T/N : I changed Young Immortal to Small Immortal
<Chapter 30> The Green Forest, the Heavenly Sword, and the Small Immortal (4)
* * *
“Baek Su-Gyeong… He’s not as easy to manipulate as I thought.”
Gal Ye-Ryeong had returned to her inn after the banquet.
The man in a black mask, kneeling before her, responded, “What are your orders?”
“About what?”
“The Left Wing Leader came all this way…”
“Jam-Sa. Enough.”
Perhaps she was sensitive about the mention of her rank.
Her voice sharpened, and Jam-Sa fell silent. She glared at her subordinate.
“I already made an agreement with the Underworld King. This is my mission. Do you think my Master sent me here for no reason?”
“W-Well…”
“Choose your words carefully, Jam-Sa. Especially when addressing me.”
Her eyes flashed dangerously.
“Don’t forget that I can kill you at any moment.”
“As you command.”
Jam-Sa lowered his head, a shiver running down his spine.
She was the Left Wing Leader.
One of the Three Great Wing Leaders, the core members of the King of Hell Society, alongside the Right Wing Leader and the Great Wing Leader. She was a high-ranking official, sent by Ya Noe himself after Baek Ri-Sa’s failed negotiation with Baek Su-Gyeong at Mount Song.
She was a woman who could easily take his life.
That was Ya-Jeop, the Left Wing Leader.
A master of disguise, her true name and face were unknown. Gal Ye-Ryeong was just a temporary alias she had adopted for this mission.
“But Baek Su-Gyeong is more stubborn than I expected. Even with the Jade Sword Flower by his side. Jam-Sa, what did you think of him when you saw him at the Shaolin Temple?”
“He was unfathomable. If Heaven-Reaching Genius’s assessment is correct, he’s at least at the Return to Origin level.”
“Return to Origin…”
Gal Ye-Ryeong’s eyes narrowed.
“Why would a master of that caliber be writing novels? If he possessed such skills, every sect would be vying for his favor.”
“Hidden masters are often eccentric. Perhaps he has a peculiar personality and simply chooses to hide his true abilities.”
“Hmm… That’s possible.”
Hidden masters were known for their eccentricities. Baek Su-Gyeong’s behavior could be explained if he were one of them.
There was a reason why they were called “hidden masters.”
Gal Ye-Ryeong pulled out a folding mirror and asked, “Jam-Sa, what about the background check?”
“We’re still investigating, but we haven’t found anything significant. He kept a low profile even during his time as an appraiser at the Dragon Trading Company. He’s surprisingly ordinary.”
“An appraiser… That’s an unusual career path.”
Appraisers were responsible for assessing the authenticity of valuable items that entered the trading company.
They were experts in identifying treasures and distinguishing between genuine and counterfeit goods. It was a specialized position, usually found only in trading companies that dealt with antiques and rare artifacts, like the Dragon Trading Company in Luoyang.
If he had been an appraiser, it meant he possessed a keen eye for detail.
Gal Ye-Ryeong spoke.
“Perhaps that’s why he’s so suspicious?”
“Yes. To be able to conceal his martial arts skills so completely… He must be incredibly powerful.”
It was a complete misunderstanding.
Baek Su-Gyeong would have been horrified if he knew what they were thinking.
“It’s strange for a Return to Origin master to abandon his training and live among ordinary people. Perhaps he’s seeking enlightenment in the mundane world.”
“It’s a possibility.”
“Hmm. We can’t let our guard down. Not with this man.”
Gal Ye-Ryeong snapped her mirror shut.
“We have to get him on our side. Considering his influence on Jianghu, we can’t let those righteous fools have him.”
“As you command.”
“You’re dismissed.”
She dismissed Jam-Sa and picked up a comb, running it through her hair.
“Now, how do I seduce this man…?”
The King of Hell Society’s Left Wing Leader’s voice, filled with contemplation, echoed through the night.
