A Life-and-Death Gamble (1)
As the Mad Horse Elder Ma Gwan-pil bled killing intent into the air, even Gui Jong-ak, the head of Jeokma-dang, was crushed beneath it.
Ma Gwan-pil was the sort of man even the fierce Gui Jong-ak had to give a wide berth to, a figure who had risen to a uniquely unshakable position even within Jeokma-dang.
"Ah, yes. Then I will go with Jin Sa-jun, the Golden Elder Brother of the Ten Red Horses."
To be honest, Gui Jong-ak would have preferred to take a large escort with him, but Ma Gwan-pil’s words were not something he could ignore, so in the end he had no choice but to yield.
Jin Sa-jun, the leader of the Ten Red Horses and the man known as the Golden Elder Brother, was a rare combination of martial skill and intellect, a true man of both civil and military accomplishment.
I have heard there were quite a few who were careless with Seok Geum-ryong and paid for it.
If he could not bring many men because he had to read Ma Gwan-pil’s mood, then he needed to assemble the most capable people he had.
Jin Sa-jun, whose martial ability was the strongest among the Ten Red Horses and who could also support him well, was exactly the right choice.
"Hurry."
Ma Gwan-pil moved ahead of Gui Jong-ak first, as though he were the superior officer.
That damned old lunatic.
Gui Jong-ak ground his teeth at the sight, but there was nothing he could do.
After all, in a merchant organization like Jeokma-dang, it was no small matter to recruit a master like Ma Gwan-pil, a peak-level expert with formidable abilities.
Martial artists generally disliked working in the commerce world, no matter how many gold taels they were offered.
To them it was no noble pursuit of martial truth, but a descent into being slaves sold for mere gold.
That was why, not only Seokga Manor but every merchant house, poured its heart into recruiting first-rate experts. And among the miraculous gains Jeokma-dang had made, the most remarkable was the Mad Horse Elder, Ma Gwan-pil.
Fwoosh!
Ma Gwan-pil chased after the retreating Shadowless One Shin Dan-woo and Seok Geum-ryong with footwork every bit as seasoned as his martial arts were formidable.
Gui Jong-ak had basic martial training too, but he lacked talent, and before long he was left panting.
"Huff, huff!"
In truth, for someone at Gui Jong-ak’s level to pursue Shin Dan-woo and Seok Geum-ryong at all was absurd.
"Sect Master!"
As Gui Jong-ak fell behind in an instant, Jin Sa-jun, the leader of the Ten Red Horses, hurriedly moved to support him, alarmed.
"Tsk."
Ma Gwan-pil clicked his tongue in obvious dissatisfaction, then said, "Gui Sect Master. I’ll go on ahead, catch those two, and beat them senseless... you come along at a suitable pace."
He abandoned Gui Jong-ak, the man who formally stood above him and paid his wages every month, and surged forward.
"Good grief..."
At that ridiculous display, Jin Sa-jun gave a dry snort, as if it were almost funny.
No matter how little one respected one’s superior, wasn’t this the wrong way round?
"Sect Master. Master Ma’s arrogance has become more and more intolerable. How long are you going to let it continue?"
Only after Ma Gwan-pil disappeared from view did Jin Sa-jun speak his true feelings.
Of course, this was not the sort of thing he could have said while Ma Gwan-pil was present.
"What choice do we have? From our point of view, recruiting a peak expert, especially one who has reached the upper rank, is like plucking stars from the sky."
Gui Jong-ak was also irritated by Ma Gwan-pil’s behavior, but he had to admit the man’s exceptional martial skill and relentless pursuit.
"You know this as well, do you not? He loves horses to an almost absurd degree, and if not for a sect connected to horses, we would never have brought the Mad Horse Elder Ma Gwan-pil here at all."
Gui Jong-ak was right.
Ever since Ma Gwan-pil had roamed the evil schools of the martial world, he had possessed an extraordinary obsession with horses.
That was because he had originally come from a stable boy’s background and carried the blood of the steppe peoples in his veins.
