Episode 44
“…….”
As I expected, there was nothing.
No matter where I looked, all I could see was ash.
“We’ve done enough for now. It would be best to return to the academy.”
I’d already given them plenty of time.
“N-no, this isn’t over yet. There must be traces somewhere! Evidence! Don’t you think so too, Sojin?”
“…….”
“We have to hunt those bastards down and kill them! Those Blood Sect bastards! I’ll make sure to…!”
Wei Shiyun still hadn’t given up, his eyes bloodshot as he protested with furious intensity.
I couldn’t tell whether it was stubborn obsession with his reputation or whether the injury had rattled his wits, but one thing was certain: he was in no condition to judge anything normally.
It wasn’t hard to understand why.
Once word got out that the Martial Alliance Leader’s son had been captured as a sacrifice, with his fingers cut off, anyone could guess what would happen next.
So of course he was clinging so desperately to some kind of achievement.
“Sigh… Was he always like this? He’s so different from the way he was at the academy.”
Namgung Hye, ash smeared across her cheek, murmured softly under her breath.
How hard had she been searching around the village that she ended up covered in soot?
She’d come because he’d promised her elixirs, and because she’d thought there might be some clue or trace left behind, but as expected, the Blood Sect had already burned the entire village to the ground.
“My legs hurt… When are we going back?”
Guyang Jihee had just been standing around with her arms folded, watching, but honestly, that might have been the better choice.
There wasn’t a single living soul left.
Everything had already crumbled into ash, and the ruins held nothing at all.
“It’s dangerous now. A fair bit of time has passed, and if the Blood Sect has finished regrouping and comes back, we’ll all die.”
“Then that’s all the better, isn’t it? We just kill them all! …Don’t tell me you’re afraid?”
With that boastful cry, Wei Shiyun’s remaining four fingers came into clear view.
“…….”
And he was going to catch anyone in that state? If he made it back without getting his throat cut along the way, he should count himself lucky.
“A whole village was burned down, wasn’t it? If we turn our backs on such a tragedy and run, how can we call ourselves righteous martial artists?”
Whoooom—
As if determined to prove he was still intact, Wei Shiyun scattered his inner energy and shouted with great confidence.
“He’s already recovered that much internal power…? There’s no way his dantian wouldn’t have suffered serious damage. I can’t believe it.”
“Hehe, not just anyone can be the academy’s number two, you know? It must be the Martial Alliance Leader’s secret transmission.”
“That does make sense. As expected, Young Master Wei is different from the rest.”
At Jong Jinwon’s exclamation, Guyang Jihee unnecessarily straightened her shoulders, and her large breasts swayed.
“…….”
Nonsense.
If there really were some secret technique that could restore the dantian in one shot, there was no reason the Martial Alliance Leader wouldn’t use it in the main hall.
Even if such a thing did exist, there was no way someone who hadn’t even reached Transcendent / Grandmaster could use it…
It’s surprising his aura feels this complete.
“Recovery is finished.”
“Young Wei, even so, this is too much.”
He was shouting with complete confidence, but no matter how I looked at it, this was ridiculous.
You had to know when to pull out and when to commit.
Did I really have to explain even that?
Kills and dives were not the same thing.
“I’ll handle it myself, so if you’re scared, just stand back and watch!”
Seeing him toss out a half-baked provocation like that, I figured his pride must have taken a serious blow…
Not my problem.
Idiot. So who told you to get captured?
I had no intention of leaping into a dead end.
This was enough to count as payment for the elixirs.
“Then let’s decide by majority vote. I’m planning to go back, so is there anyone who wants to stay and keep searching?”
“Cheon Sojin, what right do you have to say something like that?! I object!!”
Jong Jinwon, who had been listening quietly, shook his head.
“I’ll follow what Cheon Daehyeop says.”
“What do you mean by that? Aren’t you the one in charge of this mission, Young Master Jong?”
As expected, his face darkened and he lifted his chin.
“That’s true, but I think Cheon Daehyeop’s judgment is more accurate than mine. You look hot-headed, so please calm down and think it through.”
“I’m perfectly normal! …Young Master Jong, have you lost your mind? You’re a disciple of Kunlun, one of the Nine Great Sects. You’re even the next sect leader who’ll carry the sect on your shoulders, aren’t you?”
“Huu… That’s right.”
At Wei Shiyun’s words, he agreed readily and nodded.
“You’re someone meant to lead the martial world in the future. And yet you’d listen to the words of some useless young master? You know it, don’t you? That man was even kicked out of the Zhen family…”
He was still saying that?
“Brother Wei, isn’t that going too far?”
Useless young master.
The moment she heard those words, Namgung Hye shook her beautiful black hair like polished ebony and walked up to Wei Shiyun.
Step by step, her movements carried a heavy, deliberate force.
“Young Wei, that was a very offensive remark…. Watch your mouth.”
Then she narrowed her sharp eyes and glared at him with murderous intensity.
Well, I didn’t even need to step in.
“Ahem. What I just said slipped out because I was tired. Please forgive my rudeness.”
“No. Apologize to Cheon Daehyeop, not to me.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Again. Do it properly. Clearly.”
“…….”
Grinding his teeth, Wei Shiyun shot me a sideways look.
“Isn’t this going too far? I never meant it like that.”
He complained bitterly, his face twisted in irritation.
“...Oh?”
One of Namgung Hye’s brows rose, and a chill as cold as ice settled in her blue eyes.
The moment they both reached for their sword hilts—
Swish—
“Enough.”
I cut in at once and stopped them.
“Tch… What a remarkable step technique.”
That was far enough.
If I let this continue, someone really would start swinging blades.
