The Lazy Young Master of the Jin Clan

"What... you're following me better than I thought? You must have learned some martial arts."

Oh Seolhwa, who was climbing the mountain, glanced back.

Behind her, Jin Sohyun was climbing the mountain.

"Are you alright?"

At Oh Seolhwa's question, Jin Sohyun nodded his head.

"I've lived on a mountain for a few years, so I'm used to it."

"You lived on a mountain for a few years?"

Oh Seolhwa asked with a face as if she couldn't understand.

"Yes. It's a time I never want to go back to."

As if recalling something terrible, Jin Sohyun frowned and trembled slightly.

'He's bluffing... I've been honing my martial arts my whole life on Mount Hua, which is famous for being the most rugged among the Five Great Mountains of the Central Plains! You've probably just played on the neighborhood hill.'

Oh Seolhwa said, skillfully hiding her inner thoughts.

"Then can I speed up a bit?"

"Do we have to?"

Jin Sohyun showed his reluctance.

'This brat... he said he lived on a mountain for a few years, but it seems he doesn't want his bluff to be exposed. I can't let that happen!'

"Yes! We have to hurry to get to the Daoist temple within three days. You wouldn't want to do wall-gazing training in the Dark Cave either, would you, Young Hero Jin?"

"I don't mind..."

"Hurry up and follow me!"

Oh Seolhwa put strength in her legs and ran.

She displayed the movement technique that had been trained on the famously rugged Mount Hua to her heart's content.

Tadadat—!

At the sight of Oh Seolhwa climbing the mountain like a flying squirrel, Jin Sohyun admired briefly.

"She's a complete squirrel."

Jin Sohyun hurriedly followed Oh Seolhwa so as not to fall behind.

"Hehe... as expected, he can't follow me."

Oh Seolhwa smiled lightly when she couldn't see Jin Sohyun, who should have been right behind her.

"We have to go in together anyway... should I wait a bit?"

As befitting a martial artist belonging to the Nine Sects, Oh Seolhwa was about to show mercy to Jin Sohyun.

And before long, a man walked out from between the bushes.

"You followed me better than I thought."

"Oh, were you waiting for me?"

The man who had appeared from between the bushes had a face she had never seen before.

"Who... are you?"

The man who had appeared with a sly smile had a cross-shaped scar on his face, and his hair was very short.

He was wearing a plain black robe, and a saber was dangling from his waistband.

"I'm usually unlucky... but I'm quite lucky today."

Oh Seolhwa, who had read the unusual atmosphere, placed her hand on her waistband.

"I am Oh Seolhwa, a disciple of the Huashan Sect. Reveal who you are!"

"Oho! The Huashan Sect? Hehehe! Did you hear that?"

"Yes. I heard."

"Kyakya! The Huashan Sect! Did we find a female disciple of the Nine Sects?"

"Hehehe! Can't we have some fun before we kill her?"

'Were there companions?'

The group of men had grown to six in an instant.

Oh Seolhwa, who had not been able to read their presence, quietly raised her internal energy and grabbed her sword hilt.

"Are you confident? Touching me is touching the Huashan Sect."

"Whew!"

The man who seemed to be the leader of the group walked over and stood in front of Oh Seolhwa.

"The Huashan Sect in Shaanxi?"

"Yes! If you back down now..."

"You're a foolish wench. No matter what we do to you here... how would the Huashan Sect know?"

He was right.

In this forest where no one was watching, there was no way for the Huashan Sect to know what happened to Oh Seolhwa.

If, by a stroke of luck, the news were to be delivered to the Huashan Sect, it would already be too late.

Because Oh Seolhwa would be dead after being subjected to all sorts of insults by men she didn't even know.

Gulp—!

Sweat formed on Oh Seolhwa's back as she swallowed dryly.

'Where did Jin Sohyun go? Don't tell me he's already been caught?'

Oh Seolhwa's hand, which was grabbing her sword hilt, trembled.

The men who had discovered this began to laugh.

"Hahaha! Look at this! The great disciple of the Huashan Sect is trembling with fear."

"You bastard! Your face is quite hideous. Isn't that right, Young Lady?"

"G-Get away!!"

Oh Seolhwa, who had barely managed to draw her sword, aimed the tip of her sword at the men.

