Swordless Demonic Path

Chapter 221 : Pressing Down (2)

Jin Sa-wol could have faced all the remaining members of the Sword Wind Hall. He had also intended to make even Son Muk's escort warriors unable to use their legs.

Just then, Seo Mun-ryeon, who had jumped out of the carriage with a whoosh!, stretched and slowly walked towards Jin Sa-wol.

"Yawn! I was bored waiting."

She hopped over the seated warriors and, standing next to Jin Sa-wol, showed a smiling eye to Son Muk and asked.

"Can I go?"

Son Muk, whose eyes met Seo Mun-ryeon's, trembled his shoulders.

'How can this be?'

Son Muk was very angry with himself. If he had known that Jin Sa-wol's martial arts were so great, he could have prevented his subordinates' injuries.

Today's event would surely be a great stain on his life.

A cool wind blew and cooled Son Muk's hot heart.

"You bastard who looks like a salted fish head."

At Son Muk's words, Seo Mun-ryeon was offended.

"What? You bastard who looks like a chicken head buried in cow dung."

Hearing Seo Mun-ryeon's curse, Son Muk seemed to have come to his senses and showed a cold gaze.

"I was talking to myself."

Son Muk, after cursing himself, asked Jin Sa-wol.

"I didn't know the owner of the Gangnam Grand Inn was such a fearsome master. Why did you hide your martial arts?"

"There was no reason to show it."

"I have truly opened my eyes today."

"I will take the Hao Faction Master."

At Jin Sa-wol's words, Son Muk was silent.

"Master! Me too! You have to take me too!"

Mae Gang-hwa shouted and jumped out of the carriage. She staggered as she walked due to her injuries. Seeing that, Jin Sa-wol moved.

With a whoosh! sound, Jin Sa-wol, who had embraced Mae Gang-hwa, appeared next to Seo Mun-ryeon.

Mae Gang-hwa, as if she were possessed by a ghost, opened her eyes wide and looked at Jin Sa-wol, who was holding her. Mae Gang-hwa showed a smile and, with a swish, raised her hand and wrapped it around Jin Sa-wol's neck.

"Huh!"

Although Seo Mun-ryeon glared at Mae Gang-hwa as if she were dumbfounded, Mae Gang-hwa did not see Seo Mun-ryeon.

Jin Sa-wol said to Son Muk again.

"I'll see you next time."

"We'll meet as enemies."

"Well..."

Jin Sa-wol, after leaving an unreadable word, lightly used his lightness skill, and Seo Mun-ryeon hurriedly followed him and ran down the main road.

Son Muk's eyes turned to the seated Bae Min.

"You foolish bastard."

"Yes?"

"No. I was talking to myself."

Son Muk shook his head at the surprised Bae Min and then turned his body.

"We need to treat the injured, so we'll camp here today. Go and call a doctor. And also call the nearest branch and report the current situation to the alliance! Move quickly!"

"Yes!"

"I understand."

As Son Muk's escort warriors answered and scattered in all directions.

***

Jin Sa-wol and Seo Mun-ryeon were sitting in a small inn room. Mae Gang-hwa was lying down and resting in the next room, and the surroundings were quiet.

Seo Mun-ryeon, with a seemingly angry face, crossed her arms and asked.

"There's no need to fight the Martial Alliance because of me, right? Why did you do that?"

Seo Mun-ryeon was saying something even though he had saved her.

"The debt I received from you will be gone with this."

"The Martial Alliance will be paying attention."

"It doesn't matter. In any case, it was something that would be known about my martial arts."

Jin Sa-wol thought that even if his martial arts were known to the martial world, it didn't matter. There was no need to hide it.

The people who knew would all know, and it was only a matter of time before the rumors that had flowed from the Demonic Cult spread to the martial world.

The fact that the warriors of the Martial Alliance had mentioned the Demonic Cult when they heard his name was also proof that it had spread to some extent.

"Now is not the time to worry about you."

Seo Mun-ryeon muttered and shook her head. It was inevitable that a sigh would come out.

When she had declared to Dokgo Hyeon that she would leave the Demonic Cult, she had expected that the Demonic Cult would not stand by.

