I sometimes think that martial artists tend to have poorer imaginations than others.
It's because the higher one's realm, the more one can solve most matters with one's own strength.
When your body is strong, why would you bother using your head?
However, this is only a tendency—not all martial artists are like that.
Before my regression, the martial artists of the Jegal and Sama Clans were like that, wringing out every scheme they could against the Demonic Cult to buy time.
…And the Blood Flame Fist Demon was like that, revealing himself from a distance so far that even Seomun Hwa-rin's Qi Sense couldn't reach.
Flames surged from a figure that looked like a tiny dot. If even that hadn't been there, I probably wouldn't have been able to tell who he was.
KWAANG!
"What, what is that?!"
Seol Ri-hyang, who had been mid-conversation, sprang to her feet in shock at the distant roar.
A quick scan showed the other boats were in a similar state.
It wasn't the Blood Flame Fist Demon's strike itself that startled them. It was the result of that strike.
As if he had prepared for this in advance, the Blood Flame Fist Demon shattered the embankment we had passed in a single blow.
At the same time, the contents of the small reservoir that had been held back by the embankment came pouring down into the river.
KWA-GAGAGAK-!
The torrent, carrying earth and stone as it collapsed the remaining sections of the embankment the Blood Flame Fist Demon had failed to shatter, overturned the once-calm river.
Whether it was to evade Seomun Hwa-rin's vigilance or not, the incident occurred at a considerable distance… but that hardly left us with the leisure to casually anchor our boat by the shore.
I or Seomun Hwa-rin could dodge it somehow, but the others wouldn't be so fortunate.
Of course, no one would die from being swept up in that mudslide.
Though its momentum was fierce, it wasn't on the level of a landslide, and aside from Seol Ri-hyang, everyone possessed martial levels surpassing the Peak Realm, so their bodies were sturdy.
All we had to do was be careful not to drown after being swept away by the current. As for Seol Ri-hyang, since I happened to be right beside her, I could protect her one way or another.
…But that was only the assumption of a best-case scenario.
I didn't particularly want to imagine what would happen if we made a mistake.
Even if we didn't die, it was obvious that we'd be badly injured somewhere.
Besides, we weren't just moving on our own this time—there were also the fishermen we'd brought along from the last village as guides and oarsmen, and the captured Demonic Cultists. Most of them would lose their lives.
Whether she'd had the same thought as me or not, Seomun Hwa-rin's face twisted into a deep frown as she shouted.
"Everyone, hold tight to the boat so you don't get flung off!"
An unexpected remark. Rather than telling us to scatter and escape as far as possible, she was telling us to hold tight to the boat.
It sounded as if she intended to withstand this.
…Surprisingly, this was the right answer.
Seomun Hwa-rin, unleashing her vast internal energy without restraint, thrust a fist glowing red with Aura toward the oncoming Mudslide.
Boom!
The Aura, shot out in the exact shape of a fist, shattered the onrushing earth and rocks, and even split the river itself, momentarily revealing the riverbed.
But that was all it did—merely pushing back the approaching Mudslide for a moment.
That was why Seomun Hwa-rin threw her fists without pause.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
There was no Skill, no technique in her movements. Just fists thrown with maximum force, at maximum speed.
And that alone was enough for Seomun Hwa-rin's fists to smash through the fierce Mudslide head-on.
The earth and rocks, having lost their momentum, slowly sank, and the water, freed from its prison and finally released into the river, split in two and swept past on either side.
My admiration for the sight—a human force seemingly defying the laws of nature—lasted only a moment.
Seomun Hwa-rin had blocked most of the Mudslide, but a problem arose at the very last moment.
The water she had been pushing aside all along now spilled over in some places and surged back in others, causing the hull to rock violently.
On ground that was already unsteady, Seomun Hwa-rin's fist, which had been pouring out all her strength, twisted slightly—just barely.
On a normal day, it wouldn't have mattered. But with such immense forces clashing, a small difference produced a massive result.
In simple terms, her Aura missed its mark, and the less-shattered boulders and raging currents came pouring down precisely at the boat I was on.
There wasn't enough time to jump to a nearby boat. After all, the higher I tried to leap, the longer I'd have to stay suspended in the air.
I had no choice.
"You there!"
Seomun Hwa-rin turned toward me with an urgent expression, and I shook my head as I drew my sword.
"It's fine. Just focus on what you're doing."
