Namgung Jin slyly reached out a hand toward Jo Seol-yeon.
He was thinking of sharing some qi to help relieve it.
For a master of Namgung Jin's caliber, it was possible to circulate and share qi even while running like this.
Of course, to do so, it was inevitable that he would have to lay a hand on her body.
Thud!
Jo In's hand blocked Namgung Jin's arm.
"What do you think you're doing."
As Jo In glared, Namgung Jin awkwardly withdrew his hand.
"I merely thought I'd share a bit of qi. Even just a little for Miss Jo—"
"That's enough. I'll take care of it myself, so please leave it be. And it seems we've almost reached our destination now."
At Jo In's words, Namgung Jin and Paeng Cheol-yeong turned their heads.
Now that he thought about it, the overall speed was gradually easing.
The one commanding the entire movement was, of course, Jegal Jung-cheon.
At Jegal Jung-cheon's hand signals, the Azure Dragon Unit warriors slowly reduced their speed.
Only then did a faint tension begin to permeate the air.
They too knew well why they had come all this way this time.
And they clearly understood what kind of situation it was.
In any case, they were martial artists of the Murim who made their living by the blade.
As the atmosphere shifted in an instant, Jo Seol-yeon led Jo In and Sama Cheol away to one corner.
Staying near Namgung Jin and Paeng Cheol-yeong felt awkward, no matter what.
With their speed completely reduced, the Murim Alliance warriors pushed through the dense trees and grass and advanced forward.
They soon arrived at a place with a towering cliff.
"Impressive."
As Dokgo Un muttered, Jegal Jung-cheon surveyed the surroundings with a grave expression.
All around were large boulders and trees that had been smashed to pieces.
Judging roughly from the circumstances, it seemed that part of the cliff had collapsed and crushed the trees.
Several Murim Alliance warriors leapt forward to scout near the cliff.
"There's a cave here!"
The moment they heard that, Dokgo Un and Jegal Jung-cheon shot forward and stood in front of the cave.
"Isn't this a bit different from what we were told?"
"Yes. The cliff part matches, but according to the information, it said we were supposed to open a secret door behind the cliff, not enter a cave—"
"Wait a moment."
Before Jegal Jung-cheon could even finish his sentence, Dokgo Un turned his body and fixed his gaze on a single spot.
"It seems some unwelcome guests have arrived."
The meaning behind Dokgo Un's words was unmistakable.
"Everyone, prepare yourselves!"
Cha-cha-cha-chang!
At Jegal Jung-cheon's shout, the Azure Dragon Unit warriors moved in perfect unison.
In an instant, they drew their swords and formed sword formations advantageous for defense, scanning all directions.
The Soaring Dragon Unit moved noticeably more slowly compared to the Azure Dragon Unit.
However, their sharp gazes flashed as they prepared to strike at any moment.
"Show yourselves already!"
Dokgo Un's voice boomed thunderously.
Packed with inner energy, it seemed to shake the entire forest.
"Bwahahaha! As expected of Paesan Doro!"
With a burst of loud laughter, a man appeared beside the cliff.
His face was that of a typical bandit, and on his back hung a dao nearly as large as an average man's torso.
As if his laughter were a signal, countless figures began to emerge from between the trees.
Each of them had a vicious look, and they wielded a wide variety of weapons equal to their number.
"The Green Forest."
Jegal Jung-cheon stared at them with chilling eyes.
But that was not all.
Amid the Green Forest bandits, yet more people appeared.
They were dressed in dark robes, and their numbers rivaled those of the bandits themselves.
"So even the Sado-ryeon has joined forces."
Jegal Jung-cheon frowned.
Still, he was not overly concerned.
No matter how much strength they combined, once the Black Tortoise Unit struck from the rear, victory would be overwhelming.
"Bwahahaha! You still wear such a confident expression, Jegal old man!"
The man clinging to the cliff drew the dao hanging from his back.
"You don't actually think we're all there is, do you? Hm? Jegal old man."
At the man's words, all the Murim Alliance warriors were startled.
Even now, it looked to be a difficult battle.
If there were even more enemies than this, there would be no guarantee of survival.
A wave of tension swept through the area in an instant.
Dan Hyung-u stopped moving after confirming that the Murim Alliance members had headed toward the cliff.
Thinking about it calmly, he could not understand why he was following them in the first place.
"Why did I even come all this way?"
Dan Hyung-u muttered with a blank expression, about to close his eyes, when he opened them again.
He sensed presences approaching his position.
Moreover, sharp killing intent was pouring out from their bodies.
An ordinary person would never properly perceive such killing intent.
But Dan Hyung-u was no ordinary person.
He had survived a hell where failing to sense even the faintest killing intent meant instant death.
"The number is… about thirty."
Dan Hyung-u merely stood there.
Whatever they did had nothing to do with him.
