CLS-Chapter 108

Chapter 108

‘A little faster.’

Seomun Da-yeon unleashed her lightness skill with all her might.

Running at full speed through the darkened mountains was never an easy task, but the choice she could make now was either to accomplish this difficult feat and survive, or fail to do so and die—one of the two.

Her dantian, which had been giving her needle-like stabbing pains since a while ago, was now completely drained of true energy and felt as if it were being pierced by a heated iron skewer.

‘Not yet.’

Her vision was blurry and her legs had lost all sensation, but she couldn’t stop.

Those pursuing her were people who knew no mercy. If they caught her, it wouldn’t end with a simple death.

Knowing this fact well, no matter how exhausted she was, she absolutely could not stop.

‘A little more!’

Seomun Da-yeon forced strength into her trembling legs and deployed her lightness skill again and again.

But willpower alone had its limits.

As her internal energy bottomed out, her speed began to slow, and her eyesight grew dim, making it difficult to distinguish her surroundings.

Realizing this fact, Seomun Da-yeon had no choice but to make a drastic decision.

‘This won’t work.’

From the beginning, those pursuing her had martial prowess far superior to hers. Even if she fled in perfect condition, the probability of being caught was high, but if her internal energy was depleted like this, she would be caught within moments.

Before her stamina drained further and prevented clear thinking, she had to devise a plan.

‘Flight is impossible.’

Having reached this conclusion, Seomun Da-yeon sought an alternative. If she couldn’t continue running like this, she had no choice but to find a place to hide. She had to find a suitable spot, hold her breath, and wait for them to pass by.

The probability that they would fail to find the hidden Seomun Da-yeon and just pass by wasn’t high, but it was a much more realistic plan than continuing to flee.

Her thinking was brief, her action swift.

Seomun Da-yeon’s eyes swept the surroundings. Her life depended on finding the most suitable hiding place.

‘The ground won’t work.’

Those pursuing her would likely anticipate her actions. So she needed to catch them off guard instead.

Seomun Da-yeon’s gaze moved upward.

She needed to find the most conspicuous place in this area.

Wasn’t it said that it’s darkest under the lamp?

The place where no one would think to hide would be the safest place.

‘There!’

Seomun Da-yeon’s eyes lit up.

She could see a large tree ahead of her.

If there was one most conspicuous place in this area, it was undoubtedly that tree.

It was a gamble, but to completely deceive them, this tree was the most optimal hiding place. Seomun Da-yeon bit her lip hard and threw herself toward the tree.

With two or three leaps she approached the tree, then quickly climbed up into it with rapid movements.

Seomun Da-yeon, who had hidden her body among the densely grown branches, lowered her breathing.

‘Calm down.’

The pounding of her heart was irritating.

With the martial prowess of those now pursuing her, they could locate her position just from the sound of her loudly beating heart. Seomun Da-yeon took deep breaths and calmed her racing respiration.

‘Please!’

If she clumsily tried to hide her body, she would be discovered immediately. She had to perfectly conceal not just her appearance as if blending with the surroundings, but her very existence itself.

It was difficult, but she could do it.

It was around that time, as she closed her eyes and slowly began to blend with her surroundings, that she felt something strange.

‘Why do I feel such discord?’

Blending wasn’t easy.

For her, who had received training in becoming one with nature since childhood, being taught that unity with nature was the foundation of martial arts, this was the first time such a thing had happened.

‘Is it because my mind is urgent?’

Well, she had never tried to enter a state of unity between self and object in a situation like this. Should she change direction and deploy the Turtle Breathing Technique instead? As she pondered this and opened her eyes—

‘Kyaaaaaaak!’

If she hadn’t covered her mouth in that instant, she surely would have screamed.

‘What? What is it! What!’

Below her gaze as she hung from the branch, a whitish form was positioned. A man was lying sprawled on the largest branch.

‘Why didn’t I notice?’

It was impossible.

Being pursued as she was, her nerves were sharpened to the extreme. Yet to only now discover a man lying there in plain sight.

She was so startled that her heart felt like it would leap out of her throat.

‘What the hell is this person?’

It was absurd enough that he was sleeping up in a tree, but wasn’t he brazenly lying there with a blanket pulled over him?

The man also seemed to notice Seomun Da-yeon’s presence, opening his closed eyes and staring directly up at her.

“Uh…”

His mouth began to gape wide open.

‘No, don’t!’

Under normal circumstances, she would have asked why he was sleeping in such a place, but unfortunately, now was not the time for such questions. Even at this very moment, the evil spirits pursuing her would be rapidly approaching this location.

Seomun Da-yeon leaped down without time to think.

“Huh?”

Then she covered the man’s mouth with one hand and grabbed his throat with the other.

“…Gulp?”

“Shh.”

Loosening her grip on his throat slightly, Seomun Da-yeon put her mouth to the man’s ear and whispered as quietly as possible.

“I’m being pursued. Those chasing me are terribly frightening people, so if we’re discovered, you won’t be safe either, young master. If we stay quiet and suppress our presence, we’ll be safe, so please remain silent.”

