Chapter 110: A Thief Enters (2)
In a crevice between rocks about twenty zhang away from the cave entrance, a man and a woman crouched, waiting for someone.
“Once she goes inside, I will fight her, so you block the entrance to prevent her from escaping, Yeon-mae.”
—Use transmission to speak.
—Understood. It doesn’t hurt to be careful.
Since they had set up a barrier of qi around them, even their heartbeats did not echo, leaving the area silent.
—The sun is setting, so she should appear soon, right?
—Probably. The old woman is incredibly sharp, which worries me.
—It will be fine.
The two watched the surroundings in silence, waiting for Mother Eunhwa. Since someone who had reached the Demonic Transcendence could not be detected through qi, they had to rely on their eyes.
After an hour, the birds about thirty zhang away suddenly chirped and took flight. So-mu gripped his scabbard cautiously and sent a transmission.
—I think she’s here.
An old woman with one arm stepped over the leaves. Her movement was like the wind, as if she were drifting on clouds—a movement that could easily be mistaken for an immortal’s, if not for her face.
—She’s always so unpleasant to look at.
She had a hawk nose and a face filled with malice. Furthermore, she now wore an eyepatch over her left eye.
So-mu watched her with sweaty palms.
—She’s going in. Wait a bit longer…
Mother Eunhwa strode toward the cave entrance.
Suddenly, her steps halted. She began to scan her surroundings. So-mu and Yeon Seo-hwa quickly lowered their heads.
Startled, Yeon Seo-hwa sent a transmission.
—What do we do… I think she noticed.
—She really has the senses of a ghost, just as you said, Yeon-mae.
—Should we wait a bit longer?
—If she runs, we won’t catch her. We must force her into the cave.
Just then, a roar powered by deep internal energy shook the mountains.
“Show yourselves already!!!”
So-mu looked at Yeon Seo-hwa in bewilderment.
—It seems she is telling us to come out.
—Did she see us already…?
—Just in case, wait a moment…
So-mu cautiously raised his head to look at Mother Eunhwa. Her gaze was still fixed toward the inside of the cave.
Because the moisture filling the cave interfered with the flow of qi, it was difficult to detect presence from the outside. Yet, the old woman’s sharp senses had felt something amiss.
“Damn it! Can’t you hear me?!”
So-mu shook his head.
—She hasn’t discovered us yet. But she has a terrible temper. How did you endure five years under her?
—That is nothing. Cho-hee still has difficulty speaking with people because of that old woman.
—Still, she spoke well with the children.
—It seems she wants to treat them kindly, remembering her own childhood. But this doesn’t seem like the time for such a conversation, does it?
—I was just trying to ease the tension.
After a moment of hesitation, the old woman finally stepped into the cave. One step, then another. Despite her formidable strength, her movements were highly cautious.
—I will move first. Come out when the fight starts.
—Be careful…
Emerging from behind the rocks, So-mu approached silently, erasing all trace of his presence. Just as he couldn’t detect the old woman’s presence, she would be unable to detect his.
Ten zhang, then the distance closed gradually.
His heart throbbed. He gripped his scabbard, preparing to draw.
When the distance closed to three zhang—
“These wretched bastards, once I catch you, you’re all dead…”
Just then, the old woman’s head snapped backward. The motion was so eerie that So-mu’s heart nearly stopped in shock.
“Huh?!”
The old woman was equally startled. However, they couldn’t simply stand there.
Mother Eunhwa tried to escape the cave while So-mu strode to block her. Sharing different goals, the two charged toward the entrance at the same time.
So-mu’s right hand moved.
First Form of the Talhon Sword Technique: Soul-Reaping Flash.
As the blade emerged from the scabbard, a blindingly bright flash of light erupted.
A milky-white current of energy also burst from the old woman’s right hand.
Clang!!!
At the moment of impact, So-mu executed the thousand-catty press to prevent being pushed back by the difference in their internal energy. His feet dug into the ground, sliding back about three inches.
Creak.
Mother Eunhwa retreated three steps.
Before she could regain her stance, So-mu launched his attack. His figure seemed to vanish. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of her, unleashing a flurry of sword force.
A torrent of energy also poured from the old woman’s hand.
Clang! Clang! Boom!
With loud explosions, the brilliant light illuminated the cave.
Although the battle had begun, how could she withstand the Sword Saint’s continuous attacks with only one hand? Pushed deeper into the cave, the old woman looked for a way to escape. However, Yeon Seo-hwa was not about to watch idly.
“Mother, this is your last day.”
Blocking the entrance, she held dozens of flying needles, preparing the ultimate form of the Flying Lightning of the Demonic Flower.
Confirming her presence, Mother Eunhwa’s face contorted. If it were a one-on-one fight, she wouldn’t have cared, but against the Sword Saint as well, it was a different story. Resentful of Yeon Seo-hwa, she swung her right hand while shouting in rage, “You wench!!!”
“Who are you calling a wench? You shriveled old witch.”
The child who hadn’t dared to look her in the eye in the past was now mocking her. One of the old woman’s eyes turned red with fury.
Just then, So-mu’s foot slammed into her abdomen, the dull impact echoing through the cave.
Thud!
“Ugh!”
Sent flying backward, the old woman’s face darkened. There was no way to escape. In front of her, So-mu strode forward to finish her.
“Wretched couple… I only had two hundred people left…”
This meant she would have completed the Demonic Soul-Killing Claw if she had absorbed the essence of two hundred more people. Since they had gathered fifty in this cave, she must have other hideouts.
Blue sword force wrapped around So-mu’s blade, vibrating grandly.
