Chapter 141

Chapter 141
## Chapter 141: Unraveling the Knot (1)

“What is the meaning of that expression, Senior?”

Heo Ok stared in complete shock at the figure of Cheon Binghwa standing before him.

The meticulous grooming she usually prided herself on—never permitting even a stray grain of sand—had vanished entirely since she departed for her task.

Her hair was a chaotic mess, snarled with forest debris and dry leaves, while her grime-streaked robes were shredded in multiple places. Most alarming, however, was her left arm; it hung uselessly from her shoulder, drenched in crimson as if she had barely survived a lethal encounter.

“What manner of people are they? Did you identify our attackers?”

Cheon Binghwa’s voice wavered with a tremor that felt alien to her character. This uncharacteristic instability only deepened Heo Ok’s growing sense of dread.

“I didn’t. Yet, there is one certainty in this mess.”

“And what is that?”

Cheon Binghwa inquired while using a scrap of fabric to bind her ruined limb against her torso.

“The person who guided them here is Gwa Yu.”

“Gwa Yu?”

She cocked her head, the name seemingly lost in the recesses of her memory.

“The youngest child of the former Forest Lord.”

“Ah, that little brat? He managed to stay alive?”

“So it would seem.”

“Then he has returned to seek vengeance against the one who ended his father.”

“That is the likely motivation.”

“But how could a mere child be acquainted with warriors of that caliber?”

Heo Ok recoiled slightly at Cheon Binghwa’s whispered observation.

“Warriors… you say?”

“High-level masters, without question. Combatants unlike any I have ever faced.”

Cheon Binghwa allowed the recent memory of the struggle to wash over her.

Initially, she had been driven by nothing more than a casual interest. She was curious to see which arrogant fools thought they could launch a frontal assault on the Blood Forest headquarters.

When she observed how effortlessly they bypassed the perimeter defenses and neutralized the assassins sent to intercept them, that idle curiosity transformed into a frantic, addictive thrill. It was the specific adrenaline rush that came only when dancing on the edge of a blade—a feeling she hadn’t tasted in years. Drunk on that sensation, she had moved toward the intruders without caution.

She had watched the high-tension standoff between Mooeop, a man whose reputation had been rising lately, and one of the invaders.

She had directed her murderous intent toward the intruder in that stalemate. It was intended as a minor provocation to shatter the balance of the fight. To her, the man standing directly in her line of sight wasn’t even worth her full attention.

When the intruder, who seemed entirely preoccupied with his immediate foe, flinched in alarm, she believed her gambit had worked.

However, in that heartbeat, a sudden eruption of palm wind sent her flying back in sheer terror. Even though she managed to twist her body in mid-air, her left arm was pulverized. It was only then that she grasped the magnitude of her error.

There hadn’t been just two individuals in those trees.

Only after her arm was completely shattered did she finally detect the presence of a third person.

She didn’t hesitate; she threw herself into a retreat immediately.

The survival instincts of an assassin, which had preserved her life through countless shadows, were screaming at her to flee.

She had run in a state of blind hysteria, the details of her flight remaining a frantic blur. It was only after putting a vast distance between herself and the site that she realized no one had bothered to chase her.

“If I had been at my peak, could I have even gotten away?”

Heo Ok reacted sharply to her quiet, mourning tone.

“What was that?”

“Ignore me. Tell me, what is the strategy? I want to be very clear—those people are not standard experts.”

“We must find a way to obstruct them.”

Heo Ok ground his teeth in frustration.

“Are the elders engaging as well?”

“Indeed.”

After a brief pause for reflection, Cheon Binghwa spoke with a low, chilling clarity.

“We must trigger the Cloud-Mist Binding Phantom Formation. It is our sole remaining card.”

“What are you suggesting…”

Heo Ok let out a sharp breath at the mention of that name.

The Cloud-Mist Binding Phantom Formation was a defensive network that blanketed the entirety of the Ox Mountain range, with the Blood Forest headquarters at its heart—a massive array covering a staggering distance.

