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C144 - If I Can Kill You, I Will Let You Know
After the conflict at Sandosan was resolved, Namgung Yeon approached Yeon Jeokha.
"There are seven Demon Warriors in Musansocho. We can't stay here. We're not prepared to face them."
"Yes, let's leave immediately," added Jin Seolha, visibly worried.
Even Yu Geunshik, who was still recovering from his injuries, insisted, "We should leave now."
Thanks to their urgency, the departure was quicker than expected.
The carriage began descending the same path they had taken to get there.
Once outside the camp, the driver Lee Sa let out a long sigh of relief. For an ordinary person, being in a Nokrim camp was a highly overwhelming experience.
Around three in the afternoon.
Two elderly men armed with swords and knives quickly ascended to Sandosan.
They were Demon Warriors sent from Musansocho.
They stayed in the Sandosan camp only for a moment before hurriedly descending.
Jiuzhou.
The carriage carrying Yeon Jeokha and his group raced along the main road.
"Hyah! Hyah!"
The driver Lee Sa constantly whipped the reins, trying to reach the city before nightfall.
They managed to enter the city just before the gates closed.
After passing through the gates, Lee Sa exhaled with relief.
Da-da-da-da.
Shortly after, the carriage began to slow down as they entered the bustling main street.
Unlike Yeonganghyun, the street was crowded with people, making it difficult for the carriage to pass.
Finally, Lee Sa decided to take the carriage to a nearby stable while the rest of the group disembarked.
Observing the surroundings, Yu Geunshik commented to Seol Chasu, "Master, this city is large. It will be difficult for them to find us here, right?"
"That's right. It's like looking for a needle in a haystack," replied Seol Chasu, relaxing for the first time in a while.
They had traveled non-stop for an entire day, worried about encountering the Demon Warriors from Musansocho. The distinctive nature of their carriage only heightened their anxiety.
However, in a city of this size, they felt safe. Although the carriage remained noticeable, the anonymity offered by the city was something small villages couldn't provide.
Yeon Jeokha and his group found a nearby inn and spent the night there.
The next morning, they left early to the river in search of a boat.
They were lucky and found a large one within less than an hour.
Yeon Jeokha, his group, and the carriage boarded the boat, which began gliding smoothly along the river.
Five men rowed vigorously, steering the boat toward the center of the river.
Finally, upon reaching a faster current, the rowers were able to rest.
Jin Seolha, watching the shore grow distant, exclaimed happily, "Wow! We can finally relax now, right?"
She looked at Seol Chasu and Yu Geunshik for confirmation.
Indeed, she had been worried even in Jiuzhou. But as soon as they boarded the boat, her worries dissipated. She knew that no one could follow them via the river.
Yu Geunshik, smiling, joked, "Maybe someone is watching us from the shore and decides to come after us."
"Oh, come on! Don’t say that," Jin Seolha replied, laughing.
The two exchanged jokes as Seol Chasu watched the shore.
He saw people walking or fishing, living peaceful lives.
‘Hmm?’
‘Maybe it’s because Yu Geunshik joked about someone following us from the shore.’
He noticed two people running quickly along the shore, keeping pace with the boat.
‘Could it be? No way.’
As he shook his head, he heard Shim Tong's voice.
"Young Master, it seems like those two elders are following our boat."
Startled, Seol Chasu looked again at the two men on the shore.
This time, Yeon Jeokha spoke, "Looks like they found us."
"Oh! What a pity. If the boat had left just fifteen minutes earlier, they wouldn’t have caught up with us."
Namgung Cheon exclaimed in surprise.
Seol Chasu, Yu Geunshik, and Jin Seolha looked at the shore with grim faces.
They saw two elders running alongside the boat.
Carefully observing the shape of the river, Namgung Yeon pointed ahead and said, "The river narrows significantly there. They will surely try to board from that point."
"Damn it! Namgung, do you know who those elders are?"
Namgung Cheon looked at Namgung Yeon, hoping she could identify them due to her knowledge of Musansocho.
"They seem to be I Chor-yang and Baek San, known as Absolute Blade and Shadowless Sword. Ten years ago, they became guests of Musansocho. It seems they've finally become Demon Warriors."
"I Chor-yang and Baek San?"
Namgung Cheon was shocked.
I Chor-yang and Baek San were known to walk the line between righteousness and evil. Now he understood that even those considered virtuous could be tempted by power.
"Do you know them?"
Shim Tong asked Namgung Cheon.
"They used to be heroes. After getting involved in some skirmishes and killing several masters from orthodox sects, they were considered people who walked between righteousness and evil. But I never thought they would become Demon Warriors."
"Haha. They say you can know the depth of a river ten feet deep, but not the heart of a person one foot tall."
The situation seemed strange, but Shim Tong felt slightly excited at the prospect of facing true masters.
"Be careful. Both are known for their sword and saber skills," warned Namgung Cheon.
