By Zephyria Just Once (6)
Suddenly, Jang Han-soo’s inner force surged violently within him.
Seong Mu-yeon could feel the unstable flow. He staggered, breathing raggedly and irregularly.
Seong Mu-yeon’s eyes widened.
‘This is…!’
Qi deviation.
“Senior Brother! Calm down…! Keuk!”
Jang Han-soo, still gripping the wooden sword’s blade, struck his Junior Brother, sending him flying.
He staggered as if drunk, but turned toward his target: Seong Mu-yeon.
“Because of you… my father…”
Seong Mu-yeon involuntarily took a few steps back at the ferocious energy.
Qi deviation.
It referred to the state in which a martial artist’s accumulated inner force went berserk and flowed in reverse. A person in such a state lost their reason and rampaged madly.
Jang Han-soo had been greatly affected by Baek Ryeo-il a few days ago, leaving him with a wound in his heart. In the midst of that, he recalled the memory of losing his father and seemed to have succumbed to a Heart Devil. This had led to his Qi deviation.
“Calm down, take a deep breath.”
Seong Mu-yeon tried to calm him down.
But it was not enough. In the first place, Seong Mu-yeon was the cause of the Heart Devil.
“Revenge… I’ll kill… you…”
Jang Han-soo’s eyes turned red. His face also reddened as blood vessels burst.
‘Damn it.’
It was already too late.
At that moment, the Junior Brother who had been knocked away grabbed Jang Han-soo’s waist tightly.
“Go and call for help! Quickly!”
“Let go! Let me go!”
Seong Mu-yeon immediately turned and ran.
This Mount Hua was one of the most renowned Sword Sects in the Central Plains, with hundreds of masters stationed here. He could find a master capable of handling this situation anywhere.
The commotion would soon bring someone.
The problem was…
The wooden sword that flew from behind was lodged at his feet. Seong Mu-yeon barely managed to stop.
‘There’s not much time.’
Jang Han-soo, who had thrown the wooden sword, was getting up. His Junior Brother was already lying unconscious on the ground.
“Kill… you…”
Although he was not as good as Baek Ryeo-il, Jang Han-soo was quite skilled among the second-generation disciples. Moreover, a person in Qi deviation displayed a higher level of martial prowess than their original level. This was because they did not hold back and did not care about their body.
Jang Han-soo in that terrifying state had targeted Seong Mu-yeon.
“What…? What’s going on?”
To make matters worse, young disciples who had heard the commotion were swarming from the other side of the alley.
“Don’t come! Run away!”
Seong Mu-yeon waved his arms, but they tilted their heads, seemingly not understanding the situation, and continued to approach.
‘What kind of education do they give these kids in this Sect!’
Seong Mu-yeon, who had been treated like a thug in the Demonic Cult, knew. If an opponent you couldn’t subdue in one blow went into Qi deviation and started rampaging, you should immediately flee and wait for a superior to arrive.
It was an annual event in every Sect that practiced martial arts. But these boys must have been new and hadn’t been educated yet.
‘Damn it, damn it! Hurry, someone, anyone.’
Seong Mu-yeon desperately looked around. But if someone had been nearby, they would have already come out.
“Where do you think you’re going!”
Because his Junior Brother had fainted, there were wooden swords lying on the ground. Jang Han-soo used his toes to lift the swords into the air. Then, he kicked them hard.
Whoosh-!
Seong Mu-yeon rolled to avoid the wooden swords. Before he could right himself, another wooden sword flew and struck.
In quick succession, more than a dozen wooden swords were densely embedded in the ground. It had happened in an instant.
“Keuk!”
He barely avoided a fatal wound, but the last sword grazed Seong Mu-yeon’s shoulder before sticking into the ground.
Only then did the children realize the seriousness of the situation and rushed back the way they came. Some fell and their legs got tangled, creating a chaotic scene.
Beyond the heads of the retreating children, Baek Ryeo-il was seen running fiercely.
“Senior Brother! Hurry!”
Baek Ryeo-il glanced at Seong Mu-yeon and then at Jang Han-soo staggering behind him. As if understanding the situation, he drew his sword from his waist.
‘…I’m saved.’
Seong Mu-yeon felt relieved.
No matter what, there was no one as reliable as Baek Ryeo-il. Now he would come and resolve the situation…
Clang.
The metallic sound of the real sword being drawn sent shivers down Seong Mu-yeon’s spine.
Whoosh-!
A chilling sound of air being torn apart came from behind. Seong Mu-yeon instinctively turned around.
