Chapter 47. Education (2)
The Three Disasters.
The three disasters of Jianghu.
Lust Disaster , Blood Disaster, and Thunder Disaster.
The biggest difference between the Four Demons and the Three Disasters, who were counted among the same Seven Evils, was that they were literally disasters.
It wasn't just because of their terrifying martial arts skills, which were like natural disasters.
The Four Demons were the leaders of specific factions.
Naturally, they moved for the interests of their respective factions.
The Fighting King of the Green Forest was a bandit, so he would let you go if you paid the toll.
The Golden Demon Hyeok Ilso would not touch you as long as you did not interfere with the business of the Black Market.
But the Three Disasters were different.
They were beings with whom conversation was impossible, just like natural disasters.
Of course, I had never directly encountered the Lust Disaster.
If I had encountered those guys with my pathetic skills, with whom conversation was impossible, I would have died long ago.
Instead, I had a very faint connection with the Lust Disaster.
One day, while roaming Jianghu in search of trash as usual.
I had discovered a village where the smell of blood was reeking from afar.
When I hurried my steps and arrived at the village, a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood was spread out there.
Blood was splattered all over the streets, and corpses were scattered about.
At first, I thought it was the work of the Blood Disaster.
But I soon realized it wasn't.
Because wails could be heard from all over the streets.
If it had been the work of the Blood Disaster, there would not have been a single living being left.
After frowning and examining the tragic scene for a while.
I was able to notice one peculiar thing belatedly.
Among the sounds of crying I heard, not a single deep voice was mixed in.
Only then did I realize.
The corpses were all of adult men.
With a feeling of 'could it be,' while I was going around the village.
I could be sure only after discovering a corpse that was shriveled up like a mummy.
That it was a tragic scene created by the Lust Disaster.
That was right.
The Lust Disaster was a madwoman who only targeted and killed adult men.
When her opponent was a master, she would suck their essence with the Absorption Art and kill them, and if not, she would tear them to death.
So, two major theories circulated in Jianghu.
The theory that the Lust Disaster was just a madwoman and did so, and the theory that she had a deep-seated grudge against men.
I was on the side of believing the former.
No matter how I thought about it, she wasn't normal.
“Brother?”
Nam Geon called me again.
I came to my senses and started walking again.
I couldn't be sure that the girl was the Lust Disaster yet.
In fact, the Lust Disaster’s appearance was not accurately known.
It was because of the Bone Shrinking Art and Appearance Changing Art she had learned in addition to the Absorption Art.
Every time she dealt with a man, she had a different appearance.
That's why she was the disaster of 'Lust'.
A scary story circulated in Jianghu that if men, lost in lust, flirted with and mingled with women, they might one day get caught by the Lust Disaster and die.
Nevertheless, the reason that girl's face was circulated on a wanted poster was simple.
Because a rumor had circulated that she often used that appearance and the name Sohyang in her daily life, except when fighting or seducing martial arts masters.
Of course, that girl's appearance was also not the real appearance of that madwoman.
Because she was estimated to be at least over forty years old.
Similarly, since she changed her appearance so often, there was not much accurate information known about her.
For that reason, I thought she would be the second hardest to find among the Seven Evils, after the Killing Demon.
But to think I would find a clue to that madwoman here.
That was right.
Even if that girl was not the Lust Disaster, it was a very big clue.
I had found out that the appearance and name used by the Lust Disaster were real.
In other words, even if that girl was not the Lust Disaster, it was certain that there was some connection.
“You damn bitches, really!”
The father spat out curses and raised his hand.
Before he could slap his wife's cheek.
My fist struck the father's face first.
Thwack!!
I wanted to cut his neck with a sword right away, but I exercised extreme patience and held back for now.
Because the victim was still alive for now.
The punishment for the trash must be decided by the victim.
If I were to punish them as I pleased, regardless of the victim's opinion, that would be no different from the hypocrites of the Righteous Path.
“Kyaaaak!”
While the startled mother screamed.
I pressed the father's Paralysis Point with my finger.
Papapapak.
The underworld figures guarding the entrance of the gambling den, perhaps thinking it was just a family squabble, were watching me with amusement.
Only when I subdued the father and drew my sword did they also draw their blades.
