Chapter 121: Disgustingly Bad Taste
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The Falling Star Sword Sect group felt as if their thoughts had frozen.
‘…!’
Chae Sa-rok, who had even earned the alias Falling Star Sword due to his exceptional talent in swordsmanship, had been knocked away hard and fainted in the blink of an eye – it was a situation hard to believe even seeing it with their own eyes.
The street that had briefly sunk into silence began to buzz.
“D-did you hear? He said he’s a Mount Heng Sect lay disciple…?”
“Amazing. To subdue Falling Star Sword in one blow…”
“Wow, I didn’t know a lay disciple’s martial power could be that outstanding. It’s almost on par with a legitimate mountain disciple level, isn’t it?”
“Indeed… The Nine Great Sects are the Nine Great Sects. No name in this world is earned in vain.”
“Right, maybe I should pay to learn some Mount Heng Sect martial arts too.”
“Stop it, man. Honestly, cases like that are very rare.”
Before the crowd’s murmuring, the Falling Star Sword Sect group’s faces flushed red with shame.
‘CHIK…!’
At that moment, one of them raised his voice.
“Don’t lie! Mount Heng Sect lay disciple? Who do you think you’re fooling!”
It was Chae Sa-uk, the younger brother of Falling Star Sword Chae Sa-rok.
Gong Wol and the others couldn’t readily reply.
We don’t know either, who that person is!
Cheol Ryu-heun lightly stroked the round brim of his bamboo hat and said.
“Why don’t you verify it?”
Meaning they should come at him directly.
‘Damn it!’
Chae Sa-uk bit his lower lip hard, then soon sent covert eye signals to the four fellow disciples standing on either side.
Come on, let’s all attack together!
All we need to do here is prove that the reason Hyung passed out wasn’t because of Mount Heng Sect martial arts!
Then we can build justification and formally protest!
That level is not something that can simply be called a lay disciple!
I’m certain that guy definitely has a different identity!
The four fellow disciples who roughly grasped the meaning in his gaze each drew the swords hanging at their waists.
Of course, they already knew he was an opponent they couldn’t handle, but they intended to somehow gather grounds for justification for later.
Meanwhile, Gong Wol was in a difficult position.
Help from the unfamiliar person was truly appreciated, but if things kept going this way, Mount Heng Sect would be put in an awkward position.
Since a lay disciple should naturally be able to use the sect’s martial arts, but the swift hand technique that had just taken down Chae Sa-rok was unclear in its nature.
If the uninvited guest displayed martial arts completely different from Mount Heng Sect’s, it would needlessly provide an opening…
<Stop worrying unnecessarily.>
Simultaneously with the sound transmission reaching his ear, Gong Wol carefully watched Cheol Ryu-heun’s back.
‘Stop… Worrying?’
At that moment, the Falling Star Sword Sect group including Chae Sa-uk moved their legs quickly, closing the gap.
Before anyone realized, Cheol Ryu-heun had drawn his Gan Jiang Sword.
CLANG, CLANG, CLANG, CLANG-!
Metal sounds ringing noisily one after another, and sharp screams bursting out.
“URK!”
“AAACK!”
“KEK!”
With just a few movements that Cheol Ryu-heun displayed, the six of Falling Star Sword Sect were rolling on the ground with pained expressions.
“Wow…!”
Gong Wol was genuinely impressed.
The other two Mount Heng Sect disciples were the same.
The series of sword strokes Cheol Ryu-heun had just used was Cloud Chasing Sword Technique – classified as the lowest level among the various sword studies within Mount Heng Sect.
‘Th-that person… He really must be a lay disciple of our sect!’
While Gong Wol and the others muttered that internally, Chae Sa-uk also noticed that fact and his expression completely changed.
‘Ugh… That guy… Is really a lay disciple!’
Just from receiving one sword stroke, the meridian points in his body had been greatly shaken, producing a stinging pain.
The physical condition of the other four was no different.
It was a shock.
To suffer such a defeat by Cloud Chasing Sword Technique – a basic sword study that anyone with money could learn, not Mount Heng Sect’s higher sword studies…
If one wanted to learn it intentionally, there was no need to even knock on the sect’s gate.
Because Cloud Chasing Sword Technique was plentiful in every bookstore in this Anling.
