Swordless Demonic Path

Chapter 33 : A Wolf Watching a Dog (2)

As the sun set and darkness ruled the world, many lights were burning around the valley.

Several bonfires were emitting hot heat and bright light, illuminating the surroundings.

Around the bonfires, several people were gathered in small groups, sitting or lying down, talking or trying to sleep.

It was the subjugation team that had left the branch.

Jin Sa-wol and Woo Jeong-bong, who had lit a bonfire and were lying on the grass a little away from the stream, were looking at the sky.

Woo Jeong-bong said.

"It's been a long time since I've seen the night sky like this. It's scenic."

Woo Jeong-bong smiled and looked at Jin Sa-wol. Jin Sa-wol, with his eyes closed, was as still as if he were sleeping.

"You're no fun."

Woo Jeong-bong grumbled, then closed his eyes and tried to sleep.

Woo Jeong-bong, who had been sleeping for a while, opened his eyes at the rustling sound from his side.

The night sky was still full of countless stars. There was still a long time until dawn.

"Get up."

At the low voice from his side, Woo Jeong-bong staggered and sat up. It was time to stand guard.

Jin Sa-wol was sitting in front of Woo Jeong-bong, roasting corn. As if he were satisfied with the golden-brown roasted corn, Jin Sa-wol nodded and then began to eat.

"Wasn't that mine?"

"Eat it yourself."

Woo Jeong-bong sighed and then made the corn into a skewer and put it in the bonfire.

Jin Sa-wol briefly looked at Woo Jeong-bong, who was roasting corn with sleepy eyes.

He had no great interest in Woo Jeong-bong.

Interest in others is the source of weakness.

Even while living among people, he did not take an interest in them. He had thought that he might get the disease of weakness.

Although there were times when he was annoyed that a troublesome lump named Woo Jeong-bong was attached to him, there were also times when it aroused his curiosity.

"Why did you follow me?"

When Jin Sa-wol asked, Woo Jeong-bong answered without much thought.

"Because I was bored."

"It doesn't seem like a place for a disciple of the Wudang Sect to come."

"Is there a separate place for a disciple of the Wudang Sect to go?"

"No."

Jin Sa-wol answered as if he had easily agreed and then ate the corn without another word. As he drank water, Woo Jeong-bong asked.

"Where is your school?"

"A school does not exist for a wanderer."

"Well..."

Woo Jeong-bong nodded as if he agreed and then spoke again.

"There are several sects in the martial world that value the fast sword. Among them, the most famous are the Diancang Sect and the Hainan Sect, and the Murong family also uses the fast sword."

Woo Jeong-bong glanced at Jin Sa-wol's expression as he spoke.

But he could not get an answer. It meant that among the sects he had mentioned, there was no sect that was related to Jin Sa-wol.

It was a martial artist who would show a reaction when the story of their own school came up.

"How about the Wudang Sect?"

"I'm not Wudang right now. Shh!"

Woo Jeong-bong said, covering his lips with his finger, and then looked around.

He saw Jang Oh, who was standing guard next to a distant bonfire, talking with a certain woman.

The woman, who appeared to be in her mid-twenties, had long black hair that fell to her waist, and her side hair was braided in two strands and hung below her ears.

Her skin was as clean as white jade, and her eyes were single-lidded and large.

Woo Jeong-bong pointed at the woman with his chin and asked Jin Sa-wol.

"Do you know who she is?"

Jin Sa-wol turned his head to where Woo Jeong-bong's eyes were directed. He met the woman's eyes. Jin Sa-wol said.

"There's a woman in the Divine Wind Group, and her name is Sang Yu-rim. I heard she uses the fast sword that you're so interested in."

"Her hands must be fast."

It was Woo Jeong-bong, who was stating the obvious.

If she uses the fast sword, would her hands be slow?

The woman greeted Jang Oh and then approached where Jin Sa-wol and Woo Jeong-bong were.

As she approached, Woo Jeong-bong brushed off his buttocks and stood up. But since Jin Sa-wol had no great interest, he sat without moving.

Woo Jeong-bong greeted Sang Yu-rim first.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Woo Jeong-bong."

