Chapter 316: Black-Clothed Men (5)

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Right now, I was running with my father slung over my shoulder. As a result, his solar plexus was constantly pressed against my shoulder, making it seem difficult for him to breathe. However, if I tucked him at my waist, his ankles would drag, and at my speed, his ankles might break.

“Just endure it a little for now.”

“Huff, gasp.”

My father could not even answer properly. As if aware that he was a burden, my father did not make annoying complaints like asking me to run slower.

The forest grew deeper, and the damp smell of rotting fallen leaves rose thickly. With split-second judgment, I determined whether branches could support my leg power or not, stepping on them as I forged ahead through the forest.

As Gwan Seo-ye had said, the numbers of the Blood Cult truly seemed vast. Personnel emerging anew from somewhere formed a new encirclement.

The pattern was that whenever I escaped an encirclement at high speed, people appearing from elsewhere would form an encirclement once again.

Having already run for several two-hour periods, the speed of my lightness skill had slowed, while they had been waiting for a long time, making it inevitable that the gap would gradually narrow.

Swish-swish-swish!

“Hui-yeong-ah!”

My father screamed from behind.

“I know!”

Snapping in irritation, I bent my waist, picked up a pebble, and threw it behind me. With a sharp clang, the trajectory of a dagger soared high into the sky.

Still, as we entered deep into the forest, the pursuers unfamiliar with lightness skills gradually began to slow down. The dense, obstacle-ridden interior of the forest was not a good place to unleash lightness skills to the utmost.

Merely scattering their forces achieved the desired outcome of entering the forest. Even so, I continued running to divide their forces even further.

As a merchant, because I usually traveled along well-paved official roads or major thoroughfares, I had never entered such forest paths nor even thought of going through them.

Consequently, I saw unfamiliar plants and venomous creatures intertwined for the first time in my life. Of course, since I was now a master to some degree, at most ordinary animals could not harm me, but there was no reason to needlessly expose my body to venomous beasts either.

Instead, I threw small stones to strike the heads of nameless venomous creatures. Not to kill them, but to provoke their tempers.

Struck on the head, the venomous creatures each hissed and reared up. Now, they would serve as defenders against the pursuers advancing from behind.

“Aaaagh!”

“What is this!”

After running for some distance, human screams were heard from behind. My intention seemed to have hit the mark perfectly.

However, a forest was not structured to only grow deeper indefinitely. If one continued in a straight line, one was bound to exit the forest eventually.

Gradually, the dense forest thinned out, and moonlight shone around us. Right now, I had been using lightness skills for over half a day plus several two-hour periods.

Though the initial half-day had been spent leisurely taking in the scenery, the subsequent several two-hour periods of lightness skills had been run in utter desperation, so my breath was gradually running short and sweat was seeping out.

“Are you all right?”

Seeing the salt and sweat rising on the back of my neck, my father asked worriedly. I had no leisure to answer. Rather than that, catching one more breath was the way to help my father.

I continued to run. Fortunately, even though the distance was closing, there was no pursuer who could overwhelm me in lightness skills or internal strength. I looked at the sky. If one was a merchant, one had to be able to easily gauge directions by looking at the stars. Having run north from Jingzhou for four hours, and northwest into the forest for two hours, this was likely around Zhongxiang.

When drawing a straight line between Jingzhou and Wudang Mountain, it was located right in the middle. That meant I had to run the distance I had traveled so far once more.

‘Can I do it?’

I asked myself unconsciously. Even now, my breath was catching, and my vision seemed to be narrowing.

‘I must.’

The answer came quickly. Debating whether I could or could not do it here was a meaningless question. If I did not, I would die. Then there was only the resolve that I must do it.

I emerged directly from the forest. Originally, to travel from Zhongxiang to Jun County where Wudang Mountain stood, passing through Xiangyang where the Zhuge Clan was located was standard. But needing to go in the shortest time, I would advance in a straight line through trackless terrain.

And it was the moment I emerged from the forest.

People who had concealed their presence behind rocks emerged in unison, leveled their swords at me, and surrounded me.

