The Viper in the Shadow
Sancheon Gwiin.
He was rumored to be past his forties, but very little detailed information was known about him.
It was surprising that someone of his age could remain such a mystery, but that was the reality.
The reason his name had finally come to light was due to an incident involving the Namgung Family.
For reasons unknown, he had killed a martial artist of the Namgung Family who was in the middle of an operation.
Since then, for the past six months, he had been on the run, evading the eyes of the Namgung Family, who sought to hunt him down and execute him.
Jet-black hair, a giant standing seven feet tall.
A scarred warrior wielding a massive nodachi.
It matched Sancheon Gwiin's description perfectly.
"Hmm."
The man's voice echoed softly through the cave.
Goosebumps erupted across my skin at the sound.
I glanced sideways.
A man was dead.
He was a senior colleague who had always looked down on me, the very same guy who had given me a massive earful just last night.
He's dead.
His head had been clean decapitated. It had happened in the blink of an eye.
I swallowed hard, my throat dry.
"Haaah..."
Sancheon Gwiin let out a quiet sigh.
Even that minor gesture made my body react instinctively with fear.
"How did this happen...? This... this wasn't part of the plan..."
Sancheon Gwiin spoke with a languid expression, taking a step forward.
The moment he moved.
Clang! Shlick!
Every squad member drew their swords.
"Sancheon Gwiin... is it really you?"
At the squad leader's trembling voice, the giant grinned.
The sight of his yellowed teeth and the crinkle of his eyes as he smiled was enough to make one's knees buckle.
"Well, who else do I look like? Yes, I am the one you call Sancheon Gwiin."
"E-everyone, prepare for ba—!"
Just as the squad leader tried to rally the men upon Sancheon Gwiin's confirmation, a sharp, tearing sound sliced through the air once more.
Boom!
"Urgh!"
A groan escaped Yu Hyeongin's lips.
He had raised his sword, stepping in front of the squad leader to block the blow.
Had Sancheon Gwiin attacked, and had Hyeongin blocked it?
I hadn't even seen it happen.
Simply put, we were utterly screwed.
...An expert whose attacks I can't even track.
If I had been the target of that strike, my head would have been rolling on the floor just like Dong Baegu's.
"To think the dogs of the Martial Alliance would find this place already. This changes things... How on earth did you find out?"
Sancheon Gwiin remained completely relaxed, despite being outnumbered.
"Well, I suppose it doesn't matter... I have to clean you up anyway."
He gripped his nodachi with a soft rustle.
"Haa... haa..."
Yu Hyeongin breathed heavily, having barely deflected the strike.
He stepped forward, taking the lead.
"Squad Leader. You must go back and call for reinforcements."
"What...?"
"Otherwise, we all die here...!"
"R-right, I understand."
"Junior Bang! You get out of here too...!"
As Yu Hyeongin yelled urgently, the squad leader stammered in agreement, and Hyeongin turned to warn me.
"Now, now. Did you really think I'd just let you leave?"
"...!"
Sancheon Gwiin lunged forward, closing the distance in an instant.
Yu Hyeongin hurriedly swung his sword to block the nodachi. But—
Crash!
"Tch!"
Unable to fully absorb the impact, Hyeongin was blown backward.
A gap opened.
Sancheon Gwiin immediately charged past him toward the squad leader.
"Eek!"
The squad leader raised his sword in a desperate defense, but he was no Yu Hyeongin; he couldn't deflect the sweeping nodachi.
"Gah!"
He barely managed to avoid being sliced in half, but the force of the blow sent him flying. He crashed violently into the cave wall, far worse than Hyeongin had.
"Cough!"
The squad leader collapsed, spitting up blood.
Sancheon Gwiin's gaze shifted back toward us.
"Let's wrap this up quickly. It'll be troublesome if things get any noisier."
His chilling eyes locked onto me.
Fuck...
I had to move, fast—
Boom!
Before I could even finish the thought, a blade filled my vision. I couldn't even react, let alone think.
"Urgh!"
To my shock, the one who blocked the strike meant for me was Yeon Socheon.
He was pouring every ounce of his strength into holding back Sancheon Gwiin.
"What... are you doing?!" Yeon Socheon strained, his voice tight with urgency.
