Chapter v14c3

To reach his destination, Mo Yong-hwi had to pass through three scorched doors and two collapsed walls, all seemingly victims of explosive projectiles. And when he arrived, he found dozens of black-clad figures scattered around, charred to a crisp, remnants of a fiery encounter.

“Sister Seol-ran!”

The first to spot him and Eun Seol-ran was Seok Ryu-ha, the Crimson Sword Maiden. She was still reeling from the chaotic events, her mind struggling to process the sheer violence she had witnessed. The sight of Yeomdo, a man who shared her love for the color red, unleashing such ferocious power, like a wrathful demon, was something she would never forget.

‘How unfortunate are those who have to learn from him directly?’

She wondered, oblivious to the fact that she was currently surrounded by those very disciples.

“Is she alright?”

She noticed Mo Yong-hwi’s injuries, but her concern for her long-time friend outweighed her concern for the handsome young man she had just met.

“She’s just unconscious. She’ll be fine,” Mo Yong-hwi assured her, nodding. Seok Ryu-ha sighed in relief.

“It would be a loss for the entire martial world if anything happened to such a beauty,” Jang Hong chimed in, nodding sagely.

“Ouch!” Namgung Sang yelped, as Jin-ryeong pinched him hard for agreeing with Jang Hong.

He had brought it upon himself.

“Where is he?”

Mo Yong-hwi knew who Yeomdo was referring to when he said “he.” If Bi Ryu-yeon were here, he would have lamented, “Calling your master ‘he’? What an insolent disciple!”

“He’s still back there!”

Na Yerin’s face flickered with worry, but it quickly vanished. She pressed her lips together, her expression as cold and unreadable as a frozen flower. Her hand instinctively went to her chest, as if sensing something amiss.

Thump-thump!

Her face might have been under control, but her heart wasn’t. You couldn’t extinguish a fire by covering it with ice.

Yeomdo’s gaze swept over Mo Yong-hwi, taking in his injuries. Each wound was a testament to the ferocity of the battle.

“Was he strong?”

“He was,” Mo Yong-hwi answered without hesitation.

“Well, he must have been, to push you this far!”

“I’m sorry!”

He apologized for abandoning his comrade.

“It’s alright! If it’s that monster…”

Yeomdo said confidently.

* * *

“I’ll ask again. Was it you?”

The shadow asked.

“Hmm… It’s possible. If there’s no one else here but me.”

He spoke as if he were talking about something completely unrelated to him, trying to deflect the question.

“You never know. There might be someone else here besides me.”

His words, laced with a hint of doubt, implied that someone else might be hiding. It was an ambiguous, almost mocking, tone.

But the First Young Master didn’t seem offended. His cold, unwavering gaze was still fixed on Bi Ryu-yeon.

“There’s no one else here but you!”

He said firmly, his voice filled with conviction.

‘It’s a shame Mo Yong-hwi wasn’t attacked!’

Bi Ryu-yeon thought to himself. It would have been a good opportunity.

“Why did you stop attacking my friend? You could have killed him.”

He clicked his tongue, feigning disappointment. It was unclear whether he was genuinely curious or just pretending.

“Are you… dissatisfied?”

A low, monotone voice echoed from the darkness.

“He’s a rising star in the martial world, you know. He’s a bit too righteous and inflexible, and he has a bit of an obsessive-compulsive disorder, but still… It would have been beneficial to eliminate him early on, don’t you think?”

He acted as if he were disappointed that Mo Yong-hwi hadn’t been killed.

“…”

The First Young Master was silent, as if speechless.

“…Are you that disappointed that I didn’t kill him?”

“A little.”

Another brief silence. And then the First Young Master spoke again, his voice still low, cold, and calculating.

“…You’re very confident.”

Bi Ryu-yeon looked surprised.

“Oh? You noticed? You’re pretty good!”

The First Young Master had never received such a childish compliment before. It was refreshing, in a way, except for the fact that it was incredibly annoying.

“Are you saying you could have killed me if I had attacked him?”

“It would have been much easier.”

Bi Ryu-yeon’s smile didn’t waver. He was confident that he could still kill the First Young Master, even now.

“…Interesting!”

For the first time, a hint of emotion flickered in the shadow’s voice.

“I wonder if your skills match your confidence.”

“Ah, I’m a bit humble.”

The First Young Master chose the wisest course of action. He ignored Bi Ryu-yeon’s words. And then he spoke, his voice filled with power,

“I made a promise! I said I would spare Him if he dodged my attack!”

“I’m quite fond of people who make arrogant promises.”

“The offer still stands!”

He declared.

“Oh?”

