Broken Convictions (1)

The night spent tossing and turning with nothing but my own worries left my body in poor condition again. Yesterday and today both. It occurred to me that perhaps the insomnia itself had been caused by these very thoughts creeping in without my notice, preventing me from falling into deep sleep.

Since I had simply collapsed into bed naked after washing up yesterday, I rummaged around for the clothes I had shed, pulled them on haphazardly, and stepped out of the room. There was still no sign of anyone else this morning. Instead, I ordered some simple breakfast fare through the innkeeper who was already up and about. Then I sat down at a table and waited—whether for the innkeeper or for Jegal Soyeon, I wasn't sure. The innkeeper arrived first.

Five bowls were laid out on the table while only I sat there, so the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠innkeeper gave me a strange look before leaving. I felt a slight pang of injustice, but I paid it no mind and picked up my spoon. I had barely taken a single bite when, at the most awkward possible moment, Jegal Soyeon emerged from her room. Seeing the food already set out, she gave instructions and her companions each found their seats. Just like the day before yesterday and yesterday, Jegal Soyeon sat down directly across from me.

"Lady Jegal."

I set my spoon down for a moment and called her name first. She paused as well and looked at me. I opened with the words I had prepared since yesterday.

"Are you aware that I am friends with Namgung Seha?"

The sudden topic made Jegal Soyeon answer with a rather serious expression.

"...Of course I am."

It was a fact that had already spread as far as it could. Just as I had expected. I had worried the conversation would become incredibly awkward if she didn't know, so this was fortunate. Thinking that, I continued.

"I promised my friend that I would send her a message around this point in the journey."

Jegal Soyeon's brow furrowed slightly. Since this was also the reaction I had anticipated, I simply continued in a calm tone.

"It's nothing important. We simply agreed to exchange one message even if nothing special happened. But sending it from here wouldn't make much sense, would it? So I was thinking of stopping by the Wulin Alliance branch for a short while."

"Would that be all right?"

When I asked, Jegal Soyeon pretended to ponder for a moment before nodding. As expected, it was impossible to tell whether she was doing this to stay together or for some other reason. This is all to keep you alive. I swallowed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠those words and quickly tidied up the table.

I returned to my room, packed my light belongings perfectly, and left the inn. Instead of the route we had originally planned, I turned westward.

"It should be safe from here on," I muttered quietly to myself.

Jegal Soyeon turned to look back at ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠me. "Pardon?"

I ignored her and walked a little further west.

.

.

.

"Jegal Soyeon? You're telling me to step up and kill some bitch whose name I don't even know?"

Every time the prestigious Yongbongjihoe took place, many promising young talents from the righteous path died. At the hands of the Demonic Cult.

"If it were Jegal Jihan, I'd gladly do it."

The problem—and the source of complaint among some demonic practitioners—was that the ones dying were what could crudely be called "trash": second-class or third-class martial artists at best. Figures like the Ghost Dragon Dokgo Mujin, the Poison Dragon Dang Hoyeong, or the incoming Phoenix candidate Yu Hwayeon from Hwasan were not easy targets. Their sects and families sent far too many escorts under the guise of protection, making the difficulty far too high. In the past, even the Plum Blossom Sword Protectors had been dispatched from Hwasan.

That was why only people like Jegal Soyeon ended up dead. Killing them would stir up some trouble in their respective regions, but the incident itself would be quickly forgotten compared to the chaos it caused. It was the perfect target.

"...If the elder orders it, I have to obey."

The man in black was Jeong Cheol, known by the title Songgang Isu. A super peak realm fist master and the fourth disciple of the Sixth Elder of the Demonic Cult, Byeok-an Geosugwi. It was he who had wished for Jegal Soyeon's death and ordered Songgang Isu to carry it out. Most disciples who ended up carrying out such meritless, boring missions began their careers this way.

"You lot. Everyone here?"

Songgang Isu Jeong Cheol had selected roughly twenty men from the combat unit under his command. A particularly small-statured boy among those standing behind him stepped forward and reported.

"Twenty men besides Lord Disciple. All present."

Jeong Cheol nodded. He could clearly see the twenty black heads lined up. He pulled a black mask over his face to hide his expression.

