novelraw Chapter 78
Chapter 78
Chapter 78
“This time, I went back and only told the Danmok Demonic Clan about myself.”
Danmok Yeon said in a voice that lacked confidence.
“Starting from there, you can gradually let it be known. I will tell the Cult Leader about you, Senior. Since there are many things that cannot be explained without you.”
“...…”
Danmok Yeon had not intended to reveal his existence to the Cult Leader yet, so from then on, his mind was filled with thoughts.
However, it seemed that if Cheon Ha-seong had already made up his mind, there was nothing he could do.
“Why are you arbitrarily deciding my affairs, you bastard?”
Although he complained, his words carried no force. And since they had also arrived at the inn, the conversation vaguely ended.
The inn was already open and doing business. Guests could be seen coming and going.
If the followers had just left safely, it was not a matter to be concerned about.
When Cheon Ha-seong entered the inn, the attendant, thinking a customer had come, was about to greet him excitedly, but then his eyes went wide.
His hands, not knowing where to go, wandered in the air, and his eyes shook even more frantically.
“Uh… over there… I mean… I did everything you ordered…”
At that, Cheon Ha-seong nodded.
“Do you have a room?”
Knowing it would be difficult to talk because of the guests in the inn, he asked, and the attendant nodded his head vigorously as if it were a good idea.
“We do. Please go up. Will you be having your meal in your room?”
“I will. Please bring up two bowls of whatever you do best here.”
“Yes.”
The attendant quickly regained his energy and guided him to a room.
When they arrived at the room together, the attendant began to speak first, before Cheon Ha-seong could even ask.
“The person called the Chef bought the carriages, and everyone left in them. And the person called the Young Family Head ordered his men to steal the nearby carriages and horses. Because of that, the whole area is in an uproar. Since they got the carriages, they probably all left comfortably. But I can't say that for sure either…”
Saying that, the attendant hesitated and watched his expression.
“Why is that?”
“He showed clear signs of being annoyed by the injured people.”
“What does that mean?”
The attendant relayed the story of what Danmok Muyeol had done. And he also told him that Sa Un-ak's group had taken special care of the injured followers.
“Because of that, it seemed the person called the Young Family Head did not think highly of those warriors. The warriors were divided into two groups. The warriors who had come first, and the subordinates of the person called the Young Family Head. It was to the point where I wondered if the injured followers might not come to harm on the way.”
Cheon Ha-seong had not thought such a thing could have happened.
Danmok Yeon could no longer contain his anger.
“That arrogant bastard is smearing mud on my face, and there's a limit to it. How dare he!”
Then he turned and left without a look back.
In any case, they would have all gone towards the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains, and since they had to go by carriage, the route they could use would have been fixed.
Instead of immediately chasing after Danmok Yeon, Cheon Ha-seong looked at the attendant.
“I am sorry to have troubled you so much unintentionally.”
Saying that, he gave him twenty taels of silver more than he had originally promised.
“Aigoo. You do not need to go this far.”
“I am not just giving it to you; I am giving it with the hope that you will take care of any Divine Cult followers who come to the inn in the future. When they come, it would be good if you would give them plenty without saying anything else.”
“Ah… Yes.”
The attendant spoke awkwardly, as if his joy had been short-lived.
To make such an expression must mean he intended to do as Cheon Ha-seong said. If he had planned to say 'Understood' and keep the money for himself, he wouldn't have made a disappointed face.
“I won't be able to come and check every time, but will you do as I say?”
At that, the attendant shook his head as if to say, 'What are you talking about?'
“Despite how I may seem, I pride myself on having an eye for people. Although there are times when I make a mistake. At first, we were also going to go with you, but we couldn't because the person called the Young Family Head refused. From what I saw on the side, the followers of the Divine Cult didn't seem bad, and even seemed simple-hearted. I think we have committed many wrongs by only believing what others said.”
For Cheon Ha-seong, it was a very grateful thing that he thought that way.
“If we have the chance, let's meet again.”
Cheon Ha-seong said and went outside first. As he was leaving, the inn owner was out and gave him a farewell with his eyes. It seemed he too had realized that Cheon Ha-seong would be leaving. Cheon Ha-seong also returned the farewell and left the inn.
Many unexpected things had happened, but it wasn't as if it were all over.
Cheon Ha-seong hurried on his way so as not to lose Danmok Yeon.
……
At first, Danmok Muyeol had the men who had come with him from the Danmok Demonic Clan drive the carriages. However, a conflict arose when Sa Un-ak and Ma Won-chang stepped up and said they would drive.
Danmok Muyeol thought that as long as they went quickly, it didn't matter what happened to the people in the carriages, but Sa Un-ak and Ma Won-chang were not easy opponents.
Still, Danmok Muyeol thought, 'What can they do if I just crush them with my authority?' It didn't take long for him to realize that was his own misunderstanding.
In the end, it was Sa Un-ak's group that was taking turns driving all the carriages. Danmok Muyeol, thinking that they had tarnished his authority over a trivial matter, could not contain his anger.
