Chapter 209: Chapter 209

“Is it here?”

A village somewhat distant from Mount Cheon.

Although it was a small village overall, it seemed to have developed so much that there was nothing it lacked.

Among the closely packed houses, large inns could be seen, and there was also a large sect.

The marketplace was also quite lively.

Even though it was far from a center of trade, there were a variety of goods as if there were quite a few merchants frequenting this place, and there seemed to be no hesitation in exchanges.

Sa Do-hak, who was wearing a mask, silently stared at it.

‘It has changed a lot…….’

This was the place where Dongbanggu was born and raised.

It was also the place where Sa Do-hak and Dongbanggu met. Although some traces of their childhood remained, many things had changed as time passed.

Back then, there weren’t this many people…… and there weren’t such large buildings…… making such thoughts, he unconsciously gave a bitter smile.

“Time is indeed so fleeting.”

At Sa Do-hak’s words, Dan Woo-hyun looked at him.

“Is time fleeting, or do you miss those days?”

“Hmm? Puhaha! One could think of it that way. Yes…… indeed…….”

Sa Do-hak did not answer for a moment as if thinking, then nodded. Although his expression could not be seen, the words coming from his mouth were quite bright.

“I must be missing those days.”

Dan Woo-hyun also knew that feeling.

Although he was spending good days with Dan So-mi, it was also true that he occasionally missed those times.

Perhaps that was proof that Dan Woo-hyun had aged.

Dan Woo-hyun asked again with a smile.

“So, did you find the place you were looking for?”

“We just have to go straight along this road. If my memory serves me right, that is.”

They were the family of Dongbanggu, of all people.

Simultaneously with Sa Do-hak ascending to the position of Heavenly Demon and seizing control of the Demonic Cult, Dongbanggu, who had gained great power, naturally took care of his family.

The largest manor in this village was Dongbanggu’s house.

Dan So-mi, who was walking while tightly holding Namgung So-hye’s hand, rolled her eyes here and there. As if the sight she saw for the first time was wondrous, she would look up, or could not take her eyes off it for a while.

Dan So-mi, who had been walking for a long time, silently looked at Namgung So-hye as if she noticed something strange. Every time a warrior carrying a sword passed by, her tension was transmitted from her fingertips.

“What is wrong?”

“Ahaha…… N-No, it is nothing.”

Namgung So-hye gave an awkward smile.

She tilted her head and reassured Dan So-mi, who was looking at her with a worried gaze. However, the eyes that glanced around were still full of tension.

‘Huu…… for me to come to a place like this…….’

The entirety of Xinjiang was the territory of the Demonic Cult.

Thus, orthodox martial artists could not enter carelessly. Of course, it would be possible to penetrate while hiding one’s identity, but before going far, they would surely go missing and be found as a corpse somewhere.

Even more so, as the daughter of the Namgung Clan, which could be called a pillar of the Orthodox faction, coming inside the territory of the Demonic Cult, which could be called the main enemy, weighed heavily on her mind.

‘Why is Grandfather so carefree?’

However, on the contrary, Namgung Cheon was composed.

Walking ahead, he was smiling while talking with Sa Do-hak, and not a shred of tension could be found in that appearance.

It was even more so because they could have targeted and attacked by the hundred thousand demonic followers. Furthermore, unlike Namgung Cheon, she was not even wearing a mask.

Although she covered her face with a veil, masters could sufficiently see through it.

It was not only Namgung So-hye who was anxious.

Jang Sam-tae and Ma Jang-gang were also looking around with tense expressions.

They were the two who had barely escaped not even a few months ago when wanted posters of them were circulating.

But, since they had returned to the territory of the Demonic Cult once again, how great must their anxiety be.

“Do not look around like that. That makes it look more suspicious.”

“No, do we not look suspicious wherever we go?”

Jang Sam-tae muttered with a somewhat displeased expression.

Leaving aside Dan So-mi and Dan Woo-hyun, the two old men were wearing masks, and one woman was wearing a veil.

Even without that, they were drawing attention due to the bizarre masks, and Jang Sam-tae and Ma Jang-gang wrapped masks to hide their faces.

It was natural for the passing people to glance at them.

Especially when the warriors holding swords watched them, their spines went cold.

“It is here…….”

Eventually, Sa Do-hak stopped at a certain place.

A large manor.

They had seen countless houses until coming here, but there was no place as large as this one.

It was grand and luxurious, showing that a reputable influential person lived there.

But for some reason, it was very quiet.

The main gate was firmly locked, and there was not even a sign of a person inside. As if no one lived there, Sa Do-hak frowned.

“Strange.”

He approached the front of the main gate with a puzzled expression.

“Oops! You there! What do you think you are doing now?”

A pedestrian passing by the road approached and hastily stopped Sa Do-hak. His face was pale as if he were a person in shock.

“I was trying to open the gate?”

“You are going to cause big trouble! Not only is this place empty, but it is also a place where no one must enter.”

The pedestrian spoke with a fuss. Glancing at the surroundings, he seemed anxious even about conversing in front of this gate.

He reached out and pulled Sa Do-hak’s collar.

At the touch that lacked even a trace of killing intent, Sa Do-hak also meekly followed him and quickly moved away from the main gate.

“By any chance, are you acquaintances of the Dongfang family?”

“That is so?”

“I will not say anything else, but do not get involved with that place any longer. If you get caught by the Demonic Cult people by any chance, it will not end with just a severe beating.”

“…….”

Sa Do-hak’s expression distorted. Although it could not be seen due to the mask, one could feel his gaze turning fierce. The pedestrian was startled and bowed his head before he knew it.

