Chapter 262 – Survival of the Fittest (6)

I informed Muryeong, the leader of the martial arts world, that I would go to a place where there were traces of Heuk Rang’s presence. He panicked and tried to stop me.

“Think again. If by any chance, Cheonma falls victim to that bizarre sorcery…!”

“Don’t worry! When I reach the state of Hyun Gyeong, my determination will be ingrained in every action. Even subconsciously, I will be able to resist sorcery.”

According to Hong Yeonhwa, the level of martial arts is determined by how well the mind, energy, and body are harmonized. And Hyun Gyeong is the state where these three become one.

Thanks to the pillar of determination, a skill of the Muryeong Divine Martial Arts, I am less affected by external influences. So why would Hong Yeonhwa worry?

“Well… still…”

“To cast sorcery on me, one must either have my permission or be at a higher level than me. There’s no way that person can escape, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

“But why sorcery? We don’t even know what kind of bizarre trick they might use…”

“Ugh! So what level are you at? Do you even know what level Hyun Gyeong is compared to me? Huh? Is that it?”

“….”

Muryeong, dumbfounded by Hong Yeonhwa’s question, looked at me with a helpless expression as if asking for help. But there’s nothing I can do.

I shook my head silently, and Muryeong finally nodded with a bitter smile.

I feel a little sorry.

***

Samamang left it at home because he’s going to be busy from now on, so the four of us set off.

Since Hong Yeonhwa is in her prime, we have enough power.

Anyway, we arrived at Jungsuchon, a small village in Honam Province.

The distance itself was close, but after hearing various information, it was already time for the sunset.

“Is this the place where that bastard is? It looks too ordinary…”

“That’s why it’s scary. They manipulate the mind itself, so they can’t even realize their own abnormalities. And that’s why outsiders who look at them can’t feel any discomfort.”

Hong Yeonhwa was right.

Since they have taken control with the Subhun technique, it may not be at the level of a pseudo-religious village, but I expected it to feel a little awkward.

But no matter how I look at it, this is just an ordinary rural village with a small river.

If that’s the case, we should approach naturally as well.

Hong Yeonhwa is concealing our momentum by controlling the surrounding energy, but if there is any disturbance, that guy might notice.

Even if I try to escape, I won’t be able to get away from Hong Yeonhwa… but if by any chance he gives some kind of self-harm command to the surrounding villagers, it will be very difficult.

Using this as a bargaining chip and trying to escape would be even more difficult.

So we need to be more certain and subdue them in one go.

After looking around for a moment, I approached the closest elderly man in the village.

“Excuse me, sir. Can I bother you for a moment?”

“Yes? Are you talking to me?”

An outsider suddenly appeared. Moreover, it was a martial artist who seemed suspicious at first glance, causing the old man to tense up.

To let him know that we are harmless, I smiled as brightly as possible and spoke.

“Yes, sir. It’s just that we were thinking of staying here for a night. Do you happen to know where we can find an inn?”

“An inn, you say…”

The old man remained cautious even in the face of my sincere smile.

“Yes! Originally, we planned to rest in a city on the other side of the river… but we got lost and ended up wandering a bit.”

“Oh, poor young lady, your legs must be tired. If there is no inn, can I introduce you to someone who can offer a spare house or room? Of course, there will be a fee to consider.”

“Oh dear, I didn’t know about that… hehe.”

But as Pungsoso and Hong Yeonhwa spoke kindly, the old man immediately put on a friendly smile.

It was a warm smile, as if seeing a beloved granddaughter, without a trace of suspicion.

Such discrimination against people.

Just as I was starting to feel a little upset, the old man scratched his short beard and examined our attire.

“Hmm… This village is so small that there is no inn. It’s not that there are no spare houses or rooms… but they are quite humble. It might not be enough for the martial artists like you to stay. However, there is a way.”

“A way, you say?”

“Our village chief is wealthy unlike us.”

The old man’s following words were nothing short of praise towards the village chief.

Almost half of the land in this village belongs to the village chief, and most of the villagers live as tenant farmers on that land.

They receive a small share of the harvest and are provided with rice to feed themselves during droughts.

He knows a lot and solves problems in the village when they arise.

Perhaps because he was a martial artist in his youth, he is strong and looks young at first glance.

