Swordless Demonic Path

Chapter 10 : Suspicion (2)

As night fell, Jin Sawoon crossed the wall of Gisan Manor and entered Kang Yu's room.

Kang Yu, who was resting on his bed, sat up as Jin Sawoon arrived.

Only after Kang Yu lit the oil lamp did Jin Sawoon sit down in a chair.

"Did you chase the enemy?"

"Yes."

"Their base?"

"It's a forest near Saryeong Mountain, about half a day's distance."

At Jin Sawoon's report, Kang Yu showed interest that it was not far. Jin Sawoon spoke again.

"There's a problem."

"What is it?"

"The enemies are men hired by Cheon Woo-rin."

At Jin Sawoon's words, Kang Yu's expression hardened. Kang Yu covered his mouth with his fingers, signaling him to lower his voice.

Jin Sawoon, knowing well, lowered his voice.

"What I saw was..."

Jin Sawoon reported to Kang Yu in detail about what he had seen after chasing the masked men.

"The one who had a secret conversation with Cheon Woo-rin in the rear garden was the leader of the mountain fortress."

Hearing Jin Sawoon's words, Kang Yu showed a serious expression but couldn't easily come to a conclusion.

"The only evidence is your word."

"I think it would be best to capture the leader and interrogate him."

Kang Yu seemed to have the same thought and nodded. Since he was said to be not far away, they could certainly make the trip within tonight.

"Let's go."

"Yes."

As Kang Yu took the lead, Jin Sawoon followed behind.

The two instructed Seo Woon-gang to guard, left Gisan Manor, and hid deep in the mountains.

Late at night, Jin Sawoon and Kang Yu, who had entered the spacious main hall, discovered the dead bodies in the thick smell of blood and examined the cause of death.

All had stab and cut wounds from swords or sabers.

Jin Sawoon frowned and examined the face of the dead Jang Ma-cheong.

"Murder to silence."

At his words, Kang Yu shook his head.

"The ones who could prove your words are all dead."

"Yes."

"And the goods from our Cult are also gone."

The gifts that should have been in the main hall were also all gone. All that was here were the dead.

"The dead tell no tales."

Kang Yu muttered and let out a short breath. Jin Sawoon said.

"They're all dead. It seems I'm the only one who knows about this now."

"Two, including me. I believe your words even without evidence. A Slaughter Ghost of Ghost Spirit Valley does not lie."

At Kang Yu's words, Jin Sawoon nodded.

He had certainly only told the truth. But without evidence, it could become a lie to slander Cheon Woo-rin.

Kang Yu judged that if the opponent was Cheon Woo-rin, it was right to forget this matter.

If this matter were to be revealed, Cheon Woo-rin would kill Jin Sawoon by any means necessary.

Rats hear the words of the night. Killing that rat would not be a difficult task for Cheon Woo-rin.

"This incident never happened, and what you saw, you did not see. What you heard, you did not hear. You understand?"

"Understood."

"Let's go."

Since Kang Yu had made his decision, he had no intention of staying here any longer. As he went outside, Jin Sawoon also followed.

'If we trace the whereabouts of the gold and valuables...'

There was something he wanted to say, but he didn't.

* * *

The next day, a hundred or so bodyguards who had galloped through the night arrived at Gisan Manor.

In the meantime, the fact that the Zhongnan Sect and an unidentified group had attacked Dokgo Hye became known in the martial world, and a message came from the Jeon family manor saying that it was dangerous and they didn't have to come.

Cheon Woo-rin, who was sitting in his room, stood up as his subordinate rushed in.

He was a man in his late thirties with sharp eyes.

"I have handled it as the young master commanded."

"They're all dead, right?"

"Yes."

Cheon Woo-rin nodded as if relieved at his answer.

"What did you do with the goods?"

"I have moved them to the designated location. It will take about fifteen days to dispose of them."

"Dispose of them as quickly as possible."

"Understood."

The subordinate replied and then soon went outside. After he left, Cheon Woo-rin smiled.

The matter had not proceeded as planned, but the result was not bad.

Now that Dokgo Hye had opened her heart to him to some extent, he had to spend more time with her.

