Episode 256
“Gongja!”
Carrying Myo Aran on her back, Jin So-eun spotted Seon Woo-jin waiting for her and called out with delight.
Seon Woo-jin greeted her with a bright smile.
“You’re safe, Lady Jin. That’s truly a relief!”
“That’s thanks to you luring them away, Gongja…”
Jin So-eun’s voice faltered, on the verge of tears again.
Seeing Seon Woo-jin unharmed stirred something deep inside her, choking her up once more.
It was almost laughable—just moments ago, she had been heartbroken learning he had a fiancée, yet now, his safety alone filled her with happiness.
Noticing the moisture in her eyes, Seon Woo-jin quickly averted his gaze and smiled at the sword disciples standing nearby.
“Well done, all of you. You’ve done well.”
The five sword disciples who had brought Jin So-eun over responded with expressionless faces.
“No, it was nothing, Great Senior Brother.”
“It was no trouble at all, Great Senior Brother.”
They called Seon Woo-jin “Great Senior Brother”—these were the martial artists of the Six Harmonies Sword Sect’s Pa-san Division, who had been rendered practically lifeless by the Hyungsan Sect.
Until recently, they couldn’t even speak, only following orders silently. But now, they were able to respond to Seon Woo-jin’s words.
All thanks to the effort he had poured into them.
Using the marriage-sealing technique, Seon Woo-jin had overwritten their memories.
He implanted the idea that they were sworn brothers who had trained under the same master, and that he was their younger but respected Great Senior Brother.
No matter what memories he gave them, he had to be in a position to command them, and he couldn’t burden them with a complicated past. So this simple brotherhood was the best fit.
Though the process was still ongoing and only the basic framework was in place, he planned to gradually fill in the details over time.
Just then, Jin So-eun noticed a disheveled, wounded figure lying beside Seon Woo-jin.
It was Ma Yu-gyeom.
She asked Seon Woo-jin, “Gongja, why is he here…?”
Seon Woo-jin gave a wry smile.
“Ah, the Pa-cheonjo of the Six Harmonies Sword Sect came. He was injured fighting them.”
“Pa-cheonjo…”
At the mention of Pa-cheonjo, Jin So-eun immediately understood.
Having witnessed the power of the Pa-sanjo, she could easily imagine how terrifying the Pa-cheonjo must be.
Swallowing hard, she said, “So the Pa-cheonjo have come to Jintaedo as well. How on earth could they have tracked us down?”
Seon Woo-jin’s expression darkened briefly.
He had been pondering the same question.
‘There’s no way they could have followed us here without any means. We moved without leaving a trace. The Pa-cheonjo encountered Ma Yu-gyeom, and Jintaedo was heading toward the shrine where Lady Jin and Lady Myo are. So who exactly were they tracking?’
He thought for a moment, then looked at Ma Yu-gyeom.
The man lay still, eyes closed, his face grim.
Seon Woo-jin cautiously spoke.
“Captain Ma, could you tell me how you came across the Pa-cheonjo?”
After a moment of silence, Ma Yu-gyeom slowly opened his eyes and spoke.
“They asked if I had ever seen Inparang. It wasn’t so much that they were heading somewhere, but they just knew you were nearby.”
Seon Woo-jin quickly drew a conclusion.
‘They simply knew we were in this area. That means someone must have given them information. Then, who could have actually tracked us?’
His gaze shifted to Myo Aran, still on Jin So-eun’s back.
Her condition had worsened—her face pale, cold sweat beading down.
It was clear she hadn’t been able to rest properly while being carried.
Suddenly, Seon Woo-jin’s eyes widened as he turned sharply toward the forest.
“Already?!”
Jin So-eun looked in that direction, startled.
Though her spiritual sight sensed nothing, she could guess what Seon Woo-jin had detected.
Seon Woo-jin hurriedly lifted Ma Yu-gyeom onto his back.
“Captain Ma, we need to move again. Please bear with the discomfort.”
Ma Yu-gyeom’s hollow voice replied.
