Anotherdaypassed.thadbeenthreedayssincewesetout,andthetriptowardiaoninghadgonewithoutanyrealtrouble.
“Weshouldresthereforaday.”
Wemadecamp.Wehadbeenpushingwithoutabreakfordays,sothehorseneededrest.
Andtheotherscoulduseamorecomfortablebreaktoo.
Afterfactoringthatin,pickedthespotandsetupcamp.Sinceeveryoneherewasamartialartist,wegotitdonequickly.
“Avalley.”
YuYullookedatthelakeandvalleynearbyashespoke.
“Ayeonalley.”
answeredhim.
“Ayeon?t’sgotana?”
“hat’swhatpeoplecallit.”
twasn’taplacecatooften.twasprettyfarfromiaoning,andallreallyknewwasthena.
Apparentlytherewassofairytaleattachedtoitorwhatever,buthadnevercaredenoughtolookintoit.
Forsothingwithalegendattachedtoit...
herewassolittlespiritualpresenceherethatitwassafetoassuitwasjustarumor.
fthere’salegendatall...
hatusuallyanttherewasatleastsochancesothinghadoncebeenhere.
hisvalleyjustlooksempty.
didn’tfeelanythinginparticular.
“Sowe’rerestinghere?”
“Yes.Weleavefirstthinginthemorning.”
“Whataboutthenightwatch?”
“Youtakefirstwatch.’llstandthemiddleone.”
gavewayontheorderwithoutmuchthought.neededlesssleepthesedaysanyway.
“’mgoingtotakeaquicklook[]around.”
“Wanttocowithyou?”
“o.Pleasejuststayput.”
“Ahaha.You’regettingshyagain.”
gnoringYuYul’snonsense,movedoff.Withalightjump,roseabovetheforest.Mybodyfeltlight.
et’ssee.
climbedtothetopofatalltreeandlookedaround.
otmanyevilghosts...andtheredon’tseemtobemanyotherghostseither.
Maybebecausetheterrainwasrelativelysafe,didn’tsensemuchthatwouldbeannoyingtodealwith.Atthisrate,weshouldbefinecontinuingon.
Aslongaswedidn’tgethitbyanothertorrentialdownpourontheway,hadnothingelsetoaskfor.
heskylooksfinetoo,soitshouldbeallright.
treallyneededtostaythatway.hadnointerestinuselesstroublecroppingupontheroad.
m.
Atthisrate,wemightarriveearlierthanexpected.
Assoonaswegetthere,first...
hadtodealwiththeringonthesoulside.
Andafterthat—
needtofindmyolderbrother.
wouldprobablyhavetogodraginthatdrunkenlunaticwhereverhewasmakingasceneinthecountytown.WasFatheriniaoningtoo?eprobablywas.
...alreadyhatethis.
herewereveryfewthingsmoreexhaustingthanhavingtodealwiththetwonoftheBangFamilyatthesati.
...sk.
venso,aftereverythingthathadhappened,hadtofacethematleastonce.
“oo.”
letoutabreath.nthequiet,steadyingmybreathing,thechurninsidegraduallysettled.
Chirr,chirr.Chirr.
hesoundofinsectsandtherustlingofgrassinthewindfilledtheair.isteningtothem,myfacestiffenedforamont.
ldman.
calledtosooneinmyhead.
heoldbastardwhohadgonesilentformonthsnow.
ldman.
calledagain,buttherewasstillnoanswer.
Asexpected.
Wheredidhego?
herewasnowayhehadsimplyvanished.Andwithhispersonality,therewasnochancehehadpassedonlikethis.
Whathappened?
hadn’tseenhimsincewhathappenedinthedream-vision,andthatmadeitallthemoresuffocating.Washehidingsowhere,preparingsothingagain?fso,wasitreallythesortofthingthatwouldtakethislong?
...sk.
fhewasplanningsothing,thatmadeuneasy.Woulditkillhimtojusttell?
here’ssomuchwanttoask.Can’thejustcooutalready?
Whenhewasaround,hewasapainintheass.owthathewasgone,thatwasaproblemtoo.talmostfeltlike’dlostmywaywithoutnoticing.
Wasrelyingonhimmorethanthought?
hadn’tbelievedwas.
Butmaybe,withoutrealizingit,hadbeenleaningonYooCheongilallalong.
hatthoughtcrossedmymind.