Dokgo Hye, who was standing in a pavilion with a large pond, was recalling yesterday's events.

The Zhongnan Sect group and the masked men who had attacked her were enough to instill fear, but the memory of running through the mountains was more vivid.

Running through the mountains was harder than she thought. When she was out of breath, Cheon Woo-rin had offered his back.

She had run through the mountains on his back, and that time was not bad.

She had to be carried on Cheon Woo-rin's back like that all the way to Gisan Manor.

It was then that she first felt her heart pound.

"Where is Soo-soo, and why are you out here alone?"

Turning her head at the voice from right next to her, Dokgo Hye smiled with her eyes when she saw Cheon Woo-rin.

"I just came out. Why are you out at this hour, older brother?"

"I came out thinking I might see my Hye-ah if I came here."

"Your cheesy way of talking is still the same."

"Actually, I asked at the separate courtyard, and they said you had gone out here, so I came."

At Cheon Woo-rin's smooth words, Dokgo Hye laughed lightly. Before, she had thought Cheon Woo-rin's way of speaking was light, but now it was not.

"Are you going to the Jeon family manor?"

"I don't know."

Dokgo Hye shook her head, contemplating whether she should go to the Jeon family manor. She hadn't known something like this would happen, so in her honest heart, she didn't want to go.

Cheon Woo-rin, as if reading Dokgo Hye's mind, said.

"There was an unfortunate incident, so let's not go and return to the Cult. Someone else can go to the Jeon family manor instead."

"Yes. That would be good. I need to find out who those who tried to kill me are and kill them all."

Seeing Dokgo Hye showing strong killing intent, Cheon Woo-rin smiled and patted her shoulder.

"I will surely find them and kill them all."

"You must."

"Let's return to the Cult tomorrow."

At Cheon Woo-rin's words, Dokgo Hye nodded.

Soon, the two began to chat, walking slowly through the garden side by side.

Around the time of the hour of the pig, after parting with Cheon Woo-rin, Dokgo Hye returned to her room and sat in front of the oil lamp.

A short while later, Soo-soo entered the room.

She was wearing black night clothes and was drenched in sweat, as if she had just returned from somewhere in a hurry.

"The area where the battle took place is currently being cleaned up by people from the Cult."

"Anything unusual?"

"Nothing."

"The Zhongnan Sect bastards tried to kill me. But then masked men appeared. They also tried to kill me... but they also killed the Zhongnan Sect. It means they're not on the same side."

"They could be on the same side and deliberately killed them."

"Why?"

"I'm not sure about that either."

Soo-soo shook her head as if she didn't know.

Dokgo Hye rested her chin on her hand and poured tea. She had an expression of deep thought. In the meantime, Soo-soo changed her clothes and came out.

"If they were on the same side, why did they kill them instead of helping? They were on different sides. Were there two groups trying to kill me from the beginning?"

There were quite a few places that held a grudge against the Cult. Not only the Zhongnan Sect, but also the sealed Huashan Sect, the Kongtong Sect, and the Tianshan Sect. The Kunlun Sect had also been exterminated a hundred years ago.

The martial world of Sichuan held a grudge, and numerous factions in the Central Plains martial world also had a grudge against the Heavenly Divine Cult.

If one were to count them one by one, it would be endless.

So much so that ten years ago, the Martial Alliance was created in Zhengzhou to recruit martial artists to fight against the Heavenly Divine Cult.

They were the ones who were after her life. She had to find out about them and nip them in the bud.

For now, she decided to keep an eye on this matter with interest when she returned to the Cult.

Soo-soo asked with a curious expression.

"How is Young Master Cheon?"

"He seems to be a good person."

"He has a good reputation within the Cult as well."

At Soo-soo's words, Dokgo Hye showed a pleasant smile. Then, as if she had remembered something, she said.

"I think you'll have to go to some trouble."

"Yes? What kind of trouble?"

"Find out in detail about Older Brother Cheon. Whether there's a side of him I don't know. And also find out what kind of women he interacts with within the Cult."

At Dokgo Hye's words, Soo-soo nodded. If Dokgo Hye said that, it meant she was interested.

It was only natural to find out about a man she was interested in.

