Chapter 116: Chapter 116

Ma Jang-gang opened his eyes with a disheveled appearance.

His memory was gone, as if he had lost consciousness for a moment. Frowning, he looked around and saw that the area was filled with the corpses of the dead.

Moving his trembling body, he stood up.

Soon, he slowly emerged from the bushes and walked toward where Dan Woo-hyun had gone.

Had he walked for about fifteen minutes? There were violent marks left all around, as if a typhoon had swept through.

There was also the corpse of a person whose head was missing.

“Ugh…!”

Retching at the bizarre sight, he turned his head away. He saw traces leading in another direction.

As he crept toward that spot and checked his surroundings, it was only after walking for a good while that he saw corpses strewn about once again.

“There were more of them?”

The appearance of the dead was somewhat different from the Twenty Ghosts. However, there was no doubt that they were their companions, as their clothes were similar.

None of them seemed to be wearing masks.

In the first place, it was impossible to confirm such a thing on corpses with shattered heads.

“It is hard to believe even after seeing it.”

The Wolf King, Ma Jang-gang.

He realized once again that his self-confident skill and eye for judging people were lacking.

“Indeed, the world is vast and there are many eccentric masters.”

Letting out a long sigh, he had such thoughts.

He quickened his pace.

He continued to wind along, following the traces left before his eyes.

Dan Woo-hyun washed off the blood in a flowing valley stream. No matter how much he washed his clothes, the bloodstains did not fade because they had been soaked in so much blood.

Thinking of that, a laugh escaped his lips.

“It feels like going back to the old days.”

He felt that way because of his past.

There had not been a single day when he was not drenched in blood. Although he had not avoided killing after waking up and meeting Dan So-mi, he had never been so heavily soaked in blood.

Having washed the laundry for a long time, Dan Woo-hyun wrung the water out of the clothes and walked out.

When he shook the wet clothes hard with a snap, the moisture flew into the air, leaving not a single drop behind.

Before he knew it, the clothes were perfectly dry.

“How far have they gone?”

Putting on his dry clothes, he worried about the group. A considerable amount of time had passed. It had been more than half a day, so they must have traveled quite a distance.

If he were to run using lightweight art, he could certainly catch up, but since their destination was the same Henan Province and he could follow them soon anyway, he did not feel the need to rush.

It was his first solo trip in a long time.

How could he not leisurely enjoy this?

“I did kill all of them, but since not a single one could open their mouth, I learned absolutely nothing.”

Frowning at that thought, he soon sighed.

He had killed many, which was fine. However, since he could not find out who was behind them, his original plan had clearly gone awry.

Sorcery, spiritual possession, reverse-heaven jiangshi, and demon-absorbing art.

Considering these combinations, there was definitely an answer.

“Are they descendants of the Blood Demon?”

That thought did not leave his mind.

For a person possessing all of those techniques, only one figure came to mind.

Shaking his head unconsciously, he walked on.

One of the dead was definitely a shaman.

If it was correct that he was the one behind the fall of the Namgung Family, the answer would ultimately lie in Henan Province.

“It was meant to be a sightseeing trip, but in the end, a purpose has arisen.”

Life was truly full of twists and turns.

He had decided to help the Namgung Family. Thus, he had chosen to travel to Henan Province for sightseeing or to help Namgung Cheon, but now his own goal had become Henan Province.

It was almost laughable.

At that moment, Dan Woo-hyun turned his gaze.

He had noticed a strange presence.

As he turned his head, the bushes rustled, and a familiar man revealed himself.

“Hmm?”

“W-Were you here?”

“You are…”

“I-I am called Ma Jang-gang, Great Hero!”

“I see.”

The one who appeared was indeed Ma Jang-gang.

Since Dan Woo-hyun had not paid him any attention until now, it was quite interesting to see him here. As he stared at him with a strange expression, Ma Jang-gang suddenly walked up to him and knelt down.

“P-Please take me with you!”

“Oh?”

Dan Woo-hyun frowned at the sudden request.

