CHAPTER 380: DEATH BLADE, RECTIFICATION GANG (1)

The Hundred-thousand Great Mountains of Xinjiang.

The river flowing there is called Pure White River (素白江).

The island located where the Pure White River widens to the size of a lake after passing through the basin is Sky Shattering Island (破天島).

Gradually, scattered houses began to appear.

It was natural since people lived in the Xinjiang basin as well.

And that meant they were getting closer to Sky Shattering Island.

The long journey was finally coming to an end.

Those including Ha-jun were likely detained within Sky Shattering Island.

Yi-gang and Go Yo-ja were on their way to Sky Shattering Island, feeling tense.

Meeting the warriors of the Rectification Gang in the meantime was purely by chance.

They were on a journey exactly opposite to Yi-gang’s group.

They were heading from Sky Shattering Island to join the main force of the Demon Sect advancing to the Central Plains.

“Jang Chil, I never imagined we’d meet here.”

The man smiling broadly had a scar running from his forehead down to below his right ear.

The name Jang Chil was Death Blade’s real name.

And those who knew Death Blade’s real name had a certain deep relationship with him.

Whether friendly or not.

“Relax your expression, aren’t you glad to see your brother?”

“Yeah, hahaha.”

The other man had a long scar on his face.

Because of that clear feature and his affiliation with Rectification Gang, his identity was easy to guess.

He was a martial artist named Jo Geuk-yeong.

He was the Division Leader leading the Sixteenth Division of Rectification Gang, a Supreme Peak master.

His name had been heard many times during Death Blade’s interrogation.

Death Blade revered Jo Geuk-yeong as his elder brother and paid tribute to the Rectification Gang.

As members of the unorthodox faction, they had human relationships built on tribute and payments.

“Unfortunately, we were also drafted for the advance on the Central Plains. Our division was turned upside down recently.”

Jo Geuk-yeong grinned as he spoke words no one asked for.

It was said that Jo Geuk-yeong smiled like this when he was displeased.

In Yi-gang’s sight, Pale Blood Hand was visible in the back.

Pale Blood Hand looked uneasy, rolling his eyes left and right, as if he would hide in a mouse hole if there was one.

He was scared.

The reason was clear.

The Rectification Gang was clearly an organization affiliated with the main cult.

To the wandering martial artists at the bottom, they were like gods.

Moreover, Pale Blood Hand owed Death Blade, who in turn was behind on tribute payments to Rectification Gang.

In other words, the nemesis of his nemesis appeared here.

“The reason my Sixteenth Division is joining the main force late is because…”

Jo Geuk-yeong playfully twirled his long, sharp Ghost King Piercer.

That skewer-like weapon was what elevated Jo Geuk-yeong to the Division Leader of Rectification Gang.

As a Peak expert, Jo Geuk-yeong must have stabbed countless people with the Ghost King Piercer.

“The gang leader designated five divisions. Coincidentally, they were the ones who paid the least congratulatory money at the last sixtieth birthday party.”

Without warning, he thrust the Ghost King Piercer forward.

Swaek!

His Ghost King Piercer pierced through Death Blade’s philtrum.

The wandering martial artists gasped in surprise.

Fortunately, Jo Geuk-yeong’s spear only grazed beside Death Blade’s ear.

The tense wandering martial artists gauged the atmosphere.

Death Blade naturally…

“I-I’m sorry, Elder Brother!”

He quickly bowed his head and apologized to Jo Geuk-yeong.

The apology seemed a beat late, probably because he was scared.

Jo Geuk-yeong’s smiling expression turned peculiar.

He originally intended to tear one of Death Blade’s ears.

But by mistake, his spear only passed right beside the ear.

“…My brother has disappointed me, so my heart aches.”

Death Blade, Yi-gang bowed his head once again.

Then he looked around cautiously.

Jo Geuk-yeong’s subordinates chuckled as if enjoying the situation.

He roughly understood the situation.

Surely, the reason they joined the main force wasn’t truly because of Death Blade.

