Chapter 7
Chapter 7
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Forming the Heavenly Net
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"What lies behind that change, Hero Jeok?"
"Hmm."
Jeok Muryong stroked his chin at Neung So-hwa's question.
His chin was smooth, as if he'd trimmed his stubble overnight.
His wild, disheveled hair had been roughly tied back, giving him a somewhat tidy appearance.
"Keep it concise—just the key points. Some of them seem to have checked the situation at Death Valley."
"The situation at... Death Valley?"
"Yeah. The Gale Division, right? They must have spotted those bastards' corpses there."
"Ah."
"The only bodies left there, aside from theirs, were the few guarding you. Anyone would find that suspicious at a glance."
"That... makes sense."
"Maybe they even found the footprints you left while escaping Death Valley."
"Ah!"
"But if that's the case, shouldn't they have chased us right away instead?"
Jin Choyoung's question.
Jeok Muryong clicked his tongue.
"Shallow thinking."
"Pardon?"
"When do you think they discovered that? Even if they moved as fast as possible, it would've been around dawn today."
"Ah."
"Besides, those guys aren't idiots. You think they'd believe a handful of the Young Palace Lord's guards wiped out the entire Gale Division?"
"......"
"They must've figured some outside force got involved."
"So... they've changed their strategy."
"Exactly. Up until now, they were like rabid dogs fixated on hunting you down. But not anymore."
Jeok Muryong shrugged.
"They don't want to end up like the Gale Division."
"......"
"From what you've said, it sounds like each pursuit team answers to different factions."
"Yes."
Neung So-hwa spoke up.
"That's why they were chasing us like it was a competition."
"Looks like the ones behind them have decided to cooperate for now. Better to join forces and secure you first than get picked off one by one while racing each other."
"And the result is this encirclement?"
"Yeah."
Jeok Muryong nodded.
"The moment any one of them spots you, the rest will know in no time."
"Indeed... calling it a heavenly net isn't an exaggeration."
Neung So-hwa took a deep breath.
She tried to stay composed, but her body tensed up instinctively.
"So what should we do now?"
"Simple."
Jeok Muryong turned around.
"Wait here."
"Pardon?"
"Might as well look for some food while you wait. Just don't go more than a hundred paces from here."
"......"
The stunned Neung So-hwa and Jin Choyoung exchanged glances.
"What about you, Hero?"
"Of course."
Jeok Muryong said as he walked out of the thicket.
"I'll go crush them."
Half a day before Jeok Muryong set out to dismantle the heavenly net—back at dawn.
At the entrance leading to Death Valley, a group was exchanging reports.
"It's not far from here. We found numerous bodies and traces of their battle."
"The dead?"
"Most were Gale Division warriors. Aside from them, only a few guards."
"Guards meaning the Young Palace Lord's...?"
"Yes, Division Leader."
"No sign of the Young Palace Lord?"
"None."
"Hmm."
The middle-aged man's eyes narrowed as he listened to the report.
"What about the Gale Division Leader?"
"Yes. We confirmed he was dead too."
"......"
The middle-aged man's gaze turned toward Death Valley.
The valley of death, perpetually shrouded in thick fog—or so the rumors went.
Yet the path stretching before them was clear of even dust, let alone mist.
"Looks like there's no fog inside either."
"Yes. That's why we could easily identify the bodies."
"Any other traces?"
"There were signs they'd rummaged through the bodies' possessions. Aside from that..."
"Nothing else."
The middle-aged man's eyes dropped to the ground.
Faint footprints, barely visible to the naked eye.
He easily discerned they led out from Death Valley.
"So you're saying the Young Palace Lord and her guards wiped out the Gale Division and escaped from here?"
It didn't add up.
Not even if their escaping force was tiny.
The very idea that their meager power could take on the Gale Division was impossible.
And that pointed to only one conclusion.
"Outside intervention."
The middle-aged man rested his chin in thought.
Red Tiger Division Leader Yong Ryun—that was his name.
The Red Tiger Division was, like the Gale Division, originally a combat unit under the True Heaven Palace.
By nature, they were rivals—and that hadn't changed even now.
Though it was history now.
"No other bodies or traces besides the Young Palace Lord's guards and the Gale Division?"
"Not from what we saw."
"Got it."
Yong Ryun pondered after hearing his subordinates' reply.
'If outside forces really intervened...?'
Two possibilities.
They'd retrieved their own dead from the battle, or no bodies at all.
Given the footprints left behind, the latter seemed more likely.
'The Gale Division may be weaker than our Red Tiger Division, but not by a huge margin.'
A force that could annihilate them with minimal losses would be no different against the Red Tigers.
