Swordless Demonic Path

Chapter 9 : Suspicion (1)

At that moment, black figures appeared from all directions and passed the dozen or so masked men.

Thwack-thwack-thwack!

In an instant, the black figures who had cut down the dozen or so men stood firm in front of Dokgo Hye.

It was Kang Yu and Team Three. Among them, Jin Sawoon's figure was not yet present.

"I am the carriage driver in charge of guarding. I came from Ghost Spirit Valley."

As Kang Yu smiled, Dokgo Hye's expression was at first startled, but at the mention of Ghost Spirit Valley, she nodded.

"I see. A carriage driver from Ghost Spirit Valley, I had no idea."

At Dokgo Hye's words, Kang Yu smiled, while Cheon Woo-rin's expression hardened.

'Slaughter Ghosts of Ghost Spirit Valley... Could it be that they attached a secret guard? It's possible.'

Cheon Woo-rin cast a complicated gaze and observed Kang Yu and the Slaughter Ghosts. They were all young men.

But just because they were young didn't mean they were opponents to be taken lightly. They were famous for their strange footwork and martial arts that deceived the eyes.

Jang Muryong, who was looking behind, noticed the forest shaking.

[About fifty more are coming. They'll arrive in about a quarter of an hour.]

Jin Sawoon's telepathic message reached Jang Muryong's ears. Jang Muryong soon turned his head and spoke to Kang Yu.

"The enemy is coming. There are about fifty of them. What should we do?"

"We need to go to Gisan Manor first, so we'll cross the mountain. Take the rear."

"Yes."

The members of Team Three answered in unison and then stepped back about a zhang. Kang Yu cupped his fist towards Cheon Woo-rin.

"We will take the rear."

"Understood. Then I'll leave it to you."

Cheon Woo-rin smiled as if relieved and then moved first.

'To not have thought of Ghost Spirit Valley. It was my mistake.'

Cheon Woo-rin slightly turned his head and looked at Kang Yu, who was sticking close to the rear.

Kang Yu observed the surroundings with a relaxed expression and was focused on Dokgo Hye and Soo-soo.

Whoosh!

A throwing star that flew through the leaves in the forest pierced the neck of a masked man.

"Keok!"

Thud!

With a groan, the masked man fell, and to his left and right, other masked men were advancing.

But advancing in a forest with no path was not easy for either those in front or those chasing from behind.

Thwack!

"Kuaaak!"

With a scream, another masked man fell in the forest. A throwing star was embedded in his forehead.

The enemy seemed to be moving in the shadows of the forest and was not easily visible.

Wheee-!

As a whistle blew long, the movements of the masked men stopped. They began to withdraw, leaving the dead behind.

After the masked men disappeared down the mountain, a person appeared in front of the corpses.

It was Jin Sawoon.

Swish!

Jin Sawoon removed the mask of one of the corpses. Then he quietly examined the face.

An ordinary man in his early to mid-thirties.

"......"

It was an unknown person. He searched his clothes and sleeves, but there was nothing particularly eye-catching.

Finally, Jin Sawoon examined the sword the dead man had used.

"An ordinary blue steel sword... no special markings..."

Another masked man used a saber instead of a sword. It was a willow-leaf saber, but that too seemed to have nothing special about it.

"...Hmm."

Rustle!

Jin Sawoon unfolded his Ghostly God Steps. But the direction he headed was the complete opposite of his group.

About fifty masked men gathered around the main road, which was filled with the corpses of Zhongnan Sect martial artists and the bodyguard unit.

They were the ones who had survived this attack.

They rummaged through the four-horse carriage and the luggage carriage, taking this and that.

They were the gifts the Heavenly Divine Cult had prepared to give to the Jeon family.

The things they took included silk and jade, as well as a thousand nyang of gold coins.

The one who appeared to be the leader among the masked men raised his voice.

"Kill all who are alive."

"Yes!"

There were a few who were seriously injured and couldn't move, and the order was to kill them.

The masked men soon carried out the order.

Thwack!

"Keuuuk!"

The sound of flesh being pierced in the neck and heart was heard from here and there.

Some time later, the masked men disappeared into the forest.

When people move, they need to rest. The masked men were no different. They needed rest even more because they had just finished a fierce battle.

