The Terminally-Ill Side-Character Inside of a Martial Arts Novel

Hyuk Dojin, who had emerged from my embrace, rubbed his cheek as if embarrassed and then smiled awkwardly.

“When I should be comforting you, to think I’m receiving comfort instead. I showed an embarrassing side.”

I didn’t dislike his words and actions. It wasn’t unpleasant at all that he showed me a side he wouldn’t show others. Rather, I thought it would be nice if he showed more.

Hyuk Dojin always showed a calm and composed appearance. Although he occasionally showed signs of being flustered or angry, he had never shown such a bashful side.

So I wanted to see more. That kind of appearance my man could only show to me. The inner child’s heart that we could only show each other.

I smiled brightly and sat down. Waiting for Hyuk Dojin to tell me about Geum Soso later, I changed the subject.

“By the way, what about the remaining Vein-Bursting Powder? There’s no way to recover it, is there?”

“There’s no way to recover it, but I have a rough idea of who might have it.”

“Who?”

Hyuk Dojin interlocked his fingers and spoke in a low voice.

“Protector Do Hyul.”

It was an unexpected name. I thought names like Lee Seonghak, the Holy Stream League, or Shin Hohyeol would be mentioned, but it was a name I hadn’t thought of at all. When I slightly narrowed my brows, Hyuk Dojin hesitated, then rubbed his chin and said quietly.

“When my mother was poisoned, Do Hyul was the one who handled that poison, and Lee Seonghak was involved in that affair. The man called Muk Beon who sticks to Do Hyul’s side is someone from the group that made Vein-Bursting Powder.”

Hyuk Dojin rubbed his face with the hand that had been supporting his chin and continued speaking slowly.

“In the end, no matter how things turn out, if we investigate, the culprit will be narrowed down, and then naturally, those who don’t want to arouse suspicion will cut off their tails.”

Eun Do. At Hyuk Dojin’s call, Eun Do appeared. Looking down at him prostrating, Hyuk Dojin’s voice rang out coldly.

“Go immediately and capture the man called Muk Beon. You must move secretly.”

“Understood.”

“And tell Yoo Doha to search the Southern Manchuria Do clan with the Blood Flow Thousand Wolves Corps. Not anywhere else but the Southern Manchuria Do clan, especially Do Hyul, who still has responsibility for what happened ten years ago. If they resist, tell them to arrest and bring them on the spot.”

“I obey!”

I looked at the empty space where Eun Do had disappeared with his answer. Is it okay to search the Southern Manchuria Do clan? I was worried that we might be stirring up a hornet’s nest unnecessarily when nothing had come out yet.

Hyuk Dojin smiled as if reading my mind.

“It’s alright. There will be no problem.”

His eyes were sharp like a fierce viper.

* * *

“You bastards… Aaargh!!”

The Blood Flow Thousand Wolves Corps members who kicked open the door were merciless. They cut down those who tried to stop them, disarming them to the point where their lives were not in danger.

The Blood Flow Thousand Wolves Corps, called the top military group of the Demon Cult, was strong. Even the great Southern Manchuria Do clan couldn’t offer any resistance as they pushed in.

“Eeek! What is this sudden action!”

The elders of the Southern Manchuria Do clan rushed out to block them. The Blood Flow Thousand Wolves Corps tried to persuade the elders to step aside before pointing their swords at them, but the elders rebuked them with stern eyes.

“How dare you! Do you know where this is! Get out immediately!!”

At the sight of the shouting elders, the Blood Flow Thousand Wolves Corps captains came forward to face the elders directly. Each captain was a supreme master. They were people who could easily take a high position in the Demon Cult if they stepped down from their current positions.

Even for the elders, it was too much to try to stop them.

In the end, when even the elders were overwhelmed and pushed back, Do Seokhwi heard the news and hurriedly returned. He grabbed his huge greatsword in anger at his clan being in chaos.

“You bastards!! I’ll crush your necks while you’re still alive!!”

He immediately rushed forward and glared at the Blood Flow Thousand Wolves Corps. Unlike when attacking others, the Blood Flow Thousand Wolves Corps looked at Do Seokhwi with tense eyes.

Do Seokhwi was the clan leader of the Southern Manchuria Do clan and an elder of the Demon Cult.

No matter how violent his temperament and shallow his martial arts depth, they couldn’t ignore the strength and pressure emanating from his body, and his enlightenment. Even for members of the Blood Flow Thousand Wolves Corps, they thought it would take at least ten people to subdue him with some casualties. That’s how ruthless Do Seokhwi was.

“Consider this your death day!!”

“That’s enough.”

But his greatsword didn’t get a chance to swing. Somehow, a sword was held under Do Seokhwi’s neck.

Do Seokhwi flinched at the voice from the side and turned his head while regaining his balance that had been leaning forward. There was Yoo Doha looking at him with a smiling face.

“That’s enough, Elder Do.”

“…Yoo Doha.”

Yoo Doha, the leader of the Blood Flow Thousand Wolves Corps.

A monster who was among the top few in the Demon Cult, excluding those with the title of ‘Cult Leader’, where numerous experts were lined up.

Even Snow Willow Sword Lee Seonghak marveled at the master that was Yoo Doha.

Yoo Doha jerked his head with a smiling face. The Blood Flow Thousand Wolves Corps members resumed their internal search according to Yoo Doha’s instructions.

Do Seokhwi gritted his teeth as he watched his clan turning into chaos. But he couldn’t offer any resistance.

He didn’t even know Yoo Doha was coming until he came to his side and held out his sword, and couldn’t react. He knew he was no match for him. Therefore, all Do Seokhwi could do was grind his teeth.

