Red Light District's Martial God-Chapter 47

After Jaseong finished dealing with the Scarlet Scythe Lady and the Thousand Daggers Lecher's group, evening arrived.
Outside the window of the Sword Guesthouse, a blood-red sunset had begun to fall.
'It's about time to go look for the Three Souls Hall.'
Once night had deepened, Jaseong planned to search the Wandering Warrior Village with his companions, as he had the night before.
All to complete the fifth Heaven's Mandate: the eradication of Jungak.
At his side, in preparation for deployment, Gu Janghu was tending to his arms.
Unlike him, Lee Rin was calmly sipping tea as she ate sweets.
'Just how many sweets does she eat in a day?'
Seeing that Lee Rin's cheeks looked plumper than before, Jaseong muttered inwardly.
Sensing his gaze, Lee Rin asked,
"Why are you looking at me, great hero?"
"... It's nothing."
"Is it because you want one? Shall I give you one?"
"... No. Rather, how many sweets did you bring with you?"
"I didn't know how long we'd be staying in this Wandering Warrior Village, so I packed plenty. If I eat too many, I'll gain weight, so I set aside about twenty a day for about half a month? Hehe."
... No wonder she was gaining weight, eating twenty sweets a day.
Shaking his head at the innocently grinning Lee Rin, Jaseong sighed.
Just then—
Creak—
Accompanied by the creaky old door, slow footsteps approached the Sword Guesthouse.
As Jaseong turned his head that way, an old man with snow-white hair entered.
'So he went missing, and is now returning.'
The White-haired Blade Elder, known as the strongest of the four masters in the Wandering Warrior Village, had arrived.
Entering, he didn't sit but first scanned the guesthouse.
Then, suddenly, he looked at Jaseong and spoke in a low voice.
"You have broken the rules of the Sword Guesthouse."
The White-haired Blade Elder declared calmly.
Although not even half a day had passed since the fight with the wandering warriors, he instantly detected the faint traces of blood lingering in the guesthouse.
At those words, Jaseong reached silently for his sword hilt.
After all, the White-haired Blade Elder had warned him yesterday.
Never draw a sword in the Sword Guesthouse.
Jaseong had broken that rule, so it was clear a fight would ensue.
'... Judging by the skill he showed when he flicked the cup yesterday, this old man is certainly a stronger expert than the Scarlet Scythe Lady or the Thousand Daggers Lecher. I may even need to use the Celestial Gate Opening Art.'
Contrary to his expectations, however, the White-haired Blade Elder did not show hostility.
Though Jaseong had violated the rules he warned about.
Instead, the old man ordered a bottle of wine from the owner, took a drink, and changed the subject.
"What brings an expert such as yourself to this Wandering Warrior Village?"
The White-haired Blade Elder's faded eyes stared at Jaseong.
Without replying, Jaseong poured himself a drink and drank.
The old man pressed further.
"Did you perhaps come after hearing rumors that Three Souls Hall had infiltrated this village?"
At this, Lee Rin and Gu Janghu's eyes flickered.
[... It seems even this old man knows Three Souls Hall has entered the Wandering Warrior Village.]
[Leader, this old man gives off a strange feeling. We should be careful.]
Lee Rin and Gu Janghu sent their voice transmissions in turn.
Meanwhile, the White-haired Blade Elder sighed deeply and continued.
"Recently, in this Wandering Warrior Village, both children and martial artists have been disappearing without a sound. I, too, know that Three Souls Hall is behind it. That's why I was also searching for their base."
... So even the White-haired Blade Elder was seeking Three Souls Hall?
"Since you seem to be after Three Souls Hall as well, I'll tell you something."
"?"
"In the public eye, it's been carefully concealed, but the leaders of Three Souls Hall are defectors from the Hainan Sect, one of the Nine Great Sects. They were talents highly trusted by the Hainan Sect. That's why Three Souls Hall leaders' martial arts far exceed the norm for those on the Dark Path."
"......!"
