Everything in the world has an end. Just like the sun that monopolizes the sky retreats at night.
Even the great Jecheondae, which roamed the heavens like it owned them, found itself trapped on Ohaeng Mountain.
There is bound to be an end to everything.
And this truth applies to the demon cultists dreaming of the Cheonma’s return and trying to topple the Empire.
The moment the demon cultist’s blood erupted, they trembled.
A minuscule gap created by the extinction of Hwa-ho.
That was the end for the demon cultist.
– Seokk!!
True to her nature as Hongryeon, who can cleave evil monsters in half, her sword showed no mercy.
No distance was necessary. Just a single strike.
As soon as Hongryeon, who had been entirely on the defensive until now, spotted the opening, she dashed on the offensive, shattering the demon cultist’s assault, leaving her feeling the end was inevitable.
“Kuh-uhhh…”
The left arm shot up into the air. Simultaneously, Hongryeon’s long leg extended towards the demon cultist’s abdomen with even more violent recoil.
– Peureo-eok!!
The kick to the solar plexus flowed directly into a rising knee that struck the demon cultist’s face.
Letting out a sporadic scream, she tumbled to the ground, and Hongryeon rushed towards her to swing her sword again.
– Seokk!!
“Kyaaaak!!!”
With her left arm and right leg severed, blood gushed out of her like a fountain as Hongryeon looked down at her.
Quickly, Hongryeon moved her hand.
Blood Lock. As the blood from her severed limbs stopped pouring out, she placed her hand on the pale demon cultist’s head.
“What purpose did the demon cult come here for? And why target the village chief and the innkeeper?”
“Kuh… Khae… Cheonma’s return… Manmaangbok…”
Perhaps the moment Hwa-ho was extinguished, she had anticipated her end. That’s why there was no hesitation.
The demon cultist clenched her teeth, and at that moment, demonic energy began to boil within her body.
Screaming in horrific pain, convulsing as she coughed up blood, Hongryeon grimaced at the stench and stepped back.
“Tsk. This is why I hate dealing with demon cultists.”
The corpse rapidly began to decay. Gritting her teeth at the terrible stench, Hongryeon quickly turned her head.
Huh? Why?
Her gaze was fixed on me. With an inexplicable look of anger, she strode towards me, standing silently and breathing heavily in front of me.
“…Can we talk later?”
Her voice trembled quite a bit. Filled with complex emotions, her eyes looked down at me, and I nodded.
A conversation shouldn’t be too difficult.
By the time the fainted village chief woke up, the two of us had come to our senses after managing our energy.
And…
“Th-thank you.”
“Thank you…”
Was it because of what happened earlier? They both seemed rather embarrassed. Well, they did say they’d protect me, but they made a real mess at the end.
But it’s okay. My clothes got burned, but I did receive help from them.
Besides, just because I blocked that one attack doesn’t mean I could have beaten Hwa-ho.
In a way, or rather obviously, I owe a great debt to these two and to the Hongseong clan.
So, I expressed my gratitude.
“I owe my life to both of you.”
“No, no!”
“We’re the ones who…”
“Haha. Then how about we consider ourselves even?”
I said, but perhaps it was quite shocking that a non-martial artist like me tried to protect martial artists. They seemed a bit gloomy, and rather than comforting them, I figured it would be better to steer the conversation elsewhere, so I maintained a calm demeanor and looked around.
“By the way. It seems the situation has been resolved.”
In the distance, the local leader, the guards, and the disciples of the Hongseong clan stood together.
Fortunately, it seemed the local leader was okay. His expression was pale, looking like he hadn’t slept a wink tonight.
Hongryeon commanded them to patrol the village, and soon after that patrol finished, those fighting outside returned, carrying the heads of the Mabok and dog beasts.
“You all worked hard. Three? No, was it four Mabok?”
“There were quite a few. Four Mabok, right?”
With a monster that had a tiger’s body and a human’s head, it’s three human heads when you think about it. It seems like Mabok appeared in three places.
“I heard the story. The cult attacked, right? I’m really glad you weren’t hurt.”
“Thanks to you.”
“Um?”
“That’s what I’m talking about.”
I recounted what had happened earlier. Chaejin, who had been listening quietly, tilted her head.
“Er… Innkeeper, how long has it been since I started learning from you?”
How long? Let’s see. Counting from the day Do-gyeon came out until today…
“Hasn’t even been three weeks? Feels like it’s been almost a month.”
“But you managed to withstand the flame of the Flower Tiger…? Uh… what?…”
She tilted her head again and started mumbling something to herself.
Then, as if she felt my gaze, she suddenly looked up, bursting into an arrogant laugh and patting my shoulder.
“Ohohoh!! Of course, of course! I’m the great disciple of the illustrious Moonjeong Sect, the most renowned Moonlight Sword learned from none other than Chaejin! Ohohoho! Of course, I should be able to handle at least that much! Ohohoho! Just think about how much effort I’ve put in! Ohohoh!!”
