Chapter 387. Is That What You Call a Cult Leader?

I killed indiscriminately.

Ordinarily, I would have checked their faces, exchanged a few words, and given them a chance to run, but not this time.

Because they had ambushed us as a group. As I killed them, it occurred to me that I had never liked these guest retainers in the first place.

These guest retainers were bastards who did no work in ordinary times, lived off men of power, and waited for their moment.

They played, ate, and even received fine treatment.

Perhaps that was why their skills were rather impressive. Chains wrapped in hazy qi swept past before my eyes, there were experts who used steel fans and judge’s brushes, and those wielding strange, nameless weapons also possessed considerable internal energy.

In the past, this would likely have been a fairly difficult fight, but as I faced these guest retainers, I felt the difference in our class.

Of course, mine was higher.

Even knowing that the enemies’ skills were not poor, the fight was not difficult. It was because I knew, moment by moment, how to respond and what attack to unleash. When the judgment grew complicated, I crushed it with speed.

I killed before I had to think, then moved on.

There was one more man whose class was clearly higher than theirs.

Big Brother’s movements looked freer than usual. Only restrained motions meant for killing continued in a clean succession.

A hidden weapon aimed at Big Brother cut through the wind and lodged itself between another guest retainer’s brows, while a dagger aimed at me passed near my neck and buried itself in a guest retainer’s eyeball.

The two of us were surrounded by many, but we fought as if dragging the clinging encirclement along with us.

In other words, the net that had tried to bind us was being pulled along instead.

In any case, once they began injuring one another more often after throwing hidden weapons, attacks that involved throwing things gradually decreased.

Thanks to that, the fight became even easier.

A short while later, the guest retainers widened the distance slightly and caught their breath while maintaining their square formation.

It seemed they had realized their strategy was not working at all. I glared at the bastards maintaining the encirclement, then thrust my sword once into each corpse lying nearby.

Thuk! Thuk! Thuk! Thuk! Thuk!

Since a bastard pretending to be dead might launch a surprise attack, I checked the fallen men again. As I looked around, I searched to see who had been given the role of leader after the Tower King’s death. But everyone had their mouths firmly shut, so it was no easy task. Perhaps there was no leader at all. From the start, they were not an organization with a clear hierarchy, but guest retainers gathered for money.

From behind me, Big Brother asked.

“…Why are you fighting moderately?”

“I can’t afford to get tired. Once we kill them all, another expert might come right away.”

“Understood.”

The reason it looked to Big Brother as if I was fighting moderately was because I was conserving my Flame Realm, lightning qi, and ice arts.

But now, swinging only my sword was enough.

Since these bastards had not broken their formation, I charged again. My direction of advance was toward the place where the guest retainers I had frozen with ice arts at the beginning stood stiff. They had been struck by the ice arts but were still breathing, and they died standing at the hands of the other guest retainers chasing after me.

Only then did some of the guest retainers shout.

“Careful!”

Since there were many people, they were divided between utterly cruel bastards and those who at least did not want to kill their allies.

This is how internal strife begins.

I deliberately wove back and forth through the gaps between the stiffened men, making them kill one another. Since they lacked justification to begin with, it was obvious they would later quarrel among themselves over these deaths as well.

After sheathing Ilsal, I drew a bizarre great saber lying on the ground toward me with Heavenly Jade Star Absorption and grabbed it.

Tak!

Ilsal had the advantage of feeling almost weightless.

But the bizarre great saber was heavy even in my grasp.

The heavier it was, the more convenient it became when beating a crowd to death. Also, because the blade was broad, it was easy to defend with it even without using internal energy. Moreover, perhaps because it was a weapon that had stood firm even against the blade of the Brightness Sword, when I swung it with a combination of internal and external power, even the bastards who blocked the attack well could not keep their bodies steady.

Nearby, Big Brother kept his distance from me while swinging the Brightness Sword.

And I, gripping the bizarre great saber, unfolded the Heavy Sword. I swung with external power, added internal energy when the trajectory went awry and needed adjusting, and when impact was needed, I drove both external and internal power into a single point.

Each time I struck, the feel in my hands was excellent.

Because weapons and bodies were sent flying together.

Every time a crack rang out, the guest retainers holding bent weapons were either driven into the ground where they stood and died, or were hurled horizontally and crashed into their comrades.

Because of the internal and external power added to the bizarre great saber’s massive weight, there were not many enemies who could withstand a single blow.

For the first time in a while, I waged a merciless slaughter.

I had not forgotten the reason for this slaughter.

Whether of the Demonic Path or the White Path, attacking someone as a group after he had finished a one-on-one duel was what the jianghu people I despised most used to do.

There was no need for bastards like this in the jianghu where I stood my ground.

Even if I were the Crazy Demon, I would kill them; even if I were in some state called escaping demons or whatever, it was only right to kill them.

Of course, if it had been back in my days as an old errand boy, I could not have killed them…

But now, since I was in the midst of becoming the greatest errand boy of all time, I beat them all to death without much difficulty. Of course, I was not the only cruel man. Big Brother also sent the guest retainers up to heaven with terrifying momentum.

