Chapter 101: Chapter 101

“Wow!”

Dan So-mi, who was looking out the window from inside the carriage, was joyful.

She had left Hunan for the first time in her life.

She was even riding in a carriage she had thought she would never ride in her entire life, so how could her joy be any less? The child wore a bright smile as she looked outside, resting her chin on the carriage window.

The way her gaze did not waver from the window showed how excited the child’s heart was.

“Do you like it that much?”

At Dan Woo-hyun’s question, Dan So-mi nodded readily.

This place was currently north along the branch of Dongting Lake, past the border of Hunan and Hubei. It would be slightly more accurate to say they had just entered Hubei.

To go to Anhui, there were two paths: one crossing Jiangxi to the east of Hunan, and another heading east from Hubei. Among them, Namgung Cheon chose the fastest path.

The surrounding scenery had not changed much.

Just because they crossed a border did not mean the place where people lived would change. However, from the perspective of Dan So-mi, who had left Hunan for the first time in her life, she could not help but find even that marvelous, her eyes sparkling.

“By the way…… why are your faces like that, you two?”

Dan Woo-hyun glanced at Namgung Cheon and Sa Do-hak.

Both of them were wearing masks.

As before, Namgung Cheon wore the mask of the Gentleman Sword. Since he had gotten quite used to it by now, it would not be strange to say it suited him quite well.

And on the contrary.

Sa Do-hak, who seemed like he would never go to Anhui.

It was unknown what thoughts led him to choose the trip to Anhui. He had suddenly appeared right before departure and boarded the carriage on his own. Moreover, there was no desire to ask the reason.

However.

What Dan Woo-hyun wanted to ask about was his appearance.

He wore black clothes and a mask on his face.

That mask was quite bizarre.

The one Namgung Cheon wore was a common mask with no distinct features. And Sa Do-hak’s mask was not much different from it.

The appearance was also not different in any way.

Just the color was different.

It was black.

Did it symbolize pitch blackness?

“I am the Demonic Heavenly Monarch.”

“…….”

“…….”

Dan Woo-hyun looked at Sa Do-hak with a bewildered expression.

His gaze was as if he were disgusted by him.

“The Demonic Heavenly Monarch is amazing! He is the only person who fought the Gentleman Sword to a draw!”

Dan So-mi raised her voice in excitement.

Although she did not attend school now, she had not severed contact with her friends. Since they saw each other occasionally when going to Yueyang, there were things they enjoyed and watched together.

Therefore, she knew it well.

The Demonic Heavenly Monarch.

He was a notorious rival and a master comparable to the Gentleman Sword.

Seeing Dan So-mi with sparkling eyes, Dan Woo-hyun turned his head.

What should he say……

After thinking for a long time, he let out a small sigh.

“Birds of a feather flock together……”

“What is that supposed to mean?!”

Namgung Cheon shouted out.

His face flushed deeply, as if he were highly embarrassed. After staring at Dan Woo-hyun for a long time without a reply, he finally turned his gaze and stretched out his hand.

He was trying to take off Sa Do-hak’s mask.

But Sa Do-hak lightly dodged his hand.

“What are you doing?”

“I am trying to take it off because it is embarrassing!”

“What is there to be embarrassed about? Didn’t you start it first? I am fine. The Demonic Heavenly Monarch! How cool is that!”

He laughed loudly with a ‘haha’ and struck a pose.

That was the pose used when the Demonic Heavenly Monarch appeared.

Dan So-mi let out another exclamation of ‘Wow!’, but on the contrary, Namgung Cheon turned his head away, wishing he could crawl into a mouse hole.

His face burned hot.

Just then, a voice was heard from the driver’s seat.

“Lord, there is a strange group ahead.”

Jang Sam-tae and Gwon Mu-jin, who sat on the driver’s seat, frowned. The sound of clashing blades had been heard faintly since a moment ago, and finally, the scene came into view.

There were several people.

Three wagons fully loaded with goods and guards protecting them. Anyone could tell they were a merchant group, but their numbers were fewer than expected.

The reason was none other.

It was because many had already become corpses.

A foul stench of blood vibrated in the air.

Most of the survivors appeared to be porters. Although they held swords, the way they held them and pointed them at the opponents suggested they were not martial artists.

The opponents were…

“Are they bandits?”

“It appears so.”

Dan Woo-hyun stroked his chin.

If he only gave the order, Gwon Mu-jin and Jang Sam-tae looked ready to charge immediately. Because the level difference would be too great for a mere band of bandits to face these two.

Jang Sam-tae’s recent training under Sa Do-hak, rolling like a dog, also played a part.

But wouldn’t it be no fun that way?

Smiling, Dan Woo-hyun looked at the two old men in front of him.

“It is time for you two to step forward.”

“What!”

“W… What on earth are you saying?”

“Isn’t that so? Isn’t it the Gentleman Sword who steps forward in such a situation? If the Gentleman Sword steps forward, the Demonic Heavenly Monarch must step forward too.”

Namgung Cheon broke out in a cold sweat.

Of course, it was a fact that he had gone around acting like the Gentleman Sword in Yueyang. Half for fun, half as a hobby. Furthermore, because Dan So-mi liked it, he could not stop.

Also, since he was in a position where he could not easily show his face, wearing a mask was efficient in many ways.

It was simply nothing more than that, but now Dan Woo-hyun truly seemed intent on bringing the Gentleman Sword and the Demonic Heavenly Monarch into existence in the Central Plains.

Sweat.

Cold sweat flowed.

He looked at Sa Do-hak with a bewildered gaze.

He was asking for help.

He judged that if it was Sa Do-hak, who possessed strong pride, he would not bend his assertion even if he feared Dan Woo-hyun.

