Chapter 61
Pae Maling, as if she had already read Ya Socheong's mind, hurried along with him.
"We should go on horseback, right, brother? We don't know when we might suddenly run into Danli Cheon and it could lead to a fierce battle."
That was true, but if the tracking scent seemed to be fading, he might have to catch up with him using his lightness technique first and then buy time by watching him from a distance.
"For now, let's get going."
Ya Socheong, knowing that Pae Maling might get nervous and worried if she saw his expression, tried not to show any signs of anxiety, but at that time, he couldn't help it.
The two, who had hastily acquired horses, began to ride quickly along the main road.
Both of their horsemanship skills were top-notch, and they continued to ride without resting much along the way.
Pae Maling couldn't tell if Ya Socheong was following properly, but she couldn't ask.
It was because she thought she shouldn't bother someone who was concentrating.
Then, she finally noticed that the anxious look on Ya Socheong's face had disappeared and a sense of ease was spreading.
It seemed to mean that Danli Cheon was nearby.
"We can rest a little now. Let's give the horses some water too."
"I'll look for an inn, brother."
Pae Maling said, stepping up first without ever putting things off.
Every time she did that, he felt a little sorry.
"Maling, although this is a task I took on at your request, it's not just for you personally, but also to protect the reputation of the Heavenly Demon Sect, so you don't have to be like that."
"Was it that obvious that I was being conscious of you, brother?"
At those words, Ya Socheong let out a small laugh.
"Of course it was obvious. I know what you're usually like, but you're very different from your usual self right now, aren't you?"
"Ah, is that so? But I'm really grateful to you, brother. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have even been able to ask for something like this. If I had come with someone else, I would have been trembling because I didn't trust them, but I feel at ease because I'm next to you."
"You don't think it would have been better to come with your brother?"
"It would have been more reassuring if my brother had come with us, but my brother had to stay in the Nether Shadow Faction, so it couldn't be helped. And it's okay because you're here, brother. My brother always told me how strong you are. I would have known even if he hadn't told me separately."
Ya Socheong smiled as he looked at Pae Maling, who was smiling with her eyes cutely curved.
"When this is over quickly, let's go sightseeing in the martial world together."
"Really? Then we have to finish this incredibly quickly, right?"
"If you rush too much, you'll mess things up."
"Yes, brother."
Pae Maling seemed to be enjoying this time as if she were on an excursion.
"Maling, let's rest well, do our energy circulation, and then go find Danli Cheon."
"Yes, brother."
However, Ya Socheong had no intention of taking Pae Maling with him.
Although Pae Maling had shown a reliable side, it seemed that if they fought with Danli Cheon, Pae Maling would be captured and become a hostage.
Ya Socheong was uncomfortable fighting in that way, and rather than getting into a verbal argument with Pae Maling, he decided to go alone when she wasn't aware.
Then, taking advantage of the moment Pae Maling entered her room, he chased after Danli Cheon.
No matter how long they had practiced together, if he were to carry out a mission with someone else, he would have to send signals, and it was more inconvenient than moving alone.
Moreover, Ya Socheong had come out with a strong desire to break through the wall that was blocking him, so he had high expectations for the fierce battle with Danli Cheon.
As he chased after Danli Cheon with those thoughts, Ya Socheong felt his heart gradually boiling with heat.
Danli Cheon was definitely unaware that Ya Socheong was chasing him.
He was leaving the Imperial City and getting farther and farther away.
It seemed that he had belatedly become scared, thinking that even the third prince might find it difficult to cover up the matter of killing the guards.
Perhaps intending to return after the matter had quieted down, he was taking refuge in a cave deep in the mountains.
And yet, he didn't seem to think that he was in a very precarious situation, as he was even humming a tune.
However, as soon as Ya Socheong entered the cave, he sensed the presence like a ghost and raised his body.
"Who is it!"
Ya Socheong revealed himself in front of him without any particular answer.
"How did you get here!"
Danli Cheon's eyes widened.
"I have never seen you before, and I have no memory of wronging you, so why are you following me so persistently? What do you want from me? Are you a man sent by the fifth prince! Did the fifth prince tell you to kill me?"
Then he shook his head by himself and asked again.
"It's the third prince. The third prince has decided to abandon me!"
He rambled on and then suddenly became excited and exuded killing intent.
"Yes, it's good to see you. You arrogant brat... I let you go once, but I won't let you go twice!"
Looking at him spouting clichés, Ya Socheong approached him.
Then he moved his internal energy.
He, perhaps thinking that he shouldn't give Ya Socheong time, quickly rushed at him.
It was a fast and sharp movement like a beast.
Even though he had known it would be like that, he flinched for a moment, and a wave of fear washed over him.
He dodged by a hair's breadth, and the stone wall where Ya Socheong had been just a moment ago was torn apart by Danli Cheon's fingers.
