Chapter 182: All Human Lives Are Equal
As the cloud ship plummeted, shattering into countless fragments, Yeop Hyeon clutched the two girls to his chest and crashed toward the ground.
In that instant before he slammed into the earth, a single sword appeared, yanking him upward to cancel out the falling momentum. Thus, Yeop Hyeon was able to descend slowly to the ground, still holding the two girls tight.
The first thing Yeop Hyeon did was check on them. But his expression soon hardened.
Dongdong was unharmed, without a single scratch. Dandan, however, had suffered severe damage to her meridians and internal organs from that single blow moments ago.
Yeop Hyeon hurriedly fed her a Golden Wound Pill, but blood kept pouring from Dandan's mouth.
At that moment, Dandan reached out with a trembling hand to stroke Yeop Hyeon's face, sobbing softly.
"I... I don't want to die..."
Yeop Hyeon quickly shoved a few more Golden Wound Pills into her mouth. Yet she continued vomiting blood, her life force fading rapidly.
At this sight, tears finally spilled from Yeop Hyeon's eyes.
"I'm... I'm sorry... I..."
Dandan wiped the tears streaming down his cheek with her shaking hand.
"Why are you crying... because of me...?"
Gripping her hand tightly, Yeop Hyeon replied with a pained expression.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."
Dandan managed a feeble smile. It was quickly obscured by fresh blood.
"I couldn't marry a sword cultivator after all... but at least you let me die in one's arms... in the arms of the most dashing sword cultivator in all of Qingzhou... cough..."
More blood gushed from her mouth with every word, her breaths growing fainter.
Then Dandan slowly closed her eyes.
"If only I could live a little longer..."
Yeop Hyeon trembled as he pulled her close. When her heartbeat grew almost inaudible, he threw back his head and roared.
Right then, a white mist-like energy erupted from his body and surged straight into Dandan's.
The pure sword intent poured endlessly into Dandan, slowly mending her utterly destroyed meridians and organs.
At that moment, an elderly man landed behind Yeop Hyeon and rushed over.
"National Scholar Yeop, I am Yuk Ru-ju of Chwi Seon Ru. Are you injured anywhere...?"
Yeop Hyeon whipped around to the old man who had introduced himself as Yuk Ru-ju and shouted,
"Look after this child! Hurry—please!"
Yuk Ru-ju dropped to his knees and checked Dandan's pulse. After examining her briefly, his brow furrowed deeply.
"Her organs seem to be healing thanks to your sword intent, National Scholar. However..."
"However!?"
"A Heart Protecting Pill! That could restore her ruptured heart vessels and meridians. But one pill won't be enough. She may even need long-term use—and each pill costs nearly sixty million taels..."
"Don't worry about the money. Get it now!"
Yuk Ru-ju hesitated, his expression conflicted.
"Young Master Yeop, this girl is just a mere maidservant..."
"Does a maidservant's life have no value!?"
Stunned by Yeop Hyeon's bellow, Yuk Ru-ju fell silent and vanished. Moments later, he returned with a white jade bottle in hand.
Yeop Hyeon snatched it and fed Dandan a pill.
As the Heart Protecting Pill entered her body, a strange energy spread through her entirely. Soon, her aura began to stabilize bit by bit.
Yeop Hyeon wiped the sweat from his brow and let out a sigh of relief.
"Young Master Yeop, the fiends who attacked the cloud ship were none other than Changmok Academy and the Dark Realm. They fired Sky Piercing Cannons at it. Each shot packs the power of a True Realm spirit weapon! Given how aggressively they pursued, they have no intention of letting you enter the Imperial City unscathed. With Sky Piercing Cannons in play, riding another cloud ship is too dangerous!"
'Changmok Academy and the Dark Realm! Those bastards!'
Yeop Hyeon's face darkened into a ferocious scowl.
Composing himself, he asked Yuk Ru-ju,
"How long to the Imperial City without a cloud ship?"
"Even on the fastest Black Flame Steed, it'd take at least two weeks."
'Two weeks...'
Yeop Hyeon shook his head vigorously.
"Too slow! Isn't there another way?"
Yuk Ru-ju pondered, then shook his head.
"Nothing runs faster than a Black Flame Steed. Even if you secure one, there's no guarantee of arriving within two weeks. The distance from this frontier to the Imperial City is immense—no single steed could gallop nonstop."
Yuk Ru-ju hesitated before adding,
"We should rest and discuss this calmly."
"They're gunning for my life—how can I afford to sit around talking?"
"Sigh... Young Master Yeop, truth be told, Black Flame Steeds aren't available in these remote parts. And all of them belong to the Daeun Empire besides..."
Just then, his head snapped around. A black horse was galloping toward them, flames trailing in its wake.
