Swordless Demonic Path

Chapter 72

Rustle!

In an instant, colorless, transparent threads wrapped around the necks of the two men and women.

"Keuk!"

"Ugh!"

Whoosh!

As Jo-rim's two hands went down, the figures of the two people shot up to the ceiling.

"Kraaak!"

"Aaaak!"

Although they drew their swords to cut the blood-cutting threads that were wrapped around their necks, those arms were also wrapped by the blood-cutting threads.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The blood-cutting threads, which moved freely in the air, completely wrapped around the bodies of the two men and women.

"What is this?"

"Are you crazy? You must want to die! We are the disciples of the Chung Pavilion Lord!"

"Do you think the Cult will just let you be!"

As the two men and women shouted and struggled, the blood-cutting threads dug into their flesh instead.

Drip! Drip! Drip!

Drops of blood fell from the bodies of the two people who were hanging from the ceiling.

"You dare to kill my people in my house without my permission? On top of that, you should greet your elders when you see them, right? Didn't Loyal Ghost King teach you any manners?"

Swish!

Jo-rim lightly spread her two hands to the left and right. Then, the blood-cutting threads tightened around the bodies of the two men and women even more.

"Kraak! Sa... Sa, sal..."

"I'm, I'm sorry! Please save me!"

As the man's neck was half-cut by the blood-cutting threads, the woman with the red fingernails shouted with a face full of fear.

Jo-rim shook her head.

"It's too late."

As she closed her right thumb and index finger, the blood-cutting threads dug deep into the woman's neck.

"Ugh! You bitch!"

Thump! Thump-thump!

With a curse, the woman's body, with her eyes rolled back, fell onto the dining table. The man's corpse fell on top of her.

Whoosh!

Jo-rim, who had retrieved the blood-cutting threads, frowned when she saw small maggots crawling up from the corpses.

That wasn't all. Spiders the size of a fingernail also crawled out and stuck to the corpses.

They were poisonous insects that had come out when the bottles in their sleeves had broken.

"Disgusting."

Jo-rim shook her head and walked outside. Il-hu and Il-bi, who were waiting outside the door, bowed their heads.

Il-hu asked.

"Shall we burn them?"

"Burn them. It's a waste of the building, but we have no choice. That's the only way to get rid of the poisonous insects of the Chung-gak."

"Yes. But they are the disciples of the Chung Pavilion Lord. Is it okay to kill them like this?"

"They were killed by Jin Sa-wol. We just have to report it like that. You insolent bastards."

Since Jo-rim was very angry, Il-hu and Il-bi closed their mouths. There was nothing good about getting on her bad side.

Jo-rim, who had left the Sojeongwon, stopped walking for a moment.

'Why did I kill them on his behalf? Because they had no manners?'

Jo-rim crossed her arms and began to walk slowly.

'Have I also become one of the 'we' that Jin Sa-wol mentioned?'

She suddenly had that feeling. Jo-rim, who felt a chill run down her spine at the thought, trembled her body once and then moved with short steps.

* * *

The next morning, Woo Jeong-bong, who had been sleeping next to Jin Sa-wol, opened his eyes at the feeling of emptiness.

He couldn't even remember when he had fallen asleep.

He had just lain down next to the sleeping Jin Sa-wol with a feeling of emptiness in his stomach and had tried to sleep.

"Hahahaha!"

"Hohoho!"

As the laughter of a man and a woman was heard, Woo Jeong-bong, with his eyes wide open, jumped up, opened the door, and went out.

He saw Jo Geom-ok and Bi-sun sitting at the dining table, eating.

The two seemed to be on good terms, as if they were having an interesting conversation. Woo Jeong-bong, seeing that, felt bad for some reason.

"Brother Bi. When did you come?"

"I came in the morning. Are you up?"

"Yes."

Woo Jeong-bong frowned and glared at Jo Geom-ok. Jo Geom-ok avoided Woo Jeong-bong's gaze.

Woo Jeong-bong looked around and asked.

"Where did Young Master Jin go? I don't see him."

"He went to the Namgung family. He'll be here soon."

"Ah... yes."

At Bi-sun's answer, Woo Jeong-bong sat at the dining table. He was hungry.