They just wanted to tease the rat they always played with.

“What a cruel guy.”

That guy clearly tried to tear Yi-gang’s ear.

He wanted to punish him badly.

He had not yet succeeded in completing the lightning based Supreme Ultimate Technique.

He had found a clue but needed more time.

Because of that, his mood worsened as they neared Sky Shattering Island…

「Endure it, do not forget the greater cause.」

Even if Zhang Sanfeng hadn’t stopped him, he planned to bow his head and let it pass for now.

“Well, I can’t kill my cherished brother. The road ahead looks rough, can you support some travel expenses?”

“Ah…”

They even tried to extort money from the wandering martial artists.

They wondered why silver coins were needed when heading to war in the Central Plains.

「Tsk.」

The tongue click seemed to have come from Heavenly Demon.

Yi-gang was dumbfounded but held back for now.

“I don’t have anything on me right now…”

Immediately, a short man rushed from behind Jo Geuk-yeong.

Yi-gang almost smashed the attacker’s skull in an instant.

The short man behaved more like a dog than a person.

He sniffed around Yi-gang’s body like a dog.

The man was balding and only reached about Yi-gang’s chest in height.

His identity was guessed.

‘Is he the Deputy Division Leader Soul Hunting Hound?’

A nickname meaning “Soul-chasing hunting dog.”

He was Jo Geuk-yeong’s loyal subordinate.

Actually, dogs are cute, but Soul Hunting Hound was a very ugly man.

Though not a first-rate warrior, he held the Deputy Division Leader position after Jo Geuk-yeong for a reason.

Soul Hunting Hound had a special ability.

“Sniff, sniff, I don’t smell money.”

Born with a dog-like nose and enhanced by some martial arts, his sense of smell was sharp.

“Looks like he’s really broke, unfortunately.”

Jo Geuk-yeong immediately believed Soul Hunting Hound.

Then he stepped closer to Yi-gang.

“Next time you return to Sky Shattering Island, prepare more thoroughly. Heh heh.”

His fist struck Yi-gang’s abdomen.

Naturally, Yi-gang had already wrapped his abdomen with energy inside to protect it.

“Ugh!”

Still, he pretended to be hurt and bent his waist.

Jo Geuk-yeong seemed roughly satisfied.

“But sniff, sniff, there’s a strange smell.”

Soul Hunting Hound tilted his head as if puzzled.

He didn’t leave Yi-gang and kept sniffing.

“Ugh, this guy’s smell was bad originally but improved a bit. And… what is this, sniff, some herb? Waterflow grass…”

Yi-gang’s hair stood on end for a moment.

Waterflow grass was one of the ingredients in Go Yo-ja’s secret medicinal decoction.

‘Should I crush his nose?’

While seriously considering it, Soul Hunting Hound approached Dam Hyun and Go Yo-ja to sniff them as well.

“This one smells like an animal… and this one smells like some old man in the back room…”

Dam Hyun and Go Yo-ja’s expressions stiffened.

Soul Hunting Hound’s sense of smell was so sharp it surprised even these experts.

Dam Hyun winked at Yi-gang.

It meant, “Why not just finish them all off?”

Yi-gang decided to observe for now.

Soul Hunting Hound wandered around sniffing here and there like a real hunting dog.

He stopped in front of Gal Dong-tak and the dragged commoners.

“Sniff sniff, this guy also has a strange smell…”

“Ah! Ah! Go away!”

Gal Dong-tak pushed Soul Hunting Hound away as if truly startled.

He probably wasn’t cowardly, but Soul Hunting Hound’s behavior was so bizarre.

Soul Hunting Hound ignored Gal Dong-tak’s resistance, but soon trouble occurred.

Pooook—

A sound like a drum tearing was heard, and Soul Hunting Hound covered his nose.

“S-sorry. I’ve felt unwell since this morning…”

Gal Dongt-ak scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

Perhaps tired from the journey, Gal Dong-tak’s complexion was yellowish.

