Chapter 58
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Demonic Cult's Assault (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Thud! Thump! ......!
Aaagh! Ack! ......!
Gwang-u, curled up tightly under the barrage of brutal punches and kicks, screamed out.
"No! I really didn't say anything! Big brother, please believe me!"
"What do you mean 'no'? I heard everything last night, you punk. That monk came straight to me and ratted you out. Said you spilled everything."
"Myeong-gak brother? No way! He already knew all about me and Un-san brother!"
I stopped the punches and kicks.
"What do you mean by that?"
Gwang-u, who had collapsed on the ground in a ball, sat up.
"Myeong-gak brother said it. That he knew we came down from training martial arts in some deep mountain valley. And that our master was an incredible expert, and we had a senior brother too."
"You idiot! That's the monk jumping to conclusions!"
"That's... how it was? I didn't know, brother."
Hoo...
Looking at Gwang-u staring up at me with wide, shocked eyes, I let out a sigh instead of another fist.
"Gwang-u... Get your act together and live right."
Gwang-u hung his head, looking ashamed.
"Sorry, brother. I don't know why I'm always like this."
Seeing the fool so downcast didn't sit well with me either.
"Get up."
When I extended my hand, Gwang-u grabbed it and pulled himself up.
"Thanks, brother."
Gwang-u and I left the woods and headed home.
As we entered the house, we saw Myeong-gak, Cheongpung, Zhuge Ji, and Namgung Hye practicing martial arts.
But the martial arts they were practicing looked suspiciously similar to the Great Heavenly Demon's techniques.
They froze when they spotted Gwang-u's face, covered in ugly bruises.
"Why'd you beat up the sweet little rabbit like that? What did the poor thing do wrong?"
The quick-witted Myeong-gak had immediately figured out what happened to Gwang-u's face.
"Come here, little rabbit. Sit down. Big brother will put some ointment on it."
As Myeong-gak called him "rabbit" and tugged his hand, Gwang-u's sour expression melted away in an instant.
"Uh... no... it's fine, brother. This'll heal in a couple days."
Gwang-u blushed as Myeong-gak dragged him along by the hand.
Sigh...
I could only watch the scene and let out another sigh.
It was time to give up on this fool.
Not just Myeong-gak, but Cheongpung, Namgung Hye, and Zhuge Ji all stepped up to tend to the cuts and bruises on Gwang-u's face and body.
I watched them quietly for a moment, then headed to the back yard.
Zhuge Ji hurried after me.
"Why'd you hit Seok the hero again?"
"Because of you lot. He was blabbing nonsense about me."
She said nothing.
I rowed the boat out to where I'd set the nets last night.
Zhuge Ji sat across from me, gazing at the calm water.
Soon after pulling in the nets, small fish started coming up in them.
I released the tiny ones back into the river.
By the time I'd hauled in all the nets, there were only two decent-sized fish suitable for cooking.
'This won't cut it. Forget selling them at market—we might not even have enough to eat.'
I rowed to another spot, reset the nets, and turned the boat around.
Zhuge Ji, who had been watching me silently until then, finally spoke.
"What are you so afraid of?"
"I'm not afraid of anything. I just hope you lot don't use me and Gwang-u."
"So that's why you took it out on Seok the hero. But don't worry. We have no intention of using you."
"I don't believe you. You're already stealing my martial arts."
Even if they stole and learned my techniques, they couldn't replicate them exactly.
But it was true—they were stealing my martial arts.
"You're right. But we can't match them perfectly."
She didn't deny it.
I skewered the fish on sticks and brought them home, handing them to Myeong-gak.
"Cook them."
"Amitabha, Guan Yin Bodhisattva."
Myeong-gak recited a Buddhist chant toward the fish before bending down to take them.
With so many mouths to feed, we'd need to hit the market more often.
As I stepped out the gate toward the market, the four of them trailed behind me.
I gave them a long look, and Zhuge Ji stepped forward.
"We have business at the Seok family."
I nodded and hurried toward the village.
Despite the cold weather, the streets bustled with people as we entered.
Walking along, I spotted a group approaching from ahead and stopped.
I wasn't the only one.
Not only the four following me, but even the villagers halted.
"Looks like there's a wedding today."
A woman in red silk was being escorted down the street by what seemed to be her family.
"Make way for the lord!"
"Clear the path!"
Noisy shouts came from behind too. Turning, I saw a portly middle-aged man in blue silk strutting forward, closing in on the bride.
"Lord Joo must be getting married again."
Surprisingly, Myeong-gak knew the greasy-faced, obese man.
"Lord Joo?"
"The richest man in the village. Didn't the great hunter know?"
"Ah... So that's Lord Joo."
I'd heard the rumors about him too.
He owned the most land and buildings in the village, with four wives already.
And today, he was taking a fifth.
Hmm...
Namgung Hye watched with clear distaste and sniped.
