***
It was the moment the monster’s hand was about to pierce Hae Cheong-yeon’s chest.
Something flying from the side struck the monster’s body.
Kwa-a-a-ang!
Only after the monster was sent flying sideways could Hae Cheong-yeon realize that it was an inn chair.
Sunwoo Jin had swung a sturdily made long inn bench and struck the monster.
“Young Lady! Are you alright?!”
Only then did Hae Cheong-yeon regain her senses and answer frantically.
“Ah, I’m okay. But that person over there.”
The other ronin who had followed Sunwoo Jin out discovered their comrade whose chest had been pierced and who had died instantly; they wailed.
“Brother Yang!”
“Yang-ga!”
As they all drew their sabers with enraged faces, Sunwoo Jin restrained them and shouted.
“Get inside the inn for now! Hurry!”
The ronin protested at his words.
“What are you saying, Young Master! That bastard killed Yang-ga!”
“He’s going to follow us anyway! We can’t handle him out here!”
At that moment, the monster that had been sent flying by the chair lunged at Sunwoo Jin again.
“Kia-a-a-a-a!”
Having regained some composure, Hae Cheong-yeon swung her sword and blocked the monster in front of Sunwoo Jin.
Kkang! Kkang! Kkang!
In the meantime, Sunwoo Jin shouted again.
“Quickly, inside the inn! That guy is...!”
While he was trying to shout something to them, Hae Cheong-yeon faced a crisis again.
She simply couldn't handle the monster that lunged at her without a care for being struck by the sword.
“Eeeeek!”
Even while stepping backward out of necessity, Hae Cheong-yeon stepped on a stone and lost her balance for a moment.
It was desperate.
“Aaak!”
The moment the monster lunged and swung its hand, a strong hand suddenly appeared from behind Hae Cheong-yeon, covered her mouth and waist firmly, and pulled her sharply to the side.
“Mmph!”
It was Sunwoo Jin.
He had covered her mouth and pulled her waist to help her escape the crisis.
However, after helping her avoid the danger, Sunwoo Jin stopped right there and moved no more.
He simply stood still on the spot as if frozen.
Hae Cheong-yeon’s heart grew frantic.
It felt as if the monster would pounce at any second.
So, even with her mouth covered, just as she was about to scream and ask what he was doing, she suddenly realized one fact.
The fact that when they stopped moving, the monster’s movements also stopped.
The monster, as seen from within Sunwoo Jin’s arms, was unable to pounce on them despite them being right beside it, and was only turning its head this way and that as if searching for them.
Suddenly, the fact that the monster had been closing its eyes since earlier flashed through Hae Cheong-yeon’s mind.
And she was able to understand.
Perhaps that fellow’s eyesight was...
It was then.
“Young Master Sunwoo! Are you alright?!”
When the ronin inside the inn shouted, the monster snapped its head around and vaulted its body toward them.
I truly couldn't believe it.
How did that fellow get past the front and come all the way here?
The moment I saw the movements of the fellow lunging while taking Sword Qi with his bare body without a care, I could immediately recognize it.
The fact that the fellow was a 'Demon' (Ma-in) of the Blood Cult.
Among the various types of demons created by the Blood Cult, he was the one particularly called a 'Hyogwi' (Owl Ghost).
An Owl Ghost—a demon specialized in attacking people at night.
Suddenly, a memory came to mind of hearing during the early days when I went to the front that a single Hyogwi had crossed the front and attacked a civilian house.
It seemed that fellow was the one.
The Hyogwi, a monster with a body impervious to blades and sabers that becomes even more dangerous in dark places, vaulted its body toward the inn, making my heart grow anxious.
I hadn't had the chance to inform the others that they must not make a sound.
Hurriedly letting go of Young Lady Cheong-yeon, I began to run toward the inn.
Though it was a short time, I couldn't let those with whom I had shared my heart die.
I had even prepared gifts to give them tomorrow when we parted ways...
“It’s a monster!”
“Ua-a-a-ak!”
“Aaak!”
Dreadful screams were already being heard from inside the inn.
As I rushed frantically into the inn, the inside was already a mess.
The waiter and Warrior Lee had already died.
