Chapter 150 The Crisis of the Sunwoo Clan – Part 1

Chapter 150: The Crisis of the Sunwoo Clan – Part 1

BOOM!

In an instant, the main gate of the Sunwoo Clan shattered as if it had exploded.

And from beyond the shattered door, a monk of imposing stature walked in slowly, wearing a faint, bitter smile.

It was none other than the supreme demon-slayer, the Blood Monk of Yama, Chukhotak.

Seeing the scene unfolding inside the main gate, he wore a somewhat surprised expression as he spoke.

“Huh, crawling out already? They’re quite well-trained, aren’t they?”

His words were accurate.

Sunwoo-jung, the elders, and Shin Eung-dae’s warriors were all already present on the training ground, fully armed with their weapons.

With the exception of sending his fourth son, Seonwoo Gi, to lead the wives to the Seogidang for refuge, it would not be an exaggeration to say that every warrior of the Seonwoo clan was present.

Even considering that Chuk Hotak had disposed of the gate guards and entered slowly, it was still an exceptionally swift response.

But Chuk Hotak seemed to feel no threat from them whatsoever.

Instead, he smiled as if in good spirits and said.

“So you must be Seonwoo Jung. I’m grateful you saved me the trouble of searching for you. But… now that you’re here, how about just dying? Then I won’t have to kill any other warriors from the Seonwoo clan.”

Chuk Hotak’s words were arrogant.

He implied that while the number of casualties mattered, Seonwoo Jung’s death was a foregone conclusion.

Seonwoo Jung replied with a solemn expression.

“A warrior of the Seonwoo clan does not betray loyalty out of fear of death.”

At his answer, Chuk Hotak clicked his tongue and nodded.

“Tsk, tsk. So that’s it. You’re determined to drink the penalty wine after all. Did you hear that? Looks like we’ll have to open the blood ritual today.”

Then, before he knew it, seven more Madu appeared behind him.

They answered with greedy grins.

“We’re quite pleased, Elder Bloodwin.”

“We’ve been waiting for this, hehehe!”

“Master, may we run wild to our hearts’ content?”

Seeing them, Seonwoo Jung swallowed hard, unnoticed.

It seemed those eight demonic masters were all peak-level experts.

After all, within the Seonwoo Clan, the only peak masters were the Grand Elder and himself—just the two of them.

Especially the author standing at the very front felt distinctly off. That figure looked just like the legendary demonic warrior Chukhotak, the one spoken of only in rumors.

That monster, the peerless master.

If that author truly was the Blood Demon King, it meant they were absolutely not opponents they could handle with their own strength alone.

Tension made Sun Woo-joong’s mouth go bone dry.

At that moment, Chukhotak was scolding the demonic warriors standing behind him.

“Didn’t you hear what Confucius said? He taught us to spare those we can use as puppets, didn’t he? Kill the chieftain Sunwoo Jung, but spare the rest of the rabble as much as possible. Understood?”

At his words, the warlords hid their discontent and bowed respectfully.

“Yes, understood. Elder Hyeolseung.”

Chukhotak smiled with satisfaction at their respectful demeanor, then turned his gaze back to Sunwoo Jung and said.

“Now, bring me that man’s head.”

“Yes! Elder Bloodwin!”

“Understood!”

With that reply, seven demon riders charged forward. All of them were heading toward Seonwoo Jung.

“Kwahahahahaha!”

“Dieeeee!”

“Kihahhhhh!”

***

I was literally flying like the wind, racing forward.

The scenery rushing by so fast looked like scenes from a different world.

Somehow, the scenery had become separated from me, as if it belonged to another world, and now I felt a strange sensation, as if even sound had vanished.

The distance from Gaeyang to Gwiyang wasn’t that far.

At this pace, it probably wouldn’t even take half an hour.

Yet, despite that, my heart grew more and more impatient. Because even that half-hour felt unbearably long.

I had fully anticipated that while I was away, enemies might plot against the Seonwoo family.

That’s why I had prepared countermeasures as well.

But even so, the unease did not disappear.

After all, I had no way of knowing the scale of the enemy force that would come.

If their numbers exceeded my expectations, in the worst case, I might lose my father even in this lifetime.

I gritted my teeth.

‘Absolutely not!’

Now that I’ve finally come to understand my father, now that I’ve come to feel warmth at the word “family,” I could never lose it like this again.

“Huuuuu!”

I took a deep breath, shaking off my impatience and scattered thoughts.

It was painfully clear that these feelings weren’t helping me now.

I needed to empty my mind and focus instead.

I resolved to think of only one thing.

The thought of becoming the wind itself, only that.

Suddenly, I felt as if my emptied mind and lightened body were gradually dispersing into the atmosphere.

***

At about the same time, the Seonwoo Clan.

Seven demon riders, having reached the pinnacle of their prowess, charged toward the warriors of the Seonwoo Clan like a whirlwind.

Gritting his teeth, Sunwoo Jung shouted.

“Warriors of the Seonwoo Clan, never retreat!”

