Chapter 159
Fweee! Boom!
The signal flare burst just as I smashed through the window and landed.
It flooded the dark room with light, revealing Jang Miryeo unconscious against the wall and a red-haired man strangling Jang Hojung.
Jang Hojung? Not Jang Hoyeol? Weren’t they working together?
I was taken aback, but there was no time to think. I hurled a volley of Feather Needles at the red-haired man and planted myself in front of Jang Miryeo.
The man coated his hand in inner force and knocked the needles aside before turning to look at me. His red eyes gleamed ominously.
“Little Tang. I don’t know what brought you here, but I can’t have you interfering. You’ll only give me more people to kill.”
The murderous aura pouring from him made my skin prickle. As I tightened my grip on a throwing knife and fought the urge to shrink back, Yeon Ryang rushed in, shielded me with his body, and leveled his sword at the red-haired man.
“What’s this, Wraith? Don’t tell me you’re getting in my way. I’m in the middle of a mission.”
“Stand down, Number Forty-Seven.”
“Ahaha! You must be quite attached to that girl. But do you really think she’ll stay by your side once she learns what you are? What do you think, Wraith?”
Grinning, the man released Jang Hojung. Dark blue handprints had been left around his throat, and he collapsed to the floor in a coughing fit.
I have to get Jang Miryeo out of here.
Keeping an eye on the red-haired man, I cautiously gathered Jang Miryeo into my arms. He was so focused on Yeon Ryang that he did not even glance my way.
After watching for an opening, I clenched my teeth and leaped through the window.
At the same moment, Yang Gyojin—drawn by the signal flare—met my eyes and vaulted over the wall.
“Sohae!”
“Take Miss Jang!”
I handed Jang Miryeo over to him and turned around—just as the razor-sharp edge of a sword swept toward my neck.
Twisting aside, I avoided the blade and drove my throwing knife forward.
“Graaagh!”
My heart lurched at the sensation of steel piercing flesh, but I had no time to hesitate.
I kicked the swordsman away and wrenched the knife free, breathing hard as I glared at the enemies surrounding us. The guards who had been with Jang Hojung had already encircled Yang Gyojin and me.
“Who are these people? Want me to wipe them out?”
“Yes! Wipe them out! Keep Cane safe! I’m using poison!”
As I answered, I scattered power-dispersing poison through the air. Yang Gyojin drew his sword with Jang Miryeo strapped to his back. Cane came scampering over as well, scrambled up his body, and clung to his shoulder.
The enemies covered their mouths with their sleeves and slowly backed away. Their eyes gleamed red.
They had clearly trained in demonic arts.
The sound of clashing swords from inside made my throat tighten.
Even with the antidote, Yeon Ryang suppressed his inner force for too long. He won’t be able to move freely.
Bracing my legs, I drew out a deadly poison. There was no room to hold back. I had to finish this quickly and help Yeon Ryang.
Just sever the tendons around their ankles. Only the tendons.
I have to cut them in a single strike. Focus on the feeling in my fingertips. Hold my breath... Now!
Clenching my teeth, I scattered another volley of Feather Needles as a feint, then sent butterfly blades flying toward their ankles.
“Aaagh!”
The Demonic Sect followers screamed and toppled over as their ankle tendons snapped.
“Gyojin! Take care of the rest!”
“How? Smash their cores?”
“Do whatever you want!”
Leaving the aftermath to Yang Gyojin, I leaped back through the window.
When I landed inside the room, I saw the red-haired man with one arm hanging in tatters, apparently mangled by Yeon Ryang’s sword.
Blood dripped from between the fingers pressed against his wound. When he noticed me, he licked his lips and broke into a broad grin.
“Well, well. I thought you’d run away, but you came back to help? How courageous. You’ve found yourself a charming little companion, Wraith. I’ll give you that. She’s worth interfering with the Cult’s business to protect.”
“Shut your mouth.”
“But tell me, little lady. Do you even know who this man is?”
