Chapter 563: Side Story 63

Chapter side_63

“Uuuugh…”

The man groaned and slowly opened his eyes.

Taking in the blurry scenery, he frowned in spite of himself. Along with the pain that felt like his entire body was breaking apart, the sight before him made him realize he was not dead yet.

Wearing a bitter smile in spite of himself, he stealthily raised his upper body.

“You shouldn’t get up yet!”

Right then, a voice was heard from beside him.

He opened his eyes wide and looked to his side to see an unfamiliar woman watching him. Since she didn’t seem to be a person of the Demonic Cult, not even a trace of demonic Qi could be felt.

Then who on earth was she?

He sent a wary gaze.

“What kind of wench are you?”

“Calling the person who s-saved you a wench…”

“Did you… save me?”

At the man’s words, the woman-no, Dan So-mi-nodded.

Strictly speaking, it was Sa Do-hak who did it, but since he would have had no choice but to die if she hadn’t brought him in the first place, it was half right and half wrong.

“…Where is this?”

“We don’t know either. It’s our first time in Tibet…”

“We…?”

Only then did the man look around.

This was because she had spoken as if there were other people. Thus, widening his field of vision and turning his gaze, other people began to enter his sight one by one.

“See, he’s alive, right?”

“Hoho, he was in a state where it wouldn’t be strange if he died… demonic arts are quite impressive.”

“It’s a technique comparable to Hua Tuo. Euhahaha!”

Sa Do-hak burst into loud laughter, as if in a good mood.

Although it was merely repairing his damaged Qi and blood a bit and infusing the energy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, in any case, he had opened his eyes, so it was not a bad result.

If he had died or ended up crippled just like that, it would have been embarrassing, but since he looked perfectly fine no matter how one looked at it, it didn’t matter.

“Th-That person is…?”

And the man also recognized Sa Do-hak’s face without his mask. At first, wondering if it was a dream, he rubbed his eyes and pinched his cheek, but the presence before him still did not disappear, and he felt pain in his pinched cheek.

“C-Cult Leader?!”

“Euhaha! I do not know who you are, but have you been well?”

Sa Do-hak laughed pleasantly as he looked at the shouting man. Since the Heavenly Demon Cult was a place where a hundred thousand demonic followers lived, he actually had no idea who the person in front of him was.

However, if he was a member of the Demonic Cult, there was no way he wouldn’t know Sa Do-hak’s face.

Wasn’t he the greatest genius to appear in hundreds of years, and the one who had driven the entire Central Plains into terror? Also, being at the pinnacle of the hundred thousand demons, Sa Do-hak could be called a god-like existence.

“Cult Leader?”

“If it’s the Cult Leader of the D-Demonic Cult…?!”

And that voice also entered the ears of Geum Ji-ran and Jin Tae-gong. They only knew the current Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult to be a middle-aged man. However, if he called that old man the Cult Leader, only one person came to mind.

“S-Sa Do-hak?!”

“Demonic Sovereign!”

Jin Tae-gong gasped in shock, his mouth hanging wide open.

‘No wonder… he was insanely strong.’

The Five Sovereigns, of which now only names remained.

Since he was a person counted among the top two even among them, his strength was by no means a level that someone like Jin Tae-gong could measure. Even when Jang Sam-tae called him Elder Sa, he hadn’t paid much attention, so he hadn’t thought even for a moment that the man was Sa Do-hak.

“C-Cult Leader…! How are you in a place like this?”

“Well, that’s… I have some business, so I am returning to the main cult for a moment. But… what is with that state of yours?”

Sa Do-hak frowned with a somewhat displeased expression. He was extremely displeased with the fact that a member of the prestigious Demonic Cult had been defeated by someone and ended up on the verge of death, and that of all people, it had been discovered by Namgung Cheon.

“T-That is…”

“If you are carrying out a secret order given by the Cult Leader, you do not have to speak it aloud. For I am not a person of the Demonic Cult right now.”

“…!”

“Then, go do what you need to do.”

