Anyway, If You’re Late, You Die. (4)
“Are they here yet?”
Hong Dae-gwang craned his neck.
He could feel several auras moving swiftly up from the foot of the mountain, and a glint of interest appeared in his eyes.
“Who is it?”
Mount Hua? Or the Ghost Sect?
In terms of pure martial ability, the disciples of the Ghost Sect couldn’t possibly hope to stand against Mount Hua. But when it came to lightness skill, that was another matter entirely.
The martial arts of the Ghost Sect were specialized entirely in lightness skill and footwork. By pushing their center of gravity absurdly high, they achieved feet that were featherlight and blindingly fast, while sacrificing raw destructive power.
So when it came only to lightness skill, it was impossible to say which side was superior. Even Hong Dae-gwang, who considered himself something of an expert in the matter, couldn’t predict it.
Still, surely Mount Hua…
At the level of the Mount Hua Five Swords, they ought to be able to outmatch the Ghost Sect at least……
Just then.
Whoosh!
Someone burst from the brush and shot up toward the summit.
“Thanks for your hard work!”
“Oh?”
The figure, flying like a streak of light, kicked off a tree at the summit, flipped his body, and then sprinted back down the mountain in the exact same momentum he had used to come up.
The Ghost Sect?
Hong Dae-gwang had assumed the first to arrive would be Baek Cheon or Yu I-seol, but to his surprise, Ak So of the Ghost Sect reached the summit first.
“T-the way down is that way!”
“I know!”
Without even looking back, Ak So raced on.
Watching his retreating figure, a question suddenly struck Hong Dae-gwang.
Then where are Mount Hua’s disciples?
At that moment, several more figures shot up from below like arrows.
“Thanks for your hard work!”
“Just passing through!”
One after another, four people reached the summit—and all four were disciples of the Ghost Sect. Hong Dae-gwang’s eyes widened.
What’s going on here?
No, no matter how fast those guys were, Mount Hua shouldn’t be getting overwhelmed like this.
As if answering his doubt, a savage roar erupted from somewhere below.
“Aaaaaaah!”
“I’m gonna kill youuuuu!”
“Huh?”
The voice arrived before the person did.
The forest shook violently, and then the trees bent left and right as though they might snap, before someone burst from within the brush in a wildly explosive charge.
“Uhh…….”
Baek…… no, that was Baek Cheon, wasn’t it?
A human being smeared in yellow-brown mud came charging up the mountain on all fours, almost like some wild beast. At the sight of that berserk figure, Hong Dae-gwang unconsciously shrank back and tucked his neck in.
It is him.
But why was he covered head to toe in mud?
“N-no, Baek Cheon, Young Hero! What happened……?”
Before Hong Dae-gwang could finish, Baek Cheon leapt into the air, kicked off the summit tree hard enough to make it groan, and then shot off again in the opposite direction.
And then the Mount Hua disciples burst out of the brush in succession.
W-what’s wrong with them?
Baek Cheon was one thing—he was only filthy from the front—but Jo Gul and Yoon Jong, who emerged next, were covered from head to toe in yellow-brown earth and looked almost like men sculpted from mud.
Each time they stamped down harshly, dried clumps of dirt rained off them with a patter, kicking up clouds of dust.
Watching that grotesque spectacle, Hong Dae-gwang couldn’t help wondering what in the world they were doing.
“Aaaaaaah!”
“I’m going to kill him! I’ll definitely kill him!”
The two of them charged like beasts, eyes wild. As their voices faded, there was a brief moment of silence.
…….
Hong Dae-gwang blinked.
Wasn’t this just a race?
“Then the others…….”
Swish!
Before the thought could even fully form in his head, something black shot out from the forest.
…….
It was Yu I-seol. With eerie killing intent pouring from her eyes, she sprang like a hawk and used a tree as a stepping stone to vanish rapidly into the distance.
The sight of that cold face, as if a sheet of ice had been stretched over it, sent a chill down Hong Dae-gwang’s spine for no good reason.
