SYM 73

Cheong-un wasn’t really interested in whether the Three Evils of Shaanxi kidnapped or killed people. If The Sword Light hadn’t set his eyes on Eun-hyeon, he would have pretended not to know.

But that bastard looked at Eun-hyeon with impure intentions.

Cheong-un immediately noticed the sticky gaze of The Sword Light towards Eun-hyeon. This fact alone was enough reason to cut off The Sword Light’s neck.

But ridiculously, before Cheong-un could even make a move, The Sword Light was killed by someone else.

The one who slit the throat of The Sword Light, or rather Heuk Sang-gwi who was imitating The Sword Light, was the man playing the flute.

It was when the Cruel Ghost, who had sent the kidnapped people somewhere, took the flute from his lips.

“It’s always amazing to see Cruel Ghost playing the flute. When did you learn such a skill? Is that, like, hypnosis?”

“Honestly, it gives me the creeps no matter how many times I see it. It doesn’t seem like he’s doing anything special, but how can he do that? I wouldn’t have believed it if someone had told me. Who would believe this? Hehe.”

The Three Evils of Shaanxi competed to praise the Cruel Ghost’s skill. But beneath the praise was a fear of the incomprehensible technique.

The Cruel Ghost was originally a degenerate who indiscriminately slaughtered people in the Jianghu. The Cruel Ghost, who was similar to them, had somehow acquired a mysterious skill.

If the Cruel Ghost was in charge of cleaning up the mess, the job they were in charge of was kidnapping. They started the job because they only had to kidnap people, but they were curious about how they would move the people once they gathered them at the appointed place. As kidnapping incidents became more frequent, security in this area became quite strict, so it was impossible to move such a number of people unless they were government soldiers.

But to think there was a skill to make them walk on their own.

The incomprehensible power had something that stimulated fear every time they saw it.

“Where did you get such a skill? I’m always amazed every time I see it. I’ve never heard you had such a mysterious skill before, Cruel Ghost.”

But they couldn’t hear the Cruel Ghost’s answer. It was because the Cruel Ghost had split The Sword Light’s body in half instead of answering.

It was their delusion that they thought the Cruel Ghost had similar skills to them. The Three Evils of Shaanxi didn’t even see when the Cruel Ghost swung his sword.

“Why, uh, why…”

One of the Three Evils of Shaanxi, who saw The Sword Light being split in half, moved his body back, and instead of his neck, one of his arms flew away. But he had already suffered a fatal injury that he couldn’t survive unless Divine intervention came. The Cruel Ghost smirked at the man who asked why he had harmed them.

“Incompetent bastards. Because you worm-like bastards couldn’t meet the amount of sacrifices, the ritual was constantly delayed. But today, we have filled the number of sacrifices. I have no more business with you guys.”

The Cruel Ghost threw a pouch under The Sword Light’s clothes. Judging from the heavy sound, it seemed to contain quite a lot of money.

“It’s a travel expense for the afterlife. Heh. It won’t be lonely since three of you are going together.”

The Cruel Ghost left a short word and turned around to fly Divine Shadow. It was a different direction from where Jarim was chasing the hostages.

The reason why the Cruel Ghost left money for The Sword Light was to make it look like they were fighting over money.

Once they were no longer useful, he cut off the tail, and Cheong-un, who was watching it, hesitated for a moment about what to do.

Words like justice or chivalry had no meaning to Cheong-un. He didn’t want to interfere unless it was related to his own affairs or Eun-hyeon.

Should he chase after the Cruel Ghost?

Judging from his cautious behavior, it was impossible to apply Tracking incense.

Cheong-un turned his body.

He didn’t even know how far the Cruel Ghost was going, so there was no reason to burn his non-existent sense of justice and follow him. It was more important to stay by Eun-hyeon’s side, who might wake up at any moment.

It was a pity that he couldn’t punish the bastard, whether he was The Sword Light or Heuk Sang-gwi, with his own hands, but Cheong-un turned around and flew to the Pleasure house.

“…What, is this…”

Cheong-un wore a dumbfounded expression as he looked at the Pleasure house, which was the secret branch of the Lower gate. The Pleasure house was burning brightly red like charcoal.

His expression gradually turned pale as he looked at the black smoke rising into the sky.

“…Master!”

“Oh, please calm down! How can you try to enter a place that might collapse at any moment!”

The people next to Cheong-un stuck to him and stopped him from jumping inside.

Just as he was about to push the people away and go straight inside, someone sent Telepathic Transmission.

-There is no one inside right now.

Cheong-un paused for a moment. At that moment, there was a cracking sound from above, and a pillar fell down, causing the three-story Pleasure house to collapse.

The Pleasure house, which was designed to be sturdy and complex, assuming an external enemy, instantly turned into a pile of ashes.

-Yoon Ju-myeong, when did you arrive? Where is Master?

He thought he would come earlier than the other Amhons, but it was much earlier than Cheong-un expected.

After becoming Cheonma, he had never needed or relied on anyone, but right now, Yoon Ju-myeong was more welcome than anything else.

-What the hell is going on? What about the other Demonic Sect members who were in here? Are you sure there’s no one inside? Did you confirm it?

-When I arrived, this place was already engulfed in flames.

-Then how do you know there’s no one inside!

Cheong-un turned around and looked at the Pleasure house, which had turned into black charcoal.

If Eun-hyeon was in there right now… Just thinking about it made his energy boil and he felt like he was going crazy.

-When I arrived, I met a Demonic Sect member who was barely breathing. He told me what happened inside through Telepathic Transmission.

Not long after the leader left, there was an attack on the Pleasure house. There was only one person, but he subdued everyone in an instant and gathered those who had not learned Martial Arts separately, and Eun-hyeon was also in that group.

That person released a strange powder to poison people and took out a flute to play.

Then, strangely enough…

“People must have headed somewhere.”

Gritting.

Blood flowed down as Cheong-un bit his lip.

Yoon Ju-myeong, who was momentarily embarrassed, barely managed to hold back from releasing his stealth.

The people around him glanced at Cheong-un, who was suddenly talking to himself, but didn’t say anything.

It was because they thought he had lost his mind after losing someone close to him in the fire.

Cheong-un turned around and headed somewhere.

-Where are you going? Should I leave a separate password for the Amhons who will come to the Pleasure house?

-There is a person named Jarim among the Demonic Sect members who infiltrated the Lower gate. By my order, she is currently looking for the whereabouts of those hostages. Is there a hideout run by the sect near here?

-It’s not in the village, but it’s a little further away.

-Good. Leave a password for her to come there. We’ll have to wait there for Jarim to return.

Yoon Ju-myeong, who had secretly released his stealth to avoid people’s eyes, stepped forward to Cheong-un. It was to guide Cheong-un to the hideout.

The people who were distracted by the fire at the Pleasure house didn’t pay any attention to the man who suddenly appeared.

Cheong-un clenched his fist tightly, his face pale.

He felt like he was going crazy with self-reproach for failing to protect Master once again.

-Summon all the Amhons. And from now on, all Amhons will withdraw from the sect’s work and prioritize the protection of Namgung Eun-hyeon.

-Understood.

Whoever is behind this, he will not let them go.

Cheong-un muttered, clenching his teeth.

If Eun-hyeon’s body had even a small scratch, he was going to repay them all tenfold, no, a hundredfold.