Chapter : 79
Pashimsu Na Hyorin thought the theme of this mission was hunting.
This was because Tak Yeon, the grand master of Honam, had called in three sub-masters under him—those in command of counties near the border with Hubuk—and assigned them a task.
Among them were figures accustomed to the frontlines, where skirmishes erupted several times a day: besides Na Hyorin herself, there was Anhyang sub-master Heuk Kwae Kang Munpyo, and Seokmun sub-master Sa Hyungdo Majinseong.
In other words, they were people whose very bones were honed for combat.
Tak Yeon ordered them to infiltrate Hubuk and capture Namgung Yeonhwa.
And under the unyielding principle that the strength of the Shin Sect comes from competition, he left the method up to each of them, promising a great reward for success and punishment for failure.
The three sub-masters knew that cooperating would increase their chances of success, but that they would have to share the credit—and there was no guarantee they wouldn’t be betrayed in the end—so they decided to act individually.
“Anyway, she’s just a girl who’s barely come of age. Surely she’ll be easy to catch.”
Still, since they were infiltrating enemy territory in Hubuk, if their presence were discovered before capturing Namgung Yeonhwa, the pursuit by the Martial Alliance would ruin their plans.
So they agreed to a minimal compromise: they would limit their movements as much as possible and wait for Namgung Yeonhwa to enter that space.
And the place that fit those conditions was Hyeongju.
After moving north to Hyeongju, each selected a likely point along the route from Hyeongju to Uichang where Namgung Yeonhwa might appear, and scattered.
Heuk Kwae, true to his personality, chose the shortest route to Uichang. Sa Hyungdo assumed that Yeonhwa would deliberately take a rougher path to avoid attention.
But Na Hyorin’s judgment was different.
“We’ve run the shortest distance to Hyeongju, and now there’s barely a day left of travel. She won’t take any unnecessary risks.”
Expecting her to choose the path she always took, the one she knew best, Na Hyorin ambushed her just past the ridgeline after leaving Hyeongju.
And her judgment was exactly right.
The moment she saw Namgung Yeonhwa’s group climbing the ridge, Na Hyorin believed without doubt that she was the hunter—and they were the prey.
But why…?
Even though she had heard the derogatory term “demonic cult” that caused even Shin Sect disciples to rage, Na Hyorin felt a chill run down her spine before anger.
A girl barely of age… someone she had assumed was only somewhat capable in martial arts—and yet, facing the Shin Sect sub-master, she carried such a gaze!
It was as if…
“She’s treating me like prey!”
It felt as though she herself were the hunted, and Namgung Yeonhwa was the hunter.
For a moment, the overwhelming aura made her want to turn her back, but Na Hyorin resisted.
Not out of pride.
The warning that she would be immediately attacked if she turned was electric, coursing through her entire body.
Yet she could not admit it.
It was true that her opponent was more formidable than expected, but she herself was no pushover.
Na Hyorin moved her lifelong-honed hands.
They glowed with a blue aura, smooth as jade, perfectly formed and beautiful.
This was the hallmark of a Pashimsu: power strengthened not by one’s own effort but at the expense of others. That was the advantage a Shin Sect disciple enjoyed.
Na Hyorin’s hands shot toward Yeonhwa like a striking serpent.
Kaang!
Yeonhwa struck Na Hyorin’s hand with her sword.
Though it should have cut through flesh, Na Hyorin’s hand bore only a shallow scratch.
Even the sound of the initial impact had been unusual.
Yeonhwa realized that this woman had learned the Soshumagic-style hand technique.
And she knew that Soshumagic strengthened the hands with internal energy in ways that were often gruesome.
Kaang, kang! Kang!
Yeonhwa’s sword relentlessly targeted Na Hyorin’s hands.
As black energy began swirling around the once-white, blue-glowing hands, Na Hyorin’s expression changed drastically.
Deciding she couldn’t allow this, Na Hyorin grabbed and twisted the sword Yeonhwa had stabbed with.
