Chapter 72

* * *

During the day, Taepyeongdae had been chasing the traces of the enemy, but as the surroundings grew dark, he began to move by intuition, roughly determining the direction by the stars. The Taepyeongdae members, who had been full of energy when they set out, were now all drooping, holding the reins and walking slowly. The horses, too, could barely see anything and were just following the hands of those leading them.

If not for Baek Sae-gyeong and Joo Seon, who were leading the way, the Taepyeongdae would have lost their way and been isolated long ago. If that had happened, they might have just sat down to rest, but the two leaders in front seemed tireless, moving steadily forward.

Then, Baek Sae-gyeong spoke briefly and firmly.

"Stop."

The Taepyeongdae, who were half-awake, were startled by his sudden voice and stiffened. Thanks to the resonance of Baek Sae-gyeong's voice, no one missed it. The Taepyeongdae members looked at the direction of the voice with puzzled eyes. After a moment of silence, Baek Sae-gyeong spoke again.

"Light the torches!"

The Taepyeongdae members, who were bewildered, fumbled to take out the torches tied to their horses. After some fumbling, someone finally lit a torch, and others followed the light to light their own.

Eventually, they were all able to hold their torches and check their surroundings. There was no one else in particular. They looked just as they did when they first dismounted and started walking, except for the fatigue that seemed to drip from their faces.

However, Baek Sae-gyeong, who was leading the way, held a torch and was looking around with a serious face. Joo Seon, who was also looking around, asked.

"…Why, Captain? What did you find?"

"I hear the voice of Garong."

"What?"

Baek Sae-gyeong soon identified a direction and drew his sword from his back. Then, he continued to lead the way, saying,

"Draw your weapons. It could be a trap."

The Taepyeongdae members finally looked tense and followed him. They moved forward, guarding their surroundings, and soon discovered the source of the voice Baek Sae-gyeong had heard.

"Garong!"

A bloody mass was hanging from a thick tree by a rope. After confirming there were no enemies around, Baek Sae-gyeong ran over and gently untied the rope. The Taepyeongdae members gathered around.

"…My goodness."

"Is he… dead?"

The bloody mass that Baek Sae-gyeong called Garong was a mess, having been beaten to near death. The Taepyeongdae members couldn't recognize him, but Baek Sae-gyeong was different.

"Garong! Stay with me! Garong!"

"…Captain…"

One of Garong's swollen eyes opened slightly. He saw Baek Sae-gyeong and trembled, moving his lips desperately.

"Captain… don't… fight… Jang Geon… The ones who did this… are…"

He couldn't finish his sentence and his trembling stopped. At the same time, the place where over thirty people had gathered became very quiet. It was clear that Baek Sae-gyeong, who had been clenching his teeth, slowly placed the lifeless Garong on the ground and stood up. Then, he began to dig a grave beside him.

He dug a grave big enough for a person, placed Garong inside, and covered him with soil. During this time, all the Taepyeongdae members stood silently with their torches, watching him.

Baek Sae-gyeong, with dirt on his hands and clothes, turned to face the Taepyeongdae members.

"Let's go. We won't hide and chase anymore. We'll hold our torches and pursue them as fast as we can."

"Wait, Captain. Calm down! The enemy's warriors might still be in the forest, and Garong's last words…"

Baek Sae-gyeong raised his right palm to Joo Seon, who was trying to stop him.

"Enough. This is no longer just a fight for the Taepyeongdae's funds. We must seek revenge."

"But do you even know what's happening? For all we know, the ones who did this to Garong could be the enemy's warriors! The ones who did this to me are the enemy's warriors! Do you not think that's what he was trying to say?"

"Garong was captured by Jang Geon. Even if Garong died at the hands of the enemy, given the circumstances, Jang Geon is unlikely to be absent. If so, the enemy must pay for torturing a Taepyeongdae member."

Baek Sae-gyeong walked past her, saying,

"…If you wish, you can turn back."

He said this and, holding the reins of his horse in one hand and a torch in the other, began to lead the way. All the Taepyeongdae members followed him. Joo Seon, who had been watching with a frown, finally sighed deeply and followed.