"East, was it?"

The small boy nodded once more in confirmation. Though they avoided explicitly naming her, both understood they were speaking of Jegal Soyeon's location.

"She probably hasn't noticed yet, but just in case, I'll handle it quickly by myself."

He swept his finger westward in a single motion.

"You lot, set up an encirclement over there. Even if that bitch runs with all her might, she won't be able to escape."

The roughly twenty combat unit members, including the boy, answered loudly in unison and scattered in perfect order in every direction.

"Young ones are all so quick on their feet. Shall I head out too?"

He vanished like a shadow in an instant.

.

.

.

"...Something feels off, doesn't it?"

Jegal Soyeon, who had been walking ahead, suddenly turned her head and spoke. Unlike before when her face had held a smile even during serious conversation, her expression was now utterly grave. I nodded in agreement.

The escorts who had joined our group at some point had already drawn their weapons and were warily scanning the surroundings. The entire mountain area felt wrong. No birds flew across the sky. No wild animals took even a single step. Not a single cry of the wilderness could be heard. It was as if the whole mountain had been frightened into silence by something.

"...Lady Jegal. May I say one thing?"

It wasn't based on any logical evidence like when Guardian Yu Hwa had entered my house without leaving a trace. It was simply a judgment born from super-sensory instinct. There was something dangerous nearby. Whether it was an enemy ambush or a ferocious spirit beast, I couldn't tell.

"...Damn it."

Whether the former or the latter, both were worst-case scenarios, but the latter was at least slightly better. Unlike enemies, spirit beasts usually didn't leave their territory, so if we ran with everything we had, we might survive. But there was no way a spirit beast would be around here. I thought I had avoided the worst, but this was a massive miscalculation. Or perhaps my luck was just that terrible—had the attack come from the west this time? Something similar had happened in the west before, I recalled.

I let out a long breath and calmed my mind. Then I thought slowly. Fighting an unknown number of enemies in an unknown location was dangerous. Right now, what action should I take to draw every last one of them out?

"Three."

First, there wouldn't be just one or two. A peak realm expert raised in the harsh environment of real combat could handle about two opponents of the same level. So at minimum, three.

"No, four?"

As if uncertain even after counting, I slowly increased the number. As though their stealth techniques were completely useless. In reality I couldn't sense them at all, but I narrowed my eyes as coldly as possible and spoke.

"More than that."

People began emerging one by one from the bushes. It seemed they had judged that further concealment was pointless. They wore black clothes that covered their entire bodies, and crimson eyes gleamed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠from beneath their hoods. Anyone could tell at a glance they were from the Demonic Cult.

Jegal Soyeon and her companions must have seen it clearly too, because their faces hardened as they spoke.

"Demonic Cult..."

As if those words were the trigger, at least ten demonic practitioners charged forward all at once, fully armed.

- Clang!

A strike aimed to slice from my right shoulder to my left leg came slashing down. I lightly deflected it with my sword and countered by striking the opponent's arm.

"Sama Palgeom. You've learned something rather decent."

A vertical sword style that cut from top to bottom and bottom to top. It was one of the better martial arts provided by the Demonic Cult. Four demonic practitioners surrounded me. Around Jegal Soyeon and her group, there were about two each. The fact that I had four was at least fortunate.

"...The information we received didn't mention someone like you. You're the strongest in the group. And quite strange."

The demonic practitioners twirled their swords once in their hands and readjusted their grips. They slowly closed in from all directions. One of them, who kept making eye contact with me, took a stance and asked.

"You seem to be from the righteous path. How do you know about Sama Palgeom?"

He lowered his sword and asked. It was the distinctive opening stance of Sama Palgeom, meant to strike upward from below. In my previous life, I had seen hundreds of demonic practitioners who had learned it. I had only dabbled in it briefly, but I had even practiced it myself. However, there was no need to answer, nor any reason to, so I responded with provocation instead.

"Your mouth runs smoother than a flowing stream."

Together with the taunt, I took my own stance. I needed to shake off these four quickly and join Jegal Soyeon's side to help before any of them were killed.

"Come."

Since I already knew all their tricks, there was no way I would lose to four of them. Thinking that, I took a step toward the sky.