Chapter 22
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: A Step Away
Umun Hye quickly sorted through her chaotic thoughts. A flurry of ideas bubbled up and faded away. As her gaze swept up and down Dan Hyeong-u's frame, her eyes naturally drifted to the sword at his waist.
She had sneered at it the first time she laid eyes on it, but now she couldn't.
"You're the one."
Dan Hyeong-u simply stared at Umun Hye in response to her cryptic words. Then he opened his mouth.
"If you've got nothing more to say, I'm leaving."
Yeong-sa leaped forward just as Dan Hyeong-u turned away decisively.
"The young lady still seems to have some questions. Why not wait a little longer?"
Dan Hyeong-u didn't stop walking. Yeong-sa reached out to grab his arm as he tried to slip past. In that instant, Dan Hyeong-u's figure vanished like a ghost, and Yeong-sa's hand swiped through empty air. A sharp chill pierced down Yeong-sa's spine. He drew his sword in tense readiness.
The ink-black sword slid silently from its sheath and melted into the darkness.
Yeong-sa scanned all around with gleaming eyes, searching for Dan Hyeong-u. But there was no sign of him anywhere.
After a long search yielded no trace of Dan Hyeong-u's presence or form, he had no choice but to sheath his sword. He gave a slight bow toward Umun Hye.
"My apologies, young lady."
Even as Yeong-sa spoke, Umun Hye stared blankly at the spot where Dan Hyeong-u had stood moments before.
"He vanished."
"Pardon?"
"He just vanished. It wasn't any lightness skill or footwork technique. I'm sure of it. He just disappeared like that. How can a person do that?"
"Impossible. How could anyone just vanish? It's just that his martial arts are too superior. I couldn't even track his movements."
"That's what I mean—he just vanished! I'm telling you, it's true!"
Yeong-sa let out a quiet sigh at Umun Hye's reaction. How could that be? It was simply that Dan Hyeong-u's skills were extraordinarily advanced. The world was full of people whose abilities far outstripped theirs.
"It's him, without a doubt."
Yeong-sa said, looking at Umun Hye. She widened her eyes, as if asking what he meant.
"The one who annihilated the Black Snake Squad."
Only then did Umun Hye let out an "Ah!" of realization. She nodded. It was a thought that had already crossed her mind.
"What shall we do?"
Umun Hye pondered Yeong-sa's question for a moment before slowly replying.
"We'll observe him a bit longer, I suppose? We haven't learned anything yet."
Yeong-sa's sigh deepened slightly.
Hyeong Pyo and Jo Seol-yeon gazed anxiously at the woods, unable to settle down since Dan Hyeong-u and Umun Hye had disappeared into them.
"Nothing bad happened, right?"
Worry laced Jo Seol-yeon's words. Hyeong Pyo sighed in response.
"Hoo, I can't say for sure. He's just so unpredictable..."
Dan Hyeong-u's actions were hard to predict. He often acted strangely, but this escort mission had taken it to extremes. If he had wanted, not a single escort would have died. And without his help, even the Tang Family warriors might not have survived.
"Come to think of it, everything's in that guy's hands."
Jo Seol-yeon nodded unconsciously at Hyeong Pyo's murmur. She knew full well how strong Dan Hyeong-u was.
She had witnessed it firsthand. He had dispatched twenty elite warriors that even Sama Cheol couldn't handle in an instant. And from what she'd heard, he had single-handedly repelled foes that the Tang Family couldn't touch.
But this time was different. They absolutely could not afford to cause trouble with Umun Hye. One misstep, and they might face the entire Umun Family. That would be disastrous for Dan Hyeong-u—and for them—especially in their current weakened state.
As the two stared intently into the woods, Dan Hyeong-u reappeared. He emerged as naturally as if he'd been standing just outside the entire time; the gold and silver escorts hadn't even noticed him brush past.
The pair jumped in surprise as Dan Hyeong-u passed between them. But they made no move, simply turning to watch the woods for Umun Hye and Yeong-sa.
Jo Seol-yeon and Hyeong Pyo couldn't hide their unease at Dan Hyeong-u's solitary return. Though his time in the woods had been brief, they couldn't assume nothing had happened.
