Chapter 111 :

Chapter 111. Night March of the Dark Faction (1)

Thud, thud, thud, thud.

Seong Moran pounded the dirt ground.

Each time she swung her hands, clods of earth scattered into the air, and blood streamed from her palms, yet neither Namgung Seonhwa nor Cho Mubin could step forward to stop her.

"Damn it."

Everyone knew that the only way she could vent the rage burning inside her was by injuring her own hands, so they silently waited.

"Hngh..."

Everyone who had heard Yong Soa's story felt much the same as Seong Moran.

Being treated as a useless expendable item was bound to wound anyone deeply.

"Haa..."

After covering both hands in wounds, Seong Moran sat there blankly for a while before catching her breath.

"Young Master Jin."

"I'm staying here."

Seong Moran pulled a small pouch from her robes, its contents rattling softly.

"I knew that you've been pushing yourself too hard this whole time, Young Master Jin. So even if you leave me behind, don't feel guilty."

After saying that, Seong Moran buried her head between her knees.

No one could point a finger at her and accuse her of being irresponsible.

When Geumpyo exchanged glances with Eunho and Lee Dongryong, he nodded and stepped forward.

"Senior Brother, I think we have already come far enough."

Geumpyo placed the entrance plaque he had received at Jin Sowoon's feet and turned away.

That astonishing movement technique of his—one so extraordinary that even the Namgung Family had never seen anything like it before—might allow him to make it.

They could only hope.

"Could you make it to the exit without relying on the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering?"

Even Geumpyo knew the request was unreasonable, and in the end, he could not finish his sentence.

He merely placed his entrance plaque at Jin Sowoon's feet.

Namgung Seonhwa stared silently at Jin Sowoon.

"I don't want it to end like this."

Dang Seohee's emotionless words echoed in her ears.

—It would not be strange if he died at any moment.

More than the helplessness of being unable to do anything for a good person, the guilt of having held him back all this time weighed heavily on her heart.

"Young Master Jin."

Jin Sowoon's expression remained unreadable.

"You could reach the Martial Academy through the exit, couldn't you, Young Master Jin?"

A silence colder than ice settled over them.

Everyone had waited desperately for the exam to end.

They had promised one another that once it was over, they would sleep for seven days and nights, eat for seven days and nights, and remain drunk for seven days and nights.

Yet even though they knew the exam was over, not a single person showed any joy.

None of them had wanted an ending like this.

Namgung Seonhwa turned around, intending to sit beside Seong Moran.

"Why is everyone giving up so easily?"

"...!"

Her head snapped around before she even realized it.

Jin Sowoon lightly kicked the entrance plaques gathered at his feet.

"Did everyone come this far just to see an ending like this?"

"I am not going with Yong Soa."

"..."

"And I am not going alone either."

"..."

Namgung Seonhwa felt her heart begin to race.

His words settled deep within her chest.

He rejected without hesitation the choices she herself would naturally have made.

Selfishly, his actions brought her overwhelming relief.

They wrapped her in warmth.

Even though she felt as if she might collapse and die at any moment, they gave her strength.

"...Stop being so stubborn."

When Seong Moran raised her head, both her eyes were swollen.

"You know very well that this isn't a deathtrap we can overcome through willpower or effort."

Namgung Seonhwa nodded in agreement.

The emotions filling her chest were one thing, but reason still demanded that she say what needed to be said.

"More importantly, they said your physical condition is poor, Young Master Jin. If Senior Seohee said that, then we should assume it is even more serious than she let on."

After listening, Jin Sowoon looked around at everyone before speaking.

"So you want to give up?"

"..."

"I'm asking whether you truly want to stop here and let it end."

Seong Moran exploded at his emotionless words.

"Who wants to give up? After suffering this humiliation and being treated like this, who would want to give up? I want to go too! I want to sweep away those damned examinees, shove aside those robbers, and smear mud all over the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering's reputation!"

