Chapter 1551: Well, Which Side? (Part 1)

"Aaargh!"

A desperate scream erupted.

A merciless blade, devoid of mercy, ruthlessly slashed through the back of a person protecting his wife. In an instant, it pierced the shoulder of a woman holding her child.

"Kill them!"

This gruesome scene might have even surpassed the calculations of the one who orchestrated it all. Such uncontrollable madness overflowed.

The Evil Sect. Those who do not hesitate to covet others' possessions, feel no shame in unjust acts, and consider the belongings of the weak as rightfully theirs.

There was no other reason for them to choose the path of evil. Isn't it common for anyone to pursue their desires, and the path to achieve it is not always righteous?

They embraced the name of "evil" because they had not attempted to control the desires inherent in every human. That's why such incidents were not uncommon for those who chose the path of evil—to avoid suppressing their urges.

Ironically, in recent years, they had to restrain themselves precisely because they were of the Evil Sect.

All because of Jang Ilso's oppression.

Jang Ilso, the one who thoroughly dominated Gangnam and trampled over the formidable Ten Great Sects. The fear he instilled reached the righteous sects, but it wasn't as intense as what those affiliated with the evil sects felt.

"Huhuhahaha! They're running well!"

To survive under Jang Ilso's tyranny, they had to endure and stay silent. They couldn't lift a finger against those insects they could easily destroy.

The past few years had been hell for those who used to easily pillage and plunder. The vicious nature that had been suppressed for so long finally exploded in this lawless land of Gangbuk.

"Aaargh!"

Another person, driving a blade into the fleeing individual, turned around with bloodshot eyes.

"Here! There's grain here."

Some were looting the village storehouses, while others wielded their knives, holding the screaming women by their hair.

Jonghyo's (宗效) lips curled into a sinister smile as he watched the unfolding chaos. The spreading fire was mesmerizing. It was reminiscent of a play, or perhaps even more dazzling.

"....Leader, isn't this too much?"

A subordinate cautiously asked, approaching at that moment. Jonghyo's head turned slightly, displeasure evident on his face.

This used to be as common as everyday meals, but just because they had endured for a few years, they had become weak-hearted.

"The Yangtze River might be quite a while away, but we're still in Gangbuk. If the Ten Great Sects hear about this, and those righteous sects decide to come..."

"You fool!"

Jonghyo scolded fiercely.

"If those righteous sects guys were coming, they would have arrived by now! Do you think it makes sense for them to let us come this far and only show up later?"

"Well, that's true, but..."

"But this bastard!"

Jonghyo delivered a swift kick to his subordinate's chest. The man groaned weakly, looking up at Jonghyo with a frightened face.

"Don't just be scared! If those righteous fools had been making noise, the world wouldn't have split into two like this. Gathering all the power, weak or strong, and smashing the Evil Tyrant Alliance would have happened sooner!"

"...."

"So stop your useless talk and do as you're told!"

"Yes! Yes, Leader!"

The subordinate rushed off. Jonghyo, watching his retreating figure, clicked his tongue.

"Tsk."

It was said people purposely chose to live the way they are, knowing that having a high position means more annoyances. But those idiots were different. They would only be fools for their entire lives.

Ignoring his subordinate, Jonghyo turned his attention to the burning village and the bodies strewn about.

Righteousness? If such a thing really existed in the world, would he still be alive? The fact that he was alive was evidence that there was no righteousness.

Of course, the King of the Underworld might not forgive him, but at least in this world, there wouldn't be anyone coming to punish him for causing chaos.

At that moment, in the distance, he noticed the figure of a child running desperately. A maniacal laughter escaped his lips.

"Haha."

Swoosh.

Jonghyo's hand, gripping the blade, exerted force.

His feet pressed against the ground with enough to make a dent and propelled himself forward. The hand that had been tightly pulled back was swiftly extended forward.

Whooosh!

The blade, rotating at a terrifying speed, shot towards the child's back with a ferocious momentum. It seemed ready to shred the small and slender body into pieces.

Just as the blade was about to reach the child, Jonghyo's Adam's apple moved noticeably.

At that moment, the child, sensing the impending danger, turned to look back. In those small, innocent eyes, a momentary despair was reflected—a sight that could only be seen in that brief instant.

A shiver ran down Jonghyo's spine. 

"Kaaaah!" 

However, the spectacle he had anticipated was suddenly shattered. The sword he had thrown, weighing perhaps not a hundred kilograms but at least thirty kilograms of solid iron, literally exploded into pieces, scattering like fireworks.

Jonghyo's eyes widened in disbelief. It was beyond comprehension. What kind of event could cause his heavy sword to shatter into fragments like a fragile porcelain vase?

"What...?"

Suddenly, someone with the appearance of a beast-like figure grabbed Jonghyo and slammed him into reality.

"This fucking bastard!"

Where the fleeing child had been, a sturdy young man had appeared. With curly hair and dressed in a black robe, his eyes exuded intense anger. In his arms, a limp child hung.

'When...?'

Clearly, Jonghyo hadn't felt any presence. How did someone suddenly appear and block his sword?

But there was no time to ponder deeply.

"Aaargh!"

"Ahhhhhhh!"

Screams erupted from all directions simultaneously. Even without turning his head, Jonghyo knew it wasn't the cries of commoners. Sure enough, looking around, his subordinates were being overpowered and slaughtered by newcomers.

"These damn bastards!"

"Is this what it means to use the noose and commit such acts!" 

The chests of the men, wielding their swords mercilessly, bore plum blossom patterns.

The moment that pattern caught Jonghyo's eye, his feet moved faster than his head.

'Run...'

But there was something faster than his feet.

Whoosh!

Jonghyo took a breath. His hand, instinctively raised, was now entwined with a sword.