“What is this? With whose permission are you forcibly searching this place?”

“Whose orders would I listen to?”

Do Seokhwi’s brows narrowed.

The Blood Flow Thousand Wolves Corps was a military organization the Cult Leader had bestowed upon Hyuk Dojin. They were an organization that prioritized the Young Cult Leader’s orders over the Cult Leader’s.

Do Seokhwi bared his teeth and growled.

“Even if the Young Cult Leader gave you such an order, how could you… to the innocent Southern Manchuria Do clan…!”

“Whether there’s guilt or not is something we’ll have to examine, isn’t it?”

Yoo Doha’s gaze slowly rolled to the back. There was Do Hyul who was just entering.

“Do Hyul!”

“…What is this about, brother?”

“Ask this bastard next to me.”

Do Hyul glared at the sword pointing at his brother’s neck and quickly approached. Yoo Doha withdrew his sword with a smile and lightly greeted.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“Elder Protector.”

“Didn’t I ask what this is about?!”

“What else could it be?”

Yoo Doha shrugged his shoulders while looking around. At his action as if saying it was exactly as it appeared, Do Hyul’s eyes flashed as if greatly angered. Yoo Doha alternately examined Do Hyul and Do Seokhwi, then turned his head and spoke slowly.

“By the way, where’s that man you always keep by your side?”

“…What?”

“I’m talking about the man called Muk Beon.”

Do Hyul’s face stiffened slightly and then changed quickly. It was a change that appeared in an instant, but Yoo Doha didn’t miss it.

Before Do Hyul could answer anything, Yoo Doha called a captain and ordered the Blood Flow Thousand Wolves Corps to withdraw, then looked at the two again.

“I apologize for barging in suddenly. But please don’t hate us too much. I had a stern order to search the mansion of the Southern Manchuria Do clan. So please calm your anger. Ah! Please submit a claim to the inner palace for the damages. The Young Cult Leader will compensate you.”

Yoo Doha chuckled as he sheathed his sword.

“The Young Cult Leader will compensate you.”

With that, he’s leaving.

After finishing his words, Yoo Doha’s retreating figure looked very relaxed. Do Seokhwi felt an urge to rush out and rip off Yoo Doha’s neck, but he had to endure because of the difference in skill and also because he had no justification to do so.

Do Seokhwi glared at Yoo Doha and then examined his younger brother.

Do Hyul bit his teeth hard while looking at the broken household items.

“They’re moving faster than expected.”

“What do you plan to do?”

“…I need to go somewhere.”

Do Hyul exhaled and turned his body. Do Seokhwi followed Do Hyul’s retreating back with his eyes, then scratched his head vigorously before shouting at the servants to quickly clean up the mansion.

* * *

The crescent moon was hanging at the end of dawn. The surroundings were extremely dark, with deep darkness settling in just before the sunlight of the day would pour down after passing dawn.

Several groups of shadows were quickly passing through darkness so thick that one couldn’t distinguish anything even if someone passed right next to them.

They moved their legs quickly as if being chased by something, yet maintained silence as if trying not to make even a breath sound.

Only the occasional rustling of leaves could be heard. They were not ordinary people, but considerable martial artists.

They kept moving their legs continuously even as their whole bodies were soaked in sweat, with the determination to cross this mountain before this dawn ended.

When one person finally stumbled on a root as their legs gave out, they were barely able to stop. The person at the front of the group turned back, quickly scanned the surroundings, and gave instructions to be on guard. Three shadows moved and scattered around.

“Whew…”

The person who had been at the front exhaled and lowered his mask. The man revealed in the darkness was Snow Willow Sword Lee Seonghak.

He raised the fallen man behind him and lowered his mask. It was Muk Beon, the man he had taken along to buy Vein-Bursting Powder before.

Lee Seonghak looked at him as if he were pathetic, his lips moving as if to say something, but then he stopped.

Instead, he waited until Muk Beon caught his breath. When Muk Beon finally calmed down, he called back the men he had sent out.

However, there was no response to that call. Lee Seonghak sensed something was wrong and called again.

There was clearly no answer or reaction that should have returned, and instead, a sharp sound of ripping air struck his ears. Lee Seonghak hurriedly drew his sword and deflected what was flying in.

“Arrows…! It’s an ambush!”

The moment Lee Seonghak shouted urgently with his eyes wide open, shadows pounced from everywhere, from the trees above and behind.

“Aaargh!!”

At the sudden event, everyone except Lee Seonghak couldn’t even react. Muk Beon too was captured without being able to resist due to lack of strength. When he came to his senses and raised his head, the situation was already being resolved in an instant.

Lee Seonghak gritted his teeth and rushed at Muk Beon. Those who were trying to bind him stepped back at Lee Seonghak’s onslaught.

“E-Elder…!”

Lee Seonghak tried to cut off Muk Beon’s breathing as he called out to him, but he didn’t have the leisure to do so. Instead, he grabbed the string tied to Muk Beon’s waist, tore it off immediately, and put it in his bosom.

Living up to his title of Snow Willow Sword, he attacked the shadows like a fierce snowstorm, broke through the encirclement, and quickly fled.

The shadows shouted to catch him and chased after him, but there was no one who could keep up with Lee Seonghak fleeing at full speed.

Those who had been chasing Lee Seonghak returned and bowed their heads to the Blood Flow Thousand Wolves Corps captain. The captain clicked his tongue lowly, looked around, and then jerked his chin.

“Let’s go back.”

The captain scanned the path where Lee Seonghak had disappeared and then turned his body.