Overlord of Sichuan

Chapter 28: Pursuit

“Huff, huff.”

Rough gasps echoed along the rugged, winding mountain path of Mount Waok.

It was the sound of someone groaning in pain, their breath caught up to the very end of their throat.

With a face drained completely of color, Cheong Yeon was struggling up the steep slope.

‘I… I feel like I’m going to die…’

She turned her head slightly to glance down.

Swoosh.

Below stretched a sheer cliff, so deep that if she were to fall, not even her corpse would remain intact.

Cold sweat trickled down her back.

‘Hic… I should’ve listened to Master earlier.’

Barely managing to steady her trembling legs, Cheong Yeon chewed on her regrets.

The words she had exchanged with Geum Hwa Sa-tae in the past brushed through her mind.

Cheong Yeon, if you neglect your training in the Movement Arts, you will surely face great suffering in real combat.

Oh come on, Master. Even so, among the first disciples, my lightness skill ranks within the top five.

Tsk tsk, merely running quickly on flat ground is not true mastery of Movement Arts.

‘Ahh, Master. Only now do I understand.’

Only now did she realize the meaning behind her master’s words.

In such sheer and precipitous mountain paths, crawling on all fours was easier than walking on two legs.

Proper use of lightness skill here was impossible.

What her master had meant by true Movement Arts was not about being ‘fast’, but about perfectly maintaining ‘balance’ no matter the terrain.

Had her Movement Arts been more refined, each step she took would not have been this arduous.

At that moment, Cheong Yeon raised her head and looked upward.

‘…Like those two right in front of my eyes.’

Her gaze caught the figures of a man and woman, far ahead of her, ascending the mountain path with ease.

Unlike her, the two of them moved with overwhelming speed and fluidity.

But Cheong Yeon’s eyes fixed only on Sewoon.

‘No, but how is Young Master Tang climbing such treacherous paths so easily?’

Step! Scrape!

Sewoon, in particular, was unbelievably fast.

To someone who didn’t know better, he would seem less like a man and more like a wild monkey.

What was even more shocking was that despite Ha Yeong, whose accumulated internal energy far surpassed Sewoon’s, being drenched in sweat across her forehead and back—

Sewoon ascended briskly as though on a leisurely stroll, without so much as a single drop of sweat.

‘More than just Movement Arts, that looks like it comes from experience and familiarity…’

Sewoon was climbing while using minimal internal energy, instead relying on his knowledge of terrain and using every protrusion and surface at the right moment.

He looked no different from a seasoned mountain herb-gatherer.

That in itself was strange—since his identity was that of a Young Master of a Murim Clan, someone whose life had little to do with that of a mountain wanderer.

How could he know the mountains so well?

“Huff, huff. Y-you two… please wait.”

At that moment, Cheong Yeon, whose body could no longer move, called out to the two ahead.

Ssshhk.

Sewoon stopped and glanced back.

Confirming her state, Sewoon spoke to Ha Yeong, who was catching her breath nearby.

“Hm, it seems Lady Cheong’s stamina has reached her limit. Even now, it’s not too late. Wouldn’t it be better if she regrouped with her junior and returned to the original spot?”

‘Ooh!’

Cheong Yeon’s eyes lit up at the sound she had been longing for.

But Ha Yeong shook her head firmly.

“…No. I appreciate Young Master Tang’s concern, but that girl is also a disciple of Mount Emei.”

Ha Yeong paused and looked directly at her.

Flinch.

A gaze as cold as ice bore into her.

“While carrying out the critical mission of tracking the Poison Demon, you wouldn’t have stopped us for something as ‘pathetic’ as mere lack of stamina.”

“-!”

“Isn’t that right, Junior Sister?”

The words—‘But that’s exactly why I called you’—rose up her throat but froze there.

Chill.

‘S-so scary.’

Ha Yeong’s gaze carried a clear warning: if Cheong Yeon further shamed the honor of Mount Emei, she would suffer a severe beating.

Goosebumps ran down her back.

“Y-yes, o-of course. I only thought our direction had gone a little off, so I called out…”

“Hm. But I’ve been double-checking our course by watching the tree rings along the way, so you need not worry.”

