It’s chilly.
Captain Chamjeong thought as he gasped for breath.
His subordinates had no intention of returning with the servants. No, before that, the scattered numbers were just quiet as a cow thumb point.
He was in desperate need of hostages; what on earth had happened?
Chamjeong bit his lip and decided to send those who were present here to urgently secure hostages.
“Damn it! You guys! You all too…!”
His words faltered as he was interrupted while directing his subordinates amidst Yeo Il-ye’s assault.
Among the ten or so subordinates he should have, only three were visible.
“What the…!”
Surprised, Chamjeong glanced around and quickly realized he had been mistaken.
All of his subordinates were present. It was just that seven of them were knocked out.
“Everyone, be careful! Something’s amiss!”
The subordinates, who had been so captivated by the duel of Peak Experts that they couldn’t look away, finally snapped out of it upon seeing their fallen colleagues, but Chamjeong’s warning was already too late.
“Gah!”
One of the remaining three subordinates fell.
Chamjeong’s eyes widened at the obvious evidence that someone had been hiding. No matter how distracted he had been by the fight with Yeo Il-ye, how could he not have sensed the presence of an intruder when most of his subordinates had fallen so close by?
Even after he caught onto that presence, he only felt a faint aura and couldn’t grasp its form, indicating that the person was undoubtedly an expert assassin skilled in their craft.
‘An expert…! Absolutely at the Peak Stage or higher!’
Chamjeong finally understood why his subordinates hadn’t returned. It wasn’t that they couldn’t capture hostages. They had found or captured them but had been completely taken down by the assassin without realizing a thing.
“L-let me live…!”
“Captain! Cough!”
As if to prove this fact, the assassin swiftly dispatched the remaining two subordinates right before Chamjeong’s eyes. At that moment, Chamjeong and the other captains stepped back in caution, while Yeo Il-ye, Dokgo I-seol, and Moyong Yeon-hwa, who were contending with them, took a breather.
And then the assassin, Black Cat, revealed herself by dismantling the Black Shadow Qi Technique.
The ship captains, who had been vigilant of the form that emerged in the moonlight, couldn’t help but groan. Even in the dire, tense situation, their eyes were naturally drawn to Black Cat’s beauty.
Chamjeong, momentarily distracted by Black Cat’s appearance, regained his composure and simmered with rage.
In this world, how many stunning beauties matched her charm? And on top of that, her martial prowess at the Peak Expert level.
Only one person could meet these two conditions—So Yeon-hwa, the target of this operation.
“Damn it! How did you find out!”
“It was impossible from the start!”
The captains yelled in frustration, glaring at Gwang-yoon, the orchestrator of this mission.
But Gwang-yoon was busily examining Black Cat’s grown appearance.
Upon realizing that Gwang-yoon was indeed the organizer, Black Cat also turned her gaze to him. The moment Gwang-yoon’s eyes met hers, he understood he wasn’t mistaken, and a smile broke out.
It was the instinctive allure he felt the moment he laid eyes on So Yeon-hwa as a child.
That feeling, which he hadn’t experienced from any other woman throughout the years, was dimly resurfacing.
“It’s been a while, So Yeon-hwa. Do you remember me? I’m Gwang-yoon of the Wind Blade.”
However, as she subdued the intruders, Black Cat’s reply was frostily cold upon realizing they were from Dongjeong Lake.
“You must be the thief from Dongjeong Lake.”
“Hehe, how ruthless. But from your perspective, you must be furious at the situation. Let me apologize.”
“Apologize, apologize…?”
Zssss!!!
Exploding out violently, the aura represented Black Cat’s fury. It could not be seen with the eyes nor sensed with Qi, but the captains swallowed hard, feeling the density of darkness thicken around her.
“What do you mean trying to take the family of the store and my mother hostage?”
“That was just a necessary measure to meet you. How could I possibly intend to harm your mother? I merely wanted to depend on you for a moment in order to meet.”
“You bastard! What are you saying!”
“Were you trying to fool us?”