“Yes!”

Sunwoo Jung, the elders, Shin Eungdae-ju, and the main force all aimed their swords resolutely at the demon riders with one united heart.

Facing one supreme demon warrior and seven peak masters, they were clearly no match in terms of strength. Yet, at least now, no fear was visible in their eyes.

Their eyes all glowed fiercely, as if prepared to die.

It was then.

Suddenly, music began playing from somewhere.

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

It was the thin, mournful resonance of strings.

Though not a loud sound, it was a heartrending melody that reached everyone’s ears with crystal clarity.

The Blood Sect’s demonic beasts, who had been charging toward that soul-stirring sound, suddenly halted their steps and could not help but strain their ears toward the unknown source of that sound.

It was an action taken naturally, without conscious thought.

Then, the smile vanished from the face of the Blood Demon, Chukhotak, who had been laughing.

He muttered in astonishment.

“This… is the sound of an erhu? Surely not?!”

Chukhotak scanned the area, searching for the player of the eho.

Soon, he spotted a beautiful woman in white robes seated atop the wall beside the Seonwoo family compound. She was playing a large, hammer-like instrument with strings attached, plucking them with a bow.

Chukhotak shouted her name in an angry voice.

“Sona! You little bitch, hiding here!”

The woman stopped playing, leaped down from the wall, and answered with a bright smile.

“Hiding? Not at all. I just happened to pass by and smelled something awful, so I came to investigate.”

Then, fluttering like a dance, she walked toward them and continued speaking.

“Don’t you think I’m the type who likes things neat? So I tried to avoid it, but haa, my conscience just wouldn’t let me do that. If I didn’t get rid of that smell quickly, other people would smell it too, right? So I steeled myself and came over. And then, I ended up meeting you guys like this! My goodness, isn’t that amazing?”

Even her speaking voice sounded like she was singing.

Her clear voice, delivered with natural inflection, drew people in without their realizing it, leaving them spellbound by her words.

Chukhotak was the first to snap out of it.

Snapping back to his senses, Chukhotak urgently shouted.

“Get away! That woman is a chaotic witch…!”

It was then.

As she approached, speaking as if singing and dancing with fluttering steps, she suddenly swung the instrument she held in her hand.

The eho was an instrument resembling a large hammer at first glance, consisting of a resonator shaped like a small drum attached to a long handle.

But when she channeled her inner power into it and swung it, it truly became a battle hammer.

Boom!

Crack!

The battle hammer, charged with her inner strength, swung like a thunderbolt, instantly shattering the head of one of the dazed demons.

It happened in the blink of an eye.

Moreover, it wasn’t just Lee Ho that the Mad Witch swung at.

The bowstring that drew Lee Ho’s bowstring was no different.

As her aura condensed into the bow and string, they instantly transformed into a razor-sharp blade.

The sword, imbued with crimson energy, was swung like lightning.

SHAAAAK!

Puhwaak!

“Gah!”

“!”

The two comrades were slain in an instant, and only then did the Madu come to their senses in horror.

But they were already too close to her.

The Chaos Witch Sonan-so did not stop.

With one hand, she swung her sword toward another demon’s head, and with the other, she swung her bow, severing yet another neck.

Her intent was to reduce their numbers as much as possible before they could fully recover.

But at that moment, a massive wheel spun violently, crashing down upon Sonan-so.

Wiiiiiiing!

“Damn!”

Sonan-so stopped attacking the Madu in front of him and could only block it with Lee-ho and the bow.

Thud!

The recoil from the collision sent Sonanso flying backward.

Meanwhile, the five remaining Madu, now only five in number, all regained their senses and leapt back, wary of her.

Sonan-so clicked her tongue inwardly.

She should have reduced their numbers further just now…

Reducing it by just two seemed unlikely to make things any easier.

She felt a slight pang of regret.

‘Was it just unnecessary meddling after all?’

Then, having retrieved the great wheel once more, the Demon King’s Blood Champion, Chukhotak, slowly approached and spoke.

“You apostate, So Nanso, disobeying the Supreme Lord’s command and playing the role of the Hao Gate Master in Guizhou City. I searched high and low for where you were hiding, and here you are, lurking in this place. So it was you who caused the Xianwu Clan to suddenly begin taking such unexpected actions.”

At those words, Xiao Nanshao let out a faint chuckle.

It was true she had disobeyed the Blood Demon’s orders.

The Blood Demon’s order was to establish an advance base in Guizhou City and infiltrate the Guizhou martial arts world, but she had taken over the Hao Gate in Guizhou City and devoted herself solely to rescuing orphans, courtesans, and the poor.

However, her hiding place was not the Xianwu Sect.

It was the Guiyang branch of the Hao Gate.

Because he was childhood friends with Luo Sanlong, the Guiyang branch chief, he had been hiding her.

Thus, Luo Sanlong’s apparent lack of cooperation with Xiao Nanshao, the head of Hao Gate, was actually a ruse to deceive others.