Bi Ryu-yeon was surprised by his unwavering confidence. He suddenly felt concerned for his opponent. He decided to be kind.

“Interesting! But it’s unwise to make promises you’ll regret.”

“I’ve never broken a promise.”

A wave of energy, cold and menacing, erupted from the darkness, a tsunami of pure killing intent that could swallow a village, a city.

“Now, try to dodge this! And I’ll spare you.”

The same condition, the same promise, the same unwavering confidence. It brought a smile to Bi Ryu-yeon’s face.

“This is getting more and more interesting.”

‘This isn’t a joke!’

Bi Ryu-yeon grumbled inwardly. He hated people who couldn’t distinguish between jest and seriousness, who didn’t know when to stop.

The oppressive aura, heavy with the promise of death, intensified, its darkness reaching towards the sky, swallowing the light of the Big Dipper and the North Star.

‘This… this… I need to get serious!’

Bi Ryu-yeon had to acknowledge the fact that he was facing an extraordinary opponent.

He suddenly felt like he was waking up from a dream.

“It’s time to wake up…”

He murmured, his voice still casual.

* * *

Yeomdo, who had been leading the rescue team’s charge, suddenly stopped. His gaze was fixed on a figure in a dark robe, its surface shimmering with starlight. He had lost count of how many doors he had shattered, how many enemies he had cut down.

His fiery gaze cooled, focusing on a distant point.

“The night is restless.”

He felt a sense of foreboding, a chill running down his spine.

“Master!”

Jang Hong called out to him, his voice laced with urgency. He was looking in the same direction as Yeomdo. Yeomdo looked at him, surprised.

‘Did he sense it too?’

He knew Jang Hong was a sly one, but… This wasn’t a good sign. He turned his attention back to the enemies before him.

“Break through quickly!”

His eyes, cold a moment ago, blazed with renewed fire, matching the flames of his saber, Crimson Flame.

Na Yerin ran silently, her gaze fixed ahead. The atmosphere was too tense for conversation, and even Dokgo Ryeong, her senior sister and protector, didn’t dare to speak.

“Why is she so angry?”

The one-eyed woman muttered, her sword flashing as she ran.

“Is she angry?”

Yi Jin-seol asked, her eyes, still red from crying, wide with confusion. She couldn’t see any anger on Na Yerin’s face. It was as calm and serene as the moon.

“Yes, she’s definitely angry. I’m sure of it! You better watch out when she makes that face!”

Yi Jin-seol still didn’t understand. The one who had appointed herself as the protector of the Heavenly Martial First Flower clearly had a different perspective.

“Junior Sister… are you angry?”

Dokgo Ryeong finally asked, unable to contain her curiosity. She noticed Na Yerin stiffen.

“No! I’m not angry!”

Her reply was cold and firm. But…

Na Yerin suddenly surged forward, leaving the others behind. Her sword, Frost Jade Spirit, was already enveloped in a frosty aura.

A wave of cold air, swirling like a vortex, erupted from the blade.

**Frost Jade Spirit Divine Swordsmanship**

**Secret Technique**

**Ice Butterfly Chaotic Dream**

Hundreds of ice butterflies materialized in the air, their wings shimmering with a cold, ethereal beauty. It was a mesmerizing sight, a dreamlike scene, as if a fragment of a dream filled with white butterflies had been brought to life. It was breathtakingly beautiful, but deadly.

The enemies, mesmerized by the dance of the butterflies, were cut down without mercy.

A thick fog, a swirling mist, enveloped Na Yerin, her body draped in white, like a celestial being. She opened her eyes slightly, her gaze as cold and distant as the night sky.

“I… am not angry!”

Yi Jin-seol stared at the scene, speechless. She suddenly felt a chill, a sense of unease. It was the first time she had ever felt afraid of Na Yerin.

“Don’t worry!”

Yeomdo said, breaking through the invisible barrier that surrounded her.

‘Worry…? My emotions are showing?’

She instinctively touched her face, but she couldn’t feel anything different.

‘But how?’

She was surprised that he had sensed her concern, a feeling she rarely experienced. And it had even manifested physically… It was a rare experience, one that she couldn’t quite comprehend.

Yeomdo continued, oblivious to her reaction.

“Don’t worry about it! It’s a waste of energy. If he was that weak, I wouldn’t be in this mess!”

He was right. Bi Ryu-yeon was annoyingly persistent.

‘I wish he would just die already!’

The red-haired swordsman thought to himself, his face grim.

The only person who could understand his current feelings was Binggeom, his rival and nemesis. It was a cruel twist of fate, a double-edged sword of despair.