#104. Abyss of Wails: The Great Journey (3)
In our Small Justice Squad days, we were desperate.
The Murim Alliance's original missions for us were mostly at the front lines of battle or serving as bait to divert the Demonic Cult's attention. But we made 'survival' our top priority, sparing no means or methods to escape from enemies we couldn't possibly match strategically.
The Giltan Mountain spray tactic was one of them.
The terraced reservoirs formed along the ridges of Giltan Mountain. Even if each one wasn't large, bursting them all at once could fill the valley in an instant. And in my previous life, while being chased by the Blood Ghost Sword Squad, I'd used this very tactic to drive them off.
"No way!"
I unleashed Heavenly Lone Walker God Step and shot toward Hyunsu in a flash.
"You bastard!"
Hyunsu, spotting me amid his shock, gnashed his teeth and swung his sword, but there was no way a strike thrown in that split second could carry real power.
Clang.
His sword flew off weakly, and I sealed the bastard's pressure points while he was wide open.
"I am Wudang's Hyunsu…."
He seemed like he was trying to say something, but I didn't bother listening to the end. I packed my fist with internal energy and slammed it into his dantian.
Thud.
"Kuhk!"
His body plunged into the spray even faster than it had flown toward me.
Splash.
The other Wudang Taoists were just as disoriented as Hyunsu.
"What the hell is that?!"
"A formation? A sudden flood like this?!"
"R-Run!"
"No! If it's a formation, you can't just run!"
The Wudang Taoists, torn between fleeing and standing their ground, ultimately chose not to run.
"Kuhk!"
"Grrrk."
"Fuck! It's real!"
The stones and logs piled above the valley were swept away by the spray, plummeting wildly down the cliffs. The Wudang Taoists were battered by rocks and crushed by timber, completely out of it.
Once the initial wave of spray passed, our attacks began on the dazed Taoists, who were gasping for breath after holding it in.
"Throw!"
Our squad members and warriors, who had taken shelter in the trees above the valley, mercilessly hurled nearby rocks at the Taoists.
"Kuhk."
"Damn it! Someone watch above!"
"Run!"
I threw myself amid the falling rocks, striking Hyeon-myeong, Hyeon-hyang, and Hyeon-jin in turn.
Clang.
"To think you'd do something like this…."
Thud.
I knocked their swords aside, sealed their pressure points, and drove my fist straight into their dantians.
Anyone taking that kind of shock to the dantian would need at least a month of recovery. By then, the Murim Entrance Exam would be long over.
After turning all the examinees into pulp, I unleashed Heavenly Lone Walker God Step again, soaring straight up to the valley ridge.
"What kind of movement technique is that? It's like you're teleporting!"
Seong Moran, hurling a rock the size of a man's head, widened her eyes like a rabbit.
"Time to go."
"You mean time to run, right?"
"Yes."
Having synced up with Namgung family and Iron Sword Sect warriors for so long, we didn't need long explanations—our movements meshed perfectly.
"Won't Wudang keep chasing us?"
Seong Moran expressed regret over the last rock she hadn't thrown.
"The plan worked better than expected."
Half their number was injured by the reservoir water and rocks. Moreover, the rear guard was still agonizing over whether the flood was a formation or not. For those who hadn't studied formations, getting trapped in one was far more terrifying than they imagined. Even the Blood Ghost Sword Squad hadn't shaken it off easily—there was no way the Taoists could charge in blindly.
"But why'd you go down to the valley bottom all of a sudden?"
Namgung Seonhwa, sticking close by my side, asked, and Seong Moran nodded curiously as well.
"Gotta collect the spoils, right?"
"Spoils?"
I handed two exam passes each to Namgung Seonhwa and Seong Moran: the Ilgwanmun and Igwanmun passes I'd taken from the Wudang Taoists. The two stared at me in bewilderment.
"Wouldn't you feel cheated if you got chased for no reason?"
"…."
Namgung Seonhwa fell silent.
"You're insane. Seriously…."
Seong Moran clicked her tongue.
#
"Young master, what are you practicing?"
Baek Won-gak couldn't hide his bafflement.
"It's a sword formation that Sowoon hyung personally taught me."
Baek Won-gak thought, As expected. Anything involving Jin Sowoon, he'd do it. Otherwise, why would the young master, who usually neglected the family sword arts, practice a sword formation now, when he barely had time to sleep?
