Chapter 537: Side Story 37

Chapter 37

“So, what is this?”

The Murim Alliance’s Head Tactician, Zhuge Un.

Even when the massive presence known as Namgung Cheon existed, the greatest brain that led the Murim Alliance was none other than Zhuge Un. He, who was once thought to have left the Murim Alliance and would never return, had once again taken on the role of Head Tactician and was fulfilling his role.

When the figures of the Eight Great Families broke away from the Murim Alliance and established the Heavenly Dao Society, the Alliance’s position became precarious, but with his return, it somehow stabilized again, so simply saying that Zhuge Un’s role was great wouldn’t fully describe his achievements.

Such a person was sitting crookedly in his office, staring at a single wanted poster.

He looked at the woman in front of him with a somewhat absurd gaze.

“So, they say he is the Demonic Star… one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Heaven and Earth Cult.”

Zhuge Yeon shrugged her shoulders and smiled faintly.

Whether she thought it was absurd herself, or whether her father’s surprised expression was funny, the smile on her lips wouldn’t fade easily.

“This… is the Demonic Star Chu Jak-han… of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Heaven and Earth Cult…?”

Zhuge Un glanced at the people beside Zhuge Yeon. As if they had all obtained tremendous information, their eyes sparkled with proud expressions.

Since they had obtained his portrait, catching him would be a piece of cake. From now on, they would be able to hunt down the Heaven and Earth Cult in earnest.

“Since the guy moved to Hubei, if we put up the wanted poster and put out a bounty as a public enemy of the martial arts world right now, I think catching him will be a piece of cake!”

“That’s right, Head Tactician! Isn’t he the Four Heavenly Kings who only had many rumors but never actually revealed his appearance? Now that one of those guys is exposed, sweeping the Heaven and Earth Cult is only a matter of time!”

“If we sweep them out before the Heavenly Dao Society…!”

People everywhere sparkled their eyes with expectation. The Heaven and Earth Cult, the worst organization acting secretly in the shadows. Sweeping out those guys who were no different from a sleeper cell network was extremely difficult.

However, one of them had surfaced.

If they could just catch him before the Heavenly Dao Society and sweep the Heaven and Earth Cult, putting the name of the Murim Alliance back on a rock-solid foundation would also become easier.

However, Zhuge Un’s reaction wasn’t quite enthusiastic.

He quietly stared at the wanted poster and let out a small sigh.

“How many… people are investigating the Heaven and Earth Cult right now?”

“Combining the main alliance and the branches, shouldn’t it be about seventy percent…? Why do you ask…?”

Had they invested that much manpower?

Considering that they hadn’t been able to catch them for nearly seven or eight years despite that, the abilities of the Heaven and Earth Cult could be said to be more outstanding than expected.

Zhuge Un glanced at the documents piled up in his office. These were things he hadn’t been able to do because he had been chasing after the Heaven and Earth Cult for a long time.

“Huu- Send a pigeon and tell everyone to stop. Tell them to return to where they should be and do what they are supposed to do…”

“Yes?!”

“N-No, Head Tactician! This is a perfect opportunity to catch the Heaven and Earth Cult… Are you saying we should stop chasing them now?”

“Rather than stopping… chasing… it’s just that there’s no need anymore.”

Zhuge Un quietly stared at the wanted poster.

Although it wasn’t drawn accurately, it was a somewhat familiar face. It was as if a servant living somewhere in Hunan came to mind, and him being involved in such a matter meant that those people were moving.

‘The Heaven and Earth Cult Leader is fucked…’

Zhuge Un closed his eyes tightly, recalling the Heaven and Earth Cult Leader whom he had never even seen once. They might have just ended up quietly subjugated by the Murim Alliance with only a few deaths.

But this wasn’t going to end at that level.

Like it or not, the moment Dan Woo-hyun and the people of his household got involved…

“They are just completely screwed…”

“Yes?!”

“Just know that and do as you are told. Ah… Don’t even think about digging into the Heaven and Earth Cult by any chance. Just consider them as guys who don’t exist anymore… and do your work comfortably. Understood?”

Zhuge Un hummed a tune and pushed the documents related to the Heaven and Earth Cult to one side. Those that filled the desk were pushed to the edge and soon plummeted to the floor.

Although they fell to the floor and got completely mixed up, Zhuge Un didn’t even think about picking them up, perhaps thinking of them as trash now.

“Ah- I feel good today. Yeon-ah, should we have dinner together? With a drink at a very expensive place.”

“Sounds good. You’re buying, Father, right?”

“Of course. Hahaha-!”

Zhuge Un stood up from his seat with a relaxed mind for the first time in a while. As he stretched out his body, there wasn’t a single trace of worry or anxiety visible on his face.

Rather, did it feel like a sore tooth had been pulled out?

He looked that good.

* * *

“It’s quiet.”

Dan Woo-hyun, who was looking outside from inside the carriage, opened his mouth while looking at the surroundings that were as quiet as a dead mouse. It was partly because it was early morning, but because it was a small path and not a main road, people didn’t use it often.

Thus, it was inevitable that it was quiet, but seeing him make an indifferent expression as if he was somewhat bored, it didn’t seem like he just said it simply because the surroundings were quiet.

“Heoheo, you speak as if you want something to happen.”

“I understand that guy’s feelings! Lately, we haven’t even seen people except for a few bandits and thieves!”

Sa Do-hak frowned as much as he could.

All the people they met were just guys holding swords and shouting to hand over something. Then, when they saw Dan So-mi and Namgung So-hye, they would make drooling expressions and try to take them away.

