Chapter 152: Passing Through

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The speed at which Divine Wind ran was at an utterly terrifying level.

With his eyes narrowed to slits, Gal Jung-heon was gripped by anxiety that he might fall off the horse, and clutched even more tightly at the knot-like handhold at the back of the saddle.

‘URGH… At this rate, I really feel like I’m going to throw up!’

WHOOSH, WHOOSH, WHOOSH-

The wind noise that kept striking his ears.

Due to the wind pouring in relentlessly, his skin was pushed back and trembling rapidly as if flapping like wings.

Even when rounding curved paths, there was no sense of deceleration – it was a terrifying gallop.

There was only one thing Gal Jung-heon wished for.

Forget everything else, just slow down, please!

Before long.

RUMBLE RUMBLE… RUMBLE RUMBLE…

The clamorous hoofbeat sounds dramatically decreased and the tracks on the dirt road became faint.

Gal Jung-heon glanced at the ground and was startled.

‘Hah, how can this be…!’

The force of their running was still fierce, yet the tracks below were becoming faint and nearly disappearing.

A truly exquisite movement that added ethereal lightness to swift speed.

SWISH, SWISH, SWISH, SWISH-

Immediately after, Cheol Ryu-heun muttered expressionlessly.

“This fellow, seems he’s gotten a taste for Treading Snow Without Trace.”

Gal Jung-heon’s mind went blank.

‘It was Treading Snow Without Trace!’

A four-legged beast had the audacity to perform Treading Snow Without Trace, a supreme-level lightfoot technique…

Though it wasn’t at a perfect level like a peak martial world master, the mere fact that it could display such movement was astonishing.

This was his first time.

No.

This was his first time riding such a horse.

He had long forgotten the pain in his rear from the constant bumping up and down.

‘And what’s with his indifferent reaction, seeming to think nothing of the Treading Snow Without Trace performed by a horse!’

Suddenly, he felt indignant.

Because he sensed that the amount of energy residing in the horse’s body was so vast it surpassed even his own.

At that moment, Cheol Ryu-heun said with a nonchalant gaze.

“Originally, he was just an ordinary black horse, but after consuming Thousand-Year Immortal Ginseng, he evolved into a spirit beast like this.”

At that, Gal Jung-heon’s dark brown pupils stirred.

“…!”

“Well, not long ago he also swallowed eleven drops of Sky Clear Stone Milk.”

“Gah, A-Azure Crystal…!”

“After another couple of months, the yang essence energy will be completely dissolved and he’ll be able to exert new power.”

“How on earth…”

“Well, I used an ancient lost bloodline opening technique.”

“……”

Having clicked his tongue, Gal Jung-heon just closed his mouth, feeling that if he exchanged more words, his head would get dizzy.

“Treading Snow Without Trace is nice, but let’s go faster.”

As Cheol Ryu-heun gripped and shook the reins, urging Divine Wind on, Gal Jung-heon involuntarily flared up inside.

What! Faster? Are you in your right mind!

Suddenly, Divine Wind started a violent sprint that shook the earth’s axis, as if he understood his master’s words.

CRACK-!

The terrifying pressure of movement speed exceeding even sound created a heavy shockwave.

ROAR ROAR ROAR- ROAR ROAR ROAR-

The space ahead compressed to a single point before exploding and filling their vision as it passed, amplifying the sense of speed.

It was difficult to distinguish the surrounding scenery with the naked eye.

Everything just passed by both sides, hazy and blurry.

Gal Jung-heon squeezed his eyes shut, feeling like his body was being pushed hard backward and floating up.

“AAAAAAAAAAAH!”

But that scream was swallowed by the sound of Divine Wind’s hoofbeats.

CRASH CRASH CRASH, CRASH CRASH CRASH, CRASH CRASH CRASH…!

* * *

Mount Apo.

A fairly large mountain range situated at the southern end of the Hubei region, and the base of Green Forest Alliance, one of the great powers of the unorthodox martial world.

There were a total of ten camps here, and among them, one was very close to the Hunan region border.

Its official name designated by the Alliance Master was Green Wolf Camp.

