Swordless Demonic Path

Chapter 181 : A Pig Trapped in a Cage (1)

Hyeonjeong looked around with an anxious expression after mentioning Tang Hyu's name.

The pressure that the name Tang Hyu gave was that great.

'To think that one of the Three Gods would pop out here. The compatibility is also the worst.'

Jin Sa-wol was silent for a moment because he had heard an unexpected name. It was the same for Woo Jeong-bong.

Jin Sa-wol was angry when he learned that a guy similar to Cheon Yu-myeong was involved in the inn's affairs.

Although he didn't know how many masters there were in the martial world, the top ten masters definitely existed. It meant that there were nine more people similar to Cheon Yu-myeong.

Among them, Tang Hyu was the most difficult and tricky person to deal with.

He was skilled in poison and hidden weapons, as well as palm techniques, and his swordsmanship was also outstanding.

In particular, a hidden weapon called the Shadowless Kill was famous, but since everyone who saw it had died, its form was not known.

It was just a hidden weapon of the Tang family that had become famous because of the words, 'Tang Hyu killed with the Shadowless Kill.'

The three of them put their heads together and let out a long sigh almost at the same time.

"Haa..."

It seemed that when they thought of Tang Hyu, only sighs came out.

Hyeonjeong sat down with a thud and then wrote on the floor with a stone.

-I know nothing.

Seeing those words, Woo Jeong-bong spoke to Hyeonjeong like a dog with an angry face.

"What do you not know? Brother. You, who were trying to become the Martial Alliance Leader, are so scared that you're playing with stones? Haa... Really. Where has all that confidence and ambition of the past gone?"

-That was when Uncle was alive.

"Speak, speak! What's different if Uncle is alive? Does Uncle make you the Alliance Leader?"

Hyeonjeong nodded and then wrote again with a sseuk! sseuk! sound.

-It's the Transfer Grand Technique. Uncle was preparing to transfer sixty years of internal energy to me. But he passed away before that.

With sixty years of internal energy, he could surely become a master of the absolute peak. If it were Jo Han-yu, it was not impossible to transfer that much internal energy.

Unlike the voice-raising Woo Jeong-bong, Hyeonjeong was maintaining his composure. Although he showed a hint of impatience, his reason seemed to have returned when he closed his mouth.

"Who else knows about the Thousand Gold Valut?"

When Jin Sa-wol asked, Hyeonjeong nodded.

"Besides Senior Dang, Zhuge Qing will know, and the Alliance Leader will also know. Besides them, I and the head of the Jo family will know."

Jo Han-yu's nephew was the head of the Jo family.

"There's no one else."

"The head of the Jo family will also be greedy for the Thousand Gold Valut, won't he?"

"That's not it."

Hyeonjeong shook his head and then said again.

"As you know well, the martial world prioritizes power. Without power, you can't do anything. When Uncle Jo was alive, the head of the Jo family would have been greedy for the Thousand Gold Valut, the Earth Gold Valut, and the Man Gold Valut. But now that he knows he has no power, he has given up his greed for the Earth Gold Valut. The Jo family has the Man Gold Valut, and with that alone, they can live comfortably for generations, so there's no reason to be greedier and bring disaster upon themselves."

"That's wise."

"You have to see it that way."

Hyeonjeong stood up from his seat and stretched his back.

"If you have wealth that you can't handle, you'll bring disaster upon yourself. Like the inn now. What do you think? Are you confident in protecting it?"

"Yes."

Although Jin Sa-wol answered with an expressionless face, it seemed Hyeonjeong liked it.

In any case, he had sent a lot of gold to the Wudang Sect, and there was no reason to be hostile.

Of course, if he found out that Jin Sa-wol was the one who had killed Jo Han-yu, the situation would be different.

"No, what is the Thousand Gold Valut, and what are the Earth Gold Valut and the Man Gold Valut? Please explain so I can understand."

"Just listen simply. Don't think too hard. The world is surprisingly simple, so if your martial arts are high, everything will naturally be resolved. There's no need to think complicatedly."

"I'm telling you to explain, but why are you only saying things that make me dizzy?"

"The inn became like this because it had no power, and if it has power, everything will be resolved well."

