The Madman's Past
Geunyuk-i approached from the side and spoke.
Jin Chen looked at the two women still standing there with fearful expressions and said,
“What’s there to do? Everyone lives their own life.”
“They’re pitiful, though.”
Jin Chen understood Geunyuk-i’s feelings well enough.
He himself had nearly beaten that pig bastard half to death the first time he saw him.
“We’re bandits, you idiot. It’s weirder that they want to follow us.”
“Is that so?”
“What do you mean, ‘is that so’? How can you just say ‘let’s go together’ without knowing what their circumstances are? We don’t even know where their families are or what they’re doing.”
“You’re right.”
Despite his answer, Geunyuk-i couldn’t take his eyes off the women, as if they still weighed on his mind.
He really was too kind for his own good.
Jin Chen shook his head and opened his mouth again, his expression quite serious.
“Don’t judge too hastily just because of what you saw. Nothing is more terrifying than religion.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“They can do anything for their god. That might be what’s in their hearts.”
The story seemed a little difficult for Geunyuk-i, who didn’t believe in gods.
Seeing him tilt his head with a puzzled look on his face, Jin Chen shouted toward his subordinates who were chatting among themselves.
“Hey! Claw. Get over here.”
“Yes, Fortress Master.”
Claw came running at lightning speed, even using his movement technique.
Thanks to the intense training, the new movement technique seemed to have settled into his body quite well.
Whoosh!
Claw arrived right in front of them in an instant and bowed his head deeply.
“Fortress Master! Did you call for me?”
“What do you think of those two?”
Following Jin Chen’s gaze toward the two women, Claw glanced at them cautiously.
“Just speak honestly. I’m asking because Geunyuk-i feels sorry for them.”
“Hmm, to be honest, I don’t think there’s any need to feel pity for them.”
“Why not?”
“Cases like that are quite common in this world. There are countless fanatics who devote everything to their god, and many women who are forced to become temple servants for the sake of their families.”
“These temple people don’t have any rules about celibacy or anything like that?”
Claw nodded.
“Some gods, including the Goddess of Dawn we met last time, have made celibacy a temple rule for the sake of a pure mind and spirit, but I believe other temples don’t have such rules. Even the Light Temple, from what I know, teaches that lust is like poison and shouldn’t be accumulated.”
“So that bastard didn’t do anything wrong?”
“Aside from the fact that she looks young… honestly, that’s nothing compared to the real perverts. I’ve heard there are plenty of high-ranking priests who would make you shake your head in disgust.”
“Is that so? Do you understand now?”
Geunyuk-i closed his mouth and nodded.
Jin Chen nodded as well and patted Geunyuk-i on the shoulder.
“I’m telling you this just in case, but don’t think their faith and sacrifice are the same as what you went through, and don’t pity them either. They’re clearly different and wrong. Do you understand what I mean?”
“…Fortress Master Hyung.”
“Yeah.”
“I’m not an idiot. I know that much.”
Jin Chen chuckled at Geunyuk-i’s words.
“Got it, you brat.”
“Hehehe.”
As Geunyuk-i smiled brightly, Jin Chen shouted to his subordinates.
“Let’s go! Back home!”
The moment those words left his mouth, Baek-i and the Sabel Tigers nearby came running.
They carried Jin Chen and the bandits away, disappearing beyond the trees in an instant.
The temple soldiers stared blankly at the sight for a long while.
Listening to Paulon’s horrific screams.
Side Story 4.
Over a thousand people looked around with terrified expressions.
The government soldiers had surrounded them, bows drawn and ready to shoot at any moment.
The frightened people turned to an old man whose hair had turned completely white.
“W-what do we do now, Elder?”
“If we stay like this, we’ll all be captured.”
“Elder! Shouldn’t we wake Cheol-san even now?”
At the people’s urging, the old man shook his head with a hardened expression.
“We can’t. Have you forgotten how much blood that child has shed for us all this time?”
“We know! How could we not? But don’t we have to survive too?”
“You know very well what will happen to us if we get caught like this!”
“Elder, please make a decision. At least the newborn babies must be saved.”
Just then, a voice came from behind the old man.
“I’ll do it.”
It was a young man being carried on the back of a middle-aged man with a sturdy build.
His face was full of exhaustion, as if he had just woken up after losing consciousness.
His complexion was pale, and his body was unnaturally thin.
Anyone could see he wasn’t in good condition, but the people looked relieved.
The old man, however, firmly shook his head.
“No. Have you forgotten your father’s words?”
“I have to. Only then can everyone live.”
The young man’s speech sounded somewhat lacking.
The old man and the people seemed already used to it and didn’t pay it much mind.
“What if we run away? What will you do?”
“Those men can’t hurt me.”
