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Chapter 5

“My sword is not one but two.”

“What kind of place……”

“lieutenant commander!”

A girl about nine or ten years old.

The major slid across the ground and passed between the priest's crotches..

It didn't just pass by.

He swung the dagger he held in both hands, not just one, like lightning..

“Wow!”

A bridge as thick as a log is collapsing..

I lost strength as my muscles tore..

The light of the tattoo has faded.

As my lower body lost strength, my balance became unstable..

The cane could not properly block the sword cavity and was about to be pushed away..

‘Do not be ridiculous!’

I can't die here..

who you are!

The priest of a man-eating tribe, the leader of Namman..

No matter how much I've achieved so far, I can't afford to lose here..

While muttering an unknown language, he tried to amplify the spell, but was unable to do so..

The major stepped on the priest's back, climbed onto his shoulder, and plunged his dagger into the green, burning eyes..

Sigh! Puuk!

“Wow!”

The screams never stop coming from my mouth..

At the same time, the cane he was holding until the end finally fell from his hand..

Meanwhile the major grabbed the priest's head..

And I broke his neck with all my strength..

Crackling!

There was a creepy sound..

The priest widened his eyes..

“Ooh, smile, gi, don't……”

I don't know if it was the power of the spell or his will before he died, but he was alive even though his neck was broken..

“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

I didn't know if it was a scream, a scream, or a scream..

A sound that I couldn't understand was boiling over..

Even though he lost his eyeball, his gaze was staring directly at Joo Seo-cheon..

I felt hatred in the blood..

Joo Seocheon retreated ten steps away..

The major who broke his neck also landed only ten steps away..

wedge!

Joo Seocheon and Major threw their daggers almost at the same time..

It was Yoo Eun-bido performed by Ghost Gokju and Ghost at the same time..

The dagger cut through the right side of the priest's neck..

The rear guard cut off the priest's left neck..

Daggers flying in opposite directions as if crossing each other.

And Joo Seo-cheon and So-ryeong snatch the dagger and retrieve it..

The priest was blind, but felt an ominous feeling as he felt a burning pain in his neck and the sound of it being snatched..

“new year……”

pabababat!

The front blade is backward, the back blade is forward..

There were only two daggers, but somehow it felt like dozens of them were pouring down at once..

When Joo Seo-cheon throws, the major catches it..

When the major threw, Ju Seo-cheon caught it..

In this way, the tattooed flesh was cut, pierced, and torn away, and finally, it was inserted into the front and back of the heart..

At the top of the temple, the leader who had ruled the cannibalistic tribe for decades finally lay lifeless on the altar..

And Ju Seo-cheon and Major stood quietly in front of them and looked down at the temple..

“right……”

A surprised voice came from the search party..

And soon it was followed by cheers.

“Wow!!”

The shouts of up to sixty warriors echoed through the temple..

The sound was so loud that the surrounding area rang..

“Kyaayak ……”

“Whoosh, whoosh.!”

As soon as the priest's life ended, something went wrong with his magic..

There was an immediate response from the warrior of the man-eating tribe..

A black haze leaked out and dispersed, and the tattoo that had been wriggling like an earthworm stopped..

My muscles, which had swelled to a strange degree, shrunk, and I even began to lose weight..

The hostility mixed with madness gradually decreased and eventually disappeared..

Everyone looked exhausted and was breathing heavily..

“It's time! Take care of everything!”

While I was lost in the inaction of Ju Seo-cheon and So-ryeong, Dan Ha-seong's shout woke me up..

“Haha!”

“die!”

There is no mercy for the man-eating tribe..

Since he was incapable of fighting, I had to kill as many as possible before he went on a rampage again..

Since there was no resistance, it was more of a one-sided massacre than a battle, but I didn't feel particularly uncomfortable..

“I can rest now.”

Joo Seocheon took a breath and shook the blood off his sword..

The man-eating tribe, which had a strength of one hundred and fifty, was reduced to fifty, perhaps thanks to the efforts of the search party..

As I climbed towards the top of the temple, I was able to kill several enemies by sparing no effort..

And when the priest's spell was lifted and he became unable to fight due to the reaction, he died without even a single proper resistance..

Once the 50s were reduced to less than 20s, it was roughly organized..

“stop! The rest are taken prisoner.!”

I decided to keep a few people alive in case there was anything to dig up..

The massacre stopped when there were about fifteen people left..

“Now I can finally have some free time..”

Dan Ha-seong left the cleaning up and approached Joo Seo-cheon to say hello..

“Kangho's junior meets his senior..”

Joo Seo-cheon saw Dan Ha-seong first and greeted him..

“Please treat me comfortably. Before, I owed my life to Zhou Daehyup in Dokhyeolgok, and I will shine again like this. I don't think I'll be able to repay this favor even if it takes my whole life..”

