Swordless Demonic Path

Chapter 41 : The Enemy Kills

Woo Jeong-bong, who was sweating profusely, stood on a small boat that was slowly moving across the surface of Poyang Lake.

Woo Jeong-bong rowed towards the land visible in the distance.

"Just a little more. We'll be on land soon. Then let's go to a doctor."

Woo Jeong-bong said to the lying Sang Yu-rim.

Sang Yu-rim smiled, nodded, and then said out of the blue.

"Hold me."

Woo Jeong-bong put down the oars, approached Sang Yu-rim's side, and sat her in his arms.

An arrow was embedded in her back. It was an arrow that had entered between her ribs and the Jianjing acupoint, and blood was flowing from it.

"When...?"

Woo Jeong-bong's eyes widened without him realizing it, and he looked at Sang Yu-rim. Sang Yu-rim shook her head.

"Just stay like this."

"Don't worry. I'll save you somehow."

"Don't."

Sang Yu-rim stared at Woo Jeong-bong's face and then leaned her face into his embrace.

"If I die, send my body to the Murong family. I want to go home."

"You won't die. So cheer up."

"Just stay like this."

"Alright."

Woo Jeong-bong sat like a stone statue, holding Sang Yu-rim. He heard her breathing.

"Hoo, hoo... Don't forget me."

At her whispering voice, Woo Jeong-bong's shoulders trembled greatly.

A short while later, as Sang Yu-rim's breathing completely disappeared, teardrops poured down Woo Jeong-bong's face like rain.

"Alright."

* * *

Jin Sa-wol, seeing the half-open main gate, knew that Woo Jeong-bong and Sang Yu-rim, who had left the house, had returned.

Jin Sa-wol, who had entered the yard, looked at Sang Yu-rim lying on the ground. Woo Jeong-bong was sitting in front of Sang Yu-rim with his head bowed.

Thump!

At the sound of the main gate closing, Woo Jeong-bong raised his head. But he lowered his head again without saying anything.

Woo Jeong-bong's face, which he had seen for a moment, was distorted.

Jin Sa-wol once again observed Sang Yu-rim, who was dead with arrows all over her.

"The cause of death?"

When Jin Sa-wol asked, Woo Jeong-bong answered.

"The back. It pierced her heart. Hoo... I was careless. Because I was careless..."

Woo Jeong-bong's whole body trembled. Immediately after, he spoke again.

"We were cruising on Poyang Lake by boat. Water bandits appeared, and those bastards shot arrows. There were many of them, but their martial arts were not that high."

Jin Sa-wol, who had heard Woo Jeong-bong's story, opened the door and went outside.

* * *

Ha Mae-sang, who was organizing the tea leaves, prepared tea as Jin Sa-wol came in.

"What a strange thing. For you to come to my house twice in one day."

Ha Mae-sang instinctively felt that there was something and approached Jin Sa-wol and poured him tea.

"Is there a problem?"

"The dog that left the house came back dead."

Although it was an indifferent voice, Ha Mae-sang's hair stood on end.

Ha Mae-sang sat in front of Jin Sa-wol and asked again.

"Did you get attached?"

"There's nothing like that."

"Do you know who killed it?"

"I'm going to find out from now on."

As Jin Sa-wol looked at him, Ha Mae-sang nodded.

"How did it die?"

"Are there water bandits in Poyang Lake? They said it died while riding a boat on Poyang Lake. I heard that a large group attacked with arrows."

"It wasn't a dog, but a person."

Ha Mae-sang, who had realized it was a person from Jin Sa-wol's words, frowned.

"There are no water bandits in Poyang Lake. They were eliminated by the Namgung family, the Martial Alliance branch, and Chunggeommun. But that's the story on the surface. There are small-scale water bandits who are active."

"Where?"

"That's hard to reveal."

"The reason?"

"Because they are water bandits who belong to the Hao Mun. Aren't all the people at the bottom Hao Mun?"

At Ha Mae-sang's words, Jin Sa-wol, with an indifferent face, took out a nyang of gold from his sleeve and placed it on the tea table.

