Chapter 570: Side Story 70

Chapter side_70

“Aren’t you going to do it properly?”

Jang Sam-tae glared at Jin Tae-gong and Geum Ji-ran with sharp eyes. Geum Ji-ran was doing the laundry, and Jin Tae-gong was chopping the necessary firewood by her side.

Soon they would leave Mount Tian, and the journey to Anhui would clearly be longer and more rugged than anywhere else, so they had to prepare in advance.

He left that entire process to the two of them.

Since they were a couple of bastards who had nothing to do anyway, and he could not stand to see them playing around, Jang Sam-tae ordered them to do all kinds of chores and worked them hard.

Naturally, the two of them were full of complaints.

Blowing on her bright red hands, Geum Ji-ran frowned deeply. Although she had done the laundry several times already, she still had not adapted to it.

To think she had to put these delicate hands into the freezing valley water?

Furthermore, having to beat the clothes with a club until they were clean and even spread them out to dry, she could not help but be embarrassed by this whole situation.

She glared at Jang Sam-tae with sharp, piercing glances and showed off her red hands, but his indifferent expression made it seem like he found it rather amusing.

“My goodness. Both that fellow Chu Jak-han and the Heaven and Earth Cult members are all nothing but whiners, aren’t they?”

“Do not compare me to someone like Chu Jak-han. It is unpleasant.”

“I am also unpleasant because of you, girl……. Goodness…… is the dirt going to come off like that? Beat it harder, harder!”

Thud, thud, thud-!

Hearing that, Geum Ji-ran bit her lip and swung the club. As if proving her angry heart, her hands beating the laundry showed no mercy.

It was as if she were beating it to pulp.

“Hey, you crazy woman! If you do it like that, the laundry will all rip!”

“You told me to beat it! Why are you complaining when I do, you bastard?!”

Geum Ji-ran’s face was full of injustice.

When she beat it harder because he told her to, he complained; when she did it gently, he complained as much as she did it gently; no matter what she did, not a single kind word came out of Jang Sam-tae’s mouth.

At the very least, if Jin Tae-gong had taken her side, she would have felt a bit less wronged…….

Glancing to the side, Jin Tae-gong was solely focused on the firewood and chopping with his axe, like a person who had entered a state of self-lessness.

He looked like a person who did not hear whatever sound was made beside him.

Feeling even more wronged by that, she looked on the verge of tears.

At that moment, Jang Sam-tae let out a sigh.

“My goodness, are there only fools like you two in the Heaven and Earth Cult? What kind of group is it anyway?”

“F-Fools……! The Heaven and Earth Cult is not such a place……!”

“You cause trouble here and there, increase your followers by forcibly brainwashing them, kill people if things go wrong, and show off your strength just because your martial arts are a bit strong……”

“Ugh!?”

“And yet you only have pride in the Heaven and Earth Cult…… if you’re not fools, what are you?”

Leaning against a tree with his arms crossed, Jang Sam-tae spoke of the rumors he had heard about the Heaven and Earth Cult. Since there were no good words and only bad words, it made him realize why they were the worst organization in the Central Plains right now.

At that moment, Jin Tae-gong, who was gathering wood, let out a sigh.

“In the beginning…… it was not so.”

“What do you mean it was not so? Your deeds are worse than back-alley thugs. Tsk tsk, defending it.”

“You might not believe it, but it is true. Even when the Cult Leader gathered young orphans to establish the Heaven and Earth Cult.”

Hearing those words, Geum Ji-ran shut her mouth tightly.

It was certainly true around the time the Heaven and Earth Cult was first established. Of course, Geum Ji-ran was the only one who knew Yuk Cheol-wan’s true intentions, but to those who gathered young orphans and raised them, he must have looked like a warm-hearted person.

But that was not the reality.

Yuk Cheol-wan had surely brainwashed the children and used them to build the foundation of the Heaven and Earth Cult.

“Hahaha- an interesting story. Hearing about the past of the Heaven and Earth Cult, he does not seem to be such a bad person.”

“Old man, have you gone mad? It is obvious at a glance……”

Looking at Namgung Cheon who appeared, Jang Sam-tae laughed hollowly. This gentleman must have gone senile, trying to look at the Heaven and Earth Cult in a good light.

Dumbfounded, the moment he was about to say another word, Namgung Cheon turned his gaze and looked at Jang Sam-tae.

“Hieek?!”

It was a ghost.

In an instant, Namgung Cheon’s face changed.

His face, distorted as if he were looking at a ghost, gave him goosebumps all over his body just by looking at it. Involuntarily, he lowered his gaze and whistled.

“W-Well, if the elder thinks so, then it must be so, right?”

“Hahaha- you, get lost.”

Namgung Cheon waved his hand as if chasing away an annoying fly and sent Jang Sam-tae away. His gaze, as if he were a useless fellow in life, was a masterpiece.

Geum Ji-ran, who checked that by his side, broke out in a cold sweat.

Seeing the face of one whom it would not be strange to call an immortal changed to look worse than an Asura, it seemed that the distinction between good and evil was completely meaningless.

“Yes, tell me. Tell me about the Heaven and Earth Cult you know. I am very curious.”

“I, I don’t really…… have anything to say……”

“We will not fall for such a thing. What do you take us for……”

Jin Tae-gong held back his words in embarrassment, while Geum Ji-ran clicked her tongue with a face of disbelief. What did he think of them to utter such words without hesitation?

