Chronicles of the Martial God’s Return - Chapter 20

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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From early morning, the County Office erupted into chaos.
Most of the prisoners held there had been slaughtered, and those who survived were found in such dire straits that death seemed mere moments away.
Though there was no sign of any forced entry, the County Magistrate himself had vanished, and search parties were hastily assembled, filling Akyang with commotion and cries.
“The Black Sword Society dogs again, no doubt about it.”
“Tsk, tsk. Poor County Magistrate. He’s probably a corpse somewhere by now.”
“Bah! Don’t speak like that. Have you forgotten how extraordinary he is? He foresaw exactly what those Black Sword Society vermin would do, and still he ordered their eradication—didn’t he?”
Others nodded in agreement at this.
The mere fact that a County Magistrate—not even a martial artist—had accomplished what no one else could do meant Hong Won-chang’s fame could only soar to the heavens.
Because of this, people took it upon themselves to search for him. They had no wish to see such an upright magistrate perish simply for daring to touch the Black Sword Society and issuing an eradication order.

***

At that same hour, about one hour’s travel west of Akyang, at the Manor, Hwa So-mi had risen early and stood in the courtyard with a vacant expression.
It was not that she had not yet woken properly.
The person before her eyes was simply strange to her.
……
“Haha, ah, good morning to you.”
A stranger.
That was Hwa So-mi’s thought as she quietly sought out Dan Woo-hyun, and the moment she spotted his figure in the distance, she found herself sprinting forward and ducking behind his back.
“Ha, haha……”
Hong Won-chang laughed awkwardly.
‘So this is the benefactor’s daughter.’
With that thought, he could see a resemblance in some indefinable way.
But unlike Dan Woo-hyun, she seemed rather shy by nature. Though he enjoyed children and wished to befriend her, she would not come near.
“Make your greetings. This is the County Magistrate.”
“County… Magistrate?”
Hwa So-mi tilted her head in confusion.
She did not even know what a County Magistrate was. The village where she had lived had no such official, for it had been a settlement of fled peasants and fugitives, humble and remote.
But since Dan Woo-hyun had asked her to greet him, she gathered her courage and mumbled softly.
“I’m… So-mi.”
“Haha, I am Hong Won-chang. I have a boy about your age—do come visit sometime. I think you two could make fine friends.”
“Fine… friends?”
Hwa So-mi’s eyes widened in wonder.
Since her parents had passed, she had rarely met children her own age. Only Dan Woo-hyun and Jang Sam-tae were always at her side. So yes, she had longed for playmates, friends she could run and laugh with.
Hwa So-mi stole a glance at Dan Woo-hyun’s expression.
He reached out and gently stroked her hair.
“If you’re bored, you can go visit whenever you like.”
“Hooray!”
Though going alone would be nearly impossible, he had no objection to her making a friend. If anything, seeing that joyful face made him all the more pleased.
Hwa So-mi began to run about the courtyard, so delighted she could not contain herself.
Soon, growing restless, she slipped into the storehouse and emerged with a fishing rod in hand.
“By now, word must have spread, wouldn’t you think?”
“Without question, sir.”
Dan Woo-hyun spoke, and Jang Sam-tae bowed his head in confirmation.
The County Office had been attacked. By the Black Sword Society. More than that, the County Magistrate himself, Hong Won-chang, had gone missing—the Imperial Court would not take this matter lightly.
“The enemy is at the doorstep, as they say.”
Dan Woo-hyun smiled faintly, recalling Bang Chu-gok’s words.
The Black Sword Society’s headquarters lay on the border between Honam and Hubei. Hubei had many powerful martial sects, so it was easy to hide among those martial artists; Honam, lacking any major powers, was ideal for operation.
A perfect place to hide and an easy route to escape. The society leader’s mind seemed to be even more shrewd than anticipated.
“I shall inform the Royal Palace at once and have an eradication order issued.”
Hong Won-chang ground his teeth.
Now that he knew the Black Sword Society’s den, he had no intention of leaving them be. He would chase them down, destroy their lair, and claim the heads of their leaders. They would pay for toying with him and deceiving the Imperial Court.
Yet Dan Woo-hyun shook his head slowly.
“They are martial artists. Military force alone will not reach them.”
Should the officials move openly, many of the Black Sword Society would fall, but their roots would not be fully torn out.
The Black Sword Society’s followers possessed a cockroach’s persistence—if you didn’t crush them all at once and completely, they’d come creeping back in no time.
“Sam-tae, you guard the Manor. Watch over those we’ve bound so they don’t escape.”
“Understood.”
“And the County Magistrate—go into Akyang tomorrow, lead the constables, and come back there three days from now.”
Hong Won-chang and Jang Sam-tae couldn’t fathom what Dan Woo-hyun was thinking. The way he spoke suggested his mind was made up about something, yet his intention remained opaque to them.
“I’ll go myself.”
Both men’s expressions shifted in that instant.
Dan Woo-hyun was undoubtedly strong.
But could one man stand against an entire organization? That question gave them pause. A sect of middling size, perhaps—but a colossal force like the Black Sword Society? Even the leader of the Martial Alliance couldn’t crush it alone. How could he attempt such a thing?
Dan Woo-hyun seemed to read their hearts, letting out a soft snort.
“Don’t worry about me. Worry about your own futures instead. I find it pitiful when you can’t even beat a single piece of trash like that.”
“Cough!”
“Hmph!”
Having finished his orders, Dan Woo-hyun moved to leave.
He didn’t appear to be heading straight for the Black Sword Society’s headquarters just yet. He was likely going to see Hwa So-mi, who’d been fishing.
As Dan Woo-hyun walked slowly away, he glanced back over his shoulder and muttered.
“At least reach a level where you’re not getting beaten constantly. Isn’t it embarrassing at your age?”
“Ugh…!”
“Grr!”
Hong Won-chang, who’d done nothing but study to become a County Magistrate since birth.
Jang Sam-tae, who’d devoted himself entirely to the Lightness Skill just to survive.
These two men looked up at the sky with awkward expressions.
Soon Dan Woo-hyun was gone, and Sam-tae’s grumbling voice drifted out.
“Damn it all, that boy makes everything his own damned standard.”
“Hey! That’s no way to speak of the benefactor!”
“No, didn’t I speak the truth? He’s good at fighting, good at managing estates, rich as they come—the man’s lacking nothing. But us? We’re different! Aren’t we?”
“Cough!”
Hong Won-chang said nothing.
This time, he found it hard to argue back.
He’d learned a bit of Swordsmanship, but his skill hadn’t even reached the third rank. He’d worked at it his whole life without result, and hearing such words left him in poor spirits.
“I’m so sick of it. I should just extend my training hours.”
“Hmm? Have you taken up martial arts as well?”
“Ah, you know—that Tai Chi Fist manual they sell in the markets. That fellow over there had written down instructions on how to practice it, and I’ve been studying those lately.”
Hong Won-chang’s eyes lit up.
Though Sam-tae didn’t seem aware of it, a single word from a master of Dan Woo-hyun’s caliber was surely the greatest fortune one could receive.
Even though it was at most third-rank martial knowledge, anything coming from Dan Woo-hyun’s lips was certain to help rather than harm his life.
Hong Won-chang edged closer to Jang Sam-tae.
“Ahem! Since things have come to this, might I take a look as well?”
Jang Sam-tae blinked repeatedly, regarding Hong Won-chang.
‘Why’s he suddenly being so friendly? This is unpleasant.’
Sam-tae stared at Won-chang’s eager face with a bewildered expression, then broke into a broad grin and spoke.
“Go to hell.”

