Chapter 72
Chapter 72
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 72
Chapter Title: Relentless Journey South
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"Doesn't it get tiring just standing there like that?"
Jegal Rin asked Dan Hyeong-u as she placed the sword back in its original spot. She'd felt curious about him for some time but hadn't had a proper chance to talk.
An opportunity like today wouldn't come easily.
Jegal Rin walked over to Dan Hyeong-u's side. He simply watched her approach without a word.
She examined him with curious eyes. No matter how closely she looked, she couldn't sense any strength emanating from Dan Hyeong-u.
There was no natural aura flowing from him like that of peak transcendent experts, no detectable internal energy, and his movements were far from those of a typical martial artist.
And yet, the Sword Demon and Sword King were chasing after him desperately. The reason for that was truly astonishing.
To defeat this man named Dan Hyeong-u? That would mean he was an expert on par with the Sword King and Sword Demon.
Jegal Rin interpreted it a bit differently. There had to be some other reason.
But that wasn't all.
Umun Hye.
Jegal Rin was shocked by Umun Hye as well. When she first laid eyes on her, the surprise went beyond mere astonishment. Umun Hye was that beautiful. So breathtakingly so that not even jealousy could take root.
Jegal Rin had always thought herself quite attractive.
No, truthfully, she had been a little confident. There were hardly any women as pretty as her. But that confidence shattered completely upon meeting Umun Hye.
And that Umun Hye was chasing after Dan Hyeong-u. To win his heart. To earn even a smile from him.
Jegal Rin scrutinized Dan Hyeong-u once more. There was nothing special about him anywhere.
His face wasn't ugly, but it fell short of the handsome charm of young masters from other clans. It was a rugged, manly face, sure, but that was it.
There didn't seem to be any other notable talents either. It was truly baffling.
Not just Umun Hye, but Jo Seol-yeon seems taken with him too.
That was impressive, to say the least.
"You're truly a mysterious person, young hero."
Dan Hyeong-u merely stared at her with his usual expressionless face. But that lasted only a moment before he turned his head forward and sank into his own thoughts.
Jegal Rin flinched at his behavior. It felt like he had zero interest in women, and it subtly irritated her.
No man had ever acted this way toward her before.
Not even White Peak catches his eye?
"If you're done, leave."
At Dan Hyeong-u's words, Jegal Rin's mouth fell open in a daze. Her face twisted with slight anger as she turned away.
"If that's what you wish, then so be it."
Unable to hold back her frustration, Jegal Rin stormed off with a huff. Dan Hyeong-u paid no mind to her actions or words, diving deeper into his contemplations.
A few days later, Dan Hyeong-u stepped out of the Escort Bureau's gates. He was honoring Jo Seol-yeon's and Hyeong Pyo's request to attend the Righteous Heaven Alliance's founding ceremony.
Truth be told, he had been thinking he needed to do something anyway, so he left with a light heart.
He still hadn't resolved the lingering doubts in his mind, but just the thought of leaving the bureau and heading somewhere improved his mood a bit.
The Righteous Heaven Alliance was located in Changsha, Hunan Province. Dan Hyeong-u had been there before.
It was the first city he'd visited after leaving Mount Heng, and the place where he'd first met Jo Seol-yeon.
"I could go for some thin noodles."
Muttering to himself, Dan Hyeong-u quickened his pace slightly.
He wasn't heading to the Righteous Heaven Alliance alone. Trailing behind him were the Sword Demon and Sword King. Where the Sword Demon went, naturally Ha Won-hu and the five Victory Dragon Unit members followed. And Jegal Rin was with them too.
Jegal Rin tagged along under the pretext of Dan Hyeong-u carrying the Thousand Isles, but she no longer cared about that. She'd given up on uncovering its secrets.
Instead, Dan Hyeong-u had become her new target.
"Well, what do you think? Feel any different now?"
At the Sword King's question, Dan Hyeong-u glanced back. The Sword King and Sword Demon were walking side by side behind him. He nodded faintly while looking ahead again.
"A little."
With that short reply, Dan Hyeong-u picked up speed. The sudden acceleration forced the group to unleash their lightness skills. The five Victory Dragon Unit members, with the weakest skills, started lagging behind.
"Young Hero Dan! Slow down a bit! The others can't keep up!"
Ha Won-hu shouted urgently. But Dan Hyeong-u ignored him and sped up even more.
"Gasp!"
This time, even Ha Won-hu was startled. Dan Hyeong-u's back was pulling away rapidly.
Ha Won-hu poured all his internal energy into his legs and barely managed to catch up.
Now left were the Sword Demon, Sword King, Ha Won-hu, and Jegal Rin. The Sword Demon and Sword King moved leisurely, while Ha Won-hu and Jegal Rin pushed themselves red-faced.
Jegal Rin, known as White Peak, was an exceptional woman. Though slightly inferior to Ha Won-hu in raw power, her movement technique felt superior, allowing her to keep pace despite the strain.
The group, which had set off at dawn, maintained that blistering speed until the sun passed its zenith.
In the end, the five Victory Dragon Unit members fell off. They were so far behind they were out of sight. They might have given up and stopped to rest midway.
Ha Won-hu panted, hoping the Victory Dragon Unit would catch up overnight. But even that hope was in vain.
After a brief meal during the rest, they had to chase Dan Hyeong-u again. The afternoon was far more grueling than the morning.
They ran like that until sunset, finally arriving in a fairly large village.
"Haa, haa. A-are we resting here today? I-I want to wash up so badly."
Jegal Rin said, catching her breath. Her entire body was caked in dust.
