Chapter 333: Chapter 333

“Damn it…”

Around Yun Gong, countless corpses lay scattered. They were the bodies of those captured from Hao Sect, and not a single person had survived.

In the hand of Yun Gong, who was red-faced and panting, a sword was held, and perhaps because it had absorbed so much blood, crimson blood dripped heavily from the blade.

“Just what on earth is this? These bastards are not Hao Sect members, are they!”

“…They were definitely people who worked in Hao Sect. Also, Gu Mu-ak was captured at the place you told me, Master Yun Gong.”

Yun Gong glared at Ja Hak-sang with a cold gaze.

The situation where things had gone wrong was already infuriating, but since his subordinate spoke while looking at him as if talking back, blood rushed to his head. He swung his hand without realizing it.

Slap-!

With a sharp sound, Ja Hak-sang’s head snapped to the side.

As if he did not dare to rebel against Yun Gong, he simply stared blankly while touching his reddened right cheek.

That gaze displeased him even more.

Slap-slap-!

Yun Gong slapped Ja Hak-sang’s cheeks several more times.

His plan had failed, and they had spent energy in vain. He appeared to be venting that anger on Ja Hak-sang.

Yun Gong slapped Ja Hak-sang until his own hand hurt, then frowned and took a step back.

“Foolish things… Tch, tch.”

“…”

Ja Hak-sang remained silent. However, his eyes were filled with dissatisfaction.

He had only handled the task as ordered, yet to humiliate him like this just because the result was not to his liking.

A blade-like gaze swept over Yun Gong once, but he did not draw his sword.

However, resentment seemed to build up little by little.

“Tch, we only increased the number of useless corpses.”

Kick!

Yun Gong kicked a corpse lying on the floor.

He did not know who it was.

They were people who wept and begged, saying they were not Hao Sect members. The person who actually appeared to be Gu Mu-ak’s double committed suicide as soon as they tried to force his mouth open, as if his mind were controlled by someone.

“Zhuge Un… He acted so casually, yet he was making moves behind my back?”

Yun Gong felt as if he finally understood why people raised their thumbs toward the Zhuge Family in this vast Central Plains. The blade of Zhuge Un, whom it was no exaggeration to call a sly snake, could not be predicted at all as to when and where it would strike.

Yun Gong admitted his defeat and raised both hands.

“Fine, fine, so this is how you play it?”

In the end, capturing Hao Sect members became impossible. Because he knew they were not people who would fall for the same trick again after being hit once.

Therefore, Yun Gong’s eyes grew even deeper.

He could not directly touch the Hunan Dan Family. Because he acknowledged that their strength was a level above theirs.

If so?

What about their surroundings?

If they saw those connected to the Hunan Dan Family becoming unfortunate one by one, how despairing would they be?

A smile hung at the corner of Yun Gong’s mouth.

“I must use a somewhat extreme method.”

Since he was hit first, he had to retaliate.

He also had to let them know that Myriad Gold Merchant Group was more dangerous than the Hunan Dan Family.

* * *

“Hurry, hurry-!”

“Fetch water!”

Staring at the blazing fire, Hoyeon Ji lost her mind. Not in the late night, but in the bright broad daylight, a fire broke out at Golden Ring Tavern which she ran.

The rising flames did not easily subside, and no matter how hard people tried to pour water to put it out, the flames grew increasingly fierce and swallowed the tavern whole.

Thud-

Hoyeon Ji, who was watching the scene along with numerous people, slumped down.

She had thought she finally found her sanctuary, but since it burned down and vanished, how futile and empty her heart must be?

She had poured everything she had into that tavern.

Inside, it was filled with the liquor she had brewed himself, but as a fire broke out and the tavern collapsed, they all became completely useless.

This was also equivalent to a crisis for Golden Ring Merchant Group.

“How did such a thing happen…”

Hoyeon Ji trembled her hands as she cast an unbelievable look. She had not even lit a single candle, so why on earth did a fire break out?

“Sister…”

Dan So-mi, who approached before she knew it, hugged Hoyeon Ji, who was weeping.

At the same time.

Chwack-!

“Ah!”

Suddenly, blood splattered from her back.

No one knew what had happened. Along with the suddenly surging blood, Hoyeon Ji collapsed powerlessly.

“P-People! Someone has been cut!”

The moment someone shouted loudly, the gazes of the people who had only been looking at the flames naturally directed toward Hoyeon Ji. Having fainted while hugging the little Dan So-mi, she did not even nudge.

“A… doctor! Call a doctor! What are you doing!”

Several people shouted loudly and urgently searched for a physician.

Feeling the commotion and the weight of the powerlessly slumped Hoyeon Ji, tears dripped down from Dan So-mi’s eyes.

Blood got on Dan So-mi’s hands, which were holding Hoyeon Ji.

“Sister… Uwaaaah.”

The crying of the little child spread continuously. Shouting Hoyeon Ji’s name repeatedly and telling her to wake up, Dan So-mi looked as if she had received a massive shock.

Everyone could not hide their pity as they watched that scene.

Just then, someone ran over from afar.

“Just what on earth is this!”

Thunderously-!

The one who approached shouting loudly was Hong Won-chang.

Accompanied by constables, he stiffened his complexion as he looked at the burning Golden Ring Tavern and Hoyeon Ji, who lay collapsed from being cut by a sword.

“Hurry and take her to a physician!”