'I am a disciple of the great Huashan Sect. I can kill these ruffians in one breath.'

Oh Seolhwa believed in her own skills.

But her belief did not last long.

Clang—!

The moment the man's saber and her own sword clashed, Oh Seolhwa realized.

'This man... is strong!'

Her hand tingled, and she had to step back three steps, unable to withstand the force.

"Struggle more. It's more fun when you resist than when you meekly submit. Hehehe."

As the man's saber approached fiercely, Oh Seolhwa swung her sword with difficulty.

But the lewd gazes of the men from all sides and the fear that she would suffer a humiliating defeat and death at this rate made Oh Seolhwa's head spin.

As her heart collapsed, her body collapsed with it.

"Is this a disciple of the Huashan Sect? Tsk... the name of Huashan is a waste."

Internal energy formed on the man's saber, and soon, saber qi shot up.

"Heup!"

The man's saber struck Oh Seolhwa's sword strongly.

"Kyak!"

Oh Seolhwa dropped her sword and sat down on the floor.

"Is it our turn now?"

"You bastard! Don't you have any manners? Of course, it's me first."

"It's me after you, senior brother!"

"I don't care when. Hehehe..."

At the sight of the men deciding who would defile her first, Oh Seolhwa was in despair.

'It's better to die than to be humiliated by these brats.'

"This is hell!"

As Oh Seolhwa gritted her teeth, the man who had noticed this extended his hand and grabbed her chin.

"What are you doing!? Subdue her!"

"This damn bitch!"

A few men hurriedly came over and pressed Oh Seolhwa's acupoints.

Oh Seolhwa, who had failed even in committing suicide, shed thick tears from her two eyes.

She wanted to cry, but not even a sound of crying came out.

"Anyway, this is the problem with the wenches of prestigious families. They try to commit suicide if things go even slightly wrong."

"Let's finish this quickly and go somewhere else."

"This won't be the only wench."

"Get out of the way!"

The man who had knocked down Oh Seolhwa put his saber in his waistband and smiled slyly.

"I'm first."

The man came over and brought his hand to Oh Seolhwa's cheek.

"I'll let you enjoy it to your heart's content and then kill you as you wish..."

A flash of light brushed past the space between the man and Oh Seolhwa.

Soon, Oh Seolhwa felt a sticky and warm liquid pouring onto her face.

At the same time, a fishy smell arose.

It was blood.

"Kkeu... kkeuaaak!!"

"Senior Brother!"

"What? What happened..."

Their conversation could not be properly carried out.

It was because the blades that had poured out from between the trees had pierced their limbs.

Soon, a single figure that had appeared at a tremendous speed scattered flying swords with both hands.

The flying swords that had left his hand flew at a fierce speed and pierced the hearts and necks of the men.

The man, who had lost his arm and his companions in an instant, staggered back.

"Who... who are you!"

The man in the red clothes, who had suddenly appeared, ignored the man's shout and approached Oh Seolhwa.

He lifted the sleeve that was still white and wiped the blood from Oh Seolhwa's face.

Following that, as he released her acupoints, Oh Seolhwa felt her body become free.

"I'm sorry. I was trying to prevent that brat from touching the Young Lady's face... but I got dirty blood on you."

"Ah, ah..."

Only then did Oh Seolhwa realize that the man who had appeared in front of her was a man she knew.

"Y-Young Hero Jin?"

Jin Sohyun smiled lightly.

"I was a little late because I was dealing with that brat's companions. I'm sorry."

"N-No, it's nothing."

"Just a moment."

Leaving behind the dazed Oh Seolhwa, Jin Sohyun stood facing the man.

"You are..."

The man belatedly realized that Jin Sohyun's clothes were not red.

His clothes were a white martial arts robe.

However, it was stained red with blood.

"Who are you, and where are you from? How many more are there besides you?"

"Shut up!"

The man drew his saber from his waistband.

'It's not a hidden weapon. What on earth is that?'

The weapon of Jin Sohyun, who was standing in front of him, was not a dagger, nor was it an ordinary sword.

A sword with no handguard, where the blade and the hilt were integrated.

At that moment, a single title came to the man's mind.

"The Ten-Armed Blood Ghost..."

The demon who had led the unorthodox faction martial artists to despair and death by pouring out ten swords.

