#83. Those Who Chase the Dragon (4)
Jong Serang, who had been furrowing his brow, suddenly burst into laughter.
"Ha!"
He quickly covered his mouth as if he hadn't expected it himself.
"My apologies. It's just too absurd."
Jong Serang grinned slyly.
"It's one thing for you to act recklessly yourself, but what do you plan to do if your juniors end up in danger because of it?"
"They're not so weak that you need to worry about them."
Jong Serang tilted his head.
"They say a dragon has emerged from Anhuisheng's little stream, but it seems it was just a fearless imugi after all."
"People call it a dragon because it sees what ordinary folk can't. From where I'm standing, the men you've brought don't seem all that impressive, no matter how many there are."
"……."
For the first time, the smug smile faded from Jong Serang's face, hardening into a stiff mask. The men surrounding him like bodyguards mirrored his expression.
"Hoo... No easy way out, then."
Jong Serang shook his head, then fixed me with a gleaming stare.
"This is my final warning. Hand over the gateway pass. Or choose death. Pick one."
"……."
While listening to Jong Serang's nonsense, my senses had been scanning the surroundings busily.
One hundred fifty? Two hundred?
Centered on the forest, roughly one hundred fifty to two hundred enemies encircled us at a set distance—at least from what I could detect. Recalling data from my past life, there were probably five hundred in total surrounding the area.
And the Cheongdo Pavilion's sub-pavilion master hasn't even shown his face yet.
Moreover, throughout our exchange, my eyes had been locked on the scar crossing the eyes of the man standing to Jong Serang's right.
The Emotionless Sword, Gam Cheoljin.
A master who, after the Hwanggeom Sect's destruction years later, wandered the jianghu as a renowned ronin fixer.
They've even mobilized secret warriors?
The Murim Alliance wanted to know everything about its affiliated sects, but as the old jianghu adage went, a warrior hid at least thirty percent of his true strength. Even from the Alliance, they cultivated secret forces on instinct. The Nangong family's Dark Palace Troop was one example, and the Iron Sword Sect's Black Sword Squad showed similar signs. These hidden warriors, never active in the jianghu, were deployed like aces in hell in events like demon invasions.
"What will you do?"
"I don't make a habit of repeating myself. I refuse."
Jong Serang let out a scoffing laugh, utterly confident in his victory.
"You've chosen your punishment."
At his words, Gam Cheoljin and the bodyguards drew their swords. I unfolded my stance, signaling my intent to behead Jong Serang in a single stroke.
In response, Gam Cheoljin shifted to target Dongryong.
Does he trust Jong Serang's skills that much? Or is there another secret warrior among the bodyguards?
If we clashed now, both sides would take losses, but ours would hurt far more. The gold-silver-bronze brothers had already formed their sword formation in preparation, but they were no match for a master like Gam Cheoljin.
At that moment, Jong Serang reined in his men.
"Whoa, whoa. No need to get excited. Didn't I say I wanted to talk?"
As if certain I'd attack him, Jong Serang showed no intent to fight immediately.
"Sheathe your swords."
At his command, Gam Cheoljin and the bodyguards all returned their blades to their scabbards.
"A wounded beast is all the fiercer, after all."
With those words laced with conviction, Jong Serang turned away.
"Haa."
Geum Pyo exhaled sharply, releasing his tension.
Eunho asked worriedly.
"Senior Brother, do you think that'll make them back off?"
"No. The ones hiding in the forest haven't budged."
"Don't worry. We've fought nearly a thousand before."
Eunho couldn't hide his pitiful look at Geum Pyo's words.
"……."
"What?"
Though the Ssangmak Stronghold had overwhelming numbers, comparing ununified bandits to a prestigious sect from the 108 Peaks was unfair. Especially without knowing where the secret warriors were hidden—clashing head-on would likely endanger my juniors.
"Let's move for n—"
As I moved to leave, my eyes met Dongryong's, and I froze.
"You okay?"
"……Pardon?"
Dongryong's eyes were bloodshot. He seemed unaware himself, shooting his brothers a startled glance.
Gam Cheoljin's killing intent had hit him head-on, instinctively reigniting his own savage nature.
"Of all times..."
"N-no, I'm fine!"
I pulled the Demon-Suppressing Command Flag from my bundle and draped it over him.
"Senior Brother... I'm really fi—huh?"
Miraculously, his inflamed eyes returned to normal.
"Senior Brother, this..."
"Don't slack on your Tae-eul True Scripture practice. Relying on artifacts always carries risks."
"Yes, sir."
"Let's go."
The moment we pulled away, the forest began to shake violently. No wind blew, yet the branches clashed fiercely against each other.
"Senior Brother, how many are there?"
"Better if you don't know."
"……Ugh. Fair enough. But why didn't they attack right away?"
"Either they want to minimize losses, or they're waiting to see who moves first."
"Pardon?"
"They're a coalition of seven sects."
"……Senior Brother."
Eunho suddenly called me in a grave tone.
"What's up?"
"If there's ever a moment where abandoning me is the only way we survive, do it without hesitation."
"……."
Unable to grasp his baffling words, I stayed silent as Eunho continued.