Meaning “green wolf,” it was the most recently established camp before Cold Plum Sword Bu Do-nam, who was from Mount Hua Sect, established the eleventh camp.

A river flowed below the mountain base where Green Wolf Camp was located, and currently about twenty of the camp’s members were gathered near it, grilling fish and chatting.

Half of them were existing members, and the rest were newly joined members.

At some point, a burst of laughter erupted.

“GWAHAHAHA, GWAHAHAHA!”

A man in his thirties laughing so loud it seemed like the grass would fly away.

With disheveled hair and a rough face, he was Dal Tak, the second-in-command of Green Wolf Camp and a famous swordsman of this region.

He was called by the alias Flying Hawk Sword because the swordsmanship he possessed resembled a soaring hawk.

On the other hand.

The man of similar age sitting across from him furrowed his brow with a gloomy expression.

“Tsk, stop laughing. I’m dead serious here.”

It was Cold Plum Sword Bu Do-nam.

The reason Flying Hawk Sword Dal Tak had just laughed was one thing – because he had learned of the incident that occurred at the eleventh camp.

“Hey friend, no, what can I do when it’s funny? Gwahaha!”

“UGH… You get hit once and see! See if you can laugh!”

When the indignant Bu Do-nam scowled, Dal Tak teased him.

“Nah, come on… That won’t happen. It’s not like that bastard’s going to suddenly show up here.”

“Ah, looking at you makes me wish he would appear.”

At that moment, Dal Tak suddenly looked upward.

“Huh? A mutt is flying through the sky?”

“……”

“Look there, a flying mutt! Spinning its tail like a windmill!”

“……”

“What, you’re not falling for it anymore. How boring. Gwahaha. Why did you fall for it back then, really.”

“Haah… I can’t exactly tear that mouth of his off.”

Bu Do-nam blew out a long sigh and shook his head from side to side.

Dal Tak shook his head along with him and continued turning his stomach.

“Aigoo, anyway, how are you going to show your face from now on? It’ll be hard to go around with your head held up if the story keeps spreading.”

“UGH… This guy keeps rubbing salt in the wound… There’s nowhere left to spread it to!”

“Oh, right. That’s true. But you never know. You might meet another crazy bastard riding a crazy horse later and become twice as embarrassed. Gwahaha.”

“You know your laugh is really obnoxious, right?”

“I know, I know. But while my laugh is just obnoxious, your life has become obnoxious, hasn’t it?”

“UGH…!”

“Then doesn’t that make me better off? Gwahaha, gwahaha.”

“Shut your mouth! You unorthodox-born bastard!”

Bu Do-nam glared fiercely with his eyes, but Dal Tak just tore off the grilled fish speared on a branch and replied matter-of-factly.

“If I shut my mouth, I can’t eat this. You orthodox-born bastard. Besides, you’re unorthodox-affiliated now too, so what’s with that talk? Chomp, chomp. Wow, this tastes good.”

When Bu Do-nam ground his teeth, the people around them flinched and watched his expression.

But everyone knew well.

That even if those two bickered like that, in just a little while they’d make up as if nothing happened.

Of course they would.

Because in truth, Dal Tak and Bu Do-nam were close friends.

Since they were such intimate friends, they had verbal spats like this like everyday play.

Dal Tak spoke again while tearing off the grilled fish.

“How long will you be staying here?”

Bu Do-nam shrugged and picked up a grilled fish.

“Who knows, I only received instructions to stay and operate at Green Wolf Camp until a separate order comes…”

“Our Camp Master is pleased. Since your martial strength isn’t weak.”

Hearing Dal Tak’s words, Bu Do-nam’s gaze deepened.

“That’s a bit comforting. Indeed, that damn bastard was absurdly strong. And the horse too…”

“Hmm, which faction do you think he belongs to?”

“I’m curious about that too. The Alliance Master said he’d look into it separately, so all I can do is wait…”

“But did he really use that?”

The meaning contained in Dal Tak’s question was whether the owner of that crazy horse really did use Plum Blossom Seven Forms Sword.

“What, you think I might have been mistaken?”

“Could be…”

“Wrong.”

“You’re certain?”

