Chapter 333: Chapter 1221: Is This Okay? (Part 1)
Jo Gol looked around with bloodshot eyes. Yoon Jong's hand tightly gripped his shoulder. Under normal circumstances, Jo Gol would have shouted something immediately, but this time, he couldn't utter a word.
Was it because he knew that making a big fuss wasn't allowed?
No, that wasn't it. It was because Yoon Jong's eyes, staring ahead without even glancing at him, were extremely frightening.
Crack.
The sound of Yoon Jong grinding his teeth faintly leaked out. He spoke with a clenched jaw.
"Wait."
"..."
Jo Gol remained silent, biting his lips tightly, and looked back at the village once again.
"Ah, Father! Father!"
A village elder standing behind the village head rushed forward and grabbed his chest frantically. Blood oozed from the wide-open wound on his chest.
"Fatherrrrrrrrrrr!"
Although the people in the village turned pale, none of them could protest or curse out loud. The knife in the man's hand was too threatening.
"Are you insane?"
Speaking on behalf of the villagers, a fellow companion of the man who had come with him wiped the blood splattered on his face with his sleeve and chuckled.
"Do I look insane?"
"What the hell are you thinking?"
"What am I thinking? The order we received was to distribute the grain and properly convey Ryeonju-nim's favor, wasn't it?"
"..."
"Then there was no further instruction. So, technically, I haven't violated any orders."
"Is this lunatic... calling that a reason?"
The face of the man named Munsapung turned pale.
"Do you know what you did just now, you bastard? Do you think you'll be safe if the higher-ups find out about this?"
"How would they find out?"
"What?"
"How would they find out?"
The rough-faced man named Akbung grinned.
"This is a remote mountain village. Whether one village disappears or not, how would those above know about it?"
"What...?"
"Mission accomplished. And what happened afterward is not our fault, right?"
Munsapung's eyes narrowed. He understood what this man was saying.
"Well..."
"No, think about it. Since this is a small village stuck in the mountains, didn't they send us small fry like ourselves?"
The term "small fry" wasn't pleasant to hear, but it was, in fact, not an entirely inaccurate description.
"If we return empty-handed, do you think those above will know whether we distributed the grain properly or not?"
"Damn it, there's nowhere to sell the grain!"
"If you have the will to sell it, can't you sell it anywhere? And there's no need to sell it. Isn't rice more valuable than gold in Gangnam these days? Just bringing the grain would be enough for most things."
"... "
"If we shake things up a bit, what's wrong with that? The ones at fault are those who don't even give us a proper reward and devour people."
Munsapung regained his composure. His face had softened considerably.
"Won't there be repercussions...?"
"Stop with the nonsense. If there's anyone left to speak after we leave, those above might find out. But... after we leave, something might happen in the village by chance... Maybe the remnants of the Nokrim attack the village, or the Hao Sect struct. Isn't that right, guys?"
At these words, the eyes of those performing behind the cart turned sharp.
"Is the next destination Hyeongyang?"
"Well?"
"If it's Hyeongyang, there should be some places to have fun. Handle it appropriately, bring some grain, and let's also visit a tavern! Let's loosen up our throats for once, loosen up!"
That statement seemed to be the decisive blow. A peculiar enthusiasm began to emanate from those following behind.
Seeing this, the man named Munsapung licked his lips with a troubled expression.
"Well... It does seem a bit uneasy..."
"Don't talk nonsense. Since when did you become such a coward? Just hearing the name Myriad Man Manor makes you wet yourself?"
"Have you said everything?"
"What's the Myriad Man Manor? We are Black Ghost Castle! If it weren't for those demonic sect bastards, the Great Master wouldn't have fallen so easily, right?"
"... "
"It's already infuriating enough to watch the Evil Tyrant Alliance swaggering around. Now, they want even obedient dogs like us to become like them?"
"Tsk."
When the man made a face like he had swallowed bitter water, Munsapung, who had been persistently questioning him, changed his tone.
"It's not that big a deal. As long as we don't get caught, it's fine. Don't you think so?"
"... We must handle the aftermath properly."
"Heh. That's my specialty."
Seemingly convinced of their decision, Akbung raised his voice.
"Guys! Since we've come this far, we should hurry up a bit! That way, you'll have some time to enjoy!"
There was no need for a response. With just that statement, the ones behind rushed out from the cart and encircled the villagers as if to show they wouldn't let anyone escape.
The man named Munsapung chuckled.
"For some reason, it doesn't suit them to meticulously count the number of people."
"Hehe. It's good to be certain. Certainty is good."
Having observed the situation closely, Jo Gol growled and said as if chewing on his words.
"...Sahyung."
"Wait."
"Sahyung."
"I said wait."
Yoon Jong clenched his lips. It seemed that he had asked forcefully enough that his lips were turning pale, and blood began to trickle.
In his heart, Jo Gol wanted to rush forward immediately and destroy them. But this wasn't just any place; it was Gangnam.
The lives of many were at stake for the actions they might recklessly take.
"Don't intervene... yet."
"Sahyung!"
Jo Gol looked at Yoon Jong with eager eyes. However, Yoon Jong's gaze once again did not turn towards Jo Gol.
His gaze was fixed on the back of Baek Cheon ahead.
"Sasuk."
