Swordless Demonic Path

Chapter 24 : Inevitable (1)

Splash! Splash!

Na Hyungi, who had entered the stream, pretended to cross in a hurry. Since he was in the water, his speed was significantly slow.

Shwish! Whoosh!

In an instant, three black shadows descended upon Na Hyungi from behind. But Na Hyungi was a decoy.

As the three Slaughter Ghosts descended upon Na Hyungi, Jin Sawoon jumped out from the crevice of the rock they had passed and thrust his sword.

Thwack-thwack-thwack!

Jin Sawoon, who had pierced the back of the three's heads in an instant, retrieved his flexible sword and passed the Slaughter Ghosts who had fallen around the stream.

Thud!

Jin Sawoon, who had landed on the gravel field, supported the staggering and collapsing Na Hyungi and fed him an antidote.

As he took the antidote, Na Hyungi stood up with strength in his legs and walked forward.

"Amazing guy."

As Na Hyungi muttered, Jin Sawoon grabbed his side.

"Keuk!"

Na Hyungi, who felt the pain, staggered.

Jin Sawoon said without even looking at him.

"Save your words. It only increases the pain."

Jin Sawoon threw a word and then sat in front of Na Hyungi. It meant for him to get on his back.

Na Hyungi, on Jin Sawoon's back, let out a deep sigh.

He felt his own appearance was very shabby.

"Number Ninety-nine."

"Jin Sawoon."

"Jin Sawoon. Why did you save me?"

"Just because."

At Jin Sawoon's dry answer, Na Hyungi closed his eyes and said.

"My mother is dead. My father is also dead."

"I don't even remember my parents' faces."

"I'm better off than you."

"If you know, shut up and sleep."

"Where are we going?"

"First, to a place where we can rest a little."

"If I become a burden, it's okay to leave me. The pursuit of the Slaughter Ghosts is persistent."

At the words that it was okay to leave him, Jin Sawoon did not answer. As Jin Sawoon did not open his mouth, Na Hyungi also closed his.

A short while later, Na Hyungi became quiet as if he were sleeping, and the two disappeared into the deep forest.

It was only after a long time had passed since they had disappeared that Ma Ryong and Jang-gak appeared and confirmed the corpses.

* * *

Na Hyungi was lying in a house in an abandoned manor deep in the mountains. Thanks to the hot brazier, warm air lingered in the room.

"Keu-eung!"

Na Hyungi, who opened his eyes with a painful groan, looked around the room and then sat on the edge of the bed.

His side still gave him a sharp pain, but it wasn't enough to be a major concern.

Na Hyungi frowned and asked as Jin Sawoon appeared with footsteps.

"Where is this?"

"A house that the Zhongnan Sect used to use in the past. There's no one here now, though."

Jin Sawoon recalled the memory of meeting Ha Shin-hak here in the past. His martial arts were transcendent, and he had killed Gwak Ho in an instant.

He had fled from him and then returned here to face Ha Shin-hak and Dokgo Shinwi.

Na Hyungi asked.

"How many days have I been lying here?"

"Two days."

Jin Sawoon raised two fingers and then poured him tea. Na Hyungi let out a long sigh at the fact that he had been sleeping for two days.

"That's enough time for the Cult to catch up to us..."

"There's no pursuit."

"Why?"

Na Hyungi had a question. The Slaughter Ghosts were by no means people who would give up easily. They were people who would not let go once they had bitten.

The answer to that question was given by Jin Sawoon.

"Because the head of the Na family and his family are all dead. You are also dead."

"Me too?"

"Yes."

"The reason the Na family was exterminated?"

"They died because they betrayed the Cult."

It was a simple reason, but it was also a definite answer. Na Hyungi laughed without realizing it.

"Hahaha! How absurd."

Na Hyungi muttered, then crumpled his face and said.

"Steward Hyung, that son of a bitch."

"Steward Hyung is also dead."

At the news that Steward Hyung was dead, Na Hyungi's expression hardened.

Jin Sawoon had laid Na Hyungi here and had returned to the abandoned manor to assess the situation. But there was no one there.

After that, he had infiltrated Cheonsu City, heard various stories, and then returned here.

He also had to buy food, and there were quite a few things to prepare for a long journey ahead.

Na Hyungi asked again.

"Who killed Steward Hyung?"

"I don't know that."

