Chapter 193: Seeing is Believing
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Silence.
The atmosphere in the area, which had been noisy until just moments ago, had sunk into quietude.
Violent Wolf Blade Jong Pyeong’s eyes emitted a sharp light.
‘There’s no mistake! It’s him! Cheol Ryu-heun!’
That splendid attire was telling him so.
Patterns embroidered with pure white thread on black fabric.
White Peak Sword Sect’s unique embroidery that rendered mountain peaks in simple lines.
The only person who could wear such a harmoniously black-and-white martial attire was one person in the sect.
Though it was a face he was seeing for the first time, he knew that much if nothing else.
As Jong Pyeong and the Jackal Wolf Blade Sect group each guessed it was Cheol Ryu-heun, Beon Sa confirmed his identity with a respectful greeting.
“We meet again, Sect Leader Cheol.”
As if drawn by the voice, Cheol Ryu-heun glanced in that direction.
An indifferent nod of acknowledgment.
At that moment, the inn owner greeted him with a bright smile.
“Oh my! Sect Leader Cheol? Is it Sect Leader Cheol of the White Peak Sword Sect? Ahaha! I’ve heard your esteemed name until my ears hurt these past few days. Welcome to our establishment. I will serve you with all my heart!”
He seemed extremely excited that the protagonist who was the talk of the town had come to this place.
Cheol Ryu-heun ordered food and immediately headed toward the table on the other side where there was an empty seat.
Beon Sa, having read the mood, spoke quietly.
“I have matters to discuss with Sect Leader Cheol. Then I’ll take my leave…”
He then quickly left his seat and murmured to himself.
‘Ha. An excuse has just come up.’
He thought it would be better to sit with Cheol Ryu-heun than to face that disagreeable Jong Pyeong.
CLENCH.
Jong Pyeong deepened his gaze and gripped the cup in his hand tight.
Displeasure.
Because he had immediately read Beon Sa’s intentions in making a poor excuse and leaving his seat.
‘How trivial…! Now I see, he’s become a lapdog of that orthodox fellow.’
It unnecessarily twisted his insides.
However, it would also look ridiculous to hold him back asking why he was going to sit there, so he decided to just quietly watch them for now.
On the other hand.
THUMP.
His heart beat a little.
Competitive spirit.
As a proper martial artist of the martial world, and as a blade talent of the unorthodox faction, the competitive desire to personally confirm the martial prowess of Cheol Ryu-heun that only floated as rumors had stirred.
‘It’s surely not the power the rumors describe…’
Jong Pyeong grinned as he poured liquor.
Perhaps a good opportunity might arise here.
Currently, figures from all walks of the martial world had gathered in the city.
Therefore, even a small conflict was bound to draw attention.
If he could show off his skills where everyone’s eyes and ears were focused… His reputation would rise several levels at once.
He was confident in holding his own.
It was fine even if he lost.
He just had to not suffer an embarrassingly ugly defeat.
Sure, all that mattered was raising his reputation.
‘Azure Mark Sword and the others all went down in one blow? Pfft. What an absurd rumor. Who would be stupid enough to believe that at face value? Anyway, since he’s appeared here… Let me look for an opportune moment.’
At that moment, Cheol Ryu-heun, sitting with his back comfortably against the chair, suddenly threw out a nonchalant voice.
“What is it?”
At that, Beon Sa, who had approached his table, flinched.
“Ah, yes. Well… I wanted to sit together with Sect Leader Cheol…”
“Why?”
“……”
Beon Sa hesitated for a moment, then glanced back behind him and lowered his voice to a whisper.
“The guy sitting over there is unpleasant to look at.”
“So what.”
“……”
“Tsk. What a nuisance.”
“……”
“I don’t have the seniority to share a table with a young thing like you.”
“……”
He just says things like that outright.
His personality is quite straightforward.
Well, just looking at how he challenged Master not long ago…
Just as Beon Sa was clicking his tongue inwardly, Cheol Ryu-heun propped his chin and gave an eye signal.
“Well, you’re honest at least.”
It meant he was permitting them to share the table.
“Thank you.”
Beon Sa bowed his head respectfully and quickly took a seat.
Cheol Ryu-heun’s question followed immediately.
“Did you come alone?”
“Yes. As you know, Master has difficulty moving around…”
“What do you mean – if he made up his mind, he could come all the way here.”
“……”
“He must have said he doesn’t particularly want to watch.”
“HUH? Ah…”
Beon Sa was quite bewildered.
No.
He was impressed.
He was speaking exactly word for word as if he had been there to see and hear everything.
A surprising man indeed.
He couldn’t figure out how someone who wasn’t even that different in age could have such deep and great mental presence.