The Cloud Chasing Sword Technique manual, meaning a sword that chases clouds, was actually one of Mount Heng Sect’s several sources of income.
It was a basic sword study so widely known that even ordinary people who weren’t martial artists had likely encountered it once or twice in their lives.
Yet the Cloud Chasing Sword Technique forms that Cheol Ryu-heun had displayed felt like a higher consummate art boasting powerful and profound use.
CLICK-
Cheol Ryu-heun sheathed the Gan Jiang Sword, adjusted his bamboo hat, and threw out an indifferent voice.
“Moving slowly on purpose is tiring too.”
At those words, Chae Sa-uk felt self-loathing.
It was quite an insulting statement.
Because in truth, to his eyes, the Cloud Chasing Sword Technique forms had been so fast they evoked images of a quick-sword master’s technique.
“Urk…”
Having let out a sound similar to a groan, he painfully raised his body and spoke in a quiet voice.
“Le… Let’s go. Everyone…”
At that, his group pushed themselves up from the ground, then shouldered the unconscious Chae Sa-rok on their backs and hurried off down the road as if fleeing.
As the fight ended like that, the people gathered on the street applauded briefly and left one by one.
Before long, when the Falling Star Sword Sect group had completely disappeared from sight, Cheol Ryu-heun quietly turned his body and approached where Gong Wol and the others stood.
“Who are you…?”
The moment Gong Wol opened his mouth with a bewildered face.
“We’ve met before.”
Cheol Ryu-heun said those words while slightly raising his bamboo hat.
Simultaneously, ripples arose in Gong Wol’s eyes.
“Oh? Young Sect Master Cheol…!”
The other two disciples also looked very surprised.
“Consider today’s matter repayment for attending my late Master’s funeral.”
At those words from Cheol Ryu-heun, Gong Wol cast a blank gaze.
‘How could someone who became a vegetable since that day…’
As if reading his mind, a voice immediately followed.
“I recovered recently.”
“I… I see. Anyway, I’m truly glad.”
Gong Wol felt that the other’s speech and behavior had become somewhat rude compared to the funeral, but he didn’t particularly mind.
Since Cheol Ryu-heun’s martial world ranking was the same as Mount Heng Sect’s first-generation disciples, it wasn’t that strange for him to speak casually.
Besides, having received help, he had no desire to nitpick such things.
“But what brings you here?”
“Well, to pay respects to the Sect Leader in commemoration of becoming the new Sect Master of my sect.”
“Ah…! So you’ve become the new White Peak Sword Sect Master. But first, let me properly express my gratitude.”
“It’s fine.”
“Sect Master Cheol, when did you learn Cloud Chasing Sword Technique? It’s a sword study easily found at any bookstore, but honestly, this is the first time I’ve seen something like this…”
“Why does that matter? I proved to them that I’m a Mount Heng Sect lay disciple, so that’s enough.”
“Yes… Th-that’s true. Aha… Ha… It seems your martial arts have progressed greatly since then.”
“From now on, just gloss over my identity appropriately.”
“Understood.”
“Earlier, you seemed to be holding back a bit – am I wrong?”
Having been struck at the heart, Gong Wol rubbed the back of his head and answered.
“Actually, today is the day of my promotion examination, so I wanted to avoid fighting as much as possible. Of course, Falling Star Sword’s sword skills are above mine, but…”
“You shouldn’t lose to someone like that.”
Cheol Ryu-heun said that and whistled.
Before long.
CLOP, CLOP, CLOP, CLOP.
Divine Wind, who had been waiting somewhere, approached with quiet hoof sounds.
Gong Wol and the others’ eyes went wide when they saw him.
ACK! What is, that thing… Is that really a horse?
It was because Divine Wind’s excessively developed muscles instantly captured their gazes.
Cheol Ryu-heun, not caring either way, asked in an indifferent voice.
“Are you all heading to Mount Heng Sect now?”
“Yes, Sect Master Cheol. I’ll guide you from here.”
As soon as Gong Wol finished speaking, the other two disciples nodded.
“Alright. Gong Wol, please take the trouble.”
“We still have some shopping to do.”
Immediately after.
WHOOSH.
Cheol Ryu-heun, having settled on the saddle, sent a chin gesture and said.