"O-Oppa. What about the others...?"
Gathering her courage, Jo Seol-yeon spoke up. Dan Hyeong-u glanced at her.
"Who knows. They'll come when they feel like it."
Jo Seol-yeon and Hyeong Pyo breathed sighs of relief at his response. It seemed nothing had gone wrong, after all.
Even as relief washed over her, Jo Seol-yeon cautiously gauged Dan Hyeong-u's expression. Hesitating, she spoke.
"What did you talk about?"
Dan Hyeong-u stared blankly at her question. Though it was a familiar gaze, Jo Seol-yeon's face still flushed.
"She asked who I was."
Jo Seol-yeon and Hyeong Pyo looked at him in surprise. They hadn't expected such a straightforward answer. Regardless of their reactions, Dan Hyeong-u continued.
"So I told her."
"W-What did you say?"
Jo Seol-yeon was dying to know. Come to think of it, she didn't even know who Dan Hyeong-u really was. She only knew he'd come down from the mountains; nothing more. The same went for Hyeong Pyo.
With expectant looks, Jo Seol-yeon and Hyeong Pyo awaited his answer—and Dan Hyeong-u obliged.
"Dan Hyeong-u."
"Pardon?"
Jo Seol-yeon blinked in confusion. But Dan Hyeong-u said no more. After staring at him in bewilderment for a while, she finally understood. Realization brought an involuntary giggle.
"Pfft, hee hee hee."
Jo Seol-yeon covered her mouth and chuckled softly. Imagining the scene, she couldn't help it.
While Jo Seol-yeon laughed, Hyeong Pyo couldn't. By Dan Hyeong-u's account, it was downright rude. Though dragging him into the woods at night was rude enough—these were Umun Family people, after all.
Hyeong Pyo glanced worriedly at the woods. Just then, Umun Hye and Yeong-sa slowly emerged.
A faint smile played on Umun Hye's lips as she walked straight toward Dan Hyeong-u. Her eyes were fixed on him with an intense gaze, as if peering through to his soul.
But Dan Hyeong-u paid her no mind. He'd glanced once at the start, then turned away and stood impassively.
Hyeong Pyo and Jo Seol-yeon swallowed hard in tension. To them, it looked like Umun Hye was glaring at Dan Hyeong-u as if she wanted to devour him. Yet she simply passed by his side without a word, as if nothing had happened.
As Jo Seol-yeon and Hyeong Pyo sighed in relief, Umun Hye settled quietly under the protection of the gold and silver escorts to rest. Yeong-sa's curious eyes flicked briefly toward Dan Hyeong-u.
Dan Hyeong-u continued to stand there until the faint light of dawn chased away the last of the darkness.
The next day, the escort's pace quickened. With their destination nearing, they began the final forced march. The porters were dying under the strain.
But no one complained. Henan Escort Bureau missions were always like this—and the rest and rewards at the end made it worthwhile.
The Tang Family warriors, led by Tang Ho-gwan, grew ever more tense as they approached Chengdu. Their eyes sharpened, and an aura of suppressed menace radiated from them, dominating the surroundings.
Hyeong Pyo watched with a meaningful expression. Something was definitely up.
"Young lady, we'd best stay cautious."
Jo Seol-yeon blinked wide-eyed at Hyeong Pyo's words.
"The mood feels off. We should warn that guy ahead of time too."
Jo Seol-yeon nodded and looked toward Dan Hyeong-u. He was walking beside Umun Hye's carriage, as usual. No one else was anywhere near.
With a quiet sigh, Jo Seol-yeon slowly approached. Umun Hye was an intimidating presence—both because of her Umun Family backing and her overwhelming beauty. But she had no choice now.
"Um... Oppa."
Dan Hyeong-u met her eyes directly at her call. Jo Seol-yeon's face flushed crimson. Umun Hye watched the scene with gleaming eyes.
After furtively checking Umun Hye's reaction, Jo Seol-yeon cautiously spoke to Dan Hyeong-u.
"Hyeong the escort leader says we should be careful."
Dan Hyeong-u nodded.
"Should I kill them all?"