There was no hope of this ending well if I let them go any farther.
“Ah.”
When I caught her slender hand, she seemed embarrassed and lowered her head, her cheeks flushing red like the evening sky.
“Please, both of you, calm down.”
“Cheon Sojin, stop glaring at me. I had no intention of drawing my sword.”
I’d clearly felt him about to pull it out, but sure, no intention at all.
What should I even call this bastard now? A bomb that could go off at any moment?
Even so, I couldn’t kill him.
Part of it was because I still had elixirs to receive, and part of it was because he was the trigger for the main event. But if I killed him, I’d have to deal with the rest of them too.
“Let’s continue. Besides Young Master Wei, is there anyone who wants to stay here and keep searching?”
As expected, nobody raised a hand.
“……!”
“Then the search is over.”
“You’d just leave after this tragedy? Have you truly no intention of avenging the innocent villagers who died, or the strike team that was sacrificed?”
Wei Shiyun cried out grandly, but because I knew exactly what he was thinking, I didn’t feel even a shred of sympathy.
Honestly, it wasn’t as if I had no desire to wipe out the Blood Sect.
But if the Martial Alliance strike team was wiped out without a peep…
We were nowhere near strong enough.
Wanting to do something and actually being able to do it were two different things.
The Blood Sect’s members were all elites, each one ranging from the peak level to the early stage of Super Peak / Master, which meant the squad leaders were on an entirely different level of strength.
We’d only been lucky so far. If we ran into them by bad luck, I might not even be able to preserve my own life.
Thinking about it coldly, going back to the academy was the right call.
“Are you really the orthodox sect’s younger generation?”
If I kept traveling with this bastard, one life wouldn’t be enough.
“It’s decided, then. We’re going back. I think relaying information is important too.”
“Wait! Hold on! Miss Guyang!”
When Wei Shiyun turned sharply toward Guyang Jihee,
“...Sigh, I didn’t get to say this before, but… I think staying to search is the right thing to do.”
Under that half-coerced pressure, she avoided his gaze and reluctantly raised her hand.
“What do you say?”
What did he mean, what did I say?
It was three to two, wasn’t it?
He didn’t look like he had any intention of going back at all.
I’d thought he was at least sane enough to speak reason, even if his head was full of blood…
There was a method for moments like this.
“If Young Master Wei insists, then I understand.”
“Does that mean you’re going to keep searching?”
As if.
I rested my hand on my sword hilt and shook my head.
Good sword, and yet… I’d wasted time on nonsense.
“Let’s settle it with a duel.”
While we were at it, I should take a look at his skill.
“A, a duel? Between who and who?”
“Obviously between Young Master Wei and me.”
Thinking about it, there were too many suspicious things.
With his personality, if his body had truly recovered, he would have at least tried to pressure me with force. The fact that he was staying quiet was strange in itself.
If I fought him at full strength, my chances of losing were high.
But if he was injured, that changed everything.
“...Are you serious? I don’t know how to pull my punches. You’ll get badly hurt.”
He was worried about me?
Even more suspicious.
“I don’t mind. If we leave it like this, someone’s going to complain, so let’s do the duel and follow the winner’s decision.”
“As expected, you really are a man who doesn’t know his place. I thought you’d changed a little… but I guess trash is trash.”
“Hold on a second, Cheon Daehyeop. Calm down.”
A small, snow-white hand blocked my path.
Her eyes were trembling like water shaken by the wind.
At first glance, it might have seemed reckless, but I was already half certain.
“I feel the same. There’s no need to duel….”
It was no use trying to stop me.
I’d already decided.
Clink—
“A friendly duel, not a fight to the death. We’ll do it right now.”
I drew my sword and lifted it high, wrapping it in the energy of the sun and moon.
The blade pointed at Wei Shiyun as its tip released a faint, sharp pulse of qi.
“N-now? You’ll regret this.”
Why was he the one worrying about that?
“I’m fine. Let’s begin the duel.”
“Ugh…!”
“Young Master Wei?”
Without even drawing his sword, he hesitated and fidgeted for a long moment before finally opening his mouth.
“...I don’t want to harm a fellow academy student, so I won’t duel.”
“…….”
That was so sudden it was almost absurd.
It wasn’t just me who felt that way; Guyang Jihee covered her mouth with her hand and let out a voice full of confusion.
“What?”
To be fair, it really didn’t sound like something he’d say.
“Then what are you planning to do about the search?”
“...Thinking about it, I believe going back is the right choice. Delivering the information is an important mission, after all.”
“What? Young Master Wei, what are you…? Le-let’s go together.”
He didn’t answer again, just turned and walked the other way.
“…….”
I’d guessed right.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have backed down like that.
“It’s strange that he suddenly changed his mind… but still, I’m glad we got through it without a duel.”
“Seriously, that’s weird. He’s never refused a duel before…”
The two of them muttered in confusion, staring at Wei Shiyun’s retreating back.
He’s more perceptive than I thought.
He’d rather swallow the humiliation and let it go cleanly than get embarrassed in front of everyone.
He’d already seen enough of my actions to decide there was a chance he might lose.
But this duel would probably have given him the highest chance of winning.
...What a shame.
That might have been his last chance to win.
Silently watching him, I tightened my grip on the elixirs in my pocket.
*
The horse let out a loud whinny, and the carriage arrived in front of the academy.
“I’ll go report to Master Raeji. Please go on ahead and rest.”
“Young Master Jong, come with me.”
Either way, I had to go collect the elixirs.
And then I’m heading straight to the training chamber.
Ten Flowers was right around the corner.
There was no reason to drag this out any longer.
The moment I started moving, I felt a strange gaze on the back of my head.
##