#7

Chapter 2

The One Chosen by a Person (3)

Hyung-un’s eyes widened in inquiry, and Gwi-hyeok looked at him with faint puzzlement. The boy then spoke up.

“Wait… Master, I was just wondering, how do you know all this when you haven’t spoken to a single soul…?”

“Ah, I suppose I haven’t explained it to you yet. For now, just know that I have a means of secretly communicating with my subordinates. If I were to explain all the interesting tricks used by those of the Murim right now, there would be no end to it.”

“I see.”

Hyeong-un was dying to know what kind of trick it was, but he realized that with people fighting for their lives not so far away, it wasn’t the right time to ask. Gwi-hyeok turned his back toward the boy.

“Come on, let’s follow them. Get on my back.”

“Huh? W-whoa!”

Without even waiting for an answer, Gwi-hyeok hoisted Hyeong-un up with one hand and slung him onto his back. The movement was so swift and natural that by the time Hyeong-un came to his senses, he was already firmly secured.

“Alright, off we go.”

With those words, Gwi-hyeok kicked off the ground.

“W-w-whoaaaaaa!”

Hyeong-un let out a scream. Gwi-hyeok was running at a speed that eclipsed even a horse at full gallop. And that wasn’t all…

‘H-he’s leaping over houses!’

As if his feet were coated in glue, Gwi-hyeok ran up the side of a wall to reach the roof. From there, he moved by vaulting effortlessly from one house to the next. Instead of navigating the tangled web of streets, he chose to move in a straight line toward his destination.

It was truly a display of superhuman physical ability. Clinging to his back, Hyeong-un held onto Gwi-hyeok’s body for dear life, terrified that he might be flung off.

“Hmm.”

Gwi-hyeok came to a halt only after leaping over more than ten buildings since leaving the Cheon Estate. He questioned Seok-jun.

—Current location?

—East-west, approximately 100 Jang (about 300 meters) away.

Seok-jun’s reply came through. However, before Gwi-hyeok could move, a sound erupted that signaled their destination.

PA-AAAAANG!

An explosive sound reverberated from an alleyway roughly 100 Jang away.

Gwi-hyeok gave a wide grin.

“It seems they’re having quite the spirited fight.”

As flames and shockwaves burst upward, a human silhouette was flung out from the blast. A figure clad in black robes landed amid the chaos, his garments fluttering violently. Slung over his shoulder was another person.

Hyeong-un muttered without realizing it,

“Is that… him?”

“Yeah. That’s the guy. He’s completely suppressed the boy and is carrying him around like a piece of luggage.”

From this distance, Hyeong-un couldn’t make out Cheon Yu-ha’s features. All he could see clearly was the man in black hauling him away.

Gwi-hyeok stroked his chin.

“I can feel the aura of an Evil spirit. That alone tells me he’s a bastard who deserves to be beaten to death… but I can’t tell which faction he’s from. Still—he seems fairly skilled.”

The man in black had his face hidden by a mask, but within it, his eyes glowed with a red light so vivid it could be clearly recognized even from a distance—it was eerie. To Hyeong-un’s eyes, he looked not like a human, but like an incarnation of a demon.

“M-Master… why is that person’s eyes like that?”

“It’s because of the aura of an evil spirit.”

“What’s an evil spirit?”

“It’s an aura you gain once you master the sorcery of the Demonic Way. Well, either way, the mere fact that he’s mastered it confirms he’s a total bastard. You can’t even begin to learn it without toying with human lives.”

“Uh, I see. Then what will you do?”

“There are already people in pursuit, so let’s observe for a bit before we decide,”

Gwi-hyeok replied with a relaxed air.

Just then, shadows began to close in on the man in black as he soared across the rooftops. Among them was a grizzled old swordsman.

PA-BA-BA-BA-BANG!

From a different direction, arrows of flashing light poured down, striking the man in black. Though the man managed to block them by swinging his hand—which was shrouded in a dark, mist-like aura, but his momentum faltered. Seizing that opening, the old swordsman closed the distance.