“I… I see. Then I worried needlessly.”

“Very well, let’s resume.”

“Fine.”

“…Yes.”

Whoosh!

As soon as they finished speaking, the two resumed climbing the mountain path.

‘Damn it, just die already, past me.’

Cheong Yeon, with tear-filled eyes, dragged her feet that felt as heavy as lead.

After reaching the target location deep within the mountain, the three split up to begin their search.

Each of them agreed to investigate from three different directions for traces of the Poison Demon or survivors before regrouping.

Freed at last from the shackle called Ha Yeong, Sewoon immediately began searching with vigor.

‘If there’s even the slightest artificial trace, I must confirm it all.’

The foundation of Pursuit Thread lay in having the ‘eyes’ to examine one’s surroundings in detail.

From tiny bloodstains that an escaping foe might have left—

To faint footprints that could remain even on dry soil.

Even a small broken twig along the escape route could be an important clue.

Though the scope he had to examine was vast, Sewoon had an additional field of vision that allowed him to inspect all of it at once.

Ssshhk.

Sewoon spread out the threads of Heavenly Net across the area.

The countless strands of Black Threads moved like living things, sweeping over the entire ground.

‘These are animal tracks. These footprints belong to an ordinary commoner with no knowledge of martial arts…’

Sewoon was effortlessly employing pursuit techniques at a high level.

And it was only natural—

For the one who had taught Sewoon both the Pursuit Thread to chase enemies, and the Stealth Technique to hide from them, was a master among masters.

A man who had successfully hidden from the Murim Alliance’s relentless pursuit for decades.

That very man was the one Sewoon was now hunting—his own master, the Poison Demon Yelü Sheng.

‘I knew he had completed Angshin Tears, but I never imagined he had plotted so close to the Tang Clan’s main household.’

Shockingly, Sewoon was even aware of the existence of the deadly poison that the Poison Demon was now creating.

And that was because of the third weapon of the Ten Demonic Weapons that Sewoon had forged for him—

The “Black Scale Rings.”

Before regression.

The poison arts and medical techniques I’ll give you in exchange will make the Tang Clan’s pale in comparison. Angshin Tears, you’re interested, aren’t you?

The Poison Demon had sought him out, his two arms rotted black in grotesque form.

It had been their second meeting, after the first encounter in the depths of the prison.

He said his arms had ended up like that due to the side effects of the deadly poison Angshin Tears, which he had perfected years earlier.

Having lost both arms, he was pushed to the lowest ranks among the Elders, treated as little more than a useless relic.

But even without that, Sewoon had no intention of forging a Divine Weapon for him.

‘The Blood Demon cannot be killed with poison.’

Angshin Tears—

A legendary deadly poison said to kill all living beings.

But even then, the Blood Demon had already perfected his great art and achieved Myriad Poison Immunity.

Perhaps it might have worked back during their first meeting, before the Blood Demon reached perfection, but now—even if it was a Forbidden Poison—it was utterly useless.

Moreover, this man had committed countless inhuman atrocities.

With no martial art worth learning in return, and no desire to aid a piece of human scum, Sewoon had intended to ignore him.

You can’t even detoxify the poison you yourself created, so why would I need such medical skills?

Kuhuhu, I knew you’d say that.

But what Sewoon overlooked was—

That the man’s madness was very real.

Before coming here, I already poisoned your entire clan with Angshin Tears.

……!

Kihihihi, so hurry up and forge me a Divine Weapon that can neutralize this poison. Otherwise, your bloodline will all perish.

Ignoring even the Blood Demon’s command never to touch the family of the Demonic Craftsman, the man’s madness left Sewoon with no choice.

He was forced to forge a Divine Weapon for this wretched fiend.

And that was the pair of Black Scale Rings.

A bracelet-shaped weapon that bestowed the state of Myriad Poison Immunity upon its wearer, and allowed them to expel all poisons from their body to control them in liquid form.

Kyahahaha! Yes! This is it! This is what I dreamed of!