It feels like he is a kind-hearted retired martial artist who leads a successful life in his old age, carrying bags of money.

The other people around, who were hesitant before, also nodded their heads, indicating that he is truly a respected person.

However, all of this is a lie.

According to the investigation conducted by Dae Young Ban using his authority, there are no outstanding wealthy individuals in this village, and everyone was living modestly.

At least until last year.

However, the people in this village firmly believe that they live well and eat well thanks to the respected village chief.

Interestingly, whenever an outsider tries to stay, they always try to drag them to the chief’s house.

They couldn’t find the Agui mask, and they didn’t know what Hyeok Rang Seo’s face looked like… but the timing of his disappearance and the strange occurrences in Jungsu Village.

And various pieces of information, such as the thief’s physique that he secretly observed from a distance matching the testimony about Hyeok Rang Seo, led to the conclusion.

Dae Young Ban concluded that there was a high probability that the unidentified chief was Hyeok Rang Seo.

If a little more time had passed, and if the officials who came with the same suspicions had all fallen victim to the marriage potion.

At that time, the false setting of the thief would have become real, allowing him to blend back into this world.

Thinking that this time was really lucky, I followed the old man and soon arrived at a mansion.

It was just slightly larger than the other houses in Jungsu Village, nothing special… but there was something unfamiliar about it.

Samayeryeong, perhaps sensing what I felt, called Hong Yeonhwa with a surprised expression and spoke in a low voice.

“Yeonhwa, sis, this…”

“Hmm. I feel it too. I’m not sure exactly what it is.”

“Longing, seduction, illusion, unease, detachment… and all sorts of techniques that are perfect for destroying someone’s mind.”

Each one caused a slight disharmony in the surrounding energy, inducing discomfort.

However, when they were all brought together, Samayeryeong said that they formed a powerful technique that could shatter one’s mind.

“If I were to enter there, Yeonhwa or Jinrang might not be affected, but So So or I would suffer a great blow. If there is someone inside who is unharmed…”

“They must be the one who set up the technique or someone whose mind has already been shattered. But don’t worry. This level is something I can break through with a single strike.”

Samayeryeong looked at Hong Yeonhwa with a puzzled expression, as if she couldn’t believe that she could break through such a meticulously crafted technique with a single punch.

No, she was just surprised by the idea that she could break through such a meticulously crafted technique with a single punch.

But before I could explain anything, we arrived at Hyeok Rang Seo’s house.

Thump thump thump!

“Village Chief! Are you there?”

As soon as the old man who was leading the way knocked on the door, it opened shortly after.

Creak.

“What’s the matter?”

The person who came out from behind the door was a young woman with a pretty face.

However, she was dressed in a more revealing outfit than any ordinary prostitute, only covering the essential parts.

Upon closer inspection, I noticed several women who looked similar to her peeking through the crack in the door.

Could it be the influence of Jinbeop? I finally realized that I couldn’t sense any presence from inside.

Could they all be the women of this village?

Come to think of it, I hardly saw any young women on the way here.

It wasn’t difficult to guess why they were dressed like that and why they were inside this house.

“…Let’s go in.”

“Control your strength.”

“What? You should be the one who’s prepared.”

Following Hong Yeonhwa’s words, I summoned my Mueryeong Shin Gong while the old man and the woman were engaged in conversation.

A moment of focus. And a surge of energy that felt almost omnipotent coursing through my entire body.

Hong Yeonhwa took a step forward, raising her arm high behind her back.

Releasing the power she had been hiding until now in one swift motion, a black aura wrapped around Hong Yeonhwa’s forearm.

With an eerie intensity that seemed to have sliced through a demon’s arm, all eyes were fixed on Hong Yeonhwa.

“Hup!”

Hong Yeonhwa threw her fist forward.

But at an angle, slightly upwards.

Crack!!!

A swirling black vortex crashed through the front door, colliding with something in mid-air as if in a clash.

Just for a moment.

Shriiiing!!

The invisible force that shattered something disappeared, blowing away half of the remaining house and vanishing into the sky.

Through the debris, the interior of the house came into view.

Eighteen women and a bewildered middle-aged man in the midst of their nudity.

As soon as I spotted him, I drew my sword.

Woong.

And without hesitation, I swung it, releasing a blinding white light.

“Split in half… no, die in half!”