Chapter 539: Side Story 39

Chapter 39

Chu Jak-han, staring into the bronze mirror, ground his teeth as he looked at his face full of burn marks. His beautiful appearance from before was nowhere to be found, and an unspeakably hideous monster stood there.

Pow!

He subconsciously swung his fist and smashed the bronze mirror.

The pieces shattering and flying away seemed to be his past appearance that had now disappeared.

Chu Jak-han ground his teeth even more and lowered his bangs.

Perhaps feeling somewhat stable by covering the burn marks even a little with his hair, he finally sat down and looked at the subordinates in front of him.

“So, what kind of guys are they?”

“Th… The exact information is still…!”

Pow-!

“Keok!”

Since he didn’t hear the answer he wanted, Chu Jak-han’s outstretched fist strongly struck the opponent’s face. Perhaps because internal energy was loaded into it, the man who flew and got stuck in the wall slid down like a doll.

However, perhaps still breathing, he moved his body little by little, regained his senses, hurriedly approached, and bowed his head.

“It’s been days and you still don’t know? Are you kidding me?”

“Keueuk… I… I’m sorry… We are gathering information with all our might… but nothing in particular is coming up…”

Looking at the subordinate who approached and knelt while wiping his blood, Chu Jak-han frowned even more. He didn’t wait days to hear this kind of answer.

He wanted to beat all his incompetent subordinates to death right away, but he slowly adjusted his breathing and cooled his head coldly.

At times like this, he shouldn’t get heated.

He instinctively knew that.

“You mobilized the cult’s intelligence network but still don’t know… is that what you’re saying?”

“I… I apologize.”

“What about the Lower District Sect’s side?”

“We already tried to put in a request… but we were rejected.”

“What?!”

The intelligence network the Heaven and Earth Cult possessed was vast.

There were spies planted everywhere, as well as the eyes and ears of believers spread all over, and there were even merchants and escort agencies operating under the influence of the Heaven and Earth Cult.

However, the one that exerted the greatest influence among them was none other than the Lower District Sect.

They paid a tremendous amount every year and used nearly sixty percent of their information, so it made no sense that they were rejected there.

“Have you ever seen these crazy lowly things…!”

“They said they have nothing to give because they know nothing… but judging from their appearance, it seems they know something.”

“These bastards… are really crazy to completely die.”

Even mere lowlifes from the Lower District Sect were looking down on people.

Thinking about the money the Heaven and Earth Cult paid every year, they shouldn’t handle work like this. However, they couldn’t overturn the Lower District Sect right away.

If they single-handedly touched a place that accounted for sixty percent of the Heaven and Earth Cult’s information, it wouldn’t end with just being scolded by the Cult Leader.

“So… where is that guy?”

“Currently, he has entered Yichang.”

“Yichang? If it’s Yichang…”

“It’s where Gu Nok-jin is staying.”

At the name Gu Nok-jin, Chu Jak-han frowned.

There were numerous hidden branches in the Heaven and Earth Cult. Among them, the branch ruled by Gu Nok-jin was the place with the most trouble.

If there was anyone who didn’t follow the doctrine, he would kill them without hesitation and hang them, and he didn’t mind catching and coveting both men and women to turn them into cripples.

Since Gu Nok-jin had a personality entirely opposite to Chu Jak-han, who pursued beauty, Chu Jak-han wasn’t very willing to see that guy’s face.

But he acknowledged his skill.

Although he didn’t bear the glorious title of Four Heavenly Kings, it was certain that he possessed skills on par with it, so the fact that he was a useful guy didn’t change either.

“Anything else I should know?”

“The composition is somewhat strange. Two men, two women… and two old men…”

“Hmph, what’s so great about that… But two women?”

“…Yes.”

The subordinate couldn’t speak further.

The person who faced Chu Jak-han must have been an outstanding master, but such a person showed the appearance of driving a carriage and preparing meals like a servant.

Of course, if it was someone who respected elders, there would be nothing particularly strange, but as a result of watching from a distance, it didn’t particularly feel like he respected elders.

What if the person who fought Chu Jak-han was really just an escort or servant, and there was someone even greater than him?

Ominous thoughts crept up.

“That…”

“Enough. Send a message to Gu Nok-jin right away and tell him I’m going soon.”

“U-Understood.”

“And watch those guys more closely… Don’t miss a single thing.”

“Yes!”

Chu Jak-han, left alone after the man disappeared at some point, sighed. While stroking his throbbing right cheek, he tried to calm down his boiling anger once again.

Then soon, as if he recalled something, he smirked and smiled. It was like a person whose emotions fluctuated in an instant.

“Two bitches…”

* * *

Dan So-mi lost her mind for a moment due to the voices of people conversing affectionately until late evening. As she nodded off leaning against the wall, she subconsciously woke up with a start.

“…Haam.”

Hong Won-chang’s mouth was still opening without rest, and the others were making indifferent expressions, half-listening to him.

Until when would he act like that?

It seemed it had already been an hour.

