Chapter 3 – Where is the Sword Saint (3)

Chapter 3 – Where is the Sword Saint (3)

The door to Soho Tavern opened and a huge man came in. It was Il-gwang that his entire body was covered in blood. A wound that looked as if it had been cut by a sharp weapon was clearly visible between the torn cloth clothes.

"after……."

Territorial fought frequently occurred between warlords, and fought both large and small occurred frequently. However, his current appearance clearly did not result from a simple turf war.

Il-gwang took a seat in the corner of the guest room as if nothing had happened.

“What’s going on?”

So-mu's eyes turned to Il-gwang's hands on the table.

The joints of the fingers were stained with dark blood. It was definitely not Il-gwang blood.

Moreover, a faint murderous spirit remains in his eyes. He has committed murder. And it wasn't just one or two people.

Il-gwang looked at So-mu in the kitchen and said as if it was no big deal.

“Before I leave this town, I wanted to eat Soho Tavern’s meat noodles one last time. I don’t have any money right now, but can I have a bowl of noodles for you?”

“I can make as many noodles as I want. What happened?”

“Right now, our Baiyang County is being plundered by the bastards of the State of Hui. Huh. We need to destroy all of these bastards.”

Il-gwang continued to huff and puff.

So-mu looked at him, and instead of fear, puzzlement appeared on his face. Because the soldiers had not yet arrived in this area, I could not feel a sense of reality.

“Couldn’t you have just left this town?”

“Even though I’m a loser, this is my hometown. Besides, I’ve been receiving protection money from merchants all this time. You didn’t see this Il-gwang as such a dishonest person, did you?”

“Is that possible? So you were protecting merchants and got into a fight with soldiers from the Hui Dynasty?”

“Well, that’s the way it is. It’s a pity, but we couldn’t protect everyone. All of our children died, too. Give us a bowl of noodles quickly, and then you leave as well.”

“Yes. The noodles will be ready soon~.”

After a while, So-mu put down the noodles on the table and sat across from him, resting her chin on his chin.

“Then what are you going to do from now on?”

Il-gwang swallowed a mouth full of noodles, took a sip of broth, and then wiped his mouth with his bloody sleeve.

“Now, even begging for food is wrong here. I heard that they are recruiting new soldiers in Hanzhong. I am not qualified to take the martial arts exam, so I plan to start over from there.”

It was then. Suddenly, the door to the guesthouse became noisy, interrupting their conversation. It seemed clear that Hui army has invaded.

“It looks like they've already come. Leave this place to me and hide in the kitchen. You bastards with no morals. I'll kill them all after eating the noodles.”

After speaking, Il-gwang picked up the entire bowl of noodles and began to hastily inhale it.

So-mu’s expression was changing every moment. This was because the signs of popularity coming from outside were being conveyed to his senses. It wasn't just one or two people. Among them, there were people who learned martial arts.

Although Il-gwang was the leader of the gangsters, by martial arts standards, he was at best a little above third-rate. It was a force that could never have been overcome alone.

Taang-!

Il-gwang nervously placed the clean bowl on the table. And the moment he stood up from his seat. Suddenly, So-mu's left hand moved like lightning towards Il-gwang. His finger was pointed at the Cheonju acupoint located at the back of Il-gwang's neck.

Phew!

Il-gwang, without knowing why, closed his eyes and lowered his head on the table.

Slurp-!

“I swore I would never use martial arts again, but I can’t help it. If it’s just point-and-shoot, it’ll be fine.”

So-mu, leaving behind the fainted Il-gwang, opened the door to the guest room.

A dozen soldiers wearing iron armor over black combat uniforms. As they approached the guest house, their eyes were all filled with madness.

“What’s going on?”

A soldier answered softly in a lifeless voice.

“Get out of the way before I kill you.”

“There is only one customer inside. You can take everything, so just let us go.”

The soldiers ignored So-mu and looked at the sunlight shining through the crack in the door. After a while, one of them stretched out his finger and said:

“It’s him.”

One corner of the head of the Ten Tigers, who was commanding them, curled up.

“Kill them both.”

So-mu looked dumbfounded. Deciding your life with just one word? This was a ruthless act that was rare even in the martial arts world of Yongdam Tiger.

“Is this really going to happen?”

There wasn't even an answer anymore. Instead, the soldiers' sword blades were just coming towards him mercilessly.

So-mu's eyebrows narrowed as he watched.

At that moment, the sound of the wind breaking was heard one after another.

Sigh-! Phew!

An expression of confusion appeared on the soldiers' faces. Not only was it a mistake, but the man in front of me had disappeared from his seat.

Moreover, before they knew it, the owner of the inn was digging into their gap and pointing his finger at them.

Deep! Puppuppuk-!

Each time So-mu's finger stretched out, the soldiers fell to the ground one by one. Five soldiers fell in just one breath.

“W-what is it?”

“W-what happened?”

The four remaining soldiers were very embarrassed. But I can't just watch. The four swords moved again and put pressure on all sides of Su Mu.

However, the opponent was dodging all of the attacked just by lightly shaking his body.

“What is this bastard?

The soldiers' faces were filled with bewilderment. So-mu's fingers moved again.

Deep! Puppuppuk-!

