Swordless Demonic Path

Chapter 128 : Making a Net (2)

The masked man from the Martial Alliance's Shadowless Division was lying inside the stone chamber.

He could see the ceiling, but since it was a stone chamber, there was nothing. He tried to turn his head left and right, but he couldn't put any strength into his neck.

"Affiliation."

At the voice from above his head, he rolled his eyes up as much as he could, but only a dark shadow was visible.

"Martial Alliance, Shadowless Division."

At the words 'Martial Alliance', Jin Sa-wol, who was looking at the Esoteric Sect's journal, turned his head. The image of Namgung Min briefly flashed through his mind.

"Since when have you been here?"

"I came with the Justice Hall."

The masked man, feeling the killing intent, kindly explained again.

"I came to investigate in advance because it could be a trap by the Demonic Cult. The Justice Hall is the scout, and the actual Menglong Division is waiting twenty li away. They will come here if I don't return."

"It doesn't matter if they come."

Jin Sa-wol, who had put down the journal, approached the masked man. The masked man, seeing Jin Sa-wol's sword, hurriedly said.

"If you spare me, I will be loyal to you. Having a member of the Shadowless Division as a subordinate will be of great help."

"Members of the Shadowless Division do not beg for their lives."

"Jo Geom-ok! I know Miss Jo. If you say Won-wook of the Shadowless Division, she will know."

"You learned what you shouldn't have, and you saw what you shouldn't have."

Thrust!

Jin Sa-wol, who had stabbed the masked man's neck, silently turned his body and came out to the entrance of the secret warehouse. He raised his head and looked at the plaque with the words 'Esoteric Sect Secret Warehouse' written on it.

'A plaque?'

Before, it didn't seem strange that there was a plaque at the entrance, but now it looked strange. He reached out his hand and lifted the plaque, and another writing appeared.

'Bongryeong Cave'.

As the old writing appeared, a smile hung on Jin Sa-wol's lips.

Jin Sa-wol, who had placed the plaque back on top of the words 'Bongryeong Cave' and entered the secret warehouse, began to carefully examine the inside this time.

He had to look at anything that seemed suspicious, no matter how small. If those skilled in mechanisms had made this place, there would surely be another passage.

But no matter how much he looked around, there was nothing special.

Jin Sa-wol, who had picked up the Esoteric Sect's journal, read it. It was because there might be some clue here.

Jin Sa-wol, who had been looking at the journal for a long time, opened his eyes wide at the writing on the last page.

-The Esoteric Sect takes everything of the Three Emperors.

"Red Snake Shadow..."

Jin Sa-wol recalled the appearance of the Esoteric Sect Leader and felt a chill down his spine.

He had never once doubted that he was dead.

But now, doubts began to arise.

-Now that I have surpassed the Three Emperors, I will obtain the world.

As the last writing came into his eyes, the doubt turned into certainty.

'He's alive.'

As soon as he thought he was alive, the question 'How can he be alive?' suddenly arose.

It was known that the Esoteric Sect had been annihilated and the Esoteric Sect Leader had died.

Although he had not witnessed his death directly, his head was definitely severed.

'What happened?'

Jin Sa-wol, with accumulated doubts, looked at the Esoteric Sect's journal.

'Why did he leave such writing? Is it a useless boast?'

If the journal fell into someone's hands and its contents became known, it would not be good for the Esoteric Sect Leader either.

If he was alive and hiding. But the conclusion was easy.

Even if he showed such writing, people would not care. Because he was dead anyway.

If there was no one who had witnessed his death, it would be different, but there were not just one or two.

It was just the empty cry of a dead man, not something of value.

The neighbor next door is said to have become rich one day. But he died. What's the difference with that statement?

However, Jin Sa-wol's head and heart were saying different things. His head clearly did not doubt his death, but his heart said he was alive.

An inexplicable instinct was stimulating him.

Jin Sa-wol burned the journal with the samadhi true fire.

Fwoosh!

No matter how much he thought about it, there was only one conclusion.

