Chapter 869: PAID

Childhood Friend of the ZenithWords: 2173

The Chase Through the Night Forest

Tap, tap—!!

In the dark depths of the night forest, someone was running as though possessed. His ragged breathing and contorted expression betrayed his dire condition.

“Huff… huff!”

With a limping body, he kept pushing forward. Every step was agony, but he couldn’t afford to stop.

Fuck… damn it—!!

Ilcheon Sword gritted his teeth as he continued to run. How had it come to this? Before he could make sense of the situation, his body had already begun to move.

What about the Celestial Stream Sect Master? What happened to him?

How had everything fallen apart so suddenly? How had things escalated this quickly?

Why… why is it him?

The moment the Star King, Gu Yangcheon, stormed the Azure Dragon Unit’s barracks and began mentioning sins, Ilcheon Sword had instinctively fled.

The fight—or rather, the one-sided beatdown—had left his body in tatters. His mind, barely regaining clarity, had driven him to act on sheer survival instinct.

The moment Gu Yangcheon spoke of sins, Ilcheon Sword knew.

That man already knew something.

And not just vague suspicions. He seemed to hold certainty, backed by evidence.

Perhaps that was why Ilcheon Sword had abandoned his post and fled in blind desperation.

Was it the fear of punishment? No. It was the terror of his sins being exposed.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

He had long since cast aside his ideals and convictions. By colluding with heretical sects, he had dragged the honor of the Martial Alliance through the mud.

This guilt weighed heavily on him.

Resistance was futile. Ilcheon Sword had already faced the reality during his confrontation with Gu Yangcheon.

That man… he’s a monster.

Gu Yangcheon was no ordinary martial artist. Even with everything Ilcheon Sword had, he couldn’t win. Could someone barely past their early twenties truly be on par with the Ten Grand Masters? It was a reality so absurd that even experiencing it firsthand felt unreal.

Ilcheon Sword gritted his teeth, forcing strength into his legs.

Where could he run to? He didn’t know. His mind was a blank slate.

Where could a martial artist who had betrayed honor and virtue possibly go?