– Rustle
– Rustle
Ya Hyeoljeok read through the letters Baechong had delivered, one by one.
Knowing that Ya Hyeoljeok despised reading, Baechong had likely condensed everything into a summary on the last page.
Ya Hyeoljeok, aware of this, merely pretended to read the letters, focusing his attention on the last one.
“So.”
He said, casually tossing the letter back towards Baechong.
“A kid from the Gu Clan?”
“Yes, sir…”
“Isn’t the Gu Clan that bastard’s family?”
“Correct, it’s the Shanxi Gu Clan, known for the Tiger Warrior.”
“Ugh, don’t bring that Tiger Warrior nonsense here…”
A few days ago, someone had burned a few of his subordinates alive, and now he learns it’s a blood relative of the Gu Clan.
No wonder it felt unusual that this guy used fire arts so frequently; if he was from the Gu Clan, it began to make sense.
‘Gu Cheolun.’
Ya Hyeoljeok smirked at the thought of the name.
Gu Cheolun was known as the Tiger Warrior in the Orthodox Faction, but he had a different moniker in the Unorthodox Faction.
The Flaming Demon.
A merciless martial artist who roasted his enemies alive in flames.
If one were to pile up the corpses of the Unorthodox members who had perished in his fiery embrace, they could easily form a small mountain.
“Are you certain?”
“…Yes, I’ve confirmed that he is currently a guest at the Mount Hua Sect.”
“So, what business does a Gu Clan kid have here?”
It was quite the trek from Shanxi to Mount Hua, so why in the world would the child of Gu Cheolun come all this way?
“I believe there is one person among the disciples at Mount Hua who is also of Gu Clan blood, so perhaps that’s the reason.”
He thought he might have heard something like that before, but it didn’t seem very important, so he easily brushed it aside.
“So, do we have any plan to catch him?”
“…”
Baechong couldn’t muster an answer.
With a direct descendant of the Gu Clan involved, it was a risky business.
Even capturing one of the Mount Hua disciples had already required a well-thought-out and meticulous plan.
But now that one of the Gu Clan’s offspring was present at Mount Hua, the situation had turned entirely precarious.
‘…Damn it, why did it have to be a noble family?’
While it was easier to gather information on them due to their status, it equally made handling the situation trickier.
If they carelessly harmed a direct descendant of the Gu Clan without a solid strategy,
‘…Gu Cheolun might take matters into his own hands.’
This was precisely why they had initially approached the plan to capture Mount Hua members with utmost sophistication; they had to ensure they left no loose ends.
Naturally, they had received orders from the main palace to act, but handling the Gu Clan was a whole different ballpark.
‘What should I do…?’
Baechong gulped nervously.
He absolutely needed to find a solution.
Otherwise, that pig-faced jerk in front of him might just decide to slice his neck off.
Ya Hyeoljeok chuckled, his laughter echoing through the cave.
“Hey kid, I’m just kidding! Don’t look so gloomy.”
He kept on laughing after that remark.
Baechong clenched his fist, reminded that Ya Hyeoljeok had already offed one of his arms.
This bastard… he thought to himself.
“Alright, leaving aside the Gu Clan issue, what about the Immortal Healer?”
“…About that.”
“The letter gives no assurances at all? You just scribbled that he might be hiding in that hut, Baechong.”
“With the news that the Immortal Healer arrived in Shaanxi and through analyzing his traces, I came to believe he’s residing inside the barrier set up by the Celestial Plum Blossom.”
“And?”
“Considering the last known location of the Immortal Healer and the traces he seems to have intentionally erased… I suspect he’s entangled in the barrier created by the Celestial Plum Blossom.”
The main palace’s order was to capture the Immortal Healer currently in Shaanxi and keep him imprisoned underground.
Based on the information Baechong had scrambled together from his frantic investigations, he concluded that the Immortal Healer’s only potential location was in the very place where he had last seen the Gu child.
“But that’s purely your guess, Baechong.”
Baechong bit his tongue, unable to argue against Ya Hyeoljeok’s words.
Ya Hyeoljeok was correct; there was no certainty in Baechong’s statements.