“You’ve already shed a lot of blood. You know better than anyone what kind of disaster will happen if you do more here!”
“I can still hold on.”
When the young man, Cheol-san, smiled brightly, hope filled the people’s eyes.
Just then, two middle-aged men walked out slowly from among the government soldiers.
They wore children’s clothing made by patching together fabrics of various colors instead of official uniforms. One was a tall, gaunt man with a rat-like mustache, and the other was a short, chubby man with a nose the size of a fist.
The rat-mustached man spoke with a sly smile.
“Heh heh, you ran away like rats, but you’ve finally been cornered here.”
“Senior Brother, the rumors seem too exaggerated. How could those worthless bastards have driven off the government troops so many times?”
“From what I hear, that young fellow seems to have some skill. So let’s watch for a bit.”
“What’s there to wait for? If we kill a few, they’ll come out on their own.”
At the sight of the two men, Cheol-san’s face hardened as he spoke to the middle-aged man carrying him.
“Uncle Baek, put me down.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine, so hurry!”
The moment the middle-aged man set him down, Cheol-san let out rough breaths and said,
“Huff, huff. Grandfather, run away.”
“Cheol-san!”
“Run! Quickly!”
The middle-aged men smiled slyly.
“He doesn’t seem completely empty-headed.”
“Indeed. It looks like he recognized our Poisonous Rat Path.”
“Well, we’ve caught quite a few of those fire-field people and beaten them.”
“Heh heh, let’s properly open the killing feast today. Haven’t we been too quiet lately?”
At those words, Cheol-san clenched his fists tightly.
“You people are dangerous. I’ll kill you.”
“Heh heh, the little brat still hasn’t tasted how scary the world can be.”
“Go ahead and try. I was curious about what kind of trick you used to defeat the government troops.”
“Grind! I’m really going to kill you!”
Cheol-san’s eyes turned red, and a chilling sound began to emanate from his entire body.
Crack, crack.
The sound of bones breaking rang out repeatedly, and his body swelled up, his once-gaunt frame instantly growing more than twice its size.
Whoosh!
His ragged clothes couldn’t withstand the change and tore apart, revealing muscles that covered his entire body like armor.
At the sight of Cheol-san’s sudden transformation, the pug-nosed man’s eyes widened.
“Senior Brother! That appearance is?”
“Yes. It seems to be that.”
“The remnants of the apostate sect that should have disappeared a hundred years ago appearing among the fire-field people!”
“We’ll find out if we ask. How he obtained it, and… how much he knows!”
Greed filled the rat-mustached man’s eyes.
Just then, Cheol-san kicked off the ground and charged toward the Poisonous Rat Path.
Boom!
With a massive explosion, a deep pit formed in the ground where Cheol-san had been standing.
“Kwaaaah!”
Moving at incredible speed, Cheol-san reached the Poisonous Rat Path in an instant and let out a roar as he threw a punch.
Whoosh!
The fist tore through space and struck empty air.
Bang!
The wind that was pushed along exploded outward.
At that moment, the Poisonous Rat Path appeared on both sides of Cheol-san.
The rat-mustached man attacked with kicking techniques while the pug-nosed man attacked with two sickles.
Boom!
When Cheol-san raised both arms to block the kick flying toward his face, a chilling sound came from his waist.
Slash!
“Guh.”
Cheol-san gritted his teeth and swung both arms.
Whoosh!
The Poisonous Rat Path dodged the powerful attack that stirred up a fierce wind, and Cheol-san kicked off the ground again.
Boom!
He fell among the government soldiers who had their bows drawn on the north side of the fire-field people and shouted,
“Run away quickly!”
Thud, thud!
“Dodge, dodge!”
“Shoot, shoot them!”
The government soldiers fell like autumn leaves.
The soldiers on the other side hurriedly tried to fire their arrows.
Just then, the Poisonous Rat Path charged at Cheol-san again and shouted,
“Don’t shoot. We’ll handle that bastard.”
“Deal with the other fire-field people!”
At the Poisonous Rat Path’s shout, the fire-field people grabbed Jang Old Man’s arms.
“Elder! You must go!”
“If we escape, Cheol-san can escape too, can’t he?”
“Elder, please.”
Despite the fire-field people’s urging, Jang Old Man didn’t budge.
Seeing this, Cheol-san threw himself toward the other government soldiers and said,
“Go quickly! I’m fine! Hurry!”
“…Cheol-san.”
Jang Old Man wore an expression full of sorrow as he began to move. He started running north with the fire-field people, through the path Cheol-san had opened.
Whoosh.
Thwip, thwip, thwip!
A rain of arrows poured down toward the fire-field people.
Cheol-san tried to throw himself again to protect them.
Just then, the Poisonous Rat Path snorted and shouted,
“Hah! This is as far as you go.”