What in the world is happening?
One thing was certain: whenever those Mount Hua bastards were involved, nothing ever proceeded normally.
“Sasuk!”
Yoon Jong and Jo Gul, who had caught up behind him, shouted furiously at Baek Cheon.
“……I’ll kill them.”
But Baek Cheon didn’t even glance their way. He only sprinted faster and harder, his gaze fixed straight ahead.
Then, from beside him, a chilling voice rang out.
“Faster!”
“Mother—! You scared me!”
Jo Gul jumped and turned his head. Yu I-seol, who had somehow caught up with them, was radiating a glacial chill from her eyes.
Baek Cheon ground his teeth and barked, “Catch them! Catch them no matter what! I’ll die before I lose!”
“Yes!”
“Let’s kill them!”
“Ooooooooh!”
The Mount Hua disciples began to accelerate even more.
Crash!
As the four of them unleashed their auras and ran at full tilt, a massive backdraft surged behind them after they passed.
“More! Faster! Empty out every last bit of inner power you’ve got!”
At Baek Cheon’s cry, the Mount Hua disciples clenched their teeth.
“Those bastard dogs!”
“Catch them and kill them!”
Words a Daoist should never have been able to utter came flying out in a torrent.
Yet despite their utterly un-Daoist demeanor, their speed grew terrifyingly fast. They were proving with their entire bodies that humanity and martial skill had nothing to do with each other.
“I see them!”
“Got you!”
Their eyes, now locked onto the Ghost Sect disciples running ahead, gleamed with madness.
“Heh. So this is what you get with bookish types,” Ak So sneered with amusement.
Right now they weren’t competing in lightness skill. They were competing to see who arrived first.
Lightness skill was, in the end, only a means of reaching a point quickly. It was never the goal itself. The only thing that mattered was arriving first, by any means necessary.
Those Mount Hua softies would probably learn that lesson the hard way today.
“Once we get there, we can just have a drink together and apologize…….”
At that moment, the disciple in the very rear of the Ghost Sect sensed a vile presence behind him and glanced back. Then he let out a shriek of shock.
“S-senior brother! Mount Hua’s coming!”
“What? Already?”
Ak So whipped around in alarm. Sure enough, the Mount Hua disciples were charging after them like savage beasts.
“Pick up the pace! More!”
“I-I’m already at my limit!”
“Damn it! What kind of Daoists are that fast?”
Unfortunate as it was, Ak So was missing one crucial fact even now.
The Mount Hua disciples weren’t merely fast.
They were only half in their right minds.
“Jo Gul!”
“Grrrrrrrrr!”
Baek Cheon and Yoon Jong each thrust out a hand from either side of Jo Gul and seized his shoulders.
“Throw him!”
“Go!”
The two of them heaved Jo Gul forward with all their strength.
Then they bellowed, “There’s no law saying you can’t fight!”
“Bite him!”
Jo Gul, his body one with the dried mud caking him, drew his sword while releasing pure madness from his eyes.
“You bastard assholes!”
“Eh?”
“Watch out!”
Seeing Jo Gul drop from above, the Ghost Sect disciples panicked and scattered in every direction.
“Too slow!”
But not all of them could evade it.
Jo Gul’s sword came down hard on the thigh of the last fleeing Ghost Sect disciple.
“Aaaagh!”
The Ghost Sect disciple tumbled and rolled, and at the same moment Jo Gul crashed to the ground.
Thud!
Yet even after slamming down, as though it hadn’t hurt at all, Jo Gul sprang up and shouted with solemn fervor, “I’ll handle this bastard! Go on!”
“Finish him fast and catch up!”
“Yes!”
As the remaining four surged forward, the fallen Ghost Sect disciple, startled, scrambled back to his feet and tried to run again.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
But Jo Gul blocked his path.
A thick smile spread at the corners of his mouth.
“You can play with me for a bit.”
“M-move!”
