Chapter 287 : Escape

Chapter 287: Escape

In an instant, countless thoughts raced through my mind.

Why were they trying to poison us? What did they plan to do after capturing us?

Out of the many questions swirling in my head, the answer led to a single conclusion.

‘They’re trying to capture us to pressure Father. And they came to steal the Black Silk Celestial Silkworm, knowing it’s in Young Master Geum’s possession.’

I could tell by the way Yang Gwak's gaze lingered particularly on me and Geum Yujin. The others were merely extras—his real targets were undoubtedly the Black Silk Celestial Silkworm and myself.

“Unni, run!”

The one who assessed the situation most coolly was Jeong Suji.

“Even if you run, they won’t be able to do anything to us. If they want to negotiate with Young Master Yong, they won’t dare harm us. So don’t worry and just run!”

As Jeong Suji shouted and drew her sword to block their path, Jeong Daji also grit her teeth and drew her blade.

Jo Gyeongmae glared at Yang Gwak and spoke.

“Our Jeong Family Manor would rather die than submit to poison and become hostages.”

At her words, the five warriors from Jeong Family Manor who had come as escorts all drew their swords in unison.

Once their Manor Head resolved to die, they all stepped forward without fear.

“Our Geum Family Manor is the same. Miss Jeong, please flee quickly.”

Geum Myeongryeol also drew his sword and stepped forward to block the path.

Jeong Suji hesitated for a moment.

The warriors from both the Jeong and Geum families had already been poisoned—they wouldn’t even be able to fight.

I was the only one here still able to put up a real fight. But unless I unleashed the Vermilion Grand Flame Art, I would barely be able to hold my ground against Yang Gwak.

No, perhaps I wouldn't even be a match for him at all.

In that condition, I couldn’t possibly handle the middle-aged men around him who appeared even more formidable.

Yet leaving my mother and younger siblings behind and fleeing alone felt emotionally unbearable.

That was when Jo Gyeongmae shouted.

“Did I raise you to be like this! Haven’t I already taught you how to act in situations like these?”

Snapped back to my senses by her voice, I turned and ran.

“Capture her!”

At Yang Gwak’s order, ten warriors from the Tenebrous Ghosts Corps pursued me.

“Over my dead body!”

Jeong Suji blocked their path, and Eum Sajeok shouted.

“I’ll deal with you myself!”

Jeong Suji tried to summon her inner strength, but her energy vanished in an instant, and she staggered.

“Wahahahaha! The poisoned cat has swallowed rat poison, eh?!”

Eum Sajeok let out a rare, hearty laugh.

Jeong Daji was no different.

She couldn’t even last a few seconds against Hong A-yul before collapsing under her own weight.

Jo Gyeongmae and Geum Myeongryeol managed to fend off the Tenebrous Ghosts Corps for a brief moment, but as their energy drained rapidly, they too were subdued in the end.

The warriors from Jeong Family Manor and Geum Family Manor were all captured as well.

“Handle them with care! These are extremely valuable hostages!”

At the order of Yang Gwak’s strategist, Mak Gyo, the Tenebrous Ghosts Corps tied up the hostages with restraining ropes.

Yang Gwak turned to Jo Heon and said,

“Protector Jo, Protector Dong. I know it’s troublesome, but would you mind sealing their blood points?”

He had requested it because once someone at the Transcendent Stage, like Jo Heon or Dong Oh, sealed a blood point, no one with weaker internal energy could undo it.

As they had already agreed beforehand, Jo Heon and Dong Oh approached the hostages and pressed their acupoints.

“Now we just need to capture the one who escaped.”

Eum Sajeok tilted his head, puzzled that Yang Gwak had only sent ten warriors from the Tenebrous Ghosts Corps.

“Senior Brother, the eldest of the Three Chivalrous Sisters isn’t an easy opponent. Ten warriors from the Tenebrous Ghosts Corps aren’t enough. We should ask Protector Jo or Protector Dong to go after her.”

