Chapter 271

The End of a Bad Relationship is Only Lonely (2)

“Huuh!”

A woman sighed softly as she looked at the darkened streets of Chaohu.

Even her light armor couldn’t conceal her dazzling beauty.

She was Namgung Yeon-hwa, the Snow Sword Flower. She was one of the celebrated talents of the Thousand Kingdom School.

A young martial artist approached her.

“Why such a heavy sigh? You’ll cause the ground to sink.”

The young martial artist, who appeared to be in his early thirties, radiated an overwhelming and sharp aura.

“Brother.”

There was only one man among the countless martial artists in the world whom Namgung Yeon-hwa called brother.

It was Namgung In, the Invincible Sword.

He was hailed as the most talented genius in the history of Thousand Kingdom School and a sword prodigy, standing on par with Yong Cheon-myeong of the Jade Heaven Alliance and Eun Muyeong of the Nine Dragons Sect.

Namgung In had never tasted defeat.

A martial artist with no equal once he picked up a sword – so much so that he earned the nickname “Invincible” at a young age.

Usually, Namgung In rarely left the Thousand Kingdom School.

Aside from eating and sleeping, he devoted all his time to honing his skills. But the rapidly changing world no longer allowed him the luxury of endless training.

Already, the Zealous Justice Clan and White Light Sect had fallen to the Jade Heaven Alliance.

Though a few sects still held their ground, it was impossible to predict the outcome of the remaining seven sects.

The same applied to the Thousand Kingdom School.

Although they had allied themselves with Sky Heaven Castle, the relentless onslaught of the Jade Heaven Alliance pushed them to the limit.

Losing the Crimson Lotus Manor in Chaohu had been a critical blow.

Chaohu, connected to the Yangtze River, was the hub of all supplies for the Thousand Kingdom School’s base in Anhui Province. If they couldn’t recapture this place, Thousand Kingdom School’s supply lines would be severely crippled.

The fate of the Thousand Kingdom School rested on the mission to reclaim the Crimson Lotus Manor.

This was why Namgung In had come to Chaohu himself.

He was not alone.

Alongside him was Namgung Yeon-hwa and the elite squad of Thousand Kingdom School—the Nameless Iron Sword Squad.

The Nameless Iron Sword Squad was one of Thousand Kingdom School’s secret weapons.

Their sole mission was to ruthlessly punish Thousand Kingdom School’s enemies.

The members of the squad had no names, hence their title. Names were irrelevant to them; they existed only as the weapons of the Thousand Kingdom School.

With the Invincible Sword Namgung In and the Nameless Iron Sword Squad, it was unimaginable. Yet, Namgung Yeon-hwa couldn’t shake a growing unease in her heart.

That was the reason for her sigh. But she couldn’t admit it.

Namgung Yeon-hwa forced a smile.

“It’s nothing.”

“For nothing, that sigh seemed awfully heavy. If there’s something bothering you, tell me honestly.”

“No, it’s just that I’m nervous.”

“Well, that makes sense.”

Namgung In’s gaze sank heavily.

Chaohu was like the backyard that the Thousand Kingdom School had long dominated. Not only had they lost their own backyard to the enemy, but they had to shed blood to get it back.

Whether the operation succeeded or failed, the damage would not be insignificant.

For Namgung Yeon-hwa, this was her first such brutal mission. If anything went wrong, she could be in danger.

Namgung In, for his part, didn’t want to bring her into such a blood-soaked battlefield. But both he and Namgung Yeon-hwa had no choice.

As direct descendants of the leader of the Thousand Kingdom School, they carried responsibilities and obligations heavier than most.

Namgung In looked at the darkened Crimson Lotus Manor in the distance.

To outsiders, it was just another manor, but to the Thousand Kingdom School, it was an invaluable stronghold.

He turned slightly to look behind him.

Over a hundred martial artists of the Nameless Iron Sword Squad were lined up. A ferocious aura emanated from their entire bodies.

Namgung In gave the order.

“Let’s go. Let’s show those evil Jade Heaven Alliance bastards that the Thousand Kingdom School is no pushover.”

“Yes!”

They moved as one, following Namgung In.

“Huuh!”