Realizing that Gwang-yoon’s ulterior motives were completely different from the proposals he had offered, the captains glared at him with murderous intent. Gwang-yoon, meeting their hostile gazes, squirmed.
“Did you just realize that? I planned to deceive you all and escape alone if I could get So Yeon-hwa!”
“You crazy bastard!”
The captains simultaneously unleashed their fury at Gwang-yoon, who admitted to deceiving them. Gwang-yoon began to step back slowly.
In an instant, the situation shifted. Gwang-yoon isolated, the three captains, and Ho Cheon-an and his companions.
Black Cat decided there was no need to weigh her options any further. After all, with the three of them, they could subdue the four captains.
“Attack…”
Pababak!
However, before Black Cat could relay that decision to the three, Gwang-yoon’s action was a fraction faster. After all, he was the one who had unveiled his intentions to create the current situation.
Gwang-yoon chose to flee.
The three captains tried to follow him immediately, but realizing that recklessly throwing themselves into battle would leave their backs exposed to Black Cat and her companions, they were forced to hesitate. Though Black Cat’s group wanted to catch Gwang-yoon, they also could not ignore the captains right in front of them, so they hesitated for a moment.
However, not everyone hesitated in this rapidly changing situation.
Black Cat, who had already determined her course of action, immediately pursued Gwang-yoon. Seeing this, her companions also dashed forward to subdue the captains.
“Damn it! That guy is the instigator! We were deceived!”
“However, that doesn’t change the fact that you’re the invaders!”
Seeing her group securing the captains, Black Cat pushed her chase even harder. The distance between them gradually shrank, little by little.
At this rate, she could catch up!
Thinking so, Black Cat accelerated her Qi movement, but then one word from Gwang-yoon made her hesitate.
“Do you plan to follow me? You might hurt one of your friends, and you should also consider cleaning up after the ambush!”
On that note, the anger boiling in Black Cat’s head went cold instantly.
If she chased Gwang-yoon like this, Yeo Il-ye, Dokgo I-seol, and Moyong Yeon-hwa would each have to face a Peak Expert. While Yeo Il-ye would be fine with no equal among Peak Experts, could Dokgo I-seol and Moyong Yeon-hwa truly subdue the others without harm?
Black Cat knew well the prowess of Dokgo I-seol and Moyong Yeon-hwa, but still, in a match against an experienced opponent, who could predict what variable would arise? They could suffer severe injuries.
If she were to pursue Gwang-yoon and something happened to one of the three… How could she face the three who had put in effort to help protect the store?
Though it could happen that they missed catching Gwang-yoon, wouldn’t it be better to first deal with the others, secure everyone’s safety, and then pursue?
With that thought, Black Cat slowed down her pace and ultimately came to a stop.
At that moment.
“What the hell are you doing?!”
The sharp voice of Dokgo I-seol struck Black Cat’s ear. Had they not been dealing with the captains, she would have seized him by the collar.
“Are you seriously going to let someone like that go? We will take care of this! You need to chase after him right now!”
“But…”
Moyong Yeon-hwa also shouted at Black Cat.
“Black Cat, Miss. While we appreciate your concern, if it causes you to falter in your own duties, it’s truly a case of missing the point!”
Black Cat’s eyes wavered at their insistence. She couldn’t figure out how to reconcile their firm opinions with her own judgment.
Their words pierced Black Cat’s hesitation.
“Is it burdensome?”
That single statement pierced Black Cat’s indecision.
“Strangely, when helping Eun-gong or Sara, you were so eager, yet when it comes to receiving help, why do you struggle to bear it so much?”
“I, I…”
“I want to help you, Black Cat. The reason is that you look so happy returning home after such a long time. When you appear happy, I smile as well.”
While pushing back against the captain she was responsible for, Yeo Il-ye continued to speak.
“Dokgo I-seol, Moyong Yeon-hwa, and even Eun-gong and those who aren’t here all worked hard for your smile, Black Cat. Hence, your happiness may not be solely yours.”
