-I didn’t think so, but they were hiding that kind of lightweight skill?
-Their footwork is quite stealthy, isn’t it? That’s the result of professional training.
At Mujin’s telepathic message, the Poison Emperor nodded.
The two women’s lightweight skill was excellent; they made not a single sound as they ran across the rooftops.
The Poison Emperor nodded and glanced back at Mujin, who was clinging to his back.
-They really put you to shame. Even children that young can use such a superb body-lightening technique. What in the world have you been doing?
-… Even if I can’t do that, it doesn’t stop me from cutting people down. My school basically doesn’t train in anything other than killing.
It wasn’t that Mujin’s lightweight skill was particularly inferior to that of other martial artists.
In terms of sheer speed, his dash to strike an enemy was fast enough to be considered among the swiftest in the Central Plains.
But one couldn’t be called a master of lightweight skills just for being fast.
The term encompassed the body-lightening technique to make one’s weight as light as a feather, the balanced movement technique to stabilize one’s center, and the footwork to run across any treacherous terrain as if it were flat ground.
Mujin could only sprint quickly over short distances on solid ground; he was a far cry from being able to leap lightly across fragile roof tiles.
‘If I knew this would happen, I should have learned more of the Flame Emperor’s body-lightening techniques while teaching the kids.’
As he continued to follow the two women while riding on the Poison Emperor’s back, Mujin imagined what he must look like and shook his head.
-It looks like they’re heading back to Mount Song…
-Don’t tell me an accomplice is still stuck inside?
Mujin shook his head at the Poison Emperor’s question.
-That’s impossible. If that were the case, those two wouldn’t have been waiting right in front of Mount Song all this time. Besides, we saw him during the day. The one who was using sign language with them.
-Then why on earth are they going back to Mount Song after they just barely escaped?
-We’ll find out if we follow them.
And so, the Poison Emperor had to run for a good while with Mujin on his back.
Unaware they were being followed, the two women veered off the main path into Mount Song and plunged into a trail-less forest.
-Can you keep up?
Mujin asked anxiously, watching the two women disappear into the dark woods.
It would be one thing on a normal mountain path, but in a dense forest of trees and undergrowth, a single misstep would send sound echoing through the air.
Although they were thoroughly concealing their demonic energy, the two women, who appeared to be masters in their own right, would not miss such a sound.
-This is nothing.
Without hesitation, the Poison Emperor threw himself into the black forest after the two women.
-Hoh. You had this kind of talent?
-Stealth is the lifeblood of poison.
Watching the Poison Emperor leap from branch to branch without making the slightest sound, Mujin nodded.
After moving for nearly an hour, the two women finally stopped.
Then, the two women stood still for about thirty minutes.
-Looks like they’re waiting for someone.
-I think so. It must be that guy we saw earlier today.
Just as Mujin predicted, an old man emerged from the darkness.
At the appearance of the old man dressed in gray, with graying hair and a slightly stooped back, Mujin and the Poison Emperor held their breath and focused on the scene.
As soon as he landed before the two women, the old man dropped to one knee.
“My apologies for being late.”
“It’s fine. More importantly, can you find it?”
“If it was indeed thrown from Yijo Hermitage, it must have landed within fifty li of here, so I can certainly find it. Please give me the scent you applied.”
At the old man’s words, the shorter of the two women took a small porcelain bottle from her robes and held it out.
The old man took the bottle from her hand, uncorked it, held it to his nose, and took a deep sniff.
“Hmm. It’s Bellflower Scent.”
Closing the lid, the old man returned the porcelain bottle to the woman and shut his eyes.
Then, like a blind man, he began to move, tapping the ground with a bamboo staff.
-What in the world is he doing?
The Poison Emperor shook his head at Mujin’s question.
-You heard all that and still don’t get it? They said they threw your sword out of Yijo Hermitage.
-I get that, but I’m asking why a guy who isn’t blind is acting like one.
-It must be his unique way of tracking scents. The wind is clearly blowing this way, but I can’t smell a thing. This is no ordinary tracking scent.
-So you’re saying he’s also had professional training?
-Yes.
-Just what kind of people are they…?
Mujin trailed off as the Poison Emperor cautiously began to follow them.
Mujin and the Poison Emperor tailed them for a long while.
For over two hours, they moved in circles around a specific area.
The strange old man, who had been tracking the scent, stopped in place, then lifted his head and began to look up.
!
-Did he spot us?
Mujin prepared to draw upon his internal energy.
The old man’s gaze shifted here and there, sweeping the canopy, and it felt as though it would land on him and the Poison Emperor, hidden in the tree, at any moment.
At that moment, the old man’s eyes flew open and he launched himself into the air.
-*Tat-tat-tat!*
In an instant, the old man shot up, stepping on branches, and plunged into the foliage right near where the Poison Emperor and Mujin were hiding.
-*Cheok!*
Then, the old man landed back on the ground.
-My heart is pounding over something like this.