"I'm Sang Yu-rim."

Sang Yu-rim smiled and bowed her head slightly to Woo Jeong-bong.

Then she turned her head and said to the sitting Jin Sa-wol.

"They say you're the Lone Wolf, but you're younger than the rumors. I heard you were quite ugly, with a black face and dirty clothes, but you're different from the rumors."

Jin Sa-wol asked without even turning his head.

"I know that the Divine Wind Group doesn't do this kind of work. Is there a reason you joined the subjugation team?"

Sang Yu-rim frowned at the question without a greeting.

"Our income has decreased because the one called the Lone Wolf keeps taking the heads of the guys we were aiming for. Since we have no income, we have to do this kind of large-scale fight."

The Lone Wolf was Jin Sa-wol. In other words, Sang Yu-rim was saying that their income had decreased because Jin Sa-wol had preemptively eliminated the criminals they were aiming for.

The Divine Wind Group did not hunt bandits or unorthodox martial artists with a large organization. They found and killed easy opponents who roamed alone, and that was a safe and easy job.

Of course, the reason they had set out on this work was not just because of the Lone Wolf. They had set out because it was a chance to earn a lot of money after a long time.

Since the team leader was old, he was scheduled to retire after this work. If the team leader left, the Divine Wind Group would naturally be disbanded.

"I heard that the hunter called the Lone Wolf always goes around alone, but you're with a friend?"

"He's not a friend, but a brother. I'm on close terms with Younger Brother Jin."

"I see."

Sang Yu-rim showed a very surprised expression at the word 'brother'.

Jin Sa-wol just let out a sigh and did not open his mouth.

Sang Yu-rim spoke again.

"Anyway, do your best. Killing the fortress master is our share, so don't get ahead of us."

"Of course."

As Woo Jeong-bong answered on behalf of Jin Sa-wol, Sang Yu-rim greeted Woo Jeong-bong and then returned to her place.

There, six men were glaring at Woo Jeong-bong with cold gazes.

"The killing intent is amazing. Why are they looking at me like that?"

As Woo Jeong-bong sat down and spoke, Jin Sa-wol answered.

"The only woman in the group is talking with another male. Would they like it? That's why I didn't even turn my head."

"I see. There was such a deep meaning."

Woo Jeong-bong nodded as if he understood Jin Sa-wol's actions and drank water.

* * *

The next day, they also passed several villages.

The fifty-member subjugation team, which was heading for Noryeon Mountain, crossing mountains and fields and streams, prepared to camp in the evening.

Everyone took their places on the grass a little away from where the stream meandered and a gravel and sand field was formed.

In the same way as yesterday, the groups that were gathered in groups of three and five lit bonfires, ate food, and greeted the darkness.

"Tomorrow, we'll arrive at the entrance of Noryeon Mountain."

"Won't there be an ambush? There's no way those guys don't know we're coming."

"We can just take care of an ambush lightly. Most of them are guys who don't even know martial arts, so it's not difficult to kill them."

"You shouldn't look at it easily. They say the subjugation team that went before was had because of an ambush. The martial arts of the fortress master and the leaders are also considerable."

"If we just watch out for them, it's not difficult. We all just have to kill ten people each. Ten is easy, right?"

"Hahaha! That much is of course easy."

"Aren't you going to die first by being so confident? Ke-ke-ke!"

The laughter of the camping wanderers echoed loudly.

They thought of the bandits of the fortress easily. They roasted and boiled chicken and pork, ate their fill, and drank wine.

The smell of wine spread throughout the area around the stream.

Jin Sa-wol, who had lit a fire in a place slightly away from where the group was gathered, roughly filled his hunger with dried persimmons and then tried to sleep.

As Jin Sa-wol tried to sleep, Woo Jeong-bong frowned, put a pot on the fire, and poured water.

"You have to eat properly, right? Team Leader Jang even gave us wine. Aren't you going to drink it?"

Woo Jeong-bong, who had put the prepared chicken in the pot, picked up the wine bottle.

Jin Sa-wol, as if he were not interested, said in a dry voice.

"If you're full, your senses become dull and your eyelids become heavy. Your bowel movements also become active, so you can't prepare for an emergency."

