Chapter 504: Side Story 4

Chapter side_4

Clatter!

Along with a rough sound, several men flew away. Repeating bumping here and there and rolling around, they collapsed while exhaling rough breath.

“Are these not it either?”

Gwon Mu-jin looked at those people with a bored expression.

Originally, he did not know what the Sect Leader of the Hao Sect looked like. Thus, he grabbed plausible ones at random and used his hands, but every single one of them fell short of expectations.

Although it was a third-rate sect, if it was the Sect Leader of the Hao Sect, it was certain he would have learned martial arts to some extent, so those who collapsed could be called disqualified.

“He is really here?”

Gwon Mu-jin frowned.

Despite wandering the marketplace and repeating this act for several hours already, not to mention the appearance of the one called the Sect Leader of the Hao Sect, not even his tail was caught.

That the information provided by the Hao Sect was also ridiculously lacking played a part.

Gwon Mu-jin took out something from his chest pocket and unfolded to look at it.

It was a clumsily drawn portrait of a wanted person.

It was drawn to the extent that one could not even know whether he was human or a ghost. Whether the one who drew the picture lacked skill, or whether the eyewitness’s words were a lie.

If a person who looked like this actually existed, he would have no choice but to stand out naturally, but no matter how much he searched, such a person was not seen.

The nose was crushed, and the face was half-melted. The long, long hair was disheveled clumsily, his eyes were like a wild beast, and his mouth was strange as if torn.

How chicken scratch the skill of the one who drew the picture was, all the facial features were drawn roughly, so it was an appearance like a child drew it.

‘How on earth did they recognize him as the former Sect Leader in this state…’

Clicking his tongue, Gwon Mu-jin shook his head side to side.

No matter how much he thought, in this state, it seemed it would be difficult for anyone to recognize him.

“Mmm.”

At that moment Zhuge Yeon appeared, swallowing a groan.

She, who appeared showing an still excited look, had a clearly somewhat excited air, and Gwon Mu-jin could guess that it was related to the blood stained on her hands.

“How is your side?”

“What do you mean?”

“…I mean searching for the Sect Leader of the Hao Sect.”

“Ah! That’s right, indeed. It was not the time to be focused on beating them, was it?”

“…….”

No matter how much he thought, Zhuge Yeon looked to have forgotten her original purpose. She, who slantly read Gwon Mu-jin’s face, wiped her blood-stained hands on her skirt hem with awkward gestures.

It is a spine-chilling sight.

“I tried beating up the Hao Sect kids roaming nearby a bit. Thinking that by chance they might be hiding something.”

“B-Beat up? Cough… And so?”

“It seems they also only confirmed his appearance and could not properly chase his tracks.”

“They confirmed this appearance?”

Gwon Mu-jin tapped the portrait with a dumbfounded expression.

No matter he looked at it, it made no sense for a person looking like this to exist, and if such a person was seen, a rumor would have spread to others first, not just the Hao Sect.

But since it was as quiet as a dead mouse strangely, he even had doubts whether such a person really appeared.

“Since they made him like that themselves, they probably recognized him at a single glance.”

Zhuge Yeon quietly stared at the portrait held in Gwon Mu-jin’s hand. Although she thought she would draw better than that even if she drew it, it seemed to have captured the characteristics well in its own way.

“Keuhehe… wh… what are you guys… did you mess with us to find such a ridiculous fellow? W… We are the Axe Gang! We will not let this go!”

At that moment, one ruffian who stood up from his seat shouted and took out an axe from his bosom. That which was held in his hand showed dried blood as if to prove it had already been used several times just looking at the blade.

Also, killing intent flowed undulately in his eyes, looking at which, he did not seem to have killed a person only once or twice.

“Axe Gang?”

“Was there such a thing too?”

“Y-You don’t know?! W… We are the ones dominating this Yueyang!”

Zhuge Yeon half-closed her eyes.

