed the surrounding presences and terrain, and sent a telepathic transmission to Jeongan.
- Sojeo, listen carefully....
A short while later, Jeongan, her heart pounding with tension, circled around the building and moved to the sentries' flank.
According to Bi Sa-yeong, if she removed her mask and rushed at the sentries, he would handle the rest himself.
She was deeply nervous and could not understand why she had to remove her mask at all, but still, she wanted to do it.
She decided to trust him.
After taking a deep breath so as not to be detected by the enemies, Jeongan counted to three in her mind, gritted her teeth, and charged out at them.
'One, two, three!'
Pabak!
Although it was from the flank, the distance was considerable, so the enemies spotted her immediately.
"Huh?!"
"Enemy attack!"
Chang!
Chang!
In that moment, Jeongan could see their expressions, which had been glaring at her with sabers drawn, grow slightly strange.
She could not fathom the reason, but it did not seem like she would be able to ask them.
That was because, in the moment the enemies' gazes were fixed upon her, Bi Sa-yeong's saber had rushed in silently from behind them like a shaft of light and sliced through the backs of their necks in an instant.
Puhwaak!
The heads of the two men spouted blood as they soared high into the sky, then fell.
Most likely, until their very last moment, the two of them had not even realized they were dead.
Jeongan, who had been watching the scene with her startled eyes rounded wide, soon broke into a bright smile and cried out softly.
"Kyaaak! Bi Gongja, you're incredible! As expected of Swift Wind Flying Falcon!"
At Jeongan's praise, Bi Sa-yeong cleared his throat awkwardly and turned away from her.
"Hm, hm. Well, it was just a sneak attack from behind. Let's hurry and go inside."
But even as he said that, the corners of Bi Sa-yeong's mouth, unable to be suppressed, were faintly curving upward.
That was when it happened.
Bi Sa-yeong suddenly felt a spine-chilling sensation at the back of his neck and frantically threw his body aside.
Pabak!
Suhak!
His instincts had been accurate.
A man's saber had flown in like a fierce tiger from somewhere and split the space where Bi Sa-yeong had been standing clean in two.
It was a saber strike so clean it made his heart run cold.
"Hoh, your skills seem lacking, but your senses and movement technique are quite remarkable, aren't they."
The bastard who said this was running his greedy eyes over Jeongan, who was now held in his grasp.
In that brief instant, with one hand he had swung his saber at Bi Sa-yeong, and with the other hand he had seized Jeongan by the throat and sealed her acupoints.
Though Bi Sa-yeong had no way of knowing, the bastard was none other than the second of the Jangsan Sama, Burden Demon Blade Myeong Dae-sul.
Of all the times, he had run straight into the very bastard who had come to fetch a woman.
Jeongan, her acupoints sealed in an instant, grasped the situation and cried out urgently toward Bi Sa-yeong.
"Gongja! Run away! He's a master!"
The fact that their opponent was a master was something Bi Sa-yeong, who had crossed blades with peak-level masters countless times, knew all too well.
At minimum, he was at the initial stage of peak-level, and very likely a master beyond even that.
But Bi Sa-yeong gritted his teeth, extended his saber toward the bastard, and spoke.
"I will not go anywhere if it means abandoning you, Sojeo."
At that, Myeong Dae-sul grinned unpleasantly as if it were laughable, removed his hand from the throat of the already-acupoint-sealed Jeongan, and thrust his saber toward Bi Sa-yeong.
From his saber, a long blade energy of red radiance was blazing forth.