'That bastard is alive.'

Jin Sa-wol brushed off the Esoteric Sect's journal, which had turned into black ash, and left the secret warehouse.

* * *

When darkness fell, Son Ae-hwa went around the rock wall of the fifth gate and reached the entrance of the cave that went up.

But she could not enter because of the warriors guarding it and waited for an opportunity.

A short while later, Ma-ryong and the killing ghosts of the Ghost Spirit Valley came out. Using that gap, she entered the cave and went up at a fast speed.

Thump-thump!

As the sound of urgent footsteps was heard from inside the pitch-black cave, Woo Jeong-bong extended his sword.

"Who is it?"

"It's me."

At the clear and beautiful voice, Woo Jeong-bong quickly lowered his sword.

"Ae-hwa?"

"Yes."

At Son Ae-hwa's voice, Woo Jeong-bong was startled and retreated. Son Ae-hwa slowly showed her figure from the darkness.

She, with a face wet with sweat, climbed all the stairs and then collapsed.

"Haa! Haa! I came up without resting, so I'm exhausted."

"Why did you go down?"

"Reconnaissance."

"When?"

"The innkeeper asked me to earlier. He asked me to do some reconnaissance, so I went down for a while and came back."

"You've worked hard."

"What are you doing here, brother?"

"I'm guarding. This is the only way up from below."

At the word 'brother', Woo Jeong-bong smiled and patted his chest.

"You're reliable."

Son Ae-hwa smiled at Woo Jeong-bong with a charming eye-smile.

Woo Jeong-bong felt good for no reason. It felt as if his vitality was soaring with a single eye-smile.

Son Ae-hwa, who was standing in front of the cliff overlooking the lake, looked around at the corpses scattered around.

There were also masked men, but the majority were Demonic Cult members.

The corpses were not only here. They were also piled up in the gardens to the right and left of the central pavilion.

Whoosh!

At the sound of the wind, Son Ae-hwa looked at the sea of fog. The sky was cloudy, and since it was a moonless night, the darkness was even thicker.

Son Ae-hwa, who saw Jin Sa-wol appear through the darkness, took a step back.

"You startled me."

She glared at Jin Sa-wol, who had suddenly appeared, but she did not get angry.

Jin Sa-wol's expression looked brighter than during the day.

It was because he had briefly circulated his energy after coming out of the Esoteric Sect's secret warehouse. He had also taken the remaining Demonic Spirit Pill, and his vitality had returned.

"How is it below?"

"The main force of the Demonic Cult has arrived. I think they will come up tomorrow."

"The number?"

"I think it's about five hundred."

Five hundred was a considerable number.

"The killing ghosts are climbing the cliff now. I ran to get here faster than them, so I'm exhausted."

"Anything else?"

"Oh, right! The one who led the main force is Cheon Woo-rin. The Cult Leader's son. That Cheon Woo-rin."

At the name Cheon Woo-rin, Jin Sa-wol showed a noticeably hardened expression as if he were surprised.

But that was also for a moment.

"Is that true?"

"Yes."

Son Ae-hwa felt the air around Jin Sa-wol become sticky and took a step back.

Jin Sa-wol reached out his hand towards Son Ae-hwa's head. Son Ae-hwa was startled and flinched, but she did not move.

Stroke! Stroke!

Jin Sa-wol smiled as he stroked Son Ae-hwa's head.

"Well done."

Son Ae-hwa could not understand why the words 'well done' made her heart beat so fast.

Son Ae-hwa trembled her shoulders, and when Jin Sa-wol's hand disappeared, she let out a long sigh.

Jin Sa-wol soon whistled.

-Screech!

As the sharp sound echoed, Jo Geom-ok and Woo Jeong-bong appeared a short while later. Dokgo Hyeon also walked slowly.

When everyone had gathered, Son Ae-hwa explained the situation below.

Jin Sa-wol explained the way down through the waterway and had Jo Geom-ok lead the way.

Woo Jeong-bong asked with a face full of worry.