Sa Do-hak waved his hand as if he had no interest at all.

Since it was a place he once belonged to, it wouldn’t have been strange for him to take the lead, but his expression seemed to say he declined anything bothersome, leaving even Namgung Cheon beside him unable to hide his astonishment.

To think he, who was once obsessed with the Demonic Cult, would say such a thing?

Didn’t he truly seem like a person who had laid everything down?

However, as if he had no intention of giving up, the man bit his lip and then let out a small sigh. Then, like someone who had made a decision, he raised his head and looked at Sa Do-hak.

“The thing is… under the orders of the Cult Leader… I was tracking the Golden Heaven Water King.”

“Golden… Heaven Water King…? I’ve heard that somewhere.”

“No, you know! That old man who shaved my head bald!”

At that moment, hearing the name Golden Heaven Water King, Jang Sam-tae pricked up his ears and shouted. His expression was completely twisted as if his teeth ground just thinking about it, making it clear that he had no desire to get involved with that side.

“That old man.”

Dan Woo-hyun also seemed to immediately recall who it was.

Indeed, he was someone who possessed quite a decent energy. Hadn’t he heard that the man was an expert counted among the top two even in the Potala Palace?

“Ah! Now I remember. But why are you tracking him? Are you planning a surprise attack since you’re fighting the Potala Palace? No, in the first place, why are you shedding blood with those monks?”

Sa Do-hak was the one who understood this part the least.

The power of the Heavenly Mountain Demonic Cult was terrifying.

However, the Potala Palace also possessed a formidable force.

As a place that could be called the root of Shaolin martial arts, their martial arts were also considerable, and since most of the Tibetan people who believed in Buddha trusted and followed the Potala Palace, they were by no means inferior to the Heavenly Mountain Demonic Cult in influence and power.

Thus, it was a place where they had long checked each other without pointing blades, but since they were suddenly fighting, he was curious about the reason.

“It wasn’t a fight… we started. It began when the Potala Palace suddenly destroyed a branch of the Demonic Cult in Tibet.”

“Why?”

“…We don’t know that far yet.”

It had been only a few months since the war broke out.

However, despite having a few months, the Demonic Cult side still did not know exactly why this fight had broken out.

They just knew that the Potala Palace had struck first, and unable to turn the tide against that sudden surprise attack, they were still being pushed back.

Although it had once collapsed and burned with many dying, the Potala Palace was still the strongest organization in Tibet. While they had a newly established center in the Great Dharma King, the Demonic Cult had lost the massive card that was Sa Do-hak.

“You tried to meet the Golden Heaven Water King to confirm.”

“…Yes.”

At the words he heard, the man glanced at Dan Woo-hyun.

Who was he to interrupt the conversation with the Cult Leader?

Although it was an extremely disrespectful act, since the former Cult Leader Sa Do-hak said nothing, he had no choice but to let it go.

However, his face was full of dissatisfaction.

“Those old fogeys of the Potala Palace must have gone senile. Just looking at how they shaved my head bald, they must have gone senile a long time ago.”

Soon, Jang Sam-tae frowned and shivered. They had only said they would teach him martial arts, but never said he had to shave his head.

What if he had entered the Potala Palace without being able to return just like that?

Just thinking about it was terrible.

“Whether they’ve gone senile or not doesn’t seem to be the important part. The problem is… we will end up seeing them on our way.”

On the other hand, Namgung So-hye thought realistically.

This was Tibet, and the fight between the Potala Palace and the Demonic Cult was ongoing. Since their destination was the same Heavenly Mountain Demonic Cult, it was a situation where they could not avoid meeting.

“Do not worry! I will definitely protect you, fairy.”

“Yes, yes, and don’t interrupt.”

“Yes!”

Jin Tae-gong spoke in a firm tone, but Namgung So-hye let out a small sigh and glanced at Dan Woo-hyun. Since he still wore a flat expression, she couldn’t read what he was thinking at all.

‘Can’t he show a little jealousy?’

Soon, letting out a small sigh, she spoke to Dan Woo-hyun.

