Swordless Demonic Path

Chapter 15 : Meeting (2)

Thump! Crack! Thump!

As he slammed his palm down hard on the table, the table, unable to withstand the force, split in half and collapsed.

Cheon Woo-rin, who was standing in front of it, withdrew his hand with a hardened expression.

"Which bastard is it? Is it an assassin?"

Cheon Woo-rin turned his head with a face that had not yet vented its anger. He saw Seomun Ok standing leaning against the wall.

Seomun Ok looked at Cheon Woo-rin with a gentle gaze, her arms crossed.

That gaze was strangely attractive, and it felt as if it were seducing a person.

"Well, I'm not sure."

At her answer, Cheon Woo-rin turned his head as if disappointed. Seomun Ok spoke again.

"Let's meet at Hwahwaru from now on. There are too many night ears here, so we can't have a good time."

"If I catch and kill the rat, I can be at ease."

"Is there only one rat?"

"Hmm..."

Hearing Seomun Ok's words, Cheon Woo-rin lightly bit his lip. He had a face of deep thought.

If it was a capable person who could infiltrate this far, there would surely be someone helping from the outside.

Rather, he would be more at ease if the intruder was an assassin.

But if the intruder was not an assassin but someone trying to get information, the story would be different.

Seomun Ok also understood that, so she did not conclude that there was only one rat.

It was not good for her either if the rumor of her relationship with Cheon Woo-rin spread. But finding someone who left no traces was a very difficult and arduous task.

"I'll go back and find out if there were any suspicious people who came and went in the city in the last few days. In the meantime, Young Master Cheon, you should look into your household. Seeing as he infiltrated this far without a sound, there must be an accomplice."

"Alright."

Hearing Cheon Woo-rin's answer, Seomun Ok quietly went outside. After she left, Cheon Woo-rin began to look around again.

* * *

The next day. A large number of warriors were seen in the city, searching for the intruder who had infiltrated the Cheon family manor.

A rumor spread that an assassin aiming for Cheon Woo-rin's life had infiltrated. It was also reported that a large number of warriors had departed from the main family to strengthen the security of the Cheon family manor.

In the city of Cheonsu, the number of Heavenly Divine Cult warriors on the streets had also noticeably increased, unlike usual.

In the morning, the city was noisy with the matter of the Cheon family manor, but in the afternoon, a rumor that flowed out from the Heavenly Divine Cult shook the city.

It was that the Cult Leader had officially announced his retirement, and the position of Cult Leader would be taken over by the Vice Cult Leader.

The news that the Cult Leader had retired would shake the entire world in a short time.

The Heavenly Divine Cult announced that they would elect a Cult Leader within a year to fill the vacant position.

Outside workers could not enter the Cheon family manor.

Jin Sawoon got a room at an inn near the east gate.

As he was sitting in the small room of the inn, a short while later, Seo Woon-gang and Jang Muryong, who were working at the nearby Sojeong Pavilion, came to find him, as if they knew how.

Jang Muryong asked.

"I saw today that the Cult and the Cheon family were desperately looking for the intruder who had entered the Cheon family manor. Were you caught?"

"There was another person investigating Cheon Woo-rin besides me."

At Jin Sawoon's words, Jang Muryong just nodded without a word. Jin Sawoon took out a letter from his sleeve, handed it to Seo Woon-gang, and spoke again.

"It's about Cheon Woo-rin."

"I'll deliver it."

Seo Woon-gang answered as if he knew well what he had to do, then stood up and went outside.

After he left, Jin Sawoon nodded at Jang Muryong as if to say, "You go out too."

Jang Muryong seemed to have no intention of going out. Only after Seo Woon-gang's footsteps faded did Jang Muryong open his mouth.

"The Cult Leader has announced his retirement."

"I heard."

"The head of the Cheon family wants to become the Cult Leader. But if his son has a flaw, he won't be able to become the Cult Leader."

"So?"

