Chapter 134: He Accepts

Read more at Nineheavens.org

The Black Ox Hall member Cheol Ryu-heun had pointed out turned pale.

‘GAH! What? Wait, go to Broken Mountain Sword Manor Head of all people and deliver those words…?’

This seemed crazy.

What on earth did that fellow think of the Five Supreme Martial Experts of Hunan Province?

The Broken Mountain Sword Manor Head was one of the strongest in this region, acknowledged by everyone. Just thinking of saying “Hunan’s First Martial God is waiting for you here” in front of him already made his legs go weak.

Meanwhile.

The Black Ox Hall members gathered around all looked relieved that they hadn’t been pointed out.

This was the first time they’d seen this.

A martial artist making such a declaration of war against the Five Martial Paragons.

And the subject was Cheol Ryu-heun, the White Peak Sword Sect legitimate successor who they thought had been lying corpse-like as a vegetable until now…

Of course, his personal martial power had improved remarkably to the point of rivaling the prestige of the Five Martial Paragons, so the challenge itself wasn’t that strange.

At that moment, Cheol Ryu-heun’s indifferent voice awakened the dazed hall member.

“What are you standing there for?”

“Ah… Yes! Then I’ll get going right away!”

With that, the hall member practically shouted his answer and quickly vanished beyond the main gate.

Immediately after.

Cheol Ryu-heun released the hand gripping the hair and stood up.

Bae Pyeong, collapsed face-down on the ground, thought “Is it finally over?” when a foot flew toward his chest.

THWACK-!

Along with the dull sound.

“GACK!”

Bae Pyeong, who had cried out, flew skimming the ground and collided with a THUD against a tree outside the training ground perimeter.

THUMP.

Sticking to the ground like wet paper, he trembled a few times and then fainted.

Cheol Ryu-heun’s gaze turned to another hall member’s face.

“After moving around a bit, I suddenly crave dumplings…”

The hall member who met his eyes flinched his shoulders and carefully asked.

“Should I… buy some?”

A polite tone, and his expression was even more polite.

Cheol Ryu-heun nodded and tossed the coin purse from his waist.

“Go to the place that makes the best dumplings here. I need to compare the taste to a place I’ll visit later.”

The hall member quickly picked up the coin purse that had fallen in front of him.

“Yes, understood! There happens to be a famous dumpling shop in that marketplace!”

Having answered heartily, he dashed toward the main gate while grumbling internally.

‘Damn! What am I, some servant? He’s even sending me on food errands? I should spit something nasty in the dumplings!’

But suddenly, a blunt voice stopped him in his tracks.

“Freeze.”

The hall member who stopped dead turned his head slightly.

“Pardon? What… is it?”

“If you spit, you won’t see tomorrow’s sunrise.”

“…!”

The hall member’s heart sank.

GAH! What’s with this crazy bastard… Is he a ghost? Scary!

Having his inner thoughts read like that felt like standing there naked.

“I’ll have that fellow sniff it later and everything will come out.”

When Cheol Ryu-heun gestured with his chin at Divine Wind, the hall member suppressed his surprise while grumbling internally again.

‘Damn… Should I just run away? It’s not like I’ve ever thrived as a swordsman anyway.’

But even that inner thought was read.

“Try running away.”

“…!”

“If you do, I’ll beat up everyone here.”

At those words from Cheol Ryu-heun, the startled Black Ox Hall crowd shouted at their fellow member who had become the errand boy.

“Hey! If you run off without a word, you’ll die by our hands!”

“Yeah, shut up and just go buy the dumplings!”

“And no spitting! You bastard! When an honored sir is going to eat this food, you should put your heart into it at least!”

Ha… These bastards are scary too…

* * *

A forest path covered with fallen maple leaves in beautiful autumn colors.

About fifty members of the Red Cat Merchant Guild transport team, including Ye Woon-rang and Hui Bu-yong, were diligently moving, having loaded more than twenty large carts full of silver ingots.

Before long.

Having arrived at a small village nestled against a mountain, the group immediately found an inn and took a brief rest.

Hui Bu-yong, seated by a wide-open window, pointed outside with her finger.

“We’re almost there. Just over that mountain ridge and we’ll reach the road leading to Baizhou. The same way we first came. We’ll probably arrive at our trading group tomorrow.”

Ye Woon-rang, seated across from her, wet his throat with water and nodded.

“Ha… I’ve finally earned my keep as the sect’s number one Guest Retainer. Successfully.”

At that moment, an elderly man in his eighties approached their table.

“Could you be… Woon-rang?”

The moment Ye Woon-rang turned his head, drawn by the voice, he leaped to his feet with a delighted face.

“Why, Elder!”

“Yes, yes, it is you after all. Ahoho.”

The one who had greeted him just as cheerfully was an old villager who had been like a true friend to his late master, Red Dragon Sword Captain Hong So – the elderly man called Gam Tae.

Ye Woon-rang soon asked Hui Bu-yong for her understanding, then moved seats with Gam Tae.

“I never expected to see you here. Elder.”

“Hmm, neither did I. Hoho. How long has it been? Over ten years, probably?”

“Yes. By the way, what brings you here? This place is quite far from the village where we used to live…”

When Ye Woon-rang asked curiously, Gam Tae hesitated briefly before speaking with a smiling face.

“Actually, due to personal circumstances, I left that village and have now settled elsewhere.”

“Ah, I see.”

In truth, Gam Tae had gotten thoroughly drunk about a year ago and spoken of matters related to Red Dragon Sword Captain Hong So, which had inevitably led to him leaving the village, but he couldn’t bring himself to say that.

Because he felt sorry and ashamed…

Ye Woon-rang treated him to delicious food while continuing the conversation.

“Elder, do you live near here then?”

