Chapter 72
Chapter 72
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 72
Chapter Title: Like the Bright Cult, Like the Demonic Cult
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Besides the Yangdu and Taewol Factions, there were three other groups here. Lee Hwa-sol listed their histories one by one.
“I've heard that the Heuksan Island gang takes adult men, beats them to a pulp, and works them as slaves. Once, a woman sold everything she owned to find her abducted husband. She went to Heuksan Island, but her husband's mind and spirit were so broken that he couldn't even recognize her.”
“So what happened?”
“They made the husband brutally murder his wife and confiscated all the money she brought.”
“They should be frozen to death.”
Seol Ha-ryeong, too, seemed furious.
“The Heukyo Sect and the Hwacheol Alliance are notorious for kidnapping women, selling them to brothels, and working them as slaves. My own sister was taken by the Heukyo Sect.”
“Sons of bitches!”
Pa-sun swore vehemently.
But Mu-heun remained composed, listened to the end of the story, and spoke calmly.
“I understand the situation. However, we must first verify the facts, so please wait a moment. For now, please lay the old woman down in a room and prepare more food. The meal was spilled because of that bald man earlier. We will protect the Songrim Inn tonight, so do not worry and continue with your work.”
At that, Lee Hwa-sol, the owner of the Songrim Inn, fell to her knees and pressed her head to the ground. Her forehead split open, bleeding, and the woman who had been so composed began to weep as she spoke.
“Every single day, I prayed to the heavens! I begged them to save my sister! I couldn't leave this place, not knowing if she was alive or dead! Please! Please! I beg you! I'll do anything! Please save my sister!”
In Mu-heun's eyes, this woman who had maintained her composure throughout was showing deep emotion for the first time. The emotion she revealed was desperation.
“Miss. Don't worry, just bring out the food.”
“P-please.”
“But if the food isn't good, I won't help you.”
Hearing Mu-heun's words, Lee Hwa-sol burst into tears again.
“Yes, yes! I'll prepare it right away!”
“Gu Yang-baek, Seol Ha-ryeong.”
“Yes.”
“Go out now, investigate the Heukyo Sect and the Hwacheol Alliance, and assess the current situation in Songrim.”
“Yes!”
Seol Ha-ryeong and Gu Yang-baek vanished like the wind. Mu-heun spread his Thousand Li Subtle Fragrance throughout Songrim and ordered Cheon-hyang to investigate using ultrasound.
He had the Heavenly Demonic Corpse, Hyeok, guard the area around the Songrim Inn, and ordered Pa-sun and Un-pyo to eat their fill.
***
About two hours later.
Lee Hwa-sol had prepared the food at an incredible speed, and the table was once again laden with a magnificent feast.
Seol Ha-ryeong and Gu Yang-baek, having returned from their investigation of the Heukyo Sect and the Hwacheol Alliance, reported their findings.
“The Heukyo Sect and the Hwacheol Alliance were just as the innkeeper described. Countless women were bound and treated like slaves, and they are still killing men and kidnapping women.”
Mu-heun's own investigation through his Thousand Li Subtle Fragrance and Cheon-hyang confirmed that the Yangdu and Taewol Factions, as well as the Heuksan Island gang, were no different.
“So, the facts have all been confirmed.”
Mu-heun's expression, which had been enjoying the feast just moments before, turned icy cold. A chilling, ominous aura emanated from him, so intense that it sent shivers down the spines of not only Pa-sun and Un-pyo, but also Seol Ha-ryeong and Gu Yang-baek.
On the outside, Mu-heun was a young martial artist, but on the inside, he was an old man who had been through countless trials. He could tell at a glance the evil nature of the bald man's actions.
However, not wanting to make a hasty judgment, he had felt the need to cross-reference the facts.
And now that everything had been proven true, he finally revealed his emotions and made his decision.
“Pa-sun, Un-pyo, Gu Yang-baek, Seol Ha-ryeong.”
“Yes!”
“Whose orders must you follow now?”
“The Dragon Demon's.”
“Good. Are you prepared to do whatever it takes?”
“Of course!”
“We have a long road ahead, but we need to take out the trash first.”
A purple aura swirled in Mu-heun's eyes as he spoke in a low tone.
“Tonight, we will light up Songrim. Help any villagers you can. Free those who have been captured. And slaughter every last one of those vermin. Be as cruel and merciless as possible. Show no mercy.”
“As you command!”
Mu-heun rose from his seat and said,
“Like the Bright Cult, like the Demonic Cult.”
“As you command!”
***
A new moon was set in the dark night sky. Wispy clouds drifted leisurely across the black expanse. The wind was cool, but to the residents of Gocha County, it was simply chilling.
Before dealing with the five factions, Mu-heun gathered information. He first asked Seol Ha-ryeong, who had finished her investigation, if she had found anything unusual.
“Lady Ha-ryeong. Did you find out anything about the Heukyo Sect?”
“Yes. The Heukyo Sect is a dark arts sect based in the southern mountains of Gocha County, composed mostly of women. However, they all wear the same masks, making it difficult to distinguish individuals. But I did notice some whose mask patterns were different colors.”
“Different colors?”
“They're normally black, but occasionally I saw red ones. Seeing the black masks bow to the red masks, I believe the red ones are high-ranking members of the Heukyo Sect.”
“Anything else of note?”
“The closest organization to the Heukyo Sect is the Hwacheol Alliance. I saw people who appeared to be from the Hwacheol Alliance visiting the Heukyo Sect's base.”
“The Hwacheol Alliance? Lord Yang-baek. Did you learn anything during your investigation?”
Mu-heun asked Gu Yang-baek, who had been in charge of investigating the Hwacheol Alliance. Seol Ha-ryeong was not a master specializing in stealth, so she would have observed from a distance, but Gu Yang-baek was a master of concealment. Thus, Mu-heun expected he would have returned with more detailed information.