"That's why the Hainan Sect is searching for them so desperately. If it became known that Three Souls Hall's origins lay in the Hainan Sect, the sect's honor would be irreparably damaged throughout the Central Plains."
So, the infamous Three Souls Hall of the Central Plains originated from the Hainan Sect, one of the Nine Great Sects?
That was unexpected.
'... The Hainan Sect is based on Hainan Province, far from the Central Plains. They mainly battle East Sea pirates, and as a result, their swordsmen are said to have fierce temperaments. But even so, for a disciple to become a notorious figure of the Dark Path...'
While Jaseong pondered this, the White-haired Blade Elder spoke again.
"And there's something else troubling me."
"?"
"Lately, another expert of the Wandering Warrior Village, Dark Needle Venom Empress, has not been seen. Was that your doing?"
"It was not."
"I see... If she has become involved with Three Souls Hall, things will become more difficult.... In any case, that's all the information I have about Three Souls Hall. If you get any new information, can you share it with me?"
To this, Jaseong nodded silently as he drank.
If such an old master lent his strength to eliminating Three Souls Hall, completing Heaven's Mandate would be much easier.
Of course, Jaseong did not fully trust the White-haired Blade Elder.
As Hyang-I warned, the Wandering Warrior Village was a place where no one could be trusted.
* * *
After that, the sunset faded and night came to the Wandering Warrior Village.
It was the second night since Jaseong's group had arrived.
Jaseong continued his reconnaissance, running across rooftops in the moonlight to locate Three Souls Hall's base.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The village was so vast that finding Three Souls Hall's hideout was no easy task.
Still, with Seeking Light in the Darkness, it was only a matter of time.
"The most suspicious places right now are the abandoned mine in the north, and the wild mountain in the east. Both are so expansive, it'd take two or three days even using Seeking Light in the Darkness."
Lee Rin said, unfolding the map given by Hyang-I.
"Leader. Which way should we go?"
Gu Janghu asked.
After a moment's contemplation, Jaseong replied.
"We'll go to the eastern mountain. There are slash-and-burn folk living there, making it a likely target for Three Souls Hall."
So, under the moonlight, the group traversed the rooftops toward the eastern mountain.
But then, as they moved east—
"Kyaaa!"
A sudden scream pierced the darkness.
Instantly, the eyes of Jaseong, Lee Rin, and Gu Janghu flashed.
"It's them."
At once, the group hurled themselves toward the source of the sound.
Soon, their feet came to a halt atop the roof.
[We've finally found them.]
Under the moonlight, more than a dozen shadows flickered atop the roof.
There stood men in black clothes, just like Jaseong's group.
After two days in the Wandering Warrior Village, they had finally encountered Three Souls Hall—the infamous human trafficking ring of the Central Plains.
* * *
Before the confrontation with Jaseong's group—
After wrapping up negotiations with Murong Dangcheon, the three Three Souls Hall leaders each sank into thought.
Third Soul spoke in a low voice.
"First brother, can we really trust that sect leader's word?"
Disbelief colored Third Soul's tone.
In contrast, Second Soul gave a sly smirk.
"By the look in his eyes, he's not as hardheaded as the usual Righteous Faction bumpkins. First brother, why not watch and see for a bit?"
First Soul thought for a moment, then spoke.
"If Murong Dangcheon sends his fourth son to us, we can believe him. But we can always check before that."
"How?"
"From tonight, step up our activities. Whether the world knows we're Three Souls Hall or not, sweep through the Wandering Warrior Village."
At First Soul's command, Second Soul and Third Soul grinned wickedly.
Up to now, Three Souls Hall had kept their human trafficking business secret, as any rumors would draw the Hainan Sect's pursuit immediately.
But if Murong Dangcheon's promises held true, Three Souls Hall could rampage here without fear of the Murim Alliance or Hainan Sect.
"If Murong Dangcheon really guarantees our safety, we can keep doing business. If not, we run as before."
