Chapter 179: When Did I (1)
Chapter 178 – When Did I (1)
“We cannot do that!”
When Son U-gon shouted, Namgung Cheon looked around once and warned him.
“Lower your voice. Do you want to advertise to the whole town that the Azure Eagle Squad is here?”
“I am sorry, but…”
“I said it’s an order.”
“The first duty of the Azure Eagle Squad is to protect the Young Patriarch unless it is a special case…”
“Now is that special situation. Don’t you know that even if you hide, just carrying that box and following me around is dangerous in itself? It could actually make me more in danger.”
“But…”
Son U-gon let out a sigh and hung his head low.
He could not deny it.
Was not what was in the box the spiritual pills of Demonic Pill Valley, which any martial artist in the land would covet?
Although there were spiritual pills manufactured by the Demonic Cult, there were actually more spiritual pills that had flowed in from the orthodox Martial World, such as the Great Returning Pill and the Purple Cloud Pill.
The reason for that was simple.
Because the spiritual pills made by the Demonic Cult would have been consumed by the Cultists as soon as they were made.
On the other hand, spiritual pills made by the orthodox Martial World were often incompatible with the Demonic Cult, and digesting them to prevent side effects after consumption was also relatively tricky.
In any case, following Namgung Cheon around with a box containing all kinds of spiritual pills on their backs would be like walking into a fire carrying firewood.
“So listen to me. From now on, you guys are returning straight to Wuhan. Go find the Obscurity Society there. It is the place where you can store them most safely and without being detected, as far as I know.”
“Even so, we cannot leave My Lord here and go by ourselves…”
“Why? You were going to give up on me and leave just fine earlier?”
“T-that was…!”
“Didn’t you say you wanted to uphold my will? Didn’t you say we should move the spiritual pills quickly?”
“I was not the one who said that…”
“Well, you didn’t particularly oppose it, did you? You said it couldn’t be helped and eagerly bit the bait.”
“My Lord, that is truly a misunderstanding.”
When Son U-gon spoke with a tearful face, Namgung Cheon chuckled.
“I get it, so stop arguing and go. Or just go thinking that I died.”
“How can you say such a thing…!”
“Ah, I said, just go!”
In the end, as Namgung Cheon shouted loudly, Son U-gon swallowed hard and lowered his head.
“You are firm.”
“Yes. I am exposed anyway. Even if someone who knows about the events here appears again, they will target me or the other cadets. They won’t know about your existence. Even if they do, they will think you are hiding around me. So it is correct to move separately.”
“If that happens, wouldn’t it be no different from My Lord becoming bait?”
“I will protect my own body. So you guys just listen to my orders.”
Son U-gon looked down at the ground with a complicated expression and soon cupped his fists.
“Understood, My Lord. Please take care of yourself.”
“Don’t worry and manage the items well. You know, right? If even a single one of my items goes missing, you’re all dead.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
“Alright, then let’s split up here.”
As Namgung Cheon gestured with his chin, Son U-gon returned to the Azure Eagle Squad members waiting behind.
Some of the Azure Eagle Squad members who heard the general explanation from Son U-gon seemed to protest, but they soon glanced at Namgung Cheon’s expression and lowered their heads.
They must have realized from Namgung Cheon’s face that a firmer resolution than ever before had been set.
The Azure Eagle Squad soon cupped their fists toward Namgung Cheon and bowed their heads.
As Namgung Cheon nodded, the Azure Eagle Squad members leaped away in accordance with Son U-gon’s instructions.
Only after watching the Azure Eagle Squad members fly into the forest like wild birds did Namgung Cheon turn around and walk back to the cadets.
Paeng Su-hyeok grumbled with a somewhat sour expression.
“Tch, they left.”
“Why?”
“Hey, even so, how can you not give us even a single spiritual pill?”
“Did you leave it with me?”
When Namgung Cheon spoke as if tossing it out, Paeng Su-hyeok was about to say something but snapped his head away.
Namgung Cheon clicked his tongue.
“Tsk, tsk. Look at how greedy he is. Even though I gave you that ignorantly large sword.”
“Hey, you bastard! Is this yours? And the guy who swept up all the Demonic Pill Valley spiritual pills by himself is calling who greedy…! Mmph! Let go! No, Yu Hyeon, why do you keep stopping only me! Mmph mmph!”
