Chapter 561: Side Story 61

Chapter side_61

“I… I am sorry.”

“Haa…”

Tang Mun-hye lost her words as she looked at the people lying sprawled. There was not a single person who was not heavily injured, and there was no one who could stand properly.

They were not nameless warriors, but the elites of the Sichuan Tang Family.

Who on earth could have made them like this?

“Was the one known as the Four Heavenly Kings that strong?”

“N-No. Not Jin Tae-gong… a t-tiger…”

“A tiger? You were defeated by a mere tiger?”

Tang Mun-hye looked at them with an absurd expression.

Since it was a beast, it was strong.

However, in this situation where the Tang Family’s elites were gathered, weren’t they all too strong to say they were defeated by a single tiger?

Furthermore, there was not even a corpse of a tiger around.

That meant the beast was completely alive.

Did this situation make any sense?

“It, it was not just a tiger… a w-white tiger and…”

“A white tiger?”

“Yes… and a New Moon Cat…”

“Ha!”

Tang Mun-hye pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a sigh. A white tiger, not just a normal tiger? That in itself was absurd, but a New Moon Cat too?

The cat that was said to only reveal itself during a full moon?

Did it even exist?

“Huh? A white tiger and a New Moon Cat?”

“Y-Yes… It was truly… t-terrifyingly strong.”

“The… two of them were together…?”

“Yes.”

“And… in the place where the Saintess and Jin Tae-gong were… there were also some strange people?”

“How… do you know?”

A long sigh leaked from Tang Mun-hye’s mouth.

She felt like she knew without even seeing it.

It seemed clear that Geum Ji-ran and Jin Tae-gong had tried to steal the carriage and escape, but without knowing what it was, they rushed in and jumped into the flames of hell.

If it came to this…

“Further tracking is impossible.”

“It-It is fine. We… can still do it.”

“…”

Tang Mun-hye lost her words as she looked at the person trying to stand up with difficulty.

They could do it.

However, she deemed it wise not to waste time on something that would yield no results anyway.

“…Let’s go back.”

“B-But…”

“We are going back. It will be more beneficial to clean up the remaining remnants in Sichuan.”

Tang Mun-hye did not want this kind of ending either.

The Saintess and Jin Tae-gong, one of the Four Heavenly Kings, were important cards that could completely crush their forces. However, they had already fallen into the hands of the grim reapers, and if they attempted to retrieve them, the Sichuan Tang Family’s roots would be pulled out.

The other side probably wouldn’t suffer even a minor scratch.

At that thought, a hollow laugh leaked out of her in spite of herself.

To think the great Sichuan Tang Family could look so small.

Forcing a bitter smile onto her face, she turned around.

“Ah… Lady… Please… take us with you.”

“…”

At the voice that followed, she glared and turned her gaze.

* * *

“…”

“…”

Jang Sam-tae broke out in a cold sweat without a word.

The sharp gaze felt from behind was so fierce that he felt as if the back of his head was being pierced by an awl.

His stomach was churning so much that he felt like he had to throw up.

“Why is it Tibet?”

At that moment, Dan Woo-hyun’s flat voice was heard.

He glanced around as if he found it somewhat absurd, for although Qinghai should have appeared, the scenery of Tibet strangely came into view.

“No… well, since I ran without thinking… I think I took the wrong turn, but…?”

“’But’?”

“…I was wrong.”

Actually, this was not Jang Sam-tae’s fault.

On the way, a few crossroads had appeared.

Since it was different from the path they took last time, he thought they had taken a slightly wrong path and asked Dan Woo-hyun. In response, he was told ‘It doesn’t matter which way, just go,’ so he had simply driven the carriage without thinking.

Of course, Dan Woo-hyun’s destination was strictly Qinghai.

This was because going west from Qinghai was the fastest way to enter Xinjiang. However, how could he have known that the path led into Tibet?

Besides, didn’t he tell him to go anywhere?

Trying hard to soothe his boiling inside, he smiled awkwardly.

“Ha, haha! Ti-Tibet is also very good. You’ve never been there, right? It’s my first time too.”

“…”

Looking back at the person who didn’t even give an answer, he forced a bitter smile. If it was this quiet, a person would feel even more intimidated for no reason.

Yet Jang Sam-tae straightened his back.

In times like this, one had to be confident.

“I heard Tibet is quite chaotic right now… I wonder if we’ll get involved in something again…”

“Seriously, don’t say such unlucky things!”

At Namgung So-hye’s words, Jang Sam-tae flared up and looked back. As it was, their schedule had been delayed a lot because they kept getting involved in various things, so he did not want to be involved in such matters anymore.

Moreover, if they got involved in Tibet, who would be the opponent? Even without thinking deeply, wouldn’t the feeling hit immediately?

Indeed, the Potala Palace.

Recalling the face of the Golden Heaven Water King from the past, he shivered.

That time when his head was forcibly shaved by that old man and he was learning the palace’s martial arts, thinking about it now, was nothing short of hell.

Of course, learning martial arts from Sa Do-hak was even more of a hell. But at least his head wasn’t shaved back then.

“We won’t get involved with those old fogeys, right?”

“If you mean old fogeys… are you talking about the lamas?”

“Yes! Those damn old fogeys!”