***

“We’ve lost contact?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
The man answered Sa Ma-chan’s question while beads of cold sweat rolled down his face.
Something was wrong. Most of those who’d been imprisoned were dead, he’d said; even the survivors wouldn’t be in any state to speak.
The County Magistrate had gone missing too, so it wouldn’t be strange to think the mission was complete. Yet even now, more than a full day had passed, and not a single Carrier Pigeon Message had arrived.
Through his network of informants, he’d searched every avenue for the whereabouts of those men, but the only word coming back was that nothing could be determined with certainty.
He couldn’t make sense of it at all.
“What’s the probability they’re dead?”
“Less than a day’s worth. The mission was already accomplished, so only their return remained…….”
“Could they not have been killed by that recluse or hidden expert or whatever that bastard is!”
Bang!
Sa Ma-chan slammed his fist against the table and glared.
Everything about how this business was being handled displeased him. He was seized by the urge to tear the man before him to shreds, but he barely contained himself.
“But, but the last message that arrived said nothing of that sort. Moreover, if such a hidden expert truly existed, the probability that everything would have failed from the start would be quite high.”
The man’s words were not wrong.
Which was why Sa Ma-chan didn’t push back. If the County Magistrate or someone backing him had existed, the ambush itself would likely never have happened in the first place.
“Hah… this is troublesome.”
Sa Ma-chan leaned back in his chair and exhaled a long breath.
What was this feeling that things kept going wrong?
From some point onward, nothing went as it should—everything tangled like a knotted thread, growing more and more complicated. Nothing about it sat right.
“Should we send some of the others to scout around? We still haven’t pinpointed Jang Sam-tae’s location.”
“No, no. With the County Magistrate missing, security will be tightened. Better not to create unnecessary suspicion.”
Tap-tap.
Sa Ma-chan drummed his fingers against the armrest of his chair, betraying his unease.
How had things become so tangled?
Suddenly he remembered words spoken by a fortune-teller he’d met not long ago.

“Your destiny will not last long.”

He wasn’t one to believe in fortune-telling. But the man had been famous, with a reputation for uncanny accuracy, so Sa Ma-chan had brought him in specifically for a reading.
Of course, he’d had the man’s neck broken the moment those curse-like words left his lips—but why did his words keep surfacing in his mind now?
“I’ll assemble a search party.”
His subordinate’s voice pulled him back to the present.
Right. This wasn’t the time to let his mind wander.
He needed to find those missing men as quickly as possible. If they were captured and forced to reveal this location, the consequences could be catastrophic.
“Choose men who can move discreetly. We need to comb through all of Honam, so pick ones with plenty of experience.”
“Understood.”
After his subordinate bowed and left, Sa Ma-chan exhaled heavily, gripping his brow and grinding his teeth.
‘Whoever this man is…’
Anyone who touched the Black Sword Society would pay the price. The man surely knew that, yet he’d acted anyway—he seemed intent on throwing his life away.
Which meant Sa Ma-chan wouldn’t let him slip through his fingers.
He would catch him. Not until he tore that bastard limb from limb would this rage be satisfied.
Sa Ma-chan clenched his fists, his gaze burning as he stared into the empty air.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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