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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Teottry
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A suffocating, nauseating wave of potent demonic energy pressed down on him from behind.
It was as if the pursuer was deliberately broadcasting their presence, a silent taunt: I’m right behind you. Run faster if you don’t want to be caught. Like a runaway train, the demonic energy barreled towards him, its horn blaring.
He had anticipated being pursued, but it seemed a madman was on his trail.
“Older Brother, I’m just dead weight. So, please…”
Yeonhwa’s beautiful red eyes flickered with a melancholic light. Her reluctance to explicitly tell him to abandon her was a sign of her consideration for his feelings.
Such unnecessary concern for a mere child. It was irritating.
They weren’t strangers. They were family. She shouldn’t hesitate to be a burden.
He thought about the Chu–Han Contention, the period of conflict between Liu Bang, the future founder of the Han dynasty, and Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu.
During the Battle of Pengcheng, while others were clashing swords and spears, Xiang Yu, a one-man army, had led a detachment and routed Liu Bang’s coalition army of 500,000 men with a mere 30,000 troops.
It was a battle with an unprecedented exchange ratio of 30,000 to 500,000, a miraculous victory.
The important point was that Liu Bang, utterly defeated by Xiang Yu, had fled Pengcheng in a chariot, with barely any escort.
Xiang Yu’s soldiers pursued him relentlessly, intent on capturing and executing him. It was a desperate situation.
An ordinary man would have collapsed, his legs giving way, trembling and pissing himself in fear.
But Liu Bang, a man destined to unify the warring states and ascend to the highest position in the land, did something no ordinary man would ever do.
“I can always make more children!!”
He threw his own children out of the chariot to increase its speed and facilitate his escape.
“You, get out! You too!!”
“Waaah~ Papa has gone mad!!”
“Mama! Where are you?!”
It was a brilliant, if ruthless, tactic, one only Liu Bang, a victor in the chaotic warring states, could conceive. He realized that one needed such a level of ruthlessness to survive against a killing machine like Xiang Yu.
But Liu Bang’s ingenious booster strategy, his Gale-Force Tactic of sacrificing his children to increase his chariot’s speed, ultimately failed.
Xiahou Ying, the charioteer, the eighth-ranked founding father of the Han dynasty, and the future Marquis of Ruyin, stopped the chariot.
“STOP!!!!!!!!!!”
Enraged by the horrific sight of a parent sacrificing their own flesh and blood for survival, Xiahou Ying transformed into a furious primate, unleashing his rage.
“To abandon one’s own ‘flesh and blood’ is an act befitting only beasts…!!”
He spoke his mind, regardless of rank or status. Xiahou Cola’s sharp rebuke pierced through Liu Bang’s fear, momentarily shattered by Xiang Yu’s overwhelming presence, and he stopped throwing his children out of the chariot.
It was a heartwarming tale recorded in the Records of the Grand Historian, in the biography of Xiahou Ying.
The important takeaway was that even in the chaotic warring states period, abandoning one’s own flesh and blood was considered an act beneath even beasts. And he was not a beast. He was human.
Even if she was adopted, abandoning his family was not an option.
Furthermore, abandoning Yeonhwa here would be a tactical blunder. He had a plan, a contingency in case they were pursued, and Yeonhwa was essential to its execution.
“Shh- Don’t say another word, little kitten.”
“Excuse me?!”
He whispered playfully, hoping to ease Yeonhwa’s anxiety, and her face flushed crimson with embarrassment.
“I have a plan. And I need you.”
He had hoped to emphasize her importance, preventing her from suggesting he abandon her, but she averted her gaze, her eyes downcast.
“So you were going to leave me behind. I… I can’t use my flames right now.”
‘She… can’t use her flames?’
His eyes widened in surprise, and a flicker of sadness crossed Yeonhwa’s face at his reaction.
“I apologize. I’m still… inexperienced, and once a month, I… I lose control of my flames.”
He studied Yeonhwa’s face. Now that he looked closer, she seemed unusually tired, her complexion pale. Was she ill? That would be a problem.
“Is it… an illness? Is it serious? Can you manage? Do you have any medicine?”
His barrage of questions only deepened the blush on Yeonhwa’s face. She closed her eyes briefly, as if steeling herself, then whispered in his ear.
“It’s… not an illness… it’s… my period.”
“Ah.”
An awkward silence hung in the air, a strange interlude in this dire situation. Tears welled up in Yeonhwa’s beautiful red eyes, her cheeks burning with shame.
Well, it was a natural bodily function. There was nothing she could do about it. It wasn’t a problem, or even an issue. It was perfectly normal. A sign of good health, even.