But they had struck her from behind faster than she had expected.

Seeing that they did not hesitate to hand over information to the Martial Alliance to kill her, a considerable number of the Hao Faction must have turned to the Demonic Cult.

'Division...'

It seemed the Demonic Cult had conspired with the Martial Alliance to divide the Hao Faction.

"Why did I say I would leave the Demonic Cult... Hoo..."

Seo Mun-ryeon sighed and contemplated.

The Hao Faction was a sect that was by no means inferior to the Martial Alliance and the Demonic Cult.

Its scale was widely spread throughout the world, and it had the form of a vast confederation.

"Your expression is not good. Is it because of the Hao Faction?"

"That's right."

Seo Mun-ryeon answered and then drank her tea. Just then, Mae Gang-hwa, who had come to her senses, entered the room.

"Master."

Mae Gang-hwa, seeing the cold expression of Seo Mun-ryeon, cautiously sat down in a chair.

"The Martial Alliance attacked suddenly, so we couldn't deal with it properly. It's also my mistake that I didn't know about the alliance's attack in advance. How did those guys know that the master had gone to the cult..."

"If the Demonic Cult cooperated, they could know about our faction's main headquarters. It's not difficult if you block the eyes and ears of Kaifeng."

"It means there are people inside who have sided with the Martial Alliance and the Demonic Cult."

Mae Gang-hwa muttered and frowned.

"The affairs of our faction will be sorted out slowly. First, convene a council of elders. Tell all twelve elders to gather. The place is Guguang."

"I understand. But if there is a traitor among the elders, the meeting place will be attacked."

"It doesn't matter. I have an escort."

Seo Mun-ryeon's gaze turned to Jin Sa-wol. Jin Sa-wol nodded, drinking his tea with an indifferent face.

"If you want to use me as an escort, you'll have to pay a high price."

"It doesn't matter."

Since she had to repay the humiliation she had received, Seo Mun-ryeon did not hesitate to cooperate with Jin Sa-wol.

"There's something that needs to be prioritized over the council of elders. It's the heads of Wang Hong and Gwak Ji. I want to drag them before my eyes and tear their limbs apart, but since they're in the Martial Alliance, I can't... Bring me their heads."

Mae Gang-hwa, who had received Seo Mun-ryeon's cool gaze, nodded. Because she also had the same heart.

"Since they betrayed the master who had shown them grace after their eyes met, they deserve to die. I will contact the alliance."

The alliance that Mae Gang-hwa was talking about meant the Hao Faction members who had infiltrated the alliance. There were many workers in the Martial Alliance.

Many people, including gardeners and cooks who did not know martial arts, were working for the warriors of the Martial Alliance.

Some of them were Hao Faction members who sent the Martial Alliance's information to the faction.

"I'll be back."

Mae Gang-hwa stood up from her seat and went outside. It was to go to the nearby Hao Faction.

As she went out, Jo Geom-ok entered the room. She had come to the inn with the guidance of Cheonggeom and Geumdo.

"A welcome guest."

"Who's the guest?"

Jo Geom-ok sat down in the seat where Mae Gang-hwa had been sitting at Seo Mun-ryeon's greeting. She was relieved that Jin Sa-wol's condition had not changed much.

Seo Mun-ryeon crossed her arms and looked at Jo Geom-ok.

"Do you have to follow our Sa-wol like that?"

"I just came because I heard you were in danger."

The conversation between the two seemed to have thorns. Although Jo Geom-ok was annoyed by the word 'our', she endured it.

Seo Mun-ryeon said again, as if teasing.

"As you can see, I'm safe. Because Sa-wol came. I knew Sa-wol would come."

"It's natural to help a colleague who is in danger. Don't misunderstand. I didn't see you as a woman."

"A colleague? It seems like a deeper relationship."

"It's a misunderstanding."

Jo Geom-ok's indifferent expression and Seo Mun-ryeon's smile were fighting fiercely in the empty air.

Jin Sa-wol could not understand at all what the two were talking about.

As he drank his tea with a sigh, Mae Gang-hwa hurriedly came in.

"Master."

"Why?"

Mae Gang-hwa, holding her chest, said.

