Book 29 Chapter 5
Na Ye-rin's Resolve
—Anger! Fall away!
‘Why did I agree to this? I hate high places!’
Despite her proud and upright stance, her face was pale. Thinking it was a good thing it was dark, she cursed inwardly.
Ma Hwa-ryeong truly hated being on trees. It wasn’t that she had a fear of heights. No, in a way, it was similar yet different. This was because she felt a constant anxiety that these branches might break at any moment, unable to bear her ‘presence.’ It felt as unstable as standing on a tower built of sand.
‘I can’t just go back down.’
Ma Hwa-ryeong knew better than anyone that Yong Cheon-myeong’s decision to entrust her with the position of General Assembly Leader, despite the strong opposition from his closest friends, couldn’t have been easy. Relinquishing one’s rights was a difficult decision for anyone. Yong Cheon-myeong was throwing himself into danger, and she couldn’t stand idly by.
‘Besides, I’ve already been discovered.’
She had moved cautiously, step by careful step, suppressing her presence, and had finally managed to reach the top, only to be discovered.
“Lousy stealth technique! How are you supposed to launch a proper surprise attack like that?”
Gal Hyo-hyo shouted assertively, looking up at Ma Hwa-ryeong.
“Bluster… You didn’t know until I pointed it out, did you?”
Gal Hyo-min, unable to bear it, chided her. Gal Hyo-hyo grinned and shrugged.
“Ah, let’s not worry about trivial matters, unnie.”
“Was that trivial? You truly leave me speechless sometimes.”
Gal Hyo-min shook her head at her cheerful sibling’s words.
Watching this, Ma Hwa-ryeong cursed inwardly once more.
The essence of a surprise attack is surprise. Therefore, it is only effective if the opponent is unaware until the moment of the attack. But Ma Hwa-ryeong was essentially announcing to the world that she was about to launch a surprise attack, thus losing all the benefits of a surprise attack.
“Kyahaha, young lady. If a grown woman like you stands there, your backside is too heavy, and the branch will break! It’s dangerous, so why don’t you come down quickly?”
Meng Gyeon, the second-in-command of the Black Dog Brigade, who had come with the Eight Immortals of the Demonic Cult, had somehow narrowed the encirclement and approached a bit closer, chuckling lewdly.
“Puhahahaha!”
Then, the remaining members of the Black Dog Brigade who had gathered around burst into laughter.
“Oh dear, oh dear! If that young lady keeps standing there, she needs to lose some weight.”
“Kyahaha! Even if her backside is big enough to break a branch, I could easily hold her in my arms!”
Mocking, lewd jokes were exchanged from all around.
Even the faces of Jin Ling and the other women peeking from inside the secret passage turned bright red. It was less out of embarrassment and more out of anger.
For the Black Dog Brigade, this was likely a psychological attack aimed at making their opponent feel shame and flustered. But they didn’t know. They didn’t know they had touched something they shouldn’t have.
Crackling!
“Shut—up!”
A roar that reverberated through the forest erupted.
“You lowly wretches! Who do you think I am?!”
A fearsome aura emanated from Ma Hwa-ryeong’s entire body.
The Black Dog Brigade members, who had been laughing hysterically, looked up at Ma Hwa-ryeong again and gasped.
On the tree stood a Rakshasa, her eyes flashing with blue demonic light, exuding a terrifying killing intent.
Ma Hwa-ryeong’s eyes, gleaming with blue demonic energy, fixed on Meng Gyeon.
“H-huk!”
The sheer intensity of her gaze was so terrifying that even Meng Gyeon and the Black Dog Brigade members, who prided themselves on their experience, couldn’t help but flinch.
“Huk, this is bad!”
Even Yong Cheon-myeong’s face turned even paler, and he urgently signaled to Qing Heun and Bai Wu-yeong.
“Stay alert! This is no ordinary situation…!”
Before his words were even finished.
“You—lowly—wretches! Die!”
WHOOSH!
Ma Hwa-ryeong’s body, which had been rooted to the tree, leaped into the air.
“Ten Thousand Catty Hammer!”
WHOOOOSH!
Tearing through the air with a terrifying sonic boom, Ma Hwa-ryeong’s body soared upwards.
And just as her ascent seemed to slow, her body began to plummet towards the earth like a cannonball.
If she hit Meng Gyeon with this, he would be turned into a bloody mess on the spot. However, her descent was too direct and straightforward to hit him.