Over three decades ago, Zhuge Hon, the outcast of the Zhuge family known by the title of the Heavenly Brain, had been rescued from certain death by the Forest Lord of that era. Out of a sense of debt, he constructed this terrifying and ultimate defensive array.

Once the Cloud-Mist Binding Phantom Formation was engaged, it was impossible to dismantle from the inside. At the time of its creation, doubtful elders had laughed at its supposed power, so Zhuge Hon activated it as a demonstration.

The outcome was horrifying. Within a single day, forty elite Blood Forest killers had either ended their own lives or slaughtered one another in a frenzy.

Despite the loss of life, the Forest Lord did not blame Zhuge Hon. They had acquired an impenetrable shield for any crisis.

Touched by the Forest Lord’s grace, Zhuge Hon shared the secrets of how to start and stop the formation, as well as the pathing required to navigate the area without succumbing to its effects.

These three pieces of knowledge became the most guarded treasures of the Blood Forest.

The methods for activation and shutdown were reserved strictly for the Forest Lord’s direct bloodline, while the safe navigation route—the vital path—was taught only to a handful of the most elite assassins.

“Only a tiny group can navigate the safe path. Every man we deploy against them will be in mortal danger.”

“The elders are aware of the risks. Some of the top-tier killers are as well. If we engage them in a standard battle, such losses would be trivial. We are facing the possibility of being wiped out entirely.”

“Everyone capable of starting the formation is dead. You are aware of this, aren’t you?”

Heo Ok spat the words in frustration, but Cheon Binghwa remained unmoved.

“The man currently holding the title of Forest Lord should know the way.”

“He was merely the Lord’s sibling, and they were bitter rivals. There is no chance the secret was shared with him.”

“You must have forgotten the history of your youth, but he was the original successor. He was passed over for his younger brother because of a catastrophic error. He spent years training as the heir, so the knowledge is in his mind.”

“Even if that is the case, he isn’t exactly the cooperative type.”

“Not even when the Blood Forest is about to be erased? Given his recent behavior, he might act the part of the madman and decline. But why should we worry? We have the means.”

Cheon Binghwa gestured to her own head and let out a laugh.

Heo Ok was struck dumb by how easily she could laugh, considering she had the Soul Binding Gu embedded in her skull just like the current Forest Lord.

“Now, go and initiate the Cloud-Mist Binding Phantom Formation. Otherwise, none of us survive.”

Suddenly, her mirth vanished, replaced by a freezing aura of death emanating from her eyes.

Usually, those who carry the Soul Binding Gu feel an instinctual, crushing weight when facing someone who holds the power to trigger it, causing them to stifle their own aggression. Even if they can bypass that psychological wall and show anger, they rarely dare to act, knowing the agonizing price they would pay.

But Cheon Binghwa was indifferent to that suffering. She released her killing intent without the slightest pause.

‘She actually seems to relish the agony. She is truly insane.’

The memory of her face—smiling even as she collapsed in pain, thrashing on the earth—sent a shiver crawling down his spine.

—

“Wait a moment.”

Sima Geon came to an abrupt halt and gave a command, causing the followers behind him to stop instantly.

“Is something wrong, leader?”

Cheol Woo moved to Sima Geon’s side to investigate.

“The air has shifted. The environment around us is changing in a subtle way.”

Sima Geon scanned the terrain with a look of intense focus.

“Now that you point it out, it is strange. And where did this fog come from?”

Cheol Woo scowled at the white vapor beginning to swirl around their boots. He, too, felt an instinctual sense of incoming danger.

“This isn’t a natural weather event.”

“If it isn’t natural, then what is it?”

“It is a man-made phenomenon.”

“Artificial fog? Is that even… Curse it! Those bastards!”

Cheol Woo’s mind immediately jumped to the Ghost Gate Clan—and the horrific memories associated with them.

“I-it’s the Cloud-Mist Binding Phantom Formation!”

