Chapter 119
How long had he screamed?
Urgh...
Danmok Cheol trembled all over as he pressed his acupoints to stop the bleeding.
Otherwise, he would soon die from blood loss.
Soon, Danmok Cheol glared at Yeo Un-hwi with bloodshot eyes, enduring terrible pain.
How dare you! How dare you do this to me, the head of the Danmok Clan! Do you think you'll be safe after this? The Murim Alliance! The Nine Sects One Alliance won't stand idly by!
Oh, is that so? You must be close with them. That's fortunate. I'm not too fond of those people either.
You insolent...!
But, you know, if no one ever finds out, that's the end of it, isn't it?
W-what? Are you saying you'll silence me?
Correct.
*Slice.*
In that moment, Danmok Cheol felt a strange sensation.
What was this? An incomprehensible scene unfolded before his eyes in an instant.
He could see his own body lying far away in his field of vision.
How could this be possible?
What was... Ah! I see. I'm already...
Only then did Danmok Cheol realize.
His head had already been severed.
"Kyaaaaaaah!"
As Danmok Cheol's head fell to the ground, Danmok Hwaryeon screamed.
F-Father! You're insane! How could someone claiming to be from the Orthodox Faction commit such a horrific act!
Kuk, Orthodox Faction? Who said that? I'm not part of the Orthodox Faction. Well, I'm not part of the Demonic Faction either, and certainly not the Demonic Cult.
What do you...!
Danmok Hwaryeon's face twisted in confusion at the incomprehensible words uttered by the son-in-law of the Peng Family.
Soon, Yeo Un-hwi smiled once more.
But to Danmok Hwaryeon, that smile was utterly chilling.
Why are you going this far? What mortal sin have we committed!
Why? You've committed plenty. Mortal sins, that is.
Danmok Hwaryeon's face froze at Yeo Un-hwi's words, as if he knew everything.
Naturally, the secrets she and her clan had hidden from the world flashed through her mind.
But Danmok Hwaryeon soon shook her head.
No. There's no way this man could know. Absolutely not.
There's no way those things could have leaked out!
Well, insulting the Peng Family and my wife, and trying to put them in danger, is certainly enough of a mortal sin. But there's more, isn't there?
W-what are you talking about?
Playing dumb till the end, I see. Fine. Alright. If you can't remember, I'll tell you myself.
In truth, Yeo Un-hwi didn't care how Danmok Hwaryeon responded.
What mattered was that he knew everything.
The terrible secrets she and her clan, the Danmok Clan, had hidden remained.
You pretended to lend money to ordinary people without conditions, then charged snowballing interest to steal their property and land, didn't you? You even sold children as slaves. The wealth you've amassed that way is quite substantial.
Danmok Hwaryeon's eyes widened to the point of tearing.
She couldn't believe it.
That was a secret that had been carefully hidden within the Danmok Clan alone.
Moreover, all of those activities had been carried out under the name of a different organization, not the Danmok Clan.
That was the reason the Danmok Clan had been able to quickly recover their fortunes, unlike the Moyong Clan.
It wasn't just Danmok Cheol who had committed these acts.
Danmok Hwaryeon had committed countless even worse deeds along with her father, too.
Without anyone knowing, even within their clan.
T-that was unavoidable to restore our clan!
Cut the bullshit. It's not even worth listening to.
Yeo Un-hwi slowly approached Danmok Hwaryeon, further opening his aura.
Kuk, urgh... cough.
Danmok Hwaryeon staggered and gasped.
The tremendous pressure emanating from Yeo Un-hwi made it difficult to even breathe.
It was truly an overwhelming presence.
Danmok Hwaryeon had never encountered such an absolute being in her life.
No one else could compare to the pressure she felt.
Not even the heads of the Five Great Families who were among the Ten Great Masters, nor even the Murim Alliance Leader, was an exception.
Where on earth did such a monster come from?
But she had no time for such thoughts.
Yeo Un-hwi had already come right in front of her.
Terrified, Danmok Hwaryeon screamed as she stumbled backward with a pale face.
S-stay away! I, I want to live! I want to live!
No. There are more people who would be happy if you died than if you lived. I'm one of them. So, now, just die.
