Chapter 176: Find Out

DUDUDUDU, DUDUDUDUDU-!

Having instantly exited White Peak Sword Sect, Divine wind surged forward while making a great echo with his hooves.

The distance rapidly compressed with each heavy sound and vibration.

As Cheol Ryu-heun, gripping the reins, faced the wind expressionlessly, Hae Su-yeon was intoxicated by the speed of Divine wind, her first time riding him, and shouted with a radiant face.

“KYAAA! This is so fun!”

Her face was as bright as a child’s.

In contrast, Namgung Sang-rin at the very back wore a stiff expression.

‘UGH!’

As if the terrifying speed sensation hitting his entire body really didn’t suit him.

‘He seems to have gotten even stronger. I can barely even open my eyes… Well, it makes sense.’

That’s right.

He had already eaten that precious Thousand-Year Immortal Ginseng long ago, and recently on top of that had swallowed eleven drops of Sky-Clear Stone Milk.

Suddenly, that time came to mind.

The day he first saw Cheol Ryu-heun, when they burst into Mantis Martial Academy riding Divine wind and caused a commotion…

-We’ll break through head-on.

-GASP! W-wait! Don’t tell me you mean to charge straight into Mantis Martial Academy? No matter how much of a master you are, to handle that many people…

-Mere mantises – just trample them with hooves and that’s it.

-T-this really needs to be discussed again!

-Let’s go!

Namgung Sang-rin let out a laugh without realizing it.

‘How interesting. Life is…’

He realized anew how unpredictable fate was.

At that time, he hadn’t even imagined that he would soon kick down the door of the Jingzhou Ban Family where his granduncle and grandaunt were and become a Guest Retainer of White Peak Sword Sect.

Speaking of which.

It stings!

Because the long hair of Hae Su-yeon sitting right in front was fluttering wildly and scratching his face.

But then.

SNIFF.

A pleasant scent came from the fluttering hair.

‘What is this?’

It was fragrant.

The scent carried on the wind felt like all sorts of flowers mixed together, making one’s heart flutter.

‘It’s the effect of the Heavenly Demon Incarnation being completed after consuming Enchanting Essence Light.’

He had heard Cheol Ryu-heun say it last evening.

-You now have the power to bewitch hearts with just your gaze, laughter, gestures, and scent. Martial artists whose personal cultivation is insufficient will have difficulty handling it.

This seemed to be precisely that power.

If so, did this scent escape even without Hae Su-yeon herself knowing?

Soon Cheol Ryu-heun spoke.

“Rein it in.”

“Oh my, sorry. I got so excited that the enchanting energy leaked out.”

When Hae Su-yeon quickly suppressed her enchanting energy with an “Oops!” look, the fragrance disappeared cleanly as if it had never been.

Following that, she offered an apology to Namgung Sang-rin behind.

“Sorry. Young Master Namgung. I couldn’t tie up my hair in the rush. But as you can see…”

At that moment, Cheol Ryu-heun’s long hair whipped around and slapped one of Hae Su-yeon’s cheeks as it passed.

“…As you can see, I’m in the same state.”

“PFFT.”

Namgung Sang-rin, having burst into laughter, shook his head.

“It’s fine. I’ll just consider it training.”

“Heheh. Please bear with me. Hmm, in exchange, you can look at my back as much as you want. I’ll allow it.”

“I can barely even keep my eyes open.”

“Oh my! What, what! So were you really going to look at my back? How pervy.”

“……”

“I’m joking. Hoho. I can’t turn around, but I can picture what face you’re making.”

“Yes, I know. The problem is that it sounds like you mean it.”

“Ah, I can’t deny that there’s truth mixed in there. Hoho. Still, since I’m pretty, this side of me seems lovable too, don’t you think? Admit it?”

“Haah…”

“Ah, a sigh! That’s mean. ‘Yes, I admit it’ – that’s what you should say.”

“Really, you’re playing all the instruments and beating all the drums by yourself.”

“Things like that are cute too, right? The man who marries me later will have hit the jackpot. Since I’m pretty as a flower and there’ll never be a dull moment.”

“And now you’re clapping for yourself too.”

“Hoho. Well, if others won’t do it, at least I have to.”

At that moment, Cheol Ryu-heun at the front spoke nonchalantly.