“Calm down. Your voice is too loud. It will be heard below.”
“Tch!”
Only then did Paeng Su-hyeok click his tongue and turn around.
He looked at the sight of the Black Mountain Stronghold, the Three Peaks Sect, and the escort party still locked in a desperate struggle far below the cliff.
The haze was still hovering, but it was thinning to the point where visibility would be secured soon.
That was right.
This was the top of the eastern cliff of the canyon where the escort party was fighting for their lives.
As a result of running continuously upward along the stairs from the collapsing royal tomb, they had emerged here.
“Well, they are fighting for a long time.”
“Thanks to that, our absence hasn’t been noticed yet.”
“Still, it seems the tide of battle is turning.”
“Indeed. It seems Young Master Namgung’s tactics worked to some extent.”
“What tactics! He was only interested in the offering from the start.”
“Ah…”
Yu Hyeon also could not deny that, so he put on an awkward smile.
Namgung Cheon snorted.
“Who is the one who was waiting for crumbs to drop from that offering, and threw a fit when none did?”
“Y-you…!”
“Here, take this and stop grumbling.”
Namgung Cheon suddenly tossed something he held in his hand.
Involuntarily catching it, Paeng Su-hyeok widened his eyes.
A pure fragrance.
Just the smell seemed to clear his head and put his mind and body at ease.
‘A spiritual pill…!’
Paeng Su-hyeok barely held back a grin from splitting his mouth and asked.
“What is this?”
“What else? It’s a spiritual pill.”
“I mean, what kind of spiritual pill is it?”
“It’s a Lesser Returning Pill. Good grief, you wanted to eat it so badly, yet you don’t even know what it is when given to you.”
“A Lesser Returning Pill? Is it really a Lesser Returning Pill? Is this… for me?”
“Why? If you don’t want it, forget it. I’ll give it to someone else…”
“Who said I didn’t want it! I don’t really like you thanking me in this manner, but since you are originally a shy fellow, I will personally understand. I will gladly accept your feelings.”
“What is that idiot talking about?”
Namgung Cheon muttered with a blank expression, and Paeng Su-hyeok smiled sillily as he put the Lesser Returning Pill into his tunic and turned around.
“Anyway, since you guys worked hard too, I’ll give you one each.”
Namgung Cheon tossed one Lesser Returning Pill to Yu Hyeon and Baek Mu-geuk each.
Yu Hyeon cupped his fists and greeted him.
“Thank you, Young Master Namgung.”
“I will take it gratefully.”
After Baek Mu-geuk replied bluntly, Namgung Cheon walked step by step to the edge of the cliff.
Looking at it, the fight was almost over.
Because the escort party had fought with their backs to the wall and deployed thick smoke screens, the Three Peaks Sect and the Black Mountain Stronghold did not seem to have properly benefited from their human wave tactics.
The enemies who were in the rear were also seen scattering and fleeing.
“Let’s go. The haze will clear soon. Then our absence will be discovered.”
“No matter how fast we run, it will be hard to arrive before the haze disappears. Give up.”
“We can just jump down instead of running.”
“What? Where? Down there? From here?”
When Paeng Su-hyeok asked with widened eyes, Namgung Cheon grinned and looked back.
“Why? Scared?”
“Scared? Who said they are scared! I am asking because I wonder if you can do it with those timid guts of yours.”
“Then jump!”
Leap!
At that moment, Namgung Cheon vanished below the cliff.
“Gasp!”
Paeng Su-hyeok widened his eyes to the limit.
Did that crazy bastard really jump from there?
Running quickly to the edge, did Namgung Cheon not slide down while plunging his sword into the cliff face?
Screeech!
“Indeed, Young Master Namgung exceeds imaginations.”
“Yu Hyeon, do not overexert yourself for nothing. You are a disciple carrying the hopes of Mount Hua. If going down alone by turning back is a bit much, I can go down together with you…”
“No. Through repeated missions, I realized that I underestimated actual combat too much. To adapt to all variables, I must be prepared for at least this much.”
“No, you don’t necessarily have to be prepared… Oh!”
“I will go first!”
Screeech!
Yu Hyeon began to slide down while plunging his sword into the cliff like Namgung Cheon.
Though it was called sliding down, it was dizzying just to watch him practically free-falling, stopping by plunging his sword, and free-falling again repeatedly.
“Hey, Mu-geuk. You… you… right, you are not alone.”