Namgung Cheon's words seemed to spark Shim Tong's competitiveness.
Since reaching his current level, he had only fought against minor bandits. Even the Demon Warriors he had faced were merely experts in internal energy without true combat skills.
‘This will be interesting.’
Shim Tong's eyes sparkled with excitement.
As they ran along the shore, I Chor-yang spoke, "Baek San, I think they’ve realized we're following them."
"Haha. It won’t change anything."
"Still, I can't help but feel uneasy about the death of Cold-faced Ghost."
"Don't worry about that. Cold-faced Ghost had high internal energy, but his actual skills were unimpressive."
Despite the speed at which they ran, their breaths remained steady, and their movements fluid.
After a while, they reached a point where the river narrowed.
Without a word, both jumped into the river.
With great agility, they traveled about nine meters before touching the water.
The boat crew watched in amazement.
The elders barely touched the water’s surface before leaping again, using an impressive lightness technique.
"Wow!"
The passengers cheered at the spectacle.
With a swift motion, I Chor-yang and Baek San landed on the boat’s deck.
The passengers, who had been cheering, now fell silent, watching the elders warily.
I Chor-yang spoke, "Who killed Cold-faced Ghost at Guhwasan? Step forward now to prevent others from suffering."
Yeon Jeokha and Shim Tong stepped forward.
Yeon Jeokha, smiling, said, "Wow, old man. With words like that, you almost sound like a hero. Why pretend to be one?"
Yeon Jeokha had always hated hypocrites due to his childhood in Waryong Manor, and I Chor-yang’s pretense annoyed him.
"Are you the Grand Inspector of Nokrim, Yeon Jeokha?"
I Chor-yang observed him with curiosity.
He had heard of him in Sandosan, but seeing him in person was hard to believe.
‘Did this young man kill Cold-faced Ghost Gong Geoin, a Demon Warrior?’
Though he knew there were differences among the Demon Warriors, he never thought someone as young as Yeon Jeokha could kill one.
"Yes, that’s me."
I Chor-yang and Baek San exchanged glances.
Yeon Jeokha's calm demeanor was unsettling.
Baek San asked, "Why did you kill Cold-faced Ghost? Musansocho is not an enemy of Nokrim."
"Old man, don't meddle in other people's business. Why do you care what happens in our house?"
Baek San couldn’t reply.
Yeon Jeokha was right; Cold-faced Ghost was a boss of a Nokrim camp.
I Chor-yang sighed and said, "You’re quite eloquent. If Cold-faced Ghost were just a Nokrim boss, we wouldn’t be here. He was a Demon Warrior of Musansocho. You must answer for his death. Will you come with us, or do you prefer to die here?"
Shim Tong intervened, "Old man, stop spouting nonsense. No one in this world can judge our young master. If you want to survive, go back to Musansocho quietly. Didn’t you hear about what happened in Sandosan?"
I Chor-yang scoffed, "Do you expect us to believe those lies?"
"Haha. Soon you’ll see whether it’s true or not. Ask your leader in Musansocho. Our young master has turned several Demon Warriors to dust."
"You’re lying. Are you the so-called Old Dao of Nine Heavens, Shim Tong?"
"Yes, so what?"
"You must die."
Without warning, I Chor-yang drew his saber and attacked Shim Tong.
His speed was impressive, living up to his title of Absolute Blade.
But Shim Tong was no ordinary fighter.
Clang!
The sound echoed as Shim Tong blocked the attack and stepped back.
"Haha. I knew something was off from the start. Where do all these nonsense come from?"
Somehow, Shim Tong had also drawn his saber, ready for combat.
"Die."
I Chor-yang, furious, charged at Shim Tong with all his might.
In the blink of an eye, they were engaged in a fierce battle.
Yeon Jeokha looked at Baek San, who remained serious and silent.
"Old man, I have a question. When Demon Warriors die, they turn to dust, and ten blue will-o'-the-wisps appear. Do you know what they are?"
Baek San slowly drew his sword.
"If you manage to kill me, I’ll tell you."
"Promise me you won’t forget."
With those words, Yeon Jeokha vanished from sight.
Surprised, Baek San raised his sword to defend himself while searching around.
He felt a strong sword energy behind him and quickly turned.
Clang!
The three swords flying towards him shattered into pieces.
Just as he was about to relax, a gust of wind filled with swords enveloped him.
Retreating hastily, Baek San unleashed the seventeen techniques of his Shadowless Sword.
Shh! Shh!
He cut through the gust of wind with precision.
But before he could react, hundreds of swords attacked him from all directions.
‘Damn it.’
Baek San felt a deep sense of helplessness in the face of Yeon Jeokha’s skill.
‘This young man is a true master.’
He felt a sharp pain in his shoulders, and his arms fell limp at his sides.
Clang!
His precious sword fell to the ground.
Dazed, he heard Yeon Jeokha’s voice.
"Tell me about the blue will-o'-the-wisps."