Swordless Demonic Path

Chapter 183 : A Pig Trapped in a Cage (3)

Jin Sa-wol walked towards Namgung Min, who was sitting on the grand master's chair.

Although numerous Martial Alliance officials were standing around, he did not even glance at them.

As he approached the grand master's chair, the warriors standing nearby raised their hands to block him. It meant not to approach any further.

Jin Sa-wol bowed his waist with a cupped fist salute to Namgung Min.

"Jin Sa-wol, the innkeeper of the Gangnam Grand Inn, greets the Alliance Leader of the Martial Alliance."

"It's been a long time."

"Yes. Thanks to the Alliance Leader's grace, although the inn suffered great damage, I was able to live. Thank you."

"That's a relief. The alliance also suffered great damage because of the inn."

"Yes. So I have brought five thousand nyang of gold as a small token of my sincerity. Although the heroic members of the Martial Alliance who died for the gold coins will not come back to life, I hope it will be a small comfort. It is my sincerity."

After Jin Sa-wol answered, he turned his head. Then, warriors who had opened the door and entered with a large wooden box placed the wooden box next to Jin Sa-wol and retreated.

As the wooden box was opened, a golden light filled the main hall.

The Martial Alliance officials who were standing in the main hall also looked at Jin Sa-wol with a much softer face.

"You must be tired from the long journey, so go and rest now."

"Yes."

As Jin Sa-wol answered, the waiting guest hall master approached and guided Jin Sa-wol.

The person who looked like the guest hall master was a short middle-aged man with a protruding belly.

He looked as if his belly were full of grease.

After walking with him for a long time, passing the wall of the guest hall, they came to a separate courtyard located in a secluded place.

"It is a separate courtyard that only the most precious guests who come to the alliance receive. Many people like it because the surroundings are quiet and the garden is small and pretty."

Jin Sa-wol, who had entered the separate courtyard while listening to the guest hall master's story, glanced around and then entered the house.

"Please rest comfortably."

Jin Sa-wol, who had sat down in a chair while listening to the guest hall master's greeting, opened his mouth as soon as the guest hall master had completely disappeared.

"It's a perfect place for an ambush."

The separate courtyard, located in the most secluded and remote place in the alliance, was a perfect place to attack at night.

The distance to the other separate rooms seemed to be at least thirty zhang, and behind it, far away, was the entrance of the guest hall.

Jin Sa-wol, who was looking out the window, sat down in a chair, let out a deep sigh, and wiped away the cold sweat that was flowing.

"Hoo-woo..."

"You've worked hard."

Jin Sa-wol, who had turned his head at the low voice, smiled when he saw Jin Sa-wol, who was wearing a black night-walking suit and had the same face as him.

The two, who had the same face, looked at each other's faces for a moment and then changed their clothes.

"The pressure of the Martial Alliance Leader was really greater than I had imagined."

Jin Sa-wol, who had entered the main hall, hid himself between the dark bookshelves as soon as he changed his clothes.

Perhaps because he had seeped into the shadows, his breathing stabilized, and the sweat that had been flowing also disappeared. It seemed he was relieved because he had safely finished what he had to do.

"Hyeonjeong doesn't know, does he?"

"Fortunately, he didn't notice."

Jin Sa-wol, who was now halfway into the wall from the bookshelf, stroked his face once and then disappeared without a sound.

Jin Sa-wol, who was sitting in a chair, looked for the presence of Jin Sa-wol, who had disappeared into the wall. Fortunately, since it was Bi-sun who had mastered the Dark Shadow Heart Art, it was difficult to sense his presence.

Swish!

Instead of Bi-sun's presence, the sound of footsteps approaching from afar was heard. The footsteps seemed to be of at least twenty people.

They stopped at a far distance, and then only one of them approached with slow steps.

A short while later, the person who appeared in the yard was Zhuge Qing, whom Jin Sa-wol had wanted to see so much.

He came into the room, fanning himself with his fan unfolded.

"Jin Sa-wol greets the Wonju."

