novelraw Chapter 70
Chapter 70
Chapter 70
“A carriage?”
As if it were an unexpected thing to say, Paeng Ga-jong asked with a bewildered face.
“Yes, there are many injured people. If they walk, they will die on the road. But we cannot just wait around forever either.”
“The carriage doesn't have to be fancy, does it?”
“Yes. Of course. It just has to be able to roll. It would be even better if it is sturdy, even if it's rough, and it would be good if it can carry a generous number of people. As long as those conditions are met, it doesn't matter how much money it costs.”
It was a matter of people's lives; it was no time to be stingy with the bank notes. Money could always be earned again, and it seemed the Cult Leader would be good at earning it if he put his mind to it.
“The horses don't have to be fast, do they? It will cost a lot of money to get fast and healthy horses, and it will also draw people's attention.”
“They do not have to be fast. And it is enough if they can just handle this one journey.”
“If you say so, then there are some people who come to mind. I don't think it will cost a lot of money either.”
Saying that, Paeng Ga-jong looked at Cheon Ha-seong.
“Manager, did you by any chance come looking for me?”
“No. I heard that the bastards from the Azure Sea Sect were running rampant again, and I was on my way to save the other followers, thinking they might be in danger.”
At that, he shook his head.
“Now I am slowly starting to believe in the Demonic God. It may be thanks to him that you happened to see me here, Manager. Isn't that so? It is because there would have been no one else who could have procured carriages and horses as easily as I can. I'm saying that I know a surprising number of people, and among them, there are some who have been struggling for a long time, unable to dispose of their carriages and horses.”
“Is that really true?”
Cheon Ha-seong found it fascinating, wondering how things could work out like that.
Then, on the spot, he took out the bank notes and handed them to Paeng Ga-jong, saying.
“Chef, I am sorry to ask, but please do not go to Cheonghaeru today and buy the carriages and horses for me. I ask this of you, as the lives of numerous people are in your hands.”
Paeng Ga-jong also nodded without much deliberation. He too knew of the things the followers of the Divine Cult had suffered, being branded as evil for no fault of their own. He had felt sorry for not being able to do anything all this time, and now that he could finally help, he even felt a sense of relief.
“If the money is not enough, I will give you another note. To be honest, I don't have a concept of money here. I've never bought a carriage or a horse while I was in that place either.”
“This is more than enough. Now, I'll have to show my skills. In total, how many people will be going?”
“I have no idea about that either. Even if we only take the injured, I think we will need about three carriages. It's because I don't know what the situation is like where we are going now.”
“Understood. Then I will prepare accordingly.”
Paeng Ga-jong left the spot first with a face full of motivation.
Cheon Ha-seong recalled what Paeng Ga-jong had said. Hadn't he said he was slowly starting to believe in the Demonic God?
Cheon Ha-seong also thought that seemed right.
***
The smell of blood filled the air.
He was too late. Even though he had hurried so much, he was too late.
What entered Cheon Ha-seong's sight were the figures of people tied to tall wooden pillars as if they were being executed.
“Those demonic path bastards killed people, set fire to every house, and chewed on children's livers! The Cult Leader led the demonic heads down, cut off people's necks, and dragged their heads around!”
The one standing below the pillar was wearing the disciple uniform of the Azure Sea Sect. Around him, others in the same disciple uniforms raised their swords high and shouted loudly, as if trying to stir up excitement.
Cheon Ha-seong looked at the vicious madness and rage and felt a rage even greater than that. How on earth can their greed be stopped? Why must the followers of the Divine Cult suffer all the sacrifices?
Cheon Ha-seong felt the energy inside him about to run rampant. It was a crisis. Having seen Danmok Yeon fall into the danger of Qi Deviation, Cheon Ha-seong also recognized the signs.
While thinking he had to calm his mind, he couldn't handle the self-reproach of being too late.
If, at that moment, he hadn't seen the finger of a person tied to a pillar move, one truly doesn't know what would have become of Cheon Ha-seong. But, like a miracle, he saw it.
‘They weren't dead? They're still breathing?’
It felt like firecrackers were going off in Cheon Ha-seong's head. It was ecstasy.
Just then, a martial artist of the Azure Sea Sect, as if for show, raised his sword and was about to stab a follower on the pillar.
The gathered crowd cheered and shouted for him to hurry up and kill them.
It was so crowded that it was difficult to even push through the gaps, but Cheon Ha-seong kicked off the ground, rose up, and launched his body.
People's heads were trampled under his feet. There were even some who died from broken necks. It felt as if his anger would not be quelled even if he killed all of them.
The sword he threw pierced straight through the head of the Azure Sea Sect martial artist who was about to stab the follower.
A tremendous scream erupted.
As an unimaginable event unfolded, the people screamed in surprise and tried to flee from each other. A disaster had occurred.
Cheon Ha-seong swung his sword towards the Azure Sea Sect martial artists gathered below the pillars and took their heads.
The screams grew even louder. Each of the people who had been pouring out vicious curses towards the followers until now realized that the curses they had spewed were coming back to them.
Cheon Ha-seong knocked down the pillars the followers were tied to and safely caught them one by one.
He thought that from now on, he would have to fight while protecting them, and that it might be overwhelming. However, he felt that if he left them, the followers would soon lose their lives, so there was no other way.
