Chapter 584: Side Story 84

Chapter side_84

The appearance of those who returned to the tavern was truly exhausted. The same was true for Dan So-mi, who had run around the mountain all day, but Jang Sam-tae and Namgung So-hye, who had fought fiercely inside and outside the cave, were in no better shape, looking like beggars.

In addition, Geum Ji-ran and Jin Tae-gong, who were bowing their heads as if guilty, showed clear traces of being tortured, so naturally their appearance could not be intact.

Jin Tae-gong was covered in blood, and Geum Ji-ran, enduring the throbbing pain all over, kept her mouth tightly shut and could barely open it.

“You managed to return alive.”

“I really thought I was going to die. Phew… I can’t believe how many of them there were…”

“It was because of you!”

When Jang Sam-tae sat down next to Dan Woo-hyun, gulped down a glass of water, and sighed, Namgung So-hye’s sharp voice rang out. Judging by her eyes and expression filled with resentment, it was easy to tell roughly how things had unfolded.

“In any case, it is fine since you returned alive. Who were they?”

“They said he was an elder of the Heaven and Earth Sect.”

“Indeed…”

“An elder? Was he someone formidable?”

At Sa Do-hak’s question, Jang Sam-tae swallowed a groan.

Could one call that formidable? Clearly, although his momentum had been fierce, he ultimately could not defeat Namgung So-hye and ended up with his head severed.

Since he had not dominated her even once from the very beginning until the moment of his death, he did not feel that the man was particularly impressive. Thus, as he vaguely shook his head, Sa Do-hak’s expression turned sour.

“What on earth are they? Elders, Four Heavenly Kings-their names are grand, but none of them are interesting. If I had known it would be like this, I should have just gone and wiped out the Potala Palace.”

“Haha. Doesn’t that just mean you are that strong? Do not think too deeply about it.”

Namgung Cheon comforted Sa Do-hak with a gentle smile. However, he too could not help but feel a sense of regret.

He had trained extensively all this time, and had finally reached a realm where he could unleash the things that had only existed in his mind.

Yet, an opponent worthy of using them against was nowhere to be found. Since he could not use them against Dan Woo-hyun either, a situation filled only with regret continued.

“The connection is persistent.”

Just then, Dan Woo-hyun chuckled.

At first, he had thought he would only need to chase away flying flies. It was because he had left his house for the first time in a while, it was a journey to send the three of them off, and he strongly wanted to show the wide world to Dan So-mi, who had become an adult.

Thus, he had not wanted to see unnecessary blood.

However, if they were entangled to this extent, the story would change.

“Where is it?”

“Eh?”

“I mean, the Heaven and Earth Sect.”

Instantly, Geum Ji-ran trembled and bowed her head further at Dan Woo-hyun’s words. Just locking eyes with him brought an ominous feeling as if her heart would stop.

Was that all?

The moment he spoke, the atmosphere turned heavy.

The flowing air grew tense, and she felt as if something were pressing down heavily on her shoulders.

Amidst that tension, Geum Ji-ran barely managed to open her mouth.

But was it because she was so tense?

Her voice would not come out.

“They said it is in Shanxi.”

The one who answered in her stead was none other than Namgung Cheon.

The location of the main headquarters of the Heaven and Earth Sect, which no one had known and had remained tightly hidden, came out of his mouth.

“What? Shanxi? That place where that guy is?”

“Hohoho. So they say. I was also quite surprised to hear it.”

“How does this guy manage his territory?”

Sa Do-hak shook his head in disbelief. Although he had retired and stepped back, Shanxi was still a place where his influence remained strong.

How could it be otherwise, since he was the absolute monarch of the Unorthodox Faction?

Yet, with the main headquarters of the Heaven and Earth Sect hidden in such a place, was this not the moment his incompetence was revealed once again?

“To think he is one of the Five Emperors, tsk tsk.”

“Haha. If you look at it that way, aren’t the Orthodox Faction and the Demonic Cult the same since they were also played by those guys?”

Sa Do-hak frowned at the words spoken with a smile. Just as he said, since both the Orthodox and Demonic factions had been played in their hands, it would be correct to say everyone was incompetent.

Sa Do-hak glared at Namgung Cheon with a sharp look as if he were talking nonsense, but he paid no attention and just smiled.

Just then, the voice of Dan Woo-hyun, who had been listening to their conversation, was heard.

“I see… Shanxi… It is on the way.”

“It is not really… on the way, though? Let’s just go our way. Yes?”

Jang Sam-tae shook his head with a disgruntled expression.

The distance between Anhui and Shanxi was quite far. Even if they headed straight for Anhui from here, it would take months, and if they stopped by Shanxi, the time would increase even further.

For Jang Sam-tae, who had long abandoned any hope of being a free man, the desire to return as quickly as possible was much greater.

Moreover, since they had found those who could be his successors, returning to the Dan Family could be considered the happiest thing for him right now.

“Isn’t that better than wasting energy dealing with these idiots? Don’t you agree, elders?”

Jang Sam-tae tried his best to change Dan Woo-hyun’s mind. Seeing that he did not even reply despite hearing his words, he turned his gaze and dragged Namgung Cheon and Sa Do-hak into the discussion.

