Chapter 9: Fangs Against the Mountain
Jang Hui drew his blade with no flourish—just clean, precise intent.
The sword hummed softly. Not from the air. From the qi sealed within it.
Mu-won's eyes narrowed.
> "Jade-steel alloy. Mid-grade spiritual weapon. Enchanted twice. Fast draw, curved edge—built for flick cuts and counter-kills."
One glance, and he'd analyzed it.
> "If he uses the Jade Tiger Sect's 'Fanged Mountain Slash,' I'll be dead before I blink."
Mu-won didn't wait.
He turned and ran.
---
To an outsider, it might've looked like cowardice.
But Mu-won knew better.
> "Fighting head-on now is suicide. But if I move deeper into the forest—into the zone I've prepared—I can buy time… or force a mistake."
Jang Hui didn't chase immediately. He simply watched.
> "Running?" he murmured. "No. You're leading me."
He followed.
Not with speed, but with measured calm.
Because he had no doubt that the boy would die.
---
Mu-won dashed between trees, heart pounding, not from fear—but from focus.
He triggered more traps as he moved—exploding needles, smoke bombs, illusion bursts. Each one barely slowed Jang Hui, but they served their purpose.
> "I only need a window… ten seconds… just one opening to shift momentum."
He led Jang Hui into the deeper forest, where the trees grew tighter and the air grew still.
Then he stopped.
He stood in the center of a wide clearing lit by moonlight filtering through the branches. The pendant on his chest pulsed once—low and deep.
His breath slowed. His body tensed.
> "Come."
Jang Hui stepped into the circle casually, his blade held low, not even raised yet.
"I admire your spirit," he said. "But all you've done is waste my time."
"Good," Mu-won replied. "Time is the one thing you'll never get back."
He clapped his hands together—and the circle lit up.
Dozens of small stones, arranged in a hidden formation, pulsed with crimson energy. The air shifted.
> "Qi-sealing formation," Jang Hui muttered.
His smile returned.
> "A child playing with ancient toys."
He slashed once.
BOOM!
A wave of jade energy burst outward, cracking the earth, shredding the trees, and shattering the formation.
But not before Mu-won moved.
He had timed the trap not to stop Jang Hui—but to stagger his rhythm.
And in that brief hesitation—
> "Crimson Fang—Second Form!"
Mu-won struck with a palm infused with concentrated blood qi. It wasn't raw power—it was focused, compressed pain. A technique designed to rupture internal organs through qi resonance.
His hand collided with Jang Hui's side.
CRACK!
The elder staggered, eyes wide for just a breath.
Blood leaked from the corner of his mouth.
> "You dare—"
But Mu-won didn't stay.
He launched himself backward, rolled through a smoke trap, and vanished into the trees.
---
Jang Hui stood alone, holding his ribs.
A slow, deadly smile spread across his face.
"Now it's personal."
He sheathed his blade and began channeling qi.
High into the night sky, a green flare exploded—a signal to the Jade Tiger Sect.
---
Back at the village
Seo Hana stared at the sky, fear in her chest.
She'd seen that flare once before.
It meant only one thing.
> An execution order.
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To be continued....