"They say all the members of our faction who were in the alliance have been kicked out or imprisoned."

*Thump!

Seo Mun-ryeon, who had hit the table, trembled her shoulders. It was clear that the list of Hao Faction members who had infiltrated the Martial Alliance had been handed over to the Martial Alliance.

It meant that there were more internal traitors than expected.

***

Dam-ji, who had read the letter and several reports from the Martial Alliance, threw the letters into the air.

"Hohohoho!"

She, who had been laughing loudly while examining the fluttering letters, was dancing on her shoulders when she heard footsteps and sat down in a chair.

"Is there something good?"

The one who had entered the room was Mun-gang. He picked up one of the carrier pigeons that had fallen on the floor and read it.

"The Hao Faction members who had infiltrated the Martial Alliance have all been exposed."

Mun-gang, who had confirmed the letter, sat down in a chair and asked.

"Did Pavilion Master Dam give the Hao Faction's information to the Martial Alliance?"

"I didn't decide on my own. It's the Cult Leader's will. Seo Mun-ryeon, who betrayed the cult, is all the Hao Faction has. If that Hao Faction collapses, Seo Mun-ryeon will crawl to the cult."

"What about killing Seo Mun-ryeon?"

"It's easier to divide and destroy the Hao Faction than to kill Seo Mun-ryeon."

Since Mun-gang did not know Seo Mun-ryeon well, he could not understand Dam-ji's words.

Because it sounded as if Seo Mun-ryeon were more formidable than the Hao Faction.

It was not because of Seo Mun-ryeon's personal martial arts, but because of the environment around her.

"What brings you here?"

When Dam-ji asked, Mun-gang got to the point.

"I heard the remnants of the Cheon family have crossed over to Xinjiang. I need their information."

"Are you thinking of sending a punitive force?"

"That's right."

"I'll find out."

Dam-ji answered and then looked at Mun-gang. Although it meant to leave if his business was finished, Mun-gang twisted his beard and drank his tea.

"Is there any other business?"

"It's because of the Cult Leader's marriage problem. Are you interested?"

When Mun-gang asked, Dam-ji's expression hardened. There was no way she wasn't interested.

Becoming the Cult Leader's wife meant becoming the mistress of the Dokgo family.

That position was a better place than the position of the Hwajeonggak Master.

"It would be a lie if I said I wasn't interested. Who are the candidates?"

"First, the Yeon family and the Shin family, as well as the Yuk family, have sent candidates to the Cult Leader. They are all young ladies who have just come of age and are skilled in both literary and martial arts."

"What about me?"

"If Pavilion Master Dam is also interested, I will speak well of you to the Cult Leader."

Mun-gang showed a smile as he received Dam-ji's interest.

Mun-gang was like Dokgo Hyeon's right-hand man. Since he was a person who had fought by his side until the end so that he could become the Cult Leader, he had the Cult Leader's deep trust.

"Looking at that face, it seems you won't do it for free... What do you want?"

"I want to marry Dokgo Hye. Help me."

"Oh my..."

At the impossible request, Dam-ji frowned.

"If you are too greedy, you will bring disaster. How about a woman from the Seo Mun family instead?"

"Hmm... I'll think about it."

Mun-gang showed a smile and then stood up from his seat. Seeing his smile, Dam-ji suspected that Mun-gang had been aiming for the women of the Seo Mun family from the beginning.

As he went out, Dam-ji called her subordinates and cleaned the room.

As she was cleaning, she suddenly thought of Mun-gang, who had been sitting and twisting his beard.

'That pig bastard...'

She just felt bad.

***

Namgung Min, who was spending a leisurely afternoon drinking tea in his study, was spending another uneventful day today and yesterday.

He had already heard the news of the Demonic Cult and knew about it.

The Demonic Cult Leader was young, and the Demonic Cult was currently in a chaotic situation. It would take a long time to get it sorted out.

If the Demonic Cult was in chaos, the power of the Martial Alliance naturally grew.

A low voice was heard from outside the study.

"It's Son Muk."

"Come in."

Namgung Min, who had answered as if he had been waiting, showed a smile when he saw the hardened expression of Son Muk, who was entering.

"They say you've been had."

(End of Chapter)