"Hurry...! Help me! Now is not the time to hide your...!"
Hearing his desperate plea, it finally clicked.
This guy still thought I was hiding my true strength.
"Hmm?"
Sancheon Gwiin stared at Yeon Socheon, his lips curling into a sudden smirk.
"Ah, I see. You're that kid. The Cheon—"
Before he could finish his sentence, Yu Hyeongin lunged in with a surprise attack.
However, Sancheon Gwiin executed a swift footwork technique, dodging the strike effortlessly.
Because of that movement, their positions shifted.
Sancheon Gwiin now stood blocking the cave's exit.
"How unexpected. To think there would be two First-class experts here... Is it you?"
Sancheon Gwiin gestured with his chin toward Yu Hyeongin.
"Are you the one I'm looking for?"
"...What are you talking about?" Yu Hyeongin asked, scowling.
Sancheon Gwiin tilted his head at the reaction.
"No, that's not it... Judging by the feel of that piece of trash over there, it's definitely not him."
He was referring to the squad leader, who lay collapsed against the wall.
Then, his eyes drifted to me.
"And that one is even more of a piece of trash."
"..."
I frowned at the sudden, blunt evaluation.
"So it has to be you... Hmm."
He muttered as if genuinely puzzled.
What on earth was he talking about?
Before I could ponder the question, Yeon Socheon spoke up, his voice tense.
"...These bodies. Did you do all of this?"
"Hmm?"
Yeon Socheon stared at the pile of corpses belonging to the Namgung Family scattered across the floor.
"What happened here? Why are the martial artists of the Namgung Family in this place...?"
"Well... because this is the place they were searching for. And..."
Sancheon Gwiin cracked his neck, adding with a smirk directed at Yeon Socheon,
"What you are looking for is also here."
"...!"
Yeon Socheon's eyes widened.
So the Namgung Family had come here to find something, and this man had slaughtered them all? And on top of that, the thing Yeon Socheon was searching for was here too?
What is it?
What could they possibly be looking for that would make Yeon Socheon react like that?
A deep curiosity arose, but there was no time to dwell on it.
"Are you satisfied with that answer?"
Having nothing more to say, Sancheon Gwiin lunged forward aggressively once more.
"Then it's time to die."
With a violent gust of wind, his nodachi swung.
The speed was blinding.
Clang! Yu Hyeongin blocked the blade again.
This time, he wasn't blown back.
While Hyeongin held him off, Yeon Socheon joined the fray. Every time he swung his sword, afterimages lingered in the air.
Sword Qi.
So that was Sword Qi.
Which meant Yeon Socheon was indeed a First-class martial artist.
I can't see a thing...
Once the battle truly began, my eyes couldn't keep up. It was so fast that it was difficult to even watch.
Clang! Clash! Screeech! Boom!
In the darkness, only the sounds of clashing metal and bursts of sparks could be seen in rapid succession.
After a prolonged exchange of blows—
Crash!
"Urgh!"
With a loud impact, Yeon Socheon was thrown back, barely managing to land on his feet.
My eyes widened at the sight of him.
His neat martial robes were in tatters, and cuts covered his body.
Drip.
Yeon Socheon wiped the blood trickling from his mouth.
Then, he glared at me.
"What are you doing...?"
"...Excuse me?"
"Why aren't you stepping in?! In a situation like this!"
"No, Recruit Yeon, it's not like that..."
Faced with his resentful tone, I had to shut my mouth.
I wanted to tell him that I couldn't step in because I had no power.
I wanted to argue that it was his own fault for misunderstanding me.
But the words wouldn't come out. After all, Yeon Socheon was the one risking his life to fight right now.
When I remained silent, his face contorted in frustration.
"...Tch."
Screeech! Clang!
Ahead, Sancheon Gwiin and Yu Hyeongin were still locked in combat.
Since Yeon Socheon had been pushed back even in a two-on-one fight, Hyeongin's condition couldn't be good.
Yeon Socheon watched them, then slowly opened his mouth. His expression showed he absolutely hated having to say these words.
"...Pung Yeon. Help us."
He was calling for someone.
Then.
Step.
Someone emerged from the darkness.
It was a figure clad in black martial robes, their face completely covered.