“We’ll stop by somewhere briefly, then go to Mount Thousand Stones and spend the night. Keep that in mind.”

At that, Hae Su-yeon and Namgung Sang-rin were puzzled.

‘Mount Thousand Stones…?’

Mount Thousand Stones, so called because roughly a thousand stone peaks jutted up jaggedly, was along with Jianwen Mountain, where Head-Severing Yama Seop Pyo had secluded himself, one of the rugged and remote mountains representing the Hunan region.

Its location was in the northernmost part.

The point just before crossing into the Hubei region.

It was quite far.

However, considering Divine wind’s lightning-fast speed as he raced, they should arrive faster than expected.

“What’s there?”

The moment Namgung Sang-rin asked that question, he immediately anticipated the answer that would come back and changed his words.

“Oops, I’ll know when I get there.”

“You know well.”

Following his lukewarm response, Cheol Ryu-heun snapped the reins he held in both hands sharply.

“Now, let’s go faster.”

Simultaneously, Namgung Sang-rin was flabbergasted.

‘URGH! What?’

Meanwhile, Hae Su-yeon, eyes sparkling, wore an expression even more excited.

“Wow, wow! Amazing! He can run even faster!”

When Cheol Ryu-heun frowned as if annoyed.

FUSHOOO-

After Divine wind blasted out pure white energy current, he began a violent sprint that shook the earth.

KWAAANG-!

The ground was gouged and a large heap of dirt shot up.

‘AAAHHH! NO!’

Namgung Sang-rin, his body tilting backward, screamed internally.

As Divine wind’s rapid movement created formless shockwaves that swept wildly behind, playing a roar.

KUWAAA- KUWAAAA-

A speed that even transcended sound.

The forward space in the group’s vision became maximally compressed into a single point, then swept past as if exploding, intensifying the terrifying sense of speed.

Namgung Sang-rin, eyes narrowed to slits, couldn’t even discern the surrounding scenery.

Everything was just blurry.

Suddenly, a terrible sensation assailed him as his body was pushed backward and seemed to float.

“UWAAAAAH, UWAAAAAAAH! S-stop…!”

But Hae Su-yeon’s reaction was completely different.

“KYAAAT! Awesome! Divine wind! This is the first time I’ve had fun like this! Run, run! Harder, faster!”

At those words, the color drained from Namgung Sang-rin’s face and he urgently shouted.

“UWA, UWAAAH…! Miss Hae! Stop provoking him! This guy uncannily understands human speech!”

Sure enough, Divine wind’s four hooves swallowed that shout and pounded the ground even harder.

KWAKWAKWAKWANG, KWAKWAKWAKWANG, KWAKWAKWAKWANG…!

* * *

Dangchang, a major city in the Hubei region.

Inside a hall of the Sword Seal Sect, which was based there, the atmosphere was as cold as ice.

“WHAT? They died?”

A voice that made the listener’s skin crawl.

It was what a middle-aged man, leaning back in a large chair entirely covered with expensive tiger hide, had said while his eyes flashed.

Dressed in gray robes embroidered with a silver sword pattern and with a two-chi beard hanging long, he was the current Sword Seal Sect Leader, Severing Finger Sword Venerable So Cheon-ak.

A martial artist in his forties dressed in black martial attire, standing not far ahead, bowed his head and carefully opened his mouth.

“Yes, that’s right. All of them…”

The figure with a heavy look alongside the answer was Ma Yeong-mu, the First Squad Commander of the Sword Patience Tenth Squad, the sect’s elite swordsman group.

The topic of conversation was precisely the Black Forest Hall incident.

That Vice Squad Commander Je Gon and all his subordinates, who had been in charge of the collection mission, had been discovered as corpses.

So Cheon-ak’s thick eyebrows twitched and he spoke coldly again.

“Explain the cause of death in detail.”

At that, First Squad Commander Ma Yeong-mu spoke with a gloomy expression.

“Yes, Sect Master. According to the government office’s autopsy report, the Tenth Squad Vice Commander was killed by having his spine crushed underfoot, one squad member had his head severed, and the other three squad members died by having the center of their chests pierced.”

“And the Black Forest Hall has all disappeared?”

“Yes…”

“Along with our ledger?”

“……”

Instead of answering, Ma Yeong-mu nodded slightly, then carefully gauged his mood before quietly speaking.

