Chapter 174

“Heok, heok!”

Mok Ga-hye was at the end of her rope.

If Shin Mu-geom hadn’t been holding her hand, she would have given up on escaping long ago.

“Are you all right?”

“I’m fine. Don’t worry. I can still go on.”

Mok Ga-hye forced a composed expression, but she couldn’t fool Shin Mu-geom.

“Let’s rest for a bit.”

“We don’t have time. They’ve probably realized I’m gone by now and formed a pursuit squad.”

“I suppose so.”

“The longer we rest, the more traces we’ll leave, making it easier for them to track us. So we can’t rest. Not even if I collapse.”

“Then let me carry you on my back.”

“I can still move.”

“Ga-hye!”

“I don’t want to be a burden to you, Orabeoni, not yet.”

“All right. But you must tell me if it gets too hard.”

“I will.”

Mok Ga-hye nodded with difficulty.

Shin Mu-geom looked at her with a pained expression.

After entering the Heavenly Eunuch Clan, Mok Ga-hye had spent her time agonizing, not sleeping a wink.

To save her fallen family, she had chosen the path of becoming Hwa Yu-cheon’s concubine. After enduring all sorts of hardships to finally reach the Heavenly Eunuch Clan, Hwa Yu-cheon had not once come to see her.

That was when she realized it for certain.

What Hwa Yu-cheon truly wanted was not her, but the Gongpo Sword. She was merely an incidental prize.

She had thought it wouldn’t matter if she sacrificed herself for her family. She had believed that if she alone endured, many others could be happy.

But the moment she set foot in the Heavenly Eunuch Clan, all that conviction wavered. There was no one here who truly cared for her.

What shook her resolve more than anything was her conversation with Pyo Wol.

When Pyo Wol had asked about the relationship between the Heavenly Eunuch Clan and Juk Hae-jang, she, too, had realized it. The one who had instigated the Demon Pursuit Squad was none other than Juk Hae-jang.

Only Juk Hae-jang was in a position to deal a blow to the Heavenly Eunuch Clan by seizing the Gongpo Sword.

Neither the Heavenly Eunuch Clan nor Juk Hae-jang cared about her well-being.

All they wanted was the legendary ancient sword, Gongpo. As long as they could obtain Gongpo, it didn’t matter what happened to her.

Her faith in Hwa Yu-cheon had completely vanished.

She could no longer trust his promise to help her Clan.

She began to doubt if her choice had truly been the best one.

While Pyo Wol was out, she thought and thought again.

When her worries reached their peak, she had stepped outside for a moment to get some air. That was when she saw the back of Shin Mu-geom, crying alone.

He had escorted the woman he loved all this way, only to deliver her into the arms of another man, trying to console himself that this was the way to repay the kindness of Mok Ga-hye’s family, who had raised him.

With Pyo Wol’s help, they had safely entered the Heavenly Eunuch Clan, but now she was to become another man’s woman.

He had comforted himself by saying it was enough to watch over her happiness from the side, but his heart was already rotting away.

In a place where Mok Ga-hye couldn’t see, he shed tears. He tried to stop, but the tears wouldn’t cease.

The moment she saw Shin Mu-geom’s tears, Mok Ga-hye, too, burst into tears.

Only then did she realize how much Shin Mu-geom loved her.

The two of them embraced and wept uncontrollably. And after their tears dried, they made a decision.

To break free from the cruel fate that had ensnared them.

Mok Ga-hye persuaded Shin Mu-geom, and in the end, he gave in to her.

It wasn’t as if he had enjoyed bringing Mok Ga-hye here.

He had done it because he thought bringing her to the Heavenly Eunuch Clan was the best path for her. But while staying at the clan, he realized it.

He had been wrong.

The only person who could make Mok Ga-hye happy was him.

The only one who truly loved her was him.

Now that they had confirmed their feelings for each other, there was no reason to stay in the Heavenly Eunuch Clan.

But there was much to consider.

Hwa Yu-cheon would never let her go.

The Gongpo Sword aside, his pride would surely be wounded.

If it became known that a woman who was all but certain to become his concubine had escaped from his own home, he would not be able to hold his head high in the Jianghu.

For a Martial Artist, pride sometimes held more value than life itself.

This was even more true for the head of a great power like Hwa Yu-cheon.

It wasn’t just the Heavenly Eunuch Clan.

Juk Hae-jang would surely target them as well.

Mok Ga-hye was by no means a fool. On the contrary, she possessed a mind sharper than most.

Now that she knew the truth, she could easily predict what would happen next.