They only took a rest after they arrived at a flat land where a clear stream flowed.

Their destination was quite far, so they had to travel all night. They had to rest in the middle so that the journey would not be difficult.

"Phew-. I thought I was going to die."

One of the masked men who had collapsed on the ground took off his mask with a sigh. He took a deep breath of fresh air and caught his breath.

Other masked men also took off their masks and either lay flat on their backs or quenched their thirst with water.

As his subordinates rested, the masked man who appeared to be the leader also sat on a rock.

"This is tiring."

He took off his mask, wiped his sweat, and muttered.

He was a man in his early to mid-thirties, and his sleeve was torn off. He also had a sword wound on his leg, but it wasn't so bad that he couldn't move.

He soon stood up, went to the water's edge, washed his face, and drank water.

Whoooosh!

A cold wind was blowing.

Jin Sawoon stood in the dark shade of the forest overlooking the valley.

When Jin Sawoon saw the leader's face, a smile unknowingly appeared on his lips. It disappeared quickly, but he couldn't stop his pupils from shaking.

'Interesting.'

The emotion of curiosity struck his chest hard.

The leader of the masked men was the one who had been with Cheon Woo-rin. And they had a secret conversation in the middle of the night, and after that, there was an attack.

Cheon Woo-rin's subordinate had attacked Cheon Woo-rin. No, he had tried to kill Dokgo Hye.

'Why?'

A question arose. And he needed an answer to that question.

But it was dangerous.

The thought that curiosity could kill him suddenly came to mind.

'Should I report it first?'

But there was no evidence.

A report made only by mouth has no great meaning. Especially in a case like this, making a report only by mouth without evidence couldn't even be called a report.

"The person is the evidence..."

But if he kills him, that's the end of it.

Jin Sawoon's instinct intuitively warned him of the danger. But now that he knew, he couldn't just leave.

Just then, the leader, the man, shouted.

"That's enough! Move out!"

The leader took the lead, and his subordinates followed him, moving quickly along the small path.

The next morning, their group arrived at a mountain fortress located deep in the mountains.

In the center of the mountain fortress, there were several houses. Among them, the large house in the center was the residence of the leader, Jang Ma-cheong.

As soon as Jang Ma-cheong entered the room, he immediately lay down on the bed.

Jang Ma-cheong was a ronin who earned money by guarding merchants who came and went through the Jade Gate Pass.

He had come to know Cheon Woo-rin through a connection he had made when he trained in martial arts at the Cheon family as a child.

Cheon Woo-rin had ordered Jang Ma-cheong to attack the carriage.

Jang Ma-cheong had recruited ronin according to that order. The gold and valuables they had brought were all theirs, and it was the price for the lives of the dead ronin.

Of course, there were still things to be done, but there was no need to do them today.

The next day, a feast was held at the mountain fortress.

Wine and meat that had been stored in the warehouse were brought out, and the subordinates gathered in the main hall burst into laughter at the lavish spread of food.

"Wahahaha!"

"Hahaha!"

Gathered in the center of the large main hall, they were the Mad Wind Brigade.

The members of the Mad Wind Brigade ate and drank wine and meat, laughing and chatting cheerfully.

"When that bastard was dying, he cried for me to save him. Kahahaha! So I stabbed him in the neck. Fucking bastard."

"I heard the bodyguard unit of the Heavenly Divine Cult is strong, but they were nothing special. Hahaha!"

Unlike his subordinates who were chattering boisterously, Jang Ma-cheong, who was sitting at the head of the table, was quiet. Only a faint smile hung on his lips.

How much time had passed? The subordinates who were drinking wine began to fall one by one, thud! thud!, and started to sleep.

Jang Ma-cheong, who was watching the scene leisurely, quietly ordered the dozen or so subordinates standing around him.

"Begin."

"Yes."

The subordinates all drew their swords at once and approached the place where the sleeping subordinates were.

They were all like brothers who had been with Jang Ma-cheong for ten years. To Jang Ma-cheong, they were the most trustworthy people.

The subordinates of Jang Ma-cheong, who had received the order, mercilessly plunged their swords into the necks and chests of the sleeping men.

'Is this to silence them?'

Sitting on a pillar in the main hall, Jin Sawoon was watching all their actions.

"Keok!"

"Kueok!"

"Keuuuk! Why?"

