[Chapter 14]
The noisy Chosung-ro became quiet in an instant.
"Hmph! You think you can hide till the end? Come out! I'll make sure you can't breathe unless you do!"
Boom! Bang bang boom!
Flames soared from all sides of Chosung-ro.
"Aaah!"
"Fi, fire!"
"Yikes! It's a martial artist!"
The people who were looking for Chosung-ro were terrified.
The flames spread so fast, as if someone had poured oil on them. Chosung-ro, which had a history and reputation of its own, was trapped in a wall of fire in a blink of an eye.
Jegal Jun, who was resting, quickly ran out.
"Sister?!"
Jegal Ayeon came out faster than him and looked out the window.
"Sister! What's with this fire?!"
"It's them."
"Who?"
Jegal Ayeon's face was dyed with cold anger.
"The bastards who got smashed by my hand yesterday. They're from the same gang."
"…!!"
Jegal Jun gritted his teeth.
"How did they find this place?!"
"That's not the problem right now!"
Clang!
Jegal Ayeon opened the window and jumped out, skipping over a building.
She moved like a crane, with lofty skill. It was the movement technique of Jegal Seagull, the representative of the lightness skill Cheongi Shinhaeng (Heavenly Movement).
She quickly climbed up to the roof of the central building, and her face turned pale.
'There are so many!'
There were more than a hundred of them. At least two hundred and fifty, if not more.
'How did they get so many?!'
She had only taught a lesson to the Parakhoes, who were assaulting a merchant on the street. It didn't seem like the merchant was at fault, and more importantly, he looked like he was going to die.
After that, the Heukdo Faction, who was backing up the Parakhoes, chased after her. The Heukdo Faction was barely better than a third-rate faction, and they didn't have many numbers, so she knocked them down in a breath and casually came to Chosung-ro.
She thought that was the end of it.
But the guy who was shouting loudly over there—wasn't he the leader of the Heukdo Faction who had fallen then?
"Gasp! Master! Do you see that on the roof? That's the woman!"
"I see her, me too."
Jegal Ayeon looked down at the man who was called Master.
'An expert?'
He looked like he was in his forties. He had a sturdy physique and a gentle face.
But unlike his appearance, his eyes were not ordinary. The man who was glaring at her from a distance had eyes like a beast.
"Master! Please catch that woman and punish her…!"
Thud!
"Ugh!"
The man rolled on the ground. Blood poured from his nose and mouth. He seemed to have suffered a severe internal injury.
Jegal Ayeon frowned.
'Yin Palm?'
It was not a martial art that released power externally. It was a type of Yin Palm that penetrated the energy into the body and caused bone disease.
The Master dusted off his hands.
"Stupid bastard. That's why you're called a third-rate. Can't you see that woman is an expert raised by a prestigious faction?"
Jegal Ayeon shouted loudly.
"Who are you?!"
"You? Hmm, you're a young woman with a rude mouth. Well, that's how the brats from Baekdo are."
"…!!"
"Come down. If you want to argue, you have to face each other."
"What if I don't?"
"Well, if you don't, then there's nothing I can do."
His answer was playful, but what happened next was not.
Leather pouches flew from all directions.
Boom! Blam! Blam!
"Aaah!"
"Aaah! Sa, save me!"
The fire that was already threatening became twice as big and rough. The leather pouches seemed to contain oil.
Jegal Ayeon yelled.
"Stop! I'll come down!"
"You should have done that sooner. Baekdo people don't listen to words."
Swish!
As soon as he finished speaking, Jegal Ayeon landed on the opposite side of the man.
She had a surprisingly graceful skill. The middle-aged man also widened his eyes in surprise.
"Huh! What a great lightness skill! So, which faction's child are you?"
"She is Je Gal Ah Yeon of the Je Gal clan."
She hated to oppress others with the prestige of her family name. But she had no choice in this situation. If she made a mistake, the commoners would suffer.
"Divine Je Gal (神機諸葛)! How dare you look at the children of the Seven Great Clans like this."
The man scrutinized Je Gal Ah Yeon as if she was a curious animal.
Je Gal Ah Yeon's face hardened.
'What is this?'
She was not afraid.
She did not need to mention the Parak Lake, let alone the mediocre black sects. They would run away as soon as they heard the name of the Seven Great Clans. Because their lives would be in danger if they tried to fight.
But the man showed no sign of fear.
'Huh?'
Je Gal Ah Yeon realized that the man's eyes were dull.
His skill was clearly first-class, but his eyes were cloudy.
'What is this? Is he addicted to some strange drug?'
Paralak!
Suddenly, Je Gal Jun appeared next to Je Gal Ah Yeon.
The man clapped his hands as if he was impressed.
"Wow! What an amazing technique! Would you mind teaching me that technique? I'm a bit weak in movement skills, you see."
He was a weirdo, and he got worse.
Je Gal Jun cursed without realizing it.
"Crazy bastard!"
"Do you want me to rip your tendons and flesh while you're alive? Shall I tell you? Huh?"
It was a chilling speech.
It was not a simple threat. The man's eyes became more and more insane. From his voice and eyes, it seemed that he had done such things more than once or twice.
"Who are you?"
"Ah! I forgot to introduce myself. I am the leader of the Lightning Fire Room (雷火房)."
It was a sect they had never heard of. Anyway, they had no interest in the black sects.
"I won't say much. Tell your men to put out the fire right now."
"Why should I?"
"What?!"
"What?!"
"Whether you have the clan name or not, once I set fire, it's over."
The faces of the Je Gal siblings twisted with anger.
The leader of the Lightning Fire Room laughed. Madness was heard in his laughter.
