Chapter 146: I Know Everything

Read more at Nineheavens.org

A brief silence flowed.

Caught between bewilderment and perplexity, Neung Po hardened his gaze and heightened his energy sense to quickly observe the unfamiliar opponent.

But.

Shabby clothes, an expressionless face, a single sword in a scabbard hanging at his waist – other than that, nothing particularly impressive came across.

It was definitely strange.

Just looking at the concealment skill of hiding on the old tree not so far away, he was definitely no ordinary master – yet the energy within his body was close to a state of emptiness.

An empty formless presence.

Unless one was a renowned powerhouse, deceiving his energy sense was an impossible feat.

The moment Neung Po harbored doubt, Cheol Ryu-heun spoke indifferently.

“I didn’t come here on business.”

“Does that mean… You came to meet me?”

Before Neung Po’s meaningful question, Cheol Ryu-heun slightly nodded as he answered.

“Well, let’s call it a visit to forge a connection.”

“……”

Neung Po’s suspicions in his heart amplified at the unexpected words.

‘What is it? Did he investigate me?’

At least one thing he could know for certain was that he hadn’t come with bad intentions.

He must have seen with his own eyes how he used demonic arts earlier, yet he couldn’t sense any hostility or killing intent whatsoever.

It could be that feeling came from him being a person whose emotions didn’t show on the surface.

But the intuition that he hadn’t come to make some kind of threat stimulated his heart more strongly.

His posture with hands clasped behind his back, as if he had no intention of wielding a blade, indirectly proved that point.

However, he shouldn’t carelessly lower his guard.

That unidentified young swordsman had just called him “an old demon head” the moment he appeared.

As if he had seen through even the secret from his past, that he had reached the realm of Rejuvenation and changed to an early fifties appearance…

He couldn’t just let it slide.

Even if he hadn’t approached with bad intentions.

“I apologize.”

No sooner had Neung Po finished his brief words than he extended his left hand straight out.

Powerful formless energy that spanned the distance.

His intent was to use the Void Grasping Technique to exert powerful force and pull the opponent to his front.

Subdue first, question and answer later.

He judged that was the best course since the suspicion still hadn’t lifted.

RUMMMBLE- CRACKLE-!

The instant the ground and atmosphere vibrated greatly from the invisible heavy energy, a transparent energy exploded outward from Cheol Ryu-heun’s body.

BOOM BOOM, BOOM BOOM BOOM…!

He had released an equally powerful formless energy to neutralize Neung Po’s Void Grasping Technique in a single stroke.

‘What!’

Startled, Neung Po involuntarily flinched.

The energy contained in that one move just now was at a level that could make even first-rate masters kneel.

‘Hah! Could his internal energy be at a level equal to mine?’

Though he was living quietly in hiding, having cut off interest in the current martial world situation, hearing that such a powerful new-generation master existed in this area was news to him.

They say the Central Plains martial world is vast and talents overflow – he was once again realizing the true meaning of that.

Cheol Ryu-heun still maintained his posture with hands behind his back.

“Don’t waste your energy for nothing. If I had come with bad intentions from the start, I would have made a move already. Right?”

At that, Neung Po quietly lowered his left hand with a somewhat embarrassed expression and deepened his gaze.

It was awkward.

Since he only spoke indifferent words without showing any other behavior, he didn’t feel inclined to make a determined effort to subdue him again.

Well… His series of impolite speech was somewhat offensive.

Anyway, the point that he treated him without prejudice despite knowing he had trained in demonic arts seemed quite respectable.

At that moment, Cheol Ryu-heun suddenly brought up a three-character name.

“Ye Woon-rang. You remember him, right?”

Simultaneously, Neung Po’s expression changed completely.

‘Ah…’

A light of surprise spread in his dark eyes.

Wandering swordsman Ye Woon-rang – wasn’t that the name of this shop’s first customer, still vividly remaining in his memory?

-Welcome, guest. From today, I’ll be operating this shop. How long do you plan to stay?

-Ah, yes. About ten days.

