The Man in the Pale Blue Robe (4)
It was then. One of the Murim warriors, harboring the same doubt as Seo Baek, questioned the man in the pale blue robe.
"Hold on! You said you knew about the Wang Family Fortress's betrayal through your poison lip technique?"
"That's right."
"Then why didn't you warn us earlier? Did you take a bribe from the Wang Family in some backroom deal?"
At those words, the people's minds sharpened.
The man in the pale blue robe replied indifferently.
"If I'd joined hands with the Wang Family, I would've fled with them. Why would I stay behind alone in the fortress?"
"Well, that's true, but..."
The Murim warrior fell silent.
The man in the pale blue robe's response was brief but logically airtight, leaving no room for rebuttal.
Seo Baek took up the questioning in the warrior's place.
"The reason you stayed in the fortress—wasn't it because the Wang Family took all the horses?"
"Correct."
The people tilted their heads in confusion once more upon hearing that.
They fled dragging the horses along, and he calmly stayed behind in the fortress?
It was utterly incomprehensible behavior.
Unable to follow the exchange between Seo Baek and the man in the pale blue robe, Wang Yi Sam couldn't hold back any longer.
"Junior, what the hell does that mean?"
"Simple. Horses are sensitive animals."
Wang Yi Sam was dumbfounded.
Whenever "simple" came out of Seo Baek's mouth, it had never actually been easy to understand—not once.
"What does horses being sensitive have to do with not fleeing?"
As Wang Yi Sam's voice rose, Seo Baek began his explanation in his usual calm, composed manner.
"Horses hear sounds better than people and smell better too. Their senses are sharp, so they pick up on danger quickly."
"And?"
"If revenants approach nearby, the horses will notice first—before humans. If the horses whinny in fear, the revenants will sense their breathing and zero in on them."
His clear voice rang out across the entire wall.
The people had inwardly dismissed Seo Baek as just a boy not even twenty, but his explanation made them nod in agreement without realizing it.
"One or two horses might be concealable, but they took every last one from the fortress. The revenants will sense the horde's presence and head that way."
"...!"
Now that they heard it, Seo Baek's explanation was straightforward.
Taking the horses carelessly would alert the revenants!
In the Central Plains overrun by revenants, horses were truly a double-edged sword—both a means of safety and a source of peril.
Of course, riding fast horses was advantageous for fleeing revenants.
But the revenant hordes roaming the Central Plains numbered in the tens of thousands.
With tens of thousands of revenants blanketing the fields, where could you possibly ride off to?
Better to hold your breath and hide.
In other words, the Wang Family had made a grave mistake.
Their greed to take every horse even while fleeing had brought disaster upon them!
"The revenant horde will pass near the fortress, so opening the gates and going out now could mean running right into them."
"..."
Now, no one dared contradict Seo Baek; they listened intently.
"If you still insist on leaving, the rest of us will hide in the fortress center first—then you can open the gates and go."
"..."
This time, everyone swallowed hard at his words.
Leave the fortress if you want.
But whether you live or die—that's on you too!
As the crowd fell silent under the weight of his presence, Wang Yi Sam asked,
"So what do we do now?"
"We can't let the revenant horde catch our scent—especially blood."
Seo Baek swept his gaze left and right over the gathered people on the wall before continuing.
"No one here seems to have serious bleeding wounds, so that's one relief."
At that, the people instinctively glanced at those beside them, checking their neighbors.
Like they'd been enchanted, they followed Seo Baek's words without thinking.
Then the man in the pale blue robe murmured softly.
"Women."
"Ah..."
Seo Baek frowned unusually and said,
"Pardon me, but if any women are menstruating, please separate from the wall immediately and head to the fortress center."
There were few women among the Murim warriors, but quite a number among the refugees. Realizing what he meant, several women quietly slipped away from the crowd and vanished.
The people were now obeying Seo Baek's commands with perfect discipline.
"It's dangerous for everyone near the wall. Let's all gather around the central tents until the crisis passes."
As Seo Baek issued the order, the man in the pale blue robe gave a slight nod of agreement.
Without regard to Murim warrior or refugee, everyone began moving toward the fortress center. With no way of knowing if revenants lurked beyond the wall, naturally they wanted as much distance as possible.
