Chapter 14
Activation of the Four Symbols (4)
The noisy and bustling Choseong Pavilion suddenly fell silent.
"Hmph! So you're going to hide until the end? Fine! I'll make it so you can't stand it and have to come out!"
Bang! Boom, boom, boom!
Flames soared from all directions of Choseong Pavilion.
"Aaaaaaah!"
"Fire! Fire!"
"Gasp! A Murim warrior!"
The people who had come to Choseong Pavilion were terrified.
It was as if oil had been poured; the speed at which the flames rose was incredibly fast. Choseong Pavilion, which boasted its own history and recognition, was instantly trapped in a wall of fire.
Zhuge Jun, who had been resting, quickly rushed out.
"Sister?!"
Zhuge A-yeon came out even faster than him and was looking out the window.
"Sister! What's this fire?!"
"It's those guys."
"Huh?"
Zhuge A-yeon's face was flushed with fierce anger.
"They're working with the guys I trashed yesterday."
"……!!"
Zhuge Jun gritted his teeth.
"How did they even find out about this place?!"
"That's not the problem right now!"
Clang!
Zhuge A-yeon opened the window, rushed out, and leaped across a rooftop section.
It was a graceful movement technique, like a crane. It was the footwork of Cheon-gi-sin-haeng (Heavenly Machine Divine Movement), the lightness skill representing the Zhuge Family.
In an instant, Zhuge A-yeon, who had reached the roof of the central building section, turned pale.
'There are so many!'
There were well over a hundred of them. At least a hundred and fifty, even by a conservative estimate.
'How could there be so many of them?!'
She had only punished some hoodlums who were assaulting a merchant on the road. It didn't seem like the merchant was in the wrong, and, crucially, he looked like he was about to die.
After that, a dark path sect that was backing the hoodlums came after her. But the dark path sect was only slightly better than third-rate, and their numbers were small, so she took them down easily and leisurely made her way to Choseong Pavilion.
She thought that was the end of it.
But wasn't that guy yelling over there the leader of the dark path sect she had taken down earlier?
"Gasp! Sect Leader! Do you see her on the roof? That's her!"
"I see her, too."
Zhuge A-yeon looked down at the man called Sect Leader.
'An expert?'
He looked to be about forty years old, with a slender build and a gentle face.
But unlike his appearance, the man's gaze was extraordinary. His eyes, staring at her from a distance, were as eerie as a wild beast's.
"Sect Leader! Quickly, grab that bitch and destroy...!"
Crack!
"Urk!"
The man rolled on the ground. Judging from the blood pouring from his nose and mouth, he seemed to have suffered a severe internal injury.
Zhuge A-yeon frowned.
'Yin Palm?'
It's not a martial art that releases power externally. It was a type of Yin Palm technique that penetrates the body with internal energy and causes deep-seated damage.
The Sect Leader dusted off his hands.
"You pathetic bastard. That's why you're called third-rate. Just by looking at her, can't you tell she's a master trained by a prestigious sect?"
Zhuge A-yeon called out clearly.
"Who the hell are you!"
"Who am I? Hmm, such a young girl with a foul mouth. Well, I guess that's how it is with those brats taught by the righteous sects."
"……!!"
"It's hard to look up at you, so come down. We should face each other if we're going to exchange names."
"And if I refuse?"
"Well, if you don't want to, there's nothing I can do."
His answer was playful, but what happened next was no joke.
Leather pouches flew in from all directions.
Bang! Whoosh! Thump!
"Aaaagh!"
"Aaaah! H-help me!"
The already threatening flames grew twice as large and fierce. It seemed the leather pouches were filled with oil.
Zhuge A-yeon shouted.
"Stop! I'll come down!"
"You should have done that sooner. You righteous ones never listen."
Swish!
Before he could finish speaking, Zhuge A-yeon landed gracefully opposite him.
It was an incredibly graceful movement technique. The middle-aged man's eyes widened in apparent surprise.
"Huh! That's an impressive lightness skill. So, which sect do you belong to, young lady?"
"I am Zhuge A-yeon of the Zhuge Family."
She disliked using her family's name to intimidate others, but the situation left her with no choice. If things went wrong, innocent people would suffer.
"The Divine Strategist Zhuge! So, I'm looking at a child of the Seven Great Families."
The man scrutinized Zhuge A-yeon as if she were a strange animal.
Zhuge A-yeon's face hardened.
'What's going on?'
He wasn't afraid.
Not to mention hoodlums, even most dark path sects would immediately flee at the mention of the Seven Great Families. It's not about winning; their lives would be in danger.
But the man showed no such sign.
'Huh?'
Zhuge A-yeon realized that the man's eyes were somewhat cloudy.
'His energy is clearly that of a first-rate expert, but his eyes are cloudy?'
'What is it? Is he poisoned by some strange drug?'
Whoosh!
Suddenly, Zhuge Jun appeared beside Zhuge A-yeon.
The man clapped his hands ostentatiously.
"Hoo! It's an amazing movement technique, even seeing it again! Would you be willing to teach it to me? I'm a bit weak when it comes to movement techniques."
I thought he was strange, but he's getting even more ridiculous.
Zhuge Jun involuntarily spat out a curse.
"Crazy bastard!"
