[Chapter 95]
Socheong was taken aback.
"What, what did you say?!"
"They asked me to convey their apologies, to say they were sorry."
He gazed upon a body lying on the ground.
Clad in fine garments, the corpse's hands were neatly folded. A round, hollow mark was visible on the exposed chest.
'Was the heart pierced?'
Socheong looked at the woman.
Her hair was disheveled, obscuring her face. Yet, at a glance, one could tell she was young.
Moreover, a quiver was strapped to her waist, and a sizable recurve bow hung on her back.
"Could it be… Miss, did you do this?"
The woman nodded ever so slightly. Her expression remained unseen.
Socheong sighed as he watched her.
His perception was second to none.
"What was your relationship?"
"…He was one of my brothers."
"!"
"He regretted much. I, too, offer my apologies."
The woman knelt and bowed deeply.
Socheong, with a troubled look, closed his eyes.
"Rise now."
"…"
"Who bows to a beggar? Fearful someone might see. Stand up."
Only then did the woman rise.
Socheong opened his eyes to look at her.
"What is there for me to say? The beggars this man killed had no kin."
"…"
"However, having harmed your own flesh and blood must weigh heavily on you. I shall introduce you to a physician to care for your body and spirit…"
"It's alright."
Her voice was unexpectedly firm.
After a brief silence, Socheong nodded weakly.
"Understood."
"But, I have one question."
"A question?"
"Do you know where Yeon Hojeong is right now?"
A spark flashed in Socheong's eyes.
"Why do you seek him?"
A clear wariness.
The woman, Baek Hyang, spoke.
"He told me to find him."
"…Yeon Gongzi asked you to come?"
"Yes."
Her tone was stiff, like a man new to the world.
"Do you have proof? Yeon Gongzi is an esteemed guest of our sect. Should any harm befall him, we could not show our faces in the martial world."
Information about Yeon Hojeong was top secret.
Huga had ordered the entire sect to treat Yeon Hojeong as they would their own. Such was the trust placed in Yeon Hojeong.
To Socheong, this woman seemed dangerous.
The aura of nihilism emanating from her. It was expected, having killed her own brother, but even aside from that, the subtle spread of her energy was chilling.
'She might even rival Elder Dong.'
Dongpunggae was the last to become an elder. As such, he was often considered a step or two below the others.
Yet, he was still an elder of the great sect. To think of a woman barely in her twenties as having the martial prowess of an elder was no small feat.
Baek Hyang shook her head.
Her hair swayed with the motion, eerily captivating.
"I don't know about that. But if you won't tell me, I have no choice but to wait."
She would wait.
Such a reckless lady. Socheong fell into thought.
'She doesn't seem to be lying.'
His position as a branch leader at a young age was due more to his discernment than his martial skills.
To him, Baek Hyang's words felt true.
'But what if…'
If this woman harbored a grudge against Yeon Hojeong?
After much contemplation, Socheong sighed.
"I will guide you."
"?"
"You don't seem to be lying. But I can't act on feeling alone. Nor can I leave you in this beggar's den forever. I will guide you personally."
Baek Hyang bowed her head.
"Thank you."
"Don't thank me. If you deceive me and attack Yeon Gongzi, you will become the sect's greatest enemy."
His words were threatening, but Baek Hyang's expression remained unchanged.
Socheong called over a beggar and gave a few instructions before setting out.
"Just so you know, I may not know much, but my agility is unmatched. Please follow closely."
"Yes."
"Let's go."
* * *
With a thunderous roar, a terrifying shockwave swept through the surroundings.
"Argh!"
The heat scorched his back.
It was as if he was fleeing from a rapidly spreading wildfire, such was the formidable power of the martial art unleashed.
Myeong Heorim, with swift agility, spun his body and struck out with a powerful palm strike.
Yeon Hojeong's eyes flashed with intensity.
Boom!
A look of horror spread across Myeong Heorim's face.
'Monster!!'
He had consumed three of the Myung family's finest elixirs to master the Phoenix Divine Art. Although his mastery was not yet on par with his father's, he believed his inner strength was comparable.
Yet, his powerful inner strength, channeled into the fiery strike of the Phoenix Claw, dissipated with a mere gesture from his opponent.
And that wasn't all.
Whoosh.
The crimson energy, which had scattered, now seeped into Yeon Hojeong's body, absorbed like ink on paper.
Boom!
Incredibly fast.
The stepping technique that closed the distance instantly was as swift as lightning. The gap of five zhang was closed in an instant to just two.
Myeong Heorim gave up on direct confrontation.
Ratatatat!
Yeon Hojeong frowned.
'So fast.'
The Phoenix Flight was not a martial art meant for combat like the Blood Wing Soaring Heaven. It was difficult to utilize in battle unless one was a master like Myungcheon.
But when used as it should be, the story was different.
Even compared to Myungcheon, the speed was remarkable, chasing after Myeong Heorim, who moved like a streak of light, was a challenge even for Yeon Hojeong.
The Phoenix Divine Art, though it crushed the spirit and body, its power in a moment was enough to make one's tongue curl.
'Damn, he still has so much stamina?'
Ratatat!
Yeon Hojeong pushed his Wall Breaking Energy to the limit, opening the Suzaku Energy to alleviate the strain on his body.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
In just three steps, he had significantly closed the distance with Myeong Heorim.
Yeon Hojeong, channeling his momentum, swung his axe.
Kwaang!
A storm-like force swept forward, shattering a large tree and scattering leaves and dirt in all directions.