Ha Mae-sang took the gold and asked.

"What are you going to do if you find out?"

"I have to get the price for the dog."

It was Jin Sa-wol, who was giving a natural answer.

Ha Mae-sang sighed and said as if he couldn't help it.

"If you go southeast from Poyang Lake, there's a place called Yiga Mountain. It's a mountain that borders the lake. The area around it is overgrown with reeds and has swamps, so it's a difficult place for people to enter. It also fogs up often. Inside, there's a small island between the mountain and the lake. Go there. That's where the water bandits are. It's called Shinsuichae."

"Is there a guide?"

"I'll get you one."

"By tomorrow morning."

"Alright."

As Jin Sa-wol finished talking with Ha Mae-sang, he drank his tea and then went outside.

As Jin Sa-wol left the tea house, Ha Mae-sang took out the gold from his sleeve and examined it.

"It's easy to make money. There's no need to tell him he's going to die anyway."

A satisfied smile sat on his lips. With the branch master gone, there was no reason for the Hao Mun members to keep their loyalty to each other.

* * *

Not far from the Nanchang branch of the Martial Alliance, there was a tavern called Cheonghakru. It was a tavern that the warriors of the Martial Alliance and the members of Chunggeommun often used.

Yun Deok was sitting in a separate room of the tavern, eating.

Since Yun Deok was a special guest to Cheonghakru, he always ate in a separate room.

"It's me."

A small voice was heard from outside the door, and then Jo Mal-sang opened the door and came in. He sat in front of Yun Deok and said.

"They say it failed."

The moment he heard the word 'failure', Yun Deok put down his chopsticks and picked up his teacup.

"Didn't you say it would be easy if you left it to the water bandits of Shinsuichae or whatever?"

What was frightening about the water bandits was not on land, but on water. That place was like an empty space with nowhere to run.

"On water, they become more frightening masters than anyone else."

As Jo Mal-sang made an excuse, Yun Deok threw his teacup.

Thwack! Clang!

"Keuk!"

Jo Mal-sang, who was hit in the forehead by the teacup, staggered. A drop of blood flowed down his forehead.

"You call that an excuse, you son of a bitch. How can the water bandits not even eat what's fed to them!"

"I'm sorry."

Jo Mal-sang touched his forehead and bowed his waist. Yun Deok looked at Jo Mal-sang as if he would kill him with a very angry face.

But killing Jo Mal-sang now would not change anything.

"Hyun Jin?"

"He's at home."

"Will there be no problem? If Hyun Jin finds out, our position will also become difficult."

"There will be no problem."

At Jo Mal-sang's answer, Yun Deok sighed as if he were not convinced.

"I'm having a headache because of the Black Curtain Fortress, and now there's another problem."

Yun Deok, who was shaking his head while touching his forehead, asked Jo Mal-sang.

"The gold to be sent to the Alliance?"

"The preparations are finished. We are scheduled to send it tomorrow."

"Alright. If that bastard called the Lone Wolf hadn't gotten rid of the Black Curtain Fortress, things would have been easier... I'm worried about next year already."

Yun Deok let out a short sigh, thinking of the tribute to be sent to the Martial Alliance next year. He knew better than anyone that the opportunity for him to enter the main headquarters came not from anything else, but from financial power.

Yun Deok poured tea into an empty teacup and asked.

"The Black Curtain Fortress?"

"It's in a state of internal strife. It seems the leaders are fighting to become the fortress master. It seems it will scatter soon."

"It would be a matter of course since Mak Gu-dong is dead."

Now that the central figure of Mak Gu-dong had disappeared, the Black Curtain Fortress was as good as gone.

Since the source of money called the Black Curtain Fortress had disappeared, Yun Deok saw the Lone Wolf as a thorn in his side.

"But Hyun Jin and the Lone Wolf are living in the same house. It seems the two have hit it off, and that bothers me. On top of that, the woman who was with Hyun Jin died, and there's talk that that woman is a relative of the Murong family. It seems the relationship between Hyun Jin and that woman was quite deep."