Despite her boisterous laughter, her expression seemed a bit stiff.
But is it necessary to point that out? After all, it’s true that Chaejin has struggled while teaching me.
So I laughed. They say laughter brings good fortune, right?
“Hahahaha!”
And she laughed too.
“Ohohoho!!”
We faced each other, laughing for a good while. Ah, what a nice atmosphere.
Just when I was about to stop laughing with relief, Chaejin suddenly narrowed her eyes and looked at my arm.
“But why is your arm like that? You learned from me, didn’t you?”
Ah. Oh no…
Busted.
I had discarded the burnt clothes. Pointing at my reddened arm, Chaejin grinned widely.
“This can’t be. The member who learned from me got hurt from just the Flame of the Flower Tiger? You should double your training…”
No, doubling is a bit too much.
“Don’t worry! I’ll take full responsibility!”
I’m okay if you don’t take responsibility.
But it’s true that thanks to Chaejin, I was able to escape the crisis, so I won’t complain.
“Anyway, thanks.”
“What for? But what about Hongryeon?”
As she looked around, she fiddled with her sword. She seemed like she wanted to have a duel right then and there.
But will that even work?
With Mabok and Do-gyeon in the mix, the guards have sustained quite a few injuries, and I need to prepare for any potential surprise attacks as well.
Moreover, since the mastermind behind this attack is the cult, we have to respond even more seriously.
Who knows, the central authorities might use this as an excuse to take action.
I bit into some string and lit it. The closest officials… would likely be the Cheonghoe Merchant Guild, right?
“How many survivors did we capture from this attack?”
I grabbed one of the busy officers and asked. Since he knew my face, he didn’t seem to have any complaints.
“There are about seven survivors. But…”
“But what?”
“The ones outside Hongseong are all dead. It seems Nakil-gyeong took care of them personally.”
Ah. So that’s why there was no enemy support.
I finally understand what those guys meant when they talked about taking the village chief.
“…Tsk.”
If it weren’t for Hongryeon, Seomhwa Village would have suffered greatly, and perhaps not only I, but the village chief and Hyeonryeong would have been kidnapped too.
So it’s true that Hongryeon played a significant role. The authorities might even give a special reward for her.
Although there was chaos, everything turned out fine in the end.
“But why do you look displeased?”
“Umm… We should be grateful that there wasn’t much damage…”
As Chaejin said, considering the turmoil, the actual damages were quite minimal.
After all, nobody died or got severely injured.
In that light, there really shouldn’t be a reason for Chaejin, as a righteous person, to feel unhappy…
There’s absolutely no reason to feel bad, but…
“…Hongryeon, huh? Tsk.”
Of all people, it had to be Hongryeon who made a name for herself.
It’s only natural that someone who already sees her as a rival would feel gloomy, especially after Hongryeon caught two Maboks and is now riding high on confidence.
“Well… I know you’ve worked hard, so don’t be too down. I’ll still give you the promised reward.”
“Oh! Then I should try the Roasted Spinach, right? And I want to taste the Seomhwa Spirit from the inn too~!”
“I’ll prepare it for you.”
“Really? Aww. I’ve been drooling over it every day. I can finally have it today~. So exciting~.”
That person is just so cheerful; it’s nice to see.
“Hahaha~! But I’ll still train, you know.”
Damn it.
Everyone wants to unwind after struggling.
Of course, I feel the same way.
But that emotionless woman doesn’t care about that and keeps pushing me to train.
Why does it feel like this is harder than everything else I’ve done so far…?
After dragging my exhausted body out, a manager approached me.
“I’d like to treat the Hongseong clan members who’ve struggled recently, so here.”
He handed me a pouch with quite a bit of silver inside.
“The government office is in chaos from the recent attack, so it’s hard to treat them right away. If it’s alright with you, shall we do it here…?”
“Oh. Let’s do that.”
“Thank you. Then.”
As the bowing manager walked away, I called Jeomsoi to prepare for the gathering and instructed the innkeeper.
“Go to the Hongseong clan and let them know I’d like to treat them to dinner tonight, unless something special comes up.”
“Yes.”
They must also want to take a break after the battle.
After all, nothing beats eating something delicious and getting a good night’s sleep, right?
Having sent the innkeeper away, I looked towards the backyard.
There were traces left by the Hongseong clan who stayed here guarding me.
Among them, I saw the bedding that Sayoon had prepared.
…Should I not clear it away?
After smoking a few sticks of incense while pondering, I entered my room and wrapped up a few things when the innkeeper returned.
With the Hongseong clan members.
They looked tired with traces of the earlier battle on them, but their eyes were sparkling.
As those I’d become familiar with while rotating for guard duty greeted me, I noticed Sayoon.
Her eyes seemed a little deeper than before.
Wasn’t she just in the initial stages of her training?
