Lee Mak-jeong could not read Jin Sa-wol's fighting spirit. Although he looked to have a calm expression, it seemed there was something more to it.
He was a man with an unknown, strange energy.
"No. I lost. If I can't admit defeat, I'm not a man. A promise is a promise, so I will become your subordinate."
"Are you just going to say it?"
When Jin Sa-wol asked again, Lee Mak-jeong frowned. He was about to awkwardly kneel, but he stood up again and contemplated what to do.
"My knees are actually very heavy, but at other times, they are light. If I have to kneel, I will, but do I have to bow? Or do I have to swear loyalty with blood?"
Lee Mak-jeong was contemplating what method to take.
In the Demonic Cult, they bowed and hit their heads on the ground, and he was asking if he should do that.
"The blood oath can be made after entering the residence. For now, show your loyalty."
At Jin Sa-wol's words, Lee Mak-jeong prostrated himself and bowed his head. It was not difficult to bow his head to a strong person.
"Lee Mak-jeong of the Blood Saber Hall swears loyalty to Jin Sa-wol as his master. If this oath is broken, I, Lee Mak-jeong, will be struck by lightning and die, and even if I am walking on the road, I will fall backward and my nose will be broken and I will die."
"Rise."
Jin Sa-wol showed a smile, grabbed Lee Mak-jeong's shoulder, and helped him up. When Lee Mak-jeong stood up, he was about half a head taller than Jin Sa-wol.
His physique was also good and covered Jin Sa-wol, but Lee Mak-jeong looked down at Jin Sa-wol and then stepped back to match his eye level.
"As long as it's not an order to commit suicide, any order is fine. If you tell me to jump into the fire, I will, and if you tell me to tear down a mountain, I will."
"There is no such excessive order."
Jin Sa-wol spoke informally and showed a smile.
"There will be no unreasonable things, so there is no need to worry. What I hate and detest the most is betrayal."
At the word 'betrayal', Lee Mak-jeong had a hardened expression.
Jin Sa-wol let out a strong fighting spirit. An unknown black energy flowed out and caught Lee Mak-jeong's ankle. Lee Mak-jeong showed a slightly flustered expression at the unexpected pressure.
Jin Sa-wol said again.
"If the heavens betray me, I will kill the heavens, and if the earth betrays me, I will destroy the earth. A traitor can go nowhere and can hide nowhere. I will kill them unconditionally."
"I will keep that in mind."
Lee Mak-jeong also had a personality of unconditionally killing traitors, so he answered with the same mind.
Jin Sa-wol raised his hand and moved it lightly.
Lee Mak-jeong could not understand what that gesture meant. But he opened his eyes wide when he saw a woman who appeared, fluttering her pink skirt, in the forest five zhang away.
It was not because he was surprised that he had not felt her presence, but because he was surprised to see a woman of outstanding beauty.
The woman who appeared was Jo-rim. She showed a smile to Jin Sa-wol and bowed her head slightly.
"I greet the leader."
At Jo-rim's words, Jin Sa-wol shrugged his shoulders. Because her gentle voice was awkward.
Jo-rim gave a nod to Lee Mak-jeong and then stood right next to Jin Sa-wol and asked.
"How did you know I was here?"
"You were close."
"I see."
Jo-rim still threw a smile at Jin Sa-wol. Lee Mak-jeong kept looking at her, who was showing a smiling face.
"Haven't we met somewhere before?"
"I saw you once in the Demonic Cult. Is there anyone in the Demonic Cult who doesn't know the master of the Blood Saber Hall, Master Lee?"
"Nice to meet you. I'm Lee Mak-jeong."
"I'm Jo-rim. Welcome to our Namcheonhoe."
"Namcheonhoe."
Lee Mak-jeong, who had put the Namcheonhoe in his head, smiled at Jo-rim.
Jin Sa-wol said.
"She was the pavilion master of the Hwahwaru."
"Hmph..."
Lee Mak-jeong erased his smile and took half a step back.
He had heard that the pavilion masters of the Hwahwaru were hunters who specialized in hunting men. As that rumor came to mind, he had instinctively retreated.
She was a dangerous woman to be close to.
