By Zephyria Third Young Master (3)
“Head of Yangha Pavilion is seeing to Young master here.”
“Are you sure he’ll be alright alone?”
“It seems no one is interested in this place right now, so it should be fine.”
Clang!
Seong Mu-yeon carefully pocketed the bundle of keys he had snatched from Yang Ha-gakju. The Pavilion Head had fainted as soon as Seong Mu-yeon reached for him. It seemed he had been imagining something scary all by himself.
Seong Mu-yeon carefully surveyed his surroundings and slipped into the prison. Fortunately, there was no one inside, except for Bang Gyeom, who was shaking the bars wildly.
“Seventh Young Master! Those bastards took Sixth Young Master! Please, get me out of here! We have to chase after them right away! Sixth Young Master! Sixth Young Master!”
“Just stay still!”
It wasn’t easy to insert the key into the keyhole because Bang Gyeom was shaking the bars like a madman.
Seong Mu-yeon grabbed and pulled Bang Gyeom, who was about to bolt out as soon as the door opened.
“You need to undo the Blood Point Strike first!”
As soon as the Jegal Clan captured Bang Gyeom, they placed a Blood Point Strike on him to prevent him from using his inner force. Seong Mu-yeon released the Blood Point Strike by striking several acupoints with his fingers imbued with inner force.
“Calm down. The Demon Slayer Unit main force is outside right now. Who’s going to save your brother if you die first by recklessly chasing after them? Besides, you don’t even have a sword right now.”
“Ah, I understand… I’ve calmed down. I’ll find a sword somehow.”
“Here. Use this.”
Seong Mu-yeon handed him the sword he had borrowed from Yang Ha-gakju. Of course, the Pavilion Head was still unaware of that fact.
“Thank you.”
“Third Young Master is here too.”
“T-Third Young Master…?”
“We might have to fight Third Young Master.”
“……”
Upon hearing that name, Bang Gyeom’s face turned pale as if he was terrified. It seemed he had been scarred by the fear of being chased by him to the point of death. But he soon gritted his teeth, brimming with determination, and jumped to his feet.
“I will definitely save Sixth Young Master! …But are you coming with me?”
“You don’t know where they went, do you? I saw them. They went outside.”
“T-Then, please guide me.”
Seong Mu-yeon took the lead and left the prison. Bang Gyeom possessed decent skills for his age, but he wasn’t reliable enough, so he was prepared to step in if necessary.
‘I hope that doesn’t happen if possible…’
He had only used his inner force briefly to release the Blood Point Strike, but he could already feel his body deteriorating. The difference was even more pronounced because he had been in relatively good health recently.
“Let’s go!”
Protected by Bang Gyeom, Seong Mu-yeon fought his way through the chaotic battle, where anyone who looked like an enemy was immediately met with a sword. They had to overcome several crises, but they managed to escape the estate safely.
Seong Mu-yeon briefly turned back before exiting the main gate. Baek Ryeo-il and Seong Mu-geuk were not visible, but flashes of sword light served as evidence that they were fiercely fighting somewhere.
“That way.”
Before long, the two found the Demon Slayer Unit, about half a dozen strong, shoving Seong Mu-jae into a carriage on a hill bathed in moonlight.
“Seventh Young Master, are you alright?”
Bang Gyeom looked at Seong Mu-yeon with worried eyes. Seong Mu-yeon was holding a sword he had picked up along the way, one that had lost its owner.
“I’m fine. I don’t know whose it is, but it’s a decent sword.”
“No, that’s not what I meant…”
Bang Gyeom was worried about whether Seong Mu-yeon would be able to fight.
“Can you handle five members of the Demon Slayer Unit by yourself?”
“Not really, but…”
“Just don’t hold me back and do your best.”
Seong Mu-yeon slowly walked out from behind the bushes.
“Who’s there!”
The Demon Slayer Unit, sensing their presence, fiercely drew their swords. But they lowered their swords upon confirming the identity of their opponent.
“Please go back, Seventh Young Master.”
“Hand over Seong Mu-jae. Then I’ll let you go unharmed.”
“If you do this, we will have no choice but to use force. Please just go back.”
“What are you planning to do with Seong Mu-jae? What is Third Young Master thinking?”
“We cannot say.”
“I didn’t think you would answer me anyway.”
Seong Mu-yeon kicked off the ground. As the attacks came, the Demon Slayer Unit all assumed a battle stance. But they didn’t even draw their swords from their scabbards. They judged that they could easily subdue Seventh Young Master without using weapons.
But Seong Mu-yeon was not so easily defeated.
He narrowly avoided the grasp of the Demon Slayer Unit who rushed to grab him. Surprised that it wasn’t as easy as they thought, they were met with a sharp strike.
“Ugh?!”
It was a strike imbued with inner force. The Demon Slayer Unit quickly retreated to avoid the attack. And when they confirmed the face of the attacker, their faces twisted fiercely.