Come to think of it, something like this had happened before. Was it with Gwon Mu-jin? That fellow had also knelt down with an desperately pleading expression.

Dan Woo-hyun asked with an amused expression.

“Take you with me? Are you serious?”

“O-Of course. I… have been looking for a master to serve for the rest of my life. Meeting the Great Hero this time must be a divine revelation telling me to serve you…”

“That is enough.”

Dan Woo-hyun waved his hand dismissively and walked on.

Surely the man would be useful somewhere, perhaps as a shield for Dan So-mi. But Gwon Mu-jin was enough for such tasks.

Ma Jang-gang was certainly strong, but compared to Gwon Mu-jin, who had been growing until now, they were on par. One of the so-called Top Hundred Masters?

Knowing that the Martial World was not easy enough to be bound by such rankings, he had never cared about them from the beginning. Public opinion would say he was stronger than Gwon Mu-jin, but if they actually fought, they would be matched or he would be slightly inferior.

There was no need to take in another such person.

“G-Great Hero. P-Please wait a moment! Y-You said you were going to Henan Province, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then please let me stay by your side at least during the journey. I will prove to you that I can be a useful man.”

“Hmm!”

Dan Woo-hyun frowned.

He was considering whether it was worth it.

But soon, looking at Ma Jang-gang’s eyes, he quietly nodded. While traveling alone was not bad, having someone like Gwon Mu-jin around could be convenient.

Moreover, since the man promised to prove his usefulness, having him would make the journey easier, so it did not seem like a bad idea.

“Well… very well. But only until Henan Province. Once we arrive there, if I feel you are unnecessary, you must leave.”

“A man’s word is as heavy as nine cauldrons! I will surely keep my promise!”

That was satisfactory.

It was tiring to have someone cling as tenaciously as Gwon Mu-jin did.

That aside, the fastest way to Henan Province…

“It is this way, Great Hero! If you follow this path and cross the mountain ridge, you will find the main road that leads most quickly to Henan Province.”

“I see.”

Looking around, Dan Woo-hyun nodded.

Long ago, he would have known the paths better than anyone, but the topography had changed so much that he could not tell where he was.

In such a situation, having a guide was indeed convenient.

Perhaps he was more useful than Jang Sam-tae.

“…Do you know how to cook?”

“Cooking, you say?”

“Yes.”

“Well… that is a bit…”

Seeing Ma Jang-gang scratch his cheek, Dan Woo-hyun nodded. He realized once again that despite being annoying, there was no one like Jang Sam-tae when it came to traveling together.

In fact, when he first met him…

He had thought he was the most useless fellow in the manor.

Dan Woo-hyun smacked his lips.

He felt they needed to reach a town as quickly as possible.

Because he did not want to starve.

“Why do you think Lord Dan stayed behind?”

Inside the rattling carriage, Namgung Cheon looked at Sa Do-hak and asked. It had already been a day and a half since they moved, leaving Dan Woo-hyun alone.

He had thought about it a lot during that time, but could not find an answer, so he asked out of frustration.

Could he have caught the scent of those who brought down the Namgung Family?

If that was the reason, it seemed natural that he should have informed Namgung Cheon. After all, this was a matter that Namgung Cheon had to resolve himself.

Did that man, who could not have been ignorant of such things, stay behind alone?

Then there must be another reason.

“Well, in my view, that fellow’s mind is even more insidious than that Zhuge-whatever fellow.”

“That may be true, but leaving So-mi behind to move alone… I think it is right to assume there is something going on.”

Sa Do-hak let out a sigh.

Then, leaning his back against the carriage wall, he looked at Namgung Cheon.

A look of pity was evident in his eyes.

“Are you a fool? He moved alone because it was something So-mi should not be around for.”

“Did you even listen to what I just said? That is why I said it was an unusual matter, did I not?”

Namgung Cheon glared at Sa Do-hak with a sharp expression.

He thought he had said the same thing, so why did the other take it so strangely? The members of the Demonic Cult truly did not know how to use their brains, which was extremely frustrating.