The look of crazed laughter when the man first grasped the Black Scale Rings still burned vividly in Sewoon’s mind.

Then suddenly, the laughter stopped. He turned his blind gaze upon Sewoon, face expressionless.

Though sightless, at that moment his expression carried the solemn weight of a sage who had glimpsed life’s depths.

You feel it too, don’t you?

…What do you mean?

That my martial arts, my poison arts, and my medical skills suit you better than anyone else. That learning them thrills you to death. A brilliant child like you wouldn’t fail to notice, isn’t that right?

!!!

Kihihi! The look on your face is priceless!

Sewoon remembered the Poison Demon’s manic laughter, even after losing a leg as punishment for defying the Blood Demon’s command.

At that instant, Sewoon’s eyes gleamed with killing intent.

‘If I am to kill him, it must be now.’

The man’s current realm was at the threshold of the Transformation Realm.

A level comparable to Geum Hwa Sa-tae, Sect Leader of Mount Emei.

Ordinarily, such power was untouchable, an opponent beyond even a fleeting thought of victory.

But there was hope.

The Poison Demon would soon suffer backlash from his failure to complete Angshin Tears.

And in Sewoon’s hands was the strongest weapon, one the Poison Demon could never anticipate.

That my martial arts, my poison arts, and my medical skills suit you better than anyone else. That learning them thrills you to death. A brilliant child like you wouldn’t fail to notice, isn’t that right?

The man’s words resurfaced in his mind.

As much as Sewoon hated to admit it—

The very foundation of his current enlightenment rested on the martial arts of the Poison Demon.

But precisely because of that—

‘I’ll drive the Invisible Dagger straight into his brow.’

He had to kill the man and set that martial path straight.

And then—

‘I’ll seize Angshin Tears. No—every poison that is his very soul.’

Never again would that man dare call himself the Demon of Poison before him.

* * *

By then, the sun had already set, and night was falling over the mountains.

Ha Yeong arrived at the appointed meeting spot at the designated time.

She immediately scanned her surroundings.

So he hasn’t arrived yet.

At the rendezvous point, only Cheong Yeon was present.

“You’re here, Senior Sister Do…”

Cheong Yeon’s expression as she greeted Ha Yeong was unusually dark.

And it didn’t seem to be just from physical exhaustion.

‘That confirms my suspicion.’

Ha Yeong’s face was equally stiff.

After hesitating, Cheong Yeon spoke quietly.

“Senior Sister, I did find traces of a survivor, but…”

“Haa, so you found the same thing as I did.”

“Don’t tell me you also…?”

Cheong Yeon’s eyes widened in shock.

Ha Yeong nodded gravely.

“Yes. The survivor’s footprints suddenly vanished in the middle of the trail.”

“-!”

During their search, both had discovered frantic traces of survivors fleeing from the Poison Demon.

But there, they both encountered something strange.

The footprints abruptly ended.

‘As though they had suddenly soared into the sky.’

There were no signs that someone had intentionally erased the tracks.

Nor were there any imprints on surrounding trees or terrain.

“This can only mean one thing.”

“Yes, the work of the Poison Demon.”

“That’s impossible… then does that mean the Poison Demon really…?”

Cheong Yeon could not bring herself to finish the sentence.

The Poison Demon had abducted survivors yet left no trace of movement.

There was only one thing in the martial world that could allow such a feat.

“Walking on Grass…”

Walking on Grass.

One of the highest realms of Movement Arts, the ability to run across blades of grass.

But the reason they despaired was not simply the skill itself—it was what Walking on Grass signified.

“The Poison Demon has truly reached the Completion Stage of the Transformation Realm…”

Indeed. Walking on Grass was undeniable proof that a martial artist had advanced from the entry level into the Completion Stage of the Transformation Realm, and experienced the Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown.

Without such a state, it was impossible to use Walking on Grass.

The two were overcome with despair.

Never before had they felt such helplessness, being utterly powerless.

“If the Poison Demon has truly reached Completion, we must immediately send word to the Sect Leader—”

“No.”

“-!”

A firm voice cut into their conversation.

Pushing through the thicket, Sewoon appeared, belatedly arriving.

