Swordless Demonic Path

Chapter 35 : A Dog That Eats a Wolf (2)

Seeing Heo Dong fall to the ground, Woo Jeong-bong frowned and raised his sword.

The remaining four bandits looked at Woo Jeong-bong with bewildered eyes.

They couldn't understand what Woo Jeong-bong had done. It was just that a light had flickered, and their comrades had died.

Jang Oh, who was watching from a distance, also opened his eyes wide as if he were surprised. What Woo Jeong-bong had shown was clearly the sword energy known to be used only by masters of the highest level.

If not, this situation could not be explained.

"You're being annoying."

Woo Jeong-bong, with an annoyed expression, lowered his sword, then approached the remaining bandits and swung his sword.

Shwaaak!

As a strong wind rose, the bandits' figures flew back and then fell into the stream. It was clearly a sword wind.

Splash! Thump! Thump!

They were all motionless, whether they had lost consciousness or had died.

A short while later, the blood flowing from their necks stained the stream red.

It was said that masters could harm people with just a sword wind. Now Woo Jeong-bong had shown it himself.

Woo Jeong-bong frowned deeply, his face showing his displeasure.

Woo Jeong-bong, a direct disciple taught by the sect leader of the Wudang Sect, had manifested sword wind and even sword energy against bandits, so his pride was greatly hurt.

"If you just look at me... ah, I can't possibly win against that person, so I shouldn't attack. Don't you think so?"

Woo Jeong-bong grumbled and looked at Jang Oh and the branch members who were standing back.

Jang Oh and the branch members, who were watching Woo Jeong-bong from a distance, stood blankly with their eyes wide open.

They hesitated for a moment, not knowing what to do, but then they quickly ran to Woo Jeong-bong.

"That was truly amazing. I was impressed by Brother Woo's martial arts."

As Jang Oh cupped his fist and spoke, Woo Jeong-bong frowned.

"What's your game? Weren't you on their side?"

"You say we were on the side of the bandits? Can you take responsibility for those words?"

Jang Oh grabbed the hilt of his sword with a very angry face. Woo Jeong-bong was convinced because he had seen him with the group of bandits.

But Jang Oh strongly denied it and showed killing intent.

"Brother Woo's words tarnish the honor of the Martial Alliance, so take them back immediately."

Seeing the strongly coming Jang Oh, Woo Jeong-bong hesitated.

'Was I wrong?'

Since he was denying it so strongly, he thought there might be some other story. Sang Yu-rim stepped forward instead.

"Then why did you just watch us being attacked by the bandits? Isn't that strange?"

"I hesitated because I was afraid my subordinates would get hurt. Besides, someone has to report this, right?"

"What if we had died?"

"I was planning to run away."

Jang Oh answered without hesitation.

'What cowards.'

Woo Jeong-bong asked.

"What was the reason you were with the bandits earlier? You were having a friendly chat with them."

"I was negotiating about the prisoners held in the bandit fortress. There are a considerable number of prisoners in the Black Curtain Fortress. It's also an important task to bring them back."

"You mean you were pulling such a trick behind our backs?"

"I couldn't help it."

Jang Oh let out a deep sigh and shook his head. As he showed a pitiful expression and revealed his emotions, Woo Jeong-bong thought that might be the case.

"I hope you understand the branch's heart as well."

As he said that, Jang Oh's hand gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. Woo Jeong-bong was standing at a close distance of less than a zhang.

He turned his head and faced Sang Yu-rim.

The opportunity for a surprise attack was not common. It was a difficult task to kill a master like Woo Jeong-bong with a direct method.

'This is it.'

Swish!

"Keok!"

"Ugh!"

At that moment, with a groan, the warriors of the branch who were standing behind Jang Oh fell to the ground.

Jang Oh, who was startled, quickly turned his body. In his eyes, he saw Jin Sa-wol standing with a sword.

"Brother Jin...?"

As Jin Sa-wol's eyes met Jang Oh's, he took a step forward.

"Safely..."

Thwack!

Jang Oh, who was speaking, opened his eyes wide. Jin Sa-wol's sword was already half-embedded in his neck.

Jin Sa-wol, with an expressionless face, pulled out the sword embedded in Jang Oh's neck.

"You son of a..."

Thump!