"If he can't become the Cult Leader because of us, will the head of the Cheon family just stand by and watch? If it were me, I think I would kill them."

"What do you want to say?"

"Be careful."

Jang Muryong said briefly and then stood up from his seat.

"It means that the work we are doing is that dangerous. I'm telling you not to make a mistake."

Jang Muryong raised his hand and then left the room.

Jin Sawoon had never thought about making a mistake. A mistake meant death.

He took Jang Muryong's words as a concern for a comrade.

After Gwak Ho's death, Jang Muryong had become a man of few words.

Today, the number of warriors patrolling the city was large, so he couldn't move rashly.

When darkness fell thick, Eun Soo-soo, dressed in night clothes, came in through the open window.

The outer garment hanging by the window was the sign, and Eun Soo-soo had seen it and come in. In the inn near the Sojeong Pavilion at the east gate, the only room with clothes hanging by the window was Jin Sawoon's room.

"The Cult Leader suddenly announced his retirement, so the Cult is in an uproar right now. The young lady is also coming in a hurry."

"That's good."

If Dokgo Hye came, Eun Soo-soo would no longer have a reason to risk infiltrating the Cheon family manor.

Since she didn't need to dangerously hover around Cheon Woo-rin, it could be said to be a good thing for her.

"Cheon Woo-rin is at Hwahwaru right now. It seems he's trying to finish what he couldn't with the owner of Hwahwaru yesterday."

Seeing how well she knew Cheon Woo-rin's whereabouts, it was clear that she had attached another person to him.

"Let's go there."

"I'm not a fan of brothels, so I'll wait outside."

At Eun Soo-soo's words, Jin Sawoon nodded. A short while later, the figures of the two disappeared from the inn room.

* * *

In a spacious room filled with bright lanterns, a large round table was placed. On the round table, there were many dishes on three-tiered plates, and there were also bottles of fragrant wine.

But there were only two people sitting.

It was Seomun Ok, the owner of Hwahwaru, and Cheon Woo-rin.

Cheon Woo-rin poured and drank a cup of wine and then asked.

"How's the security here?"

"Support came from the main family. Not even an ant can get in around here."

Seomun Ok answered as if she was confident in the security.

Cheon Woo-rin poured and drank another cup of wine and then spoke again.

"As the owner said, I found the traitor, but there was no one among the family members who came from the main family. There are workers who came from outside, and among them, there are three missing rats. I'm chasing their whereabouts now."

"That's good."

There were three workers who had not come to the Cheon family manor today. Fortunately, Jin Sawoon was not included because he had gone to the Cheon family manor and returned.

"More importantly, if I marry Hye-ah, you'll be sad. Are you okay with that?"

"If you become the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Divine Cult, it's not a flaw to have three concubines."

"The word 'Cult Leader' always sounds good."

Hearing the word 'Cult Leader', Cheon Woo-rin showed a very excited expression. Seomun Ok smiled, approached his side, and poured him wine.

"It's okay if it's not now. So, nurture your ambition. Young Master Cheon is a person with enough ability to become the Cult Leader."

"I feel good hearing you say that."

"Is it just that you feel good?"

"I also have ambition."

Cheon Woo-rin, who showed a pleased smile, wrapped his arm around Seomun Ok's shoulder. Then he drank wine and said.

"But becoming the Cult Leader is a realistically difficult task. My father wants to become the Cult Leader. All I can do is help my father. If there's a chance, it will be next time."

"The head of the Cheon family is old. Even if he becomes the Cult Leader, he won't be there for long. At most, won't it be ten years? Young Master Cheon can aim for the next time. You have to look at it in the long run and prepare slowly."

"The ambition is not with me, but with the owner."

"Originally, women of the martial world like ambitious men."

Seomun Ok showed a faint smile.

Cheon Woo-rin savored her lips and then drank wine again. With Seomun Ok's lips as a side dish, the wine tasted good, so he drank several more cups in a row.