Seeing her clenching her pretty fists, the future was clearly visible.

Gwon Mu-jin, clutching his throbbing glabella, let out a sigh and spoke.

“If you have complaints, come find us at the Hunan Dan Family.”

“Ugh!”

Instantly, a sound of breath stopping was heard.

This was the same not only for one person but also for those collapsed in the surroundings. The one who was holding the axe turned pale blue in complexion and stiffened, and whether he lacked even the strength to hold the axe, he let go of the axe handle as it was.

“Hu… Hunan Dan Family…”

“Yes.”

“A… Oh, we are sorry, great hero! W… We failed to recognize high ones and committed an discourtesy!”

They suddenly prostrated flat on the ground.

Sweating cold sweat profusely, they seemed to feel that their lives had reached a critical moment.

The weight given by the name Hunan Dan Family.

Because there was no way it would be light.

Gwon Mu-jin and Zhuge Yeon looked at that and seemed to be soaked in a sense of superiority even a little.

However, on the outside, they wore an unperturbed expression as much as possible, keeping their gaze low and looking at the collapsed ones arrogantly.

“Do not care.”

“Do not care.”

The expression of the two man and woman was calm.

But their behavior was filled with dignity like a person above, so in the eyes of the collapsed ones, it would have felt like seeing one reigning in heaven.

“B… By the way, what kind of fellow is the one you are searching for? Since it is a fellow searched by the Hunan Dan Family of the world, he wouldn’t be ordinary… W-We will surely help with what we can help.”

“That you guys would be of help?”

Gwon Mu-jin looked at the men with a dumbfounded expression.

Existences inferior to the Hao Sect, when looking into it.

They dominate the back alleys. They boast loudly, but even so, they are existences extending hands in places where the Hao Sect’s hands do not reach.

“We have nothing to lose, so let’s show them.”

At that moment, Zhuge Yeon spoke indifferently and snatched the portrait held in Gwon Mu-jin’s hand. Then she threw it with a whoosh toward the man who held the axe just now, and whether internal power was loaded in it, it flew fluttering and was precisely grasped in the man’s hand.

“…Did a child draw this?”

“Do not care. Have you seen such a person?”

“He is very different from us…”

The man looked at Gwon Mu-jin and Zhuge Yeon with a dumbfounded expression. It was a wanted poster that clearly revealed he was a different person at a glance, so his gaze was whether there was a need to hold and beat them.

“Do not care about that either.”

“Have you seen him, or not? Just tell me that.”

“Naturally I have not seen him, but…”

“However?”

“He is wearing interesting attire.”

“Attire?”

Because they had drawn the face too hideously, other things did not stand out, but looking now, they had drawn the person’s entire body.

The things that could be seen were not just one or two, but what stood out greatly excluding the face was precisely the attire.

Worn-out clothing.

But that clothing also looked considerably characteristic.

“Judging by the shape of tying a belt on the clothing and various things, this is unmistakably silk clothing, but… that it is worn-out to this extent means it was worn for a long time.”

The man spoke while tapping the wanted poster.

It was a tone as if he had perfect certainty in the words he spat out. Even for Zhuge Yeon listening, there was no room to refute the man’s words.

“Clothing…?”

Gwon Mu-jin swallowed a groan and watched the attire.

This was the same for Zhuge Yeon who approached before she knew it. They realized their own blunder of not caring about other things excluding the face because it was drawn in chicken scratch so much.

“This…?”

And Gwon Mu-jin tilted his head, thinking of something.

Having only come to mind now, this attire, doesn’t it seem like he saw it somewhere?

“Why?”

The moment Zhuge Yeon sent a puzzled gaze, Gwon Mu-jin urgently turned his back and began to run toward somewhere.

* * *

When a person searches for a person, they come to look at the most important thing. Especially if they do not have great interest in that work, they are bound to watch what is seen first, and this incident was precisely so.

