Shin Juha's Choice
Without thinking, I walked straight into a trap and found myself surrounded by black-clad men from head to toe.
I climbed up a large tree and amplified my senses to watch the situation unfold.
"Damn it! It’s an ambush!"
"Hahahahaha!! Stupid Wudang bastards, you’ve finally taken the bait!!"
A man in a black robe stepped out from inside the village.
"Lord Cheongmyeong, what do we do now?"
"Don’t panic. This is the enemy’s trap."
"Then what are we supposed to do?"
"W-well…."
What an idiot.
Why the hell did he go in there?
Still, I had no obligation to help.
Survive on your own.
"You foolish bald Taoist dogs! Do you remember the Baegang Alliance, which swept across Hubei ten years ago? We’ve come to collect the blood debt from that time!!"
"The remnants of the Baegang Alliance!!"
"The Baegang Alliance was still alive?!"
They started arguing excitedly among themselves about things only they understood.
So that’s what this is. They’re here to settle old grudges…
Those evil bastards never hesitated to use any means necessary to repay a grudge.
Setting a baited trap or launching a surprise attack was nothing to them.
Nothing strange about that.
And yet, something about it felt off.
At this point, they were just lucky. Did they really believe a half-baked plan like this would work?
"That’s right! If you truly are disciples of Wudang, then surrender and let yourselves be bound!"
The moment the man in black raised his hand, eight commoners bound in ropes were dragged forward by the black-clad men from every direction.
All of them were hurt, apparently in the legs, and none of them could even stand properly.
Why did they bring eight of them?
"Kuh… you cowardly bastards!! You think we’ll just let ourselves be taken?"
When Cheongmyeong shouted with bravado, the black-robed man answered as if he’d expected it.
"I thought so. If you refuse to surrender… execute one as an example."
"Yes, sir!"
Slash!
As the huge blade swung down, a chilling sound rang out and a fountain of blood burst into the sky.
Thud… roll…
"Ah, aaaaaah!!"
"P-please, lords! Spare us!! This wasn’t what you promised!!"
"Didn’t you say you’d spare us if we brought the Wudang disciples?!"
"Bring the next one."
As blood soaked into the ground, the commoners who had been tied up so meekly a moment ago began to writhe violently.
Their screams echoed like a storm, shaking the entire mountain.
"Y-you bastards!! Lord Cheongmyeong, what should we do?"
"Lord Cheongmyeong!! Make a decision!!"
"W-wait just a minute! I need time to think…."
What a pathetic bastard.
He couldn’t decide whether to start fighting or run, and he was still hesitating.
The black-robed man chuckled heartily and clapped his hands.
"Time? Very well. I’ll give you plenty of it! Take your time deciding. Hahahaha!!"
Not only did they kill eight people, they’re giving him time too?
I slipped down from the tree and ran toward the back of the village.
My blood was boiling.
The sense of wrongness I’d felt since arriving here, the village that didn’t match the information my master had given me—
Formation.
A type of gimunjinbeop—an array formation that hides existing paths and disorients people. It wasn’t particularly remarkable, but it was large enough to confuse half a mountain.
It wasn’t something lowlife scum like them could operate.
Whoosh—
I ran even faster.
A dead hostage was useless.
At first glance, it looked like they were trying to drag things out by showing that the hostages would die if time passed, but that wasn’t it.
They were only buying time by pressuring Cheongmyeong.
Those hostages were sacrifices.
I was certain of it the moment they started killing them.
Right. I thought it was strange they hadn’t shown themselves yet.
Blood Ghost Array Great Art.
But there was something even more important than that.
Blood Cult sorcerers carried special elixirs with them.
…
I swallowed hard.
I felt like dancing.
Before I knew it, the corners of my mouth had curled up.
The place where I can see the whole village and set up an altar… there.
Just as I’d expected, a huge cave appeared halfway up the steep mountain slope.
I could also hear voices talking inside.
"So this village is finished after all. The wait was worth it."
"Now that the idiots from the orthodox sect have shown up too, an enormous amount of energy will gather this time."
"You pieces of trash, don’t let your guard down and focus on your mission. Blood Ghost Array Great Art still isn’t complete."
"S-sorry."
At the altar in front of the cave, a sorcerer was chanting an incantation, while three black-clad men stood behind him, watching their surroundings.
Two were Peak / Expert-level masters, and one was Super Peak / Master-level.
As the inheritor of Ilwol Eumyang Singong, demonic arts were a joke to me, but a Super Peak / Master was still an opponent I couldn’t afford to underestimate.
If there was a huge gap in realm, then even natural counters could be ignored.
This is getting annoying.
Still, there was a way.
I didn’t even have to defeat the Super Peak / Master for sure.
At this point, I could just collapse the cave, use the chaos, and take them down one by one….
Then, at that moment, I sensed someone’s presence in my senses.
I lowered my gaze. One of the black-clad men was climbing the steep mountain path.
There was one more?
A good idea came to me.
*
"Hmph, stupid orthodox bastards. They’ve finally started fighting. But when is Number 51 coming?"
"W-well, I’m not sure either."
"I knew it was a mistake to bring in some unknown nobody…. Once we return, I’ll throw him into the Blood Punishment Hall and teach him some discipline. Number 77, go find him."
"Yes, sir!"
But Number 77 didn’t come back either.
That was enough to make the squad leader angry.
What the hell are those bastards doing without me? What a cursed day.
"Those trashy bastards dare to slack off!!"