Jin Sawoon answered and then turned his body and said.

"This place isn't safe either. Since you're up, shouldn't we leave now?"

"Leave? Huhu! To where?"

"A safe place."

At Jin Sawoon's words, Na Hyungi clutched his head and sighed.

Does a safe place even exist? Probably not.

He felt as if the road ahead was blocked, not knowing where to go.

"Damn it!"

Na Hyungi, who raised his voice with a cold killing intent, clenched his fist with a cold expression.

"I can't just leave the Cheon family bastards and leave like this. I have to kill them all."

"That's impossible."

"I know."

"It's best to go far away. Let's go."

Jin Sawoon said with a cold face and then went outside. Na Hyungi sighed and stood up.

His heart told him he had to take revenge, but his head agreed with Jin Sawoon's words. He felt as if his body and mind were playing separately.

Jin Sawoon, who had come out to the yard, was standing with a face as hard as a stone statue. In front of him, a crane was standing.

It was too big to be called a crane.

'Ha Shin-hak.'

Jin Sawoon looked at Ha Shin-hak standing in front of him. Jin Sawoon couldn't notice when he had been there.

Ha Shin-hak was just looking at Jin Sawoon with an expressionless face.

He couldn't tell at all what he was thinking.

'Why is Ha Shin-hak here?'

Jin Sawoon was curious about the reason he was standing here, but he couldn't open his mouth. He just stood there, wary of him.

The reason his legs wouldn't listen was because of tension.

"What's wrong?"

Na Hyungi, who appeared behind Jin Sawoon with his words, had a hardened expression when he saw Ha Shin-hak standing in the yard.

Na Hyungi stood next to Jin Sawoon, observed Ha Shin-hak, and asked.

"Who is it?"

"Ha Shin-hak."

At Jin Sawoon's answer, Na Hyungi's eyes widened for a moment.

Jin Sawoon, not knowing what to do in this situation, just stood there.

His mind was in a complicated tangle, whether he should attack or avoid.

It was also questionable whether he could avoid Ha Shin-hak's sword even if he ran away.

Na Hyungi took a step forward and cupped his fist.

"Junior Na Hyungi greets Senior Ha."

Seeing Na Hyungi bowing deeply, the aloofly standing Ha Shin-hak moved.

Swish!

Ha Shin-hak stroked his beard and observed Na Hyungi.

"What is your relationship with the Na family of the Demonic Cult?"

"The Na family of the Demonic Cult has been exterminated."

At the word 'exterminated', Ha Shin-hak frowned.

Ha Shin-hak, seeing that Na Hyungi and Jin Sawoon looked like wary cats, said in a low voice.

"Rest assured. I have no intention of killing Demonic Cult members."

At his words, the wariness of Jin Sawoon and Na Hyungi eased a little. It was because a high-ranking master with a high reputation like Ha Shin-hak would keep his word.

Since Ha Shin-hak had to keep his promise with Dokgo Shinwi, he did not show any killing intent even after seeing Jin Sawoon and Na Hyungi.

Since there was no killing intent, Jin Sawoon and Na Hyungi also seemed to be at ease. Na Hyungi gathered his courage and said.

"The extermination of the Na family is also related to Senior Ha."

"Is that so? Continue."

"The Na family joined hands with the Zhongnan Sect and betrayed the Cult. That is the reason."

"How absurd."

Ha Shin-hak shook his head and lowered the hand that was stroking his beard.

"The joke has gone too far."

"It's the truth."

Na Hyungi said with a hardened expression, then took another step closer to Ha Shin-hak and said.

"Please take responsibility."

"What?"

At the word 'responsibility', Ha Shin-hak slightly opened one eye. A huge sense of intimidation from his entire body began to press down on Na Hyungi.

Na Hyungi's eyes widened as an unknown force pressed down on his entire body.

He felt a power that was somehow different from the martial arts of the Demonic Cult.

Na Hyungi glanced at Jin Sawoon.

'We both have to find a way to live.'

Na Hyungi bowed his waist to Ha Shin-hak again and said.

"I will become your disciple. Please accept me as your disciple."

At Na Hyungi's sudden disciple talk, Ha Shin-hak laughed out loud as if it were absurd.

"Hahahaha! What a bold child. Do you think I would accept a grown adult, and a Demonic Cult bastard at that, as my disciple?"