At Hyeonjeong's story, Woo Jeong-bong just sighed.

Jin Sa-wol crossed his arms, contemplated, and then said, "I have to go to the alliance."

"To the alliance?"

"My inn has become like this, so I have to go. The Martial Alliance also has a responsibility."

The words, 'to catch a tiger, you have to go into the tiger's den', flashed through Hyeonjeong's mind.

There was no reason to run away, and there was no reason to hide.

"Do that. Who would stop you from going? More importantly, the assassins are the problem. Since the pavilion masters and the hall masters who had come down to investigate the inn's incident have died, the alliance will be turned upside down."

"It will come out if we investigate."

"It has to."

Hyeonjeong answered, stroking his beard, and then walked first.

Woo Jeong-bong asked Jin Sa-wol with a curious face.

"The Thousand Gold Valut? Was there such a thing here?"

"There's a safe in Seosan. There."

"Ah..."

Woo Jeong-bong recalled the incident where Pavilion Master Wang and Pavilion Master Buk Myeong had tried to open the safe. In Woo Jeong-bong's eyes, they were a band of thieves trying to steal what belonged to others. So he had fought a few times.

***

Zhuge Qing, who was sitting in a not-so-wide tea room, exuded a strong prayer towards Namgung Min, who was sitting in front of him.

"Pavilion Master Wang, Pavilion Master Buk Myeong, and Pavilion Master Seok were also hit at the inn. If it's the work of an assassin, isn't the culprit the innkeeper, that guy named Jin Sa-wol or something?"

"Do you have proof?"

"There's no proof. That's the problem."

"Without proof, we can't frame the innkeeper, who has donated nearly a hundred thousand nyang of gold to the alliance, as an assassin."

As the indifferent voice of the Alliance Leader, Namgung Min, echoed in the tea room, Zhuge Qing's expression hardened.

The fact that the Gangnam Grand Inn was an important source of income for the alliance was a fact that many people knew well. He had emphasized that once again.

It meant that the Gangnam Grand Inn could not be ignored.

'It's going to be hard to expect help.'

Zhuge Qing recalled that all the affairs of the inn were things the Alliance Leader did not know. He had not stopped him, but he had not told him to do it either.

Namgung Min had not withdrawn his trust in Zhuge Qing.

"Investigate the assassin properly."

Namgung Min's story meant to catch and kill the assassin. If there was no evidence, he had to make it.

It seemed to mean that it was okay if Zhuge Qing carried out his will even by doing so.

Although he could not read Namgung Min's thoughts, Namgung Min had no intention of abandoning Zhuge Qing.

A maid who was waiting outside the door came in and said to Namgung Min, "The elders of the Baekgeom Mun and the Huashan Sect have requested to see you."

"Show them in."

As the maid went out at Namgung Min's story, Zhuge Qing put down his teacup. It was a situation where he had to leave.

Namgung Min whispered to Zhuge Qing in a low voice.

"If the innkeeper is really the culprit, there will be evidence. Find it."

"I understand."

Zhuge Qing answered with a troubled face and stood up from his seat.

As he went out, two elders entered the tea room. They were the elders of the Huashan Sect and the Baekgeom Mun.

Namgung Min greeted them and then talked for a long time.

***

Three people were standing in a small room that had not burned down, located in the rear garden of the gisaeng house.

There was no light around. Only the sound of the three's breathing echoed in the darkness where there was nothing.

They were Jin Sa-wol, Bi-sun, and Jo-rim.

"You're going to enter the alliance and kill Zhuge Qing?"

"That's easier."

When Bi-sun asked, Jin Sa-wol answered.

Jo-rim asked with a worried gaze, "The Martial Alliance is the most difficult place to enter, so how are you going to get in?"

"I'm going to enter through the door with dignity and come out through the door."

"What do you mean? If you have a plan, tell me."

"Brother Bi will take my place, and I will move."

At Jin Sa-wol's story, Bi-sun and Jo-rim nodded as if they understood what he meant.

"Will it work?"

When Jo-rim asked, Jin Sa-wol was silent for a moment and then answered.

"It doesn't matter if it doesn't work. It's enough to show our strength."

