Chapter 84 – The Child Who Plays the Flute (5)

Chapter 84 – The Child Who Plays the Flute (5)

So-so ran for her life, never once looking back.

The members of the White Dragon Squad pursuing her could only marvel in disbelief. It was astonishing that a child with such short legs could perform such high-level lightfoot techniques.

"We must catch her!"

Contrary to their expectations, the distance between them did not close at all. Despite their physical superiority, they could do no more than maintain their current distance.

Before long, the child entered the west gate of Hanzhong Fortress, sprinting through the busy streets. The White Dragon Squad members grew increasingly desperate. They had never expected her to flee into the city.

"Team Leader! If we kill the Jade Flower Goddess's daughter here, we might run into trouble with the government forces!"

The scout running at the front of the squad shouted. The team leader replied without hesitation,

"She is born with the talent of the Heavenly Demon! The very survival of the Orthodox faction is at stake, so capture her at all costs!"

The Heavenly Demon. It was the title of the legendary figure who had fully mastered the demonic arts. Legends said that whenever a Heavenly Demon appeared in the martial world, a brutal storm of blood would sweep the land, ushering in an age of darkness.

The quiet thoroughfares of Hanzhong were thrown into chaos by the sudden commotion.

Ordinary citizens who did not practice martial arts could not track their movements; they only felt a sudden gust of wind howling past.

Tears streamed down So-so's face as she ran at full speed, scattering in the wind.

"Sob… What do I do…?"

She wasn't crying out of fear for the men chasing her. It was because she instinctively knew her master was in grave danger.

So-so's destination had been decided from the very start. She was heading toward the strongest person she knew in the world: her father, who would be at the Wolf Fang Squad barracks.

"Stand still!"

"Just wait a moment!"

"Let's talk!"

So-so screamed back at them without slowing down,

"Don't lie to me!"

She was not a naive child who could be easily fooled by adults.

Soon, the manor of the Guard Battalion came into view. So-so recalled her uncles assisting the guards with their martial arts training there recently. Without a moment's hesitation, she leaped toward the wall of the Guard Battalion.

Whoosh!

As So-so ran along the top of the wall, the courtyard of the manor opened up before her. Hundreds of guards were lined up in formation, practicing their martial arts, with members of the Wolf Fang Squad stationed among them.

Just ten zhang away, she spotted a familiar figure—a massive, bear-like man strolling with his hands behind his back.

"Uncle Il-gwang!!!"

Her voice was thick with sorrow.

Hearing the familiar voice, Il-gwang spun around. He saw So-so running along the wall of the Guard Battalion, tears streaming down her face, with a group of white-robed martial artists hot on her heels.

The moment So-so leaped down into the courtyard, the pursuers leaped after her. Il-gwang instantly detected the deadly intent emanating from them. His eyes widening in fury, he moved like a flash, blocking So-so from her pursuers.

"You bastards, how dare you!"

Engulfed in red energy, Il-gwang's fist surged forward. The leading White Dragon Team leader reflexively unleashed his sword energy to counter the blow.

Boom!

One by one, the other members of the Wolf Fang Squad began to gather, quickly numbering nearly a hundred.

The White Dragon Team leader's demeanor instantly shifted, and he shouted urgently,

"W-Wait! We are from the Martial Alliance!"

While the Wolf Fang Squad and the White Dragon Squad faced off, So-so slipped past and rushed toward her destination. She had only about thirty zhang left, but the distance felt agonizingly far.

Bam!

The sudden commotion shattered So-mu's meditation, and his eyes snapped open. He saw his daughter standing at the entrance of the barracks, sobbing uncontrollably.

Meanwhile, a heavy silence fell over the courtyard of the Guard Battalion.

The White Dragon Squad leader was pushed back a step from the initial clash, a look of panic crossing his face.

The White Dragon members hesitated, assessing the situation. They had no time to waste. The team leader spoke to Il-gwang in a cold, threatening tone,

"Step aside, or you will die."

But Il-gwang was not one to back down. Cracking his knuckles, his expression darkened.

Anger flared in the team leader's eyes. While this brute blocked his way, the Jade Flower Goddess's daughter was slipping out of reach. Irritation bubbled within him.

The team leader signaled his men. Instantly, thirty White Dragon members surrounded Il-gwang, readying their sword energy.

If they deployed their formation, they possessed enough power to take down even a Flower Realm master. It was a terrifying sight, yet Il-gwang merely grinned.

Instead of responding, Il-gwang gestured with his head toward their surroundings.

"I think you bastards are the ones who should get on your knees."

The Wolf Fang Squad, renowned as Hanzhong's elite special forces unit, was fast becoming famous in the martial world. Up close, the pressure they exerted was even greater than the rumors suggested.

The White Dragon Squad was in a terrible position. Individually, the Wolf Fang Squad members were no weaker than them. Moreover, they were overwhelmingly outnumbered. It was no time to let pride dictate their actions.

Il-gwang fell into brief contemplation. The Martial Alliance was a force that even the military could not lightly offend. He needed to hear So-so's side of the story first before making a decision. But when he looked around, his niece was already gone.

So-so had dashed into her father's quarters.

Before anyone could stop her, So-so lunged into So-mu's arms, clutching his robes as she wept bitterly.

"Sob… Father… What do I do…?"

It was the first time So-mu had ever seen his daughter cry like this. A terrible premonition washed over him.

"What happened?"

"Bad men came… They are beating Master… Sob…"

The moment he had feared had finally arrived. So-mu stood up in silence, gently patting his daughter's shoulder.

"Wait here for a moment."

So-mu extended his right hand. Using telekinesis, the bamboo hat hanging in the corner of the barracks flew straight into his grasp. He placed it on his head and vanished like a gust of wind.

