Chapter: 869
Knock knock–!!
Someone was running like a madman through the dark forest path. From his heavy breathing and furrowed brow, it was clear he was in a dire state.
“Ugh… gasp!”
He kept running despite his limp. Each step was excruciating pain.
His battered body couldn’t handle the speed, and he was growing increasingly fatigued. But the man couldn’t stop.
“Damn it… damn it–!!”
The man, Ilcheonggeom, gritted his teeth and continued to run.
How did it come to this? Before he could comprehend the situation, his body was already in motion.
“What about Gyecheonmunju? What happened to that guy?”
How did everything unfold?
What on earth made it escalate to this point?
“Why that guy…?”
Seongwang. The moment Guyangcheon suddenly attacked Cheongryongdae. And the moment he mentioned sin.
Ilcheonggeom was already in motion.
His body was wrecked from the battle with that guy—no, from one-sided violence. It hadn’t been long since retaking his senses, yet his mind propelled his injured body onward.
The moment that guy mentioned sin, that’s when everything went south.
It seemed he already knew something.
Just like last time, that guy appeared to have had some insight.
He also seemed to possess certainty and evidence.
Could that be the reason Ilcheonggeom was sprinting wildly from his location?
Was it the fear of exposure and punishment? No. It was a simple fear of being uncovered.
Because he had tossed aside his beliefs and values long ago. Because he had joined hands with Sapa and dragged the honor of the alliance through the mud.
That spiraled into a deep-seated inferiority complex.
Rebellion was also a problem. Ilcheonggeom had already grasped reality in the struggle against Guyangcheon.
“That guy is a monster.”
That guy was indeed a monster. No matter how hard he tried, winning was out of the question.
Could it be that a guy who just barely crossed into adulthood was at the level of a teenager expert? Even experiencing it firsthand, it was hard to believe, yet that was the harsh reality.
Ilcheonggeom gritted his teeth and steeled his legs.
Where should he run away to like this? He didn’t know. His mind was white as a blank canvas.
Where could a warrior, who had abandoned the alliance, possibly go?
He simply continued to run without any sense of destination.
Should he go back and claim his injustice? No. Whatever he said wouldn’t alleviate the deadly intent looming in the air.
“Damn it.”
How did it come to this? Even after a hundred thoughts, he still didn’t know.
If a problem emerged, where did it begin? Was it when he started distancing himself from Guyangcheon?
Or perhaps…
“Was it when that guy showed up?”
Regardless, Guyangcheon was the crux of the problem. Why did such a monster suddenly appear to block his path?
“I…”
He had to rise to greater heights. He couldn’t fall here.
His mind felt foggy. Was it alright to keep running like this?
Shouldn’t he have fled without abandoning his people?
Ah, he had indeed left his comrades behind.
As clarity returned to his mind, Ilcheonggeom’s expression continued to harden.
It was bleak. The deeper he thought, the more he realized there was no turning back.
“Damn it…”
If he continued recklessly like this, it would lead to ruin.
He needed a plan.
“First, I need to get out of Sichuan.”
After that, he’d hide within his clan… and then discover a way to clear himself of false accusations.
Shhhh—!!
“…!!”
Ilcheonggeom quickly bowed his head. Something zipped over him.
Kwaaaaaaah—!!!
Right after, an explosion echoed behind him, bringing a gust of wind. He stopped and turned to look.
The road he had just fled was now in ruins.
Ilcheonggeom recognized it as an explosion of immense energy.
Confirmation spurred immediate action.
He turned his head forward. Someone stood before him, gazing in his direction.
Their expression conveyed a profound regret.
“Eww–!! I couldn’t kill him.”
She was a woman with short hair that barely reached her chin.
Holding a staff that towered over her, the ominous aura surrounding her was palpable.
Ilcheonggeom frowned as he looked at her.
Because he knew exactly who she was.
“Surely… she’s the bloodline of Eulryeong Sword Master.”
The daughter of someone within the alliance, whom they preferred not to mention.
“And… a subordinate of that guy.”
She served under Guyangcheon.
Which meant…
“You idiot. You should have concealed your presence a bit more.”
Ilcheonggeom swallowed hard at the next voice that resonated. Off in the distance, two blue lights flickered in the darkness; it didn’t take long to realize they were eyes.
