Chapter 16: First Mission (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 16: First Mission (5)
Namgung Jun and Heo Il dashed along the mountain path at a breakneck pace. As they ran, Heo Il tilted his chin slightly.
"We're changing direction. To the east."
At the sudden suggestion, Namgung Jun couldn't help but ask, "Did you find a trail?"
"The grass is bent in a uniform pattern. It's not something an animal would do. And judging by the footprints, it's the Ying Demon Steps of the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult."
After hearing Heo Il's explanation, Namgung Jun glanced at the faint tracks in the dirt and nodded.
Impressive.
Heo Il's tracking skills were astonishing. Namgung Jun had assumed they would need to circle the area to find a lead, but Heo Il had defied his expectations.
With a single glance, Heo Il had picked up their trail and set off. Even while maintaining a steady pace with his Lightness Movement Art, he didn't miss the slightest sign.
This was an area where Namgung Jun was completely outmatched.
This isn't a skill one can master alone at his age. He must have received a true master's inheritance.
Namgung Jun's curiosity about Heo Il grew, but now was not the time to dwell on it. His own breath was already starting to burn in his throat.
I need to get my body back into shape as quickly as possible.
Since joining the Azure Heaven Association, he had been nourishing his frail body with regular meals and steadily rebuilding his strength through constant training. Still, it was far from enough.
A body ravaged by untreated, severed meridians and weakened by years of malnutrition could not be restored overnight. It was only thanks to the internal energy of the Heavenly Thunder True Yang Formula that he was able to hold on. Had his mastery of internal energy been even slightly shallower, simply keeping up with Heo Il would have been impossible.
I need to improve my Lightness Movement Art, too.
Aside from the Infinite Steps, Namgung Jun was currently relying on the basic Lightness Movement Art of the Namcheon Palace.
Although he remembered the advanced movement techniques from his past life, he chose not to practice them. He had no intention of binding himself to the martial arts of the Namcheon Palace any longer. Starting over from the very bottom in this new life had shown him just how flawed his foundation had been.
To become the perfect, flawless martial artist he had failed to be in his past life, he had to master every art, not just the sword. Simply copying his past self’s techniques was not the path to that goal.
As Namgung Jun ran, reflecting on his future training, Heo Il spoke up.
"Young Master Namgung. I've found them."
"Finally."
"But I have to go on ahead."
Namgung Jun, already pushing his body to its limits, narrowed his eyes.
"Why?"
"If they continue on this path, they'll reach a point where the Yangtze River's current slows. They'll likely board a boat there."
"Which means..."
Namgung Jun understood exactly what Heo Il was implying.
If they failed to catch the kidnappers before they boarded that boat, the chance to rescue the abducted commoners would be lost forever. They would slip right through their fingers.
Veins bulged on the hand gripping his scabbard.
"Senior Heo, will you be alright on your own?"
"I'll buy us some time."
"I'll catch up as fast as I can."
With a nod, Heo Il kicked off the ground, his body enveloped in a wave of qi. As if he had been holding back to match Namgung Jun's pace, Heo Il shot forward like an arrow.
His tracking skills were one thing, but his mastery of the Lightness Movement Art was also extraordinary, far surpassing anyone his age. It seemed that although Heo Il belonged to the Heavenly Sword Hall, the sword was not his greatest strength.
Having observed his training, Namgung Jun knew Heo Il possessed considerable talent for the sword, but it paled in comparison to his mastery of tracking and movement.
Senior Heo.
Watching Heo Il’s back shrink into a dot before vanishing into the dense foliage, Namgung Jun took a deep breath.
I have to catch up. As quickly as possible.
Namgung Jun gradually increased his speed. He could have gone faster, but he held back. A fierce battle awaited, and he couldn't afford to recklessly exhaust his energy. Pacing himself to conserve stamina, he swiftly followed Heo Il's trail.
* * *
Leaping lightly onto a tree branch, Heo Il's eyes gleamed.
There they are.
He had caught up to two carriages. He sensed numerous presences packed inside the lead carriage—the kidnapped children from Tongling.
They're disguised as a small merchant group.
To an ordinary observer, they looked like typical merchants and laborers, but they couldn't deceive Heo Il's sharp eyes. Their distinct strides, their heavily scarred hands, and the cold, eerie glint that occasionally flashed in their eyes all pointed to one truth: they were undoubtedly demonic practitioners of the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult.
Ten of them in total.
Having quickly assessed the situation, Heo Il reached not for the sword at his waist, but into his sleeve. His left hand whipped out, slicing through the air with a faint whistle.
Thud!
A throwing dagger buried itself deep into the temple of a cultist guarding the carriage.
As their companion collapsed without warning, the remaining demonic practitioners instantly drew their concealed weapons.
"An enemy!"
"Protect the carriage!"
They halted the carriages and formed a tight defensive perimeter—exactly what Heo Il had hoped for.
Darting through the dense foliage with his swift Lightness Movement Art, Heo Il unleashed a barrage of throwing weapons.
Clang!
While the first few fell to his initial assault, the others proved more difficult. Now fully aware of his presence, the demonic practitioners were on high alert. They deflected his projectiles while scanning the area, clearly preparing for a counterattack.
"There don't seem to be many of them."
"Something's not right."
As the cultists muttered among themselves, a voice rang out from the second carriage.
"They're trying to buy time! Ignore them and move the carriages!"
The moment the order was barked, the lead carriage began to roll forward again.
Damn it.
Realizing his plan had been seen through, Heo Il leaped from the brush and landed directly in front of the moving carriage.
Slash!