For a moment, Myeong Heorim's stance faltered. But it was only for a moment; he quickly regained his posture and ran even faster than before.
Yeon Hojeong exclaimed without realizing.
"This is madness, that guy!"
He was squeezing out every last bit of his strength and inner power, truly a desperate escape.
'I underestimated him.'
He hadn't given much thought to Myeong Heorim initially. His main concern was Mokbi, and Myeong Heorim was just an extra.
Of course, he didn't take him lightly. But after days without proper food or rest, Myeong Heorim's physical condition couldn't be normal.
He thought it wouldn't be easy but not particularly difficult either. And that had been true.
The problem was that he hadn't expected Myeong Heorim's martial arts to be so exceptional.
'If only I could use the Void Grasping Technique.'
Back when he was known as the Black Rock Emperor, he was a master who wielded immense inner power and ultimate enlightenment, even capable of using the Void Grasping Technique. With it, he could have slowed down a fleeing opponent.
Alas, his body and martial arts had not yet reached the high dimension necessary to perform the Void Grasping Technique.
'I'm going to lose him at this rate.'
The distance was growing. There was a limit to using the Blood Wing Soaring Heaven.
'This is it. I must catch him with this last move.'
Yeon Hojeong's eyes, which had been flickering with a blue light, slowly emitted a red glow.
If Myeong Heorim was undertaking a desperate escape, then Yeon Hojeong was in the midst of a desperate pursuit.
Finally, Yeon Hojeong pushed himself to the extreme. The Suzaku Energy blazed, granting him the fastest step he had ever taken.
Kwakwakwang!
The ground where Yeon Hojeong stepped exploded indiscriminately.
Flash!
Myeong Heorim's face turned pale.
Suddenly, his opponent had leaped over his head and outpaced him. Though he looked strained, his fierce gaze did not waver.
Yeon Hojeong thrust out with a punch.
Kwaang!
"Cough!"
It felt as if he had been struck in the chest with a sledgehammer. Myeong Heorim spat blood and was sent flying backward.
Ratatat!
Yeon Hojeong quickly descended to the ground and fixed his stance, glaring at Myeong Heorim.
"Huff, that should do it… Ah, that crazy guy!"
At least a couple of ribs must have broken, yet he was running away again. The speed had clearly slowed, but it wasn't exactly slow.
The obsession with life was terrifying. Even with broken bones and internal injuries, he was fleeing at that speed.
No more.
A white wind swirled around Yeon Hojeong's body.
Kwaang!
The footsteps of the Beast King shook the entire mountain.
'This time, I'll catch him!'
Yeon Hojeong gathered all the powerful energy he had summoned with the White Tiger's Dominance into both hands. He swung the iron staff filled with White Tiger Energy.
Wooong!
The six-foot iron staff, filled with White Tiger Energy, spun at high speed and flew towards Myeong Heorim.
Despair flashed in Myeong Heorim's eyes.
'I can't dodge…'
Boom! Bang!
"Aaargh!"
Myeong Heorim staggered and fell.
He lowered his stance, but couldn't completely dodge. His left arm was severed from the shoulder down.
Thud! Snap!
He hurriedly pressed on his acupoints, but the bleeding wasn't completely stopped. His inner power was already severely depleted, and he had sustained internal injuries.
Myeong Heorim staggered continuously.
And in front of him stood Yeon Hojeong.
"What a mess."
Suddenly, Myeong Heorim's eyes blazed red.
"You bastard!"
Where did such strength come from? Myeong Heorim suddenly rose and struck Yeon Hojeong's chest with his remaining right hand.
Boom!
Yeon Hojeong's body shook.
That was all. Myeong Heorim had gathered his last strength to strike with the Phoenix Claw, but even this blow failed to harm his opponent.
Myeong Heorim muttered in despair.
"What are you, exactly? A monster?!"
Boom!
Yeon Hojeong's foot struck Myeong Heorim's solar plexus. Myeong Heorim collapsed on the spot.
Yeon Hojeong brushed off his chest with a bitter expression.
"Monster? Aren't you the ones? Going through all that trouble just to obtain a martial art, not to mention trying to annihilate an innocent family."
"Cough!"
Blood flowed from the nose and mouth of the fallen Myeong Heorim.
Yeon Hojeong swiftly pressed on his vital points. There was no resistance, as if his energy had greatly diminished.
"Huff, I need to find and master a decent martial art quickly. It's embarrassing not to be able to properly catch a brat like this."
For Myeong Heorim, these words were infuriating.
Who was he? Wasn't he one of the Twin Dragons, a prodigy among prodigies, expected to join the Thirteen Seats of the Holy Heaven in the future, having already amassed skills close to those of the Nine Sects' elders?
And this creature called him a brat?
Thud!
Carrying the iron staff and Myeong Heorim slung over his side like a sack, he walked along the path. He planned to leave Myeong Heorim with Huangfengjing and then depart.
How long had he walked?
'Hmm?'
Yeon Hojeong stopped in his tracks.
'A presence?'
And not just any presence.
The disciplined gait, the sharp energy.
The keenly honed energy of the sword was felt from beyond the mountain path he was walking.
It was familiar yet strange. The reason being, he had felt a similar energy before, but the level was vastly different.
After a moment,.
"Huh?"
An elderly man and about thirty swordsmen stood opposite Yeon Hojeong.
"Remarkable. To think that at such a young age, you've already grasped the essence of martial arts? Astonishing indeed."
Yeon Hojeong's expression became complex.
"Nangong?"