Chapter 283: Chapter 283

“So such a thing happened.”

With a skewer stuffed in his mouth, Dan Woo-hyun nodded. Dan So-mi sat on the veranda, swinging her legs and staring intently at it.

Seeing her drool, she seemed to want to eat it.

However, Dan Woo-hyun deliberately paid no attention.

Perhaps because Dan So-mi, who had been staring intently at him for a while, was cute, he seemed to want to tease her a bit more.

When Dan So-mi stealthily reached for the skewer, Dan Woo-hyun naturally turned his head away.

“When it comes to martial arts, how you use it is the most important thing. You used it for yourself, so you did the right thing.”

“Ugh…”

Nothing entered Dan So-mi’s ears anymore.

She had only one thought: she wanted to eat the skewer in front of her.

Even the pride of using martial arts of her own will for the first time was absent from this small child’s expression.

“Still, it is impressive. To suppress someone in one go without learning a single technique… Is it because you take after me?”

“I do not care about that, give it to So-mi… please!”

In the end, Dan So-mi clung to Dan Woo-hyun, reached out, and snatched the skewer.

Not caring in the least that a bite had already been taken out of it, she bit down hard.

A bright smile spread across Dan So-mi’s face at the flavor filling her mouth.

“Is it delicious?”

“Yes! The food Uncle Jang cooks is the most delicious in the world.”

“Right… I am glad.”

Dan Woo-hyun smiled.

Seeing it go into Dan So-mi’s mouth, he smacked his lips and turned his gaze elsewhere.

He saw Jang Sam-tae humming, holding a skewer in his hand.

It seemed to be the last skewer left after distributing them to the people of the family.

“Sam-tae.”

“Yes?”

At the sudden call, Jang Sam-tae quickly approached Dan Woo-hyun.

A wide smile was on his face because the skewers he made after a long time were quite well-cooked.

At this rate, he felt they could be sold for a higher price than the skewers sold in the marketplace of Yueyang.

“Let me see it for a moment.”

Jang Sam-tae handed over the skewer without thinking.

His face was so pure that there was not even a trace of suspicion. Because he never thought that Dan Woo-hyun, of all people, would snatch and eat a mere skewer.

Receiving the skewer in his hand, Dan Woo-hyun quickly took a bite.

“What… what are you doing?!”

“Can you not tell by looking? I am eating.”

“No… but that is mine?”

“Is it not that whoever eats it first owns it?”

The corners of Jang Sam-tae’s mouth trembled.

Even so, how could someone snatch what a person was holding and eat it as they pleased?

Except for having a single piece when tasting it at first, he had not even eaten properly yet.

Turning his gaze, Dan So-mi had already devoured everything she had.

Nevertheless, as if it was not enough, she was eyeing Dan Woo-hyun’s skewer.

“Give it back, please.”

“…But I have already eaten from it?”

“That is fine. So-mi eats well.”

“No, I am going to eat it?”

“It is So-mi’s?”

Jang Sam-tae and So-mi glared at each other.

Since they rarely fought, it was quite surprising. Dan Woo-hyun, stuck in the middle, just smiled and watched the scene.

He had not the slightest intention of giving it to them, yet they were making a fuss by themselves.

Taking another big bite of the skewer, he looked to the side.

“…It looks delicious.”

The one who approached Dan Woo-hyun’s side was none other than Zhuge Yeon.

Covered in dirt, she looked as if dust would billow in clouds if she shook herself.

Dan Woo-hyun slightly lifted his buttocks and shifted aside.

He sent a look telling her not to kick up dust while he was eating.

“I did not even expect any. More importantly, have you heard the news?”

“What news?”

“They say the late-generation disciples of the Heavenly Dao Society are participating in this Martial World tournament.”

“I know.”

He had already met them with Namgung So-hye. A high-spirited woman and a man were particularly eye-catching.

They were probably the central figures.

“And they are said to be participating as representatives of the Prince of Geum’s estate.”

Zhuge Yeon sat on the veranda with a small sigh. Since registration was already finished, she was identifying the list of participants to watch out for.

Looking for information was easy using the Haohmen.

At that time, what Zhuge Yeon discovered were precisely the names of the late-generation disciples.

Although somewhat surprising, it was a highly plausible occurrence considering the relationship between the Prince of Geum’s estate and the Heavenly Dao Society.

“It is exactly as Zhuge Un predicted.”

Dan Woo-hyun chuckled.

Zhuge Un had predicted that the Heavenly Dao Society and the Prince of Geum’s estate would surely step forward.

The Prince of Geum’s estate had a historical connection with the Zhuge Family, and through that, the other Eight Great Families naturally became acquainted.

They would try to spread their wings using that connection.

Not a single word Zhuge Un said was wrong.

“But are they really worth making such a fuss over?”

At his question, Zhuge Yeon bit her lower lip.

Of course, she did not think it would be difficult.

In fact, the late-generation disciples without Namgung So-hye and Shaolin could not be considered particularly great opponents.

However, one person was different.

Tang Mun-hye.

She was the prized daughter of the Sichuan Tang Family and possessed exceptionally unrivaled skill among the late-generation disciples.

