Chapter 534: Side Story 34

Chapter side_34

“Keuheu… my head is still ringing.”

“Geez… it’s amazing you just survived in that condition.”

Kang Sang-chun grabbed his head and frowned. It was good that he boldly rushed in to save the woman at the Immortal Inn, but suddenly the inn collapsed and he was crushed under its rubble.

Of course, he felt like a tremendous impact struck his head before that, but because he didn’t remember it clearly, he didn’t know what he was hit by.

Still, well, wasn’t it enough that he was alive and well?

“Why did an earthquake have to happen right then of all times…”

“E, earthquake?”

“Yeah, an earthquake. There’s no other answer besides that. Right?”

Geum Dae-gil looked at Kang Sang-chun with a dumbfounded expression.

The numerous martial artists present at the scene were convinced that it was caused by martial arts. It could be the Demon Star, or a higher-up like a Cult Leader.

Geum Dae-gil, who was watching from the side, also thought the same.

The moment the man swung his fist, the inn collapsed with a tremendous shock, so it was clear that it was caused by human power rather than happening naturally.

However, Kang Sang-chun did not easily believe it.

“No, Young Leader… it was really a person, I’m telling you?”

“Nonsense! Don’t you make fun of me too. Does it make sense that human power could collapse such a large inn?”

Geum Dae-gil broke into a cold sweat.

Even though he saw it with his own eyes and experienced it directly with his body, he did not believe it. Because he had been in a small well called the Iron Fist Sect, he did not believe in a vast ocean called the martial arts world.

Then could it be, the reason he didn’t return and stopped by this village on the border of Hubei and Hunan?

“Don…’t tell me… did you come all the way here to save those young ladies?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I saw it. That woman’s expression that became clouded after falling into brainwashing.”

Kang Sang-chun closed his eyes tightly and recalled Dan So-mi’s face.

He had seen many beauties in the world, but such a naive and beautiful woman was a first. Those large eyes that seemed like they would burst into tears at any moment made him think that he definitely had to embrace her.

“But… is she really brainwashed? No matter how I look at it…”

Geum Dae-gil recalled the two women.

No matter how he looked at it, they didn’t look like they were seduced or brainwashed by someone.

Their facial expressions were perfect, and so was the gaze looking at Kang Sang-chun as if looking at filth. To say someone expressing such expressions and emotions was seduced or brainwashed by someone?

It was a story hard to believe.

He wondered if things were somewhat twisted.

“Anyway, to avoid being caught by people, they must have taken a small path instead of the main road, so they will definitely stop by this village.”

“Where did you get such certainty…”

“Look, it’s not just us, other people are the same, right?”

Geum Dae-gil briefly looked around.

There were quite a few martial artists holding weapons in their hands. They were all holding things like wanted posters and checking people one by one.

They were the ones who came to catch the Demon Star, one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Heaven and Earth Cult.

“But how wicked are those guys from the Heaven and Earth Cult for people to be in this uproar? Aren’t we really in danger?”

“Ah, seriously! For a man to be so faint-hearted, geez. I said it’s fine. In the end, aren’t they just a mere religious group?”

There were heaps of people who were beaten and fainted by that mere religious group. Without even knowing exactly, counting the number of those beaten and fainted right before the inn collapsed, it would be at least twenty.

The only one who could treat such people as mere was Kang Sang-chun, who knew nothing about the martial arts world.

“I don’t know well either, but they’re bad guys anyway, right? Then that’s that. This Kang Sang-chun will definitely save those women.”

“Oh my… a hero is born…”

“What?”

“Ah… it’s nothing.”

Geum Dae-gil slightly turned his head and let out a sigh.

He desperately hoped nothing would happen, but why did ominous thoughts keep arising? It was probably because the sight of the man he saw at the inn couldn’t be forgotten in his mind.

The moment he sighed while thinking that.

Suddenly, Kang Sang-chun stopped his steps.

“Is that…?”

Soon, he opened his eyes wide while looking somewhere.

***

“There are so many people…”

Dan So-mi clicked her tongue while looking around.

Martial artists wearing swords were standing guard everywhere, and the wanted posters they were holding, although not exact, definitely looked like Jang Sam-tae’s.

Since they attacked him calling him a villain or whatever from the beginning, it could only be said to be natural that his wanted poster was drawn.

Leaving him in the carriage was the right answer.

“There! Wait right there, Young Lady-!”

Then someone’s shout was heard.

Startled, Dan So-mi opened her eyes wide and turned her gaze, seeing a man she was seeing for the first time hurriedly running over while panting.

The man who approached and stood still before she knew it panted heavily and opened his mouth.

“Pant pant… I-I finally found you.”

“Yes?”

“Young Lady! Don’t you know me? Didn’t I jump in to save you in Zhangjiajie?”

Did something like that happen?

Dan So-mi tilted her head.

Because it was a place where such a chaotic event happened, a lot of things were stuck in her head. But no matter how hard she tried to pull it out, she couldn’t find any memory of the man in front of her.

“Anyway, well met. I will protect you from now on, so don’t worry.”

“Yes?”

At the unexpected words, Dan So-mi was flustered and made a surprised expression. However, Kang Sang-chun didn’t pay any attention, approached closer, and reached out his hand.