It wasn’t something she should be embarrassed about. But she was human, and therefore, susceptible to such feelings of shame and embarrassment.
He needed to be calm and reassuring. Yeonhwa was a sensitive girl. She might even faint from embarrassment.
He took a deep breath, trying to maintain a calm, reassuring tone.
“It’s alright. Even if you can’t use your flames, you’re still my precious younger sister. I won’t abandon you.”
“But you said you needed my abilities.”
He was already straining to maintain his grip on Yeonhwa and execute light footwork with his staff and his weakened leg, an inefficient and physically demanding posture.
Yeonhwa, though sweating profusely, hadn’t complained, her gaze fixed on Mancheon’s face as he carried her.
Her red eyes, focused solely on him, flickered with uncertainty. Despite telling him to abandon her, she tightened her grip around his neck, unwilling to let go.
She didn’t want to be left behind, of course. But her insecurity, her desire for reassurance, for a confirmation of his love, compelled her to utter those insincere words.
She was useless, a burden, and yet she craved his need, his reliance. A monster yearning for unconditional love.
It was… a shameful, indecent desire.
“That’s a minor issue. We just need to adjust the plan slightly.”
And Mancheon did not disappoint. He continued to think, to strategize.
If Yeonhwa couldn’t use her flames, he would simply adapt. He would defeat their pursuers and protect his younger sister.
He concealed his trembling body, his ragged breathing, gritting his teeth, suppressing his fear, repeating the mantra that fueled his confidence.
“I’m a genius. I’ll figure it out. So don’t worry.”
He paused to catch his breath, then looked at Yeonhwa, offering the words of reassurance the lonely girl craved.
“I’ll protect you.”
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Yeong-do, a first-class assassin of the Heavenly Demon Sect’s Black Assassination Unit, surveyed the storehouse, his eyes narrowed.
Mancheon’s trail ended here. The lock on the storehouse door was broken. Disappointment flickered in his eyes.
Did he really think he could hide in a storehouse and not be found?
Perhaps fear had clouded his judgment, driving him to seek shelter without thinking. Regardless, it was disappointing.
He had expected more from the son of a wolf. It seemed he was just a spoiled child after all.
Like father, unlike son. Or rather, like wolf, unlike son? He should have stayed and fought the metal ball-throwing assassin, leaving the pursuit to someone else.
To Yeong-do, Mancheon was nothing more than prey fleeing from a hunter. Nothing more, nothing less.
And so, he walked into Mancheon’s trap without a second thought.
‘What is this…?’
Inside the dark, unlit storehouse, the first thing he noticed was a fine, white powder that filled the air.
He cautiously touched his tongue to the floating particles. It tasted like… bean flour.
‘Is this a smokescreen?’
A smirk began to spread across his face, his disappointment replaced by anticipation.
A dark, unlit storehouse. Bean flour clouding the air. His exposed position upon entering the storehouse.
The next logical step was an ambush. His eyes gleamed. He focused his senses, trying to detect any movement, any shift in energy.
Dog Beating Staff Technique – Striking the Head – A swift, downward strike to the head.
Mancheon, suspended from the ceiling, launched his attack, aiming for the top of Yeong-do’s head. It was a well-executed ambush, taking advantage of the darkness. But it was also naive.
Yeong-do was a member of the Black Assassination Unit. He was a killer of the night. The darkness of the storehouse posed no obstacle.
Demon Subduing Hand – A demonic technique that channeled demonic energy into the hand.
BOOM!!
The resulting shockwave, far greater than what one would expect from the clash of a hand and a staff, echoed through the storehouse, sending the bean flour swirling.
Delighted by the unexpected turn of events, Yeong-do grinned, his scar twisting grotesquely, and punched Mancheon in the gut, exploiting the opening created by his aerial attack.
Mancheon, struck squarely in the abdomen, went flying, crashing into the wall. But he quickly recovered, regaining his footing.
A determined glint flickered in his amber eyes, eyes that resembled a wolf’s. Yeong-do’s lips curled into a smirk.
“Just to be clear, you… intend to defeat me?”
He raised his staff, pointing it at the sneering assassin, a surge of killing intent, a feeling he had never experienced before, rising within him. He steeled his resolve.
“No. I intend to kill you.”
“That’s the best answer I could have hoped for.”
They lunged towards each other, a clash of demonic energy and unwavering resolve.
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Kill the demonic bitch mah brothaa!!✊
I was expecting him to turn the flour into a powder bomb by lighting it on fire. Surprised he didn’t go that route.