chapter 225

Where the Heart Leads…(4)

“We’re almost at the Siege Fortress. Stay alert, we still don’t know their movements.”

Wild Wolf Squad leader Jeok Ung-cheon called out as he halted for a moment.

“Don’t worry, sir. This isn’t our first time doing this! Haha!”

“Relax, leader. How would the fools in the Siege Fortress know we’re here? They’re drowning in their own troubles. Haha!”

The bandits of the Wild Wolf Squad laughed and chatted carelessly. Despite their nonchalance, Jeok Ung-cheon did not rebuke them.

Though they spoke lightly, these men were experts at ensuring their own safety. Knowing that to be discovered by the martial artists of Siege Fortress meant certain death, they would be extremely cautious.

Beside Jeok Ung-cheon stood Lee Soo-ah. She frowned deeply as she looked at the Wild Wolf Squad.

The Wild Wolf Squad hadn’t come to the Siege Fortress for nothing; they were planning a raid.

Somehow, they had learned that a wealthy man in the siege fortress was preparing to move, and they planned to loot him.

Siege Fortress was quite a bustling city. Naturally, it had officials and small sects, making raiding within the city nearly impossible. In the past, they wouldn’t have dared to attack the wealthy.

However, the situation had changed. The wealthy man was moving to a newly built mansion on the outskirts of Siege Fortress. Of course, his vast treasure hoard would also be moved.

The Wild Wolf Squad was targeting this treasure.

They aimed to strike during the half-day window when the treasure would be in transit from the heavily guarded Siege Fortress to the new estate.

Jeok Ung-cheon decided to send a few of his men into the Siege Fortress to gather information and rest in the meantime.

The Wild Wolf Squad spread out in a spacious area, each finding a place to rest.

“You, sit next to me.”

Jeok Ung-cheon seated Lee Soo-ah right beside him. He hadn’t let her out of his sight since their journey began, indicating his interest in her.

She had a pretty face and a sharp personality. Despite her youth, she was remarkably capable.

Jeok Ung-cheon believed that with proper guidance, she could eventually lead the Wild Wolf Squad. Though she resisted now, he was confident she would eventually adapt to their life.

He knew well how fragile a child’s memories could be.

If he kept her close and indoctrinated her, she would eventually forget her real parents and see him as her father. He was certain of it.

Lee Soo-ah obediently sat beside him.

“Eat.”

Jeok Ung-cheon offered her some of his provisions—dried horse meat jerky.

Lee Soo-ah nibbled on the jerky and asked,

“Do we really have to raid like this? You’ve already amassed quite a fortune. Wouldn’t it be better to settle down somewhere?”

“What does a little girl know? The more wealth, the better. Wealth belongs to the strong. The man we’re targeting also amassed his fortune by exploiting the weak. He won’t begrudge us taking it.”

“That’s nonsense.”

“Haha! You’ll understand once you’ve been with me for a while. You’ll become one of us.”

“I’ll never become a bandit.”

“Hmph! It doesn’t matter if you refuse. Your fate is already in my hands.”

“You’re really pitiful.”

“What?”

“Boasting about controlling a child’s fate. That’s why you’ll never rise above being a bandit.”

Jeok Ung-cheon’s face darkened with anger.

Her words had hit a nerve. He had once dreamed of learning martial arts at a prestigious sect, but his age had been a barrier.

Unable to join a renowned sect, he trained at a lesser school. Even there, he faced discrimination.

With the major sects controlling all the opportunities, Jeok Ung-cheon gathered his followers and formed the Wild Wolf Squad.

Despite his lack of formal training, he had considerable martial talent and intelligence, leading numerous successful raids with minimal losses. This made him highly respected among his men.

Though he had become a powerful bandit leader, he was haunted by the realization that he could never escape the limitations of being a bandit.

Jeok Ung-cheon glared at Lee Soo-ah. Despite her bravery, she was only a child. His fierce gaze made her tremble, but she bit her lip and stood her ground.

“Watch your words from now on. If you do this again, I’ll sell you to a brothel.”

Jeok Ung-cheon issued a final warning.

