Chapter 16
First Mission (5)
Namgung Jun and Heo Il sped along the mountain path at a remarkable pace.
As they ran, Heo Il suddenly tilted his chin slightly.
“We need to change direction. East.”
The abrupt change puzzled Namgung Jun.
“Did you find a trail?”
“The grass is bent in a consistent pattern. No animal would leave tracks like this. And judging from the footprints, it appears to be the Shadow Demon Step of the Sun and Moon Demonic Cult.”
After hearing Heo Il’s explanation, Namgung Jun examined the faint traces left in the dirt and nodded.
Remarkable.
Heo Il’s tracking skills had reached an astonishing level.
Namgung Jun had expected him to circle the area searching for clues.
Instead, Heo Il had simply swept his gaze across the surroundings before immediately choosing a direction and moving.
Even while maintaining a brisk pace with his movement technique, he failed to miss a single subtle trace.
It was a field in which even Namgung Jun could not compete.
That kind of mastery isn’t something a young man achieves on his own. He must have inherited someone's legacy.
His curiosity about Heo Il deepened.
But this was not the time for such thoughts.
His breathing was gradually growing heavier.
I need to restore my body as quickly as possible.
Since joining the Blue Heaven Association, he had eaten proper meals without fail and trained relentlessly to improve his pitiful physical condition.
Yet it was still far from enough.
A body ruined by blocked meridians and years of neglect could not recover overnight.
Without the internal energy of the Heavenly Thunder True Yang Art, he would not even have been able to keep up with Heo Il.
I need to improve my movement technique as well.
Aside from the Infinite Step, Namgung Jun was currently using the basic movement art of the Southern Heavenly Palace.
Several movement techniques from his previous life came to mind.
Yet he deliberately chose not to cultivate them.
He no longer intended to remain bound by the martial arts of the Southern Heavenly Palace.
Now that he was rebuilding himself from the ground up, countless flaws he had overlooked in his previous life were becoming apparent.
If he wished to become a martial artist of Perfect Completion, something he had failed to achieve in his previous life, he would need mastery in every aspect—not merely the sword.
Blindly repeating the same path as before would not suffice.
While contemplating his future direction, Heo Il suddenly spoke.
“Young Hero Namgung. I’ve found their trail.”
“Finally.”
“But I’ll have to go ahead first.”
Namgung Jun’s eyes sharpened.
“Why?”
“At this rate, we’ll soon reach a point where the current of the Yangtze weakens. They’ll likely board a boat there.”
“Which means...”
He immediately understood.
If they failed to catch the kidnappers before they boarded the boat, the opportunity to rescue the captives would vanish forever.
They would lose them.
Namgung Jun tightened his grip on his scabbard.
“Senior Heo. Can you manage on your own?”
“I’ll buy time.”
“I’ll catch up as quickly as possible.”
Heo Il nodded.
Then, wrapping his entire body in qi, he kicked off the ground.
Until now, he had clearly been matching Namgung Jun’s pace.
The moment he accelerated, his figure shot forward like an arrow.
His tracking skills were exceptional, but his movement technique was equally extraordinary.
Its level far surpassed that of others his age.
Though Heo Il belonged to the Heavenly Sword Hall, swordsmanship did not seem to be his greatest talent.
Namgung Jun had seen enough of his training to know that Heo Il possessed outstanding natural talent with the sword.
Yet compared to his mastery of tracking and movement arts, it fell noticeably short.
Senior Heo...
He watched as Heo Il’s figure rapidly shrank into the distance until it became little more than a dot among the leaves.
Taking a deep breath, Namgung Jun steeled himself.
Catch up as quickly as possible.
He gradually increased the speed of his movement technique.
He could move even faster if he wished.
But he refrained.
A fierce battle likely awaited him upon arrival.
He could not afford to recklessly exhaust himself now.
Carefully managing his stamina, Namgung Jun continued the pursuit.
***
Landing lightly atop a tree branch, Heo Il’s eyes gleamed.
That carriage.
He had caught up to two carriages.
The lead carriage was packed with numerous life signatures.
The children abducted from Tongling.
Disguised as a small merchant caravan.
To an ordinary observer, they appeared to be nothing more than merchants and laborers.
But they could not deceive Heo Il.
Their gait.
The calloused, scar-covered hands.
The occasional glimpse of cold, sinister eyes.
They were unmistakably members of the Sun and Moon Demonic Cult.
“The enemy’s numbers seem small.”
“Something feels wrong.”
As the demonic cultists murmured among themselves, a voice emerged from the second carriage.
“Stall him. Ignore him and keep the carriages moving.”
The moment the order was given, the halted caravan began moving once more.
“Damn it.”
Realizing his intentions had been exposed, Heo Il finally made his move.
Whoosh!
Descending in a diagonal arc, he slashed through the lead horse’s neck and landed directly in front of the carriage.
Then he cut open one side of the first carriage.
Through the opening, he saw children huddled together, trembling in fear.
Heo Il’s eyes twitched.
“As I thought.”
Ten children in total.
His assessment was instantaneous.
Instead of reaching for the sword at his waist, he moved his hand toward his sleeve.
His left hand flashed from within the sleeve.
The air split faintly along the path of his fingertips.
Thud!
A hidden dagger buried itself directly into a cultist’s temple.
The man collapsed without even understanding what had happened.
Only then did the other cultists draw the weapons they had concealed.
“Enemy!”
“Protect the carriage!”
The demonic cultists halted the carriages but did not stray far from them.
That was exactly what Heo Il had wanted.
Moving swiftly through the trees with agile footwork, he unleashed hidden weapons one after another.
Clang!
The first two or three cultists fell to the concealed projectiles.
After that, however, it became much more difficult.
