Chapter 341: Chapter 341

He always had nightmares.

Those gazes he had seen while killing countless people.

Hand gestures dragging him down to the threshold of the underworld every time he slept. They cursed him, tried to kill him, and resisted him, never disappearing.

There was always blood on his hands.

Not for a single moment had that blood disappeared.

He could not let go of the sword from his hand, nor could he sleep deeply.

He was always aloof, and trapped in nightmares.

‘That child…’

A child who supported him. For the first time in his life, he saved someone, and by chance met her again to build a connection.

Come to think of it, when he was there, he did not have nightmares.

It felt like he fell into a deep sleep for the first time.

Thinking of that, a hollow laugh escaped him involuntarily.

He stood up from his seat.

Blood dripped down from his entire body.

In that unknown place, countless bloodstains and people lay scattered around. The people, numbering at least fifty, did not even twitch, nor did they seem to breathe.

They were merely corpses.

The Killing Emperor, Bi Cheon-ung.

An existence created solely to slaughter people.

Although he was evaluated lower than the other Five Emperors because he was an assassin, his skills were by no means ordinary.

He slowly left the place.

No one held Bi Cheon-ung back. There were no survivors, and even if there were, no one would hold him back knowing it would mean death.

Bi Cheon-ung looked up at the sky.

A terribly dark night.

Recalling the past for a moment, he smiled involuntarily.

‘I do not know if I should say I helped with that…’

The time he saved someone for the first time with his own hands was so faint that he smiled involuntarily, yet felt sad.

Flap, flap!

At that moment, a carrier pigeon came down from the sky and perched on his shoulder.

After reading the small letter colored in bright red, he nodded with a firm expression and turned his steps.

“Potala Palace… It is far.”

Murmuring those words, he moved slowly.

* * *

‘The Martial God Scripture… Does it bind people in this manner?’

Having returned to the Hunan Dan Family, Dan Woo-hyun repeated the words of Ja Hak-sang, who had already died and become a corpse, and wore an absurd expression. The Martial God Scripture referred to what had been discovered last time.

Although not perfect, Dan Woo-hyun’s Heavenly Unity Creation Art was definitely written there, and if there was someone in the current Murim who had fully mastered it, they would become the most troublesome enemy after the Blood Demon.

Ja Hak-sang said he massacred the village to find it.

It was unknown why there was someone in that village who possessed the Martial God Scripture, but consequently, the connection between Dan So-mi and Dan Woo-hyun had already been linked from that point.

‘Perhaps I also have been played.’

Dan Woo-hyun shook his head with a dumbfounded expression. What if every situation from the moment he first met Dan So-mi was guided by someone?

While harboring such thoughts, he soon let out a sigh.

Whether it was guided by someone or not, he put meaning in having met Dan So-mi.

“What on earth is that Martial God Scripture?”

Namgung Cheon, who had approached his side before he knew it, asked.

It was his first time hearing of the Martial God Scripture.

He could not understand the reason why the Myriad Gold Merchant Group possessed information that even the Murim Alliance did not know.

If it was about the Martial God of all people, it would not have been able to bypass the information network of the Murim Alliance.

“It is nothing. Do not worry about it.”

“Ahem… at any rate, it is a relief to hear the story. I thought he would not open his mouth…”

Zhuge Un, who was by Namgung Cheon’s side, nodded.

Ja Hak-sang’s mouth was considerable.

They could learn everything about the current Myriad Gold Merchant Group, who ordered this incident, and even obtained information about Man Hu-ryang.

“But is it not funny? That fellow Man Hu-ryang is missing… yet his son occupies the position proudly… and shows no sign of looking for him?”

“Perhaps it is because the current family head knows Man Hu-ryang’s whereabouts.”

Heads nodded here and there.

Just as Zhuge Un said, the current Myriad Gold Merchant Group Leader would know Man Hu-ryang’s whereabouts.

Furthermore, if this incident was also directly ordered by Man Hu-ryang and followed, such a provocation could be understood to some extent.

“But, by the way…”

At that moment, Jang Sam-tae looked around and spoke.

When everyone wore displeased expressions, wondering what nonsense he would spout again while they were discussing a serious topic, Jang Sam-tae scowled and shouted.

“No, let us listen first before making that kind of face!”

“If it is useless nonsense, it will not end with just putting your head on the ground.”

Sa Do-hak growled and ground his teeth.

Even without this, resentment remained for him bringing the club. He was only letting him be because he felt pity for him being beaten by Dan Woo-hyun, and there was no other reason.

Jang Sam-tae flinched at Sa Do-hak’s gaze.

However, as if he had to say what he wanted, he spoke.

“Where did Mae-hyang go?”

“Eh?”

“Ah…”

“…”

“Oh dear…”

* * *

“Uwahhh… So-mi…”

The moment Jang Sam-tae returned after finding Mae-hyang, Mae-hyang, who hugged Dan So-mi, burst into wild crying. How much had she wandered around searching for her; her clothes were worn out here and there, and she had become quite thin because she could not even eat properly.

“I… I am sorry…”

“No, no. It is my fault for not knowing you went out.”

Sniff…

Squeeze.