Gwa Yu cried out, his voice thick with dread.

“Explain that.”

“It is their final line of defense against an invasion. It is a legendary and incredibly lethal ultimate formation.”

“Relax. As I mentioned before, these kinds of arrays are…”

Cheol Woo, who had been full of bravado just a moment ago, suddenly went silent.

A Blood Forest assassin was sprinting toward them, howling with the ferocity of a wild animal.

However, his appearance was disturbing. His pupils were darting in every direction, and saliva leaked from his lips—he was clearly far from sane.

“Why is he acting like a lunatic?”

“According to what my father told me, anyone trapped within the illusions of the Cloud-Mist Binding Phantom Formation loses their mind just like that.”

Gwa Yu whispered, recalling his father’s warnings.

“So they turned this Cloud-Mist garbage on knowing their own people would be caught in it? Are they trying to commit mass suicide just to stop us?”

“There is a designated safe path that avoids the formation’s influence. They are aware of it. Though only a tiny fraction of them know the way.”

“And you? You know the path, right?”

Gwa Yu gave a nod in response to Cheol Woo’s query.

“I don’t know every inch, but I know enough. Specifically, the path leading from this point to the main base—I am certain of that one.”

“Excellent. Look, we could probably brute-force our way through if we had to, but why take the difficult route when a shortcut exists?”

Cheol Woo rolled his shoulders, trying to look casual.

However, his trademark arrogance was missing from his voice. His words were confident, but he understood better than anyone that the situation was about to become dire.

“I will lead the way.”

“Are you certain you can handle it in your current state?”

Neungjeon, who had been helping Gwa Yu walk until now, asked with a look of concern.

“I must. I will do it.”

Gwa Yu moved to the front, raising his voice as if to convince himself.

“Once the fog thickens, we will be bombarded by all kinds of hallucinations. From this point forward, do not lose track of my heels, no matter what you see.”

“You mentioned there are killers who know the safe path?”

Sima Geon asked, positioning Gwa Yu at the head of the line.

“Yes. The highest-ranking assassins and those who were specifically drilled for it.”

“They will likely intercept us. Regardless of what occurs, maintain your composure. Pay them no mind and place your confidence in me. Just ensure we stay on the path.”

“Understood.”

Gwa Yu nodded with conviction.

Those few words were enough to harden his resolve. His total reliance on Sima Geon steadied his heart, which had been racing with a mix of terror and stress.

Gwa Yu took a deep, stabilizing breath, looked at the hazy terrain, and then briefly shut his eyes.

The intricate layout of Ox Mountain, burned into his memory since childhood, unfolded like a map in his mind.

He had spent years of his youth learning to identify the safe path, but he lacked actual field experience. Even his training had been under the watchful eye of his father—controlled and safe. This was his first real-world test.

Mapping out the trajectory in his head, Gwa Yu opened his eyes and took a tentative step forward.

Behind him followed Sima Geon, Manchu, Neungjeon, and Cheol Woo in a line. Heukrang stayed close, positioned just behind Neungjeon.

They had only traveled a short distance when the mist swallowed their visibility. It became difficult to even see the head of the person directly in front of them.

The initial strike came from assassins who had already succumbed to the magic, their mental states shattered.

It wasn’t a coordinated strike. Sima Geon’s group simply crossed paths with killers who had been driven mad by the formation’s tricks and were now swinging their weapons at phantoms.

That was all the reason they needed to kill. To those lost in the fog, anything that moved—other than themselves—was a target.

When Gwa Yu hesitated for a fraction of a second, a steady, calm voice reached him from behind.

“Do not pause. Keep moving.”

Exactly as Sima Geon had commanded.

A dozen or more frenzied assassins lunged at them, but none managed to close the distance.

Gwa Yu watched them fall like discarded dolls, each one sportng a small, precise hole in the center of their forehead. He felt a fresh wave of awe at Sima Geon’s lethality. Any remaining doubt in his mind was instantly wiped away.