Kwa-deuk!
The sword caught, and Yeonhwa’s body tilted, leaving her left chest fully exposed.
Without hesitation, Na Hyorin thrust her other hand toward Yeonhwa’s chest.
When her pointed fingers pierced like a blade, Yeonhwa leaned back.
Despite holding the sword handle tightly, her back didn’t touch the ground.
It was as if Na Hyorin was keeping her from falling.
Na Hyorin, enraged, rushed toward Yeonhwa the moment she released the sword.
She intended to pin Yeonhwa down and strangle her, marring that face.
But Yeonhwa placed her free hand on the ground, flipped her body over, and landed smoothly, regaining her stance.
Stretching her sword, Yeonhwa struck Na Hyorin, who had lost her target and was grasping at empty air.
Pwoook!
The sword slashed diagonally through Na Hyorin’s shoulder blade.
As Na Hyorin struggled, the blade cut deeper, opening the wound.
Yeonhwa kicked Na Hyorin’s chest to push her away.
Kwah-dang!
Na Hyorin tried to rise, but Yeonhwa was faster.
She stood firmly on Na Hyorin’s chest, looking down.
“Demonic cultist,” Yeonhwa muttered under her breath.
It wasn’t Yeonhwa’s first encounter with demonic cultists.
During her Shasindae days, even while preparing schemes for Samryeong, she occasionally crossed paths with them.
Yet her hatred now was sharper than ever—even mixed with suspicion toward Samryeong, her loathing for the demonic sect had grown.
Curious, Yeonhwa noticed Na Hyorin’s hand trying to grab her ankle, already cracked like broken glass.
She pressed the sword tip down.
Pa-jik!
The fracture widened.
“How… how can someone be this strong…!”
Jeong Do-in’s martial arts required careful cultivation over time. Few were born with innate talent like Mureong, but even so, such geniuses were rare in one era.
Lowering herself to eye level with the trembling woman before her, Yeonhwa said:
“You’re not strong—you’re weak.”
If that weren’t true, why would Yeonhwa have been imprisoned for so long with unseen shackles?
Even now, she wasn’t just chasing dreams—she was fighting to create a place where she could dream.
Yeonhwa realized she was growing stronger—but it still wasn’t enough.
Na Hyorin’s face turned red as she grasped the reality: she came to hunt, but instead had become the prey.
She thrashed, unwilling to submit. Lifting and dropping her hips to gain momentum, she tried to twist Yeonhwa’s body with her legs, but Yeonhwa, twisting her torso while lifting her foot, kicked Na Hyorin in the side.
Puh-guk!
Bones snapped, and Na Hyorin flew through the air before crashing down.
With the sword embedded in her shoulder and her chest and side struck, she could no longer move.
Yeonhwa glanced away, noting her subordinates being surrounded and pushed back.
“Tch.”
Clicking her tongue, she sprang to their aid.
In the middle of the road, the apex warriors of the three families, assigned by Changsu-dae and Seong Yeontak, held firm, while demonic cultists surrounded them and launched relentless attacks.
The space was too narrow; Namgung family warriors could barely defend, let alone counterattack.
But when Yeonhwa, having struck down the cult leader, arrived to assist the endangered warriors, she moved outside the encirclement and struck the cultists from behind, turning the tide.
As Namgung family warriors found opportunities to counterattack, Yeonhwa darted in and out, repeatedly striking.
When she moved, the warriors held their ground; when they held, she moved freely.
In this virtuous cycle, the Namgung family warriors gradually regained their skills.
The encirclement broke, and the battle devolved into individual fights.
Chaechachang, chang!
The fierce combat continued, but both demonic cultists and Namgung family warriors knew:
With the leader down, the cultists’ defeat was only a matter of time. Eventually, the Namgung family would subdue them.
Then one cultist shouted:
“Let’s run!”
Shaken, the others glanced at one another.
When one turned, the rest scattered.
The formation collapsed, and dust rose like fog as some hurled themselves down the slope of the ridge.
