Chapter 70
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: Those Who Caught the Scent (5)
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‘This can't be.’
It was gruesome even from a distance, but the scene revealed after clearing all the building debris was truly a sight too horrible to behold.
‘There are signs of massive blood loss. This means they didn't die in a simple battle.’
She looked around.
‘It's hard to tell exactly what happened here. But…’
They destroyed the building and set it on fire. The intention was to erase all traces.
But it's too half-hearted.
‘If they truly wanted to erase the evidence, they would have been far more meticulous. They could have completely eliminated everything, from the bodies to the debris.’
Were they short on time?
No. Considering the time it took for the advance scouts to return and for them to travel here, there was no lack of time.
With the nerve to touch the people of the Divine Cult, they should have known it would be better to take their time and erase all traces.
It couldn't have been a mistake, of course.
‘Two possibilities, then.’
Either these clumsy traces are bait, or they have a destination so secure that they can't be caught no matter where they flee.
*Sssshhhk.*
As her hand swept across a cracked wall, a layer of white frost formed over it.
The Frost Heaven Hand of her Lunar Yin Demonic Art manifested naturally. The cold energy seeped not just over the surface but deep within, destabilizing the wall's structure.
Juhwa tapped the frozen wall.
*Crumble.*
The shattered wall collapsed to the ground.
‘Just as I thought, clumsy. They just splashed oil here and there.’
Everyone was flustered by the sudden turn of events, but Juhwa remained calm amidst the chaos. At least, that's how she appeared on the outside.
Of course, how could she not be shocked? But Juhwa was more concerned with how to handle the situation at hand.
“Acting Captain.”
“Yes, Supervisor.”
“Have you sent word to the nearest branch?”
“I have. Given the distance, it should arrive in a day and a half. From there, it will take another two days for the message to reach the main headquarters.”
It was too late to wait for orders from above. It would be better to act first and report later.
“I need a moment to think. For now, please recover the bodies.”
“Understood.”
Stepping aside from the scene of the incident, Juhwa sighed.
‘Jiangxi is a region where the Cult's influence is strong anyway. There's no need to rush.’
Had this been any other region, she would have immediately formed a pursuit team. But since this was where Guangdong and Jiangxi met, she wanted to monitor the situation more carefully.
‘I shouldn't act rashly. That's how mistakes are made.’
It was a sound way of thinking. Someone with a volatile temperament or blinded by the desire for merit would never have acted this way.
Juhwa, who had unconsciously crossed her arms, felt a chill spread up her forearm and quickly uncrossed them.
‘Was it still active?’
A subtle wave of emotion crossed Juhwa's face as she looked down at her hands.
‘This much already… It's so fast.’
Seo Ryang's treatment hadn't just restored her exhausted body to normal.
For five days before arriving here, she had been able to fully utilize her Lunar Yin Demonic Art.
It wasn't just circulating energy to nourish her body. She drew out the cold energy needed for the Lunar Yin Demonic Art, established a foundation of demonic energy, and expanded it to fill more than thirty percent of her dantian.
It wasn't enough to fully regain her former strength, but it was sufficient to hold her own against a decent master for some time.
‘I thought it would take a month. No, I doubt I could have reached this level even with a month of training.’
Juhwa's eyes wavered.
‘Just what is the Third Young Master…?’
Every time she woke up, she could feel the traces of highly concentrated demonic energy lingering in her body.
Although it was a minuscule amount, the energy was so potent that her Lunar Yin Demonic Art would greedily activate to chase after it.
Once a day, the Young Master would inject a small amount of demonic energy into her, fanning the flames of her art's revival.
If not for his efforts, she would still be sitting in the carriage, spending her time circulating energy.
‘Ah! Come to think of it…’
The Young Master hadn't come out of the carriage yet. He would surely be curious about this situation.
She walked briskly toward the carriage.
Just then.
*BOOOOM!!*
A tremendous explosion erupted from the rearmost carriage.
Startled, Juhwa looked over. Not just her, but all the cultists clearing the debris turned their heads.
Ma Dongpil stood there with a flustered expression.
Juhwa quickly executed her movement technique and approached Ma Dongpil.
“What's wrong?”
“Well…”
Ma Dongpil cautiously opened the carriage door a crack.
Juhwa's eyes widened.
“…W-where did he go?”
She asked bluntly, assuming Ma Dongpil might not know he was the Third Young Master.
Looking around, Ma Dongpil sent Juhwa a mental message.
[The Third Young Master said he was going to look around for a bit. He gave a strict order not to follow.]
[…You knew who he was?]
[Yes. I was the one who served him in the Solitary Bamboo Forest.]
[It doesn't matter. We must find the Young Master…]
[We can't.]
[What do you mean? A high-ranking member of the Cult left alone, without an escort! Especially with a situation like this!]
At her glare, which screamed, *'Why didn't you stop him?'*, Ma Dongpil sighed.
“He said that after we clear the debris, we'll find a trail if we head about fifty li to the northeast.”
“…What?”
“That was all he said. He also added that the enemy's strength is considerable, so we should avoid direct engagement as much as possible.”
*Woooong.*
A white mist rose from Juhwa's hands. The air around them grew cold.
Ma Dongpil sighed again.
“I'd like to follow him myself, but the orders given to the transport unit and the Hall of Protectors were…”
“You're right.”
“Hm?”
“Our orders are to load the designated goods and return to the main headquarters. The Hall of Protectors' duty is to safely escort the transport unit.”
“…”
“So, we're all moving out.”
Juhwa shouted out.
