By Zephyria 
Most of the corpses were from the Black Shadow Unit. However, Gang Woong’s face turned pale when he discovered a white figure amidst the black corpses.
It wasn’t out of worry for Baek Ryeo-il. He had excluded him from the list, having just seen Peng Do-hwan—who was more than fine—smashing the market to pieces. In the end, this white-clad corpse must be one of Yak Seon’s servants.
Could it be…?
The face was hidden, obscured by the corpses of the Black Shadow Unit. Was the slightly revealed mask that of the Owl, or the Badger?
For some reason, Gang Woong hoped it wasn’t the Badger. Of course, that didn’t mean he was fine with the Owl being dead.
He reasoned that it was because, although they had only been together for a few days, he felt a greater sense of kinship with the Badger compared to the Owl, who felt difficult to approach as if a thick wall had been erected.
Gang Woong felt guilt and fear simultaneously. Then, he saw the white figure stir slightly.
He dismissed it as an illusion created by his own desire for the two not to be dead. The pavilion was deathly silent, and he was confident that unless the situation was exceptionally chaotic, he wouldn’t miss any sign of presence.
However, Gang Woong soon realized that this was his own arrogance. The white figure stirred again, and the Owl slowly pushed themselves up.
“Young Master!”
Filled with relief and apology, Gang Woong rushed toward him in a single bound.
“Are you alright? What happened? Where did everyone go?”
Gang Woong asked hurriedly while supporting the Owl. It looked as though the Owl had been violently thrown aside and knocked unconscious.
After sitting blankly for a moment, the Owl suddenly snapped back to consciousness and bolted upright.
“We must chase them.”
His voice, usually soft and calm, was filled with an unprecedented strength. However, perhaps because he had just woken from unconsciousness, his body had not fully returned to normal, and he staggered heavily.
“Be careful!”
“We must go… before it’s too late…”
The Owl grabbed the arm of the nearby Gang Woong to steady himself.
In that moment, Gang Woong flinched, feeling a sense of dissonance at the strong power emanating from such a small frame.
“W-who?”
“Badger… we must find the Badger. Baek—no, your Master chased after him…”
“Get on my back.”
Upon hearing this, Gang Woong’s expression changed instantly, and he offered his back to the Owl. As soon as the Owl climbed on without hesitation, Gang Woong immediately deployed his light body skill and flew forward.
‘Even though I expected something like this to happen.’
Gang Woong’s eyes sank darkly as he moved swiftly, cutting through the air.
Baek Ryeo-il had been sensitive from the moment he first encountered Yak Seon’s servants. It was inevitable, as a faint connection existed between Yak Seon and Seong Mu-yeon. No matter how trivial the matter, his Master was unable to make rational judgments when it came to anything related to Seong Mu-yeon.
He had seemed as if he would shake the Yak Seon’s servants to their very bones, but he had quickly calmed down upon learning that Yak Seon had disappeared.
Because of that, Gang Woong had felt a sense of relief, thinking they had bought some time. Even afterward, although his Master showed strange behavior unlike before, he had been calming down rather than becoming excited, so Gang Woong had been complacent.
Baek Ryeo-il possessed a tenacious personality; once he grabbed onto something, whether good or bad, he never let go.
Grudges must be avenged, and curiosity must be satisfied.
‘I thought he would at least know how to endure until we found Yakseon Daein.’
It seemed his Master was determined to strip off the Badger’s mask after all.
It was his own mistake.
The appearance of having calmed down was undoubtedly the behavior of a predator lowering its posture and waiting for an opportunity before ruthlessly biting the nape of its prey.
But then, as he headed toward the center of the commotion, an unexpected sight entered Gang Woong’s vision.
Another enemy had appeared. Baek Ryeo-il was simultaneously dealing with a woman who openly revealed pitch-black Demonic Energy and her subordinates.
‘Then what about Young Master Peng? And Young Master Badger?’
Gang Woong looked around, but they were nowhere to be seen. Even Il-gwang and the Black Shadow Unit, whom they had opposed since the Black Manor, were not in sight.
He couldn’t gauge how the situation was unfolding.
“Over there…”
Just then, the Owl pointed toward something. Some of the Demonic humans had risked their lives to break through Baek Ryeo-il’s defense and were sprinting in a certain direction.
“If we follow them, the Badger will be there…”
The Owl spoke with conviction.