Above all, the target of the killing intent they were releasing was never him.
In an instant, thirty shadows enveloped the place where Dan Hyung-u stood.
Seeing him, they flinched in shock and swung their swords.
They had never imagined that a person would be there, so the surprise was immense.
There was no time left to think.
Before he could even make a sound, they had to kill him.
Shik!
A sharp blade cleanly severed Dan Hyung-u's neck.
The man who swung the sword clearly saw his blade slice straight through Dan Hyung-u's neck.
Yet he had no choice but to widen his eyes in shock.
Dan Hyung-u's body had dispersed like mist.
"Yi Hyeong Chan Wi ?"
It was a movement so fast that afterimages lingered behind it. Then the man saw a bolt of lightning fall before his eyes.
Flash!
Dan Hyung-u sheathed his sword at his waist.
Centered around his body lay thirty human fragments scattered about.
Not a drop of blood had flowed.
Only marks remained, as though they had been seared by fire.
"It's become peaceful again."
Dan Hyung-u slowly moved his steps.
In any case, a place like this was unpleasant.
Even in that hell, he had always taken his rest in clean places.
Dan Hyung-u's body once again melted into the surroundings.
After arriving at a place far away, Dan Hyung-u stopped moving and stood still.
The sight of him standing quietly with his arms hanging down was so natural that, at a glance, he looked like part of nature itself.
"Quite noisy."
Dan Hyung-u turned his head and looked in one direction.
That was where the cliff was.
Countless people were fighting there.
But they were people who had nothing to do with Dan Hyung-u—
With one exception.
Dan Hyung-u examined Jo Seol-yeon.
She was still unharmed.
And it seemed unlikely that her body would suffer any harm going forward either.
"Kraaagh!"
With a dying scream, yet another life fell.
Already, most of the Green Forest bandits were bleeding on the ground, and the Sado-ryeon warriors were covered in wounds large and small.
It was an utterly one-sided battle.
The main reason the outcome had turned out this way was the strength of the Black Tortoise Unit.
Thanks to the Black Tortoise Unit launching a surprise attack on the rear of the Sado-ryeon and the Green Forest, they had collapsed without even being able to properly form ranks.
"Aaaargh! Why in the world are they not coming!"
The man who had led the bandits let out a shrill scream before the cliff and swung his dao with terrifying momentum.
He truly could not understand it.
The people who had promised to strike together with him were not coming.
He had involved himself in this affair because of them, and he had believed this plan would succeed because of them—
Yet now that they were not coming, suffering such losses was only natural.
Several Azure Dragon Unit warriors were instantly cut down by the man's ferocity.
Watching this, Dokgo Un launched himself forward and stood before the man.
"Isn't it about time to bring this to an end?"
At Dokgo Un's words, the man burst out laughing.
"Bwahahaha! Don't make me laugh!"
The man charged forward, and Dokgo Un raised his heavy dao.
Kwa-gwa-gwang!
With a violent explosion, fragments of sword qi scattered in all directions.
The surrounding warriors hurriedly retreated.
Kwa-gwa-gwang!
Bang! Bang!
Amid the consecutive explosions, the bandit leader's head flew high into the air.
He possessed martial prowess impressive for a mere bandit chief, but he was still nowhere near enough to face Paesan Doro Dokgo Un.
As the man's head fell, the remaining forces of the Green Forest and the Sado-ryeon finally began to flee.
And the Black Tortoise Unit pursued them from behind.
"Alliance Leader, you've worked hard."
As Jegal Jung-cheon approached and spoke, Dokgo Un gave a bitter smile.
"What have I done, really. More importantly, there weren't many casualties, were there?"
"Yes. The losses are fewer than expected. Bringing the Black Tortoise Unit along in secret truly paid off."
Dokgo Un nodded.
"Then I suppose it's time to see Cheon Gi-ja's secret weapon."
Chapter 2
Hanam Escort Agency
Dan Hyung-u's eyes snapped open.
"Cheon Gi-ja?"
The words Dokgo Un had just spoken seeped into his ears and lodged themselves in his mind.
He had definitely heard the name Cheon Gi-ja.
Dan Hyung-u's body melted away once more.
When Dan Hyung-u reappeared, he was standing in front of the cliff.
But no one was left there.
The Murim Alliance warriors had already finished the cleanup and moved behind the cliff.
Dan Hyung-u slowly walked toward the place where people were gathered.
"Huh? That person—?"
The voice he heard the moment he arrived was quite familiar.
Dan Hyung-u turned his gaze toward the source of the sound.
There stood Jo Seol-yeon, looking at him with a bright expression.
Then everyone's eyes gathered on Dan Hyung-u.
"Over here! Over here!"
Jo Seol-yeon even waved her hand as she called out to him.
Seeing her wave, Dan Hyung-u hesitated for a moment before walking toward her.