The moment the constables moved Hoyeon Ji, Hong Won-chang quickly approached Dan So-mi and hugged her small body. Dan So-mi, who was trembling violently and crying, seemed to be out of her mind due to the shock.

“It is okay, it is okay.”

“Sob, sob, b-but sister…”

“Do not worry. This uncle will definitely make sure she lives.”

Hong Won-chang gently stroked her head. It was the method Dan Woo-hyun used when soothing Dan So-mi.

Fortunately, Dan So-mi, who had stopped crying, nodded slightly.

Dan So-mi reached out her hand and tightly grabbed the sleeve of Hong Won-chang’s robe, then stuck close like a leech and did not let go.

Hong Won-chang smiled bitterly as he watched that scene.

“Let us go back for now.”

Hong Won-chang led Dan So-mi toward the magistrate’s office. Since Golden Ring Tavern burned and Hoyeon Ji was attacked and collapsed, this was surely a bad thing.

Moreover, if anything happened to Dan So-mi, this would escalate into something more terrifying than a natural disaster.

As if just thinking about it was terrifying, Hong Won-chang trembled violently.

‘Of all times, for this to happen when the elders are away.’

Sa Do-hak, Namgung Cheon, and even Jeok Mu-seong were not in Yueyang. For some reason, they had not come out of the Hunan Dan Family, and he had an ominous feeling that the incident took place targeting that moment.

“Will sister… really be okay?”

“Do not worry. We left her to a skilled physician, so she will be fine. Trust this uncle!”

“Yes…”

Dan So-mi replied powerlessly and nodded. However, since there was no strength in her voice, she seemed to have not yet escaped from the shock.

While Hong Won-chang let out a sigh, they arrived near the magistrate’s office before they knew it.

The strange thing was that in a place where normally a lot of people should be coming and going, not even a single rat was visible.

Anxiety surged in Hong Won-chang for a moment, but he quickly shook it off.

Stab!

Just then, something dug into his back and pierced through his chest.

Hong Won-chang, looking at the blade with a “Huh?”, turned his head. He saw a man wearing a bamboo hat smirking.

“Unc…”

Just as the startled Dan So-mi was about to shout, the man instantly pulled out his sword and pressed Dan So-mi’s pressure points.

The man caught So-mi as she collapsed listlessly.

He was about to turn back and disappear just like that.

However, he did not achieve that goal.

Because Hong Won-chang, collapsed on the ground, reached out his hand and grabbed the man’s ankle.

“Khg… P-Put the child down.”

Thud!

The man did not even listen and kicked his foot. Hong Won-chang, hit in the face, surged greatly from the impact, but he still did not let go of the hand holding the ankle.

Drip-

Blood dripped down from his face.

“Y-You lunatic… If you take that child… you guys… will not be able to die a peaceful death.”

“…”

Even in a situation where his vision was turning blurry, Hong Won-chang did not forget to warn the man. If it were others, it might be different, but kidnapping Dan So-mi was not a story that could end with a laugh.

Thud-thud-thud-thud-!

However, the man did not listen either.

He extended his foot and struck Hong Won-chang’s face. Slashed so hard, his face became a mess in an instant. Hong Won-chang’s hand that had held on fell off, and as if he lacked even the strength to maintain consciousness, he rolled on the ground like a corpse.

Watching this, the man snorted, letting out a “Hmph.”

Just then.

“Hehehe… hehe…”

Hong Won-chang’s laughter, who was still maintaining consciousness, was heard. Although his appearance was hideous due to blood bursting from his entire face, he barely squeezed out his remaining strength and glared up at the man.

That appearance was truly like a ghost.

“Never… will you die a peaceful death. You guys… definitely… definitely, indeed…”

Hong Won-chang laughed again while uttering such words.

Did he not like that?

The man slowly approached Hong Won-chang.

The blade held in his hand flashed sharply.

The moment it struck down, this thread of life would be cut off immediately.

Grrrr-

And in that instant, the man was at a loss for words.

Why on earth was there such a creature in a place like this?

Even while seeing it with his eyes, he could not understand it in his head.

A massive build that did not look like a simple tiger. Even the momentum it exuded was great, naturally shrinking a person.

Roar-!

At a single roar, he stepped back three paces without realizing it. His ears rang loudly, and goosebumps broke out all over his body. A violent alarm even rang in his head.

Run away from that.

You cannot defeat that.

It was as if it were giving such a warning.

Just as the man who swallowed hard turned around to flee.

Meow-

A clear sound stimulated his ears.

It was a beautiful resonance, enough to make him forget even the fact that he had to flee. Although he recognized in his head that he had to run away immediately due to the sense of crisis, he turned his body without realizing it and looked at it.

It was a small cat, White Cat.

The moment he looked at it, the man was gradually drawn in.

Although he struggled in every way, saying he had to flee and escape, he was bewitched by the crying of White Cat heard once again and could not move.

His two legs were gradually approaching the White Tiger.

As if it had been waiting for that, the White Tiger swiftly rushed over, opened its mouth to lightly bite and pull out Dan So-mi’s collar, and swung its massive front paw.

Thud-!

The sight of his entire body being torn to shreds was beyond cruel, to the point where one could not bear to look at it. As if the White Tiger had still not vented its anger, it swung its claws again toward the intact remaining part.

Slash, slash, slash!

Hong Won-chang grinned as he engraved all those sights in his eyes.

“Hehehe… S-See… you bastard, I said you would not be able to die a peaceful death, didn’t I?”

Hong Won-chang, who had been smiling powerlessly, slumped down.

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