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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Umun Hye
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Their movements were swift and stealthy. All of them wore deep crimson robes, so dark at a glance that they seemed black. And in the hand of one among them dangled the severed head of Jo In.
Shiiik!
Jo In's head flew toward Sama Cheol. Sama Cheol hurriedly raised his hand to catch it. But he couldn't catch it properly.
Thud!
Sama Cheol looked down at Jo In's head embedded in his chest, blood gushing out in spurts.
"Cough."
Sama Cheol spat up a mouthful of blood, then slowly turned his head to gaze at Jo Seol-yeon. Her eyes were already brimming with tears, and behind those tears lay utter despair.
"Now, let's finish this. You lot were really tenacious."
The man muttered as he swung his sword toward Jo Seol-yeon.
Swaaaang!
A sharp sword qi tore through the air toward Jo Seol-yeon. She had no strength, no ability, no stamina, no will left to block it.
Bam! Boom!
Something flickered in Jo Seol-yeon's tear-blurred vision. Only then did she realize she was still alive. The flickering shape drew closer to her eyes, wiping away the tears gathered there.
Her briefly hazy vision cleared, filling with a single face.
"What... is this?"
Jo Seol-yeon stared blankly at the man asking the question while looking at the tears on his fingers.
"B-Brother Dan..."
Dan Hyeong-u placed his hand on Jo Seol-yeon's head. A burning sensation pierced through her crown, making her mind reel. And then she experienced something astonishing. All the fatigue accumulated in her body seemed to drain cleanly out through her feet.
"Wipe them away."
At Dan Hyeong-u's words, Jo Seol-yeon startled and wiped away the remaining tears. Dan Hyeong-u's gaze shifted sideways. There lay Sama Cheol, on the verge of death. Dan Hyeong-u's eyes trembled faintly.
Blood poured ceaselessly from Sama Cheol's mouth. And before him was Jo In's severed head.
"I... beg you..."
Those were the words Sama Cheol mustered with his last remaining strength. Dan Hyeong-u nodded. Seeing that, a smile formed on Sama Cheol's lips.
Thump.
"Un-Uncle..."
Sama Cheol collapsed. Jo Seol-yeon could only shed endless tears at the sight.
Dan Hyeong-u watched silently for a moment before turning away. His eyes fell on twenty men. Each radiated a sharp aura. His mood soured more by the second.
The man at the forefront stepped forward. He was somewhat flustered by Dan Hyeong-u's sudden appearance, but it changed nothing. No matter how strong Dan Hyeong-u was, he was confident they could overpower him. Even if the opponent were the Martial Alliance Leader himself, he couldn't withstand their combined assault of twenty.
These twenty were the ones who had wiped out the Jo Family Manor and crushed the Henan Escort Bureau. They had done it with just themselves.
"One more corpse won't make a difference."
At the man's mutter, ten of them advanced as the signal. They slowly encircled Dan Hyeong-u. They utterly underestimated him.
Shiiik!
One leaped first. In an instant, he circled behind Dan Hyeong-u and thrust his sword into his back. The entire motion was so swift and fluid it seemed as if he'd always been standing there, sword poised that way. But his face twisted in shock.
'No sensation at all.'
The sword had clearly pierced his back, yet there was no feeling. And he immediately understood why. The afterimage of Dan Hyeong-u at that spot faded hazily away.
Dan Hyeong-u now stood right beside the man, sword raised high toward the sky.
Flash!
The man's body split in two along with the sword. With that single stroke, the remaining nineteen men recoiled in horror. They hadn't seen a single movement from Dan Hyeong-u.
'Where did this expert come from!'
They all thought the same. Then the nine in front charged simultaneously, followed immediately by the ten behind them.
Two among them targeted not Dan Hyeong-u, but Jo Seol-yeon, aiming to divide his attention and create an opening. But their efforts were utterly futile.
Crackle! Crack!
The nine in front were struck by lightning almost simultaneously, cleaving them in two.
Slash!
The heads of the two aiming for Jo Seol-yeon flew off. The remaining eight staked their lives thrusting swords into Dan Hyeong-u's body. But not a single one touched him.
Flash!
Lightning fell. It rent the space, claiming the lives of the eight men before vanishing.
Chapter 7. Umun Hye
Jo Family Manor. Once the grandest manor in Heochang, now even its main halls lay shattered and burned, reduced to rubble. Amid the ruins stood two figures.
One was a wrinkled old man, the other a man who appeared in his thirties. Both wore fine but unflashy clothes. A sword hung at the younger man's waist, matched by a sharp aura that dominated the surroundings.
"It's completely destroyed."
"Indeed. Shadowless handled the job better than expected."
The old man surveyed the ruined Jo Family Manor as if appreciating a view, hands clasped behind his back, leisurely turning his head and eyes.
"The Martial Alliance dogs will swarm here soon. Perhaps it's time to withdraw..."
The old man smiled faintly at the man's words, his wrinkles crinkling into an expression.
"Are you afraid of the likes of the Martial Alliance?"
Sensing the mocking undertone, the man's face stiffened. He clamped his mouth shut without replying.
"I thought not even the full Martial Alliance could defeat Blood Shadow, but is that not so?"
The man's body flinched at the old man's words. He bowed deeply.
"Of course."
Confidence shone from the man's eyes like light. He was Blood Shadow.
Blood Shadow's assured demeanor deepened the wrinkles on the old man's face. He began slowly scanning the surroundings again.
How much time passed? Unable to hold back any longer, Blood Shadow spoke.
"I still don't understand."
"What don't you?"
"Why destroy the Jo Family Manor like this? No matter how I think about it, it makes no sense. It only alerts the Martial Alliance unnecessarily."