“it's okay. Next time anything happens to me, please help me..”

“Due to circumstances, I cannot take on any disciples, but instead, I swear in the name of my Holiness that I will help you as much as I can..”

The Jeomchang faction accepted Jangju's son as Jangmunin's direct disciple in return for Seonghajang's financial difficulties..

Instead, several conditions were added, including a ban on disclosing the martial arts that had been taught..

As a result, it was impossible to receive disciples..

“Are you okay, Master Jeomchang Chil-gong??”

“I wonder what you're talking about..”

As the cleanup was roughly finished, Dangyeom and Danghye approached..

“Oh, are you here? Thank you for your help. I also owe a debt to Tangga..”

Dan Ha-seong also greeted Dan Yeom and Dan Hye..

“I'm glad you seem to be okay. Do you have any idea what happened??”

“of course. But I'll talk about that as I go in..”

“On the way?”

“This is the inside of the temple.”

The cannibalistic temples were not built solely for the altar at the top..

The temple was the home of the tribe's life..

Not only were there places to sleep to avoid the rain, but warehouses and armories to store food were all located within the temple..

In addition, there was a place where animals or people hunted outside the tribe were imprisoned, and Jeomchangpa also briefly explained the circumstances, saying that he had been imprisoned here not long ago..

Except for the details, there was no difference from Ju Seo-cheon's guess..

“By the way, who is that girl??”

Dangyeom’s eyes turned to the major..

I rarely watched the fierce battle with the monster, a priest who didn't look human at all..

And at the end, I was amazed to see the dazzling presence of Ju Seo-cheon and So-ryeong, who appeared as they cut through the flames..

It was like that in Maehwajeonggeom's Muwiya Dokhyeolgok, and since Jungwon has such a good reputation, I agreed and thought 'as expected'..

My mouth dropped open when I saw a girl who was only six or seven, or at most ten years old, show such inaction..

“From the looks of it, it doesn't seem to be a volcanic wave.……”

Dan Ha-seong also showed curiosity in response to Dan Yeom’s question..

I heard about Tang Hye-ya's Amcheonhoe and Ghost Song, and I knew the major's identity, so I didn't say anything..

“It's a bit ambiguous to tell you because of the circumstances. If it's okay, could you please look at my face and move on??”

Because of my social status, I couldn't answer honestly, and it was difficult to explain it, so I hid it with a bitter smile..

“I understand. let me do that.”

Dan Ha-seong did not want to embarrass his benefactor, but he gave up neatly, leaving doubts..

It is rude to keep asking about the circumstances in Kangho Moorim..

Dan Ha-seong is not that rude..

Tang Yeom had a lingering expression on his face, but when Tang Hye gave him a glance, he had no choice but to quench his appetite and give up his doubts..

“Although I was unlucky and caught here before I could search for Namman, it wasn't all bad..”

“By any chance, have you found Shin’s whereabouts??”

“That's not true, but I found a clue..”

The group's complexions brightened at the unexpected good news..

I had no idea how to find a person of God in this large forest, Nanman, but I was fortunate..

Dan Ha-seong moved deeper into the temple, to a place where there was less light than other places, and the place he appeared was the prison..

It was no ordinary prison either..

“Tsk!”

Dangyeom clicked his tongue and frowned..

Joo Seo-cheon and Dang-hye's expressions also became distorted..

Only the major had an expressionless expression..

There was a kitchen near the prison, where you could see not only various ingredients but also dried meat and leather..

However, the meat and skin did not belong to animals but to humans..

The group felt bad and wondered whether they should just kill the remaining ten cannibalistic tribe members..

“Uh oh?”

While passing through the prison, the people who were imprisoned looked surprised when they realized that they were not a tribe of cannibals..

“I'm here to save you! The prison will be opened, so don't panic or get excited, stay calm, maintain order, and come out.!”

Dan Ha-seong shook the bundle of prison keys and made a sound as if he was deliberately asking people to listen..

Squeak. Cheolkeong.

The doors of the prison opened one by one..

However, the people trapped inside did not come out quickly due to suspicion..

Some were crouched in the corner of the wall, perhaps suffering mental trauma from being confined for so long..

“Joo, Joongwon-in?”

While no one was in a hurry to come forward, only a few peeked their heads out of the numerous prison cells..

“how do you……?”

Because I hadn't washed for a long time, not only my face but also my entire body was dirty, but strangely enough, my skin was plump..

In order for the cannibalistic tribe to use people as food, they provided more meals than necessary..

Everyone refused because they knew what would happen if they gained weight, but in that case, they would kill or torture them, so they had no choice but to accept it despite being scared..

“Oh, there you are..”