"Should I pull out your tendons and cut off your flesh while you're still alive? Then will you tell me? Huh?"
His words were chilling.
It wasn't a simple threat. The man's eyes were gradually filling with madness. Judging from his gaze and voice, it seemed he had done such things many times before.
"Who the hell are you, really?"
"Ah! I haven't introduced myself, have I? I am the Sect Leader of the Thunderfire Hall."
It was a sect they had never heard of. Of course, the two of them had never been particularly interested in dark path sects.
"I won't say much. Order your men to put out the fire immediately."
"Why should I?"
"What?!"
"Whether you brats are here or not, once I've set a fire, that's it."
The faces of the Zhuge siblings were distorted with anger.
The Thunderfire Sect Leader burst into laughter. Madness could be felt in his laughter.
"Since you came out obediently, I'll spare your lives! Now, how should I deal with you brats?"
"You wicked fiend!"
"The guy looks sturdy, so I can sell him to some old men who are crazy for man-love. The girl is pretty, so I'll have some fun with her and then sell her to a brothel!"
"You bastard!"
Whoosh!
They couldn't listen any longer. The Zhuge siblings pushed off the ground.
A sinister energy appeared on the Thunderfire Sect Leader's face.
"Ha!"
At that moment, dozens of hidden weapons flew from the bushes far to the left and right.
It wasn't a particularly impressive hidden weapon technique. But it was an unexpected surprise attack. Being ambushed while they were enraged, they couldn't help but be flustered.
"Hup!"
Swish!
Following Zhuge Jun's hand gesture, the hidden weapons flying through the air changed direction.
It was the Zhuge Family's special technique, the Minor Heavenly Star Palm. The palm force, spread wide like a silk cloth, disrupted the trajectory of the hidden weapons. It was a sophisticated technique, hard to believe it was performed by a young man who hadn't even reached adulthood.
Thud!
"Ugh!"
"Jun!"
It was an amazing martial art, but he hadn't considered another surprise attack. Three daggers were embedded in Zhuge Jun's thigh.
The Thunderfire Sect Leader smiled and flicked his fingers. Daggers were held between his knuckles.
"You're just a novice."
Zhuge Jun gritted his teeth and stood up.
His martial arts were strong, but he lacked experience. Neither he nor Zhuge A-yeon had any experience in group battles or chaotic fights.
"This is nothing... Cough!"
Suddenly, Zhuge Jun coughed up blood.
It was red blood, but it had a foul smell. Zhuge A-yeon's eyes wavered.
'Poison?!'
She looked at the Thunderfire Sect Leader.
"You dirty bastard!"
"What's wrong? This is basic in the Murim world, isn't it?"
"Give me the antidote immediately!"
"Don't worry. His internal organs will be damaged, but he won't die. I said I'd sell him to old men who enjoy man-love, right?"
Even in her rage, her heart sank. This madman really intended to carry out his words.
"You're next, bitch."
Rustle.
The martial artists who had thrown the hidden weapons from the bushes revealed themselves. It seemed they were determined to capture Zhuge A-yeon.
If she were alone, it might be different, but with her injured brother, it was difficult to move freely. Zhuge A-yeon's face was filled with distress.
Boom! Rummmble!
The sound of walls collapsing around Choseong Pavilion could be heard.
I don't know how strong the fire demon is to make even stone walls collapse. Yeon Ji-pyeong, who had reached the top floor of Choseong Pavilion's main building, shouted.
"Great Leader Shin!"
"Yes, Second Young Master!"
"First, have the members try to control the fire! A-and over there! We need to help the people from the Zhuge Family!"
Yeon Ji-pyeong, who was as composed as Zhuge Jun, was also flustered by the sudden situation.
Shin Mo quickly replied.
"I think we should evacuate the people first."
"Ah! R-right! Then, first, I should go help the Zhuge Family people...!"
At that moment.
"Wait."
The two quickly turned around.
Yeon Ho-jeong was suddenly standing there. Perhaps because he had been walking near the wall of fire, his face was covered in soot.
"Brother?!"
"Are you alright?"
"Yes, yes! But Brother, what do you mean by wait?"
Yeon Ho-jeong looked at Shin Mo.
"Great Leader Shin."
"Yes, Eldest Young Master."
"I've made paths in the rear garden and to the northeast and southeast. But that's not enough. There's earth piled up on both sides outside the southwest gate. If you go thirty jang further from there, you'll reach the river."
"Y-yes?!"
"Break down the southwest gate. That's the final escape route."
"H-how...?"
Yeon Ho-jeong's eyes flashed.
Suddenly, Shin Mo felt his back straighten.
"I receive the Eldest Young Master's command!"
Shin Mo moved immediately.
Yeon Ho-jeong walked past Yeon Ji-pyeong and stood at the edge of the railing. He saw Zhuge A-yeon holding Zhuge Jun.
'Now, show me your martial arts.'
He could see a faint qi rising from Zhuge A-yeon's body. It seemed she was about to go all out.
'Hurry!'
Yeon Ji-pyeong asked urgently.
"Brother! We need to open a path where the Zhuge Family people are, too! There are many people over there!"
"It's fine."
"What?!"
"The fire won't spread any further. The wind is blowing against it, so they won't inhale any smoke. They'll be fine for now."
"But if people panic and there's an accident...!"
