Chapter 95. The Inevitability Born of Coincidence (1)

Soocheong was taken aback.

“What, what did you say?!”

“He said he was sorry, that he wanted to apologize.”

He looked at the body lying on the ground.

The corpse, dressed in fine clothing, had its hands neatly folded. A round, deep wound was visible on the exposed chest.

‘Was his heart pierced?’

Soocheong looked at the woman.

Her hair was disheveled, making her face hard to see. However, even at a glance, it was clear she was a young woman.

Moreover, a quiver was tied to her waist, and a large bow hung from her back.

“Could it be… Miss, did you…?”

The woman nodded slightly. Her expression remained hidden.

Soocheong, who had been staring at her, sighed.

He was as perceptive as anyone.

“What kind of relationship did you have?”

“…One of my brothers.”

“…!”

“He deeply regretted it. I, too, offer my apologies.”

The woman knelt and bowed.

Soocheong, looking down at her with a troubled expression, closed his eyes.

“Stand up now.”

“….”

“Who bows to a beggar? I’m afraid someone might see. Stand up.”

Only then did the woman rise.

Soocheong opened his eyes and looked at her.

“What do I have to say? The beggars who died by this person’s hands had no connections.”

“….”

“However, since you have also killed a blood relative, it must weigh heavily on your heart. I will introduce you to a doctor I know to help you with your mind and body….”

“It’s fine.”

An unexpectedly firm voice.

Soocheong, who had been silent for a moment, nodded weakly.

“I understand.”

“Instead, I have one question.”

“A question?”

“Do you know where Yan Huozheng is now?”

Soocheong’s eyes suddenly lit up.

“How can you find him?”

It was clear suspicion.

The woman, Baixiang, said:

“He told me to come find him.”

“…Yan Gong asked you to come?”

“Yes.”

Her tone was stiff, as if she were a man who had just entered the world.

“Do you have any proof? Yan Gong is an important guest of our guild. If anything were to happen to him, our guild would lose face in the江湖.”

Information about Yan Huozheng was top-secret.

Hou Kai had ordered the entire guild to treat Yan Huozheng as if he were himself, indicating that he trusted him greatly.

To Soocheong, this woman was dangerous.

The aura of emptiness that radiated from her. Having killed her own brother, it was understandable, but even aside from that, the subtle aura that spread was chillingly powerful.

‘Perhaps she can rival Elder Dong.’

Dong Feng Gai (East Wind Beggar) was the most recent elder. As such, he was often considered inferior to the other elders.

Still, he was an elder of the Great Beggar Guild. To think of a woman, who looked to be in her early twenties, as being on par with an elder was no small feat.

Baixiang shook her head.

The movement of her hair, which swayed with the gesture, looked strangely eerie.

“I don’t know about that. But if you don’t plan to tell me, I will have to wait.”

Wait.

What a truly helpless young lady. Soocheong fell into thought.

‘She doesn’t seem to be lying.’

The reason he had become a branch leader at a young age was due to his discernment, not his martial arts.

To him, Baixiang’s words did not seem false. That was his feeling.

‘But what if…’

What if this woman harbored a grudge against Yan Huozheng?

Soocheong, after much deliberation, sighed.

“I will guide you.”

“…?”

“You don’t seem to be lying. But I can’t act on feelings alone. I can’t keep you in this beggar’s den forever. I will guide you myself.”

Baixiang bowed slightly.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me so easily. If you deceive me and attack Yan Gong, you will become the greatest enemy of the Beggar Guild.”

Though his words were threatening, Baixiang’s expression did not change.

Soocheong called a few beggars and gave them some instructions before setting off.

“Just so you know, my footwork is unmatched by anyone. Please try to keep up.”

“Yes.”

“Let’s go.”

* * *

Bang!

A terrifying wave of energy swept the surroundings.

“Gah!”

His back burned.

It felt like fleeing from a rapidly spreading wildfire. The martial arts were that powerful.

Ming Hulin, moving swiftly, instantly turned and struck with a palm.

Yan Huozheng’s eyes flashed.

Peng!

Ming Hulin’s face was filled with shock.

‘A monster!!’

He had practiced the Phoenix Divine Skill, using the best medicinal herbs of the Ming family, three at a time. Although his mastery was lower than his father’s, he believed his internal energy was on par with his father’s.

Yet, the intense heat of the Phoenix Hand, powered by his strong internal energy, was scattered by a single gesture from the opponent.

That was not all.

Whoosh.

The fiery red energy, which seemed to scatter, seeped into Yan Huozheng’s body. It was as if the paper was absorbing ink.

Peng!

It was incredibly fast.

The footwork that closed the distance in an instant was as fast as a lightning strike. The distance, which was about five zhang, was reduced to two zhang in a single move.

Ming Hulin gave up on fighting back.

Pak!

Yan Huozheng frowned.

‘Fast.’

The Phoenix Flight was not a movement technique suitable for combat, like Blood Wing Soaring. It was difficult to use in battle unless one was at Ming Tian’s level.

However, when used as a movement technique, it was a different story.

A speed that did not fall far behind Ming Tian, advancing like a single stream of a bird, was difficult even for Yan Huozheng to catch.

The Phoenix Divine Skill, though a technique that could crush both mind and body, had a power that was jaw-dropping.