“So there’s a supporting Phantom Sorcerer.”

Somewhere, hidden from sight, a phantom sorcerer had taken up position and was backing the pursuers. Remaining concealed, they continuously cast qi-illusion arts, binding the black-clad man’s movements and hindering his escape.

Seok-jun reported,

—The pursuer is Jin Gyu, known as the ‘Fool’s strike,’ a local celebrity in these parts. The illusionist is Han Yeong-un, known as the ‘Phantom Gleaming Smile,’ who travels with the Fool’s Strike. The others either couldn’t keep up or were struck down when they showed an opening.

—I’ve heard the name Jin Gyu of the Fool’s Strike before. To be able to withstand his pursuit and still hold his own… This kidnapper is no ordinary Demonic Practitioner.

“W-What…?!”

At that moment, Hyeong-un cried out and pointed in shock.

The black-clad man, who had been under a ferocious assault from the pursuers, underwent a bizarre transformation.

The torn hems of the man’s black robes stretched out unnaturally, and his entire body was enveloped in a black aura before scattering into pieces. Jin Gyu, who thought he had the man cornered and was pouring out his attacks, swung at empty air and froze in confusion.

Gwi-hyeok’s eyes narrowed.

“That guy… he’s completely abandoned his humanity. A Human Evil Spirit… It’s been a while since I’ve seen one.”

“What’s a Human Evil Spirit?”

“It’s the stage a Demonic Practitioner reaches when they master the power of evil spirits and utterly cast aside their human form. Once they reach that level, they can perform all sorts of nonsensical feats. That ‘mist transformation’ is one of them.”

The man in black, who had turned into black mist and scattered, reformed into his original shape at a distance. He then began to sprint again at a terrifying speed.

“We’re chasing him. Hold on tight.”

Gwi-hyeok also began dashing after him. At the same time, he issued a command.

—Send someone to take charge of Hyeong-un.

—Are you planning to capture him?

—I couldn’t care less about the ‘Star-Fated Prodigy,’ but it’s problematic to let a human evil spirit take him. If a ‘Demon King’—the kind people say will destroy Jianghu—actually comes into being, won’t it interfere with our business?

—That is true.

—Provide support.

—Understood.

Soon, a man who looked like a vagrant appeared at Gwi-hyeok’s side. As Gwi-hyeok handed Hyeong-un over to him, he spoke.

“This fellow is one of my subordinates, so you can rest easy. Wait here for just a moment; I’ll go catch that guy and come back.”“Ah… okay.”

The moment he heard Hyeong-un’s bewildered reply, Gwi-hyeok kicked off the ground and shot into the air. It was a speed beyond anything seen so far.

“Whoa…….”

Hyeong-un’s jaw dropped. Until now, Gwi-hyeok had been moving fast enough to be terrifying just to hang on. But at this moment, he looked like nothing less than a bird soaring through the sky.

The man who looked like a vagrant asked.

“What should we do? Would you like to follow and watch, or…?”

“Ah, w-well…”

“You can speak comfortably. You are, after all, the disciple of Lord Yeong-seong (Spirit Star).”

The man gave a broad grin, but Hyeong-un felt uneasy. Under normal circumstances, this was someone he wouldn’t have dared to strike up a proper conversation with. Yet here he was, being treated with such careful courtesy…

Hyeong-un agonized for a moment. Should he wait in a safe place for his Master to finish the job? Or should he, despite his fear, witness with his own eyes the kind of world he would be living in from now on?

‘I have to see it.’

Gwi-hyeok had warned him that the path he would walk would be a cruel one. If that were the case, he needed to confirm it with his own two eyes starting now.

“Please, follow him.”

“As you wish.”

The man slung Hyeong-un onto his back and began to sprint across the rooftops.

The pursuers were having little success in stopping the man in black. They were unable to launch a proper offensive, fearing that Cheon Yu-ha—who was slung over the man’s shoulder—might be harmed.