Right before his rough hand grabbed Dan So-mi’s wrist.

Dan So-mi raised her hand and stepped back half a pace.

“I think… there is a misunderstanding. I don’t know you, and I have no intention of being protected.”

“That’s exactly because you are brainwashed by that villain, Young Lady! I will definitely prepare a way to break your brainwashing, so come to me quickly.”

Kang Sang-chun reached out his hand once again.

This time, he didn’t just move, but executed Grappling Arts. His will to definitely subdue her was clearly revealed.

Swish-!

However, even that was not easy.

“…”

“…”

Kang Sang-chun reached out his hand once again. This time, at a much faster speed than before. Because he cleverly mixed Grappling Arts, it seemed the path couldn’t be easily predicted.

Swish!

“Keuk?!”

But something was strange.

Even though he desperately reached out his hand, he couldn’t grab Dan So-mi’s wrist. As it missed by a paper’s width, from Kang Sang-chun’s point of view, he felt like he was going crazy.

“No, Young Lady! If you keep doing this, I have no choice but to use force!”

“Ahaha… I… don’t intend to be protected by someone I don’t even know. I’m sorry.”

Dan So-mi slightly stepped back further and smiled awkwardly. Her expression and eyes were full of contempt as she wondered what kind of person he was, but she couldn’t bear to reveal it and stealthily backed away.

That moment.

“I have no choice but to use force-!”

Kang Sang-chun rushed in.

As if he wouldn’t miss this time, he gritted his teeth and executed footwork to dig in. He threw a punch in one breath and aimed for Dan So-mi’s abdomen, which seemed to be a trick to give her a blow and make her faint.

However.

His foot, which was moving smoothly stepping on footwork, suddenly caught on a stone and lost balance. At the same time, his whole body plummeted towards the ground.

Smack-!

“Ah…”

“Uwaaagh…”

“Y… Young Leader!?”

Dan So-mi lost her words looking at the fallen Kang Sang-chun. With his face stuck to the ground, bright red blood leaked out continuously and soaked the floor.

It looked like his nose was broken.

Of course, not only his nose was broken, but his mouth must have burst too.

Because a quite rough sound was heard.

Dan So-mi hesitated while looking at it for a moment. She wondered if she should take him to a clinic, but recalling the fact that there was someone else beside him, she smiled awkwardly.

“T… then excuse me.”

Dan So-mi, who hastily turned her gaze and started taking quick, short steps, let out a small sigh. She had dissuaded the two old men who wanted to follow her saying it was dangerous to go grocery shopping alone, but seeing it now, not a single word of theirs was wrong.

There were too many strange people in the world.

Leaving Kang Sang-chun behind like that, she hurried her steps.

But was her desire to rush a bit too big?

She couldn’t see the front properly and bumped shoulders with someone.

“Ah! I’m sorry.”

“…”

She felt the gaze of an unknown man. Without realizing it, she hurriedly bowed her head and apologized, then lifted her gaze.

The moment their eyes met, the man smirked.

“It’s fine. Don’t bow your head for something like this.”

At that moment, small exclamations were heard all over the marketplace.

This was because of the man in front of her.

No matter what man in the world was brought, could one find someone with this level of appearance? If a woman saw this man, she would undoubtedly burst into admiration and blush.

Since such a person smiled, it was natural for the women’s exclamations to come out.

However, Dan So-mi’s expression did not change.

Staring blankly at the man’s face, she also smiled brightly and answered.

“Ah, is that so? Then I have some business, so I’ll…”

“…Wait a moment.”

“…? Is something the matter?”

The man gently pressed his glabella, as if he couldn’t understand the situation for a moment. He had met numerous women, but it was his first time seeing someone react like Dan So-mi.

“Y… Young Lady-! Wait!”

However, the situation did not help the man.

Startled by Kang Sang-chun’s voice heard out of nowhere, Dan So-mi hastily lowered her head and began to run. She ran so fast with quick, short steps that her figure was out of sight before he knew it.

The man frowned as he searched for Dan So-mi’s shadow in the path where she had disappeared before he knew it.

“What a fascinating thing.”

-Should I go catch her?

“No, it’s fine. I will look into it later. More importantly, it’s a different matter right now.”

Perhaps displeased with the situation where he had to give up, the man frowned and turned his gaze.

At that moment, he saw Kang Sang-chun running fast, chasing after the woman who had disappeared.

Was he somewhat offended?

Checking that figure like a wild boar running only looking forward, he unwittingly tripped him.

Thump!

“Oink!”

In an instant, Kang Sang-chun’s body fell forward and his face smashed into the ground. Seeing him squirm and unable to get up easily, the impact seemed quite big this time.

“Y… Young Leader?!”

A violent voice of someone else was heard from behind.

But the man, who could be called the culprit, didn’t care at all about who was running and shouting, or whether blood was leaking continuously from the fallen Kang Sang-chun’s nose.

Rather, he roughly swept his hair back and frowned.

“Damn it… what kind of bastard is going around selling my name? If it weren’t for that…”

-I will find out immediately!

“What are you doing not going right away?!”

A rough shout burst out from the mouth of the man, no, the Demon Star Chu Jakhwan.

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