Chapter 62

Cheong-ra crossed the main gate of the Hengshan Sect with the tense Mu-hwa. When he glanced back, Dang Ran-yeong's presence had already disappeared without a trace. As he had thought before, it was an astonishing level of concealment technique. As he looked back once more, he heard a voice transmission.

–Don't look back.

At that, he walked straight ahead and glanced at Mu-hwa, who seemed too tense, so he smiled and spoke to her.

"Don't worry, Nun Mu-hwa. Everything will be fine."

"With you here, Devotee Ye, I feel reassured. Having such heroes help us feels like Buddha himself is helping us."

Mu-hwa smiled and replied calmly. Cheong-ra smiled back but didn't fully agree with Mu-hwa's words. He sent a voice transmission to Dang Ran-yeong.

–A hero, huh... Don't you feel sorry at all for what you did to me yesterday, Young Master Dang?

To anyone watching, Dang Ran-yeong last night had not seemed in a normal state. He didn't know exactly what Nam Gang-ryong meant by being possessed by evil spirits, but honestly, it had been quite frightening.

–Not at all...

But the answer that came back soon showed no sign of remorse, rather it carried a deep laugh.

–Yesterday I was in a state where my reason was somewhat loosened, so I just restrained myself less. Why should I be sorry?

~Less restrained? When have you ever restrained yourself?

–Why? I've always wanted to do that.

Cheong-ra swallowed dryly at the low voice buzzing in his ear. He resisted the urge to rub his ears, which were tingling for no reason.

–Young Master Baek Ri has quite an appealing face to my taste.

Cheong-ra's cheeks reddened slightly at the teasing words. He had been told many times that his face was pleasing to look at, but it was never as satisfying as when Dang Ran-yeong said it. Another voice transmission came soon after.

–You liked it yesterday too, didn't you? Despite wetting yourself in pleasure.

–What are you talking about! I was on the verge of death from suffocation!

When Cheong-ra firmly denied it, a low mocking laugh was heard once, and then the voice transmission cut off. He inwardly sighed deeply. He shouldn't be distracted like this while doing important work. He tried to compose himself, but the heat that had risen to his face didn't subside easily.

After traveling with Mu-hwa for about an hour while chatting, a voice transmission came from Dang Ran-yeong.

–Eight people are approaching from about seventy zhang (~ 233 m or 765 ft) behind.

Cheong-ra was quite impressed that he could detect presences seventy zhang away in an instant. He warned Mu-hwa and waited with his sword drawn, and sure enough, he soon felt the presences.

It had been worth following Dang Ran-yeong to Mount Heng. He would be able to gather some information about who these people were. For an experienced martial artist, there were things that could be known just by visually confirming weapons and crossing swords.

"Who goes there! Show yourselves immediately!"

As Cheong-ra shouted, eight people emerged from between the trees. They were wearing quite peculiar attire. They wore white martial arts uniforms and wooden masks on their faces, with eyes that all had a reddish tint. Cheong-ra recalled the woman named Mi-a he had met in Xiangyang, who had such eyes.

The aura usually felt from those in the criminal underworld is violent and rough. This is because martial artists from evil sects generally learn martial arts that maximize offensive power. However, the aura these people exuded was of a kind he had never encountered before, it was just hateful.

The one wearing the only iron mask among them pointed at Cheong-ra and said. He was the one with particularly red eyes.

"This is perfect. Capture that one too."

At the leader's order, the seven others simultaneously raised their weapons. Cheong-ra tensed his body, pushing the frightened Mu-hwa behind him.

Peculiarly, not one of them was using a sword. They all had blunt weapons like iron maces, clubs, or staves. It was as if they were trying to subdue without inflicting wounds as much as possible. As if they were trying to capture beasts alive... Even two of them had nets and iron chains with heavy weights at their waists.

'Are they human traffickers?'

Making such a guess, Cheong-ra struck first. Although the martial arts of each individual wasn't higher than Cheong-ra's, there were many of them, so his intention was to take down at least one before they could launch a coordinated attack.

The tip of Cheong-ra's sword flashed sharply as it flew towards the opponent's neck. He intended to behead all but one, as capturing just one would be enough. However, these people were very accustomed to coordinated attacks. They seemed to retreat in surprise at the unexpectedly fast sword, but soon each took their position.

Unable to allow them to form a formation easily, Cheong-ra's sword unleashed an even sharper fierce attack.

The first sword technique of the Rain Path Form Five Swords, Thousand-Mile Continuous Rain Sword.

