Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: Failed Escape
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Heh heh, puhahaha."
Ha Hu-yeong sat perched on the edge of the bed, propping his elbow as he stared blankly ahead.
A stream of hollow laughter poured endlessly from his mouth.
"Heh heh heh heh heh!"
After laughing for quite some time, he suddenly straightened his face and narrowed his brows.
"Me, Namgung Hyeok? Second son of the Nangong family?"
Geum Cheomsang nodded emphatically.
"You could be shocked, sure. I get it. Suddenly losing your memories and all. Just take it easy, alright?"
"...What year is it in the Martial Calendar?"
"Seventy. Can you believe it's already been seventy years since the Righteous Heaven Alliance was founded?"
"Seventy years..."
Namgung Hyeok muttered with a dazed expression.
"So that means I'm over a hundred and fifty?"
He'd already been in his eighties when the alliance was established.
He'd climbed Heavenly Mountain for his ascension attempt when he was over ninety.
But after plummeting during that attempt, a full sixty years had vanished.
Which meant that if he'd somehow survived until now, he'd be a walking corpse well past a hundred and fifty.
What in the world was going on?
"Young master?"
"...Where the hell did my sixty years go?"
"Young master, I'll fetch the physician right away. Just sit tight and rest. You need to calm down."
Geum Cheomsang rose from his seat, scanning Ha Hu-yeong up and down.
"I'll be right back."
With a look of deep concern, Geum Cheomsang dashed out the door.
Ha Hu-yeong lifted his head, gazing upward through eyes brimming with emptiness.
All he could see was the filthy high ceiling.
'Damn it all, you tossed me into this loser's body?'
Was this some kind of sick joke?
The Nangong family, and their second son, no less?
'Holy hell.'
Was this the kind of stunt you pulled if you had a brain in your skull?
He was the one hailed as the greatest under heaven, past and present.
And now they'd crammed him into the flesh of some no-name Nangong brat?
Or was it full-on reincarnation into this body?
'And why sixty years later?'
They didn't reincarnate him right away—what kind of twisted whim made them wait sixty damn years?
It was so absurd he couldn't even find words.
Had he ever felt this smacked upside the head in his life?
Not that he could remember, at least.
Reincarnation!
The supreme master that he was, reborn into this pathetic wretch!
'Rot in hell, you immortal bastards!'
Rage boiled up to the top of his head before melting into utter futility.
The thought that a lifetime of cultivation had vanished made his blood run cold.
'Damn you immortals—did you think I'd get a young body and go, "Oh, thank you! Time to cultivate again"? What nonsense.'
I am Ha Hu-yeong.
The Sole Survivor Ha Hu-yeong.
The man who clawed his way from the mud to the pinnacle of the world.
'You think I'll dance to the tune you laid out?'
Fat chance. He had zero intention of playing along with those accursed immortals.
Ha Hu-yeong kicked off from his spot and stood.
Whether because his body hadn't adapted yet or not, his head throbbed and his legs wobbled.
'What the hell did they do to him that he can't even walk right? Is this even a human body?'
Everything sucked except for the youth—nothing else sat right with him.
The only small comfort was that he'd gotten another shot.
Ha Hu-yeong quickly scanned his surroundings.
He checked every direction in case some punk like Geum Cheomsang popped up, but no one was around.
'I'm out.'
He had not the slightest desire to linger in the game those damn immortals had set up.
He planned to bolt from the Nangong family at the first opportunity.
'Back to Heavenly Mountain. Return there and start from square one, more meticulously than before.'
It was just a brief pause in his stride.
Thankfully, he'd gotten this chance, so he'd just begin anew.
He was a man who didn't know the word quit—the kind with the obsessive tenacity of a mongrel that had claimed the peak of the martial world.
He wouldn't crumble over something like this.
Groaning, Ha Hu-yeong shuffled out.
"Huff, huff. But why's it so damn exhausting? Body not adjusted yet?"
His feet felt as heavy as a thousand catties. He'd never felt a body this sluggish in his life.
His head spun, and his stomach churned.
But he gritted his teeth and bore it until he finally stood before the Nangong family's grand front gate.
Guards were clustered haphazardly around the gate, milling about idly.
The old him wouldn't have spared them a glance, but in this state, his body wasn't normal.
Even they looked sharp and threatening.
'But it's not like they're gonna block the second young master of the family, right?'
Second son of the Nangong family meant son of the family head.
Who would dare obstruct his path?
