The Blade Pressed to the Throat
Yoo Eunhyeon knew exactly where Sa Yeo-un was headed.
“Oh? And where do you think she’s going?”
“She said she was heading to Jenam.”
“Why?”
While Yoo Eunhyeon had been blustering about knowledge he suddenly possessed, his words froze in his throat the moment a new thought struck him. He fell silent.
At first, what had Sa Yeo-un said exactly? She mentioned something about refusing an unwanted marriage, didn’t she?
And the one who had arranged that marriage? Her father, Sa Unsik. Now that he heard it, it sounded exactly like the Thousand-Year Dark Demon, the Lord of the Demonic Cult.
In the end, Sa Unsik had been the one trying to force the marriage, and Yoo Eunhyeon knew better than anyone what a marriage to Sa Unsik entailed.
Wait… could the forced marriage target actually be me? Has that old man lost his mind? Marrying off his own daughter to a mere farmer?
But another thought flashed through Yoo Eunhyeon’s mind.
Hang on. He definitely said he was going to Jenam to kill that guy, right? If he’s heading that way, he’s practically at our doorstep. Is it really true? This is dangerous! If I get caught, I’m dead!
Of course, he doubted Sa Unsik would actually kill anyone, but the image of Sa Yeo-un he had seen that day was filled with genuine determination. And even if it was all a bluff, he had no desire to meet someone who might be out to do her harm.
The fear that gripped Yoo Eunhyeon’s face turned it deathly pale. Son Jin-won immediately questioned him.
“The reason you’re heading to Jenam?”
“I was trying to refuse a forced marriage.”
“A forced marriage? Kidnapping a daughter and abducting her to recruit her into hiding? Anything else? You didn’t happen to mention meeting anyone specific?”
“Well… I don’t know the details.”
Son Jin-won pressed further, but Yoo Eunhyeon stubbornly kept his mouth shut. If he spoke again he risked confessing everything, so he simply shook his head instead.
At the same time, Son Jin-won nodded in understanding and stopped pressing him.
“Of course. Given that you were trying to hide your identity, it’s no surprise you mentioned something like that. Still, I can’t help wondering why you told a complete stranger your personal history so openly.”
Son Jin-won muttered the words more to himself than to Yoo Eunhyeon, though he did seem to accept the explanation. Yoo Eunhyeon felt a jolt at the missing details about his internal energy method, but he remained silent.
“If anything, that makes you even less likely to be a Demonic Cultist. Revealing this much would get you killed.”
Gu Pyo voiced the same thought, and Son Jin-won and Go Ji-han both nodded in agreement.
“I suppose there really is no connection between us, but… you’re clearly the victim here. My apologies, Young Hero Yoo.”
Go Ji-han also nodded, as if he had reached the same conclusion. Son Jin-won turned back to Yoo Eunhyeon.
“Sorry for wasting your time. Well… I guess I didn’t exactly break my master’s orders either. If there’s a chance we’ll meet again in the future, that would be good. For a first meeting, this wasn’t half bad.”
To Yoo Eunhyeon, the statement was the worst possible news, yet he had no choice but to play along. He turned his head slightly and cursed inwardly before replying casually.
“So… may I go now?”
“Of course.”
He had to return as quickly as possible. Even yesterday, he had been lucky that Sa Yeo-un had not yet learned the identity of her forced marriage target. But he had no idea when the pursuers would arrive. If they had already reached Jenam, they might already be searching the city for him.
While he was standing, Yoo Eunhyeon suddenly heard noise coming from the direction of the door.
“What’s happening? Gu Pyo, go check.”
“Yes, boss.”
Gu Pyo, equally curious, quickly opened the door at Go Ji-han’s command.
“Both of you should come outside!”
“What? Say what happened first before you drag us out!”
“Ah, it’s an urgent matter! Someone’s broken in!”
“Who? Demonic Cultists?”
“Better to see for yourselves!”
Gu Pyo’s frantic tone left no choice. Go Ji-han and Son Jin-won followed him outside, expressions grave.
Alone once more, Yoo Eunhyeon glanced at the window behind him and considered slipping away unnoticed. Since he had been told to leave, he was now free. Whatever was happening, there was no reason to jump into a fight.
Yet the mention of “Demonic Cult” still bothered him.
Could Yeo-un have come here because she already knew I was involved? If so, trying to slip away alone might be risky. I’d better watch and see what happens.
With that thought, Yoo Eunhyeon followed Son Jin-won out of the room.
“Eunhyeon-ah!”
The moment he stepped into the hall, the first voice he heard was Yeo U-hui’s. She stood over a fallen man, pressing her foot down on his chest and pointing a sword at his throat. Behind her, Chae Eun-seol and Gong Si-hak radiated dangerous auras.
Yoo Eunhyeon’s heart skipped. She had said she would leave tomorrow, but today was that day. Since she had not returned to Uiryungak, it was only natural that Yeo U-hui would be worried.
Given Yeo U-hui’s personality, she had not simply worried—she had moved immediately upon learning the facts. And that was exactly what she was doing now.
“Auntie?”
“You’re safe! You didn’t get hurt, did you? Pavilion Master Gong, take a look.”
Yeo U-hui’s face softened as she spoke to Gong Si-hak, who hurried over and began examining Yoo Eunhyeon from head to toe.
“There are no injuries.”
“Good. At least that’s something. Then… shall we talk a little?”
