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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Escape
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"Run!"
Lee Dang-pal hoisted Cheong So-so onto his back and took off.
Dan Un took the rear, I took the lead, and Yong Ma-san and Yang Gang flanked us on the left and right.
*Thud, thud, thud.*
Not long after our desperate escape began, our surroundings started to grow noisy.
The burst of energy from our fight with the Dark Sect bastards had alerted the masters in the branch.
'It's like they're a bunch of metal detectors.'
"There they are!"
A shout erupted from somewhere, and I could feel a barrage of gazes and killing intent fall upon us.
We had to run as fast as possible to put some distance between us.
"Faster!"
The main gate was just ahead.
That's right. We were making a bold dash for the main gate.
"You bastards!"
"Do you think you can escape!"
The guards I'd seen earlier shouted as they drew their swords.
Classic lines from a bunch of extras.
*Vwoom.*
I drew up my energy, making my entire body vibrate.
Then, I focused that vibration at the tips of my toes and pushed off. The immense recoil propelled my body forward.
This was the secret of the War King Step.
*Fwoosh.*
Startled by my sudden appearance, the men swung their swords in alarm, but my fists and feet were faster.
*Pow! Crack.*
The one I kicked coughed up blood as his chest caved in, and the other one's neck snapped from my punch.
This was the Dragon-Slaying Thirteen Strikes I'd trained to death for nine years at the Heaven-Ascending Pavilion.
"Hurry!"
As we broke through the gate and charged forward, countless enemies poured out after us.
Yong Ma-san, covering our left flank, forced out the words.
"What now?!"
"If we go back to that place, the preparations for our escape should be ready!"
"Who doesn't know that? I'm asking what we'll do *after* that."
"How would I know?! We run first and figure it out later!"
"You crazy bastard!"
It's not like I wanted this either.
But what could I do? It was the only plan I could think of.
As we were running, an ominous sound came from somewhere.
*Swoosh! Thud. Thud.*
A shower of arrows rained down on us from behind.
"Hah!"
Just then, Yong Ma-san leaped into the air, holding up his robe.
*Thwack, thwack, thwack.*
The arrows deflected off his spinning robe, and I couldn't help but be surprised.
'To think that beggar's robe was a rare item!'
It smelled so musty, I thought he'd picked it up by some river.
If I'd known, I would've offered to wash it for him and swapped it out. If I got caught, I'd just say I got confused.
There's no law against misappropriation of lost property in this world, after all.
"Run faster!"
Several more volleys of arrows followed, but Yong Ma-san's robe blocked them all.
We used that opportunity to keep running.
But it was only for a moment.
A group of martial artists burst out from among the enemies.
They all looked formidable.
'The Dark Sect!'
The distance between us closed in an instant as they began to use their movement techniques in earnest.
It was understandable, as our pace had slowed considerably while carrying Cheong So-so.
Dan Un, who was at the rear, turned around with a grim face. It seemed he intended to buy us some time.
'This crazy bastard!?'
It was a strategic choice—one person's sacrifice to save the many. In this situation, there was no better move.
The problem was...
...I couldn't just leave him behind.
Not because I'd grown attached to him, but because if the ace of the Blue Dragon Hall and the sect leader's disciple died on a mission he'd joined at my request, things would get seriously complicated.
It would be better to give up on Cheong So-so.
"Damn it all!"
Having made my decision, I ran from the front to the rear, forcing out the words.
"Keep running!"
As I stood beside Dan Un, he exuded a murderous aura and spoke in a low voice.
"Seeing them seems to make your blood boil, Jin Mujeon."
"Oh, you crazy bastard."
"Dropping the formalities?"
Is that the problem right now? Huh?!
I wanted to grab him by the collar, but I desperately suppressed the urge and said.
"Less talking, more swinging that sword!"
Because the Dark Sect bastards were already upon us.
Just before we clashed...
...something strange caught my eye.
'What is this?'
Sweat was pouring down their faces like rain.
*Shhhk.*
Strange or not, I first had to parry the incoming sword.
*Clang.*
My hand met his sword, and the metallic sound that followed made the swordsman's eyes widen in shock.
It was my trump card, an item I had saved for this very day: the Black Lotus Gauntlets.
For reference, I'd borrowed these from Bukgung Baek in exchange for twenty bottles of bamboo leaf liquor.
'The power of items is truly something else.'