***

Earlier, at Mount Dingjun.

Boom!

A massive explosion echoed through the mountain basin.

Yeon Seo-hwa stumbled backward, her face deathly pale. Her snow-white cotton robes were shredded in multiple places, with fresh blood seeping through the tears. She wiped the blood from her lip with her sleeve and muttered,

"You claim to stand for justice, yet you are incredibly cowardly."

Murong Hou and Wujin surrounded her from both sides.

"The Demonic Cult has already collapsed and left the Jianghu. Must you go this far?" Yeon Seo-hwa struggled to steady her stance, looking around. The two masters blocked her completely, leaving no escape route.

Murong Hou merely frowned and shook his head.

"Too many of our brethren have died by your hands for us to let you live."

"Is that not the way of the martial world? The moment you entered the war between the Orthodox and Demonic factions, you should have prepared for death. What hypocrisy."

"Enough talk."

Murong Hou's saber energy swept toward her, while Wujin's sword qi blocked her escape. Yeon Seo-hwa slid backward, unleashing her double palms in rapid succession.

Boom!

"Ack!"

Yeon Seo-hwa groaned. Her throwing needles were long exhausted, and she had no opportunity to use her sound arts.

Capitalizing on her unstable stance, Murong Hou's saber sliced toward her throat and waist simultaneously.

Swoosh!

She barely evaded the strike by using Shift Transposition, but Wujin's sword was already waiting for her. Yeon Seo-hwa hurriedly blocked it with her Black Dragon Divine Palm.

Clang!

"Since when has the battle between the Orthodox and Demonic factions ever been fair?"

"I will admit you did well to survive this long against the two of us."

The relentless attacks had worn Yeon Seo-hwa down. Her posture collapsed, and with her retreat cut off, she leaped into the air. Wujin had pursued her instantly using the Cloud Ladder Step. Ascending like a reverse waterfall, he unleashed his ultimate technique.

Wudang Taiji Sword Form, Taiji Fills the Heavens. Dozens of sword qi bloomed into Taiji diagrams. The sheer complexity and lethality of the strike were terrifying.

Yeon Seo-hwa had hurriedly countered with her Black Dragon Divine Palm, but her internal injuries made it impossible to block the attack completely.

Boom!

"Argh!"

As she fell, Murong Hou struck again. Gritting her teeth, Yeon Seo-hwa deployed her protective energy to minimize the impact.

She collapsed to the ground, spitting a mouthful of fresh blood. The shock of the impact had left her gasping.

Yeon Seo-hwa, exhausted and severely wounded, had no strength left to resist. She could only watch the approaching saber energy. The memories of her past flashed before her eyes—her brief but happy moments with So-so and the child's father.

She slowly closed her eyes, preparing for the end.

But then, her eyes snapped open. The saber energy that was inches from her face had suddenly shifted its angle.

Clang!

With a thunderous, metallic roar, Murong Hou was sent stumbling backward.

"Tsk!"

"Kuhuck!"

Rolling across the ground, Murong Hou sat up and spat a mouthful of fresh blood. The shock of the impact had left him gasping.

Yeon Seo-hwa stared in disbelief at the back of the man who had suddenly appeared before her, wearing a bamboo hat.

"Who are you!?" Murong Hou roared.

In that single, brief clash, the two orthodox masters had already guessed the identity of their opponent. They looked utterly bewildered, unable to comprehend the situation.

Under the brim of his bamboo hat, So-mu's eyes shone like a quiet lake.

"We must hear what relationship the Sword Saint has with the Demonic Cult," Wujin said, stepping forward.

So-mu stood before Yeon Seo-hwa.

"This woman… is my…"

Wujin and Murong Hou waited in tense silence. Yeon Seo-hwa, still on the ground, stared at his back with a trembling heart.

So-mu spoke quietly,

"My… wife."

"Do not speak nonsense, Sword Saint. Before you truly brand yourself a traitor."

Choked by the oppressive aura So-mu released, Murong Hou fell silent. Wujin stepped forward and demanded,

"Explain yourself, Sword Saint."

"What is there to explain? This woman and I have both retired from the martial world. You need not concern yourselves with us."

But Wujin and Murong Hou had no intention of backing down.

"We cannot do that."

"That woman is none other than the Jade Flower Goddess, a notorious demoness. Have you truly betrayed the Orthodox faction?"

At that moment, a bone-chilling aura erupted from So-mu, directed entirely at Murong Hou.

Whoosh!

So-mu did not answer. He merely glanced back at Yeon Seo-hwa. Her eyes were pooling with tears.

—Why did you come?

—Didn't you ask me to protect you?

Seeing the Sword Saint's silence, Murong Hou narrowed his eyes.

"I do not know what madness has possessed you, Sword Saint, but we have a duty to finish. Step aside."

Wujin's sword drew a Taiji circle, but before he could even execute the technique, So-mu's blade deflected it with a single, flawless strike.

Clang!

Wujin, retreating in alarm, saw another blinding flash of light erupt before him.

Clash!

A sharp groan escaped his lips.

"Ugh!"

A heavy, numbing pain shot up his wrist. Wujin staggered back, his eyes wide in disbelief.

Recognizing that So-mu's martial power transcended theirs, Wujin quickly deployed his lightfoot technique, Cloud-Chasing Step, to slide backward and widen the distance. Facing this man alone was suicide.

Murong Hou and Wujin stood side by side, raising their weapons. For the first time in their decades of martial life, they felt true terror.

The man in the bamboo hat stood before Yeon Seo-hwa, his sword held diagonally. Who else in the Central Plains could radiate a presence as immovable as a mountain?