“I told you to shut your mouth.”
The red-haired man did not so much as blink at Yeon Ryang’s warning.
Instead, he threw his head back and laughed as though he could not contain his delight.
“I wonder whether our little lady has heard of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. You see, Wraith belongs to us. No, I suppose the name Demonic Sect would be more familiar to you.”
My blood ran cold when he turned an expectant gaze on me.
It was obvious what he wanted.
He wanted to see me learn Yeon Ryang’s identity and turn my back on him.
What a vile bastard.
I tightened my grip on my concealed weapon and replied coldly.
“So what?”
“...Hmm? That wasn’t the reaction I expected. You already knew, and you still travel with him?”
The man scratched his head in disappointment, then let out an enlightened exclamation.
“If you already knew... Ah, of course. Is that what this is? You want the Myriad Poisons Sect’s secret arts too, don’t you?”
“What?”
“You Tangs are greedy without exception. The Myriad Poisons Sect entered the Divine Cult’s embrace more than a century ago, so there should no longer be any poison capable of rivaling the Tang Clan’s. Yet you still want to seize even the poisons that vanished from the world. Your avarice is truly something to behold.”
“You too”? “You Tangs”? Has someone from the clan been in contact with the Demonic Sect?
Dang Juyeop, who had once spoken of a poison parasite, flashed through my mind.
The red-haired man was clearly trying to keep us talking so he could unsettle us. Nothing good would come from entertaining him.
Pretending not to have heard, I unleashed a barrage of star darts. The man hurriedly rolled across the floor to avoid them, his face twisting.
“That hurts, little lady. Such a pretty face, and such an unpleasant temperament.”
“Sohae, stay back.”
Yeon Ryang frowned and adjusted his grip on his sword, apparently intending to end this.
“Tch. So it isn’t the Myriad Poisons Sect? Then why are you with him? This is bad. I’m no match for Wraith. Is today the day I die?”
Grumbling, the man watched Yeon Ryang warily and retreated toward Jang Hojung.
Trembling in the corner, Jang Hojung gasped in terror when the man’s shadow fell over him.
“I’ve been giving this some thought. Is there really any reason to leave you alive?”
“What are you saying? Do you have any idea how much silver I gave you? You promised to help me become head of the merchant guild!”
“You see? You talk far too much. If I leave you alive, you’ll only become a nuisance. Besides, I need vital essence immediately.”
Smiling viciously, the man seized Jang Hojung by the head.
“Ghk—gaaah! Gaaaaaagh!”
Jang Hojung screamed in agony as his body shriveled into a dried husk within moments. At the same time, the red-haired man’s mangled arm returned to its original state.
The horrifying sight froze me in place.
Did he drain Jang Hojung’s essence to heal himself?
Seeing me stiffen, the red-haired man licked his lips. He rotated his restored hand this way and that, apparently testing its condition.
“I hear a poison artist’s inner force comes to resemble poison as well. I wonder what your vital essence would taste—Graaagh!”
In the blink of an eye, Yeon Ryang severed the man’s other arm.
He spoke in an icy voice.
“I should have cut out that tongue first.”
Even as his severed arm rolled across the floor, the man did not shrink back. He burst into laughter like a madman.
“Ahahahaha! Are you killing me to silence me, Wraith? You truly intend to betray the Cult?”
“...”
“Do you think you can escape the Divine Cult’s embrace? Even if you flee the Cult and hide somewhere in the Central Plains, who would ever accept you? Wraith, you are a sword fiend drenched in blood. A murderous ghost. A ghost can never become human. The only place you belong is hell.”
A vein bulged in Yeon Ryang’s neck as the man poured out his curse.
The sight of Yeon Ryang clutching his sword until his knuckles turned white sent a surge of anger through me.
“Even if you run, the Sovereign of Ten Thousand Demons will—Ghk!”
A throwing knife buried itself in the Demonic Sect follower’s throat. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he collapsed and rolled across the floor. His body twitched several times before going limp.