Rumors even circulated that she was Namgung So-hye’s equal, making her a woman who must never be underestimated.

A sigh naturally escaped her at the thought of having to face such a woman.

“Hehe, what does it matter about late-generation disciples? This Sam-tae will quickly win and present the prize money to the Family Head!”

“Haha, I am counting on you.”

“Hehehe.”

Jang Sam-tae rubbed his hands and approached Dan Woo-hyun.

His eyes were filled with expectation, as if he wanted something.

Realizing this, Dan Woo-hyun slightly offered the skewer.

“Eat.”

“Thank you, Family Head!”

Although only about half of it remained, Jang Sam-tae bowed and accepted the skewer.

Zhuge Yeon showed a fed-up expression, but what did it matter?

To the hungry Jang Sam-tae, it was more precious than a spiritual medicine aged for hundreds of years.

Dan So-mi, who was by his side, tugged at Jang Sam-tae’s collar and stared up at him.

Jang Sam-tae silently turned his head and ignored her gaze.

* * *

A black shadow blanketed the sky.

Due to the darkness, it was impossible to tell what was flying around, but it was certain that something was stealthily moving.

Moving under the cover of darkness, it was strangely bizarre.

The shadow moved carefully toward where a person was, then quickly reached out like snatching prey and grabbed a passerby’s neck.

Crack!

“Keheck!”

Since the neck was snapped just like that, not even a proper groan escaped.

When the body, which had been trembling for a while, went completely limp, the shadow placed a hand on the dantian with a satisfied expression.

He felt the internal energy slowly dispersing from the dead man’s body.

As he performed the energy absorption art to intercept the dispersing energy, more internal energy than expected began to accumulate step by step in his body.

“This is good.”

Glinting his eyes, he smiled.

Carrying the corpse, which had dried up like a mummy, he climbed high onto a roof.

Drawing a small bottle from his chest, he sprinkled a drop or two of its contents onto the corpse, and it disappeared without leaving even bones behind, accompanied by a musty odor.

“What business does that fellow have in a place like this… Tsk.”

Clicking his tongue, he looked around and muttered.

Although it was late at night, prey was overflowing.

Did they say a Martial World tournament was being held? Thanks to that, the things worth consuming had increased considerably.

Nevertheless, the man was quite dissatisfied.

“The reason he sent me all the way here could not possibly be just to hunt…”

It was due to the baffling order.

If not for the restriction, he would have captured and killed that fellow in a heartbeat, but since that damn restriction bound even his soul, he had no choice but to obey.

Was he supposed to kill someone?

Or was he supposed to throw this place into chaos?

The man thought for a long time, then frowned.

“Damn Man Hu-ryang… it surely is not simple surveillance…”

The man lightly leapt away.

He began to search the entirety of Changsha once again to grasp the underlying intention.

* * *

“People are disappearing?”

Early in the morning, Hong Won-chang, who had hurriedly visited the family, nodded while sweating profusely. In just the past two days, the number of missing people had reached a dozen.

Because not even a trace could be found, it was extremely troubling.

Although they had deployed even the constables to search the vicinity thoroughly, they could not find out where they went or what had happened to them.

“What do you mean by that? It is not as if they suddenly soared into the sky or sank into the ground, yet they disappeared without a trace?”

Even Namgung Cheon asked with a strange expression.

When a person moves, a trace is bound to remain. Thus, by assigning a few people skilled in tracking, they should be able to find the missing persons.

Nevertheless, being completely unable to find them was no different from their very existence having vanished.

Was such a thing even possible?

“I heard the missing people were wanderers with fairly high martial skills. That is why it is even more… strange.”

Hong Won-chang had heard the story told by a companion of one of the missing men.

He said the man vanished along with a short sound while they were walking together after drinking.

He testified that he quickly gave chase, but only a black shadow came into view.

That shadow was so fast and agile that it disappeared into the distance in an instant, and its tracks could not be found at all.

“A black shadow…”

Namgung Cheon glanced at Sado Hak. He wondered if Sado Hak knew anything, as the Demonic Cult would be more familiar with that kind of martial arts.

However, Sado Hak shook his head.

Since there was more than one shadow-creation stealth technique, and using stealth to subdue a person and then quickly vanishing using lightness art was by no means an easy feat.

If there were someone who could use those two martial arts freely, he would have remembered their name, but no one in particular came to mind.

At that moment, Jang Sam-tae, who had been listening quietly, looked at Dan Woo-hyun and Hong Won-chang as if he had thought of something.

Was it because of that expression?

Everyone’s gaze naturally directed toward Jang Sam-tae.

“If you know anything, speak up!”

Hong Won-chang urged Jang Sam-tae. Since it was an urgent matter, there was nothing better than having even a small clue.

Jang Sam-tae glanced at Dan Woo-hyun’s reaction.

“Well…”

“Speak.”

After a brief pause, Dan Woo-hyun’s permission was granted.

Jang Sam-tae spoke with a solemn expression.

“Are shadows not originally black?”

“…”

Everyone around was left speechless.

They just stared at Jang Sam-tae with blank expressions.

Soon after, Dan Woo-hyun’s hand moved lightly.

“Aaack!”

A wailing cry echoed endlessly.

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