“Honestly, it’s incomprehensible, but… Based on the circumstances, I suspect the Black Forest Hall betrayed our sect and fled out of fear of retaliation. Otherwise, there seems no way to explain…”

“DAMN IT! What kind of absurdity is this!!”

When So Cheon-ak struck the armrest, the entire room shook greatly.

KRRK, KRK, KRRK…

Ma Yeong-mu flinched and stepped back several paces.

‘UGH! Damn it, am I going to get killed in his fit of rage here…’

He had sensed thick murderous intent circling in So Cheon-ak’s blood-shot eyes.

But then.

CLICK-

The lattice door opened and a man appeared.

“Sect Master, I have an urgent report!”

A swordsman in his thirties with a robust build and a long sword.

Dressed in brown martial attire embroidered with the unique sword pattern, he was Eum Seon, called One Long Sword Soul – a swordsman of the topmost leadership rank and So Cheon-ak’s confidant.

“What now?!”

At So Cheon-ak’s irritable reaction, Eum Seon moved close.

“A rumor is going around here and there on the streets.”

“A rumor?”

“Actually… It’s related to the Ghost Shadow Sword Technique.”

At those words, So Cheon-ak’s dark brown pupils emitted intense light.

“The Ghost Shadow Sword Technique?”

“The Fifth Squad Commander reported it earlier.”

“What is it?”

“A rumor that the new Sect Leader of White Peak Sword Sect in Hunan Province knows all the Ghost Shadow Sword Technique formulas.”

“…!”

“I’m not inclined to believe it readily, but when I had my men check again, it was already on the lips of people in the city.”

“Who was promoted as the new White Peak Sword Sect Leader?”

“Cheol Ryu-heun. He was White Gate Sword Gentleman’s first direct disciple.”

“Cheol Ryu-heun?”

“Word is he recently overcame his vegetative state. But I don’t know why such a rumor arose.”

The moment Eum Seon’s words ended, So Cheon-ak rose to his feet.

It was a simple movement.

Yet the surrounding air seemed to writhe fiercely following that motion.

“How tiresome. Memories of the past.”

In So Cheon-ak’s murmur flowed killing intent.

Perhaps because of the behavior of Heaven’s Death Sword Ghost, who had slept with his concubine, came to mind again?

He had already killed and disposed of them.

Both Heaven’s Death Sword Ghost and the concubine.

But the deep rage in his heart still kindled its flame.

TAP.

So Cheon-ak, having placed his palm on the end of his sword hilt, spoke in a heavy voice as if reciting.

“Find out if that’s true. And if it is, White Peak Sword Sect will face the fate of annihilation.”

In the small movements of his fingers, there seemed to lurk an overbearing force like that of a fierce general on a battlefield.

Ma Yeong-mu, who somehow felt suffocated, gulped down dry saliva while Eum Seon composed his expression and spoke quietly.

“There’s a good method.”

At that, So Cheon-ak showed interest.

“Tell me.”

“One of the White Peak Sword Sect disciples is from Pomi Village.”

“Pomi Village, you say…”

“It’s a village adjacent to the border between the two regions. It’s the Fifth Squad Commander’s hometown. That’s how I know.”

“Ha. How coincidental.”

“Indeed. Moreover, according to the Fifth Squad Commander’s sources there, the particular disciple seems to have come into some money, took leave and came to his hometown to throw a big feast. Isn’t that also coincidental?”

After hearing Eum Seon’s words, So Cheon-ak raised the corner of his mouth.

“Good. You focus on finding the whereabouts of that Hae woman, and dispatch another upper-tier combat force to Pomi Village.”

“Understood, Sect Master. If we hurry, they’ll arrive tomorrow. Shall I tell them to capture him and bring him back?”

“No need.”

“Ah, then I’ll tell them to dispose of him at their discretion.”

“They just need to ascertain the truth of the circulating rumor.”

“Yes, we’ll need a confession that will give us some certainty. If they cut off his fingers one by one, naturally the truth will pop out of his mouth. Not just him but his family too… Hoho.”

“Indeed.”

When So Cheon-ak nodded and gestured, Eum Seon and Ma Yeong-mu hurried out through the door.

Immediately after.

SWISH.

Having leaned back again, he sneered coldly while resting his chin at an angle.

“Cheol Ryu-heun, was it… Ha, how utterly laughable.”