Swordless Demonic Path

Chapter 188 : Eating Ambition (2)

"Heok! Heok!"

Woo Jeong-bong, who was holding his tired legs and bending his waist, wiped his sweat and looked at Jo Geom-ok, who was standing in front of him.

"Sister, how far are we going?"

"I think it's here."

Woo Jeong-bong touched his sore shoulder and looked around.

The sky was full of the evening glow, and the ground showed traces of being dug up here and there.

Jo Geom-ok found several shurikens and Fish Flash Darts and examined them.

Seeing that Tang Hyu's hidden weapons were scattered, it was clear that Jin Sa-wol and Tang Hyu had fought here.

But there was neither Tang Hyu's corpse nor Jin Sa-wol's.

"Did they move?"

Could it be that they had changed the location of the fight? While thinking that, she examined the surrounding traces more closely.

"Seeing that there are no corpses, it seems they are safe."

"The opponent is Tang Hyu. He might have already killed Sa-wol and buried him."

Jo Geom-ok bit her lip as if she were anxious.

When Jin Sa-wol had said he would fight Tang Hyu, she had thought it was reckless. Although she had tried to follow, she had started late because she had to look after Woo Jeong-bong's safety.

But he had gone too far, so it had taken a lot of time to chase him.

"Where did he go?"

If he hadn't gone far, the sound of fighting should have been heard, but all that was heard around was the sound of the wind.

Since there was no presence, it was frustrating.

"He's not dead. So don't worry too much. If he thought his life was in danger, he would have run away."

"If that's the case, it's a relief..."

"The sun is setting. How about we rest in a nearby village for today and look again tomorrow? Who knows? He might come looking for us."

"Did he die?"

"Don't say such ominous things."

Woo Jeong-bong patted Jo Geom-ok's shoulder and then frowned as his own shoulder ached.

In fact, Woo Jeong-bong was also worried about Jin Sa-wol, just like Jo Geom-ok. He was just trying his best to hide that feeling.

Although he denied it, he felt as if he were dead. Because the opponent was Tang Hyu.

The two wandered around until the sun set and then headed for the village.

***

People from the Zhuge family were leaving the Martial Alliance with Zhuge Qing's corpse. Many officials of the Martial Alliance were seeing off his coffin.

As the carriage carrying the coffin left the alliance, Namgung Min, who had turned his body, headed for his office.

Because of his friend's death, his expression was not good from beginning to end.

Namgung Min, who was heading for his office, was silent. After maintaining a heavy silence, he called the Inspection Pavilion Master.

Song Mu-pung followed Namgung Min into the office and sat down.

Namgung Min dismissed all the guards and maids and then said to Song Mu-pung.

"When are you going to Guguang?"

"I'm scheduled to go down in two days."

"When you go, investigate one more thing."

"What is it?"

As Song Mu-pung asked with a curious face, Namgung Min contemplated for a moment and then said.

"My son died at the inn. Reinvestigate that."

"Yes?"

Song Mu-pung's eyes widened as if he were surprised by the sudden order. Namgung Yu's death was the work of Yeon Jeok-sim.

Since there were more than one or two people who had witnessed it, he was surprised by the reinvestigation.

Song Mu-pung, seeing the silent Namgung Min, bowed his head.

"I understand."

As Song Mu-pung answered, Namgung Min silently waved his hand. It was an instruction to leave.

Song Mu-pung quietly stood up and went outside.

Namgung Min drank his tea and recalled his affairs with Zhuge Qing. Among them, there was one thing that bothered him.

It was Namgung Yu's death.

Zhuge Qing had told Namgung Min that Namgung Yu's death was suspicious.

Namgung Min also could not understand why that bothered him. But on the day Jin Sa-wol had entered the alliance, Zhuge Qing had died.

Although Jin Sa-wol was the culprit, few knew that. Namgung Min had known and tolerated it.

But why?

There were many reasons. He had trusted the potential threat and Zhuge Qing's gut feeling. And he needed a reason to kill him the moment he became an enemy.

"Hmm..."

Namgung Min let out a short groan.

Song Mu-pung, who had left the Alliance Leader's office, did not go to the Inspection Pavilion, but headed for Namgung Ji's residence.

Her residence was inside the inner courtyard, so no one could enter unless they were family or had permission.

