A Failed Secret Rendezvous (1)
Deep in a mountain on the outskirts of Hebei.
Gulp, gulp.
Dang Go-hye pressed the bamboo canteen to her lips and drank deeply. One might have described the sight as alluring, but Man Hanseok didn't blush. Instead, he watched her with an anxious expression and spoke up.
"L-Lady Dang. If you drink like that already, you'll have a hard time later."
"I know! I'm just frustrated!"
Dang Go-hye scowled fiercely, then rubbed the space between her eyebrows.
Shoot, I didn't mean to snap...
They had been searching all day without finding a single trace, and the mounting frustration had made her lash out without thinking. Man Hanseok's helpless expression—so utterly at odds with his massive, dependable build—seemed to grate on her nerves.
Yet, contrary to his timid face, he was doing his job exceptionally well. He held up the bamboo canteen and asked, "Is this... something Chef Yoon made?"
She had assumed it was just water at first, but she had been startled by the sweet, nutty flavor that filled her mouth upon drinking.
Was it called misu?
"Chef Yoon only made the powder. I was the one who mixed it... Is it not to your liking?"
"...No, it's actually quite good."
"Ah, I'll let Chef Yoon know later."
Seeing Man Hanseok's face instantly break into a peaceful smile at the mention of Yoon Gomyung's name, Dang Go-hye pouted slightly.
Is he really that incredible?
Hanseok was always incredibly stiff and nervous around her, but the moment the topic shifted to Yoon Gomyung, he became relaxed and serious. Then again, she supposed it made sense; he was still a sixth-year student at the academy. Having a reliable adult figure in one's life was important.
Dang Go-hye capped the bamboo canteen and handed it back to Man Hanseok. He took it and asked, "Lady Dang, how did you know there was a venomous creature in this area?"
"Originally, I came because I heard there was a venomous king serpent around here. But when I asked around the local villages, they said there was some kind of purple monkey."
"A purple monkey?"
"Yes. Like the legendary spiritual beast, the Golden Snub-nosed Monkey, couldn't it be a Purple Snub-nosed Monkey?"
At the suggestion that it might be an undiscovered spiritual beast akin to the legendary golden-furred monkey, Man Hanseok's expression shifted.
An opportunity to become someone recognized, just like Chef Yoon.
Man Hanseok was, after all, a proper martial artist. Establishing himself in the Murim and making a name for himself was one of his ultimate goals. If he could be the one to discover an unknown spiritual beast, his name would be remembered for generations, not to mention the immense benefits he could reap.
Of course, that was assuming they actually found it.
"I hope we find it."
"It's not 'I hope we find it.'"
"Pardon?"
"Shouldn't you say, 'We will definitely find it'?"
"Ah, ah... We will definitely find it."
"Good."
As Man Hanseok replied with a dazed face, Dang Go-hye grinned. It felt a bit like he was being dragged along by her pace, but since her words weren't wrong, Hanseok nodded in agreement.
"But do you know exactly where we are going?"
"On the way here, I read a book about the habits of monkeys. They usually live in tall trees and eat wild fruits."
That sounds way too broad.
The entire mountain was covered in tall trees, and wild fruits grew all over the place. The area easily spanned tens of thousands of acres. Was it even possible to find a venomous beast before their vacation ended?
With that thought in mind, Man Hanseok tilted his head and asked about something else that had been bothering him.
"Lady Dang, what about those Pansu Sect bastards from back then?"
"Ah, those bas... I mean, those guys?"
"Ahem. Did you eventually find them?"
"We found them, but they were all dead."
"What?"
Dang Go-hye frowned as she replied, "Apparently, they were a bunch of weaklings, and some master wiped them all out. They only found rotting skeletons."
"Only skeletons?"
"Exactly. Uncle Poison Dragon said it looked like they were taken out shortly after you rescued me, Young Master Man."
"Isn't that completely silencing them to destroy evidence?"
"You think so too, don't you? I don't know who did it, but if I catch them, they're dead..."
Grind.
Watching Dang Go-hye clench her fist with a terrifying look on her face, Man Hanseok swallowed hard. As expected of a daughter of the Sichuan Tang Clan, her personality was incredibly fierce.
I should report this to Chef Yoon.
The Tang Clan members at the academy had all claimed ignorance or avoided the topic, saying it wasn't something they could discuss, so he hadn't been able to obtain this information until now.
About two hours passed in this manner.
"Ugh, this is so frustrating!"
A single drop of sweat rolled down her temple to her sharp jawline. Dang Go-hye wiped it with her sleeve and kicked a stone in frustration. The reason, of course, was that no purple monkey had appeared. To make matters worse, her lack of patience combined with Man Hanseok's quiet nature was a recipe for irritation.
If they had been chatting as they searched, it might have been fine, but walking in near-silence was simply too much to bear.
Though she felt as if time had ground to a halt, Dang Go-hye found it difficult to actually get angry at Man Hanseok, even if she could whine to him.
