chapter 130

Everyone Carries a Grudge in Their Heart (2)

Seo Jong Myeong looked forward with a cold, hardened expression.

“Has the Thousand Li Net already been deployed?”

He didn’t need to visually confirm it to feel it.

The densely spread net of killing intent in front of him.

It wasn’t the killing intent of one or two individuals. It was the combined aura of numerous people, unable to contain their killing intent, permeating through the air.

Then, someone ran from the front.

It was a martial artist from the Shadowless Squad, who had gone ahead for reconnaissance.

“Leader! Up ahead…”

“The Thousand Li Net is deployed, isn’t it?”

“Yes? How did you…”

The martial artist was taken aback.

Indeed, the area he had scouted was entangled in a network of vigilance, resembling a net.

The roads leading outside were blocked, and numerous martial artists were released to search for the assassination squad.

Seo Jong Myeong suddenly looked back.

He saw Yong Cheon Myeong standing with his head bowed. A gloomy aura was emanating from his entire body.

Ever since he was injured by Lee Gwak, he had been in such a state.

He’d lost all motivation, and he’d retreated into his own world.

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t that he had lost to Lee Gwak. He had sustained injuries, but he had inflicted greater damage on Lee Gwak. Yet, he considered it his own defeat.

He pursued perfection to an extent that bordered on obsession. Lee Gwak had left a blemish on his flawless record.

For an ordinary person, it might have been a situation to simply shrug off, but Yong Cheon Myeong’s strong pride couldn’t accept the current state.

Having never faced failure or defeat in his life, he perceived even a minor setback as a complete defeat in his life.

Seo Jong Myeong furrowed his brows.

‘Why now, of all times…’

He thought it wouldn’t be bad for Yong Cheon Myeong to experience defeat at some point. Though it might be hard to accept now, he believed it could be a driving force for further development in the long run.

However, the timing was unfortunate.

While Yong Cheon Myeong was lost in his thoughts, their chance to escape was delayed by a day, and during that time, the Thousand Li Net was completed.

The original plan was not like this.

The original escape route had to be abandoned.

Yong Cheon Myeong needed to regain his senses and lead everyone, but it seemed difficult at the moment.

Jwa Ryoon and the Mystic Martial Squad were no different from Yong Cheon Myeong.

Perhaps due to the shock of being defeated by a mere outer hall martial artist, their expressions were not bright.

Conversely, there were those whose expressions were not so gloomy.

Specifically, Lee Gwak’s subordinates, the 13th squad.

Seo Jong Myeong’s eyes lit up with interest.

It was an illogical atmosphere. Given that their leader Lee Gwak had left in such a manner, the mood should have been gloomy.

Lee Gwak wasn’t just any leader but also the spiritual pillar of the 13th squad. Despite his absence, the fact that the squad members’ mood was not dark indicated they had something to believe in.

Seo Jong Myeong dismounted and approached the 13th squad. The squad members looked at Seo Jong Myeong with wary eyes.

“There’s no need to be so guarded. As you know, I was once the leader of the 13th squad. I care about Lee Gwak as much as you do.”

“What do you want from us?”

Ki Jin Hwi stepped as the spokesperson.

Their gazes met in midair.

For a moment, Seo Jong Myeong’s eyes wavered. The depth in Ki Jin Hwi’s gaze, he thought was just an outer hall martial artist, was unfathomable.

He couldn’t understand why someone with such a gaze remained merely in the outer hall.

“Tsk!”

Suddenly, Seo Jong Myeong clicked his tongue.

Thinking about it, Lee Gwak was no ordinary individual either.

His own bias, thinking he knew Lee Gwak best because he had been in charge, had blinded him. In reality, Lee Gwak possessed martial prowess superior to anyone present there.

It wasn’t strange at all that Lee Gwak had an extraordinary individual under his command.

“Lee Gwak has prepared something, hasn’t he?”

“…”

“Knowing Lee Gwak’s character, he wouldn’t have left you all without any plan. Isn’t that right?”

Seo Jong Myeong’s eyes shone sharply.

***

Gwan Il Hyeon looked down at the corpse sprawled on the ground with a cold gaze.

It was a martial artist from the Phantom Armored Cavalry who had been tracking Han So Cheon ahead of the main force. His neck had a hole the size of a coin.

“He was ambushed.”

There were no signs of struggle on the body. It meant the martial artist had lost his life before even realizing he was under attack.

Already five members of the Phantom Armored Cavalry had lost their lives.

All of them had been tracking the scent of the Thousand Mile Pursuit Scent ahead of the main force.

“What a vicious bitch.”

Having lost five men, all they had managed to learn was that the assassin was a woman.

The female assassin was indeed elusive.

She had maximized the use of the Green Emperor Forest’s terrain to her advantage.

By setting simple traps and assassinating those following the Thousand Mile Pursuit Scent, she bought herself time.

As a result, the distance between the female assassin and Gwan Il Hyeon was not closing; in fact, it was widening over time.

At this rate, they might forever lose the woman who killed Yang Sangwol.

Killing intent swirled in Gwan Il Hyeon’s eyes.

This damn forest was the problem.

The dense foliage prevented the Phantom Armored Cavalry from utilizing their greatest strength, mobility, and was causing delay.

After a moment of observing the forest, Gwan Il Hyeon issued an order.

“Burn this forest.”

“What?”

“Burn down the areas where we suspect the woman might pass through. Leave not a single ant alive.”

He didn’t believe the female assassin would die from mere fire. However, it could put her in a difficult situation.

Additionally, it would eliminate her hiding spots and buy the Phantom Armored Cavalry time to catch up.

Whoosh!