Caution was needed.
'There are plenty of other factions chasing the Young Palace Lord besides us. Might need to cooperate with them.'
The True Heaven Palace, torn apart by infighting factions.
They'd all been desperate to claim her first.
But now the situation had shifted.
She could be snatched by unknown outsiders.
Yong Ryun knew yesterday's enemy could be today's ally.
'Though that's their call.'
Yong Ryun turned to his men.
"Send a messenger hawk to Infinite."
After that, things proceeded swiftly.
The messenger hawks, faster than pigeons, flew straight to Infinite and relayed the situation.
The factions vying for power in the True Heaven Palace scrambled to think.
"Outside forces intervened and snatched the Young Palace Lord in one go?"
"If we keep fighting among ourselves, we'll lose her like this."
"We can't let that happen! We must secure her at all costs."
"Then the only path left is..."
"Just one."
An alliance formed in the blink of an eye.
These men who'd been stabbing at each other moments ago.
Who'd treated one another like blood enemies.
They joined hands, faces grim but resolute.
New orders quickly reached the pursuit teams near Heavenly Center Mountain.
"Cease competing and cooperate fully!"
"Form an encirclement and strengthen communication!"
"Don't let them escape Heavenly Center Mountain with the Young Palace Lord, no matter what!"
"Secure her by any means necessary!"
The division leaders rushed to assemble.
Until recently, they'd been comrades.
The rivalry had only lasted since the Palace Lord's death—a short time.
Their bonds weren't exactly warm, though.
"I hear you sent the hawk to Infinite, Red Tiger Leader."
"Yeah."
"Is it true the Gale Division Leader bought it?"
"Go to Death Valley now, and you'll see his corpse sprawled there."
"Hmm."
"Didn't even bury him? Cold-blooded."
"It was urgent. We weren't close enough to bother anyway."
"I was planning to avenge him someday. Shame."
"Enough chit-chat! If the Red Tiger Leader's right, we've got a sudden tough opponent."
"Hmph. Tough? You're exaggerating."
"Not really. From the looks of it, the Gale Division didn't last half a gak before getting massacred."
"......"
"You all might rank your own teams above them deep down, but that doesn't make them pushovers."
"So what's the conclusion?"
"Simple. Cut the nonsense and cooperate."
"Ha! I was planning to anyway."
"You're awfully chatty today, acting like the big boss. Got some brilliant plan, Red Tiger Leader?"
"...I do have one."
"What's that?"
As the other leaders eyed Red Tiger Leader Yong Ryun, he paused dramatically before continuing.
"Set up a massive encirclement—the so-called heavenly net."
"Heavenly net, huh..."
"Hold on. One thing to clarify first."
"What?"
"Whether the ones who whisked away the Young Palace Lord are still around here."
"True. If they've already slipped out, no net will help."
"Don't worry about that. They're still here."
"How can you be so sure, Red Tiger Leader?"
"Before meeting you, I tracked footprints from Death Valley and found where they built a fire."
"Built a fire?"
"Yeah. Clear signs of camping. From the fire's state, they were there until this morning."
"This morning..."
"Not long ago."
"Then why set a net? Just chase them."
"They're strong. Took out the Gale Division with barely a scratch."
"......"
"Here's the plan. My team and I will keep tracking their trail. You set the net and ambush them when they flee."
"Hmph! Didn't you just say they're strong? Think you and the Red Tigers can handle it?"
"Of course."
Red Tiger Leader Yong Ryun emphasized.
"Just like I'm stronger than you right now."
"......!"
"Yong Ryun, you bastard...!"
"Gonna deny it? I could prove it right here."
"......"
"Looks like no objections. We'll proceed as planned."
Soon after, under the leaders' command, the heavenly net unfurled.
Pursuit teams positioned along Heavenly Center Mountain's myriad paths.
A vast web, constantly shifting via messenger hawks.
And herding the prey into it? The Red Tigers' job.
Yong Ryun figured it might end quicker than expected.
Tracking the fugitives' traces briefly.
They found a fresh path cut through the thicket.
"Division Leader, this is..."
"Hmm. Definitely them."
Straight as an arrow—blatantly obvious.
Yong Ryun swallowed a mocking laugh.
'Dumber than I thought? Or maybe a trap.'
Probably the latter.
No way such careless fools wiped out the Gale Division and secured the Young Palace Lord.
Too humiliating otherwise.
"Hm?"
Yong Ryun halted mid-thought.
His men followed his fixed gaze.
Moments later, the entire Red Tiger Division wore the same expression.
"What the hell is..."
"that beggar bastard?"