“Are you even certain that the Celestial Plum Blossom was behind that barrier?”
“…I’ve concluded that the only person capable of creating such a barrier in all of Shaanxi would be the Celestial Plum Blossom.”
“That’s yet another guess, you useless child.”
“…”
Three days wasn’t enough time to acquire any concrete intel; however, Baechong knew that the area near the barrier was the vicinity of a hut constructed by the past Lord of the Mount Hua Sect.
In a way, it was logical to conclude that only the Celestial Plum Blossom could raise a barrier of that extent near the area.
“Baechong.”
“Yes, Lord Branch Manager…”
“If you screw this up, it’s your head on the line, understood?”
“…I understand.”
In any case, he would have been done for in four days, even without any information.
Baechong was all too familiar with Ya Hyeoljeok’s despicable character.
“Hmm… Sending the kids won’t help; looks like I’ll have to go myself.”
“…”
“I don’t understand… there aren’t even any guards keeping watch?”
“At least, as far as I could tell, there were none.”
Ya Hyeoljeok pondered over the absence of guards near the barrier because, if the Immortal Healer was indeed inside, it made sense to have some guards stationed around.
Was the Celestial Plum Blossom simply overestimating himself?
Maybe he believes that no one can break the barrier, no matter what.
Nevertheless, the required ability to break the barrier was clearly beyond anyone of Baechong’s level.
Ultimately, the only person capable of achieving that was Ya Hyeoljeok himself.
Realizing this, Ya Hyeoljeok slowly rose to his feet and gripped his giant sword.
A menacing aura, brimming with lethal intent, quickly permeated the surrounding space.
However, in contrast to the violent energy he radiated, his expression remained indifferent.
He disliked overly complicated matters.
If he didn’t understand something, he aimed to smash it apart to find answers.
That was simply how Ya Hyeoljeok operated.
Baechong, seeing the preparations of his branch leader, spoke cautiously.
“Once the barrier is broken, the Celestial Plum Blossom might act right away, My Lord.”
At those words, Ya Hyeoljeok’s brow crinkled.
“Damn it, why are you giving me an explanation? I just need to smash through the barrier and capture that old man! Do you think I’m too thick-headed to get that? Or are you trying to give me orders?”
“Not at all! My Lord!”
Ya Hyeoljeok gulped down the last bit of a scorpion and turned to face Baechong.
“Tell the underlings to keep an eye on those Gu Clan folks.”
“Huh…? What do you mean…?”
“We can’t work here if we’re scared of that little flame-wielding tiger; he’s not even a Heavenly Venerable.”
Ya Hyeoljeok burst into laughter as if he had just stumbled upon a great joke.
Once his laughter subsided, his face promptly shifted to a serious tone as he locked his gaze on Baechong.
Baechong shuddered at the darkness that loomed within those eyes.
“If I arrive and find nothing there, you know what will happen, Baechong… right?”
“…Yes, My Lord.”
Ya Hyeoljeok smacked Baechong’s shoulder with his enormous hand and made his way out of the cave with his colossal sword.
As soon as he stepped out, Baechong’s legs gave way, and he dropped onto the ground.
He had to devise a way to survive, no matter what it took.
*
Gu Ryunghwa had fallen asleep after swinging her sword until midnight, and when she awakened, the sun was already up.
She felt as if she hadn’t slept at all, due to her tired body, but she rose without a second thought.
“…Ugh!”
As she pushed herself up using her hand for support, an ache shot through her palm.
She must have overdone it last night, neglecting her injury, as her hand was matted with dried blood.
Carefully washing her hands and wrapping them with a fresh cloth was a painfully tedious process, yet Gu Ryunghwa bore it in silence.
After bandaging her hand, she changed into a fresh set of clothes.
As luck would have it, she was staying in the hut where her master had lived before visiting the Immortal Healer, so she had some spare clothes available.
After washing her face and putting on fresh attire, she stepped out the door.
Gu Ryunghwa was cheerful now that the day she had been waiting for had finally arrived.
Descending from the mountain, she spotted her fellow disciples diligently training.
Observing them for a moment, she quietly altered her path to sneak past them.
She preferred not to interact with the disciples.
They likely felt the same way.
