Chapter 248: Escape (3)
"…So that’s how it turned out."
I nodded after listening to Baek Sang-ah recount the recent events.
"The Heaven-Defying Society was surprisingly quiet. It would’ve been a perfect opportunity to kill me."
Especially Hwan Pyeong—he must have been sharpening his blade for the moment he could take my life.
‘Still, does that mean Cheon Yura takes priority for them?’
It was fortunate, but I couldn’t help feeling irritated.
Their unwavering priorities only meant they wouldn’t be easy to deal with.
"By the way, even if the Namcheon Baek Clan stayed neutral, it couldn’t have been easy to slip away like that. How did you manage it?"
"Ah, that was Lord Hao’s idea."
"A trick?"
"Yes. It’s because of Uncle Baek Mun-jeol’s status."
"His status… Ah!"
Realization dawned on me, and I let out a short exclamation.
I had briefly forgotten, but Baek Mun-jeol had married the daughter of the magistrate who ruled Namchang several decades ago.
If that magistrate had survived until now, he would’ve become a colossal figure in the political world.
"Now, the officials sent by the Governor of Jiangxi are storming through the Baek Clan’s estate in a fury."
In other words, the highest authority in Jiangxi Province had discovered the mysterious death of his son-in-law.
Normally, the Namcheon Baek Clan could’ve covered up the truth for a while, but the White-Faced Scholar must have pulled some strings.
"We need to join up quickly. What will you do, Lady?"
"…As for me."
She wore a pained expression for a moment before forcing a self-mocking smile.
"I already went against my grandfather’s will once. The Black Lotus Union will soon be disbanded, and I intend to spend the rest of my life quietly, as the family’s disgraced one."
I bit my lip lightly.
"In that case, you should just come with me."
"I can’t. There’s one last thing I have to do."
"Something to do…?"
"My grandfather is staying silent partly out of neutrality, but more importantly because Young Master Jin is still here. If word gets out that you’re trying to escape, he’ll definitely send a pursuit force to bring you back."
"……."
"If I throw myself in the way, I can buy you some time."
Indeed, if the Sword King sent a pursuit team, it would be difficult to handle.
Especially Baek Gongjin, who had reached the state of Transformation Realm and just neutralized the Heaven-Destroying Poison—he would be a formidable opponent even in a one-on-one.
If Baek Sang-ah stayed behind to hold them off, it would certainly make things easier.
But how could I, in good conscience, ask that of her?
"Lady…"
I hesitated, unsure what to say.
Suddenly, Baek Sang-ah threw herself into my arms.
"L-Lady?!"
"Just for a moment… let me stay like this."
Clench!
She gripped my robe tightly.
Though she had quietly buried her face and was catching her breath…
For some reason, it sounded like she was crying.
I couldn’t hide the ache in my chest as I clenched my teeth.
Because I had a faint idea of what this gesture meant.
"……."
After staying quietly in my arms for a while, she slowly stepped back.
There were no signs of tears.
"Go."
"…Lady."
"For Young Master Jin, Lady Cheon is the top priority, above all else."
Thud.
She gently pushed my chest with her hand.
"I already understood that I couldn’t change that with my own strength, so it’s time I let go."
"……."
The moment I drank the poison to protect Cheon Yura—
Watching that, Baek Sang-ah had realized that not even death could sever that bond.
Even if her grandfather, the Sword King’s plan had succeeded as expected,
What awaited her would have been a vengeful spirit ready to burn the world down—or an empty husk with nothing left.
"I’m sorry, Lady."
I bowed my head to her.
It was the only thing I could say to someone sorting through such emotions.
Baek Sang-ah gave a faint smile.
"It’s not like someone’s died. Don’t say it like that."
"……."
"Go. I found you a decent guide."
A guide?
She had already allocated all of Black Lotus Union’s remaining power to Cheon Yura’s party. She shouldn’t have had the means to hire anyone.
Swish!
Just then, a sharp thrust cut through the air from the side.
But the power behind it wasn’t overwhelming, so I simply waved my hand to dispel it with my qi force.
Clang!
The black-metal gauntlet struck aside the spearhead—and only then did I recognize the attacker.
"Baek Cheon-ho?"
"…Yeah."
The one who had just ambushed me was Baek Cheon-ho, the Fourth Order of the Heaven-Defying Society and wielder of the Heavenly Martial Body.
Baek Cheon-ho retracted his spear, clicking his tongue as if he no longer intended to fight.
