Swordless Demonic Path

Chapter 39 : The One Who Tries to Kill Me

"Do you know about the Blood Curtain?"

When Jin Sa-wol asked, Yun Deok answered without much thought.

"I know. Is there anyone who doesn't know that name? The master of the Blood Curtain is a man called the Blood King, and it is known that he drinks the blood of those who have fallen out of his favor. He's a madman."

Yun Deok shook his head and drank his tea again. Since Jin Sa-wol was expressionless, he couldn't tell what he was thinking.

After asking about the Blood Curtain, Jin Sa-wol was silent. Yun Deok asked.

"The assassins of the Red Spider Sect died in the city. Do you know anything?"

"Nothing."

Jin Sa-wol answered with the same expression.

'He killed the assassins and says no? Well, it's impossible to do it alone. Even a master of the highest level can't kill all ten assassins. Does he have an accomplice? He said his name was Woo Jeong-bong.'

Yun Deok had various thoughts and then asked again.

"How did you kill the fortress master of the Black Curtain Fortress?"

"I was lucky to be able to kill him."

"He's not someone who can be killed by luck. The subjugation team that attacked the Black Curtain Fortress was ambushed and most of them died. But in the midst of that, you alone killed the fortress master of the Black Curtain Fortress and came back. Wouldn't it be natural to be curious about the process?"

It was said that one could know the depth of a thousand-fathom water, but not the heart of a person. Jin Sa-wol couldn't know Yun Deok's heart.

But he could instinctively know one thing.

Hostility.

Yun Deok disliked him.

There was no need to explain everything to someone who disliked him.

The bandits had attacked the subjugation team, and seeing that their numbers were large, he had thought the Black Curtain Fortress would be empty, so he had entered the Black Curtain Fortress and killed the fortress master.

Although he said it in his mind, he did not open his mouth.

"I was lucky."

Jin Sa-wol emphasized luck once again.

Since he didn't give a detailed explanation, Yun Deok also didn't ask any more.

"Our branch members also died at the hands of the Black Curtain Fortress bastards. Thank you for avenging them."

"Not at all."

"I'll be going."

Yun Deok stood up as if he had said all he had to say. As Jin Sa-wol stood up, Yun Deok waved his hand and went outside first.

As he left, the branch members who were standing in the yard also all went outside.

The last person left was Jo Mal-sang.

"He's a person who's curious about many things. Don't mind him."

Jo Mal-sang said goodbye to Jin Sa-wol and then went out the door. As Jo Mal-sang also left the house, Jin Sa-wol closed the main gate, entered the room, and sat down.

The teacup was still left on the spot where Yun Deok had been sitting.

"Wasn't it Jang Woong?"

Jin Sa-wol was bothered by the fact that Yun Deok had mentioned the Red Spider Sect as soon as he had seen him.

'I knew too little about the branch.'

He felt that he had thought too lightly of the Nanchang branch. It had felt like just a scarecrow of the Namgung family, but seeing Yun Deok today, it didn't seem to be the case.

"What are you thinking about so hard?"

Jin Sa-wol, who raised his head at the voice from the ceiling, discovered Son Ae-hwa hanging from a pillar on the ceiling like a bat and then turned his head again.

"You're pretending you didn't hear all my words."

Jin Sa-wol ignored her words and poured and drank tea. Then Son Ae-hwa spoke again.

"Im Woo will invite you this evening."

"Today?"

As Jin Sa-wol showed a reaction, Son Ae-hwa showed a cold smile. Since Woo Jeong-bong and Sang Yu-rim, who had been with him, had gone out, it was true that today was the opportunity.

There was a very big difference between dealing with one person and dealing with three. Son Ae-hwa nodded.

"That's right."

"Why are you telling me such information?"

"Because you will fail."

Son Ae-hwa was expecting death the moment Jin Sa-wol knew about Im Woo.

"Your actions are an act of betraying the Cult."

