Chapter 272: Chapter 272

“Is…… Is this really the place?”

Namgung Kang turned his head with a look of disbelief. Gathered there were many people from the Namgung Clan, including Namgung Yong, who cherished So-hye terribly.

It might be a problem that most of them were men, but they did not seem to care in the slightest about what others thought.

“There is no mistake. I asked people here and there, and it was already famous?”

“Fa…… Famous?”

Namgung Yong tilted his head, unable to understand the meaning. However, anxiety was harbored in his eyes, and the words that followed fueled it even more.

“They say she is the wife of the immortal living here…….”

“A, an immortal’s wife? That child is indeed pretty!”

“No, they said an immortal…… And they also say there is a child between the two…….”

There was no need to listen to what he did not want to hear. There was no need to heed uncertain rumors. This was especially true regarding Namgung So-hye.

An immortal’s wife, how could such a thing even be possible?

It must have been just talkative people blabbering whatever came out of their mouths.

“No, but who on earth is this immortal?”

Namgung Kang asked, trembling all over but keeping as calm as possible.

In fact, he also remembered hearing about it here and there.

Whispers were circulating that it was a house where an immortal lived, a place that even the magistrate of Yueyang could do nothing about.

But there was no way an immortal would live in such a grand house.

Of course, this place was also quite secluded, but it seemed like a lot of money had been spent for an immortal to live there.

Just then, the main gate opened.

The eyes of those sending tense gazes sank low.

“Yaaaawn-!”

A small child came outside.

Stretching long and yawning, she picked up items placed between the walls one by one.

Whether she intended to fish, she walked away briskly carrying the items.

Everyone’s eyes turned toward the child.

“Ahem!”

Namgung Kang cleared his throat and gathered his senses.

Although it was only for a moment, his gaze had been stolen by the young child.

“A…… A cute child indeed…….”

“Right? I thought so too. She looks exactly like So-hye did in her childhood.”

“Hahaha, yes, yes, that is true. Anyone looking would think she is So-hye’s daughter.”

“……I, indeed.”

“Mmm…….”

“…….”

The two men swallowed hard.

Hoping it was not true, they denied every scenario in their heads.

No matter how they thought about it, the child looked about seven or eight years old, and So-hye had been solely devoted to martial arts training at that time.

However, it was also true that a similar feeling lingered.

And at that moment.

Something leaped over the wall and revealed itself.

It was a huge, snow-white tiger, which landed lightly despite its massive size, then stared at the place where Namgung Yong was.

Growl-

The low, bursting growl made their skin crawl.

For a moment, everyone present froze like stone statues. Realizing that it was no ordinary white tiger took only an instant.

Also, on the back of the white tiger was a small cat, which stared as if sensing the presence of the Namgung Clan people and let out a low cry.

“Ugh……!”

That cry felt somehow alien.

The moment they heard it, they felt a sensation of being sucked into an abyss. If they did not keep their wits about them, they felt they would reveal themselves unconsciously upon hearing that cat’s cry.

Meow-

The cat, which had cried several times, turned its head away, seemingly losing interest.

Whether it judged that they would not do any harm, it lay down and settled comfortably on the back of the white tiger.

At that moment, the white tiger moved toward the place where the child had run off.

“What…… What is that……?”

“Wasn’t, wasn’t it a white tiger? A…… A complete spiritual beast……?”

“It seems such things really exist in reality……. It is my first time seeing one.”

Gulping sounds came from here and there.

That was how shocking the sight was.

Once again, the door opened.

Everyone’s eyes fixed on that spot once more. Soon, a man came out, holding a broom, and began to sweep the surroundings briskly.

He looked somewhat sly, and his martial arts did not seem that high either.

Looking at him, Namgung Kang quietly placed his hand on the hilt of his sword and slowly drew the blade.

“Is it that bastard? Shall I kill him?”

In an instant, the man sweeping the yard was seen flinching. As if getting goosebumps, he rubbed both arms and looked around the surroundings.

He had apparently felt the killing intent.

“No! It cannot be! There is no way!”

“Of course! Who is our lady, to be with such a strange fellow…….”

The sight of them denying it, claiming it could never be, was pitiful. In particular, Namgung Kang, who looked ready to charge at Jang Sam-tae right away, even turned red in the face and snorted loudly.

Soon, the door opened again and familiar faces revealed themselves. Namgung So-hye appeared in somewhat shabby clothing, different from the clothes she usually wore.

“Oh!?”

“So…… So-hye?”

“Ha…….”

Sighs burst out from here and there.

Why was Namgung So-hye, who should only wear fine clothes and eat good things, wearing such clothes? The moment they saw it, anger welled up for no reason.

Along with that, the door opened once more and someone appeared.

It was an old man dressed in pitch-black robes.

He talked about something with the man sweeping, then suddenly, bang! He smacked the man’s head. The sight of the man groaning in pain and crouching down stimulated their eyes.

“Is…… Is that guy the one? The one called the immortal? Shall I kill him?”

“Hmm?”

Namgung Yong quietly stared at the old man.