Mae-hyang hugged Dan So-mi so tightly that she felt suffocated.

Since she even coughed and hacked, it crossed So-mi’s mind that Mae-hyang might be taking revenge in her own way.

Therefore, Dan So-mi also could not speak properly and only smiled awkwardly.

“But, by the way…”

At that moment, Mae-hyang gently released Dan So-mi and raised her eyebrows. Then, looking at the people around one by one, she raised her voice shrilly.

“Why did you not come to find me! You damned old geezers!”

Since the memories of all sorts of hardships rose vividly, good words by no means came out of her mouth.

In particular, her resentment toward Jang Sam-tae was greater than anything, but since he had at least come to find her upon realizing she was missing, she could not snap at him.

“Ahem.”

“Well, that is…”

“Since you have no presence…”

“What did you say?!”

* * *

Meanwhile.

Mae-hyang was not the only forgotten person.

Left all alone in Hubei, Zhuge Yeon and Gwon Mu-jin sat in the mountains warming themselves by a bonfire in their exhausted states. They caught and roasted rabbits and gathered wild greens to eat.

Their faces were already a mess, and they were in a situation where they could not even resolve basic food, clothing, and shelter properly.

This was because Dan Woo-hyun had returned with all the money.

“…”

“…”

The two stared at the bonfire silently.

Because they failed in hunting today, the rabbit meat left over from yesterday was their entire meal. They were already starving, and since food was scarce, it was simply awkward to decide who should eat first.

“Eat.”

The one who yielded was Zhuge Yeon.

Smiling, she pointed at the meat that was not even a handful.

Gwon Mu-jin, looking at it, broke into a cold sweat.

He knew it too.

That although Zhuge Yeon was smiling, it was by no means a smile made with good intentions.

He felt anxious that if he thoughtlessly picked up and ate the meat, a fist might fly at him.

Moreover, although Zhuge Yeon was often tomboyish, she was still a woman.

While a woman was starving, a man could not just fill his own stomach.

Gwon Mu-jin spoke with a reluctant expression.

“No. I am full, so you eat.”

Growl…

In an instant, Gwon Mu-jin’s face blushed crimson, but he soon cleared his throat to regain his composure.

In fact, even when they first caught a rabbit, Gwon Mu-jin did not eat much. While it was partly because the size was very small, it was also because he was conscious of Zhuge Yeon’s reaction.

No matter how great a martial artist was, they would naturally get hungry if they did not eat.

At that moment, Zhuge Yeon smiled.

“Thank you.”

As if she had been waiting for Gwon Mu-jin’s refusal, she put the meat into her mouth with a teasing expression. The sight of her chewing and eating was so delicious that Gwon Mu-jin salivated involuntarily.

But what had already disappeared could not be brought back.

“Cruel girl…”

“What did you say?”

“No, I did not say anything.”

He could not say anything.

Since he was the one who yielded and Zhuge Yeon was the one accepting, he could not say anything because he did not want to look like a petty guy.

“That aside, what do we do? Shall we return to Hunan?”

“If we do that, my lord will not stay still.”

“But it is not like we can do anything on our own.”

Zhuge Yeon shrugged her shoulders.

Although they arrived at Mt. Yungjung, no matter how much they searched, the Green Forest was nowhere to be seen, and the place presumed to be their bandit camp was immediately after burning down.

Since there were quite a few things that looked like corpses inside, it was clear they had already been hit by someone.

If so, their attention naturally turned to Wudang.

Since they had to rescue Zen Master Seon-jin, it was no time to delay like this.

But how could they defeat someone that even Seon-jin could not defeat?

The two found the situation highly awkward.

“We must resolve this somehow.”

“That is true, but…”

From Zhuge Yeon’s perspective as well, she did not want to lose Seon-jin. But she was frustrated beyond measure because no particularly good method came to mind.

It was not like Shaolin would step forward for them.

While she was racking her brain with those thoughts, Gwon Mu-jin stood up with a determined gaze.

“This is the first time my lord has brought me along. I cannot fail this.”

“Even though he abandoned you?”

“…Y, yes.”

Gwon Mu-jin broke into a cold sweat at the statement that hit the core.

The words Zhuge Yeon uttered so casually were truly terrifying.

“Then it cannot be helped.”

Soon, Zhuge Yeon also stood up.

She brushed the dust off her clothes and let out a heavy sigh, like someone who had made a resolution.

“Let us just face whatever comes. Because that is the lesson of the Zhuge Family.”

“You might die though?”

“If we worry about such things, how can we make a living wielding swords?”

Gwon Mu-jin nodded and understood at the word that came out without hesitation.

Indeed, there was a reason why the Zhuge Family was named among the Eight Great Families even though it was not a family famous for martial power.

“Let us go first. Will it not work out somehow?”

Gwon Mu-jin was lost for words at her confidence-filled remark. Watching her speak so boldly even though she knew her skills fell far short made his heart flutter for no reason.

Did he like such a bold woman?

The moment Gwon Mu-jin scratched his head with a peculiar expression.

“Do not fall for me. I am not interested.”

“Ah, right.”

Gwon Mu-jin replied immediately and frowned.

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