Chapter 73
“There they are! After them!”
“Don’t let them get away! We absolutely cannot lose them!”
We were still fleeing through the night streets.
But we were carefully adjusting our speed so they wouldn’t lose sight of us.
To keep their focus on us and make sure they kept chasing, I was still pretending to be an injured woman, supported by Lady Jeong-yeon.
Of course, I wasn’t putting any weight on her, so it wasn’t uncomfortable for her to move.
The discomfort was all on my side.
When I first agreed to this plan—pretending to be a woman—I felt a deep sense of despair.
“Me? Dress as a woman?”
What a ridiculous, humiliating idea.
Just imagining it was enough to fill me with shame.
But once the operation started, it turned out the disguise wasn’t the real issue.
In fact, all I did was wear the Chukgolgong and drape the Pibungui over me; I didn’t even have to act like a woman.
Lady Jeong-yeon’s incredible acting skills carried the whole charade.
I was amazed at how this usually quiet, calm lady could immerse herself so convincingly in the role.
But that wasn’t the real problem.
What truly troubled me was something I hadn’t anticipated.
Physical contact.
“Sunwoo Gongja, to look convincing, you need to lean on me a bit more.”
“Y-yes? Ah, okay.”
From the start, Lady Jeong-yeon insisted I stay closer, as if pouring her soul into the act.
So from earlier, we’d been pressed tightly together—my arm resting on her shoulder, her arm wrapped around my waist.
It was an unbearable ordeal for me.
Sunwoo Jin, a man who’d lived two lives over thirty years, had shamefully only ever been physically close to a woman once.
And that was in this very life, when I saved Lady Dang.
Even then, my mind was flooded with distracting thoughts, making it painful.
But back then, the urgency of saving Lady Dang left little room for other thoughts.
This time, the enemies weren’t as threatening, so I had the luxury to focus on other things.
Why were women, even trained warriors, so soft to the touch?
That gentle sensation kept distracting me, making it impossible to concentrate.
I felt ashamed.
Lady Jeong-yeon seemed completely focused on wielding her sword, while I was burdened by these distracting thoughts.
Ah, how disappointing, Sunwoo Jin.
What a pathetic fool you are.
I’m sorry, Lady Jeong-yeon. sniff
“Haah!”
Without hesitation, Jeong-yeon unleashed a sword strike against the warrior blocking our path.
It was another move from the Amipa’s most aggressive technique—the Annihilation Sword Style.
Chachachachachang!
“Ugh! Argh!”
Whoosh!
The warrior before us collapsed in a spray of blood.
It was astonishing.
He was a first-rate mid-level martial artist, seemingly even stronger in internal energy than Jeong-yeon.
She could feel it clearly.
Her martial skill, which had been stuck at mid-level for so long, had just risen a notch.
Until now, whenever she crossed swords with an opponent, her mind was clouded with distracting thoughts, causing hesitation.
Boldly striking or seizing an opening was always difficult for her.
But now, it was completely different.
“No thoughts at all. The sword just moves instinctively.”
It was incredible.
Even more surprising was that the Annihilation Sword Style she was using now was one she’d rarely practiced before—too offense-focused, making defense shaky.
She felt as if her body was floating.
She could hear her heart pounding in her ears, and swinging her sword without a single distracting thought felt exhilarating.
Whether this was true growth or just a temporary state, she wasn’t sure.
But she knew exactly why it was happening.
“Sunwoo Gongja.”
The feel of Sunwoo Jin’s body pressed against hers—the strength of his steel-like muscles—made her heart race nonstop.
This wasn’t a sudden feeling.
Though she tried to suppress it with her strong self-control, from the moment he saved her, Jeong-yeon’s gaze had been drawn to Sunwoo Jin.
How could it be otherwise?
He was her savior, with a handsome face, kind eyes free of selfishness, gentle speech, and thoughtful care.
There wasn’t a single thing about him that wouldn’t make a woman’s guard drop.
And as it turned out, he was a famous chivalrous hero with outstanding martial skill and a strong sense of justice.
Jeong-an, her sworn brother and a devoted follower of Master Hwa Young-bin, might disagree, but to Jeong-yeon, Sunwoo Jin was every bit as ideal as Master Hwa—if not better.
“No, he might even be better.”
Compared to Master Hwa, who always seemed sad, Sunwoo Jin’s bright yet sincere personality made him far more attractive.
And now, his body was pressed completely against hers.
That pleasant heartbeat had swept away all the hesitation and distracting thoughts that had long held her back.
She wished time would just stop right here.
But meanwhile, more and more members of the Blood Sect were closing in on them.
Even Jeong-yeon, now stronger by a level, was struggling to handle the pressure.
“That woman’s pretty skilled!”
“Attack all at once!”
“Uhaah!”