Did they look like fools who would blabber everything if he treated them slightly better?

No matter how bad her relationship with the Cult Leader was, the Heaven and Earth Cult was Geum Ji-ran’s everything, and it was also a very meaningful place for Jin Tae-gong.

Yet, did he think they would sell it out for a single word?

“Hahaha- a dying old man is merely trying to satisfy his curiosity. How the Heaven and Earth Cult, which harasses the Murim Alliance and the Heavenly Dao Society, was established, and who on earth that Cult Leader is.”

“There is nothing…… special, though……?”

Jin Tae-gong swallowed hard as he watched Namgung Cheon slowly approaching him. He was merely taking steps closer with a smile, but why did he feel so afraid?

Moreover, what was he planning to do by learning about the Heaven and Earth Cult?

At that moment, grab! Namgung Cheon’s hand grabbed Jin Tae-gong’s head.

“Hahaha- because Family Head Dan was there, I could not ask before, but today it seems I can resolve this curiosity. Come, speak slowly.”

“No…… it is nothing that grand……”

“Well, things like that. What kind of guy the Cult Leader is, how many members there are, and where the main headquarters is. You know, don’t you?”

“W-Wait…… ugh, aaaargh?!”

Namgung Cheon began to put strength into his grip.

Jin Tae-gong, whose head was grabbed, screamed and struggled, but no matter what he did, he could not break free from his grip.

“This old man, you see, grew up hearing that I have very good patience since I was young. So it is fine to speak slowly, think about it leisurely…… hahaha.”

What did he mean think leisurely?

No matter how he looked at it, if he thought about it leisurely, it did not seem like it would end well.

* * *

“But how did the Cult Leader of the Heaven and Earth Cult know that such a scripture was in the Potala Palace?”

Walking along the road, Namgung So-hye harbored a doubt.

It had been quite a while since the Heaven and Earth Cult began to make a name for itself, but it had not been long since they became powerful enough to trouble the Murim Alliance and the Heavenly Dao Society.

In such a place, the fact that they knew of the existence of the scripture inside the Potala Palace, which not only the orthodox and unorthodox factions but even the Demonic Cult did not know, was enough to raise questions.

“No matter how much you hide them, there are things that are bound to be revealed.”

“Well, if you think about it that way, yes, but……”

Namgung So-hye looked at Dan Woo-hyun with an expression of disbelief.

She did not misunderstand the meaning of the words he spoke.

No matter how tightly one tries to hide and conceal things, what is meant to be revealed will surely be revealed. But the problem was that it was not the most famous forces, but merely a place that had just begun to make a name for itself.

Furthermore, the scripture of the Martial God, of all things.

Although she did not know what was written in it, if it was to the extent that Dan Woo-hyun was searching for it himself, she had to assume that something quite important was written.

And the Cult Leader of the Heaven and Earth Cult knew about that?

Just thinking about it gave a strange feeling.

Having such thoughts, Namgung So-hye looked at Dan Woo-hyun, who was walking side by side, and spoke.

“Then…… the thing you want to hide will also be revealed soon.”

“I do not know what you are talking about.”

“Since there is something you do not want to be caught by people…… I was wondering if that is why you are going to find it yourself.”

Soon, she shrugged her shoulders and smiled.

The fact that he was personally stepping forward for something that could just be left to Sa Do-hak meant she could guess the contents of that scripture to some extent.

Naturally, it would be something he did not want to be found out by anyone else.

“It is nothing.”

“Then can I look at it first?”

“You will not be able to see it.”

Namgung So-hye squinted at Dan Woo-hyun.

Watching him speak so firmly made her even more suspicious.

Why was he trying to hide it to this extent?

“Could it be…… because something you shouldn’t see is written in it?”

“They are meaningless things.”

“Hmm…….”

Namgung So-hye knew.

Dan Woo-hyun never personally took action for something meaningless. Since it was not like there was no one to order around, if he truly thought it was meaningless, he would have sent Jang Sam-tae instead.

Yet, he came out like this?

She grinned.

“Anyway…… the one who finds it first keeps it.”

“…….”

For a moment, though he did not speak, she saw Dan Woo-hyun’s expression twist strangely. It was clear that he was definitely perplexed.

Thus, Namgung So-hye clenched her fists.

She would definitely find it first.

She would check with her own two eyes what was written.

If it was to the extent that the great Dan Woo-hyun was perplexed, from Namgung So-hye’s perspective, it was no different from a treasure she must obtain.

“Do not think of useless things.”

“Yes, yes. Rather than that, are there any traces?”

Dan Woo-hyun, who was walking, turned his head toward the direction the wind was blowing.

It was the east.

Looking at the small mountain beyond the field, it seemed the destination would be that way.

“Let’s go.”

“……? You are saying let’s go while knowing where I am trying to go?”

“The wind blew to the east, and you looked that way, so you must be going there.”

Namgung So-hye shrugged her shoulders as if it were obvious.

Since this kind of thing had been repeated for a long time, was it not ridiculous to not know that?

She blinked her round eyes and looked at Dan Woo-hyun. Her expression was full of question, as if asking why he was not going.

“What are you doing?”

“Really…….”

“Yes?”

“It gives me goosebumps.”

“W-What did you say?!”

At the words that followed, Namgung So-hye shouted in horror.

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