Ya Socheong clutched his chest, wondering how a stone wall could become like that.
His heart began to beat like crazy.
He tried not to think about what had already passed, but the thought of what would have happened if that hand had clawed his body did not leave him.
Danli Cheon seemed to have noticed that Ya Socheong was trembling with fear, and he seemed to think that the momentum of victory had already passed to him.
And as if to enjoy that time to the fullest, he slowly cornered Ya Socheong.
"If you escaped death once, you should have known you were lucky and run away. Did you really chase me thinking you could beat me?"
Then, as if he had decided to make him die while feeling pain slowly, he flew towards Ya Socheong.
He heard the sound of the wind being cut right next to his ear, and then he felt a pain as if something hot had been poured on him.
His earlobe was torn, and blood dripped down.
It could have been his face that was torn.
His heart beat even more violently.
Danli Cheon smiled vilely and aimed for him again.
His feet hadn't even touched the ground, but he made a new leap.
Several attacks followed in succession like that.
The hem of Ya Socheong's clothes was torn, and his flesh was laid bare.
A fountain of blood spurted out and scattered in the air, and a piece of flesh fell to the ground.
Danli Cheon seemed to have no doubt that he would soon achieve a complete victory.
Ya Socheong's thoughts were not much different.
'You don't have to be overwhelmingly strong. It's not the strong who survive. What I pursue is not strength. I just have to survive. If I survive, there is a next time, and the one who stands in that place again is the strong one.'
Even while being pushed back one-sidedly, Ya Socheong's mind regained its composure.
All victories had given him various meanings and enlightenments until now.
If he could just avoid it, he would have another chance.
No matter how strong the attack, if it couldn't be repeated until death, wasn't he the one who would ultimately survive?
Danli Cheon also knew that Ya Socheong was thinking deeply about something while avoiding his attacks.
An uncomfortable expression continued to appear on his face.
The situation was favorable to him, and if it continued like this, the person who would fall first would eventually be Ya Socheong.
But he couldn't understand why he was so full of composure.
He also had a thought that there might be a trap he didn't know about.
That was correct.
If he had only been thinking of finishing it quickly, Ya Socheong would have thrown a poisonous creature at him and hastened Danli Cheon's death.
But he was postponing it, thinking that he would have something to realize through this time of fighting with his life on the line.
The only one who had changed was Danli Cheon.
Danli Cheon's doubt, anxiety.
The suspicion of what was hidden.
In the end, Danli Cheon completely stopped his movements.
"What are you hiding!"
Ya Socheong let out a small laugh.
"So this is how it is. Even if you have great power, if you have no conviction."
"I asked what you were talking about!"
And yet, Danli Cheon could not continue his attack.
Ya Socheong still had many things he wanted to learn from Danli Cheon, so he had no desire to kill him quickly.
As time went on, Danli Cheon also seemed to have realized that Ya Socheong was deliberately keeping him alive.
He couldn't understand when it had become like that.
It was definitely him who had been in the superior position.
It had been like that from the beginning to the end.
And yet, no matter what he showed, Ya Socheong just seemed to be learning it with wonder and did not seem to feel a threat to his life.
To the confused Danli Cheon, Ya Socheong said.
"I have plenty of ways to kill you. I am not a person who thinks that I have to fight fairly and win. I will do anything to survive. I will tell you why you keep getting anxious while fighting me. I entered the path of poison arts against my will. My blood and flesh are imbued with poison. You tore my flesh and scattered my blood, so you are slowly being poisoned by the poison that has seeped into my blood."
Danli Cheon had a face that said it was nonsense.
"The fact that this is a cave will be fatal to you, Danli Cheon. Even if it weren't a cave but outdoors, you would have been affected by the poison that has seeped into my blood, but since this is a cave, it has been concentrated without being able to escape. You may not have noticed, but I kept driving you so that you couldn't go towards the entrance. And I created a wind once in a while and drove the poison energy towards you."
"That, that can't be...!"
Danli Cheon shouted as if he didn't want to admit that he had been defeated by such a brat.
"You may want to think so, but what can you do when it's the truth? Still, you don't have to despair too much. I don't intend to kill you right away. I plan to see all your ultimate techniques over a few days. The reason I am keeping you alive is because I think there is still something to see from you. As long as there is something left to learn from you, I will not kill you."
"Insolent words! Do you think I will hand over the masterpiece of my life to you!"
Danli Cheon shouted loudly.
He seemed to want to get angry, saying that it was absolutely impossible, but Ya Socheong thought that he would have no choice but to do so in the end.
He would want to leave what he had achieved to someone.
If it were him, rather than letting the claw technique he had created disappear from the world forever, he would want to leave it behind somehow and have future generations remember and respect him.
(End of Chapter)