The Murim Alliance warriors began whispering among themselves.
Everyone who had been on the first floor of Chwiunru that day recognized Dan Hyung-u at once.
"Why are you here? Don't tell me you followed us?"
"Is Cheon Gi-ja here?"
"What? Cheon Gi-ja?"
At Dan Hyung-u's words, Jo Seol-yeon made a puzzled expression, as if she had no idea what he was talking about.
She truly had followed them without knowing anything.
But the others around them were different.
Their eyes began to gleam coldly.
Sama Cheol sensed the situation growing serious and quickly stepped forward.
"Why are you looking for Cheon Gi-ja here? He's someone who died and disappeared ten years ago."
At Sama Cheol's words, Dan Hyung-u's body wavered slightly.
"Died…?"
Dan Hyung-u could not believe it.
No—he did not want to believe it.
In an instant, one of his life's goals vanished.
"I don't know why you're looking for him, but he's not here."
Dan Hyung-u simply stood there.
A hollow aura seeped out from his body.
The people around him could not even perceive that such an aura was flowing from him.
They merely reacted to it unconsciously, mirroring his state.
Their bodies grew sluggish, and an inexplicable sense of loss washed over them.
Because of that, even the hostility the Murim Alliance warriors had been harboring faded away.
"A-Are you okay?"
Jo Seol-yeon asked cautiously.
Only then did the Aura of Emptiness flowing from Dan Hyung-u come to a stop.
The people instantly regained their composure.
Dan Hyung-u gave a faint nod.
Seeing that, Jo Seol-yeon smiled brightly in relief.
Dan Hyung-u gazed quietly at her smile.
Jo Seol-yeon's face instantly turned bright red.
She slightly turned her head away in embarrassment.
Dan Hyung-u lifted his head again and looked up at the sky.
Since Cheon Gi-ja was dead, he would have to let go of everything related to him without hesitation.
An ordinary person could not sever things so cleanly.
But Dan Hyung-u could.
"Then does that mean I should go and look for them now?"
Dan Hyung-u muttered to himself. Hearing those words, Jo Seol-yeon's eyes lit up.
"Are there people you're looking for?"
Jo Seol-yeon stepped a little closer to Dan Hyung-u as she asked. When Dan Hyung-u nodded, Jo Seol-yeon glanced at Sama Cheol and Jo In, her eyes sparkling as if asking for help.
Sama Cheol and Jo In gave wry smiles. Seeing Jo Seol-yeon make such an adorable expression, they couldn't bring themselves to refuse her coldly. If tears were to well up in those sparkling eyes, how could they possibly bear that heartbreak?
"Would you like to try working at an escort agency?"
At Sama Cheol's words, Dan Hyung-u looked at him quietly. That was the greatest consideration Sama Cheol could offer. However, Dan Hyung-u didn't even know what an escort agency was.
"Escort agency?"
Dan Hyung-u's expression rarely changed, making it difficult to read his thoughts. Sama Cheol glanced once at Jo Seol-yeon, who was looking at him with eyes full of expectation, then turned his gaze back to Dan Hyung-u.
"Do you not like the idea of working at an escort agency?"
At Sama Cheol's words, Jo Seol-yeon looked at Dan Hyung-u with a worried expression. It wasn't just any escort agency—Hanam Escort Agency was not a place just anyone could casually work at. She knew that well too.
"What is an escort agency?"
At Dan Hyung-u's question, Jo Seol-yeon stared blankly for a moment, then let out a small laugh. But when Dan Hyung-u's expression remained unchanged, she realized it wasn't a joke—he truly didn't know.
"Well, an escort agency is—"
Jo Seol-yeon explained what an escort agency was to Dan Hyung-u as kindly as she could. After listening to her explanation, Dan Hyung-u finally understood what an escort agency was and what kind of people it needed. Dan Hyung-u was quite intelligent. If his innate insight had not been exceptional, he would never have been chosen by Cheon Gi-ja in the first place.
Dan Hyung-u thought about the escort agency. It involved traveling in all directions across the land. Although only a single day had passed since he had returned to the world, he already knew well enough that finding the people he sought would be an extremely difficult task. The world contained an overwhelming number of people.
Dan Hyung-u gave a faint nod.
"I'll do it."
At Dan Hyung-u's answer, Jo Seol-yeon looked delighted, like a child.
"That's great. I'm sure you'll be able to find the people you're looking for. And you can earn money too."
Jo Seol-yeon smiled softly at Dan Hyung-u. Dan Hyung-u gazed quietly at her. It felt like there was something he was supposed to say at a moment like this, yet he couldn't recall it at all.
"Thank you, for agreeing to do what I suggested."
At Jo Seol-yeon's words, Dan Hyung-u's eyes widened slightly.
That was it—the very thing he was meant to say.