8Volume - Chapter 1
Mid-March. It was decided to go to South Manchuria.
“Master, I will leave the disciple for now..”
Joo Seo-cheon barely held back from telling Yoo Jeong-mok that he would go to Namman and offered him a courtesy..
I was embarrassed but proud of the student who always greeted me with sincerity..
“Okay, come back. I will send my regards to your brother-in-law instead..”
It's been three months and fifteen days since we climbed the volcano, but Naksowol and others' training at the closed-door is not over yet..
So, although it was unfortunate, I decided to wait until later and went down..
Not wanting to attract attention, I came down quietly at dawn and joined the major who was waiting in a nearby village..
It's been quite a while since I reunited with her..
“How come you don't grow well over time?.”
Isn’t it originally said that young children grow incredibly fast??
This is especially true if it is a girl..
However, for some reason, it was a bit surprising that the major did not grow any taller as time passed..
“This is the characteristic of a ghost ball..”
“huh? What does that mean??”
Joo Seocheon's eyes widened as he heard this story for the first time..
“For practitioners of Ghost Mind Gong, which is based on the Return to Escape method, physical time passes more slowly than others..”
The more you practice, the more you become a ghost, the more you break away from being human..
As is typical for assassins, the pulse slows down to the point where it almost seems like it has stopped..
Breathing was the same too..
Even the blood circulation becomes like that of a dead person, so the analogy that the body's time passes slowly is not wrong..
An ordinary person would have problems with his body and possibly die, but Ghost Ball makes it so that there is no hindrance to his activities..
No, not only was there no problem, but it also gave special power..
‘Huh, I never thought it would have such effects..’
All martial arts have the ability to prevent aging, but the ghost attack seems to be the best among them..
Everyone dreams of fire, but ghosts who don't actually have that desire don't pay much attention to it..
‘Saman Shintu is amazing..’
Martial arts are not given the name ‘God’ for nothing..
He was the world's greatest thief and assassin..
‘huh? Come to think of it, how old was the major??’
As I thought about it, I remembered that I had never asked the major's age..
“how old are you?”
“I'm seventeen.”
“Cough! What, what??”
Joo Seocheon's eyes got so big that they looked like they were about to pop out..
My mouth was wide open and drool was flowing..
I thought I must be older because time passes slowly in my body, but at most I thought I was fifteen..
But you're seventeen!
‘The more you know, the more they deviate from common sense..’
In my past life, I thought it was just an unidentified assassin's room..
But when I dug deeper, I found out more than I expected..
Starting from the inhumane thing called Simsal, to the fact that the Saman Shintu was the first Ghost Confucius, it is nothing but surprising..
Even if it was revealed that Ghost Song was a powerful figure in the Amcheonhoe, it would not have been surprising at all..
‘I'm really glad I didn't make enemies..’
It was the best strategy to appease the rebels into allies..
* * *
Yunnan, southernmost point.
Perhaps because Namman is just around the corner, the heat from above is quite hot even though it is March..
“Making a girl wait in the blazing sun, you still have bad taste.”
You can see bamboo leaves used to block the sun..
Shadows covered her face, but her beauty still shone dazzlingly..
The fine spots on the fingers reflect the sunlight and shine..
“We've been running non-stop from Shaanxi, shouldn't we welcome you back a little? You still talk dirty..”
Joo Seo-cheon did not lose and rejected Dang-hye's harsh words..
“You're still talking nonsense.!”
Dokbong’s guard warrior, Won Dae-sik, growled..
“Daesik, you are still the same... … huh?”
The party's group consisted of thirty people..
But those faces were a little different from usual..
“Hello, Joo Daehyeop..”
He was a middle-aged man in his old age..
But it looks somehow familiar.
It wasn't my first time seeing this face.
“They say it's sugar.”
“ah!”
Now that I heard the name, I finally remembered it..
I once visited Dangga to ask for cooperation from Danghye..
At that time, when the tavern of the Tang family was opened, he was an elder of the Tang family who was in charge of supervision near the head of the family, Tang Yugi..
“My junior meets the elder of the Tang family. This is Joo Seo-cheon, the four great disciples of the Hwasan Sect..”
Joo Seocheon recognized Tang Yeom and greeted him politely..
“Is there anyone among the martial arts people who doesn't know you? I know it without even introducing it. Long time no see.”
Dangyeom nodded while holding his back..
“As you can see, Lady Hye and I are accompanying us on this search party. Please take care of me.”
“I would like to ask you to take care of me.”
Well, there's no way we're sending such a small number to South Korea..