‘Wh-what, I was scared for nothing….’
Meng Gyeon shouted as he quickly dodged, “Hmph, what a foolish woman!”
No matter how powerful an attack is, it’s useless if it doesn’t hit! For a moment, the tension on Meng Gyeon’s face, which had been strained by Ma Hwa-ryeong’s explosive momentum, dissipated, replaced by relief.
Just as Ma Hwa-ryeong began her vertical descent and Meng Gyeon dodged and scoffed, Yong Cheon-myeong urgently cried out.
“Now!”
In response to Yong Cheon-myeong’s signal, Qing Heun and Bai Wu-yeong leaped into the air. As high as they could jump.
At that moment, a triumphant smile flickered across Ma Hwa-ryeong’s lips as she fell like a cannonball. That smile seemed to say,
‘You’re dead now, you son of a bitch!’
CRASH!
With the power of the Ten Thousand Catty Hammer, Ma Hwa-ryeong’s legs struck the center of the surrounding encirclement.
Tian Zhu Yu Jia Shen Gong
Advanced Secret Technique
Weight Increase Secret Art
Ten Thousand Catty Hammer’s Ultimate Technique
Earthquake Leg
Ocean of the Great Earth
RUMBLE!
A fearsome leg strike landed on the ground, accompanied by a deafening roar that shook the earth.
The ground rippled like water, and waves of earth spread outwards in concentric circles. The waves of dirt then surged outwards like tidal waves.
The Ocean of the Great Earth was an area-of-effect attack that used the shockwave from the leg strike to effectively shake the ground beneath multiple enemies. As the Ocean of the Great Earth spread, the feet of the surrounding Black Dog Brigade members wavered, and their balance was broken.
“This is it! Let’s go!”
From the entrance of the secret passage, which had begun to collapse entirely, the rescue team burst out without missing a beat. Then, scattering like lightning in all directions, they launched a simultaneous assault on the surrounding Black Dog Brigade.
While the Ocean of the Great Earth might not inflict fatal damage in a single blow, it was incredibly useful for temporarily and surprisingly disrupting an encirclement. The moment the formation collapsed, the encirclement ceased to be an encirclement.
The difference between those who were prepared and those who were not was vast. Especially for those who were waiting for that one moment, coveting the opportunity.
The second unit of the Black Dog Brigade, which had been mostly unharmed by the rescue team’s unified attack, was instantly annihilated.
“H-how can this be! How can such a heavy attack come from a woman’s body!”
Meng Gyeon moaned in disbelief. He barely managed to maintain his balance, but his subordinates were tumbling and rolling everywhere, a truly pathetic sight.
CRACKLE!
Ma Hwa-ryeong erupted in fury, veins bulging on her forehead at the sarcastic remark.
“How dare you speak carelessly about a woman’s weight! Are you tired of living, you despicable wretch!”
A terrifying killing intent erupted from Ma Hwa-ryeong’s entire body.
“Those who have no manners deserve a beating!”
Standing firm on the shaking ground, Ma Hwa-ryeong shouted.
“No, my beautiful young lady! That was just a light jest a moment ago…”
A chill ran down Meng Gyeon’s spine.
“May divine punishment befall those who harp on a woman’s weight!”
Ma Hwa-ryeong smiled menacingly and stomped her leg strike onto the ground.
Tian Zhu Yu Jia Shen Gong
Ultimate Technique
Mountain Crushing Leg Strike
CRASH!
BOOM!
Cracks appeared in the ground and rushed towards Meng Gyeon, the ground beneath him soaring upwards like a seesaw towards Ma Hwa-ryeong. The ground lifting from a leg strike seemed like it could level a mountain in one go.
Meng Gyeon’s body flew towards Ma Hwa-ryeong like a ball. It was as if the earth was offering a gift to her.
“Welcome!”
Ma Hwa-ryeong smiled and gladly received the incoming gift with her fist. The immense impact, like a mountain crashing down, struck Meng Gyeon’s entire body.
“AAAAAAAGGGHHHHH!”
CRUNCH, CRUNCH!
The sound of bones and flesh separating echoed with his terrifying scream.
And a moment later.
SWISH!
Ma Hwa-ryeong lifted her foot above Meng Gyeon, who had fallen with his whites showing. She was moments away from crushing him with a single stomp.
“My lord! N-no, young lady! P-please, just a moment to talk…!”
