Chapter v15c18

### The Final Stretch

The first to depart among the final runners was the First Young Master, Bi. He was the last runner for Group 1. The one who passed him the baton was Chu Myeong, the Sword Demon. He handed over the token with an impassive face, and Bi, his expression equally devoid of emotion, took off running.

The second to depart was Yong Cheon-myeong of Group 2. He accepted the baton from Ma Ha-ryeong, whose face was contorted with frustration, and ran without a word of complaint. The third was Cheong-heun, the Flying Heaven Dragon, the Peerless Three Swords of the Gu Jeong Hoe. He was in Group 5, and the one who passed him the baton was Baek Mu-yeong, the Wise Dragon, also of the Gu Jeong Hoe.

The fourth runner was a stranger. But he overheard people whispering that he was An Nak-gin, the Sword Saint of the Heavenly Demon Pavilion. He had seen his name on the list of participants at the Harmony County Eye Appraisal Competition. A rival. Oddly enough, Oh Bi-wan, whose name had been listed alongside An Nak-gin’s, was in his own Group 7. He was a decent guy, despite his intimidating appearance. A gentle giant who loved animals.

The fifth and sixth runners departed. He recognized them. They were members of the Heavenly Demon Seven, or whatever they called themselves.

‘Who in their right mind would choose them as their final runners?’

He wondered about the mental state of their group members. They must be insane. These two weren’t their own masters. They served another, and that master had unfortunately departed first in this final segment. Would dogs trained for obedience bite their master? It would be a miracle if they didn’t turn on their teammates.

‘They should at least have a “Beware of Dog” sign…’

He saw the seventh runner approaching in the distance, followed closely by the eighth. They both looked exhausted. A stark contrast to the first four runners. But there was no sign of Yoon Jun-ho, the one who was supposed to pass him the baton.

“What happened to him…?”

The summit of Jade Maiden Peak was bathed in the golden hues of twilight. Night was approaching.

Bi Ryu-yeon waited patiently, his arms crossed, his eyes closed.

Something had happened. That much was clear. But according to the rules, anyone who strayed more than three zhang from the final starting line would be penalized. Ten runners had already departed. There were eleven groups, so he was the last one remaining.

“Hmph, he’s not coming! You’re wasting your time!”

Ma Ha-ryeong, the Iron Orchid, said, her voice sharp with mockery. She still seemed to harbor a grudge against him.

“What do you mean?”

He asked. She smiled triumphantly.

“That guy, what was his name? Yoon Jun-ho? The Mount Hua idiot? I saw him rolling down Jade Maiden Peak earlier. He’s probably back at the starting line by now! Ohohohohohoho!”

She laughed gleefully. Bi Ryu-yeon was silent for a moment, then spoke.

“Did you do something?”

His voice was low and quiet.

Ma Ha-ryeong felt a chill run down her spine. Her body stiffened, as if she had been caught in a net woven from ice. It was as if a spear of ice had pierced her heart.

“N-No! I… I would never do something so cowardly! I, Ma Ha-ryeong, the Iron Orchid!”

Her words came out haltingly. Her instincts were betraying her. Her hatred for Bi Ryu-yeon intensified. But she couldn’t even express her anger. Her instincts warned her not to provoke him any further.

Who was this Bi Ryu-yeon? Why was she, Ma Ha-ryeong, the Iron Orchid, being subjected to such humiliation? The more she thought about it, the angrier she became.

Bi Ryu-yeon ignored her, his gaze fixed on the path below. She was even more annoyed by his indifference.

“Why don’t you just give up?”

“…”

He didn’t answer.

“It’s too late. Even if you start now, you’ll just be confirming your last-place finish.”

“…”

He still didn’t answer. He was treating her like air.

“He’s not coming! Give up!”

She snapped. But he ignored her.

“No, he’s coming.”

He pointed at a spot on the mountainside. A figure emerged from the shadows, limping towards them.

“N-No way!”

She exclaimed, her denial betraying her hope.

“Hehehe… hehe… Am I… late?”

Yoon Jun-ho was a mess. His clothes were torn and dirty, his hair disheveled. He had cuts and bruises all over his body. He had clearly taken a tumble. He was limping, his leg injured. But he had made it. He smiled weakly, holding out the baton.

“Hehe… I’m… I’m always like this…”

Tears streamed down his face. He tried to hold them back, but they overflowed.

“I-I’m so frustrated… If only I had run faster, if only I were stronger… I was so stupid to fall for their tricks…”

“Their tricks?”

“The… the Heavenly Demon Seven…”

‘Oh, so that’s how it is?’

A cold smile touched Bi Ryu-yeon’s lips.

He looked at Yoon Jun-ho, who was still trembling with anger and frustration. He reached out and patted him on the shoulder.

“…?!”

Yoon Jun-ho looked up at him, his face obscured by his bangs. Bi Ryu-yeon’s expression was unreadable.

He took the baton from Yoon Jun-ho’s outstretched hand.

“Jun-ho, you’re wrong.”

He said, his voice firm.