"You crazy bastard. Why does a guy who betrayed the Cult and left think about the Cult? Do you have lingering feelings?"

"Because I'm curious about what's in your head."

At Jin Sa-wol's words, Son Ae-hwa came down to the floor. She thought he was finally showing interest in her and smiled with her eyes.

"I'm curious about what's in your head. What on earth are you thinking? Why don't you kill me even though you know everything?"

Son Ae-hwa lightly grabbed Jin Sa-wol's shoulder and then brushed it as if passing by. A thick floral scent brushed past Jin Sa-wol's nose.

"Why?"

Jin Sa-wol said in a voice with a constant pitch.

"I only kill those who try to kill me."

"How simple."

Son Ae-hwa had a disappointed expression, as it was nothing special, unlike what she had expected. She had thought there would be some grand reason, but it was a natural answer.

But the reality is that even that natural thing cannot be done.

Jin Sa-wol's eyes turned to Son Ae-hwa.

"The answer?"

"When Flower Ghosts are active in the martial world for a long time, they get stained by the people of the martial world. They become turbid, just like the saying 'he who touches pitch shall be defiled'. A desire to live like ordinary people arises, and they want to quit this life and leave. Because they're tired of it."

"So?"

"I was thinking of leaving the Cult after this last job. It's a desire to live freely for even just a year."

"A common reason."

Jin Sa-wol did not understand Son Ae-hwa's heart. But he knew well that there were people who had left the Cult for such reasons.

Son Ae-hwa spoke again.

"I will die at your hands today."

Jin Sa-wol roughly understood what she was trying to say. It meant that she would leave the Cult by faking her death.

"Is what you want freedom?"

"That's right."

"So you told me in advance?"

Son Ae-hwa nodded, then went up to the ceiling again and disappeared into the darkness.

* * *

Son Ae-hwa, who had returned to her room, saw Ha So-eun sitting and approached and sat in front of her.

"The state of the rat?"

"There are no special movements."

"It's this evening, so be prepared."

"Yes."

Son Ae-hwa smiled, went into her room, and changed into a black night suit that clung to her body.

When she had finished changing and was packing her hidden weapons and poison, Ha So-eun, wearing the same attire, came in.

"When the branch master starts the attack, we will follow behind. I'm on the left, and you're on the right."

"Yes."

Son Ae-hwa nodded as if to say not to worry and put on her mask. Anyway, she had no particular feelings for Ha So-eun.

There was no reason or need to have affection.

That was the same for Ha So-eun.

Rustle!

As Ha So-eun disappeared first, Son Ae-hwa also disappeared from the room.

* * *

Jin Sa-wol, who was sitting in his room, knew that Son Ae-hwa's words were true when Im Woo came to find him.

"Will you have dinner with me? There's also wine."

It was not so strange for neighbors to have a meal together.

"Understood."

There was no need to refuse Im Woo's invitation.

Im Woo, as Jin Sa-wol accepted, showed a pleased smile and headed for his house. Jin Sa-wol moved, following him.

"I saw people from the Martial Alliance coming by during the day. Did something happen?"

"The branch master stopped by on his way."

"Would a person who is a branch master meet just anyone? He must have met you because you are that famous."

Im Woo shrugged his shoulders and spoke as if it were his own business.

"Don't you have quite a reputation? When I said you live next door to me, the people at the market were envious."

Im Woo smiled with satisfaction and then entered the room.

Jin Sa-wol, who had followed him in, looked around at the various foods set on the round table.

Although it wasn't a feast of delicacies, there were various foods, from vegetables to roasted pork and goat.

As the fragrance of the food filled the room, he felt his mood become calm.

"Welcome."

Jang Ha-jeong smiled and greeted Jin Sa-wol. She placed a wine bottle on the dining table and sat opposite Jin Sa-wol.

Im Woo was preparing a tofu dish in the kitchen.

Jang Ha-jeong poured wine into a wine cup and said.

