Chapter 332: Chapter 332

Hong Won-chang was sweating profusely.

When he came out early in the morning stretching his back to breathe in the fresh air, Dan So-mi was already sitting on the veranda swinging her legs.

As if someone had brought it to her, she had a snack in her mouth, and the sight of her crunching on it was truly a picture in itself.

However, a massive White Tiger was lying down asleep in front of the little child, and the sight was so bizarre that he broke into a sweat without realizing it.

Who wouldn’t be?

If a tiger several times larger than an adult male took up residence right in the front yard of their house.

Dan So-mi, together with the White Tiger, looked like a Southern Barbarian martial artist who was said to handle wild beasts among the outer forces.

Of course, in that the beast Dan So-mi was handling was no ordinary wild beast, it looked several times more dangerous than the Southern Barbarian martial artists.

“Uhm… So-mi?”

Hong Won-chang, who had been staring blankly, spoke with difficulty. His face was covered in cold sweat, due to his fear of the tiger.

Just then, Dan So-mi, who had been nibbling on the snack, turned her head.

She looked at Hong Won-chang and grinned, and because it was so pretty, his heart felt like it would skip a beat. However, Hong Won-chang quickly composed himself and asked.

“Are you not scared?”

“Of what?”

Tap, tap-

She tapped the White Tiger at her feet several times. Each time, a short growl was heard, but it did not pounce or get angry.

However, perhaps it was highly dissatisfied, as it opened its closed eyes and glared at Hong Won-chang. The eyes of the golden beast pierced sharply.

Flinch!

Hong Won-chang shrank back without realizing it.

“Ah… never mind.”

“Huh?”

Dan So-mi truly did not seem to know what Hong Won-chang was worried about. It was probably because to this little child, the White Tiger and the White Cat were just cute animals.

Chuckling without realizing it, Hong Won-chang slowly approached and sat down beside Dan So-mi.

He kept some distance from the White Tiger; no matter how gentle it was said to be, he did not seem to want to keep a tiger right in front of him at all.

“More importantly, are you okay now? In the past, you used to be so anxious whenever you stayed at our house.”

“Hehe, I am used to it now.”

Dan So-mi smiled shyly.

The one who reacted to that smile and the words that she was used to it was none other than Hong Won-chang. If she thought of this place as her real home, it was something to celebrate in its own way. Increasingly, Dan So-mi looked like a daughter-in-law to him.

“Hahaha, yes, now this house is your house…”

“Anyway, Dad is doing something that So-mi should not see again.”

…

Swinging her tiny legs, Dan So-mi muttered so.

She was speaking as if she knew what it meant to leave her at this house.

Cold sweat dripped down Hong Won-chang’s forehead.

“T-That… cannot be.”

“Hehe, right? But I know.”

Stretching widely, Dan So-mi grinned as she looked at the sweating Hong Won-chang.

This little child’s smiling face seemed to pressure Hong Won-chang in some subtle way, and it carried the implication that she knew everything but was keeping her mouth shut.

Hong Won-chang held his breath without realizing it.

Perhaps this child was far smarter and craftier than she looked.

It was a moment where Hong Jin-rang’s future was envisioned for no reason.

* * *

“What?!”

Zhuge Yeon, looking gaunt, raised her voice. Blood was splattered all over her body, and she was covered in cuts here and there.

Although it must have been a situation where even standing was difficult, Zhuge Yeon, raising her voice, frowned as she looked at the weakly smiling Muho.

“I… I mean, I said that Great Master Seon-jin was captured.”

Muho spoke with a trembling voice.

He was barely keeping his lifeline intact by meditating to regulate his breathing. Although he had received basic treatment, he had sustained so many critical wounds that it would not be strange if he collapsed at any moment.

In such a situation, with Zhuge Yeon’s voice ringing in his ears, his stomach felt so bad that he felt like he would cough up blood.

“Where to?”

Zhuge Yeon, who looked as if she would grab Muho by the collar right away, suppressed her impatience and asked.

The peerless Great Master Seon-jin had been captured, yet Shaolin closed its gates and did nothing, so the absurdity of the situation was beyond words.

She had not even thought that Great Master Seon-jin would be captured. It was because she had assumed he had died a heroic death while defending the Murim Alliance.

“Just how did things reach that state? Was the Murim Alliance not the pillar of the Orthodox Faction? Is it alright for it to collapse so easily?”

Expressing her resentment, Zhuge Yeon’s expression was worse than ever before.

Even amidst numerous crises in the Martial World, the Murim Alliance was a place that had never collapsed once, and it was also a place that had definitely succeeded no matter what happened.

That such a place had fallen was hard enough to believe, but for even Seon-jin, who could be considered its leader, to be captured was not a situation she could understand.

Her sharp gaze turned toward Muho.

The pride of being orthodox members and a sect that had once led the Murim Alliance seemed to have crumbled in an instant.

“Where is he?”

Just then, Gwon Mu-jin approached quietly, patted Zhuge Yeon, and asked carefully. Having once received help in the past, he treated Muho with courtesy.

Whether he knew this or not, Muho wore a bitter smile.

“To… Wudang…”

Muho groaned and closed his eyes tightly.

This was because he knew the reason they had dragged Great Master Seon-jin to Wudang. Facing Wudang, which had still not knelt before the name of the Blood Heaven, they intended to cut off the neck of Seon-jin, who could be called the current pillar of the Orthodox Faction, right before their eyes.