Warrior Lee, who grumbled every single day but always took care of me meticulously in places where it wasn't seen...
Even now, Warrior Jang, who at least had some skill, was swinging his saber at the Hyogwi, but it looked as if he would be murdered at any moment.
“U-wa-a-a-ap!”
I lunged with a roar and struck the fellow with a long inn bench.
Peo-ok!
The moment the fellow was sent flying by the chair, I immediately shouted.
“Everyone, be quiet!”
But there was no way they would become quiet immediately.
“Ua-a-a-ak! Save me!”
The innkeeper was screaming, and
“This son of a bitch, even Lee-ga...!”
The ronin were letting out enraged shouts.
I grew frantic.
I had to make them quiet somehow.
At that moment, the fellow who had stood up again was about to vault his body toward the direction the sound was coming from.
It was toward Warrior Jang.
“Ua-a-a-a!”
I immediately let out a roar and flipped over the table where the food we had been sitting at was placed.
Wa-jang-chang-chang-chang!
Jjaeng-geurang!
While the Hyogwi faltered, unable to find its direction due to the sound of the food and dishes on top scattering and breaking in all directions, I shouted loudly in time with those sounds.
“Everyone! Shut! Up!”
In an instant, the people became quiet.
The Hyogwi also stopped its movements for a moment and perked up its ears.
It was a relief.
I had to make the most of this opportunity.
I picked up a small chair that was placed next to the dining table and threw it to the far side.
Then, the chair that had soared into the air hit the ground and made a loud noise.
Kudang-tang!
I shouted in time with that sound.
“That! Guy!”
I threw another chair.
Kudang-tang!
“Is!”
Once more.
Kudang-tang!
“Blind!”
Now I saw nothing more nearby worth throwing.
I desperately hoped they would understand with at least this much.
Still, seeing the expressions of the ronin, it seemed they had understood to some extent.
But the innkeeper had not.
He was about to open his mouth to me with an expression that said he didn't understand.
My heart sank.
No!
It was then.
“Ha-ap!”
With a shout, Young Lady Cheong-yeon lunged at the Hyogwi.
Kkang! Kkang! Kkang! Kkang!
While battering the Hyogwi’s body with dazzling sword light, she shouted to me.
“Speak now!”
I couldn't be more grateful.
It was enough to be grateful that she hadn't run away alone and had followed me into the inn, but to even do something so clever.
I couldn't waste time.
I hurriedly shouted.
“That fellow identifies people only by sound! So never make a sound! You mustn't even make a sound of breathing!”
I saw the innkeeper, having heard my words, cover his own mouth.
At that moment, Young Lady Cheong-yeon was being pushed back continuously.
I, who was about to help her quickly, suddenly hesitated.
To avoid being caught by the fellow, one must not make a sound, but just having everyone remain quiet would be of no use.
Because although not as sensitive as its ears, the fellow could also smell.
Therefore, if no sound was heard, it would try to find people using its sense of smell.
Before that, I had to find a way to deal with the fellow somehow.
At that moment, the things placed on the counter next to where the innkeeper was trembling and covering his mouth suddenly entered my sight.
Peo-eong!
Kwa-dang-tang-tang!
After blowing the fellow away with a strike from the long bench, I signaled to Young Lady Cheong-yeon with my finger to be quiet.
She also nodded and closed her mouth.
The Hyogwi, which had been slammed into the wall, stood up and was turning its head this way and that while perking up its ears.
Then, it slowly moved its steps forward.
The fellow was a Miao person with dark brown skin.
A naked Miao male whose crude body and dangling grotesque massive object were impressive.
The early Blood Cult bastards mainly used to turn the native Miao people living in Yunnan into demons and send them.
And back then, I didn't know yet.
The fact that those fellows were merely test subjects.
The fact that there were indeed demons made from proper martial artists.
And when the demons made from martial artists appeared...
As the fellow slowly approached us, Young Lady Cheong-yeon looked at me with tense eyes.
It seemed she was asking what to do now.
I carefully picked up two items I had placed on the dining table right next to me and threw one of them toward the side of the fellow.
Hwi-ik!
Jja-rang! Jja-ra-rang! Jjang! Chang! Chang! Chang!
