Chapter 96
Chapter 96
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: The Road to the Imperial Capital (3)
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While the Merciless Sword Nun and Mun Chi-yong were each pursuing Yi Hwan, some unexpected figures were heading toward the Yeon Kingdom.
It was the Ghost Valley Lord and his fiends.
Right after the retreat was decided, the Ghost Valley Lord had set off for the Yeon Kingdom the very next day, without even reporting to Jo Gwang and taking only a few subordinates with him.
His destination was the imperial capital of the Yeon Kingdom, where the final traces of the Soul Separation Technique had been found.
"Let's rest in that town today."
"Yes."
The Ghost Valley Lord and his fiends entered the market street of the town. After traveling nonstop for days, they were in terrible shape.
Even masters who cultivated internal energy would grow weary without proper rest.
A short while later, they entered an inn on the market street. The inn, boasting the Yeon Kingdom's characteristic splendor, was bustling with people. Amid the loud shouts of already drunken patrons, the Ghost Valley Lord and his fiends headed up to the quiet upper floor.
Fortunately, the upper floor had plenty of empty seats and was very quiet. While his subordinates ordered food, the Ghost Valley Lord gazed out the window, scanning the market street.
'The Yeon Kingdom truly is a prosperous place.'
The market street's vibrancy was a sight rarely seen in the Zhao Kingdom. He could even guess at the lives of the Yeon people from the bright expressions on the faces of those passing by.
"......!"
The Ghost Valley Lord's eyes flashed as he scanned about, upon spotting the blue-robed figures seated in the inn across the way.
The way they peered out the window and their aura were anything but ordinary. But what made the Ghost Valley Lord's eyes gleam wasn't just their unusual presence—it was the faint demonic qi emanating from them.
Having cultivated demonic arts himself, there was no way he could miss it.
'Assassins?'
It was then.
The blue-robed men rose from their seats all at once. The Ghost Valley Lord's eyes now fixed on the face of the man approaching their table.
The man was saying something to them, his face showing bewilderment. Suddenly curious, the Ghost Valley Lord circulated his energy to heighten his hearing.
Then, the conversation sounds began to filter in faintly.
"We've been watching the market street ever since receiving the express message, but we haven't seen the Great Prince's group enter. It seems they bypassed the town and went straight on."
"Did you check the other places too?"
"Yes. They say he hasn't gone there either."
"This is......"
The Ghost Valley Lord's eyes gleamed again.
'The Great Prince? Could it be the Great Prince of the Southern Legion?'
It was then.
"After leaving the Southern Legion, he spent every night in towns. If he didn't enter this one, could he have caught on?"
"We communicated by express message—how could he have caught on? Everyone, go out and search every inn in the market street thoroughly!"
"Yes."
The blue-robed men hurriedly rose from their seats.
Having observed this, the Ghost Valley Lord became convinced from the mention of the Southern Legion that the Great Prince they spoke of was Yi Hwan.
His interest deepened.
'Blue-robed figures targeting the Yeon Kingdom's own Great Prince right here in Yeon territory.'
The Ghost Valley Lord recalled all the martial artists in the Zhao army camp. But he had never seen faces like theirs.
The first ones who came to mind were Pa Pa and the Merciless Sword Nun.
'Pa Pa vanished on the way back during the retreat. But none of her subordinates looked like those guys.'
If they weren't the Merciless Sword Nun's subordinates, then who? As that thought crossed his mind, the Ghost Valley Lord's eyes widened slightly.
'Pa Pa!'
There were people entering the market street.
Though dressed in ordinary clothes with their bamboo hats pulled low, the Ghost Valley Lord instantly recognized the Merciless Sword Nun from one man's—no, woman's—build and gait alone.
'Why has she come here?'
His eyes narrowed in suspicion.
The Ghost Valley Lord watched as the Merciless Sword Nun entered the inn where the mysterious blue-robed men had been. A moment later, she took a seat by the window and removed her bamboo hat. The face revealed was that of a completely different person.
But the Ghost Valley Lord was certain it was her. No matter how she changed her face, she couldn't fool the eyes of someone who had observed her for so long.