Perhaps sensing his impending death, Meng Gyeon’s eyes flashed open, and he cried out desperately.
“Young lady is busy. Goodbye.”
THWACK!
With a cheerful voice, Ma Hwa-ryeong’s leg strike descended towards Meng Gyeon’s head.
CRACKLE!
“H-eek! Squawk!”
However, the deep footprint was imprinted not on Meng Gyeon’s head but on the ground beside it. She had deliberately missed. Nevertheless, Meng Gyeon had already foamed at the mouth and completely fainted.
“Hmph, such a coward.”
Ma Hwa-ryeong, having half-killed Meng Gyeon, turned away regretfully and escaped the encirclement. Compared to the other rescue team members, she was at the center of the disturbance, making her movements much smoother.
“We don’t have time. Let’s break through the encirclement before they regroup.”
Na Ye-rin shouted.
With most of the Black Dog Brigade members down, this one moment was enough to break through the encirclement.
Argh! Kaaak! Aiyah! Kwehk!
Screams echoed from all around.
Following Yong Cheon-myeong’s roar and then Ma Hwa-ryeong’s leg strike, the Black Dog Brigade members, who had barely recovered their senses, were once again knocked down like straw dolls by the rushing rescue team. Nevertheless, since all the rescue team members had shown restraint, not a single person died.
They would likely recover in about two to three weeks. That was the extent of their restrained force. Most of the rescue team members were already breaking through the encirclement.
Among them, of course, were Ok Yu-gyeong, veiled, and Mu Myeong, carrying the unconscious Jang So-ok on his hip. However, in the chaos, no one noticed their presence, as they had even concealed their presence.
Finally, everyone simultaneously unleashed their fastest movement techniques and escaped the encirclement. Thus, the rescue team narrowly broke through the ambush and succeeded in escaping.
Except for one person, Na Ye-rin.
* * *
“Wow! She’s incredibly pretty!”
Gal Hyo-myo, the youngest of the Eight Immortals of the Demonic Cult, gasped in admiration upon seeing Na Ye-rin blocking their path.
“Maknae, what are you saying so immodestly! Don’t lower the dignity of the Shinma family.”
“But she’s really stunning, isn’t she? The unnies are pretty too, but no one is as pretty as her. Of course, Hyo-hyo unnie is an exception!”
“Oh, dongsaeng, you said I’m an exception! So you’re saying I’m prettier than her?”
Gal Hyo-hyo retorted with delight.
“What are you talking about? I meant only Hyo-hyo unnie isn’t pretty among the unnies.”
“You brat, were you trying to pick a fight?!”
Gal Hyo-hyo exclaimed indignantly, but Gal Hyo-myo was so engrossed in looking at Na Ye-rin that she didn’t even answer.
Ignoring the two who were of no help, Gal Hyo-min asked with a slight tone of surprise.
“It’s incredibly brave of you to stay alone. Surely, they, calling themselves the righteous faction, didn’t just abandon you as a sacrificial lamb and run away?”
Na Ye-rin shook her head.
“No. If I had told everyone in advance that I would do this, they would have stopped me.”
Na Ye-rin had consulted with Ma Hwa-ryeong and only said to leave the final part of the escape plan to her, deliberately not explaining further. Someone had to stay behind to hold back the peak masters for this encirclement escape plan to be completed.
“Someone has to stay and stop the pursuit of the three, don’t they?”
“It’s two, not three! If it’s the unnies, it’s enough, so I won’t attack the pretty unnie!”
Gal Hyo-myo enthusiastically raised her hand and chirped.
“Get out of the way, maknae. And is that what you say to an enemy?”
Gal Hyo-hyo scowled and pushed the foolish maknae aside, then said to Na Ye-rin.
“So, you volunteered yourself? Without telling the others?”
“Yes.”
Na Ye-rin quietly confirmed. Gal Hyo-hyo’s smile, which had begun to smirk, turned into cheerful laughter.
“Hahaha! Even though you’ll most likely become a dead stone?”
Despite the laughter, her words were chilling. Interpreted, it meant she was going to die soon.
“I have no intention of becoming a dead stone.”
“Pfft, what great confidence! You have spirit, and you’re beautiful. If only you weren’t a subordinate of that hateful Na family! Even as a woman, I’d be thrilled, it’s a shame.”
