Why Do They Keep Running Away?

With Geum Ho-pyeong driving the carriage, only Gyo-ha, Yu So-ha, and Noh-sam rode inside.

At first, Noh-sam tried to sit up front, but Yu So-ha and Geum Ho-pyeong refused, so he had no choice but to ride inside.

The carriage wasn’t extravagant, but it looked refined.

Noh-sam kept glancing around, as if the soft cushions made him uncomfortable.

Meanwhile, Yu So-ha and Gyo-ha grew rather friendly.

The decisive reason was…

“You’re fourteen? That’s about my age.”

“Huh?”

“I’m fifteen. Though I’m not exactly sure, but…”

Gyo-ha scratched his head with an awkward grin.

Right then the carriage jolted.

Geum Ho-pyeong, who was on the driver’s seat, had lost hold of the reins.

Through the small window, he stared at Noh-sam in disbelief.

Noh-sam only nodded.

After all, the Medicine Immortal himself had vouched for it.

Unlike Noh-sam and Geum Ho-pyeong, Yu So-ha accepted it readily.

“Then that makes us friends?!”

“Yeah.”

After that they hit it off and chattered about everything.

Watching Gyo-ha talk with Yu So-ha, Geum Ho-pyeong accepted the truth as well.

There was a boyish innocence about him.

If anything, Yu So-ha seemed more mature.

Yu So-ha chirped on happily.

She seemed delighted to have a friend her age.

But unlike Yu So-ha, Gyo-ha couldn’t sit still.

“I’m gonna go run a bit.”

“Eh?”

Yu So-ha’s eyes went round at the sudden remark.

But Gyo-ha had already flung the door open on the moving carriage.

And leapt out without hesitation.

Startled, Geum Ho-pyeong nearly yanked the reins, but forced himself to calm down.

After a tumble, Gyo-ha was already running alongside the carriage.

He beamed brightly.

You’d never think he’d been badly wounded only days ago.

Gyo-ha didn’t stop there, and sprinted past the carriage.

In a flash he was gone from sight.

The others could only stare, dumbfounded.

“…He’s… unique.”

Geum Ho-pyeong managed to speak. Yu So-ha and Noh-sam didn’t disagree.

But they knew he was putting it mildly.

After that, Gyo-ha spent more time outside the carriage than in it.

But most of the time, he was on top of it.

Gyo-ha stood on his hands, upside down.

“Wooah.”

Every time a wheel hit a stone and jolted, he let out some inexplicable exclamation.

Even Geum Ho-pyeong, who’d stared at him oddly, got used to it after a few days.

Only Yu So-ha was looking at Gyo-ha wistfully.

She’d finally found a friend and wanted to talk more.

Seeing that, Geum Ho-pyeong frowned at Gyo-ha.

‘Is that brat… that Young Master lacking a screw somewhere?’

That wasn’t something he would think of a benefactor, yet he couldn’t help it.

Yu So-ha was pretty.

She was even famous in Lanzhou. To the point where matchmakers were already circling around her.

Any boy his age would look at her.

But Gyo-ha seemed uninterested.

He cared more about other things.

While handstanding, Gyo-ha spotted something and twisted to sit.

“Hey, bandits… ah, they’re running again.”

His eyes had lit up, but now he pouted.

It was as if he was looking at his lover leaving.

Even Gyo-ha wouldn’t chase bandits who fled outright.

“Why do they keep running?”

He scratched the back of his head.

How many times had it been now? Everyone but Gyo-ha knew why.

‘Who’d attack a caravan when some giant is shirtless and doing handstands on a moving roof?’

The martial world had its eccentrics, but this was new.

If they were bandits, they’d avoid it too.

‘And the Young Master’s charm is that honest face.’

You had to see his face to forget the weapon of a body of his.

Only then might trouble start.

From afar, all you saw were massive muscles.

Knowing all this, Noh-sam kept quiet.

His job was to guard, not make trouble.

Leaning out the window, Noh-sam looked up at Gyo-ha.

Gyo-ha puffed his cheeks and went back to a handstand.

His ragged clothes were now in tatters.

They barely counted as clothing, but he wore them stubbornly as they’d been a gift.

A gift from Noh-sam’s mother.

It warmed him, and pained him too.

‘We’ll have to buy him some clothes at the next town.’

He couldn’t let him go around like that forever.

Upon reaching Tanchang, they headed straight to the money house.

Some there recognized Yu So-ha and Geum Ho-pyeong.

Once they explained their situation, funds were released without fuss.

With her purse now heavy, Yu So-ha smiled at the group.

“I’ll treat you for all I couldn’t before. Today, let’s eat till we burst!”

“Wow!”

Gyo-ha whooped at her declaration, eyes shining like hers.

Geum Ho-pyeong didn’t stop her.

He felt guilty they hadn’t treated their benefactors better.

Noh-sam had done all the cooking thus far.

At first Geum Ho-pyeong had handled it, but somehow it had become Noh-sam’s job.

His terrible cooking might’ve had something to do with it.

“All right, let’s go!”

Yu So-ha led with a dignified look.

Cute as that was, Noh-sam and Geum Ho-pyeong smiled.

As promised, they ate all kinds of dishes late into the night.

In the morning, they looked different.

They’d changed out of their battle-ruined clothes into new ones.

Naturally, Gyo-ha was cleaned up too.

And the effect was immediate.

“Stop right there!”

No sooner had they left the town for the mountain road than bandits appeared.

“Oh!”