“Yes. The leader of the Hwacheol Alliance deals primarily in iron. At first, they sold women to buy iron ore. But as the ore piled up, they needed strong male slaves to refine it and transport it, which overlapped with the main business of the Heuksan Island gang.”
“So from the Hwacheol Alliance's perspective, the Heuksan Island gang is a thorn in their side, and to counter the other factions, they're trying to join forces with the Heukyo Sect... Is that a fair assessment?”
“That's right. Also, it doesn't seem like they're interested in long-term tribute. It looks like they're just planning to bleed the residents of Gocha County dry, make a quick fortune, and leave. They were already making preparations to depart.”
“I suppose that's because our Cult is nearby.”
“Yes. In my opinion, none of the five organizations intend to settle here for good. That's likely why they've resorted to means like human trafficking to make money quickly.”
“I see. You've worked hard.”
*‘These bastards don't see the people of Gocha County as human. They see them as livestock in a pen. They just grab one when they need it, work it, and when it's no longer useful, they kill it or sell it.’*
“What do you gauge their strength to be?”
“The Hwacheol Alliance is also based on a mountainside near the Heukyo Sect. I assessed the one giving orders from the highest point; he appeared to be at the peak level. The rest are below that. If you give the order, I can bring you their heads right now.”
“...”
According to Cheon-hyang's findings, the power disparity among the five organizations wasn't significant. The Heuksan Island gang was arguably the strongest, but even they didn't have a single master who had reached the transcendent level.
*‘They must be getting greedy, trying to carve up Gocha County five ways. Don't worry. There will be nothing left for you to eat.’*
Mu-heun formulated a plan and explained it quickly.
***
-Gocha County, Downtown
A middle-aged man was on his knees, begging and pleading with a bald man who had an axe tattooed on his head.
“P-please! Just leave the children. Please, please! I'm begging you. I'll do anything you ask.”
The man was covered in bruises and had two broken fingers, yet he begged for them to spare only the young children hiding behind him.
“You goddamn son of a bitch. What's with this cheap sentimentality? Huh? You think we're a bunch of pushovers? Our customers prefer young ones, not half-old geezers like you. Why can't you get that through your thick skull? Huh?”
“Please, I'm begging you... M-mercy... *Keok!*”
The enraged man kicked the kneeling man in the stomach. The man clutched his abdomen and coughed up blood. The two small children clung to the fallen man, sobbing hysterically.
“Khah! Two of them, they'll fetch a good price. Hey, you bastard. You can just make more! Huh? Am I wrong? You cheap fuck, do you only listen after getting your ass kicked?”
At that moment.
A small stone flew through the air and struck the bald man on the head. One of the fallen man's children had thrown it. A cut opened next to the axe tattoo on his head, and as blood trickled down, it looked as if it were bleeding from the axe itself.
“You little shit. I was trying to take you nicely since you're merchandise.”
“Get lost! You axe-head! I'd rather die here than go with the likes of you!”
“Axe-head... Kuhahaha! It seems you need a little lesson.”
The man, blood dripping from his head, approached the child. Just then, another stone came flying from a distance.
*Swoosh!*
This stone was imbued with internal energy, so he drew the axe from his belt to block it.
*Clang!*
“Who's there?!”
“What's it to you?”
Pa-sun said, holding a spear in one hand.
“What?”
“You're about to die! So what's! It! To you!”
Pa-sun kicked off the ground and charged at the bald man. The man swung his axe at the charging Pa-sun, but Pa-sun's swiftly flying spear shattered it.
“Huh? How...!”
Pa-sun kicked the man squarely in the stomach, sending him flying into a nearby wall.
“*Cough!*”
He coughed up blood, his abdomen seemingly ruptured. As the man writhed in agony, clutching his stomach, Pa-sun repeated his own words back to him.
“Hey, you bastard, I told you to get lost. Huh? Am I wrong? You cheap fuck, do you only listen after getting your ass kicked?”
The man and children, who had been weeping just moments ago, stared at Pa-sun with wide eyes.
“Don't worry, kids. And don't look this way. Go inside the house.”
Hearing Pa-sun, the children sniffled, wiped away their tears, and said,
“...Yes!”
After confirming that the children had helped their father inside, Pa-sun slowly walked toward the bald man.
“Kuaargh! D-don't come any closer! Stay away, you son of a bitch! What are you all doing?! An enemy has appeared! Get over here!”
Just then, two more bald heads with axe tattoos came flying from a distance, rolling to a stop in front of him.
*Thump, thump, roll...*
“Hey, you. You must have been close with your buddies. How much of a hurry were they in to send only their heads?”
Seeing the severed heads, the bald man's face went pale.
The one who had sent the heads flying was Un-pyo. He used his lightness skill to land atop the wall the bald man was slumped against.
“How many did you take care of, Lord Un-pyo?”
“About... ten? We need to get to the others too, so hurry up!”
“Yes.”
Un-pyo used his lightness skill and disappeared into the distance, while Pa-sun aimed his spear at the bald man.
“Th-this is impossible... I've never seen you guys before. Where are you from? Heuksan Island? The Hwacheol Alliance? Whatever they promised you, come to the Taewol Faction. There's no future with them!”
“A dead man talking till the very end.”
“N-no, great warrior! Please...!”
*Thrust!*
In an instant, Pa-sun's spear pierced through the bald man's head.
“We're not from either of them, you idiots.”
Pa-sun and Un-pyo moved throughout Gocha County, finding those who committed evil acts against the residents and killing them on sight. Since they cut down anyone, regardless of their affiliation, the leaders of each organization hastily called a meeting.
It was a meeting to discuss which faction the two men rampaging through the city belonged to.