Chapter 24: To Guangdong Province (4)
It didn't take long for an opportunity to test Tang Sowol's bold claim to present itself.
"Hehe. It's right over there. I saw them staying at the inn until lunchtime today, so it's definitely them."
The information came from a goat-bearded man with a servile tone—he was the Hao Gate informant and guide that Tang Jincheon had brought along.
He led us through the streets of Guangdong as though the entire city was his personal backyard, never hesitating as he took us on the shortest route.
While the atmosphere within the Dark Soul Unit had been somewhat relaxed during the journey, it grew increasingly tense as we neared our target. The cold, murderous aura they exuded upon setting out began to return, becoming sharper with each passing moment.
The ten or so warriors in our group radiated a carefully refined killing intent, led by Tang Jincheon at the front. Narrowing his eyes, he asked,
"Is their number as you reported?"
"Yes, sir. There are three at the peak level and several at the first-class level—"
"No, I'm not asking about their skill level. I'm asking how many necks we have to sever."
"…Fifteen in total."
Goat Beard answered with a slightly pale face, to which Tang Jincheon gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
"You've done well bringing us this far. Thanks to you, we've made good time. Now, just lead us to the inn where they're staying."
"O-of course, sir! It's just ahead!"
Nodding eagerly, Goat Beard quickened his pace.
"It's an inn called Hwaju Inn. It's quite lively and decently well-kept, but not exactly a place known for its entertainment. Most of the people who visit are merchants passing through on their way to other regions."
"With so many travelers coming and going daily, it'd be easy to slip in unnoticed. It's also a good place to quickly gather information."
Of course, those bastards won't have a chance to gather any more news. Thanks to me, Tang Sowol survived, and with Tang Jincheon's help, she returned safely to the Tang Clan without anyone knowing.
It was worth it for Tang Jincheon to rush out on his own, even leaving behind his brother, Tang Yujin, to handle the aftermath. Though I doubt Tang Yujin himself would be particularly pleased to hear that.
Watching the long line of merchants stretched out along the street, I voiced a concern.
"With this many people around, couldn't they use the crowd to escape?"
"Don't worry about that. We've already stationed Hao Gate members to keep an eye on them and block off all routes of escape. Even if they manage to slip out, we'll know exactly where they go and how many of them leave."
"So there you have it, Father-in-law. Instead of waiting in line to quietly sneak in, wouldn't it be better to strike now and finish things in one go?"
"You're in quite a hurry, aren't you? But I like it."
Tang Jincheon chuckled and nodded in approval, while Goat Beard, who had been switching glances between us in confusion, widened his eyes in shock at my words.
He had been curious about my identity but hadn't dared to ask. Judging by his reaction, he was surprised by the title I used.
Tang Jincheon, however, paid no attention to the informant's bewilderment and turned to the commander of the Dark Soul Unit.
"Tie up the horses here for now. We'll use lightness techniques to leap over the wall. The location is…"
He trailed off and glanced at Goat Beard. The informant, who had been zoning out, quickly snapped to attention and answered in a flustered tone.
"They're staying at Hwaju Inn. It's a small, nondescript inn, so it might be difficult to find based on description alone."
"Then I'll carry you while I run. Just focus on guiding us."
"W-what?"
Without waiting for a response, Tang Jincheon picked up the startled Goat Beard and tucked him under his arm like a sack. Turning to me, he asked,
"What about you? Should I drag them out by the hair myself, or do you want to handle it?"
"We're the ones who almost died, so it should be us."
"Sowol, what about you?"
Tang Jincheon directed the question at his daughter, who nodded in agreement.
"I feel the same way as Brother Cheon, Father. I appreciate your help, but the fear and helplessness we felt that day are ours to confront."
Tang Sowol spoke with sharp determination in her eyes.
Though still somewhat inexperienced, in this moment, she was no longer just the young lady of the Tang Clan—she was a martial artist seeking to reclaim her pride.
Tang Jincheon's expression softened into a satisfied smile.
"Very well. Do as you wish."
With that, he gave Tang Sowol an approving nod before taking the lead.
"Hyup!"
Goat Beard let out an involuntary yelp but quickly covered his mouth with both hands. The Dark Soul Unit followed closely behind Tang Jincheon.
Tang Sowol and I exchanged glances.
"Shall we?"
"After you."
I nodded and activated my lightness technique.
***
After leaping over the relatively low city wall with just a few steps, we followed Goat Beard's directions, running through several streets.
Eventually, we arrived at a place slightly off the main road. It wasn't too fancy, nor was it particularly shabby. There were a fair number of customers, making it an ordinary-looking inn in every sense.
"There! That's Hwaju Inn!"
Goat Beard pointed toward the inn as Tang Jincheon came to a stop. One by one, the Dark Soul Unit members gathered around, surrounding the area.
Sensing the ominous atmosphere, nearby civilians began murmuring amongst themselves before scurrying away. Those who had been dining inside the inn reacted even faster—throwing down their utensils, they raised their hands in surrender and slowly began exiting the building.
Tang Sowol leaned in close and whispered,
"Doesn't it seem like they're all too familiar with situations like this?"
"It probably happens often enough that they've grown used to it."
At this time, Guangdong Province was a hotspot for displaced martial artists from Zhejiang. With countless life-and-death duels taking place daily, the locals couldn't help but adapt.
Among those slipping out of the inn were several martial artists—not just ordinary civilians.
And mixed among them were members of the Demonic Cult attempting to sneak away unnoticed.