Dan Ha-seong smiled when he saw the person he was looking for..

“Is this someone you know??”

“He is named Yeo-ri, the local name of a region called Cheonghwa (淸化) in Namman..”

‘Yeori?’

Joo Seocheon tilted his head..

Where have I heard this name?.

That wasn't a long time ago either..

But strangely, I couldn't remember very well..

‘I think I've heard a lot about Cheonghwa somewhere.……’

It all felt familiar..

But it was as blurry as fog and I couldn't remember it well..

No matter how many books I have read about Nanman, it is not Joongwon, and it was a long time ago, so I cannot know everything..

I'm sure I read it in a book, but it was a shame that it was so long ago that I couldn't remember..

“Toho? Aren’t the South Man made up of nothing but barbarian tribes??”

I was amazed that there was a concept called Toho..

“If it were really just barbarians, there would be no way for conversation to work. To be sure, Nanman is under the control of major barbarian tribes, such as the cannibal tribes, but not entirely. Among them, there are also common sense people..”

Although the Central Plains disparage the Southern Manchurians and regard them as barbarians, they were once a country that opposed the Yuan and Ming powers..

It is now like this because we lost the war, but if you look closely, there are still remnants of a proper civilization..

“Lord Yeori, rest assured. We've taken care of all the cannibalistic tribes, so there's nothing to worry about..”

“No way!”

Yeori made an incredulous expression..

The other people in the prison also nodded and whispered..

The strength of the man-eating tribe is not a lie.

As a man-eating monster, its power was one of the best in Nanman..

In particular, the magic of the tribal leader and priest exceeded the level of witchcraft..

My body trembled when I thought of that power..

“What reason would I have to lie?.”

“……”

Yeo- ri was unable to shake off all her doubts, but perhaps there was some truth to Dan Ha-seong's words and slipped out of the prison..

‘Is it true??’

Normally there should have been security, but there was no one..

It was clear that something was strange..

And only then did I see unfamiliar faces, especially when I saw Dang-hye, Yeo-ri couldn't breathe..

“Huh... … Am I seeing a fairy right now??”

I began to suspect that I might already be in the stomach of a man-eating tribe..

“I appreciate you looking at me kindly, but I'm starting to get frustrated, so I want you to come out quickly, shaking that unpleasant lump of flesh..”

Danghye, as always, spewed out harsh words in a gentle voice..

“I have no intention of asking you for no reason, and I have no intention of being considerate of your weakened mind and body. Our situation is urgent, so I hope you can come out as soon as possible and tell us about the good faith of Hwain Clinic..”

“……”

Yeo-ri could not say anything, like a mute drunk on honey..

Even Dan Ha-seong opened his mouth as if he was dumbfounded..

“I don’t understand why you spend your time saying, “Sewol, New Wol-ah.” If it's okay, I could give you a poison that will cut off your intestines so that your voice can come out, but do you really need to use that method??”

“Oh no! soger!”

Yeori swallowed her saliva and responded immediately..

His trembling eyes turned to the poison gathered in Tang Hye's palm..

“You are a wise person to understand what I am saying so quickly. I'm really happy. I was already tired from fighting, so thank you for understanding..”

‘Why do I keep getting involved with this girl??’

Joo Seo-cheon listened to Tang Hye's harsh words and thought seriously..

“I don't know if it's good faith or not... … Before I was captured here, I heard a rumor that there was a person from Jungwon..”

Not only Dang Hye but also the search team's eyes lit up..

It is not common for people from Jungwon to come to Namman..

Among the members of the National Assembly, there were only a handful..

“It was a bit unusual to ask for medicinal herbs or poisonous plants rather than gold and silver treasures in return for treatment..”

“In good faith!”

Dangyeom shouted in a voice full of confidence..

“Do you know where that name is now??”

Joo Seocheon also asked with a slightly excited expression..

“Well up to that point……”

Yeori scratched her head and blurted out her words..

“But if you take me to Cheonghwa, I can help you find it..”

“great. Please guide me there..”

The search party headed to the Cheonghwa region in South Manchuria..

Nanman was defeated and ruled by the Central Plains, and the previous dynasty also disappeared due to a rebellion..

The Central Plains and Ming banned the Southern Mantras and customs and destroyed civilization and history by burning existing books..

He distributed the Four Books and Five Classics, taught Neo-Confucianism and Confucianism, and even spread Buddhism and Taoism..

However, this was only an external order..

Namman didn't pay much attention because the land was so barren and the only thing he could take with him was manpower..

The dispatched officials were so absorbed in satisfying their own self-interest that there was no supervision, and South Manchuria ended up becoming a lawless zone..

In lawless areas where there was no control or order, the law of the fittest naturally took root, and barbarians, like cannibalistic tribes, were rampant..