She couldn’t control the malign influence of the Hongseong Divine Art and moved while entrusting herself to it.
She managed to correct it, and it seems she’s gained some enlightenment along with improved skills.
Is this… a good thing?
Hmm.
It has to be a good thing, right?
I led them to the room where I’d previously treated the Hongseong clan. As they sat down one by one, their eyes sparkled with excitement; it must really mean a lot to them.
I’ve got to give them a proper treat.
“As the regional guardian of Seomhwa Village, I’d like to express my gratitude to the Hongseong clan. Along with the promised reward for defeating the Maboks, I’d like to offer some support, albeit little. Please don’t refuse.”
“We can’t accept support due to Hongseong clan regulations. As martial artists, protecting the weak is something we must do. We’ll graciously accept the promised reward, but…”
Wow, she’s so straightforward.
As Ryuhyun decisively stated this, I looked at Hongryeon, and she seemed to share the same opinion, merely nodding.
“But that doesn’t sit well with me. In that case, please accept at least some goods. I’ve heard that many of Hongseong’s blankets and daily items are old.”
Hongryeon quickly turned to look at her juniors, and they hastily averted their eyes.
Haha! Did you think I hadn’t noticed all this?
While casually chatting, I found out what the Hongseong clan desperately needed.
This experience really pays off!
“…You really don’t have to go that far.”
“I’m doing this because I want to, so please don’t refuse.”
“Ugh…”
Hongryeon groaned and eventually nodded her head.
It seemed she couldn’t refuse since she often received goods sent from Seomhwa Village without getting paid in return.
Or maybe it was because of the glimmering eyes of the younger sisters over there.
“Ha. Got it. As the great disciple of Hongseong, I’ll gratefully accept it.”
“That’s a relief. Then enjoy the banquet to your heart’s content. If you need anything, just say the word. The funds for the banquet were provided by the government, so don’t worry about the cost.”
Of course, I’m planning to give them much more than that!
Hehe. Tonight, I’ll have to indulge in high-class dishes that melt in your mouth…!!
I took a glance at Sayoon. She seemed to enjoy seeing her sisters happy, wearing a bright smile.
I could skip dinner tonight. Just looking at that smile is enough to fill me up.
I closed the door of the room that I couldn’t leave without stuffing myself with gourmet food.
I left them to eat comfortably and started organizing accounts. Expenses for the rewards and operating costs…
When I finished organizing to a certain extent and came down, it was still noisy inside. From a quick look, they were eating the cheap stuff.
So I deliberately ordered expensive dishes and put them inside, then headed to the backyard.
There, I spotted a red-haired woman sitting alone on a long bench, gazing at the sky.
“Why aren’t you eating?”
“I just needed some fresh air… By the way, is it a good time? I was hoping we could talk as promised earlier.”
“Sure.”
I showed her a cigarette, and she nodded.
After receiving permission, I lit it. As the hazy smoke wafted towards her, Hongryeon closed her eyes and began to nibble on her small lips as if deep in thought.
Just as I finished burning a cigarette, she stood up and moved closer to me.
“I want to express my gratitude. Thanks to you, my sisters were able to avoid injury.”
She bowed her head. The great disciple of Hongseong, known for the Daylight Sword, was bowing to me respectfully.
And then…
“Why did you do that?”
Uh-oh.
What’s going on?
Did she find out it was me who sent the letter?
Or is she mad that I, who run a business in Hongseong, learned Taekwondo from Moonjeong?
Or did she hear I learned from my rival, Chaejin?
There were so many suspicions racing through my mind that cold sweat trickled down my back.
“Why did you step in?”
“Huh?”
Looks like that’s not it.
I sighed in relief internally, and Hongryeon stepped a little forward, looking at me with sharp eyes.
With the scent of plum blossoms tickling my nostrils, I couldn’t tell if she was angry or sad as she placed her hand on my chest.
That hand seemed way too weak for someone who had literally torn apart a demonic cultivator with a great sword.
But her hand definitely gripped my collar firmly.
“It was indeed risky for both of us. However, if we were willing to take a bit of damage, we could have blocked it with our bodies.”
That makes sense.
Even if my martial arts have weakened, those two were trained warriors.
So their defensive capabilities would definitely be much stronger than mine, and even if they got hit by a fireball, after some struggle, they’d probably stand back up.
Moreover, with Hongryeon working in the Murim Alliance and the divine medicine she received as payment, and with the Sword Saint involved in the treatment, the recovery time would have been significantly reduced.
Of course.
They would have to expend the precious medicine they had stored up, putting a huge burden on both Hongseong and Hongryeon.
“Weren’t you scared?”
Ah. So that’s what it was about?
What was I even going to say?
“It was simply a duty I had to fulfill.”
How could a Sayoon Corps member just sit by and watch Sayoon get hurt?
“…..”
At my answer, Hongryeon’s eyes widened in surprise.
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