Swordless Demonic Path

Chapter 3 : Number Ninety-nine, Jin Sawoon (3)

Lord Jang sat at a round table in a room that was not very spacious.

On the wide round table, several dishes were laid out along with a bottle of wine. The food had not been touched at all.

Lord Jang's eyes were filled with anxiety. Just then, the door opened, and a man in his early to mid-thirties with a sword slung over his shoulder entered. Seeing him, Lord Jang's face brightened.

"What happened?"

"Just as you said, Brother Jang, Chae Hong is dead."

"As expected, they're not the kind of fools to make the same mistake twice."

Lord Jang muttered, stroking his beard. The face of the silent Number Ninety-nine briefly flashed through his mind.

From the moment he first saw him, he had felt a chill run down his spine. The young man had a different aura from Number Two-hundred-fifty-one who had come before.

Perhaps that was why he couldn't approach him easily.

Lord Jang observed the man sitting in front of him, pouring and drinking wine. The cold impression of his angular face and slender eyes caught his attention.

The man was Yoon Deok of the Nanchang branch of the Martial Alliance.

"Do you have any regrets about abandoning the Demonic Cult you served loyally for over ten years?"

"If I had regrets, would I have requested protection from the Martial Alliance? I have none of that. I am simply afraid of the Demonic Cult."

"Afraid. Is that all?"

Hearing Lord Jang's words, Yoon Deok nodded in understanding but showed an expression that suggested it wasn't enough. As he stroked his short beard with a subtle expression, Lord Jang spoke again.

"Ten years ago, the Demonic Cult threatened to kill my family. That's why I had no choice but to serve them loyally. I have waited until now to escape the Demonic Cult's grasp. Now that my son and daughter have married and moved far away, I too wish to escape the clutches of the Demonic Cult."

Hearing Lord Jang's story, Yoon Deok nodded as if in agreement and rose from his seat.

"I've heard you well. I will depart for Nanchang tomorrow morning. Get some sleep. I will go and make my rounds."

"Understood."

As Yoon Deok stood up and went outside, Lord Jang, left alone, poured himself a cup of wine and fell silent for a moment.

Thinking that his worries would end tomorrow morning, a deep sigh escaped him.

In fact, there was a possibility that Number Ninety-nine had already left for good. Yet, the reason he was anxious was his desperate desire to escape the Demonic Cult's grasp.

Rustle!

"Huh?"

Hearing a faint sound from his chest, Lord Jang lowered his head and his eyes widened.

He saw a silver blade, glistening with blood, in his vision.

Swish!

The sword silently disappeared back into his chest. Immediately after, red blood soaked Lord Jang's clothes.

Raising his hand to touch his chest, Lord Jang looked at his own reddened hand. He still couldn't distinguish whether this was a dream or reality.

A black shadow appeared to his right, and Number Ninety-nine peeked his head out.

While observing the red-light district, he had seen a Martial Alliance warrior and entered the place. As expected, Lord Jang was among the Martial Alliance warriors.

Killing him was not difficult.

"If you scream, the Martial Alliance warriors outside will come in. But even if they come, they can't stop your death."

"I knew you would come, but..."

"Dealing with a traitor is also an important task."

Number Ninety-nine stared at Lord Jang with an indifferent expression, and as he closed his eyes, he disappeared into the dark shadows.

A short while later, Yoon Deok, who entered the room, discovered the dead Lord Jang. He shouted urgently.

"Assassin! Close the doors of the brothel and block the city gates! He couldn't have gone far!"

As his voice echoed, the Martial Alliance warriors who were on guard quickly scattered in all directions.

Yoon Deok clenched his fist as he examined the dead Lord Jang's face.

"Looks like I won't get a promotion this year either. By the way, I was only gone for a moment. Did he invade during that time?"

His mind became complicated as he thought about the reprimand he would receive. Yoon Deok touched his forehead and went outside.

For now, finding the assassin was the top priority.

* * *

It was the first time he had seen Martial Alliance warriors.

Dressed in white martial arts uniforms, they had sturdy builds and eyes that seemed to burn brightly.

Compared to ordinary people, they were clearly individuals who possessed a great sense of intimidation.

But how were they different from other people?

They had a head, arms, and legs, and a heart inside. They were still human.

The only difference was that they carried weapons on their bodies and wore the martial arts uniforms of the Martial Alliance.

Number Ninety-nine, who was sitting on the roof of the red brothel observing the moving Martial Alliance warriors, soon disappeared into the darkness.

There was no reason to fight with the Martial Alliance warriors.

* * *

Snow was falling outside the window along with a chilly wind. White snow had piled up on the courtyard and the roof, and inside the firmly closed doors, a bright lantern and a brazier emitted a warm energy.

Next to the brazier, a middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair, dressed in a black martial arts uniform and a thick black cloak, sat leaning back in a chair.

With his eyes closed, he seemed to be taking a short nap.

"It's me."

At the voice from outside the door, the man opened his eyes. Wrinkles formed around his eyes, and the beard that neatly covered his chin and the bridge of his nose moved.

"Come in."

As the man's low and heavy voice echoed, a middle-aged man with a short beard, dressed in a black martial arts uniform, entered the room.

The man, with an ordinary-looking build, stopped about a zhang away from the table.

The snow that had settled on his shoulders melted powerlessly from the heat of the brazier.

"What business did you call me for?"

"I called for you two months ago, and you've only just arrived."

"I received the order to return a month ago. It's not that I was late, but a problem with the messenger who delivered the message late."

"Still so talkative. You could just say you're sorry."

"I was just stating the facts."

At the man's answer, the middle-aged man showed a faint smile before his face returned to being indifferent.

"The atmosphere within the Cult is unusual. It's been over fifteen days since the Cult Leader has appeared in the great hall. It seems there's a problem with his health."