The men who had come from the Danmok Demonic Clan, knowing the atmosphere was unusual, tried to humor him. However, the more they did so, the more Danmok Muyeol's mood soured.
“We will not take those bastards as they are.”
Danmok Muyeol said, after calling the subordinates of the Danmok Clan to one side.
However, it was not easy for them to follow his words.
In any ordinary situation, they would have followed his words first, but wasn't there a command from the Family Head for this matter? If they had to choose between the commands of the Family Head and the Young Family Head, they had to follow the Family Head's command.
“How long do you think the Family Head will lead the family? Do you still not know whose words you must follow in the future?”
Danmok Muyeol thought that if they couldn't understand with just that, he could make them understand for certain.
“Then what would you have us do, Young Family Head? If you wish for us to drag them from the driver's seat, we will do so.”
“Shouldn't you? And it would be better to drag out the sick, kill them, and then go. If we take them, won't they just slow down the carriage? If we leave them alive, they might be captured by bandits and suffer hardships, so it would be better for us to take care of them and go.”
“Understood, Young Family Head.”
In terms of martial might, Sa Un-ak's group would be no match for the martial artists of the Danmok Demonic Clan. All the martial artists of the Danmok Clan needed was a decision. And in that moment, they decided to follow the will of the Young Family Head.
Sa Un-ak's group, who were sitting in the driver's seats, had noticed the unusual atmosphere early on. And they also had the thought that it might be difficult for them to stay alive here.
Who in the world would not cherish their own life? However, they knew that it was Cheon Ha-seong's will to save the injured followers and take them to the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains. And they knew how much the injured wanted to go to the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains, and how anxious they were that they might not make it there and be abandoned.
They could not betray their desperate hearts for the simple reason of making the task easier.
It wasn't as if Sa Un-ak's group had exchanged telepathic messages and confirmed their intentions. Even if they had made up their minds, they could not force others to make the same decision as them.
With that thought, they carefully drove the carriages until Danmok Muyeol's people approached. Then, when a martial artist of the Danmok Clan blocked the front of the lead carriage, they stopped the carriage as if they had no choice.
“From now on, we will drive the carriages, so come down. And rather than needlessly weighing down the carriage, it would be best to drag out the sick now.”
The person driving the lead carriage was Sa Un-ak. He thought that this was his destiny.
“Step aside. If you do not, I will drive the carriage on just like this.”
“Are you saying you will throw away your life for the sake of mere bastards like them? It seems you cannot understand when I speak nicely.”
Saying that, the martial artist of the Danmok Demonic Clan drew his sword. Sa Un-ak whipped the horse's back and charged in front of the man. However, the horse was startled and reared its front legs, and a dangerous situation arose where the carriage was about to overturn.
Sa Un-ak hurriedly got down from the driver's seat and tried to calm the horse. And at that moment, the Danmok Demonic Clan martial artist's sword fell towards him.
Sa Un-ak belatedly tried to draw his sword, but it was not easy to draw it while holding onto the horse with one hand.
He had not imagined such a death, but thinking he would end up dying like this, Sa Un-ak closed his eyes. He thought that a pain like being thrown into a pit of fire would soon cover his body. But strangely, he felt no pain.
Sa Un-ak, who opened his eyes, saw a familiar figure standing in front of him.
“Head Instructor!”
It was Cheon Ha-seong.
Cheon Ha-seong was quite flustered, not having thought that he would be the one to find them first. He had thought Danmok Yeon would arrive sooner, but it seemed their paths had crossed. That would mean that Danmok Yeon had taken a wrong turn somewhere.
Cheon Ha-seong was inwardly relieved, thinking that if the two of them had set out together, they would have gotten lost together.
“You held out well.”
Cheon Ha-seong said with his back still turned to Sa Un-ak. Sa Un-ak could not tell what Cheon Ha-seong had done. If he had at least heard the sound of swords clashing, he would have thought he had blocked the attack with his sword, but that wasn't the sound he had heard.
“Head Instructor, are you alright?”
Sa Un-ak felt a cold sweat run down his spine at the thought that Cheon Ha-seong might have been injured in his stead.
However, Cheon Ha-seong turned to look at Sa Un-ak with a nonchalant face, not knowing why he was asking that.
“I'm fine, of course. Can't you tell by looking at me?”
He said, thinking he was asking because he was worried that he might have been injured at the Azure Sea Sect.
“It's not that…”
Then, Sa Un-ak saw that Cheon Ha-seong was holding the opponent's sword blade with two fingers. The one who was surprised to see that was not just Sa Un-ak.
The people who were in the back also came forward, having seen Cheon Ha-seong suddenly appear. At that time, the followers who had been in the carriages also came outside.
“You've returned, Head Instructor!”
They shouted with emotion, as if they had met their lost father again. In terms of age, it should have been the other way around, but that was exactly the emotion they felt as they looked at Cheon Ha-seong.
“I am sorry for coming so late. You must have been very anxious. Is there anyone whose injuries have worsened?”
Saying that, Cheon Ha-seong checked the people's conditions. After quickly confirming their conditions and noticing that no one's had gotten particularly worse, he looked at Danmok Muyeol.