Chapter 145
I couldn’t help but be surprised to see the Heavenly Demon Sword placed next to me.
“Ah, no…, why is this here…”
It wasn’t like those Murim Alliance Bastards had left it on my bed overnight.
Fuck, this is a Murim World, so it’s not like Santa Claus came and went either.
But why is this…
“…”
I stared blankly at the Heavenly Demon Sword for a moment before grabbing the hilt.
It was a Sword that usually fit perfectly in my hand. But this time…
Vooong-.
…I felt an intense bond, as if our fingers were intertwined.
Suddenly, I remembered the woman’s voice I heard last night when I had sleep paralysis.
“…Throw me away again, and you die.”
That woman’s voice made my heart chill just by hearing it.
It made no sense, but given the circumstances…
Vooong-.
“The owner of that voice must be the Heavenly Demon Sword, right…?”
Hah, fuck.
“…I shouldn’t have gotten involved with anything that has the character for Demonic Force in it.”
Anyway, out of all the things related to the Demonic Cult, not a single one is helpful to me. It’s not like this is a yandere Sword or anything…
No, what’s the mechanism in the first place? How on Earth could the Sword return to me? It’s not like the Sword has legs.
“I don’t know, damn it…”
I just shook my head at this incomprehensible, mysterious situation.
Just then.
Knock, knock.
“Great Hero-!!”
The sound of knocking accompanied the Haomun Leader’s urgent voice. When I gave her permission to enter…
“…The Murim Alliance representatives are requesting to see you again right now. By any chance…!”
…The Haomun Leader, who had come straight into my room, paused upon seeing the Heavenly Demon Sword in my hand.
“…Is that it, Great Hero?”
“…It’s a misunderstanding.”
When the Haomun Leader’s eyes momentarily turned Suspicious upon seeing the Heavenly Demon Sword, I waved my hands in denial.
Then I explained the situation, explaining that I hadn’t stolen it back from the Murim Alliance guys overnight, but had woken up to find it placed next to my bed.
And finally, I even felt the mysterious presence of the woman when I had sleep paralysis last night.
Of course, even as I said it, it sounded fucking absurd.
The Sword came to me on its own; I heard a ghost’s voice - what kind of bullshit was this?
Anyone in their right mind wouldn’t believe these nonsensical words.
Especially the Haomun Leader, who was a smart person. There was no way she would easily believe my words…
“I see. So that’s what happened.”
…She believes it?
When she nodded so easily, I became the one who was dumbfounded and asked her.
“…No, Haomun Leader. Do you believe what I’m saying right now?”
“Of course. The Demonic Cult. There’s no way the sacred artifact of those Fanatics would be an Ordinary item, right? This Heavenly Demon Sword is definitely a haunted object.”
“…”
“Perhaps the vengeful spirits sacrificed to the First Heavenly Demon are sleeping within this Sword?”
…I had felt this before, but the Haomun Leader was definitely an occult maniac.
Normally, I would have scolded her, asking why she was suddenly talking about ghosts again.
But having experienced it myself yesterday, I couldn’t easily say anything, because the entity I met yesterday was definitely not human.
“Hah…, then what should I do? Should I really call some Taoist Priests or something…”
As I grabbed my head in frustration, the Haomun Leader spoke to me.
“Great Hero. Still, let’s resolve the immediate situation first? The Murim Alliance representatives have returned and are requesting to meet with you again right now.”
“Ah, those…”
I looked down at the Heavenly Demon Sword in my hand again.
Actually, strictly speaking, this wasn’t my item.
It belonged to the Murim Alliance guys who had bought it for a whopping 2,000 Gold Gwan. So normally, it would be right to return it to its owner, but…
“…Throw me away again, and you die.”
…The words the Heavenly Demon Sword had said to me yesterday really bothered me.
For some reason, I felt that if I threw it away again, I’d Wake up tomorrow morning with a Sword lodged in my neck…
“Haa…, yeah, let’s go meet them for now.”
Still, it was obvious that agonizing over it here wouldn’t give me an answer, so I decided to go meet Dokgo Jun again for now.
* * *
“General Stronghold Master!! Overnight, the Heavenly Demon Sword disappeared!! …Ah?”
Dokgo Jun had been screaming at the top of his lungs even before I entered, and then he let out a deflated sound upon seeing the Heavenly Demon Sword in my hand.
And then…
“…”
“…It’s a misunderstanding.”
…He stared at me as if looking at a thief.
I began to explain myself to him.
Everything I said was truthful, without a single lie.
