"Those damn bastards."
I muttered and swung my sword. One Haomun member charging at me couldn't even put up a proper defense before his arm was sliced off.
"Aaaargh!"
The bastard rolled on the ground clutching his severed limb. But I had no time to check on him—this time, a spear came flying from behind.
The spear tip flew toward my shoulder, not my neck or heart. Spinning in place to counter would be impossible with Seol Ri-hyang tucked under my arm. But.
"Get lost."
"Kugh!"
I snapped my head around to meet his gaze, unleashing a razor-sharp killing intent.
Clatter.
The man dropped his spear, clutching at his neck as if he'd been run through with a sword.
I swung my blade at the arm of the man, whose face had gone pale as he wheezed for air.
Squelch.
That took care of the immediate pursuer, at least.
I'd managed to break through the encirclement, cutting down the Haomun disciples surrounding the Honghua Pavilion.
But the chase was still ongoing. No—it was only growing fiercer.
At least it was a relief that the Mistress of the Honghua Pavilion hadn't come after us herself.
Probably because the side effects of the Essence Absorption Art had left her unable to properly use her martial arts.
A branch head of the Haomun would surely know that I could take on a Peak Realm martial artist single-handedly.
I let out a sigh and was just sheathing my sword when—
"Ugh."
Seol Ri-hyang sighed at the bloody spectacle. But soon, a look of resolve settled on her face as she grunted and lifted the spear that had fallen to the ground, then asked.
"Why didn't you kill them? If you're hesitating to take a life because you jumped in to help someone else, then I'll—"
"You fool. If you'd done that, we really would have had to fight until one of us died."
"…And you're not doing that right now?"
"That can't be. Just as I'm holding back to the point of cutting off an arm, they're also aiming for my shoulder or thigh instead of my vital points. They must have been ordered never to kill me."
The reason is simple. They're afraid of the Sichuan Tang Clan behind me.
The Mistress of Honghua Pavilion and the other Haomun members know full well that if they provoke me carelessly, their own necks could end up on the line.
I'm not much different. Right now, I'm not a wanderer—I belong to the Sichuan Tang Clan. Didn't they introduce me as Cheon Hwi of the Sichuan Tang Clan when I was presented at Honghua Pavilion?
Everyone had their own circumstances, but the fact remains that the Tang Clan received help from the Haomun.
Unless my life is in actual danger, I can't recklessly unleash a Killing Move. If I did, wouldn't that be treating the weight of Karmic Debt—which the Tang Clan emphasizes so heavily—with contempt?
"If you understand, then hand over the spear."
"So even a noble house can't do whatever it pleases."
Seol Ri-hyang held out the spear to me with a complicated expression. I took it and immediately hurled it toward the wall beside us.
Whiiiiing. Crack!
The spear lodged firmly into the wall. At the sight, I turned my back to a flustered Seol Ri-hyang and knelt on one knee.
"Get on."
"Suddenly?!"
"The pursuit has been tightening from the start. And these bastards weren't chasing us from behind—they were waiting ahead on the path we were taking."
Just because the Mistress of Honghua Pavilion wasn't chasing us herself didn't mean she was sitting back and doing nothing.
He was a branch head of Haomun, and this place, Yanzhou, was Haomun's sphere of influence.
You could be sure that everything happening in this area reached the ears of the Mistress of Honghua Pavilion faster than anyone else's.
"…Are you saying we're being led into a trap right now?"
"Probably."
"But we deliberately chose a path that kept us out of sight…"
"I'm not blaming you. I expected something like this to happen to some extent."
Along the way to the inn, Seol Ri-hyang had pointed out shortcuts and quiet roads.
But I never thought that alone would be enough to shake off the Mistress of Honghua Pavilion's pursuit.
After all, Seol Ri-hyang, who had only lived here for a while, could hardly be a match for the Mistress of Honghua Pavilion, a woman whose abilities had been recognized even in Haomun and who had risen to the position of branch head.
"Just shut up and get on my back. If they know they're chasing us, all we have to do is break their expectations."
"Eek! Fine! I just need to climb on, right?!"
Seol Ri-hyang carefully clung to my back. Lighter than I expected. The feeling of her against me was more firm than soft.
