Chapter 5: The Escape - 1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 5: The Escape - 1
Left alone in the interrogation room, Sun-woo fell into deep thought.
How do I get out of here?
He knew that if he stayed like this, it was only a matter of time before he was executed for rape and murder.
Judging by Ju Gwang’s attitude, it was clear the man had already branded him a criminal. Ju Gwang had simply repeated the same questions over and over, waiting for a confession. No matter what Sun-woo said, it was dismissed as a mere excuse or a lie. Every word forced into his ears was designed to frame him as a killer.
From Sun-woo’s perspective—now assimilated with Jang Sam—he felt a surge of betrayal at the coldness of Ju Gwang, who had been like an uncle to him. Yet, there was nothing he could do.
Sun-woo began to sift through Jang Sam’s memories for anything that might help him escape.
But no clear solution presented itself.
Jang Sam was a master of the Peak Realm, but the Cheonmu Alliance was a dragon’s pool and a tiger’s den. There were nearly a hundred people stronger than him and about two hundred who were his equals. Compared to the thousands of members in the Alliance, that might not seem like many, but it was more than enough to make an escape feel impossible.
When they were allies, they were the most reliable comrades one could ask for. Now that they were enemies, they were more terrifying than anyone else.
Nevertheless, Sun-woo did not give up.
Under Alliance Law, rape was punished by castration, and murder by death. If Sun-woo were found guilty, he would likely face both.
Despair followed by even greater despair—the mere thought was horrifying.
He briefly entertained the delusion that dying might return him to his original body, but he had no intention of wagering his only life on such an uncertain gamble.
So, Sun-woo closed his eyes and thought harder.
The memories of Sun-woo the reader, who had seen everything from an omniscient perspective, and the memories of Jang Sam, who had spent nearly twenty years by the protagonist’s side, began to swirl together.
Flash.
Suddenly, Sun-woo’s eyes snapped open, gleaming with realization.
A plan had formed.
Having made up his mind, Sun-woo immediately took action.
Rather than letting the Law Enforcement Hall have their way, he would hide until his master, Lee Jae-won, returned. Once Lee Jae-won was back, Sun-woo intended to clear his name personally.
No matter how much of a typical "OP high schooler in another world" Lee Jae-won was in this smutty wuxia, Sun-woo figured that if the man had any shred of humanity, he would at least listen to the explanation of the disciple he had raised for twenty years.
Standing up, Sun-woo first pressed his ear against the interrogation room door and focused his hearing.
It was a wooden door, but it was so thick that all outside noise was blocked.
Ssssss...
Sun-woo channeled his internal energy into his index finger and carefully rubbed a spot on the door, slowly carving away the wood. If he broke through all at once, the noise would be too loud. He was cautious, meticulously grinding the wood away.
After about fifteen minutes, a hole the size of a finger was complete.
Sun-woo pressed his eye to the hole to survey the situation outside.
At the edge of his vision, he saw two members of the Law Enforcement Hall on patrol. They wore bamboo hats and had whistles around their necks to call for reinforcements. Each held a sword in one hand, ready for any emergency.
Seeing them fully armed made Sun-woo even more tense. One wrong move could lead to a bloody incident.
Sun-woo held his breath and waited for them to approach.
Thud. Thud.
Fortunately, the door wasn't locked. He planned to ambush them the moment they got close.
Exactly ten paces from his door.
Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one...
Bam!
Sun-woo flung the door open and lunged at the guards.
The startled guards tried to take their stances, but they were no match for Sun-woo, who attacked with full preparation. He lunged at one of them and struck him precisely on the back of the neck, knocking him unconscious.
When the other guard tried to blow his whistle to call for help, Sun-woo kicked him squarely in the jaw. The impact rattled the man's brain, and he, too, collapsed.
Sun-woo dragged them both into the interrogation room. He stripped the one with a similar build to his own and put on the guard's clothes.
If he used the bamboo hat to hide his face as much as possible, he might just be able to slip out of the Law Enforcement Hall.
While there were many stronger than him, no one with a high enough rank to be on duty during the Hour of the Tiger was currently around. This allowed Sun-woo to be a bit more daring. If he were caught, he was prepared to force his way out.
He strapped the standard-issue sword of the Law Enforcement Hall to his waist, pulled the bamboo hat low, and began to walk slowly out of the interrogation area.
Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.
Patrols inside the Law Enforcement Hall usually moved in pairs, so Sun-woo walking alone might draw suspicious eyes. He quickened his pace toward the exit.
Fortunately, the path from the interrogation rooms to the exit was a straight shot.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
As the exit drew closer, Sun-woo’s steps grew faster. Finally reaching the main gate of the Law Enforcement Hall, he pushed it open.
Creek.
Because of the late hour, no one was in sight except for the gate guards. Just as Sun-woo was about to hurry past...
"Senior, leaving already?"
The gate guard stationed at the main entrance spoke to him.
"Yes. I realized I left something behind."
"Well, it's no trouble. A newcomer like me can't really complain about the duty, anyway."
Usually, the gate guard duty during the Hour of the Tiger was assigned to the lowest-ranking members of the Law Enforcement Hall. This man seemed to be a martial artist who had only recently joined.
"But Senior, no matter how urgent it is, you aren't supposed to leave your post, are you?"
"Yes, it was very urgent, so I reported to my superior and came out quickly."
"That's strange, Senior. There shouldn't be any superiors in the hall right now to report to, other than the patrol leaders."
"I apologize. I was in such a rush that I broke protocol. I hope you understand. I'll buy you a drink sometime."