In the end, Seong Moran could no longer hold back her tears, and they burst forth.

"...Sob."

She roughly wiped them away, pretending that nothing was wrong.

Jin Sowoon spoke to her in the same impassive tone.

"Then let's go."

"...Haa. Seriously."

Seong Moran glared sharply at Jin Sowoon.

"I told you... This can't be overcome through willpower or..."

"I'm telling you this because there is another way."

"..."

"One way."

Jin Sowoon raised his index finger.

"One method remains. A way for all of us to reach the Martial Academy safely."

"You mean making a deal with the people who have been chasing us? Would they accept now? All of the Nine Great Sects..."

"No. Of course we are not making a deal with them. Nor are we making a deal with the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering."

Not only Seong Moran, but everyone stared blankly at Jin Sowoon.

"...Of course, it is something none of you will be pleased about..."

As Jin Sowoon continued, everyone's mouths slowly fell open.

"..."

By the end, their mouths were hanging open wide enough to fit a large bowl.

"...You crazy bastard..."

Namgung Seonhwa was startled by the curse that escaped Seong Moran's mouth.

She had called him "crazy" and said he was "out of his mind" many times before, but she had never gone so far as to call him a "crazy bastard."

Still, after considering what they had just heard, Namgung Seonhwa thought the description was accurate.

"...You lunatic."

She agreed, albeit in slightly milder terms.

#

"You reek."

Grit.

So Jeho, whose eye was mysteriously swollen black and blue, ground his teeth.

"Talk from farther away."

Dang Seohee pinched her nose and waved her hand dismissively.

So Jeho nearly shouted, "You're the one who made me like this!" but forced down his anger.

If he caused another commotion here, he might truly spend the entire journey to the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering shitting blood.

"They started moving again."

At So Jeho's words, Yong Soa tilted her head.

"Really?"

"He has nothing, yet his pride is impressive, isn't it? Hahaha."

So Jeho laughed as he imagined the gloomy future awaiting Jin Sowoon, but no one joined him.

Then again, with only Yong Soa and Dang Seohee present, expecting anyone to laugh along was unreasonable from the start.

"Which direction?"

"What does the direction matter? Enemies will be blocking them no matter where they go. They are completely surrounded on all sides."

"The stinking one is using fancy expressions now."

So Jeho glared at Dang Seohee for suddenly interrupting, but she showed no sign of caring.

Yong Soa asked again.

"Which direction?"

"They turned southeast again. They were probably trying to avoid Wudang."

"Southeast... The Dabie Mountains?"

"They escaped a tiger only to enter the jaws of an imugi."

"Track them."

"You should have listened to us from the start... What?"

"Track Jin Sowoon's group."

"The stinking one has gone deaf too."

"You little—! Hoo. Is there really any need to track them? They're finished anyway."

"I'm curious where the entrance plaques in their possession will end up."

"...Understood."

At Yong Soa's words, So Jeho let out a small sigh and turned away.

After So Jeho disappeared, only Yong Soa and Dang Seohee remained.

Both were naturally quiet people, so whenever they were alone, silence usually filled the air.

Yet for once, Dang Seohee spoke first.

"My grandfather acknowledged you."

Even after hearing that the Poison Lord, Dang Hyeokje, had acknowledged her, Yong Soa's expression did not change.

"That is why I have been cooperating with your intentions."

"However, after seeing Jin Sowoon, my thoughts have changed. Is what you are trying to accomplish truly the method that will save the greatest number of people?"

Emotionless words reached an equally emotionless listener.

Even with her true intentions questioned, Yong Soa's emotions did not stir.

"It is."

"Then why did Jin Sowoon try to go with everyone, while you are trying to save only Jin Sowoon?"

"Because he pursues an unrealistic dream, while I pursue practical benefit."

Dang Seohee frowned.

Her small stature and already youthful appearance made even that frown resemble an adorable pout.

But there was no one here whose emotions would be moved by such a sight.