Jin Sa-wol turned his eyes to Jo-rim.
"Why are you here?"
Jo-rim had to help Bi-sun in Guryeon Mountain after moving the Thousand Gold Vault.
"The general manager said that the Blood Saber Hall was coming to the inn, so he told me to go and wait. In the meantime, I heard from the Hao Faction that the leader was heading to the inn, so I waited at Muyeon Island."
"Brother?"
"Yes."
It seemed Bi-sun had reacted quickly upon hearing the news of the Blood Saber Hall.
"I had to avoid the eyes of the Martial Alliance, so I entered Muyeon Island at dawn."
If it was Muyeon Island, it was not difficult to avoid the eyes of the Martial Alliance. Of course, he could not stay for long. At most, it was two or three days.
"There are many members of the Blood Saber Hall, so will there be enough boats?"
"If we move with the small boats, it should be enough."
At Jo-rim's answer, Jin Sa-wol said to Lee Mak-jeong.
"Follow Sister Jo. We will take a boat from here and go south. We have to leave before the Martial Alliance notices, so we have to hurry."
"As you command."
Lee Mak-jeong bowed his head, opened the gate of the Golden Garden, and called his subordinates. About six hundred subordinates entered the Golden Garden at once and then followed Lee Mak-jeong to the pier.
"We have to move everyone within tonight, but will it be possible?"
It had to be handled with a quick and decisive battle. Everything had to be finished before the Martial Alliance could react. So that no damage would occur.
"It's enough."
Jo-rim answered as if there was no need to worry. Jin Sa-wol looked at the sky and said.
"I have something to do. I'll go by midnight."
"I'll wait."
As Jo-rim answered, Jin Sa-wol passed the Golden Garden and walked towards the guest rooms. Jo-rim guided Lee Mak-jeong and the warriors of the Blood Saber Hall.
***
The Martial Alliance warriors were waiting on the plain about ten zhang away from the main gate of the inn.
They formed a group and walked the wall of the inn. They also blocked the side gates leading to the gisaeng house and the gambling house.
Besides that, the Martial Alliance warriors were controlling the entrance and exit of the inn. Fortunately, there were no people heading to the inn.
As darkness fell, Gung Tae-yeong appeared. He, who had entered Guguang Fortress and had eaten, looked around the inn and asked.
"Is there any particular movement?"
When he asked, the Martial Alliance warriors who were guarding the main gate answered at once.
"There is nothing."
"There were no people coming out either."
"Was there no one picking a fight?"
"Yes!"
At their answer, Gung Tae-yeong showed a satisfied expression. In any case, it was two days. The Blue Dragon Division was coming down now, and they would arrive in two days at the latest.
When they arrived, they would be able to kill all the Demonic Cult members who were hiding in the inn.
A subjugation team was also coming from the Namgung family, and the martial artists of the small and medium-sized sects in the vicinity were also gathering in Guguang in large numbers.
The martial artists who wanted to gain fame on this occasion were gathering at the Guguang branch.
Not only that. The late-stage masters of the orthodox sects also appeared at the Guguang branch.
"It's too quiet."
Gung Tae-yeong was worried that the inn was as quiet as a dead mouse.
Because it was night, that feeling was even stronger. Should I say it was a chilling feeling?
"It's smoke."
As a subordinate approached and said, Gung Tae-yeong turned his head and found smoke rising from a distance.
It seemed to be smoke for eating.
The smoke was smoke that the Blood Saber Hall had deliberately set to show that there were people.
"They're eating late."
Gung Tae-yeong muttered and said to his subordinate.
"If you see any suspicious movement during the night, report it immediately."
"I understand."
"Yes."
Hearing the subordinates' answers, Gung Tae-yeong headed for a house located not far away.
***
Woo Jeong-bong, who was on the lakeside of Poyang Lake, walked on the sandy beach and then sat down on the grass.
The lakeside where Woo Jeong-bong was was not far from the inn. If he walked for about an hour from here, the back gate of the gisaeng house would appear.
Now, the Martial Alliance warriors were standing at that back gate, so he couldn't enter.