“I specifically told you to practice, but it seems you didn’t, did you?”
“Oh, no… I, I did…!”
“Tsk.”
A young man appeared, clicking his tongue at the woman’s answer.
Ilcheonggeom gritted his teeth as he faced the source of all this trouble.
“… You…”
The young man turned to Ilcheonggeom with a smile.
“Oh, nice to meet you.”
He waved at Ilcheonggeom casually.
“We have a lot to talk about, don’t we?”
The identity was, unsurprisingly, Guyangcheon.
I laughed as I beheld the disheveled Ilcheonggeom.
He really was a bit of a mess.
Of course, I bore a significant portion of the blame. I had shattered several bones and left him in no condition to walk properly.
With his body in that state, it was only natural things would get worse running at full speed.
In fact, I found it remarkable he managed to run at all with all that pain…
“Did he feel too impatient to endure it?”
It was amusing.
It was hard to believe such an honorable noble could be brought so low.
I couldn’t help but laugh; I forced the corners of my mouth down to suppress the growing contempt.
“Remember what you said back then?”
I regarded Ilcheonggeom.
“I put my name on the line and say I’ve never broken the law or the agreement.”
“… you…”
“A word is worth a thousand gold pieces. It’s a saying I’m not fond of, but what are your thoughts?”
I could hear the heavy breathing, and resentment filled his eyes.
“Can’t respond?”
“Dare you…!”
“That’s not an answer. What happened to your neck on the line?”
“Ha…!”
Staggering, Ilcheonggeom finally managed to speak.
“What crime have I committed that makes you frame me so?”
“Frame you?”
Ha ha ha.
I burst into laughter upon hearing that.
“Wow, you’ve truly not disappointed me, arriving here. Truly, a great guy in many ways.”
“It’s all a false accusation. You’re definitely trying to frame me.”
Oh.
I let out a sigh of admiration. Half of that statement was true. It seemed he wasn’t entirely clueless.
But…
“I brought all the evidence. Are you out of your mind? Seriously, are you nuts?”
Even so, it didn’t change anything.
“…What evidence could you possibly have?”
“What? It concerns everything you’ve done up to now.”
Should I recount every detail? That sounded tiresome considering I just did. But seeing that I still had some compassion for him, I decided to share.
“First up, you tried to poison me. I have evidence from the Tang clan and the confession of the guy who prepared the poison…”
Even without the party’s help, the type of poison used could be determined. I had used its name to justify everything.
The act of poison, that part was easy to pin down.
“I’ve also gathered evidence suggesting you collaborated with Gyecheonmunju to do me in.”
“Nonsense…!”
“That nonsense came from you, punk. Does this genuinely sound like nonsense?”
As I slightly relaxed my shoulders, I continued.
“The fact is, I wouldn’t have even cared if you tried to kill me.”
This was also half sincere.
“If someone’s a jerk, you might want to kill them. You could even try.”
Trying was problematic; still, it was just a casual remark. The critical part was what followed.
“Yet at the very least, the upright faction shouldn’t have collaborated with those Sapa punks.”
“…”
“You seek justice and unity? Claim to be the most honorable? Don’t talk rubbish. Look at this fallen honor, isn’t it your fault?”
I prodded the ground with my toes.
Ilcheonggeom offered no reply.
“I mean, I absolutely detest the righteous faction. The same goes for the Martial Alliance.”
This has been true in both my past and current life.
I loathe those referred to as the righteous faction. I detest the Sapa even more. Nevertheless.
“Yet, to be honest, it’s not that I dislike the righteous faction; to be precise…”
I suppressed the emotions rising to my eyes.
“I hate bastards like you.”
The type who hide behind agreements while being filthy inside.
That made them utterly revolting and detestable.
“Ugh…”
Ilcheonggeom sighed. He still had no retort. It didn’t matter.
I took a step back and said,
“Honestly, if accusations of falsehood were true, then you wouldn’t have fled so shamelessly. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Hitting the mark caused Ilcheonggeom to stiffen. Observing his demeanor, I felt compelled to give him a chance.
“I’m tempted to kill you on the spot for being a jerk, but I’ll give you a chance.”
“What…?”
At the word chance, Ilcheonggeom turned his attention toward me.
As our gazes met, I placed a hand on Bong-soon’s shoulder.
“Try to beat him.”
