Chapter 162

The crowd gathered in the square, waiting for the play, shouted with anticipation in their eyes as they looked at the stage.

“Hey hey~ How long are you going to rest! Show us the second half!”

“What happened to the fight between Seolin-gwi and Yeon Gaesomun!”

Encouraged by the response, a loud “Boom boom-!?” echoed from behind the stage.

“Keuheok-!” “Kuaak!” “Kkeuk-!?”

The group that had attacked Ma Yang tore through the stage curtain and flew out, rolling on the ground.

“…Huh?”

The unexpected situation drew bewildered voices from the audience.

And then, shattering the tense atmosphere with confusion.

“Gaaaaaaal-!!”

A mysterious giant wearing a Peking opera mask burst out spectacularly. The genius mask rider Sima Mantian, who even deceives the heavens, makes his appearance.

The Ten Thousand Swords, Yongyeon, also leaped out from the stage.

Yingying! Eeeing! Yingying!

(Friend! Fun friend! Let’s fight together, yingying!)

It flew freely around Mantian, spinning round and round.

Not a crude stage prop pretending to fly, but a real sword soaring through the sky.

At this wondrous sight.

The audience’s faces turned pale, filled not with confusion but with astonishment.

“That’s it! That’s the flying sword used by martial arts masters!”

“Th-that! That’s the Yi Qi Yu Jian (Sword Control with Qi)-!!”

Mantian just looked cool with a flashy mask on.

But it was the mask of Yeon Gaesomun, a master of the sword control technique.

The mysterious giant wearing Yeon Gaesomun’s mask, the sword freely floating in the air.

These two facts overlapped in the audience’s minds, leading to one conclusion.

“Yeon Gaesomun! The real Yeon Gaesomun has appeared-!!”

Truly shocked, the fear of the Central Plains people exploded.

“Zhongkyaaaaaaaak-!!!!!!”

“Everyone, run away-!?”

The people gathered in the square instantly fell into chaos, scattering in all directions.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Mantian also decided to flee.

‘I made a big fuss to set the stage. Should I run away now?’

Although he had dealt some damage to the enemies with a surprise attack, it would be foolish to keep fighting when reinforcements might arrive.

You should fight when you have to.

But if you can avoid a fight, it’s better to do so.

“Young lady, let’s escape in this chaos.”

So, unable to comprehend the current situation, he extended his hand to the unknown girl who had come onto the stage, looking around with bewildered eyes.

“……….”

Ma Yang looked at Mantian’s hand with slightly trembling eyes.

Should I take this hand? Or not?

Her shrunken body, the mysterious group chasing her, Wang Miaoyang, and Sima Mantian.

It’s all mixed up. Her mind is in chaos.

And her body leans towards Mantian.

“Huh? Huh?”

“Excuse me for a moment.”

Mantian’s large hand grabbed Ma Yang’s small, hesitant hand and pulled her towards him.

What a willful person.

Holding Ma Yang in his arms, Mantian used his lightness skill to leap up.

“Let’s go! Yingying!”

Yingying-!

Landing on the flying Yongyeon sword, he balanced as if snowboarding.

Actually, he had wanted to do this for a while.

How could I resist riding a flying sword?

A mask rider needs a cool ride.

“Yahooo! I’m flying through the sky!”

Ma Yang looked up at Mantian, who was laughing like a child, with a dumbfounded expression.

A madman wearing a mask instead of a prince. A flying sword instead of a white horse.

Well, does it matter?

After all, she wasn’t a real girl either.

Anyway, she had unintentionally received Sima Mantian’s help.

She turned her head slightly to check on the mysterious pursuers.

“What the…!”

The sight of those arrogant guys, who had been taunting them to follow, now chasing like dogs after chickens, was quite amusing.

Feeling the cool breeze, Ma Yang let out a soft laugh like a child.

“Ha! Hahaha!”

And the two of them, riding Yongyeon.

Slipped away leisurely towards an alley where no one could see them.

How far had they flown?

Yongyeon, happy to be walking with a new friend, swayed greatly.

Keeeing-!

“Huh?”

“What?”

Mantian and Ma Yang lost their balance and rolled on the ground.

Boom boom-!?

Ma Yang, held in Mantian’s arms, was fine, but Mantian suddenly rolled on the ground, crying out in pain.

“Kuaaaaaak! My, my leg! My leg!”

“What? Hey! Hey! What’s wrong!?”

“Kkeuk- My leg feels weird! It’s like I’ve become a cripple!”

Ma Yang’s head turned white.

From the moment she clung to the precious Wang Miaoyang like a fly, she thought he was an arrogant and shameless man, but now he had helped her and become a cripple.