"Marrying a bride younger than his daughter. Why do all men seem to like young girls?"
Ahem...
Cough...
Myeong-gak and Cheongpung, at a loss for words, cleared their throats and looked away.
But I didn't see anything wrong with it.
As long as it wasn't forced, what did it matter if it was twice, thrice, or more?
"If that bothers you, Lady Namgung, why not wait till you're older and take a young man as your groom? As long as your hearts match."
Hmph.
She shot me a glare with narrowed eyes, clearly offended, and stormed off first.
"The village festival will last a few days with this wedding. Entertaining guests from afar and all the villagers will cost thousands of nyang, even for him. Though he's the local bigshot, so he won't mind."
I watched the bride and groom meet for a bit before resuming my steps.
Hm?
As I started walking, I suddenly felt eyes on me.
I turned to check, but with so many people, I couldn't spot anyone suspicious.
I kept walking without showing it, but my nape itched, and my back prickled like needles.
"This..."
I tilted my head, and Myeong-gak, walking beside me, asked curiously.
"What's wrong?"
"No... nothing. Didn't you say you had business at the Seok family? Go on."
I brushed it off and hurried into the market.
Loaded down with meat and vegetables, I exited and spotted a weapons shop.
'Against multiple foes, a sword might be handier than bare hands.'
I turned into the shop.
Amid farm tools hung swords, sabers, and bows. I picked up a blue steel sword that caught my eye.
"How much?"
"Two nyang of silver."
"Here."
The man eyeing me didn't feel like an assassin.
Not the stealthy killing intent of one, but a thick, bloodthirsty aura.
And I felt it now too.
Far off, through the trees, the hilltop house came into view.
I hung the meat and vegetables on a pine branch.
Enemy or not, unknown.
But secretly watching me suggested foe.
If they were enemies stalking me, they'd ambush in these woods leading home.
Walking the river path, I detected presences closing in like a noose.
'Twenty, forty... eighty... around a hundred.'
Nearly a hundred presences materialized from the trees.
And not just that.
A burly middle-aged man with a stylish goatee approached from the front.
A broad saber hung at his waist.
"Are you the man who caught the tiger for the Seok family?"
"My little brother did."
Kekeke...
"I'll pay him a visit soon."
Smoke rose behind the grinning man's head.
From my house.
"You... bastards..."
They'd clearly set my house ablaze.
As rage surged, a flash of light slashed down.
Bang!
Air ripping, I shifted position, only for another cold gleam to fly at me.
This guy wasn't ordinary.
Boom!
Sword met saber in a thunderous clash, air exploding outward.
Kekekeke...
The man reeled back like a spring, then raised his saber at me.
At his signal, the encircling foes charged.
Slash. Slash...
With gruesome slicing sounds, heads rolled and blood sprayed.
Razor-sharp blades grazed faces and waists.
Argh! Aaagh! ......!
I severed arms and necks, then cleaved the waist of one raising his saber high.
The world I saw, felt, and moved in differed greatly from theirs.
Incoming blades were visible, tangible.
Paang!
I stomped the back of a tumbling foe's head and leaped up.
The Great Heavenly Demon's signature sword art, Nine Heavens Demon-Slaying Sword, unfolded via my new blade.
Shooo...
Flipping midair, I unleashed a barrage of qi streams over the enemies rooted to the ground.
Like rain, the qi split heads and bodies, upheaving earth.
Kwakwakwa... Boom!
In that instant, a massive saber wreathed in brilliant qi crashed down on me from above.
Myeong-gak, touring the Seok compound's walls, formations, and mechanisms, gave Cheongpung a look.
Cheongpung caught it and bowed to those around them.
"Myeong-gak and I must head back first."
"Head back? We only exchanged greetings half a shichen ago. Stay at my clan for ten days or a month—rest well."
Seok Yang-ho naturally blocked their path.
But they weren't the only ones leaving.
Namgung Hye and Zhuge Ji chimed in too.
"We should go back as well."
"No... you two ladies are leaving too?"
Seok Yang-ho grew more flustered with all four departing.
He'd already ordered a feast prepared for them.
"Myeong-gak brother, Cheongpung brother. Rest here tonight and leave tomorrow. The family head prepared a feast. If you're worried about big brother alone at home, don't—there's nothing to fear."
"We need to check something at the house, little brother Gwang-u."
"Check what?"
"We'll explain later."
Seok Yang-ho couldn't stop the four as they stubbornly left the clan.
"We'll send food via Seok Instructor tomorrow."
"Thank you, family head."
The four hurried from the Seok clan toward the riverside house.
"They didn't follow us—the ones lurking and watching. Their target must be the great hunter."
"What do you think those guys' identity is, Lady Namgung?"
Hmm...
"You should know better than me, Myeong-gak."
Puhahaha...
Myeong-gak's eyes gleamed with sharp light amid his frivolous laughter.