It was amazing just sending Danghye in the first place..
‘What on earth is the Poison King thinking??’
Most of the five generations have a strong attachment to their blood relatives..
If it is a direct lineage with a later index, there is no need to say anything..
Even if it was a request for help from Dr. Hwa-in, I don't know what he was thinking by having his daughter participate in Namman's search party..
I was even more puzzled because this had happened before..
However, since it was someone else's family matter, I couldn't ask questions carelessly..
“Okay, now that we're ready, let's leave..”
“I heard that the Jeomchang faction will also join, is it okay if I don’t have to wait??”
“They are already in Namman. He arrived earlier than expected and said he would at least find out the route in advance..”
“I feel reassured..”
Even for Joo Seocheon, Namman is an unknown region..
When I was an elder of Hwasan Oh, I had knowledge about Nanman by reading books, but it is still different from going there in person..
‘faith. Please just hold on to your life..’
The search party entered the dense forests of Nanman..
The large trees were crowded together and there was not much light..
Passing through the thick leaves, I went deep while being wary of the cries of wild beasts coming from within..
I still couldn't believe that this was the border and starting point of Namman..
The group couldn't imagine what was lurking inside..
“It's around here……”
Dangyeom frowned, his forehead full of wrinkles..
The confluence point with the Jeomchang faction is not that far away, but it was difficult to find..
“Wow, it's so hot I'm dying.”
“They say the climate is completely different from Jungwon.……”
“I'm going crazy because I'm frustrated, or I'm going to die..”
The reason why the central region does not care much about the south is because the environment here is not very good..
Because it is a tropical climate, the temperature is basically high, and due to the nature of the forest, the wind is blocked by the trees and there is no ventilation..
In addition, it was the worst because large leaves and unknown plants absorbed heat and moisture and did not escape easily..
Just walking consumes stamina, so I didn't want to continue the battle here..
“But there are some good poisons?”
“Ho, that's hard to see.”
“I guess I'll have to take it with me when I go back to the central region..”
As expected, Namman was a place full of poisons..
It was a dangerous place for ordinary people, but it was heaven for the Tang family..
Everyone walked while looking around with their eyes shining..
Maybe that was a relief, but the irritation caused by the weather lessened a bit..
Did it take two inspections like that? Dangyeom smiled brightly as if he had discovered something..
“There you go.!”
There were only two, no, three fences visible..
It is true that the Jeomchang faction has set up a camp nearby..
“Has it finally arrived?!”
“I can finally rest now.”
Only then did the search team members exhale loudly and laugh..
“for a moment.”
Joo Seocheon stopped walking and raised his hand to stop him..
“what's going on?”
Tang Yeom asked Joo Seo-cheon with a nervous look..
“I smell blood.”
“ ……”
The faces of the search party members hardened..
“Is it true??”
Dangyeom asked with a half-confident look on his face..
When you handle poison, you become sensitive to smells..
So people of the Tang family have a more developed sense of smell than other people..
However, when Joo Seo-cheon said he smelled the scent of blood, I had no choice but to be skeptical..
“It may be very damaging to your pride, but still be on your guard..”
Danghye said to Dangyeom in an unpleasant voice..
I guess my pride was hurt for not noticing it first..
The search party slowly approached their destination while remaining alert to the surroundings..
As we got closer, there was a heavy tension..
After clearing away the leaves that were blocking the view and leaving the bushes, I saw a lot of stumps that had been touched by human hands..
“oh my god!”
The Tang family warrior made a surprised voice without realizing it..
The new sight before my eyes was horrendous..
Severed body parts were scattered everywhere..
In addition, blood stains that hardened over time decorated the tent or wooden table..
“Huh!”
Dangyeom made a sound that was half surprised and half worried..
The surprise was that something happened as Joo Seo-cheon said, and the worry was the safety of the people here..
“I can't believe it was the fortune-telling faction that suffered.?”
I couldn't believe it.
The Jeomchang school has been famous for its practical martial arts since ancient times..
It was even said that their way was on the battlefield..
They were so belligerent that I sometimes wondered if they were a faction rather than a political faction, so I couldn't believe that they were defeated so easily as they were known to be strong even among the old factions..
“At least it looks like they weren't wiped out here..”
Tang Hye narrowed her eyes and glanced around..
“Indeed, there is not a single sheath in sight..”
When I looked closely, I could see the dismembered body parts, but no corpse..
“Get into pairs of five and explore this chapter..”
“All right.”
Won Dae-sik led the warriors and searched the surrounding area..
A report came soon after the search began..
“The blood trail continues over there.!”
