Have Only The Good Memories. (2)

The three brothers sat together for a moment, catching their breath, but they couldn’t rest—the Blade Emperor was tracking them. Their respite was brief.

Cheon Woo-seong, the second of the Extreme Five, nudged his brothers and rose. “Let’s go. It’s dangerous if we stay here any longer.”

At that moment the third, leaning on his sword, labored to his feet and asked, “Second brother. If you die like this, would you feel it was unfair?”

“Why ask that all of a sudden? No one’s going to die here, so don’t ask that.”

“I’m just curious. Answer me.”

A faint smile crossed Cheon Woo-seong’s face. “I have no regrets. We even attacked a Murim Alliance outpost and had our fun, didn’t we?”

The youngest, who had been watching, laughed and joined the conversation. “Nah. That was all the Yin Monster’s doing.”

“What are you talking about? I was right beside him the whole time. Anyway, I’ve left my name in the murim world, so I have no regrets.”

Cheon Woo-geuk, who had asked the question, smiled softly. “Just hurry and leave, second brother.”

Cheon Woo-seong led again, cutting a path forward. The trees were so dense they couldn’t use their lightness skill properly. Unless they could leap and walk on air, they’d have to slash through the undergrowth to make a way.

Screetch! Screetch!

They pushed forward recklessly for nearly a day’s march.

The youngest, trailing behind with a wounded expression, asked, “Brothers. If our eldest had been with us, could we have taken that guy down?”

Cheon Woo-seong answered without hesitation. “No. Infuriating as it is, he was far stronger than we imagined.”

“Then how will we get revenge on him?”

“Our eldest will find a way. For now, let’s just focus on surviving.”

But contrary to those words, it wasn’t that simple—the third was falling behind little by little. His leg injury was worse than they’d thought.

As time passed, their pace slowed and their hearts burned black with worry. Bloodstains and severed branches left obvious traces. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before they were caught.

Cheon Woo-geuk stopped with a grim expression. “I don’t think I can go on. You go first.”

“What are you saying? You can come with us, third brother.”

The youngest tried to support him, but Cheon Woo-geuk pushed his hand away. “Because of me, you both could be in danger. Just go, quickly!”

“I won’t leave you. Carry me.” But sheer will couldn’t solve everything. Cheon Woo-seong was already badly wounded from breaking the path, and Cheon Woo-jin could barely steady himself.

Cheon Woo-geuk, knowing this, glared at the youngest as if he might slap him if he didn’t leave. “You…”

The youngest did not back down.

Time was slipping away, and Cheon Woo-seong could no longer stand by. They had to decide.

“The third’s judgment is right. Come with us.”

“Hyung…”

With his eyes rimmed in red, Cheon Woo-jin looked from one brother to the other. But what could he do?

Cheon Woo-seong grabbed his shoulder and hauled him along. “No time, so hurry and follow.”

“Ugh.”

Cheon Woo-jin turned his gaze away, holding back the tears that threatened to spill. He didn’t want the brothers staying behind to see him cry. And Cheon Woo-seong, leaving so coldly, couldn’t have felt any peace either.

“We’ll leave first; rest a bit and then follow.”

“All right. Don’t worry about me—go ahead first. I’ll catch up soon.”

What more needed to be said? Those who could live must live. Only then would there be a chance for revenge. They simply nodded once to show they understood each other’s hearts.

‘I’m sorry, little brother.’

There was no more time to hesitate; Cheon Woo-seong grabbed the youngest’s arm and began to move.

Left alone, Cheon Woo-geuk leaned his back against a tree. Fatigue was plain on his face. “It’s a damn good day to die, isn’t it?”

The scent of fresh grass and wood, the cool wind that tickled his skin—everything felt achingly pleasant. He tried to drink the world in; somehow it felt as if this moment might be his last.

Finally, his gaze fixed steadily on the direction his brothers had disappeared. “Don’t look back, and make sure you get out,” he thought.

A faint, almost invisible smile hovered on Cheon Woo-geuk’s face, but it lasted only a moment. Suddenly his expression stiffened.

Flap-flap-flap!

Birds startled into flight. From somewhere came a tremendous aura of killing intent that grew closer until it took his breath away.

“…shit.”

It was clear the Blade Emperor had arrived. Cheon Woo-geuk clenched his sword and rose slowly. He intended to buy as much time as he could.

Meanwhile the other two brothers were frantically running through the forest, silent and sunk in sorrow for leaving the third behind. After they had moved forward in silence for a while, a scream echoed from the rear.

[Kraaaak!]

It was clearly the third’s voice.

The youngest, Cheon Woo-jin, said in a trembling voice, “U-Wook-geuk hyung!”

“That damned son of a bitch actually…”

But the screams did not stop at one. A little later another wretched cry split the air, so fierce it seemed to echo for miles.

[Kraaaak!!!]

Not killing immediately but inflicting pain—obviously meant to lure them. Cheon Woo-seong knew this well. How could anyone be at ease hearing their brother’s screams? The hand holding his sword trembled.

“Little brother.”

“Yes, second hyung.”