"He may appear to be saving dozens of people right now, but in doing so, he has thrown away the opportunity to save tens of thousands—perhaps even millions."

Dang Seohee nodded along while listening, then murmured.

"That is quite serious."

"It is nothing. What is destined to happen will happen regardless."

"No, that is not what I meant."

Yong Soa stared silently at Dang Seohee.

"If Jin Sowoon leads every one of his people into the Martial Academy, would that not cause a problem for you?"

"It would prove that what you said was wrong."

Yong Soa, who had rarely frowned in her entire life, seemed to have been furrowing her brow often lately.

"That will not happen."

"How can you be so certain?"

"Even if I entered their group right now, it would be impossible to lead all of them to Wuhan."

Dang Seohee pulled one small, pale hand from her sleeve, rested it against her chin, and nodded thoughtfully.

"Mm. Hmm. Perhaps... Hmm... The rumors circulating through the murim world may be true."

When Dang Seohee muttered to herself, Yong Soa asked,

"What are you thinking?"

"If Jin Sowoon reaches the Martial Academy with all those group members, it will prove that, just as people in the murim world say, the Bloodflame Dragon is far more outstanding than Yong Soa."

"...What is impossible for me..."

"Jin Sowoon already proved it once on the Maling Plateau."

"Jin Sowoon accomplished something Yong Soa could not."

"Run! Run! Don't look at anything—just run!"

Gang Seopyo, Cho Mubin, and Baek Wongak raced madly at the very front.

"Anyone who can't keep going should give up and return to your family! We don't need you anymore!"

"If anyone tries to search your bodies for the entrance plaques, let them! Don't act tough and get yourselves killed!"

"This isn't a war! There's no need to risk your lives!"

The three captains spoke one after another, but none of the warriors dropped out.

They all chased after them as though their lives depended on it.

"Damn it, what kind of nonsense is that?"

"If something terrible happens to the Young Lady, who do you think will be held responsible?"

"I'd rather die chasing after her."

Of course, they did not forget to mutter quietly from behind.

The warriors were not the only ones who could not stop muttering.

Moyong Jaehwa also continued talking to himself.

"I'm dead when I return to the family."

Namgung Seonhwa, who was running beside him, offered words of consolation.

"Still, your grandfather likes eccentric behavior, so there may be room for leniency. But I might genuinely be removed from the family register."

Moyong Jaehwa reacted violently to what was supposed to be reassurance.

"Elder Sister, how can you say that? The moment I picked up this bow, I was already prepared to be removed from the family register."

"Who told you to pick up a bow? You should have diligently trained in your family's sword arts instead of doing something pointless."

"Wow... You were delighted when you managed to sleep for two whole hours thanks to me, yet now you say that... I'm truly disappointed. Deeply disappointed, Elder Sister!"

The Dabie Mountains slowly came into view at the end of the road.

Once they crossed those mountains, they would reach Hubei Province, but large groups of people began appearing along the roads leading through the province.

"If you two still have that much energy, why don't you move to the front?"

"..."

At Seong Moran's sharp words, they immediately shut their mouths.

"I'm finished too. Our family line is going to end because of my idiot brother and me."

"..."

"When we first started doing crazy things, I should have run away then."

No matter how early regret came, it was always too late.

Once someone climbed onto a tiger's back, they could not jump off whenever they pleased.

"They're coming!"

The people in front warned that a clash was imminent.

The opposing force gradually slowed and prepared for battle.

"Move faster!"

People were not horses, so urging them should not have made them run any faster.

Strangely, however, every member of Jin Sowoon's group began to increase their speed little by little.

The enormous force and the smaller unit collided.

Dozens of sword fragments scattered in every direction, and screams erupted from all around.

Clang-clang-clang-clang-clang!

While the Taeul Sect group desperately swung their swords, the warriors of Mount Hua and Diancang maintained their sword formations without overexerting themselves in the slightest.

