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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: Evil Ties and Good Ties (2)
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As the door slammed shut roughly and the presences of Sima Geon and Cheol Woo completely vanished, a long sigh escaped Gwan Hyo's lips.
"Hah! So it ends like this after all!"
"Are you really just going to let those bastards go?"
Gwan Pae asked in a rough voice.
"And if I don't? Their hearts are already gone. Besides, that guy kept his promise perfectly. He subjugated all the Demon World's Ten Strongholds, and thanks to him, our clan has achieved the grand feat of unifying the demonic world once more."
"But letting him go like this is too much of a waste. For the sake of our future grand plans, we can't afford to."
Before Gwan Pae could finish, the second son Gwan Jong shook his head.
"Even if he's valuable, we can't take the risk."
"Risk?"
Gwan Pae furrowed his brow.
"Hmph! Even if he has some grudges, surely he wouldn't..."
Gwan Pae was absolutely certain that Sima Geon would never point his sword at them.
Gwan Jong shouted with a frustrated expression.
"He brought a sword. A sword he was permitted to carry anywhere, in front of anyone, but never did until now. Do you not understand what that means? It means he'll swing it if necessary to force his will through. He already made that clear by mercilessly cutting down the Sky Guard Unit that stood in his way."
"Hmph! Even if that's true, you and I are here protecting Father. The Sky Guard Unit will join us immediately too. No matter how strong he is, he can't take us all down."
Gwan Jong pressed his temples and asked at Gwan Pae's confident words.
"Are you sure of that?"
"What?"
"While you were lounging comfortably here, I watched him dismantle the Demon World's Ten Strongholds. I saw with my own eyes how he brutally crushed the North Heaven Sword Demon, the greatest master in the demonic world since the Heavenly Demon ancestor. You had to witness the North Heaven Sword Demon barely clinging to life as he fled. If that guy really wanted to..."
Gwan Jong couldn't continue. It was too bitter to put into words.
Gwan Pae flinched at Gwan Jong's furious look but then raised his voice as something came to mind.
"P-Poison Blood Gu! There's the Poison Blood Gu we planted in him from Black Dragon Valley, right? No matter how strong he is, he couldn't have dealt with the one inside his body. With the Poison Blood Gu, we can control him like a puppet... Ack!"
Gwan Pae, chattering excitedly, clutched his forehead and screamed. Red blood trickled between his fingers.
"You pathetic fool!"
Gwan Hyo roared angrily after smashing a liquor bottle into Gwan Pae's forehead.
"Three years ago, I promised him that if he crushed the Demon World's Ten Strongholds, I'd release him as a free man. And he smiled as he showed me the withered Poison Blood Gu. You saw it right there beside me, and you've already forgotten?"
"Ah!"
A sharp groan escaped Gwan Pae's lips as the memory finally returned.
"Our ties with him end here. Don't even think about doing anything foolish. Especially you, Gwan Pae—keep that in mind."
Gwan Hyo warned sternly, worried Gwan Pae might stir up trouble. Gwan Pae nodded reluctantly, his face full of dissatisfaction.
"What do you think will happen to the Divine Demon Division?"
After a moment's thought, Gwan Jong replied bitterly to Gwan Hyo's question.
"It'll probably disband. They'll want to follow him back to their homeland."
"Try to stop them as best you can. Even if they leave, the Divine Demon Division is still the Divine Demon Division. That experience and power are essential forces we need."
"Understood."
He answered out of obligation, but Gwan Jong's voice lacked conviction.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"Porcelain made in Gyeongdeokjin—thirty pieces—and silk too. Plus..."
"Shut it."
No Yang, the Deputy Bandit Leader of Golden Fox Bandit Lair, picked his nose and cut off Yuk Geum's diligent report.
"So, how much are we talking?"
"At least twenty taels of gold, I'd say."
At the mention of over twenty taels of gold, No Yang bolted upright from his reclined position. The flab hanging to his chin jiggled.
"Tw-twenty taels of gold? Kuhahaha! We've hit a real jackpot for once. Good work."
