Swordless Demonic Path

Chapter 81 : A Stubborn Person (3)

Four months later. The Martial Alliance.

Many martial artists were gathered at the main gate of the Martial Alliance. Today was the day that the former leader of the Martial Alliance, Sword Saint Jo Han-yu, was returning to his hometown.

The Martial Alliance was crowded with countless people who had gathered to see the former leader.

A carriage was standing just beyond the main gate of the Martial Alliance, and numerous martial artists were out around it.

Jo Han-yu, with a dignified impression in a white robe and half-white hair, stood next to the carriage.

He stroked his beard, which came down to his collarbone, and looked around at the martial artists who had come to see him off.

They were all familiar faces. The person who came out the most was Namgung Min, who had just become the leader.

He, who had appeared with a blue robe and a long robe fluttering, stood facing Jo Han-yu.

"How about taking an escort so that you can go comfortably on the way to your hometown?"

"I don't need one."

"Are you sure you don't need an escort?"

"What need is there for an escort? I have my disciples, so don't worry."

Jo Han-yu's gaze turned to the two young men sitting in the driver's seat. The two of them greeted Namgung Min with expressionless faces.

After Namgung Min nodded slightly, he asked Jo Han-yu again.

"Are you going to Nosan?"

"I should. I'm planning to rest well in my hometown for a while."

"Well, you've worked hard day and night, so you should rest a bit."

"I'm really relieved that you're in the Martial Alliance."

"Thank you."

Although Jo Han-yu wanted to say something else, he endured it and got on the carriage. As Namgung Min cupped his fist and bowed his waist, Jo Han-yu, who had nodded, closed the curtain.

As the carriage departed, the escort unit moved along the side of the carriage.

The escort unit of the Martial Alliance stayed with Jo Han-yu's carriage until it left Jeongju. It was because a large crowd had gathered.

Namgung Min, who was watching the receding carriage, turned his back and turned his body without any lingering feelings.

'Guguang... It's about time for it to get noisy.'

As he headed for the main hall, the officials of the Martial Alliance all turned their bodies, following him.

The huge main gate of the Martial Alliance slowly closed.

Thump!

The heavy sound was also heard by Jo Han-yu, who was riding in the carriage.

'Don't think you have the whole world, Namgung Min.'

Jo Han-yu frowned, stroking his beard.

A few months ago, he recalled the memory of having a conversation with Namgung Min, sitting face to face alone.

"It's also a good example for the juniors to step down at the right time. There's no need to let the world know what the Shadowless Unit has done, so let's bury it. It shouldn't be a burden to the Wudang Sect, should it? If you're excommunicated from the Wudang Sect, there's no greater dishonor than that."

"It seems you have a lot of evidence."

"A lot. As Murong Bao and Jo Geom-ok died, they handed over a lot of data about the Shadowless Unit."

Jo Han-yu thought of Murong Bao and Jo Geom-ok.

Although he had confirmed Murong Bao's corpse, he had not seen Jo Geom-ok's corpse. Although they said she had burned to death, he did not believe those words as they were.

'I'll have to find her.'

Jo Han-yu put aside his thoughts about Jo Geom-ok and tried to sleep.

* * *

Life at Taepyeongru was peaceful.

Since the steward took care of all the work of the pavilion, Jo-rim had been resting comfortably and training her martial arts for the past few months.

She hoped that this peaceful life would continue for a while.

"What should I wear?"

Jo-rim, who was sitting in a tea room, drinking tea and admiring the newly made translucent nightgowns, blushed as she looked at the underwear that looked like the wings of a dragonfly.

Just then, Il-hu came in.

"A guest has come from the main headquarters."

"From the main headquarters? Who is it?"

"He came from the Wall Demonic Hall."

At the words 'Wall Demonic Hall', Jo-rim's expression hardened.

Above the nine great demonic pavilions, there were seven halls. And from the seven halls, they were the elite belonging to the main headquarters.

The Wall Demonic Hall was the barrier and shield of the main headquarters. It was a place that played the role of protecting the main headquarters from external enemies, and the masters of the Wall Demonic Hall rarely left the main headquarters.

"Show him in."

"Yes."

Il-hu answered and then went outside. A short while later, three men in black, with their bamboo hats pressed down, came in.

They sat in front of Jo-rim and took off their bamboo hats. All three were men in their prime who appeared to be in their early thirties.

"Welcome."