The people crept along cautiously, muffling their footsteps for fear of alerting the horde.
But Seo Baek and the man in the pale blue robe strode forward without hesitation.
Wang Yi Sam was used to Seo Baek's boldness, but the man in the pale blue robe's lack of hesitation sparked curiosity.
He whispered sidelong to Seo Baek.
"That guy in the pale blue robe—he seems to know a lot about revenants. Not quite on your level, though."
"No. He's more resourceful than I am."
"You're too damn humble sometimes, junior."
"Didn't he point out the menstruating women earlier?"
"..."
Wang Yi Sam was at a loss for words.
Telling Murim folk to watch for blood scent would make them check the wounded first.
But the man in the pale blue robe hadn't overlooked other possibilities that could produce a blood scent, beyond injuries.
If he'd swiftly caught what even a boy like Seo Baek might have overlooked?
That meant he saw through every situation!
Wang Yi Sam had never met anyone in his life with a mind as quick as Seo Baek's.
Yet this man in the pale blue robe matched him.
No—perhaps even surpassed him...
Was that why?
As they walked side by side, Wang Yi Sam stole glances at Seo Baek and the man in the pale blue robe, thinking,
'Those two... they kinda look alike, don't they?'
Of course, Seo Baek and Wang Yi Sam looked nothing alike physically. But their every mannerism was identical.
Like senior and junior brothers who'd spent years together.
* * *
The Wang Family group and their Murim allies had been moving through the still-dark forest since just before dawn.
Wang Chung and a dozen or so elite Murim warriors rode horses. The other rank-and-file warriors marched on foot, weapons slung over their shoulders.
It had been barely an hour since they'd slipped out of the Wang Family Fortress in the dead of night.
As they passed near the fortress, the warriors heard heavy footsteps crunching somewhere in the woods.
The sound of the revenant horde on the move.
The warriors crept silently. After a long trek, the presence seemed to fade into the distance.
Only after putting real distance between themselves and the fortress could they finally exhale in relief.
One of the Murim warriors clasped his fists in salute to Wang Chung.
"The Wang Family's choice was wise indeed. A little later, and we'd have been in real trouble."
"It's thanks to all of you watching out."
Wang Chung stroked his goatee modestly.
They'd abandoned the fortress they'd poured so much into building, but neither Wang Chung nor the Murim warriors felt a shred of regret.
The fortress? They could build another one.
First, they had to save their own skins.
If the Wang Family announced a new fortress, third-rate Murim drifters would swarm like flies to bait. Destitute refugees would flock too.
Bugs always gather toward the light.
Under the pretext of providing shelter, make them build it.
That was how the Wang Family had risen to prominence amid the Central Plains' past wars and chaos. Wang Chung gave silent thanks to his ancestors' wisdom.
Feeling safe at last, the Murim warriors exchanged clasped-fist salutes and chattered noisily. The foot soldiers bantered as they trudged through the woods.
But at some point, the horses began to whinny.
Prrrrng.
At first, they chalked it up to the beasts being on edge from a sleepless night and carrying riders for so long.
But even the horses led empty by regular warriors—not bearing Wang Chung or the Murim elites—were whinnying fiercely.
Prrrrng! Hiiing!
The whinnying grew more frantic.
Soon, some horses weren't just whinnying—they were neighing wildly. One even planted its hooves and resisted the reins, refusing to budge another step.
"What's wrong with these damn beasts?"
The warriors tried to calm them, but the horses grew more agitated.
"What's going on?"
Wang Chung demanded, and the warrior captain replied,
"They haven't been fed since morning and we've been marching—probably got their nerves frayed."
"They're just animals. If they won't listen, make an example—cut one throat."
"Understood."
The warrior drew his sword and approached the most unruly horse.
Just then, another warrior emerged from the bushes nearby—probably relieving himself.
The captain scowled.
"Get back to your post before the family head sees."
Wang Chung was ruthlessly pragmatic with warriors on the family payroll.
No discrimination? That was just sweet talk for third-rate Murim ears.
If Wang Chung learned of the absence during march, he'd not only fire the man but might even blame him for spooking the horses.
To survive in the Wang Family, you had to watch yourself tenfold around the family head. What idiot...
It was then.
The warrior slowly raised his head, curling