“If there is no one inside, where are the people of the Dongfang family now?”

Dan Woo-hyun, who was watching, asked.

That there was no one could be known just by their presence.

If the people of the Dongfang family were not dead, it meant they were staying somewhere else.

Judging by the pedestrian’s behavior, it seemed clear they were alive.

“Ahem…… they are……”

* * *

“Pardon?”

Jang Sam-tae thought for a moment if he had misheard.

“So…… the village is right in front of us, and there are plenty of places to sleep, but…… you are saying we will sleep outside?”

“Yes.”

Watching Dan Woo-hyun nod meekly, Jang Sam-tae was dumbfounded. Dan Woo-hyun was the one who did not spare money if it was for Dan So-mi.

But suddenly sleeping outside?

At a time when eating and sleeping in a good inn would still not be enough!

Even consider the number of people.

In this situation where there was not even anything to eat, to feed and house this many people, it was a situation where he would have to work until his back bent.

Jang Sam-tae wanted to avoid that at least.

“R-Rather, I will go sleep at an inn with So-mi and come back!”

“…….”

He subtly brought up Dan So-mi’s name.

Because among the people here, there was no one for whom that name would not work. Especially, to Dan Woo-hyun more than anyone, it was no different from a magic cure.

Was that thought accurate?

He felt Dan Woo-hyun was wavering somewhat.

“So-mi will sleep comfortably! This Sam-tae will look after So-mi! If the Manor Lord rests comfortably here……”

“I like the outdoors too!”

At that time, Dan So-mi, who approached with a beaming smile, grabbed Jang Sam-tae’s collar and handed over something she held in her hand.

It was none other than a fig.

“I picked it over there! There seems to be a huge amount of them near here.”

“S-So-mi, rather than a dangerous place like this, an inn is more……”

“Baekmyo also said it is good! And So-mi wanted to try doing something like this.”

She looked up at Jang Sam-tae with her eyes sparkling. Because that innocent gaze was so bright, he covered his eyes before he knew it and stepped back.

But he could not back down.

“F-Fearful wild beasts might……”

“Hehe, Uncle Sam-tae is going to protect me!”

At that smiling appearance, Jang Sam-tae’s heart melted.

When he was with that child, whether it was a mountain, a field, or a room, what did that matter? Just being together was what was important!

With that thought, he readily nodded.

“Right, right! This Uncle Jang will also make delicious things, so let’s play together!”

“Wow-! So-mi picked a huge amount knowing that would be the case!”

She began to take out something from her bosom. She had picked wild greens to be used in cooking, and the moment she laid them down one by one, the eyes of the surrounding people widened.

“…….”

Jang Sam-tae examined them one by one with his hands trembling. They were wild greens, but they were not things that could just be eaten.

“This is…… ginseng.”

“Ginseng?”

Namgung Cheon looked at the wild ginseng lying on the ground and smiled absurdly. Not only was the size large, but spiritual energy flowed from the entire ginseng, making it unmistakably a spiritual herb.

Although it was not to the extent of increasing internal energy, it was enough to make a spiritual pill that could treat internal injuries.

There was also fleeceflower root, and looking at the quite solid thickness, they were things that even gatherers who climbed mountains could not easily obtain.

‘Where on earth did she obtain such things…….’

Even Dan Woo-hyun was dumbfounded and could not speak.

“With this, we can eat something delicious, right?”

As if the party concerned, Dan So-mi, knew nothing, she was smiling beamly, thinking about tonight’s side dishes.

“Of course. It will be a good dinner.”

“Hehe.”

Stroking the head of So-mi who smiled shyly, Dan Woo-hyun looked at the wild ginseng.

Since it looked like the most valuable thing, it seemed he could make some money if he sold it at the marketplace.

Around the time he was thinking that.

Boom-!

Suddenly, a loud roar was heard.

Dan So-mi, who was startled, looked toward the direction of the sound with her eyes wide. That place was definitely the small village they were in until just a moment ago.

“Just now……?”

“Do not pay attention. More than that, we must prepare to eat dinner.”

At the appearance of Dan Woo-hyun smiling gently, Dan So-mi gave a small nod.

And at that moment, Jang Sam-tae realized.

Why he had entered the forest saying he would sleep outside instead of sleeping in the village, and for what reason Sa Do-hak was not in this place.

Although it was different from the first one, boom boom! sounds were heard consecutively from behind.

The gazes of Namgung So-hye, Gwon Mu-jin, and Ma Jang-gang did not drift from there.

They, whose internal energy was deeper than Jang Sam-tae’s, seemed to be hearing the screams of people echoing from a distant place.

“It has begun.”

Eventually, Namgung Cheon muttered as he threw firewood into the bonfire. The power of the enraged Sa Do-hak was dominating the surroundings.

Although it was a distant distance, Sa Do-hak’s thick demonic energy ignored distance.

Power to the extent that his palms tingled was transmitted riding the wind.

“Is this the power of the Demonic Emperor……?”

The one who had clashed countless times, but had not revealed his true power.

Therefore, many people only thought he would be similar to Namgung Cheon, but the Sword Emperor Namgung Cheon actually already knew.

That Sa Do-hak had already crossed the wall.

“Are you envious?”

“Hahaha, is it not naturally an envious thing? Look…… even from now, my noble spirit is boiling up.”

Namgung Cheon smiled, his eyes sparkling like a young child.

If Sa Do-hak had crossed over, he would also be able to cross over.

He looked forward to that day so much.

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