It was a basket filled with iron coins.
As it fell, the iron coins were bouncing out with a loud noise.
In time with that sound, I moved my body quickly.
I approached within about half a jang of where the fellow was.
Young Lady Cheong-yeon seemed startled seeing me, but she made no sound.
And I threw the remaining one behind the fellow. This time it was a ceramic bowl filled with beans.
Jjaeng-geurang! Ta-dang! Tang! Ta-tang! Tang! Tang! Tang! Tang!
When the fellow turned its body toward the back at the sound of the bowl breaking and the beans bouncing, I was able to approach right behind the fellow’s head.
Good, it’s done.
I absolutely must not make a mistake.
Because if I were even grazed by the fellow’s hand right now, my fragile body would be torn apart just like that.
I swallowed hard and slowly raised my hand.
Then, I began to bring it toward the head of the fellow who was looking around.
It was then.
The innkeeper couldn't hold it in and sneezed.
“A-choo!”
As the Hyogwi, reacting to the sound, snapped its head around, the fellow’s face turned toward me.
The fellow’s face, with its eyes closed, was so close it almost touched my face.
It felt as if my heart would explode.
I saw the fellow about to spring out right toward his front, where I was.
Damn it!
Gritting my teeth, I reached out my hand just like that and brought it to the fellow’s face.
Hae Cheong-yeon felt as if her heart would explode when she saw Sunwoo Jin approaching the monster while throwing objects.
For some reason, he seemed to know well about that monster, but what kind of reckless act was that?
If he made even a slight sound, what was he going to do...
Then, when the innkeeper sneezed, she almost screamed as well.
She was so angry that she might have sliced him with her sword if he had been beside her.
She saw the monster turn its body and come face-to-face with Sunwoo Jin.
She was so shocked that her vision seemed to turn white.
The monster was about to charge in the direction where Sunwoo Jin was.
It was then.
Sunwoo Jin recklessly reached his hand to the monster’s face and—to her shock—pried its eyelids open.
What was that?!
Just as she was about to open her mouth and scream in bewilderment and urgency, the monster suddenly began to let out a horrific scream.
“Kkia-a-a-a-a-ak!”
It was a situation that was utterly incomprehensible.
He had merely pried its eyelids open, yet the monster was covering both its eyes with its hands and was struggling as if in pain.
That monster, which didn't even feel pain, let alone get wounded by Sword Qi...
Suddenly, a certain hypothesis occurred in Hae Cheong-yeon’s mind.
Could it be because it saw light?
At that moment, Sunwoo Jin, who had moved behind the fellow at some point, grabbed the fellow’s waist and hoisted him up, then shouted to Hae Cheong-yeon.
“Young Lady Cheong-yeon! The fellow’s mouth! Inside the mouth!”
In an instant, her gaze turned toward the inside of the fellow’s mouth, which was wide open from screaming.
She felt she could immediately understand Sunwoo Jin’s words.
Yes, even if Sword Qi doesn't work on the body, if it’s inside the mouth...
Lunging toward the fellow and stabbing her sword was an instinctive action.
“Ha-ap!”
Pu-uk!
It finally sank in!
Hae Cheong-yeon clenched her other fist.
Because Sunwoo Jin had lifted the fellow’s body upward, the sword had pierced deeply into the roof of the fellow’s open mouth, toward where the brain was.
However, despite having its brain destroyed, the fellow did not stop its movements.
Rather, it began to struggle even more violently while screaming.
“Kkia-a-a-a-ak!”
Looking at the monster that didn't die despite being stabbed in the brain and was struggling right in front of her—the naked man dangling his hideous object—Hae Cheong-yeon was now feeling fear.
It was an instinctive revulsion she felt as a woman.
“Uuugh!”
As her face distorted and strength was about to leave her hand that gripped the sword, someone firmly held the hand that gripped her sword.
It was Sunwoo Jin.
Sunwoo Jin, who held the sword together with her and nodded as if to say she did well, began to twist the sword stuck in the fellow’s mouth with all his might.
He was still holding the sword together over her hand.
The fellow struggled for some time after that before finally dying.
The people had to stare blankly for a long time at that monster lying dead inside the inn, which had become a mess.