Chapter 42
Thud thud thud thud thud!
A single horse carrying two people galloped at high speed.
At some point, the horse left the main road and plunged into the forest.
The horse charged powerfully through dense foliage, fallen trees, and sunken puddles without hesitation.
There were two people mounted on the horse.
They were Neung So-so and Dan Li-jeong.
Dan Li-jeong, sitting behind Neung So-so, was inwardly impressed.
‘So-so really knows how to handle horses!’
The horse seemed to move as one body with So-so.
“Hiyah!”
When So-so shouted, the horse galloped through the forest at even greater speed.
‘Even Mongolians couldn’t ride better than this.’
But this wasn’t the time for admiration.
Just one Shijin ago, he and Neung So-so had been strolling through the marketplace on an errand for Sa Bigang.
After purchasing the general items, they were about to return to their lodging at the inn.
That’s when they faintly heard the sound of a signal flare.
The distance was so great that they thought they might have misheard.
But Neung So-so, who was walking with him, said she had definitely heard it too.
They quickly climbed to the top of a tall building and surveyed the surroundings.
Far off in the forest, they could see red smoke dispersing.
“It’s a signal flare! No doubt about it!”
The distance was so far that their fellow students at the inn would likely not notice.
In the end, Dan Li-jeong launched a signal flare from that spot, then rushed into the forest with So-so.
Later, when the instructor or fellow students gathered at that location, they planned to signal their position again with So-so’s signal flare, depending on the situation.
After galloping for quite a while, Neung So-so suddenly frowned.
‘The air has changed!’
It was hard to explain exactly.
She seemed to sense the scent of blood.
In any case, something had happened nearby.
“I’ll stop over there!”
“Got it!”
So-so reached the tree and came to an abrupt halt.
Neigh neigh neigh neigh neigh!
The horse reared up on its front legs and stopped.
In an instant, Dan Li-jeong leaped from the horse and grabbed onto a tree branch.
He soon stood on the branch and quickly drew his bowstring, aiming toward where the signal flare had burst.
‘Where is it!’
As he searched through the forest for a while.
‘There it is!’
He could see someone pushing through the underbrush, running this way.
‘Hmm? That’s… Yeom Ja-ryang?’
The person running breathlessly, covered in blood from head to toe, was none other than Yeom Ja-ryang.
At a glance, he looked very exhausted.
It seemed like he was being chased by something.
Dan Li-jeong quickly shifted his aim to check if anyone was pursuing Yeom Ja-ryang.
‘One, two… three. Three people.’
First, he could visually confirm three people.
But judging by the way the underbrush was shaking behind them, it seemed like even more people were chasing Yeom Ja-ryang.
“So-so, get ready!”
“Got it!”
Neung So-so nodded and slowly stroked the horse’s mane.
She appeared calm at first glance, but was prepared to bolt at any moment.
Dan Li-jeong took a deep breath and pulled the bowstring even tighter.
First, he aimed at the pursuer who had come closest.
‘I need to concentrate. And I need to draw up my Internal Energy to the maximum and release the string in one shot, like when performing a sword strike!’
It had only been about ten days, but in that time he had practiced more than anyone else.
He had also received advice from Sa Bigang from time to time.
There was no need to feel burdened.
Even if he made a mistake, as long as he caused the opponent to waver, it would be half successful.
He just needed to give Yeom Ja-ryang enough time to escape.
‘But who are those guys?’
No.
Right now, he needed to focus only on targeting his mark.
‘Good, even a graze is fine. I don’t necessarily have to hit them directly. As long as the opponent wavers, that’s enough, so don’t feel pressured!’
Dan Li-jeong held his breath.
In an instant!
Fwaaang!
Whiiiish!
An arrow with a long tail flew through the air.
Simultaneously.
“Hiyah!”
Neung So-so kicked the horse’s belly and began galloping rapidly.
***
“Huff, huff! Damn it! At this rate…!”
Yeom Ja-ryang’s breath was caught in his throat.
He glanced back and could see the pursuers in the distance.
Just the ones he could make out were three people.
But who knows how many more might be behind them.
‘Damn it, is reinforcement still not here?’
He had consumed too much Internal Energy killing four pursuers earlier.
