Chapter 48
"What the...?"
Lee Rin murmured, her face blank with disbelief.
It was because the vicious Three Souls Hall was suddenly fleeing.
Three Souls Hall had not only an infamous reputation throughout the martial world but were rumored to be formidable martial artists as well.
That such people would run away without even putting up a fight was incomprehensible to Jaseong's group.
However, in truth, this was precisely the reason Three Souls Hall had survived in the martial world for so long.
By nature, the members of Three Souls Hall were not seekers of glory.
They fought fiercely when profit was at stake, but if there was nothing to be gained, they saw no reason to battle.
― Do not let yourself be swept up in bloodlust and enjoy fighting recklessly. In this martial world, living for meaningless victory can only shorten your life. Draw your sword only on a stage worthy of it. Avoid everything else.
This was the iron rule instilled by the master who raised the three leaders of Three Souls Hall.
"For now, we give chase."
"Chase who? They're all fleeing in different directions..."
"Obviously, their leaders."
Jaseong spoke quietly, running across the roof.
Lee Rin and Gu Janghu followed close behind.
Their targets were Second Soul and Third Soul.
The rest—mere small fry—were disregarded.
In the world of the Dark Path, things ended as soon as one caught the leaders.
Tak! Tak! Tak! Tak! Tak! Tak!
Among the three running across the rooftops, Gu Janghu was the fastest by far.
That was because Killing Valley's lightness skill was well respected throughout the Central Plains.
The slowest, meanwhile, was Jaseong.
He had never formally learned lightness skill.
All he did was a self-devised method—shooting energy from the Yongcheon point on his soles to increase his speed.
'It would have been nice if I'd learned lightness skill... but there were too many other martial arts I had to learn first....'
But as they chased Three Souls Hall's two leaders, something unexpected happened.
"How can they be so fast...?"
Lee Rin spoke, her face once again blank with disbelief.
So fast were Second Soul and Third Soul's lightness skills that even Gu Janghu from Killing Valley couldn't dare keep up.
Watching this, Jaseong's eyes twitched.
'Is Hainan Sect's body technique really that fast...?'
This was news to him.
Hainan Sect was renowned for swordsmanship, not for its lightness skills.
Thus, as he watched Second Soul and Third Soul vanish into the distance, suspicion deepened in Jaseong's eyes.
Their lightness skill was nothing like the rugged footwork of Hainan Sect.
* * *
The next morning.
Jaseong's group awoke with a lingering sense of unease.
Because of Second Soul and Third Soul's astounding speed, they had, regrettably, lost the targets right before their eyes.
Yet, it was not a total failure.
Though they had not found Three Souls Hall's base, foiling their abduction plan had been a great achievement.
Because of that, the children of Wandering Warrior Village were safe that night.
And it was only their second night in the village.
In that short time, they'd already cut down four members of Three Souls Hall's organization.
These were the elusive figures of the Dark Path, whom even Hainan Sect—one of the Nine Great Sects—couldn't capture.
It was no small accomplishment.
Of course, aside from Second Soul and Third Soul, there was also First Soul, who had headed for the center of Wandering Warrior Village, intending to abduct children as well.
However, First Soul was stopped by the White-haired Blade Elder.
Jaseong's group learned of this through several villagers who came to Sword Guesthouse.
"Did you hear what happened last night? A masked group suddenly appeared and tried to kidnap the village kids!"
"I heard as well. Some parents were killed right there on the spot..."
"Damn... Could it be the Demonic Cult?!"
"The Demonic Cult? Don't say such terrifying things!"
"In any case, thanks to the White-haired Blade Elder appearing like lightning, that masked group couldn't slaughter everyone and had to retreat."
"Ha, of course it was the White-haired Blade Elder. To single-handedly take on a group of masked men!"
"But there's something odd, too."
"Odd?"
"The group's leader just talked with the White-haired Blade Elder, and then disappeared."
"Huh...? Did he scare them off with just his forcefulness?"
With the morning drinks flowing, the villagers talked noisily.
Jaseong's group, in a corner of the inn, listened keenly to their conversation.
"So the White-haired Blade Elder stopped another leader of Three Souls Hall. Just as he said, he really was chasing Three Souls Hall."
Lee Rin commented as she picked up some noodles with her chopsticks.
"Leader, I find that old man suspicious. Even in that conversation just now, the White-haired Blade Elder only exchanged words with Three Souls Hall's leader. Doesn't it seem like he's hiding something?"
Gu Janghu said, his eyes sharp.
"Well, I do find it suspicious myself. There's something mysterious about him... And by the way, Three Souls Hall's lightness skill was beyond what I expected. What should we do?"
"It was certainly incredible. With that speed, no wonder neither Hainan Sect nor others could catch them all this time."