As it was, due to the harsh carriage life and various overlapping events, it was a journey that felt like doing nothing but work without enjoying any sightseeing.

How was this a sightseeing tour?

Thinking about leaving again soon, they had to reserve even a little stamina, but the adults’ conversation rarely ended, and whenever that happened, Dan So-mi’s drowsiness poured down endlessly, making her eyelids heavy.

She wanted to collapse and sleep.

That was also the reason why no words entered her ears.

“No, I mean, it’s obvious that those crazy bastards are running amok, but are you saying no one has stepped up until now?”

“No, it’s not that no one stepped up! People stepped up, but they all died. Without anyone knowing. Since they leave no traces, we don’t even know who they are… I’m feeling so frustrated I might go crazy too!”

Various stories were heard through her hazy mind.

That people’s corpses were hung in the marketplace without anyone knowing, or that passersby were stabbed to death without any crime. Normally, it would be a shocking content, but to Dan So-mi now, it was a story from another world.

“Haam-“

“Heoheo, at this point, it’s understandable that rumors of an evil spirit possessing the place are circulating.”

“What evil spirit… It must be the doing of a mindless murderous ghost.”

The villain was Jang Sam-tae, but who was the evil spirit again?

She was very curious about it, but due to the pouring drowsiness, she couldn’t even think about anything anymore. Rather, even the loud noises now felt like a lullaby.

“So-mi, So-mi!”

At that time, a soft voice was heard from somewhere.

It was somewhat familiar?

It definitely wasn’t Namgung So-hye.

But it was definitely one she had heard for a long time, and it felt very familiar to her. Her hazy mind returned little by little, and she stealthily looked at the person in front of her.

“Uh?”

“Hello?”

The one smiling and waving slightly was familiar.

If this wasn’t a dream, someone who shouldn’t be here was here.

“Ji… Ji-yak?!”

“Hohoho- You finally woke up.”

“H-How are you here…”

“I came to Hubei for a while because of some business, and since Lord Hong sent a message saying you were here, I came to see you.”

Ju Ji-yak wore a broad smile, whatever made her so happy. In the midst of the hard journey, she seemed very excited to meet her best friend.

Soon, she hurriedly led Dan So-mi and stood up from her seat.

“Then we’ll go in first. Have a good chat.”

“Uh-huh?”

“Heoheo, yeah, do that.”

Looking at Ju Ji-yak waving her hand lightly, Namgung Cheon nodded indifferently. Since none other than Ju Ji-yak said she would do so, there was no one who could stop her unless it was Dan Woo-hyun.

As the two children left the room like that, Dan Woo-hyun, who had only been listening to the conversation so far, opened his mouth.

“So what do you want help with?”

He had heard many stories.

People disappearing and dying in the village, and some becoming cripples and losing their minds. This bizarre phenomenon happening all over Yichang literally seemed like the doing of an evil spirit.

Thus, Hong Won-chang bowed his head deeply.

“We must catch that evil spirit bastard. Lord! Please help me.”

“Evil spirit… evil spirit…”

Dan Woo-hyun glanced at Jang Sam-tae.

In an instant, the others’ gazes also headed towards Jang Sam-tae.

They sent suspicious gazes, as if thinking of him as the culprit. Because an evil spirit or a villain, the context was the same in that they were bad guys.

“It’s absolutely not me! Don’t have ridiculous misunderstandings, really!”

“I didn’t particularly misunderstand. Just… wondering if the villain and the evil spirit are the same guy.”

“This damn?! That’s what a misunderstanding is!”

Jang Sam-tae huffed and his face turned red.

It was unfair enough to be associated with that bizarre guy called Demonic Star while being called a villain or whatever, but now they were treating him on the same level as an evil spirit?

If it hadn’t been for the Manor Lord, he would have thrown a punch.

No, if it hadn’t been for Dan Woo-hyun, that is.

“Heoheo, but it seems the Patriarch’s words aren’t wrong… They might not be the same person, but they could be from the same group.”

“Yes?”

In an instant, Jang Sam-tae and Hong Won-chang made dumbfounded expressions.

What on earth were those two talking about right now?

They had absolutely no idea how to understand it. The two glanced at each other and shrugged their shoulders.

“These stone-headed guys. It means it could be the doing of those guys from the Heaven and Earth Cult or whatever. Why can’t you understand people’s words like this?”

At that sight, Sa Do-hak clicked his tongue with a dumbfounded expression. Even though they should roughly grasp the story from the flow, no matter how much time passed, it seemed difficult to expect anything from the brains of those two.

At that moment, Jang Sam-tae rolled up his sleeves and stood up from his seat. Seeing him huffing with his face completely red, it seemed as if he had recalled a grudge he had to repay them.

“No, then what are we doing?! We should go catch them right away!”

At the very moment when Hong Won-chang was about to chime in enthusiastically at Jang Sam-tae’s rough voice, Dan Woo-hyun, who had been listening to the conversation until now, picked up his teacup and quietly opened his mouth.

“Enough. There’s no need to go out of our way to find guys who will come anyway.”

Soon after, a strange smile hung on his lips.

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