No Yang's grinning face gleamed with greed.
"We also captured some of the laborers from the merchant group and a few from the escort."
"Prisoners? What a hassle—why bother? Just kill them."
No Yang waved his hand irritably.
"I picked only the young, strong ones, so if we get a good price, we can make a tidy profit."
"Really? Excellent, just excellent."
As if the irritation had never happened, No Yang grinned widely, nodding repeatedly before asking slyly.
"Any women?"
"None."
"Tch, oh well. Anyway, swap out the women in the lair. Sell off the old ones and bring in some fresh ones. I'm sick to death of seeing the same faces every day."
"Understood."
Yuk Geum bowed his head, hiding his contemptuous gaze.
"Oh, and sell off today's haul as fast as possible. Big Brother—no, the Bandit Chief—sent word he's short on funds again."
"Selling in a rush might mean taking a loss."
"Doesn't matter. This decides whether we claim a spot among the Eighteen Bandit Strongholds or not. We can't let a lack of money ruin things. Sell quick, even at a loss."
Yuk Geum hesitated briefly at No Yang's order but nodded.
"Understood."
"Anyone outside?"
"Yes, Deputy Leader."
The door opened, and a shaggy-haired man rushed in.
"Set up the drinks. Bring every woman in the lair too. They're all getting sold soon, so give them one last good time."
"Yes, Deputy Leader."
The man vanished like the wind after receiving the order.
"You go too. Oh, drop by if you feel like a drink."
No Yang shooed Yuk Geum away like a fly.
"I'll take my leave."
Yuk Geum bowed politely and exited. No Yang's eyes followed him, filled with mockery.
He'd always hated how Yuk Geum strutted around just because he could read for the Bandit Chief. But now, being able to boss him around with a flick of the finger felt immensely satisfying.
"Kekeke! Remember this is your place and mine."
Yuk Geum clenched his fist involuntarily at the mocking laughter from the room.
'Damn pig bastard!'
It was frustrating that the Bandit Chief had left the lair in the hands of someone as greedy and incompetent as No Yang.
'Just wait a little longer. Bloodline or not, I'll crush you...'
As Yuk Geum ground his teeth with venomous eyes,
a heavy shockwave suddenly rocked the lair.
The windows rattled, and dust poured from the ceiling.
"Wh-what's going on?"
No Yang flung open the door with surprising agility for his massive bulk.
"Feels like an earthquake."
"E-earthquake? Then we can't stay here."
Imagining the building collapsing, No Yang's face paled as he bolted out and started running.
It felt off for an earthquake, but nothing else explained it, so Yuk Geum hurried after him.
With a single punch from Cheol Woo, the lair's main gate shattered to pieces. His follow-up kick brought down the massive stone wall with a thunderous crash.
A few bandits on guard were crushed by the falling debris. The sudden quake sent others rushing out, and they flew into a rage at the sight of their comrades collapsing with screams.
"Who the hell are you?!"
Black King, a mid-level leader in the lair, appeared with his men.
Black King was the burliest and ugliest in Golden Fox Bandit Lair. The facial wound from the morning raid on Sanghwa Escort Agency made his already foul features even more ferocious.
"Impressive. Didn't expect someone your size here."
Cheol Woo chuckled mockingly as Sima Geon marveled at Black King's build rivaling his own.
"Boss, that's an insult to me. That's just a fat pig."
"You filthy vermin!"
Overhearing them, Black King charged with his enormous sword swinging.
Cheol Woo didn't dodge. He thrust his fist straight at the blade aimed at his neck.
A clash between a monstrous sword and a fist. Any onlooker would call it madness.
Black King, mid-swing, was dumbfounded. Using a sword on such a fool felt embarrassing.
"You bastard! I'll tear you apart!"
He abandoned the quick neck strike.
Crush that arrogant fist first, then hack the body to bits for pig feed.
As Black King put more force into his sword grip,
a heavy thud rang out, and an unexpected shock jolted his hand.
"Kuhk!"