“Well… it’s not wrong… but won’t they keep annoying us?”

“Haha. Indeed. Once you are entangled, it continues until the roots of one side are pulled out; that is Murim.”

“The two grandfathers are correct on this. I think the same way.”

Even Namgung So-hye chimed in to support.

They had already clashed several times and shed blood. Since the opponent’s pride was crushed from their perspective, they would definitely move to restore it somehow.

Was that not the law of Murim?

“No… but since we have So-mi with us, we can’t just go around fighting, can we? Right?”

“…Pardon?”

When things did not go as he wished, Jang Sam-tae finally used his last resort. He tried to drag Dan So-mi to his side, planning to use her as the most definitive card to sway Dan Woo-hyun’s mind.

However, Dan So-mi raised her head with a blank expression.

Perhaps because she had been sleeping despite the noise due to fatigue, her eyes showed she did not know how to answer the sudden question directed at her.

Then, upon locking eyes with Namgung So-hye, Dan So-mi made an ‘Ah-‘ sound and spoke as if she understood something.

“Everything Sister says is correct… right?”

“Hoho. As expected, there’s only So-mi.”

She had no interest in what words were exchanged, but if Namgung So-hye said so, then it was. Because in these situations, following her words always brought good things.

Sure enough, when Namgung So-hye approached the dazed Dan So-mi and gently stroked her head, she closed her eyes to sleep once again.

“T-This is cheating!”

“What do you mean cheating? So-mi said she agrees!”

“She doesn’t even know what she’s saying right now!”

“No! She knows very well. Right, So-mi?”

“Mumble… Yes. Everything Sister So-hye says is correct.”

Dan So-mi, who could not snap out of it, was repeating the same words. It almost felt as if she had prepared this kind of answer in advance.

A dumbfounded Jang Sam-tae glared fiercely at Namgung So-hye, but she merely sneered and shrugged her shoulders in response.

“Then we shall go to Shanxi.”

Jang Sam-tae despaired at Dan Woo-hyun’s words, but the others smiled deeply and nodded. In particular, Namgung Cheon and Sa Do-hak looked extremely pleased, thinking that there might be people inside the Heaven and Earth Sect who could serve as their opponents.

* * *

“Phew-this is much better now.”

Because the weather was exceptionally good today, doing the laundry was rewarding. Seeing the children’s clothes and blankets hung out in the yard made her feel completely refreshed.

As Mae-hyang let out a sigh of relief and glanced over, Gwon Mu-jin, with a hollow face, sat down exhaustedly and let out a sigh of a different meaning.

“Sigh… What a life…”

“Why are you acting like this over just this much work, unlike a man?”

“No, waking up early to hunt, preparing it, sweeping and wiping the yard, watering the fields, fertilizing, fishing, and even doing the laundry-how can my body hold up?”

“This is work my husband did every single day. Didn’t you know?”

At Mae-hyang’s confident words, Gwon Mu-jin flinched.

All he had done was occasionally follow behind Dan So-mi under the guise of guarding, or protect Mae-hyang and the children.

Thus, he had been able to devote most of his remaining time to training.

But Jang Sam-tae had been doing all of this?

“D-Did that Jang fellow really do all this?”

“Is that all? Running errands for the family head and cleaning up after the old folks. He can’t even sleep for four hours a day. Do you know that?”

“H-He managed to have two kids in that situation…”

Mae-hyang blushed slightly at Gwon Mu-jin’s words.

Even she thought it was amazing.

Of course, she was the one who had pounced on him, but regardless, hadn’t they made them well? Come to think of it, she too was likely one of the reasons Jang Sam-tae could not rest.

Ahem! Clearing her throat, she spoke awkwardly.

“A-Anyway, that is the end of it for today. Next… we have to go grocery shopping…”

“…?!”

The moment Mae-hyang was contemplating something, Gwon Mu-jin hurriedly stood in front of her and picked up his sword. And in that instant, the door burst open.

“…….”

“Ugh?!”

Soon, a figure began to slowly walk inside the open door. Dragging something in one hand, he threw it right in front of Gwon Mu-jin.

“Elder… Elder Bi?!”

“……I picked this up on the way.”

“Ugh!?”

The thrown figure groaned and squirmed.

Having barely survived, his breathing was so faint that it wouldn’t be strange for him to draw his last breath at any moment.

“……There are more outside.”

“Eh?!”

Gwon Mu-jin widened his eyes and hurriedly went outside. Although the surroundings of the house were still clean as they originally were, once he walked a little distance away, he saw dozens of corpses scattered on the ground.

What on earth was going on?

In such a ridiculous situation, he rushed back into the manor to find Mae-hyang, pale as a ghost, frozen like a stone statue and unable to say a word. Bi Cheon-woong also stood there, looking at her, motionless and silent.

No matter how one looked at it, the atmosphere between the two seemed awkward.

“E-Elder… what on earth is this…”

When Gwon Mu-jin approached and spoke again, Bi Cheon-woong finally spoke quietly as if he had met someone he felt comfortable with.

“……I came to see So-mi, is she not here?”

“No… I mean, what on earth is all this?!”

Gwon Mu-jin shouted at Bi Cheon-woong, venting his frustration.

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