He found her desirable at the moment, but if she crossed him, he wouldn’t hesitate to sell her.

He had ruined countless girls’ lives in this way.

“Leader, that girl seems quite stubborn. Shouldn’t we just sell her?”

“Yes, a high-end brothel would pay a good price for her. Why bother with the hassle?”

The bandits suggested, but Jeok Ung-cheon dismissed their remarks with a snort.

Despite his harsh words, he was reluctant to part with Lee Soo-ah.

Lee Soo-ah sighed as she watched Jeok Ung-cheon.

‘Did I escape a wolf’s den only to end up in a tiger’s lair?’

She planned to escape as soon as they reached the Siege Fortress, but Jeok Ung-cheon’s vigilance made it difficult to execute her plan.

“Sigh!”

Lee Soo-ah sighed unconsciously, but she hadn’t given up.

‘An opportunity will come.’

She clenched her small fist tightly.

“I found you.”

Suddenly, an eerie voice echoed through the area.

“Who’s there?”

Startled, Jeok Ung-cheon and the bandits sprang to their feet, looking towards the direction of the voice. They saw a group of men approaching, exuding an intimidating aura.

Recognizing them, Lee Soo-ah’s face tensed. She instinctively knew these men were tracking her.

Indeed, they were members of the Shadow Chasing Squad, led by Yoon Sa-pyeong. His face was grim with fury.

What he had thought would be a quick mission had dragged on due to Lee Soo-ah joining the Wild Wolf Squad.

Tracking Wild Wolf Squad was no easy task. Their swift movements meant any lapse in attention could result in losing their trail.

To avoid this, the Shadow Chasing Squad had pursued them relentlessly, their anger growing with each passing day.

Yoon Sa-pyeong’s gaze locked onto Lee Soo-ah.

He extended his hand and spoke,

“Come here, girl.”

“Who are you?”

Jeok Ung-cheon responded, his face filled with caution. He instinctively sensed the danger from Yoon Sa-pyeong and his men.

Yoon Sa-pyeong’s eyes flashed with killing intent.

“I’ll deal with you and your lackeys shortly. Wait your turn.”

“What? How dare you underestimate me. Do you know who I am?”

Jeok Ung-cheon radiated hostility.

Though aware of the formidable presence of Yoon Sa-pyeong’s group, he couldn’t afford to show weakness in front of his men.

He had always been a reliable leader, and that reliability was the key to the Wild Wolf Squad’s success.

If he backed down now, it would damage his reputation and undermine his leadership.

Jeok Ung-cheon stared intensely at Yoon Sa-pyeong.

A flicker of annoyance crossed Yoon Sa-pyeong’s face.

Swish!

A sharp sound pierced the air.

Jeok Ung-cheon blinked.

For a moment, he didn’t comprehend what had happened to him.

“…”

His subordinates seemed to be saying something, but he couldn’t make out the words. His ears were ringing.

Ping!

The world spun and then went dark.

That was Jeok Ung-cheon’s end.

A fountain of blood erupted from his forehead, and his body fell to the ground like a felled tree.

Yoon Sa-pyeong’s swift sword had pierced Jeok Ung-cheon’s forehead.

“Leader!”

“shit! Who are these bastards to kill our leader?”

The Wild Wolf Squad, realizing the situation, drew their weapons and charged.

Though they often seemed at odds, they were fiercely loyal to Jeok Ung-cheon.

The Wild Wolf Squad attacked Shadow Chasing Squad with blind fury.

“Die!”

“You bastards!”

The scene descended into chaos, with people mingling together so much that little Lee Soo-ah was invisible.

Yoon Sa-pyeong’s fury exploded.

“Vermin…”

He swung his sword, slaughtering three Wild Wolf Squad martial artists who blocked his path in an instant.

Blood splattered, and three bodies fell to the ground.

The Shadow Chasing Squad quickly decimated the Wild Wolf Squad.

Despite the Wild Wolf Squad’s notorious reputation as ruthless bandits, they were no match for the elite martial artists of the White Light Sect.

The Shadow Chasing Squad were formidable fighters, each capable of taking on a hundred foes. Under their relentless assault, Wild Wolf Squad fell, crying out in despair.

