Chapter 25

"Why on earth are you following me around like this?"

Now that the situation had come to this, Cheong-ra threw courtesy out the window. He asked, trying to calm his rapidly beating heart, but his fingertips were trembling slightly. All this time, he had thought he was seeing things because of his delusions about Dang Ran-yeong in the city, but now it seemed it wasn't his imagination.

Moreover, to find Dang Ran-yeong at the end of chasing a criminal... He could no longer dismiss this as a coincidence. It was natural to think that Dang Ran-yeong might be behind the spirit beast attack incident in Dragon Spring, the Enlightened Mind Tea, and the disciples of Moon Lake Sect who had committed crimes and fled.

Dang Ran-yeong looked down at Cheong-ra arrogantly, as if looking at an inferior being. Being on higher ground, he looked even more gigantic and imposing today.

"Me? Following Young Master Baek Ri around?"

Dang Ran-yeong scoffed in a voice that didn't even find it ridiculous, but soon changed his words. His green-tinted eyes curved roundly.

"Well, I can't say it's wrong, so I won't deny it. I can't help but follow you because I have a taste for that pretty face of yours."

It was an excuse that sounded false to anyone who heard it. Cheong-ra had seen countless people following him, claiming to like him or saying his face was too beautiful. Unlike them, Dang Ran-yeong's cold gaze only had a measuring look, with no hint of fondness towards him.

Cheong-ra's heart beat faster and faster. This was surely because he was in a situation where the other party might take his life. He tried to think that way.

However, the memory of the last time kept flashing before his eyes. Suddenly, temptation surged at the thought that the incident he had hoped to experience at least once in his lifetime might happen a second time.

"How did you control the spirit beasts to make them attack people? What's your relationship with those who were expelled from Moon Lake Sect for committing crimes!"

Unable to contain his surging desire any longer, Cheong-ra shouted and recklessly charged at him. The tip of his sword, imbued with the profound principles of the Heavenly Cloud Twelve Illusion Sword, emitted a sharp energy and cut through the air. Dang Ran-yeong easily dodged Cheong-ra's attack by lightly moving his body to the side. Moreover, he casually gave up his advantageous position on higher ground.

"It seems you haven't learned your lesson from last time, Young Master."

As Dang Ran-yeong spoke, he leisurely drew the whip hanging from his waist. Cheong-ra charged at him, gritting his teeth, but his sword couldn't even graze the hem of Dang Ran-yeong's robe. The difference in skill was truly overwhelming. However, instead of sighing, a strange sense of excitement began to surge inside him again.

'Get a grip! This is not the time to indulge in desire!'

He repeated that in his mind, but his body's reaction was different. He recalled the fight where he had been brutally defeated by Dang Ran-yeong. Since he had been feeling disappointed and regretful that he might never encounter Dang Ran-yeong again, Cheong-ra couldn't prevent the twisted emotions from creeping in.

"You don't think you can beat me if you charge at me twice, do you?"

Even Dang Ran-yeong's mockery sounded sweet, how absurd was this situation? Unlike last time, there were no other people around, so Dang Ran-yeong might do something wicked. He could lose his life or become crippled. Yet, foolishly, he thought it might be alright even so.

Cheong-ra realized for the first time how intense the desire he had been suppressing was.

Clang! As Dang Ran-yeong swung his whip, a deafening roar rang out. A terrifying wind pressure brushed past his ears, and fragments of soil flew up from the ground where the tip of the whip had struck.

"Then let me properly teach you your place today."

Dang Ran-yeong, who had been smiling coldly, discarded his leisurely attitude that had been indulging Cheong-ra. Violent and rough attacks followed. Cheong-ra broke out in a cold sweat as his vision became dizzy with the countless afterimages of the whip. It was even more difficult to deal with than last time, and he was barely able to dodge when Dang Ran-yeong spoke.

"Right leg."

"What...!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the whip lashed at Cheong-ra's right leg. Staggering from the dizzying pain, another warning followed.

"Right arm."

Since it was the hand holding the sword, this time he managed to dodge the attack by moving urgently. Informing the target of the attack in advance, wasn't it like an adult playing with a child?

"Waist, left hand, instep."

Whenever Dang Ran-yeong announced where he would attack, Cheong-ra could barely dodge or even fail to do so, feeling a sharp pain as if being cut by a knife. In a situation where he was completely being toyed with, Cheong-ra's ears and cheeks flushed red.

How could someone be this strong? A thrill bordering on ecstasy flowed in the face of the other's overwhelming power. It wasn't a pure sense of awe towards martial arts like his great senior brother Gong Hyeok-rin. He didn't feel misery or humiliation either. He felt like chasing after Dang Ran-yeong for the rest of his life, picking fights with him.