And Dokgo Jun, having heard all the facts from me…
“…General Stronghold Master. Does that make any sense?”
…He frowned as if asking what kind of bullshit that was.
Right, this would be a normal person’s reaction.
It’s a relief he didn’t curse me out after hearing my words. But since everything I experienced was true, I couldn’t help but feel wronged.
And…
“No, if you can’t believe it, don’t.”
…What are you going to do if you don’t believe it?
Actually, whether Dokgo Jun believed my words or not wasn’t that important.
Perhaps noticing my attitude, Dokgo Jun shouted with eyes full of grievance.
“General Stronghold Master-! Haven’t you already received 2,000 Gold Gwan from the Murim Alliance as payment! I don’t know how you stole it, but this joke has gone too far, so please return it-!”
“No, fuck. I’m telling you it’s not a joke! Ah, I don’t know. You guys call a Taoist Priest to perform an Exorcism or Take Responsibility for it yourselves. Until then, I can’t give this to you. My life is on the line.”
“No, what kind of…”
Hearing my Ultimatum, Dokgo Jun beat his chest as if he felt wronged.
He looked like he wanted to draw his Sword, but it also seemed like he was holding back because he lacked the martial prowess to do so.
He pondered for a moment with a bright red face before…
“…General Stronghold Master, I Understand why you are committing such eccentricities.”
“No, I’m telling you I didn’t do it…”
…He whispered quietly, as if he had made up his mind.
“I will add another 300 Gold Gwan.”
“…Huh?”
And at Dokgo Jun’s words, I was momentarily at a loss for words.
What did he just say…?
This must have been a big decision for Dokgo Jun as well, as his hands were clasped together and a heavy seriousness flowed across his face.
“…With this, I have maximized your profits, General Stronghold Master. So please, abandon any further greed and return the Heavenly Demon Sword.”
To Dokgo Jun, I…
“Here.”
“…Yes?”
“Hurry up and take it. Ah, should I put it in myself?”
…Immediately handed over the Sword.
And rightfully so, since the additional payment was 300 Gold Gwan. For that much, I had to give it to him right away.
My life? Fuck, 300 Gold Gwan is more important.
“Here. Hurry and take it.”
“…Yes.”
Just like that, with a slightly hesitant expression, Dokgo Jun wrote an additional promissory note to pay 300 Gold Gwan and received the Heavenly Demon Sword from me.
Then he placed the Heavenly Demon Sword into the wooden box he had brought and locked it very meticulously.
“…I say this out of concern. I don’t know how you did it yesterday, but this time, something like yesterday won’t happen again.”
“Hah, I’m telling you I didn’t do it, but you still don’t believe me. Yeah, got it. Goodbye.”
“Then I will be taking my leave…”
Having recovered the Heavenly Demon Sword and accomplished his goal, he backed away and retreated from my room.
He looked as if he was on Guard, wary that I might try something.
“I keep telling him I didn’t do it…”
Well…, that guy will soon learn the truth too.
I was just happy to have unexpectedly gained additional profit.
“Now…, shall I get ready too?”
Right now, I am practically in a state where I have received a Murder Threat that I’d be killed tonight.
To Prepare to safely face tonight, I took steps.
* * *
Do you know what a Sapsali dog is?
The Sapsali dog, cute with its shaggy fur, is originally famous as an Exorcism dog.
People in the old days believed that Sapsali dogs chased away ghosts.
And I have an animal that can’t even be compared to a mere Sapsali dog.
A terrifying animal that even ghosts would surely run away from in fear…!
“So…, you want to sleep together tonight?”
“Yeah.”
“…”
Yongyong looked at me with a slightly pathetic gaze.
But I was Serious.
In terms of the Demonic Qi flowing from the body, there is no entity that can beat an Imugi that has lived for hundreds of years.
A mere ghost is nothing in front of an Imugi.
And more than anything, this was…
‘I think it’s a great idea! Lord Imugi will protect you from the vengeful spirit of the Heavenly Demon Sword, Great Hero!’
…A plan approved by the occult maniac, the Haomun Leader.
“Sigh, you humans… What’s so scary about a petty ghost…”
Yongyong clicked her tongue but readily accepted my proposal.
As the night deepened, Yongyong and I went to bed together.
Originally, I was going to lay out a blanket on the floor and have her sleep there, but I had no choice but to give in to Yongyong’s fierce protest that a woman shouldn’t sleep on a cold floor. (Even though she’s a female animal)
Well…, I figured it wouldn’t matter since my bed was incredibly wide, but…
“Hey, don’t you think you’re sticking too close?”
“…This is the only way I can protect you.”