Three enemies surrounded her and charged simultaneously, and the confident look on Jeong-yeon’s face faltered.
But at that moment, Sunwoo Jin’s voice came through the communicator.
“Lady Jeong-yeon! Focus only on the one on the far right! Don’t worry about the others!”
The right side?
Since Jeong-yeon was supporting Sunwoo Jin on her left, it was easiest for her to face the enemy on the right.
Without hesitation, she ignored the two on the left and concentrated solely on the one on the right.
Complete trust.
“Haah!”
Annihilation Sword Style, second move: Heavenly King’s Thunderclap.
Shu-shaak!
Jeong-yeon’s sword struck like three bolts of lightning, piercing the Blood Sect warrior.
This was a killing move where she met the opponent’s sword thrust without blocking, stabbing first.
“Y-you witch?!”
Startled by the mutual death strike, the Blood Sect warrior tried to defend.
He thought there was no need to risk himself since two comrades were nearby.
But as Jeong-yeon’s sword pierced, two more beams of light shot out from inside Sunwoo Jin’s Pibungui.
At such close range, even first-rate warriors would struggle to react to the speed of these hidden weapons.
Fwoosh!
“Gah!”
Cheng!
One warrior’s neck was instantly pierced; another barely managed to block the hidden weapon.
That was pure luck, not skill.
The surviving warrior, heart pounding, retreated hastily.
At the same time, Jeong-yeon saw the comrade she’d been dueling with unable to fully block her lightning-fast strike, blood spurting from his wound.
“N-no!”
The Blood Sect warrior decided to fall back and regroup with his comrades for another attack.
He couldn’t handle them alone.
But then, another beam of light shot out from inside the Pibungui.
Fwoosh!
Startled, the warrior leapt away, desperate to escape.
He didn’t even have time to check for hidden weapons.
But the next moment, a hidden weapon pierced the side of his neck as he jumped.
He died instantly.
Puh!
“Ugh!”
He never understood what had happened.
He thought he’d escaped the hidden weapons’ range.
His consciousness simply faded in an instant.
Jeong-yeon, having slain her opponent, looked toward Sunwoo Jin—and was startled.
She saw the hidden blade he’d launched change direction midair, chasing after another enemy.
It was like watching a legendary sword technique.
“That—that’s…!”
Only when Sunwoo Jin pulled the blade back with a thin silver thread attached did she realize the secret.
She was about to ask him about it with curious eyes.
But at that moment, someone different was flying in from behind her.
“Arrogant bitches!”
With a sneering expression and a red glow radiating from the sword in his hand, he was a top-tier master.
Seeing his sword aura, fear flickered across Jeong-yeon’s face.
Though he seemed to be at the early peak level, he was on par with Master Jeong-in of the Amigum Bong, whom she respected.
Then, three beams of light shot out again from inside Sunwoo Jin’s Pibungui.
Fshshsh!
Until now, Sunwoo Jin’s hidden weapons had only needed one per opponent.
But this time, he launched three.
The man didn’t flinch.
“Where do you think you’re going?!”
Chachachang!
He deflected all three hidden weapons without slowing down and charged forward.
As the red sword aura descended toward Jeong-yeon with full force, Sunwoo Jin’s Pibungui suddenly unfurled.
Fwaaak!
Jang San-sama’s fourth disciple, Jang Woo-do Hyo-woo-bu, frowned sharply as the Pibungui blocked his vision.
It was a bothersome move.
The proper tactic would be to retreat briefly to regain sight, but he was too impatient.
“Hmph!”
Scoffing, Hyo-woo-bu advanced, unleashing his full power in a sword strike.
“Uhaah!”
Chaaak!
It was a powerful move, like a red lightning bolt splitting into multiple branches.
Jeong-yeon watched in a daze as the red lightning struck from above, tearing the Pibungui to shreds in an instant.
Though the attack had come from an enemy, it was overwhelmingly powerful and beautiful.
Yet she saw it again.
Sun Woo-jin, who had somehow returned to his original form, rising from his crouch beside her and extending his sword forward.
His handsome profile twisted into a fierce grin, and before him, brilliant wings of sword light unfurled.
It was like a scene straight out of a story.
As the wings of sword light enveloped the falling enemy in midair, the demon leader’s eyes—immense and terrifying to Jeong-yeon—flickered with surprise.
Clenching his teeth, the demon leader swung his sword wildly in all directions.
Even to Jeong-yeon, his movements looked desperate.
And then, the next moment was lost to her.
A swift flash!
Or maybe she caught a glimpse of it.
Just a streak of light flashing by.
But before she could make sense of it, what she saw next was Sun Woo-jin’s sword piercing through the demon leader’s heart.
Jeong-yeon could only stare blankly.
She had no idea what had just happened.
