Chapter 27
Chapter 27
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: Night of Shaoxing (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Cheol Woo had grabbed the nape of Hyeongjo, whose body had gone limp after drawing his final breath, and was shaking him.
The sudden appearance of Cheol Woo left Ma Jeong and Gong Neung unable to hide their tension.
A dead body was far heavier than one might imagine. It would take two grown men hanging onto it just to lift it.
The fact that he could shake a corpse around one-handed like a toy meant he possessed tremendous strength or martial arts to match. And to remain so nonchalant even after seeing the bodies strewn about—that was no small feat.
"None, right?"
Cheol Woo asked Sima Geon, who was scanning the surroundings.
"Yeah. None."
Sima Geon, who had been worried that perhaps Sima Ho's body might be among them, clicked his tongue upon seeing Hyeongjo's corpse dangling from Cheol Woo's hand.
"Tsk tsk. With their leader in this state, the Unity Society is done for."
Cheol Woo tossed Hyeongjo's body down like trash as he spoke.
"That's really the leader?"
"I've seen him before. Not looking this pathetic back then, though. Still, his face stuck with me."
As the conversation between Sima Geon and Cheol Woo continued, the expressions of Ma Jeong and Gong Neung, who were watching, grew darker by the moment.
They knew they were being utterly dismissed, yet they couldn't move recklessly.
They couldn't even run.
The moment they did, it felt like their bodies would be torn to shreds.
"You guys from the Blood Ministry Clan? You smashed them good. Not bad swordwork either."
Cheol Woo glanced back and forth between Ma Jeong and Gong Neung as he asked.
When neither responded, the smirk on Cheol Woo's face slowly twisted into a scowl.
"Not Blood Ministry."
Sima Geon pointed at the wound on one of the fallen bodies.
"Not the kind of skill you see in back alleys. Clean cuts, straight to the vitals—no wasted moves."
"If you say so, boss, then they're no pushovers. Hmm, now that I look closer..."
Cheol Woo eyed Ma Jeong and Gong Neung steadily, then chuckled softly.
"These guys have that vibe. Just like us. The type that rolled through Black Dragon Valley like madmen."
"Yeah. Seems like they were hired by the Blood Ministry Clan."
"What do we do with 'em, boss?"
"Ho's with the Unity Society, but it's not really our business."
Sima Geon trailed off, then turned to Ma Jeong and Gong Neung.
"Your base is completely empty, so something must be up. What's the scheme? Where's the Unity Society?"
When Ma Jeong and Gong Neung stayed silent, Cheol Woo stepped forward before Sima Geon could say more.
"Keep your mouths shut to the next question, and we'll take it as you begging to die."
"Where'd they go, the Unity Society?"
Sima Geon asked again, his voice low and steady.
"To the east... the Gwanje Temple."
Ma Jeong glanced around cautiously before speaking.
"Gwanje Temple? Why there?"
"It's one of the Blood Ministry Clan's hideouts. They're going to take them out."
"Luring them in, huh. Clear out the annoying flies and take the head off clean."
Cheol Woo ran a finger across his own nape and grinned.
"You got more like you over there?"
Sima Geon's voice trembled slightly as he asked.
Sima Ho was likely there too. A brawl between back-alley thugs might be fine, but if guys like Ma Jeong or Gong Neung got involved, it could lead to nightmares he didn't want to imagine.
"No. Just the two of us in Shaoxing..."
"Ma Jeong!"
Gong Neung snapped coldly. Ma Jeong clamped his mouth shut in surprise. Cheol Woo wasn't one to let that slide.
"Who told you to interrupt?!"
Cheol Woo closed the distance like lightning and unleashed a punch.
"Hup!"
A desperate grunt burst from Gong Neung's mouth.
How could such a massive body move that fast? It was baffling, but instinct overrode thought—he swung his sword.
But Cheol Woo's fist wasn't something a mere sword swing could block.
The razor-sharp blade shattered on impact, scattering into fragments, and Gong Neung's body flew back like a feather after taking the blow to his chest.
In that fleeting moment, Ma Jeong saw Gong Neung's chest completely crushed and knew he was dead.
Cheol Woo, having ended Gong Neung with a single strike, picked at his ear and spoke.
"Got that buzzing mosquito too. Carry on, boss."
Sima Geon continued his questions, bolstered by Cheol Woo's encouragement(?).
"From your reaction, you're not just hired muscle for the Blood Ministry Clan. You have some goal here. What is it? What's the purpose behind all this?"
Ma Jeong hesitated, lips sealed, prompting Cheol Woo to shift his stance. Startled, Ma Jeong backpedaled and blurted out.
"W-We used the Blood Ministry Clan to topple the Unity Society and take over Shaoxing's night streets."
Cold light gleamed in Sima Geon's eyes.
"From where?"
"H-Hangzhou."
"Hangzhou? So you're from Thousand Kill Hall?"
"Yes."
Before Ma Jeong could finish, Cheol Woo approached, cracking his knuckles.
"You wanna die, huh? I said talk, not lie. Everyone knows Thousand Kill Hall's bosses are all dead. You trying to scam us? You nuts?"
"W-We smashed Thousand Kill Hall's remnants and seized Hangzhou's night streets."
"Who the hell are you? Which group?"