"He's been the Cult Leader for sixty years, so he must be thinking of stepping down soon."

"That might be so. If the Cult Leader steps down, who do you think will become the next Cult Leader?"

"What would someone like me, with no rank, know? I don't know."

At the man's answer, the middle-aged man stroked his beard and said.

"Well, you don't need to know. The Cult Leader wishes to see his granddaughter. You are to bring his granddaughter."

"What? A bodyguard mission all of a sudden?"

"There are many who wish to become the Cult Leader. On top of that, there are many who hold grudges against our Cult. They won't just leave the Cult Leader's granddaughter alone."

"There should be enough bodyguards, so if you're specifically assigning me, is it because of...?"

"An enemy within."

"Understood."

As the man bowed his head, the middle-aged man spoke again.

"Don't go alone. Take the kids with you."

"What? I'm not going alone?"

The middle-aged man waved his hand at the man who showed an annoyed expression.

"It's also your job to teach your juniors. It's time for you to do it too."

At the middle-aged man's words, the man frowned slightly but cupped his fist as if in agreement.

"Yes, then."

The man replied, then stepped back and silently went out the door.

After he left, the middle-aged man closed his eyes again.

* * *

"What? Four?"

Kang Yu glared at the steward with a face full of annoyance. He shot a look full of killing intent, but the white-haired steward just smiled.

"Four, not three?"

When Kang Yu asked, the steward calmly held out four nameplates and answered.

"This batch has more people who have returned from their first mission than the previous batch. They are the chosen among the chosen, so you will like them. For your reference, the other first-class members also received four each."

"How many teams are there?"

"Ten teams."

"There were five in our time. It's doubled."

Kang Yu muttered, recalling his past.

The old man spoke again.

"The Valley Lord has ordered everyone to gather after you've greeted your team members."

"Understood."

Kang Yu replied, then took the nameplates and went outside.

* * *

Light came in through a small window, illuminating the interior.

In the not-so-spacious room filled with light, four young men sat around a circular table.

One chair was empty, but the four men seemed to have no interest in the empty chair.

The four men were all young men of about the same age, but while their ages seemed similar, their builds and appearances were all different.

A young man with a round face and curly hair sat with his arms crossed, his head tilted back against the back of the chair.

Next to him was a young man with a long face and small eyes, and on the opposite side sat Number Ninety-nine and a young man with handsome features and distinct facial features.

"Kek! To be in a team with these clueless bastards? This is driving me crazy."

As the curly-haired young man muttered with a disbelieving smile, the long-faced young man frowned.

"Shut up, Number Fifty. This was decided by the higher-ups. If you have a complaint, get out of here."

"Who said I have a complaint about what the higher-ups decided? Number Two-hundred-ninety. I'm complaining because I have to be with you."

"Number Fifty. Should I tear your mouth open?"

As the long-faced young man showed a hint of killing intent, the handsome young man crossed his arms and said quietly.

"Were you that great? Number Fifty. There are many great guys in our batch, but I don't remember you."

At his words, Number Fifty's eyes narrowed into slits.

"Number Sixty-three. The little bedwetter has grown up a lot, huh?"

At the word bedwetter, the handsome Number Sixty-three frowned and flinched his shoulders.

"Should I kill you?"

At his words, Number Fifty shrugged his shoulders.

"Do as you please. Don't just talk, move."

As he spoke mockingly, Number Sixty-three showed a strong killing intent. Just then, Number Ninety-nine opened his mouth.

"Shh! He's here."

At his words, everyone's expression hardened.

Thump!

With a dull sound, Kang Yu opened the door and entered. As he came in, everyone stood up from their seats.

The hostile atmosphere from just a moment ago had vanished without a trace, and everyone was looking at Kang Yu with a hardened expression.

"I am Kang Yu. Everyone, sit."

At his words, everyone sat down.

Kang Yu took out four nameplates from his sleeve and examined the names. These would be their names from now on, and they had to forget their numbers for a while.

From now on, they had to live as members of the Heavenly Divine Cult.

Kang Yu examined the names and then casually tossed them to the four men.

"Take them. These are your names from now on. You can call it your identity."

At Kang Yu's words, Number Ninety-nine examined his nameplate.

"...Jin Sawoon."

As Number Ninety-nine said his name written on the nameplate, Kang Yu smiled.

"The names you will use are all the names of deceased seniors. From now on, remember and use those names."

"Yes."

At Kang Yu's words, everyone answered in unison.

"You all know each other well, right? You've lived together for over ten years, so you should know each other's faces. You'll be living together from now on, so get along well. I'll be out for a while, so gather here again after dinner."

As if he had finished what he had to say, Kang Yu went outside again.

After he left, Number Fifty spoke.

"He's a peculiar person. My name is Jang Muryong. What are your names?"

"Gwak Ho."

As the long-faced man spoke, the handsome Number Sixty-three said his name.

"Seo Woon-gang."

"Jin Sawoon."

After Jin Sawoon also said his name, Jang Muryong spoke again.

"Now that we know each other's names, I'll be leaving. See you after the meal."

Jang Muryong left, but the three men remained seated in their chairs.

Seo Woon-gang, who was sitting next to Jin Sawoon, muttered quietly.

"A name, now of all times. Come to think of it, I don't even remember what my name was."

"It was probably Horse Dung or Dog Dung."

As Gwak Ho chuckled as if joking, Seo Woon-gang tilted his head.

"It was similar. That's right. I didn't have a name, so people called me Dong-dong."

Seo Woon-gang, who spoke indifferently, closed his eyes and savored his name. He showed a faint, satisfied smile before quickly hiding it.

Jin Sawoon was silent.

(End of Chapter)