Chapter 146

“Follow me. I’ve confirmed there are no warriors from the Namgung Family on this back route.”

Yeon Mujin led the flustered Raging Evil to the back door of the inn.

Raging Evil still couldn’t decide whether to trust him or not.

“Let’s go. He’s someone I know.”

“Someone you know? Not a gambler?”

“Hmph!”

Shapeshifter Demon snorted.

“That fellow isn’t some gambler. He’s a warrior.”

“Then why didn’t you tell me from the start?”

“Because I didn’t know either.”

Shapeshifter Demon twisted his mouth toward Yeon Mujin and said.

“Your skills have improved quite a bit, shapeshifter.”

“Fell for it, did you?”

“At that level you won’t starve anywhere.”

At those words, Yeon Mujin let out a short laugh this time.

“Someone from the Bukgung Family starving to death—what a funny joke.”

Raging Evil, who had been eavesdropping between the two, hurriedly asked.

“The Bukgung Family? Are you from Heavenly Martial Manor? Did Bukgung Yeong-no send you?”

“One of those is right and the other is wrong.”

Yeon Mujin straightened up and looked back at Raging Evil.

“And even so, they are a manor lord—it’s a bit much to throw names around like that, isn’t it?”

Raging Evil snorted in reply.

“What do I care who others call what. Judging by how you speak, you’re not from Heavenly Martial Manor? A warrior from Heavenly Martial Manor wouldn’t dare pick a fight with me.”

“Not Heavenly Martial Manor—Flying Swallow Manor.”

“Flying Swallow Manor?”

Raging Evil frowned.

“What’s that?”

“Flying Swallow Manor is the Bukgung Family’s… ah, what am I suffering through trying to help whom.”

True to his reputation, Raging Evil was self-centered and indifferent to others.

He couldn’t even remember the name of a manor from his own clan.

It wasn’t that he didn’t know because it was Flying Swallow Manor—he probably would have been the same with any manor name.

“The lord of Heavenly Martial Manor is looking for you.”

“Bukgung Yeong-no?”

“Yeong… yes. The lord of Heavenly Martial Manor.”

Raging Evil, who had been following Yeon Mujin, stopped in his tracks.

“Why would he be looking for me?”

“Why? Because of what you did at the Namgung Family, wasn’t it? I heard you really set some fires.”

Even after hearing Yeon Mujin’s explanation, Raging Evil stood like a stone statue.

He even glared at Yeon Mujin with suspicion.

“Damn it, I almost walked right into being captured on my own. Get lost.”

“What?”

Yeon Mujin hadn’t expected that kind of reaction either.

“What do you mean? I’m telling you the lord of Heavenly Martial Manor is looking for you.”

“I heard you. You’re saying if I follow you, Bukgung Yeong-no will be waiting. So get lost—before I burn you to death.”

Raging Evil, as if cursed with bad luck, cleared his throat and spat on the floor.

What the hell was this situation now?

Even Shapeshifter Demon beside him looked bewildered.

“This fellow is someone I know. He’s not the lord of Heavenly Martial Manor’s henchman. He came to get you out, so if you follow quietly…”

“If you don’t know the situation, shut up. The Bukgung Yeong-no I know isn’t the kind of man who would worry about my safety. If he’s looking for me, there’s only one reason.”

Raging Evil glared at Yeon Mujin and asked.

“Hey, you Yeong-no lackey. Surely Bukgung Yeong-no doesn’t know I’m here right now, does he?”

Of course he knew.

“The one lighting fires over there to draw attention is that lord of Heavenly Martial Manor.”

“What?”

“Our plan was for him to draw attention with the fire while I got you out. We even set the meeting place and time.”

“Damn it!”

Suddenly Raging Evil’s face went pale.

He hadn’t shown such an intense reaction even when Namgung Geom was searching for him just across the wall…

“I need to run!”

“Where do you think you’re going! The Namgung Family has the outside completely covered!”

“Is the Namgung Family the problem right now? It’s obvious a far scarier man is coming for me!”

“What?”

There was only one person who could strike fear into Raging Evil, a man unafraid even of the Three Lords of the world.

Yeon Mujin didn’t know who was chasing him, but he knew there was one person Raging Evil feared.

“Could it be?”

As the saying goes, speak of the tiger and it comes—one man revealed himself before them.

A black mask covering half his face, massive sleeves covering both hands.

The man, wearing a striking martial arts uniform, quietly made his presence known and spoke.

“Is the game over? It’s time to return now.”

Without glancing at Shapeshifter Demon or Yeon Mujin beside him, he looked at Raging Evil and spoke.

“Little Sect Head.”

Flare!

Bukgung Yeong-no set fires and retreated to draw the Namgung Family’s attention.

He had set fire to the horse stables where horses were bought and sold. He was a bit late because he had to free the people and horses inside.

Damage to the stables would be small to the Bukgung Family’s second young master, but Bukgung Yeong-no had always strongly disliked causing suffering to innocent commoners.

The strong should rule over the weak. But those who commit atrocities with force are unfit to be rulers.

It had long been Bukgung Yeong-no’s philosophy.

But upon reflection…

‘Why am I doing this?’

In hindsight, he could have had Yeon Mujin do it.

—If you set a fire over there to draw their attention, I’ll meet Raging Evil and get him out. You should leave before the Namgung Family’s warriors arrive.

Caught up in Yeon Mujin’s urgent urging that every second counted, he found himself assigned to the chores.

‘No, maybe it’s fine. If Raging Evil had seen me he might have run off immediately.’

A perceptive Raging Evil would have immediately guessed why he was looking for him.

Raging Evil himself wouldn’t care if he were captured and tortured, but considering his status he couldn’t sit by idly.

Besides, this time there was pressure from the Cult to capture him and take him back…

‘It’s cleanest if I deal with it before the new cult types get involved.’