“You…!”
Bang Gyeom was attacking them from behind Seong Mu-yeon. He was using Seong Mu-yeon as a shield, waiting for an opportunity to strike a fatal blow. He was taking advantage of the fact that the Demon Slayer Unit couldn’t attack Seong Mu-yeon.
Seong Mu-yeon was not simply acting as Bang Gyeom’s shield, but was also wielding his sword with all his might to kill his opponents, so the Demon Slayer Unit was helpless.
“Oh, you’re running away! Get over here!”
“Kugh…!”
Seong Mu-yeon felt invincible. Whenever a sword aimed at Bang Gyeom happened to be directed at Seong Mu-yeon, the Demon Slayer Unit would be startled and retract their swords, so he didn’t suffer a single scratch no matter how much he rampaged.
The Demon Slayer Unit was slowly pushed back, getting their own feet caught in their own trap. Before long, the Demon Slayer Unit, completely separated from the carriage, looked utterly dismayed.
It was the result of Third Young Master underestimating his younger brother too much.
But they had only driven away the Demon Slayer Unit, not rendered them incapacitated. They would counterattack at the slightest opening.
To take Seong Mu-jae and return, they had to kill them or, at the very least, cripple them. But with their current strength, it was close to impossible.
‘Is there no other choice?’
It pained him to waste Yak Seon’s spirit pill, but he had to do what he had to do.
It was then.
A sword flew like a ray of light, separating the two and embedding itself at their feet. Seong Mu-yeon and Bang Gyeom simultaneously turned around.
‘H-Heok…’
Seong Mu-yeon was so surprised that he couldn’t even breathe. The sword had just grazed under his chin.
He hadn’t even been able to dodge it. That meant that if the attack had been aimed at their lives, he would no longer be among the living.
“Keoeok!”
Bang Gyeom, kicked in the blink of an eye, was embedded in a stone wall. And the next moment, Seong Mu-yeon was being strangled.
‘Myeong-gwi…!’
Myeong-gwi, who had appeared out of nowhere, sent Bang Gyeom flying and was now grabbing Seong Mu-yeon’s neck and lifting him up.
His eyes shone brightly in the moonlight. But his pupils were as deep and dark as an abyss, making it impossible to read his emotions.
A strong smell of blood, of unknown origin, wafted heavily. Like the scar on the bridge of his nose, he was a mess, bearing the marks of a night as long and fierce as Seong Mu-yeon’s.
There was no murderous intent, but that didn’t mean the hand gripping his neck was gentle. It was precisely pressing on his carotid artery, and he would faint within seconds. Seong Mu-yeon lost strength in his hands and dropped his sword.
“Myeong-gwi.”
The air seemed to change as an unusually calm voice spoke.
“Release him.”
Immediately, Myeong-gwi’s hand loosened, and his feet touched the ground.
Seong Mu-geuk walked over as if he were taking a stroll under the moonlight. He looked so immaculate that it was hard to believe he had just been in a battle. Seong Mu-yeon felt a chill run down his spine at the sight of him, not a single strand of his clothing out of place.
The fact that he had been fighting Baek Ryeo-il until just now and yet appeared in such perfect condition meant… that he had gained an overwhelming advantage over Baek Ryeo-il.
Seong Mu-yeon’s eyes, filled with anxiety, frantically scanned the Jegal Clan estate spread out below the hill. He desperately searched for Baek Ryeo-il, but he couldn’t possibly be seen from this distance.
Seong Mu-geuk crunched over the dry grass and checked on Seong Mu-jae in the carriage.
“Leave Sixth Young Master alone.”
“I didn’t know you cared so much for Sixth Young Master, Seong Mu-yeon.”
“What are you planning to do with Third Young Master? You must already know, right? Sixth Young Master has lost his inner core, so he’s practically a cripple now. He’s worthless anyway…”
“Of course, I know. But even when he hadn’t lost his inner core, I didn’t think it was worth the trouble to go to such lengths for Sixth Young Master.”
“Then why are you taking him?”
“That’s none of your business. It’s between me and Sixth Young Master.”
Seong Mu-yeon couldn’t move easily. Myeong-gwi was still staring intently at him from within arm’s reach. He would react immediately if he took any action.
‘What should I do?’
No matter how many spirit pills Yak Seon had, there was no way he could deal with both of them at the same time and save Seong Mu-jae.
Just then, a familiar figure rapidly approached.
“Seong Mu-yeon!”
It was Baek Ryeo-il.
“What a nuisance.”
Seong Mu-geuk clicked his tongue as if he was annoyed.
“Myeong-gwi.”
Then, something unexpected happened, and Seong Mu-yeon was taken aback. Myeong-gwi unleashed a palm strike towards Seong Mu-yeon. His body floated up after being hit squarely.
He saw the scenery of the fiercely flowing river surface under his feet as the last thing.