At Jo-rim's words, the man in his prime who was sitting in the middle of the three showed an identity tag that meant the Wall Demonic Hall from his sleeve and said.

"The Wall Demonic Hall has decided to carry out the execution of Jin Sa-wol. It is the Cult Leader's order. Hwahwaru should also cooperate. Where is Jin Sa-wol?"

"I don't know."

"His whereabouts after he disappeared from Nanchang?"

"I don't know."

"What about the Hao Mun here?"

"There's an unorthodox organization called Yeomunbang. If you go to the Yeossi Battlefield near the north gate, you can meet the branch master."

Jo-rim's answer was unhindered. But Jo-rim did not let go of her tension.

The three sitting in front of her were all masters who had surpassed the first-rate. If these three tried to kill her, it seemed it would be a tough fight.

"We are chasing Jin Sa-wol's whereabouts. When you find him, let us know at the Yeonglim of Makbusan. We will be waiting there."

"Alright."

Hearing Jo-rim's answer, they soon stood up from their seats and went outside.

A warm breeze lingered in the room, which had been full of cold chill.

Jo-rim felt that the matter was getting bigger and bigger.

'It won't be boring.'

* * *

Four guards were standing at the entrance to the Golden Pavilion, which was located at the very back of the grand inn.

They were guarding the firmly closed door.

The four were standing in pairs, and they were all in one team and had to stand guard until the evening.

One of the two warriors standing on the left was a young man with a cold impression, a short beard, and a sword wound on his cheek.

The other was a young man with an ordinary appearance.

The two were those who had been hired as guards of this grand inn three months ago.

They were Bi-sun and Jin Sa-wol.

The young man with the sharp impression was Bi-sun, and the young man with the ordinary appearance was Jin Sa-wol.

The two stood without a word.

Since conversation was forbidden while on guard, they did not exchange a single word. But the two warriors on the right were standing, exchanging various stories.

"Hey, you two! How about a drink tonight?"

"No."

"I don't want to."

As Bi-sun and Jin Sa-wol answered at the same time, the warriors on the right grumbled.

"Just leave them. They're people who have no intention of playing."

"They seem like boring guys."

Bi-sun and Jin Sa-wol, who were standing, listening to the voices of the two warriors, straightened their posture when they saw the brothel master and three maids approaching.

Mae Jeong-mun stopped for a moment in front of the door. Then, the two warriors on the right smiled and opened the door for her.

The three maids who were following behind stopped in front of the door, and only Mae Jeong-mun went inside.

The people who could go into the room were fixed, and even ordinary warriors could not enter.

Thump!

As the door closed, the three maids went into a pavilion a little away and sat down. They had to wait there until Mae Jeong-mun came out.

"They say the retired leader of the Martial Alliance is coming here. Is that true?"

"It's certain. A martial artist who came yesterday said that the hometown of the leader of the Martial Alliance is Pyeongchon, near Nosan. It seems it's a problem because the warriors who follow the leader have already gathered around there."

"Will he come here too?"

"He will. That's why the brothel master went to see the innkeeper."

The story of the maids was also heard by Bi-sun and Jin Sa-wol, who were far away. But the two showed no particular change in expression.

When the shift time was approaching, Mae Jeong-mun, who had gone inside, appeared.

Her eyes met Bi-sun's for a moment, but she soon headed for the brothel.

-See you at night.

As she, who had left a telepathic message to Bi-sun, disappeared, a short while later, Bi-sun and Jin Sa-wol, who had changed their duties, headed for their rooms to rest.

Bi-sun, who had returned to his room, ate dinner and then disappeared towards the brothel.

Although it seemed he had gone to drink with the maids on the outside, in reality, he had gone to meet the brothel master.

Jin Sa-wol, who had changed into plain clothes, headed for Guguang City. The guard duty was from noon tomorrow. Until then, he was free.

Although he had investigated the grand inn for several months, the only way to enter the Golden Pavilion was at the point where the land and the lake met.

But since that place was also very dangerous, he had taken his time and gotten a job as a warrior of the inn.

After getting the job, he found out that the warriors inside the Golden Pavilion and the warriors outside were definitely different.

It seemed there was a place where they were brought in separately, not hired from the outside.

Another thing, although the Golden Pavilion was where the innkeeper lived, the real one existed separately. There was a pier behind the Golden Pavilion, and if you took a boat from there and went in, there was an island full of fog.

Muyeondo.

That island was the innkeeper's house.