Was it any wonder his footwork had been modeled after the explosive posture and force of a galloping horse?
"In any case, his tracking ability and killing power are beyond compare... Seok Geum-ryong is as good as a dead man."
Gui Jong-ak folded away his fear and frustration toward Ma Gwan-pil and forced himself to smile, imagining the head of Seok Geum-ryong that the old man would bring back.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
As the men of Jeokma-dang pursued them, Seok Geum-ryong and Shin Dan-woo ran as though they had no limit at all, flying forward like men possessed.
Their expressions as they ran were urgent and grave, and for good reason.
[Young Master. A man with tremendous energy is closing in hard from behind!]
The reason was a single one.
The strange old man mad for horses, the one who had even devised a movement technique by imitating a horse’s speed, was relentlessly after them: the Mad Horse Elder Ma Gwan-pil.
Shadowless Movement Technique!
As Seok Geum-ryong and Shin Dan-woo increased their speed, so too did their pursuer.
Crazy Horse Sprint!
Ma Gwan-pil likewise drove his footwork faster and faster, until it seemed to conjure the image of a superb warhorse thundering across open fields.
By the time an hour of pursuit had passed, even Shin Dan-woo, the Shadowless One, whose footwork supposedly outstripped that of any peak-level master, was forced to click his tongue.
"Hoo... have you ever seen such a monstrous old man?"
Seok Geum-ryong was just as astonished.
Fortunately for them, even if his internal energy was another matter, in terms of raw stamina the younger Seok Geum-ryong and Shin Dan-woo still held the advantage.
"Huff, huff!"
After about an hour, Ma Gwan-pil began to show signs of exhaustion, and Seok Geum-ryong and Shin Dan-woo were finally able to catch their breath.
Hmm?
Seok Geum-ryong stared at the tired Ma Gwan-pil for a moment, then released his senses to check whether there were any other pursuers around him.
To his surprise, none of the subordinates or additional men he had expected were there, and that astonished him.
"Mr. Shin. That short, hunched, bizarre old man... it seems he’s pursuing us alone."
Seok Geum-ryong checked once more before relaying the fact to Shin Dan-woo.
"What? That can’t be..."
Shin Dan-woo had already sensed the many powerful auras aboard the great ship, so he could not believe only one man had given chase.
But only for a moment.
"He really is... the Mad Horse Elder Ma Gwan-pil came alone?"
As he confirmed the pursuer’s identity, Shin Dan-woo was shocked in turn.
Then he nodded slowly, accepting it.
It’s not just anyone. If it’s the Mad Horse Elder, then it makes sense.
Jeokma-dang and Seokga Manor were both within the same Hebei sphere of influence, so even without direct ties they could still learn one another’s information indirectly.
The unexpected master Jeokma-dang had invited, the surprising figure no one had anticipated, was none other than the Mad Horse Elder Ma Gwan-pil. Even many of Seokga Manor’s more seasoned experts feared him and kept their distance.
That was because, aside from his odd temperament and his fondness for horses over people, he had suffered from a curved spine since childhood, and that had left him with no hesitation when it came to killing men.
"If it’s the Mad Horse Elder Ma Gwan-pil, then that’s entirely possible."
"Ma Gwan-pil? You mean that old man is the Mad Horse Elder?"
The Mad Horse Elder Ma Gwan-pil had been a famous expert who ruled Hebei as a terrifying eccentric even before entering Jeokma-dang, so Seok Geum-ryong had known of his infamous reputation well since his previous life as Woo Do-min.
"That’s right."
Shin Dan-woo’s confirmation followed.
Right now, Ma Gwan-pil is a peak expert, and not just any peak expert, but one at the upper rank.
By contrast, Seok Geum-ryong was at the level of super first-class, and Shin Dan-woo was at the very top of the super first-class realm.
In other words, neither of them had reached peak realm, though Shin Dan-woo was already close enough to it to be nearly its equal.