“Who are you!”
I had no intention of introducing myself, so I just swung my sword.
Slice!
By the time I had dealt with the two of them in an instant.
Nam Geon asked.
“K-kill them all, brother?”
“Kill all the ones running the gambling den. Leave the ones who were just gambling alive for now.”
“H-how do I tell them apart, brother?”
“……”
After thinking for a moment, I answered.
“Just protect that mother and daughter. If someone draws a weapon and attacks, that person works for the gambling den, so kill him.”
“O-okay, brother.”
Right after giving instructions to Nam Geon.
A few more underworld figures belatedly rushed out from the gambling den.
“What's all the commotion!!”
Without any questions, I cut their necks first.
Slice!
There were a mountain of things I had to ask that girl.
I had to find the disaster of Jianghu called the Lust Disaster.
It was a waste of time to dally with these underworld figures.
After killing all the newly emerged guys.
I kicked the door of the gambling den and smashed it.
Inside, a musty smell wafted out.
Perhaps because of the sunlight that flooded in as the door burst open, those who were engrossed in gambling frowned.
“How dare you interfere with the business of our Akasan Sect!!”
A few more underworld figures who were inside rushed at me again.
Slice!
As I pierced the heart of the first one who approached, blood splattered.
“H-hiiik!!”
Only then did the gambling addicts sitting in the gambling den scream and lift their heavy buttocks.
Some fled as they were, and there were also addicts who hastily gathered their wealth in the midst of it all.
After leaving the fleeing ones for now and killing only the attacking underworld figures a few times.
When another colleague was killed right in front of him, one of the underworld figures shouted with a pale face.
“It's the G-Ghost Sword Young Master!!”
It seemed my strange alias had spread all the way here.
Next, another underworld figure from the back shouted.
“T-that one must be the Vajra Giant Child!”
The man’s finger was pointing at Nam Geon at the entrance.
It seemed Nam Geon had also gotten an alias in the meantime.
Well, it didn't matter since I wasn't doing this to get an alias.
Now that they were terrified, they didn't easily rush at me.
So, I moved.
I used my movement arts to run around and kill the underworld figures.
“As expected, it doesn't work against weaklings.”
If there was one disappointing thing, it was that my eyes had opened, but the world didn't slow down.
I had wanted to feel that same sensation as before while fighting anyway.
As if to shake off the disappointment, right after I cut another one's neck with my sword.
The one who seemed to be the leader of this place belatedly showed himself.
“What are you all doing!!”
“It's the G-Ghost Sword Young Master and the V-Vajra Giant Child, Leader!”
The leader, who had a startled expression, suddenly performed a clasped hands greeting to me.
I thought he might be crazy.
“I-I have heard of your reputation, young master. B-but why are you attacking us?”
I had no intention of dealing with his nonsense, so I used my movement arts and rushed at him.
Then, the man, whose face had turned ashen, shouted again.
“W-we only provided a place for the residents to play!!”
With my sword right in front of his neck, I asked.
“Only provided a place to play?”
“T-that's right. C-chivalrous warrior. I-I heard that you don't kill the innocent. Y-you didn't kill people for running a brothel, did you? B-but why are you doing this to us……”
A wave of nausea washed over me.
I immediately slit his throat.
Slice.
They were truly madmen.
The girl I had rescued a few days ago.
And the girl I had just seen.
Just from what I had personally seen and heard, two families had been ruined.
How many more would there be if I included what I hadn't seen or heard?
A small bet might just be a personal deviation.
Like the brothel this guy mentioned.
However, gambling to the extent of engaging in human trafficking and ruining several families was not a deviation.
“What you were selling was not alcohol, but drugs.”
Yes.
These guys were no different from those who distributed drugs.
Trash who make money by ruining others' lives in the name of pleasure.
Was it because even the leader had lost his life in a single stroke?
The trashy guys began to flee in a hurry.
“Tsk.”
After lightly clicking my tongue.
I chased the fleeing insects and swung my sword.
***
For a long time, screams raged inside the gambling den.
The commotion subsided, and silence fell.
It was a truly ghastly silence.
The mother and daughter and the subdued father swallowed hard and looked inside the gambling den.