His weapon was the flying sword.

"You... what is your relationship with the Ten-Armed Blood Ghost?"

At the man's question, Jin Sohyun asked with a puzzled expression.

"Who is that?"

"The weapon you have... that is the flying sword of the Ten-Armed Blood Ghost."

"Was there someone else who used flying sword techniques besides Master Kang Cheon?"

"K-Kang Cheon...! You're saying you're his disciple!?"

"Yes. That's right."

"N-No way..."

Unlike the orthodox martial artists who regarded Kang Cheon as a hero, to the martial artists belonging to the unorthodox faction, Kang Cheon was a disaster itself.

The man realized that he had messed with the wrong opponent and prostrated himself on the spot.

"I-I did not recognize the disciple of Elder Kang! Please forgive me just this once."

At the sudden change in attitude, Jin Sohyun was not in a very good mood.

"Who are you?"

"I am called Bae'ak, from Guangxi."

"Guangxi? How many of you are there in total?"

"I don't know the exact number."

Thump—!

A single flying sword was stuck next to the head of the prostrated Bae'ak.

At this, the pale-faced Bae'ak slammed his head on the ground.

"I-It's true! All I know is that the sects and martial families located south of the Central Plains have received orders from the Heretic's Path Alliance to kill the next-generation talents who have come to Guizhou."

At Bae'ak's explanation, Oh Seolhwa, who had come to her senses late, was startled.

"The Heretic's Path Alliance? Damn it! How many have come! Tell me at once!"

"I don't know exactly, but it will be over five hundred."

"Five hundred..."

In reality, over eight hundred unorthodox faction martial artists were aiming for the next-generation talents, but Oh Seolhwa, who had no way of knowing this, said urgently.

"Young Hero Jin! There's no time! At this rate, everyone will be in danger."

"That's right."

Jin Sohyun cut the wrist of Bae'ak's one remaining left hand with the flying sword he was holding.

"Kkeuak!"

"I've cut the tendon. I won't take your life, so go."

"Th-Thank you."

Bae'ak hurriedly ran away, afraid that Jin Sohyun would change his mind.

Jin Sohyun, who was watching his back, said.

"Let's go on like this."

"What are you doing, letting him live!"

Jin Sohyun stopped Oh Seolhwa, who was trying to kill the fleeing Bae'ak.

"If we let that brat live, he'll lead his companions and come find us!"

"That's why I let him go."

"What?"

"We can't go around looking for five hundred brats one by one. We have to make them come to me, even a little, so that the rest can be safe."

Jin Sohyun, who had said this, picked up the flying swords himself to save his internal energy.

Oh Seolhwa, who was watching this, realized that Jin Sohyun was deliberately trying to lure the unorthodox faction martial artists to protect the other officials.

'He wasn't weak?'

Oh Seolhwa, who had been evaluating Jin Sohyun as a third-rate martial artist or less until now, could not help but be confused.

"Five hundred would be a lot."

As the full-scale battle began, Jin Sohyun recalled what had happened at Jiao Lake.

Although the situation of having to protect his companions was the same, the circumstances were different from then.

The number of people to protect had increased from six to a hundred, and the number of enemies to face had increased from one to five hundred.

"Sigh... I don't want to do it."

Contrary to his words of not wanting to do it, Jin Sohyun put strength in his two legs and jumped up.

"Wh-Where are you going!?"

"Just a moment."

Jin Sohyun, who had shot up high by kicking a tree, raised his qi sense.

His eyes shone with a blue light.

Jin Sohyun, who was looking across the forest with his Heavenly Eye, discovered the secret presences that were closing in from all sides.

They were all faces he had never seen before, and their eyes were full of killing intent.

'So those are the brats. Fortunately, they don't look strong.'

Jin Sohyun, who had never thought that the people he had fought with so far were strong, considered all the unorthodox faction martial artists who had appeared, aiming for the lives of the officials, to be third-rate martial artists.

'If they're third-rate, I can handle them somehow.'

Jin Sohyun, who had come down to the ground, threw his body without giving Oh Seolhwa a chance to catch her breath.

"Where are you going again!"

Oh Seolhwa, who was afraid of being left alone, hurriedly ran after the running Jin Sohyun.

It was the moment their positions were reversed.

(End of Chapter)