“Haa.”

Only then did I realize. The pursuers chasing from behind were not meant to catch us, but to herd us. The guess I had made initially had been correct.

However, thinking about it, given the continuously added manpower, no matter which direction I had turned, a trap of this scale would likely have existed. I felt I understood why the Heavenly Net was called the inescapable tether of hell.

“Quite fast, indeed. I suppose those born with the energy of the Heavenly Demon are all like that.”

A handsome young man wearing a black-brimmed hat spoke. Judging from the embroidery on his clothing alone, he seemed to be the person in charge of this trap.

“Do you cultists not even greet the Heavenly Demon upon seeing him? Even if doctrines differ, isn’t the root the same?”

I said those words to mock them, but they took it seriously. Taking off his black-brimmed hat, the handsome young man performed a martial salute.

“I am the Sword Demon of the Blood Cult, Ma Cheon-wi.”

“Sword Demon?”

“Our faction is so vast that beneath the Heavenly Demon, we manage the organization by placing the Nine Demons.”

“Oh. You mean you are one of those Nine Demons?”

“That is correct.”

“You look quite young for that. Or is the Blood Cult so rootless a power that it grants positions to a novice like you?”

I knew it was comical for me to say that. In fact, I laughed slightly as I spoke. Clearly, Sword Demon Ma Cheon-wi must have thought the same thing, but whether out of courtesy toward me or truly thinking I was different, he did not utter those words aloud.

“Haha. I am not as young as you might think. Being viewed as young makes me feel good, however.”

“Is that so? How old are you?”

“I have reached fifty years of age.”

“……What?”

This was another fresh shock. Looking like my peer to anyone’s eyes, yet a middle-aged man of fifty.

“Did you undergo the Return to Youth? That Return to Youth which even the Five Great Sword Masters Under Heaven could not achieve?”

“It is slightly different from that. Our martial arts borrow power in advance. Should I say that youth is maintained longer compared to the orthodox sects? Though old age will be somewhat arduous instead.”

Ma Cheon-wi kindly continued his explanation.

“If orthodox martial arts are flowing water, we are blazing flames.”

“Rising in reverse toward the heavens, it is truly a martial art that defies heaven.”

“Yet I wish to ask in return. Isn’t ascension to immortality the ultimate goal of orthodox martial artists as well? Then isn’t that also defying heaven? For a human to ascend to heaven, I consider that the ultimate defiance of heaven.”

I could not refute those words. Because it sounded quite logical. In truth, whether defying heaven or following heaven, weren’t they merely words tailored to their own tastes? Had not the Demonic Cult been the same in reality?

Originally, the Demonic Cult spoken of by the orthodox sects was an evil energy, but in reality, wasn’t it merely the energy of the former imperial household?

“That is a matter to ponder gradually.”

“As expected, the Heavenly Demon has an open mind. When we say such things to the old fogies of the orthodox sects, they treat us like mythical demons, claiming we entice them with wicked and deceitful words.”

Ma Cheon-wi laughed. Somehow, that hearty laughter was a dense chuckle that did not match his outward appearance.

“Yet it is truly regrettable. The Heavenly Demon will have no more time to ponder.”

“Why?”

“Because you will return to heaven here.”

“Haha.”

This time, I laughed. Gripping Bright Elegance, I emitted my energy toward the people surrounding me. From those facing me to those behind, I felt them flinch.

“It won’t be easy.”

“A truly tremendous achievement. Young Heavenly Demon. Even the Heavenly Demon I serve has cultivated martial arts all his life and possesses talent rare in a thousand ages, but he certainly does not compare to you.”

“Your Heavenly Demon would be disappointed to hear that.”

“If he were disappointed to that degree, I would not have served him until now.”

“That is true as well.”

I abruptly sprang forward. Naturally, I was at a disadvantage right now. In a battle, nothing created variables as well as a surprise attack.

From my sword, smoke-like sword qi smoldered upward. Soon, the smoke enveloped my body and sword at once. It was a variation of a form from the Flowing Cloud Sword Art.