Fully aware of his status, he strode forward with confidence.
Step. Step.
As Ha Hu-yeong finally reached the gate, the guards came swarming over.
Their numbers seemed excessive, but he paid it no mind.
"Young master! What brings you all the way out here?"
Ha Hu-yeong clasped his hands behind his back and feigned nonchalance.
"Just stepping out for a bit."
So hurry up and clear the way, you lot.
He waved his hand dismissively like it was a hassle, waiting for them to part.
"What?! No way. You need to head back inside!"
Huh? That wasn't the reaction he expected.
"I said just a quick trip?"
"No can do! The family head will have our hides. You absolutely cannot go outside."
"What nonsense is this? I said I'm going!"
Who the hell did they think they were blocking?
Ha Hu-yeong tried to shove past the guards and head out.
Thump!
"Huh?"
With a dull thud, Ha Hu-yeong was shoved back, and he scowled.
He'd clearly pushed first—why was he the one getting pushed?
But the bewilderment didn't last.
"Sorry, it's the family head's strict orders!"
A guard grabbed him by the waist and forcibly dragged him back inside.
"Huh? Grabbing me?"
These punks dare!
No matter how off his body was right now, he still had his pride.
Shift the center of gravity forward and drop low with the Thousand Catties Anchor principle—even an ox couldn't budge him...
Drag drag drag drag.
"Huh, huhh?"
What? Why isn't my internal energy responding?
'Oh, right. This isn't my body.'
Ha Hu-yeong's eyes went wide at the sight of himself being helplessly dragged across the ground, leaving faint trails.
"Guh, guh?"
Then came the crushing pressure, and his head lolled back.
'Damn it, what's happening now?'
And... why was his vision fading like this?
Leaving a flood of questions unanswered in his mind, darkness soon overtook him.
* * *
Blink. Blink.
A ceiling came into view—unfamiliar, yet somehow starting to feel familiar.
It was the ceiling from Namgung Hyeok's quarters.
"..."
Ha Hu-yeong tried his best to stay calm, but he couldn't hide the sheer absurdity.
"Did I... seriously just faint?"
Faint?
Me?
Clutching his pounding head, Ha Hu-yeong sat up and shook his head.
"Must not be adjusted to this body yet. Or maybe this kid's mind and body are just pathetically frail."
Otherwise, how could he fail to withstand a single gate guard?
That explanation made the fainting make sense.
"Main gate's a no-go anyway. If the family head's got it locked down, no point wasting energy."
In his current state, there was no way out the front.
Ha Hu-yeong quickly accepted reality and rose to his feet.
Dragging his wobbly legs, he crawled his way outside.
"Hah! Hah! Then I'll just take another route!"
Giving up wasn't in his nature.
He considered figuring out his baffling physical condition first, but priority one was escaping this godforsaken Nangong family.
He didn't want to play into the immortals' scheme for even a moment longer.
He could sort out his body once he was out.
This time, Ha Hu-yeong veered toward the outer wall.
The gate guards who'd knocked him out earlier were standing vigil with sharp eyes, watching every direction.
'Count yourselves lucky. If I were in fighting shape, I'd have laid you all out flat!'
Generously forgiving(?) the guards who'd felled him, Ha Hu-yeong leaned against the wall.
Patrolling guards ambled past.
He watched them go quietly.
'Perfect.'
Watching the guards move away from the wall, Ha Hu-yeong nodded.
His gaze shifted back to the wall.
He slunk to an unoccupied corner and placed his hands on it.
"Nothing beats a moonlit wall climb!"
The spot he'd chosen was a remote section of the outer wall.
It was a blind spot where eyes wouldn't easily reach, and he'd confirmed the patrols had passed—now he just had to act, and escape would be simple.
"Alright, let's go!"
Without hesitation, Ha Hu-yeong gripped hard.
The wall wasn't all that high—maybe eight feet at most.
His new body had reasonably long limbs relative to its height.
A few reaches, and he'd grab the top.
Crack!
"Urgh! You damn hunk of meat. Why are you so freaking weak!"
The problem was that jamming his fingers into the wall cracks and pulling up made his bones scream.
"Ughhh!"
It felt like his fingers would snap, but he clenched his teeth.
And slowly, ever so carefully, he hauled his body up.
His hands, shoulders, and feet trembled violently.
'Damn, since when were walls this hard to climb?'
Drip drip.
Heat rose quickly in his body, sweat beading on his forehead.
"Huh?"