He carried the carcass of a wild animal in one hand, presumably having dealt with it along the way.

But this was no time to care about that, so Ha Yeong quickly addressed him.

“Young Master Tang, what do you mean by ‘no’?”

“Wait, do you mean the Poison Demon hasn’t reached Completion?”

“Yes. He has not.”

“-!”

Sewoon answered without a trace of hesitation.

The two disciples of Mount Emei listened intently, their expressions dead serious.

“Then why do you say so, Young Master Tang?”

If the Poison Demon had truly reached Completion, he would have had no need to steal the Murim Alliance’s token, nor to abduct survivors.

But since Sewoon couldn’t reveal the real reason, he provided another explanation.

“Because the Poison Demon killed the Divine Thief and stole his Flowing Shadow Steps.”

“?!”

Divine Thief. Flowing Shadow Steps.

At those two unexpected names, Ha Yeong and Cheong Yeon’s eyes nearly bulged out.

In the martial world, the alias “Divine Thief” was reserved only for the greatest thief under heaven—and for fifty years, it had belonged to only one person.

But no one knew his actual name.

Never having been caught, his identity remained shrouded.

The little that was known about him over the decades amounted to only a handful of things.

One of them was the Flowing Shadow Steps.

A movement art created solely for the purpose of leaving no trace.

And its unique ability, just as Sewoon said, allowed one to perform Walking on Grass even without reaching the Completion Stage of the Transformation Realm.

‘That… makes sense, but…’

“But Young Master Tang, isn’t that far too much of a stretch…”

Still, Ha Yeong and Cheong Yeon found it difficult to believe.

After all, the idea that the Divine Thief—who had never once been caught—was captured by the Poison Demon and robbed of his martial art seemed like pure fantasy.

Just then—

Swish!

“!?”

“-!”

Suddenly, Sewoon threw the carcass he had been holding down in front of them.

“Y-Young Master Tang?”

“…What is this?”

“Smell it.”

It was utterly baffling.

To suddenly be told to smell a dead animal.

If it had been anyone else, they would have immediately erupted in anger at such rudeness.

But the two simply looked at Sewoon calmly.

‘There’s no way Young Master Tang would say something meaningless.’

Before they realized it, in their minds Sewoon had already taken on the image of a seasoned veteran of the martial world.

“Huu.”

Ha Yeong slowly lowered her face toward the carcass and sniffed.

Cheong Yeon, seeing her Senior Sister go first, followed after and sniffed as well.

And then—

Their eyes widened in shock at the strange discovery.

“-!”

“T-there’s no smell at all…?”

It was like a bolt of lightning striking their minds.

Together with Flowing Shadow Steps, they recalled the Divine Treasure most associated with the Divine Thief.

“…Scattering Fragrance Water.”

“That’s correct.”

Sewoon nodded.

A Divine Treasure of the Divine Thief—just a few drops sprinkled around the body would erase all scent from one’s person.

The carcass Sewoon had brought was proof that the Poison Demon had indeed stolen the power of the Divine Thief.

‘Because I heard it directly from the Poison Demon himself.’

It was fortunate.

Had he not possessed knowledge from before regression, he would never have caught the man’s trail.

At Sewoon’s words, Ha Yeong’s expression grew more serious than ever.

“But if the Poison Demon erased all traces with Scattering Fragrance Water, how can we possibly track him?”

“I can pursue him.”

“-!”

“Using the Tang Clan’s family martial art, I have heightened senses that can detect the faintest remnants of erased scents. I already tested it on my way here. If we simply follow, his hiding place will reveal itself.”

At Sewoon’s words, both women were struck speechless.

They themselves could only detect it by placing the carcass directly to their noses.

But to pursue an erased scent amid the tens of thousands of mingled fragrances of a mountain forest?

Could such a feat even be possible for a human?

‘Wow… not even the Spirit Hounds that follow the Beggars’ Sect Leader could have a nose this keen.’

‘Tang Sewoon. Just what are you…?’

Faced with Sewoon’s endlessly emerging abilities, the two disciples of Mount Emei even began to feel fear.