“My happiness isn’t just mine?”
Upon hearing that phrase, Black Cat’s heart began to race. She sensed Yeo Il-ye’s determination to place her issues on the same scale as their own.
Was that feeling gratitude or a burden?
“So, don’t push us away. Instead of feeling sorry, trust us and chase after that guy. How could you find peace or joy if we miss the main instigator behind the ambush?”
Somehow, Black Cat felt grateful.
“Go!”
At Yeo Il-ye’s shout, Black Cat’s feet stamped against the ground. Though time had already been far spent, she poured all her energy into her legs, unleashing her full Qi.
The direction Gwang-yoon fled toward was towards the dock. Considering their numerical advantage, he was likely planning to escape on her boat at the harbor.
Her rationality insisted that it was already too late.
Even if she ran toward the dock now, by the time she arrived, Gwang-yoon would have boarded the boat and disappeared amongst the vessels of Dongjeong Lake.
But Black Cat ignored her rational thoughts and pushed the speed of her Qi even higher.
Racing down the path leading to the dock, she reflected on the time spent with Yeo Il-ye, Dokgo I-seol, and Moyong Yeon-hwa. The depth of their bond might differ, but they had trained Six Star Chen together, taken Bicheongmacha across the world, engaged in light chat, aided Ho Cheon-an, and overcome adversity together.
In fact, it felt heavy and precious.
She worried her ongoing issues might ruin these relationships.
That’s why Black Cat felt sorry and grateful. Would being so one-sided break their bond? If she didn’t express her gratitude, would their connection falter?
It felt like she was staring at a thread of a spiderweb that could snap at any moment.
Yet…
This was all a misunderstanding on Black Cat’s part.
Her bond with her companions wasn’t that fragile.
No, it wasn’t fragile at all; it was resilient and robust enough to withstand her dependence and relinquishing of herself.
In that moment, Black Cat realized that truth.
Having wrapped herself tightly in the shadows of the Dongjeong Lake store and closed her heart off from everything in the absence of sunlight,
Her heart’s door had slightly opened, thanks to Ho Cheon-an. Gradually, the bonds that trickled in began to fill the once creaky door flinging it wide open.
The fully opened door of her heart dispelled the remnants of her previously held guilt and anxiety, filling that space with the courage the three had given her. Finally, Black Cat shook off her fears and solidified her resolve to give it her all.
Deep within Black Cat’s Dantian, her Tai-eum energy surged.
Despite always worrying that her Tai-eum energy would leak, preventing her from utilizing that power completely, at this moment, those worries were gone from her mind.
She wouldn’t miss the opportunity her companions had provided her.
Only a single desire filled Black Cat’s mind.
As she fully opened her energy and propelled herself off the ground, the moment arrived.
Fwaaa!
The speed of her Qi surged beyond what she had once deemed her limit.
“…Ah!”
At that moment, Black Cat unintentionally let out a soft exclamation. The increased speed alone was impressive, but it was made even more remarkable by the way the Tai-eum energy smoothly enveloped her.
Energy must stay within the body; even if it is naturally safe, mismanaging it can injure the meridians and Dantian, possibly leading to losing control over Qi.
Yet, why did the Tai-eum energy, of which she had never fully mastered, move so seamlessly?
Having raised her strength with the thought that she might incur internal injuries, the outcome was opposite to her expectations.
The moment Black Cat harnessed every morsel of Tai-eum energy trapped inside her, she realized she had ascended to a new level.
Tai-eum mastery.
The ability to freely command the Tai-eum encompassing all of the world’s Yin energy signified the possibility of communicating with half of the world’s energy.
Such a fact alone meant that Black Cat could already be called Hwa-gyeong.
A wry smile surfaced on Black Cat’s face.
‘I was truly a coward.’
Despite having gained the capability to manipulate all of her Tai-eum energy, she merely lacked the courage to realize that fact until now.
Why hadn’t she challenged herself?
Having absorbed the Nine Yin energy that couldn’t compare to the world’s energy, she had tirelessly practiced with Six Star Chen, handling energies vastly different from her own.