Jang Han-soo’s real sword was flying, its blade gleaming.
The sword, filled with Sword Energy, flew straight toward Seong Mu-yeon. It had an accuracy and destructive power that could not be compared to a wooden sword.
‘I have to dodge…!’
As Seong Mu-yeon twisted his body to dodge, he suddenly realized that there were still boys behind him. If he dodged, the children would be in danger. Baek Ryeo-il was not yet close enough to protect them.
Seong Mu-yeon made eye contact with Baek Ryeo-il, who was approaching quickly.
The action he had to take next was as good as decided.
‘Right.’
He quickly gathered his inner force.
He pulled out the wooden sword stuck at his feet.
‘This time.’
Clang-!
The series of movements to deflect the iron sword flowed like water.
‘Because I’m not alone.’
The moment the wooden sword and the iron sword collided, the wooden sword shattered and scattered into the air.
Before Jang Han-soo’s sword, having lost its power, could fall to the ground, a figure brushed past him, creating a gust of wind.
Seong Mu-yeon’s hair fluttered in the air.
The next moment, Jang Han-soo and Seong Mu-yeon fell to the ground at the same time.
Thud…
“Heo-eok…”
A huge impact struck Seong Mu-yeon’s body.
Thump… Thump. Thump. Thump.
Thump!
Each time his heart, which seemed to have grown ten times larger, beat, it seemed to mercilessly strike Seong Mu-yeon’s body.
“Han-soo-ya!”
“Senior Brother Jang!”
People who had appeared at some point rushed to Jang Han-soo. While everyone was heading to Jang Han-soo, only one person, Baek Ryeo-il, went against the people passing him.
One step, one step.
Seong Mu-yeon, clutching his chest alone and squatting down, discovered black leather shoes appearing before him. There was no need to lift his head to confirm who it was.
“It can’t be helped…”
Seong Mu-yeon spat out a cough mixed with blood. He barely managed to raise the corners of his lips with ragged breaths.
“Good. Let’s do it once.”
No one paid attention to them. No one noticed Baek Ryeo-il picking up the fallen Seong Mu-yeon and leaving the place.
Even as the night deepened, the lights of Mount Hua did not go out.
The Hall of Medicine was brightly lit. All night long, delicate aftercare would continue to help the disciple in Qi deviation recover without any aftereffects.
A little away from the bright light.
Inside a dark room in the Emerald Pavilion, a small candle was lit.
After lighting the candle, Baek Ryeo-il turned around.
Seong Mu-yeon was huddled on the bed, trembling violently. He was sweating profusely while trembling, so it was impossible to tell if he was cold or hot.
“……”
While some received the utmost care from their Master and uncles, others had to swallow their pain alone in a dark room.
How many nights had he endured like that, huddled up?
And why was he hesitating like this?
“What are you doing? Kulk… You’re not going to say you’ve lost your appetite now, are you? That would be a bit difficult. As you can see, I’m about to die.”
“Hey…”
Seong Mu-yeon swallowed hard in the darkness.
And whispered, small but clear.
“Help me.”
Help me.
At those words, Baek Ryeo-il calmed down. All thoughts and hesitations disappeared.
He slowly approached the bed.
Seong Mu-yeon, who had been keeping his head down, lifted it. Baek Ryeo-il was standing with his back to the candle, so his face was not clearly visible.
‘No, is my vision blurred?’
Whatever, it didn’t matter. Whatever expression he wore, whether he liked it or not, he desperately needed Baek Ryeo-il. His whole body was trembling. It was unbearably painful.
‘Haa…’
〈It’s only a temporary measure, so if you overdo it even a little, you’ll quickly get worse than before.〉
That was what the Sword Emperor had said.
‘…So that’s what he meant.’
He had been managing his body well so far. This was the first time the symptoms had been this severe.
It was a situation where he could feel the fear of death. But to Seong Mu-yeon, death was like a friend he had been with all his life. He wouldn’t be discouraged by this much.
‘It’s not something to be discouraged about.’
How fortunate was it that the person who could solve the problem at this moment was by his side?
He raised his trembling hand and untied his belt himself.
Swish.
The hem of his clothes fell with a thud, revealing his gaunt shoulders. A stream of blood flowed down the shoulder where the wooden sword had grazed.
“Do you… know how to… do it?”
Seong Mu-yeon asked, trying to appear calm.
Baek Ryeo-il did not answer. He simply leaned over the bed without showing any emotion.