“Understood!”
Since Gang Woong shared the same thought, he immediately followed. Indeed, the Demonic humans looked as if they were moving in a straight line toward a clear goal rather than fleeing.
As they chased, they soon found themselves in a forest within the mountains. It was the entrance where the magnificent scenery of a distant mountain range came into view when looking up.
It was a place where it wouldn’t be strange for a brawl to break out. Sure enough, the noise and ripples of energy from what seemed to be a fierce fight could be faintly heard not far away.
The Demonic humans, who only knew the general direction and hadn’t pinpointed the exact location, also heard the sound. They all turned in unison and gathered at one point.
During this, they seemed to notice Gang Woong tracking them and slowed down. Until now, they had been too preoccupied with searching for their target to notice, but they had finally sensed the cautious presence chasing them from behind.
“Oops.”
Gang Woong stopped abruptly. The Demonic humans who had been ahead began to return the way they came at high speed. Judging by their murderous aura, they clearly intended to dispose of him.
“Young Master?!”
The Owl, who had been clinging to Gang Woong’s back, leaped down and dashed into the forest. The small divine form vanished into the brush in an instant.
Three Demonic humans followed him, while the rest surrounded Gang Woong.
This was troublesome. While it might be different for the Badger, the Owl seemed to have absolutely no training in martial arts, which made Gang Woong worry.
However, he had his own problems to deal with.
There was no way he, who had not yet reached the age of twenty, could handle several Demonic Cult martial artists who had seen plenty of combat.
Gang Woong grit his teeth and gripped the hilt of his sword firmly. It would be a difficult fight. He might even lose his life before his Master arrived.
But he was the disciple of the Demon-slaying Blood Shadow.
While chasing the Demonic Cult, one frequently encounters situations where they face numerous enemies. This was because Baek Ryeo-il preferred raiding their bases.
Consequently, Gang Woong had witnessed and learned his Master’s fighting style firsthand from the closest possible distance.
Of course, fighting under the protection of a Master who was counted among the leading late-stage experts of the generation was worlds apart from actual combat. The enemies did not hide their killing intent, and he was alone. A single mistake would lead to death.
‘I can do this.’
It wasn’t that Baek Ryeo-il had simply protected him.
Their journey through the Martial world had been rough. Fighting multiple enemies was common, and sometimes fierce battles broke out upon meeting unexpectedly strong foes. In situations where his Master couldn’t look after him, Gang Woong had to strive for survival on his own.
Steelng his resolve, Gang Woong calmly gazed at the enemies gradually closing the distance. An undeniable aura began to ripple from his entire body.
* * *
Thud!
The last enemy collapsed, spraying blood. There were no longer any enemies standing on the ground around them.
“Haa… haa…”
Peng Do-hwan tilted his head back and breathed heavily.
The cool night air filled his lungs.
As the sun dipped behind the western mountains and darkness began to settle, the stars hidden within began to shine.
Countless starlights, as if pouring down, reflected and sparkled in Peng Do-hwan’s eyes.
As the excitement subsided, the pain in his body, which he had forgotten, began to be felt again. His breathing was ragged as if he might choke, and his overworked arms and legs trembled like aspen leaves, but his mind was, conversely, clear and lucid.
It had been a very long time since he felt this way. To be precise, it had been three years.
When his brother disappeared, Peng Do-hwan faced a massive sense of loss, as if he himself had died.
Only then did Peng Do-hwan realize that he had relied on him more than he thought. Perhaps it was natural. His brother had been by his side since birth, and no matter what happened, the two were always together.
Peng Yuan-jin had practically raised him. From eating and dressing to everything he knew, he had learned it all from his brother.
That was why he had become so frantically obsessed with revenge. Because without Peng Yuan-jin, Peng Do-hwan did not exist.
But…
Peng Do-hwan glanced to the side.
The servant of Yak Seon wearing the badger mask was checking each of the enemies for signs of survival. Then, perhaps sensing the gaze, the servant looked back at him.
Beyond the two holes in the mask, pale eyes shining clearly gazed at him.
Peng Do-hwan felt a warm heat spreading in his chest.
“I should go home now.”
The words had blurted out unconsciously. The Badger’s eyes widened as if surprised. Peng Do-hwan was just as surprised as he was.
But after saying it, he realized that this was exactly what he truly needed to do.