‘Damn, he still has plenty of stamina?’

Pak!

He pushed his Bi Lajin energy to the limit to protect his body and opened the Zhuque energy.

Peng! Peng! Peng!

In three steps, the distance to Ming Hulin was significantly reduced.

Yan Huozheng, riding the momentum, swung his axe.

Kwaang!

A storm-like energy swept the front. A large tree was shattered, and the leaves and soil on the ground were scattered in all directions.

Ming Hulin’s posture was momentarily disrupted. But he quickly regained his balance and ran even faster.

Yan Huozheng couldn’t help but exclaim.

“What a lunatic, that guy!”

He was squeezing out his remaining stamina and internal energy to use his footwork. It was a desperate escape.

‘I underestimated him.’

Initially, he hadn’t given much thought to Ming Hulin. What mattered to him was Mo Bi, and Ming Hulin was just an extra.

Of course, he didn’t take him lightly. However, he thought that after fleeing for days without proper food or rest, his physical condition would not be normal.

A not-so-easy but not-so-difficult opponent. That’s how he saw it, and that’s how it was.

The problem was that he didn’t expect the opponent’s footwork to be this advanced.

‘If I could use Void Object Capture…’

During the time he was known as the Black Darkness Tyrant, he was a master with powerful internal energy and ultimate enlightenment, capable of using Void Object Capture. With Void Object Capture, he could slow down a fleeing opponent.

Unfortunately, his body and martial arts were not yet at the level to use Void Object Capture.

‘I might lose him.’

The distance was gradually increasing. There were limits to using Blood Wing Soaring.

‘This is it. I have to catch him with my last move.’

Yan Huozheng’s eyes, which had been glowing with a green light, gradually emitted a red flame.

While Ming Hulin was making a desperate escape, Yan Huozheng was making a desperate pursuit.

Finally, Yan Huozheng pushed himself to the limit. The Zhuque energy burned, granting him the fastest step he had ever taken.

Kwa! Kwa! Kwa! Kwa!

The ground he stepped on exploded indiscriminately.

Flash!

Ming Hulin’s face turned pale.

The opponent had already leaped over his head and was in front of him. Though his complexion was poor, his eyes were fierce and unwavering.

Yan Huozheng threw a punch.

Kwaang!

“Gah!”

It felt like being hit by a hammer. Ming Hulin spat blood and flew backward.

Pak!

Yan Huozheng, regaining his stance on the ground in an instant, glared at Ming Hulin.

“Phew, this should be… Ah, that lunatic!”

At least a couple of ribs must have been broken, yet he was running in the opposite direction again. Though clearly slower, it was not slow enough to be considered slow.

His obsession with life was terrifying. Despite broken bones and internal injuries, he was still running at that speed.

This couldn’t go on.

A white wind swirled around Yan Huozheng’s body.

Kwaang!

The footsteps of a beast king, shaking the entire mountain.

‘I will catch him this time!’

He gathered the powerful force of the White Tiger Dominance in both hands and swung the iron club.

Whoosh!

The six-foot iron club, filled with White Tiger energy, rotated at high speed and flew toward Ming Hulin.

Despair filled Ming Hulin’s eyes.

‘I can’t avoid…’

Peng! Kwaang!

“Aaaah!”

Ming Hulin staggered and fell.

Though he lowered his stance, he couldn’t completely avoid it. His left arm was severed from the shoulder.

Thud! Thud!

He tried to stop the bleeding, but it was not completely successful. His internal energy was already severely depleted, and he had internal injuries.

Ming Hulin, staggering, and Yan Huozheng, standing in front of him.

“What a mess.”

Ming Hulin’s eyes suddenly turned red.

“You bastard!”

Where did he get such strength? Suddenly, Ming Hulin rose and struck Yan Huozheng’s chest with his remaining right hand.

Peng!

Yan Huozheng’s body shook.

That was all. Gathering his last strength, he struck with the Phoenix Hand, but this final blow did not affect the opponent at all.

Ming Hulin, with a hopeless look, muttered.

“What are you? A monster?!”

Peng!

Yan Huozheng’s foot kicked Ming Hulin’s chest. Ming Hulin fell to the ground.

Yan Huozheng, with a bitter smile, dusted off his chest.

“Monsters are you, aren’t they? You caused such a commotion to obtain a martial art and even tried to exterminate an innocent family.”

“Cough!”

Blood flowed from the fallen Ming Hulin’s nose and mouth.

Yan Huozheng instantly sealed his pressure points. Though his strength was greatly diminished, there was no resistance.

“Phew, I need to find a decent footwork technique and master it quickly. I can’t even catch a kid properly.”

To Ming Hulin, it was an unbelievable statement.

Who was he? One of the Two Dragons and Three Phoenixes, a prodigy of the current martial world, wasn’t he? He had already achieved a level close to the elders of the Nine Sects and One Sect, and was expected to become one of the Thirteen Seats of the Heavenly City in the future.

What kind of monster was this guy, who called him a kid?

Thud!

Picking up the iron club embedded in the ground and carrying Ming Hulin like a log under his arm, he moved along the path. He planned to quickly hand him over to Huang Fengzheng and leave.

How long had he walked?

‘Hmm?’

Yan Huozheng stopped.

‘Footsteps?’

Not just any footsteps.

Refined steps