However, that expectation crumbled without fail.

Sa Do-hak, no, the Demonic Heavenly Monarch, naturally opened the carriage door and stepped down.

Then he walked forward with large strides.

“Y… You!”

Before Namgung Cheon could stop him, the Demonic Heavenly Monarch, who had advanced, wore a faint smile as he looked at those raiding the merchant group.

The corners of his mouth visible through the mask curled upward.

“Boss! Look over there! A strange fellow has come.”

“Huh?”

The bandit boss frowned as he looked at the Demonic Heavenly Monarch.

He already knew a carriage was approaching. Since this was a one-way road and the width was quite narrow, making it impossible to turn the carriage around, he had thought they would try to break through, but some strange fellow had appeared.

“Quietly leave the goods and go. I will spare your lives.”

At those words, the Demonic Heavenly Monarch laughed.

It was loud enough for everyone to hear that a chuckle had escaped him. The boss frowned and looked at his subordinate. Wasn’t it the way of this world to immediately kill a guy who was begging for death?

The subordinate approached without hesitation.

His action of not even speaking a word was bold.

He naturally raised his sword and swung it fiercely. He did not even utter words like ‘I will kill you!’ or ‘You will die soon!’.

He was that familiar with killing, so he treated even wasting words on someone he was going to kill as a waste.

Just by looking at this, it was clear they were bastards who committed murder as easily as eating meals.

However, the Demonic Heavenly Monarch’s hand naturally reached out.

The outstretched hand executed a grappling technique and lightly snatched his sword. It was not a situation where he could even react, and the subordinate did not even realize the fact that his sword had been stolen.

And soon.

Slash!

“Aaargh!”

A shriek!

The shriek of the bandit subordinate spread.

In the sudden situation, they could not even react properly. Before the struck subordinate’s body could sway and fall to the ground, an invisible sword that showed no flash and made no sound flew toward them.

Slash, slash, slash, slash!

Dozens of bandits suddenly spat blood and collapsed. Even the bandit boss collapsed, realizing he had received a long sword wound on his chest.

There was no time to even utter a sound.

The moment they noticed, the blade had already dug into their bodies, and they slumped down with their strength completely drained before they could even feel the pain.

“Ugh……!”

The Demonic Heavenly Monarch clicked his tongue as he looked at those bandits.

“No spirit, no spirit at all. How can you fall from just this much?”

Even while looking at them sprawled on the ground and crawling, the Demonic Heavenly Monarch kicked them with his foot, as if devoid of a shred of sympathy.

The bandits rolled on the ground like dolls.

“T… Thank you! Thank you, Great Hero!”

The merchant, realizing the situation, bowed his head while tearing up. Not just him, but the porters also bowed their heads together, showing respect.

It was a life-threatening situation.

In a situation where even the guards hired to protect them had all died, there was nothing they could do.

It was then he appeared.

A ray of light.

Bowing repeatedly, they expressed their gratitude.

It truly felt like they had come back to life from the dead.

However,.

With a soft slide, something sharp touched his neck.

‘Huh?’

The merchant slowly turned his gaze.

The Demonic Heavenly Monarch’s blade was touching his neck.

“Um…… Great Hero…… what is this……?”

“You had your life saved, but surely you aren’t trying to just say thank you and wipe your mouth clean……”

“What do you think you are doing!”

Namgung Cheon, who rushed over suddenly, lightly struck the blade away.

The Demonic Heavenly Monarch frowned as he watched the blade fly upward with a clink. A look of genuinely not understanding was plain in his eyes.

“Why?”

“O… Why? What do you mean why! How can you say that now? What difference is there between your actions now and the bandits here!”

The merchant broke out in a cold sweat.

Just when he thought a carriage door was opening, another person with only a different mask color appeared. Then weren’t they arguing with each other?

‘That is surely……’

Yes, come to think of it, he had seen that mask before.

It was definitely what his daughter had watched with excitement in the marketplace. Did she call them the Gentleman Sword and the Demonic Heavenly Monarch? The merchant, thinking up to that point, broke out in a cold sweat and backed away.

He felt somehow that he should not get involved with these people any longer.

That was the feeling.

Although being rescued was a highly grateful thing, these two seemed to have significant mental issues.

The merchant stealthily backed away while signaling the porters with his eyes.

At that moment.

Shhh!

The Demonic Heavenly Monarch’s sword, suddenly extended, sliced right in front of their noses.

Crackle!

The ground split open.

All of the merchant group, who had tried to move stealthily, froze.

“Heeeck!”

“S-Spare me……!”

“Where do you think you are fleeing? Leaving behind the benefactor who saved your lives!”

They were cowed by the Demonic Heavenly Monarch’s burning gaze.

As if to stop him, the Gentleman Sword’s voice grew louder.

As the two raised their voices loudly in one spot and the argument began again, this time the bandits began to flee stealthily.

But that was merely a dream.

Thud!

“Ugh!”

Jang Sam-tae, who approached those fleeing, kicked them. He beat them and shoved them to the ground as if determined not to let a single one escape.

Soon, another man stepped down from the carriage and approached.

While they watched with blank stares, the approaching man searched the bandits’ chests and took their money pouches one by one.

“W… What are you doing again?”

When the one assumed to be the Gentleman Sword spoke in absurdity, the man smiled faintly and opened his mouth.

“I am recovering the dropped money.”

At those words, the merchant froze.

This group…

They were by no means sane.

And he became certain at the words the man uttered.

“Secure the bandits well. If we drag them to the government office, it will be money.”

“Hehe, you do not have to worry. I am doing it gently. Gently. Hehehe.”

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