The Lazy Young Master of the Jin Clan

So Soil and his party arrived at a quiet village.

The small village, where farmers were the main residents, was busy with the villagers preparing for the winter season.

“It’s here.”

The place that So Soil led them to was a small hut.

As if also preparing for the winter season, a man was chopping firewood with an axe on one side of the hut.

Thwack— thwack—!

The man who was chopping wood wiped the sweat from his neck at the sign of people behind him and looked back.

“Ah, it’s been a while. What’s going on?”

“Have you been well?”

“Well… what else can I do?”

“Be grateful that you’re alive.”

The man was someone that Jin Sohyun also knew.

He was Ju O, a martial artist of the Namrangbang and one of the disciples of the Four Daoist Daoist Temple.

He, who was known to be dead, was alive and breathing in a small village.

“In exchange for information about the Namrangbang, I spared his life. Of course, on the condition that he never leaves this village.”

Ju O nodded his head as if he had resigned himself to his fate.

“And these people?”

Beomgang, who did not know Ju O, stood blankly, and Jin Sohyun approached the living Ju O and said.

“I need to know how to handle the Southern Eagles.”

“Who are you?”

“Ju O. Stop being curious about useless things, and do as the young master wishes.”

“…”

Ju O let out a faint sigh and put down his axe.

And then he whistled shortly, and a Southern Eagle came down from the roof of the hut and sat on Ju O’s shoulder.

“Is this a deal?”

As Ju O asked in a subtle tone, So Soil’s eyes narrowed slightly.

If Jin Sohyun and Beomgang were not here, So Soil would not have been able to hold back and would have slapped Ju O’s cheek hard.

As if he knew this, Ju O shrugged his shoulders.

Thanks to that, the Southern Eagle flapped its wings and flew up to sit on the hut.

“Do you want to handle the Southern Eagles?”

“Yeah.”

As Jin Sohyun nodded his head, Ju O smiled faintly.

“I will teach you. In return, please promise me that you will reduce the intensity of the surveillance. At least let me go to the outhouse.”

At Ju O’s plea, which contained a slight hint of desperation, Jin Sohyun looked at So Soil.

“Phew.”

As So Soil nodded his head, Ju O, with a much brighter face, guided the party to the inside of the hut.

“Then please come in.”

***

To handle a beast that could not understand human language, a signal was needed to replace the language.

For this, the Namrangbang had learned how to train the Southern Eagles using a whistle or a flute.

And with this method, they could handle the Southern Eagles like their own limbs.

“So, the first condition for training a Southern Eagle is sound.”

Ju O whistled skillfully.

Depending on the pitch, the Southern Eagle moved as Ju O wanted.

At that mysterious sight, Beomgang watched with his mouth slightly open.

“All the Southern Eagles raised by the Namrangbang can understand the unique whistle sound. So, you should try it too, young master.”

Jin Sohyun, who had nodded his head, confidently pursed his lips.

So Soil and Beomgang, who were watching this, looked at Jin Sohyun with expectant eyes.

Who was he?

Wasn't he a genius who could compete for the number one in the world if you only considered his martial talent?

Of course, he would be able to master the Namrangbang’s training method in one go.

Or so they believed.

Wheee—!

The whistle that burst from Jin Sohyun’s mouth was truly a monstrous sound.

So much so that the startled Southern Eagle flapped its wings and ran away through the small window of the hut.

Ju O, who was covering his ears at the sudden monstrous sound, blinked his eyes.

“Wh-what was that? That monstrous sound just now?”

Jin Sohyun scratched the tip of his nose as if embarrassed.

“It’s difficult.”

“Haha… it’s not something you can learn easily. But it will definitely get better.”

Ju O wanted to teach Jin Sohyun the Southern Eagle training method as quickly as possible, even if it was to get what he wanted.

But they did not know.

That Jin Sohyun had the strange title of the Monstrous Sound Master and was the worst tone-deaf person that even the Heavenly Sound White Flower had given up on.