At their appearance, the battle ahead ground to a halt.
"Yes, Young Master. I obey your command."
Judging by the voice, it was a man.
He walked calmly toward Sancheon Gwiin and Yu Hyeongin.
"...Who is that?" I muttered, bewildered by the sudden turn of events.
Yeon Socheon immediately replied, "You must have already known... He is my bodyguard."
Bodyguard?
"I know you didn't step in because Pung Yeon was here... I suppose it couldn't be helped."
No, I didn't even know he existed! A bodyguard had been following us this whole time—?
Wait.
A bodyguard?
The moment the word registered, a cold chill ran down my spine.
The man named Pung Yeon was slowly approaching Yu Hyeongin and Sancheon Gwiin.
He was our reinforcement.
It meant he had been lurking in the shadows, circling around without Sancheon Gwiin noticing.
He was strong. Could he defeat Sancheon Gwiin?
To guard a First-class expert like Yeon Socheon, he had to be incredibly powerful.
That meant we were safe for now, but...
Something is off.
As I watched him, an uneasy feeling crept over me.
My mind raced.
Yeon Socheon's goal. The bodyguard. The Namgung Family. Sancheon Gwiin. The cave.
These seemingly unrelated pieces began to connect, weaving together in my head.
...
And then.
Snap.
It all clicked.
Pung Yeon was almost upon them. The moment I realized, I screamed.
"Senior! Get away! That man—!"
Yu Hyeongin turned his head at my shout, but—
Stab!
"Cough...?!"
Pung Yeon's sword had already thrust forward.
And the blade was aimed not at Sancheon Gwiin, but at Yu Hyeongin.
"...Pung Yeon?!" Yeon Socheon cried out in shock.
"Gah... cough."
His abdomen pierced, Yu Hyeongin collapsed, coughing up blood.
Pung Yeon ripped his sword out and immediately kicked Hyeongin away.
Thud!
Hyeongin's limp body rolled across the ground.
"Senior!"
I rushed over to him.
"Senior! Stay with me!"
"...Ugh... cough!"
I immediately pressed my hands against his wound. There was too much blood. I had to stop the bleeding first.
"Senior...!"
There was no answer. Only a steady, crimson flow.
Shlick.
"I am truly curious."
I felt the cold edge of a blade press against the back of my neck.
"How did you know?"
Pung Yeon's voice sounded from right behind me.
"Pung Yeon! What is the meaning of this—?!"
Yeon Socheon yelled, his face pale with shock, but—
Whoosh!
"Urgh!"
Before he could get an answer, Sancheon Gwiin lunged at him again. The battle resumed.
"I am genuinely curious, Young Master. How did you figure it out?"
"..."
He was asking how I knew he would attack Yu Hyeongin, and how I knew he was a traitor.
Cold sweat ran down my back. Should I tell him? I couldn't afford to hesitate. I needed to buy time, no matter what.
"...Sancheon Gwiin told me."
I spoke while my mind raced, desperately searching for a way out of this mess.
"The clues were all in what he said."
"Oh?"
Pung Yeon sounded intrigued. In truth, Sancheon Gwiin's words had laid out the entire puzzle.
'This wasn't part of the plan.'
That was what Sancheon Gwiin had muttered upon seeing us. A 'plan' meant his presence here was part of a coordinated scheme.
'This changes things. How did you find out?'
This meant someone had leaked information to him, and the reality differed from what he had been told. Which meant he had received information about us very recently.
Furthermore.
'To think there would be two First-class experts here. Is it you?'
His surprise at there being two of them meant he had expected only one. The fact that he knew about Yeon Socheon but not the others meant he had specific details on Yeon Socheon, but very little on the rest of us.
And finally.
'What you are looking for is also here.'
He had said this to Yeon Socheon with absolute certainty. He knew exactly what Yeon Socheon was searching for, which Yeon Socheon's reaction confirmed.
So, let's put it together.
Sancheon Gwiin knew the Martial Alliance's plans to some extent.
But not completely, meaning he didn't meet his informant often. The informant had to be someone inside the Alliance.
Moreover, they knew the movements of key figures, and they had detailed information on Yeon Socheon while knowing very little about the rest of the squad.