A Black Flame Steed.
It slowed abruptly before them and came to a gentle halt beside Yeop Hyeon.
Yuk Ru-ju's face froze as if he'd seen a ghost.
Yeop Hyeon seemed to realize something, then turned to him.
"I'm entrusting these two girls to you. I'll cover all medical costs!"
With that, he held out a golden nameplate before Yuk Ru-ju's eyes.
Turning to Dongdong and Dandan, Yeop Hyeon said,
"Rest well and survive, no matter what!"
As he turned to leave, Dongdong grabbed his hand. When he looked back, she met his gaze.
"We're just lowly maidservants—why...?"
Yeop Hyeon shook his head firmly.
"There is no nobility or lowliness in human lives. Take care!"
With those words, he leaped onto the Black Flame Steed and vanished from their sight.
Dongdong stood dazed in place long after he was gone.
Daeun Empire, Imperial Palace.
A woman crouched before Golden Dragon Hall, bowing low as she counted ants crawling on the ground.
"One, two, three, four... Darn it, stay still! One, two, three... Argh, I'm so mad! Wrong again!"
She sighed deeply, then started over.
"One, two..."
At that moment, an armored woman approached.
"My liege, Changmok Academy and the Dark Realm have mobilized again. And..."
After hearing the report, the woman looked up at her.
"They spent hundreds of millions of taels... on just two maidservants?"
The armored woman nodded.
The woman stared blankly for a moment, then burst into laughter.
"Hilarious! This is hilarious!"
"The Black Flame Cavalry and warriors dispatched from various sects have set out, my liege..."
The woman waved her off impatiently.
"Ugh, hold on—stay quiet! You're making me mess up. Again: one, two, three, four..."
"..."
Changmok Academy.
All students and elders had gathered in the grand hall, including nine Myriad Laws Realm experts.
Mok Cheong-hyeon stood on the dais, overlooking them.
He scanned the assembly before speaking.
"Yeop Hyeon will reach the Imperial City in as little as two weeks. Myriad Laws Realm experts cannot act then, leaving no one in the city to stop him. You'll all be as good as dead."
'Myriad Laws Realm experts can't move?'
The students' faces paled.
They wanted to deploy them but risked summoning a Sword Immortal as backlash. Recklessness was impossible.
Jungto Sinju's scrutiny was proof—their Law Realm powerhouse had met a brutal end.
Facing Yeop Hyeon without Myriad Laws Realm was an unsolvable dilemma.
An elder stepped forward.
"At this point, reconciliation is impossible. We fight to the death!"
He eyed Mok Cheong-hyeon.
"But what does the main academy say?"
All eyes turned to him.
Their only hope was reinforcements from headquarters.
Mok Cheong-hyeon nodded.
"Rescue forces from the main academy are en route."
"When?"
"At least a month."
The elder frowned.
"From Jungto Sinju, a teleportation array should bring them in days—why so long?"
Mok Cheong-hyeon met his gaze.
"Do you think the main academy has any young warrior who could match Yeop Hyeon?"
Silence fell.
They realized: not even in the main Changmok Academy of Daeun Realm, nor among its students, was there anyone to stop him.
Excluding Jungto Sinju's top ten from Yo Yeol-bang, no young genius could rival him.
He was a Sword Lord.
Ascended to Sword Lord before thirty!
Even in Jungto Sinju, he'd be a top predator!
That was Yeop Hyeon.
The elder sighed.
"Blocking his momentum is futile. It all started with that fool I Hyeon-chang, dean of Ganguk's Changmok Academy!"
Changmok Academy regretted that day—no lie.
Yeop Hyeon had desperately wanted to join them!
Had they accepted him, they'd not be cornered now.
Mok Cheong-hyeon spoke calmly.
"No point dredging up the past! The main academy says other factions may join the Dark Realm to kill Yeop Hyeon. We just need to stall. He must not enter the Imperial City for at least a month!"
"But... we've confirmed he has a Black Flame Steed. Someone's aiding him covertly. The Daeun Empire? Only their imperial house owns them."
Mok Cheong-hyeon shook his head.
"Daeun Empire has a grudge against Yeop Hyeon too. No reason to help. With ambitions for Qingzhou unification, he's a must-eliminate threat. This isn't them."
A cold gleam flashed in his eyes.
"Yes... perhaps Chwi Seon Ru's doing!"
The world knew Chwi Seon Ru backed Yeop Hyeon.
Suddenly, the space before him rippled. After listening intently, Mok Cheong-hyeon shouted excitedly at the students.
"Yeop Hyeon dies this time. Stall HIM until reinforcements arrive—by any means!"
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
The Changmok Academy students scattered in an instant.