As Jin Sa-wol stood up and greeted him, Zhuge Qing showed a smile and waved his hand.

"Sit. It's been a long time."

"Yes."

As Jin Sa-wol sat down in a chair, Zhuge Qing examined his every move.

Jin Sa-wol, with his long black hair that flowed down neatly, his skin as fine as white snow, and his sharp eyes, was not inferior to be called a handsome man.

The sound of rustling footsteps was heard, and then maids came in, placed a tea and refreshment table, and went out.

Zhuge Qing, who had lifted the teapot placed by the maids, poured tea for Jin Sa-wol.

"Did you have a good trip to the Demonic Cult?"

"Yes. But I couldn't enter the Infinite Hell. On top of that, the Demonic Cult was in chaos, so I had to run away in a hurry."

"That's a pity."

Zhuge Qing drank his tea and shook his head.

Jin Sa-wol sat in his chair and did not move. He looked like a stiff tree.

"Drink."

"Yes."

Although he answered, Jin Sa-wol still did not move.

Zhuge Qing tilted his head.

"What's wrong? Do you think I put poison in the tea or something?"

"No."

After Jin Sa-wol answered, he drank the tea. A bitter taste went down his throat. Seeing that Zhuge Qing was also drinking, it seemed there was no poison in the tea.

Jin Sa-wol, with an expressionless face, held up his teacup and said, "They say the orthodox faction members trapped in the Infinite Hell have all died long ago. Did you happen to know?"

"I didn't know. It's the first time I've heard. Since the Demonic Cult and our alliance do not have exchanges, we cannot know their internal affairs."

"I took my maid."

Hearing Jin Sa-wol's story, Zhuge Qing's expression hardened for a moment.

'Look at this bastard. Is he trying to strike first?'

Zhuge Qing cast a meaningful gaze and then quickly returned to a bright face.

"I wondered who had dared to enter our alliance's prison, and it was you. It was a mess because of that. I lost a lot of hair trying to handle that matter."

"Because she's my person."

"That's right. She's your person. If you had asked me to release her, I would have, so was there a need to do that?"

"At that time, I couldn't know whether the Wonju would release her or pretend not to know."

"I was surprised by your boldness."

Thump!

Zhuge Qing, who had folded his fan, stroked his short beard and said again, "I praise you for coming to the alliance today."

Looking at his face and gaze, it didn't seem like he would let Jin Sa-wol go easily.

"Pavilion Master Buk Myeong and Pavilion Master Seok died at your inn. Pavilion Master Wang also died. The culprit left the words 'God of Death', so do you happen to know anything?"

Zhuge Qing asked openly. This was also a surprise attack, and Jin Sa-wol shook his head with an expressionless face.

"No. When I arrived at the inn, the three were already dead."

"I didn't ask when you arrived at the inn. I asked about the assassin."

"I don't know what kind of assassin, but they are truly audacious bastards. To dare to kill the pavilion masters and the hall masters of the Martial Alliance."

"They will pay for it with their deaths."

"Of course, they should."

Jin Sa-wol still answered with the same face. There was no wavering.

He could tell by his gut that the bastard Zhuge Qing was talking about was himself.

Since Jin Sa-wol had been attacked, he had to return it, so he opened his mouth.

"My inn has become a sea of fire. The bastards who did that to the inn will also pay for their sins with their lives."

Jin Sa-wol's words were a challenge. Although Zhuge Qing took it that way, he tried his best to maintain a composed expression.

'You lowly bastard...'

If he had his way, he would have to cut his neck right now, but this was the Martial Alliance. And there was no evidence.

"Of course, they should."

Zhuge Qing showed a smile and then stood up from his seat.

"I have a meeting, so I have to get up now. See you tomorrow."

"Yes."

As Jin Sa-wol greeted him, Zhuge Qing stroked his beard and went outside.

After he left and the surroundings became quiet, Bi-sun's telepathic voice was heard.

-Five people have entered this area now. They are watchers.

It was something he had expected. They were surely all people belonging to the Shadowless Division.