“Let’s try again!”

***

“Stop… please stop…”

So Soil and Beomgang had already run away.

They had hurriedly left the hut, saying they would look around for a while, and the only ones left in the small hut were Jin Sohyun and Ju O.

Ju O continued his explanation, covering his ears with the cotton he had prepared to make clothes for the winter season.

“No! Why can’t you follow this?”

“Wasn’t it similar?”

“Not at all! I never knew such a terrible sounding whistle existed in the world!”

Ju O was to the point of feeling despair.

That such a tone-deaf person existed in the world.

It was impossible to even whistle properly, let alone the Southern Eagle training method.

Ju O tore his hair and shouted ‘Again!’ with gaunt eyes.

And so, their war-like education continued for two more days.

“Is it going well?”

So Soil, who had returned to the hut after two days, carefully opened the door and was startled.

In the hut, there was Jin Sohyun, who was sulking in a corner, and Ju O, who was lying down with a face like a corpse.

“Are you okay?”

As So Soil asked, Ju O asked with a cracked voice.

“Is this… a new type of torture…? Can’t you just… kill me comfortably?”

‘Is it that bad?’

So Soil, who was looking around, discovered the Southern Eagle, which was tied by its ankle and couldn't run away, and had to listen to Jin Sohyun’s monstrous sound, lying down as if it were dead.

‘Poor fellow.’

So Soil, who had passed the Southern Eagle, which he suspected might actually be dead, approached Jin Sohyun and spoke carefully.

“Young Master Jin. Are you okay?”

“I’m not okay.”

Jin Sohyun, a disciple of the Heavenly Sound White Flower, had his pride greatly hurt.

He had imagined himself coolly calling the Southern Eagle with the Black Snow Fragrance.

But the Southern Eagle had even attacked Jin Sohyun to get rid of the source of the monstrous sound.

“By the way, why are you trying to control the Southern Eagle?”

“I have to chase a carrier pigeon.”

“A carrier pigeon?”

As Jin Sohyun explained about the Hao Sect’s black bamboo, So Soil nodded his head repeatedly with a greatly impressed face.

“Maybe… we can find out where the Heretic Path's Alliance’s main base is!”

So Soil’s face was flushed. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

The reason the Martial Alliance could not move rashly despite all the evil deeds of the Heretic Path's Alliance was.

Because the righteous martial world had not even been able to specify the location of the Heretic Path's Alliance’s main base, let alone find it.

Unlike the Ming Cult, which had its main base in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, the Heretic Path's Alliance had never revealed its main base.

Because of this, the Martial Alliance had tried to find the Heretic Path's Alliance’s main base without sparing any resources.

But all had failed.

Moreover, every time they tried to find the Heretic Path's Alliance’s main base, the precious martial artists of the Martial Alliance, including the Hidden Shadow Unit, had died in droves.

But now, a golden opportunity had appeared before him.

If the black bamboo he had received from the Hao Sect could only reach the Heretic Path's Alliance.

He might be able to find the location of the Heretic Path's Alliance, which he had longed for for a very long time.

“This is not the time for this!”

So Soil roughly shook the fainted Ju O and woke him up.

“Ju O! Get a grip!”

“Great… Great Master…”

“Hurry and teach Young Master Jin! Right now! You have to teach him, no matter what!”

Ju O knelt on both knees and said firmly.

“I’d rather you just kill me.”

“I refuse. You have to teach Young Master Jin.”

“I’d rather die!”

While So Soil and Ju O were bickering, Beomgang, who had been outside, returned.

He discovered Jin Sohyun, who was squatting in a corner, and So Soil, who was fighting with Ju O.

“What on earth is going on here?”

Beomgang, who was blinking his eyes, listened to their conversation and then said as if he didn't understand.

“If that’s the case, can’t you just take that man, Ju O, with you?”

At Beomgang’s question, So Soil, who was grabbing Ju O’s collar and shaking him, stopped his movement.