Namgung Yeon-hwa’s sigh echoed through the night as she followed behind them.

***

Lee Cheong was sound asleep, breathing softly.

Having had to endure a grueling march to save Ki Jin-hwi, exhaustion had accumulated in his small body. After rescuing Ki Jin-hwi, a sense of relief allowed his tension to finally dissipate.

All of this led Lee Cheong to fall into a deep, restful sleep.

Lee Gwak gently stroked Lee Cheong’s head. Perhaps finding Lee Gwak’s touch pleasant, a smile formed on Lee Cheong’s lips.

At that moment, Ki Jin-hwi approached Lee Gwak. He was forcing himself to move even though he shouldn’t be moving yet.

Sitting down beside Lee Gwak, he spoke.

“You must feel content, Leader.”

“Pardon?”

“I mean, just looking at Cheong makes you feel content.”

“Oh? Yes!” Lee Gwak nodded.

Ki Jin-hwi’s face softened into a similar smile.

“How could it not be? When a child who looks just like you is growing up so well.”

“I’m just grateful. Even though he spent more time without me, he grew up like this.”

“He inherited his parents’ good nature. It’s no wonder. But anyway, I’m truly glad I get to see this.”

Ki Jin-hwi grinned broadly.

If he hadn’t woken from the nightmare of the 100 days’ cursed dream , they wouldn’t have been able to share this moment of laughter.

Lee Gwak smiled back at Ki Jin-hwi, but soon his expression darkened.

Cautiously, he asked.

“Do you know what happened to Brother Yi Cheon?”

“As far as I know, he’s still in the main base of the Jade Heaven Alliance.”

“Well, that’s a relief.”

“Yes, a lucky break. He returned to the main base from the battlefield.”

“What about the others?”

“The 13th squad? As far as I know, no one’s dead yet. But it’s a close call. We don’t know when they’ll be thrown into a death mission.”

At Ki Jin-hwi’s answer, Lee Gwak’s expression darkened further.

It was a world ruled by the mad winds of war.

Already, countless people had died, and many more would die in the future.

The insane desire of just one person had created this hellish world.

“Sigh!”

As he thought of Ja Hong-cheon, a sigh came out naturally.

“It’s not your fault, Squad Leader. No one could have stopped the Alliance leader’s mad decision.”

“Where is the alliance leader now?”

“I have no idea. Honestly, I’ve never cared.”

“Hmm!”

“Don’t overthink it. You’re not alone, Squad leader. You have a loving wife and children. For their sake, stay hidden and live in peace.”

“……”

“You’ve found happiness, haven’t you? You deserve it. Don’t let it slip away.”

“Thank you… for saying that.”

“Hehe! We’re not strangers, are we? Didn’t you travel all this way to save someone as insignificant as me?”

Ki Jin-hwi laughed heartily, showing his missing front tooth, giving him a slightly goofy look, but to Lee Gwak, he seemed more comforting than anyone.

Suddenly, Lee Gwak remembered something and asked.

“Who exactly is Gyeong Chu-wol?”

“Huuuh!”

“If it’s hard to answer, you don’t have to.”

“No, it’s not that. I just don’t know where to begin. I had no idea he was the one who stole our family’s secrets.”

“So, he’s an unexpected figure.”

“Yes! Back at the family, he was always diligent. He would do menial tasks with a smile and was very trustworthy. Many people had faith in him, including myself.”

“Hmm.”

“Then one day, a great fire broke out at the family’s estate, and many died. Our family’s secret technique disappeared without a trace. I thought Gyeong Chu-wol had died in the fire, so I didn’t include him in the list of suspects. But now I realize he must have started the fire to fake his own death.”

“He must be a meticulous schemer, to have hidden his tracks and faked his death so well.”

“Yes, I suppose so.”

Ki Jin-hwi’s gaze grew melancholic.

There were few survivors from his family.

After the fire claimed their lives, he had been the only one left. If it weren’t for the deep bond he shared with the 13th squad, he might have gone mad long ago.

He had joined the 13th squad by chance to find Gyeong Chu-wol, but there Ki Jin-hwi shared deep bonds. So he liked the 13th squad. At least they shared their hearts with Ki Jin-hwi without any ulterior motives.