The one making the judgment was not Yoon Jong but Baek Cheon.
Even amid the tense silence, the sounds of grinding teeth and the tapping of swords echoed confusingly in his ears.
And at that moment, below, Akbung began to move.
"Well, they should've given us a more fitting task. If we had been ordered to raid a nearby village and bring back some money after eating their fill, I would have been more than willing to fulfill that duty. But telling a dog to pull out weeds..."
Even Munsapung couldn't argue against those words. If they were originally satisfied with receiving some compensation, practicing their skills, and receiving wages, they wouldn't have joined the Evil Sect.
They became part of the sect because they were people who couldn't survive through such means. But now, was it reasonable to ask them to live like orthodox martial artists?
'This is a mistake from higher-ups.'
The man, having rationalized it internally, spoke as if spitting it out.
"Just in case, don't use a knife."
"Huh?"
"It would be strange if there are too few corpses. Tear them apart with your hands, as if attacked by wild animals."
"Hehe. Always scheming."
Akbung, hearing those words, chuckled and sheathed the knife. It might be a bit troublesome, but unarmed, they could easily tear apart peasants who knew nothing of martial arts.
"P-Please, why are you doing this..."
The villagers, who were unable to escape and were watching the situation unfold, trembled with pale faces.
And among them, someone with a keen sense quickly understood what action he needed to take.
"Pl-please spare us!"
The man who prostrated himself right there shouted in a desperate voice.
"We received it! We, we received the grain from you!"
"Huh?"
"But, due to our foolishness, we tried to hide the grain and ended up losing it!"
"Oh?"
Seobpyeong, standing behind Munsapung, stared intently at the middle-aged man who was groveling, one eye squinted.
"I'll say it like that! Even if someone asks, even if a knife is at my throat, I will say it like that! S-so, it means you can be more honorable, right?"
"Interesting fellow."
Seobpyeong chuckled.
"But what should we do about this? We've already cut up this old man."
"If an old man with not much time left to live dies, is it really such a big deal? If we bury him appropriately, no one will know how he died!"
"Well..."
Seobpyeong looked surprised at the man.
"Or, throw him off a cliff! Then no one will know he died from a knife!"
Seobpyeong looked at the man with an admiring expression. According to what the man was saying now, they could indeed make things easier for themselves.
"Can you really do that?"
"Y-Yes, of course. Sir! How could we tell lies? Ignorant folks like us know better than anyone how to survive!"
"Don't you want revenge?"
"D-do you think the life of an old man like me is so remarkable that we would seek revenge?"
"... Aren't you afraid we'll become troublesome if you start talking?"
"S-Sir. We, ignorant people, may not have learned much, but we do understand how the world works. If we talk recklessly and disturb your mood, how can we survive?"
"For someone in such a remote village, you're surprisingly smart."
Seobpyeong clicked his tongue.
Even if this incident were exposed, it was unlikely that everyone who had come here would die. No matter how cruel the Myriad Man Manor were, the Evil Tyrant Alliance lacked manpower now.
And if even one of them survived, the village would undoubtedly face retaliation. So, he meant to keep quiet.
"Indeed... If they just do that, we'll be better off."
"W-Well..."
"But, you know..."
Seobpyeong chuckled.
"No matter how you look at it, you're excessively clever."
"M-Me?"
Seobpyeong's gaze turned sharp.
"I find it bothersome to leave someone like you alive, someone who might cause trouble. Killing all of you would only be a bit troublesome for me."
"You... you damn bastards!"
Fury filled the old man's eyes.
"I'll curse you even in hell! You Evil Sect scum worse than dogs!"
"Shut up!"
Seobpyeong, with murderous intent in his eyes, leaped towards the old man, striking him forcefully with both hands. Streams of energy surged from his hands.
"No...!"
Eventually, Yoon Jong, Jo Geol, and Nam Gung Do-wi couldn't bear it any longer and joined in, striking the ground.
But at that moment, what they saw was the figure of Baek Cheon rushing towards Seobpyeong in a straight line, faster than they were, to stop him.
'Sasuk!'
Baek Cheon's eyes, rushing forward, shook with regret.
'No, it can't be!'
Due to the hesitation until the very end, the counterattack was delayed. At this rate, they couldn't prevent the old man from being fatally struck.
'Damn it!'
Whether they should have stepped forward decisively or held back, the end result was losing both. Just as Baek Cheon was about to unleash the pent-up frustration and scream out, a moment occurred!
"But this Evil Sect bastard!"
Kwaaaang!
Seobpyeong, who was rushing towards the old man, or rather, being rushed at, was sent flying backward faster than his initial speed.
With blood splattering, Seobpyeong crashed onto the ground and soon began convulsing.
Baek Cheon stared blankly at the scene. Amidst the rising dust cloud, a clear figure with a face more sinister than the Evil Sect itself was glaring at them.
"Let's see if this bastard is really going to die."
... Oh, right... Come to think of it, I couldn't endure it, so there's no way that guy could.
Haha...
Hahaha...
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Bagel_Seeds
Bagel_Seeds ah, this is how shit goes down...ugh, should've stuck to the mountain path...
anyways, now that you're here, go save the villagers!!! I hope to god they're disguised or something...black suit time...don't use the plum blossom, just use your fists...y'all look and act like bandits anyways...
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
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