Wait, sweat already just from getting up here?
What kind of screwed-up body was this?
'Just get over first and figure it out later!'
Ha Hu-yeong poured strength into his grip once more and gnashed his teeth.
Like a tortoise inching up Heavenly Mountain, he crawled up foot by foot.
Sweat drops splattered down, soaking him, but he ignored it.
'I'm Ha Hu-yeong the Sole Survivor. You think I can't handle a puny wall? I can do this! I say I will, and I damn well do!'
Crack! Crack!
"Huff huff, haaah!"
Ha Hu-yeong's mouth stretched into a grin—the end was finally in sight.
He dragged himself up with his elbows and reached the top at last.
He'd only scaled a mere wall, yet an immense surge of elation washed over him.
"Got it! Yes! Haha! Of course I could—I'm me. Now just down the other side and..."
As Ha Hu-yeong prepared to descend the opposite face, his pupils quivered.
Guards down below were gawking up at him blankly.
"..."
"..."
For a moment, their eyes met in awkward silence.
A flurry of emotions crossed the air.
Ha Hu-yeong stared down at the guards, drenched in sweat, while they looked up at him with stupefied faces.
The guards' mouths slowly gaped open, their eyes bulging like they'd pop out.
Ha Hu-yeong let out a deep sigh and covered his face with one hand.
And in that instant.
"Y-Young master!"
"What are you doing! Get down now!"
"You'll get hurt! Stay right there! What are you idiots doing! Hurry up and climb up to fetch the young master!"
The guards made a huge fuss as they scrambled up the wall.
Ha Hu-yeong let out a hollow chuckle at the panicking bunch.
'Just how many guards do they have?'
He hadn't imagined there'd be any on the outside too.
'Should I shove 'em off and bolt?'
As he eyed the approaching wall-climbing guards with that impulse, a shocked shout erupted from behind.
"Young master! What's this while I was gone for a second! The physician said you can't move yet!"
Geum Cheomsang yelled from below the wall, hopping around in distress.
"No, seriously, why'd you climb up there? It's dangerous—get down right now, young master! Hurry!"
Trapped front and back, Ha Hu-yeong let out a deep sigh.
Guards were closing in from the front atop the wall, while Geum Cheomsang fussed below.
"Damn. Nothing's going right."
Ha Hu-yeong glanced back and forth before shaking his head.
In that time, the guards below had approached and grabbed his legs.
"Enough. Hands off."
Who the hell touches my body!
"But it's dangerous—use my shoulder to..."
"I said enough."
Ha Hu-yeong lightly swatted the guard's hand away and shook his head firmly.
'No good. Gotta bide my time for a better chance at escape. Recover in the meantime.'
He clicked his tongue in regret, then released his grip on the arms clutching the wall.
"Y-Young master!"
"Gasp!"
The guards reaching from atop the wall cried out in horror, while Geum Cheomsang below let out a shriek.
'What's with the hysterics?'
It's not like the wall was a thousand-foot cliff.
A seven-year-old could play around up here—why all the panic?
Ha Hu-yeong chuckled wryly as he fell toward the ground.
Thinking he'd head straight back to his quarters, he planted his feet down.
The moment he saw the guards' horrified, twisted faces and chuckled while shaking his head.
Crack!
"Hmm?"
What was that?
A strange sound rang out.
It was intensely familiar yet alien, coming from his own body.
He'd heard it countless times, but where from?
As he tried to look and identify the source.
Thud!
His body tilted, and he sprawled flat on the ground.
"H-Huh?"
What? What's going on?
A sense of dread crashed into the back of his head amid the bewilderment.
His pupils dilated, locking onto his foot thrust up toward the sky.
His foot...
Dangling.
"...Dangling?"
Why was his ankle like that?
"Huhhh?"
Only then did Ha Hu-yeong grasp the situation, his eyes widening.
'Br-Broken...?'
The instant he recognized the snapped ankle, excruciating pain shot from the dangling foot straight up his throat.
"Gaa... Gaaaah!"
A mere fall from the wall did this to his leg?!
"What kind of body..."
...You insane immortal bastards.
"Gurgle gurgle!"
Froth bubbled up from Ha Hu-yeong's lips.
"Young masteeeeeeer!"
"Physician! Physician! To the medicine hall!"
"Uwaaaah!"
The guards' screams echoed through the compound.
Geum Cheomsang gaped at the sudden uproar, then muttered in despair.
"We're screwed."