Chapter 261

“Ugh…”

A moaning sound came from somewhere. When Jin Ja-gang searched urgently, he found a young Taoist from the Qingcheng sect trapped behind the collapsed hermitage, making groaning sounds.

Jin Ja-gang cleared away the debris pressing down on the Taoist and pulled him out. The Taoist’s condition was poor. He was bleeding too much.

However, being crushed by the hermitage wasn’t the direct cause. There were holes thicker than fingers punched through his shoulders, thighs, and limb joints. Blood continued flowing from holes that made bleeding control impossible.

It was truly a strange wound. It seemed like a wound made to kill as slowly as possible rather than to torture deliberately.

Jin Ja-gang shook the Taoist awake. The Taoist looked at Jin Ja-gang with parched lips and haggard eyes. Though he had no direct interaction with Jin Ja-gang, he was a Taoist whose face he had seen once before.

“Sorry…”

“What happened here?”

Since the Qingcheng sect disciple’s martial arts skills were not low, for him to end up like this meant that stronger opponents had come.

“Silent Dragon… came.”

Silent Dragon?

Seeing Jin Ja-gang’s puzzlement, the Qingcheng sect disciple continued with difficulty.

“And Swift Dragon was with him. I tried to stop them but was outmatched…”

Swift Dragon was Yang Jeon, the later promising talent of the Yang family. He was one of the Three Dragons along with Silent Dragon and Fire Dragon. For a young Qingcheng disciple, it would have been difficult to overcome two of the Three Dragons.

“What happened to Miss Tang?”

“Fortunately, she escaped…”

Jin Ja-gang understood the situation.

Silent Dragon and Swift Dragon were chasing the fleeing Tang Ha-ran. They had deliberately left the Qingcheng disciple alive to inform Jin Ja-gang of this fact.

If you want to save your woman, come find us!

It was like leaving a message for Jin Ja-gang through the Qingcheng disciple.

“Thank you for helping. What can I do for you?”

The Qingcheng sect disciple laughed weakly even while dying. He seemed to know his role.

“I’m no longer in pain, so don’t worry too much, fellow Taoist… It won’t take long.”

Jin Ja-gang laid the Qingcheng sect disciple in a place where the sun didn’t shine. The Qingcheng sect disciple had already died, perhaps because his tension had relaxed after delivering his message.

Jin Ja-gang observed a moment of silence, praying for him to enter the immortal realm, then immediately stood up.

“Silent Dragon. Swift Dragon.”

The Silent Dragon he had experienced before was strong. Jin Ja-gang couldn’t subdue him even using poison. If Swift Dragon Yang Jeon was with him…

Jin Ja-gang had to be grateful that he had become stronger.

He no longer needed to hesitate about facing those two, about going to save Tang Ha-ran.

“If it were the old me, I would have been desperate just to go save Miss Tang. But now…”

Jin Ja-gang raised his internal energy with one breath, then took a deep breath.

“Whoop!”

Then he filled all four dikes completely. The amount of whirlwinds raging within the four full dikes was truly enormous. Jin Ja-gang’s body swayed continuously as if caught in a storm. His hair flew as if blown by wind and his clothes became taut.

This was the first time he had raised his internal energy to such an extreme limit.

Thanks to taking the Qingcheng sect’s Great Pure Divine Elixir, the power dwelling in his entire meridian system was tremendous.

After drawing out internal energy to the point where he felt his body might burst, Jin Ja-gang looked up at the sky and howled.

ROOOOOAAAAAR!

Jin Ja-gang’s roar echoed throughout the mountain like thunder.

Rumble!

Nearby peaks vibrated.

The startled birds actually didn’t fly. To avoid flying, they dug their claws into tree branches and stopped their calls. Beasts pricked up their ears and lowered their bodies. No animals ran, moved, or cried.

In an instant, all sounds disappeared.

Predator.

A predator had appeared.

The mountains that had been noisy with the chirping of small animals were enveloped in complete silence. The landscape without any sound was unrealistically eerie.

If they were somewhere among these mountains, they couldn’t have failed to hear it.

Jin Ja-gang bared his canine teeth and ground them.

“Now it’s you who should be hunted.”

* * *

Rumble.