"You mean to eat lightly. Is there a need to say what the senior brothers say? Why? Why don't you just say to eat a vegetarian diet? To drink the morning dew and suck on pine needles."

Woo Jeong-bong grumbled and put down the wine bottle. As if he were disappointed, his eyes still lingered on the wine bottle.

After leaving Nanchang City, Jin Sa-wol had eaten rice the size of a fist and had not drunk much water.

He had thought he was a light eater, but it seemed he was doing it on purpose.

Since Woo Jeong-bong had no need to follow Jin Sa-wol, he tore at the chicken and filled his stomach when the meat in the pot was cooked.

Although his eyes kept going to the wine bottle, he decided to refrain from drinking.

Rustle...

The sound of rustling leaves passed over Jin Sa-wol's blanket on the wind.

Swish.

It was then that Jin Sa-wol's eyes opened.

The night sky was full of stars, and darkness still lingered around. Jin Sa-wol, who sat up, looked at the two people sitting in the center of the subjugation team.

They were not standing up, but sitting, looking at the fire, and talking.

There were only two people on guard, and the rest were all lying down and sleeping.

"Krr-ong! Mmm-nya! Chomp-chomp, Miss Sang..."

At the sound of Woo Jeong-bong smacking his lips, Jin Sa-wol was about to grab the sleeping Woo Jeong-bong's shoulder but just left him alone.

Jin Sa-wol stood up, looked around, and frowned when he didn't see Jang Oh and the branch members.

Jin Sa-wol approached the two warriors sitting in front of the bonfire and asked.

"Where is Team Leader Jang?"

When Jin Sa-wol asked, the two warriors with flushed faces raised their heads. The smell of wine tickled Jin Sa-wol's nose.

"He's patrolling this area. He'll be here soon."

"I wonder why they're going through the trouble of patrolling this late at night, as if bandits would attack. Tsk-tsk."

At the two warriors' words, Jin Sa-wol turned his head and looked back.

In the pitch-black forest far away, he felt a hot heat.

Just then, the forest shook greatly.

Swaaaa!

"...!"

Rumble-rumble-rumble!

It was hundreds of bandits. They were running out, holding weapons in their hands.

"Waaaaaah!"

"Kill the subjugation team bastards!"

"Don't kill the women, capture them!"

"Waaaaaah!"

As they ran out as if a huge wave were rushing in, the two warriors who were on guard stood up with wide eyes.

"Bandits!"

"Everyone, get up! It's bandits!"

Whoosh!

Jin Sa-wol's figure had already appeared next to Woo Jeong-bong. It was because Woo Jeong-bong was the closest.

Papapat!

Woo Jeong-bong, who was lying down, opened his eyes wide, quickly drew his sword, and stood up.

"Let's fall back."

At Jin Sa-wol's words, Woo Jeong-bong nodded and retreated to where the subjugation team was.

Clang! Clang!

"Enemy! It's bandits!"

The wanderers and warriors of the subjugation team, who were drawing their weapons, raised their weapons towards the rushing bandits with faces that had been completely awakened from sleep.

"Uwaaaap!"

"Urat-cha!"

The bandits at the very front struck and killed the warriors of the subjugation team who had not yet gotten up with their swords and axes. The bandits who rushed in after them descended upon the subjugation team.

"Kraaak"!

"Ugh!"

Amidst the flying screams, the limbs of the subjugation team warriors were cut off and their heads were smashed.

Woo Jeong-bong pierced the neck of the bandit who was rushing towards him, then quickly moved his sword left and right and cut.

As blood splattered from the body of the bandit whose neck had been cut, other bandits rushed in from the left and right.

Woo Jeong-bong quickly drew a circle with his sword and cut their necks.

"Keok!"

"Kraak! You son of a bitch! This bastard is a master."

Thump-thump!

As the two bandits fell, Woo Jeong-bong advanced towards the next bandit.

"Kaaaaaak!"

Just then, a death throe scream was heard from the left. When Woo Jeong-bong turned his head, he saw Sang Yu-rim being caught by three bandits and being dragged away.

(End of Chapter)