Chapter 579: Side Story 79

Chapter side_79

The drunkenness did not easily fade.

His face flushed red, and he could not understand why the world was spinning so much. With his eyes half-closed, it was impossible to tell whether he was sleeping or awake.

Only, he was repeating one action.

Grasping a large bowl in his hand, he put the ladle into the empty alcohol jar and poured it into the bowl. Just a moment ago, the cup should have been filled, but no matter how much he scooped and scooped with the ladle, the bowl would not fill.

“Ultimately……. He actually did it.”

“Hic……!”

“This guy…… is a madman……. He is out of his mind.”

As Dan Woo-hyun shook his head in disbelief, Sa Do-hak also nodded in agreement.

To think he would empty a whole jar of strong fire liquor?

Although they had forced him to drink, drinking like that without dispersing the alcohol was something that even Namgung Cheon or Sa Do-hak could not do.

But Jang Sam-tae accomplished it.

One could not help but admire what an amazing fellow he was.

“Hic……! I…… I need to go…… to f-find…… those guys…….”

Rolling his eyes woozily, Jang Sam-tae barely opened his mouth.

This was also the reason why he had emptied the entire jar, as if he could not back down on this. Although his face, eyes, and actions all looked completely wasted, his determination to find Geum Jiran and Jin Tae-gong seemed unchanged.

“Weren’t they bound to leave anyway? Why are you so stubborn about catching those who fled?”

Shaking his head in disbelief at Jang Sam-tae, Dan Woo-hyun sighed and asked. Although they had dragged them along for quite a while, weren’t they going to let them go eventually anyway?

Therefore, even though they knew they had fled, neither Namgung Cheon nor Sa Do-hak stepped forward. Since they had already obtained all the information they wanted, they were of no use anymore.

“N-no……. I told you they did not run away……. Hic! S-surely something happened, hic! Aren’t they…… my successors……”

Jang Sam-tae was swaying, and barely managed to speak.

As if he had no intention of listening to whatever Dan Woo-hyun said, he was solely burning with the determination to bring Geum Jiran and Jin Tae-gong back.

That was rather amusing.

Shaking his head, Dan Woo-hyun gently placed his hand on Jang Sam-tae’s shoulder. Instantly, steam rose from his entire body and soared into the air.

“So, what is your real motive?”

“Aren’t they the servant boy and girl to succeed me?! If they are gone, won’t I remain a servant forever!”

Sobereing up in an unexpectedly short time, he snapped awake. At that moment, the words from the depths of his heart were blurted out on their own.

Jang Sam-tae opened his eyes wide and looked at Dan Woo-hyun.

Soon, he grinned sheepishly.

“Well, you know…… just saying……”

“Oh, my head……. So, because you do not want to act as a servant, you will bring them back and use them?”

“Hohoho. In all my life, I have never seen someone try to pull such a petty trick.”

Even Dan Woo-hyun sighed as if he had heard something absurd. Although they had formed a connection, wasn’t taking them by force a bit too much?

“Whose brain did it come from to drag people by force to make them work?”

Instantly, Jang Sam-tae widened his eyes and looked at Dan Woo-hyun.

‘It is you, you…….’

He tightly held back the words that were about to escape his mouth.

Although he had made a mistake when they first met, since then, over ten years had passed without Jang Sam-tae ever being able to escape Dan Woo-hyun’s grasp.

If he said crawl, he crawled; if he said cook, he cooked; if he didn’t listen, he was beaten; and he was given tasks where he had to risk his life.

Having lived while learning such things, why should it not work this time? Besides, if not for the Hunan Dan Family, those two would just live by deceiving people in that ridiculous Heaven and Earth Cult anyway.

“Hoho, in any case, there seems to be no need to search for those who fled. Don’t they have their own lives to live?”

“Then do I have no life of my own, and that is why I have been captured and lived like this?”

Jang Sam-tae looked back at Dan Woo-hyun and Namgung Cheon with a dumbfounded expression. Namgung Cheon, who did not know the context, had a puzzled look, but Dan Woo-hyun, realizing what he meant, subtly turned his head.

“Do you want to find the two that badly?”

“No! Shouldn’t we at least know whether they really ran away or if something happened to them?”

Seeing Dan Woo-hyun trying to change the subject, Jang Sam-tae also did not bring it up anymore. It wasn’t like he could argue with him anyway, and he didn’t think his current situation was particularly bad.

But the problem with those two was different.

Clearly, until they left the inn, they had shown no sign of trying to escape. Thus, he could not believe they had run away.

Did he understand Jang Sam-tae’s feelings?

Dan Woo-hyun spoke with a chuckle.

“Then try looking for them.”

“Eh? Are you serious?”

“Yes, if you think so, go ahead and look.”

“I-If I really find them, I am bringing them back, okay? I will use them as my successors.”