'Pa Pa never moves alone. That means she must have come here on a special order from the Crown Prince. And that special order is......'
His narrowed eyes widened again.
'Could it be to kill the Yeon Kingdom's Great Prince?'
The Ghost Valley Lord knew.
He knew the extent of Crown Prince Jo Gwang's fury toward Yi Hwan, Paeng Mu-wi, and Jeong Cheon.
If it had been to kill Paeng Mu-wi or Jeong Cheon, there would have been no reason for the Merciless Sword Nun to come all the way here.
A moment later, as the Merciless Sword Nun's group sat by the window, the Ghost Valley Lord rose from his seat.
"Move our seats over there."
"Didn't you say the window side was better?"
"Pa Pa is across from us. Don't look back—move quickly to the other side."
"......!"
A moment later, the Ghost Valley Lord and his fiends took seats as far from the window as possible. From the angle, they couldn't be seen from across the way.
"Why has Pa Pa come here?"
"She seems to have come to kill the Great Prince of the Southern Legion. The Crown Prince must have ordered it."
"......!"
The fiends were quite startled.
One of them asked,
"If that's true, shouldn't we help?"
"Why should we help a woman clinging to a fraying rope that's about to snap? Ignore her and focus on our own business."
"......!"
"The Crown Prince has no more chances. The Southwest King, having seen through his ambitions, won't let it slide. So, for the future of Ghost Valley, we need to cut ties with the Crown Prince here and now. Keep that in mind, all of you."
"Yes, Valley Lord."
"Understood."
In this utterly unexpected place, the Ghost Valley Lord declared his severance from Crown Prince Jo Gwang. But there was something he didn't know.
The fact that the Merciless Sword Nun had been watching them from the start.
* * *
'Ghost Valley Lord—what is he doing here?'
The Merciless Sword Nun stared at the inn across the way, calming her gaze. She couldn't see them now due to the wall, but she had spotted the Ghost Valley Lord and his fiends when entering the inn.
'His Highness wouldn't have given him a separate mission. So why would he dare come here alone?'
It was less a question and more a strong suspicion.
She had never liked the Ghost Valley Lord even at the best of times. Believing he could betray them at any moment, she had repeatedly urged Jo Gwang not to favor him.
Throb!
A sudden headache hit, and the Merciless Sword Nun grimaced, pressing her temple with her hand.
'We lost the trail. That means we have to chase him all the way to the Yeon Kingdom's capital.'
She had lost Yi Hwan.
To carry out Jo Gwang's order, she had no choice but to head to the capital.
Even for the Merciless Sword Nun, it was something she didn't relish. Each kingdom's capital maintained security on an entirely different level, and no one knew what masters might be there.
"Sister Pa Pa, have a drink."
"Thank you."
The Merciless Sword Nun instantly composed her face into a serene expression, as if nothing had happened. She was one who cherished her subordinates more than anyone, so she rarely showed her distress unless it was dire.
It was then.
A voice from behind that pricked her ears flowed into hers.
"Some hunters returning from the north of the official road said they saw a group leading horses up the mountain. It seems to be the Great Prince's group."
"The time?"
"About half a shichen ago."
"Move out."
The Merciless Sword Nun's eyes flashed as she watched the blue-robed men hurriedly exit the inn.
'They must be with the ones we fought at that other inn.'
They had been right behind her.
She took a sip of cold water and stood.
"All of you, up."
* * *
Whoooosh!
The wind in the mountains was fierce.
The forest, thick with trees and shrubs, swayed wildly.
Yi Hwan and his group moved seeking shelter from the wind. They found a small cave midway up the mountain and entered.
"I'll start a fire."
The Yeo woman warrior lit a campfire first.
Cheol Mu-ok and Ju Tae took positions at the cave entrance for guard duty, while the rest sat around the fire, sating their hunger with rations.
Song Cheon-mu handed over the liquor he had.
"Have some, Great Prince."
The Yeo woman warrior skewered jerky on a branch to roast over the fire. Yi Hwan shook his head.
"The smell will carry far—just eat it raw."
"......Understood, Great Prince."
'The girl—why's she talking like that?'
Go Mi glanced oddly at the Yeo woman warrior before speaking to Yi Hwan.