On top of that, Cheon Woo-rin was a man who many women in the Cult had a crush on. She thought that such a man's relationships with women were bound to be complicated. So she had to find out in detail.

Soo-soo asked.

"Every single move?"

"Yes."

"Yes."

Soo-soo replied and then poured tea into Dokgo Hye's empty teacup.

"What will you do if his relationships with women are complicated?"

"Then I'll have to think about it again."

As Dokgo Hye cast a cold gaze, Soo-soo trembled her shoulders slightly as if she felt a chill.

* * *

After Cheon Woo-rin entered his room, turned off the light, and went to sleep, Jin Sawoon crossed over to the separate courtyard where Dokgo Hye was staying and seeped into the dark shadows of the forest.

Moving without a sound, he appeared next to Seo Woon-gang, who was sitting in the shadow of a maple tree.

It was a place about ten zhang away from the brightly lit separate courtyard.

In the room, the shadows of Dokgo Hye and Soo-soo were together.

"I didn't expect it, but the handmaiden is like us."

"Really? What do you mean?"

At Seo Woon-gang's words, Jin Sawoon frowned. Gwak Ho had sat down next to Seo Woon-gang at some point.

"The handmaiden's movements are not ordinary. It seems she's a Flower Ghost belonging to the Flower Shadow Pavilion."

At Gwak Ho's words, Jin Sawoon muttered to himself.

"Seomun family."

At his words, Seo Woon-gang and Gwak Ho nodded.

The Seomun family was one of the Seven Great Martial Families and the family that managed the Flower Shadow Pavilion. And the Flower Shadow Pavilion was a place made up entirely of women, a place with the same character as Ghost Spirit Valley.

"If she's a Flower Ghost, she'll report everything about the young lady to the Flower Shadow Pavilion. I don't think she'll like that."

As Jin Sawoon muttered, Seo Woon-gang and Gwak Ho nodded slightly as if in agreement.

"The handmaiden's name is Soo-soo. She entered the Dokgo family at the age of five and grew up with the young lady like a sister. She learned the martial arts of the Dokgo family."

"How did you know?"

"I just saw it written about the main figures in the Cult at the main hall."

When Seo Woon-gang asked, Jin Sawoon answered and then disappeared. Seo Woon-gang and Gwak Ho did not move.

To Jin Sawoon, Dokgo Hye's or Cheon Woo-rin's private life was someone else's business. It wasn't a matter to be greatly interested in, so he didn't pay it any mind.

Also, the higher-ups did not want reports on private life.

But the situation Cheon Woo-rin had created certainly had to be held accountable. There were many casualties, and it was also a problem that he had dragged in the Zhongnan Sect, which was a threat to the Cult.

Jin Sawoon, who had returned to his room, sat in front of the table.

Since there was nothing special to do, he just sat still and closed his eyes.

Just then, the door burst open, and Kang Yu entered.

Kang Yu, unlike usual, had a very hardened face. He sat on the edge of the bed, drank some water, and then said.

"We will be chasing the Zhongnan Sect from tomorrow."

As if it were expected, Jin Sawoon was not surprised.

Since he had watched the surprise attack of the Zhongnan Sect from the side, he thought that the higher-ups would entrust it to them.

There would surely be more remnants of the Zhongnan Sect.

"What about the masked men? They were men hired by Cheon Woo-rin."

"That's something only the two of us know. Since no one knows, it seems the higher-ups are also seeing the masked men as remnants of the Zhongnan Sect."

Hearing Kang Yu's words, Jin Sawoon showed a frustrated expression for a moment. But since there was no evidence, he couldn't do anything.

Kang Yu spoke again.

"If that fact goes up from our Cult to the main Cult, a great conflict will arise in the Cult. No one wants such a thing to happen within the Cult. Will the Cult kill Cheon Woo-rin, or will they kill us?"

Kang Yu's question was a question with an answer.

Jin Sawoon thought that even if he were Cheon Woo-rin, he would kill everyone who knew about this matter.

Jin Sawoon nodded.

"Understood."

Hearing Jin Sawoon's answer, Kang Yu stood up and went outside.

(End of Chapter)