“Don’t waste your strength. Just leave me behind. I have no reason to live anymore…”
But Seon Woo-jin ignored him.
He had been repeating that same plea to be abandoned since earlier.
Regardless of what Ma Yu-gyeom said, Seon Woo-jin carried him and quickly gave orders to the sword disciples.
“Disperse in different directions and keep following us.”
“Yes, Great Senior Brother.”
“Understood, Great Senior Brother.”
Since they were spiritually linked to Seon Woo-jin through Inparang, no matter where they were, they could find their way to him.
Seon Woo-jin turned to Jin So-eun urgently.
“Lady Jin, how is your stamina?”
“I’m fine. Let’s go.”
With that, Seon Woo-jin carrying Ma Yu-gyeom and Jin So-eun carrying Myo Aran took off again, fleeing swiftly.
Moments later, the pursuers, led by Jin Tae-do, arrived at the spot they had just left.
“Whoosh! Crackle!”
One of the men holding the white cat, Baek Ah, shouted.
“They were here only moments ago, Chief! They just left!”
Jin Tae-do ground his teeth.
“Carrying two wounded slows them down. They’ll tire soon. Keep pressing!”
“Yes, Chief!”
“Yes, Chief!”
They resumed the chase, heading precisely in the direction Seon Woo-jin had taken.
Behind Jin Tae-do’s group, the Pa-cheonjo of the Six Harmonies Sword Sect silently followed.
The pursuit continued through the night until dawn.
Seon Woo-jin tried several times to change direction to shake them off, but Jin Tae-do’s group followed relentlessly without hesitation.
The situation was grim.
Though Seon Woo-jin and Jin So-eun were faster than Jin Tae-do and his men, they were each carrying someone on their backs.
At first, it might not show, but if this continued, it was obvious who would tire first.
As Seon Woo-jin’s expression darkened, anticipating what lay ahead, Ma Yu-gyeom, still on his back, spoke again.
“Leave me behind, Seon Woo-jin.”
Seon Woo-jin chuckled bitterly even while running.
“That again? Captain Ma, you don’t know me well yet. I will never abandon you. You should be the one to give up.”
Ma Yu-gyeom sighed.
“You may not know, but Lady Jin won’t last long carrying Lady Myo. If you want to save her, you’ll have to carry her yourself.”
Seon Woo-jin glanced at Jin So-eun’s face.
He had to admit Ma Yu-gyeom was right.
She already looked a little worn out.
No one knew how long this chase would last, but if it went on for more than a day, she wouldn’t be able to hold on.
Then, Myo Aran, nearly unconscious on Jin So-eun’s back, weakly opened her pale lips.
“No. You have to leave me behind.”
Jin So-eun gasped in shock.
“What are you saying, Lady Myo?! Why would we ever abandon you?”
Myo Aran shook her head with effort and spoke toward Seon Woo-jin.
“Gongja, you must have realized by now why they can track us. It’s because of me. Probably something like a tracking scent was in the food I ate while captured.”
“What?! What do you mean?!”
Jin So-eun looked at Seon Woo-jin with wide eyes.
Seeing his grave expression, she realized her words were true.
Myo Aran continued.
“This is all my fault. Being captured, foolishly eating the food they gave me. So I must take responsibility. Please leave me behind, Gongja. If you use me, you can mislead them.”
Seon Woo-jin’s face grew heavier than ever upon hearing this.
Jin So-eun looked at him with worried eyes.
“Surely you don’t mean it? You wouldn’t really abandon Lady Myo, Gongja? You’re Seon Woo-jin—there must be another way…”
But she couldn’t finish her sentence.
In this close pursuit, with the enemy tracking their exact location, even Seon Woo-jin had no sharp solution.
Under Jin So-eun’s anxious gaze, Seon Woo-jin fell silent, lost in thought as they ran.
Meanwhile, the men chasing Jin Tae-do were growing exhausted as well.
Without rest, their steps grew heavier.
But Jin Tae-do pushed them on relentlessly.
