Jin Soyak’s condition was Yin-Yang Great Severed Meridians. It was a type of Severed Meridians where six Yang and three Yin meridians met, preventing the body's energy from gathering and causing chaos in the flow of blood and energy.
In childhood, like with Soyak now, there were no special symptoms other than weak muscles, but the terror of Yin-Yang Great Severed Meridians began as one approached the age of ten. Once it manifested, a blue tinge would appear on the face, and excruciating pain would strike the entire body from time to time.
The accumulated abnormal symptoms would lead to the twisting of blood and energy, causing seizures to begin. The start of the seizures meant that death was near. Once a seizure occurred, pain would come frequently, and in the end, due to the completely twisted blood and energy, one would die spewing blood from every orifice.
Those were the symptoms of the Yin-Yang Great Severed Meridians that Jin Soyak had.
‘Jin Soyak is six, the same age as Hwarin.’
The symptoms of the Severed Meridians shouldn't be outwardly visible yet, so it wouldn't have been easy to notice. To already know about it, they were quite lucky.
‘In my past life, Jin Soyak was alive.’
And was he just alive?
‘He had become a Killing Ghost who craved blood.’
Maeng Deungho's nickname in his past life was the Black Killing Ghost. He, who was called the Black Killing Ghost for killing indiscriminately, committed all those murders because of his son, Jin Soyak. Hidden behind Maeng Deungho and unknown to the world, the real Killing Ghost was not Maeng Deungho, but Jin Soyak.
Within the Blood Sect, the only ones who knew this fact were the Blood Sect followers who belonged to the domain of the Six Blood Lords. Seolhwa had vaguely overheard it in the Blood Lords' conversation, but she had forgotten because she didn't know the name of Maeng Deungho's son.
‘I think I heard he was someone who fanatically craved blood.’
In that sense, Jin Soyak's current appearance was very surprising to Seolhwa.
‘To think he was such a cheerful and devoted son when he was young.’
Other than the fact that he grew up in a river fortress, he was just an ordinary child who liked to play and laughed a lot. He seemed weak, perhaps due to his Severed Meridians, but otherwise, he didn't seem to be in pain anywhere.
‘How did he treat the Severed Meridians in his past life?’
He wouldn't have been able to find a cure so easily, would he? Could it be that the reason Maeng Deungho swore loyalty to the Six Blood Lords in the past life was... It was then.
“!”
She felt someone with a powerful energy approaching their group. Seolhwa erased her presence, hid her body behind a boat, and watched the approaching figures. There were two of them.
One was Maeng Deungho, and next to him stood a rather frail-looking man with a thin body for a bandit.
‘That person is...’
Seolhwa's brow furrowed sharply as she recognized him.
‘Ma Jong-ui.’
He was a man who, like Maeng Deungho, had been under the Six Blood Lords in her past life. If Maeng Deungho was a dog, Ma Jong-ui was a fox. He was like a strategist who stayed by the side of the Six Blood Lords, winning his favor with cunning words and moving their forces with his schemes.
It was thanks to that fox-like Ma Jong-ui that the forces of the somewhat foolish and reckless Six Blood Lords could gain at least some recognition within the Blood Sect.
‘Ma Jong-ui... why is he here...?’
Seolhwa's eyes narrowed as she watched Ma Jong-ui. The question didn't last long. Letting the kidnapped child roam free, feeding her at every meal, providing a comfortable place to sleep.
Unless the reason for kidnapping a child was to show kindness, considering the strange current situation, there was only one answer.
‘So Ma Jong-ui was the one who told Maeng Deungho to kidnap the Namgung child.’
With Ma Jong-ui, it was possible. The Six Blood Lords would have already completed their contract with the Blood Demon at this time and would be focusing on gathering their forces.
The Six Blood Lords, who built their power based on the river fortresses, would also be trying to swallow up as many fortresses as possible before the Blood Sect made its appearance.
Considering that in just five years, he would seize the position of the overall master of the 18 Yangtze River Fortresses, it was natural for Ma Jong-ui to be by the side of the Six Blood Lords now. Maeng Deungho, who hadn't recognized her. And Ma Jong-ui, who appeared just in time.
‘Maeng Deungho is yet to go under the Six Blood Lords, and Ma Jong-ui has already become his man.’
Now all the pieces were falling into place. Before the two got any closer, Seolhwa sent a mental transmission to Yu Kang. - The Fortress Master is coming. - Okay. - I'm not here. If they look for me, tell them I went to the latrine.
The person with Maeng Deungho might recognize me. She saw Yu Kang glance at the two approaching men. - I understand. Yu Kang went back to pretending to play with the children.
However, Maeng Deungho and Ma Jong-ui stopped about ten steps away from the three and watched the children without getting any closer. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but seeing Ma Jong-ui's eyes curve repeatedly as he glanced at Hwarin, it seemed certain they were talking about her.
‘Did they come to check on the kidnapped child?’
The two soon turned and walked away toward the Fortress Master's tent. Seolhwa's expression darkened as she watched them.