“…?”
“I mean, you are not alone! From what I heard, there are several people inside you? If you jump recklessly, First Pole, Second Pole, and Third Pole will get hurt too! So…”
“Hey idiot, if you’re scared, just die.”
“What…?”
“That was First Pole just now.”
“Hey, what a crazy…”
“I’m going.”
“Hey, hey! Hey, you bastard! It wasn’t First Pole earlier either, right? It was you? You bastard!”
Screeech…!
However, Baek Mu-geuk also slid down at a rapid speed, plunging his newly obtained chain sickle into the cliff.
“Arrgh! Those blockheads! Jumping down here so ignorantly? If they fall and die, who’s going to place spiritual pills on their memorial table? Sigh, damn bastards!”
In the end, Paeng Su-hyeok closed his eyes tightly, opened them, and jumped down the cliff.
“Aaaaah!”
Screeech!
Paeng Su-hyeok began to slide down the cliff, letting out a scream-like shout.
When Namgung Cheon, who was sliding down first, reached about halfway down the cliff, he frowned and looked up.
Perhaps because it was difficult to support his large build, Paeng Su-hyeok slid down faster than anyone.
“Ah… that bastard is going to get us caught.”
Pluck!
As Namgung Cheon pulled his sword out of the wall, he fell straight down again.
Screeech!
The Emerald Silk Sword plunged into the rock face made a harsh sound as it slid.
Coincidentally, Yun Jong-seung was faintly visible fighting a bloody battle far below.
* * *
Clang!
“Tch!”
As the blade he had swung ambitiously bounced off the armguards, the Second Peak Captain of the Three Peaks Sect ground his teeth.
‘This greenhorn bastard…!’
The fellow he had run into while wandering through the haze was a mere cadet who had barely reached adulthood.
Although he felt a bit sorry about trampling a sprout that hadn’t even grown yet, this was actual combat. So he had fought with the resolve to cut off at least an arm or a leg…
‘Are kids these days all like this?’
He had guessed that Namgung Cheon’s martial prowess was powerful from seeing it earlier.
But to think an nameless fellow here was also at this level.
“You are decent, greenhorn.”
“Pant, pant…! Aren’t you embarrassed when you can’t even handle a single greenhorn properly?”
“What?”
“And my name is… Yun Jong-seung!”
Swish!
In an instant, Yun Jong-seung kicked the ground and leaped into the air.
The internal energy surging from his dantian flowed rapidly along his meridians and concentrated in his five fingers.
Red Lotus Palm!
He had once asked Namgung Cheon.
“Shouldn’t I be able to use other things besides the Red Lotus Palm?”
At that time, Namgung Cheon had answered like this.
“You can become a Jianghu expert just by using the Red Lotus Palm properly. It is a good martial art.”
For some reason, trust in Namgung Cheon’s words had grown.
Right, did they not say all paths return to the source?
If one realized the ultimate truth of a single martial art, other techniques would follow naturally.
Just then, the Second Peak Captain charged, letting out a shout.
“Don’t act smart! You are just a cadet!”
Swish!
The sword tip flew straight toward Yun Jong-seung’s forehead.
‘Foolish!’
The reason the sword tip targeted his forehead was simple.
Because he had lowered his body.
However, he should have targeted the neck in this situation. Because if one raised their head further in a state where they had already lowered their body, their heart would be endangered, and if they lowered it further, their head could be pierced.
Yet when actual combat occurred, people usually faced the enemy’s eyes, so they unconsciously aimed at the face when thrusting their swords.
This was also what Namgung Cheon had taught him during the past journey.
“In that case, just half a step outward. Exactly half a step is enough.”
Yun Jong-seung’s eyes narrowed.
‘Exactly half a step…!’
Swish!
Slice!
The sword tip flickered and lightly grazed his ear as it passed.
Taking advantage of that opening, Yun Jong-seung unleashed the Red Lotus Palm toward the Second Peak Captain’s chest.
Boom!
“Aaaaah!”
The Second Peak Captain screamed and flew away like a falling leaf in autumn wind.
“Pant, pant, pant…! As expected, it worked…!”
Yun Jong-seung, who looked down at his palm, clenched his fist tightly.
As expected, just doing as Namgung Cheon said works! That fellow is really… a monster!
‘By the way, where on earth is that monster fellow fighting?’