Before long, a boy covered in blood walked out of the entrance of the gambling den.
Jin Yuseong walked straight to the mother and daughter and performed a clasped hands greeting.
“My family name is Jin, and my given name is Yuseong. I apologize for frightening you.”
“I-it's o-okay.”
The mother was trembling in fear, yet she held her daughter as if to protect her.
Jin Yuseong let out a small laugh as he watched the scene.
It wasn't just because the scene full of motherly love was nice to see.
At a glance, it looked like the mother was protecting her daughter, but if you looked closely, it wasn't.
While being held in her mother's arms, the daughter had positioned herself in a way that would be easy to escape from.
With one hand, she held her mother's sleeve in a way that would be easy to pull.
‘I wonder where she got that.’
Perhaps she had swiped it from the corpse of the underworld figure Nam Geon had killed, she was secretly hiding a small dagger in her left hand.
It was a posture to counterattack by pulling her mother if he were to make any threatening move.
It wasn't an action a child of only thirteen or fourteen would take, but it was truly surprising to see her trying to protect her mother at such a young age.
Gulp.
As the mother swallowed dryly at Jin Yuseong’s smile.
Jin Yuseong asked.
“What should be done with that man?”
His finger was pointing at the father.
“If you wish, I can kill him for you.”
The father's face turned white.
He knew what had happened inside the gambling den.
Those words were definitely not a joke.
The father, whose body was paralyzed, only rolled his eyes and sent a desperate gaze.
To his wife and daughter.
The wife thought for a moment before opening her mouth.
“P-please don't kill him. H-he is still Sohyang's father.”
At that answer, the father let out a sigh of relief inwardly.
Then, he happened to see the face of the boy who was pointing at him.
That face, which was full of disappointment.
‘C-crazy bastard.’
Just as the father was thinking that while looking at Jin Yuseong.
His daughter's voice pierced his ears.
“Mom. What are you going to do when these big brothers leave? Then Dad will hit you again. He'll take all the money you worked so hard to earn, Mom.”
Even in a situation where blood was splattered before her eyes, the daughter was calmly trying to persuade her mother without trembling at all.
Sparks flew from the father's eyes.
‘T-that, that, that ungrateful child! How in the world did that bitch of a mother raise her!!’
At that moment.
Nam Geon, who had heard the girl's words, opened his mouth.
“S-she’s worse than my mom. M-my mom hit me. B-but she didn't take my money.”
At that point, Jin Yuseong shook his head.
“That’s not right, Nam Geon. She didn't take your money, but she took other people's money.”
“I-is that so? Hing. M-my mom was as b-bad as that guy.”
The man with a mountain-like physique slumped his shoulders with a face on the verge of tears.
At that moment.
The mother turned her head and said to Jin Yuseong.
“S-still, I don't want to make our Sohyang a fatherless child.”
“Mom. I'm fine. I'm okay with just you.”
At her daughter's words, the mother shook her head.
“People will point fingers.”
While the mother and daughter were talking about the father.
Jin Yuseong was watching the scene and, on the other hand, thinking about something else.
About the relationship between that girl and the Lust Disaster.
Circumstantially, it felt highly probable that the girl named Sohyang was the Lust Disaster.
The Lust Disaster’s method of action, which seemed to harbor a deep grudge against men.
Her father beat her mother, even took her money and squandered it on gambling, and as if that wasn't enough, he sold her to a gambling den.
Thanks to that, she was dragged to a place she didn't know, worked as a courtesan, and was violated by men every night.
At the very least, it was a story that would give her more than enough reason to have a grudge against men.
That's not to say that the Lust Disaster's method of killing men indiscriminately was right, though.
‘Of course. If she was going to kill someone, she should have killed her father and the gambling den guys, and the slave traders or brothel guys. Why kill all the other innocent men?’
In any case, there was only circumstantial evidence, nothing certain.
‘No matter how tragic her story is, it's also strange that a girl who knew nothing suddenly became the Lust Disaster.’
Then where in the world did the Absorption Art, Bone Shrinking Art, and Appearance Changing Art that the Lust Disaster had learned come from?
As soon as that question arose, a certain memory came to mind.
The story that the Lecher he and Nam Geon had killed a month ago had told him.
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