Chef Yoon is fun, but he can be a bit too flighty.
Believing that a man should be solid and steady, Dang Go-hye couldn't bring herself to snap at Hanseok. In the end, she settled for venting her anger on the stone.
However, there was one problem.
Even if Dang Go-hye was relatively weak compared to her clan's elites, she was still a First-class martial artist.
Thud!
The kicked stone flew through the air and embedded itself deep into a tree trunk.
"Hic."
A sharp gasp echoed from behind the tree.
Whoosh!
Man Hanseok instantly unslung the spear from his back and leveled it, while Dang Go-hye flinched and slipped her hand into her sleeve, ready to draw throwing weapons at a moment's notice.
"..."
Silence fell over the forest, but they had to investigate. Neither of them possessed the high-level sensory perception of Yoon Gomyung or Seonwoo Seol to detect presence perfectly.
Taking the lead, Man Hanseok cautiously crept toward the tree. There, hiding behind the trunk and staring at them, was a filthy, ragged figure.
"M-Monster!"
At the sound of the young, trembling voice—seemingly even younger than Gongson Yeongji—Man Hanseok narrowed his eyes and looked closer.
It was a boy who looked younger than a first-year academy student. He wore tattered, filthy rags, his body was covered in grime, and he was painfully thin. It was clear he hadn't eaten properly in a very long time.
If Chef Yoon saw this, he'd complain about how skinny the kid is and immediately bring out a bowl of rice.
At the very least, he didn't look like a disguised master who had achieved rejuvenation, and his presence was practically nonexistent. Having made his assessment, Man Hanseok frowned as he recalled the boy's words.
"Still, calling me a monster is a bit much, isn't it?"
"Well, you are exceptionally tall, Young Master Man. So, it's a person, right?"
"Yes. A person. A very young one, at that."
As the two conversed, the huddled boy relaxed slightly and asked, "Y-You didn't come to catch me, right...?"
"Kid, who even are you for us to catch? Is your family some kind of rebel clan?"
It was a blunt, sharp question. But it also made it clear that they had no idea who he was. At Dang Go-hye's sharp tone, the boy swallowed hard and carefully opened his mouth.
"P-Please help me..."
"Help you with what?"
"Bad people are coming to catch me...!"
"Bad people?"
Dang Go-hye frowned in confusion, and the boy stammered out an explanation.
"Sister Yuyu, Grandpa Cheol-ung... everyone was captured and never came back..."
"So who captured them?"
"That's..."
Just as the boy was about to answer under Dang Go-hye's prompting—
Rustle.
"...!"
This was a desolate, secluded mountain where no one should be. At the sudden sound, both Man Hanseok and Dang Go-hye tensed, instinctively moving to shield the boy.
But...
Was it just the wind? Or a wild animal?
Man Hanseok scanned the surroundings warily, but nothing happened. Just as he was about to relax his stance and approach the boy—
Prickle!
A sudden, sharp killing intent pricked his forehead. Man Hanseok flinched and instinctively swung his spear with all his might. It felt exactly like the intense pressure he experienced whenever he sparred with Yoon Gomyung.
And in that instant, a heavy impact reverberated through his spear.
Clang!
A nail-like throwing weapon was deflected by Man Hanseok's long spear and sent flying.
"Huh?"
With a gasp of surprise, a man who looked like an ordinary peasant stepped out from behind a tree. He had a common face that could belong to a woodcutter, an herb gatherer, or a lost merchant. He certainly hadn't been there a moment ago, and Dang Go-hye couldn't comprehend how he had gotten so close without them noticing.
Does everyone have some kind of obsession with hiding behind trees?
"For a mere first-class brat to block that."
Sensing that this man was dangerous, Man Hanseok asked in a serious tone, "Who are you?"
The peasant completely ignored the question.
"...Are you the masters of those two guard warriors at the bottom of the mountain?"
"What if we are?"
"Regrettably, it seems there is no one left to help you."
"...!"
Man Hanseok bared his teeth.
This is bad.
There had been two Tang Clan guard warriors who had accompanied them to the mountain. The man's words meant he had either killed them or taken them out of commission.
Naturally, Dang Go-hye couldn't stay silent.
"Who gave you permission to lay a hand on the Tang Clan's warriors?"
"So they really were of the Tang Clan. No wonder their attacks were so fierce for simple guards."
Did he really kill our guards?
At the realization that two guards stronger than herself had been defeated, Dang Go-hye looked at Man Hanseok with a grim expression. Reading her face, Hanseok turned back to the peasant.
"What do you want?"
Seeing Hanseok on high alert, the peasant held out a hand.
"Hand over the child."
"You expect us to hand over a child to someone who attacks without even revealing their identity?"
"Yes. Hand him over."
Man Hanseok stared at the peasant in silence. Then, gripping his spear tightly, he muttered quietly, "No."
"Arrogant brat, relying on your massive size."
Whoosh!
"...!"
Ugh!