“Recover the bodies! We move out immediately!”
The cultists moved quickly. With a clear order given, all that was left was to act swiftly.
*Clatter.*
The swaying carriage door. Inside, there was no one.
Of course, Geumho was nowhere to be seen either.
* * *
“Hoo.”
Oh Gyeonghwa shook his head.
“All that's left is to wait. Hey!”
“Yes, Commander.”
“Bring me some wine.”
Gwak Sa bowed his head and moved quickly.
*He's gotten pretty sharp,* Oh Gyeonghwa thought, pleased. As he grinned, he suddenly felt a massive shadow fall over his head.
He looked up, his face instantly contorting into a frown.
“What is it?”
“…”
“I asked you what you want!”
His sharp bark was laced with irritation.
The man standing before Oh Gyeonghwa was of a truly fearsome build. He looked to be easily eight feet tall, with a broad chest and shoulders that seemed as solid as steel.
Despite the cold weather, he wore an outfit that left his shoulders and arms completely bare. A top made of tiger skin and bottoms made of bear hide exuded a fierce, wild aura.
In contrast to his powerful body, his face was rather clean-cut. His beard was completely shaved, and his eyes were as deep as an abyss. However, his shaved eyebrows gave him a slightly rougher appearance.
The giant's lips parted.
“We need food.”
“…What?”
“We need food to feed the children. Have your men procure some.”
Oh Gyeonghwa's cheek twitched.
“Are you ordering me around, you bastard?”
“It is not an order, but a request.”
“I have no food to give to the likes of you. Get your own damn food!”
The man spoke without batting an eye.
“In this collaboration, your unit was to be responsible for our food. Keep your promise.”
“You're insane! Think about how much you've already devoured! Hell, you were just tearing apart corpses a moment ago!”
“We are merely making a request. We need more food.”
His low, mumbling voice sounded strangely slurred.
*Ssshhhk.*
Killing intent poured out of Oh Gyeonghwa.
At the same time, the gaze of the man looking down at him changed.
*Grrrrrrr.*
From behind the man, in the pitch-black darkness, the growls of beasts could be heard. Dozens of pairs of crimson eyes were in themselves an intimidation and a threat.
“Will you break your promise?”
*Ssk.*
Over the man's thick lower lip, a previously unseen fang subtly revealed itself.
Oh Gyeonghwa, who had been glaring up at him with murderous eyes, gave a savage smile.
“Of course, I have to fill the bellies of you beasts who are worse than dogs and pigs. Especially since the higher-ups made a promise. Right?”
“Good.”
“Go and wait. I'll get you enough to make you burst.”
The man turned away without a word.
Staring at the man's retreating back, Oh Gyeonghwa rotated his wrists.
*Crack. Crackle.*
It was an action steeped in murderous intent. It seemed he wanted nothing more than to smash the man's head in right then and there.
‘That's right, eat up.’
In any mission, sacrifice is an unavoidable element. In any case, no report on what happened here could go up without passing through him first.
‘After this is over, I'll bury all of you animals.’
If Oh Gyeonghwa had seen the face of the man who turned his back, he would not have dared to think such thoughts.
The man's face was contorted into a demonic smile. What was even more terrifying was that he revealed not a single shred of killing intent.
A short while later, Oh Gyeonghwa's subordinates appeared, carrying about a dozen deer on their shoulders.
*Crunch! Chomp chomp.*
The deer, dragged into the darkness, disappeared at a rapid pace. The large man stood to one side, watching the scene blankly.
“It's ruining my appetite.”
Oh Gyeonghwa turned his head away.
‘I really don't understand.’
The Iron Blood Fortress was already powerful. He believed there was no need to cooperate with other organizations.
Why wouldn't the Righteous Heaven Alliance or those damn Demonic Cult bastards mess with the Iron Blood Fortress? Isn't it because they don't know if they can win?
In other words, the strength of the Iron Blood Fortress was in no way inferior to the Righteous Heaven Alliance or the Demonic Cult. The term 'Three Powers of the Martial World' didn't come from nowhere.
‘No.’
Oh Gyeonghwa's eyes glinted.
‘Collaborate with those savages? No way. They're probably just meant to be used and thrown away.’
It was called a collaboration, but they were nothing more than tools. Oh Gyeonghwa believed this without a doubt.
If it were a collaboration between equals, he wouldn't be able to stand it. The pride he had built over a lifetime as a member of the Iron Blood Fortress would be torn to shreds.
‘They call themselves the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace, but in the end, they're just animals, not even human.’
Traveling with people he didn't want to be with, on top of having to wait, was unbelievably irritating.
Oh Gyeonghwa, having emptied an entire bottle of wine, grumbled.
“Dammit, when the hell is he getting here?”
Just then.
“Were you waiting for me?”
In the distance, a person approached, one step at a time.
A strange light flashed in the large man's eyes, and the beasts that had been tearing apart the deer growled and backed away.
Tossing the empty bottle aside, Oh Gyeonghwa grumbled as he stood up.
“What took you so long?”
“I had some business to attend to. But I'm not too late, so calm down.”
Oh Gyeonghwa sneered.
“Business? More like you were late because you were off stuffing your face with a few bribes from some pathetic clan.”
“They say the older you get, the more you should eat to take care of yourself.”
“You'll get sick if you eat too much. You know that, don't you?”
“I may be over seventy, but my stomach is as strong as any young man's.”
The white-bearded old man who had appeared, Jeong Illyong, smiled.
“It's been a while, Commander of the Iron Might Unit.”
“It has.”