As Jang Oh fell, Jin Sa-wol looked at Woo Jeong-bong and Sang Yu-rim once and then wiped the blood on his sword on Jang Oh's clothes.

"Don't believe the enemy's words. It's a lie."

As Jin Sa-wol saw Jang Oh and the branch members, he appeared behind them without a sound and pierced the back of their heads.

Since they were in a defenseless state, he could easily kill them.

Killing Jang Oh was also a move that had caught him off guard.

Woo Jeong-bong frowned and put his sword in its scabbard. But his anger towards Jin Sa-wol had slightly subsided.

It wasn't because Jin Sa-wol had appeared, but because he had distinguished between friend and foe and spoken.

'Then I'm not an enemy, but a comrade, right? Huhu.'

Woo Jeong-bong kicked the dead Jang Oh and said.

"They are members of the Nanchang branch. How are you going to handle the aftermath?"

"Team Leader Jang's hand was holding the sword. He was about to strike at any moment. He showed killing intent. Didn't you feel it?"

At the word 'killing intent', Woo Jeong-bong was silent for a moment.

Only then did he realize that Jang Oh had been trying to kill him. Thinking about it, Jang Oh's right hand had been holding the hilt of his sword.

"You pig bastard! You maggot-like bastards! How dare you touch my body, you want to die! Kaak!"

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

Sang Yu-rim, after stomping on the dead bandits, approached and said.

"If we just keep our mouths shut, Team Leader Jang and the branch members will also have died fighting the bandits. It doesn't matter since they were on the same side anyway."

She said what she had to say and then started kicking the dead bandits again.

"Die! Die, you sons of bitches!"

Thwack! Thwack!

Woo Jeong-bong, who was watching Sang Yu-rim, contemplated the reason why he had saved her and then shook his head.

Jin Sa-wol began to walk.

Woo Jeong-bong blocked the walking Jin Sa-wol's front and raised his sword. Although it was a sword in its scabbard, it was a sufficient threat as a weapon.

"Why did you run away?"

Helping him was helping him, but the feeling of being abandoned did not easily disappear.

But that was Woo Jeong-bong's emotion, not Jin Sa-wol's heart.

Jin Sa-wol had just done what he had to do.

Jin Sa-wol shrugged his shoulders and then showed the box he was carrying on his back.

"The fortress master's head."

At Jin Sa-wol's answer, Woo Jeong-bong's eyes widened as if he were surprised.

"You ran to the Black Curtain Fortress in that time, killed the fortress master, and brought his head?"

Woo Jeong-bong raised his voice as if it were absurd.

Jin Sa-wol ignored him and walked forward.

The moment his resentment towards Jin Sa-wol melted away like spring snow. Then Sang Yu-rim was surprised and ran to Woo Jeong-bong's side.

"Did you kill the fortress master?"

"It seems so."

It was Woo Jeong-bong, whose tone had changed without him realizing it.

Sang Yu-rim suddenly grabbed Woo Jeong-bong's hand and bowed her head.

"I have a favor to ask."

As Sang Yu-rim bowed her head, her cleavage was visible through the torn collar of her clothes. Woo Jeong-bong's eyes were fixed there and did not move.

"A favor?"

"I have to find the bodies of my comrades."

Sang Yu-rim raised her head and spoke, then, discovering that Woo Jeong-bong's gaze was directed at her chest, she moved even closer.

The two's bodies became so close that they could hear each other's breathing. Woo Jeong-bong quickly came to his senses and looked at Sang Yu-rim's face.

"You'll help me, right?"

"Of, of course."

Woo Jeong-bong instinctively nodded.

"Thank you."

Sang Yu-rim smiled, grabbed Woo Jeong-bong's hand, and led him. Woo Jeong-bong, like a puppy on a leash, followed Sang Yu-rim to the place where they had camped.

* * *

The rumor that the fortress master of the Black Curtain Fortress had been killed by a hunter called the Lone Wolf spread throughout the entire Jiangxi Province.

The place where that rumor came from was the Nanchang branch.

Jin Sa-wol became the most famous hunter in Nanchang City, and the name Woo Jeong-bong, who had cut down dozens of bandits, also became known.

Jin Sa-wol, who had come out of his bedroom and was sitting in his study, opened a book. It was ten days after he had returned from Noryeon Mountain.

The book was one of the ten most popular books these days, which he had bought from a bookstore.