"There might be witnesses, so we should rest briefly and then leave immediately."
"I was planning to anyway."
With Yi Hwan agreeing so readily, Go Mi had nothing more to say. She leaned against the cave wall and chewed her jerky. Yi Hwan took a few swigs of liquor before tossing the bottle to Cheol Mu-ok.
"Thank you."
Yi Hwan leaned against the wall and gazed at Song Cheon-mu.
"Are you practicing the mind technique diligently?"
"Yes. I'm training whenever I can, but it's not progressing as fast as I'd hoped."
"Once you reach a certain level, the changes will come quickly, so don't slack off."
"Yes!"
Yi Hwan turned his gaze to Go Mi.
Their eyes met, and Go Mi swallowed her jerky before speaking.
"I'm training hard too."
"Progress?"
"I can feel subtle changes in my dantian. But I'm not sure about the internal energy increase."
"What kind of changes in your dantian?"
"When circulating energy, power transfers to my sword faster than before."
"Not bad."
"Am I doing well?"
"To reach that point in that time—it's practically genius level."
"......!"
Go Mi's eyes widened. She had never been called a genius in her life.
"When we reach the capital, we'll move to the next stage—keep that in mind."
"What's the next stage?"
"You'll find out when we get there."
As Go Mi opened her mouth to ask more, Yi Hwan leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes.
'I knew she was smart, but I didn't expect this much talent for martial arts. Should be fun teaching her from here on.'
* * *
Yi Hwan dreamed.
It was a nightmare.
When he opened his eyes, everyone was staring at him.
"Are you all right?"
"Water."
Yi Hwan drank the water Song Cheon-mu handed him and asked,
"How much time has passed?"
"A little over half a shichen."
'I thought it was just a quick nap, but already......'
Yi Hwan brushed himself off and stood. The others were already prepared to depart.
Yi Hwan felt awkwardly embarrassed.
"Wake me next time."
"Yes."
* * *
They resumed their journey.
They had to lead the horses until crossing the mountain, so their pace was inevitably slow.
Whoooosh!
The mountain wind blew even fiercer.
Occasional gusts startled the horses into rearing, and the slippery ground from the rain slowed them further.
How much time passed?
Having crested the summit, the group began descending swiftly along the ridge line.
A few more shichen passed.
Behind them, where they had come from, a flock of birds suddenly took to the sky.
Flutter!
Yi Hwan subtly furrowed his brow.
"Looks like they've caught up."
"There seem to be more of them than expected."
"There might have been witnesses too. Everyone, draw your swords in advance."
"Yes."
Ching! Ching!
Shing!
Everyone drew their swords and tightened their formation. Yi Hwan placed Go Mi and the Yeo woman warrior in the center. Go Mi protested she was fine, but it was useless.
"Maintain this formation and descend at full speed."
They picked up the pace. But still unable to ride in this terrain, they couldn't go very fast.
Ju Tae, bringing up the rear, called out softly.
"They've closed to within thirty zhang. About twenty of them."
Cheol Mu-ok asked,
"Shall we go handle them?"
"No. Keep going."
As they descended, Yi Hwan sharply surveyed the terrain ahead. If they were about to be overtaken, they needed advantageous ground for fighting a larger force.
Soon, a suitable spot caught his eye.
"Head there."
The group veered toward where Yi Hwan pointed.
Right then, the sound of something slicing through the air rang out.
Swoosh!
Ju Tae and the Sword King lineage warriors raised sword barriers in unison.
Clang clang clang!
Sparks flew as the hidden weapons bounced away in all directions. One grazed past Yi Hwan's side.
That was when Yi Hwan's right hand moved.
Snap!
A hidden weapon was now in his grasp.
Examining it, Yi Hwan addressed the group.
"Poison on the hidden weapons—stay sharp, everyone."
"Yes."
Shing!
Yi Hwan drew his sword.
He abandoned the technique of converting his energy into five lights for attack. Against opponents watching him closely, its power and success rate would drop sharply.
Yi Hwan spoke softly toward the forest.
"Come at me with everything you've got. It's the only way you'll buy even a little time to breathe."