They were elite warriors whose acceptance into the Martial Academy had already been decided.

Their opponents, meanwhile, were little more than wounded beasts who had been hunted for weeks without proper sleep.

"Change direction!"

Jin Sowoon's voice thundered through the area.

The warriors who had been confronting the sword formations immediately changed direction and headed toward Daemang County.

Clang-clang-clang-clang!

The people blocking them knew that the only way to reach Hubei Province was through the road occupied by Mount Hua and Diancang, and they visibly hesitated.

"Run!"

Moreover, they knew that Daemang County was home to three heretical sects, making their hesitation even greater.

Jin Sowoon's group seized that brief opening and ran for their lives.

Swish-swish-swish!

Elite warriors were still elite warriors.

Within that short opening, they launched flying swords and managed to wound several people.

"Urgh!"

"Hey, are you all right?!"

"I-I'm fine!"

"If you're not fine, then drop out!"

"Shut up, bastard!"

It was their final opportunity, created by the briefest of openings.

Namgung Seonhwa, Moyong Jaehwa, Seong Moran, the Geum, Eun, and Dong brothers, and everyone else cast aside all the worries that had troubled them until now.

They squeezed out even the final scraps of strength remaining in their souls and ran toward their destination.

"Huh?"

"C-catch them!"

"Chase them!"

The elite warriors reacted belatedly and pursued them at lightning speed.

Their own feet felt painfully slow compared to the enemy's, but all they could do was keep running without looking back.

However, running without paying attention meant that even the smallest stone could cause someone to fall.

Thud-thud-thud!

Namgung Seonhwa tumbled across the ground, covering her entire body in dirt.

Even the warriors of the Namgung Family had already run too far ahead to stop for her.

"Go! Just go!"

Just as the Mount Hua warriors who swiftly caught up were about to surround Namgung Seonhwa—

Shrrrrk.

Jin Sowoon hurled himself backward and spread the Blood Dragon Sword like a folding fan.

Against the dozens of swords appearing in every direction, the Mount Hua warriors produced hundreds of plum blossoms.

Each time a plum blossom touched an illusion sword, the illusion vanished helplessly.

The sword shadows that had seemed to fill the entire air disappeared in an instant.

The hundreds of plum blossoms remained and descended upon Namgung Seonhwa.

"Aaah!"

Pababababak!

Along with the sounds of blood and flesh bursting apart, Namgung Seonhwa felt her body rise into the air.

Then she saw Jin Sowoon before her, bleeding as he lifted her into his arms.

Her heart swelled at the sight of him.

Unable to decide what she should say, she simply blurted out the first words that came to mind.

"I told you to just go."

"...You may enter as you please, but leaving is not up to you."

Jin Sowoon's Divine Prestige staggered several times.

His speed was not what it once had been either.

Even so, they were still too far away for the Mount Hua warriors to catch them.

"You lunatics! That way leads to a dark faction sect, the enemy of the righteous faction!"

"W-what the hell? Have all of them gone insane?"

"Hey! You'll all die if you keep going that way!"

The desperate shouts of the Mount Hua warriors echoed from behind.

"Let's go."

At some point, the Mount Hua pursuers began to slow down.

Jin Sowoon's group was heading directly toward a dark faction sect.

"Huh? Huh?!"

"H-hey, you bastards! Not that way!"

"You lunatics! Do you even know what kind of place that is?!"

Even the Mount Hua warriors who had been pursuing them desperately screamed for them to stop, declaring that they would chase them no farther, but Jin Sowoon's group did not change direction.

Then, amid the Mount Hua warriors' cries of "Huh? Huh!" Jin Sowoon finally smashed through the gate blocking their path without hesitation.

Boom!

It was the main gate of the Four Emperors Peak, known as one of the strongest sects of the dark faction.

"!"

"!!!"

The Mount Hua warriors stopped in their tracks, unable to hide their shock.

One of them even dropped his sword, a weapon considered as precious as a martial artist's life.