While strolling, she came across the residence of Gu Yangcheon.
Gu Ryunghwa briefly contemplated visiting, as Namgung Bi-Ah had been there, but decided not to in the end.
She appreciated the help provided, but felt they weren’t that close just yet.
After a moment’s glance at the lodge, she redirected her attention.
It didn’t take long to walk down the main road.
As she passed through the bustling street preparing for its festivities, the smells of delicious food passed through the air, halting her steps repeatedly.
She hadn’t eaten much in the past few days.
Due to the starvation from her rigorous training, she gave in and stopped at a stall to buy a few skewers.
It reminded her of the times she’d shared with her master in the past.
‘…I wonder if she can still enjoy this?’
She had bought them due to her hunger, but now, thoughts of her master filled her mind.
She knew that her master relied on porridge for sustenance and worried that bringing skewers might do more harm than good.
Reflecting on her master’s condition made her regret buying the skewers.
It seemed she was still quite immature.
Lost in thought, despite her hunger, her appetite vanished entirely.
Eventually, she handed off the skewers to a passing child on the street.
Though it felt a shame to waste the money spent, she believed it was better than eating something she didn’t want, or outright throwing them away.
‘…I’d rather eat together.’
Eating something delicious alone paled in comparison to happily sharing porridge with her master.
With that thought, Gu Ryunghwa sprinted away.
Despite her exhaustion, the idea of seeing her master charged her with energy.
As she got closer, she felt the weight of her tangled thoughts lighten gradually.
‘Just a little faster!’
She had a lot to say about all that had transpired in the past few days to her master.
From battling Namgung Bi-Ah to helping her improve, even about how Gu Yangcheon had appeared to save her.
She believed her master would surely smile at these stories.
After running for a while, she finally caught sight of the hut in the distance.
Seeing a wisp of smoke trailing from it suggested that perhaps the Immortal Healer’s grandchild was cooking.
With a bright smile, Gu Ryunghwa was about to dash toward the hut when someone suddenly grabbed her shoulder.
“Kya!”
Gu Ryunghwa screamed while staggering, feeling something rush past her hair.
– Whoosh-!
Whatever it was that had brushed by, she didn’t know, but as she fell to the ground, she noticed strands of her hair were cut off.
As she toppled over, she saw the person responsible for grabbing her shoulder.
“…Sister?”
The person beside her was Namgung Bi-Ah, wearing a serious expression.
“What are you doing here—”
“…Stay still.”
“Huh?”
Gu Ryunghwa was puzzled at Namgung Bi-Ah’s sudden appearance.
As she caught sight of Bi-Ah’s trembling eyes and the beads of sweat running down her cheeks, a wave of unease washed over her.
Where is she looking?
Namgung Bi-Ah’s gaze was fixed on the dense forest.
In the direction she was looking, Gu Ryunghwa also turned her head, and a sudden chill crept over her.
– Hm, how did she dodge that?
A voice echoed from the woods, sending shivers down Gu Ryunghwa’s spine.
Along with the voice came a heavy, menacing aura that set her trembling with dread.
–…Hmm, this wasn’t in my calculations.
The noises of rustling bushes grew progressively nearer.
Gu Ryunghwa felt her entire body tightening as it became increasingly hard to breathe.
Namgung Bi-Ah, holding onto her shoulder, suddenly drew her sword and swung it into the air.
– Slash-!
“…!”
The sound rippling through the air hinted that it was indeed the clash of swords, leaving Gu Ryunghwa bewildered.
“Sister…!”
Gu Ryunghwa called out Bi-Ah’s name, only to halt mid-sentence.
She could see that the hand with which Namgung Bi-Ah wielded her sword was trembling.
– Slam…!
With an unsettling thud, something colossal emerged from the thicket.
It appeared to be an immense being towering over 8 feet, built like a mountain.
He held what could barely be called a sword—an awe-inspiring massive blade.
The overwhelming presence from the giant washed over the area, causing Gu Ryunghwa’s color to drain from her face.
“You not only dodged it, but you even managed to block it? Wow, this is getting interesting.”
The man’s voice, laced with enthusiasm, was thick with filthy desires.
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