"Promise me. Don't give up on entering the Murim Academy for my sake."
He must have been stung by Jong Serang's earlier drivel. As I opened my mouth to tell him not to worry, Geum Pyo spoke up.
"Senior Brother, same for me. If you have to abandon me, do it right away."
Dongryong, his eyes clearing, chimed in.
"Me too, Senior Brother!"
"What are you talking about, Yi Dongryong? You're the youngest—you have to survive!"
"You're the eldest in our family! You need to live to inherit the mill!"
The three brothers refused to yield, each insisting the others should live.
"You idiots! We fight to survive and achieve our goals together—not throw our lives away first! Do you think I'd enjoy the Academy knowing I got in on your sacrifices?"
In my past life, my deepest regret was surviving alone while leaving my senior and junior brothers behind. Now, I ran with death in my heart to avoid repeating that mistake.
"Haa... but risking our lives for our senior brothers is only natural..."
"I said it, didn't I? Here's a warning: don't die. Don't even think about it. If any of you plans to sacrifice yourselves for me, I'll send you back to the sect and tell the sect leader to excommunicate you myself!"
"……!"
"……!"
"……!"
"Why no answer?!"
"Y-yes, sir!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Yes, sir!"
"……."
Suddenly, what was this "yes, sir" business? I was speechless at how strangely the kids were acting as time went on.
*
Being pursued by chasers anyway, taking mountain paths was pointless. We turned straight onto the main road and bolted.
"Senior Brother, can't we run faster?"
Using lightness skill naturally slows movement arts. The invisible pressure from unseen foes had Geum Pyo and Eunho desperate to shake them off.
"No matter how fast we go, we won't lose them."
Once encircled, the moment we broke through, their scattered allies would swarm like hounds. Considering how humans hunted tigers, the Hwanggeom Sect and Cheongdo Pavilion's method maximized effect with minimal losses.
"Then what do we do?"
"If we can't shake them, we use them."
"Pardon?"
Passing Deokcheong, we faced the fork toward Mokgan Mountain or Hoju.
"Senior Brother."
Eunho glanced back. At the road's end, Jong Serang and his bodyguards appeared, with yellow-uniformed warriors maintaining distance to form the encirclement.
"Senior Brother! In the forest!"
From the mountainside we'd just left, indigo-robed figures—Nanghyang Sect from Zhejiang—were closing in slowly.
Oddly, no Cheongdo Pavilion warriors yet.
"Senior Brother, ahead."
I realized why at the Mokgan-Hoju fork. Cheongdo Pavilion's sub-pavilion master, Jang Sunwon, blocked the Hoju path with his guards.
"Feels like they're herding us into the mountains."
"Easier to hunt in mountains than cities."
"They coordinate perfectly."
"……Let's head to the mountain."
"Pardon? You serious? 'Don't flee to mountains when chased'—even a seven-year-old knows that."
"I know."
I veered opposite Jang Sunwon's blockade.
Mokgan Mountain was still an infamous, overlooked peak in Zhejiang. No good herbs, no quality timber—locals ignored it.
That's why they chose it as the hunting ground.
But in a few years, one incident would draw all eyes here. I planned to pull that event forward a bit.
Glancing back, Hwanggeom Sect warriors formed a vast semicircle, slowly encircling Mokgan Mountain.
"Pick up the pace."
Midway up, a path crossed the mountain to the other side.
"Senior Brother, Cheongdo Pavilion warriors on the opposite side."
The far side was already sealed by Cheongdo Pavilion.
"No way out."
Geum Pyo's voice was bleak. Then Eunho snapped irritably.
"Shut up! Senior Brother must have a plan, that's why we're here!"
"Shut up? You little shit! To your brother!"
"Fuck! What do you want me to do?!"
Eunho's curse made Geum Pyo grip his sword hilt like he might kill him. Dongryong looked baffled.
"Brothers, what's going on?"
"You shut up! This is all because of you!"
Geum Pyo's harsh words brought tears to Dongryong's eyes.
The brothers, thick as thieves moments ago insisting each other live, now snarled like they wanted to kill one another.
I quickly released my lightness skill and extended my senses.
As expected.
A prickling killing intent stabbed my skin. Not direct human malice, but an ambient aura permeating the air, assaulting the body.
Exposure to it instinctively bred fear, which humans overcame by lashing out in rage.
"Move!"
My lion's roar halted the brothers on the brink of blows.
"Focus on your circulation."
Accelerating into the mountain had loosened their lightness skills, letting the killing intent seep into their minds. Dongryong, moving at the same speed, had stayed calm thanks to the Demon-Suppressing Command Flag.
Despite my words, Geum Pyo and Eunho's sullen glares softened as if nothing happened.
"Huh?"
"Wh-what the hell..."
"Senior Brother, are we caught in a formation?"
Could this even be called a formation? If it was, it was the cruelest one humans could inflict on each other.
"Similar, but different. You've heard of it..."
The Demonic Cult's tactic against Orthodox and Unorthodox absolute masters. In my past life, over a hundred such experts had died trapped in it.
"It's the Heaven's Net."