CFZ

The Chase Through the Night Forest

Tap, tap—!!
In the dark depths of the night forest, someone was running as though possessed. His ragged breathing and contorted expression betrayed his dire condition.
“Huff… huff!”

With a limping body, he kept pushing forward. Every step was agony, but he couldn’t afford to stop.
Fuck… damn it—!!
Ilcheon Sword gritted his teeth as he continued to run. How had it come to this? Before he could make sense of the situation, his body had already begun to move.

What about the Celestial Stream Sect Master? What happened to him?
How had everything fallen apart so suddenly? How had things escalated this quickly?
Why… why is it him?

The moment the Star King, Gu Yangcheon, stormed the Azure Dragon Unit’s barracks and began mentioning sins, Ilcheon Sword had instinctively fled.
The fight—or rather, the one-sided beatdown—had left his body in tatters. His mind, barely regaining clarity, had driven him to act on sheer survival instinct.
The moment Gu Yangcheon spoke of sins, Ilcheon Sword knew.
That man already knew something.

And not just vague suspicions. He seemed to hold certainty, backed by evidence.
Perhaps that was why Ilcheon Sword had abandoned his post and fled in blind desperation.
Was it the fear of punishment? No. It was the terror of his sins being exposed.

He had long since cast aside his ideals and convictions. By colluding with heretical sects, he had dragged the honor of the Martial Alliance through the mud.
This guilt weighed heavily on him.
Resistance was futile. Ilcheon Sword had already faced the reality during his confrontation with Gu Yangcheon.

That man… he’s a monster.
Gu Yangcheon was no ordinary martial artist. Even with everything Ilcheon Sword had, he couldn’t win. Could someone barely past their early twenties truly be on par with the Ten Grand Masters? It was a reality so absurd that even experiencing it firsthand felt unreal.
Ilcheon Sword gritted his teeth, forcing strength into his legs.

Where could he run to? He didn’t know. His mind was a blank slate.
Where could a martial artist who had betrayed honor and virtue possibly go?
He had no destination, just the desperate urge to keep running.

Should he go back and plead his case? No. The killing intent emanating from Gu Yangcheon wasn’t something words could placate.
Damn it.
How had things come to this? No matter how many times he thought about it, there were no answers.

Where had it all gone wrong? When had he first crossed paths with Gu Yangcheon?
Or perhaps…
Was it when he first appeared?
No matter the cause, the problem was Gu Yangcheon. Why had such a monster suddenly appeared to block his path?

I…
He was supposed to climb higher, to ascend to greater heights. This wasn’t where his journey was supposed to end.
His mind grew foggy. Was it even worth running?

Shouldn’t he have stayed and fought alongside his men?
Ah, so he had abandoned them. He had fled, leaving his subordinates behind.
As his scattered thoughts slowly returned, Ilcheon Sword’s expression grew increasingly grim.

Despair loomed. The more he thought, the clearer it became that there was no way back.
Damn it…
If he returned to the Martial Alliance, it would be the end.

He needed a plan.
Should I leave Sichuan first?
Perhaps he could hide within his clan and then work to clear his name, claiming the charges were false—

Ssshhhiiiing—!!
“…!!”
Ilcheon Sword instinctively ducked. Something flew past, just above his head.

BOOOM—!!!
A deafening explosion erupted behind him, accompanied by a shockwave. He halted and turned to see the path he had been running through reduced to rubble.
He recognized the blast as an attack fueled by martial energy.

Without hesitation, he turned his gaze forward. Someone stood there, watching him with an expression of disappointment.
“Ugh! I missed!”
The speaker was a short-haired woman whose hair barely grazed her chin. She carried a staff taller than herself, exuding a sinister aura that made Ilcheon Sword’s skin crawl.

He scowled as he recognized her.
She’s… the bloodline of the Spirit Sword Queen.
The daughter of a woman the Alliance avoided discussing at all costs.