"When I say that I'm neighbors with Young Master Jin, who is called the Lone Wolf, the people at the market are all surprised. They also ask if it's not scary, and they also say, 'Isn't he a goblin?'"

Jin Sa-wol showed a faint smile and looked at the wine cup.

"Aren't you going to get married? I've heard a lot of talk about matchmaking, so I've arranged this meeting today. There are many elegant young ladies."

Jin Sa-wol, who was about to drink wine while listening to Jang Ha-jeong's voice, put down his wine cup.

"Is there no poison?"

"Poison? What do you mean, poison?"

Jin Sa-wol just looked at the wine cup without a word. Since he had his head slightly bowed, in Jang Ha-jeong's eyes, he seemed to have many openings.

"Your poison-spreading technique was clumsy."

At the words that her technique of spreading poison was clumsy, Jang Ha-jeong's eyes widened.

Whoosh!

A sword flash as fast as lightning cut at Jin Sa-wol's neck. But that sword could not cut Jin Sa-wol's neck.

Jin Sa-wol grabbed the sword blade with his left hand and looked at Jang Ha-jeong. Although red blood flowed from his hand, there was no change in his expression.

Jang Ha-jeong looked at Jin Sa-wol with a coldly hardened expression and was about to move her right hand. In her right hand, a dagger was held.

Thwack!

Jin Sa-wol's sword pierced Jang Ha-jeong's neck. It was something that had happened in the fleeting moment when Jang Ha-jeong's right shoulder had moved slightly.

Jang Ha-jeong was blankly looking at Jin Sa-wol. As her body shook, the tremor was transmitted through the sword to Jin Sa-wol's hand.

"Honey!"

Whoosh!

Im Woo, holding a kitchen knife in his hand, shouted, circled the round table to the left, and rushed in quickly.

Im Woo's kitchen knife was cutting at Jin Sa-wol's arm and neck at the same time.

Thwack!

Im Woo's figure was hit by a strong impact and fell back. Blood was flowing profusely from his chest.

Swish!

A sword was held in the hand of Jin Sa-wol, who had stood up from his seat. Im Woo couldn't even properly see when or how he had moved his sword.

Im Woo, who was getting up while clutching his chest, collapsed as if the strength in his legs had given out.

"Heok! Heok!"

Rough breathing echoed in the room. In Im Woo's eyes, he saw Jang Ha-jeong sitting, blankly staring into the air.

Her neck was half-broken, and blood was flowing from her nose and mouth. It was a miserable sight.

Im Woo, who turned his head, looked up at Jin Sa-wol standing in front of him. Jin Sa-wol brought a chair, placed it in front of Im Woo, and sat down.

"Is it so difficult to live as comfortable neighbors?"

When Jin Sa-wol asked, Im Woo answered, enduring the pain.

"When I found out that you were a Slaughter Ghost who had fled the Cult, to be honest, I wanted to pretend I didn't know. But my wife said she couldn't. She said that as long as she was loyal to the Cult, she couldn't just leave a traitor be."

"Even so, was there a need to go this far? The failure of a killing mission is death."

"I thought I could kill you."

Swish!

Im Woo's eyes turned to the ceiling. By now, it was time for the Flower Ghost to have attacked and then some.

When Jang Ha-jeong cut at Jin Sa-wol's neck, the Flower Ghost was also supposed to attack at the same time.

Thump!

A masked man in black fell next to Im Woo. It was a Flower Ghost of the Demonic Cult with a slender waist.

Seeing the fallen Flower Ghost, Im Woo's eyes widened.

Rustle!

With the sound of wind, another masked man fell next to Jin Sa-wol.

Swish!

As he took off his mask, he saw Son Ae-hwa, with her long black hair fluttering and an eye-smile.

She approached and stood behind Jin Sa-wol.

Im Woo's entire body shook greatly.

"Traitor."

(End of Chapter)