What kind of joke is this? What should I say?

If he had just beaten her up or scolded her, it would have been fine. But this wasn’t satisfying at all.

‘…Huh? Wait a minute?’

Maybe because only confusing things had been happening.

Ma Yang realized she had forgotten one fact.

And then, following Mantian.

Wang Miaoyang and Jang Sam-i arrived, staring blankly at Mantian rolling on the ground, exaggerating his pain.

“Uh… Young Master, what are you doing?”

“Kkeuk- Jang Sam! My right leg is numb! I think I’ve become a cripple!”

Hearing the absurd words, Jang Sam blinked his eyes. He spoke in a calm tone.

“Young Master, you’ve always been a cripple.”

“Ah, right. That’s true. I’ve been feeling so good lately.”

Mantian naturally dusted himself off and stood up.

“I’m fine. Are you okay, young lady?”

As if nothing had happened, he smiled slyly and extended his hand to Ma Yang, who had collapsed with her legs giving out.

Ma Yang’s eyes twitched. She wanted to slap that shameless face.

‘…Is this guy an idiot?’

No, he is an idiot. A cripple. She sighed.

Feeling like a fool herself, her anger dissipated.

As the situation calmed down.

Wang Miaoyang spoke softly to the shrunken Ma Yang.

“I promise. We don’t mean to harm you.”

Looking at the floating Yongyeon, she took out a purple crescent-shaped ornament Ma Yang always wore in her hair.

Wang Miaoyang’s sparkling eyes had a faint glow.

“…I have something to ask. Will you come with me?”

Ma Yang looked at the ornament in Wang Miaoyang’s hand.

That ornament was paired with the star-shaped hair ornament Wang Miaoyang always wore.

Ma Yang’s pupils trembled slightly.

‘…With those eyes, I can’t run away.’

Besides, it’s not a situation where she could easily escape.

And knowing that a mysterious group was after her, it was better to stay with Wang Miaoyang and-

Ma Yang glared at Mantian with displeased eyes.

-It seemed better to owe Sima Mantian a favor. She sighed inwardly.

‘Sigh… I’m really weak against Miaoyang.’

To accept such a foolish proposal, walking into the tiger’s den.

Thinking so, Ma Yang took Mantian’s hand and stood up.

“Alright, …sir.”

To hide her identity, she used unfamiliar polite speech to act like a junior.

Ma Yang’s face turned slightly red.

***

Somewhere in Jeoseokhyeon, in an inn room.

A beautiful woman with a smiling face and ample chest.

Jin Hyeryeong, a member of the Ilwol God Sect and a former member of the Murim faction, asked her subordinates, who had been chasing Ma Yang, in a bright and lively tone.

“Hmm~ Seventh Elder… You let Ma Yang get away?”

“There was an unexpected interference-.”

Hyeryeong cut off her subordinate’s words with a decisive smile.

“So you let her get away.”

“…Yes. I’m sorry.”

Hyeryeong nodded contentedly. She leisurely sipped her tea, savoring it.

“Hoho~ It’s okay. There’s still a chance.”

According to reports from agents lurking on the outskirts of the village, Ma Yang had not left Jeoseokhyeon.

The interference was just a slight hitch….

If she put her mind to it, she could find her quickly. She could get her hands on her.

“Let’s not rush here, let’s not be impatient, let’s observe the situation gracefully like a noble crane.”

Hyeryeong’s squinting eyes revealed a seductive yet sinister gaze.

“Hoho~ But that proud Seventh Elder has become a cute little girl. It’s even more fun to torment her.”

It’s a pity her ample chest is gone….

But I’m really curious what voice that picky Ma Yang would make when she’s pinned down.

But that’s just a secondary amusement. Hyeryeong’s real goal wasn’t Ma Yang herself.

The legendary martial arts that any sword-wielding sect in the Taoist school would desire.

The secret manual of the Sword Immortal Lü Dongbin, the Tian Dun Sword Technique.

And Hyeryeong wasn’t targeting Ma Yang, who belonged to the Jeonjin Sect, just because of the legend that Wang Chongyang, the founder of the Jeonjin Sect, received martial arts from Lü Dongbin.

Hyeryeong’s seductive gaze turned to some old, damaged documents on the table.

The contents of those documents were-.

That Ma Yang’s master, the former Jeonjin Sect leader Ma Xuan, had found a way to obtain the Tian Dun Sword Technique.

Whether it’s the real martial arts of Lü Dongbin or not.

Hyeryeong smiled slyly as she sipped her tea.

If it has the power befitting the name Tian Dun Sword Technique, its symbolism is enough.