And that monster’s subordinate.
She was one of Gu Yangcheon’s lackeys.
Which meant—

“You idiot. You should’ve hidden your presence better.”
Another voice rang out, making Ilcheon Sword swallow dryly. In the darkness, two blue lights flickered. They were unmistakably eyes.
“I told you to practice, didn’t I? Looks like you didn’t bother.”

“I-I did! I swear!”
“Hmmph.”
The young man clicked his tongue and emerged from the shadows.

Ilcheon Sword ground his teeth at the sight of the man responsible for his predicament.
“…You…”
The youth turned to him with a smirk.

“Ah, nice to see you again.”
He waved nonchalantly before speaking.
“We’ve got a lot to talk about, don’t we?”

There was no doubt. It was Gu Yangcheon.

   ****************
   
The Shattered Ilcheon Sword

Looking at the utterly broken Ilcheon Sword, I couldn’t help but laugh. He was a wreck, almost unrecognizable.
Of course, much of that was my doing. I’d shattered a few of his bones and left him in a state where he could barely walk.
That he had managed to run at all in such a condition was impressive. The pain must have been unbearable, yet he endured it, driven by sheer desperation.

So, he was that terrified, even through the agony.
It was amusing.
A man who once prided himself on honor now lay in ruins, both physically and morally. The sight was enough to make me laugh, though I forced my lips to still to suppress the contempt rising «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» within me.

“You said something back then, didn’t you?” I addressed Ilcheon Sword.
His eyes, filled with resentment, met mine.
“You swore on your name that you had never violated the principles of righteousness and honor.”

“You bastard…”
“A man’s word is his bond, they say. I’ve never liked that saying, but what about you?”
His ragged breathing was the only response I received. His eyes, however, burned with hatred.

“Can’t answer, huh?”
“How dare you…! How dare you do this to me…!”
“That’s not an answer. I just asked what happened to that vow you made.”

“Hah…!”
Ilcheon Sword staggered to his feet, forcing words through gritted teeth.
“What crime have I committed to warrant this false accusation?”

“False accusation?”
I couldn’t help but laugh, the sound escaping me before I could stop it.
“Even now, you never cease to amaze me. In every possible way.”

“This is all lies and slander. Clearly, you’ve orchestrated this to pin the blame on me!”
Well, well.
He wasn’t entirely wrong. He wasn’t completely oblivious, either. But it didn’t matter.

“Do you think I went to all the trouble of gathering evidence for nothing? Are you insane?”
“…What evidence?”
“Evidence of everything you’ve done up to this point.”

Did I really have to spell it out for him? It was tedious, but I supposed I could humor him.
“For starters, you hired someone to poison me. We’ve got the Tang Clan’s testimony and the confession of the one who administered it.”
The poison used wasn’t hard to identify, even without the Tang Clan’s expertise. Capturing the perpetrator had been the easy part.

“Then there’s your collusion with the Celestial Stream Sect Master to try to kill me. We’ve gathered both evidence and witnesses.”
“Lies—!”
“Lies? Does this look like a lie to you?”

I loosened my shoulders, continuing without pause.
“Honestly, it wouldn’t have mattered much if you had succeeded in killing me.”
That part was at least half true.

“People kill out of spite. It happens. Trying is another story, but I could let that slide. But you…”
I fixed him with a glare, letting my words pierce him.
“You aligned yourself with heretical scum. You dared to sully the name of righteousness.”

“….”
“You claim to pursue honor and justice? That you’re more virtuous than anyone else? Don’t make me laugh. Look at the honor you’ve so proudly displayed—lying in the dirt.”
I nudged the ground with my toe, pointing at his fallen state. Ilcheon Sword remained silent.

“I despise the so-called righteous sects. The Martial Alliance included.”
Both in my past life and this one, the righteous sects disgusted me. Of course, the heretical sects were worse, but that didn’t absolve the so-called righteous ones.
“To be precise, it’s not righteousness itself I hate. It’s scum like you who hide their filth behind the mask of righteousness.”

