"It's too much trouble to clean up the bodies. Get lost."
Sim Mabaek struck the leader's head with his spear shaft.
The gang limped away and disappeared.
"Stop it!"
Jang Mugang glared at Gu Yangsu and his eyes widened.
Gu Yangsu's hand had gone into his sleeve. It seed he had been thinking of taking out a dagger and throwing it.
"As expected, the Three Tigers of Shandong are heroes. Well, I wasn't going to kill them. I was just going to see how far my dagger could go."
Naturally, Gu Yangsu and Jang Mugang's party were in a confrontational posture again.
Sim Mabaek aid his spear.
"No matter how much trouble it is, I can bury this one bastard's body."
"No, I will deal with that person."
Yeon Hwasim drew her sword and stepped forward. Gu Yangsu waved his hand.
"Hey. I didn't co to fight, so why do you keep coming at
so fiercely?"
"I have said it clearly. I cannot live under the sa sky as the Heavenly Martial Faction. I will avenge the grudge of the three hundred family mbers of the Three Blade Sect."
Gu Yangsu shouted with a fuss.
"Miss Yeon, I have nothing to do with that matter, so why do you keep saying you're going to kill ? That's what our father did. If you kill the son for what the father did, will there be anyone left in the world?"
Yeon Hwasim was at a loss for words.
It was common in the martial world to take the blood price from the family if the person in question was not there.
But Gu Yangsu said flatly that he had nothing to do with it.
"Besides, you said three hundred family mbers of the Three Blade Sect, right? The Heavenly Martial Faction's mbers have died much more than that because of you, Miss Yeon."
"That's because you bastards were chasing ..."
"And! There are over ten thousand Heavenly Martial Faction mbers, are you going to kill them all? Miss Yeon, do you want to beco the greatest female demon of all ti?"
Gu Yangsu seed to have no intention of answering seriously.
Yeon Hwasim kept getting drawn in.
"It doesn't matter if I beco a female demon or a rakshasa. Get off your horse!"
Yeon Hwasim aid her sword.
"Miss Yeon, wait a minute!"
Jang Mugang stopped Yeon Hwasim and stepped forward.
"The second young master of the Heavenly Martial Faction is very sophistical. I don't want to see blood today. Let's part here."
Gu Yangsu nodded.
"This is really... I ca to show you the way to live, but aren't you being too harsh?"
"I'm tired of hearing your nonsense. Older brother, let's just bury him!"
As Gu Yangsu continued to talk nonsense, Sim Mabaek flared up in anger and aid his spear.
As if he were about to stab him right away, Gu Yangsu joked.
"Oh, do you think I'm a fool? To think that I ca following you without any preparation. That's too much."
A small bamboo tube was in his hand.
The bamboo tube, the thickness of a thumb, looked to be a little less than half a foot.
But seeing this, Wi Eunghwan was startled and shouted.
"The Soul-Stealing Hundred Needles! Brother Mabaek, step back!"
At the words "Soul-Stealing Hundred Needles," Sim Mabaek jumped back.
"Hmm. To recognize the Soul-Stealing Hundred Needles. That's amazing."
Gu Yangsu looked at Wi Eunghwan.
It was a fact. Although the reputation of the Soul-Stealing Hundred Needles was great, there were not many who had actually seen it.
Because its killing power was so great, it was not used even in the Tang family, and its leakage was also strictly controlled. So there were not many people who would associate a piece of bamboo with the Soul-Stealing Hundred Needles.
Gu Yangsu aid the Soul-Stealing Hundred Needles and held the string at the back of the bamboo tube.
"This, you know. If you aim it like this, and pull this..."
"Everyone, step back!"
As Wi Eunghwan shouted, everyone retreated more than thirty feet.
"Hey. Who said I was going to pull it? I'm just saying this is how you use it."
Gu Yangsu giggled as if he were enjoying teasing them.
Jungrang, who had been silent until now, took a step forward and said.
"Stop it and just tell us your business for following us."
"Oh, now soone who can talk has co out. I told you. I ca to show you the way to live."
"The way to live, what does that an?"