There were a few who woke up from the pain of being stabbed in the heart, but they couldn't resist. It was difficult to even move because of the drug mixed in the wine.

The majority met their death comfortably in their sleep.

Before they died, they must have been thinking about how to spend the gold and treasures they had brought. But now, there was no need for such worries.

Swish! Swish!

Jang Ma-cheong and his subordinates moved the corpses to another place. They didn't hurry, as if they had plenty of time.

After one shichen, only the gold and valuables brought from the carriage remained in the main hall.

One of the subordinates asked.

"The appearance of the Zhongnan Sect guys, was that the young master's doing?"

"That's right. This incident will not be our doing, but the doing of the remnants of the Zhongnan Sect. It's a recruitment for that purpose."

Jang Ma-cheong's voice echoed in the main hall.

Jin Sawoon learned that Cheon Woo-rin had even dragged in the Zhongnan Sect, but his indifferent expression remained unchanged.

Jang Ma-cheong's voice was heard again.

"With this incident, Dokgo Hye and the young master will become even closer. A man who saves you from danger can't help but have a fatal charm. It's the picture the young master wants. We are just the paper to complete that picture."

At Jang Ma-cheong's smile, his subordinates also laughed lightly.

At that moment,

Rustle!

Jin Sawoon disappeared from the main hall. There was no longer any reason to stay there.

* * *

The guards of Gisan Manor were few in number, so they all surrounded Dokgo Hye's separate courtyard and performed their guard duties.

A large number of bodyguards were rushing from the main headquarters after hearing the news, but it would take half a day for them to arrive.

Cheon Woo-rin, who was pacing in the separate room, frowned and moved from side to side.

'What a shame.'

The original plan was to kill even Soo-soo.

That way, the situation would be more dramatic, and he and Dokgo Hye alone were scheduled to escape from the enemy's hands and camp out for a few days.

If the two of them spent some time together alone, they were bound to develop feelings for each other.

He had prepared an abandoned manor in the mountains for this purpose, but it became useless because of Kang Yu of Ghost Spirit Valley.

They knew the way well and returned to Gisan Manor in less than half a day.

'They say that stealing a woman's heart is more difficult than ascending to heaven... Tsk!'

Cheon Woo-rin, who was smacking his lips and shaking his head, poured hot tea and turned his gaze out the window.

The garden of the separate courtyard was spacious and quiet.

Creak!

With the sound of the door opening, Dokgo Hye, who had changed her clothes, entered with Soo-soo.

Dokgo Hye, unlike usual, sat in front of Cheon Woo-rin with a flushed face.

"Thanks to you, older brother, I overcame a great crisis today. I should call you my lifesaver."

"Really?"

Cheon Woo-rin put aside his thoughts at Dokgo Hye's words and sat in front of her.

Perhaps because she had bathed, Dokgo Hye's whole body was glowing even more brightly. Although it couldn't be seen with the eyes, a faint fragrance stimulated Cheon Woo-rin's sense of smell.

Soo-soo, sensing the atmosphere, stepped back.

"I'll be waiting outside."

"Alright."

A smile hung on Dokgo Hye's lips as she answered. Cheon Woo-rin was momentarily flustered by the unexpected situation.

'Did it go well?'

It wasn't as he had intended, but he felt like he had somehow broken down Dokgo Hye's wall.

As if to prove it, Dokgo Hye was still looking at Cheon Woo-rin's eyes with a smiling face.

For a moment, the gazes of the two met in the air.

"Is there something on my face? Why are you staring at me like that?"

As Cheon Woo-rin blushed and turned his head, Dokgo Hye laughed lightly.

"It's just that, unlike before, your face, older brother, seems unfamiliar. Your martial arts are so great that they keep flashing before my eyes. Thank you."

"Thank you... I'm just glad you're safe. Are you hurt anywhere?"

"No. I'm just a little tired from being tense for a long time."

"You should rest early today."

At Cheon Woo-rin's words, Dokgo Hye touched her teacup and said.

"Since you cherish me so much, older brother, I think I can think about marriage."

"Really?"

Cheon Woo-rin's eyes widened as he asked back. Dokgo Hye smiled with her eyes, as if Cheon Woo-rin's very surprised expression was cute.

"Yes."

(End of Chapter)