Sima Geon gestured to hold back Cheol Woo, who looked ready to punch, and asked.
Ma Jeong hesitated, then forced the words out.
"The... Nanjing Flying Knife Society."
"Hm. Flying Knife Society."
Sima Geon stroked his chin, appraising Ma Jeong.
Ma Jeong shivered under that sweeping gaze.
He'd never met anyone whose mere look could oppress like this. Not even the young master's eyes compared. It reminded him faintly of the family head he'd glimpsed from afar once.
'Dangerous bunch. And unknowns too. This could derail the plan big time. I have to report that threats like these exist in Shaoxing.'
Ma Jeong justified opening up to Sima Geon as a strategic move for the future, not mere cowardice. He was pleased too, having hidden his true affiliation behind the Flying Knife Society.
But he missed the crucial fact.
Sima Geon and Cheol Woo had never intended to let him live.
Just like Gong Neung, Cheol Woo pulverized Ma Jeong in one blow, then dusted off his hands and turned.
"To Gwanje Temple, right?"
No answer came. By the time he turned, Sima Geon was already sprinting toward Gwanje Temple.
"Brother!"
A voice called out to Sima Geon as he raced toward Gwanje Temple from the Unity Society's base.
Sima Geon halted abruptly and turned left.
Sima Hyeon, drenched in sweat from hurrying, was bent over, panting and waving him over.
Sima Geon's face hardened at Sima Hyeon's unexpected presence—he should have been waiting at home. An ominous chill gripped him.
Closing a dozen paces in a few strides, Sima Geon lifted Sima Hyeon's hunched form and demanded.
"What happened? Why are you here? Don't tell me..."
Sima Hyeon, unaware of how swiftly Sima Geon had approached while bent over, caught his breath and shook his head.
"Don't worry. Ho—that damn kid—came home."
"What?"
Sima Geon's tension drained away. His arms, gripping Sima Hyeon's shoulders, went slack.
"He came home. A bit banged up, but nothing major."
"Banged up?"
Sima Geon's expression sharpened again.
"Better than expected. No limbs missing."
He'd meant it as a joke to reassure, but seeing Sima Geon's face still stiff, Sima Hyeon continued awkwardly.
"It's just minor injuries. Really, nothing to fret over."
"That's a relief, then."
"You coming back from the Unity Society?"
Sima Hyeon glanced between Sima Geon and Cheol Woo.
As Cheol Woo opened his mouth smugly, Sima Geon quickly clamped it shut.
"No. We were heading there, but heard about a big fight near Gwanje Temple, so we detoured."
"Good call. Yeah, Ho said there's a huge clash between the Blood Ministry Clan and Unity Society over there. Guess what the crazy part is?"
"Crazy part? The Unity Society got wiped?"
Cheol Woo retorted flatly, making Sima Hyeon's eyes widen.
"How'd you know that?"
"J-Just did."
Cheol Woo stammered guiltily, then raised his voice.
"Slippery kid came back, right? If they'd won, he wouldn't slink home. They got smashed, so he crawled back."
"Makes sense?"
Sima Hyeon tilted his head, but Sima Geon yanked his arm.
"Quit yapping and let's head home. Gotta check how bad he's hurt."
"You're so serious."
Considering over a hundred had clashed, Sima Hyeon's assessment held— not a grave wound. Still, a broken arm and gashed leg weren't trivial.
Cheol Woo plopped down beside Sima Ho, whose face was half-swollen, and swung a fist.
"Ow! Why'd you hit me?"
Sima Ho yelped.
"Pathetic punk. Getting beat like an idiot."
"Who wants to get hit? If those Blood Ministry bastards hadn't called in outsiders, this wouldn't have happened."
Sima Ho ground his teeth.
The fight had started with raiding the Blood Ministry Clan's base.
Just when they'd seized the advantage, mysterious reinforcements smashed them. Infuriating.
"How'd you escape?"
"Luck. If the deputy leader hadn't opened an escape route, they'd have caught me. And Brother Cheon..."
Recalling the chaos, Sima Ho breathed raggedly, biting his lip.
"Know what kinda guys they were?"
Sima Geon asked.
"No. First time seeing them."
"Nanjing Flying Knife Society."
"Flying... Knife Society?"
"Yeah. They just took Hangzhou. Shaoxing's next."
Sima Ho swallowed hard at Sima Geon's explanation.
Hangzhou dwarfed Shaoxing. Nanjing was even bigger. No wonder the Unity Society couldn't handle an outfit that conquered that.
"We got crushed, but the leader's still alive, so..."
Cheol Woo cut in sharply.
"Leader's dead."
"Huh?"
Sima Ho shot up, forgetting his leg wound, and staggered.
Sima Geon steadied him with a pitying look.
"Heard on the way to find you. They got raided too. Leader and all—probably wiped out."
"..."
Sima Ho's pupils dilated in shock.
"In my eyes, Unity Society's finished. Blood Ministry, maybe recoverable. But Flying Knife Society? Different league. Forget 'em."
"..."
"Don't do anything stupid. I've let you choose your path till now, but not anymore. Won't let you stay in danger or do dangerous crap."
Sima Geon gripped Sima Ho's shoulder firmly, but Sima Ho just stared blankly at the wall, lips pressed tight. No reply.