Were they trying to report back to the cult since they realized they wouldn't survive this?
"That one! That one's from the Demonic Cult—huh?"
Goat Beard's exclamation came a second too late. I had already drawn my sword.
Ssskuk!
The second-class martial artist didn't even have time to react before my sword sliced through his neck. His headless body collapsed limply to the ground.
Thunk!
At the same time, a flying dagger whizzed through the air, weaving between the fleeing crowd before embedding itself deep into the forehead of a middle-aged man. The dagger, thrown by the Dark Soul Unit commander, buried itself up to the hilt, and the force of the impact caused the man's body to crumple backward.
A beat later, Goat Beard, looking rather deflated, muttered,
"Y-yes, that one was also a member of the Demonic Cult. But… how did you know? Did you already know them?"
I glanced at Goat Beard and replied,
"It wasn't their face—it was the demonic energy they carried."
"But… they didn't use any internal energy. How could you…?"
It's common knowledge that a martial artist's aura changes depending on their mastery and internal energy cultivation.
However, unless someone has a significant amount of internal energy or reaches a high level, it's difficult to detect their aura, let alone distinguish it.
For someone at the peak like the Dark Soul Unit commander, it would make sense, but for a mere first-class martial artist like myself? It was hard to believe.
What Goat Beard didn't know was that I possessed insights unsuited to this body—and I had fought against the Demonic Cult countless times in my past life.
Instead of explaining, I simply shrugged and stepped forward. At that moment, all eyes focused on me.
Seeing Tang Jincheon standing with his arms crossed as if he had no intention of intervening, I took a deep breath and channeled internal energy into my voice.
"If we've started, we might as well finish! Stop hiding like insects and come out! The Tang Clan's daughter, Tang Sowol, whom you want dead, is right here!"
"Wait! Are you selling me out, Brother Cheon?!"
Tang Sowol asked incredulously, but my strategy worked.
"Go!"
A voice roared from the second floor of the inn, accompanied by an explosion of demonic energy that shattered part of the wall.
Kwaaang!
Amid the flying debris, three martial artists leapt out, their destination clear—Tang Sowol.
Unlike the earlier second-class martial artists, these three were clearly stronger, likely first-class or peak-level warriors.
However, they were still no match for the current Tang Sowol.
"You charge in like moths to a flame."
Tang Sowol furrowed her delicate brows slightly before sweeping her hand in a wide arc. Her flowing sleeve released a faint, purple-hued poison mist.
The four who charged through the mist while holding their breath reached Tang Sowol—but by then, they were already half-dead.
Their skin had melted beyond recognition, their legs gave out beneath them, and they collapsed one by one, unable to even raise their swords.
One of them clenched his teeth and glared at Tang Sowol with wide eyes.
"H-how… I held my breath…"
"Poison isn't always dangerous only when inhaled. Sometimes, even touching it can melt your flesh."
Tang Sowol added in a quiet voice, almost as if to herself,
"I didn't expect it to be this effective…"
The last of the group dropped his sword without ever getting a chance to swing it.
It was a swift and quiet death, but the fight wasn't over. The demonic energy emanating from the inn remained strong.
"Now!"
The same voice from earlier shouted, and more martial artists leapt through the broken wall.
This time, nearly ten of them charged at once, their bodies wrapped tightly in thick clothing to guard against the poison Tang Sowol had just used. Among them was a peak-level expert radiating powerful demonic energy.
Even for Tang Sowol, dealing with all of them at once using poison mist alone would be difficult. She gritted her teeth and prepared to release a larger cloud of poison.
Ssswaeeek!
She launched concealed weapons coated in poison, each one gleaming ominously.
However, Tang Sowol's skill with hidden weapons wasn't as polished as her mastery of poison arts. While she might be able to take down a few of the weaker ones, it was unlikely she could deal with the peak-level expert.
If she were alone, that is.
I pushed my Raging Wave Death-Stealing Art to its limit. Thanks to the Hundred Poisons Pure Blood Pill I had received from Tang Yujin, my internal energy flowed smoothly throughout my body.
At my will, my internal energy surged, and with it, the killing intent that had long lain dormant within me roared to life.
In the darkness of the night, memories of past battles, broken promises, and empty last words flickered through my mind, igniting a blazing heat.
I forged a sword out of pure killing intent—a blade with no physical form, yet sharp enough to pierce the heart of a warrior prepared to face death.
"Huurgh!"
One of the martial artists, who had been about to swat down Tang Sowol's hidden weapons mid-air, hesitated. That was all the opening we needed.
Thunk!
Tang Sowol's hidden weapons struck their mark. Even if her skills weren't perfect, there was no way she would miss at this range.
And, of course, the weapons were laced with poison—most likely a highly potent one.
"W-what… what the hell was that?!"
The remaining martial artists glared at me, grinding their teeth in frustration. Ignoring their reaction, I turned to Tang Sowol and asked,
"Was that enough?"
"Yes. After you've done this much, I should show something in return."
Tang Sowol's eyes gleamed faintly with a greenish light as she responded, hinting that she had prepared another poison technique.
Since she seemed to have things under control, it was time for me to focus on my task.
Two peak-level martial artists, who had been hiding and waiting for the right moment, suddenly charged at me from the inn's entrance.
An axe swung in from one side, while a fist cloaked in dark energy came from the other.
Judging by their aura, they were both at the early stages of the peak level. For most, they would be difficult opponents.
Difficult, yes… but not impossible.
"This should be interesting."
Difficult didn't mean I couldn't win.