As soon as I deflected the narrow-bladed sword, I rushed into his range and unleashed the Dragon-Slaying Thirteen Strikes.
*Crack.*
Just as I shattered all of his ribs with five strikes and turned to find my next opponent...
*Pffft-! Prrrrt!*
A foul stench accompanied the sound of a fart from the fallen man.
And he wasn't the only one.
"Jin Mujeon! Something's wrong with them!"
"I see it!"
One after another, the Dark Sect bastards were trembling and letting out farts.
"...?"
And in that moment...
...I saw it.
A brown liquid flowing down their pant legs, accompanied by the sound of something bursting.
'What in the world?'
I didn't know why this was suddenly happening, but it was the perfect chance to escape.
I was also terrified of getting some on my clothes.
"Let's get out of here!"
"R-Right."
As we fled, I glanced back and saw that not only the Dark Sect members but also a significant number of the pursuers behind them were clutching their stomachs.
Using my movement technique at maximum speed, I quickly caught up with the others.
Lee Dang-pal's immediate explanation revealed the cause of what had just happened.
"...Just in case... put laxative poison... in the vegetables."
"When?!"
"...Making... food."
So today's MVP was right here.
When we reached the prearranged location, we saw the horses Yu So-pyeong had procured.
I immediately asked Cheong So-so.
"Do you know how to ride a horse?!"
"Not well, but I've ridden a few times."
"That's good enough."
Helping her onto a horse, we began to ride out of the fortress.
"Jin-hyeong! The escape route?!"
"Secured! Just follow me!"
Ha Jin-hyeong spurred his horse forward, and we all followed him.
Just as we were about to pass through the main gate, Ha Jin-hyeong shouted.
"This way!"
Immediately after exiting the gate, we turned right onto a small path.
"Go on ahead!"
Ha Jin-hyeong stopped his horse, simultaneously upending a sack and swinging it.
A large number of iron caltrops spilled out.
After riding a short distance, the trees disappeared, and a desolate plain greeted us. We could hear a commotion from inside the fortress gate.
It seemed the bastards had finished their urgent business and were now coming after us.
'The area around the branch must be covered in shit.'
A laxative poison made by the Tang Clan, the greatest pharmaceutical and poison-making enterprise of this era, would make you shit out what you ate three days ago.
In a world without bidets, let alone wet wipes and toilet paper, it must be a truly horrifying experience.
*Thump, thump, thump, thump.*
Just then, Ha Jin-hyeong rejoined us, and we immediately galloped south.
***
Day 0 of the Escape.
The men who fell for the trap couldn't pursue us right away; they only began to appear after some time had passed.
Each time, Dan Un stepped forward and dealt with them mercilessly, until no one was chasing us anymore.
Day 1 of the Escape.
We continued to gallop across the desolate plains.
Unlike when we came in stealth, we were now riding recklessly, and I worried we might be spotted from a distance.
Day 2 of the Escape.
No unusual signs had appeared yet.
However, since we had been riding continuously without sleep, I was worried about the stamina of our key person, Cheong So-so.
Day 3 of the Escape.
We spotted some passing merchants.
We rode far away from them just in case, but I was still worried about the Ten Demon Alliance's pursuit.
Well, it's not like we're the only ones riding horses in Gansu Province. What could possibly happen?
Day 4 of the Escape.
Cheong So-so finally collapsed.
Having not eaten or slept properly, she had reached her physical limit.
She developed a high fever in the morning, so I had her ride behind me, tying her securely with a rope.
I felt something soft against my back.
I felt like I'd hit the jackpot.
"Drape this over her. It will help protect against the cold, so she should feel a bit better."
In addition, Yong Ma-san took off his smelly robe and draped it over her.
I'm not giving it back.
Day 5 of the Escape.
Cheong So-so's strength had recovered slightly.
Surprised by her quick recovery, she explained that she had learned some martial arts.
The reason for her poor condition was that she hadn't been able to treat the internal injuries she sustained while captured by the Ten Demon Alliance.
Thanks to that, she was able to get off my back.
I felt a little disappointed.
Day 6 of the Escape.
The horses all gave out.
It was only natural, as they had been running for six days without rest.
Yu So-pyeong asked about our next steps.
"What do we do now?"
"We walk. Seeing as we haven't spotted any pursuers, they've probably given up. What's the worst that could happen?"
"True. We have to cross Mount Kongtong anyway, so we couldn't have kept riding the horses."