-Understood. You’ll be the first and last guest. Actually, I plan to close the guest rooms going forward and only sell dumplings… Anyway, I’ll serve you comfortably during your stay. Since this is also a connection, shall we exchange names? I am Neung Po.

-I am Ye Woon-rang. By the way, I didn’t intentionally eavesdrop earlier, but… It seems you have some deep story behind acquiring this place.

-Haha, how many people in the martial world don’t have a story? Well then, I’ll go organize the kitchen, so if you need anything, please call me anytime.

That was right.

A person he couldn’t forget.

Setting aside that not even a year had passed since that day, at the time Ye Woon-rang hadn’t just stayed as a guest – he had even experienced the attack by the Blood Coffin Sect leadership who had targeted his fortune.

-Hero Neung, you are remarkable. Truly an incomparably swift swordsmanship.

-Oh my, calling me a hero is too much.

-Just punishing the group of villains who, soaked in greed, tried to take another’s life is enough to deserve being called a hero.

-Anyway, I’m only sorry for having you smell blood on this night because of me.

-Haha, what are you saying… It’s fine. I will quietly bury this matter in my heart.

-Thank you.

‘So he met him and heard my story.’

Along with that thought, Neung Po harbored another question.

Why had Ye Woon-rang revealed that incident he had wanted to bury in his heart to that young man?

What he could roughly guess was trust toward the other party.

Right.

Probably because he considered the young man before him to be a trustworthy person, he must have brought up that story.

“Ye Woon-rang is currently a Guest Retainer of our Sect.”

Neung Po tilted his head at Cheol Ryu-heun’s words.

‘A Guest Retainer…?’

It was a series of unexpected words.

When he had seen Ye Woon-rang then, he didn’t seem like someone who would belong anywhere as a wandering swordsman.

“What is your sect?”

“White Peak Sword Sect.”

“White Peak… Sword Sect?”

“Have you heard of it?”

“Indeed I have. I heard Sect Master Sagong, called the White Gate Sword Gentleman, died, and also that his direct disciple Cheol, the young sect master, suddenly lost consciousness and collapsed during the funeral, becoming a vegetable…”

“You know well. That’s me.”

When Cheol Ryu-heun spoke while slightly nodding his chin, Neung Po stared intently at his face.

“……”

That’s him? No, then did he mean he was Cheol Ryu-heun, the protagonist of that tragic rumor?

“After being a vegetable for a long time, I recovered my body recently and was elevated as the new Sect Master of our Sect.”

Neung Po made a strange expression before this unexpected identity.

It was incomprehensible.

Even setting aside that Cheol Ryu-heun, who had been an unconscious vegetable for so long, had one day miraculously recovered… How on earth was that powerful martial prowess to be explained?

The Void Grasping Technique’s energy that Neung Po himself had displayed earlier was a force that even first-rate masters would struggle with.

Achieving such rapid growth as to resemble a peak master in such a short period was something practically impossible by common sense.

Cheol Ryu-heun, as if reading that thought, said.

“It’s the effect of obtaining a once-in-a-thousand-years fortuitous encounter. My power.”

“……”

“Don’t believe it?”

At Cheol Ryu-heun’s nonchalant question, Neung Po revealed his honest thoughts.

“Hmm… It’s hard to readily believe, but it doesn’t seem to be a lie.”

“Because there’s no reason to lie.”

“……”

“Now, let me get to the core business. As part of our Sect’s development plan, I intend to increase our Guest Retainer one by one – you’re included in that. That’s why I came personally.”

At that moment, Neung Po narrowed his eyes.

“So you followed me and came all the way here?”

“That’s right. While heading to the original destination, the dumpling shop, I happened to spot you coming out.”

“Hmm, truly impressive skill. To have kept moving while hiding your presence even from me… But isn’t White Peak Sword Sect supposedly an orthodox sect?”

It was a question of why he wasn’t showing basic courtesy when dealing with someone older.

It meant he couldn’t understand why someone belonging to an orthodox martial sect, which upheld great causes, would consistently display such insolent attitude, when even unorthodox groups kept minimum decorum.