"According to rumor, the Mad Horse Elder Ma Gwan-pil doesn’t even listen to the Jeokma-dang Master Gui Jong-ak, and I’ve heard he has a wild, lawless personality and looks down on people without restraint. Perhaps... his coming alone is our chance."
Fortunately, Seok Geum-ryong and Shin Dan-woo were thinking the same thing.
Namely, that they had to bring down the Mad Horse Elder Ma Gwan-pil before Gui Jong-ak and the rest of the pursuers arrived behind him.
Of course, it was almost impossible for two super first-class experts to capture a peak expert, especially one of the upper rank.
But given Ma Gwan-pil’s habit of looking down on people and underestimating the weak, there was still room for a reversal.
And there was one more thing.
In my previous life... I know exactly how the Mad Horse Elder Ma Gwan-pil died, and I know his weakness in detail.
Seok Geum-ryong smiled, confidence rising in him.
In his previous life as the Gold-Selling Swordsman Woo Do-min, the Mad Horse Elder’s death had been discussed widely throughout the Hebei martial world, and because of that, he remembered the old man’s end.
"Mr. Shin Dan-woo. How about we give it a try?"
Seok Geum-ryong proposed it while looking into Shin Dan-woo’s troubled eyes.
Shin Dan-woo thought the odds were poor and that Seok Geum-ryong might be placed in danger, but...
At worst, if I can hold Ma Gwan-pil down and try to go down with him, perhaps I can let Young Master escape.
If he were willing to sacrifice his own life in order to focus entirely on Seok Geum-ryong’s escape, then it might be possible.
Also, reinforcements would be coming from the main residence of Seokga Manor, and for them to find the two of them first, there would need to be some commotion.
Fortunately, this area lies along the route from Shanxi toward Hebei.
In other words, since this was a point of departure from Hebei toward Shanxi, there was a good chance that noise would be detected even from far away.
Of course, even if they used every possibility at their disposal, directly facing off against the Mad Horse Elder Ma Gwan-pil was a perilous undertaking.
"Will it really be all right?"
Shin Dan-woo asked with continued hesitation.
Strangely enough, he wanted to hear advice from Seok Geum-ryong, though the boy was still so young.
"No matter how great a master he is, the Mad Horse Elder has been running for a full hour already. He’s exhausted. Perhaps... this is the perfect chance."
Unlike Shin Dan-woo, whose pupils trembled, Seok Geum-ryong’s eyes did not waver at all, though he was only thirteen.
Far from wavering, they had hardened into an unbending will and burned with fierce intensity.
Yes. Young Master is a man chosen by heaven, one favored by great fortune. How could such a man be struck down in his youth and die an unnatural death?
At last, Shin Dan-woo made up his mind and drew his sword.
"For now, Young Master, please support me from behind."
Seok Geum-ryong possessed a form of long- to mid-range attack that Shin Dan-woo had not learned, namely the throwing technique of the gold needles.
If they made good use of each other’s strengths, perhaps they could bring down the tired Ma Gwan-pil. That hope took root between them.
"Yes."
"Then..."
At last, the two reached an accord.
They turned and rushed straight back toward Ma Gwan-pil, who had also been running for an hour and was now panting wildly in exhausted respite.
Shadowless Movement Technique!
Shin Dan-woo and Seok Geum-ryong, who had learned the same footwork, charged side by side.
Under ordinary circumstances, they would have fled in the opposite direction from Ma Gwan-pil. This time, however, it was different.
"Hm? Th-those little bastards..."
Ma Gwan-pil had finally stopped, and for the moment he was catching his breath with relief, thinking he had earned a short reprieve.
To him, he was the predator, and the rest were nothing more than rabbits or roe deer.
So how would it feel when a rabbit and a roe deer both leaped at a tiger at once?
"Have you two gone mad?"
He was so dumbfounded that he could not even laugh.
Then, all at once:
"Haaah!"
"Now!"
Shin Dan-woo and Seok Geum-ryong unleashed their full-power attack.
From this point on, only a life-or-death battle would be permitted.