With a diagonal slash, Heo Il slit the horse’s throat, bringing the carriage to a screeching halt. A second sweep of his blade tore open the carriage wall. Through the gaping tear, he saw children huddled together, trembling in terror. Heo Il's eyes narrowed.
"This is the one."
Having confirmed the children were alive, Heo Il positioned himself to defend the carriage.
Just as the demonic practitioners prepared to swarm him, a voice boomed.
"Stand down. I will handle this myself."
The door of the second carriage burst open, and a middle-aged man soared into the air. Twisting his body mid-flight, he unleashed a fierce kicking technique.
The man's kick arced sharply toward the crown of Heo Il's head.
A direct hit will kill me instantly.
Crack! Crack!
Heo Il threw up his arms, barely blocking the barrage of kicks. The sheer force drove him back, and he nearly stumbled to the ground. The weight and destructive power behind the kicks were immense.
"Phew."
Heo Il caught his breath and stole a glance behind him. Inside the carriage, over a dozen young boys and girls were shivering in fear. He couldn't afford to show any weakness. As he reached up to adjust the brim of his bamboo hat, his right hand trembled slightly.
"Hah! Trembling in fear, boy?"
Ignoring the man's mockery, Heo Il reached for the gourd bottle at his waist with his left hand. He downed the liquor inside in one long swig, then let out a deep breath.
"Did you ask if I was scared?"
His scarred right hand had stopped trembling. It was now perfectly still.
"There is only one person in this world I fear. And it certainly isn't you."
Drawing his sword with his steady right hand, Heo Il closed the distance.
"For such a grand entrance, the qi in your kicks is rather underwhelming."
"Hmph! Empty bravado!"
Snorting in derision, the middle-aged man lunged forward once more.
Twisting his waist, his right leg whipped out like a lash.
Crack!
Heo Il angled his blade to deflect the kick. A split second slower, and his chest would have been crushed. Still, his expression remained grim. Before he could find an opening to counterattack, five dark afterimages of kicks surged toward his face.
Unleashing the Great Derivation Sword Technique, Heo Il severed all five afterimages in a single breath, but the sheer force of the impact sent him stumbling backward. He couldn't fully absorb the shock, a clear sign that the man held the upper hand.
Having easily pushed Heo Il back, the middle-aged man snorted and unleashed a wave of oppressive qi. Feeling the numbing pressure, Heo Il muttered, "A Bright Order Rank..."
The Bright Order Rank.
It was a title given to those among the ordinary disciples of the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult who had mastered either the Yin Essence Demonic Art or the Yang Essence Demonic Art to the Peak Realm. They were mid-level officers, far above common disciples. It was highly unusual for someone of the Bright Order Rank to personally oversee a simple transport mission.
This was an opponent far too formidable for Heo Il to handle alone. Normally, it would take a martial artist of the Third Cloud rank from the Azure Heaven Association to match him.
Yet, Heo Il did not back down. To serve as a Cloud of the Azure Heaven Association was to face death as a regular occurrence. His only concern was for his companion.
This is bad. Young Master Namgung is on his way.
Dragging a rookie like Namgung Jun into this mess was a death sentence.
Is there any way to warn him…?
Even as he worried for Namgung Jun's safety, Heo Il stepped forward. He couldn't afford to show the slightest hesitation.
Meanwhile, the demonic practitioners, led by the Bright Order Rank, formed a tight perimeter. They had no intention of letting him escape.
"Azure Heaven Association dog! I won't let you die easily."
The Bright Order Rank closed the distance in the blink of an eye, his palm sweeping toward Heo Il's chest. Barely twisting his body to dodge, Heo Il thrust his sword to force him back. But the palm strike was a feint. The true attack was a devastating knee strike rising from below.
Thud!
The rising knee slammed into Heo Il's thigh, shattering his balance.
"Argh!"
"Is this all you've got?"
Smirking at the stumbling Heo Il, the Bright Order Rank thrust both hands forward in rapid succession.
"Haaah!"
With a fierce shout, Heo Il unleashed the ultimate forms of the Great Derivation Sword Technique, but he couldn't completely deflect the Bright Order Rank's onslaught. Three afterimages of kicks tore through his defenses, shredding his uniform and crushing his bamboo hat.
Crack!
After exchanging over a dozen blows, Heo Il coughed up a mouthful of blood and stumbled back. He had been pushed so far that the carriage now blocked his retreat. He had nowhere left to run.
Whoosh!
Just as Heo Il raised his head, a sudden gust of hot wind swept in from behind him.
"Gah!"
Simultaneously, the demonic practitioners who had been blocking his rear collapsed forward, spewing blood. Through the gaps between the falling bodies, a boy walked forward with an unnervingly calm stride.
"Ah..."
Watching him approach, Heo Il let out a soft gasp of awe.
The aura Namgung Jun exuded inspired an inexplicable sense of trust. He didn't carry himself like a rookie, but like a seasoned master swordsman in his prime.
Even the Bright Order Rank and his subordinates seemed to sense the extraordinary pressure radiating from Namgung Jun, as none of them dared to make a move.
Stepping calmly into the enemy's encirclement, Namgung Jun asked, "Senior Heo, may I take over?"
Heo Il couldn't answer right away. He felt a mixture of worry and gratitude, but above all, an overwhelming, inexplicable trust in the boy washed over him.
After a brief pause, Heo Il finally spoke.
"I leave it to you."
"Then, in your stead..."
Namgung Jun's bamboo hat tilted slightly in a nod. He turned away from Heo Il, walking directly toward the Bright Order Rank.
"I shall bring this mission to its end."
Namgung Jun's clear, resonant voice echoed through the clearing. At that moment, his razor-sharp blade rose, pointing directly at the Bright Order Rank.