The group entered the largest inn in the village and rented out the entire rear courtyard. Jegal Rin handled all the finances.
Hyeong Pyo couldn't trust Dan Hyeong-u with money, so he'd handed travel funds to Jegal Rin. It was a wise decision.
As the daughter of the Jegal family, Jegal Rin had plenty of money and no habit of skimping. The funds from Hyeong Pyo merged with her own, covering all expenses.
They couldn't have afforded such accommodations with just Hyeong Pyo's money, but Jegal Rin made it possible.
Upon reaching the courtyard, Jegal Rin entered the room that pleased her most and began washing with the prepared bathwater. It was precious time scrubbing away the day's dust and sweat.
Meanwhile, the Sword Demon and Sword King sat before Dan Hyeong-u in their room.
"Come on, you still can't sit?"
The Sword King asked with a puzzled expression.
"What's the big rush? Were you trying to shake off those five?"
Dan Hyeong-u shook his head silently at the questions.
"Just wanted to see if they'd follow."
The Sword King and Sword Demon exchanged baffled looks. They couldn't grasp what he meant.
"And they did."
Dan Hyeong-u smiled whitely. The smile sent their hearts plummeting. It was so eerie and terrifying—and yet so beautiful.
"Don't smile like that, you bastard."
The Sword King clutched his chest and glanced at the Sword Demon, who was staring back at him. Their eyes met.
The two exchanged meaningful glances before turning to Dan Hyeong-u.
"So, how much stronger do we seem to you? Wanna test it out with a spar?"
"If you want to die."
The Sword King and Sword Demon's faces twisted at his curt reply.
"The way you talk... Tsk tsk."
They rose from their seats.
"Planning to run like today tomorrow too?"
Dan Hyeong-u nodded.
"Maybe."
The Sword King sighed at the answer.
"Sigh... Do whatever. It's your call. But those guys tomorrow... gonna be pitiful."
The Sword King's mutter trailed off like a tail. He and the Sword Demon stepped out, stretched in the courtyard, then retired to their rooms.
Dan Hyeong-u stared blankly at the bed in the room. It had been quite some time since he'd come to this world, yet he still insisted on standing. It didn't make sense. This wasn't hell; it was the human world.
Dan Hyeong-u slowly approached the bed and sat down.
His face twisted instantly.
"Feels awkward."
Awkward didn't quite cover it—it was uncomfortable. Something felt off, and unease crept up his back like a spider.
It was as if something would burst from the ground and swallow him whole.
But he could endure this much. Otherwise, he couldn't have eaten. He'd managed thin noodles on the first day, after all.
Sitting on the bed, Dan Hyeong-u finally attempted to lie down. He climbed fully onto it and slowly reclined.
Spring!
He shot up immediately. The moment he lay back, it felt like something pierced his back.
As if a demon lurking underground extended long, sharp tentacles to stab him.
In actual hell, he'd seen comrades skewered by such tentacles, their bodily fluids drained clean before death.
"Not easy."
Dan Hyeong-u murmured softly. He'd failed today, but he'd succeed eventually.
He planned to try every day. This wasn't hell. It was the world. A place for humans, not demons.
The next day, the group raced at breakneck speed again. Ha Won-hu and Jegal Rin were dying, but the Sword King smacked his lips in regret.
"What a shame. If we'd brought that guy, it would've been great training."
It went without saying that "that guy" was Jong Chil. At that very moment, Jong Chil shivered with a sudden chill in the Henan Escort Bureau's training grounds.
Ha Won-hu and Jegal Rin finally hit their limits. They couldn't keep up with Dan Hyeong-u anymore. And resentment began to boil. This was clearly a ploy to ditch them.
"This is too much!"
Ha Won-hu finally yelled. But Dan Hyeong-u either didn't hear or ignored him, accelerating further.
"Hurk!"
His shout tangled his breathing, and Ha Won-hu fell far behind. Jegal Rin overtook him, sticking close to the Sword Demon and Sword King. She conserved her words and breath, clinging tenaciously to Dan Hyeong-u.
Once his rhythm broke, Ha Won-hu's focus snapped. His body rebelled at the limit.
Thud crash!
Ha Won-hu sprawled ignobly on the ground, gasping at the sky. By past noon, he too had dropped from the group.
Thanks to their hard running that day, they reached another sizable village shortly after sunset.
As they entered, the Sword King asked Dan Hyeong-u,
"You do know the way, right?"
He'd asked just in case.
But the answer shattered his expectations. Dan Hyeong-u shook his head.
"What? You led the way without knowing the route? You don't even know where we are?"
The Sword King was flabbergasted. The Sword Demon and Jegal Rin felt the same. They'd blindly followed him without thought.
Dan Hyeong-u glanced at them and muttered,
"They said keep heading south till you hit water, then take a boat from there. Was that wrong?"
The Sword King shut his mouth. It wasn't incorrect. Heading south from Heochang would lead to the Yangtze River.
With the right direction, they could even pass Wuhu. But this was too crude a method.
"Don't tell me you just barreled straight, mountains or fields be damned?"
Dan Hyeong-u nodded as if it were obvious.
"Fine. Starting tomorrow, I'll lead, and you follow. Can't stand the anxiety."
The Sword Demon and Jegal Rin nodded in agreement. Better to take a proper road from now on. But Dan Hyeong-u shook his head firmly.
"Separately."
The Sword King clamped his mouth shut. Then grumbled irritably,
"Tch, do what you want. A few more days of suffering, whatever."
As the Sword King backed down, the Sword Demon scowled at him pitifully.
"What're you looking at? If it's so bothersome, you do it yourself."
The Sword Demon turned away at the Sword King's retort.