It felt as if the entire process of Sun Woo-jin thrusting his sword and it piercing the enemy’s chest had been erased.
As if she alone had skipped over time.
It was only when a sudden voice reached her that she understood what Sun Woo-jin’s dazzling sword technique was.
“Ilshisa-il? You’re from the Jeomchang faction?”
Startled, Jeong-yeon turned her head to see a middle-aged man with a grim expression, wearing a cold smile as he looked at Sun Woo-jin.
He radiated an overwhelming aura, so chilling that just looking at him sent shivers down her spine.
And not only him—those standing on either side of him also looked like formidable experts.
Sun Woo-jin met the man’s gaze calmly, as if he had expected this.
“I’m not an official disciple of Jeomchang, but you could say I’m similar. And you? The demon leader of the Blood Sect?”
Sun Woo-jin faced them with unshaken composure and ease.
Jeong-yeon felt a bit relieved by his confidence.
But then, a voice crackled urgently in her ear, completely at odds with his calm demeanor.
—“He’s a master beyond my ability. His internal energy is over eighty years’ cultivation. We need to retreat with full force. When I count to three, you must be ready to carry me. Prepare yourself. One, two…”
At the same time,
Bi Sa-young and Jeong An had located the place where they suspected the women were being held.
It was deep within the Heart of the Overlord Sword Sect, close to the main hall, and unlike the other buildings, two guards stood watch.
But rather than watching outward, it seemed they were guarding against anyone leaving.
This had to be the place.
Jeong An asked Bi Sa-young over their comms.
—“Young Master Bi, what’s the plan now?”
Bi Sa-young slowly assessed their opponents’ martial prowess.
The two guards were roughly mid to upper first-tier warriors—probably about the same level as Bi Sa-young himself.
Jeong An was also about mid first-tier, so ordinarily, engaging these enemies here would be unwise.
This was enemy territory, and even a small disturbance could bring reinforcements.
But now, it might be possible.
Their friend Sun Woo-jin had drawn all the enemies away, leaving no sign of life nearby.
Bi Sa-young focused, scanning the surroundings and terrain, then sent a message to Jeong An.
—“Listen carefully…”
Moments later, heart pounding with tension, Jeong An circled the building and moved to the guards’ flank.
According to Bi Sa-young, once she removed her mask and charged the guards, he would handle the rest.
Though nervous and unsure why she had to take off her mask, she wanted to trust him.
Taking a deep breath to avoid detection, Jeong An counted silently to three and then charged at the guards, teeth clenched.
“One, two, three!”
Smack!
Though it was the flank, the distance was enough that the guards spotted her immediately.
“Huh?!”
“Enemy attack!”
Clang!
Clang!
Jeong An saw their expressions shift oddly as they drew their swords and glared at her.
She didn’t know why, but she couldn’t ask.
While their attention was fixed on her, Bi Sa-young’s sword struck silently like a ray of light from behind, swiftly slicing through their necks.
Whoosh!
The two heads sprayed blood, soaring high before falling.
They probably never realized they were dead until the very end.
Jeong An, eyes wide in shock, soon broke into a bright smile and whispered excitedly.
“Ahh! Young Master Bi, you’re amazing! Truly the Gale Wind’s Response!”
Bi Sa-young coughed awkwardly and turned away.
“Hmph, hmph. It’s just a sneak attack from behind. Let’s get inside quickly.”
But despite his words, the corner of his mouth twitched upward in a faint smile.
Then—
Suddenly, a chilling sensation ran down Bi Sa-young’s neck, and he leapt aside just in time.
Smack!
Shuuk!
The feeling was unmistakable.
A sword had sliced through the space where Bi Sa-young had been standing, cleaving it in two like a flying tiger.
The strike was so clean it sent a shiver down his spine.
“Oh? Your skill isn’t much, but your instincts and technique are quite good.”
The man spoke with a greedy gleam in his eyes as he appraised Jeong An in his grasp.
In that brief moment, he had slashed at Bi Sa-young with one hand and seized Jeong An’s neck with the other, applying a pressure point technique.
Bi Sa-young couldn’t tell, but this man was none other than Myeong Dae-sul, the second son of the Mountain Lord.
By sheer misfortune, they had run into him while coming to rescue the women.
Jeong An, quickly realizing the situation despite the pressure point, shouted urgently toward Bi Sa-young.
“Master! Run! He’s a high-level expert!”
Bi Sa-young knew better than anyone, having sparred countless times with top-tier masters.
This opponent was at least early peak level, maybe even higher.
But gritting his teeth, Bi Sa-young extended his sword toward the man and said,
“I’m not leaving without her.”
Myeong Dae-sul sneered coldly, releasing Jeong An’s neck and lunging his sword toward Bi Sa-young.
A long, crimson streak of sword energy shot out from his blade.