"Since you came out obediently, I'll spare your lives! Now, how should I deal with you clan bastards?"
"You evil bastard!"
"The guy looks sturdy, so I can sell him to the old men who are crazy about male love, and the girl is half and half, so I can enjoy her and then sell her to the brothel!"
"You bastard!"
Paang!
They could not take it anymore. The Je Gal siblings stomped the ground.
A fierce energy appeared on the face of the leader of the Lightning Fire Room.
"Ha!"
Then, dozens of hidden weapons flew from the bushes on both sides.
It was not a remarkable hidden weapon skill. But it was an unexpected surprise attack. They were flustered when they were attacked in their enraged state.
"Hap!"
Chwarrurruruk!
The hidden weapons that were flying in the air changed direction according to Je Gal Jun's gesture.
It was the Je Gal clan's technique, the Small Heavenly Star Palm (小天星掌法). The force that spread like a silk hem distorted the direction of the hidden weapon attack. It was hard to believe that it was the martial art of a young man who had not even reached the level of a master.
Puck!
"Kuk!"
"Jun-ah!"
It was an amazing martial art, but he did not anticipate another surprise attack. Three daggers were stuck in Je Gal Jun's thigh.
The leader of the Lightning Fire Room smiled and snapped his fingers. There were daggers between his finger joints.
"You're a brat."
Je Gal Jun clenched his teeth and stood up.
His martial art was strong, but his experience was lacking. He and Je Gal Ah Yeon had no experience in group fights or chaotic battles.
"This is nothing… Kulk!"
Suddenly, Je Gal Jun spat blood.
It was red blood, but it smelled foul. Je Gal Ah Yeon's eyes shook.
'Poison?!'
She looked at the leader of the Lightning Fire Room.
"You filthy bastard!"
"What's wrong? This is basic in the martial world."
"Give me the antidote!"
"Don't worry. Your organs will be damaged, but you won't die. I said I would sell you to the old men who enjoy male love, didn't I?"
Her heart sank as she was angry from head to toe. That madman was serious about what he said.
"Next is your turn."
Sreureureuk.
The men who had thrown the hidden weapons from the bushes showed themselves. They were determined to capture Je Gal Ah Yeon.
It would be hard for her to move with her injured brother. Je Gal Ah Yeon's face was colored with embarrassment.
* * *
Bang! Kugugugung!
The sound of the walls around the Chosung Tower collapsing was heard.
How strong was the Fire Demon to break even the stone walls? Before he knew it, Yeon Ji Pyeong, who had climbed to the top floor of the Chosung Tower, shouted.
"Master Shin!"
"Yes, Master Lee!"
"First, tell the men to put out the fire! And, there! We have to help the Je Gal clan!"
He was as calm as Je Gal Jun, but he was also confused by the sudden situation.
Shin Mo hurriedly answered.
"We have to evacuate the people first."
"Ah! Yes, yes! Then I have to help the Je Gal clan first…!"
That was when.
"Wait."
The two quickly turned around.
Yeon Ho-Jeong was standing there. His face was smeared with black ash, as if he had walked near the fire wall.
"Brother?!"
"Are you okay?"
"Yes, yes! But brother, wait?"
Yeon Ho Jeong looked at Shin Mo.
"Master Shin."
"Yes, Master Yeon."
"I have opened the way to the backyard and the northeast and southeast directions of the Chosung Tower. But that's not enough. There is dirt piled up on both sides of the south-west gate. If you go thirty more steps from there, you will reach the river."
"Yes, yes?!"
"Break the south-west gate. That's the final escape route."
"How, how…"
Yeon Ho Jeong's eyes flashed.
Shin Mo felt his back straighten.
"I will follow Master Yeon's order!"
Shin Mo moved right away.
Yeon Ho Jeong passed Yeon Ji Pyeong and stood at the end of the railing. He saw Je Gal Ah Yeon holding Je Gal Jun in his eyes.
'Show me your martial art.'
He saw a faint energy rising from Je Gal Ah Yeon's body. She seemed to be using all her strength.
'Hurry!'
Yeon Ji Pyeong asked urgently.
"Brother! There are people over there where the Je Gal clan is! We have to open the way there too! There are a lot of people over there too!"
"It's okay."
"Yes?!"
"The fire won't spread anymore. The wind direction is against us, so we won't inhale the smoke. It's okay for a while."
"But what if the people panic and cause an accident…!?"
"Everyone will live when the fight is over. Don't panic."
"Then let's go help the Je Gal clan! We have to defeat them as soon as possible to break the gate…!"
"Wait."
"…Brother?"
"Wait."
Yeon Ji Pyeong was about to ask what he meant, but he closed his mouth.
The eyes that shone blue on the high and sharp nose were extremely fierce.
He had never seen those eyes before. It was like looking into the eyes of a ghost, not a person.
Chin!
He stepped back a few steps without knowing it. His foot caught on the table leg. But Yeon Ji Pyeong didn't notice it. He felt a sense of alienation and fear from his brother's changed expression.
Yeon Ho Jeong was the same. His five senses and sixth sense, which always felt the surroundings, were focused only on Je Gal Ah Yeon.
'If your clan is behind this.'
He clenched the window frame with his hand.
Kwadeuk!
The wooden window frame broke. He unknowingly used the Wall Cracking Technique.
"…I'll make the whole North Country a sea of fire, starting with you clan bastards."
Bang!
Dozens of daggers poured down on Je Gal Ah Yeon.
At that moment, a white energy burst out of Je Gal Ah Yeon's body.
Yeon-Ho Jeong opened his eyes wide.