Chapter 19

Chapter 19

“Keugh…”

Hong Won-chang let out a small groan and slowly opened his eyes.

His mind was blank.

Because his head throbbed, even his vision shook. And the moment he realized that his entire body was in pain and turned his gaze, someone suddenly covered his mouth.

“Shh!”

“Mmph?!”

Hong Won-chang was flustered by the sudden situation and stared with wide, raised eyes at the being who had covered his mouth.

He could not tell who it was at all. No matter how much he dug into his memories, he had never met such a person.

Rustle, rustle!

At that moment, the sound of parting bushes was heard, and numerous human shadows appeared and disappeared. They quickly searched the surroundings as if looking for something.

Drip-

Cold sweat ran down.

Watching that sight, he was reminded of his own situation.

“If you will be quiet, I will let go.”

At the man's words, Hong Won-chang nodded slightly. Since he already recognized what kind of situation it was in his head, he was not foolish enough to talk carelessly.

The man slowly let go of his hand.

Having caught his breath somewhat, Hong Won-chang muttered.

“W-What… on earth…”

“It seems you were drugged. Are you feeling a bit better now?”

“A drug… Y-Yes, indeed. The one they sprayed on me…”

Although his mind was still hazy, it was gradually becoming clear. Since the drug those guys administered was not a finished product, he did not seem to have been deeply poisoned.

Then, recalling his own situation, he laughed in disbelief.

He thought without a doubt that he had died. Because thinking that he could live in that situation was a joke in itself. He only wished that his family would be safe.

Yet he was alive and well.

“But who are you?”

“Jang Sam-tae, a subordinate of Manor Lord Dan.”

“His?”

Only now did the circumstances connect.

Indeed, it was a situation where he could never live without that person's help. Hong Won-chang shook his head and let out a sigh before he knew it.

‘How many times have I received his help… Even if I repay this grace for my entire life, it will not be enough.’

His touched expression was clear.

Watching Hong Won-chang, Jang Sam-tae smirked. It was a statement made deliberately to make him feel indebted. Only then would Hwa So-mi live a slightly more comfortable life.

Of course, on the premise that they escaped from this place.

“Those guys will probably chase us until they die, so prepare yourself. We have to get out of here alive to take revenge or do whatever else.”

Seeing Hong Won-chang nod slightly, Jang Sam-tae also hardened his resolve.

Although they managed to hide with difficulty, the situation was not very good. If they did not slip out right now, it would become a difficult situation.

They had to get as close to the manor as possible.

If it were Dan Woo-hyun, none other, he would surely notice and run over even if they only reached the vicinity of the manor.

Since he was a man who would kick open the door and spring out, if only for Hwa So-mi's sake, if this many people approached bearing such murderous intent.

“This way!”

“W-Wait. Where are we going?”

“We have to go toward the manor as much as possible. So that Manor Lord Dan can come.”

Hong Won-chang could not hide his anxious mind. However, his life was already no different from having died once anyway.

Whether he died while following Jang Sam-tae here, or was captured and killed, the result was the same.

The two urgently threw their bodies.

At that moment.

“Here he is!”

A man's voice was heard.

The sound of the wind hit his ears fiercely as it approached. Jang Sam-tae, startled by the gradually growing sound, turned his back. He saw those who had been scattered around swarming in.

“Damn it! Nothing is working out!”

Jang Sam-tae took a stance.

He first saw three men approaching with swords drawn. Although he did not expect to be able to block them, he could not just watch blankly either.

Jang Sam-tae strove to compose his mind.

Did they not say that even a stepped-on earthworm wriggles!

And the moment Jang Sam-tae watched the blades striking from three directions and was about to thrust his hand.

Swishhh!

A wind blew from somewhere.

Everyone in that spot realized it. A wind that could not be seen as natural, no, a force like a sharp blade was flying in the shape of a half-moon.

Although it was momentum, it could clearly be seen with the eyes.

The ones who were thrusting their swords to kill Jang Sam-tae just then showed blank gazes.

And in an instant.

Slash!

Bodies were split apart.

Surely they could not have imagined that such a monstrous attack would fly at them at a time like this. The bodies cut in half sprayed blood and spilled all kinds of internal organs.

Flop, flop!

The bodies of these people, which were now no different from pieces of meat, lay scattered absurdly.

“W-What is…”

Hong Won-chang shivered as he looked at the wreckage. Because he could not grasp at all in his head what had just occurred.

It was the same for the members of the Black Dao Association.

Especially, Bang Chu-gok's shock was unspeakable.

Only one person sat down as if the strength in his legs had failed, spitting out these words.

“Damn it, if you were coming, you should have come sooner…”

* * *

Martial God.

Throughout the history of the Central Plains, the only person to receive such a title was Dan Woo-hyun, who was unique and peerless.

Even Bodhidharma, who established the system of Shaolin, or Sanfeng, who ascended Wudang and became an immortal, or even the Heavenly Demon, who established the foundation of the Demonic Cult and became the peak of the hundred thousand demons, did not obtain such a title.

Why was that?

There was no doubt that they were also absolute masters who ruled an era, but they did not cause as great a wave in the Central Plains as the Limitless Demonic God, and they had also suffered numerous defeats.

However, only the Martial God was undefeated.