Gyo-ha’s eyes sparkled at the blockading bandits.

Then he looked to Noh-sam.

“Uncle!”

“Yeah?”

Noh-sam had been about to take the baggage, when Gyo-ha held out his hand, head tilted.

“The thing that Dark Path mister gave us!”

“Ah.”

Only then did Noh-sam catch on.

He wanted the poison.

Noh-sam glanced at Yu So-ha and Geum Ho-pyeong and spoke carefully.

“We’re on a job… isn’t that a problem?”

If something happened to Gyo-ha, it would be a huge setback.

This wasn’t like when it was just the two of them. They were hired now.

Gyo-ha blinked. He hadn’t considered that.

“…It’s a no?”

Noh-sam nodded.

“Not even raiding their den?”

Noh-sam only looked at him.

Gyo-ha pouted and began shrugging off his outer coat.

Yu So-ha and Geum Ho-pyeong, not understanding, just looked puzzled.

Shirtless, Gyo-ha charged the bandits.

It didn’t take long for the smirks on their faces to turn to fear.

The journey after that was peaceful.

With Gyo-ha training atop the carriage, no bandits approached.

His training grew even more intense.

He couldn’t help it. His internal energy was rising by the hour.

“…This shouldn’t be happening.”

He wiped sweat, face scrunched.

By now not only Noh-sam but also Yu So-ha and Geum Ho-pyeong knew why, yet all three kept quiet as if by pact.

Everyone—except Gyo-ha—was of one mind.

After passing Longseo and drawing near Lanzhou—

Gyo-ha snapped his head up mid-practice.

Thinking it was bandits again, they halted the carriage.

From the roof he fixed his gaze on one spot.

But what appeared was no mere bandit.

The brush parted and a man stepped out.

Skin white as a corpse, and a saber-scabbard plastered with talismans.

Noh-sam blurted a name like a cry.

“Ghost Evil Blade!”

There was no mistaking that distinctive look.

Geum Ho-pyeong also recognized him, his hand going to his sword-hilt.

The man flicked a glance at them, then fixed his eyes on Gyo-ha.

He looked him over, up and down.

Under that gaze, Gyo-ha hopped down from the roof.

“Well-tempered body, massive shackles, and a naïve face. Accurate.”

A quiet murmur.

“Did you kill Iron Tyrant Staff?”

Noh-sam tensed at the question.

Yu So-ha and Geum Ho-pyeong stared at Gyo-ha in shock.

They knew he was strong, just not that he was strong enough to kill Iron Tyrant Staff.

Considering his age, it was staggering.

“If you mean the guy swinging that spiked iron thing—yeah.”

At his calm tone, Ghost Evil Blade gave him a curious look.

“I’ll confirm it.”

He didn’t mean the corpse.

He meant to test if Gyo-ha had the skill.

Gyo-ha glanced back. Noh-sam nodded.

The opponent was one of the Seven Fiends of Shaanxi.

Refusing might go badly.

With Noh-sam’s leave, Gyo-ha grinned, dropped his bundle, and stripped to the waist.

He bumped fists together.

Koong.

Dust billowed.

Ghost Evil Blade raised his hands, settling into a stance.

Gyo-ha frowned, as if displeased.

“Not drawing your saber?”

He only stared back, saying nothing.

‘So you want me to make you draw it by force, huh?’

Gyo-ha nodded and stepped in.

In the same breath, his figure shot toward the man.

Pong!

His punch ripped the air.

Frightening momentum.

But Ghost Evil Blade slipped it easily.

His elbow darted for Gyo-ha’s temple.

Gyo-ha twisted away, then a knee shot up.

He swung his iron shackle in reply.

Tung.

With a light sound, they broke apart.

Gyo-ha narrowed his eyes at his vibrating shackle.

The vibration wouldn’t settle.

It was a technique his master had once shown.

Back then he hadn’t understood, but now he did.

‘This is definitely an Internal Heavy Hand Technique.’

He shook out his hand and the tremor eased.

A glint flickered in Ghost Evil Blade’s eyes.

Gyo-ha, too, regarded him anew.

He’d thought less of him for not drawing his saber…

‘He’s skilled with fists and kicks.’

Iron Tyrant Staff had only used kicks as support, but this man was different.

Alarmingly so.

Gyo-ha wet his lips and launched again.

His foot targeted the man’s head.

Ghost Evil Blade didn’t dodge, but rather stepped in.

A stabbing fist.

Gyo-ha twisted, spinning once around because of his shackles.

It was a move he’d learned fighting Iron Tyrant Staff.

Since it was hard on the shoulder, he couldn’t use it often.

His knee snapped for the man’s flank.

Ghost Evil Blade had to withdraw his punch.

Kwang!

The impact drove him back.

But Gyo-ha didn’t come out unscathed.

He was hopping on one leg. The redirected fist had clipped his knee in that brief moment.

Shuddering as if shocked, he carefully set his foot down.

Then he grinned at Ghost Evil Blade.

“Guess you’ll need your saber?”

At that, Ghost Evil Blade glanced down at his arm.

Though not as much as Gyo-ha, his arms trembled faintly.

He hadn’t absorbed all the force.

He looked back at Gyo-ha.

Soon he nodded.

Was he finally drawing the saber? Gyo-ha’s eyes gleamed.

But—

“You could indeed defeat Iron Tyrant Staff. I see.”

“Eh?”

“My apologies.”

Saying that, Ghost Evil Blade brushed the dust from his clothes.