Lapkeukchal, the master of Wind Demon Gale, had not learned orthodox martial arts based on internal energy, but he had learned how to wield a sword and had killed numerous enemies to establish and protect Wind Demon Gale.
That experience made him move reflexively in a moment of crisis.
As soon as the chilling aura that made the hair on his whole body stand on end exploded out, he swung his sword.
Thwack!
The sharp blade struck Cho Myung's neck, which was no thicker than a handful.
But Cho Myung's neck was fine, and not a single drop of blood was shed.
Grab!
Cho Myung's small hand grabbed the blade.
His arm, with bulging veins that looked like black earthworms wriggling inside, was terrifying.
"...!"
Lapkeukchal instinctively let go of the sword.
And he hurriedly retreated.
But that was only in his mind.
Thwack!
Lapkeukchal flew backward.
The hilt of the sword swung by Cho Myung had struck him in the chest.
Cho Myung's speed was so fast that the moment he tried to let go of the sword and retreat, his chest was crushed and his body flew through the air.
It was at this moment that a tearing sound of something cutting through the air fiercely struck.
Shurururururut!
The sword of the junior disciple among the Kunlun disciples swirled fiercely and ambushed Cho Myung.
Cho Myung spun around and swung the sword he held by the blade.
Kwa-gwa-gwa-gwa-gwang!
A strange sound erupted, and the Kunlun disciple's sword shattered.
The moment the Kunlun disciple was flustered by this bewildering result.
Thwack!
The Kunlun disciple was sent flying, spitting a stream of blood from his mouth, by Cho Myung's outstretched sword.
"Woonjin!"
The senior brother, with a terrified face, flew through the air and caught his junior brother who was sent flying.
"Kuuuugh-!!"
The junior brother groaned in pain.
His left chest was shattered.
It was so serious that the senior brother couldn't do anything to help.
-They say he is dangerous, so just find him and never attack.
It was the warning given by the elder of the sect who had given him the portrait and told him to find the child.
He didn't know what was going on, but the reason he was told never to attack must have been because of something like this. Why did he only remember that warning now?
The senior brother blamed himself and held his junior brother.
The junior brother's safety was the priority, and now that he knew the demon-like child was here, contacting the sect was the priority.
Holding his junior brother, he performed the Cloud Dragon Nine Forms, the representative ultimate technique of Kunlun, and disappeared in an instant.
"W-what the, fuck!"
"What do you mean what! Run, you idiot!"
When even the Kunlun disciples, following the master of Wind Demon Gale, were no match and disappeared, the slave hunters fled like a startled school of minnows.
But the speed of Cho Myung, who was controlled by the Immortal Demonic Aura, was much faster.
Streams of blood spurted out from the places where the light-like moving Cho Myung passed.
The heads of the fleeing slave hunters burst like watermelons.
Soon, the only one standing on two feet was Cho Myung.
In the midst of the reeking smell of blood, only Cho Myung stood.
"Cho Myung..."
Jeok Yorap's voice was heard.
It was a weak voice, barely calling out.
Cho Myung's body slowly turned towards Jeok Yorap.
Jeok Yorap, who had been lying on the ground, had vomited a lot of blood and was barely looking at Cho Myung.
"Towards the rising sun... go."
Jeok Yorap barely managed to say those words and then his head dropped.
He had lost consciousness.
At that sight, Cho Myung's blackened eyes shook violently.
"G-grandfather..."
***
A pain that felt like his chest was breaking.
A pain that felt like his lungs were being sharply stabbed every time he breathed.
A feeling of helplessness, unable to move even a finger.
Jeok Yorap barely opened his eyes in that situation.
"Grandfather..."
The tearful voice was clearly Cho Myung's.
When he turned his head, Cho Myung's eyes were brimming with tears.
"Are you okay?"
Jeok Yorap was more worried about Cho Myung's body than his own injuries.
It was because he had seen the vicious middle-aged man's sword pierce the young Cho Myung's body.
Even in a situation where it was difficult to breathe, he scanned Cho Myung's small body from head to toe.
Fortunately, Cho Myung's body was only covered in bloodstains.
"I'm not hurt at all."
"Definitely... yes, that's a relief. A relief."
Jeok Yorap was about to say that he had seen the sword pierce him, but he just repeated that it was a relief.
He had remembered that the young Cho Myung found it painful to recall painful and shocking memories.