* * *

The long history of martial arts in the Jeja family included techniques to enhance night vision. This technique was only known to the Jeja family's warriors and could only be learned by joining the strike team, but all the people here were such warriors.

Over a hundred warriors and horses moved silently through the dark forest, making only the rustling sound of their footsteps. It was like a procession of the dead.

Then, the blood eagle, Xueliying, which had been flying in the night sky, descended toward the front of the procession. Je Yun-sung narrowed his eyes when he saw Xueliying return, indicating that something unusual was happening with Jang Geon's group. Xueliying perched on Je Yun-sung's left arm, trembling.

"…They've started moving? Did they notice our pursuit? No, they probably guessed we would pursue them. But they wouldn't know we're so close, right?"

Xueliying, which had been trembling, flapped its wings and flew away again. As Je Yun-sung watched, Je Sang-cheon approached.

"What's happening?"

"…Jang Geon's group has started moving, Young Master. For some reason, they've adjusted their route slightly to the east and are continuing to move."

Je Sang-cheon nodded.

"They're not fools. Let's keep moving."

At his gesture, the warriors, who had paused, began to move again. The noisy but silent march continued, slightly changing direction.

They moved steadily, not slowing down or stopping. No one faltered or stopped due to fatigue. This was a mimicry of the strongest army in the world.

In essence, the warriors of the ancient families moved like a small version of the imperial army. This efficiency had been proven over a thousand years, so they saw no need to change it. The actual imperial army, which was several times larger, moved even more flexibly, like a single organism.

As their march continued, the dark sky began to turn blue. Dawn was breaking. The rugged valley of the mountain range was gradually becoming a gentle curve, indicating that they had crossed the mountains after a night of travel.

Then, Xueliying returned again. Xueliying had been flying back and forth between the target and Je Yun-sung, reporting the direction and remaining distance. Now, the time it took for Xueliying to return was significantly shorter, indicating they were getting closer to the target.

Je Yun-sung sent Xueliying off again and continued forward. The dense forest began to thin out, and the view opened up. Thanks to this, he could see a figure moving slowly in the valley below.

"…Just one person?"

At that moment, Je Yun-sung thought he had fallen into a trap. They had split their group to create two sets of tracks, with one group leading the pursuit and the other escaping by a different route.

But he soon realized that wasn't the case. If the group had split, Xueliying would have reported it. So, only this person was moving.

Je Yun-sung smiled, understanding the situation.

"…So, the friendship among thieves is ultimately like this."

Thieves, unable to trust each other, betray and steal from each other. This was perhaps a natural state, especially with Jang Geon among them. Je Yun-sung and the Jeja family had a small debt to Jang Geon, which is why he hadn't immediately thought of this.

"Why is he alone?"

Je Sang-cheon, who had approached, also saw the person moving in the valley and asked. Je Yun-sung smiled strangely and replied.

"Thieves who trust each other only exist in storybooks, Young Master. A greedy and quick-handed thief leaving Jang Geon behind and running ahead isn't unusual."

"…So, he betrayed his companions?"

"Well, betrayal requires trust, and you can't expect that from a thief…"

Je Sang-cheon snorted.

"Scum. Let's go. Since we can see him, we can catch him soon."

"Ah, calm down, Young Master. The distance between us and him is considerable, even though we can see him. The lack of trees and grass has distorted our sense of distance. If we charge recklessly, by the time we catch up, he will also be riding, and our horses will tire, eventually losing him."

As Je Yun-sung held him back, Je Sang-cheon frowned and asked.

"Then what?"

"…We should continue following him until he notices us."

Je Sang-cheon seemed to be pondering, looking between the distant thief and Je Yun-sung. As Je Yun-sung thought about how to persuade this fool, Seom Ji-young, who was standing beside him, subtly grabbed Je Sang-cheon's arm. He nodded tightly and turned to Je Yun-sung.

"Um… then let's keep going, Young Master."