“This means you have killed eight hundred innocent people. Do not expect an easy death.”
As the distance closed to one zhang, Mother Eunhwa’s face contorted. Black energy billowed from her right hand, turning into a sphere.
“Do you think I will die alone?!”
So-mu was about to strike, but the old woman’s hand moved first, thrusting toward the ceiling of the cave. The black sphere struck the ceiling, unleashing a massive explosion.
Boom!!!
As the cave collapsed, So-mu’s figure was enveloped in a bright flash.
Flash!
Lightning Flash Shadow Step—the Sword Saint’s light movement technique.
Instantly escaping the spot, he emerged from the cave alongside Yeon Seo-hwa. The entire cave collapsed behind them.
Rumble!!!
The entrance vanished without a trace, and no presence could be felt from inside. Yeon Seo-hwa tilted her head and asked, “Is she dead?”
“She might still be alive. But she won’t be able to escape that rubble.”
“Since she is a tenacious old woman, I would feel more relieved if we finished her off completely.”
“We can’t help it. We can’t dig out the cave with our bare hands.”
“True… even if she digs until her fingernails are gone, it will be difficult to escape.”
Although a trace of unease remained, they felt refreshed.
“By the way, now that you’ve had your revenge, how do you feel?”
“I don’t know… it ended so quickly that it feels somewhat empty.”
So-mu stared at her face. To her enemies, she was the embodiment of terror, but before him, she showed a gentle side.
Yeon Seo-hwa asked in confusion, “Why are you staring at me like that?”
“Because you are beautiful.”
“Only with words…”
“Haha. Put the past behind you and look forward… with me.”
He gently took her hand. A warm, soft sensation passed between them in the silence.
“To where?”
“To the end of the world. Shall we take a walk there?”
Holding hands, the two walked along the path of Mount Huiyang. Although it was a secluded mountain with no one around, the fresh air and nature gave it a unique charm.
Two hours after they had vanished, a loud explosion suddenly echoed from somewhere on Mount Huiyang.
Boom!
A small hole opened in the cliff face of the mountainside. From it, a figure covered in mud crawled out, looking as if she had navigated through a coal mine.
Her clothes were torn to shreds, and the fingernails on her right hand were completely gone. She looked so wretched that even a beggar would have offered her alms.
Having dug her way out of the collapsed cave with one hand, Mother Eunhwa’s bloodshot right eye trembled as she hissed through her wrinkled lips, “Wretched couple… I will surely have my revenge.”
After muttering those words, she collapsed onto the ground.
***
The barracks of the Wolf Fang Squad.
A man of massive build sat alone in meditation. His body was enveloped in a bright, dazzling light. It was a bizarre sight that words could not describe.
Slightly away from the entrance of the barracks, five figures watched without moving a muscle. So-so was among them.
“What is that?”
Cheong-hae placed a finger to his lips and whispered, “Shh. Do not disturb him. He is in the process of reaching the Flower Realm.”
Watching the strange sight, So-so blinked and whispered back, “What is the Flower Realm?”
Cheong-hae couldn’t easily summarize the Flower Realm. Thus, he answered briefly, “It means becoming incredibly strong.”
“Really? How do you do it? I want to shine like Uncle Il-gwang too.”
The nearby squad members chuckled. To hear a child discuss the Flower Realm was hilarious.
“Pfft…”
“How could you…?”
Seeing the uncles laugh, So-so looked sullen.
“Why can’t I?”
Just then, Hyeonjeong of the Mount Hua Sect stroked So-so’s head. Within the Wolf Fang Squad, she was the most knowledgeable about the martial world.
“Of course you can. In the history of the martial world, many who possessed deep artistic talent reached high realms thanks to their natural senses.”
So-so hugged Hyeonjeong, then glared at the other uncles and said, “Heehee. Bad uncles. I like Uncle Hyeonjeong the best.”
Cheol-du looked dumbfounded and said, “You said you liked me best before.”
Just as So-so was about to reply, the interior of the barracks shone with a blinding light.
“Ugh!”
“Ah!”
The light was so bright it felt like facing the sun, forcing everyone to squint.
After a moment, the light condensed and was absorbed into Il-gwang’s body. Soon, his eyes slowly opened. Seeing his eyes, which had grown deep like an abyss, the squad members whispered in surprise.
“H-he succeeded.”
“Brother Il-gwang finally…”
“A-amazing.”
Il-gwang stood up. While his previous presence had been sharp like a blade, now it felt heavy like a great mountain.
“How is it? Do you think I’ve become more handsome?”
His first words made everyone burst into laughter.
“Pfft!”
“Haha, as expected of you, Brother.”
So-so also giggled, clutching her stomach.
“I feel like my body is about to fly right now!”
The moment he finished speaking, Il-gwang’s figure moved like lightning.
Boom!
As the wind whipped through the barracks, he was already in front of So-so.
“Did you just laugh at me?”
Il-gwang’s massive fingers tickled his niece’s side. So-so giggled and rolled on the floor.
“Heeheehee! Stop it, that tickles~”
Il-gwang lifted So-so and placed her on his shoulders.
“Up we go! Let’s show our niece some fun!”
An overwhelming power, enough to shatter mountains, surged through him. He couldn’t contain it. Carrying So-so on his shoulders, he dashed out of the barracks. Watching him disappear as a small speck in the distance, the squad members couldn’t stop laughing.
A proud smile on his face, Cheong-hae looked at Hyeonjeong.
“Haha. Senior, when one reaches the Flower Realm, does their mind mature as well…?”
“Perhaps… there are unique cases?”