He couldn't do anything with just suspicion. And if there were those who suspected them, all he had to do was show his strength.

"If they try to kill us, we can kill them at any time."

Bi-sun's low voice filled the room.

Jin Sa-wol crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.

"More importantly, Tang Hyu is the problem. They say he's in the alliance now, but there's no way to kill him."

At Jin Sa-wol's story, Bi-sun and Jo-rim had to be silent.

The moment they heard that the one who had killed Il-hu and Il-bi was Tang Hyu, they felt their minds go blank.

The one who had joined hands with Zhuge Qing, attacked the inn, and tried to take the Thousand Gold Valut was Tang Hyu.

If it had been an ordinary master, Jin Sa-wol would not have contemplated. But since Tang Hyu was not just any master, but one of the top ten masters, he had no choice but to contemplate.

Jo-rim bit her lip and trembled her shoulders.

"If you're going to give up because there's no way, I'll act separately."

"Alone, sister? What can you do alone?"

"Give up the thought of acting alone."

Bi-sun also said that she couldn't be alone and embraced Jo-rim's shoulder. Jo-rim trembled all over.

"We'll kill Tang Hyu too."

After Jin Sa-wol answered, he felt a presence and nodded.

Bi-sun and Jo-rim disappeared.

Jin Sa-wol left the room and walked to the garden. The area around the garden with the pond was as quiet as a dead mouse.

As he was walking there, Jo Geom-ok was suddenly walking next to him.

She, who was wearing a night-walking suit, showed a smile when her eyes met Jin Sa-wol's.

"I heard you're going to the Martial Alliance. What's the plan? You wouldn't go to the Martial Alliance without a reason, would you?"

"Zhuge Qing."

"I'll go with you. I'll be of help."

Jin Sa-wol did not answer. Silence was affirmation, and Jo Geom-ok was not a person who would not come even if he tried to stop her.

Jin Sa-wol stopped walking and cast his gaze to the pond. Water bubbles were rising to the surface.

"I have to find the Esoteric Cult Leader, but I'm being delayed because of the inn."

"So you're angry?"

"Where could he have gone?"

"He's somewhere."

At the conversation that was like a Zen dialogue, Jin Sa-wol sighed. Jo Geom-ok asked with a curious face.

"By the way, where is Guard Son? I don't see her. Did you break up?"

Although it was Jo Geom-ok who was asking with a look of expecting something, Jin Sa-wol did not meet her expectations.

"She's fine. She's resting because she's sick."

Hearing Jin Sa-wol's answer, Jo Geom-ok changed her expression and crossed her arms.

"Where?"

"She's resting in a quiet place."

As Jin Sa-wol looked, Jo Geom-ok shook her head.

"It bothers me when there's another woman by your side. Because Guard Son is also a woman."

"She's not a woman, but a maid."

At Jin Sa-wol's indifferent answer, Jo Geom-ok was relieved.

***

There were no windows in the not-so-wide room. If there was light, it was just a single candle placed on the table.

The woman who was looking at the candle kept looking around with anxious eyes.

When she came to her senses, she was in a room she had never seen before.

She had originally been drinking with the Hao Faction branch master of Jeongju in a secret place.

While talking about this and that, she had lost consciousness, and she had seen the smiling Hao Faction branch master.

After that, when she woke up, she was in this room.

"You pig-like bastard! Aaargh!"

Her whole body was tied to a chair. Although she shouted at the top of her lungs and struggled, no one came in.

Since she didn't know the reason why she was trapped here, she was even more frustrated and angry. There was also an unknown fear, but for now, she had to know the reason.

"Yaaak! Come out! Hurry up and come out!"

Although she screamed, there was no presence outside the firmly closed door.

Only anxiety pressed down on her chest.

How much time had passed?

When she had wet her skirt with urine and was so hungry that her stomach hurt, the door opened halfway, and a person came in with a faint light.

"It smells."

Seo Mun-ryeon covered her nose with her sleeve and looked at Cheong-ryeon, who was sitting in a chair.

Cheong-ryeon opened her eyes wide when she saw Seo Mun-ryeon.

"Ah..."

(End of Chapter)