"Does it hurt a lot, Grandfather?"
"Yes, it hurts a little."
At the words that it hurt, Cho Myung's face filled with worry.
"It's okay. It'll get better if I rest a little."
"Really?"
"Of course, it's true."
Jeok Yorap reassured Cho Myung and turned his gaze to look around.
An unfamiliar place came into view.
It looked like a small cave.
"Where is this?"
"It's a cave."
"Yes, I know it's a cave, but where is... Cho Myung, did you move this grandfather?"
"Yes."
He was relieved that there was no one else, and he felt sorry and pitiful that Cho Myung had moved him.
Jeok Yorap forced his arm to move and patted Cho Myung's head.
"It must have been heavy."
"No. It wasn't heavy at all. Maybe because you were hurt, you were very light. Grandfather, you have to eat a lot. Eat even my share and don't be sick."
Worry appeared on Cho Myung's face as he shook his head.
Jeok Yorap found the young Cho Myung, who was worrying about him, very lovely.
The hand that was patting his head couldn't help but be filled with more warmth.
"Good boy."
"Hehe."
When Jeok Yorap praised him, Cho Myung smiled brightly.
It was the innocent face of a child.
But looking at that clear face, the terrifying scene of him brutally killing the slave hunters came to mind.
'No! Those scumbags are the bad ones! They say that even the Diamond Deities punish demons severely!'
Jeok Yorap forced himself to shake his head and brush it off.
He had learned that Cho Myung had a terrifying power, but they were the bad ones.
Hadn't they viciously stabbed the young Cho Myung's body with a sword?
Until then, Cho Myung had just been a child.
Anyone becomes vicious when they are treated harshly. It's just that Cho Myung becomes a little more terrifying than ordinary people.
Jeok Yorap decided to think of it that way.
"I've never seen this cave before, how far did we move?"
"Day and night changed four times."
"Three days have passed?"
"Yes."
Looking at Cho Myung who answered innocently, Jeok Yorap was lost in thought.
'How far did we move? Even if he's strong enough to carry me, moving is another matter. And this is a rugged mountain, isn't it?'
It was a natural question.
But Jeok Yorap, who had hunted for a long time, knew the vicinity of where he lived like the back of his hand.
The cave he was lying in now was definitely a place he had never seen before.
It was definitely a cave that did not exist in the vicinity of where he lived.
'They didn't seem like the type to give up on Myung. We have to run as far as possible...'
Jeok Yorap thought that he first needed to know clearly where they were and how far Cho Myung could move while carrying him.
Since he couldn't move on his own, he had no choice but to rely on Cho Myung.
"Myung, can you move while carrying grandfather?"
"Yes."
"Then, take grandfather outside the cave."
"Okay."
Cho Myung, who had answered, helped Jeok Yorap up and carried him on his back.
But the process was as natural as carrying a straw scarecrow on his back.
Moreover, his steps as he moved towards the outside of the cave were also very light.
When a short child carries an adult, their legs usually touch the ground, but that wasn't the case.
It was partly because Jeok Yorap was short, but also because Cho Myung had firmly grabbed Jeok Yorap's two legs and lifted them up.
It was something that couldn't help but bring a look of surprise to Jeok Yorap's face.
"Is it not heavy at all?"
"No."
Cho Myung answered as if it was really nothing.
It was about twenty steps to the outside of the cave, and it was truly effortless.
'Yes, this is good. That Myung is this strong is a blessing from the gods of heaven and earth. It's a great relief.'
It was an unbelievably surprising thing, but Jeok Yorap, rather than being surprised, considered it a relief and looked around outside the cave.
As expected, a scene he had never seen before in his life unfolded before his eyes. It was definitely a place he had never been to.
"By any chance, did you move towards the rising sun?"
"Yes. As you said, grandfather, I only ran towards the rising sun."
"Yes, well done... you ran?"
"Yes. I thought I had to run to escape."
"...!"
Jeok Yorap was so bewildered that for a moment, he couldn't speak.
A child who was only five years old had run while carrying him?
Even though he was a bit short and thin, it was ridiculous.
Even a decent adult would find it difficult to run while carrying him, and even if they did, it was doubtful if they could run for even half a quarter of an hour in a mountain like this.
"You, you ran while carrying this grandfather?"
"Yes."
It was truly a series of surprises.
But it wasn't the time to just be surprised.
"Can you try running now?"
"Yes."