"Could they have been taken down by the orthodox sect?"
"What nonsense are you spouting? Everyone who entered the formation is fighting over there, aren’t they? Is your head just for decoration?"
The squad leader barked furiously.
There was no way to meet that venomous glare head-on.
"S-sorry."
It was a cursed day.
They were supposed to go on a trip with their lover once this mission was over….
Wait for me. I’ll be there soon.
"For servants of the Blood Cult to loaf around like this… I’ll never forgive either of you!"
Just then, a loud scream rang out from the opposite cliff.
"Aaaagh!! S-spare me, please!!!!"
"That’s Number 77’s voice!"
"You idiot! Stay here and guard this spot. I’ll go check it out. Blood Ghost Array Great Art is almost done anyway, so it won’t take long!"
"Y-yes, sir!"
As he hurried off down the path, a faint presence stirred behind him.
When he turned around, a handsome man was walking toward him.
The fact that he hadn’t made a single sound until he was this close meant he was no ordinary man.
Snikt—
He quickly drew his blade.
"Stop right there!! Who are you? Unless your life is cheap—"
Slash!
He heard something split apart.
A sound I’d heard many times before.
A familiar sound.
Where had that sound come from?
Then something strange happened.
The man had been walking straight toward me a moment ago, but now he was suddenly turned upside down.
What the—?
The man’s clear eyes looked down at me.
Ah.
Only then did I realize what had happened.
My head had been cut off and fallen to the ground.
Soon after, the sorcerer’s head also rolled away with a thud.
It really is a cursed day.
*
In theory, the moment one mastered a peerless footwork technique like Pungsinbo, one’s ability would double.
After all, being able to use exceptional footwork meant freedom in advance and retreat, and the ability to strike one step ahead of an enemy.
I jumped down into the village.
So they had a Blood Demon Pill….
It was a top-grade elixir that couldn’t even be compared to a Gangjin Pill or a Paehyeol Pill.
It could only be properly absorbed by someone who practiced demonic arts, but there was no reason not to take it.
I was short on inner energy, so this wasn’t the time to be picky about anything.
I’d have to accept the risk.
Of course, I had no intention of swallowing it here like a lunatic.
"Haaah, huhh… This is the power of Wudang… c-cough…."
Sticky blood soaked the ground until it formed little puddles, and the thick stench of iron stabbed at my nose.
In the middle of a mountain of corpses stood a one-armed man.
He was covered in wounds, but he was the final victor.
He was still alive? Tough bastard.
If Cheongmyeong had died, I’d have taken the sword back, but now that would be a hassle.
"You, you bastard, where the hell have you been…!"
"Follow me."
He glared with bulging eyes and poured out his killing intent.
"Because of you, I lost every single one of my men!!! You bastard!!"
Why?
Why was he blaming me?
I was certain of it.
Is he insane?
He was barking like a rabid wolf.
This bastard simply didn’t want to admit his own mistakes.
I looked steadily at Cheongmyeong and brushed my hand off.
"Then you’re not coming?"
"…No. I’m coming."
The rage that had been boiling like a madman vanished in an instant, and he answered in a strangely calm tone.
But his cultivation was lacking, so he couldn’t truly hide what he felt.
The killing intent still hadn’t disappeared.
So this is how it is.
Can’t be helped.
Those blazing eyes—
I’d seen that look more than once.
"Cheongmyeong."
"What."
"Do as you please."
*
The border between Shanxi and the northern region of the Yangtze River.
Smack!
"Ghk…."
"Hoo, hoo… You filthy little thief bitch!! Because of you…."
It was unfair.
"I didn’t do it!!"
Even if I tried to tell the truth, it was meaningless.
"This bitch to the very end!!"
"I was foolish to think even a little pity for you."
"The evidence is obvious, and you still—!"
No one believed me.
Under the pale moonlight, five women looked down at me with cold eyes and trampled me underfoot.
Jo Mi-jeong’s kick, packed with inner force, flew at me again.
Smack—
…
Why did I have to end up like this?
I couldn’t understand it.
I hadn’t done it, and yet I was being humiliated like this….
Tears spilled from my eyes, more from grievance than pain.
Why wouldn’t anyone believe me?
I had someone like that too….
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I remembered someone who would believe me no matter what happened.
Sojin….
But the words caught in my throat and wouldn’t come out.
…
At that moment, a man in red martial robes walked out from between the trees.
"What are you doing?"
"M-Master Ujeong! Th-this is…!"
He looked us over once, then said,
"I’m truly disappointed. Mi-jeong, to think you were doing something like this behind my back…."
"No! T-this is just rightful punishment…."
He shook his head firmly.
"I don’t want to hear it. All of you, return to the tents. And Shin Juha, follow me."
"…Huh?"
"I won’t say it twice. Follow me."
"…Yes."
The place he brought me to was the squad leader’s tent.
"Why did you steal the inner elixir?"
"I-I didn’t do it. Really."
"The evidence is already conclusive, and you still plan to deny it?"
…
I had nothing to say.
Ujeong glared at me for a moment, then took a breath and murmured in a low voice.
"…Well, there is a way to let this go. It’s only a level-two mission, so the damage would be there, but… it wouldn’t be major."
My heart pounded violently.
If he really let this pass, there was nothing better than that.
My family’s finances were already in a terrible state.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean I’ll cover it. But…."
He suddenly took off his outer robe.
"If something goes out, something should come in, right?"