Chapter v11c21: Another Reunion

**Another Reunion**

– The Majesty of the Seven Plum Sword

“Sigh…”

Yun Jun-ho, who had separated from the group and entered the forest alone, let out a deep sigh as if trying to expel all the heavy burdens from his chest.

It was a habit he still hadn’t broken. Despite the combined efforts of Bi Ryu-yeon, Hyo-ryong, and Jang Hong to help him change, it seemed that old habits truly die hard.

“I’m still so far behind, so far! Can I really do well? Can I do well enough not to bring shame to Cheonmu Academy, not to tarnish its reputation, not to stain its honor?”

If Bi Ryu-yeon had seen him, he would have scolded him for brooding alone again. Discussing with someone trustworthy would likely yield more positive results, but being teased as a coward and ostracized had made it awkward for him to consult with others.

His worries had deepened recently. When they encountered the Mad Wolf Stronghold, the Green Forest Stronghold’s headquarters, on Mount Dahong and were surrounded by 3,000 Green Forest bandits, he had once again succumbed to fear. The tension that gripped his heart and the terror that clawed at his lungs had prevented him from properly assessing the situation around him. He couldn’t even remember the conversation between Bi Ryu-yeon and the copper-skinned man whose name he couldn’t recall. He had lost his composure due to tension, fear, and anxiety. His senses had dulled and his vision had narrowed. If a full-scale battle had broken out, he would probably have ended up as a corpse lying on Mount Dahong. Yun Jun-ho hated himself for being paralyzed by fear once again.

“Hah!”

In frustration, he swung his sword wildly. The sword wind swept through the forest like a gust. While he was weak in actual combat, his sword energy during practice was impeccable. The sword energy cut through the trees horizontally and vertically.

Thud!

Suddenly, something fell from a tree. It was a dark red mass.

“W-What?”

Yun Jun-ho’s mouth gaped in surprise.

“Urgh!”

A groan escaped from the black and red mass. It was a person whose entire body was stained red with blood. But it seemed they still had enough strength left to move. However, even that single movement looked incredibly difficult to Yun Jun-ho.

“Ah, you’re…!”

Yun Jun-ho’s eyes widened. He had seen this middle-aged man with an unexpectedly ordinary face, now dyed red with blood, not long ago. It was Lee Song-hak, the Gentleman’s Wandering Sword, deputy leader of the Black Wolf Stronghold.

Lee Song-hak’s eyes also widened.

“Who are you?”

Lee Song-hak asked, his voice implying that he didn’t recognize Yun Jun-ho. Given Yun Jun-ho’s lack of presence, he hadn’t left an impression in Lee Song-hak’s memory. Moreover, Lee Song-hak was currently suffering from pain spreading throughout his body. He had no energy to spare on recalling Yun Jun-ho’s face.

Yun Jun-ho felt the tension drain from his shoulders.

“I’m Yun Jun-ho from the Cheonmu Academy delegation. What happened to you? How did you get those wounds?”

“Ah!”

However, Lee Song-hak had no time for pleasantries.

“Quick, get away from here!”

Lee Song-hak shouted urgently.

“Why? What’s happening?”

It was a foolish question in this situation. Lee Song-hak had barely managed to shake off a relentless pursuit and had just escaped to this place. All routes to the stronghold were blocked. He had no choice but to take a detour, but his whereabouts had been discovered. He looked at Yun Jun-ho intently. Yun Jun-ho flinched at the intense gaze.

“A terrifying person is following me. You should quickly escape. I’ll lure them away.”

But Yun Jun-ho didn’t move.

“You can’t fight in that condition, can you?”

It was clear at a glance that he had lost too much blood. It was a miracle he was still maintaining his strength. It must be sheer willpower. His body was clearly a mess, not just on the surface but internally as well.

“It doesn’t matter! Just relay one message to the Green Forest Stronghold. Tell them that the Black Wolf Stronghold was attacked and annihilated by an unidentified group.”

This was already known. And hadn’t they witnessed an interesting father-son duel because of it?

“We already know. We’ve even been falsely accused of it.”

Lee Song-hak’s face showed surprise, but quickly hardened. He had sensed a killing intent rapidly approaching him.

“Anyway! Quickly leave this place! They are like messengers of hell! There’s no time!”

Lee Song-hak’s face, streaked with blood, looked even more terrible. His face, worn with fatigue and pain, was utterly exhausted. The blood loss was severe.

“I can’t leave an injured person behind.”

Yun Jun-ho protested.

“Don’t be reckless. These are not people you can handle.”

Lee Song-hak raised his voice. In his eyes, this young man seemed too rash.

“I can’t do that.”

“You don’t seem particularly skilled, and you look weak-hearted too. What’s with this unnecessary bravado? Do you want to die in vain? Quickly escape!”

“I can’t do that!”

Yun Jun-ho shouted.

“Such stubbornness! Go quickly!”

Lee Song-hak could sense the pursuers, emanating intense killing intent, approaching nearby. He quickly drew his sword.

‘How many more times can I swing this?’

Lee Song-hak was gradually beginning to resign himself to his fate. He was too exhausted from being chased. But his pride was too strong to go down without a fight.

“I said go!”

His voice was filled with urgency. The killing intent was now at arm’s length. It might already be too late.

“No. I’m not a coward.”

Yun Jun-ho shouted impulsively. Suddenly, an electric shock-like thrill ran through Yun Jun-ho’s entire body. He shouted inwardly.

‘That’s right, I’m not a coward! I’m a disciple of the mount hua Sect and a member of the Cheonmu Academy delegation! I’m strong. I’m not weak. I’m not a coward!’

Yun Jun-ho drew his sword. The hesitation, wavering, and fear in his eyes disappeared, replaced by a fiery determination.

“Hehe, found you!”

A low voice filled with killing intent! And with it, five masked figures appeared before the two. They were members of the 8th squad of the Twelve Blood Demon Squad who had been pursuing Lee Song-hak.

‘This is the end!’

Lee Song-hak lamented inwardly. He had no strength left to resist. His energy had long been depleted to the bottom of the well during the arduous, bloody journey here.

“Hm?”

The 8th squad members’ brows furrowed slightly when they saw an additional person besides their target. They exchanged glances, communicating silently. The decision was made in the blink of an eye. In such cases, the standard procedure was to eliminate all witnesses. Anyone who had seen their faces could not be allowed to live.

“Consider yourself unlucky!”

Swish!

The five Blood Demon Squad members simultaneously drew their sabers from behind their backs. They were ominous sabers with blades as black as death. They gripped their sabers in reverse, taking a stance to hunt their prey. Sweat beaded on Yun Jun-ho’s hand as he gripped his sword.