“I can kind of get a feel for it..”
Joo Seocheon shook his head to himself..
“I can't believe it, what does that mean??”
“But I'm hoping that doesn't make sense.”
“Don't make me wonder, just tell me quickly.”
“There are two cases. The former suffered a large-scale attack and moved to another place.……”
“The latter?”
“Captured by a man-eating tribe.”
Dangyeom’s expression hardened..
Southern Manchuria, untouched by government officials and a lawless region, is home to several ethnic minorities and uncivilized barbarians..
“Are you saying there is a cannibalistic tribe??”
“yes.”
In response to Tang Yeom's question, Ju Seo-cheon informed the group of the basic knowledge about Nanman that he had read in a book in his previous life..
“There is no country in Nanman, but instead there are many tribes. One of them is a cannibal tribe.”
“Tsk! These guys are hell-bent on making a fool of themselves.!”
Cannibalism. There is no need to say what such a custom would be like..
This is something that goes against humanity, something that only happens in Madoise..
“And I couldn't move leisurely..”
Tang Hye also frowned as if she was offended..
It's obvious what would happen if you were captured by a man-eating tribe..
We had to rescue them as quickly as possible..
“The cannibalistic tribes have a custom of offering sacrifices to their gods before cannibalism, so they would not have been eaten right away..”
“So how much time do you have??”
“not that many……”
Joo Seocheon stopped talking and narrowed his eyes..
“……!”
I also felt something abnormal..
I saw Danghye glance around and give orders to the warriors..
The search party began forming a formation in pairs of threes and fives..
However, I moved carefully so as not to be noticed..
‘How many people?’
Joo Seocheon raised his five senses and even opened up his energy senses..
The wide-spreading sensation became a wave and swept through the forest..
Four or five people passed through a large tree that was large enough to surround it and searched through a pile of dense brush..
‘found.’
Eight are caught by my keen senses.
There were also quite capable people hiding in all directions..
“Eight in all directions! alert!”
As soon as Joo Seo-cheon's order was given, the search party moved in perfect order..
Originally, it was led by Tang Yeom, but after he joined, the command was transferred..
I knew a little bit about Namman, and there was no one stronger than him, so it was natural..
Dangyeom also knew that, so he obeyed without complaint..
Push shot!
“Ugh!”
Musa fell down holding his neck..
Unfortunately, I couldn't find it because it was in the opposite direction from Ju Seocheon..
Joo Seocheon opened his eyes wide and looked at the nape of the warrior's neck..
When I looked closely, I saw a needle stuck in it..
“It's a poisonous stinger! be careful!”
The South uses poison, magic, and wild beasts..
Among them, Poison was at a level that could not even be compared to Jungwon..
Poisonous substances that appear in Aeneosan Mountain, also known as Poisonous Blood Valley, are also commonly found here in Namman..
“Whoop!”
As I inhaled, my muscles swelled..
My head felt hot as my blood started to circulate rapidly..
Danjeon boiled over..
“where!”
I stepped forward with my left foot and swung my favorite sword, the fetus, with all my might..
It's a two-handed sword, not just one hand..
Boom!
A sword with weight. As I swung the heavy sword, the sword pressure increased accordingly..
The pressure gathered together and became wind, which became a gust..
A heavy blast sound that weighed down the air exploded, and a sword wind spewed out, threatening to sweep away everything in front of it..
Kuaaaaang!
An explosion occurred with only a sword wind..
It was so powerful that the giant tree in front of it shook..
The bush was split in two and torn apart..
Two man-eating tribesmen hiding in the meantime fell and rolled..
‘Indeed, it is as powerful as expected. The weight that can be carried increases, and it is more stable. Above all, since you use a fetus rather than an iron sword, there is no need to overdo it..’
Joo Seocheon was surprised and satisfied with himself..
It was worth the hard work to train Cheolposam..
In fact, it was more meaningful to unfold the Manjunggeom more perfectly than to strengthen the body..
“where!”
When the man-eating tribe tried to get up again, Joo Seocheon kicked the ground and ran away as if there was no problem..
I didn't know what he was going to do again, so I tried to close the distance with the intention of dealing with it quickly, but I noticed movement nearby again..
After the two men were attacked just now, one man came out from both sides of the nearby bushes and attacked from the side..
At the same time, the man-eating tribe that had fallen also jumped up..
‘Is it really fishing?!’
I guess they'll make him run before he fully wakes up and end it in an instant..
The tactics were commendable..
But that was enough to make Joo Seocheon wary..
No, even if you weren't on guard in the first place, it wasn't dangerous at all..