If they could pinpoint Yeon Socheon so specifically, the informant had to be closely connected to him.
Which meant the traitor knew Yeon Socheon's secrets. Since even our squad leader didn't know these details, it had to be someone like the branch manager who brought him in.
But if the branch manager were the traitor, they would have had much more detailed information on the entire squad.
So, rule out the branch manager.
Who was left?
"Someone closely connected to Yeon Socheon, who knows the inner workings of the Alliance, but couldn't send detailed updates frequently..."
The vague pieces of the puzzle aligned.
"...And the moment you showed up, it became a certainty."
"Oh..."
Pung Yeon let out a soft exclamation of admiration.
"But you weren't completely sure, were you?"
He was right. I wasn't. It was just a highly plausible deduction. I knew that much, but...
"Still, it never hurts to be cautious."
Even without absolute certainty, it was only right to be wary if there was even a shred of risk.
"...Hahaha..."
Pung Yeon laughed at my response.
"My, my. This is quite something."
His laughter was laced with pure malice.
Cold sweat dripped down my jawline. The blade pressed against my neck cut into my skin, and a trickle of blood ran down.
Then.
"This isn't good."
Slash!
"Argh!"
A searing pain ripped through my back, sending me rolling across the ground. He had slashed me right across the back.
"...Ugh... grrrgh..."
The wound burned like fire. The pain was so intense I couldn't even form words.
As I curled up on the ground, trembling, Pung Yeon looked down at me and tilted his head.
"You are far more troublesome than I anticipated, Young Master Bang. I am glad I found out early."
With a swift flick, Pung Yeon shook the blood off his sword.
"I wasn't entirely sure either... but seeing this confirms it."
A mocking sneer played on his lips as he looked down at me.
"Young Master Bang. You're weak, aren't you?"
"..."
I glared up at Pung Yeon, swallowing my screams.
"You are weak. Incredibly so..."
I grimaced at his words.
"...Fuck. Why is everyone so goddamn obsessed with this...?"
When did I ever say I was strong? They all jumped to their own stupid conclusions and now they were acting like this.
Sigh... my life is a joke...
I was really going to die here.
I should have never gotten involved in this crap. But these damn Jianghu bastards just couldn't leave well enough alone. That's why things always ended up like this.
"Haa... haa..."
My breath hitched. The wound hurt like hell.
Fortunately, it didn't seem to have hit any vital organs. Pung Yeon had probably avoided them on purpose.
"...So was that time just a coincidence? No, that energy was definitely..."
Muttering to himself, Pung Yeon shook his head and looked back at me.
"Well, it doesn't matter. If you're not someone I need to worry about, then whatever."
As the curiosity faded from his eyes, only contempt remained.
Swish!
Thud!
"Aaargh!"
A dagger pierced my thigh. I couldn't hold back my scream this time.
"Stay right there for a moment. I have urgent business to attend to. It would be even better if you died alongside that insect next to you."
Leaving me with those words, Pung Yeon turned and walked away.
He was heading toward Yeon Socheon.
"Ugh..."
He crippled me so I couldn't escape, and now he was just walking away?
"...Damn it."
What a complete shitshow.
I knew something was off since this morning, but this was beyond messed up.
Was I really going to die like this?
Die here? In a pathetic state like this?
I had finally regained the memories of my past life; I couldn't just die. I wanted to live a different life this time, but to end up like this?
A way... is there no way out?
I racked my brain, but nothing came to mind. The situation was simply that hopeless.
Yu Hyeongin was on the brink of death, and Yeon Socheon wasn't doing much better. The other squad members, except for the squad leader, were already dead.
What about reinforcements...?
I bit my lip.
How could we get reinforcements when no one even knew where this cave was? It wouldn't be surprising if it took days for anyone to find us.
Was there truly no hope left?
Just as I watched Pung Yeon approach Yeon Socheon, thinking those bleak thoughts—
~ Nyoro-rong ~
"...!!"
I flinched violently at the sound that echoed right in my ear.
I barely managed to suppress a scream.
I looked to the side.
"Huh...?"
To my utter shock, a familiar face was there.
The person... no, the ghost who had dumped his crap on me last night and vanished.
"Greetings, child."
A massive old man with glowing blue eyes.
He was looking right at me.