How long had she gone without eating? She was nothing but skin and bones.
I clicked my tongue inwardly and started running toward the wall where I'd driven the spear moments ago.
"Hey! Wait! Surely you're not—!"
"Keep your mouth shut. You'll bite your tongue if you're not careful."
Feeling Seol Ri-hyang's arms tighten around my neck in fright, I kicked off the ground.
Thud!
"Kyaaaa!"
Using the spear shaft as a foothold, I leaped onto the wall in one bound, then onto the surrounding rooftops.
Seol Ri-hyang buried her face in the nape of my neck, trembling. I patted her hand lightly and asked.
"You won't fall, so open your eyes."
"Ugh."
Seol Ri-hyang made a sulky face, but soon, awe bloomed across it.
"Wow…"
Countless lights illuminating the dark night. I let out a small chuckle at Seol Ri-hyang, who was marveling at the night view of Yanzhou.
"Most of those are Haomun members who came to catch us."
"…"
"Tell me a way we can take to avoid them."
Her face instantly turned ashen. With trembling hands, she pointed to one side.
"That way. Going that way is the fastest."
"Got it. Then hold on tight now."
"Huh?"
"You might fall."
"Ah, you said I wouldn't fall, you bastard!"
Grinning at Seol Ri-hyang's not-quite-scream, I unleashed my Lightness Skill.
***
"Catch them! They went into this alley!"
"The branch head said he'd share the reward with anyone who helps catch them!"
"Don't try to hog it all yourself—team up and take them on!"
I pretended to enter the alley, then pressed myself tight against the back of the building, waiting for the Haomun disciples' voices to fade.
Only when I felt enough time had passed did I finally let out the breath I'd been holding.
"Phew."
The plan had been sound.
By leaping between the halls themselves, I'd shaken off the feeling of being herded somewhere.
But there was an unexpected problem.
All that clamorous running overhead had drawn the Haomun disciples in like madmen.
I'd cut off an arm from every one of them who'd come at me, yet the number of pursuers only grew instead of shrinking.
Of course, they weren't all that strong. At best, they were Third-Rate to Second-Rate. The ones who could throw their weight around were only at the first-rate level.
But there were far too many of them.
No matter where I went, Haomun disciples popped out. It was almost laughable when even a coachman I'd taken for an ordinary onlooker came charging at me, whip in hand.
There could only be one reason they were rushing in so blindly.
The Mistress of Honghua Pavilion must have promised a hefty reward. Whether it was martial arts, Gold Coins, or something else entirely.
I'd lived my whole life as a Martial Artist of the Unorthodox Sects, so I knew well. Once desire caught fire, these jackal-like people wouldn't stop until their heads were cut off.
"Those Unorthodox Sect bastards, honestly."
Though the situation had improved considerably, my stamina and internal energy were starting to run dry. That was ultimately why I'd come down to the ground.
Running across the rooftops required constantly maintaining the Lightness Skill, and the energy it consumed was simply too great.
If I could reach the inn before collapsing, that would be one thing, but if not, I had no choice but to hide and recover whatever strength I could, bit by bit.
"We're screwed."
As I let out another sigh, Seol Ri-hyang, who had been pressed flat against the wall beside me, spoke in a low voice.
"Is it that dangerous?"
"Not yet. But the problem is it might become that way soon."
"Then…"
Just as Seol Ri-hyang hesitated, about to say something.
"Here! They're hiding here!"
"Even if we fail, we only lose an arm. But if we pull this off, we can change this miserable fate of ours! What are you hesitating for?!"
"Rush him all at once! It's just one man! He can't block ten strikes with a single hand."
"They really won't give me a moment to breathe."
The Haomun disciples charged from every direction, not allowing him a single breath to steady himself.
From three sides—all but the wall at his back—blades, swords, and spears flew at him simultaneously.
They aimed not for his vitals but for his limbs—easy places to subdue. With this, I couldn't even unleash my Killing Move.
"Tch."
I clicked my tongue and swung my sword at the spear flying in first. At the same time, I split the Aura I'd been holding back into three precise streams.
Killing intent fired with minimal internal energy and mental effort. But it was enough—the bastards' bodies flinched for an instant. And then.