“ch.”
clickedmytongueandshookmyhead.Maybeitwasbecausewasheadingbacktothemainhouseforthefirsttiinsolong.oomanyuselessthoughtswerecreepingin.
droppeddownfromthetree.
Soonewaswaitingforbelow.
FreakDemon.
“MySky.”
“...Youstartled.”
hadn’tsensedhimatall.Sotiswonderedwhetherthismanwasactuallyaghost.
“Youscared.”
“Myapologies.didn’tantostartleyou.”
FreakDemonsmiledawkwardly.ookingathim,asked,
“Whatisit?”
“Well...”
fFreakDemonhadcolookingforinsteadofstayingbackatcamp,therehadtobeareason.nanswertomyquestion,hesaidcarefully,
“sensedpeoplenottoofarfromhere.”
“People?”
narrowedmyeyes.
herewassothingnearby?hadn’tfeltit.
“Whatkindofpeople?”
herecouldbepeopleouthere.venifthenearestcountytownwasstillawaysoff,thereweresettlentsinthearea.
Still,thefactthatFreakDemonhadcototellhimselfant—
t’ssothingelse.
ewasn’ttalkingaboutordinarypassersby.
“Fromwhatcouldtell...”
Asexpected.
“believethey’reunorthodoxfactiontrash.”
“...heunorthodoxfaction?”
heydidn’tsoundordinary.
hesuddenappearanceofunorthodoxfactionbastards.
AfterhearingFreakDemonout,tiltedmyhead.
heunorthodoxfaction?ere?
hisisn’tevenaparticularlydangerousarea.
couldn’tseewhyunorthodoxfactionbastardswouldshowuphere.
Morethanthat—
WhyisFreakDemonsosurethey’reunorthodox?
ehadsensedthemfromadistance.
wantedtoknowwhythatalonewasenoughforhimtosayitwithcertainty.
“We’reclosenow.”
hatwashowFreakDemonandendedupmovingtogether.Wewerestartingtodrawneariaoning—stillalongwayoff,butcloseenoughthatthepresenceofunorthodoxfactionbastardsonthislandfeltwrong.
Keepingourpresencessuppressed,wecreptcloser.
Soonfeltthemtoo.
henumber...
Alittleoverten,maybe.
Whatisthis?
Whatweretheydoingouthere?
Butunlikemyearlieruncertainty—
Ah.
thoughtunderstoodwhyFreakDemonhadpeggedthemasunorthodox.
heirenergy’sdifferent.
heauratheygaveoffwasdifferentfromthestart.Sharp.Rough.Crude.
Andontopofthat—
Blood.
hesllofbloodclungtothem.
heyseedtobemovingwithacarriageintow.
heproblemwas—
...his.
frownedwhensawthecarriage.
couldfeelspiritualenergyfromit.
Malicechurnedinsidelikeaflood.
Whatisthat?
Whatthehellwasinthere?
focusedmygaze.
“Brother,arewereallyokaytakingitlikethis?”
neofthemspoke,andhisvoicereachedmyears.
“What,then?owelsewerewesupposedtotakeit?”
“an,sure,therearen’tmanypeoplearound,butstill.Movingitthisopenlyfeelsalittlemuch.”
“t’dbestupidtotrytohidesothingthisbig,andwe’renotinanypositiontosparethetiforiteither.”
“guessthat’strue.Still.”
neofthemsmackedhislips.
“t’dbeniceifwegotevenalittlebreak.Wefinallygotourhandsonsothingvaluable,andwecan’tevenstopinacountytown.”
“fyoustoppedinacountytown,you’djustgochasingacourtesan’sskirts.Whodoyouthinkyou’refooling?”
“hat’sthefunpart.”
“amgettinghungrymyself,soit’snottheworstidea.Butholditin.heboss’sbusinesscosfirst.”
“o,but...you’resayingwecarrythisallthewaytoiaoning?”
“Quitwhining.fyou’vegotenergyforthat,useittohaul.”
heconversationwasstrange.
Sothingvaluable,huh...
hattheyhadcoallthewaytothisdesertedareawasonething,but—
otitomoveitinsecret?
Sothingaboutthiswasoff.
speciallywiththespiritualenergyrollingoutofthatcarriage,scrapingattheinsideofmyskull.