"It's complicated in many ways. So?"

"The one called the Lone Wolf is a wanderer with a lot of experience. If he helps Hyun Jin, he will be able to find Shinsuichae. So how about we take action in advance?"

"Are you suggesting we get rid of Shinsuichae?"

"If we kill the fortress master, the one who knows about our relationship with Shinsuichae will disappear, so there will be no major trouble."

"Do it."

"Yes."

Hearing Jo Mal-sang's answer, Yun Deok frowned for a moment and then asked with a face full of contemplation.

"Is there no way to kill both of them? If the two go to Shinsuichae, we can guide them and ambush and kill them. Aren't the water bandits also useful on the lake?"

"Understood."

"I'll have to think of another way. You may go."

At Jo Mal-sang's answer, Yun Deok gestured with his hand to leave. Jo Mal-sang cupped his fist and quietly went outside.

A short while after he had left, a man in his prime, with his bamboo hat pressed down, entered the room.

"Welcome. I've been waiting."

"I greet the famous Nanchang branch master."

At the greeting of the man in the bamboo hat, Yun Deok nodded as if he were satisfied.

"Sit down."

"Yes."

The man in the bamboo hat answered and then sat in the seat where Jo Mal-sang had been sitting. After that, the two chatted and ate.

* * *

The water bandits of Shinsuichae rode small boats and preyed on peddlers who traveled by small boats, not large merchant groups.

Their speed of hitting and running was fast, and the damage caused by them was insignificant, so the government did not intervene.

Jo Mal-sang, who had come out of the tavern, quickly entered his office when he heard that Jin Sa-wol had come.

When he entered the room, he saw the sitting Jin Sa-wol.

Although Jo Mal-sang was surprised that he had come, he calmed his mind.

Jin Sa-wol greeted Jo Mal-sang and then was looking at the wanted posters. But Shinsuichae was not there.

Jo Mal-sang asked.

"What's the matter?"

"Is there anything you know about the water bandits of Poyang Lake?"

"The water bandits of Poyang Lake have been subjugated and are gone."

At Jo Mal-sang's answer, Jin Sa-wol looked at his forehead. Jo Mal-sang's forehead was torn and swollen. It was a wound like being hit by a rock.

Jo Mal-sang, as if he were conscious of his forehead, asked a question first.

"Why are you looking for the water bandits?"

"I asked because I was curious."

At Jin Sa-wol's answer, Jo Mal-sang thought of Hyun Jin and the water bandits. But there was no reason to tell Jin Sa-wol about that.

Jo Mal-sang looked at the wanted men on the wall and said.

"There's a suitable guy. Do you want to give it a try?"

"I've been working for a while, so my body is not in good condition. So I'm planning to rest for a while."

"Resting is also important. Alright."

Jin Sa-wol looked at Jo Mal-sang's forehead. The wound on Jo Mal-sang's forehead kept catching his eye.

"Who hit you?"

"This was from hitting the wall."

Jo Mal-sang answered, touching his own forehead. But no matter how he looked at it, it was not a wound from hitting the wall.

Jin Sa-wol pretended not to know and asked.

"Do you know where Yiga Mountain is? I heard it's a mountain near Poyang Lake."

"I don't know well. Yiga Mountain... Is there only one or two mountains? Except for famous mountains, there's no way to know."

Jo Mal-sang's answer was a common one.

Jin Sa-wol stood up from his seat.

"Then I'll be going."

"Come anytime. You're always welcome."

"Yes."

As Jin Sa-wol answered and left, Jo Mal-sang frowned and touched his forehead.

"He's unusually talkative today."

He felt that he had had the longest conversation with Jin Sa-wol so far. Jin Sa-wol was usually a man of few words and was a taciturn person who did not say useless things.

'Is it because he's hiding something? The aftertaste is bitter.'

Jo Mal-sang felt an emptiness as if something were missing.

* * *

Jin Sa-wol, who had returned home, looked around the yard and frowned.

The corpse of Sang Yu-rim, which should have been in the yard, was not in sight.

'Where did the corpse go?'

(End of Chapter)