Chapter 28

Chapter 28. The Skilled One and the Man with a Knack for It (3)

“Madam Hyeon.”

“What kind of person is the Sword Demon Clan's eldest young master?”

“Pardon?”

Hyeonri tilted her head as though wondering why I suddenly asked.

Hmm.

I could not exactly say, He is the bastard meant to become my woman's fiancé, so I hope he dies together with Lady Woo.

“Well...”

“If Lady Woo truly is connected to the rebellion, would the eldest young master not also suffer consequences?”

“For example, he might be executed together with Lady Woo...”

“Hmm...”

Hyeonri thought for a while.

“That will depend on the Cult Leader's decision.”

“But regardless of that, the Clan Head will do everything possible to protect the eldest young master.”

“Even though his relationship with Lady Woo is that terrible?”

“The eldest young master was born from Lady Woo, but he is completely different from her.”

“His martial talent, character, appearance, none are lacking.”

“He is truly an outstanding young man.”

Hyeonri gently stroked the sleeping Won Kang's head.

Her expression became slightly bitter.

“He treats me, his father's concubine, almost like his own mother.”

“And he treats Kang, his half-brother, like a real younger brother.”

“If possible, I would also like the eldest young master to survive.”

Even Hyeonri defended him.

Well.

The Cult Leader himself had selected the man as Wolyeong's potential husband.

He was probably excellent in every area.

I would prefer if he got dragged into this matter and died too.

But that was probably beyond what I could control.

“Madam.”

“We are approaching Layered Bone Gorge.”

“I will slow the carriage.”

Hyeonri swallowed at the driver's words.

If Lady Woo had sent assassins, they would definitely attack inside Layered Bone Gorge.

“Can you sense any assassins?”

“I have spread my senses.”

“So far, nothing.”

“Could we have been wrong about Lady Woo sending an assassin?”

“I would honestly prefer that.”

“Pardon?”

We had entered Layered Bone Gorge and still could not sense an assassin.

That meant one of three possibilities.

First, Lady Woo truly had not sent an assassin.

Second, the assassin was observing us from outside the range of my senses.

Third, the assassin Lady Woo sent was a supreme expert beyond the Transcendent Realm.

The first possibility could be ignored.

Lady Woo was evil enough to implant Blood Gu into her own husband.

There was no way a woman like that had not sent an assassin.

The second possibility was troublesome.

It meant the assassin had extreme confidence in tracking and lightness techniques, or he was skilled with a bow like me.

The third possibility...

I did not even want to imagine it.

A master fully beyond the Transcendent Realm would stand at the same level as the Eight Demon Venerables of the Demonic Cult or the Ten Great Masters of the Central Plains.

“Either way, do not worry too much.”

“As long as I am here...”

Killing intent.

It was so quiet and heavy that goosebumps rose across my neck.

The next moment, an arrow pierced through the carriage wall.

“Duck!”

The arrow had aimed directly at Hyeonri's head.

If I had noticed the killing intent even slightly later, she would already have been dead.

“Aaaaaah!”

Hyeonri screamed at the sudden arrow.

Won Kang woke immediately.

So it was the second possibility.

“Ambush!”

“Driver, increase speed immediately!”

“Y, yes!”

The driver's words suddenly stopped.

His body fell from the carriage.

Damn.

The bastard shot the driver.

I kicked through the carriage wall and moved to the driver's seat.

I barely managed to calm the horses before the entire carriage lost control.

“Hyah!”

Watching from far away, Silent Arrow frowned and placed another arrow on his string.

Right.

That bastard was beside Hyeonri.

Why was the Black Blood Unit member who had killed Jang Gal in the desert hiding inside the Sword Demon Clan?

Silent Arrow did not know.

But there was one thing he was certain of.

No.

It was closer to instinct than certainty.

If he failed to kill that man now, his master's great plan would face serious trouble.

“Lower four, left two.”

Release.

Silent Arrow's arrow cut through the air.

But Bi Anso seemed to expect it.

He caught the arrow with one hand.

This arrow...!

Bi Anso finally became certain of his enemy's identity.

He had seen arrows like this before.

He is the bastard who shot Mo Eon in the Great Desert!

As expected, Lady Woo is connected to the mastermind behind the rebellion!

Bi Anso smiled and looked toward the direction of the arrow.

On a distant hill, he locked eyes with a black-clothed rider.

Silent Arrow.

“Hyah!”

Bi Anso smiled mockingly and drove the carriage deeper into Layered Bone Gorge.

Almost as if challenging the man to follow if he had the confidence.

“You want to fight me while dragging burdens behind you?”

“Fine.”

“Everyone gather!”

His subordinates gathered around him.

“Groups One and Two, move ahead and completely block every exit.”

“Group Three follows me and chases them from behind.”

“Leader, will Group Three alone be enough?”

“Who exactly are you worried about?”

After issuing his orders, Silent Arrow placed his fingers into his mouth and whistled.

A black horse came racing from somewhere at incredible speed.

Silent Arrow jumped onto the moving horse.

“The most skilled killer in this place is me!”

Silent Arrow grabbed the reins.

The black horse raised its front legs and screamed.

Boom!

Every time the black horse struck the earth, thunder-like sounds exploded.

Spiderweb cracks appeared across the ground.

The horse leaped across the rough canyon as though it were a master of lightness techniques.

Its riding technique was clearly on another level.

Where did you hide?