The old man gazed at Blood Shadow for a moment before slowly replying.
"What is there to fear from the Martial Alliance?"
"The Alliance itself is no threat, but they still have the Heavenly Qi Master's contingency."
The old man's expression froze in an instant at Blood Shadow's response. A chill seeped into every corner of the ruins, as if freezing the air solid. Blood Shadow faltered briefly but soon bowed his head calmly.
The old man's face softened at the sight. As his expression eased, the pervasive chill warmed.
"Do you know of my relationship with the Heavenly Qi Master?"
"Rivals who staked their lives against each other."
The old man smiled in satisfaction at Blood Shadow's answer.
"Heh, yes. This Blood Demon and the Heavenly Qi Master were inextricably linked. Though now, only I remain."
The old man—Blood Demon—paused before continuing.
"That Heavenly Qi Master's contingency began right here at the Jo Family Manor. Now, doesn't that give it great meaning?"
Blood Shadow's face hardened slightly. The Blood Demon pressed on.
"The Heavenly Qi Master poured his life's efforts into creating a martial art. And a hundred people mastered it. But I'm greater still. I created one that surpasses it. He couldn't devote himself fully because he was busy checking me. And even that check grew feeble. I figured out what martial art he made."
"N-No way, then..."
"I told you. My martial art is far superior. And there are children diligently practicing it, aren't there? A full hundred."
A chill ran down Blood Shadow's spine at the Blood Demon's words. He finally understood the man's intent. The Blood Demon planned to dismantle the Heavenly Qi Master's schemes piece by piece. Conquering the martial world would merely be a byproduct.
"Now do you see the meaning?"
The Blood Demon asked with a smile. Blood Shadow no longer saw it as an innocent grin. It terrified him.
A gentle wind blew, enveloping the ruins. It was cold. As cold as the Blood Demon's laughter.
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"B-Brother..."
Jo Seol-yeon hugged Dan Hyeong-u, sobbing as she buried her face in his chest. Tears streamed endlessly from her eyes. The relief of survival, the deaths of those dear to her, and the rumors she'd heard while fleeing churned her mind into chaos.
She wept like that for a long while. Dan Hyeong-u stood motionless throughout.
"Thank you."
Jo Seol-yeon murmured as she slowly pulled away. Dan Hyeong-u stared at her silently, then reached out again to wipe the lingering moisture from her eyes.
"Tears..."
They were tears. Something she'd forgotten over far too many years. In hell, there was no time to cry. It was endless battle for survival. And when respite came, there was no reason left. No one around.
Jo Seol-yeon wiped away the rest. And resolved: she would never cry again.
"Now... what do we do? What should I do?"
Those were hard words for Jo Seol-yeon to utter. She hadn't truly expected an answer. Perhaps she was asking herself. But Dan Hyeong-u's presence gave her the courage to voice it.
"Do what you want. Anything."
Jo Seol-yeon widened her eyes and stared at Dan Hyeong-u. She hadn't expected a real reply. Only then could she manage a forced smile.
"Right. I should do what I want."
She glanced at Dan Hyeong-u as she answered. Her thoughts began to sort themselves.
First, rendezvous with the escort. That had been the purpose of leaving Jo Family Manor; she had to complete the escort mission. Even if the escorts were gone, she was determined to see it through.
Then return to Jo Family Manor and verify the rumors. Deep down, she still believed it stood strong with her father alive. Though doubt weighed heavier, she had to confirm.
After that, she'd plan the rest.
"What do you want to do now?"
As her mind cleared, Dan Hyeong-u asked right on cue. Jo Seol-yeon looked down at Sama Cheol, lying quietly with a faint smile, Jo In's head beside him. The tears she'd sworn not to shed began flowing again.
"These two..."
She couldn't continue. Dan Hyeong-u watched her, then swung his sword upward from below.
Kwaaang!
The ground cracked along the sword's path, surging forward like a dragon writhing beneath the earth. The subterranean dragon veered toward a distant rock, then erupted skyward.
Kwaaaah!
It was like a dragon ascending to heaven. Jo Seol-yeon stared blankly. An utterly astonishing sight.
Dan Hyeong-u picked up Sama Cheol's body and Jo In's head, walking there. A massive pit had formed beneath the rock. He placed them inside and gestured lightly; the surrounding earth covered them. A grave formed in an instant.
Jo Seol-yeon approached the grave and bowed her head.
"Later... someday, I'll let you rest in a truly splendid place. Truly..."
She bit her lip, suppressing the sob, and lifted her head. She looked at Dan Hyeong-u.
"I'll join the escort mission too."
Dan Hyeong-u nodded. Seeing it filled her with unexpected reassurance. She'd known so little about him. Never imagined his strength, or that he'd save her like this.
Sama Cheol wasn't a peerless master, but in Heochang, he had few equals. To dispatch twenty experts who overwhelmed even him so effortlessly—how strong was that?
'On par with Martial Alliance elders?'
With little experience and shallow knowledge of martial arts, Jo Seol-yeon couldn't gauge it. She just knew he was strong.
As she pondered, Dan Hyeong-u took her hand.
"We're going now."
Jo Seol-yeon startled. Why suddenly hold hands? Come to think of it, she wondered why Dan Hyeong-u alone had separated from the escort. Even fleeing desperately with lightfoot skill alongside Sama Cheol, they'd have far to go to catch up.
Moreover, they'd zigzagged wildly to shake pursuers, widening the gap further.
She berated herself for only now realizing and tried to ask. But couldn't. Dan Hyeong-u had started walking.
"Eek!"
Sudden fierce wind pressed her face, stealing her breath.