Sa-yeong had prayed desperately for her Master to appear and save her, but not now, not at the very moment she had steeled herself to follow this man.

As both her mind and body froze in the face of this unexpected turn, Tae-woon, sensing the approaching presence, shoved Sa-yeong’s chest with his palm. Caught off guard, Sa-yeong was sent hurtling backward, slamming into the outer wall of a building. Through a vision blurred by the impact that rattled her ribcage, she saw Tae-woon whirl around in a frantic hurry.

At that same moment, a thunderous roar erupted, shaking the very foundations of the earth. A massive cloud of dust billowed up instantly, veiling her sight, and the sharp breath she dragged in triggered a fit of coughing. People caught in the sudden chaos screamed from every direction. Through the unsettled grit, the relentless screech of clashing iron rang out. Sa-yeong, struggling to push herself up from the ground, cried out reflexively.

“Master!”

You mustn’t kill him!

He was the only one holding a clue. And judging by the woman’s voice she had heard warning Tae-woon earlier, someone else was watching them from the shadows, their presence completely concealed.

If Sa-yeong showed even the slightest hint of speaking out, that person would abandon this place and vanish without a trace. If that happened, any hope of finding Sa-hyeon would truly disappear forever. Certain of a watcher’s existence, Sa-yeong couldn’t even shout the reason why her Master had to stay his hand. She could only cry out for him like a scream, praying the older man would understand.

Then, a thin sliver of light appeared amidst the dust, tracing a circular arc.

A whirlwind rose along its path, its sharp edges grazing Sa-yeong’s face. Though no wound was left, a gale soon followed. The air, coiling up from the ground, scooped up the clouded atmosphere like a giant hand and flung it into the sky.

The scene revealed was much as Sa-yeong had expected.

The blood splattered in every direction was a testament to the countless exchanges that had occurred in that brief span. The enemy—whose skill Sa-yeong hadn’t even been able to gauge—had already retreated about thirty feet from Cho Yoon. His arms and shoulders were slashed deep, gaping open, and blood dripped from his thick thighs, pooling on the ground.

Tae-woon, standing in a defensive stance with legs braced and arms raised, staggered for a moment. Only then did the Hao Sect members—those with meager martial arts—begin shouting about an intruder, scattering in every direction. Those warriors who prided themselves on their skill pushed through the crowd, only to freeze instinctively upon finding Cho Yoon standing arrogantly in the center of the clearing. A single drop of rain plopped onto the bridge of Sa-yeong’s dazed nose. Dark clouds were already gathering in the sky above.

Cho Yoon, who held his unsheathed sword loosely at his side, readjusted his grip. They said a good blade shed whatever touched it; the blade of Sudden Rain Sword remained pristine even after carving merciless wounds into Tae-woon. Facing her Master’s true sword for the first time, Sa-yeong saw the white tassel swaying near Cho Yoon’s hand. She saw the hair that fluttered once in the sword-wind before settling slowly, and she saw the light scattering from the shaded eyes like crushed amber. Sa-yeong followed her Master’s gaze to Tae-woon. Tae-woon was still empty-handed, and the crumpled red satin bag lay discarded beside him like the scattered bloodstains.

Catching sight of a corner protruding from the loosened opening, Sa-yeong snapped to her senses and screamed at the top of her lungs.

“You must not kill him!”

“Hahaha! Dammit, I should’ve just charged in pretending to be a total lunatic from the start!”

But Sa-yeong’s gamble was for naught.

After readjusting his posture and letting out a burst of laughter, Tae-woon shouted incomprehensible words and lunged at Cho Yoon. He struck the ground with his hands and kicked off like a frenzied beast. The massive, dark figure collided with the upright Immortal Healer. A savage shockwave spread heavily, blowing back the hair and clothes of everyone present.

As the impact subsided, Cho Yoon was revealed, holding Tae-woon’s hands back with his single sword, locked in an unwavering contest of strength.

A thin drizzle began to soak the stunned air.

“Crazy bastard,” Sa-yeong muttered under her breath, catching a glimpse of Tae-woon’s broad grin through his disheveled hair.

For Sa-yeong—armed with reason, logic, and efficiency—what was unfolding was utterly incomprehensible.

If he was a grunt, shouldn’t he just perform the orders he was given?

What kind of logic led to the decision to charge recklessly when even running away as fast as possible wouldn’t guarantee survival?

A sharp headache throbbed, perhaps from hitting the back of her head against the wall.