"So you really did neutralize the Heaven-Destroying Poison. You’re seriously unbelievable."
"Only now decided to switch sides?"
At my slightly sarcastic question, Baek Cheon-ho nodded.
"That’s right. Truth is, I made up my mind a while ago, but then you got poisoned out of nowhere, and my previous backers died suddenly. Everything happened so fast, I didn’t know what to do."
"I see…"
Well, no one else knew about the agreement we’d made, so it made sense.
If he had brought up that deal with Cheon Yura, he would’ve been told something like "Shut up and die" and been handed a one-way ticket to the afterlife.
"Well, whatever. But I did hesitate, so I’ll have to earn what I was promised."
"Don’t worry. Now that I’ve switched sides, I’ll run wild like a rabid dog."
And with that, Baek Cheon-ho and I left the Namcheon Baek Clan behind.
***
Baek Sang-ah forced a smile as she watched Jin Yeomyung leave.
"Haa…."
Once the two figures completely disappeared from view,
Baek Sang-ah slumped down on the spot and let the tears she had been holding back pour out.
“Seriously… you stupid girl, such a fool…”
Feelings weren’t something that could be tidied up just because one wanted them to be.
If they were, life would have been much simpler.
With her face buried between her folded knees, she stayed there for a long time before finally standing up.
Then she stretched her arms high into the air with a deep yawn.
“Well. I’m sure I’ll meet someone better in time. There’s no way Grandpa would marry me off to some useless guy!”
It was a desperate struggle to summon the last bit of strength she had left.
However…
That struggle quickly faded away.
Her arms dropped helplessly by her sides.
“…Still, it was fun.”
Though brief, it had been a rare experience where she felt the full spectrum of life’s joys and sorrows.
“I… I wasn’t ready for it to end yet.”
She collapsed forward again, sobbing.
“Hhk… Hrrk!”
As she wept again, for some time—
Ssshh—
She suddenly realized that her body was being lifted off the ground.
“…?”
It wasn’t some kind of telekinetic technique.
A long arm had wrapped around her waist and picked her up!
“Up we go.”
“…?!?”
Baek Sang-ah opened her eyes wide as she recognized the one who had lifted her.
“S-So-So…!”
“Ah, hello there, Lady Baek.”
She couldn’t help it—she screamed.
“Young Master So Cheon?! Why the hell are you here?!”
“Well, um…”
Scratching the back of his head awkwardly, So Cheon looked away.
“I was going to regroup with you all right away, but I looked like an utter mess. So I washed up nearby, borrowed some clothes (?), and even borrowed some food (?), and once I was full, all the built-up poison fatigue just hit me at once…”
“……”
“When I woke up from a nap, everyone had already left.”
Baek Sang-ah was so dumbfounded that she asked back sarcastically.
“Were you a bear in your past life? I think we have very different definitions of ‘a short nap.’”
So Cheon chuckled sheepishly.
“Hehehe, well, it’s fine as long as I wasn’t too late, right?”
“You’re very late! So? Why did you show up now, at this moment? Why didn’t you follow Young Master Jin?”
At that, So Cheon’s expression turned unexpectedly serious.
“Uh, well, I got beat up so much by my boss that I’ve developed pretty sharp instincts, you know?”
“…?”
He was talking about being beaten seriously, with a serious face?
“The atmosphere seemed way too serious to suddenly barge in. More importantly, I just didn’t think it would be right to leave you here like this.”
“That… what….”
Baek Sang-ah trailed off.
Because she was starting to sense So Cheon’s true intention.
But then—
“I’ve stolen a lot of things in my life, but this is my first time with human trafficking, so please understand if I’m a bit clumsy with it…”
“Hey, you lunatic! Are you trying to sell me somewhere?!”
Trafficking?! Could he sound any more like someone from the Demonic Cult?!
“Ah, not sell you—just a figure of speech…”
“That’s enough, Sang-ah.”
Their conversation couldn’t continue any further.
Flash!
“UWAAAGH!”
A lightning-fast slash—on an entirely different level from Baek Cheon-ho’s earlier stab—pierced straight toward So Cheon’s throat.
Or rather, it almost did.
“…He dodged that?”
Realizing he had struck nothing but an afterimage, the middle-aged swordsman targeting So Cheon furrowed his brow deeply.
Baek Sang-ah cried out in shock upon recognizing the assailant.
“Un-Uncle Baek!”