Baek Li-gwon and Yang Jeon also heard Jin Ja-gang’s howl. It was definitely not an ordinary beast’s cry.

Baek Li-gwon, who had been chasing Tang Ha-ran, stopped walking and looked back.

“It’s him. He’s come to save his woman.”

Yang Jeon, who was with him, said.

“Wasn’t I right? Going to Guizhou was already too late anyway, and if we caught his woman, he would appear.”

Yang Jeon looked down at his own arm. Goosebumps were protruding all over.

“Wow… but what’s this? This is no joke. Look at these goosebumps.”

Yang Jeon was a handsome, southern-style young man in his twenties who was close friends with Baek Li-gwon. Yang Jeon shouldered his black spear with red tassels and whistled.

“Brother Baek Li, you said something different. This guy is definitely not someone to take lightly. He’s worlds apart from that Qingcheng disciple earlier.”

“He’s the one who killed Golden Fortune Merchant, the Guizhou branch leader famous for his Golden Sand Palm and Sharp Point Finger. He should be at least this level.”

Baek Li-gwon asked back in a heavy voice.

“Are you scared?”

“What do I have to be scared of? I can just run away if things go bad. Aren’t I called Swift Dragon for a reason? I’m known for my running ability. But Brother Baek Li, who came to Guizhou following me while disobeying his foster father’s orders, can’t run away like me.”

Baek Li-gwon didn’t answer.

Yang Jeon asked.

“What’s so bad about Ice Phoenix, the Sword Marquis’s disciple, that you reject her so much? She’s rumored to be the greatest beauty in the south and seems to have feelings for you too.”

“My heart… doesn’t allow it.”

“So stubborn. Well, that’s probably why women like you so much. But…”

Clank.

Yang Jeon lowered the spear from his shoulder.

“What’s that? Why did she stop running and come back?”

At Yang Jeon’s glance, Baek Li-gwon also turned his gaze.

Tang Ha-ran, who had been fleeing just moments ago, had suddenly returned and appeared before them.

Both Baek Li-gwon and Yang Jeon couldn’t help but be puzzled.

After staring at Tang Ha-ran incredulously for a while, Yang Jeon snorted and asked.

“Miss Tang. Are you already tired? Or did you suddenly gain confidence you didn’t have before because that guy is coming?”

Tang Ha-ran had a haggard face from being chased for so long. Though she was torn and cut in several places, there were no major wounds.

“He’s coming.”

At Tang Ha-ran’s words, Yang Jeon replied as if incredulous.

“We know that too. We’re not deaf. And we actually want him to come this way too. But you appear boldly before us?”

Yang Jeon drew a circle with his finger beside his head.

“Are you crazy?”

Tang Ha-ran answered without being shaken.

“If I’m not visible, he’ll worry.”

“What?”

“If I’m in a place where he can see me, he won’t search for me and can concentrate on dealing with you.”

“What tremendous faith. Getting completely infatuated with a murderer and burning down your family’s library, yet knowing no shame. Tsk.”

Tang Ha-ran sneered.

“Wouldn’t the parents who bore you be more shameful? If they knew their son was chasing after women’s skirts.”

Yang Jeon stopped laughing and his eyes blazed with anger.

“This bitch, I was being nice to you and you think I’m a pushover? You think I’m chasing you because I like it? I need to hold you hostage to lure that guy in!”

Yang Jeon suddenly changed and cursed at Tang Ha-ran.

Baek Li-gwon said.

“You’re wrong. She’s not a hostage.”

“What?”

“I’m going to kill her. In front of him.”

Yang Jeon was a bit flustered.

“B-Brother Baek Li. But she’s Tang family blood. Unlike the Qingcheng sect that betrayed the Martial Alliance, she’s different. Even if she betrayed her family, if we carelessly kill blood of the Tang family, which belongs to the same Martial Alliance…”

Killing intent slowly filled Baek Li-gwon’s eyes.

“He killed my Yon Mae. Yet you want me to leave his woman alone? Whether she’s Tang family blood or the Martial Alliance Leader’s granddaughter, I absolutely cannot tolerate it!”

Grind grind.

Baek Li-gwon’s eyes began to turn blood-red from killing intent.

