Chapter 56: I Will Let You Live (2)
Chapter 55 – I Will Let You Live (2)
“An alliance with another group?”
As Tang Ye-seol frowned, Paeng Su-hyeok spoke while panting heavily.
“Yes! They banded together and swarmed him!”
“So right now, Namgung Cheon is facing the cadets of the Righteous Chivalry Academy alone? In the training chamber of the stronghold?”
“That’s what I’m saying!”
Paeng Su-hyeok huffed, his shoulders heaving. He wanted to rush over immediately and draw his sword in anger, but Tang Ye-seol’s expression was surprisingly calm.
After narrowing her eyes and thinking for a long while, Tang Ye-seol spoke in an indifferent voice.
“I see. Still, they didn’t violate the rules.”
“What? Then isn’t Dragon Heaven Academy at a much greater disadvantage? If classmates from the same intake form an alliance, Dragon Heaven Academy will naturally have the weakest force!”
“That may be so, but that is also the way of the Jianghu.”
“Such unfairness…!”
“Our Alliance exists to make that unfairness fair. But did you expect to fight only in fair places from the start?”
“Th-that’s… not what I meant, is it?”
“No, it sounds exactly like that.”
“Urgh…!”
Paeng Su-hyeok clenched his fists in irritation, but he could not say anything more.
Even in his own mind, he was simply grumbling about unfairness.
Tang Ye-seol stared directly at Paeng Su-hyeok.
“The world is originally unfair and unjust. That is why our Alliance exists. Our Alliance values making the unfair fair and upholding justice and righteousness so that no one suffers injustice anymore. But if you are going to run over here whining about a test being unfair, why did you learn martial arts? Wouldn’t it be better to just live like commoners, earning a living?”
At the blatant rebuke, Paeng Su-hyeok’s face turned red up to his ears.
He opened his mouth to say something, but like a goldfish, no words came out.
Tang Ye-seol chuckled.
“The Academy and our Alliance are not places that simply teach martial arts. We teach the skills to survive.”
Then, Jin So-hong, who had only been listening, stepped forward with a calm face.
“Still, since the test is over now, shouldn’t we go there? The training chamber was designed to be opened only from the outside.”
Tang Ye-seol glanced back at her.
It was unexpected.
She was a female cadet who was neither particularly beautiful nor had an unusual personality. Thus, she did not stand out much, but under these circumstances, she said everything she needed to say with a calm expression.
She accepted the situation even more coolly than Paeng Su-hyeok.
‘Come to think of it, where is this child from?’
Since her presence was so faint, she only remembered that she was a cadet of Dragon Heaven Academy.
Tang Ye-seol replied, feeling somewhat proud of Jin So-hong.
“Yes, we should go. Since the test is over. Congratulations on passing.”
After finishing her sentence, Tang Ye-seol stiffened her expression.
Although she had rebuked Paeng Su-hyeok sharply, she was also secretly worried.
Until now, there had been occasional alliances among classmates.
However, there had never been a case as one-sided as this year.
‘Dragon Heaven Academy seems to have severe polarization this year. I must rush there.’
Even excluding the injured Baekli Hyang, there were fourteen cadets from the Righteous Chivalry Academy alone. Among them, many were from the Ten Great Clans of the Jianghu.
Namgung Cheon always surprised people, but it would be difficult for him this time. In the first place, Namgung Cheon had drawn too much animosity from the cadets of the Righteous Chivalry Academy.
Indeed, after learning the truth about the Golden Blood Rat, she had been shocked out of her wits.
For that reason, the cadets of the Righteous Chivalry Academy would not let Namgung Cheon off easily. Moreover, since they had failed the third test…
‘How badly must they have beaten him into a bloody pulp? First of all, I must bring a physician…’
Letting out a faint sigh, Tang Ye-seol raised her head.
“Deputy Commander.”
“Yes, Commander!”
The Deputy Commander landed beside Tang Ye-seol like a bird and knelt on one knee.
“Go to the Medicine Heaven Hall and bring a skilled physician. The injuries seem to be quite severe, so tell them to bring all the emergency medicines.”
“Understood!”
After replying, the Deputy Commander leapt into the air and disappeared.
Tang Ye-seol turned to Paeng Su-hyeok and Jin So-hong and said,
“Let’s go.”