“Hehe… A-Am I… always wrong?”

Yoon Jun-ho asked, his voice hoarse. He had no more tears left to cry. Bi Ryu-yeon shook his head.

“You said you were late. But you’re not. You’re right on time. Have you ever seen a master play Go against a beginner? They give the beginner a handicap. So don’t worry. I’ll prove that you’re not late.”

“Ryu… Ryu-yeon…”

He seemed different. Like a stranger. His smile gave him strength.

“P-Please!”

Yoon Jun-ho bowed deeply, his voice filled with renewed determination. His earlier despair had vanished. Bi Ryu-yeon returned the bow.

“Leave it to me, friend!”

Night had fallen. It was the perfect time for revenge.

“Hold this for me.”

He unfastened the two Black Dragon Weights from his legs. He wasn’t going to remove the ones on his arms.

He tested his legs, his movements light and playful.

“It feels good to be free.”

He visualized the path ahead. His senses were heightened, attuned to the mountain. His eyes flashed, and he vanished.

Yoon Jun-ho stared at the spot where he had disappeared, his eyes wide with awe. He took a deep breath and shouted,

“Win… friend!”

He thought he saw Bi Ryu-yeon wave back.

* * *

They, Jong-ri Chu, the Seven-Linked Spear, and Do Chu-un, the Four Venom Swords, noticed him as they were ascending Falling Goose Peak, which was now more commonly known as Heavenly Peak.

The sun had long since set. It was the realm of night, and they were running by the faint light of the stars and moon.

He appeared out of nowhere, approaching rapidly. Jong-ri Chu squinted, his eyes piercing the darkness. He recognized the man. He had been kind enough to approach within five zhang, allowing them to see his face clearly.

It was Bi Ryu-yeon, the man who had evaded their attacks.

“Hello there!”

He waved. They ignored him. They heard him mutter, “How rude,” from behind. So they decided to respond, in their own way.

They exchanged glances, confirming their shared intention. Two heads were better than one, especially when it came to fighting.

“Get lost!”

They tried to block his path, shattering rocks with their feet, felling trees with their hands.

The shattered rocks tumbled down the steep slope, and the fallen trees formed a barricade. But he dodged the rocks, weaving and bobbing, and used the fallen trees as stepping stones. He was agile enough to avoid the rocks, and light enough to run on the trees. It was a display of skill that intimidated them.

“He’s persistent! What should we do, Chu?”

“We can’t let him interfere with the Young Master.”

They were going to be overtaken soon. They were both fast, but he was faster. His speed was incredible.

The First Young Master would never be overtaken by someone like him, but it was best to eliminate any potential threats.

“It’s night. It’s dangerous to climb a mountain at night. Accidents happen.”

Jong-ri Chu said. Do Chu-un’s eyes gleamed, and his hand gripped the hilt of his sword. Jong-ri Chu unfastened one of the seven spears from his back.

They exchanged glances again, their eyes meeting, their minds connecting.

“Die!”

They shouted in unison.

* * *

Bi Ryu-yeon, having disposed of two of the Heavenly Demon Seven, increased his speed. He ran across the wind, leaped over hills, and jumped down cliffs. The treacherous terrain became a shortcut beneath his feet.

He overtook five runners in succession – they didn’t even notice – and delivered a karmic retribution to two others. He then elicited a gasp of surprise from Cheong-heun, the Flying Heaven Dragon.

“Huh?”

By the time Cheong-heun realized what was happening, Bi Ryu-yeon was already far ahead. He caught a glimpse of a familiar figure in the distance. It was Yong Cheon-myeong, the leader of the Gu Jeong Hoe.

“Who’s that?”

Yong Cheon-myeong sensed a new presence behind him.

The person who had been behind him a moment ago was Cheong-heun. Cheong-heun was a member of the Gu Jeong Hoe, but he wasn’t the type to throw a match. And Yong Cheon-myeong wouldn’t ask him to. His authority as leader was only acknowledged when his subordinates gave their all and still lost. So Cheong-heun had been pursuing him with all his might, and he had been trying his best to stay ahead. Of course, he hadn’t forgotten about the First Young Master, Bi, who was still in the lead.

The First Young Master, Bi…

He was even more impressive than he had imagined. He had been trying to close the distance ever since they had departed from Jade Maiden Peak, but he had never been able to get within striking distance. The gap between them hadn’t widened, but it hadn’t narrowed either. So he had been maintaining his pace, waiting for an opportunity.

But now he had to shift his focus. Someone had overtaken Cheong-heun. Someone was faster than the Flying Heaven Dragon. It was a surprise.

‘Who is it?’

But he couldn’t afford to be distracted. The presence behind him was growing stronger, closing the distance rapidly.

It felt like a strong wind was pushing him forward. He had to release some of his reserved internal energy to increase his speed.

‘He must have fallen behind…’ he thought. But then he gasped. The presence was closer than he had realized. He turned his head and saw an unexpected figure.

‘Bi Ryu-yeon!’

His eyes widened in disbelief.