"If you go to Fujian, you will die. You sent a few of the Fire Heaven Brigade there, right? I heard they are diligently cultivating the manor. So just let them live diligently. If you go, terrifying bastards will rush in and will kill them all."
As the story of the Fujian manor ca out of Gu Yangsu's mouth, everyone's complexion hardened.
Although Gu Yangsu spoke sarcastically, it did not seem like a lie.
No, the fact that the Heavenly Martial Faction knew about the Fujian manor was a big deal in itself.
"What is the reason for telling us this?"
"It's because I owe Miss Yeon a debt. She got rid of a nuisance."
It was Gu Yangsu who had instigated Gu Yangun to go to Yeon Hwasim in the first place. He had thought, "What if," and he had gone and had died.
Yeon Hwasim and the others, who could not know that fact, heard Gu Yangsu's words as nothing but nonsense.
Yeon Hwasim flared up.
"Hmph! To talk nonsense to the end. This is the first ti I've seen you, so what..."
"Ah! That's enough. Just know that there is such a thing. Anyway, if you go like this, you won't even be able to get to Fujian. Don't take the eyes of the Heavenly Martial Faction lightly. They must have already spread all over the Yangtze River area."
"Hmph! Do you think the Heavenly Martial Faction will work here too?"
"Hehehe. It seems you think this is still the territory of the Great Righteous Martial Hall, but didn't you hear what I said earlier? I beat up the Zhanghe Faction. The Great Righteous Martial Hall is all in the capital now. The Heavenly Martial Faction is robbing an empty house here."
Everyone's complexion hardened gravely.
As Gu Yangsu was turning his horse, he added a word as if he had suddenly rembered.
"You're grateful that I told you, right? So if you happen to et my stepmother, don't tell her you t . She's crazy about catching Miss Yeon, who killed her son, and if she finds out about this, she might kill . Let's protect what we need to protect."
"?"
"Hey. Don't pretend you don't know. I an Gu Yangun's biological mother. She's a very vicious person. Do you know the Ma family?"
The Ma family was the hegemon of Shaanxi.
"She is from the Ma family, and this ti she ran to her family, cried and made a fuss, and brought a bunch of masters. I heard they went to the Clear Lotus Pond, but if they can't find her, they will follow. It seems it's about ti for them to arrive..."
Gu Yangsu trailed off and then rode his horse and ran away.
Yeon Hwasim's party was greatly surprised.
If Gu Yangsu's words were true, they had escaped by a hair's breadth.
Yeon Hwasim was worried about the remaining people.
'Is Cheongmae safe?'
The Clear Lotus Pond and the village below were empty. Since only the maids and a few workers were left, she could not help but be worried.
"Do you believe that bastard's words?"
Sim Mabaek said, looking at Gu Yangsu's back.
But even he was thinking that it was probably true.
"First, let's change our disguises and check the Yangtze River. If it's a secluded port, we might be able to get a small boat."
"But you said that Fujian is also being watched."
"..."
It was a dilemma. They were being chased, but there was also an enemy at their destination.
***
The place that Namgung Ryeong had guided them to was a restaurant across the street from the inn.
She had just crossed one street.
"I heard that this place's food is more delicious. If you co to the capital next ti, co to this place."
Wine and food ca out.
Hearing it, it seed so.
"Do all masters beco so quiet when they beco masters?"
He looked at her as if wondering what she was talking about.
Namgung Ryeong leaned her upper body forward, covered her mouth with one hand, and said as if whispering.
"You know there's an absolute master in our house too, right? It's really a sight to see. He lives cooped up in the training ground, frowning as if he's carrying all the worries of the world."
She must be talking about Namgung Ak.
"Co and visit later. I'll introduce you. If you two et, it will be like a temple."
Kang Sogun had already seen two of the ten great masters.
Although he had found out later, the one who had thrown a large saber qi from the thatched hut on the mountain pass was Wu Mungeuk.
Although he had not fought with Baek Jeongmu, the aura he exuded was like facing a mountain.
It was truly surprising that Namgung Ak was ntioned as one of the ten great masters at a young age, like Wu Mungeuk or Baek Jeongmu.
"But Young Master Kang, you look ten years younger than my older brother, so how did you rise to the rank of an absolute master?"