"Oh, of course, Senior. But... something is very strange."
"What is so strange?"
"Seniors usually just call us 'Hey,' 'You,' or 'Hey, brat' and use informal speech. You're very polite, aren't you? Not like a member of the Law Enforcement Hall at all."
The way the man asked, as if he truly didn't know anything, gave Sun-woo goosebumps.
The moment Sun-woo slowly turned back to look at him, the man was smiling brightly, a whistle already in his mouth.
PIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!
The loud blast of the whistle echoed throughout the entire Law Enforcement Hall. At the sound, the members who had been on standby began to rouse.
Without a moment's hesitation, Sun-woo turned and bolted.
"The prisoner is escaping!" the gate guard shouted at the top of his lungs, pointing mockingly at Sun-woo.
Whoosh!
He hadn't run far when a massive spear flew through the air, blocking his path. Sun-woo twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the blade, but he wasn't fast enough to dodge it completely. A shallow gash opened on his side.
Blood began to seep from the wound.
Sun-woo quickly pressed his acupoints to stop the bleeding and looked at the man who had thrown the spear.
"To think I'd run here mid-training because a prisoner escaped, only to find that prisoner is the Heavenly Heavy Sword. Bwahahaha!"
The massive man burst into laughter, his deep, gravelly voice booming.
This was the Giant Dragon Spear, Ju Seon-gang. Though his family wasn't one of the Six Great Clans, he came from a reputable martial family and was known as the traditional successor of the Giant Dragon Spear technique. He was a Peak Realm master, named for his incredible skill with the massive weapon.
Since he was in the same realm as Sun-woo, he wasn't an opponent who could be defeated quickly.
"Listen, Ju Seon-gang. This is all a conspiracy, a frame-up. Someone is trying to ruin me."
"Tsk. I knew you couldn't keep it in your pants, but I never imagined you'd stoop to rape and murder. Just go quietly."
As if he found Sun-woo's words unworthy of attention, the Giant Dragon Spear swung his weapon without hesitation.
Clang!
Sun-woo raised his sword and barely managed to block the strike, but the internal energy behind it sent him flying backward.
Whoosh.
This guy is serious.
Fortunately, Sun-woo landed safely and began to gauge Ju Seon-gang's movements. If he wasted any more time here, reinforcements would arrive, and his capture would be inevitable. He couldn't afford to be held up by Ju Seon-gang.
Sun-woo kicked off the ground and lunged forward. He thrust his sword out, charging as if in a desperate assault.
Ju Seon-gang, looking amused, braced his spear to counter the attack.
Clang!
Sparks flew as spear and sword collided. Since a spear is disadvantaged at close range, Ju Seon-gang began to step back to regain his distance. Sun-woo didn't miss the opening, sticking close to ensure the spearman couldn't find his range.
"Get off me, you damn leech!"
"Do you think I'm stupid? Only an idiot gives a spearman distance!"
Continuing his relentless pressure, Sun-woo swung his sword left and right. Like the Peak master he was, Ju Seon-gang blocked the strikes with ease while continuing to retreat.
Sun-woo moved to the man's left and lashed out.
Clang!
Ju Seon-gang quickly raised the shaft of his spear and deflected the blade. Sun-woo moved to the left again and struck. But once more, Ju Seon-gang blocked it effortlessly.
Clang!
"Hmph! Your swordsmanship is too simple. I'm starting to doubt if you're really the disciple of the Absolute Martial God, Lee Jae-won. Bwahahaha!"
"That's fine. My goal isn't to win!"
Sun-woo swung his sword one more time, and Ju Seon-gang blocked it with his spear shaft again. But that wasn't the end of Sun-woo's move. He used the momentum to plant a foot on Ju Seon-gang's chest and launched himself backward.
Thwack!
"Urgh!"
Struck by a kick infused with internal energy, Ju Seon-gang groaned, his aura flaring menacingly.
"You...! You actually have a trick up your sleeve! I'll show you my ultimate technique, the Giant Dragon Flash! Prepare yourself!"
"Let's save that for next time."
Sun-woo turned and sprinted away. The moment he had spent circling Ju Seon-gang was all to position himself for an easy escape.
Realizing that Sun-woo had never intended to fight seriously but was only looking for a way to run, Ju Seon-gang's face turned red with fury. He roared, "You coward! A martial artist showing his back! Have you no shame?!"
"Who cares? I'd rather live!"
Sun-woo poured his internal energy into his legs, running even faster. Ju Seon-gang gave chase immediately, but due to the difference in their physical builds, he quickly fell behind.
"You bastard! Get back here!"
Ignoring the shouts, Sun-woo sprinted toward his only lifeline. He had managed to shake off the spearman for now, but the path ahead was still treacherous. The sounds of more pursuers were rising from all directions.
"The Heavenly Heavy Sword is over there! Catch him!"
"The Heavenly Heavy Sword has escaped the Law Enforcement Hall! Seize him!"
"Catch Jang Sam!"
"He couldn't have gone far! Find him!"
If he kept this up, he would eventually be cornered. Sun-woo squeezed out every last drop of his internal energy to keep running.
I won't be caught. I'd rather die than be caught!
Exhausted and running on pure adrenaline, Sun-woo arrived at the Phoenix Hall—a place said to be composed entirely of female members of the Cheonmu Alliance.
It was a forbidden zone for men, but to Sun-woo, whose life was on the line, such rules were irrelevant.
Sun-woo leaped over the wall of the Phoenix Hall and slipped quietly inside.