Although he experienced excruciating pain, his instincts managed to prevent the blade from piercing through his head.

Yet, he soon realized this wasn't a better outcome.

"S-stop..."

The sword that had penetrated his defenses relentlessly pushed towards his face.

"Hng!"

Jonghyo urgently mobilized all the strength in his remaining arm to grasp the blade.

Whoosh!

A chilling aura surrounded the sword, and it mercilessly cut through Jonghyo's arm into his face.

"Ugh!"

Gradually retreating, Jonghyo sat down, the sword still stuck in his hand.

The tip of the blade was right in front of his nose. Fear was written across his face.

If someone had witnessed this scene from afar, they might have thought it was the spectacle of a convicted criminal with both hands tied, undergoing a public execution.

"Let..live..."

"...I."

Then, an unexpectedly youthful and composed voice brushed past Jonghyo's ears. Only now did he properly see the face of the person aiming the sword at him.

It wasn't the curly-haired swordsman from before.

It was a man with narrow eyes and a bun on top of his neatly tied hair.

He had the appearance of a typical young Taoist, but his eyes were unbelievably cold, lacking the warmth typically associated with Taoists.

"I actually didn't like the ways of those who cruelly kill people."

'What... what is he saying...?'

"Those who commit sins should, of course, receive punishment, but I believed that excessively cruel punishments ultimately amounted to the anger of the powerful."

Jonghyo's face, distorted by fear and pain, showed signs of confusion. He couldn't understand what the man was talking about.

"But... now that I'm in a position to administer punishment, I find myself having such thoughts. Isn't it too much to expect that all the sins you've committed can be atoned for by a simple death? If a person is worth one life, then the number of lives you've taken have surely exceeded hundreds."

The paused sword resumed its slow, but certain movement.

"Hee, heeek!"

Jonghyo desperately clutched the sword that pierced his hand. Horrifying sounds accompanied the pain resembling being impaled, yet he couldn't let go of his hand.

However, the young Taoist, as if deeming Jonghyo's desperate struggles worthless, kept moving the sword. Excruciatingly slow, yet undeniably certain.

"Save..."

"I know. A Taoist's duty is to console the spirits. It is to respect and care for the deceased, not to punish the evildoers. What I am doing now clearly deviates from the proper role of a Taoist."

The young Taoist's eyes seemed to be directed towards Jonghyo, but strangely, it felt like he was looking at something beyond.

Jonghyo found this individual too eerie and frightening.

"Huh... ugh! Aaargh!"

Whoosh!

Eventually, the sword pierced his skin and delved into his head. Blood flowed profusely, and tears streamed down Jonghyo's eyes, which had never shown mercy.

"Save me, please! Please save m..."

However, the sword remained calm, never pausing for a moment.

"Scrrrch..."

Finally, the indifferent sword that penetrated the head was firmly planted into the ground.

Yoon Jong pulled out the sword from the momentarily twitching body. Then, as if cleaning off something dirty, he swiftly flicked off the blood.

"Rot here. Because you don't even qualify to be buried."

Leaving behind words colder than his eyes, Yoon Jong left the corpse behind.

"Sahyung..."

Then, with a worried look in his eyes, Jo Gol stared at him.

"What about them?"

"I've subdued them a little while ago. There..."

Pointing to the direction Jo Gol indicated, he saw his martial brothers dragging those who had surrendered.

Yoon Jong's eyes blinked.

"What are you doing?"

"Well? First, we need to..."

"Escort them, perhaps?"

In the face of Yoon Jong's stern rebuke, Jo Gol was bewildered.

"N-No, but we can't kill those who don't resist, right?"

Yoon Jong silently looked at those detained. Something about them displeased him.

"While you hesitate like this, another person is dying. All the while showing mercy to those bastards."

"S-Sahyung."

Holding the sword, Yoon Jong stepped closer to them.

For a moment, Jo Gol felt an ominous feeling as he quickly followed suit...

"Sahyung!"

Swish!

Yoon Jong's sword had already slashed through the air. And he immediately broke the Dantian of the Evil Sect members being dragged in and severed their tendons and arteries.

The disciples who were holding the Evil Sect members were momentarily shocked. Jo Gol also stopped in his tracks.

"Gaaaaaaah!"

The Evil Sect members, unable to overcome the agony, foamed at the mouth and fainted. When they opened their eyes, a life worse than death was before them.

A look of despair crossed Jo Gol's face. Of course, it was fortunate that they were not beheaded as feared, but still, this...

"Muzzle them."

"S-Sahyung?"

"If you're not going to kill them, make sure they can't open their mouths. The ones who are left who will sort them out."

The disciples nodded in silence.

If there was time, they would've thoroughly dealt with them and moved on. However, they didn't have time for that now. After all, they had stumbled upon this place by chance on their way to their destination.

So, it could be seen as a rational and neat order.

Just... the fact that it was Yoon Jong who gave the order bothered Jo Gol.

"Sahyung. But..."

"Enough."

Yoon Jong cut off Jo Gol's words sharply. Then, he silently looked at the child in Jo Gol's arms for a moment.

Soon, he turned coldly.

"Organize everything and move out. We will leave immediately."

"B-But what about the injured..."

"Do emergency treatment. Those who will live will live."

"No! What kind of..."

"Are you okay with others dying?"

Yoon Jong's cold words left Jo Gol momentarily speechless.

"..."

"Sort it out."

"Y-Yes."

Yoon Jong distanced himself. As Jo Gol stared intently at his back, a sigh escaped his lips.

'Sahyung.'

It was rational and swift. There was no room for disagreement.

However, why was it so? The fact that all those actions resembled the person whom Yoon Jong avoided the most at this moment.

Even...even the retreating figure felt unsettling to him.

Jo Gol's eyes, watching Yoon Jong's back, wavered as if anxious.