Swordless Demonic Path

Chapter 50 : People Also Leave the Mountains and Rivers

Jin Sa-wol had been up all night, so his stamina was low. Fortunately, he had managed his stamina, so there was no problem in fighting.

The problem was whether the three who had appeared in front of him were all there was.

It would be a relief if they were the end, but it might not be the end.

Jin Sa-wol's eyes went past Jang-ya and Yuk-hyang and to the back. As he was checking if there were any other enemies, Jang-ya flew in quickly like an arrow that had left the bowstring.

At the faster-than-expected movement, Jin Sa-wol quickly moved his sword.

Pfft!

As a sharp sword flash glittered, Jang-ya, who had drawn his hwandao, lowered his head.

The moment he saw Jin Sa-wol's shoulder shake slightly, he had ducked. If he had moved after seeing the sword with his eyes, it would have been too late, so he had to move, looking one step ahead.

Papapat!

The sword flash brushed past Jang-ya's shoulder and head.

If he dodged the thrust like that once, it would take time to perform the next move. That time would be enough to cut Jin Sa-wol.

Shwaak!

He drew his saber diagonally towards Jin Sa-wol's neck.

As the half-moon saber came up, Jin Sa-wol stabbed Jang-yang's shoulder. At that moment, Yuk-hyang's half-moon saber came to cut his waist. Jin Sa-wol moved back one step and stabbed the two at the same time.

Jang-ya and Yuk-hyang raised their half-moons and blocked.

Clatter-clatter!

As a sharp metallic sound erupted, Jang-ya stepped back one step and then stepped forward again.

Whoosh!

Jang-ya's saber cut at Jin Sa-wol's head, and Jin Sa-wol stabbed Jang-ya's glabella even faster.

As the sword light glittered, the half-moon saber in Jang-ya's left hand raised Jin Sa-wol's sword.

"...?"

As his sword went up, Jin Sa-wol tried to pull it out. At that moment, the half-moon saber that was in Jang-ya's right hand pressed down on the sword.

As the two half-moon sabers crossed and caught Jin Sa-wol's sword, killing intent sat on Jin Sa-wol's indifferent face.

As Jang-ya put strength into his half-moon saber and pushed Jin Sa-wol's sword to the left, Jin Sa-wol let go of his sword.

"Hahaha! I finally got you! Sixth Junior Sister! Now! Kill him!"

"Yes! Senior Brother!"

Whoosh!

As Jang-ya shouted, Yuk-hyang flew.

At that moment, Jin Sa-wol's hand grabbed his belt. Jang-ya's eyes widened when he saw that.

Thwack!

A sharp silver flexible sword pierced Jang-ya's glabella and protruded from the back of his head.

Parararat!

The flexible sword, which was trembling like a fallen leaf in the wind, dropped a drop of blood.

Jin Sa-wol, who had pulled out the sword from Jang-ya's glabella, blocked the half-moon saber of Yuk-hyang, who was cutting at his neck from the right.

Thwack!

The flexible sword, which had collided with the half-moon saber, bent like a snake and then stabbed Yuk-hyang's neck.

"Keuk!"

Since it was not a deep wound, Yuk-hyang let out a groan and retreated.

Jin Sa-wol, with an indifferent face, stabbed at Yuk-hyang's neck.

Parreureu.

As the flexible sword, which was swaying like a reed, came in a straight line, Yuk-hyang crossed her two half-moon sabers like scissors and struck the flexible sword up.

"How dare you!"

Thwack!

Jin Sa-wol's flexible sword seemed to go up, and then the tip of the sword ducked its head and stabbed Yuk-hyang's Tiantu acupoint.

Rustle!

A faint sound as if cutting an apple peel flowed from between Yuk-hyang's collarbones.

Yuk-hyang's eyes widened. The tip of the flexible sword, which had pierced through the Tiantu acupoint, poked its head out from behind her back.

"There was one more sword. This isn't a thrust... You cowardly bastard."

"What are you talking about?"

Jin Sa-wol showed an expression of incomprehension.

Yuk-hyang's entire body shook greatly. It seemed she was trying to say something, but as Jin Sa-wol pulled out his sword, she couldn't speak in the end.

Jin Sa-wol swung the blood-stained sword once towards the ground.

Papapat!

As the blood on the sword fell cleanly, Jin Sa-wol examined the sword blade and then put it on his waist.