Cheon Ha-seong hurriedly stopped their bleeding and struck the sleeping points of the followers who were writhing in pain, making them fall asleep.
There were a total of six followers, covered in blood with not a single unharmed spot. As he was trying to gather them in one place, a few martial artists from the Azure Sea Sect took that as their chance and charged at him, shouting. Cheon Ha-seong, not caring until they came very close, was looking after the followers, and only when a martial artist of the Azure Sea Sect was right behind him did he finally swing his sword.
It was just a swing of the sword, with no preparatory motion, no infusion of internal energy, and no movement that could be called a technique. And yet, the men, burning with rage and fighting spirit, were sent flying helplessly.
There was even a man who looked back and forth between his wound and Cheon Ha-seong with a bewildered look, as he saw a fountain of blood gushing from his widely split waist.
“Since you bastards dared to frame the followers of the Divine Cult, the time has now come to pay the price.”
It was as if a god of the battlefield had descended.
A few martial artists from the Azure Sea Sect watched the scene from afar. They were surprised by the unimaginable sight, but they sent a few men to urgently request reinforcements.
“Who are you, you bastard! Aren't you a demonic path bastard too! Your doing this only proves that what we have been saying is right!”
“You cannot even imagine who you bastards have touched.”
Cheon Ha-seong did not speak for long.
In the midst of the pandemonium, the martial artists of the Azure Sea Sect realized that what he had said was no exaggeration.
The storm of blood that began from the tip of Cheon Ha-seong's sword was harsh.
He let the onlookers who had gathered to watch run away, but he did not let those wearing the disciple uniforms of the Azure Sea Sect go.
Among the fleeing onlookers, there were countless who had fallen and been injured in the chaos. Cheon Ha-seong was only not chasing them all down because he had the followers to protect; his feelings towards those people were not much different.
The reason he had run across people's heads and even used his inner power to kill them was to give them a clear warning.
“Aim for the ones who have fallen!”
One of the martial artists of the Azure Sea Sect shouted to his colleagues. It seemed he had noticed that Cheon Ha-seong was concerned about them and was trying to create an opening to escape.
At that, Cheon Ha-seong's sword cut them down even more harshly. It had only caused a counter-effect, but a few of them really did launch their bodies, aiming for the followers.
Cheon Ha-seong's hands and feet became frantic, and from then on, he could not attack the martial artists of the Azure Sea Sect as easily as before.
The people, thinking things were going according to their plan, became triumphant.
Cheon Ha-seong was flustered, but he threw his own body forward to block, so that the followers would not be harmed.
As many people aimed for the followers from various places at the same time, wounds began to appear on Cheon Ha-seong's body as well. Paying no mind to the wounds appearing on his own body, Cheon Ha-seong threw his body each time and protected the followers.
It was a sight like a mother bird fiercely flapping her wings to protect her chicks.
It was then that people wearing masks and night-prowling clothes appeared.
Both Cheon Ha-seong and the martial artists of the Azure Sea Sect glared at them, unable to guess who they were.
If they were the ones the martial artists of the Azure Sea Sect had requested, they would not have appeared with their faces covered like that.
Just then, Cheon Ha-seong saw one of them make the Divine Cult's hand sign. Seeing that, his mind was put at ease.
“I am Cheon Ha-seong, a Head Instructor of the Martial Arts Academy.”
As Cheon Ha-seong spoke quickly, an unusual light appeared in the eyes beneath the masks.
“Head Instructor! It's Sa Un-ak!”
“Head Instructor! I am Ma Won-chang!”
“It is Jo Myeong-hyeok, Head Instructor. Weren't my results the best? And I was the first to pass the Martial Arts Academy. Although, it took me a lot longer than you, of course.”
Cheon Ha-seong, not having thought he would meet them in a place like this, was startled. Although now was not the time to be exchanging greetings and feeling pleased, he was moved to have met the candidates he had known at the Martial Arts Academy.
That feeling was especially great because they were all talented individuals from excellent families who had passed the Martial Arts Academy with good results.
“Why are you here?”
The tone of voice that had stuck to his mouth from their long relationship as Head Instructor and candidate came out.
He had thought they would have become part of the Divine Cult's leadership, so he asked, finding it strange that they had appeared here wearing masks. Sa Un-ak smiled brightly and spoke.
“Didn't you say that the mission of a Divine Cult martial artist is to protect the followers, Head Instructor? It seemed your words were right, so we asked the Cult Leader to send us out to the Central Plains. We have been traveling all over the Central Plains, helping followers when they are in trouble, and we were on our way from Sichuan because we heard a big incident had occurred in Qinghai. We never imagined we would see you here, Head Instructor.”
Even while they were talking, they did not let their guard down against the martial artists of the Azure Sea Sect.
“This is a relief. This has turned out really well. These people are currently in a state where their sleeping points have been struck. I was just getting worried because it's not good to have their acupoints pressed for too long.”
“What should we do?”
Cheon Ha-seong told them about the inn where the Divine Cult followers were gathered.
“It's a bit of a distance, but I trust your lightness skill. Go there. And it would be good if one person stays behind to protect them, and the others come back.”
The condition of the followers was so bad that it seemed one person would have to take one person each.
They looked at each other with faces that asked if they shouldn't be helping him from the side, even if just a little. At that, Cheon Ha-seong let out a refreshing laugh.