Should I call this a good thing…?
Moyong Jaehwa seemed ready to blindly follow anything Jin Sowoon did. Seeing his enthusiasm for martial arts left Baek Won-gak torn between pride and worry.
Moyong Jaehwa had never liked sword arts much since childhood. Even as the eldest son who would lead the next generation of Moyong family, he spent more time on archery than swords. At least he hadn't fallen into wine, women, and debauchery like the crooked scions of prestigious clans—that was a small mercy. But that was impossible, given his sister was Moyong Seol.
Compared to her, who had formed her own dantian through breathing exercises for health and self-taught sword arts by watching family warriors, Moyong Jaehwa always seemed too frivolous.
When he declared he wouldn't take the Murim Entrance Exam, Jin Cheon-gak had thrown a fit, and even family head Pa-geom had grabbed a staff to hunt him down.
It would have been better if Moyong Seol and Moyong Jaehwa had been born with switched genders—that was the family's open opinion.
Then, after getting dragged along on the family head's whim and returning… that's when Moyong Jaehwa started changing, bit by bit.
He made time to practice sword on his own and even sought out spars with Moyong family warriors. He still practiced archery alone, but his serious contemplation and training with the sword earned admiration from everyone.
But he talked about Jin Sowoon and Tae-eul Gate every day, even muttering about becoming a lay disciple there, which chilled the family's spines.
He's a hero in his heart.
Didn't everyone have a hero in their childhood dreams? For Moyong Jaehwa, it was Jin Sowoon.
At first, Baek Won-gak was disappointed when he said he'd skip his exam to join Jin Sowoon's group. But he admitted he lacked the skill to seize a Samgwanmun pass himself, and that he couldn't face being the Moyong heir if he couldn't even do this much for the man who saved his father's life. In the end, they had to approve.
"Lately, training martial arts has been so much fun."
Seeing the young master's bright smile made Baek Won-gak think even a scolding from the family head or young lord later would be fine. Life was long, after all. Even if he didn't enter the Murim Academy, he was still the Moyong heir, and this could spur further growth— that wouldn't be so bad.
But no matter the enthusiasm, wasn't White Tiger Sword Formation a bit much?
"Young master, haven't you already mastered the family's excellent Mid-tier Flame Flower Sword Formation? Get some rest now, at least."
"The Namgung family and Iron Sword Sect warriors all learned it too."
"That's what I mean? Why would they?"
"They said mastering it means you can eat hot meals."
"Who said that?"
"Namgung family's Changgung Corps Captain."
Gang Seo-pyo of Namgung family was someone Baek Won-gak had exchanged greetings with during mandatory Alliance service. He seemed steady and prudent, yet here he was cracking lame jokes at the innocent young master.
"Never pegged that guy for spouting such nonsense."
Baek Won-gak clicked his tongue, but it didn't take long to confirm the words weren't a joke.
Five days later, the carriages finally stopped.
Jin Sowoon gave them a full half shichen to eat. People were thrilled at the chance to boil hot porridge instead of endless dry rations and jerky.
"Ambush—!"
Just as they were about to scoop a spoonful of bubbling porridge infused with softened jerky for a meaty flavor, the damn pursuers swarmed from all sides.
The enraged Moyong family warriors fought with all they had, repelling them without casualties. But returning to their meal spots, they despaired.
"My food…!"
"Damn it!"
In the chaos, the pots had toppled, white porridge mixing into the dirt.
"See? Told you mastering it lets you eat hot meals."
Turning, Moyong Jaehwa was eating steaming porridge with Geum Pyo and the others.
"…."
Not just him. Namgung family and Iron Sword Sect warriors' porridge was all intact. Only Moyong family's was ruined.
"…."
"You alright?"
Gang Seo-pyo and Cho Mu-bin approached, each holding half-full pots.
"Why did only our family's pots get knocked over?"
"Well… that's how it works. We used White Tiger Sword Formation as guards, prioritizing food protection."
"…."
Baek Won-gak nearly blurted, You learned a guard formation for food? But swallowing at the sight of steam rising from the porridge, he held it back.
From that day, Moyong family warriors sacrificed even short breaks to learn White Tiger Sword Formation.
###
"W-We made it!"
"We made it! Buddha! Jade Emperor! Supreme Old Lord, thank you!"
Upon arriving at Jeongju's Changgung Merchant Group, Jin Sowoon's group collapsed in the guest quarters.