Yeo Un-hwi slowly raised his sword.
Kyaaah! No!
Thinking it was the end, Danmok Hwaryeon covered her head with her hands and squeezed her eyes shut.
Where had it all gone wrong?
Her life had been perfect.
At that moment, someone came to mind.
A woman with an incomparably radiant smile and warmth.
'Peng Seo-yeon.'
Danmok Hwaryeon despised her terribly.
Everything about her, so different from herself, was abhorrent.
She seemed to truly shine, receiving everyone's love without even trying.
She smiled as if she knew nothing of the world's filth, pretending to be clean and noble all on her own.
'That's right, it's because of you. If it weren't for you...'
Danmok Hwaryeon never realized her own faults until the very end.
And then,
*Slice.*
With that, her consciousness faded away.
***
Yeo Un-hwi returned to the Namgung Family not long after.
Only the White Wolf Unit and Peng Seo-jin knew of his absence.
But no one asked him about it.
They seemed to have an inkling of what had happened. So they were afraid to ask carelessly.
Besides, there were many ears here, so it was better to wait and ask after returning to the Peng Family.
As the White Wolf Unit and Peng Seo-jin watched him cautiously, Yeo Un-hwi smirked.
He had just returned from completely disposing of the bodies and all traces.
So that no one, no matter who looked, could ever recognize them.
Unlike the masters of the Golden Manor, whose bodies could be found openly without concern, the Danmok Clan's members were not.
If their bodies were discovered, it would cause problems.
And this was near the Namgung Family, where the Five Great Families' gathering was being held.
It was necessary to take measures to ensure no evidence remained, to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings.
No one would ever know what had happened there, even after a long time had passed.
And so, the head of the Danmok Clan, his daughter, and all the others had simply vanished without a trace.
Wahahahaha! You bastard! Are you already drunk?
I'm not... Who's drunk! *Hic!*
Oh my! Hey, before this guy gets up and starts dancing again, just make him drink more and lie down. If we let him dance, we won't be able to show our faces tomorrow out of embarrassment!
What? Are you insulting my dancing skills? Want me to show you properly? *Hic!*
Ugh, hey! Give him more alcohol quickly! Just shove it in his mouth!
The first day's lively banquet was nearing its end.
After its behavior was briefly observed, the White Wolf Unit was once again noisily drinking and having fun. Watching them, Yeo Un-hwi also took a sip from his cup with a light smile.
Just then,
Hello. You must be the commander of the White Wolf Unit?
As he turned his head, a tall, handsome man was standing there.
It was a familiar face.
He was quite famous, after all.
He was Namgung Sang-hyeok, the Heavenly Dragon, one of the Six Dragons.
I have something to discuss with you for a moment.
He smiled at Yeo Un-hwi.
***
The next day.
The members of the White Wolf Unit gathered in the open space in front of their lodgings from early morning.
And they were all dressed neatly.
Why?
It was because the entire White Wolf Unit had received a separate invitation.
From none other than the head of the Namgung Family, the Sword Emperor Namgung Hwan.
That was the reason Namgung Sang-hyeok had come to visit the night before.
But for some reason, Peng Do-hwan looked extremely nervous among the lined-up White Wolf Unit members.
Gu Tae-san, looking puzzled at Peng Do-hwan's state, asked,
Why do you look so pale? Are you going to your death or something?
Well... doesn't this feel a bit ominous?
What does that mean? We're going because we were invited. What's ominous about that?
I know, but this is the Namgung Family we're talking about. They're famous for their pride, you know. I feel like what they're thinking probably isn't ordinary.
What if it's not ordinary?
The other White Wolf Unit members, including O Chae-mu, who had been listening to their conversation, joined in.
Peng Do-hwan stroked his chin with a serious expression and said,
Why do you think the Namgung Family called us?
Well, because of the Extreme Evil Laughing Demon incident, of course.
Right. They probably want to thank us.
At the words of the Gi-su and Gi-sang brothers, Peng Do-hwan let out a deep sigh.
If that's the case, it would be fortunate.
Hm? What do you mean?