Cheol Ryu-heun’s answer was simple and clear.

“Don’t take it so badly. Because of the fortuitous encounter I obtained recently, my martial world seniority has become transcendentally high.”

Neung Po was even more puzzled.

‘Transcendent martial world seniority?’

Did he mean he had obtained the true transmission left by a powerhouse from hundreds of years ago…?

Sure enough, Cheol Ryu-heun added more.

“Well, it easily goes back about several hundred years.”

“…!”

Neung Po’s gaze wavered slightly.

Yes.

That wasn’t empty boasting.

He could readily tell from the intuition that came from accumulating long experience.

“No martial artist of this era has higher seniority than me.”

A feeling of some strong confidence glimpsed within the expressionlessness.

Sensing that, Neung Po muttered quietly as if to himself.

“A Guest Retainer… You’ve wasted your trip.”

“I don’t think so.”

“I, who have trained in demonic arts of all things, becoming a Guest Retainer of an orthodox martial sect? That’s absurd.”

Cheol Ryu-heun sent an indifferent gaze.

A look of “so what?”

Neung Po, having sighed, continued his voice.

“Setting aside that I have no intention of becoming a Guest Retainer from the start – even if I were to settle down as a Guest Retainer, once rumors spread about my demonic arts, White Peak Sword Sect would receive criticism from both orthodox and unorthodox sides. Are you confident you can endure that?”

Cheol Ryu-heun replied nonchalantly.

“I’ll handle that myself.”

Following that, he unclasped his hands from behind his back and stepped a few paces closer.

“Let me ask one thing. Is playing the chivalrous warrior like this with your demon identity a kind of ritual of repenting for the past?”

In an instant, Neung Po sensed something unusual and immediately asked back.

“What do you mean?”

“What do you think I mean?”

“……”

“Let me ask again. Is the reason you’re living like this now related to the blood battle between Dragon Martial Gate and Nine Demon Alliance twenty-one years ago?”

Simultaneously with Cheol Ryu-heun’s question, Neung Po’s complexion turned pale.

“How did you know that…!”

He hadn’t expected him to suddenly mention that incident.

What, surely he hadn’t grasped even his true identity?

That was impossible.

However, Cheol Ryu-heun immediately produced the answer to that question in his mind.

“Yes, I already know everything. What your true identity really is. The former Alliance Master of Nine Demon Alliance who achieved Rejuvenation.”

“…!”

Neung Po wore a stunned expression.

His mind went blank.

How had he grasped a secret that no one but himself currently knew…?

Cheol Ryu-heun opened his mouth again as if driving in a wedge.

“Neung Po is just an alias you made after coming here. Your real name is Gal Jung-heon.”

“What on earth are you…”

“Surprised? It’s nothing else. Just because of the fortuitous encounter.”

At Cheol Ryu-heun’s matter-of-fact words, Neung Po – no, Gal Jung-heon – looked even more confused.

“Seeing you here, I finally got a rough idea. The one who fought the reckless blood battle with Dragon Martial Gate wasn’t you – it was your disciple.”

“Ah…”

“Looking at you, it seems you’re living while regretting what happened back then. If you become a Guest Retainer of our Sect, even if the fact that you’re the Nine Demon Alliance Master is revealed, you can operate as a proper martial world chivalrous warrior without any problems.”

“…!”

“Because if someone who is essentially the alter ego of Dragon Martial Gate’s founding patriarch personally declares he will accept you, other factions won’t dare object.”

Cheol Ryu-heun rummaged through his clothes along with those words and pulled out a reddish jade plaque.

“As you can see, I am essentially the same existence as Ascending Heaven Sword Dragon.”

Seeing that, Gal Jung-heon’s eyes grew as large as they could possibly get.

Shock and astonishment.

Because the object currently in Cheol Ryu-heun’s hand was the Vermillion Dragon Medallion – the divine artifact of Ba Hun who had handed him a defeat some thirty-odd years ago and made him give up the dream of advancing into the Central Plains martial world.

It was real… The real one had appeared.