Silent Arrow's eyes shone with killing intent as he searched.

Soon, he spotted the carriage moving deeper through the canyon.

He is only driving through routes where the rocks can shield the carriage.

Smart.

But have you forgotten?

Red energy gathered around the arrowhead like flame.

Silent Arrow licked his lips like a predator finding prey and drew the string.

“My archery is two levels above yours!”

Release.

The arrow fell like a meteor.

It shattered the rock protecting the carriage and struck one wheel exactly.

The carriage began shaking violently near the edge of a cliff.

Bi Anso immediately decided to abandon it.

“Damn it!”

His plan was simple.

Carry Hyeonri and Won Kang and jump from the carriage.

There was nothing wrong with the plan.

For someone like Bi Anso, jumping while carrying two people was easy.

But Silent Arrow would not allow that.

“Where do you think you are going?!”

Silent Arrow fired two arrows in rapid succession.

Both struck the horses directly in the head.

The carriage began overturning much faster than Bi Anso expected.

Bi Anso considered abandoning Hyeonri and Won Kang in that moment.

It would betray his promise to the Sword Demon.

But their lives did not need to come before his own.

Then he saw them.

In that brief moment when time seemed to slow.

Mother and child instinctively embraced each other.

“Things will become very difficult from now on.”

“But remember this.”

“You have to become the Prince Consort of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult if you want to protect this child.”

Wolyeong appeared in my mind.

And the child growing inside her.

The indescribable warmth I had felt when placing my hand on her stomach still remained on my fingertips.

I had been an orphan.

Thrown into the slums the moment I was born.

I never even knew my parents' faces.

I had always believed bonds like maternal love or paternal love had nothing to do with someone like me.

Before meeting Wolyeong, seeing a mother and child embrace like this would probably have meant nothing.

But now I was someone's husband.

And someone's father.

Assassin Bi Anso would have abandoned them without hesitation.

But Father Bi Anso had somehow become a man who could not.

Damn.

My mind still told me to abandon them.

But my body completely ignored that command.

I threw the embracing mother and child out of the carriage.

However, because the carriage was shaking violently, Hyeonri lost her grip on Won Kang.

If I focused fully on escaping now, I could still get out.

But once again, my body ignored reason.

I gave up escaping.

Instead, I curled around Won Kang and covered him with my entire body.

I needed to survive and return to Wolyeong.

There was no reason to risk my life for strangers.

So why had I done this?

Fourteen years ago, even while every one of my martial brothers and sisters died, I had run without looking back because I wanted to survive.

Why was I pretending to be noble now?

Had I truly become this soft?

Or was this proof that I had become a father?

As the carriage fell from the cliff, I repeatedly asked myself those questions.

“Waaaaah! Aaaaaah!”

Won Kang's crying slowly pulled my consciousness back.

At the same time, terrible pain spread across my entire body.

“Kugh!”

Damn.

Should I call it fortunate that I had not died?

How long had I been unconscious?

Hyeonri should be safe.

I had thrown her out before the carriage fell.

Then what about Won Kang, who fell with me?

“Waaaaah!”

What a relief.

Won Kang was crying loudly inside my arms.

He did not seem seriously injured.

Of course, the price was that I had taken most of his injuries instead.

Damn.

I was relieved that I got hurt instead of this little brat.

Had I finally gone insane?

The sun was still high.

Fortunately, I had only been unconscious for a short moment.

No.

That was not fortunate.

I did not know how many assassins there were.

If there were several, they were probably already surrounding this area.

I needed to move.

“Waaaaah!”

Won Kang refused to stop crying.

Of course.

He was not even ten years old.

This situation was far too much for a child.

Caring for a child loudly crying while assassins surrounded us was practically suicide.

Should I abandon him now?

Or since I had already saved him, should I protect him until the end?

Where was the coin?

Where was my coin?

I needed to toss it before the assassins arrived.

“I hear a child crying over here!”

“It must be the concubine's son!”

“Find him and kill him!”

The assassins' voices came closer.

And strangely, my mind became clear.

Right.

This problem did not need a coin.

The coin was only for difficult decisions.

Why would I need it when the answer was obvious?

My body was severely injured.

Won Kang would not stop crying.

The assassins' footsteps and voices rapidly approached.

My vision was stained red and dizzy.

There was only one possible choice.

“Young Master.”

“Do not let go of me.”

I placed Won Kang on my back.

Then I bound him tightly with cloth so he would not fall even if I moved violently.

“Waaaaah!”

Even while crying loudly enough to shake heaven, Won Kang held tightly onto my body.

Good.

You have not given up on life yet either.

“The concubine's guard is protecting Second Young Master Won Kang!”

“Surround him!”

“He is badly injured, but do not lower your guard!”

Won Kang kept crying.

More assassins continued gathering.

Yet I did not blame him.

There had once been a day when I cried until I coughed blood too.

“Cry, Young Master.”

Tears should flow naturally when their time comes, just as rain falls when it is time for rain.

No one tries to cover the sky because rain falls.

Then why should anyone block tears that naturally flow?

“Cry until you cough blood.”

Eventually, the rain stops.

Sunlight appears between the clouds.

Even tears that seem endless eventually dry.

So when tears come, it is fine to cry as much as you need.

I too had cried until there were no tears left.

“The day you can smile will come eventually.”

“Until then, cry as loudly as you want.”

If you cry until the tears dry, eventually there will come a day when you stand again.