If he were a child, it would be a different story, but the current Na Hyungi was a grown adult, and it was a late age to start anew with the martial arts of the Zhongnan Sect.

Even if he started accumulating internal energy from now on, he would only be able to achieve some results when he had white hair.

Those under ten years old had their Baihui acupoint open, so it was an age where it was easy to train the dantian by cultivating internal energy.

Also, with Ha Shin-hak's help, he could easily open the Ren and Du meridians, and after that, he could open the entire body's meridians with his own efforts.

But it was impossible for someone of Na Hyungi's age.

Na Hyungi said.

"I need strength to take revenge on the Demonic Cult. Please accept me as your disciple. I will become a disciple of the Zhongnan Sect and fight against the Demonic Cult."

"If you want to become a disciple with the intention of fighting the Demonic Cult, you will not be able to achieve that dream until you die."

"I will do it anyway. Please teach me."

Although Na Hyungi spoke with a face full of stubbornness, to Ha Shin-hak, it just looked like obstinacy.

"Master. Just accept him. How many people in the world would want to become a disciple of our sect?"

Swish!

With her words, a long-haired woman who appeared to be in her early to mid-twenties poked her head out from behind Ha Shin-hak.

Jin Sawoon didn't know when she had appeared.

She stepped out one step to the side as if she had been behind Ha Shin-hak from the very beginning and then smiled.

She looked at Na Hyungi and spoke again.

"You came here today because you dreamed that a crane came down, didn't you? The arrival of a strange person means that there is a connection."

"Did you find the item?"

"Yes."

She answered with a bright smile, then took out a secret manual from her sleeve and held it out. It was the secret manual found in the underground stone room.

It was a copy of what the deceased Bae Hyung-man had. Although it was a copy, it had to be retrieved because it could not fall into the hands of an outsider.

She smiled at Na Hyungi and offered a greeting.

"My name is Shim Cheong-cheong. Nice to meet you, youngest."

"I haven't decided yet."

"You can decide after teaching him for a while, can't you?"

At Shim Cheong-cheong's words, Ha Shin-hak, as if his heart was swayed, stroked his beard and then said to Na Hyungi.

"If you have nowhere to go, follow me."

At Ha Shin-hak's words, Na Hyungi prostrated himself on the ground and bowed.

"Thank you."

"Get up. You haven't even become a disciple yet."

At Shim Cheong-cheong's words, Na Hyungi jumped up. Jin Sawoon, who was watching his actions, felt a sense of strangeness at his different appearance from usual.

Ha Shin-hak's gaze turned to the expressionless Jin Sawoon.

"Will you come too?"

"No."

Hearing Jin Sawoon's answer, Ha Shin-hak nodded and said to Na Hyungi.

"Follow me."

"Could you wait for a moment? I have to say goodbye to my friend."

At Na Hyungi's words, Ha Shin-hak smiled. Ha Shin-hak's eyes briefly turned to Jin Sawoon.

"I'll wait."

As his permission was granted, Na Hyungi entered the room with Jin Sawoon.

Jin Sawoon sat on the edge of the bed, and Na Hyungi leaned his back against the wall and said.

"I'm going to enter the Zhongnan Sect."

"Why the Zhongnan Sect?"

"Because I have to live for now. And the martial arts of the Zhongnan Sect have produced martial artists who were once called the best in the world. They often made their names among the ten great masters. But has there ever been such a martial artist in the Na family? There hasn't."

At Na Hyungi's answer, Jin Sawoon nodded as if he understood. Na Hyungi took out a secret manual from his bosom and held it out.

"You take this secret manual."

"Why are you giving this to me?"

"I am no longer a Na. I'm going to throw away my name. And since I've become a disciple of the Zhongnan Sect, I can't learn the martial arts of the Demonic Cult. This will be a more necessary secret manual for you."

Na Hyungi put the secret manual in Jin Sawoon's bosom and spoke again.

"You should also throw away that unsightly name. And go as far away from here as possible."

"Alright. Have you decided for sure?"

"Yes."

"Farewell."

At Jin Sawoon's answer, Na Hyungi showed a disappointed expression for a moment and then soon went outside.

Jin Sawoon sat in the room and listened to the footsteps of the people moving away. After a very short time, a deep silence lingered in the room.

Only then did he take out the secret manual that Na Hyungi had given him from his bosom and look down at it.

(End of Chapter)