“If this continues, we’ll soon be caught and killed too.”

Cheon Woo-jin’s face showed not fear but a fierce resolve. “I know.”

“From here, we split up. That way at least one of us might survive to reach our eldest.”

“…Yes.”

“You go straight this way. I’ll go right. Hurry!”

They set off in different directions at once, but Cheon Woo-seong’s expression was ominous—his eyes bloodshot with rage. His grip on his sword tightened.

Then, without warning, he changed course and ran back toward where they’d come from.

‘Third, hang on a little. I’m coming….’

Tat-tat-tat!!

Cheon Woo-seong, sword in hand, ran like a madman. The underbrush tore his clothes and scratched his skin, but he didn’t care.

After a frenzied sprint, the third’s figure reappeared ahead. An old white-haired man was trampling the third’s prone back. The younger brother’s limbs were nowhere to be seen—there was barely enough flesh left for him to scream.

He opened his mouth in a dying voice. “…Se-second hyung.”

Seeing his brother like that, Cheon Woo-seong’s reason was overtaken by fury. “You son of a bitch!”

Tat-tat!

He threw himself at the Blade Emperor with everything he had. There was only one chance. Launching himself in front of the Blade Emperor, he spun in the air like a top.

Whoooosh!

It was the lethal slaying technique he’d honed his whole life. His blade, imbued with a blue aura, surged relentlessly toward the Blade Emperor.

But the Blade Emperor didn’t even flinch; he simply shifted the blade he held in one hand. The two weapons collided head-on.

Screech!

Cheon Woo-seong’s sword edge snapped. How could his wounded body withstand the Blade Emperor’s heavy blade? It had been a final, all-or-nothing strike—there would be no follow-up.

As if he’d been waiting, the Blade Emperor’s left hand grabbed his throat with a thunk.

“Guh!”

The Blade Emperor looked down at the helpless Cheon Woo-seong with an expressionless face. “Don’t blame this old man. It’s all a consequence of your own actions.”

“Ptooey!”

Cheon Woo-seong spat, but the saliva vanished—blocked by some intangible qi. Then the price for that provocation was paid.

A cold, chilling blade pierced Cheon Woo-seong’s abdomen.

Squelch!

“…Urrgh.”

The Blade Emperor withdrew his blade and flung him to the ground as if discarding trash.

Thud!

Cheon Woo-seong and Cheon Woo-geuk lay sprawled on the earth, staring into each other’s eyes.

“Why did you come back…?” their gazes seemed to ask.

Tears welled in both their eyes. It wasn’t simple sadness or a clinging to life; it was the raw injustice of dying like this.

Cheon Woo-seong muttered through venomous eyes, “Try it on me… do that filthy thing…”

He gritted his teeth. Even if his limbs were cut off, he would not scream—only that could keep the youngest from coming back and dying the same way.

The Blade Emperor stood immobile, turning his head this way and that as if sensing something. A moment later he uttered a single, significant sentence.

“Still, for Evil Sect factions, you’ve got some loyalty.”

“…?”

Even as they were dying, Cheon Woo-seong and Cheon Woo-geuk felt a new wave of despair when he added, “Thanks to you, I won’t have to make that troublesome trip anymore.”

They strained with what little strength they had to turn their heads. Through the brush some ten meters away, the youngest, Cheon Woo-jin, was stomping forward. After being sent off with such hardship to escape, he’d come back.

“I’ll kill you!”

His appearance mirrored Cheon Woo-seong’s moments before—angry and determined to charge death.

The Blade Emperor sneered at the young man’s approach. “Come. Young one, your courage is admirable; this old man will spare you a move or two.”

Cheon Woo-jin took a breath and steeled himself. Just as he was about to rush forward, someone clapped a hand on his shoulder from behind.

Startled, he turned and froze. “H-hyung…?”

Cheon Woo-hwan, the eldest of the Extreme Five, had finally arrived. His face twisted in fury as he roared, “You’re the one who did this to my brothers!!”

The atmosphere shifted instantly. The Blade Emperor’s complacency vanished—not because he feared the eldest alone; he hadn’t taken the man seriously yet.

Above him, some ten meters in the air, a girl glared down, frowning between her brows. The Blade Emperor tensed, burning with fighting spirit.

“So we finally meet, Yin Monster. Last time we retreated because of the Sword Empress, but today you don’t stand a chance.”

He was regarded as one of the top ten martial masters. No matter how great the Yin Monster’s reputation, he would not be cowed before a fight.

At that moment Yu Seol gripped the Dragon Flower Spear and let out a lion’s roar. “Why did you kill them, you old man!? Why did you kill my friends!!!”

Her booming voice struck like a heavenly reprimand. In truth, the two brothers weren’t quite dead yet; though dying, they clung on desperately, unwilling to close their eyes—trying to see the Blade Emperor fall.

A very brief silence followed. Then, after a single breath, Yu Seol, who had been glaring down, launched her attack.

A streak of light—like lightning—descended upon his head. The Blade Emperor hastily raised his blade above him.

Kwah-ang!!!