If that happened, many people would be shaken, and they would be able to make the name of the Blood Heaven known widely to the world once again.

“How miserable.”

Dan Woo-hyun sneered as he looked at the three.

Devouring Martial Sovereign Castle which had led the Unorthodox Faction, smashing Shaolin and the Murim Alliance which were the pillars of the Orthodox Faction, and even cutting off the neck of its leader?

Those who did not hesitate to commit such cruel acts were truly no different from demons, and it was an extremely miserable situation for those who suffered it.

No one could get angry at Dan Woo-hyun, who clicked his tongue.

Even Zhuge Yeon, whose pride as an orthodox member was so strong, bit her lips tightly and remained silent.

Who would have thought that the Orthodox Murim would collapse to this extent?

“P-Please… help us…”

Muho bowed his head deeply and begged.

Since he felt it could never be resolved unless it was Dan Woo-hyun, he wanted to cling to even a thread of hope.

“Wudang…”

Dan Woo-hyun turned his head toward the northwest.

The place he originally had to go was Mount Yungjung. Recovering the stolen items was the goal of this journey.

Since the distance from Mount Yungjung to Mount Wudang was not very far, he laughed, perhaps intending to go sightsee Wudang after a long time.

“It has been a long time since I visited there.”

“Are you helping us?”

Zhuge Yeon’s gaze directed at Dan Woo-hyun.

That Dan Woo-hyun, who would not move unless it was a major event, was personally going to Mount Wudang meant that he also viewed this situation seriously.

“It would not be bad to see how much the three peaks of Mount Wudang have changed.”

“Do you really have to say you will help in such a roundabout way?”

Zhuge Yeon’s sharp gaze pierced him.

No matter who looked at it, Dan Woo-hyun had accepted Muho’s request. He could just nod and say he would help, so was there really a need to beat around the bush?

Just then, Dan Woo-hyun laughed again and looked at the two.

“You will have to improve your skills until then. To be in this state against a mere sword formation…”

Flinch!

The two shrank back.

Since they had struggled even when Dan Woo-hyun had already reduced their numbers by one, it was a situation where they could not dare to rebut.

Gwon Mu-jin simply hung his head low.

“B-But, we won anyway. And their formation was something seen for the first time in the Central Plains.”

Zhuge Yeon grumbled with a dissatisfied expression.

The Zhuge Family was a clan that had not neglected studying this Central Plains Murim for a long time. Thus, they had memorized many sword formations, but what those men had deployed was a type she had never seen before.

Since she had to move while thinking about how to counter and face the sword formation, her body’s response naturally had to slow down.

Just then, Dan Woo-hyun stood up from his seat.

He then lightly looked at the corpses fallen around.

Those wearing red blood robes.

The color was the same as the clothes he had seen in Mount Changbai, but it felt somewhat different.

Dan Woo-hyun, who had been quietly watching that, waved his hand. The wind that surged in an instant extended like blades, slicing the hems of their clothes.

Everyone held their breath at the extremely delicate control of internal energy.

To handle wind in that manner was amazing in itself, but using wind like blades to cut thin clothing was also something not easily believable.

“J-Just who on earth is that gentleman…”

“You do not need to know.”

Zhuge Yeon shook her head with a dumbfounded expression.

‘Seriously, it is unbelievable unless seen with one’s own eyes.’

Anyone would have the same thought. That was how much Dan Woo-hyun’s divine might was considered beyond human.

‘Would the legendary Martial God be like that? Or would the Three Heavens be like that?’

She compared them with Dan Woo-hyun, but even had the ridiculous delusion that perhaps Dan Woo-hyun was even stronger.

Zhuge Yeon smirked and shook her head.

“No doubt about it.”

Just then, Dan Woo-hyun muttered softly.

The blood robes worn by the dead were different from those of the Blood Demon Sect. Except for the red color, there was no similar feeling at all. However, the moment their upper bodies were stripped, something was revealed.

A brand.

The clear brand engraved on the upper chest was unmistakably a pattern symbolizing the Blood Demon Sect.

“Do you know something?”

Gwon Mu-jin approached and asked.

Judging by Dan Woo-hyun’s expression, he seemed to have realized their identity. However, Dan Woo-hyun shook his head without answering and soon turned his gaze.

“Do not worry about it. More importantly, are those who captured the old man named Seon-jin or whatever also like them?”

“Y-Yes. However… their martial arts were truly beyond the heavens… even Great Master Seon-jin could not face them properly.”

At that single word, Dan Woo-hyun nodded.

As he turned around leisurely and walked, Gwon Mu-jin naturally followed behind. Not caring about the patient Muho even the slightest bit was typical of them.

“Uh… so, well…”

Zhuge Yeon let out a short groan and thought.

Should she leave Muho behind like this? She briefly agonized over whether she should at least take him to the village. However, the moment she saw Dan Woo-hyun who had already drifted far away, she dropped that thought.

“Take care of yourself!”

“Uh…?! M-Miss?”

The flustered Muho tried to shout, but Zhuge Yeon did not even look back.

Muho was left alone with a dazed expression. Soon after Zhuge Yeon’s figure disappeared from his sight, Muho awkwardly pressed his palms together.

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