It was difficult to pour more Internal Energy into his Lightness Technique.
He had some Internal Energy left, but he needed to save that for when things got really dangerous.
By now, he had thought there would be support from an instructor or students.
‘The distance might have been too far!’
If that was the case, it meant no one had spotted the signal flare.
This was a disaster.
If he couldn’t get any support like this, he would have no choice but to be dragged away by them.
Since he had killed four of them, they wouldn’t let him live.
Just then, Yeom Ja-ryang’s foot caught on a tree root and he tumbled down.
“Huff, huff. Damn it!”
He pounded the ground with his fist and staggered to his feet.
His legs were shaking.
“Heh heh heh! Kid, why don’t you just give up now?”
The pursuers who had chased him to within ten Jang tapped the backs of their necks with their sword blades and grinned.
They had fully grasped that Yeom Ja-ryang’s stamina was exhausted.
Yeom Ja-ryang silently drew his sword.
Clang!
“Oho? You want to try? Do you think you can fight us in that state?”
“Come at me.”
Yeom Ja-ryang conserved his words as much as possible while regulating his breathing.
“Heh heh heh. You look like you can barely stand on your two legs.”
“……”
“Why don’t you just come with us uncles? It’ll only be harder on you if you struggle. If you follow us obediently, we’ll spare your life.”
The pursuers were acting leisurely but didn’t approach Yeom Ja-ryang easily.
If they underestimated him just because he was young, they might get hurt.
‘In any case, that young brat killed four people.’
But now the situation was different.
Yeom Ja-ryang was very tired, and the pursuers were fully aware of this fact.
“Well, if you’re going to keep resisting like that, there’s nothing we can do. We’ll just have to kill you cleanly here!”
One of the pursuers shouted and threw himself forward like lightning.
That’s when it happened.
Whiiiiiish!
Thunk!
“Gack!”
Following the sharp sound of cutting through air, the pursuer’s throat was pierced and he flew backward.
Yeom Ja-ryang’s eyes widened as he looked at his opponent.
“Gack, gaaack!”
The guy was clutching his pierced throat and spitting up blood.
Blood poured ceaselessly from the hole in his neck.
The other pursuers were startled and looked around frantically.
“Wh-who is it!”
“What bastard!”
Nothing was more frightening than an unseen enemy.
Meanwhile, Yeom Ja-ryang looked in the direction the arrow had come from and clenched his fist.
‘Someone came to help me!’
That’s when it happened.
Whiiiiiish!
Another arrow flew in.
“Eek!”
The pursuers quickly leaped and scattered.
Swoosh!
Thwack!
One arrow grazed a pursuer’s shoulder and embedded in a tree trunk.
If he had been just a bit slower, the arrow would have pierced his forehead.
“Damn it! Who is it?”
“Don’t move carelessly! There’s someone helping that brat!”
The pursuers pressed their bodies flat against the underbrush and didn’t budge.
Yeom Ja-ryang slowly backed away from them.
Then,
Thud thud thud thud thud.
The rough sound of hoofbeats echoed from behind him.
The moment he turned around.
“Ja-ryang, grab on!”
Neung So-so came galloping with reins in one hand and the other hand extended.
Yeom Ja-ryang quickly grasped her hand.
Thwack!
Whirlwind!
He soared into the air and quickly mounted the horse.
Neigh neigh neigh neigh neigh!
The horse whinnied and faltered at the sudden weight.
But that was all.
“It’s okay, Wind Wave! Run!”
At Neung So-so’s shout, the horse immediately turned around and began galloping back the way they had come.
‘Wind Wave…? Is that the horse’s name? So-so really does handle horses well.’
Yeom Ja-ryang had these thoughts as he looked back at the fallen pursuers.
Someone was trying to get up again, but sure enough, another arrow flew quickly and embedded nearby.
In the end, the pursuers had no choice but to let Yeom Ja-ryang go without even being able to raise their heads.
***
‘I killed him. I…!’
Dan Li-jeong, drawing his bowstring for the fourth time, felt his fingertips trembling.
He quickly shifted his aim to look at Neung So-so galloping this way.
Yeom Ja-ryang was mounted behind her.
‘Good! We saved Ja-ryang!’
Now he had to prevent the pursuit team from chasing any further.
