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

“…The Demon Cult had their qualifications revoked?”

Moyong Do narrowed his brows fully at the words of his disciple Moyong Chae.

Moyong Do chewed his lips as if mulling over what he had just heard, then glared at Moyong Chae and spoke urgently.

“What does that mean?”

“It means exactly that. Some time ago, didn’t Demon Cult and Righteous Sect martial artists get into a fight at an inn? Most of those injured on the Righteous Sect side were disciples or children of famous clans and sects. Because of that, it seems they protested extensively to the Alliance Leader.”

At Moyong Chae’s continued words, Moyong Do crumpled his expression and exhaled as if finding it pathetic.

Moyong Do leaned his back against the wall, raised his chin to quietly look at the ceiling, then narrowed his eyes. In the past, the Demon Cult had just felt like an unnecessary enemy far away.

But every time he heard that Sowol was doing well and healthy in her own way after she left, and every time he heard that the Young Cult Leader cherished his sister, an ambivalent feeling of love and hate bloomed that he couldn’t quite understand.

It was right that he should hate the Demon Cult’s hostility for taking his sister away from him, but…

Seeing Moyong Do grinding his teeth, Moyong Chae carefully spoke while reading the atmosphere.

“But the internal atmosphere is a bit strange, Senior Brother.”

“Why? How so?”

“Actually, most think this incident should rightfully be the responsibility of both sides. That’s because most of the Righteous Sect in Luoyang have been criticizing the Demon Cult all this time. Over ten thousand Righteous Sect people cursed at just two hundred Demon Cult members. Even when they went to inns to eat, it was all excessive cursing of the Demon Cult.”

“You’re rambling again. Just get to the point.”

At Moyong Do’s rebuke, Moyong Chae scratched his head with an embarrassed face.

“So, they committed wrongs together, but only one side is being punished. It’s clearly visible that the Murim Alliance is covering for the Righteous Sect. Of course, it’s common for the Murim Alliance, which is the core of the Righteous Sect, to cover for them, but what if the Demon Cult retaliates because of this… that’s the concern.”

“…”

It wasn’t wrong. The Demon Cult probably wouldn’t overlook this incident.

That meant the Young Cult Leader might step forward directly and use force.

Of course, with most of the Righteous Sect masters located here, and one of the Three Emperors, the Flash Sky Sword City, settled here, the Murim Alliance wouldn’t fall.

But most of the sects’ members were late-blooming talents. The Young Cult Leader, whom he had glimpsed, was a master who had achieved the Transcendent Demonic Realm, an unrivaled level for now.

Moreover, with the Vice Cult Leader also here and even the Blood Flow Thousand Wolves Corps leader who had never shown himself before appearing now, they could turn the river into blood before the Flash Sky Sword City could intervene.

“Is tomorrow the martial arts competition?”

Moyong Do hoped the Demon Cult wouldn’t take any rough actions.

* * *

A day passed, and when they arrived at the martial arts arena, most of the Righteous Sect members had expressions of satisfaction.

They were the ones who said they felt sick just being in the same space as the Demon Cult.

Now that the Demon Cult had their qualifications revoked, the people who would be happiest are probably those who advanced to the main tournament.

“What are you thinking so deeply about?”

A coquettish voice like rolling jade beads was heard, and Moyong Do turned his head.

White skin and large eyes. Even plump lips that looked like they had only eaten good fruits.

“Miss Peng Wuling.”

She was one of the women entering the Four Flowers. She lightly smiled in greeting to Hyuk Dojin’s cupped hand salute and glanced around.

“Everyone seems excited.”

“It seems everyone is happy that the Demon Cult had their qualifications revoked.”

“…Hero Do doesn’t seem particularly happy. Didn’t you hate and despise the Demon Cult more than anyone?”

Moyong Do didn’t answer her words.

It wasn’t particularly wrong. It was true that when they took Moyong Sowol away, he had vented his anger on the Demon Cult, unable to hide his rage.

When Moyong Do maintained silence, Peng Wuling slowly erased her smiling expression.

Silence permeated between Moyong Do and Peng Wuling. Amidst the quietness as if waiting for someone to open their mouth, a voice came from behind.

“You don’t seem to have a very happy face.”

It was a thick and rough voice. The man who spoke breaking the silence and the three men and women standing beside him lightly greeted Moyong Do.

Moyong Do also greeted them and looked up at the man who had spoken to him.

It was Seo Gwangho of the Diancang Sect. He too was a saber master that the Diancang Sect boasted of, entering the Four Dragons.

“If you’re a member of the Righteous Sect, shouldn’t you normally be happy that the Demon Cult was disqualified? But why are you making such a worried face? Why, are you concerned about them because you’re in-laws with the Demon Cult? Hm?”

At the blatant sarcasm, Moyong Do tilted his head.

The three people standing beside him, all masters entering the Four Dragons and Four Flowers, tried to stop Seo Gwangho, but his mouth didn’t stop sarcastically mocking Moyong Do.

Moyong Do calmly just looked at Seo Gwangho while listening to his insulting words head-on without his face color changing even once.

“Why don’t you run right now and grab the Murim Alliance Leader’s pant leg and beg him to look after the Demon Cult and forgive them? Huh?”

“Hero…!”

People around tried to stop him, but Seo Gwangho just shrugged as if saying what’s the big deal.

When he looked at Moyong Do with a triumphant face, a thin smile could be seen hanging on Moyong Do’s lips.

At that moment, Seo Gwangho could tell that Moyong Do was ignoring him without even considering him.

“This son of a bitch, again…!”

He clenched his fist in anger and raised it high.

But there was no bringing that fist down.