‘I knew this wasn't the time to be leisurely catching fish.’
Ma Jong-ui was not a careless person like Maeng Deungho. He wasn't the type to see Hwarin roaming free and just leave her be. Now that Ma Jong-ui had visited, he would surely try to get Hwarin under his thumb one way or another.
‘If that happens, there will be no chance to escape.’
Seolhwa looked at the riverbank. Hwarin and Soyak were playing by the river, searching for pretty stones. The light of the setting sun over the river illuminated the innocence of the two children.
Had this not been the heart of enemy territory, it would have been a rather beautiful sight. Seolhwa approached Yu Kang, who was sitting a little distance away, watching the children.
“We have to get out of here right now.”
Yu Kang turned to look at Seolhwa at her low, whisper-like words. He lightly brushed the dirt from the spot where Seolhwa was about to sit and asked.
“Why?”
“The mastermind saw Hwarin and left. People will come to take her away soon.”
“That man from before?”
Seolhwa nodded.
A serious look appeared in Yu Kang's eyes. Escaping this place safely was still not an easy task. But if they delayed any longer, it would become difficult to protect Hwarin.
“I don't want to do as you said. But there's no other way.”
In the end, the only option was to take Soyak as a hostage to delay the pursuit as much as possible. Even so, it was uncertain if they could safely shake off the bandits' pursuit.
“I've checked the boats.”
At Yu Kang's words, Seolhwa turned to him with a surprised look. He, who she thought would have adamantly refused, also knew they had no other choice.
“We won't be able to move a boat that's too big by ourselves. A small boat is slow and risks capsizing, but...”
“We just need to land on the nearest shore.”
“Right. It'll be easier to hide on land, and it will be more advantageous for escaping, even if just by a little.”
They were of the same mind. There was a spot she had noted while coming to the river fortress. The boat just needed to be in good enough condition to get them there.
The longer they traveled by boat, the more disadvantageous it would be for them.
“Make me one promise.”
“?” - That you'll release Soyak when we reach land.
Seolhwa turned her gaze to the children playing in the distance.
“I was planning to. From that point on, having him with us would be more of a burden.”
“... I see.”
Yu Kang calmly nodded.
“That's all I need.”
He stood up from his seat.
“Let's go.”
Yu Kang and Seolhwa approached Hwarin and Soyak. They intended to take the two children and head for the boat Yu Kang had scouted.
‘First, if Soyak unties the boat as if we're going fishing...’
Would the bandits even let that happen? First, we need to act nonchalantly... It was then.
A loud Kwang-! sound came from one side of the river fortress, and smoke billowed up. It was on the opposite side from where Seolhwa's group was. The side with the fence leading to the forest.
“!”
Seolhwa and Yu Kang simultaneously ran toward the two children. Yu Kang grabbed Hwarin, who was closer, and Seolhwa pulled Soyak. Rumble- The ground shook, and the two children, who hadn't learned martial arts, staggered.
But thanks to Seolhwa and Yu Kang catching them, they didn't fall.
‘What is it?’
Seolhwa looked in the direction where the smoke was rising. At the same time, Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! The sharp sound of a warning bell, signaling danger, rang through the fortress.
“Enemies!”
“It's a surprise attack! Defend!”
“Take up your weapons!”
‘Enemies?’
The bandits grabbed their weapons and ran toward the source of the loud noise. Even those who looked like ordinary fishermen suddenly changed, pulling on black bandannas. In an instant, the river fortress became a scene of chaos.
‘Could it be, already...?’
Has the Namgung search party arrived already? The only ones who would attack this fortress now would be from Namgung. But they caught up this quickly?
‘I need to check.’
Seolhwa handed Soyak to Yu Kang.
“Stay here with the kids.”
As Yu Kang took Soyak, he grabbed Seolhwa's wrist.
“Wait! What are you trying to do alone!”
“I'm going to see who the attackers are.”
This could be an opportunity, or it could be a crisis. If the attackers were from Namgung, they could just join them with the children, but if not, things would get complicated.
‘If things go wrong, I have to escape using the chaos as cover.’
So, first, it was necessary to find out who the attackers were.
“Stay hidden.”
“Hey, hey!”
Swish-! Seolhwa left the two children with Yu Kang and moved. Hiding her presence and moving quickly was Seolhwa's specialty from her time as an assassin. She reached the source of the explosion in an instant, unnoticed by anyone.
Kwang-! Kwaang! Kwang! “Aaargh!”
“Stop them from getting any closer!”
The fence where the explosion occurred had long since lost its function, with logs broken and fallen. Enemies poured through the breached entrance, and a battle erupted in an instant. The river fortress seemed to have anticipated an attack to some extent, as they formed orderly ranks around the breach to face the invaders.
Clang! Kang! “Don't get pushed back! Don't retreat, all together...
Keoheuk!”
A blue energy surged through the swarming bandits. Seolhwa recognized the attacker at once.
‘It's Father...!’