Now that they had clearly identified Heo Il’s presence, the cultists were no longer easy targets.
As they deflected the hidden weapons, they constantly scanned their surroundings, obviously preparing to counterattack.
Having confirmed that the children were still alive, Heo Il positioned himself behind the first carriage.
Just as the cultists prepared to charge him—
“Stop. I’ll deal with this myself.”
The door of the second carriage burst open.
A middle-aged man shot into the air.
Twisting his body mid-flight, he unleashed a kicking technique.
The arc traced by his foot ended directly at Heo Il’s crown.
If that lands cleanly, I die.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Heo Il barely managed to block the kick with both fists.
Even so, he was driven backward repeatedly.
Had he lost his balance for even a moment, he would have been knocked flat.
The power behind the kick was that overwhelming.
“Haa…”
Steadying his breathing, Heo Il glanced behind him.
Inside the carriage stood more than ten boys and girls, trembling in terror.
He could not afford to show weakness in front of them.
The hand lowering the brim of his bamboo hat trembled slightly.
“What’s wrong? Are you shaking from fear?”
The middle-aged man mocked him openly.
Without answering, Heo Il grabbed the gourd flask at his waist.
He drained every drop of liquor inside and exhaled deeply.
“I asked if you're afraid.”
The scar-covered right hand that had been trembling moments earlier had become completely steady.
“There is only one person I fear.”
His calm right hand drew the sword from its scabbard.
“And that person is not you.”
Closing the distance, Heo Il advanced.
“For someone who made such a dramatic entrance, the qi in your kicks isn’t very impressive.”
“Hmph. Empty bravado.”
Snorting, the middle-aged man launched himself forward again.
His waist twisted.
His right leg snapped through the air like a whip.
Bang!
Heo Il angled his blade diagonally and redirected the kick.
Had he been even slightly slower, his chest would have been crushed.
Yet his expression remained grim.
Before he could even counterattack, five shadowy afterimages of kicks surged toward him.
Using the Great Lotus Sword Art, Heo Il cut through all five kick shadows in a single breath.
Even then, he was forced to retreat repeatedly.
He had not fully absorbed the force of the exchange.
A clear sign that the middle-aged man held the advantage.
The attacker sneered as he released a chilling aura.
Feeling that oppressive pressure, Heo Il muttered,
“A Bright Cult Guard…”
A Bright Cult Guard was a title granted to members of the Sun and Moon Demonic Cult who had mastered either the Yin Essence Demonic Art or the Yang Essence Demonic Art and reached the Peak Realm.
Not a common disciple.
A mid-ranking officer.
The fact that a Bright Cult Guard had personally accompanied this transport was completely unexpected.
Against someone of that level, the current Heo Il was severely outmatched.
Normally, a Three Cloud operative of the Blue Heaven Association would be required to face a Bright Cult Guard.
Yet Heo Il did not retreat.
Life-threatening situations were surprisingly common for those who served as Clouds of the Blue Heaven Association.
Still, worry gnawed at him.
This is bad. Young Hero Namgung must be on his way here.
Allowing a newcomer like Namgung Jun to become involved would be no different from dragging him into a deathtrap.
If only there were some way to warn him...
Even while worrying about Namgung Jun’s safety, Heo Il continued advancing.
He could not afford to show weakness before the enemy.
Meanwhile, the cultists formed a complete encirclement around him with the Bright Cult Guard at its center.
Their intention to prevent his escape was obvious.
“Blue Heaven Association! You won’t die easily.”
The Bright Cult Guard instantly closed the distance and slashed his hand toward Heo Il’s chest.
Heo Il barely twisted away and swung his sword in an attempt to force the man back.
But the palm strike had merely been a feint.
The true attack was the rising knee strike that erupted from below.
Thud!
The knee smashed directly into Heo Il’s thigh.
His stance collapsed immediately.
“Urgh!”
“That’s all?”
The Bright Cult Guard laughed at the staggering swordsman.
Then both palms shot forward.
“Haaah!”
With a shout, Heo Il unleashed the ultimate techniques of the Great Lotus Sword Art one after another.
Yet he could not completely neutralize the enemy’s attacks.
Three lingering kick shadows struck home.
Bam!
His martial robe and bamboo hat were battered apart.
Thud!
After exchanging more than ten moves, Heo Il coughed up blood and retreated.
Only then did he realize how far he had been driven back.
The carriage now stood directly behind him like a wall.
There was nowhere left to retreat.
Whoosh!
As Heo Il raised his head once more—
A scorching gust erupted from behind.
“Gah!”
At the same time, the cultists blocking the rear suddenly spat blood and collapsed forward.
Between their falling bodies walked a young man.
His posture was completely relaxed.
“Ah…”
Seeing him, Heo Il unconsciously let out a breath of admiration.
The aura.
The bearing.
The confidence Namgung Jun radiated.
It inspired an inexplicable sense of trust.
He no longer felt like a newcomer.
He resembled a seasoned veteran swordsman at the height of his powers.
Even the Bright Cult Guard and the demonic cultists seemed to sense the extraordinary presence surrounding him.
None of them dared rush forward recklessly.
Namgung Jun calmly stepped into the center of the encirclement and asked,
“Senior Heo. May I take over?”
Heo Il could not answer immediately.
Worry.
Gratitude.
And an inexplicable trust.
All of it washed over him at once.
Only after a moment did he finally speak.
“I leave it to you.”
Namgung Jun’s bamboo hat dipped in a small nod.
Then his steps carried him not toward Heo Il—
But toward the Bright Cult Guard.
“In place of Senior Heo.”
His clear voice echoed across the road.
A razor-sharp blade slowly rose and pointed directly at the Bright Cult Guard.
“I shall bring this mission to its conclusion.”