Since he had bought ten books at once, the rest of the books were on his desk.

Creak!

Although the sound of the main gate opening was heard, Jin Sa-wol did not pay attention.

"You bought a lot. When are you going to eat all this?"

"Just bring some. Why does a man talk so much? You're just a house guest who does nothing anyway."

"Then what are you, Yu-rim?"

"A cook."

At the word 'cook', Woo Jeong-bong, who was holding a lot of luggage in both hands, seemed to have lost his words and headed for the kitchen.

A short while later, a fire was lit, and the smell of sizzling oil and the sound of a kitchen knife chopping followed.

"Ha..."

Jin Sa-wol let out a deep sigh.

At some point, one more house guest had been added.

When he had given the fortress master's neck to the Nanchang branch and received the bounty, Woo Jeong-bong and Sang Yu-rim were affectionately drinking tea.

They were even whispering with refreshments, so much so that they looked like a married couple.

At that time, Jin Sa-wol felt that this was not his house, but the house of another neighbor.

Sang Yu-rim had said that since she had nowhere to go, she would become a house guest. She said she was good at cooking and that she had done all the cooking in the Divine Wind Group.

In fact, the Divine Wind Group was her bodyguard. Two of them were real bodyguards who had come with her when she had left home, and the rest were people she had hired with money.

But when she lost them all, she lost her energy.

In the meantime, Jin Sa-wol and Woo Jeong-bong, whom she had met, were a new source of vitality for her.

"I'm pretty good at cooking."

Although Jin Sa-wol was half in doubt of Sang Yu-rim's words, he had agreed for now.

He was thinking of kicking her out with the excuse that the food was not good. But unexpectedly, she was quite good at cooking.

No, at his level of eating anything well, it was very excellent.

Compared to the rice that Ha Mae-sang made, it was a world of difference, and even compared to the food eaten at taverns, the taste was not inferior.

In the end, he could not find a justification to kick Sang Yu-rim out.

Woo Jeong-bong was also surprised by her cooking skills.

"Let's eat."

At Sang Yu-rim's voice from the kitchen, Jin Sa-wol immediately closed his book and stood up.

On the wide round table, several plates were placed.

On the plates, besides the steaming vegetables, there were also meat and tofu dishes. The tofu was fried in oil and then coated with honey, so its yellow color was a delicacy.

Jin Sa-wol, who was moving his chopsticks busily and eating, suddenly had a thought and put down his chopsticks with a hardened expression.

"How long are you going to stay?"

When Jin Sa-wol asked, Woo Jeong-bong, who was drinking soup, put down his spoon. Sang Yu-rim also swallowed her food carefully with a start.

The owner of the house was Jin Sa-wol.

"I'm also good at housework."

Sang Yu-rim, startled by her own accord, stepped forward, saying she would even do the housework.

Jin Sa-wol shook his head.

"No, not Yu-rim, but Jeong-bong."

Woo Jeong-bong frowned at those words.

"If I disappear, are you two going to get married? I can't see that. I'll be here for a while. I have nowhere to go. It's fun and good to be with Younger Brother Jin."

Woo Jeong-bong was a disciple of the Wudang Sect. Now Sang Yu-rim also knew.

Sang Yu-rim chimed in.

"Oh my? I like both Young Master Woo and Young Master Jin. Both of you be my husbands. One wife, multiple husbands. Isn't that good?"

At her words, Jin Sa-wol and Woo Jeong-bong looked at each other and had the same thought.

'Dangerous.'

Jin Sa-wol quickly came to his senses and asked.

"Won't Wudang call for you?"

"They won't call for a while. Originally, going to the martial world is up to me. I can go back when I want to go back, so you don't need to worry."

Woo Jeong-bong spoke to Jin Sa-wol as if to say not to worry and then drank his soup again.

Jin Sa-wol took out a money pouch from his bosom and held it out in front of Sang Yu-rim.

"What is it?"

"Use this for living expenses. Buy what you need."

"Oh my? Is it money?"

As if it were unexpected, Sang Yu-rim smiled brightly and checked the money pouch. The money pouch was full of silver coins.

Sang Yu-rim stuck out her tongue at Woo Jeong-bong and put the money pouch in her bosom.

Woo Jeong-bong trembled his shoulders slightly.

(End of Chapter)