* * *

Dozens of carriages and carts were lined up in the huge training ground of the Namgung family.

Many warriors and laborers were carrying luggage around them.

They were the luggage of the head of the Namgung family, who was leaving for the Martial Alliance.

Jin Sa-wol, who was passing the training ground with Namgung Ji, was looking ahead. Although he saw the warriors of the Namgung family who were watching him, he ignored them. It seemed they were interested because he was walking with Namgung Ji and stood out.

Namgung Ji said.

"My youngest brother and I are also going to the Martial Alliance with my father. If we enter the Alliance this time, we won't be able to come out for a while, right?"

"Even if there's a reason to come out, it's better not to. A greenhouse suits you and your younger brother."

"Hmph!"

Although it was a correct statement, it was also a statement that hurt her pride.

"If Young Master Jin continues to be my bodyguard, we can go to the Martial Alliance together. How about it?"

"I'll pass."

Jin Sa-wol refused without even thinking. To him, the Martial Alliance was like the other world, a place he could not go.

"I heard that Murong Pavilion Master died at the abandoned manor yesterday. Do you know what happened?"

"It seems he died while fighting with the unorthodox sect guys who had flocked to save the Red Spider Sect Master."

"That's a shame. I heard he was a very capable and promising person... to die like that."

Namgung Ji shook her head and let out a deep sigh. Although she had no good impression of Murong Bao, she was still concerned since he had died.

With yesterday's events, it had to be seen that all the unorthodox sects in the vicinity of Nanchang City had died. It was because the Martial Alliance would not leave them alone.

If they just watched even though the inspection pavilion master had died, they would become a laughingstock in the martial world.

"He's waiting at the pavilion."

At Namgung Ji's words, who had stopped at the entrance of the garden, Jin Sa-wol nodded and went inside.

Jin Sa-wol, who had crossed the wide garden, headed for the pavilion that was built on the pond.

Namgung Min, who was standing on the pavilion, gestured as Jin Sa-wol approached.

Jin Sa-wol went up on the pavilion and stood behind Namgung Min.

"As you said, I killed the Ten-Sword Demon. The Shadowless Hall was the Ten-Sword Demon."

The Shadowless Hall was the Ten-Sword Demon, and since he had killed the warriors of the inspection pavilion who belonged to the Shadowless Hall, it was not a wrong statement.

"Although they found Murong Bao's corpse at the abandoned manor yesterday, they said Jo Geom-ok's corpse was not found. Did you miss her?"

Seeing that yesterday's events had already entered Namgung Min's ears, it had to be seen that the eyes and ears of the Namgung family covered this entire region.

There was also the possibility that Namgung Wi had reported the situation.

"Yes, I missed her."

At Jin Sa-wol's answer, Namgung Min smiled and turned his body. He stroked his beard and said.

"It must be a shame."

"Yes."

At Jin Sa-wol's expressionless answer, Namgung Min nodded. But his face looked like that of a person who knew everything.

"Since you killed the Ten-Sword Demons, I have to acknowledge your ability. But the death of Murong Bao seems to be a mistake."

"Did you have no intention of killing Murong Bao?"

"If he dies, there are many things to gain, but there are also things to lose. Originally, all things are like that. If you give one, you get one. To get two, you have to give two."

Since Murong Bao had died, the Martial Alliance would be watching Jiangxi Province for a while. It was clear that a considerable number of martial arts masters would gather here and subjugate the unorthodox sects.

The Murong family would also put pressure on the Namgung family.

But Namgung Min did not care much, since he had a plan to use the Murong family in reverse.

To Namgung Min, Murong Bao was just seen as the hunting dog of the Martial Alliance leader, nothing more, nothing less.

Anyway, since his own hunting dog had died, the Martial Alliance leader, although he might be sad on the outside, would not try to actively dig into Murong Bao's death.

"Since I gave one to get one, now I have to give two to get two."

At Namgung Min's smile, Jin Sa-wol thought of the old man's face.

"It's the same principle as training in martial arts."

"You know something."

Jin Sa-wol took Namgung Min's praise to mean that he had rich experience in the martial world.

"But to whom do you give one to get one? I've been curious about that for a while."