The Green Emperor Forest was set ablaze.

The flames spread rapidly, carried by the wind.

The ancient forest, thriving for thousands of years, was engulfed in flames. The fire spread uncontrollably.

Animals ran frantically to escape the oncoming wave of flames, while birds took to the sky.

In an instant, the Green Emperor Forest turned into a fiery hell.

The flames soared high into the sky, and thick smoke covered the heavens like dark clouds.

“Gasp!”

Han So Cheon covered her mouth and nose with a cloth.

The flames and smoke reached her location faster than she had anticipated.

She couldn’t even keep her eyes open, let alone breathe properly due to the thick smoke.

Moving made it impossible to perform her breathing technique, so she had to tear a cloth to cover her mouth and nose.

Whoosh!

Enormous flames threatened to engulf her at any moment. The intense heat seemed capable of melting steel, and her skin turned red from the heat.

Han So Cheon moved swiftly to avoid the flames.

A look of astonishment was evident on her face.

The enemy’s use of fire was something she hadn’t anticipated.

Her plan to use the dense forest as cover for her escape was completely foiled.

The biggest problem was losing her sense of direction while fleeing the fire.

All she could see was the pervasive red flames and black smoke.

With the sky obscured and unable to discern the terrain, there was no way to determine her direction.

She had no choice but to rely on her instincts to move.

“Pant, pant!”

She gasped for air as she tried to hold her breath against the smoke.

Her physical strength was depleting.

Her legs felt incredibly heavy, and her head grew dizzy from the lack of fresh air. Still, she moved desperately.

To survive, to escape this place.

‘I must get out of here fast.’

Han So Cheon increased her speed.

The intense movement caused her hastily applied bandages to burst open, and blood flowed out. Yet, Han So Cheon couldn’t even feel the pain.

She had to keep moving to avoid the flames.

Her fatigue reached its peak, and her throat was parched. She wished for nothing more than to take a moment to drink a sip of water, but she knew how luxurious that thought was.

Enduring the pain, Han So Cheon continued to run, fleeing the fire.

After half a day of running, she finally managed to escape the fiery hell.

“Pant, pant!”

The area she had fled to had already been ravaged by the fire.

Everything was burned down, leaving nowhere else to burn.

The ground had turned into nothing but ashes, and the charred bodies of animals were scattered everywhere, emitting a foul smell.

Han So Cheon looked around.

She was searching for a stream of water. However, no matter how much she looked, she couldn’t find even a puddle.

Eventually, Han So Cheon gave up on finding water and settled for catching her breath.

“Whew!”

She took a deep breath.

Inhaling fresh air cleared her head a bit.

That’s when it happened.

Swoosh!

Suddenly, a sharp sound of something cutting through the air echoed.

It was the sound of an arrow flying with fierce momentum.

Sensing danger, Han So Cheon instinctively twisted her body. The arrow grazed her side.

“Gasp!”

A burning pain made Han So Cheon involuntarily inhale deeply.

Her body trembled.

Then, a cold voice said, “Got you.”

A group of martial artists emerged, scattering ashes around them.

A hundred mounted martial artists. It was Gwan Il Hyeon and the Phantom Armored Cavalry.

After setting the Green Emperor Forest on fire, they mounted the horses they had left on the outskirts and rode, following the scent of the Thousand Mile Pursuit Scent.

The fire-ravaged Green Emperor Forest no longer posed any obstacles.

Using their internal energy to protect themselves and their horses, they galloped through the forest and finally caught up to Han So Cheon.

Gwan Il Hyeon dismounted.

A fearsome killing intent emanated from him.

“Bitch! How dare you kill Master Yang within the Celestial Demon Troupe.”

Yang Sangwol was one of the few people in the Celestial Demon Troupe that Gwan Il Hyeon truly trusted and relied upon.

Even Gwan Il Hyeon, consumed by a desire for power, genuinely believed in and followed Yang Sangwol. He had hoped Yang would end his days in peace.

“You won’t die easily. I’ll make sure you experience every pain a human can feel.”

Gwan Il Hyeon signaled to the Phantom Armored Cavalry, and they charged towards Han So Cheon.

The flames were still burning, but they paid no mind. They, too, had nothing but vengeance left after losing their comrades to Han So Cheon.

Whoosh!

A wedge-shaped barrier formed at the forefront of the brigade.

It was a Qi Barrier.

The internal energy of a hundred men synchronized to form a massive barrier of Qi.

It was the Linear Asura Formation  that the Phantom Armored Cavalry prided themselves on.

After suffering a major defeat against Gwang Noh ya years ago, the Phantom Armored Cavalry, determined to improve, created the Linear Asura Formation.

Facing an absolute master like Gwang Noh ya, they concluded that a concentrated force was more necessary than the feeble strength of individuals.

The Linear Asura Formation was created for that purpose.

Han So Cheon’s face contorted.

The overwhelming air pressure bore down on her first.

A gloomy light flickered in her eyes.

Han So Cheon was an assassin.

Her greatest strength lay in hiding and launching surprise attacks. Her martial arts were specifically optimized for assassination.

A frontal confrontation like this was inherently disadvantageous to her, especially against opponents who operated cavalry formations.

The moment she revealed herself, Han So Cheon stood no chance.

She knew this, but that didn’t mean she could just give up.

Han So Cheon clenched her teeth.

She gripped her sword tightly.

After becoming a member of the Hidden Blood Squad, she had thought it didn’t matter when she died.

She had lost countless comrades and was prepared to meet the same fate at any time.

“So dying doesn’t matter.”

Tap!

Han So Cheon charged with terrifying momentum towards the oncoming Phantom Armored Cavalry.