A sudden, overwhelming wave of killing intent erupted from the man. In the past, Hanseok would have frozen in fear, unable to speak. But traveling with Yoon Gomyung had made him bolder and far more resilient.
Actually, this is manageable.
Despite the peasant's intimidation, Man Hanseok shrugged off the pressure and replied calmly, "You're the one acting arrogant, relying on your own skills."
"...Impudent brat!"
Provoked by a boy who wasn't even half his age, the peasant lunged.
Whoosh!
Closing the distance in an instant, the peasant drew a small dagger from his sleeve and thrust it toward Hanseok. Or rather, he tried to.
Whack!
Man Hanseok swung the shaft of his spear, striking the rapidly approaching peasant. Both the peasant and Dang Go-hye were stunned by his reaction speed.
It was an incredibly fast counterattack. Having evaded the dagger and landed a blow, Man Hanseok maintained a calm expression. But inside, his heart was pounding.
If I hadn't sparred with Chef Yoon so often... I would have been in deep trouble.
That was a close call. Normally, he would never have been able to dodge that, but the muscle memory from his frequent spars with Yoon Gomyung had saved him.
"...Let's see if you can dodge this too!"
His pride wounded, the peasant unleashed a relentless flurry of dagger strikes. Man Hanseok defended calmly, recalling his spars with Yoon Gomyung as he fought back.
The peasant's attacks were far less intense than Yoon Gomyung's Baekyak-gwonkyeol. That much was certain. But the fear of making a mistake made Hanseok hesitate, nearly allowing a hit.
Still more of a boy than a man, this was Hanseok's first real life-and-death battle without any backup. He was overly tense.
"Ugh!"
He allowed an attack to slip through. It was merely a scratch, but because it was his first time being wounded by an opponent, he began to panic.
As Man Hanseok fell onto the defensive, Dang Go-hye watched with a tilted head before finally realizing the problem.
Young Master Man is weak in real combat!
In that case, she had to help. Dang Go-hye bit her lip, waiting anxiously for an opening.
Slash!
The moment Man Hanseok was grazed near his arm again, a thick silver needle shot out from Dang Go-hye's wrist and embedded itself in the peasant's foot.
"Argh!"
The needle, slightly thicker than a toothpick, sank deep into his flesh. The peasant cried out in shock, "You... treacherous wench!"
"There's no such thing as treacherous when it's life or death, you idiot!"
As Dang Go-hye shouted her abuse, Man Hanseok hesitated. Seeing this, she barked at him, "What are you doing! Fight back, right now!"
"Ah, right!"
Whoosh, whoosh!
As Man Hanseok unleashed his Hanbing Geukchang, the tide of battle turned instantly. The spear's trajectory was incredibly unpredictable, defying the typical limits of spearplay.
Faced with a massive spear that unleashed a terrifying chill alongside its ferocious momentum, the peasant grimaced. Naturally, it was difficult to block a long spear with a short dagger.
"Damn it...!"
The peasant broke out in a cold sweat. He was skilled in tracking and assassination, not head-on combat against a giant—especially one with such monstrous strength.
Where did this brat come from? How is he matching me, a Peak Expert, on equal terms?!
The boy's raw strength was incredible. Seeing how he used his inner qi and physical power to compensate for his lack of technique, it felt as though he had fought opponents of a similar level many times before.
If only that Tang Clan girl wasn't there...
Dang Go-hye stood protectively in front of the boy, watching the battle. Though her stance looked awkward, the peasant knew it was a preparation pose to throw hidden weapons at any moment.
But he couldn't just give up.
First, I need to take down this giant...
The peasant gripped his dagger tightly and tried to close the distance once more. In that instant, the sweat on Man Hanseok's forehead froze solid.
Crack!
"T-The... Sosu Demonic Art?"
"...?"
Though confused by the peasant suddenly mentioning a demonic art, Man Hanseok didn't halt his technique.
Are you going to use that floor-sweeping move again?
But that's the most effective move when sparring with you, Chef Yoon.
It was the very stance that Yoon Gomyung hated the most during their spars.
The third stance of the Hanbing Geukchang: Baehoewijeok.
Baehoewijeok
Whoosh!
Man Hanseok simply swept his spear along the ground, but it felt as though a freezing gale from the North Sea had erupted from his weapon. Just as falling snow slowly dyes the world in white, the extreme cold of his spear threatened to sweep away everything in its path.
"Ugh...!"
The peasant managed to evade the physical spear, but he couldn't escape the formless chill. Hit dead-on by the freezing wind, his movements slowed drastically as the cold invaded his body, making him sluggish.
Seeing this, Man Hanseok shouted, "Lady Dang!"
"On my way!"
Dang Go-hye responded instantly. She snapped her arms down, and two daggers slid into her hands.
Whoosh!
One of the daggers flew like a flash of light straight toward the peasant's throat.
"N-Not... a chance...!"
Clang!
The peasant's dagger deflected the flying blade.
Yet, Dang Go-hye didn't look disappointed at all. Instead, a smirk spread across her face.