The Descent of the Heavenly Horse (Part 1)

‘To think Thunder Sword would be here of all places.’

Though she didn’t show it, Youngma clicked her tongue inwardly.

Thunder Sword Namgoong Soyeon.

At the age of twenty-two, she was a peerless heroine who had opened the door to the pinnacle and was considered one of the best martial artists of the era.

‘Did she deliberately show herself in Yunnan to lower our guard?’

They had confirmed Namgoong Soyeon’s presence on the Yunnan front, where they had been confronting each other until recently.

How could she be in Sichuan?

‘…That man.’

Youngma’s eyes turned to the man lying under the shade of the tree.

As if sensing her gaze, Namgoong Soyeon drew her sword and moved in front of him, blocking her view.

“Are you a friend of Thunder Sword?”

“Youngma, I didn’t expect you to say that. He’s the person you people captured.”

‘???’

Youngma didn’t understand what she was saying, but she remained silent.

“To imprison Gang Gongja and make him suffer, and then to come all the way here to capture him again! You people are truly unjust.”

Namgoong Soyeon, adding to Inho’s experiences with her imagination, swung her sword once, as if she was getting heated up.

The action caused dust to rise from the dirt floor.

“That man disturbed the Cult’s People’s most precious place and ran away.”

“So what if he did?”

“Leave him here and go your way.”

“What if I refuse?”

“This is not a request, Thunder Sword.”

As Youngma took out the dagger hanging from her waist, the corners of Namgoong Soyeon’s lips tilted upward.

“Youngma, do you think you can beat me?”

As Namgoong Soyeon raised the stakes, golden energy began to permeate the sword she held.

Her sword, which had brightened from a pale yellow to a deep gold, emitted sparks and radiated lightning energy around her.

‘Tremendous energy.’

Youngma frowned at the aura emanating from Namgoong Soyeon.

Could she even last ten exchanges if they faced each other head-on? She blamed her weak self and bit her lip.

“Winning or losing doesn’t matter.”

Lowering her stance, she held the dagger sideways.

“Everything is as the Heavenly Demon wills.”

Watching Youngma rushing towards her in a straight line, Namgoong Soyeon took her stance.

‘I have to cut her down in one go.’

The longer it takes, the worse it will be. As darkness falls, Youngma’s tactics will become more diverse.

Moreover, Inho’s condition is deteriorating every moment.

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and expanded her senses.

There was a high probability that Youngma, who was coming straight at her, was a phantom. She would ambush her from somewhere, but where?

-Clang!

The sound of metal clashing against metal.

She raised her sword to block Youngma’s foot falling from above.

Youngma’s shoes were densely studded with iron thorns.

“Ugh.”

She unleashed her inner energy to repel the heavy weight pressing down on her body.

Youngma didn’t resist it, and landed on the ground after doing a somersault in the air.

That made one exchange.

“You’ve become heavier than before. Have you been training hard?”

Compared to when they had fought before, Namgoong Soyeon clicked her tongue at Youngma’s more difficult attacks.

“……”

Despite her words, Youngma stared at her without replying.

“Then, shall I go this time?”

Namgoong Soyeon, who had momentarily exploded the inner energy circulating through her meridians, dashed forward and slashed her sword horizontally.

Like a comet with a golden tail, a trail of golden light remained along the path she moved.

But her attack cut through the air, and only a few trees in the forest fell in vain.

‘Tch, did she hide?’

Youngma was not in sight. Namgoong Soyeon looked around.

-Glimmer.

Something shimmering silver in the air.

Countless silver threads shimmering around her, as if a spider had meticulously built its web.

“This is… wire?!”

As the very thinly drawn wires flashed all at once, the trees collapsed with a cracking sound.

“Kugh!”

Dodging the trees trying to crush her body, she quickly regained her stance.

‘The location is too unfavorable.’

If it had been an open field, Youngma would not have been a match for her.

No matter what weapons she brought, Youngma would have been pushed back by the overwhelming difference in martial power.

“Okay. If I can use the environment… then I can destroy the environment, right?”

After asking herself, Namgoong Soyeon stomped her foot hard and swung her sword.

-Fwoosh!

Dozens of trees fell to the ground from the swung sword.

Amidst the scattering wood fragments, she caught sight of Youngma hastily moving her body away.

Namgoong Soyeon ran straight ahead and grabbed Youngma by the collar in mid-air.

“Ugh!”

Youngma frowned at the inescapable grip, and soon had to roll to the side to absorb the impact of falling to the ground with her back.

Dodging the sword falling to where she was, Youngma threw hidden weapons from her chest to create distance.

But Namgoong Soyeon knocked away the hidden weapons with her hands and persistently pursued Youngma.

“You ignorant monster!”

Youngma, who had maintained a consistently quiet attitude, spoke as if she was fed up.

The wire extending from Youngma’s hand wrapped around Namgoong Soyeon’s right hand, but when Namgoong Soyeon pulled her hand, Youngma herself was pulled in instead.

“Kugh!!”

The momentum of being pulled in and the left-handed punch from Namgoong Soyeon sent her flying, smashing through the few remaining trees.

“……”

Namgoong Soyeon looked in the direction where Youngma had flown. She had put her inner energy into the punch, so her insides would be a mess.

She could end it here, but if Youngma started to resist, it would take too long.

It was a pity to miss the opportunity to finish off a Cult’s People cadre, but saving a life was more important to her.

“Youngma, don’t follow me anymore.”

Namgoong Soyeon, speaking to the place where Youngma was likely hiding, carried Inho on her back and set off again.

The Heavenly Demon in the Heavenly Demon Palace saw the crow that had suddenly flown in and realized that things were going wrong.

The Heavenly Demon’s anger, upon seeing the phrase written on the note, spread out beyond the palace.

-The person written on the letter was correct. I tried to secure him, but failed due to Thunder Sword’s interference. I will continue to pursue him, and will accept the punishment for failure upon my return.

“Damn Namgoong bastards.”

The Heavenly Demon gritted his teeth.

Even so, he felt happy. The worry that maybe it wasn’t him disappeared like snow melting in spring thanks to Youngma’s confirmation.

“I’ll have to go myself.”

He would go and find the Namgoong who ran away with his lovely disciple, the one he wouldn’t feel sorry for tearing to pieces.