As for the man in black, whose movements were ever-changing and who could transform into mist in an instant, evading their attacks was no difficult task.

The problem, however, was that he couldn’t break free. Rather than trying to take the man down in a single blow, the two pursuers were focused on binding his movements and creating an opening.

The longer the standoff dragged on, the more disadvantageous it became for the man in black. Furthermore…….

‘Who is that guy?’

Someone was approaching from the other side at an incredible speed. It was none other than Gwi-hyeok.

Jin Gyu and Han Yeong-un were equally taken aback. Judging by his approaching footwork, it was clear that his martial arts had reached an extraordinary realm. Yet, he was a stranger, someone they hadn’t seen among the guests of the Cheon Estate.

“Hmm.”

Gwi-hyeok vaulted across the gap between rooftops and landed a short distance away from the man in black. He positioned himself directly opposite Jin-gyu, completing the encirclement that boxed the man in black in.

The man in black asked.

“And who the hell are you?”

“Does a creature that has abandoned its humanity truly care for a human name? For a Human Evil Spirit to swagger through the city walls in broad daylight… you must be utterly deranged.”

“How dare a mere brat…”

“Judging by that tone, I suppose you’re a monster who’s stuffed yourself with quite a few years of age. Fine. I shall grant you permission to state your name.”

“What did you say?”

The man in black was speechless with absurdity. From his perspective, how could a fellow who looked like nothing more than a green, wet-behind-the-ears brat be so fearless and arrogant?

As he watched the man in black tremble with rage, Gwi-hyeok’s expression turned indifferent.

“Don’t feel like talking? Then just die.”

Simultaneously, he thrust out a single palm. A ripple of transparent force erupted from his palm, surging toward the man in black.

“Kh-!”

The Man in black was caught off guard. The attack Gwi-hyeok had launched without warning was terrifyingly fast. In an instant, it bridged the gap—tearing through the air, compressed and sharpened as if it were a spear.

KWANG!

The man in black thrust out his palm to parry the strike. An explosive sound rang out as the impact radiated outward; in its wake, nearby roof tiles were swept into the air and pulverized into dust.

Gwi-hyeok’s eyes gleamed.

“Hoh. That black hand of yours… it just jogged my memory. Would you happen to be the Black-Handed Ghost?”

“I have been called by such a name. Now that you’ve recalled it, have you finally learned your place?”

The man in black confirmed it.

The Black-Handed Ghost.

He was one of the Demonic Practitioners whose infamous name was known throughout Jianghu.

True to his title as a demonic practitioner, he possessed an infamous reputation for slaughtering countless people; he had abandoned his humanity in pursuit of vast power and eternal life.

Hating the idea of growing old and returning to the earth as dust, he had researched forbidden Spirit Arts and Spirit necromancy. In the process of mastering these Demonic Arts, he kidnapped innocent civilians and subjected them to horrific live human experimentation.

When these atrocities were exposed, he became a public enemy of the entire Murim. Yet he was a man who valued his life above all else—so cautious that tracking down his true whereabouts had proven nearly impossible. Yet, driven by his greed for the Star-Fated Prodigy, he had risked the danger of appearing even within the city walls.

The reason Gwi-hyeok recognized his identity was simple. It was because his hand had been revealed in the exchange they had moments ago. Just like his moniker, his hand was so ink-black that it was hard to believe it belonged to a human.

Gwi-hyeok let out a crooked grin.

“Knowing my place is something I’ve always been excellent at. Was that measly little name of yours so precious that you couldn’t speak it when I told you to?”

“Wh-What did you say…?!”

{TL Note for thought: why Jin Gyu is called the Fool’s Strike. Jin-gyu’s moniker the “Fool’s Strike” has different translation meanings between the Korean and Chinese iteration. One meaning “brute striking sword” and “Foolish/Honest striking sword” respectively. So he’s called that because even though his sword techniques are open, simple and easy to read (like a fool’s), It still packs sheer overwhelming power. Hence the name Fool’s Strike }