Soldiers begin to sequentially slam their headed into the ground.

As the situation progressed strangely, the ten commanders who were watching urgently shouted.

“Water, I’m going away!”

Although his level was low, the Ten Leaders were soldiers who learned martial arts. So-mu's eyes met, and without hesitation, she thrust her index finger toward the man's uvula.

Deep!

The ten leaders collapsed without even thinking about dodging.

Slurp-!

“There was no will in your eyes to give in.”

If I let the person in front of me go, it was clear that he would brought other soldiers with him. There was no need to make it a big deal.

So-mu entered the guest room again and wrapped a stunned Il-gwang around his shoulder. Although he had a huge body like a bear, there was no hesitation in his actions.

After coming out of the guest room, he looked around. Because it was a remote place in Baiyang County, there was no sign of popularity.

After deciding on his destination, he walked along the trail for a while. A mountain road with few people that we arrived at after passing by. A Il-gwang was placed neatly near the entrance.

“I think I can get out of the village safely here. I’m a native of Baiyang County, so I’m sure I know the way.”

The steps I take back to the guesthouse seem heavier than when I came.

‘I guess I should pack my bags and leave. But where can I go now?’

His feelings as he trudged down the road were very complicated.

This was a village that barely settled after leaving Kangho to avoid the eyes of the martial arts. I couldn't help but feel confused.

As I passed the corner of the mountainside, the sight of Soho Tavern came into view. A rest area built over the years after leaving Jianghu. So-mu's emotions as she looked at that place for the last time were indescribable.

His gaze, which had been looking around the village, suddenly turned to the path about a dozen miles away. Because a familiar child was wandering around there. No, more accurately, he was crying.

It was one of Ha-chil's gang of beggars. The child who should have been heading towards Henan by now was looking for him.

As I concentrated on my hearing, I could hear the child's crying as vividly as if I was hearing it right next to me.

“Khehehehehe…. Uncle….”

An ominous feeling came over my mind. So-mu rushed out without even thinking and grabbed the child's shoulder.

“Aren’t you A-kwang? What’s going on?”

After checking on So-mu, Ah-kwang seemed unable to control his tears.

“Hehehehe….Please help me, uncle….”

“Calm down and talk. Where is Ha-chil?”

Ah-gwang, who was crying, was gibbering as if he couldn't calm down.

So-mu's right hand, which was unable to see anything, went to Ah-gwang's chest. The profound energy emanating from his dantian began to warmly embrace the child and calm him down.

“Hehehe… Brother Ha-chil… disappeared somewhere last night… and now the bad guys…”

So-mu felt like her mind had turned white.

I was able to figure out what happened without even having to check. Ha-chil abandoned the children and ran away alone at night, carrying the silver he had given him. And the Hwi army attacked their base.

So-mu, who was embarrassed, took out a bundle of coins from her pocket and handed them to Ah-gwang.

“The southern road is still safe, so just keep walking in this direction until the sun rises tomorrow. There you have to find the beggar with the knot around his waist. You can do it, right?”

Ah Gwang knew it too. Only open beggars can tie the knot at their waist. I've seen it several times.

“Yes, you can.”

“Your friend is there, so don’t worry too much. Don’t hesitate and move quickly!”

“…Thank you, mister.”

So-mu patted Ah Gwang on the shoulder and turned his back. There was no time to hesitate any longer.

Considering the time it took Ah-gwang, who was slow to walk, to get here, there was a high probability that it was already too late.

So-mu gritted his teeth. His new form became a ray of light and began to shoot out somewhere. The movement was so much like a thunderbolt that most martial people could not see it with the naked eye. The grass on the forest path he was passing through was screaming and breaking down.

I vowed never to use martial arts again, but that wasn't important right now.

'please… … .’

So-mu's expression darkened as he arrived in front of the shrine in an instant. His hands gradually began to tremble.

The scent of blood was so thick that it made you wrinkle your nose. However, there was no sign of popularity felt inside. I was afraid to enter, but I had to see it with my own eyes.

So-mu moved his steady steps little by little. He soon saw the scene inside the palace and was shocked as if his heart stopped.

“How could such an atrocity be done….”

Children's cold corpses were spread out all over the ruined palace. Just a day ago, the children were happy eating the dumplings they gave them. Even he, who had witnessed the cruelty of the martial arts, was left speechless by the gruesome sight he had experienced for the first time.

Soon So-mu's eyes were fixed on one place. I hoped it would be rain, but the ominous feeling did not go away.

The child he was trying to take away… … .

In the end, I couldn't avoid my anger and ended up lying on the cold floor.

"oil painting……."

A half piece of dumpling can be seen sticking out of Yoo-hwa's front chest.

and a small examination of the abdomen. It wasn't a critical point. That means that he died painfully, not instantly.

Yoo-hwa must have found herself until the moment she closed her eyes. He held Yoo-hwa carefully and didn't even move as if time had stopped.

An hour passed when a chill swept through the surroundings. And at some point, his foot took a step.

So-mu's eyes, revealed through disheveled hair, shined like a beast. His distorted face took on a devil-like appearance. Who could say that Lee was a gentle guesthouse owner?

So-mu, holding Yoo-hwa, started heading towards the streets of Baiyang County.