The Poison Emperor found it amusing that his heart was racing because of people who would be no match for him in a real fight.
Ever since earning the title of Poison Emperor, he had lived a predictable life, always recognized as the Grand Patriarch of the Tang Clan and a high-ranking master. Experiencing this heart-pounding adventure in the martial world, something he had long forgotten, made him feel revitalized.
Regardless of the Poison Emperor’s excitement, the old man, having retrieved the Demonic Spirit Sword from where it was caught in the tree, knelt on one knee and respectfully presented it to the woman with both hands.
Mujin, who had felt the demonic energy emanating from the Demonic Spirit Sword the moment the old man touched it, quietly watched the woman take the sword.
“Finally, it’s in my hands.”
-*Shing.*
Her eyes sparkled as she drew the blade halfway out to inspect it.
“This will make the best birthday present!”
“The Cult Leader will surely be pleased.”
“You’ve done well, Hui-no. I thought I’d go mad playing servant to that difficult bitch. But seeing this sword makes all the hardship worthwhile. The legendary demonic sword that cut down three hundred elite masters of the Nine Great Sects in a single night. A sword more fitting for my grandfather than that Divine Demon fellow, who gained an undeserved reputation.”
-She says it’s undeserved.
At the Poison Emperor’s telepathic comment, Mujin’s brow furrowed deeply.
-That insolent brat doesn’t know what she’s talking about.
Just as the three of them, sword in hand, were about to move.
-*Chuk-chuk-chuk-chuk-chuk-chuk!*
!!!
The Eighteen Arhats of Shaolin, who had appeared from nowhere, dropped down and surrounded the three.
“…”
The three stared at them with shocked expressions.
“Amitabha. I do not know why you broke the seal and stole that sword, but it is stained with too much blood from the righteous sects. Lay it down and surrender.”
The person who emerged from behind the Arhat monks was Great Monk Hyeon-u, someone Mujin knew well.
At Great Monk Hyeon-u’s appearance, the old man and the two women glanced around, their faces hardening as they looked at the Eighteen Arhats.
The Eighteen Arhats, a position only eighteen monks could hold in the Shaolin Temple, which was home to countless martial monks.
Aside from the Shaolin elders, these Arhat monks were effectively the strongest martial monks of the temple.
The imposing aura of the Arhats, protectors of Shaolin, was indeed worthy of their reputation.
Each and every Arhat monk was no less skilled than the Sword Dragon of Wudang, the winner of the recent Orthodox Grand Tournament.
Monks who entered the Arhat Hall to train to become Arhats had to live under a restriction that forbade them from ever leaving Mount Song.
This was a lifelong restriction, lasting until they became Shaolin elders or earned the title of one of the Four Great Vajras.
Moreover, they were not allowed to participate in any external events, which naturally included the Orthodox Grand Tournament.
A sword solely for protecting Shaolin.
That was the life of an Arhat monk.
Sensing the powerful aura of the Arhat monks, the three instinctively knew their situation was dire.
“I will open a path somehow. You must escape this place. More monks will arrive soon, there is no time.”
“Hui-no!”
“It has been an honor to serve you, Young Lady!”
As he said this, Hui-no drew a sword from his bamboo staff and charged toward Great Monk Hyeon-u. Watching him, Mujin sent a telepathic message.
-Can he break through?
-Not with his level of skill. Unless he’s willing to risk his life.
As soon as the Poison Emperor answered, Great Monk Hyeon-u thrust his fist into the air and shouted.
-Deploy!!
-*Pow!*
Struck by a fist technique that hit his chest and wrist simultaneously, Hui-no, who had been charging forward with great momentum, faltered and stopped.
Having been hit by the Hundred-Pace Divine Fist for the first time, he narrowed his eyes and charged at Great Monk Hyeon-u once more.
-Hap!
At that moment, the eighteen Arhat monks aimed their staves forward and took their stances, and the power of the Eighteen Arhat Formation spread through the area.
-Hoh. This is the first time I’ve seen it in person. It’s quite formidable. At this rate, it won’t be easy for him to break through, even if he throws his life away.
Mujin nodded at the Poison Emperor’s words.
-It’s impossible to do it simply. It might look like a simple formation deployed with mere staves, but it’s not easy to break.
Hearing this from Mujin, who had personally cut off the heads of all eighteen Arhats before, the Poison Emperor glanced at him for a moment and then nodded.
-At this rate, that sword will be returned to Shaolin.
-I can’t let that happen.
-I’m telling you now, I won’t lay a hand on the Shaolin monks, no matter what you say.
Mujin smiled at the Poison Emperor’s refusal to help.
-There’s no need to get your hands dirty.
-I have no intention of watching you get your hands dirty either.
-I’m still Dojin’s master. You think I’d kill them?
-…
The Poison Emperor did not answer.
No matter how openly and informally they acted with each other, the Poison Emperor never forgot that he was dealing with the Divine Demon.
-Stop talking nonsense and just make sure we’re not seen.
