Chapter 100
Chapter 100
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 100
Chapter Title: Guizhou Sword Society
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Yuk Jin-yang unconsciously furrowed his brows. It was because of the foul stench wafting from the Man-Faced Spider's corpse.
On the other hand, the yokai's corpse was pristine aside from the fatal wound. It resembled the handiwork of a hunter who had slain a fierce beast solely to obtain its expensive pelt.
The captain proudly boasted about the yokai he had caught.
"There's nothing to discard from a Man-Faced Spider. Its hair and silk are as tough as steel, perfect for weaving into clothing. The outer hide can be peeled off to make armor or shields. Even the teeth are used for crafts, like rhinoceros horns or ivory."
"Guizhou truly is a land of monstrous strength and bizarre creatures."
"Indeed it is. Here, instead of wild beasts, yokai roam about, harming the common folk or destroying farmlands. If left alone, they might swallow entire settlements whole, so our government troops must periodically purge them."
"And you get some extra income on the side?"
"Haha, even without breaking the law, the bounties are reward enough. These days, goods are valued more than money anyway. Especially food."
Food? Yuk Jin-yang's eyebrow twitched slightly. Even searching his memories, he had never heard any mention of it. Perhaps there was some internal situation that hadn't leaked to the outside.
He wanted to ask for more details, but there was no opportunity.
The captain smoothly changed the subject, ordering his soldiers to collect the Man-Faced Spider's corpse before turning back to the group.
"By the way, why was Your Excellency traveling here without escorts? Taking a boat would be a bit slower, but far safer."
The words were polite, but a thread of unresolved suspicion lingered within them.
It was a reasonable question. It was rare for imperial inspectors to travel with just their own group and no guards.
Even ordinary officials traveled with dozens of attendants. This was because of the black道 thugs who would grind their teeth at the sight of any government official. For inspectors venturing into dangerous regions, it went without saying.
Yuk Jin-yang felt a slight stir of unease but replied calmly on the surface.
"It's state business. Why would I delay the journey just for the comfort of this one body?"
"My apologies. It's just that this is such a treacherous place..."
"Don't worry. I have the skills to protect myself."
Won Young added calmly.
"Excessive worry becomes meddling."
The captain eyed Yuk Jin-yang and Won Young alternately with a dubious look. Eventually, he shrugged and turned away.
It seemed he had decided there was no benefit in interfering with the affairs of officials dispatched from the capital.
"Understood. Let's go, then. We'll escort you all the way to Guizhou."
As they left the forest and reached the main road, there was a handcart the soldiers had brought. They loaded the Man-Faced Spider's corpse onto it. Yuk Jin-yang sent a transmission with a joke.
—Shall I ask if you'd like a ride? They seem eager to give up their seat.
—Are you mad? I can't stand bugs.
Won Young shuddered slightly. It was somewhat unexpected. The Won Young he had observed so far was someone who could eat a meal unfazed even with a corpse right in front of her.
Won Young glared at him and asked.
—Why?
—It's nothing.
The group proceeded through the night, relying on torches. The captain and soldiers were fairly talkative. It seemed they were trying to dispel the night's silence and eeriness with conversation. Yuk Jin-yang responded appropriately while gathering information.
"Guizhou these days? Same as always."
"It's better during the day, but come nightfall, the yokai and black道 run wild."
"Did you happen to run into any supply convoys on your way here? We used to get supplies from Zhongjing, but it's been a while since that stopped."
It matched the testimonies of the merchants he had met in Zhongjing. They all smiled through it, but exhaustion had clearly built up. Yuk Jin-yang shook his head at the last question and countered.
"Have the supplies and rations run out completely? That shouldn't be possible, unless all those vast farmlands have dried up."
Guizhou wasn't a small region. While not as prosperous as other areas, it had enough land to be self-sufficient.
The soldiers exchanged awkward glances. The answer came from elsewhere. The captain, walking ahead, whipped his head around and asked.
"Does the court truly not know the situation here?"
"Not in detail. That's why we're here to investigate the specifics."
Yuk Jin-yang gave a plausible excuse. But the other showed no sign of acceptance.
"What do you mean...? It's been ages since we sent the messengers, and we've sent more several times without reply."
The captain's bewildered expression soon hardened. He muttered to himself.
"Looks like someone interfered midway."
"The Guizhou Sword Society?"
"You know of them?"
"I've heard stories. The Guizhou killer groups and minor sects, who were constantly splitting and merging, banded together solidly by some coincidence to form a single alliance?"
The captain nodded.
"Yes, and now they're disrupting government operations left and right while throwing civilian life into chaos."
"......"
"Even bountiful harvests mean nothing because of them. They periodically set fires and plunder, then flee using strange evasion techniques whenever our troops arrive. We can't catch them at all."