"To catch Three Souls Hall, we'll need a special strategy... How do we catch them?"
At Lee Rin's question, Jaseong fell silent, pondering.
At that moment—whoosh!—a black shadow darted quickly over his head.
When Jaseong turned his head and looked up,
flutter—flutter—
A black hawk perched on the eaves.
"... Hyang-I has brought new information."
Jaseong took out a small packet of white powder.
As he rubbed the unique, fragrant powder onto his hand, the black hawk hopped down onto the back of his hand.
Jaseong carefully untied the correspondence attached to the hawk's ankle.
[May this correspondence arrive safely to the leader.
Hao Sect Ansun branch's secretary, Hyang-I, reporting.
First, I am reporting information on Three Souls Hall.
I discovered some of their origins.
It is said that the three leaders of the Three Souls Hall are disciples of Shadowless Divine Thief (無陽神偸), a figure who was once a legend of the Jianghu.]
... Shadowless Divine Thief?
Anyone in the martial world would recognize that title.
Divine Thief means "god of thievery".
It may sound like someone simply adept at stealing, but in fact, it was different.
A Divine Thief was a peerless expert, skilled in profound inner power and concealment techniques.
Among these rare professionals, muyang Shintu's renowned name was exceptional.
He once stole the plum blossom treasure from Mount Hua Sect and threw the sect into chaos;
He stole the Demonic Cult's manual, drawing their people out into the Central Plains in search of him.
He was a legendary great thief with many such stories.
Reading this, Jaseong was, of course, baffled.
'The White-haired Blade Elder said Three Souls Hall was from Hainan Sect... But now they're said to be disciples of Shadowless Divine Thief? What is going on here?'
Just then, Gu Janghu spoke in a low voice.
"Leader. I once met someone from Hainan Sect. Their swordsmanship is excellent, but their body techniques are rough. Yet the leaders of Three Souls Hall we saw yesterday were masters of lightness skills."
Lee Rin also contributed, tilting her hat.
"From what I saw of their lightness skills yesterday, this new information about them being Shadowless Divine Thief's disciples sounds very credible. Even in the North Sea, I've never seen such incredible movement arts."
... So did the White-haired Blade Elder lie? But why?
Questions welled up in Jaseong's mind one after another.
For now, however, he set those doubts aside and continued reading Hyang-I's correspondence.
[Second, I am reporting on Three Souls Hall's habits, as you requested.
Three Souls Hall never appears in the same place twice.
Moreover, even if they face someone weaker, if they judge them to be an expert, they will not fight and instead flee.
Even though, as a trio, they defeated Namcheon Dogok, the eighth elder of Hainan Sect, with their superior martial skill.
They have habits truly like thieves, which much resemble the historic acts of Shadowless Divine Thief in the Central Plains.]
After finishing Hyang-I's correspondence, Jaseong closed his eyes and pondered.
Mulling over Three Souls Hall's tendencies, at last, he came up with a method to capture them.
"To catch Three Souls Hall, who are experts at running away, we'll certainly need a special plan, as Lee Rin said."
"Do you have a good idea, great hero?"
At Lee Rin's question, Jaseong answered in a low voice.
"I need to ask Hyang-I for a new human-skin mask."
"A new human-skin mask?"
"Yes. One for a child."
* * *
The following night, and the night after that, Three Souls Hall did not appear in Wandering Warrior Village.
After being blocked by Jaseong's group and the White-haired Blade Elder, they seemed to be acting cautiously.
Jaseong's group began to wonder whether Three Souls Hall might have left the village entirely.
They were that elusive, after all.
But Three Souls Hall had not left Wandering Warrior Village.
They still had an agreement with Murong Dangcheon.
They had to wait until the fourth young master of the Mocheon Sect, who was to be used as a hostage, arrived before making a move.
And then, on the sixth night after Jaseong entered the village,
Finally, Three Souls Hall, unable to hold back, began moving again.
"If you make even the slightest sound, your head will be separated from your body."
In a private home on the southern edge of Wandering Warrior Village, deep in a shadowy alley, a masked Three Souls Hall member spoke in a low voice.
Before him, the village girl Yeongyeong shook with fear.
Behind her were at least seven, at most twelve or so younger children.
These eight or so children were orphans barely surviving in Wandering Warrior Village.
When it rained, the roofs leaked and soaked their bodies; in winter, they shivered from the cold, sharing a single blanket.
Hunger was their daily life, and their existence was one of utter despair with no sign of hope.
Yet the children survived, relying on one another like a family.
But after all their struggle to survive, to be kidnapped by the notorious Dark Path of the Central Plains...!
"Big sister... I'm scared..."
"Wh... where are they taking us?"
"Mom... Dad... please save us..."
"Hic... Are we going to die...?"