Those who wore the guise of honor while their insides were rotted black—those were the ones I loathed.
“Kuh…”
Ilcheon Sword let out a choked groan. Still, he said nothing. It didn’t matter.

I stepped back, giving him some space, and spoke.
“Honestly, if you were innocent, you wouldn’t be running like this. Am I wrong?”
My words struck a nerve, and he stiffened. Sensing an opening, I continued.

“As much as I want to kill you right here, I’ll give you a chance.”
“…What?”
Hearing the word “chance,” Ilcheon Sword finally looked at me. I met his gaze and placed a hand on Bong Soon’s shoulder.

“Defeat her.”
“…Huh?”
“If you can beat her, I’ll let you go. I’ll turn a blind eye to whatever you do next.”

It seemed he didn’t quite grasp what I was saying. The confusion on his face was almost comical.
“What? Don’t want to? It’s a pretty good deal, considering you’d rather not fight me.”
“…Are you insane…?”

“Not at all. If you don’t believe me, I’ll swear on my family name, my clan, and even my parents, if you’d like.”
“….”
“Just win. Then you can walk away free.”

“….”
Ilcheon Sword’s eyes burned with a strange mix of emotions. Slowly, he reached for his waist, gripping his weapon.
Silent, but ready. Perhaps all he had left was a shred of pride, too small to sustain him.

“...You’ll regret this.”
“Yeah, sure.”
Even now, his words grated on me. But that was fine. This was exactly why I’d brought Bong Soon.

“Can I fight now?” Bong Soon asked, her expression slow to catch up.
“Yes, fight.”
Her face lit up like a child given permission to play.

“Really?”
“Yes.”
“How far can I go?”

“As far as you want.”
“Really?”
As the conversation continued, the hairs on my arms stood on end. A chill ran down my spine.

“Then, then…”
Bong Soon’s lips curled into a wide, sinister grin. At that moment—
“Can I kill him?”

Hisssss—!!
An overwhelming killing intent erupted from her body.
“…!”

Ilcheon Sword flinched. This was pure malice, untainted by any other emotion. It was the first time he had faced such unadulterated bloodlust.
Bong Soon’s intent was exactly that—simple, focused, and deadly.
“Sure, kill him,” I replied casually.

“Hehehehe—!!!”
Satisfied with my response, Bong Soon burst into laughter.
Krrk—!!

The staff in her hands began to transform. The blunt end sharpened, reshaping into a proper spear.
Whirr—!!
She spun the spear a few times, her movements rough but fluid. Her stance shifted, imbued with an eerie energy.

It was an unconventional posture—not the standard for spear techniques. One hand held the spear, while the other braced against the ground. She crouched low, resembling a predatory beast.
Ilcheon Sword hesitated, bewildered by the strange stance.
“Draw your sword,” I warned. “Don’t let your guard down, or you’ll regret it. She’s dangerous.”

“…What is this…”
Ignoring my warning, Ilcheon Sword remained confused. Spotting his uncertainty, Bong Soon let out a howl of laughter.
“Kyahahahahaha—!!!”

With that, she leaped forward, her spear driving straight toward him. Ilcheon Sword hastily drew his blade to block.
Crash—!!
The spear struck the flat of his sword.

Boom—!!
The impact sent him flying through the forest, crashing through trees in his path.
Crack—!!

“Hahahahaha—!!!”
Bong Soon didn’t give him a moment to recover. Laughing madly, she dashed after him.
“…Good grief.”

Watching the chaos unfold, I seated myself on a nearby rock.
I had some concerns. When Bong Soon got like this, it was hard to rein her in. But for someone like Ilcheon Sword, even in his weakened state, she was the perfect opponent.
The question was, how long would it take?

Not long, I decided.
Whether Ilcheon Sword fell or Bong Soon exhausted herself, it wouldn’t take much time.
As I mulled over my thoughts, my hand reached into my robes, brushing against something smooth.

A cracked mask.
“Well then…”
Once this little game ended…

“…it’s time to set the next trap.”
Bigger prey awaited.