This was a path he had taken even defying Baek Li-jung’s words. With his enemy before his eyes, becoming soft-hearted or giving up was impossible.

Yang Jeon tried to calm Baek Li-gwon.

“Now, Brother Baek Li. I understand your feelings, but let’s think calmly. I’ll just make one of her legs unusable, so let’s be satisfied with that and catch Poison Dragon first.”

But Tang Ha-ran interjected.

“Silent Dragon. I have something to apologize to you about.”

Baek Li-gwon glared at Tang Ha-ran with reddened eyes.

Tang Ha-ran said.

“It wasn’t he who killed Zhuge Yon. It was an assassin sent by the main family.”

Flinch.

Baek Li-gwon hesitated for a moment.

“Zhuge Yon died from the main family’s poison. So if you want revenge, you should take it on me, not him.”

Yang Jeon urgently stopped Baek Li-gwon.

“Brother Baek Li! Don’t fall for her words! If you fall for those words now and lose your reason…”

It was too late.

Baek Li-gwon had lost his reason. Baek Li-gwon roared silently. With eyes turned bright red, he opened his mouth and rushed at Tang Ha-ran with a demonic face, bare-handed without even drawing his sword.

“I’ll kill you!”

Killing intent vibrated all around. Tang Ha-ran was also momentarily overwhelmed by Baek Li-gwon’s killing intent and her body stiffened. Tang Ha-ran bit her lip to draw blood and moved her body.

Baek Li-gwon struck down with his fist as if to shatter Tang Ha-ran’s head. Tang Ha-ran deflected Baek Li-gwon’s fist with the Tang family’s Golden Thread Hand and struck his shoulder with her palm.

Tang Ha-ran’s internal energy was comparable to the Three Dragons Four Phoenixes. She simply hadn’t gained fame in the martial world because she carried out family missions. The power in her palm was sufficient to destroy Baek Li-gwon’s protective energy and collapse his shoulder.

Baek Li-gwon knew this, yet had no recognition of danger as he slashed at Tang Ha-ran’s neck with his hand blade.

It was a typical technique of giving flesh to take bone. Of course, it wasn’t a technique a disciple of a famous orthodox sect would use.

Tang Ha-ran withdrew her hand and crossed both hands to block Baek Li-gwon’s hand blade. Baek Li-gwon kicked at Tang Ha-ran’s solar plexus. Tang Ha-ran twisted Baek Li-gwon’s hand caught between her arms to break his posture.

Baek Li-gwon couldn’t kick but stood firm on the ground with horse stance.

Crack!

His shoulder dislocated. His arm hung limply and helplessly. However, Baek Li-gwon’s stance remained solid. Tang Ha-ran’s effort had become essentially meaningless.

Baek Li-gwon grabbed Tang Ha-ran’s nape with his remaining hand. Tang Ha-ran lowered her posture to avoid Baek Li-gwon’s hand. Baek Li-gwon kicked upward at Tang Ha-ran with his knee. Tang Ha-ran pushed against his knee and tried to escape from Baek Li-gwon using that force, but suddenly abdominal pain struck.

“Ugh!”

Her stomach hurt as if twisting.

It was because she had overexerted herself in early pregnancy. Therefore, she couldn’t act as she had intended.

Tang Ha-ran brought both arms together to block her right cheek.

Thud!

Despite blocking, Tang Ha-ran’s face bounced from the impact. A red bruise formed on her cheekbone and her lips split. Her snow-white shoulders and neck were completely exposed. Baek Li-gwon raised his hand blade. He intended to swing his hand blade and tear Tang Ha-ran’s neck.

At that moment, Jin Ja-gang burst out from the side.

Jin Ja-gang ran at an invisible speed and rammed into Baek Li-gwon’s ribs.

Crack!

Baek Li-gwon’s ribs broke and his side caved in.

Due to the momentary rebound from Baek Li-gwon’s internal energy, Jin Ja-gang was also pushed back three or four steps, but Baek Li-gwon was sent flying and rolled on the ground. Though he performed breakfall techniques and got up, the force of Jin Ja-gang’s ram was so strong that he fell again immediately after standing.

Baek Li-gwon’s pupils shook.