Chapter 63
— — —
But no one revealed themselves.
“Don’t make excuses for me anymore. You didn’t come out when I asked nicely, so this is on you.”
A terrifying killing intent poured from Sau’s body, as if he were issuing a warning.
Under the pressure, which felt as though it would slice skin and shatter bone, those who had been hiding collapsed to the ground one by one.
“Hup!”
“……Argh!”
There were four in total following Sau. All of them were armed.
One of them, who seemed to be the most skilled, did not yield; he lunged forward and thrust the tip of his sword toward Sau.
With his hands clasped behind his back, Sau stepped to the left with effortless grace, letting the attack slide past him.
“H-how did you dodge my attack?”
Sau gripped the shoulder of the man who had swung at empty air. Almost simultaneously, the man let out a painful scream.
“Uaaagh!”
*CRACK!*
The man’s shoulder blade was pulverized into a handful of dust.
Not stopping there, Sau shattered the man’s other shoulder as well, ensuring he would never be able to use martial arts again.
“Guaaagh!”
“My ears. You’re noisy.”
As Sau’s other hand struck the man’s face, it was crushed in an instant.
“Guh…… guh.”
When he released the man’s mangled shoulder, his body collapsed.
“My hands are dirty now…….”
Sau looked down at the group who had been watching their companion’s fate.
A faint red glow shimmered in his eyes.
All of the men were trembling, not even daring to think of running away. Some had even wet themselves in fear.
“Now, tell me. Why were you following me?”
But the terrified men could not speak a word. They only let out hollow, vacant sounds of “Uhh…….”
“I suppose I have no choice. I’ll have to beat it out of you until you confess.”
A formidable energy exploded from Sau’s two hands.
There was no need to use a sword to deal with small fry. A moderate amount of Demonic Energy was all that was required.
Sau’s palm thrust forward—*Fwoosh!*
The man who took the full brunt of the energy was pulverized in an instant, losing all human form. The spot where he had been kneeling was left with a deep crater.
"Asura's Fist of the Desolate Heavens."
It was a technique he had learned in the Demonic Cult, one he used primarily when he was too lazy to draw his sword or when he wanted to avoid succumbing to his madness.
“U, ugh!”
The remaining two men, unable to bear the agony, began to drool uncontrollably.
With their eyes rolling back, it seemed they might die on their own without him even needing to kill them.
“Why did you follow me?”
One of the men, who still had a shred of sanity left, answered.
“Th-th-the, g-gold, y-you…….”
Ah. They must have been coveting the gold he had displayed at the inn.
“Who do you belong to?”
“Th-the Black Serpent Society, sir. P-please, spare m-me…….”
Sau looked at the men prostrating themselves before him with indifferent eyes.
‘To think they followed me and tried to cause trouble just for some gold.’
To make matters worse, these men belonged to the same group as those who were worth less than a dumpling.
A bunch of disorganized rabble, yet they were excessively pushy and annoying. Sau did not like that one bit.
“Die now.”
A powerful strike poured from Sau’s hand.
With that, the remaining two men were also crushed and turned into a pool of blood.
Sau quietly exited the alleyway, which was splattered with gore.
‘What on earth is Baek Sam doing? Why did he let such trash run wild?’
Baek Sam.
His right-hand man, who had infiltrated the Jegal Clan while hiding the fact that he was a Demonic Cultist.
The Jegal Clan had been in chaos after losing their Young Lord, Jegal Sagun, and with Jegal Haesu—who, while not an heir, was still the Clan Head’s son—also missing.
It seemed Baek Sam had gained recognition from the clan members by providing various forms of assistance to the Jegal Clan, which had lost its talent.
From what he heard, he was particularly favored by the Clan Head, Jegal Cheon.
Not only had Jegal Cheon entrusted Baek Sam with the position of Brigade Leader of the martial forces, but he had even sent Baek Sam to the Murim Alliance as a military advisor in his stead.