“Don’t slow down! If we keep chasing, they’ll be the ones to tire first!”
Through the Six Harmonies Sword Sect’s self-cultivation, Jin Tae-do had learned that the man carrying Inparang was the disheveled fellow wielding a strange ice sword technique.
Naturally, he deduced that man must be Baekrang Geomgae.
So right now, the enemy was only carrying two wounded men.
This was an opportunity they absolutely couldn’t afford to miss.
“Hold on! The ones carrying the injured will tire first! We’re almost there!”
Spurred on by his encouragement, Jintaedo’s men gritted their teeth and pressed the chase.
Then, suddenly—
A scout leading the way with Unmyo Baek-ah shouted out.
“Chief Jangmun! They’ve changed direction and are heading up the mountain!”
“Up the mountain?”
Jintaedo frowned at the news.
Until now, the enemy had been zigzagging below the mid-slope, avoiding the rocky cliffs above. It made sense—they’d naturally stick to the forested lower slopes to stay hidden.
But now, they were suddenly climbing toward the rocky summit.
It didn’t add up.
He suspected they might be up to some strange trick again.
Then, as he glanced up the mountain, Jintaedo’s eyes widened in shock.
“What is that?!”
His men shouted back.
“They’re carrying someone each! The bastards are climbing up the mountain with a wounded person on their backs!”
It was true.
Because the forest thinned out near the summit, they could see the enemy clearly from below.
Jintaedo’s eyes locked onto a figure running uphill, carrying a disheveled, white-clad stranger on his back.
At that moment, Jaseong Jin-in called out to Jintaedo.
“Chief Jangmun!”
Jintaedo glanced over. Jaseong Jin-in’s eyes blazed with intensity, silently demanding action.
Understanding immediately, Jintaedo nodded and shouted,
“Let’s move!”
No sooner had he spoken than Jintaedo, Jaseong Jin-in, and the elite Liuhe Sword Masters among the pursuers surged forward at terrifying speed.
Until now, their pace had been limited by the man carrying Baek-ah—he was the key to keeping track of their direction.
But now, with Sunwoo Jin’s position clearly in sight, they no longer needed to match his speed.
All they had to do was catch up to him at full throttle.
“I won’t let them get away this time!”
Clenching his teeth, Jintaedo shot forward toward Sunwoo Jin at breakneck speed.
Last time, even running flat out, they’d lost the enemy’s trail—but this time felt different.
Perhaps because the enemy was carrying wounded men, or maybe because Jin So-eun was running alongside, the distance between them and the once lightning-fast enemy was slowly closing.
The chase was like an arrow flying toward the rocky summit of Phoenix Mountain.
Then—
Jaseong Jin-in suddenly shouted urgently.
“Chief Jangmun, look up there!”
Jintaedo turned his gaze to the towering rock peaks of Phoenix Mountain.
The summit was marked by two twin peaks—Bongam and Hwangam—jutting out like massive bumps on the earth.
Between them stretched a rickety bridge made of wooden planks and ropes, swaying precariously in the wind.
The moment Jintaedo saw that swaying bridge, he understood why the enemy was racing for the summit—and what they intended to do once they got there.
He shouted urgently,
“Speed up! They’re trying to cross that bridge to shake us off!”
They were currently ascending Bongam.
If those two bastards reached the summit first, crossed the bridge, and cut it off—
No matter how skilled Jintaedo was, it would be impossible to leap the vast chasm between Bongam and Hwangam.
The gap between them and the enemy would widen again, undoing all their hard work catching up.
“Damn it!”
Jintaedo pushed himself harder, the wind whipping past his skin like razor blades.
Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jin So-eun faltering beside the enemy.
She looked exhausted.
Inparang immediately supported her, urging her onward, but her pace had clearly slowed.
Seeing this, Jintaedo silently thought,
“This is it!”
If things stayed like this, he could catch up just as they reached the bridge.
This was finally the end.
Filled with exhilaration, Jintaedo shouted at the top of his lungs,
“Inparang!”