Once Juk Hae-jang learned that Mok Ga-hye had escaped the Heavenly Eunuch Clan, they would surely send a pursuit squad. By seizing the Gongpo Sword, they could preemptively prevent the Righteous Sword Manor’s intervention.

The Heavenly Eunuch Clan would have already formed a pursuit squad, and perhaps Juk Hae-jang had also learned of her escape. If so, they too would send a pursuit squad.

She couldn’t be sure if they could shake off the pursuit of two powers.

Still, she no longer hesitated or wavered.

Mok Ga-hye reached out her hand. Shin Mu-geom took it.

She felt a gentle warmth.

She was prepared to pay any price if she could continue to feel this warmth.

Shin Mu-geom moved forward, holding Mok Ga-hye’s hand.

Making their way through the undergrowth on a dark, starless night was by no means an easy task.

Branches and thorns scratched his body, leaving cuts. Still, Shin Mu-geom did not stop walking.

Instead, he tightened his grip on Mok Ga-hye’s hand.

‘I will never let go of this hand.’

＊＊＊

The atmosphere in the Heavenly Eunuch Clan was unsettled due to the escape of Mok Ga-hye and Shin Mu-geom. Many had left the clan to capture the two. It was hardly an atmosphere where they could attend to the people from Snow Cloud Stronghold.

Woo Jang-rak judged that it was meaningless to stay at the Heavenly Eunuch Clan any longer.

He told the Steward, Mae Bul-gun, that he would stop by again on his way back to Chengdu.

Mae Bul-gun expressed his regret but couldn’t bring himself to stop them.

It was not proper etiquette to invite guests and then fail to treat them properly.

“Please be sure to stop by on your way back to Chengdu. I will do my utmost to host you then.”

“I will certainly do so.”

Only after making the promise several times was Woo Jang-rak able to get away from Mae Bul-gun.

When he returned to the Guest Reception Hall, his face was etched with exhaustion. But he mustered his strength and said.

“Well, let’s depart.”

“Let’s go! Double-check the goods, and be extra vigilant of our surroundings.”

Go Il-pae urged the Wanderers as they set off.

Pyo Wol and Soma slowly followed behind them.

Soma looked at Pyo Wol and said.

“I hope Noona doesn’t get caught.”

Although they had only been together for a few days, he had grown a little fond of her.

Above all, Mok Ga-hye was the one who had made him his favorite snack, beef jerky.

It was Soma’s small wish that she would escape safely so he could get more beef jerky from her next time.

Pyo Wol said nothing one way or the other about Mok Ga-hye.

Coming to the Heavenly Eunuch Clan had been her decision, and escaping was also her will.

There was no reason for Pyo Wol to interfere when she had set the course of her life by her own will.

He didn’t know what had changed her mind, but since she had made a difficult decision, he hoped she would achieve her goal.

As he was leaving the Heavenly Eunuch Clan with Woo Jang-rak’s party, Pyo Wol suddenly turned his head to look in a certain direction. He had felt a piercing gaze from there.

Where his gaze landed, a young Martial Artist stood.

It was a man he had seen at the banquet last night.

‘Im Tae-mun.’

He was scowling, glaring at Pyo Wol.

He believed he had been humiliated by Pyo Wol last night. That was why he had deliberately come out to glare at him.

To let Pyo Wol know that he remembered him clearly.

Just then, Soma whispered to Pyo Wol.

“Should I kill him?”

“If we meet again.”

“Really?”

Soma’s eyes widened.

He had asked, but he hadn’t expected it.

He had seen countless types of people, but he had never seen someone as self-centered as Im Tae-mun.

He obsessed over things by himself, got angry by himself, and let his resentment fester and ripen into rage all by himself.

He was the perfect type to get stabbed and die somewhere.

He had been lucky enough to stay alive so far, but if he kept living like that, he would one day be found as a cold corpse in a back alley.

‘I can guess Hwa Ok-gi’s caliber.’

You can tell a person’s quality by looking at their companions.

The very fact that she had a friend like Im Tae-mun meant that Hwa Ok-gi was not such a great person herself. Then again, if he had any sense, he wouldn’t have abandoned Hwangbo Chiseung like that in the first place.

Pyo Wol thought the Heavenly Eunuch Clan’s power would not last long. It was as clear as day what would happen if someone like Hwa Ok-gi inherited the clan. Just then, Woo Jang-rak approached Pyo Wol and said.

“From now on, we will travel by land to Dengzhou in Henan Province. Aside from crossing the Yangtze River by boat, we will be riding horses the whole way, so it might be a bit tiring.”

“I understand.”

Pyo Wol nodded.

Woo Jang-rak was a good guide.