Dealing with only those who didn’t even seem like humans wasn’t exactly making him feel good.

“Ah! But Yichang is coming up soon. I’m already looking forward to it a lot, you know?”

Dan So-mi, who had approached stealthily, stuck to Dan Woo-hyun’s side and smiled brightly. Perhaps she had already obtained information about the next village, her eyes and expression were full of anticipation.

“Yeah, it must be fun.”

“Ah! Come to think of it, I heard from Jin-rang before we left, but they said Mister Hong is in Hubei?”

The moment Dan So-mi spoke, Dan Woo-hyun’s eyebrows twitched.

Namgung So-hye stopped what she was doing and frowned, and Namgung Cheon and Sa Do-hak turned their gazes and pretended not to hear.

“Why is everyone… acting like this?”

“No, it’s just that whenever we meet that guy… troublesome things always happen. Isn’t that right, old man?”

“Heo… Heoheo, well, I guess that’s not wrong…”

The two old men couldn’t easily unwrinkle their expressions.

Hong Won-chang had become a fourth-rank official, but he was still staying in Yueyang. However, he wandered around various places in the Central Plains to solve cases in order to do the work the Emperor ordered, but the problem was that he relied too heavily on Dan Woo-hyun in the process.

If something couldn’t be solved, he would send a message.

If there was no reply to that, he would come to find them directly and make a fuss, crying and begging. Thanks to that, Sa Do-hak or Namgung Cheon would step up, and the situation would be concluded by solving the matter.

From Dan Woo-hyun’s perspective, he didn’t care much because he could touch a large amount of money, but the two old men who had to clean up Hong Won-chang’s mess couldn’t help but be reluctant.

“That guy is a swindler, a swindler. Even grinding him up and drinking him wouldn’t be satisfying.”

“Heoheoheo, it’s been a while since I’ve thought the same as you.”

At that sight, Dan So-mi smiled awkwardly.

The always troubled-looking face of Hong Won-chang, the sighing expression of Hong Jin-rang looking at him, and the evilly distorted appearances of the two old men came to mind.

But on the other hand, she remembered Dan Woo-hyun always looking very happy whenever that happened. Perhaps it was because whenever Sa Do-hak and Namgung Cheon stepped up to solve Hong Won-chang’s matters, he always came carrying a large sum of money.

“Anyway, I don’t want to run into that damn guy this time.”

“Even if it’s the same Hubei, it’s a wide place. I don’t know if we’ll easily run into him.”

“Right, usually… it’s correct to think like that…”

Sa Do-hak glanced at Dan Woo-hyun’s face.

Although he was staring out the window with an indifferent expression, bizarrely, he had a strange smile hanging on his lips. It was too different from the bored expression he had shown just a moment ago.

“Rather than that, is it still far?”

“It’s soon. The place visible over there is Yichang… so we just need to go a little further.”

“I see.”

As soon as Dan Woo-hyun finished speaking, Namgung So-hye glanced at the surroundings. Her slightly smiling expression vanished in an instant, just like the face of someone who had noticed something.

“Excuse me…”

“I know. Don’t pay attention to it.”

“Well, of course… you would definitely know.”

Namgung So-hye let out a ha. ha. awkward laugh.

She recalled the things she had forgotten for a moment.

The skills of the people in the carriage.

And the fact that someone like her didn’t even reach the tips of their toes.

“Then shall we stop near Yichang? I can’t enter anyway, can I?”

At that time, Jang Sam-tae opened his mouth in a voice as if he had given up on everything now. Anyway, there would be many armed martial artists there too, so what more could happen other than starting a useless fight if he went?

“No, we go together.”

“Yes?!”

At the sudden words, Jang Sam-tae jumped up from his seat. Going in with Jang Sam-tae meant causing trouble themselves.

As someone who didn’t want to get involved in troublesome things, this decision was quite surprising to him.

“Why are you so surprised?”

“No… If I go together… isn’t it a nuisance? I even have wanted posters scattered saying I’m some Heaven and Earth Cult’s Four Heavenly Kings?”

“So, are you really that guy?”

“No! No! What did I do! I’m always a clean person. Everyone knows, right?! Right?”

Jang Sam-tae looked around and stared at the others. However, Namgung So-hye didn’t answer, and Namgung Cheon and Sa Do-hak turned their gazes away.

“That’s right! Mister Jang did nothing wrong. You don’t know how nice he is!”

“Uhahaha! As expected, So-mi is the only one who thinks of me!”

“No matter what people point fingers at, I’ll block them! Don’t worry. Just trust me!”

Dan So-mi rolled up her sleeves and smiled brightly.

As if touched by just that, Jang Sam-tae sniffled with tears in his eyes. Did they know how lonely it was to sleep outdoors alone without anyone, alongside completely rotten white bones?

People who haven’t experienced it would never know.

“…But, what wind blew to make you allow it?”

At that time, Namgung So-hye glanced at the place where Dan Woo-hyun was and asked. Because if he was going to allow it like this, there was no need to make him sleep outdoors in the last village.

What on earth was he thinking?

“Do you plan to continue sightseeing while being disturbed like this?”

“…Ah-“

Looking at Namgung So-hye letting out a small exclamation, Dan Woo-hyun smiled faintly. Soon his gaze turned to the surroundings, and he faintly saw several black shadows chasing after them at a terrifying speed.

For a moment, his eyes narrowed.

He had no desire to twist a tangled thread further, but if they kept trying to block the path like this, it was the rule to pull them out by the roots and burn them.

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