Dan Woo-hyun let out a smirk.

He had seen them once, but they were not people he particularly kept in mind. There was no need to get involved, nor did he have any intention to do so.

“Do not worry. That will not happen.”

“…But usually, when you say that, Manor Lord, we get even more involved.”

“…”

Dan Woo-hyun stared at Jang Sam-tae without any expression.

At that moment, noticing something strange, he lightly turned his head and looked to the side. It was an action as if he was intentionally avoiding Dan Woo-hyun’s gaze.

Soon, Jang Sam-tae yelled.

“Hey! I told you to drive the carriage well. It’s rattling like crazy.”

“…”

“If a person talks to you, you should answer!”

“Ah… I understand.”

Jin Tae-gong, who was driving the horses next to Jang Sam-tae, trembled at the corners of his mouth. It was unfair enough that he had been caught and beaten up by old fogeys for no apparent reason, but now he was even acting as a servant, so resentment welled up inside him as well.

However, there was a reason why he could not recklessly swing his fists.

This group was simply too strong.

Not to mention the two old fogeys, the one called the Family Head seemed to live in a completely different world. Whenever their eyes met, his breath was about to catch, so what more was there to say?

And this man named Jang Sam-tae.

On the surface, he was extremely talkative and sly.

He looked like he could do nothing but flap his mouth, but contrary to appearances, his fists were extremely fierce, and his legs were so fast and powerful that the moment he got kicked, it felt like his bones would turn to powder.

How could he escape from such people?

How could he rebel against such people?

Jin Tae-gong felt as if he had stepped into the flames of hell.

“Sigh… what a nasty temper, seriously. It’s fine. Of course the carriage rattles.”

“T-Thank you!”

Yet, even among these terrifying grim reapers, there was a fairy, and was she not the great Namgung So-hye?

As expected of someone called the number one beauty of the Central Plains, her heart was also kind.

He didn’t know why she was getting involved with these strange guys in a place like this, but just hearing her voice and seeing her face seemed to heal his heart.

Right then, Jang Sam-tae grumbled and frowned.

“Good grief! Don’t worry about this side and do something about that girl instead. In all my life, this is my first time seeing such a crazy wench.”

“That… I can’t help either…”

Namgung So-hye glanced at Geum Ji-ran, who was huddled in the corner of the carriage.

Dan So-mi was sitting modestly in front of her, and the White Cat, which had hopped into the carriage at some point, was seen wandering around and playing.

“Ah! How could you be so noble… I can even dedicate my soul to you.”

Meow!

She sparkled her eyes and tried to win the White Cat’s favor somehow, but the White Cat didn’t care at all, playing by climbing up to the top of Dan So-mi’s head via her shoulder and coming down.

And looking at that sight, Dan So-mi wore a bitter smile…

“Sister, the White Cat… is just a cat. It’s not noble.”

“What blasphemous words! Can you not see this beautiful figure of the White Cat? Hurry, you bow your head to the White Cat too!”

Geum Ji-ran, frowning deeply, raised her voice and approached Dan So-mi. The moment she reached out to grab her shoulders with both hands.

Chomp!

“Argh?!”

The White Cat, feeling threatened, lightly bit Geum Ji-ran’s finger. Since it was not strong but carried clear hostility, she must have felt considerable pain.

Dan So-mi, flustered at the sight, opened her eyes wide.

“Are you okay?”

“O-Of course. Ah, I have received a blessing today. Isn’t this a sign of trust that the White Cat is bestowing upon me?”

Hiss!

Instantly, as if getting goosebumps, the White Cat bristled all its fur and bared its teeth. The appearance was so frightening that it seemed to threaten to kill her if she approached any further.

Dan So-mi hurriedly hugged the White Cat and whispered.

“She’s not in her right mind… don’t be so angry.”

“Meow.”

At that moment, the White Cat let out a dejected cry and hopped out of her arms. Soon, it quickly threw its body out of the running carriage and dashed outside.

“Wh-White Cat?! Where are you going, leaving me behind! Didn’t you… didn’t you agree to go with me?”

Geum Ji-ran spat out words at her own whim and put on a crying face.

She had finally met the New Moon Cat, but let alone a proper conversation, she couldn’t even touch it.

She was so angry that she glared at Dan So-mi before she knew it.

“The White Cat will soon go with me along with the White Tiger!”

“Ah… Haha, th-that’s wonderful.”

“So do not approach the White Tiger and the White Cat anymore!”

“B-But sister, that finger… doesn’t it hurt?”

Dan So-mi asked while quietly pointing at Geum Ji-ran’s finger. With blood gushing out, it was a situation that no one could think was fine.

A normal person would have fainted already.

“Ah…”

Only then did Geum Ji-ran look at her finger, and her complexion turned pale. The amount of blood gushing out was no joke, showing how deeply the teeth had sunk in.

Soon, she swayed heavily and fell over.

“Si-Sister?!”

As Dan So-mi widened her eyes and approached the fallen Geum Ji-ran, Dan Woo-hyun, who was watching the scene, let out a silent sigh.

Soon, Jang Sam-tae, who was on the driver’s seat, spoke as if representing Dan Woo-hyun’s thoughts.

“I can’t understand that crazy bitch’s mental state at all, tsk tsk.”

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