It was because Xiao Nansuo, thinking ahead, had asked him to do it that way.

Despite being over forty, Sonan-so, who still looked like a beauty in her early thirties, replied with a bright smile.

“I clearly said I came over because I smelled something foul while passing by earlier. Are you thick-headed? Hmm, is it because you have no hair? Ah, right. You’re pretending to be a monk to hide the fact you have no hair, aren’t you?”

Sonnanso’s sly retort made the expression on the Underworld Blood Monk Chukhotak’s face twist slightly.

“…You’re still the bitch I want to tear apart and kill. Well, that’s convenient. Now I can kill you with my own hands right here.”

Sona looked surprised at his words.

“Oh? You? Me? Looks like your skills have improved a bit? Though seeing you’re still bald, I doubt it… Well, fine. Come on then. Let this old lady see just how much you’ve grown since we last met.”

Sonan-so was now continuously provoking Chukhotak.

He was trying to enrage him into charging at him alone, one-on-one.

The combat prowess of the Chaos Witch Sonan-so and the Blood Demon Chukhotak was nearly equal.

So if they could fight one-on-one, there might be a slight chance of victory.

But if even one other Madu got involved, today’s situation would clearly become extremely grim.

That’s why he had tried to provoke Chukhotak somehow, but upon seeing Chukhotak’s slyly smiling expression, Sonanso immediately realized his failure.

“Hehehehe. How pitiful, Sonan-so. If it were some fool like Nojosong, maybe, but do you really think this Lord of Hell would fall for your little tricks?”

At his question, the smile finally vanished from Sonan-so’s face.

He was right.

Chukhotak was a rare, cunning one among the Blood Sect’s demonic leaders—a man who knew how to use his head.

Chukhotak shouted at the demonic leaders.

“Attack them all at once starting next year! Never let your guard down!”

“Yes! Elder Bloodwin!”

Sonan-so watched them take their stances as if ready to charge at any moment and smiled bitterly.

It seemed they had ultimately failed.

Not only had they failed to protect the Seonwoo family, but their own whereabouts had been exposed. It couldn’t have been a worse outcome.

‘I should have listened to Samryong when he told me not to come.’

Coming here had been nothing but an impulsive act.

A reckless act committed upon hearing that the Yemla Blood Champion was heading toward the Seonwoo family estate without Seonwoo Jin.

It was probably because he felt so stifled.

It was because she was frustrated by her situation—constantly hiding, forced to live in concealment forever.

As a renowned demoness of the Blood Sect, she was already listed on the righteous factions’ roster of martial arts criminals.

Now she had become a target even for her own Blood Sect comrades.

Thus, she found herself in a truly bleak situation, with nowhere in the martial world to call home.

‘I’ve become a bat, a bat forced to live hidden in a cave.’

For her, the news she heard from Noh Sam-ryong about Seon Woo-jin’s actions was like the only source of entertainment, utterly delightful.

It was entertainment that gave her immense vicarious satisfaction—watching him deal with the family’s enemies and humiliate the Blood Cult.

That’s probably why she wanted to protect him.

Her long-lost family, his happiness.

Sonan-so chuckled softly.

‘She got too caught up in it.’

Of course, even now, if she ran away, she could still survive.

She couldn’t stay at the Hao Gate exile branch forever, but surely she wouldn’t fail to escape with her supreme skill.

But she decided against it.

She felt that ending her miserable life hidden away in a cave wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

‘Alright, let’s burn it all up!’

Just as she resolved herself and her fighting spirit ignited,

Suddenly, Sunwoo Jung, who had approached from behind her, spoke.

“Thank you for your help, Lord Hao. Let us fight together.”

She was startled.

It was something she never could have imagined.

She answered, flustered.

“Eh, eh? But I’m the Blood Sect…”

Seonwoo Jung cut her off.

“I’ve heard plenty from my son about how Lord Hao Munju devoted himself to helping the poor and orphans. I’ve been wanting to meet you anyway, and now here we are.”

Sonaenso stared blankly at Seonwoo-jung.

Then, the dignified-looking man smiled faintly and looked back at her.

He must have heard the entire conversation just now; there was no way he didn’t know she was Nan Hun, the Demoness of the Blood Sect.

And the Mad Witch was far too famous a demon lord to be unknown.

So Seonwoo Jung’s intention now seemed to be that he knew she was a chaotic witch but would keep it buried.

It was truly a story she never imagined she would hear from a righteous sect member.

After staring blankly at Seonwoo-jung for a moment, Sonan-so suddenly smiled faintly and said.

“Your son takes after his father, I see. Very well. Let’s fight together.”

Somehow, it felt like strength was returning to him.

Seonwoo Jung shouted to the members of the Seonwoo family.

“Warriors of the Seonwoo Clan, draw your swords! Let us strike them down alongside Lord Hao Mun!”

“Wooooo!”

Then Chukhotak, who had been watching their actions with a contemptuous gaze, also shouted.

“Strike! Do not spare Seonwoo-jung and So Nanso!”