Perhaps Big Brother had attained some sort of enlightenment, for the connections in his Dugu Heavy Sword were far smoother than before. Rather than pouring out attacks with force, he linked only the most appropriate attacks, forcing the Tower King to defend.

It meant the level of his sword had risen by a step.

Since the Tower King had been the leader of the group of guest retainers, it was impossible for the rest to withstand Big Brother’s attacks.

Only after fifty or sixty men had died horribly in the blink of an eye did they seem to feel firsthand the infamy of the former Left Envoy and the former errand boy, and more and more began to flee.

In truth, demonic forces fleeing was not a sight one could easily see.

But if their identity was not cultists but guest retainers, it was not an incomprehensible sight.

Because they were bastards who had gathered for money.

In other words, they were trash who had no reason to offer their lives for another clan in the first place. Money is truly frightening, but when it comes down to the end, there are times it proves this futile.

Big Brother and I beat to death those who had gathered for money, and in the end drove some away.

When I felt a somewhat sweet taste rising in my mouth…

The only person standing nearby in one piece was Big Brother. At some point, the Golden Tiger Unit Leader and the Silver Dragon Unit Leader were nowhere to be seen, so I asked Big Brother.

“Do unit leaders ever flee?”

Big Brother shook his head.

“Rarely.”

Big Brother suddenly checked whether the Seven Killers of Yunnan had fled. He had already known that the food I made was garbage, yet seeing him check whether the cooks had run away even in the midst of this left me dumbfounded as well.

However, the Seven Killers, positioned near the wall, did not seem to have any intention of running away. Did they think they could not flee far because the Manbak Demon Lord had suffered internal injuries?

I watched the expressions of the Seven Killers of Yunnan and realized they had not been able to run away. They were not looking at Big Brother and me, but staring behind us.

“….”

When I turned around, some of the fleeing guest retainers were being killed by men in black. They were killing the guest retainers, but whether they were allies or enemies was impossible to tell right away.

Suddenly, there was more to watch.

From the direction of Baek Eungji, a man pulling a cart could be seen. Because this man was wearing his bamboo hat low, it was impossible to tell if he was friend or foe.

From the northwest and southwest directions, the black-clad figures were gradually increasing in number.

Most of the travelers who had been fleeing in this direction had been killed by the black-clad figures.

My eldest brother and I returned to the entrance of the Jahak Guesthouse and stood our ground to receive the man pulling the cart.

The man who had been pulling the cart stopped at the entrance and raised his bamboo hat.

Deungnyang of the Muk family tapped the liquor jar in the cart and spoke to us.

"Please wet your throats. I am just passing by."

My eldest brother and I approached Deungnyang. For some reason, my eldest brother's attitude toward people had become much brighter than before.

My eldest brother was the first to speak.

"Warrior Deung."

"Yes."

"How did you end up here again?"

Deungnyang answered as he took out the liquor jar.

"I judged that this wasn't a fight where I could help with martial arts. I had been watching the situation from the start and thought about delivering a simple meal, but the position was too open, so I couldn't come stealthily."

Deungnyang busily took out the simple meal and liquor jar from the cart.

"We mainly keep an eye on movements, and we have reportedly spotted several carriages moving here and there that are rarely seen normally."

I noticed something covered with straw in the cart. When I tried to touch it, Deungnyang reached out his hand.

"Ah, please don't touch it."

"What is this?"

Deungnyang looked at me.

"If fire touches it, it explodes."

"Hm."

"If surrounded by large numbers, there is no helping it."

Deungnyang smiled and looked at my eldest brother's face and then mine.

"Anyway, please enjoy your meal. I must return to work."

Deungnyang looked at the Yunnam Chilsal and pointed at the liquor jar.

"There is plenty, so the Yunnam Chilsal may drink together as well. Please take it."

"Go carefully."

Deungnyang grabbed the empty cart and moved off toward the southeast again. Though called an empty cart, it was a flame cart that would explode in all directions if set on fire. He was a man who was somehow both amusing and frightening, making him quite a sight to behold.

Meanwhile, the black-clad figures had taken their positions on the horizon, stretching out in a long line.

Naturally, I asked my eldest brother.

"Who are they?"

My eldest brother answered.

"The Heukrim Reconnaissance Unit. They are Inner Faction personnel who don't move around much."

"Has the Cult Leader come?"

"He must be somewhere around."

"Why did they kill the travelers so indiscriminately?"

"If the Reconnaissance Unit leader ordered them killed, they would have been killed without much reason. They are the type to kill even allies or Outer Faction members if they judge them to be fleeing."

I nodded.

"The Inner Faction is more befitting of the Demonic Cult."

I wasn't the type to draw my sword again and charge at the reconnaissance unit when there was liquor and a simple meal right in front of me. First, I told the Yunnam Chilsal to move the liquor and the meal, then entered the guesthouse with my eldest brother.

Perhaps because my eldest brother and I had rampaged earlier, this time the Yunnam Chilsal did not meet our eyes.

I had no appetite for food at the moment, so I scooped out liquor with a ladle attached to a long pole. My eldest brother took a sip and laughed refreshingly.