As soon as he answered, Cho Myung ran.
He really ran.
He ran like a child scurrying with his short legs.
As if he was running with a small water kettle, he felt careful yet light.
"That's enough. Stop running."
"Okay."
Cho Myung stopped.
Jeok Yorap made a bewildered face for a moment, then patted Cho Myung's head and said.
"Put grandfather down."
"Okay."
Cho Myung put down Jeok Yorap whom he had been carrying.
Cleverly, he acted carefully, hoping that Jeok Yorap wouldn't be in pain.
Jeok Yorap, who was leaning against a tree, looked at the incredibly admirable Cho Myung with a pleased face and organized his thoughts.
'It's a real relief that Myung is this strong, but it seems my body won't get better easily. I need to meet some people who can help and ask them to take care of Cho Myung.'
It was something that didn't require deep thought.
For Cho Myung's safety, that was the right thing to do.
Jeok Yorap made up his mind.
But that's not all.
He didn't know how long it would take to meet a truly trustworthy person, so he had to devise a way to endure and survive until then.
Jeok Yorap fumbled in his bosom with a hand that could barely move.
A small knife the length of his palm and a purse with silver coins were all he had.
He had lost his bow and arrows, his sword, and even his water pouch.
"Myung, what did you do for water for three days? Did you just endure it?"
"No. I drank. I also gave you some while you were sleeping, grandfather."
"A person dies if they can't drink water for more than two days. It's a relief that you drank water. You did very well. But how did you find water?"
"I found a stream and drank."
"How admirable. To think of finding a stream."
"Hehehe!"
Cho Myung smiled happily at Jeok Yorap's praise.
Cho Myung soon thought that there seemed to be a reason why Jeok Yorap had talked about water.
"Are you thirsty?"
"No. I'm fine for now. More importantly, we need food. You haven't eaten anything for three days, have you?"
"No. When I was hungry, I found water and drank until I was full. But I get hungry again soon after I pee."
Cho Myung answered, rubbing his stomach.
Jeok Yorap looked at him with a pitiful expression.
"Finding food in a mountain like this is not as easy as you think. If I had a bow, I could hunt, but now I don't have a bow and grandfather's body is not well."
"Does it hurt a lot?"
"Yes, it hurts a lot."
At the words that it hurt a lot, Cho Myung's face changed as if he was about to cry.
"Should I look for herbs?"
"...!"
At Cho Myung's question, something flashed in Jeok Yorap's mind.
'That's right! Myung was good at smelling!'
The way to find food in the deep mountains is ultimately sight and smell.
Animals also rely on sight and smell to find food.
The only problem is that there must be a memory of the smell.
Fortunately, Cho Myung had smelled several kinds of herbs when he went to see the old man.
"Myung, can you find Green Leaf Purple Stem Herb, Stone Spirit Moss, and Jade Fragrance Herb?"
"Yes."
At Cho Myung's answer, Jeok Yorap's face brightened even more.
Green Leaf Purple Stem Herb would soothe his stuffy insides, Stone Spirit Moss was an herb effective for broken bones. And Jade Fragrance Herb has an excellent effect on restoring energy.
"Grandfather will wait here, so go and look for those herbs."
"Okay."
Cho Myung answered bravely and shot up.
"Even if you can't find them, don't go too far. We can move to another place together and look again."
"Okay."
Cho Myung looked around, twitched his nose, and began to move in one direction.
Soon, the small figure of Cho Myung disappeared among the dense vegetation.
As Cho Myung disappeared, Jeok Yorap slightly opened his shirt.
On the outside, it looked fine with no wounds.
It seemed that only the bones in his chest were severely damaged.
Jeok Yorap roughly closed his shirt with a worried face and was lost in thought.
'With this body, I can't get food... Hah, there's no choice. I have to find someone I can trust and ask them to take care of Myung. I should find a merchant caravan going to Sichuan and ask them to take care of Myung. They say there are as many people as ants in Chengdu, Sichuan, so if we can just get there, they won't be able to find Myung anymore.'
Jeok Yorap made up his mind and caressed the purse in his bosom.
There were ten silver coins in it, so this amount should be enough to ask for Cho Myung's care until Chengdu, Sichuan.
Jeok Yorap thought about it a little more and finally concluded that there was no other way and closed his eyes.
'I'm sleepy. Shall I sleep a little.'
Jeok Yorap slowly fell asleep.
(End of Chapter)