A faint “pervert” was heard from behind. It was undoubtedly the maknae’s doing. Gal Hyo-hyo glared at the maknae, as if contemplating giving her a smack, but Gal Hyo-min spoke instead.
“Someone with your beauty must be famous in the martial world. Let’s hear your name, shall we?”
“My name is Na Ye-rin.”
Having no intention of hiding her name, Na Ye-rin replied directly.
“What? Then you mean you are the daughter of that hateful, mongrel Na Baek-cheon!”
Gal Hyo-hyo’s head snapped around, and a turbulent storm of explosive hatred and anger struck Na Ye-rin.
“I believe you are mistaken.”
“Oh? Then your father is not that mongrel Na Baek-cheon?”
“The name is correct, but my father is someone who loves and cherishes this martial world more than anyone else. He would never do such a thing.”
Those words were unlikely to reach Gal Hyo-hyo’s ears at this moment.
“Shut up! Perhaps it’s in your blood to be cunning, like the Na family! If you are the daughter of that wicked criminal, you must have expected that there is no path for you to live today, right?”
Piercing killing intent surged towards Na Ye-rin’s entire body, but she merely met Gal Hyo-hyo’s gaze with her upright posture.
“I promised one person that I would not take my life or my body lightly. Therefore, I will not carelessly throw away my life here.”
Gal Hyo-hyo was momentarily speechless by Na Ye-rin’s confident declaration. She was both exasperated and angry at the shameless and bold demeanor, yet a sense of admiration crept in unintentionally.
“…Alright! Come at me! Hmm, but you are one, and we are three, what do you intend to do? Surely, you don’t expect to fight all three of us at once, do you?”
Gal Hyo-hyo asked with a smirk, unsure if it was mockery or amusement.
“I will fight as you decide.”
Na Ye-rin’s crisp reply caused Gal Hyo-hyo’s lips to curl sideways. However, it was more reminiscent of a predator’s smile than a sneer.
“Ho, really? If that’s the case, you intend to block all of us at once?”
“If necessary.”
Na Ye-rin’s resolute response caused Gal Hyo-hyo to burst into hearty laughter.
“Hahaha! What a bold spirit! It’s not often I meet a girl as daring as you. Good! I, Gal Hyo-hyo, the seventh of the Eight Immortals of the Demonic Cult, will fight you myself! You deserve it! Of course, you do!”
With a bold declaration, Gal Hyo-hyo stepped forward, holding her silver weapon. At this moment, her martial spirit, more than her hatred for the enemy’s bloodline, was elevated.
“Chilmae, you’re boasting recklessly again. At such a crucial moment!”
Gal Hyo-min, the sixth, chided in a displeased tone. Gal Hyo-myo, standing beside her, also pouted with a sullen expression.
“Ah, sorry, sorry. But meeting such a wonderful young lady, shouldn’t I at least see her skills? It’s tragic that you’re destined to become a cold corpse anyway.”
Her tone was such that it wouldn’t be strange if it were a man speaking.
Gal Hyo-min had no intention of retracting her words. Besides, whether she was dealt with now or later, the outcome wouldn’t be significantly different.
“Finish it within ten seconds. After that, we will immediately pursue the other wicked individuals.”
“Only ten seconds? Isn’t that too short?”
“That’s being very generous. Chilmae, have you forgotten? We don’t have much time! Do you intend to keep our grieving mothers waiting any longer?”
Gal Hyo-min’s words left no room for refusal.
“Th-that’s true. Still, ten seconds… stingy woman.”
“What did you say?”
“Nothing, nothing.”
Gal Hyo-hyo feigned ignorance and looked away.
“Ten seconds… I believe you three should allow more time than that.”
Na Ye-rin warned in a calm tone.
“It’s two, two! I said I wouldn’t attack the pretty unnie!”
As if wanting to make her presence known, Gal Hyo-myo suddenly raised her hand and interjected.
“Stop interfering so carelessly! You ill-mannered kitten!”
Catching the youngest’s nape again and shoving her back like a kitten, Gal Hyo-hyo said with a lick of her lips.
“I wanted to spar with you longer, but time is short, so it’s regrettable. But what can I do? You have to do as your unnie says.”
“It’s alright. We are being chased by you, but everyone is always chasing time.”
She meant she understood.
“What an interesting girl. Good, in recognition of you, I will fight you with all my might.”
THUMP!
