Chapter 6. Grudge (1)
"Ha."
A group of martial artists approached from afar, surrounding us.
They weren't the Tang family's warriors I had been expecting. Their attire and weapons were all different, and not one among them was wearing the signature green martial robes of the Tang clan.
The only thing they had in common was the killing intent they couldn't fully suppress, seeping through the air around them. But even that was enough for me to deduce their identity.
"I thought they'd come, but I didn't expect it to be this soon."
"Cheon Hwi-da? What are you talking about, all of a sudden?"
Tang Sowol, who had been eating, casually wiped the crumbs off her lips as she approached me. Then she saw them—those shadows advancing to kill her.
"...No way?"
"It's exactly that. I don't know where they caught our trail, but it looks like we've been found."
"We need to leave immediately. It seems they haven't spotted us yet, so if we move now..."
"No. We're already surrounded. It's true they haven't pinpointed our exact location, but they're closing in while maintaining their encirclement."
"It's too soon to assume we're surrounded. Let's check the rear first."
"My martial arts are a bit... peculiar. I'm highly sensitive to killing intent, and right now, it's emanating from all directions."
Most likely, they were raising their momentum in preparation for a battle, unsure of where they'd spot Tang Sowol. What I sensed was the killing aura mingled with their leaking presence.
"Can you really sense that?"
"I can do much more than that."
I shrugged, and Tang Sowol narrowed her eyes at me.
"If what you're saying is true, then it's too late to run. In that case, we need to come up with a plan quickly."
"There are only two options. Either break through their encirclement and flee, or defeat them all here. For the record, I recommend the latter."
"Why?"
"Because you haven't fully absorbed the 'Purple Flower Poison Enhancing Grass' yet. Without being able to use your poison arts, even if we break through, we won't be able to shake off the pursuers. Eventually, we'll exhaust our stamina and internal energy and get caught."
"That... makes sense."
Poison is an extremely effective weapon. Even carelessly scattering it while running could slow down the pursuers to some extent.
However, using poison arts was currently impossible. Tang Sowol was a genius of poison arts, but not of hidden weapon techniques. Without her poison, she wouldn't be able to display even half her usual strength.
She knew this herself, so she nodded quietly in agreement.
Of course, I could escape on my own if necessary, but I didn't have the confidence to protect Tang Sowol while fleeing. My internal energy was barely above first-class rank. Against ordinary thugs, I might have stood a chance, but I was hopelessly lacking against opponents who had driven Tang Sowol to the brink of death.
Even though my Wave-Breaking Death Art was a martial art perfected from my own enlightenment and tailored to me, its foundation lay in unorthodox martial arts. While it excelled in accumulating energy quickly, it wasn't refined enough. After all, it had only been half a year since I returned to the past.
Given the current situation, if both Tang Sowol and I were to survive, there was no other choice.
As Tang Sowol changed into an outer robe resembling the Tang family's martial attire—perhaps to make it easier to throw hidden weapons—I asked her a question.
"How many hidden weapons do you have left?"
"Due to what I used up while fighting you earlier, I only have about thirty percent of what I usually carry. If it's just one or two enemies, that might suffice, but it's far from enough to deal with all of them."
"Only throw your hidden weapons when absolutely necessary. If you run out, just pick up rocks from the ground and throw those."
"What about you, Cheon Hwi-da?"
"I'll go out and cut them down."
"Will you be okay?"
"Well, if someone watches my back, I should be fine."
"Seriously, your way of talking... Don't worry. The Tang family's hidden weapon techniques can kill people even with stones."
"People can die if they're hit by a rock in the wrong place, you know."
"Tsk! You could've just nodded quietly!"
Even though I was telling the truth, I didn't understand why I was being scolded.
I felt a little wronged, but from experience before my regression, I knew that arguing would only make things more troublesome. So, I simply nodded.
"Fine. Trust me. …By the way, I never thought someone would be foolish enough to target a bloodline of the Tang family."
"People don't always move with their heads. Sometimes they follow their hearts. So, does that mean you finally believe my story now?"
"I'm not foolish enough to deny something after seeing it with my own eyes. In that sense, do you have anything else to say? I'm willing to believe everything, for now."
"...No, wait."
Taking a deep breath, I stepped forward.
"Never stand in front of me."
"Why?"
"Because it's dangerous."
I was still more accustomed to fighting alone than alongside others.
***
If we could see them with our eyes, then they could see us too.
Before long, the enemies spotted us and rushed toward the entrance of the cave. Most of them were second- or third-rate martial artists, but a few exuded a fierce presence.
A brutish giant with a menacing axe slung over his shoulder. A hunchback with abnormally long arms. A woman with heavy makeup and revealing clothes. And one assassin whose presence was poorly concealed.
Four first-class martial artists. Including the others, there were close to thirty enemies in total.
This was a force comparable to a mid-sized unorthodox sect. However, I doubted that Tang Sowol, before my regression, would have failed to escape in such a situation.
Back then, she would have been using her poison arts liberally, and she likely had plenty of hidden weapons. I distinctly remember there being one more factor...