That was also why he couldn’t mobilize Heavenly Martial Manor’s warriors.

Heavenly Martial Manor had deep roots with the demonic cult, making it unclear who belonged to the cult and who didn’t.

If Raging Evil were captured by the Namgung Family, matters would become complicated.

He wasn’t the kind of sect leader who would let such a good pretext pass.

“Sss— hngh…”

What a situation.

Wasn’t he truly a mere puppet, as Yeon Mujin said?

“I want to quit being a manor head or whatever and live as a free man.”

No matter how he thought about it, playing the Bukgung Family’s second young master didn’t suit him.

Bukgung Yeong-no lamented the impossibility and tried to leave.

But then,

Boom!

With a blast like an exploding shell, two figures dropped in front of Bukgung Yeong-no, their backs to the flames.

One was as large as Bukgung Yeong-no, the other a man of medium build.

Victorious Fighting Monk, Jong Haeng.

Sword Lord Namgung Geom.

Two of the Three Lords stood in his way.

“….”

“….”

Bukgung Yeong-no and the two of three lords silently glared at each other, sizing one another up.

All three were equally bewildered.

“Why are you here?” asked Namgung Geom first.

Namgung Geom was the first to speak.

He had rushed here certain it was Raging Evil’s doing, but what the—?

What on earth was the Bukgung Family’s second young master doing here?

Bukgung Yeong-no glanced over his shoulder at the blazing stable and replied.

“It was a bit chilly.”

“….”

At that absurd answer, Namgung Geom drew his sword.

“Have you hidden Raging Evil?”

“No. Namgung, do you set fires when you hide people?”

“Playing with fire is his specialty. Isn’t he using the blaze to signal Raging Evil?”

“If that were the case, he would have come here already.”

Bukgung Yeong-no pointed at the two men with his finger and said.

“Faster than those two old men waiting to be buried.”

“Hand Raging Evil over to me while we’re on friendly terms.”

“Friendly terms?”

Bukgung Yeong-no’s sickle twitched.

“Who do you think you’re ordering around right now?”

Namgung Geom was no one to be frightened off.

“You’re trying to intimidate me?”

On one side was the Bukgung Family’s second young master.

On the other side was the Namgung Family Lord.

Sensing that neither would back down, Bukgung Yeong-no smiled faintly.

Sleeng.

He drew the great sword slung on his back.

‘Raging Evil is Raging Evil.’

If he could once witness the famed Namgung Family’s swordsmanship, how could he, as a warrior, refuse?

“Namgung Family Lord. Let’s see who prevails.”

“Be my guest.”

“Grrr…”

Victorious Fighting Monk groaned like a dog needing to defecate.

Flare!

The raging blaze.

The Namgung Family’s warriors swarmed in.

And two sword ghosts who lived and died by the blade.

And then…

“Lord of Heavenly Martial Manor.”

A third evil fell from the sky.

“Didn’t you promise to let the little evil go? What are you doing here?”

Boom!

Rumble!

A single strike from the black-masked man sent Yeon Mujin stumbling back seven paces, leaving a long trail.

“Ho?”

The black-masked man’s eyes were intrigued at the sight of Yeon Mujin intact.

He had meant to kill with that black palm strike.

“Hey, you! Who attacks without introducing themselves—!”

Bang!

Without hesitation, the black-masked man thrust his black palm at Yeon Mujin again.

This time he poured twice the force into it.

Thud!

Yeon Mujin, struck by the black palm, crashed through Inn’s wall and was hurled inside.

“Mujin!”

Shapeshifter Demon shouted in alarm toward the flying Yeon Mujin.

But the other two paid no more than a fingernail’s worth of attention to Yeon Mujin—neither the black-masked man nor Raging Evil.

“Who’s this, isn’t he his father’s dog?”

“The sect leader awaits. Come with me.”

“The poor old father went out to meet his grown son. Since even the Left Attendant has come, wouldn’t it be proper to follow quietly?”

The black-masked man nodded without expression.

Raging Evil took a step and approached the black-masked man.

After three steps, when the distance to the black-masked man closed to one and a half meter,

Whoosh!

Blue ghost flame bloomed from Raging Evil’s hand.

He leapt the one-and-a-half meter in an instant and thrust the blue ghost-flower into the black-masked man’s chest.

“Ha ha! You dare try to take me! Do you think I’ll meekly return to that prison?”

Before he could even blink, the black-masked man’s entire body was covered in blue flames.

Raging Evil laughed maniacally, thinking his blow had landed.

But that smile did not last long.

The blue ghost-flame, which should never be extinguished while Raging Evil’s qi remained, slowly faded.

From within it, the black-masked man reappeared unscathed.

He still looked expressionless as he stared at Raging Evil and said.

“Did you think I would come to fetch the little evil without even bringing a Fire-Control Talisman?”

The blue ghost flame was sucked into the necklace hanging at his throat in an instant.

As long as that was there, Raging Evil could never win.

“…That’s cheating.”

“This is the protective device personally issued by the sect leader. Come along quietly.”

“If I refuse?”

The black-masked man raised both his arms.

His arms, hidden in the large sleeves, were pitch-black.

“He’s ordered me to bring you by force if necessary.”

“To strike the little sect head is treason.”

“I’ll accept the punishment from the sect leader.”

Raging Evil bit his lower lip.

Was he to be dragged away by the Left Attendant like this?

He had no chance if he fought, and no way to escape.

In front of him was the sect leader’s envoy; beyond the wall the Namgung Family’s warriors pursued him.

If this wasn’t a situation of being surrounded on all sides, what was?

And then,

Bang!

From beyond the collapsed shop wall, a dusty Yeon Mujin appeared.

“Well, this really gets my blood boiling after a long time.”