"Did you hear that story? They say that Ha Shin-hak of the Zhongnan Sect has come out of seclusion after a long time."

Seomun Ok said as if she had just remembered.

"I heard the story. It seems Elder Dokgo unnecessarily stepped in and mediated. Since the Zhongnan Sect said they would not show themselves in the martial world for the time being, they won't appear. The Elder also decided to step down from his position as an elder because of that incident."

"So the Dokgo family has taken a step back from the Cult."

"It's a shame it's only one step."

Although he said it was a shame, a smile hung on Cheon Woo-rin's lips.

He had thought that the matter of the Zhongnan Sect was a failure because there were many unexpected variables. But he had succeeded in capturing Dokgo Hye's heart, and he was satisfied with that.

But another unintended thing happened.

Dokgo Shinwi, who had met Ha Shin-hak of the Zhongnan Sect, had mediated between the Zhongnan Sect and the Heavenly Divine Cult, and as a responsibility for that, he had said he would step down from his position as an elder.

When he said he was leaving, no one in the Cult stopped him.

Although he had left, a solid pillar of the Dokgo family still remained in the Heavenly Divine Cult.

The Northern God among the Four Great Guardian Martial Gods, who were called absolute masters, was a man of the Dokgo family.

Seomun Ok's gentle voice, along with the fragrance of wine, lingered in Cheon Woo-rin's ears.

"What will you do if the Dokgo family refuses the marriage proposal?"

"Since I've captured Hye-ah's heart, even if it's the family head, he won't be able to ignore Hye-ah's words. As long as she doesn't refuse, there's no reason to refuse the marriage proposal."

"Oh my? You seem confident?"

"My gut tells me so. It was a feeling I could know even without taking off her clothes. Like an instinct, this woman is now my woman. I heard those words."

At Cheon Woo-rin's words, Seomun Ok sat back with an indifferent expression, as if she felt jealous.

"What if that instinct is wrong?"

When Seomun Ok asked, Cheon Woo-rin's expression distorted frighteningly. A strong sense of intimidation, along with a cold killing intent and a chill, simultaneously lingered in the room.

Seomun Ok, who felt Cheon Woo-rin's greatly risen qi for a moment, quickly smiled.

'He likes her.'

Cheon Woo-rin's expression was proof that he had Dokgo Hye in his heart. As if he didn't even want to think about it, he gripped his wine cup tightly and said.

"If she doesn't accept me, I'll take revenge. I can't even imagine Hye-ah in the arms of another man. I will kill all the men Hye-ah meets, no, the men she gives her heart to."

"That's scary."

Although Seomun Ok said it was scary, her expression was calm. As if she knew it would be like that.

Jin Sawoon was pressed tightly against the inside of the eaves under the roof, listening to the conversation between Cheon Woo-rin and Seomun Ok flowing out of the room.

Since it was under the roof, it was filled with deep darkness, so no one knew there was a person there.

Coming this far was not a very difficult task for Jin Sawoon. The place where the warriors of the Cheon family manor were gathered in large numbers was where Cheon Woo-rin was.

They were guarding the surroundings from outside the wall, and in the inner courtyard inside the wall, about twenty warriors were waiting around the forest in groups of three.

There were also a few secret shadows hiding in the darkness, but they did not discover Jin Sawoon. Since they were looking outside, not at the room, they couldn't know if he crossed the back.

The problem was when he left here.

It is always harder to leave than to enter.

"You've taken care of all the goods that were supposed to be taken to the Jeon family manor, right?"

"I'm in the process of taking care of it. Since it's goods from the Cult, it's taking some time to dispose of them. But it won't take more than two days."

"Get rid of them as quickly as possible."

Hearing Cheon Woo-rin's voice, Jin Sawoon thought that the two had joined hands.

Perhaps it wasn't just the two of them, but there might be more. He had a feeling like that for some reason.

(End of Chapter)