As he let out a long sigh, Sa Do-hak frowned.

“What? Do you think my head is empty right now?”

“I do not think that is incorrect…”

“Good grief, making such a fuss over a single word. This is why orthodox bastards are, tsk tsk. Isn’t that right, Sam-tae?”

Sitting on the driver’s seat, Jang Sam-tae flinched.

They could just bicker among themselves; why did they suddenly drag him into it? However, because he could not ignore them, he had no choice but to speak.

“O-Of course. Orthodox fellows are frustrating. Haha!”

For a moment, Namgung Cheon’s brow twitched.

He had defended the Orthodox Faction for a long time.

Even though he had stepped down from that position and was now hiding his name, insulting the Orthodox Faction was equivalent to insulting the Sword Emperor, who was once called the strongest of the Righteous Path.

“Ahem! We must acknowledge that the Demonic Cult fellows have nothing in their heads. Is that not why they are pointed at for speaking and acting so ignorantly? Isn’t that right, Mu-jin?”

Gwon Mu-jin flinched and turned his head.

Strictly speaking, since he belonged to neither the Orthodox Faction nor the Demonic Cult, getting involved in this situation was by no means a good idea.

Although he had received a lot of help from Namgung Cheon, Sa Do-hak was a terrifying figure in his own right.

When he remained silent without saying anything, a chilling aura radiated from inside the carriage.

Not only Gwon Mu-jin but also Jang Sam-tae broke into a cold sweat.

In the end, Jang Sam-tae nudged Gwon Mu-jin’s shoulder.

He was urging him to answer quickly.

“O-Of course. We must acknowledge that the Demonic Cult fellows are empty-headed. Ha… hahaha…”

“Look at this brat? Aren’t you an unorthodox fellow? Then you are practically on the side of the Demonic Cult.”

“Why is the Unorthodox Faction the Demonic Cult?”

Annoyed, Gwon Mu-jin raised his voice.

Treating the Demonic Cult and the Unorthodox Faction as equals? That was preposterous!

Of course, it was undeniable that the Demonic Cult was higher in rank than the Unorthodox Faction, but the Unorthodox Faction also had its own pride and history.

Especially Martial Sovereign Castle.

“Oh? Look at this fellow? This is why unorthodox bastards are a problem. What is the point of treating them well? They just stab you in the back.”

“That is true.”

Even Namgung Cheon agreed and nodded. He also seemed to think that Gwon Mu-jin was in the wrong for raising his voice in front of his elders.

“T-These people…”

Gwon Mu-jin’s eyebrows twitched as he forced himself to hold back his anger. If not for the moving carriage, or if they had been weaker than him, he might have dragged them down by their collars.

Sa Do-hak added fuel to his fire.

“What was it? Do you know why Martial Sovereign Castle is still alive? It is because of the Demonic Cult and…”

“The grace of the Orthodox Martial World. Indeed!”

“Ho. For once, my thoughts align with yours.”

“Hahaha. I think so too.”

They showed such intimacy that it was hard to believe they had been arguing just moments ago. Watching them laugh together, they looked like the best of friends.

“Those damn old geezers!”

In the end, it was Gwon Mu-jin who lost his temper.

Deciding that he could not listen to any more of this, he stood up from the driver’s seat. He looked ready to enter the carriage and have it out.

Just as Namgung Cheon and Sa Do-hak showed amusement.

“No fighting!”

A voice that instantly brought silence echoed.

A completely pouting Dan So-mi shouted.

Puffer-fish-cheeked and huffing in anger, So-mi looked around the carriage and spoke to the two old men with her tiny lips.

“Grandpa, you too! If you fight, I will tell Daddy!”

“…Ah. Y-Yes.”

“Ahem!”

“Uncle Gwon too!”

The three men who had been making a racket shut their mouths.

Then, slowly reading Dan So-mi’s expression, they turned their heads away.

They had thought they could relax since Dan Woo-hyun was not around, but remembering that there was another scary child present, they each stared out the window.

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