Gal Hyo-hyo struck the ground with her silver weapon, and with a ‘thump,’ two long rods shot out from inside the weapon, seemingly towards the sky. She extended both hands, grabbed the two rods like lightning, and connected them with a click.
WHOOSH! WHIRRRRR!
She aimed the long spear, spun like a windmill in the air, at Na Ye-rin, its silver blade vibrating like a cicada’s wings, emitting a cry. The force was so immense that a gale spread outwards from her.
What Gal Hyo-hyo held was a silver spear, its shaft and tip shining with a silver-white luster. At the tip of the blade, along with a red tassel, were uniquely three silver bells.
TINKLE TINKLE, the three silver bells rang with a clear chime. It was as if they were whispering, ‘Come play with me.’
“Is that silver spear your true weapon?”
“Yes, gold was merely something I learned as a bonus during my bride lessons. This spear is my true strength, honed over decades.”
Even just holding the stance, Na Ye-rin felt an invisible pressure constricting her entire body. The air was filled with a taut tension that could only be felt when encountering a peerless swordsman. Gal Hyo-hyo, she was a peerless spear wielder.
“Now, let us have a grand sparring match.”
Just as she was building up the momentum, Gal Hyo-myo cried out impatiently from behind.
“Tall unnie, don’t be too rough with the pretty unnie!”
Gal Hyo-hyo nearly tripped at the remark. For a moment, she debated whether to eliminate the maknae before the fight, but thankfully, Gal Hyo-min berated her in a stern voice.
“Maknae! That’s enough! Do you think this is a game? Have you forgotten your roots in the Shinma family? Have you forgotten who the great brother’s enemy is!”
Gal Hyo-myo flinched at the scolding and pouted sullenly, but Hyo-min sighed inwardly at her demeanor.
After all, this was a journey to avenge their great brother’s enemy. They must never forget the main purpose within it. They had to suppress their boiling martial blood, and even if they found someone they liked among the wicked, they must never leave their flesh intact. However, this foolish, late-blooming eighth child had barely spent any time with their great brother from the beginning, and was fundamentally different from the other seven.
‘Besides, she’s only sixteen…’
Spoiled and coddled, her playfulness had only increased, and her habits had become terrible. Despite her innate talent for martial arts, they couldn’t help but be concerned about this immature maknae.
“Maknae, you are absolutely not to step forward from now on. Whether you get hurt by me, by your unnie, or by that girl, we’ll be beaten to death by mother.”
Gal Hyo-hyo said, shuddering, without even looking back, her gaze fixed on Na Ye-rin. It wasn’t a joke; about twelve parts of it were true. Although Hyo-myo and Hyo-hyo were born from the same mother, sometimes the favoritism was severe. However, she was too old to complain about such things or act spoiled.
However, punishing a younger sibling who broke the Shinma family’s rules or crossed the line was a separate matter. And Gal Hyo-hyo preferred not to be the one to administer that severe punishment if possible. If she didn’t punish according to the rules, she would be held accountable, and even if she punished according to the rules, she would still incur her mother’s displeasure later.
“Wh-when did I say to let her go? I just want to capture that pretty unnie safely! It’s not like we have to hurt her right now, is it?”
Still, as if refusing to yield, Gal Hyo-myo continued her immature words as an excuse.
‘Sigh, this immature girl won’t listen to us willingly.’
Gal Hyo-hyo shook her head, as if she had expected this. Gal Hyo-min also sighed lightly.
“Ahem, you’ve kept me waiting. I’ve made a spectacle of myself.”
Gal Hyo-hyo, facing Na Ye-rin, coughed to dismiss Hyo-myo’s words.
“Come on, let’s go!”
Finally, Na Ye-rin was to fight Gal Hyo-hyo, the Silver Spear Fairy, who was said to be the most skilled with a spear among the Eight Immortals of the Demonic Cult. However, a strange lack of fear filled her heart. Instead, confidence echoed in her mind.
‘I can do it!’
As if sensing that confidence.
Eyes opened.
Dragon Eyes opened, and information about all things in the universe began to pour into her. She could clearly perceive everything around her, from every tree and blade of grass to the flow of air. It felt as if all the information in this vicinity was in her hands.
Her Dragon Eyes had become deeper than before. Her vision had reached a realm that ordinary people could not possibly perceive.
‘My Dragon Eyes have been fully opened!’
She vividly felt everything, including her own body and everything around her, being drawn into her.
It was a feeling as if everything was seen in detail and everything was known.