In the guest hall outside the inner courtyard, he informed Namgung Ji that he was looking for her. A short while later, when the sun was about to set, Namgung Ji entered the guest hall.

"Hello, Pavilion Master Song."

Namgung Ji, who had entered the guest hall, greeted him with a happy smile, and Song Mu-pung showed a smile.

"Please sit."

As Song Mu-pung offered a seat, Namgung Ji sat down in a chair and asked.

"What brings you to see me?"

"Do I have to have business to see you?"

"Since you're the Inspection Pavilion Master, I thought you called me because you had business."

As Namgung Ji said, Song Mu-pung was the Inspection Pavilion Master. The person the alliance officials should avoid the most was Song Mu-pung.

Song Mu-pung, who felt Namgung Ji's wariness, said as if he were disappointed.

"I called you to have a chat."

"Yes."

With a meaningless answer, Namgung Ji turned her eyes out the window.

"I'm going to the inn in Guguang in two days."

At the word 'inn', Namgung Ji reacted.

"I thought it would take a few more days, but you're going sooner than I thought."

"Because the matter of finding the assassin is urgent."

"If it helps, I'll help too."

At Namgung Ji's active words, Song Mu-pung showed a smile. But his face showed no expectation. In any case, he had no intention of discussing the affairs of the Inspection Pavilion.

He had just called her to say that he was going down to the inn in two days, so she should prepare.

If there was another reason, was it to build a little friendship?

Although the Alliance Leader, Namgung Min, had arranged several meetings with Namgung Ji, he could not get close to her at all.

Looking at Namgung Ji's atmosphere, it seemed difficult to build a friendship.

'It's awkward.'

If anyone saw this scene now, it would be perfect to see them not as a young couple, but as an awkward relationship.

"What kind of person is Mr. Jin?"

"Yes?"

"I'm just curious."

Since Namgung Ji was in charge of the front of the inn and had exchanged contacts with the Martial Alliance, he thought she would naturally know Jin Sa-wol well.

So he had asked, but perhaps because his voice was stiff, Namgung Ji tilted her head.

Namgung Ji knew that Namgung Min was trying to build a connection between her and Song Mu-pung. But that was something that created a sense of rejection in her, who pursued a natural meeting.

"I'm not close with Mr. Jin. Since I often had meetings with the general manager, I know the general manager well."

"What about the general manager?"

"He was a person who was engrossed in his work."

"Do you know the gisaeng house master well?"

"I've run into her a few times, but we're not close. The gisaeng house itself is not my thing..."

At Namgung Ji's answer, Song Mu-pung nodded.

"If you're going to interrogate me, you can do it in more detail."

"That wasn't my intention, but I'm sorry."

As what he had intended to change the subject had become an interrogation, Song Mu-pung was flustered. Namgung Ji stood up from her seat with a sigh.

"If you have no special business, I'll get up. I have to eat."

"I understand. See you in two days."

"Then."

Namgung Ji greeted Song Mu-pung and then disappeared outside. Song Mu-pung let out a sigh with a disappointed expression, stood up, and headed for the Inspection Pavilion.

***

As they jumped over the wall of the inner courtyard, Bi-sun and Jo-rim, who had been waiting, bowed their heads. Namgung Ji, who saw the two, said with a face of 'nothing special'.

"There's nothing special. Since he said he's going to the inn in two days, let's prepare too."

"Yes, young lady."

"I understand, young lady."

As the two called her 'young lady' at the same time, Namgung Ji trembled all over as if she were about to die of awkwardness.

***

Jin Sa-wol stood on a hill, his long black hair fluttering.

Behind him, not far away, was a newly made burial mound. It was the tomb where Tang Hyu's corpse was buried.

There was no such thing as a name.

He had collected the dead Tang Hyu's corpse and had also retrieved most of his hidden weapons and buried them together.

Since so many hidden weapons were scattered on the field, he could not retrieve all of them.

"Thank you."

Jin Sa-wol looked at the sky and threw a word to the dead Tang Hyu. Although Tang Hyu would be resentful, to Jin Sa-wol, he was a person who had allowed him to see another world.

A black energy flowed from under his feet, enveloped his whole body, and then quickly disappeared.

Although it was a power called demonic energy, that energy had now changed to the point where it felt like a dizzy spell.