***
Rip!
The shoulder of Bang So-Ran’s robe tore, revealing her pale skin. She hadn’t been injured, as it had been torn by hand, not a weapon, but her expression was grim.
The bandits laughed, their eyes gleaming with malice as they circled her, her clothes in tatters.
“Even the Heavenly Sword Maiden is helpless when her disciple is a hostage!”
“Even prostitutes don’t dress so provocatively! You’re nothing but a cheap whore, not a renowned hero!”
They taunted her with insults and sexual innuendos.
But she couldn’t retaliate.
Every time she tried to strike them down, Jang Yu pressed his broadsword against So Seon-Ha’s throat, threatening to kill her.
“Ugh…”
“Master…!”
Tears welled up in So Seon-Ha’s eyes.
Her beloved master was being humiliated.
Because of her.
Because she was weak and helpless.
“Master!!”
“You better stay still, brat. Unless you want your head chopped off.”
Jang Yu pressed his broadsword against So Seon-Ha’s throat, drawing blood as she struggled against her bonds.
The pain, sharp and chilling, forced her to stop.
Jang Yu chuckled.
“Watch your master become a plaything for my men. We’ll be done with her soon, and then it’s your turn.”
“Ah… Ah…”
Tears streamed down So Seon-Ha’s face.
Bang So-Ran, her strong, beautiful, and righteous master, was being defiled.
Because of her.
She lowered her head, her voice choked with sobs.
“What kind of… chivalrous hero…”
“Argh!”
Bang So-Ran’s scream echoed through the stronghold.
So Seon-Ha looked up, her eyes widening in horror as she saw her master stumble back, her shoulder wounded. She was covered in cuts and bruises.
Her clothes were torn and bloodied, and she was clearly losing ground.
If only it wasn’t for her, So Seon-Ha.
“Master────!!”
“Seon-Ha! Wait! I’ll save you!!”
Bang So-Ran pushed herself off the ground, her sword flashing as she blocked the bandits’ attacks.
But she couldn’t injure them.
The conditions were too restrictive.
It was a one-sided battle, stacked in favor of Jang Yu and his bandits. Even a master like Bang So-Ran couldn’t subdue them all without killing them and reach Jang Yu.
He would just use her as a shield again.
“Hahahahahaha! This is entertaining! Very entertaining! Try to reach me, Heavenly Sword Maiden! Let’s see if you can live up to your reputation! Save your disciple with your renowned skills!!”
Jang Yu’s laughter echoed through the stronghold.
“You look like a cheap whore! How can you call yourself a chivalrous hero, the Heavenly Sword Maiden, when you’re dressed like this?! You’re nothing but a Heavenly Whore!”
“Hahaha!”
“The Chief is right!”
“Heavenly Whore! It has a nice ring to it! How about we call you that from now on, instead of Heavenly Sword Maiden?!”
She glared at the bandits, but she couldn’t attack them.
The conditions were too restrictive.
She had fallen into Jang Yu’s trap.
‘If only I had been more patient…’
She shouldn’t have rushed to rescue So Seon-Ha.
She had charged into the stronghold without assessing the situation, falling for his trap. She had never considered herself impulsive, but…
Today, she had been reckless.
‘If only I had been more cautious…’
The bandits’ blades rained down on her.
She dodged their attacks with her footwork, but she couldn’t avoid all of them. She winced as cuts appeared on her skin, the pain stinging.
It was a one-sided assault, a relentless barrage of attacks.
So Seon-Ha screamed, her voice filled with anguish.
“I’m fine! I’m fine, so…!”
She was a burden, a hindrance to her master.
If only she were stronger.
If only she could master martial arts as quickly as So Yu-Hyeon, the protagonist of The Small Immortal Chivalrous Sword Technique, this wouldn’t be happening.
She cried out, her voice hoarse.