Could a person be this perfect? He found himself looking at him with such eyes. At the same time, Cheong-ra felt a thirst. Something was lacking. Something, a little more here…

"Face."

As soon as he heard those words, Cheong-ra came to his senses and hurriedly raised his hand to cover his face. However, instead of lashing at his hand, the whip dealt a strong blow to his waist. Immediately after being kicked by a firm foot and falling backward, his chest was trampled on. It felt as if a thousand pounds were placed on him, making it impossible to breathe properly due to the pain in his abdomen.

"This is what happens when you blindly believe what I say."

Dang Ran-yeong spoke in a seemingly gentle tone while stepping on him so hard that it felt like his sternum would be crushed. Cheong-ra glared at the other party with all his might, even while gasping for breath. Seeing the joyful light in those eyes that had been so cold and indifferent, his heart tightened with delight.

"Well... How about this?"

As Dang Ran-yeong put pressure on his heel, Cheong-ra couldn't even breathe. Dang Ran-yeong's eyes closed languidly as he savored the other's pain. His handsome lips curved up in a deep, beautiful smile.

"Young Master, having trouble breathing?"

The heart that had weakened during the first defeat against Dang Ran-yeong was crushed and crumbled in the second defeat, transforming into a different form. His heart pounded with all its might, pumping hot blood throughout his body. It was the first time Cheong-ra had experienced such an intense emotional change that his head felt dizzy.

"Let go...!"

Barely coming to his senses, he struggled and put strength into his sword-wielding hand. However, before he could swing, his wrist was painfully stepped on and pressed against the ground. Even that became a delightful pressure, and Cheong-ra's face turned completely red. He gritted his teeth, pretending to be furious with all his might, not wanting to reveal this desire to Dang Ran-yeong.

"Is it painful?"

He asked in a gentle voice while trampling on his windpipe with his foot. Cheong-ra's head involuntarily tilted back, and ragged breaths flowed out. Dang Ran-yeong, who had been watching the scene with satisfaction with his hands behind his back, raised his whip again.

Cheong-ra tightly closed his eyes in anticipation of the impending pain, but the direction of the whip that lashed out with all its might was completely different.

Clang! With a sharp sound, the hidden weapon shot towards Cheong-ra shattered into pieces. As the surprised Cheong-ra widened his eyes, the second swing of the whip, imbued with strong energy, stretched out to an astonishing length and cut down a nearby tree.

"Ugh!"

Someone let out a low scream as the tree fell. The unidentified assailant, despite having his chest slashed and dripping red blood on the ground, hurriedly retreated to avoid the consecutive lashes of the whip. However, it was a fatal mistake. The Tang Clan's people could also use hidden weapons.

Simultaneously with Dang Ran-yeong's sleeve fluttering widely, several flying daggers shot out like arrows in all directions. The assassins hiding in all directions hurriedly jumped out to avoid the attack, revealing their presence. Their number easily exceeded ten, and the killing intent was directed at none other than Cheong-ra himself.

"We were having a good time, but these rats have been disturbing us for a while."

Saying that, Dang Ran-yeong tapped the ground with the tip of his whip. It was right next to Cheong-ra's ear, so he had no choice but to close his eyes tightly, but it was clearly an intentional positioning. One of the assassins warily eyed Dang Ran-yeong with a sharp gaze and spoke.

"Our target is only that Baek Ri Cheong-ra. We had no intention of attacking you."

The assassins seemed to be overly wary of Dang Ran-yeong. It was natural to be so. Unlike other martial artists, the other party was a person from the Tang Clan who was skilled in handling poison and hidden weapons, making it disadvantageous for the assassins to deal with him.

However, in Cheong-ra's view, the degree of wariness was excessive to the point of being strange. It seemed that Dang Ran-yeong's notoriety was well-known even among the assassins.

In response to the assassin's words, Dang Ran-yeong let out a loud scoff. The whip lashed out again, this time fiercely cutting the air right above Cheong-ra's head.

"You throw hidden weapons at me, and what kind of fool would stay still?"

Cold sweat ran down Cheong-ra's back. Why were so many assassins targeting him? A completely different sense of crisis than when facing Dang Ran-yeong engulfed him. The unusual lack of presence in the forest was because those assassins were hiding all around.

'Are Martial Sister and Mu-gwang alright?'

Although it seemed like a trap targeting only him, he naturally worried if they were also under attack. As Dang Ran-yeong's attention was diverted to the assassins, Cheong-ra's left hand stealthily moved and lightly touched the ground, thinking it was an opportunity.