He thought that everything he wanted would be there.

* * *

Jin Sa-wol, who had entered the city, entered a residential area beyond the south gate with familiar steps.

Jin Sa-wol, who had entered a place where low walls were continuously connected, walked a few steps and then stopped for a moment in front of the main gate on the right.

Although he hesitated for a moment whether to go in or not, as he went in, Jo Geom-ok ran and hugged him as if she had been waiting.

"Welcome."

"Yes."

Jo Geom-ok, who had wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him, had no intention of letting go.

"Let go."

"A couple doesn't separate."

At Jo Geom-ok's words, Jin Sa-wol went into the room, holding her. As he sat at the dining table, Jo Geom-ok, who had finally let go of his embrace, served him a meal.

Undercooked rice and roughly stir-fried vegetables, and a stir-fry of meat that was hard to tell whether it was lamb or pork were placed.

In the soup, a fish head was sitting upright, looking at Jin Sa-wol with eyes full of killing intent.

Jin Sa-wol, having a staring contest with the fish, said.

"The former leader is on his way home."

"It's about time."

"They say his hometown is Nosan. Do you know?"

"I know."

Jo Geom-ok looked at Jin Sa-wol with an expression that said why he was asking something so obvious. Jin Sa-wol picked up his chopsticks and then put them down.

"Shouldn't you go to the Martial Alliance? The leader has changed, so your safety is guaranteed now, right?"

"Can I trust the current leader of the Martial Alliance? If he wants to silence me?"

"You didn't trust him from the beginning."

At Jin Sa-wol's words, Jo Geom-ok smiled.

She also did not trust Namgung Min. No, she thought that the only person she could trust was herself.

"Even if the Martial Alliance is in a state of chaos because the leader is changing, the Demonic Cult is not, right? Isn't it strange that the Demonic Cult has been quiet so far, even knowing your existence?"

Jo Geom-ok asked with a worried look, as she had roughly heard about Jin Sa-wol's past and knew that he was a Slaughter Ghost who had come from the Demonic Cult.

"If they come looking for me, I'll just kill them."

Jin Sa-wol answered as if it were nothing and then drank his tea and went into his room to practice his breathing.

* * *

Bi-sun, who had come back from the brothel at night, came to visit.

Jin Sa-wol and Bi-sun were standing in a room lit by a single small lamp, and Jo Geom-ok was sitting.

"The leader of the Martial Alliance is coming to the inn in ten days, according to the brothel master. At that time, the innkeeper will come out of the Golden Pavilion to greet him, so it seems we can't miss that opportunity. How about it?"

"That would be a good time."

Jin Sa-wol also agreed with Bi-sun's words. If the innkeeper came out, that would be when the security was the most lax.

"But can we trust the brothel master?"

"Since she follows the pavilion master, we have to trust her."

At Bi-sun's answer, Jin Sa-wol closed his mouth for a moment.

"By the way! The brothel master said she would like to see you today."

At Bi-sun's words, Jin Sa-wol nodded. But Jo Geom-ok's sharp gaze turned to Jin Sa-wol.

"Why that woman?"

Jo Geom-ok's gaze turned from Jin Sa-wol to Bi-sun. As she felt the killing intent, Bi-sun waved her hand.

"Isn't it a place to build a relationship of trust?"

At Bi-sun's answer, Jo Geom-ok had a face full of dissatisfaction.

"I'll go too."

"What are you going to do there? Just stay."

Although Jin Sa-wol's gaze felt cold, Jo Geom-ok shook her head.

"I can't send you alone. You don't know women."

At Jo Geom-ok's words, Jin Sa-wol closed his mouth as if he had lost his words.

Who would have known that Jo Geom-ok would change like this.

'Women are really hard to understand.'

* * *

The sun set and darkness fell. A young man, wearing a clean white martial arts uniform and with a sword slung over his shoulder, entered the main gate of the Gangnam Grand Inn.

The young man was smiling contentedly as he walked towards the brothel.

"If you've come to Gangnam, you have to experience the brothel of the grand inn. Isn't it a place that a man must go to? Hohoho!"

The young man was Woo Jeong-bong, who had come down from Wudang Mountain.

Woo Jeong-bong clenched his fist, feeling the weight of the thick money pouch in his sleeve.

Just then, three men in bamboo hats passed by Woo Jeong-bong's side.

They were approaching the brothel with fast steps.

'The smell of blood?'

(End of Chapter)