"Couldn't you prepare in advance? Station troops in every village. Or select those skilled in evasion arts to form guerrilla units."
"They use all sorts of despicable methods. Taking hostages, or sometimes driving yokai into villages."
Yuk Jin-yang, who had been listening silently, furrowed his brow.
Releasing yokai into villages. That wasn't a skill assassins could possess. To command monstrous beings at will, they would need sinister sorcery.
Even if they were instinct-driven monsters without reason or speech, like spirit beasts.
Yuk Jin-yang intuited the presence of some shadowy group behind this incident.
'Heretics, no doubt. They also view King Zhao unfavorably. It wouldn't be strange if the two groups joined hands. Or perhaps they were collaborating from the start.'
As they walked and talked, a dense forest of thick trees suddenly appeared before the group. The deep, lush woods draped themselves in darkness like a curtain. The occasional wind made the trees sway, adding to the eerie atmosphere.
Some soldiers were already showing signs of dread. Noticing their unease, the captain scolded them sternly.
"We have to push through. Otherwise, we'd have to cross the ridge. Is that what you want?"
At his words, the soldiers' faces darkened further. Better to risk the danger for the shorter path than take a long detour. The ridges were crawling with yokai too.
In the end, the group entered the forest. After advancing for a while, the captain muttered.
"There should have been a tomb around here..."
"Are we lost?"
"W-Well... My apologies, but all the landmarks we used are gone."
"No need for self-recrimination. I think I know who's behind it."
With his reply, Yuk Jin-yang drew his sword.
Ching!
A light, swift slash from the Azure Wave Sword deflected an incoming diagonal strike. The ambusher, who had struck first, was repelled by superior strength and flew back. The shadowy figure barely landed and vanished into the darkness.
"Gah!"
"Where do you think you're going."
On the opposite side, Won Young's iron spear flashed. The swordsman stabbed from behind staggered and collapsed dead. The captain's face turned pale as ash.
Yuk Jin-yang awakened his senses. A considerable number of foes surrounded them, emanating presences from the forest's shadows and branches.
Hidden figures didn't reveal themselves but let their killing intent gleam. Intangible, chilling auras enveloped the group like damp,陰습 air.
The captain bellowed loudly.
"Everyone, light your torches!"
The soldiers hurriedly pulled fire starters from their bosoms and lit the oil-paper-wrapped torches from the cart. The enemy didn't sit idle. Projectiles rained from all directions.
Yuk Jin-yang and Won Young leaped up simultaneously without signaling.
They pierced through the tangled branches, executing techniques while airborne. Each flash of their weapons deflected the projectiles. Sometimes they returned them.
Outlines of spurting blood leaped in the darkness, accompanied by intermittent death cries.
Finally, the soldiers' torches illuminated the surroundings. Sounds of enemies retreating beyond the light's reach echoed from all sides. Yet amid it, a man and woman held their ground.
The man at the front sneered.
"Not bad for government scouts."
"Chief, looking at them, they don't seem like scouts. More like a yokai-hunting squad."
A gaunt, sly-looking woman whispered lowly. The man tilted his head slightly and countered.
"How would you know?"
Instead of answering, the woman nodded toward the white cloth bundle on the soldiers' shoulders.
"Wouldn't that be byproducts from yokai for tribute?"
"You're right. Scouts wouldn't haul baggage all the way here."
The man nodded in self-satisfaction at his own deduction and scoffed confidently.
"Doesn't matter. Scouts or whatever, we just do our job."
"Still, be careful just in case. Especially those two in red. Their bearing is extraordinary, and the aura they give off is no joke. I don't know where they crawled out from..."
"Obviously, they lured some flashy but clueless ronin. With so few people, they're already struggling."
Grinning, the man curled his lip.
Won Young's prediction that even Demonic Heretics wouldn't touch an imperial inspector proved spectacularly wrong.
Guizhou's black道 showed no reverence or fear toward officials. Did they have a powerful backer? Or were they simply ignorant fools?
"Now, hand over your necks."
Declaring boldly, the man advanced with ferocious speed in a forward stance.
Whoosh!
The straightforward sword strike extended toward Yuk Jin-yang. As he moved to counter, the opponent reversed her grip on the handle. Before their blades even clashed.
The enemy's sword trajectory twisted, carving a bizarre form in the air. Yuk Jin-yang barely evaded by twisting his wrist holding the sword.
The swordplay was unique yet systematic. Worlds apart from some village bumpkin swinging wildly as they pleased.
It was considerable skill. Even in just one exchange, it left a strong impression.
'Different from a ronin's swordsmanship. The handiwork of a seasoned assassin.'
One group came to mind. Yuk Jin-yang swung fiercely to create distance and stated flatly.
"You lot are from the Guizhou Sword Society."