There were no visible wounds, so Yeo U-hui nodded at Gong Si-hak’s words. Her eyes, however, remained sharp as she stared straight ahead.
Son Jin-won stepped forward without hesitation.
“You don’t seem to be a Demonic Cultist, but I doubt there are many women in Murim like you. Still, you need to release the hostage before we can talk.”
Yeo U-hui’s presence was so intimidating that even Son Jin-won’s face was grim. Instead of backing down, she pressed her foot harder on the man’s chest.
“Did the kidnappers have a legitimate reason? No matter how bold they were, I didn’t think they’d be this bold. Just the fact that this man is still alive is a relief. If he had been severely injured, he would already be a wandering ghost.”
Go Ji-han snapped at her words.
“Kidnapping was not the issue! We only wanted to talk!”
“Forced conversation is torture. You call that consent? Shall we change the kidnapping charge to torture instead?”
“…”
Go Ji-han had no reply; he could only groan. Yeo U-hui let out a cold laugh.
“In the end, my nephew is unharmed, so I’m returning him safely.”
With that, she lifted her foot and kicked the man. He flew into the air, and Gu Pyo caught him.
“Ugh!”
Yet the impact was far stronger than expected. Gu Pyo crashed backward into the wall with a groan. He trembled violently, but Son Jin-won quickly stepped forward and patted his shoulder. The shaking finally stopped.
“Treat him.”
Gu Pyo took the small internal injury medicine from his pouch and forced it down his throat. He then checked the still-unconscious man and was startled.
Despite being slammed back so hard, the man had not a single scratch or bruise. The profound inner energy that allowed Yeo U-hui to deliver such a strike without leaving a mark was clearly visible in her stance. Gu Pyo clenched his teeth.
“Breaking into someone else’s home and acting with no regard for the law. You handle things exactly to my liking. I, however, don’t enjoy it when others do the same. Let me introduce myself. I am Son Jin-won, the Commander of the Heavenly Night Squad, Cheonmumaeng.”
“Commander of Cheonyadae? The second disciple of the Swordless Sword Sect Lord, Yacha Jinryong, Son Jin-won?”
Even Yeo U-hui, Chae Eun-seol, and Gong Si-hak looked surprised at the name.
They had known the Heavenly Martial Alliance had Demonic Cult members among them, but the sheer scale of the man standing before them was staggering.
“I am Yeo U-hui of the Uiseon Suga.”
Her own name caused the expressions of Son Jin-won, Go Ji-han, and Gu Pyo to change. They knew her.
When Yoo Eunhyeon had stayed at Uiryungak, the possibility of ties to the Uiseon Suga had been left open. Now one of the Seven Great Families had arrived.
“The renowned Yeo U-hui, the Outer Chief of the Uiseon Suga. We have heard much about you. You’ve probably done us many favors.”
Yeo U-hui often traveled outside the sect, making enemies impossible to avoid.
She neither favored the righteous path nor the demonic path; she simply acted when provoked. Her blunt personality had earned her neither friends nor allies, but neither side had been overly fond of her.
“You only fight those who attack first?”
“Of course. Thanks to the Demonic Cultists you defeated, our work has become much easier.”
Son Jin-won’s tone was too smooth to be purely hostile or purely supportive. Yeo U-hui smirked and raised her sword toward him.
“I didn’t come here to listen to your stories. You must have had a good reason to kidnap my nephew.”
“Nephew?”
A nephew meant a close family member. Given Yeo U-hui’s status as a master, her circle of close associates had been thoroughly investigated. Especially someone with the talent of a young man like Yoo Eunhyeon—he had become a person of interest.
Son Jin-won glanced at Go Ji-han, but the latter shook his head. Son Jin-won frowned.
“I admit the method was rough, but it was an affair involving the Demonic Cult, so there was no other choice. I hope you understand.”
Son Jin-won stared at Yeo U-hui with cold eyes, and her expression hardened.
Of course she knew the Heavenly Martial Alliance was strict with the Demonic Cult. She had no desire to escalate the matter unnecessarily.
Yet the Uiseon Suga, as a major sect, was known for never yielding on matters concerning its members.
“Rough? So you’re saying it worked out well? At a time when an apology is already insufficient, you’re trying to justify it?”
“I am not justifying—I am stating the truth. Besides, we also had legitimate reasons. I doubt you have anything to apologize for.”
The two sets of eyes locked in mid-air, burning with intensity. The atmosphere between them grew increasingly tense.
Yacha Jinryong, Son Jin-won, was a legendary figure. Even at his young age, he was called a true dragon and struck fear into the Murim world. Unlike his small, cute appearance, his unpredictable personality earned him the name “Yacha.” He tolerated no disrespect and was well-known for it.
Yet Yeo U-hui, as a senior in Murim and the Outer Chief of the Uiseon Suga, could not step back in this matter.
She understood better than anyone that underestimating an opponent could only lead to greater effort and pain later.
“There is no reason to ignore your situation just because I understand it.”
Thus, Yeo U-hui replied calmly, her eyes cold.
Son Jin-won met her gaze and slowly increased the pressure.
“The person connected to this matter is not just a Demonic Cultist—she is Sa Yeo-un, the daughter of the Thousand-Year Dark Demon, Sa Unsik. Do you know her?”
“…”
Sa Yeo-un.
The name that had not been expected slipped from Son Jin-won’s lips, and Yeo U-hui’s expression instantly froze.