Swordless Demonic Path

Chapter 8 : Bodyguard (3)

Early in the morning, as they were leaving Gisan Manor, the leader of the bodyguard unit approached Kang Yu and asked.

"One of the porters is missing. Where did he go?"

"He wasn't feeling well, so I sent him back."

At Kang Yu's answer, the bodyguard leader patted Kang Yu's shoulder as if in understanding and then moved to the front.

A short while later, as Dokgo Hye and Cheon Woo-rin boarded the four-horse carriage, everyone departed for the Jeon family manor.

Jin Sawoon was sitting in the center of the luggage carriage, covered with a cloth.

On the order to conceal his presence, he had sat among the luggage.

There was no reason to go to the trouble of moving far away from the group.

It was better not to waste unnecessary energy.

Jin Sawoon, feeling the vibration of the swaying carriage, sought sleep and relieved the fatigue from the previous dawn.

For a long time, the luggage carriage moved at the same speed.

* * *

The ruins of the fallen Zhongnan Sect had not changed even after the passage of time. No one came to repair it, and no one lived here.

Occasionally, Demonic Cult members would come and go, gloating over the achievements they had made, and that was all.

When the Zhongnan Sect was exterminated decades ago, only about twenty people escaped alive.

The place that had helped the Zhongnan Sect when they fought against the Heavenly Divine Cult was the Huashan Sect.

The Huashan Sect had to seal its gates due to the Heavenly Divine Cult, and the Zhongnan Sect could not avoid the disaster of extermination.

Bae Hyung-man, one of the disciples who had survived when the Zhongnan Sect burned down, was sitting on a mountain ridge overlooking the wide road.

He had already passed middle age and was approaching his sixtieth birthday.

"My bones are aching."

Bae Hyung-man muttered, touching his shoulder. In the past, he had been stabbed in the shoulder by the sword of a Heavenly Divine Cult member, and the wound sometimes caused him pain.

Behind him stood dozens of young men who were related to the deceased members of the Zhongnan Sect.

They were those who had become Bae Hyung-man's disciples to avenge their families and had learned and trained in the martial arts of the Zhongnan Sect.

"They're coming."

At his disciple's voice, Bae Hyung-man stroked his salt-and-pepper beard and looked at the four-horse carriage that had appeared over the mountain ridge.

He could see the flag of the Heavenly Divine Cult fluttering.

"It's them."

Bae Hyung-man showed killing intent and raised his voice.

"Not a single one of the Dokgo family bastards should be left alive. They are like demons."

At Bae Hyung-man's words, everyone nodded with a heavy expression.

With the enemy in front of them, there was no need to answer in a loud voice. It was because the ambush should not be discovered.

"Let's go."

Bae Hyung-man looked around at the determined faces of his disciples and then went down the mountain ridge first. Behind him, dozens of Zhongnan Sect disciples moved.

"Waaaaaah!"

Hearing the roar, Jin Sawoon opened his eyes.

"It's the Zhongnan Sect! Guard the young lady!"

"Don't fall from the carriage!"

At the sounds coming from beyond the tent, Jin Sawoon frowned.

[Be faithful to your mission.]

Hearing Kang Yu's telepathic message, Jin Sawoon slipped out of the luggage carriage and entered the forest.

Jin Sawoon, who had climbed a tree on the densely wooded mountain ridge, observed the bodyguard unit fighting against the Zhongnan Sect.

"Kuaaak!"

"Uwaaaak!"

Amidst the echoing screams, over a hundred martial artists were fighting, brandishing their swords.

Clang! Clang!

The sound of metal spread over the mountain and far into the distance.

The warriors of the bodyguard unit, standing in a circle around the four-horse carriage carrying Dokgo Hye and Cheon Woo-rin, were blocking the attacks of the Zhongnan Sect like a solid shield.

Although the Zhongnan Sect attacked with great momentum, the defensive formation was not easily broken.

Seo Woon-gang jumped up to the tree right next to where Jin Sawoon was standing.

Gwak Ho and Jang Muryong were on the opposite mountain ridge, and Kang Yu was sitting in the driver's seat of the carriage, on guard.

"I heard there were a few disciples who survived when the Zhongnan Sect was exterminated, but I didn't know there were so many."

Seo Woon-gang said, watching the hundred or so Zhongnan Sect martial artists pressuring the bodyguard unit.

Although he was talking to himself, Jin Sawoon opened his mouth.