Thump!

In the meantime, Yuk-hyang's figure fell to the ground.

Jin Sa-wol, who turned his head, looked at Woo Jeong-bong and Min-dong.

When Min-dong's half-moon saber was about to cut Woo Jeong-bong's head, Woo Jeong-bong's sword drew a circle diagonally and cut Min-dong's thigh and side twice.

The sight of him moving his hands back and forth looked very comfortable.

"Kraak!"

Min-dong let out a scream, retreated, and then knelt on one knee as if the strength in his legs had given out.

"You son of a bitch! Kill me!"

Min-dong had clearly seen Jang-ya and Yuk-hyang die. As the two fell over his shoulder while he was fighting with Woo Jeong-bong, he had lost his will to fight.

Woo Jeong-bong sheathed his sword and said.

"I've killed too many today. It's the first time in my life that I've killed so many. It's the way of a martial artist to open a path to life for those who wish to die, rather than giving them death."

"What are you talking about? Just kill me. Don't talk useless nonsense, just kill me!"

Min-dong looked at Woo Jeong-bong with a face full of annoyance.

Woo Jeong-bong, receiving Min-dong's gaze, shook his head and spoke again.

"It will be painful to think of the comrades who died while you are alive. You can become a true martial artist only when you overcome that pain. So throw away the desire to die..."

"This bastard is really!"

Thwack!

A half-moon saber flew and was embedded in Min-dong's head. Min-dong was in a half-standing position as if he were trying to get up, and in his hand, a half-moon saber was still held.

Thump!

As Min-dong's figure fell back, Woo Jeong-bong turned his head with a hardened expression.

Jin Sa-wol, who had thrown the half-moon saber, approached Woo Jeong-bong's side, looked at the deceased Min-dong, and said.

"He was about to attack."

"There was no need to kill him."

"He's dead."

At Jin Sa-wol's short answer, Woo Jeong-bong's shoulders trembled.

Jin Sa-wol passed Min-dong and headed for the stream. Woo Jeong-bong followed, shouting.

"Opening a path to life is also an act of accumulating virtue."

"Wash up."

Jin Sa-wol said, taking off his clothes. Woo Jeong-bong sighed, took off his clothes, and entered the stream.

As he submerged his body in the cold water, his mind became clear.

Jin Sa-wol entered the stream naked, sat down, washed his face, and washed his hair.

Woo Jeong-bong asked.

"For what grudge on earth are so many enemies aiming for you? I'm going to die being next to you."

"I told you the assassins of the Red Spider Sect were aiming not for me, but for you."

"No, why are they aiming for me? What did I do wrong? I haven't made even a small grudge in my life. I've been kind..."

Woo Jeong-bong's expression, who was speaking, hardened in an instant.

Thinking about it, the assassins he had met at the inn had been focused on him, not Jin Sa-wol.

The ones who had come at night had also aimed for him. If they had been aiming for Jin Sa-wol, they should have just looked for Jin Sa-wol, but they had come to attack him.

The ones who had come in the morning had also been more focused on him than on Jin Sa-wol.

"Ha..."

Woo Jeong-bong let out a deep sigh. He washed his face and then said.

"The ones with the half-moon sabers must be the Blood Curtain."

"That's right. The place I'm going to is also the Blood Curtain."

"Why are you going to the Blood Curtain?"

"To kill them."

At the simple answer, Woo Jeong-bong closed his mouth. Jin Sa-wol said.

"Hyun-un is dead."

"I know."

Jin Sa-wol's expression hardened when he heard Woo Jeong-bong's answer. He was inwardly surprised because he hadn't thought he would know.

"How?"

"The beggars of the Beggars' Sect came and told me."

Jin Sa-wol, who thought of the beggars, thought that the Wudang Sect and the Beggars' Sect had a close relationship.

If not, there was no reason for them to come and tell Woo Jeong-bong for no reason.

"The beggars say the Namgung family is aiming for my neck. Is that true? If the assassins of the Red Spider Sect were aiming for me at the instigation of the Namgung family, I'll have to go to the Namgung family. I'll have to go and complain or something."

"Do it."

Jin Sa-wol answered as if he had no intention of getting involved in Woo Jeong-bong's business.

Woo Jeong-bong looked at Jin Sa-wol, who was speaking as if it were someone else's business, with a disappointed expression.