Je Yun-sung, recalling his thoughts from the previous day—whether the future lady of the house was wise or if the future master was easily swayed—led the way.

Indeed, his words were correct. The distance between the pursuit team and the thief below did not easily decrease. At some point, the trees and grass thinned out, and the ground became a rocky terrain. As the sky brightened and the sun began to shine, the rocks and gravel glowed a dull gray.

At one moment, as the pursuit team continued to close the distance, the thief, who had been leading his horse and walking steadily, suddenly stopped and turned around.

Je Yun-sung shouted,

"Spotted! Mount your horses!"

* * *

"What the hell? Who are those guys? The Jeja family? Are they the pursuit team?"

Yang Hong, who had been walking contentedly with Jang Geon in his arms, suddenly felt something was off and turned around. He saw a hundred black dots descending from the rocky mountains above the valley where he was. A vulture circling high in the sky caught his eye.

"…Xueliying! Damn it!"

Yang Hong quickly mounted his horse and kicked its side. The horse, which had been half-asleep, was startled and began to gallop forward. A reddish dust cloud rose with its gallop. The Jeja family's forces also began to pursue him.

As they left the forest, trees were no longer visible. As a result, there were no shadows, and the area quickly brightened. After crossing a mountain range, the world had become a barren and desolate land. They had left the fertile Shinshachun region and entered a wilderness.

As the sun rose, Yang Hong occasionally glanced back, adjusting the speed of his horse. If he ran too fast, the horse would tire and be caught; if he ran too slow, they would catch up. The hills, which rose and fell, and the deep valleys between them became their racecourse. The distance between Yang Hong and the pursuit team was considerable, but with no trees or bushes to hide behind, their positions were clearly visible.

"Damn… why are they suddenly getting so close… Is this my chance because I'm alone?"

Yang Hong's muttering was correct. Je Yun-sung saw this as the perfect opportunity, as he was now separated from Jang Geon. He felt a bit uneasy about fighting Jang Geon, as he wanted to bring him into the family if possible.

After adjusting his speed for a while, Yang Hong's path finally opened up.

He had completely left the mountain range. Although there was still a gentle slope below, his path ahead was now a dry, dusty wilderness.

"Damn! Is this map even correct? What lunatic hid treasure in such a place?"

Yang Hong, despite having no one to hear him, vented his frustration. He slowed his horse and took out Jang Geon from his arms. The map, filled with the old Yi family's codes, was unfolded.

"Damn…"

In fact, Yang Hong was quite confident in decoding such codes and secret messages. He was a member of the imperial secret organization, the Dark Dragon Corps, and an intelligence officer for the Martial Arts Alliance. He was also a thief. Although his martial arts skills were somewhat lacking, he was proud of his ability to steal and interpret information. Of course, this pride wouldn't protect him when facing Jang Geon.

Yang Hong quickly decoded the symbols on the map based on the route they had taken and the approximate destination provided by Yi Yeon. He didn't need to decode everything; just the direction was enough for now.

"Alright, this way…"

At that moment, he felt something strange, similar to when he had noticed the Jeja family's pursuit team earlier, and he quickly looked around.

"Who are you guys?"

On his left, far away, a group of horsemen was approaching. They had been waiting at the base of a hill out of sight from the valley Yang Hong had just left. However, their numbers were significant, more than the Jeja family's pursuit team.

Yang Hong, narrowing his eyes, quickly identified them.

"…The Dark Market? Those conscienceless bastards…"

The hundred warriors, dressed in dark clothes, flapping in the wind, appeared to be from the Shinshachun Dark Market. How they had so many troops was a secondary concern; seeing their numbers made Yang Hong's heart sink.

Yang Hong increased his horse's speed. According to the map, he should continue straight ahead, but he unconsciously veered to the right.

At that moment, more people appeared on his right.

"…Damn, it's like a party."

Yang Hong, now finding the situation absurd, laughed while riding. The group on his right was the smallest in number. However, their heads were wrapped in yellow cloth, and their bloodshot eyes gleamed with a faint madness as they rode their horses