Hearing this, Yang Gwak clicked his tongue as if it hadn’t occurred to him.

“You’re right. I completely forgot. She’s the reason so many of our sect’s subordinates have died.”

Murmuring to himself, Yang Gwak then respectfully turned to Jo Heon.

“Protector Jo, my apologies. There’s no one else I can ask but you.”

Since Dong Oh was guarding Hong A-yul, he turned to Jo Heon.

“Very well. Since First Young Master’s plan benefits the cult, I cannot refuse.”

With a stomp of his foot, Jo Heon’s figure instantly shot out more than thirty jang away.

An astounding movement technique. With footwork like that, catching up to Jeong Minji shouldn’t be difficult.

Seeing this, Jeong Suji and Jeong Daji grit their teeth.

They felt regret for failing to buy even a few seconds for their sister to escape.

‘Unni must escape safely…’

At that moment, a face came to both their minds.

It’s human nature to think of the person you trust most in such moments. For them, that person was Yong Hwarin.

Hong A-yul asked,

“What will we do with them? We have too many to watch over ourselves.”

“True, there are many. That’s why I plan to hand them over to our recruiters nearby. It’s the safest place right now.”

At Yang Gwak’s words, Hong A-yul nodded.

“That’s suitable.”

Yang Gwak then approached Geum Yujin.

He snatched the Black Silk Celestial Silkworm from Geum Yujin and spoke.

“Such an item is not meant for just anyone. It’s far too exceptional for someone like you.”

He tapped Geum Yujin’s cheek and stood up.

Geum Yujin glared at Yang Gwak with eyes full of murderous intent.

Though he wanted to spit curses at him, even his pressure points had been sealed—he couldn’t speak a word.

“At last, one of the Four Great Divine Items is in my hands.”

Yang Gwak glanced at Hong A-yul.

“Sister, where are the Azure Dragon Three Marbles? Why don’t you just hand them over to me?”

Hong A-yul had always known that her senior brother coveted the Azure Dragon Three Marbles.

But she had her own reasons for not giving them up.

“I promised to give them to First Master. Besides, I don’t have them with me right now.”

As expected, Yang Gwak nodded.

“If you hand them over to me, I guarantee your position will improve in the future. Give it some thought.”

If possible, Yang Gwak wanted to gather all the Four Great Divine Items himself.

That way, he could firmly secure his position as the heir.

After staring at Hong A-yul for a moment, he gave an order to Mak Gyo.

“Take them all to the recruitment post.”

“Yes, my lord.”

The warriors of the Tenebrous Ghosts Corps hoisted the members of Jeong and Geum Family Manors onto their backs and ran off somewhere.

Jeong Suji and Jeong Daji struggled, but it was nothing more than futile resistance.

Jeong Minji felt heavyhearted fleeing alone, leaving behind her mother and siblings. But at the moment, there was no other choice.

‘I need to meet with Father first and explain everything, then find a way to rescue them.’

I had no intention of facing Yang Gwak on my own.

There were far too many experts around him—taking them all on alone was simply beyond my ability.

I ran in the direction of the Sky Ocean Merchant Union.

I thought they would start pursuit soon, so I ran nonstop using my movement technique.

Beeeeep!

A horn blared behind me.

It meant they were getting closer.

And as if responding to that horn, another horn echoed from the front.

Beep! Beep!

They were using the horns to signal each other, sharing my escape route.

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before over ten warriors of the Tenebrous Ghosts Corps blocked the path ahead with their swords drawn.

“Crippling limbs is fine, but we’re under orders not to kill! She’s no ordinary opponent, so everyone be careful!”

They treated me like a fish already caught. I made up my mind to break through head-on.

With the pursuit team closing in behind, there was no other choice.

‘Ah, if only I could unleash the Vermilion Grand Flame Art, that’d be better.’

But I couldn’t press the blood point on my back by myself, so I couldn’t use the Vermilion Grand Flame Art.

At times like this, I resented the fact I was under a restriction seal.