“shit!”

Reaching where Lee Soo-ah had been, Yoon Sa-pyeong cursed. The girl was nowhere to be seen.

He urgently scanned the area.

His eyes caught sight of a rustling thicket.

“That little bitch…”

Without hesitation, Yoon Sa-pyeong dashed towards the thicket. In the distance, he saw Lee Soo-ah running like a swift rabbit.

Her qigong was remarkable for such a small child; any more hesitation and she would have disappeared from view.

Yoon Sa-pyeong increased his pace.

His body became a gust of wind, rapidly closing the distance between them.

“I won’t let you go, girl!”

Though he couldn’t kill her due to his orders, breaking her legs seemed like a satisfying option.

As he got closer to catching her, he reached out his hand.

“Haap!”

At that moment, Lee Soo-ah let out a sharp yell and changed direction. Yoon Sa-pyeong’s hand barely missed her neck.

This scene repeated several times.

When pushed to their limits, humans often reach heightened senses. Lee Soo-ah was now in that state.

Using an acute awareness she wouldn’t normally possess, she dodged Yoon Sa-pyeong’s grasp repeatedly.

“You’ve been hiding your martial skills.”

Yoon Sa-pyeong realized Lee Soo-ah was more skilled in martial arts than he had anticipated.

Swoosh!

Suddenly, Lee Soo-ah swung a sword at him.

She had secretly picked up one of Wild Wolf Squad’s swords that had fallen on the ground.

The technique she used was the Three Yin Divine Sword. Though not highly accomplished, it was enough to momentarily surprise Yoon Sa-pyeong.

Surprised by the unexpected attack, Yoon Sa-pyeong momentarily lost his balance. In that instant, Lee Soo-ah threw the sword with all her might. However, Yoon Sa-pyeong was a master far beyond Lee Soo-ah’s reach.

Clang!

The sword bounced off Yoon Sa-pyeong’s blade. But without looking back, Lee Soo-ah kept running.

She knew she couldn’t defeat him with a surprise attack. All she wanted was a bit of time. And her plan worked perfectly.

While Yoon Sa-pyeong was momentarily off-guard, she had gained some distance.

Kwa kwa kwa

She heard the sound of water in the distance.

A dampness filled the air.

“A waterfall?”

Without further thought, Lee Soo-ah sprinted towards the sound of the waterfall.

“Stop!”

Realizing her plan, Yoon Sa-pyeong increased his speed, closing the gap.

She felt Yoon Sa-pyeong’s breath on her back.

Lee Soo-ah gritted her teeth and summoned all her internal energy.

The sight of the waterfall crashing down appeared before her.

The waterfall fell from a thousand-foot cliff into a deep pool below, forming a turbulent stream that flowed down the valley.

Lee Soo-ah’s face showed a hint of fear as she confirmed the waterfall. She had run this far because there was nowhere else to go, but now she was terrified by the sheer power of the waterfall.

“Mother, Cheong-Ah! Give me strength.”

Thinking of them, Lee Soo-ah leaped towards the waterfall.

Thud!

At the last moment, her body stopped in midair.

Yoon Sa-pyeong had grabbed the back of her clothing.

“Got you.”

As he smirked with satisfaction, Lee Soo-ah swung her arm behind her. In her hand was a small dagger, also taken from the Wild Wolf Squad.

Slice!

The dagger grazed Yoon Sa-pyeong’s wrist.

Though it only left a shallow cut, it was enough to weaken his grip.

“Fuck!”

Cursing, Yoon Sa-pyeong could do nothing as Lee Soo-ah’s small body plummeted into the waterfall’s depths.

Her figure vanished into the misty spray.

“Grr!”

Grinding his teeth, Yoon Sa-pyeong stared at the pool below. The thick mist obscured any view of what lay beneath.

“Leader!”

The rest of the Shadow Chasing Squad arrived quickly.

Yoon Sa-pyeong issued orders.

“You two, find out where this stream flows. The rest, follow me down.”

If Lee Soo-ah had died, they needed to at least retrieve her body.