That was why he had no choice but to become a legend.

Step, step!

What broke that space filled with silence was the footsteps of a single person. The sound coming from afar was neither fast nor slow.

Listening to it, a sense of leisure was naturally felt to that extent.

Bang Chu-gok swallowed his saliva.

‘W-What is this…’

What on earth was that just now? No matter how he searched and flipped through his head, nothing came to mind. Was it not too excessive to say that a human deployed it?

And what was this air?

A huge pressure weighing heavily on his shoulders.

Everyone stopped in their tracks, standing still and looking at only one spot. Everyone's pupils trembled, and sweat began to bead up and run down.

Soon, a human figure revealed itself.

Seeing him appear while parting the bushes, he swallowed his saliva.

He was ordinary.

A seemingly small build, just the height of an adult male commonly seen. However, at his appearance emerging under the moonlight, Bang Chu-gok felt a strong pressure that made his breath stop.

‘What is that…!’

The moment he looked, a chill in his spine did not fade.

His pupils shining in the moonlight were heated red as if containing red flames, and he was looking down at them with a gaze that was not just noble but could even be called arrogant.

“Why… why were you so late? Damn it…”

It was Jang Sam-tae's voice that broke that silence and quiet. Sitting down as if his strength had failed, he was looking at Dan Woo-hyun who had appeared before his eyes. Although his grumbling tone was clear, he seemed to let out a sigh of relief somehow.

Dan Woo-hyun turned his head and looked at Jang Sam-tae.

“You are noisy.”

“Those bastards did it. It was not us.”

Jang Sam-tae pointed at Bang Chu-gok and the members of the Black Dao Association. It was a funny situation, like a young child complaining to a parent.

However, Dan Woo-hyun did not care in the least.

He turned his head and looked at Bang Chu-gok.

“The Black Dao Association?”

“Keugh…!”

A heavy force was loaded onto the single word he spat out.

Although it was lightly spat out, Bang Chu-gok's instinct sounded an alarm. The force itself loaded onto the word was a completely different feeling from the martial artists he had met until now.

“W-Who are you…? We are the B-Black Dao Association. Do you block our path even while knowing that?”

Although he did not want to exchange words out of fear, he had to do anything to escape this situation.

Unlike what he expected, the opponent was an undeniable powerhouse. He was clearly a man who would not budge no matter what they did.

“O-Our Black Dao Association is…”

“Even if garbage gathers, it is just garbage.”

Grit!

Bang Chu-gok gnashed his teeth.

Anger that could not be suppressed even by fear surged. Bang Chu-gok was someone whose pride in the Black Dao Association, which he had been a part of all his life, pierced the sky. To insult that place was no exaggeration to say it was more than a simple insult.

Bang Chu-gok's gaze looking at Dan Woo-hyun changed.

“It is not garbage! The Black Dao Association is…!”

“If so…”

Dan Woo-hyun cut off Bang Chu-gok, who was trying to say something, and glanced around. After his gaze swept over the members of the Black Dao Association, and then over Jang Sam-tae and Hong Won-chang once, he smirked.

“Prove it.”

* * *

Jang Sam-tae and Bang Chu-gok could not believe it even after seeing it with their own eyes.

They had known for a long time that Dan Woo-hyun was strong. They expected that if he appeared, a matter like this would also be easily resolved.

However.

Crack!

“Aaahhh!”

“Aaaahhh!”

This was to an excessive degree.

Although Hong Won-chang had seen Dan Woo-hyun deal with Jang Baek-san and his underlings, and Jang Sam-tae had seen him deal with the remnants of the Black Dao Association, the current situation was too different from those times.

He thrust his hand.

It was nothing more than simply thrusting it.

Yet that alone was sufficient. The members of the Black Dao Association struggled like cornered rats, but they were completely helpless.

It was like watching a fight between a three-year-old child and a Martial World master.

“T-That monster bastard…”

Jang Sam-tae muttered while shivering.

Although he had known long ago that they would win, watching him move so effortlessly made anger surge up for no reason.

Jang Sam-tae himself had been busy running away after landing only a single blow on them, but Dan Woo-hyun, who moved lazily, simply subdued the opponents just like that.

Crack!

“Aaaahhh!”

Dan Woo-hyun was completely destroying their dantians.

There was no one who could block it, and no matter how much they resisted, it was of no use.

“H-He is a grand hero… R-Really…”

“Grand, my foot… That is a monster, is he a human?”

“Damn it?”

Hong Won-chang glared at Jang Sam-tae with raised eyes. He claimed to be a subordinate, yet he dared to swear at his master; where did he learn such manners?

“Do you swear even at your master?”

“Damn it, people even curse the Emperor where he can't hear, so what does it matter.”

“What? What a bastard!”

“What? Bastard? Have you already forgotten the grace of being saved?”

“Yes, you rascal! How dare a mere servant curse his master? Do you need to be beaten with a wet paddle to snap out of it!”

In an instant, Jang Sam-tae shut his mouth. He had completely forgotten the fact that the opponent was the magistrate.

Furthermore, he seemed to have also forgotten the fact that he was a wanted criminal, even if it was from a long time ago.

Jang Sam-tae slowly raised his head and looked at the sky.

‘Damn it…’

In the meantime, the scene was gradually being cleared.