“I’d like to move too. I really would.”
Jo Gul gave a sinister grin and raised his sword.
“But at the very least, you should look as bad as I do before you go. Don’t you think?”
“…….”
“Come on, then. Try and die.”
Jo Gul rolled his eyes and charged the Ghost Sect disciple.
“What’s the distance?”
“A little closer now!”
“Damn it!”
Ak So ground his teeth.
He was running until his legs felt like they’d shatter, and yet the gap still refused to widen. No—if anything, it kept narrowing.
Are we losing in lightness skill?
That was impossible.
The martial arts of the Ghost Sect were specialized in lightness skill. Under ordinary circumstances, they should never lose in a contest of speed. Losing even to those who practiced Daoist martial arts was a matter of pride.
“Chu Pyeong!”
“Yes, senior brother!”
“Go! Stick to their ankles and hold them down!”
“Yes!”
Chu Pyeong, who had been following behind him, suddenly twisted his body and charged toward the Mount Hua disciples.
In both of his hands, which had just emerged from his sleeves, he held a handful of small, round pellets.
“Eat this!”
The pellets scattered through the air.
Bang! Bang-bang!
As the pellets exploded with a series of deafening blasts, a thick gray-white cloud instantly filled the path.
All right, now when they come rushing out, we just ambush them at the right moment…….
Then, in that very instant.
A dark figure burst through the pale smoke without the slightest hesitation and charged straight at Chu Pyeong.
“Huh?”
Thwack!
Without even a second of hesitation, Yu I-seol’s fist drove into Chu Pyeong’s face as though it were being buried there.
“Kuweeeeeek!”
Bump! Bump! Bump!
Sent flying in one blow, Chu Pyeong smashed into the ground several times before bouncing back up.
Yu I-seol seemed to have no intention of stopping there. Like a hawk diving on prey, she leapt into the air, then came down on him.
Thud!
Straddling Chu Pyeong, Yu I-seol bared her teeth, releasing a sharp, blue chill from her eyes.
“You’re that one from before.”
“……L-lady? I, I am……!”
Smack!
But before he could finish, Yu I-seol’s fist twisted Chu Pyeong’s jaw sideways. Each time she drove her blows down with her waist snapping left and right, cries of pain echoed out.
“I’m going first!”
“……I’ve seen that look somewhere before.”
Baek Cheon and Yoon Jong raced past her and shot ahead.
“P-please, lady, spare me…… Aaaagh! Agh! Please spare me! Agh!”
Her face showed neither expression nor mercy as she pummelled Chu Pyeong.
“Aaaaaah! Those stubborn leeches!”
Ak So screamed.
No! At least they’re Daoists!
He didn’t know the Daoist schools very well, but shouldn’t Daoists have some kind of dignified, solemn air about them?
He had thought that even while using lightness skill, they would somehow leap gracefully!
But Mount Hua’s disciples showed not a trace of that. Instead, they charged like nothing so much as a boar that had been shot through with a spear.
“What about the traps?”
“T-they’re not working!”
When arrows rained down, they swatted them away with their swords; when the ground caved in, they leapt without a single beat of hesitation. When spearheads shot out from the sides, they even bit down on them with their teeth.
“No choice! Run! The final outcome will be decided by lightness skill!”
“Yes!”
The Ghost Sect disciples gritted their teeth and began to run with everything they had.
Crash!
This was their pride at stake, too.
Once the Ghost Sect disciples, who claimed there was nowhere in the world they could be outpaced in lightness skill, finally started to unleash their true speed, they became so fast they were nearly impossible to follow with the eye.
But…….
“I-I can’t shake them, sahyung!”
“What the hell are those bastards……?”
Ak So’s eye twitched.
No, no. I absolutely cannot lose.
This was a path they used for training. The course changed each time, but they knew roughly where the traps lay and where they had to be careful.
And even so, they were losing?
“Aaaaaaah!”