"The ones who survived back then must have raised disciples."

"Kuaaak!"

A scream echoed loudly, and a Zhongnan Sect martial artist who had been stabbed in the chest was seen falling.

The bodyguard unit also had wounded and dead. But not that many.

It seemed that as time passed, the Zhongnan Sect would be at a disadvantage. The bodyguard unit would at some point switch from a defensive position to an offensive one.

Jin Sawoon frowned as he watched the Zhongnan Sect martial artists fall one after another.

"It seems we have one more thing to do."

"Annihilation?"

"Yes."

Seo Woon-gang also frowned at the thought of annihilation.

If the Zhongnan Sect martial artists couldn't break through the bodyguard unit, they would flee. It's not an easy task to chase and kill those who are fleeing for their lives.

But it was a job that had to be done, and Dokgo Hye would surely order them to chase and kill.

Wheee-! Whistle!

At the sound of a whistle from the opposite mountain ridge, Jin Sawoon and Seo Woon-gang's expressions hardened at the same time.

It was a signal for an enemy.

"Strike! Kill them all!"

"Waaaaaah!"

With a mixture of shouts and roars, over a hundred men in black masks appeared in large numbers and attacked both the Zhongnan Sect and the bodyguard unit at the same time.

"Who are those bastards?"

Seo Woon-gang showed a hardened expression and quickly headed for the carriage. Gwak Ho and Jang Muryong, who were on the opposite side, had also disappeared at some point.

Jin Sawoon had to stay until the end, so he didn't move. It was also important to assess the situation.

"Waaaaaah!"

The roar was heard again, and another hundred or so men in black masks were seen running from the main road.

"Keuk!"

Thump!

With a groan, a loud impact was heard as something hit the carriage, and the expressions of Cheon Woo-rin and Dokgo Hye, who were sitting inside, hardened.

Clang! Clatter!

"Guard the carriage!"

The bodyguard leader's shout was heard, and screams were exchanged.

Soo-soo, who was sitting next to Dokgo Hye, slung her sword over her shoulder, and Dokgo Hye also held a sword in her hand.

Cheon Woo-rin met Dokgo Hye's eyes and nodded.

"I'll go out first."

Swish!

Cheon Woo-rin, who stood up from his seat, opened the carriage door, jumped out, and stood on the roof.

The masked men who appeared from the left cut down the Zhongnan Sect martial artists and even pressured the bodyguard unit.

"What! Behind! Watch your back!"

"Kuaaak!"

"We have to run! Ugh!"

The Zhongnan Sect martial artists fell into confusion as they were attacked from both the front and back by the bodyguard unit and the masked men.

On top of that, an even larger number of masked men appeared again and were running towards them.

Bae Hyung-man, who was watching the situation, parried the swords of the bodyguard unit warriors who were stabbing at him, then stepped back and shouted.

"I'll open a path. Everyone, follow me!"

Bae Hyung-man raised his sword and tried to create a path by fighting the masked men who were swarming to the right.

But as the bodyguard unit attacked from behind, only his disciples were continuously killed.

Still, he had to live, so Bae Hyung-man cut down the masked men and advanced forward.

Whenever his sword danced, flashing a sharp silver light, the masked men who blocked his path fell.

But as swords flew in from all directions, Bae Hyung-man couldn't easily avoid them either.

Thwack! Thwack-thwack!

Swords that flew in succession pierced and passed through his body. Other swords stabbed his arms, shoulders, and legs.

"Keuk! Keuuuk!"

He tried to raise his sword, but it wasn't easy. His mind was alive, but his body was dying.

One of the masked men kicked him in the chest.

Thump!

Bae Hyung-man, who fell powerlessly to the ground, stared blankly at the sky. He was already motionless, as if dead.

Thwack-thwack!

The masked men mercilessly trampled on his corpse.

The masked men attacking the bodyguard unit had no mercy to spare for the corpses lying on the ground.

Whoosh!

"Who are you bastards!"

Cheon Woo-rin, who jumped down from the roof of the carriage, emitted a brilliant light and cut the necks and chests of five of the masked men who were running from the front.

"Kuaaak!"

"It's Cheon Woo-rin!"

"Strike! Kill him!"

With a shout, the masked men emitted a fierce killing intent and rushed towards Cheon Woo-rin.

Cheon Woo-rin stepped back and killed the masked men along with the bodyguard unit.

"Kuaaak!"

"Block the east!"