Black King groaned in shock.
He staggered back, staring incredulously at his broken wrist.
"Th-this can't..."
The impact on his sword hand was from clashing with Cheol Woo's fist.
Yet the sword that struck the enemy's fist had snapped in half. Before stunned Black King could finish speaking, Cheol Woo's brutish fist smashed his face.
No scream.
His face caved in, body soaring three zhang through the air before crashing down. Dead on impact, utterly still.
"Next."
Having ended Black King in one blow, Cheol Woo went berserk.
No particular style—just wild swings and kicks ravaging the foes. It looked like a street thug brawl at a glance, but the overwhelming power left even battle-hardened Golden Fox bandits clueless.
When Cheol Woo finally stopped, over twenty bandit corpses littered around him.
Not a single exception—all dispatched cleanly. He hadn't broken a sweat, his breathing steady.
"This is it? All that bluster with such trash-tier skill."
Having fought grueling battles daily while unifying the scattered cult, Cheol Woo couldn't help sneering at bandits who couldn't even take one hit yet boasted as outlaws.
"There should be some decent ones inside."
Sima Geon patted Cheol Woo's shoulder lightly and headed deeper. Cheol Woo moved to lead, feeling he hadn't warmed up, but Sima Geon blocked him.
"That's far enough. I waited twelve years to settle this debt. From here, it's mine."
A red glint flickered deep in his eyes. Knowing better than anyone when to back down, Cheol Woo halted without protest.
"Stop him!"
Beon Gak, another pillar of Golden Fox alongside Black King, yelled at his men.
Over thirty charged at Sima Geon. Beon Gak's expression watching them was grim.
For intruders to reach this deep, Black King had to be down.
Black King was top-five in the lair—a powerhouse rivaling Beon Gak himself.
'Damn it, of all times for the Chief to be away.'
Bandit Chief No Geuk was a renowned master among outlaws. Though lacking numbers to join the Eighteen Bandit Strongholds, his personal skill was unmatched.
His personal guard elite were incomparable to the yowling men charging now. The problem: neither Chief nor guards were here.
"Beon Gak, intruders? What crazy bastards dare raid our main lair?"
No Sa Mun arrived late with a few men, strutting arrogantly.
"Don't know yet, Young Master."
Beon Gak shook his head, face flushing.
Seeing No Sa Mun's disheveled clothes and flushed face—likely from some woman—irritation boiled over.
'Filthy worm.'
If not the Chief's son, he'd have decapitated him on the spot.
"Those guys?"
No Sa Mun pointed at Sima Geon and Cheol Woo.
He hadn't even noticed the heads flying. Still nonchalant.
Beon Gak realized from No Sa Mun's glazed eyes he'd been smoking opium.
'Tiger of a father, dog of a son. No, worse than a mutt.'
No Sa Mun charged at Sima Geon before Beon Gak could stop him.
His attendants followed, cackling maniacally—clearly dosed on opium too.
Sima Geon, emotionlessly decapitating bandits, sneered at No Sa Mun charging with drooling mouth and mad eyes.
Fragments of the past materialized before him.
He could never forget No Sa Mun's face mocking him through the bars, splashing urine.
As Sima Geon moved his sword, an arm flew into the air.
Despite the agony, No Sa Mun ignored it, howling insanely instead.
Confirming No Sa Mun's unnatural state, Sima Geon grimaced and swung mercilessly.
The remaining arm and both legs severed nearly simultaneously.
Whenever the limp No Sa Mun twitched, blood sprayed everywhere.
"Seems drugged. Stop the bleeding and sober him up. Too wasteful to just kill."
Sima Geon handed No Sa Mun's fate to Cheol Woo, who eyed him with disgust, then swung again.
The heads of No Sa Mun's attendants soared simultaneously. Headless bodies stumbled a few more steps before collapsing.
Sima Geon's gaze turned to Beon Gak.
His eyes gleamed coldly.
Despite the deep grudge, he'd ignored No Sa Mun's fixation because of Beon Gak's presence.