Lee Gwak asked,

“Then where was Gyeong Chu-wol in the Jade Heaven Alliance?”

“He was in the Blue Palace as a low-ranking warrior.”

“Blue Palace?”

“Yes, the residence of the First Young Master. It’s no wonder we couldn’t find him; he was hiding right under their noses.”

“Do you think the First Young Master knew of Gyeong Chu-wol’s true identity?”

“I can’t say for sure.”

Ki Jin-hwi shook his head slightly.

Gyeong Chu-wol had kept his identity so well-hidden that it was hard to imagine he’d revealed himself to Yong Cheon-myeong. Then again, life is unpredictable, so Ki Jin-hwi couldn’t be certain.

“Huuuh!”

Ki Jin-hwi let out a deep sigh.

Before meeting Gyeong Chu-wol, he had been confident he could subdue him easily.

Even if Gyeong Chu-wol had mastered the family’s technique, he couldn’t possibly compare to Ki Jin-hwi in skill.

The difference in experience and talent was vast.

The Gyeong Chu-wol he knew didn’t possess outstanding talent. Rather, he had less talent than the average person.

But somehow, Gyeong Chu-wol had grown enough to pose a real threat in a short time. It was impossible through conventional means.

His technique was filled with dark energy.

He must have used some kind of shortcut. Ki Jin-hwi didn’t know what that method was, but it certainly wasn’t a righteous means.

Lee Gwak, seeing the concern on Ki Jin-hwi’s face, spoke.

“For now, focus on recovering your strength. You can worry about the rest later.”

“Huuuh! You’re right.”

“Get some sleep. You look tired.”

“I will. You should sleep too, Squad leader.”

“Yes.”

Ki Jin-hwi lay down next to Lee Gwak.

After tossing and turning briefly, his breathing evened out as he fell asleep.

Lee Gwak soon followed him into sleep.

He was awakened early the next morning by urgent voices outside.

“Branch Leader!”

“What’s going on?”

“It’s… it’s a disaster!”

The noise outside quickly grew louder and more chaotic.

“Uunngh! What’s happening?”

“What is it?”

Lee Cheong and Ki Jin-hwi also woke up.

Lee Gwak went outside with them.

Hao Clan’s Chaohu branch leader, Yoo Gang-ui, was speaking seriously with his subordinates.

Lee Gwak and Ki Jin-hwi approached him.

“What’s going on?”

“Oh, master Lee.”

“Why is everyone so tense?”

“Well…”

Yoo Gang-ui hesitated, glancing at the two, but quickly explained the situation.

“There was a clash between the Jade Heaven Alliance and Thousand Kingdom School last night.”

“In Chaohu?”

“Yes, they say the Crimson Lotus Manor, which the Jade Heaven Alliance had taken, became a sea of blood.”

“Hmm.”

“The exact details are unclear, but many people were caught up in the fight and lost their lives.”

“Even civilians?”

“Yes.”

Yoo Gang-ui’s face darkened.

He was a resident of Chaohu.

Seeing his home torn apart by the warring factions of the Jianghu weighed heavily on him.

Although they couldn’t yet know the exact extent of the damage, judging from his subordinate’s report, it would not be insignificant.

Lee Gwak’s expression hardened.

An unpleasant feeling, like being stuck in a swamp, was engulfing his whole body.

He had a bad feeling.

Lee Gwak said to Yoo Gang-ui, “I’ll go out for a moment. I need to assess the situation.”

“It’s dangerous, Master Lee. They say the Changcheon Alliance’s warriors are all over outside. The atmosphere is so grim that even my subordinates can’t easily approach the site. Even now, the Changcheon Alliance’s warriors are arresting all suspicious people. If you approach in this situation, they’ll recognize you immediately. Then it’ll become a big problem.”

Lee Gwak furrowed his brow deeply.

He wasn’t afraid of getting into a conflict with the Jade Heaven Alliance. Because while he didn’t know about the entire Jade Heaven Alliance, at least he could handle the martial artists present here. But then the problem would inevitably escalate.

At that moment.

“Dad! I’ll go,” Lee Cheong stepped forward.

“You?”

“No one will pay attention to a child like me. So I’ll go.”