The bodyguard leader's shout echoed loudly. At that moment, the bodyguard leader's face was cut, and blood splattered.

Thwack-thwack!

"Kill the Demonic Cult Leader's granddaughter!"

Bang!

As the shout erupted, Soo-soo, who broke through the carriage door, scattered sword energy and cut the neck of the masked man standing right in front of her.

Thwack!

Although the neck was gone, other masked men followed, brandishing their swords and attacking Soo-soo.

"Strike!"

"It's Dokgo Hye's servant girl! Cut off her limbs!"

"Tch!"

Soo-soo tried to find out who it was from the sound behind her, but she had to block the incoming swords first.

Clang! Clang!

After parrying three swords in succession, Soo-soo once again swept her eyes around to find the one who had called her a servant girl.

But there were too many masked men, so she couldn't identify who it was.

"I should have cut off his head..."

Whoosh!

As she was muttering to herself, a sword flew in from the left, aiming for her shoulder.

Soo-soo slightly twisted her head to avoid the sword and then stabbed the opponent's chest. She then deeply stabbed the neck of the masked man on the opposite side.

"We have to get away. I'll open a path."

"Let's go back to Gisan Manor."

Dokgo Hye, who was sitting in the carriage, answered and then got off on the opposite side.

The bodyguard unit gathered in front of Dokgo Hye and then ran forward in unison.

Whoosh! Whoosh-whoosh!

Soo-soo and Cheon Woo-rin appeared on Dokgo Hye's left and right at the same time.

"I'll take the lead."

Cheon Woo-rin smiled as if to reassure them and then stood at the very front of the surviving bodyguard unit, killing the masked men.

Shwaaak!

A sharp sword energy drew a semicircle, cutting through the waists and chests of the masked men.

Clang! Clang-clang!

The masked men who had raised their swords to block Cheon Woo-rin's sword energy had to watch their own swords break.

"Kuaaak!"

"Uwaaaak!"

Screams were heard in succession, and in a very short moment, a dozen or so masked men fell. As a path opened, Cheon Woo-rin shouted.

"Run!"

Behind Cheon Woo-rin, a dozen or so members of the bodyguard unit followed. In the center of the bodyguard unit were Dokgo Hye and Soo-soo.

Papapat! Tatadak!

Cheon Woo-rin's sword energy was so great that it could cut through iron swords. But even Cheon Woo-rin couldn't just unleash his sword energy recklessly.

Drip!

A drop of sweat trickled down his face, and his chest heaved greatly. His breathing was also not good.

"Strike! Kill Dokgo Hye!"

The sound of shouts from behind and the sound of masked men rushing in with the clang of metal and footsteps were heard.

"Waaaaa!"

Cheon Woo-rin, who was running on the main road, frowned as masked men appeared again from the left and right and attacked.

'Thorough.'

He frowned, but his expression soon turned indifferent.

"Kuaaak!"

"Protect the young lady! Keuk!"

The screams were from the bodyguard unit.

"Keuk!"

Hearing a groan, Cheon Woo-rin turned his head and saw the masked men dying by Soo-soo's sword.

Dokgo Hye also drew her sword and stabbed or cut the masked men who were attacking her.

"We're going up the mountain! The bodyguard unit will take the rear!"

As Cheon Woo-rin shouted and ran up the mountain ridge, Dokgo Hye and Soo-soo followed behind him.

Naturally, the bodyguard unit fell back and cut down the pursuing masked men.

Still, the masked men persistently followed.

Due to the persistent attacks of the masked men, the members of the rear bodyguard unit fell one by one.

"Keuk!"

Thud!

"Kuaaak!"

Screams were heard from here and there in the forest.

Cheon Woo-rin, who had crossed the mountain ridge and jumped over the valley, finally stopped when he reached a not-so-wide open space where water was flowing.

Dokgo Hye and Soo-soo were breathing heavily.

"Heok! Heok!"

"Huk! Huk!"

Both of them were drenched in cold sweat. They couldn't help but be tense as enemies continuously appeared from behind.

"Are you okay?"

When Cheon Woo-rin asked, Dokgo Hye nodded.

"There they are!"

Papapat!

From the forest, a dozen or so masked men, breathing heavily, jumped into the valley.

As they rushed in, Cheon Woo-rin blocked Dokgo Hye's front and raised his sword.

Whoosh!

It was then. With the sound of wind, four black smokes jumped up from all directions.

(End of Chapter)