So, we set the horses free, shouldered our provisions, and began to climb Mount Kongtong.
Day 7 of the Escape.
My "what's the worst that could happen" came back to bite me.
*Slice. Slice. Smaaash!*
The Ten Demon Alliance bastards were swarming the entrance of Mount Kongtong.
Dan Un's sword flashed with a cold, blue light, and one man's head flew high into the air.
*Swish! Swish! Swish!*
Ha Jin-hyeong moved erratically, drawing their attention, while Yong Ma-san restricted the enemies' movements. Seizing the opening, Yang Gang's iron ball struck.
*Craaack! Craaack!*
The 3kg iron ball, flying at 200 km/h, shattered the enemies' skulls.
If anyone tried to dodge the iron ball and counterattack, Lee Dang-pal would throw his daggers to keep them in check.
This was Formation B, which we developed and practiced before we set out.
For reference, Formation A is only complete with me in it.
And Yu So-pyeong...
"You scoundrels who know nothing of the teachings of Confucius and Mencius! How dare you try to kidnap a helpless woman! Do you not fear the heavens? Your parents must be wailing in their graves!"
...was just behind me, spouting Confucian-style insults about their parents.
It didn't seem particularly effective, but there's a big difference between having someone watch your back and not.
*Crack!*
It meant I only had to focus on what was in front of me.
I broke one man's neck with a kick from the Dragon-Slaying Thirteen Strikes and simultaneously used the War King Step to move to another's flank.
"Huk!"
Panicked, the startled man thrust his narrow-bladed sword at me, but...
"Too late, you bastard."
*Th-th-th-thump! Crack.*
My flurry of strikes landed like lightning, shattering all of his ribs.
I lifted my head and scanned our surroundings. Only three enemies remained.
And even those three were soon swept away by Dan Un's Clear Wind Sword Style.
"Hoo..."
The sight of him taking a deep breath and flicking the blood from his sword was chilling.
'How do I apply for a long-term deployment again...?'
I seriously considered volunteering for the Mount Diancang front line.
Of course, that was a matter for later.
The urgent issue now was how to overcome this crisis.
"If we continue like this, the Dark Sect bastards will surely catch up to us."
I nodded at Yu So-pyeong's assertion.
To be honest, I'd only thought about running and hadn't considered covering our tracks at all.
It was because I had underestimated this world's high-speed communication network: carrier pigeons.
Still, there was one hopeful point.
"This place is practically on the border with the Nine Dragons Fortress, so they won't be able to mobilize large numbers. I think we can break through."
He was right.
However, if time passed and the top masters of the Dark Sect arrived, there was no telling what would happen.
In the end, the only answer was to cross the Kongtong Mountains as quickly as possible.
The problem was...
"I'll do my best to keep up."
...Cheong So-so.
We had managed to protect her during the previous ambush, but there was no guarantee we could do so again.
Besides, her movement technique was terrible, so crossing the mountains quickly was impossible.
'What should I do?'
As I stood at a crossroads, pondering my options...
"How about this instead?"
Cheong So-so began to state her opinion.
"I'll stay behind, and the rest of you will cross the mountains. Once the Ten Demon Alliance retreats, you can come back for me."
"Everyone here came all this way to rescue you, my lady. To leave you behind is absurd."
"I can hide well on my own."
"Please be reasonable. How could you possibly...?"
In that instant, Cheong So-so's figure vanished.
Then, she reappeared right next to me.
"I can use concealment techniques."
Everyone was left speechless by her ghost-like concealment skill.
But even so, I couldn't go along with her suggestion.
No matter how excellent her concealment skill was, this was like betting my entire fortune on single-digit odds.
Moreover, the one making that bet was me—a guy with notoriously bad luck.
'I'd have better odds at a casino.'
"Still, no. We have a better chance of success if we cross the mountains together."
"...Then let's do this. My grandfather built a hiding place near here. He hid it so well that no one has ever found it. One of you can hide there with me, and when the pursuit dies down, we can cross the mountains then. How does that sound?"
'That's a good idea. It sounds realistic, too.'
If the others drew their attention by crossing the mountains, we could use that opening to move to the hiding place.
"Alright. Let's do that."
So, the rest of the group decided to cross the mountains without me.
"We need to move as fast as possible, so get on my back."
Carrying Cheong So-so on my back, I once again felt like I'd hit the jackpot.