Only then did Paeng Su-hyeok also walk forward with long strides, still huffing.
Tang Ye-seol thought as she followed the two.
‘No matter how angry the fellows from the Righteous Chivalry Academy are, they wouldn’t cripple Namgung Cheon, would they? No, could they?’
Namgung Cheon somehow seemed to have provocation ingrained in his very bones, so he might have asked for a beating.
Her mind grew hurried.
‘I must hurry. Before an even bigger accident happens.’
* * *
“Argh…!”
“Ugh…!”
Faint groans erupted from the mouths of the cadets scattered here and there.
Baekli Hyang barely managed to support herself, forcing strength into her trembling legs.
Namgung Cheon was truly a yaksha ascended from hell. He had driven the Emerald Silk Sword upside down into the ground and did not move more than five paces away from it.
Even so, the fight was overwhelming. The cadets threw themselves at Namgung Cheon like moths to a flame, heedless of burning to death.
No, the cadets knew.
They knew they would burn to death if they went there.
However, they had no choice but to go.
Because if they did not go, he would come to them.
Because it felt as though disaster itself would unfold the moment Namgung Cheon moved.
Baekli Hyang shifted her gaze while trembling violently.
Not a single person had an intact body.
Their joints were bent at bizarre angles, and they only let out groans of pain.
Step, step.
Namgung Cheon walked toward Baekli Hyang.
“Ah…”
The strength drained from her legs naturally, causing her to stagger, but she barely regained her balance.
Yet, it would not have been strange if she collapsed right then and there.
Baekli Hyang was confused.
Was this really the Namgung Cheon she used to know? Did he originally possess a gaze colder than ice? Was this really the official pushover of Dragon Heaven Academy, Namgung Cheon?
He felt like a different person who had merely put on his skin.
Baekli Hyang trembled so much now that she looked pitiful.
There had been times when she slapped Namgung Cheon’s cheek whenever she was bored, spat or threw dirt into the food he ate, stepped on his prostrate back to board the carriage, or seared his thigh with a fire-heated poker.
The past times she had spent without a thought now approached her as terror. It felt as though a massive wave of death was stepping closer, one pace at a time.
Finally, when Namgung Cheon reached a distance where he could touch her just by extending his hand, Baekli Hyang managed to squeeze out a thoroughly hoarse voice.
“Sob… I-I am sorry. Please spare my life.”
Why did those words come out?
She did not know.
But at this moment, the dread that she could die right away was completely crushing her mind.
Namgung Cheon slowly raised his hand and smirked coldly.
“I will spare your life.”
The moment Namgung Cheon flicked his finger, Baekli Hyang, who took a flick to the forehead, flew back like a cannonball.
Crash!
Whether she had lost consciousness on the spot, she did not budge.
Namgung Cheon looked down at his hand once and gently rubbed his stomach.
“I’m hungry.”
* * *
‘You managed not to get hurt, surprisingly.’
Tang Ye-seol thought as she made her way into the stronghold.
Of all things, the path chosen by the group Namgung Cheon belonged to was not an easy one.
Even though the courtyard must have collapsed, hidden weapons must have flown from all directions, and fire must have blazed, they seemed to have responded calmly and well.
Therefore, they must have rescued the hostage safely too.
Yun Jong-seung, who had come along, also clicked his tongue inwardly as he looked around the stronghold, which had become a mess due to the activated traps.
‘Incredible. They went in and out while breaking through all these traps?’
In the midst of that, as the thought of having stayed behind alone in the Grand Martial Arena crossed his mind, a sense of apology coupled with impatience welled up within him.
‘I too… must…!’
However, it was just when they entered the corridor leading to the training chamber.
Tang Ye-seol stopped dead in her tracks and knitted her brows.
‘This is…?’
An arrow split exactly in half had flown to both sides and was embedded in the walls.
Judging by the extent of damage to the walls, it was from a strong bow.
Furthermore, long, dragged footprints were clearly engraved on the floor.
This meant that a considerable amount of power was loaded into it. Moreover, unlike the previous fine needles or hidden weapons, that pitch-black arrowhead was…
‘Lethal….’
As Tang Ye-seol stood with her brows finely furrowed, the Deputy Commander following behind called out softly.