“Obviously. How many years was I part of Mount Hua Sect? Surely I can distinguish that.”

“True.”

“Seeing that he used Plum Blossom Seven Forms Sword, he wouldn’t be a lay disciple, and certainly not an expelled disciple either… I just can’t get a read on his identity.”

“If he’s a martial artist belonging to a great renowned sect, our Alliance would be in a bit of a bind too. Our side’s justification is weak. Since we blocked the road first and tried to take what he had. Wait, no, no. Even so, blowing away an entire camp and taking all the money is too excessive, so…”

“What do you mean, just looking at his attire, he was far removed from any great renowned sect. And if that bastard really is a martial artist registered with a prominent martial sect, an official protest letter would have already been delivered to our Alliance by now. That’s enough. My head hurts, so let’s stop talking about that.”

The moment Bu Do-nam waved one hand and spoke.

THOOM…

A heavy sound rang out from somewhere.

Suddenly, the expressions of the Green Forest Alliance group changed completely.

‘Hm? What’s that?’

Just as everyone tilted their heads, the same sound rang out again.

THOOM… THOOM… THOOM…!

Bu Do-nam and Dal Tak simultaneously heightened their energy sense to deduce the source of the sound.

BOOM BOOM, BOOM BOOM, BOOM BOOM…!

Immediately after, Bu Do-nam’s gaze went toward the rocky cliff to the side.

“Above!”

When Dal Tak let out a brief shout, the group all turned their eyes and stared at the top of the rocky cliff.

About five jang in height – a heavy, unidentified sound continued to echo like reverberations from beyond it.

BOOM BOOM, BOOM BOOM… CRASH, CRASH…!

What was that now?

It somehow seemed mixed with sounds of trees being smashed apart.

Dal Tak, who had already gripped his sword hilt, opened his mouth again.

“Something’s approaching!”

The moment everyone’s senses were heightened, a CRASH of an explosion shook the riverside and struck their ears.

The identity of the large shadow that shot out quickly through the forest above the rocky cliff and soared up was a man and horse.

Immediately after.

WHIIIIIIISH-

The man and horse that had spanned the air instantly dropped down near where the Green Wolf Camp group was positioned, creating another loud explosion.

CRAAAAAASH-!

A cloud of dust rising high from the fierce landing, and ground cracking with countless fissures.

The horse that landed while denting the ground soon exhaled a hiss of breath like mist from its nose and mouth.

Bu Do-nam’s hair stood on end.

That was right.

A familiar sound.

As the dust cloud quickly cleared, the figures of Cheol Ryu-heun and Gal Jung-heon mounted on Divine Wind’s back were revealed clearly.

Only then did Bu Do-nam and his men confirm the reality and cry out in unison, turning pale.

“GASP!”

“UGH!”

“Th-that…!”

Bu Do-nam harbored a question amid his surprise.

‘B-but… Who’s that other guy in the back?’

At that moment, Cheol Ryu-heun held the reins and spoke with an indifferent face.

“Oh, we were just passing through. Didn’t know there would be people gathered here.”

Dal Tak realized in a flash.

That the young fellow who had appeared before his eyes was the crazy bastard who rode around on a crazy horse.

SHING!

A crisp ring of the blade.

Having drawn his sword, he shot a fierce gaze.

“YOU! What’s your identity!”

No sooner had the angry voice burst out than.

THWACK, SWISH, CRASH-!

Dal Tak instantly slammed into an old tree on the other side and collapsed unconscious, and the spot where he had stood was now occupied by Cheol Ryu-heun.

Simultaneously, the faces of the entire Green Forest Alliance group turned white as a sheet.

‘Wh-what… What did he do?’

No one had seen when he got off the horse, or when he struck.

They had only heard small sounds.

Cheol Ryu-heun spoke curtly with his hands clasped behind his back.

“Drawing your sword just because I startled you a little – that won’t do.”

Meanwhile, Bu Do-nam saw the state of his friend Dal Tak sprawled out like a corpse on the other side and found himself letting out a silent laugh.

‘Pfft… See, you punk! Getting hit yourself isn’t funny, is it, huh!’