The entrance was noisy. Moyong Do and the group who had been talking turned their heads to look at the entrance.

“…It seems the Demon Cult has arrived.”

Moyong Do nodded at Peng Wuling’s words.

Seo Gwangho alternately looked at the expressionless Moyong Do and Peng Wuling, gritted his teeth, then smirked.

“Hero Moyong Do of the Righteous Sect who is close to the Demon Cult, just watch from behind. This elder will teach you how to drive out the Demon Cult.”

Moyong Do blankly looked at his back as he headed towards the entrance confidently, then slowly followed.

When Moyong Do’s slow footsteps moving with Peng Wuling were almost at the entrance, an enormous amount of killing intent explosively poured out from the front.

It was killing intent that made the inner energy stored in the body boil even from far behind.

Moyong Do lightly patted the shoulder of Peng Wuling who was trembling beside him, telling her to stay back, then approached forward.

Breaking through the people pressing their backs against the wall, he could see who was emitting such enormous killing intent when he came forward.

‘…As expected.’

Young Cult Leader, Hyuk Dojin.

Who else could emit such killing intent but him?

Moyong Do smiled faintly and slightly turned his head. His turning gaze examined each of the Demon Cult figures one by one, and finally, he could capture the face of the woman he wanted to see most in his eyes.

‘…Sowol.’

She had gained weight and had more vitality compared to before…

It was the appearance of his sister who could now stand under the sunlight.

* * *

Moyong Do’s eyes were directed at me and I also looked at Moyong Do.

In the past, when I recalled his appearance just past twenty, there was still a boyish feeling remaining, but now he was fully an adult.

His lines had thickened and he seemed to have grown taller, as he was higher than the people around him.

And I could somewhat guess Moyong Do’s level of achievement, which I couldn’t tell before.

Even compared to the elders standing beside him, Moyong Do was strong enough to not fall behind at all.

I could understand why they treated him as the leader of the Four Dragons and Four Flowers.

“Withdraw your killing intent! Are you trying to start a war here right now?!”

At Sword Protector Jin’s urgent words, Hyuk Dojin answered quietly.

“Isn’t it you who are trying to start a war with such biased and insulting treatment?”

“Watch your words! It’s the Murim Alliance’s decision. How could the Murim Alliance be biased…!”

“I can see why the white-haired monster of the Moyong clan caught the Young Cult Leader’s fancy. How fun she must be to play with in bed. What a delicacy’, ‘Don’t you want to fall into my arms like you did the Young Cult Leader’s? I can make your nights more pleasurable than that weakling’, ‘I heard that woman Nam Sojeong of the Demon Cult woke up from her coma… What a shame. It’s a waste to just bury her. If she had died, I would have specially held her corpse at night… Shall I read more?”

The calm voice coming from behind was Beon Yang’s. She took her eyes off the scroll in her hand and looked ahead.

The Righteous Sect people, including Sword Protector Jin, made bewildered expressions.

“What, what is…”

“I just summarized some of the things I heard from the Righteous Sect at the inn on the day I attacked them. We have secured testimonies and witnesses.”

“Such talk is only from riffraff…”

“Bu Hyeonmin of Qingcheng, Na Doul of Wudang, Geum Mukcheol of Mount Heng. Are these people also riffraff?”

Hyuk Dojin reached out his hand to take the scroll from Beon Yang’s hand, examined the contents, then threw it to the Righteous Sect.

The scroll that bounced on the ground a few times and rolled to stop at their feet contained more content and names.

Sword Protector Jin picked up the scroll and examined the contents.

“Hmm…”

Sword Protector Jin groaned deeply, closed the scroll, tightly closed his eyes then slowly opened them.

“I understand. I’ll tell the Alliance Leader about this matter separately, so withdraw your killing intent and retreat…”

“…Retreat? Ha… Haha, hahaha!!”

Hyuk Dojin burst into laughter as if it was absurd.

Only his killing intent and laughter filled the quiet space. His laughter that had been bursting for a while suddenly cut off at some point.

“Amusing, Sword Protector Jin. Do you think I’m a joke? Do you think you can look down on the Demon Cult because you’re under the Murim Alliance’s protection? Do you think I’m a dog that retreats when you say retreat and waits when you say wait? Do I look like that to you?”

“What nonsense is this! How dare you to Sword Protector Jin… Kuk!”

A man standing beside Sword Protector Jin shouted convulsively, but before he could finish his voice, he clutched his stomach and collapsed to the ground.

“To interrupt the Young Cult Leader’s words… You have no fear, do you?”

“Kuuuh…!”

It was Man Do.

A small pebble rolled out from under the fallen man’s stomach. It was just a pebble the size of a fingernail, but it was enough for Man Do to shut that man’s mouth.

“What is this…!”

“Don’t move a single step. The Young Cult Leader’s words aren’t finished yet.”

“Thousand-Killing Demon…”

“Heheh.”

Everyone looked at Man Do with frightened expressions.

Man Do chuckled softly and rubbed his chin.

Hyuk Dojin glanced at him, then continued speaking.

“Because my wife is a woman as precious to me as a jewel, I showed some goodwill to the Righteous Sect in gratitude for sending such a woman to me… But it seems it was unnecessary goodwill. When I show goodwill from below, they seem to feel like they’re throwing a bone to make me perform tricks as if they’re something…”

Hyuk Dojin looked around at them and spoke coldly.

“Once they were family of the same Righteous Sect, but now they spout such lowly words just because she’s become my wife. What fine righteousness and chivalry. Fine, if you want, I’ll perform tricks like a dog for you.”

Instead. Hyuk Dojin extended his finger to point at all of them.

“The price won’t be a bone, but your necks.”