“Was it a bit smelly?”

“Ugh, this bastard!”

Soul Hunting Hound, enraged, was about to strike Gal Dong-tak.

“Stop! Hahaha!”

Jo Geuk-yeong stopped him.

As expected, not only Rectification Gang warriors but even the wandering martial artists were chuckling.

Soul Hunting Hound sheepishly lowered his hand.

Gal Dong-tak also chuckled.

Yi-gang, watching this, quietly relaxed his tension.

It seemed they could get through this roughly.

Probably because Gal Dong-tak’s farce was so funny.

However.

There were a few who couldn’t laugh comfortably even after seeing such a farce.

Pale Blood Hand and his brothers were like that.

Meeting the Rectification Gang warriors leaving Sky Shattering Island was unimaginable.

In their hearts, they thought they were all doomed.

Because the Rectification Gang, especially the Division Leader of the Sixteenth Division Jo Geuk-yeong, was extremely cruel.

“If that Death Blade guy blabs…”

The debt Pale Blood Hand owed to Death Blade.

If told to Jo Geuk-yeong, he would strip Pale Blood Hand and his brothers clean.

Now that they had all arrived at Sky Shattering Island, losing travel money was tolerable… but if the precious metals inside the coffin were discovered…

Cold sweat drenched Pale Blood Hand’s back.

However, surprisingly, Death Blade did not mention Pale Blood Hand.

Pale Blood Hand was even moved.

“Why is he…”

If it were the Death Blade he knew, he would have sold out Pale Blood Hand long ago to save himself.

But Death Blade did not, and Jo Geuk-yeong had little interest in the other wandering martial artists.

“Then I’ll be going now.”

Jo Geuk-yeong declared immediately.

“What a pity, if only I had money, I wouldn’t have to go to the Central Plains.”

The Rectification Gang members prepared to leave again.

They survived.

Thinking so, Pale Blood Hand felt all his energy drain.

Everything went well.

When he returned, he planned to kill Death Blade first.

It didn’t matter since the Rectification Gang guys backing Death Blade had left Sky Shattering Island.

He would sell the vast amount of precious metals stolen from the Central Plains estate and live lavishly.

A broad smile appeared on his face with such thoughts.

But was it too early to relax?

“…Smell.”

Before he knew it, Soul Hunting Hound was standing next to Pale Blood Hand.

Pale Blood Hand was horrified by that ghost-like appearance.

“The smell of a rotting corpse…”

“Uh, yes, yes.”

Soul Hunting Hound sniffed with nostrils twice the size of others and spoke.

“It’s very foul. Sniff, but there’s an even fouler smell.”

“W-what is that?”

“Money. The smell of money.”

“The smell of paper money is musty, coins sting the nose, silver is metallic. But do you know the foulest?”

“What… is it?”

Pale Blood Hand’s body stiffened with tension.

Soul Hunting Hound grinned as if seeing through Pale Blood Hand’s thoughts.

“The smell of rotten gold. There’s no scent as foul yet sweet as that.”

Pale Blood Hand reflexively tried to grab Soul Hunting Hound.

But no matter how weak Soul Hunting Hound’s martial arts were, he was still several steps above Pale Blood Hand.

He finally slipped behind Pale Blood Hand and struck the coffin he was guarding.

Crash!

At the sound of the coffin breaking, everyone’s gaze turned that way.

Similarly, Jo Geuk-yeong and Rectification Gang warriors turned and stopped simultaneously.

“Hehehe, sniff, I wondered where the smell was coming from.”

The coffin had a hole punched through by Soul Hunting Hound.

Inside the exposed coffin was not a corpse but something else.

Shimmering sound—

Golden coins and various precious metals glittered and spilled noisily.

Even Jo Geuk-yeong, who had been domineering before the wandering martial artists, was left agape.

“Huh… ahem.”

Jo Geuk-yeong quickly composed his expression.

Then he glanced around swiftly and smiled as he spoke.

“It seems we need to have a deeper conversation.”