“Commander?”
Instead of replying, Tang Ye-seol turned her head to look at Paeng Su-hyeok and Jin So-hong.
“Who blocked the arrow?”
“It was Namgung Cheon.”
Paeng Su-hyeok replied listlessly, then muttered his subsequent words almost inaudibly.
“No matter how good the intention is, setting up something meant to kill people is just, tsk!”
“What was that?”
“It’s nothing. I’m sure there’s a reason for it. Since the Jianghu is not easy. Some kind of lesson that one must charge in with half their life on the line.”
Paeng Su-hyeok spoke somewhat sarcastically, but Tang Ye-seol remained motionless, lost in thought.
‘Did someone deliberately manipulate the trap mechanism? But how did they know Namgung Cheon would enter here? Could it be that the cadets of the Righteous Chivalry Academy uniting was also the work of whoever is behind this?’
If so, it could certainly be planned.
In fact, such dangerous lethal weapons were not used in the test.
The collapsed inner courtyard, the corridor where fine needles flew, and the suddenly soaring flames were not to the extent of threatening lives.
However, that strong bow seemed to have been quite dangerous.
Why only there…?
There was only one reason.
It was a place where the target would definitely appear.
There were three paths leading to the training chamber.
Among them, there was no way to know which path the target would take.
However, no matter which path they took, the training chamber door would inevitably be opened.
And what if the cadets had united, knowing that Namgung Cheon would appear at the training chamber first?
Of course, there was a problem here too.
Because the person who opened the door could have been Paeng Su-hyeok or Jin So-hong.
Still, once they got this far, the probability was over thirty percent.
But since the one who performed eye-catching actions in both the first and second tests was Namgung Cheon, it was highly likely that the one leading the group would also be Namgung Cheon.
In other words, it was easy to deduce that the person who would lead the way and open the training chamber door would also be Namgung Cheon.
The probability rose a little more.
Tang Ye-seol’s expression darkened slightly.
‘Is someone… targeting Namgung Cheon? Why?’
At any rate, Namgung Cheon was also quite something for blocking that strong bow.
‘Just how far is this child planning to surprise me?’
Just then, the Deputy Commander called out again.
“Commander? Shouldn’t we hurry?”
“Ah… yes.”
As Tang Ye-seol snapped out of her thoughts and moved her steps, she hesitated again.
Her gaze directed toward the split arrow.
“Deputy Commander, retrieve that arrow.”
“Do you mean the split arrow?”
“Yes.”
“Understood.”
At that, Paeng Su-hyeok thumped his chest in frustration and shouted,
“What are you doing now? Right now, Namgung Cheon might have been beaten to a pulp! Why are you wasting time like this?”
“If you were that worried, why didn’t you fight alongside him?”
“Urgh! Wh-who is worried about that guy? He is the child of my family’s enemy!”
“The child of an enemy…”
Tang Ye-seol murmured quietly and chuckled.
Because resentment or hatred could no longer be found in the emotions felt from Paeng Su-hyeok.
In truth, it was not that she was unconcerned either.
Something was unusual.
The arrow was one thing.
For some reason, strange ripples seemed to be forming in the surroundings. And Namgung Cheon seemed to be at the center of those ripples.
Finally reaching the door of the training chamber, the Deputy Commander quickly stepped forward and began to open the lock.
Tang Ye-seol spoke to the physician.
“Get ready.”
“Yes, Commander.”
The physician quickly took out his needle case and various emergency medicines.
Watching the locks open one by one, Tang Ye-seol said,
“He must be badly hurt. If it is a highly critical situation, only administer first aid. The Deputy Commander will move him immediately.”
“Understood.”
The physician stared at the training chamber door in tension.
Finally, the Deputy Commander threw the door wide open.
At that moment, not only the physician but also Tang Ye-seol, Paeng Su-hyeok, and Jin So-hong froze like ice, their eyes bulging wide.
Cadets were scattered all over in miserable conditions.
Among them, Namgung Cheon sat astride the back of Dokgo Jin, who lay unconscious face down, and waved his hand with a smile.
“You are late.”
The physician dropped his needle case with a thud and said, looking as if he were about to cry,
“Commander… you didn’t tell me there would be this many.”