Clang!
The spear I knocked aside tangled with the other men's weapons. Their stances crumbled in an instant.
Seizing the opening, I sliced through the elbows of all three men in quick succession.
"Argh!"
"My arm!"
"You monster…!"
I frowned as I heard the screams of the fallen Haomun disciples.
Severing a person's body takes more strength than one might think. With internal energy, it becomes relatively simple… but internal energy isn't infinite either.
My breath came heavy after just a single fight. My shoulders ached to the point of numbness, and my Dantian felt hollow.
But I refused to show it, forcing a calm expression as I spoke.
"Which direction should we go now? We took so many detours trying to hide that I've lost track."
"If we slip out through that alley, we'll hit the main road. Turn right there and just keep going… We're almost there now."
Seol Ri-hyang said that in a worried tone. I let out a small laugh and shook my head at her.
"I believe I've heard 'almost there' three or four times already."
"This time it's for real."
"Then I'm relieved."
I forced my weary body to move, intending to leave before the other Haomun members, drawn by the commotion, could swarm in.
We were passing through the narrow alley, our footsteps silenced, when Seol Ri-hyang spoke up in a cautious voice.
"Hey. You said your name was Cheon Hwi, right?"
"That's right."
"Why do you go this far for me?"
"That's… like I said…"
"Enough about my father. I don't even know if it's true, and even if it is, it's not worth this much trouble on my account."
"Hm?"
"Look. You seem to know me well, but I can't even properly remember your name."
"That's only natural, since we met for the first time today."
"Right. We only met today. …So it's fine now."
"…"
"Hwi. You've done all you could. I don't know what debt you owe my father, but you've done more than enough to repay it. I'll vouch for that."
"…"
"So let's stop here. It's been fine so far, but it could get dangerous from now on. You won't die, but you could end up with a serious injury somewhere. Just like how you've been getting your arm sliced open all this time."
"…Maybe that's true."
The Mistress of Honghua Pavilion must have strictly ordered them to capture me unharmed, fearing a conflict with the Tang Clan.
But the underlings below her see things differently. When their own arms are about to fly off right this instant, how could they just go along with that?
I can't completely let my guard down just because they say it's safe.
"Still, I have no intention of stopping."
"Hey, you idiot…!"
Seol Ri-hyang clicked her tongue, then turned around on her own and started running back the way we came.
Still, no matter how she ran, it was just the sprinting of someone who hadn't trained a single martial art.
No matter how exhausted she was, I could catch up to her in no time.
Grab!
I seized Seol Ri-hyang's wrist as she tried to flee.
"Let go! If you keep this up, you'll be in big trouble too?!"
Seol Ri-hyang slapped at my arm holding her, again and again, as she said that.
But no matter how much she hit and pushed, I showed no sign of letting go, so she scrunched up her face in frustration.
"Why, why are you doing this… Is my body your goal too? If that's really the case, then fine—I'll let you have your way. I'm going to become a courtesan anyway, right? So…"
I walked forward in silence, listening to Seol Ri-hyang's rambling words.
Gradually, she grew quiet. Now she was following along with her head hung low, listless. I opened my mouth in a calm voice, addressing her.
"In the past, I was a rather arrogant fellow. I thought that as long as I had my sword, I could do anything."
"…"
"At the same time, because I was someone who had nothing but the sword, I vaguely knew that I could never keep anyone by my side."
"…"
"But I was wrong. Even someone like me could grow attached to another. There was someone who wanted to stay by my side."
"…"
"Well. By the time I realized that truth, it was already too late… but thanks to that, I was able to be honest with my feelings."
That's right. The reason I came to love Tang So-wol, the reason I could accept her heart—it was all thanks to Seol Ri-hyang.
"I've received more from you than you think. So, Seol Ri-hyang, all you have to do is follow along quietly. I'll handle the rest. Understood?"
"…Yes."
Still keeping her head lowered, Seol Ri-hyang answered in a small voice.
Pulling her along, I slipped out of the alley. And then.
"So you did come out this way."
The Mistress of Honghua Pavilion was waiting for us.
Leading with enough Haomun disciples to fill the entire main street.