“You’re struggling so hard to save those worthless bastards!”
Two sickles embedded themselves in Cheol-san’s shoulders.
Thud!
At the same time, the rat-mustached man’s foot drove into Cheol-san’s abdomen.
The attacks continued relentlessly.
In the meantime, the arrows struck the fire-field people.
Thud, thud!
“Aaaagh!”
“Guh!”
The fire-field people screamed and collapsed to the ground.
The arrows didn’t discriminate between adults and children.
“N-no! Nooo!”
Cheol-san’s eyes turned completely red as he screamed.
Growl.
At the same time, a beast-like sound came from his mouth.
“Kwaaaah!”
Cheol-san let out a mad roar and swung his fist at the Poisonous Rat Path.
Boom!
The speed and power were incomparable to before.
When the Poisonous Rat Path recoiled in shock and retreated, Cheol-san kicked off the ground.
Boom!
“Guh!”
“Aaaagh!”
Cheol-san, who had been chasing the Poisonous Rat Path like a madman, attacked indiscriminately at the people who appeared before him.
Fortunately, the ones he attacked were the government soldiers.
“Aaaagh!”
“Guh!”
Seeing the government soldiers dying in an instant, the Poisonous Rat Path looked at each other.
“Senior Brother! He seems to have lost his mind.”
“His power is no joke! We need to wear him down first!”
“Let’s do that, Senior Brother!”
The Poisonous Rat Path dodged using footwork and movement techniques, luring Cheol-san.
“Kwaaaah!”
The now-mad Cheol-san chased after the Poisonous Rat Path, swinging his fists wildly.
Bang!
When nearly a hundred government soldiers had been killed, the Poisonous Rat Path threw themselves toward the fire-field people.
Cheol-san, who had been chasing after them to attack, suddenly stopped and let out a pained groan.
“Ugh…”
Seeing this, the Poisonous Rat Path’s eyes gleamed.
“It seems he hasn’t completely fallen into madness.”
“Heh heh, those people must be your weakness.”
The Poisonous Rat Path grabbed one of the fire-field people by the nape and threw them at Cheol-san.
“Kyaaah!”
Cheol-san screamed and caught the middle-aged woman flying toward him.
Just then, the Poisonous Rat Path charged straight at him.
Thud!
Two sickles pierced through the middle-aged woman’s abdomen and embedded themselves in Cheol-san’s chest.
Slash!
The sickles tore through both the middle-aged woman and Cheol-san’s chest.
The middle-aged woman died with her eyes wide open.
As Cheol-san’s blood-red eyes shook violently, another fire-field person was thrown at him.
Without hesitation, Cheol-san threw himself forward, and a fist filled with internal energy flew at him.
Boom!
With a tremendous roar, Cheol-san rolled across the ground.
The Poisonous Rat Path approached him with a sly smile.
“You fool. To throw your life away for those worthless things.”
“Still, seeing that he doesn’t completely fall into madness, it seems what he learned is something special.”
“We’ll find out if we ask. For now, let’s just keep him alive in case he goes berserk again.”
“That would be best, Senior Brother.”
The Poisonous Rat Path gathered their internal energy, preparing to attack Cheol-san again as he staggered to his feet.
Bang!
A fist-sized rock fell sharply at their feet.
“Get away from Cheol-san right now, you dog-like bastards!”
“Kill us first, you bastards!”
“What are you doing! Get up! It doesn’t matter what happens to us, so at least you survive!”
“Hey! You brat! What did we do to deserve this! Sob, get up and run away! Hurry!”
The fire-field people were throwing whatever they could grab.
Just moments ago, they had thought they might survive.
Both themselves and Cheol-san.
But now they knew. They knew it wouldn’t be easy.
So they threw rocks and branches with all their might, again and again.
Because this was the only thing they could do for Cheol-san, who had saved them until now.
Thud, thud! Thwack!
As the rocks thrown by the fire-field people began to hit their bodies, the Poisonous Rat Path frowned.
“These insect-like bastards!”
“What are you doing! Kill them right now!”
The surviving government soldiers hurriedly drew their bows.
Cheol-san let out a beast-like roar.
“Kwaaaah!”
Hearing the roar filled with deep sorrow, the fire-field people forced smiles onto their faces.
We lived well thanks to you until now, so now you live.
Kid, thank you for everything. Don’t forget your hyung.
The fire-field people mouthed the words in unison.
Run away. Hurry!
As Cheol-san shook his head violently and tried to throw himself forward, the government soldiers released their drawn bowstrings.
Whoosh! Thwip, thwip, thwip!
The fire-field people bit their lips and tightly closed their eyes.
And just as they were bracing themselves for the death they were about to face,
“Aigoo, looks like we ran into some government soldiers.”
A playful voice that didn’t fit the situation rang in their ears.