Ak So drew up every shred of inner power from his dantian and forced it into his legs. Even if he collapsed the moment he arrived and coughed blood, he could not lose.
His body burst ahead of his fellow senior disciples.
“Go, senior brother!”
“Please, win!”
As though they knew exactly what needed to be done without being told, his junior disciples began to slow down. Then, glaring at the Mount Hua disciples, they shouted,
“You’re not getting through!”
“Step on me if you want to pass!”
At the voices behind him, Ak So squeezed his eyes shut.
I won’t forget your sacrifice…….
But then, at that exact moment—
“No. These bastards were the ones acting cowardly first, and now they’re trying to look all solemn? I’ll rip their damn jaws out!”
……Ah.
Actually, that was fair. Right, that was fair.
“Diiiiie!”
The clean, satisfying sound of impact hit his ears, followed by his disciples’ screams.
But Ak So didn’t look back. He kept running.
More! More!
His legs no longer obeyed him properly.
His breath burned up to the very tip of his throat, and his lungs felt ready to tear.
I can see it!
At last, the Ghost Sect came into view far ahead.
Once he could see it, it was only a matter of moments. If he could just hold on a little longer, he would win. And once he won……
“Oh?”
“…….”
Then a sinister voice sounded from behind him.
Ak So instinctively turned around, and his eyes landed on the face of a pretty boy—one who looked as though he’d smeared himself with dirt for disguise.
A face smiling with an absurdly grotesque expression.
“Hey. You listened to the rules properly, right?”
“…….”
Huh?
That’s what I just said……
“Unfortunately,”
Cracks of pure white spread across the mud-caked face. Baek Cheon, grinning with his teeth bared, had madness burning bright in his eyes.
“I don’t remember anyone saying we weren’t allowed to fight.”
“Aaaaaaah!”
Terrified, Ak So dragged every last ounce of strength out of himself and hurled himself toward the Ghost Sect.
A little! Just a little more!
The scenery around him stretched long and thin. That was how fast he was moving.
His heart felt as though it might burst, but Ak So did not stop his legs. As if his body had been struck by lightning, his speed continued to sharpen and surge toward the Ghost Sect.
Catch me if you can, you bastard!
Blade or whatever else—none of that mattered unless you could keep pace. No matter how strong you were, I was faster.
Whoosh! Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
The sound of his feet striking the ground was brutal.
Ak So realized that he was running faster than he ever had in his life, and he clenched his teeth hard enough to feel them crack.
The mountain flashed by.
A stream was leapt in a single bound.
As he climbed the final mountain road leading to the Ghost Sect, a fierce exhilaration flooded Ak So’s mind.
The Ghost Sect gate, which had looked like a tiny dot, swelled rapidly larger and larger.
Twenty jang. Ten jang. Five jang. Three jang.
Never letting his guard drop until the very end, Ak So gathered every last shred of strength and kicked off the ground as if he were sweeping it away. Extending both legs and drawing both hands to his chest, he became one arrow and shot straight toward the Ghost Sect gate.
“I won—!”
Clack!
“Huh?”
Ak So tilted his head in confusion for a brief moment.
What is this?
His legs were still hanging in the air. Of course, his hands weren’t touching the ground either.
But……
But why had his body stopped? Why?
Ak So slowly turned his head to the side. In his vision appeared a man standing right beside him.
A man who had reached out and firmly seized the back of his neck.
The man smiled faintly and gestured downward with his eyes.
Huh?
Ak So’s gaze drifted down.
And then he saw it.
The ground, soaked through with rain and turned into a mire of mud.
“……You.”
Splash!
Ak So’s body was hurled face-first into the mud. Mud and water sprayed everywhere in a disgusting mess.
…….
His twisted legs spasmed violently.
Looking down at him, Baek Cheon smiled.
“……It’s not like I’m holding a grudge, so don’t misunderstand.”
With a casual flick of his hand, he then strode into the Ghost Sect with the most refreshed expression in the world.
……It was a stingy, petty, and thoroughly satisfying victory.