The terrified younger children whispered.
Immediately after, the Three Souls Hall members' cold warnings rang in their ears.
"I told you not to make a sound, didn't I?"
"Mmph...!"
The Three Souls Hall members muffled the children's mouths, bound them tightly, and dashed over the village rooftops.
Dragged away like animals, the village girl Yeongyeong desperately prayed in her heart.
If there was a god, she begged them to send someone, anyone, to save her and her siblings.
Hadn't the White-haired Blade Elder come recently and saved people?
But regrettably, no savior appeared.
Before long, Yeongyeong and the children were brought deep into an abandoned mine north of the village.
In the dank, musty darkness inside the mine, broken stone pillars stood ominously and wet drops fell from the ceiling.
Dim lamps were hung here and there, but their faint light only made the mine gloomier.
It looked like the very entrance to hell—the abandoned mine, now Three Souls Hall's new hideout.
There, about a dozen Three Souls Hall members gathered.
Behind them were many young boys and girls already caught earlier.
"With today's batch, that makes forty-two altogether. That should satisfy the Demonic Cult's required headcount."
Seeing the newly captured children, Three Souls Hall members grinned greedily.
"A coin of gold for each child... The Demonic Cult are generous indeed. Heh heh."
"Well, those bastards once tried to devour the Central Plains, so I guess they have money to burn."
"In any case, as long as we get these brats to Guangdong, we'll each get a hefty sum."
The Three Souls Hall members looked at the captive children as if they were livestock.
Not a shred of mercy could be found in their eyes.
Hearing their words, Yeongyeong sunk deeper into despair.
'The... the Demonic Cult...! I can't let them take us...! Sol-yong and Hoseok both have tuberculosis...!'
So, trembling, Yeongyeong mustered up her courage and spoke to the Three Souls Hall members.
"Pl-please..."
"What?"
"At least... Could you let my siblings go? Take only me... I'll work as hard as I can in the Demonic Cult for their share too... Please, have mercy..."
At Yeongyeong's plea, her terrified siblings burst into tears.
It was a heartbreaking scene.
But the Three Souls Hall members were merciless.
"I told you. Even the slightest sound, and your head and body will part."
A member said coldly, clamping Yeongyeong's mouth shut.
Then—
Thwack!
"Urk?!"
He struck Yeongyeong mercilessly in the solar plexus.
The pain was so intense it felt like her ribs had shattered; her eyes rolled back.
"Urk?! Nngh!!"
"This is the last warning. Don't test my patience."
As they heard the icy words, the children felt a terror beyond measure.
'Why... why us...? Why do my siblings and I have to be this unfortunate...? Our parents died and went to heaven; now we're to be sold to the Demonic Cult... Is there really a god...?'
As Yeongyeong sobbed in agony—
Suddenly, another boy rose to his feet.
"What's with you now? Are you really trying to get your head chopped off?"
The Three Souls Hall member frowned suspiciously.
The standing boy was one of those just caught.
He was fairly tall, but his face seemed childishly gentle, and under his baggy clothes, his body looked fat.
"These brats are getting bolder. Hmph... All right. I'll make an example out of you."
Emitting fierce murderous intent, the Three Souls Hall member stepped toward the chubby boy.
[Hey, Jeongma. Go easy. If you screw him up too bad, the Demonic Cult might cut our pay.]
[Relax. I'll beat him without leaving a mark.]
[Remember, each one is a coin of gold.]
At his colleague's anxious message, the member frowned.
But when he shifted his gaze back to the chubby boy—
Swoosh! Crack!
He witnessed an unbelievable sight.
The 'chubby boy' moved like lightning, smashing the Three Souls Hall member's jaw.
Next—
Crunch!
The boy broke his own bindings with ease.
Then he ripped off the cumbersome clothes wrapping his body.
Instead of a fat physique, a fit and athletic body was revealed—anyone could tell he was trained in martial arts.
"What— what the hell is he?!"
When the chubby boy suddenly revealed himself as a well-built martial artist, the Three Souls Hall members all stared wide-eyed in shock.
With cold, piercing eyes, the boy spoke.
"At last, I've found you, Three Souls Hall."
"Who the hell are you?!"
"I am the branch leader of the Hao Sect Ansun branch."
"What...? Hao Sect's branch leader?"
"I've travelled the very bottom of the Red Light District and seen countless scum, but never trash like you."
Drawing a sword from the fallen Three Souls Hall member's waist with a swish, Jaseong spoke, energy seeping menacingly from his body, causing Three Souls Hall's members to flinch.
"Let me tell you one thing in advance,"
"...?"
"Tonight, after begging for your lives... you'll be begging for death instead."
"...!"
With chills in his voice, Jaseong said words the kidnapped children of Wandering Warrior Village would never forget.