He also knew well that even if he went to the Namgung family now, he would not get anything.

"The next leader of the Martial Alliance..."

Woo Jeong-bong muttered, blankly looking at the sky.

He had heard that the Wudang Sect and the Namgung family were having a power struggle in the Martial Alliance. But he had never thought that he would be directly harmed by a related matter.

"You should go back to Wudang."

Jin Sa-wol spoke and then stood up and began to put on his clothes.

Woo Jeong-bong answered.

"I can't go back to Wudang Mountain for a while."

Jin Sa-wol looked at Woo Jeong-bong.

Woo Jeong-bong came up on land, put on his clothes, and then spoke again.

"My master has entrusted me with a task. I can go only when I finish it."

"What task?"

"A secret."

At the answer that it was a secret, Jin Sa-wol turned his head as if he were not interested and walked forward.

"Aren't you curious?"

Woo Jeong-bong hurriedly approached Jin Sa-wol's side and asked. But Jin Sa-wol waved his hand.

"I'm not interested."

"You heartless fellow."

Woo Jeong-bong grumbled and stood shoulder to shoulder with Jin Sa-wol. Jin Sa-wol asked.

"Why are you following me?"

"I avenged Yu-rim."

Jin Sa-wol, who thought of Sang Yu-rim, asked again.

"Is it a human duty?"

"Not a duty, but loyalty."

"Loyalty?"

"Loyalty."

* * *

Thud-thud-thud! Rattle! Rattle!

A carriage with fifty or so horses and the flag of the Namgung family fluttering was slowly moving along the main road.

They were all warriors of the Namgung family. They were all elites, with their temples protruding and their eyes emitting a heat like a hot furnace.

In the carriage, Namgung Ji was sitting.

She was on her way back from the village where Jo Mal-sang had died. Although it was a village that should have existed, it was now empty.

"There's definitely a connection."

Namgung Ji frowned and bit her thumbnail. It was a habit that came out naturally when she was in deep thought.

Since there was no one in the carriage, there was no one to restrain her action.

The chain of deaths, from Azure Sword Sect to the Nanchang branch master, clearly seemed to be one.

But there was nothing clear anywhere.

'I will kill anyone who tries to harm the main house.'

Rattle, rattle!

The movement of the carriage slowed down and then soon stopped completely.

"What's the matter?"

She opened the curtain and asked the leader of the Nam Pung unit, who was sitting on a horse.

"A carriage is blocking the road ahead."

The leader of the Nam Pung unit, who was in his late thirties, was looking at the carriage with sharp eyes.

A subordinate approached the carriage. And a short while later, the subordinate who had returned reported to the leader of the Nam Pung unit.

"The master of Honghwaru wishes to see the young lady."

The leader of the Nam Pung unit, who had heard the subordinate's words, turned his gaze to Namgung Ji. Namgung Ji nodded.

"Pull the carriage alongside."

"Yes."

A short while later.

Rattle, rattle.

The two carriages stopped side by side in the center of the main road. Around them, fifty or so horses formed two circles and surrounded the carriages.

Swish!

As the curtain was drawn, the face of Jo-rim, the master of Honghwaru, was visible.

Jo-rim greeted Namgung Ji with her eyes.

"I sent a person a few times, but you refused them all."

"Because there is no reason to meet the master of a red-light district."

"Oh dear. You must dislike courtesans. The second young master often comes to the red-light district..."

"If you have nothing to say, I'll be going."

As Namgung Ji closed the curtain, Jo-rim laughed lightly and said.

"You're so impatient. Do you know about the assassin group called the Red Spider Sect?"

Hearing the words 'Red Spider Sect', Namgung Ji opened the curtain as if she had become interested. The assassins of the Red Spider Sect were the ones who had been found dead in Nanchang City a while ago.

"Why the Red Spider Sect?"

"The assassins of the Red Spider Sect are trying to kill Elder Hyun Jin of the Wudang Sect."

"So?"

"What if the one who instigated that is the second young master?"

At Jo-rim's words, Namgung Ji's eyes widened.

Namgung Ji soon narrowed her eyes and looked at Jo-rim. Jo-rim, as her eyes met Namgung Ji's, smiled.

Namgung Ji said.

"You... you'll die soon."

(End of Chapter)