It was a laugh of astonishment, perhaps because it was more refreshing than expected.

I also scooped some with the ladle and took a sip. The liquor was as cool as if it had been drawn from a valley stream. As my eldest brother and I shared the drink, Manbak Magun, who was resting on the wooden floor, opened his mouth.

"Hey, how can you so readily drink liquor given by another? Without first checking if it's poisoned. A martial artist must be cautious."

I nodded and then spoke to Manbak Magun.

"You don't drink. Yuksal and the rest of you, come have a drink. Why did a guy so cautious get beaten up by me?"

Yuksal approached, scooped out some liquor, and drank it.

My eldest brother walked over to the wooden platform, sat down, and commanded Yuksal.

"After you drink that, arrange the tables. It seems a guest will arrive soon, and we cannot receive them on the floor."

One guy asked me.

"How do you want the tables arranged?"

"How else? It's a guesthouse, so arrange them like a guesthouse."

"Hm, understood."

I grabbed two bamboo-leaf meals and ate them with my eldest brother on the wooden platform. My eldest brother stopped eating the meal and suddenly let out a hollow laugh. Even when I asked why he was laughing, there was no answer.

He looked like a general who had returned from fighting a field battle, one way or another.

After neatly finishing the meal, I was about to drink when a familiar man appeared at the entrance of the Jahak Guesthouse and looked at us.

The reunion was so bewildering that I momentarily forgot what to say.

The disciple of Elder Heo was the first to bow his head.

"Gate Lord, and Senior. It has been a long time. I am Yongmyeong."

His attire was different from when I had seen him at Hyeolya Palace.

Yongmyeong sought my permission from the entrance.

"May I enter?"

I nodded.

"Enter."

To my memory, the Cult Leader had told Elder Heo that he would keep Yongmyeong by his side. If that had come to pass, it meant he had come as the Cult Leader's envoy. If it had ended as mere words, he would have come bearing news of Elder Heo.

I felt no hatred toward Yongmyeong whatsoever, but.

Whatever the case, it was obvious that it would be bad news, so I felt uneasy.

When Yongmyeong had barely taken two steps, my eldest brother opened his mouth.

"Yongmyeong."

Yongmyeong stopped walking and answered.

"Yes, Senior."

My eldest brother looked at Yongmyeong and spoke in a calm tone.

"Your killing intent is too thick."

"Is that so?"

Yongmyeong retreated two steps back and stopped at his original spot.

My eldest brother asked.

"State your business first, then enter."

Yongmyeong answered with an agitated expression.

"The Cult Leader ordered me to retrieve Ilsal, so I have come."

This time, everyone looked at me. I tilted my head and then answered.

"How do you plan to retrieve Ilsal?"

Yongmyeong answered.

"I do not know. I have received the order, so I have no choice but to carry it out."

I stared at Yongmyeong's expression and eyes for a moment.

I wondered if he had been threatened by the Cult Leader. Because in my previous life, Hyeolya Palace would have been annihilated by the Demonic Cult.

I looked at my eldest brother, and his gaze was fixed on Yongmyeong.

If Yongmyeong moved, my eldest brother looked ready to draw his sword as well.

After thinking it over and over, I said to Yongmyeong.

“Will it do if I return Ilsal?”

Yongmyeong closed his eyes for the briefest moment, his face creasing slightly, then opened them again.

“Sect Leader.”

“Yes.”

“……If I take it back that easily, the Cult Leader will tell me to bring it to you again.”

“Ha……”

I, too, found it utterly absurd.

“What exactly is he demanding? What did the Cult Leader say?”

Yongmyeong said,

“I was forced to choose between going to hold the Blood Night Palace accountable, or retrieving Ilsal. As for the manner of that retrieval, surely he did not mean for me to simply have it handed over. I am not in a position to insult the Cult Leader.”

“You mean one of us—either you or I—is supposed to die?”

Yongmyeong answered.

“It seems he wishes to see who truly inherited Elder Heo’s teachings. Ilsal was, from the beginning, a sword borne by the greatest assassin. Just as it was with Master.”

I conveyed my will to Yongmyeong.

“The greatest assassin of this generation is me.”

This time, Yongmyeong answered at once.

“That is why I have come to challenge you. If I fight half-heartedly, everyone in the Blood Night Palace will die.”

“That is the Cult Leader?”

“Yes.”

For a moment, anger flared in me as I looked at Eldest Brother. Eldest Brother let out a sigh, then said to Yongmyeong,

“This wine was brought by a friend from the martial world. There is no poison in it. Will you drink?”

Yongmyeong answered briefly.

“Yes.”

When Eldest Brother gestured to the wine jar, Yongmyeong stepped forward, scooped up the wine with a ladle, and poured it over himself as though soaking half his face.

I asked Yongmyeong, who had drunk the wine,

“When will we be able to escape this life as the Cult Leader’s playthings?”

Yongmyeong wiped his mouth and answered.

“You are not the Cult Leader’s plaything, Sect Leader.”

“Why not?”

Yongmyeong looked at me.

“Because you have been standing against him all along.”