To think of him as an immortal, he looked familiar for some reason. Moreover, why was that old man walking clomp-clomp toward this place?

While he could not hide his doubts, Namgung Kang drew his sword.

In an instant, as the old man’s face drew closer and closer, Namgung Yong was able to recall a person he had pushed far back in his memory.

“I will kill him.”

“No, wait! Wa…… Wait……!”

Before he could be stopped, Namgung Kang rushed out.

The sight of him kicking off the ground and narrowing the distance in an instant was truly magnificent.

The internal energy loaded at the tip of the sword was also considerable.

No one would be able to easily block this surprise strike.

However.

Slap-!

With a single slap from the old man, Namgung Kang flew like a piece of paper and crashed into a corner.

Namgung So-hye looked at the scene in horror.

Soon, the old man, who approached by slowly narrowing his steps, smiled fiercely.

Namgung Yong, who had watched the entire scene from the beginning while holding his breath, broke into a cold sweat and looked up at the absolute master, the Demon Emperor standing before him, with bewildered eyes.

Sa Do-hak sneered.

“Who wants to die first?”

Everyone turned pale.

* * *

“Plant it straight.”

In the middle of the yard.

As many as ten people were lined up, head down on the ground. Shaking and trembling, they looked to be in quite a lot of pain.

Most of them were clearly members of the Namgung Clan, but he thought it was quite a strange thing that one person who absolutely was not was mixed in.

Jang Sam-tae.

With his head planted on the bare ground, he trembled.

‘Why…… Why me…….’

Jang Sam-tae wore a tearful face.

He had no sin other than waking up early in the morning and going out to sweep. How was he to know if other bastards were hiding nearby?

Yet, Sa Do-hak was handing down the same punishment on the charge of failing to read the presence of the hiding bastards.

‘Damn it…….’

Looking sideways at Namgung Kang next to him, he grimaced.

Thinking that he would have welcomed a pleasant day if not for these fellows, anger welled up inside him for no reason.

Feeling cross, he pushed Namgung Kang away using his buttocks.

Clatter-!

“Urgh!”

“Ugh!”

As many as ten people from the Namgung Clan fell over in a heap. Angered, Namgung Kang jumped up and shouted at Jang Sam-tae, who was still alone with his head planted.

“Are you crazy!?”

“What, you bastard?”

“What…… What did you say?! Bastard?”

“Yes, you bastard! What kind of state am I in now because of you guys!”

Hearing the bickering, Dan Woo-hyun pinched the bridge of his nose.

He cast a glance toward Ma Jang-gang, who nodded his head. Walking over, Ma Jang-gang balled his hand into a fist and struck Namgung Kang’s head.

Whack-!

“Aaaaaah!”

Even looking at the crouching Namgung Kang, Ma Jang-gang did not stop.

He threw a kick toward Jang Sam-tae, who had his head planted.

Swish!

“…….”

“…….”

However, it absurdly cut through the air.

Noticing the incoming kick, Jang Sam-tae had quickly shifted his body to the side.

That ability to move while keeping his head planted on the ground was indeed so amazing that words could not describe it.

Just how many times had he planted his head to develop such an ability?

The corners of Ma Jang-gang’s mouth trembled.

“I am reflecting, so do not hit me. If you are going to hit, do it gently. Hmm? We are close like that, aren’t we.”

“Close how?”

“Going all the way to Tianshan together, right? Eating meals, right? Sleeping together, right? We are close like that.”

Ma Jang-gang sighed and looked at Dan Woo-hyun.

He saw that Dan Woo-hyun also shook his head, finding it a headache.

“What on earth are you doing?”

Dan Woo-hyun, who eventually decided to ignore Jang Sam-tae, asked.

In an instant, Jang Sam-tae, who had his head planted, wore a triumphant expression.

“Da…… Young Master Dan, my father did so out of worry for me…….”

“Just because he is worried, is it acceptable to peer into someone else’s house?”

At the words that flew in, Namgung So-hye flinched.

Sweating cold sweat and bowing her head, she looked somewhat pitiful. Whether she was not accustomed to Dan Woo-hyun’s sharp gaze, she could not even carry on her words properly.

Watching that, Namgung Kang gnashed his teeth.

“Who do you think you are to speak to So-hye in that manner! That child is much more fragile than you think, and if she hears such words, she cries all night!”

“Is that so?”

“No! No, Young Master Dan! It is absolutely not like that!”

Looking at Namgung So-hye who denied it flatly, Dan Woo-hyun chuckled. Then, looking at the people in front of him with a rather bored expression, he spoke.

“I have no interest.”

At those words, Namgung So-hye froze with a shocked expression. Because it came from the mouth of the man she liked, it became a dagger in her heart all the more.

Confirming that face, Namgung Kang rushed forward while gnashing his teeth like crazy.

“Die, you bastard-!”

“Bro, brother!”

Namgung Kang rushing forward recklessly.

Who the opponent was and how strong he was did not enter his eyes; he was only enraged by the fact that he had brought sadness to his younger sister, Namgung So-hye.

Dan Woo-hyun chuckled.

At the same time, the hot-tempered brother was beaten up so hard that wails broke out.

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