“Hoho. Hardly. I just came to procure some herbs that can be found here. They’re cheap.”

“Are you unwell?”

“Having reached eighty, of course my body breaks down. I’m fine, don’t worry. And how have you been? That group over there looks like a trading group…”

“Ah, they’re from Red Cat Merchant Guild of Baizhou. I’m accompanying them temporarily for a certain matter.”

“Hmm, so you’re still wandering then. Following the dying wish Master Hong left…”

“Haha, no.”

“…?”

“Actually… I’m currently staying as a Guest Retainer at White Peak Sword Sect, an orthodox martial sect located near Baizhou. I plan to stay there for a while and continue my martial training.”

“Wait, that means… You’ve obtained what you wanted?”

When Gam Tae’s eyes went round, Ye Woon-rang smiled and replied.

“That’s right.”

“Oh… Heavens… Sincerity moves heaven indeed – how wonderful! Wonderful!”

Gam Tae was overjoyed as if it were his own matter and gently clasped Ye Woon-rang’s hand resting on the table.

“I don’t know about anyone else, but I can tell Elder everything. Here’s how it happened…”

Gam Tae quickly shook his head and cut him off.

“No, no. I won’t listen to any other details. Since you say you’ve finally obtained what you sought… Just knowing that fact is enough for me.”

He was suddenly scared.

In case he might repeat that slip of the tongue from years past.

Thinking so, Gam Tae deliberately changed the subject and only exchanged everyday conversation unrelated to that matter.

Some time passed.

Gam Tae looked outside the window and prepared to leave.

“Hmm, I should get going. It’s time for my cart to depart.”

“Elder, if you tell me where you’re living, I’ll come visit you later.”

“No need. Let’s leave our meetings to heaven. I just want to live quietly now and pass on.”

“Ah… Elder, but…”

“If we’re fated to meet again, we’ll cross paths somehow in the future. Ahoho.”

Gam Tae gave a warm smile, bid farewell, and headed outside the inn.

‘Woon-rang, I’m glad. If you’ve found the seclusion place of the first Dragon Martial Gate Master, you must have also obtained the Divine Martial Sword, so I hope you advance diligently and rebuild your sect. I don’t know if I’ll hear of you once more before I close my eyes… But however it goes, establish yourself as a master surpassing Brother Hong.’

Meanwhile, Ye Woon-rang stood at the inn entrance, watching that receding figure, and silently prayed.

‘Elder, be well. I will sorely miss this meeting.’

At that moment, Hui Bu-yong’s voice came from behind him.

“We can take the fastest shortcut now!”

“What do you mean…?”

At Ye Woon-rang’s question as he turned his head, Hui Bu-yong revealed an unexpected fact.

“I just heard from the innkeeper that the Green Forest Alliance stronghold in those mountains has withdrawn! You remember the scene we saw before, right?”

Ye Woon-rang then recalled the sudden explosion at the mountain peak where the Green Forest Alliance stronghold had been.

“Ah, then…”

“Yes, it seems the stronghold collapsed at that time. While we were away, the rumor spread all around. Some people who climbed that mountain two days later confirmed the stronghold had crumbled.”

“Ha, who did that?”

“They say it’s just baseless talk floating around, but supposedly a crazy person with a crazily rampaging horse did it…”

Simultaneously, Ye Woon-rang’s face turned white as a sheet.

GAH!

What, that’s Sect Master Cheol!

Why did he have to poke the Green Forest Alliance when they weren’t bothering anyone!

Hui Bu-yong, who had never even seen Divine Wind, tilted her head and said.

“If that’s true… What kind of crazy person could it be?”

* * *

“CRAZY!”

A thunderous roar that rang through the rectangular inner room.

Invisible flames blazed in the eyes of a man in his forties sitting on a grand chair made of reddish wood.

A swordsman with impressively sharp features like a sword, and a dignified beard protruding beneath his angular chin… It was Do Yun, alias Blue Robe Sword Noble, one of the Five Supreme Martial Experts of Hunan Province and head of Broken Mountain Sword Manor.

On the floor before him stood the Black Ox Hall member who had just delivered Cheol Ryu-heun’s message, looking thoroughly terrified.

Do Yun, wearing a fine blue robe befitting his alias Blue Robe Sword Noble, flashed his tiger-like eyes while speaking in a heavy voice.

“He calls himself Hunan’s First Martial God?”

His expression was full of displeasure, as if he found the title, which was not just grand but outright arrogant, unacceptable.

The hall member hunched his neck and answered in a shrinking voice.

“Y-yes… Manor Head Do, th-the, the fellow… S-said to tell you that…”

“He sent Ox Strength Sword flying in just one move and brutally smashed Fighting Ox Great Sword’s head into the ground?”

“Y-yes… I saw it with my own eyes.”

Do Yun raised one eyebrow and asked again.

“He came alone, correct? With no followers?”

“Yes.”

“Cheol Ryu-heun, you say…”

After muttering quietly, he soon picked up the sword leaning beside the grand chair and rose abruptly.

“Let’s go.”

“Ah… A-are you really… going to go…”

The moment the hall member nervously gauged his reaction, Do Yun’s gaze turned icily cold.

“I must teach him. The unapproachable level of martial arts.”

When Do Yun immediately left the inner room, a young swordsman in blue martial attire who had been waiting in the garden paid his respects.

With his tall height and quite handsome appearance, he was Beon Sa, alias Mountain Shattering Sword, a famous talent of Broken Mountain Sword Manor.

“Master.”

“Prepare to depart.”

At Do Yun’s cold voice, Beon Sa casually asked.

“Pardon? Where to…?”

“Black Ox Hall. There’s apparently someone there who wants to cross swords with me.”

“…!”

“We leave immediately.”