“Yes, Sang-ah.”
The Heavenly Night Divine Sword, Baek Gongjin.
One of only two masters in the Transformation Realm within the Namcheon Baek Clan, had revealed himself at this very place.
“U-Uncle…”
Baek Sang-ah trembled uncontrollably.
Now that Baek Gongjin had appeared, So Cheon’s life was truly hanging by a thread.
“Young Master Jin has safely escaped the clan.”
“…!”
Her eyes widened at the unexpected news.
Baek Gongjin let out a bitter smile.
“To be honest, I found it difficult to support the Clan Leader’s decision this time. I do respect his desire to do what’s best for the clan, but his methods were too close to those of the Demonic Path.”
“T-That’s….”
“Young Master Jin has done much for our main family. I’ll overlook his escape. But…”
Baek Gongjin raised his sword and pointed it at So Cheon.
“I can’t let you go too, Sang-ah. And while Young Master Jin may be an exception, I certainly can’t allow another Demonic Cult upstart to slip away.”
“Young Master So Cheon, leave me behind and run!”
Baek Sang-ah shouted urgently.
“Hm…”
But So Cheon didn’t even pretend to listen. Instead, he scratched his cheek while staring at Baek Gongjin.
“Wha—what are you doing?! Run! Are you insane, standing in front of a Transformation Realm master?!”
“Well, you know…”
Still holding Baek Sang-ah at his waist, So Cheon replied calmly.
“I haven’t reached the Extreme Demonic Realm yet, but…”
“…?”
“Even now, I don’t think I’d lose in a fight.”
“…Huh?”
At So Cheon’s unexpected statement, both Baek Sang-ah and Baek Gongjin stood frozen, dumbfounded.
So Cheon gave Baek Gongjin his usual carefree grin.
“Of course, I wouldn’t win while carrying Lady Baek, so I’ll just run away.”
“Bastard! How dare you spout such nonsense in front of me?!”
Baek Gongjin erupted in fury as he charged toward So Cheon.
“Your footwork just now was decent, I’ll admit that—but it won’t work again!”
His sword underwent a strange transformation, invoking the profound technique of Sword Division.
In an instant, the blade split into eight paths, each aimed precisely at So Cheon’s vital acupuncture points.
But—
“Now, what shall I do tonight? Whom shall I delight tonight?”
Even with such a fierce attack bearing down on him, So Cheon simply hummed a strange little song and dodged every single strike from Baek Gongjin!
“W-What?!”
Baek Gongjin was aghast.
That was a strike into which he had poured nearly seventy percent of his internal energy, cautious of his opponent’s footwork—and yet?!
Feeling a sudden wave of dizziness from the chaos, Baek Sang-ah held her forehead and asked,
“…What was that song just now?”
“Oh, it’s a song my master used to hum sometimes. I heard it so much that I ended up memorizing it.”
“A song… passed between some divine thieves or something…?”
Well, that didn’t matter right now.
What did matter was that Baek Gongjin had now recognized So Cheon as a true threat.
“To dodge the technique of the Eight Swords of the World… you’re someone who must not be left alive!”
At that, So Cheon let out a small scoff.
“Yeah, it’s fast, I’ll give you that. But compared to my master’s beatings, it’s like a child’s play.”
“What?!”
“Sorry, but I’m going to make sure your precious daughter is thoroughly abducted.”
“She’s not my dau—!”
Baek Sang-ah couldn’t even figure out where to start nitpicking that statement.
Then—
From So Cheon’s right hand, a black and white sphere emerged, accompanied by flowing demonic energy.
Ten Thousand Phases of the Supreme Taiji
Sun and Moon Ten Thousand Demons (日月萬魔)
“…!!”
One of the Wudang Sect’s highest secret techniques—Ten Thousand Phases of the Supreme Taiji.
Now reborn as a true demonic technique through the hands of the Heavenly Demon’s disciple.
‘I don’t know what that is, but it’s dangerous!’
Sensing an ominous threat, Baek Gongjin infused his will into a burst of Qi and hurled it forward.
Whooosh!
But the black-and-white sphere in So Cheon’s hand suddenly expanded in size and swallowed up both So Cheon and Baek Sang-ah whole!
Crackkk!
Baek Gongjin’s Qi attack struck the sphere a moment later—
And though it split the sphere clean in half…
By then, the figures of the two had already vanished without a trace right before Baek Gongjin’s eyes.