Still, among them, there were those who did not abandon their conscience and morals and could communicate at least with them, and one of them was Cheonghwa..

Nanman, Cheonghwa.

“Toho came back alive!”

The guard on the watchtower shouted in surprise when he saw Yeo-ri..

Murmurs could be heard beyond the wall, which was made of old trees from the jungle and boasted a thickness as thick as an ordinary stone wall..

Grumble. It's good.

A door opens that prevents intrusion from the outside..

Because it was large, the opening speed was slow..

“What is Toho??”

“Rather, who are they??”

Toho, who was missing, was also Toho, but when strangers appeared, attention was focused and it quickly became noisy..

“Yeori Ball!”

The person who heard the news of Toho's survival and rushed out with his feet on fire was Wan-chae, a soldier with a blood oath, not a family member..

“Oh my, this person! You came back safely.!”

Wan-chae hugged Yeo-ri with bright eyes..

“Wonchae Balls!”

When Wan-chae welcomed her with a big smile, Yeo-ri was also happy..

Let's embrace each other for a moment while rejoicing in his return..

Yeo-ri remembered that a search party was watching behind her..

“Oops, look at my mind. I'm sorry for showing men over 30 embracing each other..”

“What on earth happened? Who are they??”

Wanchae also realized the presence of unfamiliar visitors..

“First, let’s move our seats. I'll tell you everything.”

* * *

In Nanman, those who do not belong to the major tribes are divided into two groups..

They were either those who succumbed to power and were colonized, or those who fought back against that power..

Among them, Qinghua was one of the representative forces of the latter group..

Yeori, the Toho of this place, was more famous than expected..

“Why was someone like you in the middle of a man-eating tribe??”

Joo Seocheon asked with an expression of incomprehension..

In the first place, it was strange that Toho was trapped in a hostile prison..

At first, I thought I had been betrayed, but when I came to Cheonghwa, I found out that it was not at all..

Just by looking at the reaction to his return, you could get a rough idea of ​​what his fate was like..

“It was because I didn't have enough strength..”

With a bitter smile, Yeori explained the situation step by step in an easy-to-understand manner..

The Qinghua local army was able to resist the major tribes of Southern Manchuria, but the situation was not good..

Instead of winning, we were falling behind due to lack of power..

So, I went to those who were exploited by the major tribes and were dissatisfied, or to those who had the power to fight back..

“Since the issue was important, I thought it would be better if I, a Toho person, went there in person to move people's hearts. My soldier here objected and asked me if I was crazy..”

“So, wasn’t this four months born?.”

Wan Chae sighed deeply..

“By the way, it's true that they were destroyed.?”

Wan-chae was amazed to hear that Yeo-ri, who had been waiting for her death, received help from the people of Jungwon..

This is because the cannibal tribe was one of the major tribes and at the same time a barbarian tribe that had been a problem since ancient times..

Although they were few in number, each member of the tribe was an excellent warrior and hunter..

While wandering through the jungle as if it were their own home, the skill with which they wielded a sword and the poisonous stings flying from unseen places were terrifying..

Above all, isn't he a man-eater who eats people?.

I couldn't believe it when I heard that not just one or two but all of the demons who were notorious in the Great Forest had been killed..

“Whether you believe it or not, it doesn't matter. Rather than that, I should receive compensation for saving Toho..”

Danghye tapped her fingers on the table..

“Wow, I must have been rude to my benefactor. It wasn't that I was suspicious, it was just pure surprise. I'm sorry if you felt bad.”

“Since our group doesn't have much time, we are a bit sensitive. I would appreciate it if you could understand that.”

“Of course.”

Wan-chae nodded at Joo Seo-cheon’s words..

“If so, let’s get to the point and ask directly. Do you know the whereabouts of the person from Jungwon??”

“yes.”

Wanchae answered immediately without any hesitation..

“It was good!”

Dan Ha-seong clenched his fists and laughed..

But it's still too early to rejoice.

The problem was what to say from Wanchae's bad expression..

“Where are you?”

“Mandoji (poisonous land)).”

“Tsk!”

Joo Seocheon clicked his tongue..

Dang Hye and Dang Yeom’s faces were not good either..

No, it was more than bad, it was horribly distorted..

“Huh……”

Yeo-ri could not bear to continue speaking and only let out an exclamation..

Dan Ha-seong also sensed something strange in the atmosphere and asked..

“Is there some problem??”

“It's the worst.”

Tang Hye frowned and pressed her temples with her fingers..

Jet-black hair flows between the fingers like silk, showing off an alluring off-white color..

“It's a dangerous place.?”

“It's a cursed place.”

Joo Seocheon also muttered in a bad voice..

* * *