CHAPTER 396: GREAT ESCAPE (2)

From the moment Yo Yeon-bi regained consciousness, he felt intense pain.

Not elsewhere, but at the back of his neck, a stiff pain felt on one side.

‘It feels like I got hit…’

Half asleep and half awake, Yo Yeon-bi thought so.

It was like when his father, Yo Dae-soon, used to slap him.

Getting slapped by the True Demon Palace Lord naturally caused him to faint, and upon regaining consciousness, he felt this kind of pain.

Enduring a splitting headache, Yo Yeon-bi tried to get up.

And he soon realized he was tied up.

‘Huh?’

Just a moment ago, he was sharing joy after winning a huge bet.

But his body was bound, and somehow the flow of the game felt strange.

‘This is… the pressure point sealing.’

The reason for his body’s condition was clear.

Someone had sealed his pressure points.

Probably targeting the faint or paralysis pressure points.

However, the sealing was not fully effective.

He could move if he tried.

The reason was nothing else.

The Great Blood Demonic Art he learned twists the meridians slightly as it is mastered.

Because of that, the seal on Yo Yeon-bi’s pressure point did not work properly.

If Yo Yeon-bi’s martial arts mastery was higher, the sealing wouldn’t have worked from the start.

‘Betrayal, betrayal!’

Yo Yeon-bi understood the situation.

He had been deceived by Yi-gang and his group from the beginning.

Being tied up like this made it clear.

‘Kidnapping… are they aiming for ransom?’

Perhaps they knew about Yo Yeon-bi’s family and wanted ransom.

They seemed unaware how foolish it was to target the True Demon Palace Lord’s son.

‘They don’t even know how I’m treated in my family.’

If Yi-gang and his group demanded ransom, the True Demon Palace Lord would refuse without a flicker of an eyebrow.

At least, Yo Yeon-bi firmly believed that.

‘You all will die… heh heh…’

Fools.

Yo Yeon-bi tried to mock Yi-gang’s group for their wrong choice.

But somehow, he had no strength to laugh.

The reason was soon clear.

‘I was happy…’

Because even briefly, he had been very happy.

Every day was painful.

Others might not understand… but his life was like a stagnant pond rotting away, powerless and meaningless days.

And they were his first friends… and the thrilling moments of victory.

He felt depressed thinking those were actually ploys to kidnap him.

Anyway, it was the moment Yo Yeon-bi tried to get up.

“I heard something…”

There was not no one inside the hall.

Gal Dong-tak peeked his head out and appeared.

“Hmm, maybe not.”

Yo Yeon-bi had his face buried in the ground like a dead man.

He was pretending not to be awake yet.

‘Ha, so there was one guy!’

Gal Dong-tak did not leave where Yo Yeon-bi was.

After confirming Yo Yeon-bi was unconscious, he sat down and circulated his energy.

Yo Yeon-bi opened his eyes drowsily.

He almost screamed in shock.

Gal Dong-tak’s hair fluttered wildly and his entire skin was turning red.

‘How… how did that guy learn the Great Blood Demonic Art!’

That was a clear characteristic of the Great Blood Demonic Art.

When the skill reaches mastery, such phenomena appear during energy circulation.

It was the same as when his father, the True Demon Palace Lord, circulated energy.

‘I-I don’t feel the demonic energy though…’

Only the dense demonic energy was completely absent.

Gal Dong-tak stopped circulating energy and stood up.

He looked toward the door with a tense expression.

Sure enough, someone made a presence outside the door.

“Young Master.”

It was a deep voice.

It was not from a manager or clerk.

“Young Master Yeon-bi, come out. This is no time to be in the gambling hall.”

That authoritative voice sounded familiar.

Yo Yeon-bi’s eyes trembled with tension.

He wondered whether to shout for help and alert someone outside.

But the voice calling for Yo Yeon-bi soon stopped.

Had they left?

Yo Yeon-bi regretted not acting.

However, Gal Dong-tak standing at the door did not relax.

He calmly stared at the door.

After a moment, the sliding door gently opened and someone with a sword appeared.

Yo Yeon-bi immediately recognized him.

He was a warrior from the Sky Sealing Blood Wolf Squad guarding his father, the True Demon Palace Lord.

He came face to face with Gal Dong-tak.

The Sky Sealing Blood Wolf Squad’s response was swift and clear.