Black Cat knew the answer.
It was fear.
Terrified that the problem with her Tai-eum energy, which she had precariously settled, would resurface, she busily wrapped it up instead of even attempting to handle it.
If only she had mustered the courage to take a single step forward, she could have obtained the solution: Hwa-gyeong, which could resolve every issue.
That was why she had come to this place, led by Ho Cheon-an.
In Ak-yang, conflicts with the Cheon-ho Sect arose; after regaining her identity as So Yeon-hwa, she had to fend off countless young men flocking to her. Tasks ensued to punish the corrupt Governor, Hyeok Gi-rin, and respond to the assault from the opposing subgroup.
Throughout that journey, Ho Cheon-an had single-handedly subdued the sect, while Hyeok Gi-rin leveraged her power as a princess. Yeo Il-ye, Dokgo I-seol, and Moyong Yeon-hwa had offered their support to protect the store, and today they faced off against Peak Experts.
Only then did Black Cat understand.
The motivation that had allowed her to take this step forward stemmed from Ho Cheon-an, who had brought her here, and her companions, who had actively supported her.
So now, it was time to repay that kindness. She needed to make Ho Cheon-an and her friends laugh and rejoice.
With that sentiment in her heart, Black Cat charged with renewed fervor toward the dock.
She soon reached the harbor. A quick glance revealed a ship heading into Dongjeong Lake in the distance.
And sure enough, Gwang-yoon was standing at the stern of that ship.
Black Cat gauged the distance from the dock to the ship. It was around thirty paces, far too distant for her to pursue with pure Qi movement.
Gwang-yoon, fully aware of this, glanced at Black Cat and smiled without hiding his body.
But Gwang-yoon’s ease was premature.
Zzzt!
A fierce icy energy started to emanate from Black Cat, enveloping the dock.
Those passing through the dock for leisure gasped at the sight.
“The water of Dongjeong Lake is freezing!”
“Holy hell!”
As the commotion arose, Black Cat stepped onto the ice. With a delicate stance, she formed a path of ice beneath her feet.
“W-wait, this is insane!”
Regardless of being a master of ice techniques, to freeze a lake and create a path? Gwang-yoon had never witnessed such a thing, and he stumbled back in astonishment, but it wasn’t long before doubts crept into his mind.
Could So Yeon-hwa still possess enough internal energy after freezing the water to board the ship?
As these thoughts crossed his mind, greed sparkled in Gwang-yoon’s eyes.
This was the perfect opportunity to seize So Yeon-hwa!
“Everyone, prepare for battle!”
“C-Captain, this is…”
“Now’s the time to abandon ship and flee into the water!”
Despite Black Cat’s powerful appearance striking fear into the remaining subordinates, Gwang-yoon drew his sword and barked orders.
“Why are you scared? She can’t possibly have any energy left after pulling such a stunt! Anyone who defies my orders will be fish bait!”
While the subordinates reluctantly drew their swords and took their positions, Black Cat boarded the ship.
“Hehe, So Yeon-hwa. You’ve lost your sanity. Do you think you can defeat me after throwing all your Qi into the lake?”
Black Cat quickly discerned Gwang-yoon’s mistaken assumptions.
Rather than surmising her state had ascended in that brief moment, it was more reasonable to think she had exhausted all her energy in her pursuit.
“Indeed,”
But Black Cat had no intention of correcting Gwang-yoon’s misunderstanding. Instead, she drew herself up to full power.
In the dark of night, a brilliantly radiant blue energy surged forth, and the ground beneath her feet froze in an instant, wrapping Black Cat in Nine Yin energy.
Seeing her overwhelming strength, Gwang-yoon instinctively sensed his judgments had been mistaken, but it was already too late.
Black Cat’s dual strikes were crashing upon him.
BOOM!!
With a deafening explosion, coldness erupted. The surviving subordinates leaped into the Dongjeong Lake as the ambush at So-gapa Point was decisively concluded.
