Chapter 21 : Alliance
Chapter 21: Alliance
Deep inside the forests of the Hundred Thousand Mountains.
While the wind brushed through the trees, letting out a low groan, Dan Woojin was facing Gu Won, the First Squad Leader of the Black Shadow Army, who had appeared before his eyes.
His black clothes were clearly revealed even in the darkness, and a faint chill emanated from the saber hanging at his waist.
Dan Woojin's pupils trembled minutely.
Memories of being with Gu Won as the Vice Captain of the Black Shadow Army in the past flashed through his head.
In those days, Gu Won was a cold-headed yet resolute comrade-in-arms, but the situation was different now.
Gu Won was looking at Dan Woojin hostilely, and behind him, the members of the Black Shadow Army's First Squad were waiting with expressionless faces.
“I am Gu Won, the First Squad Leader of the Black Shadow Army. From this moment on, the First Squad of the Black Shadow Army will take custody of your person.”
Gu Won's voice was low and solid.
A resonance, as if a boulder were rolling, struck Dan Woojin's ears.
Dan Woojin took a slow breath and composed his mind.
The plan to save Dan Youngyoung was quickly reorganized in his head.
Dan Woojin stared straight into Gu Won's eyes and opened his mouth.
“Custody huh… I am curious as to why the Black Shadow Army is personally stepping forward like this against a candidate for the Young Cult Leader.”
Dan Woojin's voice was calm, but a sharp probing resided within it.
Gu Won remained silent for a moment.
His gaze scanned Dan Woojin as if measuring something.
Then, he slowly curled his lips upward and spoke.
“Seventh Young Master Dan Woojin. I wonder if the rumors that you were a cripple stuck in the corner of your room are truly a fact.”
Dan Woojin's eyebrows rose minutely.
No traces of the past were felt in Gu Won's manner of speaking.
He snapped to his senses.
That man was not the Gu Won Dan Woojin used to know.
‘A squad leader-level martial artist who still has many immature points.’
If so, there was a chance for victory.
“Huh, what exactly do you find suspicious?”
“It is no use making excuses like that.”
Gu Won took a step forward and continued his words.
“Passing through the Demonic Cave, drawing in the Poison Demon Sect, and handling the Young Lord of the Tang Clan… such resourcefulness is not something a cripple in a room can do. The Black Shadow Army has also sensed that you are plotting something.”
The Black Shadow Army saw through all of Dan Woojin's movements.
Dan Woojin held his breath slightly.
Gu Won's words dug in sharply.
The fact that the Black Shadow Army was suspicious of him was unexpected.
Dan Woojin quickly adjusted his expression and spoke.
“Plotting you say… you flatter me. Is that why you swarmed here like this?”
Gu Won drew his saber instead of answering.
The blade cut through the air, letting out a low sound.
The squad members standing behind him also pulled out their weapons all at once.
Dan Woojin lowered his stance while holding the Demonic Sword without any sign of tension.
Gu Won slowly opened his mouth.
“Although we find you suspicious, we are beings who carry out the orders of the Cult Leader anyway. The target of the Black Shadow Army's First Squad is none other than you, Dan Woojin.”
Dan Woojin's eyes narrowed.
‘To think it had to be Gu Won….’
It seemed like a trick of fate.
“If you surrender obediently, you will not be hurt.”
He glanced back at the surroundings.
The members of the First Squad were shining with ominous eye light.
No one who could be asked for help existed nearby.
“Which squad took Sister Youngyoung?”
Gu Won reacted to Dan Woojin's question.
“Were you looking for the Sixth Young Lady?”
“Correct.”
“With what scheme?”
“Scheme you say, I simply want to see my sister. If I follow you, can I see her?”
“If you surrender obediently.”
“Alright.”
If the probability of meeting Dan Youngyoung increased, following the Black Shadow Army seemed like one of the methods.
It weighed on his mind a bit that he was going without being able to talk to Sa Hyeongseol and Jang Cheol, but he thought he could tell them after coming back.