He didn’t just guide the way; he also explained the local situation and geography.

He was telling Pyo Wol these things because he knew Pyo Wol lacked knowledge of the world outside Sichuan Province. That was why Pyo Wol was accompanying Woo Jang-rak in the first place.

He took in every word Woo Jang-rak said.

He had experience traveling the Jianghu long ago before being abducted by the Bloody Shadows Guild, but those memories were now outdated knowledge, useless in the present.

In contrast, the information Woo Jang-rak provided was vivid, practical knowledge. His experience-laced knowledge was a great help to Pyo Wol in understanding the current state of the Jianghu.

“At the northern edge of Hubei Province, where we are now, lies the traditional powerhouse of the Jianghu, the Wudang Sect. They went through a period of decline and were even Closed-off for a time, but during the Great Demonic War, they broke their seclusion, rose up, and achieved great merit, and are now enjoying prosperity once again.”

The Wudang Sect, which had re-emerged into the world with the Great Demonic War as a turning point, was truly enjoying its greatest golden age.

The martial artists they had painstakingly nurtured during their seclusion had, over the years, become the strong pillars of the Wudang Sect, and they, not forgetting the shame of their predecessors, focused on raising the next generation.

As a result, they successfully cultivated numerous talents who could lead the future of the Wudang Sect.

“The first-generation disciples are led by Daoist Master U-gong and Daoist Master U-geom, both of whom are said to possess martial talent so outstanding as to be recorded in the history of the Wudang Sect. Among them, Daoist Master U-geom is particularly well-versed in the Wudang Sect’s Sword Art and is being mentioned as the next Wudang’s Finest Sword. Among the second-generation disciples, So-myeong is showing the most prominent talent, and is already being called Wudang’s Finest, that is, the greatest talent of Wudang.”

It wasn’t just So-myeong.

So-han, So-yeol, So-geom, and the other current second-generation disciples of Wudang were all outstanding talents.

They began to distinguish themselves ten years ago and achieved excellent results in the Crossing Swords Society with disciples from other sects.

Because of this, people gossiped that the Wudang Sect might be able to surpass the Two Powerhouses of All Under Heaven, the Radiant Martial Gate and the Heavenly Martial Fortress, within a few decades.

Woo Jang-rak knew a great deal about the Wudang Sect.

The Taewon Trading Company, which Yu Gicheon had owned, had donated a large sum of money to the Wudang Sect and maintained a close relationship. Because of this, Woo Jang-rak had no choice but to take a greater interest in the Wudang Sect.

There was a reason for Woo Jang-rak’s extensive knowledge of the Wudang Sect.

Pyo Wol suddenly asked.

“Isn’t the Heavenly Eunuch Clan also in Hubei Province?”

“That’s right. Enshi is part of Hubei Province.”

“Since they’re in the same Hubei Province, aren’t they interested in Enshi?”

“The distance is too great to be interested. Although they are in the same Hubei Province, the distance between the two sects is over a thousand li. It’s safe to say they are in completely different regions. Besides, Enshi is a small city, so the interests are small. There’s no reason for the Wudang Sect to bother taking an interest.”

“I see!”

Pyo Wol nodded.

Maintaining a great sect like the Wudang Sect required an enormous amount of money. That was why the great sects of the Jianghu had their hands in various profitable businesses.

Even the Shaolin Temple, which was said to be the most incorruptible of them all, owned large-scale farmlands. They leased the land to nearby residents for tenant farming, reaping huge harvests, and the donations sent annually by their Lay Disciples were not insignificant.

The Wudang Sect was the same.

No matter how much Hubei Province was the Wudang Sect’s territory, they couldn’t control every part of it. That was why they focused on managing areas where profit was guaranteed. A small city like Enshi was not an object of their interest.

Pyo Wol got a rough idea of how the great sects operated.

In a word, they managed areas centered on big money.

Regions that did not bring in great wealth were not their concern. That was why the Heavenly Eunuch Clan had tried to receive support from the Righteous Sword Manor, avoiding the eyes of the Wudang Sect.

People often thought of the Jianghu as a very romantic or noble place, but if you looked inside, it was not much different from the power struggles of street thugs.

It was just as Pyo Wol was learning about the Jianghu and the Wudang Sect.

Suddenly, Go Il-pae, who was at the head of the group, shouted loudly.

“You need to come over here.”

Pyo Wol and Woo Jang-rak spurred their horses and approached where Go Il-pae was.

“Ugh!”

Woo Jang-rak let out an involuntary groan.

Corpses were strewn everywhere.

“They are martial artists from the Heavenly Eunuch Clan.”