After confirming the state Yo Yeon-bi was in, he immediately swung his sword at Gal Dong-tak.

It was an extremely fast sword strike.

Yo Yeon-bi immediately jumped up, grabbed a nearby vase, and ran toward Gal Dong-tak.

He intended to join the fight in his own way.

“Yaaah!”

But Yo Yeon-bi’s judgment was very wrong.

Gal Dong-tak struck the warrior’s sword with the back of his hand.

Clang!

The sword vibrated wildly, tearing from the warrior’s grasp.

Then Gal Dong-tak grabbed and twisted the warrior’s arm.

He just punched the back of the warrior’s head, who opened his eyes wide in pain.

The Peak realm swordsman was knocked out by that single move.

Yo Yeon-bi tightly closed his eyes and smashed the vase onto Gal Dong-tak’s head.

Smash!

But Gal Dong-tak did not stagger or fall.

He turned his head and looked at Yo Yeon-bi.

Even then, his innocent eyes were clear.

“So you were awake.”

“Aagh!”

Gal Dong-tak swiftly twisted Yo Yeon-bi’s arm to subdue him.

“You managed to undo the bindings, huh? Sorry, but I’ll seal your pressure points.”

“Let go, you tall guy!”

“I’ve heard people called pigs, but never a tall guy. …Why isn’t the pressure point sealing working?”

Gal Dong-tak was flustered when the pressure point sealing failed.

“I guess I have no other choice. This’ll hurt a bit…”

As the sealing failed, Gal Dong-tak raised his fist toward the smug Yo Yeon-bi.

Yo Yeon-bi turned pale and changed the subject.

“You! How did you learn the Great Blood Demonic Art?”

“Uh…?”

“Don’t think about lying!”

Gal Dong-tak was equally flustered.

His learning of the demonic art was top secret.

But to suddenly be caught like this…

“It’s not the Great Blood Demonic Art, what I learned is Green Blood…”

“Green Blood… what?”

Regarding Green Blood Demonic Artl, only the Forest Bandit King Gal Sa-hyuk and Gal Dong-tak had learned it.

Gal Dong-tak, having misspoken, turned pale.

Yo Yeon-bi noticed and persistently questioned.

“How did you steal and learn it, you thief!”

“I didn’t steal it… the person who created the skill taught me… I’m not a thief.”

“Don’t lie! You trash!”

Gal Dong-tak froze.

Come to think of it, he was indeed a thief.

The Forest Bandits were mountain thieves after all.

So Gal Dong-tak decided to be bold.

“The Heavenly Demon taught me.”

“…What nonsense.”

And at that moment, the stone door inside creaked open.

Led by Go Yo-ja, people poured out.

Among them were Kunlun disciples and Peng Mu-ah, who had been imprisoned with Ha-jun, filling the spacious special room instantly.

And finally, Yi-gang appeared.

Yi-gang met eyes with Yo Yeon-bi, who was held by Gal Dong-tak.

Yo Yeon-bi screamed sharply.

“Dam Yi-baek!”

He glared at Yi-gang, ready to curse.

He planned to curse with words like ‘You damn bastard,’ ‘Were you after money from the start?’ ‘Disgusting, just die.’

But somehow, words did not come out immediately.

“Uh… Yeon-bi, you were awake?”

Yi-gang muttered awkwardly.

At those words, Yo Yeon-bi felt choked.

His head throbbed and throat burned, making speech difficult.

The words he finally uttered were pitiful.

“…You saw me as an idiot from the start, laughed at me while I acted pitiful, and mocked me among yourselves.”

“Because you thought I was an idiot… I wasn’t after money! My father is the True Demon Palace Lord.”

Yo Yeon-bi finally shed tears.

Yi-gang said nothing for a moment.

He was actually very surprised.

Because he had no idea Yo Yeon-bi was the True Demon Palace Lord’s son.

“Hmm.”

Yi-gang quickly grasped the situation.

Then he spoke calmly.

“I admit we deceived you, but one thing I can say for sure.”

Yo Yeon-bi looked at Yi-gang with distrustful eyes.

“I swear we never mocked you. We didn’t know your background, nor were we after money.”

Yi-gang’s gaze was clear.

“Then… what is it? Why are you here?”

“As you can see.”

Yi-gang pointed to Ha-jun and the others who had been kidnapped.