We'd almost blocked it all—it would be a waste to make a mistake now.
I poured every bit of internal energy I could muster from the Crazy Wolf Life-Stealing Art, pushing it past its limits, and swung.
Swick.
The Sword Flame, burning blood-red, split the boulder that had closed in right before my eyes in two, and even carved through the current behind it.
I couldn't match Seomun Hwa-rin's power, but I'd seen enough of her technique by now—this much, I could manage somehow…
"Ah."
Was it because I'd cut through it rather than smashed it? The boulders that had been sweeping past on either side couldn't fly far, grazing the stern of the boat instead.
Crunch!
With a resounding crack, one side of the boat was torn away. The already fierce current surged in through the gap, and in that moment of shock, the boat pitched violently.
The instant I urgently pulled Seol Ri-hyang close, the boat, no longer able to hold on, capsized completely, and the raging rapids swept us far away.
The bone-chilling cold pressing against my whole body, the water I involuntarily swallowed through my nose, and the sight of the broken boat rapidly receding—it all made me realize.
That Seol Ri-hyang and I were now isolated.
"Puhah!"
I threw myself onto the longed-for land, gasping for the breath I had been holding.
After swallowing nothing but water for so long, my foot happened to strike something, and I kicked off it with all my strength to rise to the shore.
If anyone had seen me moments ago, they would have said I resembled a fish leaping above the surface from time to time.
"Ugh."
After vomiting up the muddy water I had been forced to swallow, my vision cleared somewhat.
The moment I came to my senses, I checked on Seol Ri-hyang, who was slumped limply in my arms.
"She's… still breathing."
It seemed she had simply lost consciousness from the impact of the water. A quick scan showed no major injuries.
Letting out a sigh of relief, I sent my internal energy through every corner of my body to check my own condition.
Unlike Seol Ri-hyang, I had been knocked around quite a bit, but thanks to protecting my body with internal energy as much as possible, I only had bruises here and there—no serious injuries.
Knowing that I could move despite the pain, I got to my feet and looked around.
"I have no idea where we are."
All I could see was that there were no houses nearby, and that there was a decent-sized crevice in the rocks a short distance away.
Letting out a deep sigh, I picked up the unconscious Seol Ri-hyang and headed for the crevice I had spotted.
It was just wide enough for two people to fit. It was full of bugs, and the ground was damp—not a place to stay for long.
Still, I couldn't leave her soaked like this, so I'd have to make do with this spot for now.
First, I lightly released my killing intent, enveloping the entire surrounding area. Before long, countless bugs and small animals came scurrying out from the crevice.
With that, they wouldn't dare come near for a while.
After seating Seol Ri-hyang beside me for a moment, I drew my sword, channeling Sword Qi into it with all my strength, and neatly sliced off the outer part of the rock.
I wedged the cut rock into the floor of the crevice, and though it was a bit uneven, it made a decent enough place to lay someone down.
Finally, I cut a handful of dry grass and a few branches, then lit a fire a short distance from the entrance.
The smoke would escape outside, but the heat would carry into the crevice.
Only after finishing those preparations did I lay Seol Ri-hyang down inside the crevice. I then leaned against the wall myself, catching my breath for a moment.
I took off my wet outer garment and hung it roughly over a protruding rock deeper inside the crevice.
Turns out you pick up a knack for this after enough nights sleeping outdoors. Thanks to that, I'd be able to stay comfortable for a while.
"Hoo…"
The tension in my body released the moment I let out that breath. Since I was already relaxed, I adjusted my posture, crossed my legs, and began Qi Circulation Meditation.
There were no significant internal or external injuries—I was simply exhausted from having used up too much internal energy.
Which was only natural, since I'd been protecting my body with internal energy the entire time I was being swept downstream.
How long did I remain absorbed in my Qi Circulation Meditation? A faint movement reached my senses, for I had never completely let down my guard toward my surroundings.
I paused my Qi Circulation and opened my eyes. There, Seol Ri-hyang, having regained consciousness, was slowly opening her own.
"Kehuk. Kehuk… Gwaaak!"
After coughing a few times just like I had moments ago, Seol Ri-hyang vomited out a bowlful of the water she'd swallowed.
As if nothing had happened, she wiped the corner of her mouth with her sleeve and stared blankly at me.
Her gaze was unfocused, like someone who had just woken from sleep. But that didn't last long.