“What was that nonsense? Who does some Demonic Sect bastard think he is, trying to break my brother’s spirit? Yeon Ryang decides where Yeon Ryang belongs.”
As I raised my voice in fury, Yeon Ryang gave me a bitter smile and loosened his grip on his sword.
He hid his blood-soaked right hand behind his back, and his eyes looked faintly sorrowful.
“Don’t listen to that mangy cur, Brother. What gutter did he crawl out of, running his mouth like that?”
“...Haah.”
Yeon Ryang sighed, scowled, and shot me a sideways glare.
“Sohae. What have I told you about speaking that way?”
“What? I didn’t swear! I wasn’t acting like some evil brute! I didn’t even—ow!”
Thwack!
I didn’t swear! This is so unfair!
I rubbed the lump rising on my head and stuck out my lower lip. Yeon Ryang lowered his gaze, looking deeply troubled.
His eyes had fallen upon my bloodstained hand.
“My little sister mustn’t grow accustomed to staining her hands with blood...”
I heard the self-reproach in his voice and firmly shook my head.
“Brother. I’m a martial artist too. A martial artist proves herself through martial strength. My decisions are mine to answer for.”
“...”
Yeon Ryang nodded with a forced smile. His lips moved several times before he changed the subject.
“The head of the merchant guild is still alive. We should call a physician.”
“Yes. We should.”
At that moment, Yang Gyojin poked his head through the window.
“Sohae, are you finished? I smashed all their cores.”
“Good work.”
“Miss Tang, are you all—aaah! Blood! There’s so much blood! Are you badly injured? We need to treat you at once—aaah! Uncle!”
Jang Miryeo screamed when she saw us covered in blood. Then she caught sight of her uncle’s mummified remains, foamed at the mouth, and collapsed.
“You know Miss Jang has a weak stomach. Why did you wake her?”
“I thought she’d be fine...”
Muttering, Yang Gyojin cautiously hoisted the unconscious Jang Miryeo onto his back again.
Swallowing a sigh, I began collecting my concealed weapons.
*****
After Jang Hojung’s death, no one remained who could threaten Jang Miryeo.
In fact, everyone was too busy behaving as though she had already inherited the merchant guild. The way those around her switched sides without a second thought was appalling, but Jang Miryeo did not seem bothered in the slightest.
“Even with a fish right before your eyes, swallowing it too greedily will only lodge a bone in your throat. This is the perfect opportunity to remove all the little bones. Then I can savor the flesh at my leisure.”
Jang Miryeo looked almost delighted as she spoke with a radiant smile. She apparently intended to use the incident as an opportunity to purge every disloyal faction.
The martial contest for her hand proceeded to the finals without further incident.
And Yang Gyojin...
Won.
Is this really all right? Am I supposed to pretend I don’t know what’s happening?
I felt uneasy, but it had already gone beyond anything I could interfere with.
Lacking the courage to witness his sham wedding, I informed the two of them that I would be leaving in two days.
“You’re leaving? Stay and eat first. Wedding feast food is good.”
“Right, Gyojin. You eat plenty. I don’t think I could swallow a bite of it sober.”
“Please grant me a little more time. Two days is far too short to repay my benefactor.”
“That’s all right. We have a contract, remember?”
“Then please tell me what supplies you will require for your journey. I will have them prepared.”
“Oh, I won’t turn that down.”
I brightened and began rattling off everything we needed. As I spoke, a servant approached Jang Miryeo and whispered into her ear.
“Miss, you have a visitor.”
“A visitor?”
“Someone from Yang Manor...”
“Show him in. We should prepare tea as well.”
The servant bowed at her reply, then opened the door and admitted the visitor.
Yang Gyojin’s eyes widened when he recognized the man.
“Huh? Steward?”
“Young Master! What in the world have you been getting yourself into?”
The man shouting through his tears was the steward of Yang Manor.