"The world."

At the simple answer, Jin Sa-wol bowed his head. He didn't think it was the right answer. He just thought it would be one of the right answers.

Namgung Min spoke again.

"There's still a lot to find out about the Heavenly Sea Peak Spirit Map, so I can't give it to you carelessly. Since I'm going to the Martial Alliance, I also have to investigate the Heavenly Sea Peak Spirit Map that is in the Martial Alliance. Since its value has not yet been determined, I can't give it to you easily."

"Understood."

"You seem disappointed."

"I expected it. I'll have to be satisfied with the fact that I've formed a connection with the family head."

"There's nothing more important than a connection. Hahaha!"

At Jin Sa-wol's answer, Namgung Min laughed loudly and then spoke again.

"Since I can't give you the Heavenly Sea Peak Spirit Map, I'll give you another gift. Still, you've worked hard for me, so it would also be a problem if there's nothing. A connection is originally something that is maintained by giving and receiving."

"A gift?"

"You can be interested. Maybe you'll like it very much. Huhu."

"What is it?"

Namgung Min, while arousing curiosity, paused for a moment and then said.

"The Martial Alliance Leader has three warehouses in the martial world, called Heaven, Earth, and Man. They are called the Thousand Gold Vault, the Earth Gold Vault, and the Man Gold Vault, respectively. It's a place where he has accumulated the wealth he has gathered while living as the Martial Alliance Leader for the past few decades. Since there was too much, he had to divide it. Although it's not known in the martial world, someone of my level gets to hear about it. Originally, those who move the martial world communicate among themselves."

Jin Sa-wol heard Namgung Min's words to mean that he already knew everything about the Shadowless Hall.

"Among them, I recently happened to find out the location of the Thousand Gold Vault. The Gangnam Grand Inn in Guguang."

At the words 'Gangnam Grand Inn', Jin Sa-wol's expression hardened.

"You seem to be interested."

Namgung Min stroked his beard as Jin Sa-wol's expressionless face changed.

"Originally, the Gangnam Grand Inn was a small inn. It grew to its current scale with the power of the Martial Alliance Leader on its back. There was a story that the Demonic Cult Leader had also entrusted a lot of his wealth there twenty or so years ago. Not only that, but it is said that there are also treasures that the Alliance Leader has collected. Among those treasures, there must be a copy of the Heavenly Sea Peak Spirit Map and weapons."

If there was a copy of the Heavenly Sea Peak Spirit Map and even weapons, it was definitely a valuable gift.

On top of that, to a martial artist, a weapon was like life. Moreover, if it was something called a masterpiece, it was even more important.

Jin Sa-wol also showed more interest in weapons than in wealth.

Namgung Min took out a well-folded leather scroll from his sleeve and held it out.

"It's a blueprint of the Gangnam Grand Inn. Since it's from five years ago, it might have changed a bit now. Although I also don't know exactly where the Thousand Gold Vault is in that blueprint, you'll be able to find out. Take it."

"Thank you."

There was no reason to refuse what he was giving. It was not bad even when compared to the value of the Heavenly Sea Peak Spirit Map.

"With your level of skill, there's no need to live as a hunter, is there? It seems it would be hard to find someone better than you as Ji-ah's bodyguard. How about it? It would be a good experience to be a bodyguard."

"It's not a job that suits me."

As he refused flatly, Namgung Min showed a disappointed expression, but he did not say it twice.

A master who could become a shadow like Jin Sa-wol was very rare. Although it was a shame, he decided to postpone it for the next opportunity.

Anyway, the net was cast, and Jin Sa-wol had entered the net without dodging. The blueprint of the Gangnam Grand Inn that he was holding would become the net.

"The notebook of Murong Bao that you gave me will be quite helpful. The Alliance Leader's retirement will be hastened."

Namgung Min turned his back and turned his gaze to the pond. It meant that he had finished speaking.

"The next time I see you, I'll see you at the Alliance."

"I'll be waiting."

A smile hung on Namgung Min's lips as he answered.

As Jin Sa-wol moved away from the pavilion, Namgung Min looked at Jin Sa-wol's back with a gaze full of interest.

"It's a shame to miss him."

(End of Chapter)