Because Zhuge Yeon was merely driven by interest, she was a woman who thought that it was fine whether they caught the Sect Leader of the Hao Sect or not. Therefore, she also only skimmed through the wanted poster, and did not put great meaning in it so she did not even keep it in her head.

That was the same for Gwon Mu-jin as well.

That was why they missed him.

‘Leaving him right before my nose!’

Gwon Mu-jin walked the road, lamenting his own brain. Soon, simultaneously with arriving at a certain place, he stepped inside without even glancing at those who greeted him.

“Huh? Is it not Escort Gwon?”

Looking at Gwon Mu-jin who suddenly revealed his appearance, Hong Won-chang wore a puzzled expression. Because his complexion was stiffened seriously, he grew tense without realizing it.

But subsequently Zhuge Yeon also entered inside with a puzzled gaze, so he guessed that some incident had broke out without fail, showing a gaze filled with tension.

“What is the matter?”

“There is someone I caught and brought today in the afternoon.”

“Ah, you mean that petty thief? I sent him out after striking him a few strokes of paddle just a moment ago.”

“Was there nothing strange?”

“Something strange… Mmm, was it about that his clothes were too worn-out? I heard that one of our constables found him too pitiful and gave him clothes he doesn’t wear?”

“…Where did he go?”

Hong Won-chang wore a somewhat dumbfounded expression.

Since he was only receiving questions out of nowhere without even asking what the matter was, he frowned because he could not resolve his curiosity.

“How would I know that? More than that, what is the matter?”

“There is a little work. But, who is the constable who said he gave the clothes?”

“Ah! That is me!”

At that moment, the one who was by Hong Won-chang’s side urgently approached in front of Gwon Mu-jin. Seeing an expression showing strange tension, he wore an anxious expression, wondering if by chance something had gone wrong.

“Do you know where he went?”

“I do not know the exact thing, but… he went to the west.”

“Anything else?”

The constable contemplated for a while.

Actually, since he was a petty thief whom there was no need to even care about, answering what he was asked and giving him a few iron coins and a suit of clothes because he was pitiful was all.

Other than that, nothing came to mind in particular.

“Ah!”

“Is there anything more?”

Gwon Mu-jin asked, half-closing his eyes.

Only then did the constable clap his hands as if recalling something, and looked at Gwon Mu-jin with a glad face.

“You know that… he asked a bit about the Hao Sect.”

“About the Hao Sect…?”

“Yes, because he asked if the rumor that there is a backer of the Hao Sect was true… I said it is the Hunan Dan Family.”

There would be no one in the current Central Plains who did not know such a fact. Therefore, it could not even be called a secret, and also there was no reason to hide it in particular.

“Then that fellow asked where the Hunan Dan Family was… so I said he could just go straight along that road over there.”

“Ah…”

“Mmm…”

Instantly, Gwon Mu-jin and Zhuge Yeon leaked short groans.

For what reason he asked began to be roughly imagined.

And the moment she realized all of that, Zhuge Yeon let out a short sigh of ‘Huu-’.

“Th-This is also a fairly decent ending in its own way.”

“…Although it is uncomfortable.”

“What does it matter?”

The two people nodded their heads with unperturbed expressions at the same time. Although it was work where even the final cleanup was not done, they were calm as if they thought everything was already finished.

Hong Won-chang looked at the two people like that and asked.

“Just what on earth is the matter that you do so?”

“Ah, do not care. Because dwelling on a work already finished is not manly.”

“Therefore, shouldn’t I know something!”

Although he raised his voice loudly, Zhuge Yeon did not even pretend to hear. She merely turned her back leisurely and waved her hand toward Gwon Mu-jin and Hong Won-chang.

“It was interesting.”

“…….”

She walked away indifferently.

Gwon Mu-jin, who was watching that back figure, smirked and looked up at the sky.

“Just what did I do?”

No matter how much he thought, there was no meaning to throwing away a whole day.

His shoulders slumped down.

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