At the same time, the three looked at Beomgang.

The flustered Beomgang hesitated and said.

“Did I… say something wrong?”

***

Jin Sohyun, So Soil, Beomgang, and Ju O got into the carriage.

And with them, the Southern Eagle was loaded onto the carriage with its feet tied.

The Southern Eagle had its eyes and ears covered, a measure that had to be taken because it would have a fit every time it saw Jin Sohyun.

“So, I just have to chase the carrier pigeon?”

As Ju O asked, stroking the Southern Eagle’s head, Jin Sohyun nodded his head.

“He’ll probably switch carrier pigeons several times. The Southern Eagle has to follow without losing it.”

At Jin Sohyun’s explanation, Ju O’s face turned black.

“Does that mean… I have to get close to the carrier pigeon tower that the Heretic Path's Alliance has hidden?”

“That’s probably what you’ll have to do.”

“…”

Ju O closed his eyes tightly.

He had left the hut, thinking that he would really die if he stayed there.

But now he was really going to die.

“Can I… live?”

As Ju O asked, Jin Sohyun nodded his head.

“Brother Beom will protect you. So don’t worry.”

Ju O looked at Beomgang with a suspicious face and then let out a deep sigh.

Anyway, he couldn't back out now.

Ju O said, stroking the Southern Eagle’s head.

“I’ll try.”

***

Thud—! Thud—!

The men who were eating the not-yet-fully-cooked meat stared at the man in front of them with still-hungry eyes.

“You still haven’t found out.”

At the question of the man with the smallest build among them, the man with the purple mask bowed his head deeply and said.

“I-I’ll find out soon. If you just wait a little…”

“I’ve already waited a lot. You.”

The man said.

“Are useless.”

“W-wait a minute…!”

“Eat him.”

As if they had been waiting for the man’s order, the men raised their curved swords with hook-shaped blades and rushed at the man with the purple mask.

“Ugh… aaargh!!”

A scream followed, and a terrible, monstrous sound of skin being torn echoed.

Thud—!

The man who had stabbed the meat with his curved sword and put it in his mouth to chew and swallow.

Mangryang’s eyes swept over the trembling people.

“Are you also useless?”

“…No, sir!”

They knew well what they had to do to survive.

And for this.

‘I have to send an urgent report to the Sect Master!’

They moved busily to send an urgent report.

Mangryang, who was indifferently watching the monsters who were eating the Jamyeonjiju alive, stood up.

His hunger had not yet subsided.

***

“A strange person, a cannibal.”

The Hao Sect Master, Wiso, checked the letter that had flown in as an urgent report and moistened his throat with tea.

“What other monsters have they raised…”

Wiso was the head of the Hao Sect, who controlled all the information in the Central Plains along with the Beggars' Sect, but even he did not know all of the true power that the Heretic Path's Alliance held.

In the first place, what the Heretic Path's Alliance controlled were the heretic sects belonging to the heretic path.

The Heretic Path's Alliance had never once revealed its true power.

At most, the only swords of the Heretic Path's Alliance that were known to the outside were the ten-man squad directly under the leader and the Blood-Sucking Sword Demon, Ma Seongun.

And now.

Another sword of the Heretic Path's Alliance had appeared to find Jin Sohyun.

No.

“Did they release real monsters to catch a monster.”

They had attacked the few remaining branches of the Hao Sect, killed the branch lord, Jamyeonjiju, and had eaten his corpse.

At the appearance of beings that he could not grasp at all, Wiso was lost in thought for a moment.

On the chessboard in his mind, the chess pieces moved chaotically.

“In the end, it doesn’t matter who holds the hegemony.”

Wiso moved the two chess pieces, which were moving busily to aim for each other’s generals, at the same time.

“What’s truly important is who survives.”

The chess pieces on the chessboard approached each other.

But the chess pieces did not know.

Where they were headed.

(End of Chapter)