Jin Sa-wol's appearance looked like that of an ordinary person. It was an appearance where no trace of having learned martial arts could be found.

It is said that all martial arts of the orthodox, unorthodox, and demonic factions eventually converge into one at the end.

Jin Sa-wol was now reaching that end, and the smell of the orthodox faction and the smell of the Demonic Cult were mixed together and blurred.

'Have I surpassed the realm of the extreme demon? Or have I reached the realm of the extreme demon?'

Even thinking to himself, he could not be sure of what level he was at.

What was clear was that a higher internal energy than before was circulating throughout his body, and his dantian was as deep and wide as the sea.

As he extended his hand forward, two holes were blown in the empty air five zhang in front of him and then disappeared.

Immediately after, a dagger was drawn from Jin Sa-wol's sleeve, flew about five zhang, and then returned.

He was able to throw and retrieve a dagger up to about five zhang through the Air-Grabbing technique.

As he unfolded the Phantom Demonic Ghost Step, Jin Sa-wol, who had increased to nine, moved in all directions and then became one.

The consumption of internal energy was less than before, and he was not tired.

Suddenly, the world felt small. And it seemed he could do everything.

As he put strength into his legs, he jumped up to a height of ten zhang and then flew another ten zhang. He turned his body and flew to the front of Tang Hyu's tomb in an instant and stood there.

Jin Sa-wol, who had experienced a second bone-changing and marrow-washing, clenched his fists and laughed.

"Hahahaha!"

Jin Sa-wol, who had let out a sky-gazing mad laugh, disappeared without a trace immediately after.

***

There is nothing better than embroidery to maintain one's composure. Seo Mun-ryeon, who was humming while embroidering a butterfly, turned her head as a dark shadow cast over her face.

Jin Sa-wol was standing there.

"Oh my! What a surprise!"

Seo Mun-ryeon, as if by instinct, threw the needle she was holding at Jin Sa-wol. Jin Sa-wol lightly raised his hand, caught the needle, and then placed it on the table.

"What? How did you get in without a sound?"

Seo Mun-ryeon recalled the net-like blood threads and bells she had set up around her separate courtyard. On top of that, it was a place where dozens of dark flowers were guarding like an iron wall.

After being breached by Jin Sa-wol once before, she had strengthened the security even more. But it had been breached.

"I put the kids to sleep."

"Hmph! Hmph!"

Seo Mun-ryeon snorted as if she were dumbfounded and at a loss for words.

"You useless bitches."

Seo Mun-ryeon, recalling her subordinates, thought she would have to punish them a little tomorrow.

Jin Sa-wol, sitting in a chair, said, "I have a favor to ask."

"A favor?"

"Find the disappeared Demonic Cult Leader. His real name is Jeok Sa-yeong. He is the Esoteric Cult Leader who was known to be dead."

The disappeared Demonic Cult Leader was classified as the most dangerous person in the world.

"The price?"

"If it's money, I'll give you as much as you want."

"I have enough money, so how about your life?"

Seo Mun-ryeon threw a smile as if it were a joke. Jin Sa-wol also responded with a smile.

"I can kill you at any time."

Although Jin Sa-wol's mouth was smiling, his eyes were cold.

As Seo Mun-ryeon's eyes met Jin Sa-wol's, she quickly turned her head. Her shoulders trembled on their own.

'Something seems to have changed.'

Jin Sa-wol's atmosphere was different from before, and it was a calm feeling.

"Cheon Yu-myeong was also looking for us. If we find him, I'll let you know first."

At Seo Mun-ryeon's answer, Jin Sa-wol stood up from his seat.

"I'll be in Guguang."

With those words, Jin Sa-wol disappeared with black smoke.

Seo Mun-ryeon swallowed her dry saliva as Jin Sa-wol's thick demonic energy lingered in the room for a moment and then disappeared.

'How can he come in like it's his own house?'

If he came in like that, there was no way she could stop him, no matter how much she tried.

'He seems to have become more handsome. His skin has also become finer... Was it glowing? I'm envious.'

Seo Mun-ryeon shook her head as she recalled Jin Sa-wol's smiling eyes.

"Hey! Wake up, you useless bitches! Hey!"

Seo Mun-ryeon shouted and rushed out to the yard.

(End of Chapter)