Seo Baek's utterly unexpected appearance left Jang Wu Myeong's gang stunned, and even Wang Yi Sam gaping with his mouth wide open.
Wang Yi Sam asked in a dazed voice.
"What the hell happened?"
"I sensed the ambush and climbed a tree to observe the situation."
"...!"
Those words shocked Wang Yi Sam even more.
'Sensed the ambush?'
He found it ridiculous.
'Fine. Suppose the kid who was snoring away until moments ago somehow noticed and woke up. But when the hell did he climb the tree without getting spotted?'
Especially brilliant was the decision to go up into the tree.
Attacking from above was basic tactics.
A masterful reversal that caught the ambushers off guard!
'This kid's not just strong with the sword.'
Wang Yi Sam saw Seo Baek in a new light. He'd thought the boy—not even twenty—was simply exceptional with swordsmanship, but clearly there was more.
That said, there was something excessive about Seo Baek's handiwork.
'He always goes straight for the throat once he draws.'
Wang Yi Sam asked, just in case.
"Hey, you a revenant or something?"
"No."
"Then why chop the throat in one go?"
"You asking 'cause you don't know? He was trying to kill you, senior. Deserved it."
A voice utterly devoid of emotion.
If there'd been anger or arrogance in Seo Baek's tone, Wang Yi Sam might've shrugged it off.
But that flat affect sent a chill straight down his spine.
Seo Baek's gambit had turned the ambush right back on them.
Jang Wu Myeong, abruptly down one swordsman, came to his senses and bellowed.
"We still outnumber 'em! Kill the bastards!"
His comrades, spurred by the shout—perhaps drawing courage from it—charged in.
"You little shit..."
Flash. A streak of light slashed across one swordsman's eyes.
He halted. Or rather, tried to press forward, but his feet wouldn't budge.
Glancing down on instinct, there—a massive blade had pierced his gut and jutted out his back.
"Guh..."
Seo Baek had thrust straight ahead at the onrushing swordsman. The man had essentially impaled himself on the blade with his own momentum.
In those final instants, as life ebbed, the swordsman realized Seo Baek's swordsmanship was nothing like what he'd shown in the spar.
The boy who'd swung his greatsword slow and lazy, like morning stretches.
Yet those two strokes felling him and his comrade? Lightning incarnate.
Peak swiftblade!
Dying, he shot Seo Baek a resentful glare. If the kid had shown this swordplay back then, they'd never have messed with him...
Whoosh. Thud.
Seo Baek launched a kick, sending the swordsman flying.
The blade yanked free in one smooth pull. The man crashed into a tree spine-first and crumpled. He never stirred again.
Seo Baek turned to Jang Wu Myeong.
"Numbers even now."
That same flat tone.
The lone remaining swordsman gulped hard.
"Young master, we run."
"Damn it! Can't you punks kill one damn kid?"
"Yeah, too strong. Didn't you see the other two drop?"
"Shut your trap!"
The swordsman tried soothing him, but Jang Wu Myeong clung to his bluster.
The swordsman switched plans: abandon the brat.
Flee to the Central Plains, and what could the Jang family do? Better than a severed head.
Whoosh. He spun and bolted into the woods.
"Y-you bastard! Wh-where the hell you goin'?"
Panicked as his bodyguard fled instead of fighting, Jang Wu Myeong stammered.
Wang Yi Sam let out a deep sigh, then asked Seo Baek.
"Just let him go?"
"If he's running, no point chasing to kill."
Seo Baek replied, then fixed Jang Wu Myeong with a stare and added.
"Just a food guest anyway—not a sworn family retainer. Puts his neck above yours, see?"
"You little..."
Furious but helpless, Jang Wu Myeong could only stamp his feet. The loudmouth went blank-brained in real crisis.
Then—a scream ripped from the woods.
"Aaaagh!"
The fleeing swordsman stumbled back out, retreating.
Seo Baek and Wang Yi Sam snapped alert at the sight.
A wild-haired brute had the swordsman in a bear hug, jaws sunk into his nape.
Then it tore a massive chunk free.
Crunch.
Spurt! Arterial blood fountained from the swordsman's neck.
"Aaaagh..."
He thrashed wildly, spraying crimson everywhere—the nearby brush turned blood-soaked in seconds.
A revenant.
Flash. Whoosh!
Light and gale cleaved the dark air horizontally.
Swordsman and revenant froze mid-motion.
Their heads hit the dirt simultaneously. The sword's vast arc had halved several trees behind them too.
Thud. Crash!
"Killing even the runner... you demon child..."
Jang Wu Myeong accused Seo Baek in a quavering voice.
"He got bitten by a revenant."
Seo Baek's expressionless gaze held steady.
"Blood Thread Worm's burrowed in by now. Leave him, he'd turn. Just eased his end."