“Don’t worry about me! I don’t care if I die! But you can’t die, Master! You’re the Heavenly Sword Maiden! You’re a righteous hero! So please, don’t worry about me and…!”
“You bitch!”
Slap!
Jang Yu backhanded So Seon-Ha, silencing her. He gritted his teeth, his gaze turning murderous as he looked at his elite guards.
“You too! Join the attack! Kill that bitch!”
“Yes, Chief!”
Bang So-Ran screamed, her voice filled with anguish as she saw So Seon-Ha being struck.
“Seon-Ha!!”
“It’s time for you to die, Bang So-Ran!”
“The Chief wants your head!”
Axes, maces, swords, broadswords… All manner of weapons rained down on Bang So-Ran, their wielders filled with murderous intent.
They had been holding back, aiming for non-lethal blows to prolong her suffering, but now that Jang Yu had given them permission to kill her, they unleashed their full strength.
She was wounded, exhausted, and overwhelmed. She could barely defend herself.
Jang Yu, having silenced So Seon-Ha, relaxed, his composure returning.
“Khahahaha! You’ve been playing with us for two hours. You’re exhausted. You’re going to die here, Bang So-Ran!”
So Seon-Ha, her vision blurred with tears, looked down at the scene below.
She saw Bang So-Ran, covered in blood, surrounded by bandits. They were slowly closing in on her, like hunters cornering their prey.
If she were at her best, she would have already defeated them and rescued her, but…
So Seon-Ha closed her eyes, her heart filled with despair.
It was her fault.
If only she hadn’t been captured. If only she had the strength to fight back.
‘I need strength… I need power…’
The power to crush these bandits and save her master.
She needed it desperately.
‘What should I do? What should I do…!’
She closed her eyes, her mind racing.
Her meager internal energy. The martial arts techniques she had memorized but never practiced. She was weak and helpless, unable to even break free from her bonds.
How could she turn the situation around?
‘Ah!’
She remembered a scene from The Small Immortal Chivalrous Sword Technique.
So Yu-Hyeon, the protagonist, had faced a similar ordeal. And she had overcome it with her own strength.
She had defeated those who sought to kill her master and rescued her.
She had achieved it by defying convention.
She had a Reversed Meridian Constitution, so she had created her own internal energy cultivation technique, channeling her energy in reverse to unleash explosive power.
But a wave of doubt washed over her.
‘Can I do it?’
She had never tried it before.
She had never even attempted to replicate it.
Fear gripped her, but…
She took a deep breath, calming her mind and body. She focused on her dantian, gently guiding her internal energy.
She forced it to flow in reverse, defying its natural path.
Her internal energy, flowing against her bloodstream, surged through her reversed meridians, gaining momentum.
‘It’s working!’
She felt a similar sensation to what So Yu-Hyeon had experienced in the second chapter of The Small Immortal Chivalrous Sword Technique.
Her internal energy, once sluggish and weak, now coursed through her body with incredible speed.
It felt as if her meager internal energy was growing, expanding, awakening a hidden power within her.
“Huh?!”
Jang Yu turned to So Seon-Ha.
He had sensed a surge of powerful internal energy and assumed that Bang So-Ran was making a last stand, but…
It wasn’t her.
The energy was coming from So Seon-Ha.
“How did that bitch…”
He had underestimated her, assuming her internal energy was too weak to be a threat.
The ropes binding her snapped, shredded by the swirling energy.
“You bitch!!”
He raised his broadsword, but…
A blast of wind, as powerful as an explosion, sent him flying.
Boom!
“Ugh!”
He crashed to the ground, his back aching. He looked up and saw So Seon-Ha, free from her bonds.
A terrifying aura swirled around her.
Jang Yu’s eyes widened in horror.
“How did that brat…!”
He stumbled back, fear gripping him as he met her cold, unwavering gaze.
“Die────!!”
He roared, charging towards her, his broadsword raised.
Hell yeah
Thank for the chapter!