If she was the daughter of the Namgung family, she should know that asking about soone else's martial arts was a taboo, but she asked calmly.
There was no need to answer. She asked and answered herself.
"Ah, asking about martial arts is a taboo in the martial world. I also know as much as I know. Heh, I was rude because I got a little drunk from a glass of wine. I'll drink a penalty shot."
And then she drank the wine in one gulp.
"Kuh! Why is this wine so strong?"
She had ordered it herself, but it seed she did not know what kind of wine it was.
'It seems she is playing at making her debut in the martial world.'
Kang Sogun let out a hollow laugh inwardly and then drank his wine.
Just then, a martial artist of the Namgung family hurriedly ca in and whispered in Namgung Ryeong's ear.
It seed soone had co in injured.
Kang Sogun, thinking that he was eavesdropping on soone else's conversation, pretended not to know and drank his wine.
But Namgung Ryeong's eyes widened, and she looked at Kang Sogun.
"Young Master Kang, you should go. They say your guest is injured."
"My guest?"
"The people who ca to see you before, you know?"
Kang Sogun stood up from his seat. The only people who had co to see Kang Sogun so far were the Cho siblings and Hwang Oh.
Kang Sogun followed Namgung Ryeong and entered the inn where he was staying.
As Namgung Wu saw Namgung Ryeong, he flared up in anger.
"You said you were sick, where have you been?"
"Ahaha. Young Master Kang said he would buy
a drink in return. And my cold just happened to get better."
Now that he saw, it seed she had gone to another inn to avoid her older brother's eyes.
Namgung Wu said to Kang Sogun.
"The martial artists of our family went outside the city and saw three people being chased by masked n, so they brought them here."
The Cho siblings and Hwang Oh were in a guest room in the separate annex.
Although they had been injured here and there, fortunately, there were no major injuries.
As Cho Hagyeong saw Kang Sogun, he bowed his head deeply.
Kang Sogun cupped his fists to Namgung Wu and said.
"I, Kang, am indebted to the Namgung family."
As Namgung Wu was about to return the courtesy, Namgung Ryeong suddenly cut in and cupped her fists first.
"Not at all. We should help each other as fellow travelers of the martial world. You should take care of the injured person quickly. I will bring a doctor."
Kang Sogun smiled bitterly and said.
"Miss Namgung, I don't think there is a need to call a doctor."
Kang Sogun moved the Cho siblings and Hwang Oh to his own residence.
After applying golden wound dicine and having them take internal injury dicine, he asked.
"What happened?"
Cho Hagyeong answered with a mournful face.
"I went to see the young lady."
***
The Cho siblings and Hwang Oh had found the place where the Dragon Slaying Society was hiding.
They had been caught while trying to secretly infiltrate and find Jang Yeongyeong and had been dragged away.
Fortunately, Jang Yeongyeong was there, so they had been able to save their lives.
On their way back after eting her, they had been attacked by unidentified masked n, had been injured, and had been chased.
Then they had t the martial artists of the Namgung family and had been able to return by a stroke of luck.
***
Cho Hagyeong hesitated and said.
"Miss Jang... is with a group of traitors."
"A group of traitors? The Dragon Slaying Society?"
"The Dragon Slaying Society and the Buddha Mother were together, so it seems she has beco a disciple of the Buddha Mother."
"The Buddha Mother?"
"A few years ago, the peasants in Shandong started a rebellion. It was suppressed in a few months, and the leader who had led the rebel army, called the Buddha Mother, was also caught. But the Buddha Mother, who was in prison, suddenly disappeared, and although the court chased her in all directions, they could not catch her. That Buddha Mother was in the Dragon Slaying Society."
Then he took out the red jade dagger from his bosom and held it out.
"..."
Cho Hagyeong could not bring himself to tell him the words that Jang Yeongyeong had refused to accept.
"She said that she had overco a life-threatening crisis with this dagger. She said that was enough."
Kang Sogun silently looked at the red jade dagger, then took it and put it in his bosom.
Although the blue and red daggers were gathered in one place, the people could no longer be together.
Kang Sogun did not show any particular expression and looked back at Cho Haran and Hwang Oh and asked.
"Now, what are you three going to do?"
(End of Chapter)
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