My level wasn’t yet high enough to use the Vermilion Grand Flame Art freely, so Jo Gyeongmae had placed the seal on me as a desperate measure.

If I used the Vermilion Grand Flame Art too often, I might ruin my body, and there was the danger of being discovered by those who recognized the technique. That was why the seal was imposed—but in a life-or-death moment like this, it was frustrating.

Even so, I unleashed the Flowing Cloud Sword Art and began fighting the Tenebrous Ghosts Corps warriors blocking my path.

“Urk!”

“Argh!”

“Guh!”

As soon as the battle began, the Tenebrous Ghosts Corps fell one by one to my blade.

They hadn’t expected me to be this strong.

To be honest, even I was surprised at how I was taking them down within just a few moves.

When they had attacked the Namgung Family, I’d seen their martial skills and didn’t think I’d be able to subdue them easily.

But perhaps because I had grown stronger, even their coordinated attacks didn’t put me at a disadvantage.

‘Ah, it’s because I took Sehee’s spiritual elixir, and crossed the brink of death with Father so many times… without realizing, my eye for combat has improved.’

Indeed, the movements of the Tenebrous Ghosts Corps looked unusually clear to me.

Slash!

Eventually, I cut through a warrior’s chest and leapt over the bodies.

I couldn’t keep fighting forever.

But in a brief moment of carelessness, I was wounded on my back.

I didn’t think someone would swing at me from behind.

I spun my body and slashed my sword.

It was the Flowing Cloud Wind Reversal technique.

With a perfect execution of the Flowing Cloud Wind Reversal, the warrior’s head—who had gone for a finishing blow—fell to the ground.

The wound on my back was in a place I couldn’t stop the bleeding. Even though blood flowed, I had no choice but to leave it and push forward using my movement technique through the pain.

Soon, warriors arrived at the place I had escaped from.

“What the—? The entire intercepting unit is dead?”

The pursuit team was shocked, and another warrior responded.

“Don’t underestimate her. Everyone, focus!”

When their leader gave a warning, the warriors all answered in unison and took off in the direction I had fled.

Yang Gwak had stationed warriors along escape routes in case someone managed to break through. But my skills had exceeded his expectations, creating a hole in their encirclement.

The leader ground his teeth in frustration.

My blue robes had turned red from breaking through the intercepting unit’s encirclement.

More than forty men had fallen to my sword during my escape.

I hadn’t expected to make it through their encirclement like this.

But I had reached my limit.

“Come to think of it, they have no reason to give up on me. To Father, I must be the most important.”

If I weren’t a valuable hostage to them, they wouldn’t have risked this much to pursue me.

“To pressure Father, they have to capture me at all costs.”

As I fled, I realized my guess had been correct.

Yong Hwarin was simply too powerful. Rather than clash with him directly, they intended to use us as leverage—it was painfully obvious.

That only made me more determined not to become their hostage. I ran for my life.

“You bastards! You were fully prepared for this, weren’t you.”

I muttered as I saw ten more Tenebrous Ghosts Corps warriors block my path again.

It was as if a Thousand Mile Snare had been deployed—warriors had been stationed all along the escape route.

There didn’t seem to be any gaps to break through.

Even if I pierced this encirclement, they would just build another. In the end, I’d be worn down and caught.

“Better to die than become your hostage!”

I braced myself and swung my sword.

After fighting against dozens of Tenebrous Ghosts Corps warriors, my internal energy was depleted.

On top of that, my stamina was at its limit, and I was gasping for breath.

And this time, the ones who blocked me weren’t just any warriors.

They were ones considered elite even within the Tenebrous Ghosts Corps.

I managed to cut down two of them, but then a punch landed in my abdomen, making me stagger.

Whoosh!

I swung my sword to behead the one who had struck me—but he dove into my chest and struck my wrist, making me drop my sword.

My energy was briefly in disarray, leaving me unable to resist the blow.

“Guh!”

As the punches rained down, my consciousness began to fade.