If it had been an ordinary killing ghost, it would have been a big problem, but now, no matter how many of them there were, it was no problem.

-Don't you think the provocation is too much? What if he gets so angry that he attacks right away?

"That would be even better."

Jin Sa-wol muttered and closed the window.

"Don't eat or drink anything. Give up the thought of going to the backhouse too."

Jin Sa-wol's low voice echoed in the room.

***

A bell rang loudly, announcing midnight.

The numerous grand and old buildings of the Martial Alliance were engulfed in darkness. Jin Sa-wol's separate courtyard was also submerged in pitch-black darkness.

As if the bell announcing midnight were a signal, a black shadow appeared on the tree around the separate courtyard.

Swish! Swish!

They, who had appeared one after another, surrounded the separate courtyard, stood still for a moment, and then at some point, they all flew into the separate courtyard.

Swish!

With the sound of the wind, a silver sword blade sparkled from the dark ceiling.

"Hmph!"

Jin Sa-wol, who was sleeping on the bed, was startled, jumped up, and swung his sword to strike the sword.

Clang!

Immediately after the first metallic sound echoed, masked people jumped into the house through the windows on all sides.

Jin Sa-wol moved his sword quickly and rushed out to the tea room. But as the attack of the waiting masked people continued there as well, he whistled long.

"Peeeeeeek!"

As that sound echoed long through the darkness, there were two shadows jumping over the wall of the separate courtyard.

"Who are you!"

They were Woo Jeong-bong and Jo Geom-ok.

As they engaged with the masked people, Jin Sa-wol and the masked people were fighting inside the house.

***

Zhuge Qing was sitting in the third-floor study of the three-story main hall, which was full of bright lanterns.

He, who had returned after taking a bath, drank his tea and looked at the dark sky visible beyond the open window. The sky, full of stars, was no different from yesterday.

"A cautious bastard."

Zhuge Qing was disappointed at his subordinate's report that he had not eaten or drunk anything since drinking a sip of tea.

He had released a lot of dispersing poison, but he had not even touched it.

Although it might seem childish, it was surprisingly effective. People had to drink water, and they also had to drink tea. And they had to eat to live.

Since it was a basic human desire, it was a difficult thing to refuse.

"It must have started by now."

Zhuge Qing muttered to himself and then drank his tea again. Just after he had swallowed a sip of tea, his expression hardened.

"Hmph!"

Startled by the unexpected pain and stuffiness in his chest, he stood up.

'Poison?'

Since it was an unexpected event, he was flustered for a moment, but he hurriedly sat in a cross-legged position and practiced qi circulation.

'When did he put the poison?'

Although he thought while practicing qi circulation, nothing came to mind. When he came out after taking a bath, he had drunk tea, and that tea was always the same Longjing tea.

The ones who brought the tea were the maids...

When he thought about it, he had seen the maids at noon today, but he had no memory of seeing them since then.

"Hoo-woo..."

With a deep breath, he drove out the poison that had entered his body to his left hand. It was something possible because he was a master of the peak, Zhuge Qing.

"There's no need to struggle."

At the low voice, Zhuge Qing's body flinched. Although he wanted to open his eyes, he could not move because he was in the middle of qi circulation.

If he stopped the qi circulation now, he could fall into qi deviation, or the poison he was struggling to drive out could spread throughout his body even faster.

"It's a poison called One Point Red. You must have heard of it. Since it's a famous poison used by the Tang family."

Although the term 'One Point Red' was used to mean a single beauty who played among many men, the Tang family used it as the name of a poison.

It meant that it was a fatal poison, as beautiful as the beauty that captivated numerous men.

"It cost a bit of money to get it. If you die, it will look like the work of the Tang family."

At the familiar voice, Zhuge Qing trembled all over.

Dark red blood flowed from between Zhuge Qing's lips. Soon, Zhuge Qing, who had opened his eyes, looked up at Jin Sa-wol.

"You bastard... how?"

Seeing Zhuge Qing's murderous face glaring at him, Jin Sa-wol raised one corner of his mouth without realizing it.

(End of Chapter)