“Oho.”

Sword Demon Ma Cheon-wi’s admiration sounded in my ear. With both hands still dropped toward the ground, Ma Cheon-wi was merely tracking me with his eyes.

I did not commit the folly of clashing directly with Ma Cheon-wi either. While I did not know if I could defeat Ma Cheon-wi, having to flee, there was no reason to collide with the strongest expert.

“Aaaagh!”

“Ugh!”

The place where I passed. As the smoke cleared, corpses riddled with sword wounds lay sprawled across the ground.

“At that level, it is not a variation stance, but a complete reorganization into a new martial art. It is the Flowing Cloud Sword Art, correct?”

Ma Cheon-wi asked slickly. Naturally, I did not answer and bolted forward. But in an instant, the moon was obscured, and looking ahead, Ma Cheon-wi stood there. Looking behind, the other Blood Cult members were not even pursuing.

It was a movement based on the calculation that Ma Cheon-wi alone could capture me. Feeling that he considered killing me a simple matter as long as Ma Cheon-wi and I met, my pride was needlessly wounded. Seeing that my pride was wounded over such a thing, it seemed I had truly become a full-fledged martial artist.

“It was an excellent martial art. A radical modification that the conservative Wudang Sect would never dare attempt.”

“Don’t evaluate me.”

“Fufu. You differ somewhat from the information I knew. I heard your pride as a martial artist was not great, but you have more of it than expected.”

“From when is that information? Your intelligence gathering seems considerably weak.”

“Normally, such information does not change easily. One does not even think to update it.”

“Originally, people change.”

“Our opinions differ slightly on that as well.”

Ma Cheon-wi drew his sword. An ominous energy erupted from the sword and his entire body.

“I am not by nature someone who enjoys conversing with people, but conversing with the Heavenly Demon was entertaining.”

“Don’t talk as if this is the end.”

“Put down your father and fight. I will grant the Heavenly Demon at least that much courtesy.”

“How thankful I should be.”

For this, I was truly thankful. I placed my father, whom I had been carrying like baggage, far away. Slumped on the ground, my father stared blankly at me. He seemed still unable to understand the situation itself.

“Thank you. By nature, I am not someone who feels gratitude toward people, but I felt gratitude toward you.”

“You remain entertaining until the end. It is regrettable. If the Heavenly Demon had joined us……”

As the end of his words blurred, Ma Cheon-wi’s figure blurred as well. I expanded my senses to the maximum while simultaneously raising my Wind God perception to the peak. Bringing all the senses I could employ to their utmost, I could feel even the wind passing over the fine hairs of my skin.

Boom!

Boom!

The sound of something bursting rang out. For a moment, I wondered what that sound was. Because we had not clashed against anything yet.

I realized belatedly. It was the shockwave created as Ma Cheon-wi’s foot pushed the atmosphere away. The speed of his stamping step was that immense. For flowing wind to be compressed and burst in an instant.

I had an intuition. This speed, seen for the first time, was not a level I could block or evade without taking damage. One had to see and feel it at least several times to barely keep up.

At least one arm would be severed. Completing all calculations in that split second, I thrust my arm toward Ma Cheon-wi while simultaneously drawing out New Moon in its most compressed form.

I squeezed one eye shut. No matter how much of a martial artist I had become, bracing to have an arm blown off and thrusting it forward was terrifying.

Only, may my stance inflict a corresponding wound upon Ma Cheon-wi.

“An excellent response.”

And when those words reached my ear, I instinctively knew that I could not inflict that wound. Ma Cheon-wi was leisurely slipping away from the trajectory of my sword strike.

Clang!

Just as I resigned myself.

Directly before my arm, two swords collided. One to slash, one to block. And that one was not my sword. It was the sword of a third party.

“The future of the orthodox path was nearly blown away.”

I looked to the side in astonishment. There stood a figure I could not even have imagined.

Deputy Palace Master of the Palace of Heavenly Worship and former Martial Alliance Leader.

The Ink Sword Hero, Su Je-heon, was extending his sword for my sake.