“Get on. If you feel like you’re going to throw up along the way, let me know.”
Gong Wol, knowing nothing, tilted his head.
“Pardon? Throw… Up?”
* * *
RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE-!
When Divine Wind, who had been galloping along the steep forest path, reached the middle of Mount Heng.
“Urgh… Sect Master… Cheol! Sto… Stop…”
Gong Wol, riding behind Cheol Ryu-heun, barely managed to speak.
Before long.
SCREECH-
When Cheol Ryu-heun pulled the reins to stop Divine Wind, Gong Wol went to one side, bent over, and retched out what he had eaten.
“BLEGH… BLEGHHH…”
A moment later, having barely calmed his stomach, Gong Wol wiped his mouth and was aghast.
‘What the… How can a horse be that fast! My eyelids nearly turned inside out and my eyeballs almost fell out!’
Cheol Ryu-heun soon rummaged through the large bundle behind the saddle and took out something.
It was a fairly large ginseng root.
“Catch your breath there for a bit. I haven’t eaten yet, so I’m going to fill my stomach with this.”
Saying that, he bit into the ginseng.
MUNCH MUNCH.
Gong Wol sat on a boulder and blankly watched.
‘I’m curious. A person who had been a vegetable until now – how did he come to possess strength surpassing Chae Sa-rok in such a short time?’
There was so much he wanted to ask.
The level of martial arts aside, the change in personality and behavior, and also the identity of that monster-like horse…
But it would be rude to pry with personal curiosity about a guest who came to see the Sect Leader, so he had to suppress it and endure.
Meanwhile.
The Divine Martial Sword who had become Cheol Ryu-heun suddenly pulled out a scene from the memories this body’s owner had possessed.
Last spring, at White Gate Sword Gentleman Sagong Woon’s funeral… Gong Wol, who had visited White Peak Sword Sect along with the Mount Heng Sect Leader’s delegation, had patted Cheol Ryu-heun’s shoulder before leaving and offered warm words.
-Please don’t look away from your current sorrow… Just leave your heart be as it feels. Entrust your body and mind. Then I believe without doubt that later, as time passes, that trace of grief will instead become the foundation for growth. Please become the new Sect Master of White Peak Sword Sect and walk the path of revival.
‘Hmm, that guy… His heart is good, as befitting Mount Heng Sect’s great reputation. Someone who knows how to truly understand others’ wounds.’
Cheol Ryu-heun rummaged through the bundle again and took out another ginseng root identical to his own.
“Catch.”
Having said briefly, he tossed the ginseng, and Gong Wol unconsciously caught it with both hands.
“Huh? You’re just giving this to me? This precious ginseng…”
“Ginseng, what ginseng.”
At Cheol Ryu-heun’s disinterested response, Gong Wol examined the ginseng in his hand and soon his eyes sparkled.
‘Wait! Now that I look at it…’
The small roots and stem parts had quite a different color from common ginseng.
A snow-white color.
He realized it wasn’t peeled but naturally that color.
“It’s not ginseng, but it is precious.”
Hearing Cheol Ryu-heun’s mutter, Gong Wol asked cautiously.
“Sect Master Cheol, could this be… An elixir of the ginseng family?”
“Hundred-Year Snow Ginseng.”
“…!”
Gong Wol was momentarily speechless.
Hundred-Year Snow Ginseng.
It was so precious that in all of Mount Heng Sect’s history, only three or four Taoists had consumed it.
“Are you saying this is really Hundred-Year Snow Ginseng!”
At that, Cheol Ryu-heun spoke while munching on the Hundred-Year Snow Ginseng in his hand.
“If you don’t believe it, try eating it.”
“…!”
“For someone like you, you could probably gain at least twenty years’ worth of internal energy. Who knows, it might help with the promotion examination.”
In an instant, Gong Wol was swept up in thrill.
If this was truly Hundred-Year Snow Ginseng, it wouldn’t just help with the promotion examination – he might even be able to aim for first-generation disciple level in the future…
“Well, it’s useless to me, so it’s neither elixir nor anything.”
“Wh-what do you…?”
“I told you. I’m just filling my stomach.”
While Gong Wol wore a dazed expression, a blunt voice flowed from between Cheol Ryu-heun’s lips.
“Disgustingly bad taste. Anyway.”