The merchants, expecting bold warriors from Namgung, Moyong, and Iron Sword Sect, were dumbfounded by these ragged stragglers.
"…."
"Branch chief, long time no see?"
"Seonhwa miss… you must have suffered…."
"Tell me about it. I heard Mountain Brother wasn't like this."
"Y-Yes. The difference is… enormous."
"Haha."
"We prepared a feast since you were coming, miss…."
The branch chief eyed the warriors sprawled like corpses, unable to move an inch.
"If it's alright, could you prepare it here? They haven't slept a wink racing here nonstop for a week."
"Heavens… no wonder you arrived so fast. You haven't slept even a day?"
"Yes."
The stunned branch chief immediately ordered servants to prepare food in the guest quarters.
As pots hung and food sizzled on lids, the collapsed ones rose one by one, wolfing it down.
"Beggars Sect or great clan elites…?"
"Shh, quiet."
Expecting refined Five Great Clans elites, they recoiled at these primitive warriors who made Beggars Sect look civilized.
"What in the world happened?"
"Too long to explain…."
Namgung Seonhwa's eyes drooped even as she spoke.
"Ah! I talked too much. Rest first."
"Yes… and…."
"Speak."
"Could you bring food to the rooms too?"
"…Of course."
Namgung Seonhwa and Seong Moran, once in their rooms, joined the others: eat, collapse, wake for energy circulation, eat again, collapse.
"My head's clearing up now."
"Yeah, on the last day I thought a thousand times it'd be better to just forfeit."
"…Me too."
Born daughters of prestigious clans didn't mean they'd never faced hardship. As martial daughters, they'd endured tougher training from childhood than ordinary girls their age.
But this shattered all pride—they'd tasted the absolute limit.
Still, they weren't ashamed because even the men nearing thirty had struggled.
"…Can we keep going?"
After maintenance, they'd depart again. And stretch the past week's hell over a month.
"Are we just getting in the way…?"
Seong Moran nodded unconsciously at Namgung Seonhwa's hesitation.
For some reason, Jin Sowoon seemed unchanged from leaving Nammak. He stood watches for others, scouted, guarded meals alone from afar.
The Great Journey usually chose stealthy elite movement or group travel. But with Namgung Seonhwa and Seong Moran's joining, it was awkwardly in-between.
They'd joined to help Jin Sowoon and Tae-eul Gate, but now they were clearly hindering him.
"Should we suggest splitting up now?"
"…."
Namgung Seonhwa spoke, but Seong Moran didn't reply.
Separating now meant they likely wouldn't complete the Journey. Knowing that, Namgung Seonhwa didn't press.
As they sat in silence, a maid knocked.
"Miss, visitors."
"Visitors?"
#
Twenty Moyong family warriors were down.
No major wounds, but constant movement meant they hadn't noticed, letting injuries fester.
"What do we do, brother?"
Moyong Jaehwa hung his head like he'd committed a crime.
"Obviously rest. If any die helping us, how could I face Elder Pa-geom?"
"…Sorry."
"Not your fault. Check the other warriors thoroughly for injuries."
"Yes."
Moyong Jaehwa ran off to check Moyong warriors, followed soon by Namgung Seonhwa and Seong Moran, freshly bathed and changed—worlds apart from yesterday.
Yet Namgung Seonhwa stared piercingly at me.
"What's wrong?"
"Did you sleep, Jin Gongja?"
"Yes. A bit."
I'd slept two shichen last night too. Couldn't more, needing to check new Haomen intel this morning.
"You barely slept checking intel again, right?"
The chase was a battle of information. Predicting foes mattered more than running well. After a week together, they knew my routines inside out.
Seong Moran let out a long sigh.
"So, how is it?"
"Not great."
I was honest. Crossing one mountain range was incomparable to normal travel. Only option was nonstop like to Jeongju, but could they endure?
"…."
Sensing my words burdened them, I smiled.
"Don't worry. Plenty of ways."
Even so, their faces didn't brighten much. Namgung Seonhwa hesitated long, looking like she had something to say, then spoke.
"People want to meet you."
"Me?"
No clue who at this point. Unlikely to rescue missed allies from Nammak here.
"You know the 12 Bongseong?"
"…?"
The 12 Bongseong were the fiercest alliance among the 108 Peaks.
"They want to meet you, Jin Gongja."