"...!"
Jang Wu Myeong knew the tales, but this was his first live revenant.
And seeing Seo Baek decapitate without a flicker? Intimidating.
Seo Baek checked the fallen revenant's neck stump.
"Sliced the worm's heart meridian. Won't rise again."
"Revenants this deep? Sichuan's fucked."
"Yeah."
Seo Baek agreed, then probed the surroundings for presences.
The dark woods were dead silent—no footsteps, no beast cries.
'Where'd it come from?'
The biter wasn't some high revenant like Jin Seok Pyeong—a Blood Ghost.
Mindless brutes like them moved unnaturally; footsteps and presence gave them away easy.
Yet zero warning till the bite.
What that meant?
'Local corpse just revived.'
Revenants mummify bloodless, immobile. One whiff of live blood, and bam—Blood Ghost.
'Even a single drop does it.'
Those two swordsmen: one throat-slashed, one gutted.
One of 'em's blood must've splashed a downed revenant in the woods. Explained the stealthy approach.
Seo Baek inhaled deeply. Blood reek saturated the air.
Instinct screamed danger.
'Not one or two bodies in these woods.'
Dang Jo Jeong's three precautions before Shu Dao Pass departure.
He'd skipped the big one.
Oversight? From a Tang Clan man?
'No way.'
Deliberate omission.
This road to Shu Dao Pass crawled with revenants!
'Truth'd scare off hires or jack up pay. Tang snakes gonna snake.'
No time to waste.
Three swordsmen's blood spilled—revenants slurping it up would stir soon.
"This forest's a revenant nest."
"What?"
Wang Yi Sam jolted.
"Blood stench'll wake 'em any second. No clue how many."
"Gotta move."
Seo Baek and Wang Yi Sam turned to whip up the cart.
But Jang Wu Myeong spread his arms, blocking the way.
"Wait! What about me?"
"..."
Seo Baek dropped the reins, hand drifting to his hilt.
"Move, or off with your head."
"C'mon... Right! Save me, Jang family pays big!"
"Don't need it."
"Please..."
As Seo Baek ignored him, surprisingly Wang Yi Sam stepped up.
"How much you payin'?"
"Pay what..."
"Two silver ingots sound good? Safe to Shu Dao Pass."
"Two? Deal! Jang family vouches!"
"Save the talk. IOU at the pass."
"Fine! Swear it!"
Salvation in sight, Jang Wu Myeong jumped at the deal, no questions.
Wang Yi Sam swapped glances with Seo Baek.
"Whaddya say? Drag him or ditch? Your call, kid."
"Senior's lead."
"Boss-man moments like this. He's my hostage now—no chopping."
"Gotcha. Hagglin' even now."
"Worldly smarts, kid. Smarts."
Wang Yi Sam grinned, the grizzled sword-for-hire. Seo Baek couldn't help a smirk.
Seo Baek took the reins and urged the donkey on. Wang Yi Sam flanked the cart against pop-outs. Jang Wu Myeong trailed at the rear, as ordered.
The trio—now a ragged foursome—pressed into the dark woods.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
About half a shichen in, Seo Baek caught a weird vibe and halted the cart.
"Hold up."
He whispered low, reining in.
"Trouble?"
"Shh."
Finger to lips for quiet, and Wang Yi Sam clamped it.
Seo Baek advanced ten paces.
Standing lone in the gloom, he drew a deep breath. Then exhaled slow and steady.
Hoooo...
The Shika Heart Method kicked in.
Two modes: assume the method's unique stance to cultivate and build inner power; or cycle it while unleashing Shika Sword Technique.
Opposites, but one shared trait.
Breathing near-ceases, like advanced breath control.
As Seo Baek circulated the method, his nasal breath cut off cold. Moments later, outlines sharpened in the distant dark.
Distance murky even at high noon. Yet crystal-clear to his method-empowered eyes.
Blocking the narrow woodland path: another Shu Dao Pass convoy cart.
'Here we go.'
Seo Baek's gaze turned glacial. Right on cue.
Wang Yi Sam from behind: "Spot anything?"
"Yeah."
"In this black? Damn..."
Knowing the kid's tricks, Wang Yi Sam tsked again.
"What's got you this cagey?"
"Cart. Looks like the one that left just ahead of us."
"Where's the crew?"
"Nobody in sight."
"Say what? Then..."
"Yeah. Revenants hit 'em."
Even the battle-hardened Wang Yi Sam gulped at that deadpan delivery.
"Smack in a revenant hotbed."
"No way..."
As they paused, curious Jang Wu Myeong sidled up.
"What's the holdup?"
"Listen good."
Seo Baek's icy eyes flicked between Wang Yi Sam and Jang Wu Myeong.
"Gonna teach you how to dodge revenants."