Chapter 35: Escape (1)
"Damn persistent bastards."
Muttering under my breath, I swung my sword. The Hao Sect martial artist charging at me didn't even have time to properly react before I sliced off one of his arms.
"Ahhhh!"
He screamed, clutching at the severed stump as he writhed on the ground. But I didn't have the luxury to confirm his state. From behind me, a spear was hurled straight toward my shoulder.
It wasn't aimed at my throat or heart but rather a non-lethal spot. If I tried to counter with a spin, Seol Lihyang, cradled against my side, would get in the way.
But I didn't need to move.
"Back off."
"Guhh!"
I snapped my head toward the attacker and unleashed a sharp wave of murderous intent.
Clatter.
The spear fell from his hands as if my blade had struck him. Gasping for breath, he clutched his throat as if it had been pierced.
I didn't hesitate. My sword sliced through his arm as he stood frozen in fear.
Sssk.
With that, the immediate pursuers were dealt with.
Slashing my way through the Hao Sect members surrounding Honghwa Pavilion, I managed to break their encirclement. But the pursuit hadn't ended. If anything, it was growing more intense.
The only saving grace was that the master of Honghwa Pavilion hadn't joined the chase personally. Likely, the side effects of Absorptive Inner Energy Cultivation (Heopjeonggong) were preventing him from properly utilizing martial arts.
Someone of his status, as a Hao Sect branch manager, would have known that I could take on a peak master alone.
Just as I sheathed my sword with a sigh, Seol Lihyang, who had been watching the carnage, let out a breath of her own.
"Why aren't you killing them? If it's because you're uneasy about taking lives, I can—"
"Idiot. Killing them would force a fight to the death."
"Aren't you already doing that?!"
"Not quite. Just as I'm stopping at severing their arms, they're also deliberately avoiding my vital points. They're aiming for my shoulder or thigh instead. They've probably been ordered not to kill me."
The reason was simple: they feared the Sichuan Tang Clan backing me.
The master of Honghwa Pavilion and the Hao Sect members knew full well that if they acted recklessly and killed me, their own heads could end up rolling.
I wasn't that different. While I wasn't just a wanderer anymore, I was now affiliated with the Sichuan Tang Clan. At Honghwa Pavilion, I even introduced myself as Cheon Hwi-da of the clan.
Regardless of my personal situation, the Tang Clan owed the Hao Sect for past support. Killing one of their men without cause would only undermine the Tang Clan's strong emphasis on honor and reciprocation.
"Now, hand me that spear."
"You're saying even noble families can't act as they please?"
Wearing a complicated expression, Seol Lihyang handed me the spear. I took it and hurled it at a nearby wall with all my strength.
Swish—Crash!
The spear embedded itself deeply into the wall, startling Seol Lihyang, who stared at it, speechless. I turned my back to her and crouched down.
"Get on."
"Wha—what?!"
"The pursuers are getting closer. And they're not just chasing us from behind—they're cutting us off ahead of where we're going."
Just because the master of Honghwa Pavilion wasn't pursuing us personally didn't mean he was sitting idle.
As a branch manager of the Hao Sect, in a region entirely under their control, he had likely already spread word of our movements.
"So we're being herded into a trap?"
"Probably."
"And here I thought I picked the quietest route to avoid being seen..."
"I'm not blaming you. I expected as much."
While heading toward the inn, Seol Lihyang had pointed out shortcuts and quieter paths.
But expecting that to be enough to evade the master of Honghwa Pavilion, a recognized figure even within the Hao Sect, was naïve. Seol Lihyang, who had merely lived in this city for a while, couldn't compare to someone with the resources and influence of a branch manager.
"Just get on already. If we know they're herding us, we just need to go somewhere unexpected."
"Ugh! Fine, I'm getting on!"
Seol Lihyang reluctantly climbed onto my back. She was lighter than expected, her body more bony than soft.
How little has she been eating to be this thin?
Clicking my tongue inwardly, I sprinted toward the wall where I'd embedded the spear.
"Wait, don't tell me...!"
"Don't open your mouth unless you want to bite your tongue."
I felt her arms tighten instinctively around my neck as I leaped.
Thud!
"Kyaaaa!"
Using the spear as a foothold, I vaulted onto the top of the wall, then onto the roof of a nearby building.
Seol Lihyang buried her face in my neck, trembling. I patted her hand lightly.
"Relax. You won't fall. Open your eyes."
"Ugh..."
Still teary-eyed, she slowly opened her eyes. Her expression shifted from fear to awe.
"Wow..."
The countless lights illuminating the night of Yanzhou spread out before us, a breathtaking sight.
Smiling faintly at her reaction, I gestured toward the lights.
"Most of those lights belong to the Hao Sect members chasing us."
"Tell me the safest way to avoid them."
Her face fell, turning pale, and she shakily pointed in one direction.
"Over there. That's the fastest route."
"Got it. Hold on tight."
"Wh—what?!"
"You might fall."
"You said I wouldn't, you bastard!"
Grinning at her indignant protest, I activated my lightness technique and darted off.
"Catch them! They went into the alley!"
"The branch manager said he'd split the rewards with anyone who helps capture them!"
"Don't hog it all—form groups to take them down!"
Pretending to head into an alley, I pressed myself flat against the back of a building, waiting for the Hao Sect members' voices to fade.
When I felt it was safe, I let out the breath I'd been holding.
"Phew."
The plan had worked.
By sticking to rooftops and moving between buildings, we'd escaped the sensation of being herded.
But a new problem had arisen.
The chaos of running along the rooftops had drawn an overwhelming number of Hao Sect members.