In an instant, her eyes regained their luster, as if she were fishing a silver coin out of the water. Where her gaze landed was… my chest.
"W-what! Cheon Hwi, why are you naked?!"
Face flushed bright red, Seol Ri-hyang flustered. Her pupils rolled around wildly, her arms flailed meaninglessly in the air, and her voice kept trembling.
It was obvious at a glance that she was thinking something improper.
…Honestly, it was a bit amusing, so I decided to just wait and see.
"I mean, it's not like I'm saying absolutely not, but there's an order to things in life, right? I still need to finish talking with Sister Tang, and there's a lot of stuff I need to do before that, but to just jump straight into this…huh?"
Seol Ri-hyang trailed off mid-babble and looked around. Her eyes blinking, she finally seemed to have noticed something was off.
"What's the matter? Go on."
"…Where is this?"
"If you tell me what 'stuff' you needed to do first, I'll tell you too."
"Gah!"
Letting out a frustrated sound, Seol Ri-hyang shot up from her seat. Still bright red in the face, she strode over and started pounding my head with her fists.
It wasn't a hard beating, more like playful patting.
"Forget it! I said forget it! Forget everything you just saw and heard!!"
"Unfortunately, my memory is already quite good. I'd probably still remember even if I died and was reborn."
"Gyaaah!"
Even if I ultimately failed to defeat the Heavenly Demon and went through another regression, I would never forget the Seol Ri-hyang from just now.
That was what I meant by that, but for some reason, Seol Ri-hyang was screaming and shaking my shoulders back and forth wildly.
I let her do it for a moment, then reached up and covered her hands resting on my shoulders with mine.
"Calm down."
"I can't calm down! I'd rather bite my tongue and die right here than die at Sister Tang's hands!"
"Tang So-wol wouldn't kill you."
"You don't know that! If I were her, I'd have been annoyed to death by me?!"
"Oh."
Seol Ri-hyang from before the regression suddenly came to mind. After spending the night together, she'd said it herself—if I was talking to another woman, she'd creep closer and give me a look.
The only exception was Seomun Hwa-rin. No, even she would wait in my room until late at night after a sparring bout, wondering when I'd come back.
I let out a small laugh and lowered Seol Ri-hyang's hands, gently wrapping them in both of mine.
"It's fine, so calm down."
"…Ugh!"
Seol Ri-hyang shot me a glare that said, "Would you be able to calm down if you were in my shoes?" I continued speaking while still holding her hands.
"More importantly, do you remember? The time we fell into the water because of the Blood Flame Fist Demon's trap."
"That… yes. I remember all of it. Though, I remember desperately clinging to you, Cheon Hwi, so I wouldn't get swept away, but I don't know what happened after that. What happened?"
"It's nothing much. I must have hit my head somewhere, and I just passed out for a moment. This place is somewhere we luckily managed to get out of mid-way. I don't know exactly where we are, but what I do know is that there's no trace of people around."
"Passing out doesn't seem like nothing much… Well, still, if we follow the river downstream, we should find something. Besides, our destination was downstream anyway."
"True. A river this big, there must be more than one village that lives off it. …However, there is one thing that worries me."
"What is it?"
"Probably because the Blood Flame Fist Demon knows we've fallen behind."
Judging by his actions so far, he'll definitely try to find us somehow and take us hostage.
Since he can't beat Seomun Hwa-rin in a fight, he'll try to strike a deal—offering to hand over Peng Woo-jin and Eon Ga-hye in exchange for us.
After all, for the Demonic Cult, completing the mission matters more than the lives of captured comrades.
If it were any other opponent, I'd have decided to turn the tables and cut them down if they came for us… but of all people, it had to be the Blood Flame Fist Demon.
He's been stuck at the edge of Transcendent Peak for a long time, so whether now or before the regression, there's not much difference in his martial level.
But even before the regression, when I was stronger than I am now, I never once gained the upper hand against the Blood Flame Fist Demon.
I have no intention of going down without a fight, but if you asked whether I'm confident I can win—honestly, he's a tough opponent.
Was it because such thoughts filled my head so completely that the words slipped out before I could stop them?
My mouth moved on its own, voicing my true feelings.
"How about we go into hiding for a while, just the two of us?"
"Eh? What? Huh? Hic?!"
Seol Ri-hyang made strange noises and completely short-circuited.