While I was rummaging through my memories, a man in dark red martial robes stepped forward from among them. The others naturally made way for him.
"So, this will be difficult," I muttered.
His body was withered like an old tree, but his aura was sharp, and his steps were steady without the slightest wavering.
A worn-out saber hung at his waist, and a long scar ran across one side of his face, crossing over an eye.
Judging by his aura, he was at the early stage of Flowering Stage. However, it seemed incomplete and unstable, meaning he hadn't fully mastered it.
His internal energy was impure, and his understanding shallow—a common trait among unorthodox martial artists. I knew the state well because I had experienced it myself.
Still, he couldn't be underestimated. Despite his flaws, he was undoubtedly a master at the Flowering Stage, worthy of the title.
It was clear now why these thugs, who would normally never dare to fight the Tang family's scion, had taken up arms.
He was their rallying point. They must have believed that even the most promising young prodigy couldn't defeat a master at the Flowering Stage.
The man, who had been silently observing me with his one remaining eye, finally spoke.
"I'll say this once. I have no intention of harming you. Our only target is the Tang family's daughter."
"Oh, how pitiful. So your life is one devoted to a futile goal. I almost feel sorry for you."
Despite my sarcastic remark, the man remained composed as he scanned me from head to toe. Then, lowering his aura slightly, he continued.
"You don't seem to be one of the Tang family's guards. Have you ever heard of the title 'Hundred-Kill Saber'?"
"Never heard of it."
"That's understandable. It was the title of my master, who passed away more than twenty years ago. I'm merely a self-proclaimed successor."
Though he had been radiating hostility until now, his voice softened unexpectedly.
"To be honest, my master wasn't a good man. He tested his martial arts on innocent villagers to compensate for his lack of talent."
"I see. So your title comes from killing a hundred people just to become a proper saber-wielder. Quite the slow learner with a bad personality."
"I won't deny it. My master was a bastard."
The self-proclaimed 'Hundred-Kill Saber' chuckled bitterly, nodding in agreement. But soon, his eyes burned with fierce emotion.
"Even so, he was my master."
"To an orphan like me, he gave food, shelter, and a family. He taught me every bit of martial arts he had, even staining his hands with blood to do so."
His suppressed anger and the fire within him—those were the marks of a true avenger.
"The Tang family labeled my master as a villain and claimed they would punish him for his crimes in Sichuan."
"All he did was kill those who tried to kill him. He followed that simple rule. But the martial world's grudges weighed heavily on him."
"Thus, he gagged me and cut out one of my eyes to make it seem like I was just a kidnapped villager rather than his disciple. That way, I could live. He wanted me to survive."
There are no perfect villains in the world. Even the most heinous person is someone's family, friend, or lover.
"I watched as my master was brutally slaughtered right in front of me. And yet, I had to bow my head and thank my enemies. I had to, to survive. Because that's what my master wanted."
This man was no different. His master had died, so he sought revenge. It was an understandable, even justifiable, motive.
"I know my master was in the wrong, and I know the Tang family did what was right. But that knowledge didn't extinguish the burning rage in my heart."
I wasn't so different. Even if she didn't remember me, I raised my sword to protect the woman I cherished. Who could criticize me for that?
"So please step aside, young man. I don't know who you are, but surely you have people you care about and those who care for you. I don't want to create more people like me."
It was a sincere offer. Unlike the others, he was genuinely speaking from the heart. Perhaps he wasn't even a villain at all.
But that didn't matter. If two swordsmen had no intention of backing down, there was only one thing left to do.
I turned and glanced at Tang Sowol, who was staring anxiously in my direction. After giving her a brief look—
Srrrng.
—I drew my sword. Just the sound of it sharpened my mind, clarifying my purpose.
"I appreciate the offer, but I'll have to decline. I have my own reasons for doing this."
"Is that so?"
The self-proclaimed Hundred-Kill Saber nodded heavily. I took a step forward, while Tang Sowol stepped back, hiding her hands in her wide sleeves. It was a signature Tang clan stance, making it difficult to predict when she might throw a hidden weapon.
The other enemies behind the man also drew their weapons in unison.
Tension filled the air, thick enough to cut with a blade. Feeling the oppressive atmosphere, I swung my sword.
Chwaaak!
A single line was drawn across the ground a short distance ahead of me.
"Cross this line, and you'll die."
No sooner had I finished speaking than a dagger shot through the branches, aiming for my forehead.
Sswaeek!
Its blade had been painted black to hide its reflection, but its wielder had failed to suppress his killing intent, making its trajectory obvious.
I swung my sword, intercepting the dagger mid-flight. Sparks flew as the blade and dagger clashed, but neither was deflected.
Instead, I adjusted my sword's angle slightly, disrupting the dagger's path. Following the subtle intricacies of swordsmanship, I guided the dagger along my blade. Then, spinning in place, I redirected it back toward its source.
"Kuheuk!"
With a short death cry, the man in black fell from a tree, a dagger embedded in his chest and his neck twisted at an unnatural angle.
Gasps of shock erupted from the enemies. Even Tang Sowol froze in place, her eyes wide. Seeing her expression, I couldn't help but smirk.