Do you really think they'll simply thank us for avenging them? What if they're angry that we stole the revenge they've been grinding their teeth for all this time, and pick a fight with us instead?
Normally, one would be grateful, with a common way of thinking, if someone killed one's mortal enemy on one's behalf.
But that's just how most people would react; there are always those who interpret the same situation differently.
Moreover, aren't martial artists all a bunch of eccentrics?
Among them, the Namgung Family was one of the strongest clans that had long reigned over the martial world, a martial artist among martial artists.
Peng Do-hwan thought it would be foolish to hastily assume how such people would react.
Hmm.
The other White Wolf Unit members, who had been thinking simply, now wore serious expressions.
It was a reasonable point.
They all started to become afraid of the Namgung Family's invitation.
Is it really okay to just go like this?
What if they cut off our heads or something?
Do-gyeong, who was next to them, smacked the back of their heads at the exaggerated words of the Gi-su and Gi-sang brothers.
Use your brain. No matter what, why would they cut off our heads? Are we the Extreme Evil Laughing Demon?
Right. Surely they wouldn't go that far.
Then why are they calling us separately? It's scary.
Hmm.
Everyone started trembling at the anxiety Peng Do-hwan had spread.
It was the same for O Chae-mu and Gu Tae-san.
Having seen all sorts of strange people, they perhaps found such a reaction natural.
Just then,
Haha. You're all worrying too much.
Yeo Un-hwi appeared late, laughing.
He seemed to have heard the conversation the White Wolf Unit members had shared.
Commander.
Yes, did you all sleep well?
Yes. We all passed out after drinking so much.
Though they had intended to drink moderately, after the Danmok Clan had stirred up the atmosphere like that, the alcohol went down even more smoothly.
Seeing Yeo Un-hwi, who had disappeared briefly and returned, made them feel a bit more sober, but being simple-minded, they quickly forgot and continued drinking heavily.-hwi-hwi-hwi, who had disappeared briefly and returned, made them feel a bit more sober, but being simple-minded, they quickly forgot and continued drinking heavily.
Anyway,
By the way, what do you think, Commander?
About the Namgung Family's invitation?
Yes. I still feel uneasy about it.
Your concerns might be right, or they might be wrong. But what's the use in worrying about it now?
Yeo Un-hwi said with a smile.
It was all by chance, but it's a fact—our encounter with the Extreme Evil Laughing Demon at that mountain stronghold, our fight with him, and beheading him. And it's not something to be ashamed of, but rather something to be proud of. Isn't that right?
Yes, that's correct.
At the time, only Peng Do-hwan had not been present among the White Wolf Unit members.
That's why he could speak more confidently.
Beheading the Extreme Evil Laughing Demon was certainly an achievement worthy of praise from anyone.
Then whether they thank us for it or question us, we have no reason to worry. We didn't do anything shameful. Moreover, we didn't even know the Extreme Evil Laughing Demon's whereabouts or target him intentionally. Right?
That's right.
So even if they criticize us for stealing their revenge, we have no reason to cower. And if they are the Namgung Family, we are the White Wolf Unit that protects the Peng Family. There's no reason at all to feel intimidated. So, everyone, stand tall.
At Yeo Un-hwi's words, the anxiety that had gripped the White Wolf Unit completely dissipated.-hwi-hwi-hwi's words, the anxiety that had gripped the White Wolf Unit completely dissipated.
Rather, their hearts began to burn with pride once again.
That's right. If they are the Namgung Family, we are the Hebei Peng Family.
If we've done nothing wrong, it's right to face them with dignity.
Seeing the renewed look in the eyes of the White Wolf Unit members, Yeo Un-hwi smiled.
I spoke out of turn.
Useless worries are bad for your health. Try to break the habit of fearing things that haven't even happened yet.
Yes, Commander.
As Yeo Un-hwi patted the shoulder of the embarrassed Peng Do-hwan, he nodded vigorously.-hwi-hwi-hwi Yeo Un-hwi patted shoulder of the embarrassed Peng Do-hwan, he nodded vigorously.
Well then, shall we go?
"Yes!"
Soon, with Yeo Un-hwi at the lead, the White Wolf Unit began to move.
Their destination was the Family Head's Hall of the Namgung Family.