“I came to rescue my younger brother and Kunlun disciples. The Demon Cult… kidnapped them.”

Yo Yeon-bi noticed their poor condition.

Covered in wounds, even Yi-gang had torn earlobes.

“You crossed the Great Desert and infiltrated enemy lines to save your brother? You expect me to believe that now…?”

“It’s true.”

“Hah!”

“We’re in a hurry. It’s time to say goodbye.”

Yo Yeon-bi, about to say something, shut his mouth tightly.

At first, he imagined Yi-gang and his group were not ordinary wandering warriors.

He thought they might be grim avengers or fugitives from a sect.

But the story he heard was beyond imagination.

‘Indeed… my thoughts were not wrong.’

Yo Yeon-bi closed his eyes tightly.

“…They really are impressive guys.”

“Then, wait a moment.”

That was the last.

Yi-gang struck Yo Yeon-bi’s temple decisively, knocking him unconscious.

He looked around.

There was no time to waste now.

“…Let’s go back.”

To the Central Plains.

He was determined to ensure the rescued would survive.

The fire at High Spirit Palace had grown uncontrollable.

Smoke billowed from all over Sky Shattering Island.

According to Dam Hyun, the seed of the karmic hellfire is small, so it will eventually extinguish.

But one of the Demon Cult’s three palaces burning was a huge shock to Sky Shattering Island’s people.

“Fire…”

“That’s a big problem.”

Commoners in the marketplace couldn’t take their eyes off the rising smoke.

Go Yo-ja stared blankly at the flames.

Kunlun had burned like that.

Everyone who remembered that wore complicated expressions.

“Everyone, stay alert.”

Yi-gang said softly.

There was no time to be distracted by the flames.

Dressed in plain clothes, they walked toward the Divine Demon Bridge.

Running would be better, but they would surely be noticed.

Yi-gang led the way.

Beside him, Dam Hyun leisurely observed the surroundings.

“Their response is quick.”

Dam Hyun muttered in a feminine tone.

Yi-gang nodded.

Groups of Demon Cult members in black ran past them.

“You all go search the northwest riverbank for the ferry! The rest come with me.”

With a crisp command, they scattered in all directions.

It seemed they intended to block the ferry.

They would chase the boats Yi-gang had paid to depart early.

“Exactly.”

But it was not all good news.

Because the Demon Cult’s response was faster than expected.

“I guess it can’t be helped, huh?”

“We prepared horses in the outer village.”

Yi-gang and Dam Hyun continued walking while talking.

Eventually, they arrived in front of the Divine Demon Bridge.

There were so many people gathered it was hard to move forward.

“Why is it so noisy here?”

Yi-gang asked an old man stamping his feet beside a carriage.

“Don’t even mention it, the Rectification Gang blocked the Divine Demon Bridge. We need to cross the river quickly…”

The old man was a coachman pulling a four-horse carriage.

The Demon Cult had already sealed off the Shinma Sect.

Yi-gang looked ahead.

Not many martial artists had gathered yet.

Low-ranking Rectification Gang warriors guarding the Divine Demon Bridge blocked the way, waiting for reinforcements.

Then this was the last chance.

“Dam Hyun.”

“Yes.”

Yi-gang gestured to Dam Hyun.

Dam Hyun naturally climbed into the empty coachman’s seat.

“What are you doing…!”

“I’ll borrow the carriage for a moment.”

Yi-gang handed a handful of gold coins to the coachman.

It was enough to buy the carriage.

Passing the stunned coachman, Yi-gang spoke to his watching group.

“When it starts, don’t look back and cross the bridge.”

Everyone nodded solemnly.

At that moment, the martial artists blocking the Divine Demon Bridge sensed something strange.

“Hey, stop that carriage!”

Dam Hyun began to control the horses.

The cargo carriage was empty inside, so some Kunlun disciples helped the injured No-sik board.

Gal Dong-tak pushed it with all his might from behind.

“Stop! I said stop!”

The horses did not stop.

Dam Hyun urged the horses on.

People in front of the carriage screamed and cleared the way.

“Ah, whoa!”

Even the Rectification Gang warrior blocking the way dodged.

But his comrades behind shot arrows at the horses.

Tittitting-!

Yi-gang deflected multiple arrows at once.

He ran in front of the carriage, taking a deep breath.

And shouted.

A roaring shout that shook the ground thundered out.

The bustling crowd screamed and scattered.