At First Soul's words, Second Soul and Third Soul nodded in agreement.
"Exactly. We can just go to another city and set up a new hideout."
"We're still far from meeting the quota the Demonic Cult demanded, first brother. We've got to keep snatching brats. Heheh."
Thus, Three Souls Hall decided to go on a free-for-all rampage in the village.
After this, First Soul took several subordinates and headed for the center of the village.
Second Soul and Third Soul led the rest toward the eastern town.
But in front of Second Soul and Third Soul, who were boasting about wiping out the village's children, three men in black clothes suddenly appeared.
'Who the hell are these bastards?'
'There are others besides us roaming the village in black clothes... Who are these people?'
The eyes of Second Soul and Third Soul narrowed.
What irritated them even more was that the three strangers radiated the aura of unmistakable experts.
'Never heard of a new expert entering the Wandering Warrior Village. Did they arrive while we were away...?'
At that moment, four subordinates standing behind Third Soul stepped forward.
"Leaders, let us handle this."
The four who stepped forward released an unmistakable surge of ki.
It was only natural—Three Souls Hall never added members lightly,
admitting only carefully selected experts.
'Fine, you go test them first.'
But just as Third Soul thought this—
"?"
Something caught the attention of Second Soul and Third Soul.
Though four of their men stepped forward, only one of the three masked figures responded.
"You're going to fight all four of us Three Souls Hall at once?"
"I am."
The one who answered, eyes sharp behind the mask, was Gu Janghu—once known as the youngest grade-one killer in Killing Valley.
[Gu Janghu. Will you be alright alone?]
[Doesn't matter. There's a shadow arts technique from Killing Valley I've been wanting to try on a night like this.]
Barely had Gu Janghu responded in voice transmission when Three Souls Hall's four stepped in to surround him.
They moved silently, waiting for an opening.
Suddenly, all four struck at once.
"Secret Art of the Dark Gate, Dark Serpent Shatters Prison!"
"Soul Blood Sword Technique—First Black Soul Slash!"
"Secret Art of Three Souls Hall, Blood Serpent First Move!"
As befits handpicked experts, the four Three Souls Hall members struck fiercely.
Unfazed, Gu Janghu drew his twin swords with lightning speed, meeting their attacks coming from every angle.
Cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-chan!!!
Gu Janghu's twin swords danced brilliantly.
This was the Twin Moon Assassin Sword of Killing Valley, said to be the hardest Killing Valley sword art to master.
Moving like a shadow in darkness, his attack slipped through their defenses as if his blades were alive.
Not only the four Three Souls Hall attackers, but even Second Soul and Third Soul's eyes widened at the display.
Then—
Smash! Shwish! Shwish!
Gu Janghu kicked up roof tiles beneath his feet, sending them flying in both directions.
"Is that your parlor trick?"
The Three Souls Hall attackers easily knocked the tiles aside.
But the real aim was not the tiles.
Thwip!
Behind the flying shards came hidden throwing needles—Gu Janghu had launched poisoned needles.
These were so small that even most experts could not see them in the dark.
This was Killing Valley's shadow needle technique: Shade Needle Technique.
"Kghk?!"
Two were paralyzed and collapsed at once, struck by Gu Janghu's needles.
Witnessing this, Jaseong and Lee Rin behind him marveled in secret.
'So, Killing Valley's martial arts truly shine in the darkness.'
The remaining two also fell helpless before Gu Janghu's needles.
But of course, there were still many enemies left.
Three Souls Hall bosses Second Soul and Third Soul, along with six subordinates, remained on the roof.
[Great hero. Let's attack, too.]
Lee Rin exhaled a white mist from her nose and mouth—chilling energy unique to the North Sea Ice Palace billowed from her dantian.
Jaseong also unsheathed his sword with a hiss.
Bloodlust filled the rooftops of the Wandering Warrior Village.
But just as Lee Rin and Jaseong were about to launch their attack—
"?!"
Suddenly, Three Souls Hall did something completely unexpected.