“Huh?”
“What…?”
“If you win, I’ll simply let you go. Wherever you wish to go and whatever you plan to do, I’m willing to overlook it this time.”
His expression indicated confusion as if he couldn’t fathom my intent.
“Why? You don’t want to? It’s a pretty golden opportunity. You don’t want to fight me, do you?”
“…Have you completely lost it…?”
“Not at all. Oh, if you don’t trust me, I’ll swear on my name and family, and even my parents if you’d like.”
“…”
“Just win. Then I’ll let you go quietly.”
“Ha…”
A bizarre feeling glimmered in the eyes of the limping Ilcheonggeom.
“How far do you intend on disregarding me? Even in my current state… I…”
“That was a long-winded assertion.”
I cut him off as he continued blabbering on.
“So are you going to go through with it or not?”
“…”
Instead of verbalizing his answer, Ilcheonggeom simply placed his hands on his waist.
Was he under the impression that what he didn’t say represented his pride, as minuscule as rat droppings?
Could someone tumble from such heights in an instant? It was astonishing.
“You’ll come to regret this.”
“Shut up.”
Even amidst all this, that same nonsense continued.
But that’s fine. This is precisely why I brought this crazy girl here.
“Huh? Can I fight?”
Bong-soon, slightly delayed in catching the conversation, asked me.
“Yeah. Go for it.”
Once I granted permission, her expression brightened immediately.
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“How much can I do?”
“As much as you like.”
“Huh?”
As the exchange continued, Bong-soon gradually transformed.
The hair on her skin began to rise; it gave me goosebumps.
“Then, then.”
Bong-soon elevated the corners of her mouth. At that moment.
“Can I kill?”
Saahhhhh…!!
A horrifying amount of murderous energy radiated from her body.
“…!”
Ilcheonggeom gasped as that intent washed over him.
It was incredibly vile and ruthless. This might be the first time I’ve ever felt such pure murderous energy.
No residual resentment or unnecessary emotions—it was just raw killing intent.
Bong-soon’s aura embodied that essence.
And, embracing that energy, I delivered my final response.
“Yeah, go for it.”
“Heeheeheeheehee—!!!”
Bong-soon cackled madly, evidently delighted by the answer.
Crack—!!
The staff she held began transforming.
The once dull end increasingly sharpened.
Before long, it had completely morphed into the shape of a spear.
Swiiiiish–!!
After roughly spinning the newly shaped spear a few times, Bong-soon positioned herself for combat. Her fighting spirit began to seep into the atmosphere.
Her stance was unique. It wasn’t the foundational posture for spearmen.
One hand held the spear while the other rested low against the ground. At a glance, she resembled a beast ready to pounce.
Ilcheonggeom looked taken aback by the peculiar stance. Seeing that, I spoke up.
“Draw your sword. Don’t drop your guard or you’ll get hurt. This guy’s a bit intimidating, huh?”
“…What is that?”
Despite my warning, Ilcheonggeom appeared utterly bewildered. Sensing his disquiet, Bong-soon declared,
“Kyaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—!!”
She unleashed a maniacal laughter resembling a cry as she leaped forward.
The spear lunged toward Ilcheonggeom. In a panic, he swiftly drew his sword and raised a defense.
Crack-!
The spear’s tip struck his sword.
Boom-!
“Gah!”
The impact exploded, sending shockwaves that shattered every tree in the vicinity, propelling Ilcheonggeom far away.
Smash—!!
“Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha—!!!”
Bong-soon laughed gleefully, unwilling to let him escape as she quickly pursued him in flight.
“… Oh dear.”
Watching that scene, I perched myself on a nearby rock.
To be honest, I was a little concerned. Once Bong-soon entered that state, it’d be tougher to rein her in later. But countless wounds aside, she needed to be at least this fierce to take on Ilcheonggeom.
Going in sober would be precarious indeed.
So, how long would this take?
“I don’t think it’ll last long.”
Whether Ilcheonggeom suffered defeat or Bong-soon collapsed due to exhaustion, it wouldn’t be a prolonged affair.
With that conclusion in mind, I slipped my hand into my robes and grasped something.
An object with a smooth surface—a cracked mask.
“Alright then…”
Once that was finished…
“I guess I’ll prepare to use this too.”
I had to utilize the bait to hook a bigger prey.
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