“What are you going to do?”

“There is nothing to do. We just need to go our own way.”

“No… the problem is that we will eventually see the Potala Palace.”

Namgung So-hye looked at Dan So-mi, who was a bit far away. Since she was stroking the White Tiger and playing with the White Cat, she didn’t seem to know at all what they were talking about over here.

Thus, she spat out the words inside her.

“You’re not going to kill them all, right?”

“I have no intention of killing them.”

“So you have no intention.”

Namgung So-hye pinched the bridge of her nose with a ‘haa’.

It was just that he had no intention, but she felt his resolve to uproot them if things went wrong. Dan Woo-hyun had acted that way so far, and how many places had been blown away because of that?

Just thinking about it made her head hurt.

However, it was not that there was no breakthrough at all.

Although the member of the Demonic Cult had ended up in that state while tracking the Golden Heaven Water King, such a thing would not happen to the people here.

Because no matter who the Golden Heaven Water King was, he would have to open his mouth in front of Dan Woo-hyun.

Thus, what came to mind was.

“How about meeting those people of the Potala Palace?”

“That damn Golden Heaven Water King or whatever? Is there a need?”

Sa Do-hak frowned with a highly reluctant expression.

Although the reason was unknown, why converse with those who attacked the Demonic Cult? He thought it would be better to twist their necks first upon seeing them.

“Or… the Great Dharma King would be fine too.”

Dan Woo-hyun stroked his chin and smiled slightly. At that sight, Namgung Cheon and Namgung So-hye swallowed their groans, because in their minds, they imagined Dan Woo-hyun leisurely invading the Potala Palace, beating up all the lamas, and the Great Dharma King kneeling before him and bowing his head.

Thinking of the screams and blood that would be heard from within the Potala Palace, there could be nothing more terrible than that.

“Hoho, I do not think there is a need to go to the Potala Palace. Who knows? He might be with the Golden Heaven Water King…”

“Th-That’s right! Moreover, he might be quite close by?”

“What would we do going to the monks’ den? We’ll only smell bachelor odor. Instead of that, Manor Lord! How about just going to Chengdu to eat and play…”

Dan Woo-hyun let out a short groan, “Hmph-“.

Although he felt somewhat reluctant, seeing them oppose so vehemently made him wear a smirk.

He also had no desire to go all the way to the Potala Palace.

It was just a joke he threw out, but because they reacted that way, laughter flowed.

Nodding as if satisfied with something, Dan Woo-hyun spoke to the man who was blankly watching the situation.

“Right, where did that Golden Heaven Water King or whatever go?”

“Cu-Currently… he probably went up… toward Mount Tian.”

“I see.”

The moment he heard the story, Dan Woo-hyun stood up from his seat. Judging by the injured man’s condition, the distance wouldn’t be that great. If they chased diligently even now, they would see him before long.

“Then let us… ask him.”

“Euhaha! That’s good! Let’s check how strong that Golden Heaven Water King or whatever is!”

“Hohoho, it would be great if the Great Dharma King were with him… I heard he is quite strong.”

“If the Great Dharma King is with him, that guy is mine! You play with the Golden Heaven Water King!”

“Hohoho.”

Namgung Cheon and Sa Do-hak smiled, burning with fighting spirit. He had heard that the Great Dharma King possessed the best martial arts in Tibet, and the Golden Heaven Water King followed him.

Since Namgung Cheon and Sa Do-hak were counted among the top two even in the Central Plains, it was inevitable that they had a strong desire to trade blows with them.

For the first time in a long while, their noble spirits boiled.

“…”

And looking at that sight, Geum Ji-ran and Jin Tae-gong trembled even more. Who on earth could think so lightly of the Great Dharma King of the Potala Palace and the Golden Heaven Water King?

Even the current leader of the Murim Alliance or the leader of the Heavenly Path Society probably couldn’t do that.

“Just… who… are these people…?”

“I… don’t know either.”

Jin Tae-gong wiped his cold sweat and smiled bitterly.

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