“Do as you wish. However, do not disregard their will.”

At that moment, the thought ‘What about my will?’ flashed through Jang Sam-tae’s mind, but he quickly shut his mouth. Isn’t a person’s will originally something that changes in an instant every time they get hit?

In the end, whether those bastards shed tears or begged, all that mattered was that the words saying they wanted to go together came out of their mouths.

Jang Sam-tae stood up with an excited face.

“I will be back!”

“Go on.”

As if he didn’t even remember the fact that he stayed up all night drinking, Jang Sam-tae left the inn with his eyes shining brightly.

He looked so excited, just like a child.

“Tsk, tsk. But is it alright? If they didn’t run away, it means they got caught up in a troublesome matter.”

“True……”

Dan Woo-hyun slowly turned his head to look somewhere.

The wind blowing from there was unusual.

Feeling that wind, which was not fierce but certainly harbored unrest, Dan Woo-hyun spoke with a calm expression.

“It will work out……”

* * *

It was a space where not a single ray of light entered, even though it was clearly morning. Though they did not know where it was, they could tell that there were no other people around besides them.

No matter how much they shouted for help in such a place, they would not receive assistance from anyone, and even if someone came, if it was Elder Hyeong Un-gak of the Heaven and Earth Cult, they could expect nothing.

Geum Jiran knelt down, biting her lip. Beside her lay Jin Tae-gong, who had become a complete mess, beaten so badly that he was unrecognizable.

To think he was a master counted among the fingers even within the Heaven and Earth Cult.

How could such a result happen?

Just then, Hyeong Un-gak spoke as he wiped the blood off his hands.

“As you know, among the Four Heavenly Kings, except for the two who protect the Cult Leader’s side, the rest were quite exaggerated.”

“…….”

“Especially, Jin Tae-gong was built up a bit too much, Divine Maiden. To say he is among the top three in the cult…… hohoho.”

Hyeong Un-gak gently moved his foot to flip Jin Tae-gong’s body. Unconscious and not moving a muscle, his appearance did not look like a master counted among the best in the cult from any angle.

“Ugh…… do you think you will be safe after doing this? The Cult Leader will not let this slide!”

“Hoho. It is amusing to see someone so smart trying to deny reality.”

“…….”

Hanging her head, Geum Jiran ground her teeth fiercely.

Hyeong Un-gak’s single sentence confirmed the entire situation. The incident in Sichuan was perpetrated by the Cult Leader, and right now, she was someone who must not be alive.

Unconsciously, she clenched her fists tightly.

Even though her fingernails dug into her flesh and blood flowed, she didn’t seem to feel the slightest pain.

But soon, she raised her head.

Sweeping back her disheveled hair, she smiled faintly.

“So, why does the Elder not kill me? Perhaps…… is there something you want?”

“Hohoho. As expected, I like that you are so quick-witted.”

“So, what do you want from me?”

Hyeong Un-gak was a greedy man even among the elders.

Although he swore loyalty to the Cult Leader, he was someone who would stab him in the back at any opportunity.

She thought that if she could give Hyeong Un-gak what he wanted, perhaps she might be able to survive and not die.

“In that case, let me ask you……. The Cult Leader…… what on earth is his martial art?”

“……?!”

Instantly, Geum Jiran’s face turned pale.

It was because with that one sentence Hyeong Un-gak uttered, she realized what he wanted. However, it was something that could never be obtained.

Hadn’t even Yuk Cheol-wan failed to be perfect?

“Seeing your surprise, it seems you do know something……”

Hyeong Un-gak narrowed his eyes and looked at Geum Jiran.

A change in expression meant she knew something. Sensing that, a look of delight filled his face. He could learn Yuk Cheol-wan’s secret, which no one had known until now.

In that case, could he not obtain it!

Everything of his!

“There will be…… nothing good about knowing it……”

“Hohoho. When one grows old, curiosity increases. The reason you are breathing right now is to resolve that curiosity……. Otherwise…… would there be any need for you?”

Hyeong Un-gak gently reached out and touched Geum Jiran’s forehead.

If he set his mind to it, he could pierce her at any time by firing a finger technique.

Since even such killing intent was felt, Geum Jiran trembled but tried her best to maintain her composure.

“He……”

“Yes, yes, go ahead and tell me.”

Hyeong Un-gak stared at her lips with anticipation. His gaze urging her to hurry and speak was clearly displayed.

At the same time, Geum Jiran, letting out a deep sigh, moved her lips.

“He learned the martial art…… of the Martial God.”

“……?!”

The moment she said that, the elder’s expression turned to one of astonishment.

But what could be done?

Whether that was true or false was something only the Cult Leader himself would know.

Geum Jiran had simply conveyed the Cult Leader’s words exactly as they were.

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