Though urgent, she spoke as carefully as possible, thinking that if she showed fear, the man might panic and do something unpredictable.

The man seemed to understand Seomun Da-yeon’s words and showed no particular reaction.

“Breathe softly.”

The man nodded.

‘Whew.’

At least he seemed to understand what she was saying.

She had even considered choking him unconscious if he couldn’t understand, but fortunately, he seemed to comprehend. A sleeping person would make more noise than someone suppressing their presence, so if possible, it was better to stay awake and hold their breath together.

‘Position…’

At that moment, low air-cutting sounds began to be heard from far away.

Seomun Da-yeon’s face went slightly pale.

She hadn’t even properly positioned herself yet, but they were already approaching. It was too late to move to another location now. Seomun Da-yeon pressed her hand harder against the man’s mouth and pressed herself close to him.

Since it was such a large branch, their forms might be hidden when viewed from below.

Seomun Da-yeon grabbed the blanket that had fallen below with her foot and pulled it up while pressing herself as close to the man as possible.

“Mm…”

“Shh.”

The man tried to say something, but Seomun Da-yeon urgently calmed him.

“Please be quiet. If we’re caught, we’ll both die.”

The man stared at Seomun Da-yeon with eyes that didn’t understand the situation.

“Please.”

Though he didn’t understand the situation, he seemed to fully understand the urgency.

The man nodded.

Though she wanted to explain more, even speaking was now dangerous. Seomun Da-yeon pressed her hand firmly against the man’s mouth while pressing her body as close to his as possible.

The sound of bushes rustling reached her ears.

Though she couldn’t see with her eyes, it was certain that they had approached nearby.

Cold sweat began to flow down Seomun Da-yeon’s forehead.

‘We won’t be caught.’

Seomun Da-yeon repeated this like a mantra.

If their hiding here was discovered, what would happen next was obvious. Seomun Da-yeon would never escape from their hands and would meet a miserable death.

No matter how much the martial world was a place where one lived with their life on the line, she had no desire to die at this tender age.

At that moment, the man’s mouth moved.

Seomun Da-yeon was horrified and pressed down hard on the man’s mouth. Then with her other hand, she brought her finger to her lips. It meant to please be quiet, but the man either didn’t understand this meaning or kept squirming.

‘Why is he doing this?’

She had clearly explained so he would understand, yet like this…

‘Ah!’

Seeing the man’s face turn blue, Seomun Da-yeon was startled and gently removed her hand.

The man slowly exhaled with a face that looked ready to explode. Even in the midst of this, she was grateful that he didn’t breathe loudly, but she also felt sorry for having blocked a person’s breathing… it was a complicated feeling.

The man, with a face full of resentment, glared at Seomun Da-yeon quietly, then put his head against the branch and closed his eyes.

‘What a strange person.’

Even in this urgent situation, such a thought occurred to her.

Normally in such cases, people would want to peek around wondering if anyone was approaching, or at least perk up their ears.

But this man showed no interest in such things and simply closed his eyes.

It was a curious reaction, but now was not the time to worry about such things. Seomun Da-yeon prayed that the man would please not make any noise and lowered her breathing.

Rustle, rustle.

The sound of clothes brushing against bushes could be heard.

Just from the sound, it seemed like something moving slowly, but in fact, it was only because the martial prowess of those currently in the vicinity was so high; they would be moving at high speed while searching for her tracks.

Right at that moment.

“Which way?”

A low voice was heard from directly below.

Thump.

The moment she was about to scream in shock, a hand came up from below and covered Seomun Da-yeon’s mouth. Then it pulled her down.

‘Ah!’

Realizing she had almost made a huge mistake, Seomun Da-yeon looked down. The man who had been closing his eyes until just before was looking at Seomun Da-yeon with eyes that said she was pathetic.

“We cannot find any tracks.”

“Find them.”

“Yes!”

Air-cutting sounds came from below, and the presence of several people scattering in all directions could be felt.

Seomun Da-yeon suppressed her presence as much as possible and pressed her body down low. With her head against the chest of the man lying on the ground, she could hear his low heartbeat. Though it was awkward to be pressed so close to an unfamiliar man, it was better than dying.

How much time had passed?

Seomun Da-yeon, who had been holding her breath for a long while, raised her head.

The man was closing his eyes again.

‘Have they all gone?’

Since they hadn’t discovered her tracks, there was no reason to stay in this place. But just in case, she opened her senses to the maximum and examined the surroundings, confirming that no one was around before letting out a long sigh.

As her tension released, she fully realized what position she was in.

Her face flushed red and she hurriedly sat up, then bowed her head toward the man lying on the ground and spoke quietly.

“S-sorry.”

Her voice came out too quietly due to her worry about what might happen, making her doubt whether the man had heard her properly, but the man seemed to have heard her words clearly and opened his eyes.

‘Huh?’

When her eyes met the man’s, she felt her heart skip a beat for a moment and covered her cheeks in confusion.

The man opened his mouth very slowly.

The voice that reached Seomun Da-yeon’s ears as she waited for the man’s words with a nervous heart was filled with extreme irritation.

“Please move aside, auntie.”