He held the sword he had been holding with both hands with one hand, and instead of using the Manjung Sword, he used the Twenty-Four Plum Sword Technique for the first time in a long time..
pababat!
The sword stem spouted out brilliantly..
A surprised voice came from the cannibal tribe's mouth, but that was the last time..
Although it was not a quick sword, the speed of Hwa-gyeong's sword was unusual as he used it with all his might..
The surroundings are fragmented..
“Wow!”
Four man-eating tribesmen hunting for prey were killed in an instant..
As soon as Joo Seocheon confirmed that his life had ended, he turned his back and shouted..
“The forest is their territory! Don't get carried away for no reason, but respond calmly while relying on each other.!”
Due to the situation, the honorific was omitted..
“Pfft!”
“Grumpy!”
However, the number of injured continued to rise..
I wasn't caught fishing..
He fell down after being hit by a poisonous needle flying from among the bushes..
“It is said that Tang family warriors are so easily affected by poisonous stings.?”
Tangyeom was dumbfounded..
Even if they are not of direct or collateral lineage, Tang family warriors are close to poison, so their resistance is naturally high..
“How dare you, in front of anyone……”
Not only Tang Yeom but also Tang Hye's pride was hurt..
I didn't like the situation where the party was being toyed with with a poisonous needle..
“I'll show you the poison of the midfielder!”
Tang Hye stretched out her right hand..
Dark energy gushed out from within the greatly inflated sleeves..
However, the surrounding environment was not conducive to memorizing..
No matter how accurate the accuracy was, there were too many variables due to the large trees, leaves, and other vines that got in the way..
Plus, it was almost pointless as the cannibalistic tribe moved through the bush..
So, Ju Seo-cheon thought it would interfere with his ability to swing his sword, so he started by tearing down the bushes in front of him with his sword wind..
Tropical climate, stifling heat and humidity, endless insects and poisons, and dense terrain.!
With cannibalistic tribes attacking from unseen places, Namman was literally no different from hell..
It is not for nothing that the government and central martial arts groups did not advance into southern Manchuria..
Even though the environment was barren, it was too barren..
I don't understand people who live in places like this..
“wait!”
Joo Seocheon quickly stepped forward to prevent an accident..
In the same way, he used the sword wind to tear down or push away the bushes, and instantly killed three people with the volcanic sword..
“I missed it on purpose?”
Dang Hye saw one person running away and asked..
“okay . Because I need to know the den. Let's give the antidote to the fallen warriors, take it and leave quickly..”
Clinic Hwain did not ask Joo Seocheon for help for no reason..
Knowing Namman's environment and fear, I felt that Dangga alone was not enough and sought him out..
“Will I be safe??”
“Without the Jeomchangpa, the search would be even more difficult. I just hope you're alive.”
And I hoped that Sinuido would not be captured by the cannibalistic tribe..
That was the worst case scenario..
Deep in the great forest.
After passing through the dense trees, there was a temple handed down from ancient times..
It was so old that it was full of moss here and there, but it boasted an enormous majesty that made the passage of time seem insignificant..
“I can't believe the Jeomchang faction was defeated so easily.……”
A fortnight ago, while waiting for the Tang family and plum blossom inspection in the southernmost village of Yunnan, we decided to conduct an exploration first..
At first there was no problem.
Since ancient times, people traveling between Yunnan and Nanman have been paid to provide guidance..
I didn't have to worry about getting lost or struggling in vain..
Arrived at a suitable place, cleared the surroundings and established a camp..
It was good up to this point. Next was the problem.
Attack of a Man-Eating Tribe.
I knew about the main tribes of Nanman.
I was also preparing in my own way..
But that was the problem.
Jeom Changpa was overly confident..
The man-eating tribe was stronger than we thought.
The martial arts, poison, and magic that were not seen in the central region were overwhelming..
In the end, even among the old factions and martial arts factions, the Jeomchang faction, which is said to be at the top, could not compete in actual combat..
There were fifty disciples selected for God's search party, ten of whom died and the remaining forty were captured alive..
“Release me! do you know who we are!”
“Cowards! Are you using acid poison?!”
When I came to, I was behind bars..
Even if I tried to use martial arts, I couldn't raise my strength due to the poison..
‘Does this mean it will end like this??’
I know the habits of the cannibalistic tribe..
As their name suggests, they are cannibals..
After muttering unidentified words and making a sacrifice, they rushed in and ripped off the flesh..
Thinking of that, Jeomchang's disciples turned pale and waited for the days when they would die, not knowing when they would die..
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