“We’realmostthere.WejustneedtomakeittoAbandonedMountain.Bosswillbewaitingthere.”
“...fwefinishthis,wereallydogettorest,right?”
“Probably.Bosssaidso.”
ap.ap.
drumdmyfingersagainstmywrist.Mythoughtsstillhadn’tfinishedarrangingthemselves.
hen—
“fthisofferinggoeswell,hesaidhe’drewardusgenerously.Soifwejustgrabafewmoregirls—”
hemonttheman’swordsreached,mybodysank.
-MySky?
FreakDemonspokeinconfusion,butbythenhadalreadylandedontheground.
“uh?”
“Whoisthat?”
“Whogoesthere!”
Shrring!
heydrewtheirswordsandpointedthemat.
“Atravelerwanderingaroundthislateatnight?henyou’reunlucky.”
heonewhohadbeenspeakingaddedwithgleamingeyes,
“fyou’djustkeptwalkingquietly—”
“etaskonething.”
cuthimoff.
“What’sinsidethat?”
“What’sinside?”
heman’sexpressionhardened.
“Whyshouldtellyou?Whothehellareyou?”
“...”
Sothingrosefromthesolesofmyfeetandslamdintothecrownofmyhead.
hefeelingofmybloodgoingcoldwasneverpleasant,nomatterhowmanytisfeltit.
“Whoam.m.”
Whatwassupposedtocallmyselfhere?
thoughtaboutitforamont.
herewasn’treallyanythingwantedtosay.
Sosimplywrappedmyhandaroundtheswordatmywaist.
“oidea.Doesn’tseemlike’vegotanaworthgivingyou.”
“Youlittle—?Don’ttell...you’refromtheAlliance?”
“alfright.”
“...!”
Atmycalmconfirmation,theireyeswentwide.
“Damnit.owdidheknow?”
“Battlepositions!”
heirswordscaoutallatonce.
Watchingthem,tookonestepforward.
“Killhim—!”
Slash.
heheadoftheonewhohadbeenspeakingdropped.
“hk—?!”
henstartedcuttingthroughtheothers,oneafteranother.
heDivineSwordcutthroughhumanfleshwithalltheresistanceoftofu.
Bloodsoakedtheearthinaninstant.
“Y-youbastard!”
“e’samonster...!”
heirrealmsdidn’tseemthathigh.
hestrongestamongthemwasmaybeafirst-ratemartialartist.
Afirst-ratemartialartist.
tfeltstrangetohearmyselfdismissthatasunimpressive.
Slash—
Anotherone.
hentwomore.
cutthemdownslowly.
woofthemturnedandran.
“R-run!”
Maybetheyhadjudgedtherewasnochanceofwinning.
itherway,theychosetoflee—
Crack!
“ghk!”
—anddiedwiththeirneckstwistedinthehandsofFreakDemon,whohadappearedbehindthemstilldressedasawoman.
Beforecouldcounttoten,alltenninfrontofweredead.
“...”
Drip.Drip.
WatchingthebloodfallfromtheDivineSword,walkedtowardthecarriage.
“MySky.”
FreakDemoncalledto.
hen,ashespoke,hecarefullydroppedtooneknee.
“...amashad.”
Ashadofwhat?
didn’task.
Withoutsayinganything,walkedtothecarriageandpulleditopen.
hunk.
hemontthedooropened,apalewhitehandfelllimplyoutfrominside.
“...”
hecarriagewaspackedwithcorpses.
irls.
heylookedbarelyintheirmid-teens.
ventheoldestcouldn’thavebeenovertwenty.
Andthecarriagewasfulloftheirbodies.
Abovethem—
vilghosts.
hegirls’soulshadbeenleftbehindexactlyastheywere,clottedtogetherafterturningintoevilghostsintheirmalice.
Sothatwasthespiritualenergyhadbeensensing.
-Ah...ahh.
Becausethepeoplewhohadkilledthemweredeadnow,afewoftheevilghostsfinallypassedon.
didn’tlookatthem.
ivescutoffbeforetheycouldevenclosetheireyes.
ookingatthem,spoke.
“...FreakDemon.”
“Yes,MySky.”
“Willyougrantonerequest?”
tlookedlike,onthewaytoiaoning—
“awaityourcommand.Whateveritmaybe.”
—neededtotakecareofonethingfirst.
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