Dan Woojin sheathed the Demonic Sword at his waist and moved following Gu Won.
The members of the First Squad followed quietly behind him.
* * *
Inside the pitch-black darkness.
“Is it really okay for us to just be guarding the Sixth Young Lady like this?”
“Since other squads had difficulty catching them, it was easier than expected for us.”
The damp air soaked the skin, and the sound of water heard in the ears seemed to grow further and further away.
The rope tying the wrists dug into the flesh and delivered sharp pain.
Because of the gag in her mouth, she could not even breathe properly.
Dan Youngyoung gritted her teeth, closed her eyes, and opened them again.
Her vision was blurry, but the movements of the black shadows surrounding the area were faintly visible.
It was the Black Shadow Army.
“This place is…….”
Memories of just before collapsing came to mind.
Dan Youngyoung, who was about to move to find the Black Shadow Pill with Gongson Baekryeon, the Young Patriarch of the Sound Demon Sect, was struck down in an instant by someone approaching from behind.
Just before collapsing, she knew it was the Black Shadow Army by looking at the clothes they were wearing.
‘Why did they kidnap me?’
Coming up to the Hundred Thousand Mountains was certainly because of the second test.
The Cult Leader's command was simple. It was to find and bring the Black Shadow Pill.
If the Black Shadow Army moved to hinder that, then the kidnapped Dan Youngyoung might have been eliminated from the Young Cult Leader candidates.
‘I cannot give up yet.’
Even if just to repay Gongson Baekryeon who believed in Dan Youngyoung.
The thought that she had to escape dominated her head.
At that moment.
“The First Squad Leader said he has the Seventh Young Master here as well.”
“The Seventh Young Master? Was it not separate by squad?”
“They said he wanted it himself.”
Dan Youngyoung's ears perked up at the mention of the Seventh Young Master.
‘Of all things….’
Dan Youngyoung was not in such a close relationship with Dan Woojin.
Thinking that she could not monopolize the Cult Leader's love because of Dan Woojin, who was born after her when she used to be the youngest child, she had bullied Dan Woojin since childhood.
It was to the point that she thought Dan Youngyoung might be one of the causes that made Dan Woojin shut himself in his room.
“Woojin, what will you become if you hide like that? You should at least learn martial arts!”
In her childhood, Dan Youngyoung kept trying to drag Dan Woojin out.
Every time that happened, Dan Woojin shook his head and entered his room.
After that, he gradually became more silent and finally became a cripple in his room.
That memory stabbed a corner of her heart even now.
‘If only I had not tormented Dan Woojin more….’
But it was no use regretting now.
Furthermore,
‘He had completely changed.’
Dan Woojin passed through the Demonic Cave and returned as a completely different person.
What should she do?
A situation where she had to choose between attempting to escape alone or escaping together when Dan Woojin came.
‘It does not seem like they fed me the Qi Dispersing Poison.’
The conclusion Dan Youngyoung reached was that this was also a part of the test.
If so, escape should be the first thing to do…
The moment she planned,
Crash!
Someone was thrown inside the iron cage.
“He did keep the promise.”
The person who entered was the Seventh Young Master, Dan Woojin.
“We meet again huh, Sister Youngyoung?”
Dan Youngyoung wore a troubled expression at the sight of Dan Woojin smiling broadly.
“You, exactly what is so good that you are smirking like that?”
Dan Youngyoung could not understand.
* * *
Dan Woojin fully understood Dan Youngyoung's reaction.
‘It’s understandable that she doesn’t understand.’
To the eyes of others, Dan Woojin had changed far too much.
“Because I am so relieved that you are safe, sister.”
“Are you truly crazy? Or have you lost your memory or something?”
“How about we talk about that after escaping here first?”
Snap—
Both feet and hands were tied behind his back.
Along with the sound of something breaking.
“H-Huhh?”
Dan Woojin stood up.
“It’s been a while, so that wasn’t too easy to do.”
“Did you just pop your bones out and put them back in?”