Jo Seol-yeon's face paled at his words.
"Pardon?"
"The ones hiding."
"H-Hiding? What do you mean?"
Jo Seol-yeon jumped at Dan Hyeong-u's words. Did that mean someone was really preparing an ambush nearby?
"Is that true?"
This time it was Umun Hye. She wore an incredulous expression. She hadn't sensed a thing. For someone to approach close enough for an attack without her or Yeong-sa noticing meant they were far superior.
"About a hundred of them."
Umun Hye's face filled with deep skepticism. A hundred? Not even one? Impossible.
Dan Hyeong-u ignored whether she believed him or not.
"I'll kill them all."
"W-Wait a second!"
Jo Seol-yeon hurriedly stopped him. Her mind raced. Thinking of Dan Hyeong-u's usual behavior, she realized normal logic didn't apply.
"Roughly where are they?"
Dan Hyeong-u's finger pointed off to one side—not far from the main road. Slightly off the path. The problem was, there was no place there for anyone to hide.
Umun Hye smirked faintly at the sight.
"Looks like no one's over there."
Dan Hyeong-u didn't care about the mockery in her tone. He might not even recognize it as such.
Umun Hye scoffed, but Jo Seol-yeon pressed on with a doubtful look.
"How far away?"
"One of my steps."
Jo Seol-yeon sighed. She couldn't gauge Dan Hyeong-u's stride with her own abilities.
"Ho ho ho! One step? Ridiculous! You saying they're hiding right under my feet?"
Ignoring Umun Hye's laughter, Jo Seol-yeon asked again.
"In my steps, then?"
Umun Hye stopped laughing at the question. Dan Hyeong-u furrowed his brow slightly. It was hard to calculate. After mentally measuring the distance, he spoke.
"Roughly twenty thousand steps."
Gait varied by person, but for Jo Seol-yeon, seven steps made about a zhang. Twenty thousand steps came to roughly three thousand zhang—over twenty li.
"No way!"
Umun Hye shouted. Sensing presences hiding twenty li away? Unbelievable. She herself could manage maybe ten zhang on a good day. Beyond that was impossible, even for experts. Three thousand zhang? Absurd.
"You're taking this joke too far."
Umun Hye glared at Dan Hyeong-u angrily. But Jo Seol-yeon's next words left her staring in stunned disbelief.
"Please don't touch them until they attack."
Dan Hyeong-u nodded at Jo Seol-yeon's request.
"Fine."
"Thank you, Oppa."
Jo Seol-yeon gazed at him warmly. Dan Hyeong-u stared back with his usual blank expression.
"I keep my promises."
Overcome with emotion, Jo Seol-yeon bowed deeply. Then she hurried back to Hyeong Pyo like she was fleeing.
Umun Hye watched the whole exchange in a daze. She couldn't comprehend it. Believing such outlandish claims? Jo Seol-yeon wasn't that naive. So there must be something solid backing it. Umun Hye pondered what it could be.
On the other hand, she wondered if Dan Hyeong-u's boast was real. She'd know soon enough. Twenty li wasn't far at this pace; they'd arrive before long.
Umun Hye glanced at Yeong-sa. He walked on the right side of the carriage—opposite Dan Hyeong-u on the left.
"What do you think?"
Yeong-sa answered confidently.
"Impossible for a single person."
Umun Hye's eyes lit up.
"Then?"
"He must have several allies. Intelligence-related ones, clearly."
Umun Hye nodded.
"Exactly what I was thinking. Let's see how this plays out."
The escort pressed on toward Chengdu at a near-run, carrying the thoughts of many.
Tang Ho-gwan and the Tang Family warriors had been on high alert since entering Sichuan—their home turf. The reason for such tension in their own backyard was the Black Snake Gang.
The Black Snake Gang was a faction with over a century of history and considerable size. But lacking martial arts to match, it held little sway in Sichuan. In the last decade, however, it had surged, now threatening even the Tang Family, Sichuan's premier clan.
Tang Ho-gwan frowned at the thought. The black-clad attackers on their escort were surely from the Black Snake Gang. Excluding Qingcheng and Emei Sects, it was the only group in Sichuan that could muster such force.