When he shifted his aim again, he noticed that the pursuers had increased by two more.
The two newly appeared pursuers, having heard the earlier pursuers’ warning, quickly ducked their heads and hid under the underbrush.
Fwaaang!
Whiiish!
The fourth arrow flew.
This arrow wouldn’t hit its target, but it would have the effect of preventing them from chasing Yeom Ja-ryang any further.
Sure enough, the newly appeared pursuers showed no signs of coming up above the underbrush.
Dan Li-jeong slowly drew his bowstring while taking deep breaths.
‘Stay calm.’
The first arrow had pierced his opponent’s throat.
He had thought he might be able to threaten them to some degree, but he hadn’t expected to actually kill his opponent.
Should he call it good luck?
At least it was clear that his arrow had been a threat to them.
“Jeong-ah! We’re here!”
Neung So-so, who had arrived under the tree, shouted.
Yeom Ja-ryang, who had been riding behind her, squeezed out his last remaining Internal Energy and climbed up into the tree.
“You were the one shooting?”
“Yeah.”
Dan Li-jeong replied while still holding his bowstring taut.
His gaze was sharper than ever.
‘This guy, did he always have eyes like this?’
Yeom Ja-ryang inwardly looked at Dan Li-jeong anew.
Come to think of it, even though they were in the same class, there was a lot he didn’t know about Dan Li-jeong.
Then.
Fwaaang!
Whiiiiiish!
The arrow again burst through the air with a sharp sound as it flew to a distant place.
When Yeom Ja-ryang quickly turned his head, he could see someone in the very distant underbrush poking their head out and then quickly ducking down.
It was so far that it would be hard to spot unless you looked carefully.
Yeom Ja-ryang’s jaw dropped.
“You… don’t tell me you shot there from here? Were you also the one who shot the very first arrow?”
“Yeah.”
Dan Li-jeong answered in short form again.
His expression was completely different from his usual appearance.
‘To hit the mark from such a long distance. Was this guy always skilled at archery?’
At some point, Dan Li-jeong lowered his bow and turned around.
“Let’s go. They probably won’t be able to move for a while. At this distance, it’s enough to get back to the lodging. Let’s discuss the details when we get back.”
“R-right.”
Dan Li-jeong leaped down from the tree.
***
‘Demon King, you put quite a lot of effort into setting up this barrier, but it’s become useless.’
Sa Bigang’s lips curled up in a smirk.
Well, the item he would obtain here was worth all that effort.
But he would make sure to exact a proper price for all this trouble.
Walking along the cave passage, the ceiling gradually got higher.
Eventually, a massive door blocked his path.
The door’s height seemed to be about ten Jang.
In the center of the door was carved the form of a monster, with its mouth wide open showing sharp fangs.
It was ‘Kamantar’, a wild beast from the Demon Realm.
Sa Bigang leaped up to the face of the Kamantar carving.
Then he shoved a jade-colored stone into the statue’s mouth.
Thunk!
The next moment.
Flash!
Kamantar’s eyes blazed with light and the massive door opened with a heavy sound.
Rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble!
‘Finally…!’
Sa Bigang slowly walked into the door.
In the center of the spacious cavity was a stone table that reached his waist, on which sat an old metal box.
It was a box large enough to be somewhat burdensome to carry with both hands.
A red aura emanated faintly from the box.
This was because the aura of the item inside was so intense that it couldn’t be properly contained.
‘That’s it.’
Sa Bigang’s lips curled up as if he couldn’t contain himself.
He took a deep breath and slowly approached the metal box.
As expected, it had a magical lock.
But for Sa Bigang, unlocking such a device was easier than eating cold porridge.
‘Well, if you were a Central Plains person, it would be impossible to even get to this place.’
Of course, since they couldn’t use Unlock magic, they wouldn’t be able to open the box either.
A magic box absolutely cannot be broken by force.
Gulp.
Finally, when Sa Bigang opened the box lid.
Flaaash.
Red aura spread out, completely coloring Sa Bigang’s flushed face.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The sound of a heartbeat!
It wasn’t the sound coming from Sa Bigang’s heart.
It was the sound made by the thing pulsing vigorously inside the metal box.
“Heh heh heh. Finally found it. Dragon Heart!”