"The day is good, but there is no alcohol, and there is no laughter of beautiful young ladies, so I am truly lonely and sad. The joy of life is fleeting, so why couldn't I enjoy it more? I have great regrets. I should have drunk more and played more. The prime of my life will not come back again. I am sad."
Woo Jeong-bong lamented, looking at the stars in the sky. As he let out a deep sigh, the moon floating on Poyang Lake swayed and bent into a crescent shape.
That appearance looked as if it were smiling.
"Is that smiling?"
"Why?"
With the sound of the wind, Jin Sa-wol appeared next to him. Woo Jeong-bong, seeing Jin Sa-wol, grumbled.
"It's because that moonlight seems to be laughing at me. I can't even go to the gisaeng house. Haa..."
"There are many brothels. Even if there is no gisaeng house, you can just play at a brothel."
"There are many brothels. But those brothels all take money. The only free one was the gisaeng house."
Woo Jeong-bong shook his head.
If he had a lot of money, there would be no problem even if there was no gisaeng house. But where would a Taoist have money?
Woo Jeong-bong sighed with a face full of sorrow.
Woo Jeong-bong had heard Jin Sa-wol's telepathy when he was leaving the inn, helping Yeon-il.
He had come here after hearing the telepathy to meet at the lakeside at night.
If it was a sandy lakeside, it was only the lakeside behind the Golden Garden and here.
Woo Jeong-bong turned his head and asked Jin Sa-wol.
"There was no one at the inn. What happened?"
"We moved."
"Moved?"
Woo Jeong-bong was surprised and his eyes widened.
"Does Sister Jo know?"
"We're together."
"I was worried because there was no contact, but she was with her brother. I don't need to worry. Where did you go?"
"Guryeon Mountain in Guangdong. Of course, it's a secret."
"It's because of the Martial Alliance."
As Woo Jeong-bong's expression became heavy, Jin Sa-wol just nodded without answering.
Woo Jeong-bong said with a face full of disappointment.
"Master said such a thing. The affairs of the world are complicated but simple. So if you look at it simply, it looks simple, and if you look at it difficultly, it's difficult. He said to look at difficult problems simply. So I'm not trying to think complicatedly. You are my brother. That's enough."
"You are also my brother."
As if he were pleased with Jin Sa-wol's answer, Woo Jeong-bong smiled, used his arm as a pillow, and lay down.
"I can go and play, right?"
"Of course."
Jin Sa-wol welcomed Woo Jeong-bong.
A warm wind blowing from the lake slowly passed between the two.
***
A deep night.
The time was past midnight. A cruise ship slowly entered the pier of the Golden Garden.
Jo-rim was standing on the deck.
"He's late."
She muttered, looking at the sky. It was the last cruise ship that could depart after picking up Jin Sa-wol.
Lee Mak-jeong approached.
"Not yet?"
Just as she was about to answer Lee Mak-jeong's question, she saw Jin Sa-wol falling from the sky.
He landed between Jo-rim and Lee Mak-jeong.
Tak! A small sound echoed.
Although he had fallen from that high sky, only a faint sound echoed, and the expressions of Jo-rim and Lee Mak-jeong hardened.
The subordinates of Lee Mak-jeong, who were sitting on the deck, also opened their eyes wide.
"Depart!"
As Jo-rim raised her voice, the cruise ship slowly moved towards Poyang Lake as someone moved vigorously.
"Why are you so late?"
"Brother Woo wouldn't let me go."
As he mentioned Woo Jeong-bong, Jo-rim showed a smile as if she understood.
***
As the early morning came, Gung Tae-yeong, who was examining the inn, had a strange feeling.
"There's no smoke."
At this time, smoke should be rising.
If that many people were to eat breakfast, they should be preparing by now. But there was no smoke.
Whoosh! With a sound, Gung Tae-yeong jumped over the wall of the inn.
He passed the roof of the guest rooms and the gisaeng house and crossed the Golden Garden. But Lee Mak-jeong and the Demonic Cult members were not there.
Instead, what he saw were numerous footprints heading towards the back of the Golden Garden.
"Don't tell me... that can't be."
Gung Tae-yeong could not erase the ominous feeling.
(End of Chapter)