“Well, it is not difficult.”
“…By the way, youngest, your speech has been short since a while ago, don’t you think?”
“Let's overlook the trivial things.”
Dan Woojin approached Dan Youngyoung and found her freedom.
“I am grateful for the help, but the Black Shadow Pill is mine.”
“Let's think about that when the time comes.”
Since they were only one year apart, Dan Woojin coaxed Dan Youngyoung and raised her from her seat.
“Then shall we go out for now?”
The Demonic Sword he had worn at his waist was currently confiscated by the Black Shadow Army.
In other words, from here on,
Ssssss—
He performed the Steps of the Killing Soul.
The only person in the Black Shadow Army who could recognize the Steps of the Killing Soul was Number 2.
So, there was no problem even if he hunted the Black Shadow Army as Am Yeong.
As long as he was not caught,
Stab, poke—
He began to suppress the demonic points of the Black Shadow Army in an instant without using a sword.
Dan Youngyoung, who confirmed that sight, opened her mouth wide.
“Just… what is this……”
There was no longer a reason to hide his martial arts from Dan Youngyoung.
It was rather the opposite.
‘I must show an overwhelming advantage.’
Dan Woojin had no intention of killing Dan Youngyoung right here.
He intended to escape first.
“Let’s go.”
The escape method was simple.
He just had to suppress the Black Shadow Army blocking the way and go outside.
The prison, which was made by remodeling a cave of the Hundred Thousand Mountains, was designed to lead to the place where the Black Shadow Pill was located once they came outside.
He could still remember the structure of this cave vividly.
“The Black Shadow Pill is mine!”
Dan Youngyoung began to run along the path Dan Woojin had cleared.
Instinctively, she too seemed to have realized that the Black Shadow Pill was at the end of this path.
“You have a truly amazing sense for smelling things out.”
The reason the Sound Demon Sect was eyeing Dan Youngyoung was likely because of that aspect as well.
Dan Youngyoung, who moved according to her instincts, had a very developed sense.
In other words, it was because she had the instinct to select those who could be killed once she learned the sound arts of the Sound Demon Sect.
Dan Youngyoung, who even possessed the characteristics of martial artists of the Sound Demon Sect who mainly used honey traps, was truly a perfect candidate for the Young Cult Leader.
‘Of course, that is only the Sound Demon Sect's wish.’
Tap, tap.
Dan Woojin followed quickly behind Dan Youngyoung while stepping into the Steps of the Killing Soul.
Squad leader-level members of the Black Shadow Army were not visible.
In the end, it meant that right now, if he only won the speed battle with Dan Youngyoung, he could easily acquire the Black Shadow Pill.
‘But that is not enough.’
“Found it!”
He increased his speed at the sight of Dan Youngyoung, whose eyes were sparkling as if she had found the Black Shadow Pill.
Swoosh!
Dan Woojin soon overtook Dan Youngyoung, who was running headlong.
“What the……”
Then he took the wooden box placed on the platform.
“Hand it over!”
“Do you think that you will be able to become the Young Cult Leader just by possessing this, sister?”
“At least until the test ends… I will not have to worry about being eliminated.”
It seemed even Dan Youngyoung, whom he thought would know nothing, was feeling the crisis of her life.
“It seems your situation and mine are similar, sister.”
“…To be honest, I thought you would be the first to die.”
“You must have been surprised when I passed through the Demonic Cave and even passed the first test?”
“Yes, how were you able to become so strong?”
“Because I killed the First Young Master.”
“What do you……”
— Is it this woman's turn this time?
Dan Woojin turned his head at the voice heard from beside the platform.
The Demonic Sword was placed quietly beside the platform.
It seemed to be the consideration of Gu Won, the First Squad Leader of the Black Shadow Army.
Naturally approaching the platform and strapping the sword to his waist, Dan Woojin looked back at Dan Youngyoung.
“Sister, I am sorry, but you will have to die for me here.”
Dan Woojin's pupils shone coldly.