Even in this brief moment, Tae-woon lunged at Cho Yoon repeatedly like a wild animal, rolling across the ground. Yet Cho Yoon allowed no contact, striking the man’s limbs and waist with the flat of his blade rather than the edge. His parries seemed effortless, almost as if he were merely brushing the man aside, but every time Tae-woon’s skin met the thin steel, a heavy resonance echoed like a blow against a water-filled jar. It was as if Tae-woon were a freak who delighted in having Cho Yoon’s energy rattle his organs and crush his bones.

Sa-yeong couldn’t tell if her Master was being merciful because he had heard her plea, or if he was humoring the wretch out of surging rage. Since the latter was a reason more suited to Sa-yeong than to her Master, it seemed likely to be the former. Racking her brain for a way to break this deadlock, Sa-yeong scrambled toward the silk bag discarded on the ground. At this rate, it would be crushed under the feet of the gathering crowd or Tae-woon’s tumbling body.

Sidelining the fray to avoid interfering with Cho Yoon’s fight, Sa-yeong ruthlessly shoved aside those who stood in her way and shouted, “Get out of the way with those pathetic weapons! Do you think you’re going to accomplish anything by joining in? Go to the Revolving Wheel Pavilion—no, go get Captain Yeowa or the Moyong brats! Actually, just get lost! You’re only in the way!”

Is it even a good thing if someone strong comes here?

She hardly knew what she was saying.

Those she shoved aside tumbled backward, tangling messily in the wind and rain. Reaching the red bag, Sa-yeong hurriedly knelt and pulled out the walnut box, tucking it into her tunic. Then, she threw the bag containing the artifact between the legs of the tangled, chaotic crowd. Unless the watcher was unimaginably stupid, they wouldn’t dare step onto the ground where the Immortal Healer stood to retrieve it.

Having recovered Sa-hyeon’s eyes and hidden the concealment artifact, Sa-yeong turned back toward the battlefield in the heart of the Hao Sect compound. Through the now torrential downpour, she saw Tae-woon—his every move blocked by a single blade—leaning his face toward Cho Yoon and whispering something.

It must have been an incredibly insolent remark, for Cho Yoon instantly pulled the elbow of his sword arm back.

As Tae-woon’s center of gravity collapsed and he drew near, Cho Yoon seized both of the man’s wrists, binding them so he couldn’t escape.

How much power lurked in those white fingers that usually only smelled of medicine?

The bones, held like those of a tiny creature, crunched and groaned. The blade, which had been held at an angle, was suddenly turned vertical and thrust straight into Tae-woon’s unguarded abdomen. To Sa-yeong’s eyes, the moment was slow and vivid.

Ah, no. I told him not to kill him.

The blade that pierced Tae-woon and emerged from his back shone elegantly.

If he dies, it’s truly over.

The impaled man thrashed, lowering his hands to grope at the wound.

How do I tell Master?

Cho Yoon withdrew the sword and shoved Tae-woon’s chest.

If he dies, Sa-hyeon dies too.

Tae-woon, flying back without resistance and collapsing to the ground, twisted his body stiffly, coughing and spitting blood.

Should I use a transmission?

Cho Yoon, approaching the fallen man one step at a time, was as eerie and silent as someone walking through a fog.

Surely Master could grasp the whole truth with just a word.

As the tip of the sword was aimed as if to pronounce death, Tae-woon burst into a wild laugh.

[I’m telling you this just in case you’re thinking of doing something useless.]

A somewhat familiar woman’s voice echoed in Sa-yeong’s eardrums.

[If you extend even a shred of internal energy to “your Master,” I’ll leave my captain behind and vanish from this place instantly.]

How did they know the Immortal Healer taught Lim Sa-yeong?

[You remember the conditions, right? If you miss even one, the deal is off.]

What am I supposed to accomplish when I can’t say a word?

[Don’t worry about us running away. The artifact you discarded isn’t the only one we have. Look, even your Master hasn’t found me yet.]

Is every chance going to be lost like this?

[But now that the Captain has ended up in that state, it’s already ruined. He should’ve known when to stop, that crazy bastard.]

Is it over before I can even try?

“Wait.”

Lim Sa-yeong muttered under her breath and stood up. Her martial uniform, soaked in muddy water, clung to her. Perhaps there was a wiser choice. Perhaps Sa-yeong was making the most foolish decision of her life.

“When I give the signal, use that damned artifact or whatever it is and get it done.”

But she could think of nothing else.

Sa-yeong decided to blindly trust that her wise Master would understand her intent. The blind faith of a desperate situation lowered a shutter around the simplest path ahead. Sa-yeong lunged toward the descending blade, deliberately ignoring how her actions would look to Cho Yoon.