-What are you planning to do…?
Before he could finish, Mujin plucked a few acorns from the tree and started throwing them at the old man, who was charging at Great Monk Hyeon-u with his sword extended.
-*Thwack.*
The moment an acorn hit his shoulder, causing Hui-no to twist his body in surprise.
-*Boom!*
If he hadn’t moved, the fist strike would have landed squarely on his chest. Hui-no swung his sword and scanned his surroundings.
-Who’s there?!
As Hui-no shouted, looking all around, Great Monk Hyeon-u also began to survey the area.
The suddenly appearing acorn had alerted him to someone else’s presence.
-Don’t worry about finding me. Focus on finding a way to live. I will show you the path to survival.
Hearing the telepathic message, Hui-no frowned and glared at the Arhat monks pressing in on him.
As his mind raced, wondering if he should trust the words of this unknown person, another message came.
-The pressure will start from the Seventh Star position. But no matter what, you must hold that spot. Think of every other position as a path to death. Now!
At Mujin’s signal, Hui-no feigned a charge toward Great Monk Hyeon-u, then immediately fell back and took the Seventh Star position.
He had concluded that even if he rushed Great Monk Hyeon-u now, he couldn’t break through him and the Arhat monks at his side.
If it were only his own life on the line, he wouldn’t care if he lived or died and would aim for Great Monk Hyeon-u’s life. But now, Ju Chae-jin’s life was in his hands.
He had to get her out alive, no matter what.
Watching the old man defend the Seventh Star position to the last, dodging and parrying the incoming staves, Mujin flicked an acorn he held between his fingers.
The moment the acorn, lightly infused with his energy, struck Hui-no’s hip, he reflexively lifted his left leg.
Just as Hui-no was about to cry out, he heard the sound of Great Monk Hyeon-u’s fist strike exploding where his knee had just been.
-*Pow!*
-I’ll take care of helping you dodge that monk’s attacks. When I give the signal, move to the Red Star position. You only have one chance, so make it clear to those two brats. When the path at the Great Human position opens, tell them to run without looking back. With your stealth skills, you’ll surely find a way to survive.
-*Thwack! Thwack!*
While sending the telepathic message, Mujin focused on Great Monk Hyeon-u’s movements, using acorns to alter Hui-no’s trajectory and help him whenever the monk was about to strike.
-*Wham!*
-*Clang!*
Even while being struck by the Arhat monks’ staves, the old man defended the Seventh Star position to the end.
And then, the signal the old man had been waiting for from Mujin came.
-Now!
At his telepathic command, the old man launched himself forward, even as the Arhat monks’ staves slammed into his back and chest.
He didn’t stop, even as he coughed up blood.
“Get out of my way!”
-Defend the Red Star position! Change the formation to the Heaven and Earth Stance!
A startled Great Monk Hyeon-u shouted.
But the Arhat monk defending the Red Star position was forced back by the old man’s sword, which swiftly targeted his vital points. The moment the old man took the Red Star position, the power of the Arhat Formation that had been strengthening the monks shattered.
-Run!
-Now! Young Lady!
With the formation broken, the Arhat monks who had been overwhelming the old man were suddenly no match for him.
Each time their staves clashed with his sword, the Arhat monks staggered back several steps.
When a path momentarily opened at the Great Human position, the three of them quickly dashed through and fled.
Great Monk Hyeon-u frantically sent attacks after them, but his fist strikes repeatedly missed, thanks to the acorns that flew in from somewhere to help.
-After them! Do not let them escape!
A red flame shot up near the entrance of Mount Song.
It was a signal flare fired by Great Monk Hyeon-u as he chased the fleeing enemies.
However, the signal flare, which should have pierced through the forest canopy and exploded in the night sky, was split in half by a knife-hand strike Mujin sent through the air. It fell to the ground without exploding.
-Are you trying to set Mount Song on fire?
The Poison Emperor sent a telepathic message to Mujin, who had split the flare and let it fall onto the mountain.
-Is this any time for jokes? We can’t lose them.
-Heh. Who do you take me for? I am the Poison Emperor.
After running for some time, the three suddenly split up and scattered in three different directions.
!!!
Just as the Poison Emperor hesitated, unsure of whom to follow, Mujin sent a message.
-The girl going straight ahead!
Mujin, not losing track of the energy flowing from the Demonic Spirit Sword, chose to follow the woman who had it.
They fled like that for two hours.
Panting and exhausted, the woman slipped into a small village near Mount Song.
In a village small enough to count the households on two hands, she expertly ran into what was clearly an abandoned house.
-I don’t sense any sign of our pursuers.
The Poison Emperor nodded at Mujin’s telepathic message.
-But I’m not sure if this is the right thing to do.
-Once the item is in its rightful owner’s hands, isn’t that a just ending for everyone? Let’s go in.
Finally getting off the Poison Emperor’s back, Mujin started walking toward the abandoned house.
The Poison Emperor mulled over Mujin’s words for a long moment before following him.