…Yongyong deliberately stuck right next to me on this wide bed.
I felt some sort of insidious intention from this behavior, but it was true that I felt relieved.
Even if Yongyong seemed a bit sloppy at times, she was an Imugi who had lived for hundreds of years, so she should be able to protect someone like me.
Let’s fight, ghost.
With Yongyong, of course.
“Alright, let’s sleep.”
“Yeah…”
With that, I closed my eyes feeling a bit more comfortable.
“Just don’t touch me.”
“…”
“I said don’t touch me, you snake bitch.”
“Tch.”
Along with the sound of Yongyong clicking her tongue, I gradually fell asleep.
* * *
Flash.
“…”
This time too, I regained consciousness just like yesterday.
But it wasn’t sleep paralysis.
Right now…, my eyes were open, and my body could move.
“Is this…, a dream?”
The place I was standing then was not my room.
A Vast Empty Field was filled with thick fog all around.
As the Malicious Aura spread widely, it didn’t seem like a good dream at a glance.
“Tsk, is it a Heavenly Demon Sword dream again?”
I clicked my tongue and muttered to myself.
“No, what is Yongyong doing? Her Master is having a nightmare. And instead of waking me up!”
“Eh? Muyeon?”
“Huh?”
While I was lamenting for a moment, a voice suddenly came from beside me.
When I turned my head to look…
“Wh-where is this?”
“…Yongyong?”
…There was Yongyong with a bewildered face.
No, why is she here? Wasn’t this my dream?
In that moment of confusion, Yongyong asked me in a questioning voice.
“But, Muyeon, where are you going?”
“…Huh?”
I’m standing still, so where would I be going?
But when I looked closely, the distance between Yongyong and me was indeed gradually widening.
When I looked closely beneath my feet…
“…The one going isn’t me. It’s you?”
…I was just standing on flat ground, but Yongyong was standing on a small rowboat on a river.
Splash-.
Yongyong gradually drifted further away from me, along with the boat being pushed by the splashing river water.
“Ah! Muyeon! Where are you going?”
“Hey, you idiot! I’m not the one going. You are! Ah, no. More importantly, where is the destination of that boat?”
Yongyong gradually disappeared into the fog.
Just looking at it made me anxious; it didn’t seem like the destination of the boat Yongyong was riding would be a good place.
“Yongyong! If you cross that river…!”
It feels like she’s going somewhere bad…?
At that moment.
Flash.
“…!”
With some intuition, I opened my eyes once again.
This time, it wasn’t the Vast Empty Field with a flowing river and thick fog. It was my room.
Swish-!
“…!”
Without even having time to feel that something was Strange, I reached my hand out toward something flying toward me.
And…!
Slash-!
“Ugh…!”
“Kyaaak-!”
I was able To Block the Heavenly Demon Sword that was rushing toward Yongyong’s neck, who had opened her eyes a step later than me.
Drip, drip.
“…”
“…”
…Blood dripped down from my Palm that had grabbed the Heavenly Demon Sword, thrown by an unknown assailant.
Realizing that she had just almost died, Yongyong-i spoke in a trembling voice.
“Mu, Muyeon…, I just…”
“…”
“I underwent Training for hundreds of years, but I almost died without even becoming a dragon…”
“…Tell me about it.”
…And because of a ghost, at that.
Looking at Yongyong-i’s face, which looked like she was about to burst into tears at any moment, I let out a sigh.
“Hey…, this isn’t going to work…”
The Demonic Qi of the Heavenly Demon Sword seemed to be beyond my imagination, enough to easily chew up someone on Yongyong’s level.
Besides…
Drip-.
…It seemed this Heavenly Demon Sword was also quite severely jealous.
* * *
The next morning.
“Great Hero…, the Murim Alliance representatives are visiting once again…”
“…”
It’s not like this is a recurring situation or anything…
With hollow eyes from tossing and turning all night, I immediately nodded.
“Tell them to come to me.”
When I gave the order, my room door burst open along with the sound of urgent footsteps.
Along with this, Dokgo Jun’s now-Familiar face came into view…
“Yo-.”
“…”
I waved the Heavenly Demon Sword at him.
Seeing his extremely flustered expression, I felt a sudden curiosity.
Since I opened the Hunan Mountain Path, how much have I earned in total from tolls?
With countless Merchants coming and going, I had earned quite a lot over the past few months.
But I could be certain.
“How much are you going to buy it for this time?”
“…”
…That the money I made from the Heavenly Demon Sword over the last two days was more than the money I made from the Mountain Path tolls over the past few months.