"When are you coming?"

"I have to buy time so that everyone can escape this place safely. I'll follow after I've bought enough time."

As he said he would sacrifice himself to buy time, Woo Jeong-bong shook his head and hugged Jin Sa-wol.

"If it were up to me, I should be the one to do it, but since I don't know this place well, you're suffering in my place."

"It's okay."

At Jin Sa-wol's answer, Woo Jeong-bong let out a deep sigh. Jo Geom-ok looked at the two with a face as if she were about to vomit.

Her eyes, which looked as if she were seeing a real eyesore, met Jin Sa-wol's.

Jo Geom-ok smiled brightly.

"Let's go quickly."

"Alright."

Jo Geom-ok answered and then moved with the group.

* * *

A gloomy wind was swirling inside the main hall. The sound of the wind, like a ghost's cry, flowed through the half-open main gate of the main hall, shook the torches hanging on the pillars, and passed.

In the center of the main hall, three corpses were lying under the light.

Kang Hang, Yuk Sam-yuk, and Dokgo Shin-wi.

They were all lying as if they were sound asleep.

Beyond them, on the stairs, a man was sitting on the grand master's chair. The man was leaning deeply into the grand master's chair with his eyes closed.

The man was Jin Sa-wol.

Jin Sa-wol raised his eyes and looked at the ceiling. There, black shadows appeared one by one.

Thump-thump! Thump!

The ones who had deliberately made a sound and showed themselves were all killing ghosts.

Swoosh!

With a faint sound of wind, a masked man appeared in the center of the main hall.

He, seeing Jin Sa-wol sitting on the grand master's chair, slowly took off his mask.

It was Ma-ryong.

"Why are you here?"

Ma-ryong had shown himself confidently because he knew Jin Sa-wol.

People tend to hold on to past memories, and those memories sometimes become stereotypes and get stuck in their minds.

The Jin Sa-wol that Ma-ryong remembered was Jin Sa-woon. He was number ninety-nine, and he was a target for extermination.

Ma-ryong was confident. There were six first-class killing ghosts, and if he himself lent a hand, he believed he could easily kill someone like Jin Sa-wol.

Suddenly, his gaze turned to Yuk Sam-yuk and Dokgo Shin-wi, who were lying on the floor.

'Could it be?'

Suddenly, an instinctive feeling told him of danger. But that was just a delusion.

"Ma-ryong."

"Do you remember me?"

"I know."

"You arrogant bastard."

Seeing Jin Sa-wol's face looking down at him from the chair, Ma-ryong's mood soured. It felt as if Jin Sa-wol was ignoring him.

"Weren't you the bastard dog who killed his comrades, tried to kill me, and even tried to bite his master?"

The masters were Na Ga-ju and Na Hyeon-gi.

Ma-ryong clenched his fists and revealed his killing intent.

"You seem to want to die."

"Didn't you show yourself to kill me? A killing ghost showing his face openly, Ma-ryong, you seem to have learned wrong in the Ghost Spirit Valley."

"Hahahaha! You funny bastard. I have something to ask you before I kill you."

Whoosh!

In that instant, Jin Sa-wol's figure disappeared from the grand master's chair and appeared in front of Ma-ryong, extending his hand.

"Don't ask."

"Hmph!"

The startled Ma-ryong instinctively dodged back. Immediately after, the shadows on the ceiling all fell towards Jin Sa-wol.

Jin Sa-wol extended his sword towards the falling killing ghosts.

Shwish! Flash!

With the sound of wind, a light flashed, and a dozen or so swords appeared in the empty air and then disappeared.

It was the One Sword Killing Ghost.

Thump!

As the six masked men fell powerlessly to the floor of the main hall, Ma-ryong's eyes, who was standing at the entrance, widened.

As an unbelievable thing unfolded before his eyes, his mind seemed to become confused.

Gulp!

The moment he swallowed his dry saliva, Jin Sa-wol's figure appeared in front of him again.

"I'm the one who asks the questions."

(End of Chapter)