A powerful downpour that could cover a thousand miles destroys everything with countless strikes.

Clang clang clang clang! A series of ear-splitting metallic sounds rang out. In the blink of an eye, Cheong-ra had struck the enemy's weapons countless times. Under that fierce momentum, one person staggered backward and eventually lost their weapon. Not missing that opening, he quickly slashed at their leg to incapacitate them, then dealt with the staff rushing in from the side.

Staves and spears have an advantage over swordsmen due to their length. However, this becomes useless and even a disadvantage at close range. Cheong-ra used the Falling Flower Illusory Footwork to instantly close in and slashed at the wrist. As it was deeply cut, severing an artery, blood spurted out and the startled enemy dropped the staff.

Leaving the one hurriedly pressing the acupoint on their wrist to stop the bleeding, Cheong-ra dealt with the iron mace rushing at him from behind. He easily dodged the iron chain aiming for his ankle. As they fell one by one, dealing with the rest became even easier.

Just as he had swept away half of them, Dang Ran-yeong sent a voice transmission.

–Young Master Baek Ri, leave the nun and withdraw.

–What are you talking about?

Cheong-ra retorted while slashing the chest of the one with the iron mace, killing them instantly. Anyone could see that Cheong-ra was overwhelmingly winning. Even though the iron-masked leader had joined in, it was clear that they couldn't win.

Only, it was somewhat puzzling that these guys' fighting spirit wasn't breaking. Their tenacity in rushing in even when injured and bleeding from cut limbs exceeded the level of even assassins.

–I can easily capture two or three more!

–Opponents that Young Master Baek Ri will find difficult to handle are coming.

Focused on the battle, Cheong-ra only then belatedly sensed new presences approaching. No sooner had Dang Ran-yeong's words ended than a large man and two figures with small builds sprang out from between the trees. They rushed straight at Cheong-ra, swinging their weapons.

In one-on-one combat, there was no one who could defeat Cheong-ra. However, with three much more skilled martial artists joining forces and attacking at once, the situation became incomparably more chaotic than before. Cheong-ra hurriedly retreated and changed his sword technique. The ever-changing sword techniques of the Heavenly Cloud Twelve Illusion Sword barely deflected the incoming weapons. Indeed, as Dang Ran-yeong had said, these were opponents too much for Cheong-ra to handle.

–Can't Young Master Dang step in? Isn't that why you came along, to prepare for situations like this?

Cheong-ra asked quickly, unable to understand. Dang Ran-yeong, who had come along saying he would watch their backs, was not only not helping but continuing to be a mere spectator. It didn't seem like he was doing this just to torment Cheong-ra either. Then, a thought occurred to him. As if reading that thought, Dang Ran-yeong said,

–Even if you're captured here, nothing bad will happen to the nun. This is the extent of Young Master Baek Ri's role, so withdraw immediately.

–...Was the plan from the beginning to use Nun Mu-hwa as bait like this?

–Yes. It's simpler and more certain that way. It wouldn't be difficult to capture her safely, but even so, where's the guarantee we could extract information from the enemy?

Ha... Cheong-ra let out a bitter laugh. Once again, Dang Ran-yeong had not told Cheong-ra any of the plan. No, he couldn't have told him. If Cheong-ra had known this was the plan from the start, he wouldn't have cooperated.

If it had been just Cheong-ra alone, it would have been easier to deal with these guys. However, there was someone he had to protect behind him. Mu-hwa's martial arts were barely enough to handle one of the seven from earlier. Even now, though she had drawn her sword, her hand was trembling as she barely deflected the attacks of an injured enemy.

–Young Master Baek Ri. Don't make me repeat myself. Withdraw immediately.

Dang Ran-yeong's cold voice rang in his ear. Cheong-ra gritted his teeth and barely deflected the large man's staff. Unlike before, it was not only difficult to get close, but the impact was so great that his wrist ached every time their weapons clashed.

Did Dang Ran-yeong really intend to let Mu-hwa be captured? If so, shouldn't he have at least told the person directly involved, if not Cheong-ra? Thinking that far, Cheong-ra realized.

Of course, Dang Ran-yeong had not trusted not only Cheong-ra but Mu-hwa as well. If she knew she was going to be captured, she might try to escape rather than cooperate...

Even if this trap would help find the missing disciples of the Hengshan Sect, how cold and ruthless a judgment was this?

It was then that Mu-hwa, though trembling with fear, shouted to Cheong-ra.

"Devotee Ye! Leave me here and escape quickly!"