A Demonic Cultist attending a meeting whose primary purpose was to eradicate the Demonic Cult. How absurd.
Sau did not stop Baek Sam.
If Soma-gi primarily handled physical tasks, Baek Sam was a quick thinker who also served as the Demonic Cult’s strategist.
Of course, that did not mean his martial arts were lacking. Baek Sam was stronger than Soma-gi.
Furthermore, not once has a decision made by Baek Sam proven wrong.
This time would be no different. He didn't worry about him, as he knew the clever man would handle things well.
If any trouble arose, the culprit would surely be Soma-gi.
‘There must be a reason he lets idiots like these run around the Jegal Clan’s front yard talking about the Demonic Cult.’
Since he had already come to Yangyang and even found the Golden Divine Healer, Sau decided he would meet Baek Sam before leaving.
It would be good to ask him why he left those Unorthodox Factions members alone and whether he had achieved his objective in infiltrating the Jegal Clan.
As it happened, one of Baek Sam’s group was from the Jegal Clan, so there shouldn't be much difficulty in heading there.
‘Anyway, it seems half a shichen has passed.’
Sau walked toward the inn, his robes fluttering without a single drop of blood on them.
His face remained utterly expressionless.
* * *
As soon as Sau returned to the inn, Soso declared.
“We are going to the Wudang Sect.”
Then, she subtly gauged Sau’s reaction.
Sau sat down in the seat he had briefly vacated and asked.
“The reason?”
“Do you remember the child thief who bumped into you? He is from the Wudang Sect, so I intend to take him back.”
Sau’s somewhat unfocused gaze landed on Jegal Haesu.
“Hmm. But Jegal Haesu, don’t you need to stop by the Jegal Clan?”
“Are you asking because you don’t know about me, Sau?”
“The Lazy Young Master, Jegal Haesu.”
“……So you do know.”
“Spending your days in idleness, one with your bed…….”
“St-stop! I see you know well enough, so stop talking. Goodness.”
“Do you not need to go to the Jegal Clan?”
Jegal Haesu stared suspiciously at Sau, who kept asking as if he were determined to hear the answer.
‘He seems to really want me to go to the Jegal Clan. Is he the one who actually has business there?’
However, Jegal Haesu had a reason he could not bring himself to visit his main family.
Jegal Haesu took out his fan and opened it with a flourish.
“This fan, doesn’t it look quite impressive?”
“It’s not an ordinary fan.”
“Indeed. If I may say so, it is a remarkable weapon capable of blocking most attacks. That is because the ribs of the fan are made from the hide of a spirit beast.”
“The hide of a Ten-Thousand-Year Poison-Horned Snake.”
“……!”
Jegal Haesu was startled.
It was true that the fan was made from the hide of a Ten-Thousand-Year Poison-Horned Snake, a spirit beast in the shape of a serpent.
To think he could identify that fact just by a brief glance, without even touching it.
Sau was merely indifferent, even after identifying the fan’s true nature at a glance. It wouldn't have been strange for him to boast about it at least once.
If it were Namgung Jin, he wouldn't have hidden the strength of his martial arts.
‘……As expected, Brother Namgung is young.’
Jegal Haesu shook his head.
“So, what does that fan have to do with the Jegal Clan?”
“This fan was something my father cherished, but I stole it. Hahaha! That is why I cannot return. If I go back, I have to return the fan, and I’m sure I'll get an earful from my father.”
Jegal Haesu’s face, having confessed honestly, turned abruptly gloomy.
‘I should have stolen a few more family heirlooms.’
He felt a deep regret that he hadn't been able to take everything and had left a few things behind.
Of course, he didn't want to return to the Jegal Clan just because he missed the heirlooms he’d left behind.
Although his father had been dispirited since his brother was kidnapped, he was still a tiger of a Clan Head.
He could only imagine how the old man would fly into a rage once he discovered the family heirlooms were missing…….
“…….”
Sau looked at Jegal Haesu, who was smacking his lips in regret, with eyes full of contempt.
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