I had been cutting off their arms one by one, yet instead of reducing their numbers, they only seemed to multiply.
They weren't particularly strong—most were third- or second-rate fighters, with a few first-rate martial artists.
The issue was sheer numbers.
Everywhere I went, more Hao Sect members appeared. Even a coachman I'd assumed was a bystander lashed out with a whip.
The only explanation was that the master of Honghwa Pavilion had offered them a massive reward—whether it was martial arts, gold, or something else.
Having lived most of my life as an unorthodox martial artist, I knew all too well how greed drove people. Once the fire of desire was lit, they wouldn't stop until they had their prize or lost their heads.
"Damn unorthodox scum."
Though I'd improved my stamina and internal energy over time, I was starting to reach my limits. I descended from the rooftops because using my lightness technique continually consumed too much energy.
If I could reach the inn, I might still make it. If not, I'd have to recover my strength bit by bit while hiding.
"This is bad."
Leaning against the wall, I sighed deeply. Seol Lihyang, standing beside me, spoke in a subdued voice.
"Is the situation really that dangerous?"
"Not yet. But it could be soon."
"Then..."
She hesitated, as if trying to decide what to say.
"There! They're hiding here!"
"Even if you fail, it's just an arm. But if you succeed, you might finally escape this wretched life! What are you hesitating for?!"
"Charge him all at once! He's only one man—there's no way he can block ten attacks with just two hands!"
"These bastards just won't give me a break."
The Hao Sect members surged from every direction, leaving me no time to catch my breath. Weapons came flying from three sides—swords, sabers, and spears aimed not at my vital points but at my limbs, places easy to subdue.
It was clear they didn't intend to kill me, and for that same reason, I couldn't unleash fatal strikes against them.
"Click."
Clicking my tongue, I swung my sword at the first spear. At the same time, I split my concealed aura into three precise bursts.
The killing intent, minimal yet focused, rippled through the air, making the attackers flinch.
Clang!
My sword deflected the spear, which tangled with the other weapons, throwing the attackers off balance.
Seizing the moment, I slashed through three elbows in one fluid motion.
"Ggaaah!"
"My arm!"
"Monster…"
Their screams echoed as the Hao Sect members fell one by one. I frowned, my grip tightening on the hilt of my sword.
Cutting through human limbs required more strength than most people imagined. Internal energy made it easier, but even so, it wasn't limitless.
One skirmish had left my breathing labored. My shoulders ached to the point of numbness, and my dantian felt hollow.
Yet I kept my voice steady as I spoke.
"Which way now? We've twisted through so many alleys I've lost track."
"If we get through that alley, it'll lead to a main road. From there, turn right and keep going. We're almost there."
Seol Lihyang's voice carried a note of worry. Smiling faintly, I shook my head.
"I feel like I've heard 'almost there' three or four times already."
"This time it's true."
"Then let's hope you're right."
Forcing my weary body to move, I left before the commotion could draw more Hao Sect members. I silenced my footsteps as I led us through a narrow alley.
Midway through, Seol Lihyang spoke softly.
"Hey... your name is Cheon Hwi-da, right?"
"That's right."
"Why are you doing so much for me?"
"As I said, it's because—"
"I don't care about my father. I don't even know if what you said is true. Even if it is, it's not enough to justify all this trouble."
"Hm?"
"Look. You seem to know a lot about me, but I can't even remember your name properly."
"We only met today. That's natural."
"Exactly. We just met today... so it's fine now."
"What do you mean?"
"You've done enough. Whatever debt you owed my father, you've paid it back. I'll vouch for you."
"So let's end this here. Up until now, things have been fine, but you said it yourself—it's going to get dangerous. You won't die, but you could get seriously hurt. Just like all the arms you've been cutting off."
"Maybe so."
The master of Honghwa Pavilion had likely instructed his men to capture me alive, fearing conflict with the Sichuan Tang Clan.
But the grunts following those orders were a different story. They were on the brink of losing their limbs and lives. Expecting them to stick to orders under such conditions was naive.
I couldn't let my guard down completely.
"Even so, I have no intention of stopping."
"You... you idiot!"
Seol Lihyang clicked her tongue and abruptly turned, running back the way we had come.
But she wasn't trained in martial arts. No matter how tired I was, it didn't take much to catch up to her.
Snap!
I grabbed her wrist, halting her escape.
"Let go! You're going to get hurt because of me!"
She slapped and pushed at my arm, but I didn't loosen my grip. Her frustration boiled over, her face twisting with anger.
"Why... why are you doing this?! Is it my body you're after? If that's the case, fine! Just take what you want! I'm going to end up a courtesan anyway, so—"
Her voice cracked as her words turned to incoherent rambling.
I listened silently, holding her wrist firmly as I began walking forward.
Her protests grew quieter until she finally fell silent. Head bowed, she trailed after me without resistance.
In a calm tone, I began to speak.
"I used to be an arrogant man. I thought I could do anything as long as I had my sword."
"At the same time, I understood that someone like me, who only had his sword, couldn't keep anyone by his side."
"But I was wrong. Even someone like me could form bonds. And there were those who wanted to stay by my side."
"By the time I realized that, it was already too late... but it taught me to be honest with my emotions."
It was true. The reason I could accept Tang Sowol's feelings, the reason I came to love her, was all thanks to Seol Lihyang.
"I've gained far more from you than you think. So, Seol Lihyang, all you need to do is follow me quietly. I'll take care of the rest. Got it?"
"...Okay."
Her reply was soft, her head still hanging low.
I pulled her along as we exited the alley.
And then—
"I knew you'd come this way."
The master of Honghwa Pavilion stood before us, flanked by enough Hao Sect members to fill the entire street.