It would be exaggerating to say he gave off the feeling of a transcendent who saw through all worldly affairs.
“That’s quite surprising. How did you know that?”
“I just know.”
At Cheol Ryu-heun’s cool response, Beon Sa repeatedly clicked his tongue.
“Hmm… Yes, that’s right. That’s what Master said.”
“He intuited it too.”
“Pardon?”
“The result of the duel.”
“…!”
“It would be the most accurate intuition of anyone. Since he’s the person who exchanged moves with the Sword Seal Sect Leader. And moreover, he personally experienced my power.”
Only then did Beon Sa realize.
The hidden meaning of what his master Do Yun had said.
-Go and see for yourself. Cheol Ryu-heun’s true martial might. It will probably be a good learning experience.
That meant the winner of the duel was already decided, so carefully observe the process leading to the result.
‘He was convinced from the start. Of Sect Leader Cheol’s victory.’
In other words, it meant to confirm with his own eyes just how enormous an influence Cheol Ryu-heun’s presence had on the dynamics of the martial world, and to ponder the direction and goals of his own martial path as one who would be responsible for his sect’s future.
Seeing is believing.
Just hearing about it, he couldn’t truly feel Cheol Ryu-heun’s presence.
He had to see.
Only then would he know precisely.
How Cheol Ryu-heun developed duels with foreign powerhouses and in what manner he concluded them, just how overwhelming it was…
It was the same back then.
He hadn’t seen it with his eyes.
The one-on-one match between Cheol Ryu-heun and Do Yun, that is.
He had merely stood outside and felt with energy sense the magnitude of internal power the two exchanged.
Do Yun probably wanted to let him see that.
With the heart of wanting his one and only disciple, whom he treasured more than anyone, to broaden his perspective of martial arts.
Suddenly curious, Beon Sa lowered his voice and asked.
“Sect Leader Cheol, but why did you suddenly decide to have a duel with the Sword Seal Sect Leader?”
At that moment, the Jackal Wolf Blade Sect group sitting here and there all perked up their ears.
Noticing that, Beon Sa scratched the back of his head and said.
“Ah… My, there are many eyes and ears here. Please forget you heard that. This doesn’t seem like an appropriate place to have such a conversation…”
Cheol Ryu-heun’s tone indicated he didn’t care.
“Why be cautious? Because he’s a bad guy and I want to teach him a lesson.”
“HUH…?”
“Why? Do you need more reason?”
At that, Beon Sa changed his expression and spoke with a grin.
“Ha. No. Seeing Sect Leader Cheol speak like that… Something unsavory must have happened between the two sects.”
Jong Pyeong, who had been quietly eavesdropping, was dumbfounded.
‘He wants to teach him a lesson because he’s a bad guy? Crazy… How ridiculous. Listening to that, you’d think he was going to fight some novice.’
Severing Finger Sword Venerable So Cheon-ak was a super-first-rate powerhouse possessing mighty swordsmanship and one of the Six Extremes of Hubei.
At that moment, Beon Sa spoke with a meaningful expression.
“Going forward, Sect Leader Cheol will be eyeing the top of the Five Supreme Martial Experts of Hunan Province.”
“No, I have no interest in honors like Five Martial Paragons or Six Polar Stars.”
The moment the words ended, the expressions of everyone including Beon Sa and Jong Pyeong hardened.
“…!”
Cheol Ryu-heun paid no mind and continued expressionlessly.
“I need to climb to a higher place.”
“Th-then… The Number One Martial God of Hunan that you mentioned before…?”
“I’ve already obtained that. Since there’s already no opponent for me in the Hunan region.”
Once again, a silent shock swept through the area.
“…!”
While Beon Sa was showing a dazed look, the sound of a chair being harshly pushed back was heard from somewhere.
SCREECH-!
It was Jong Pyeong.
Having shot to his feet fiercely, he glared and shouted.
“How truly arrogant! Does what you just said include our Master, who is among the current Five Martial Paragons!”
Cheol Ryu-heun’s response was something to behold.
“Who’s your master?”
“WHAT…!”
Jong Pyeong was choked up.
What an insolent fellow.
He was brazenly wearing the unique martial attire of Jackal Wolf Blade Sect that any martial world person couldn’t not know, yet he dared to pretend not to know his master like that…
“He is the Sect Leader of our sect, Jackal Wolf Blade Sect! Just try saying you don’t know the alias Hungry Wolf Blade Demon!”
When Jong Pyeong, whose face had turned bright red, raised his voice even more, the inn owner who was just bringing out food flinched and stopped in his tracks.
An atmosphere that had turned chilly in an instant.
Beon Sa frowned and opened his mouth.
“He is the head of a sect. At the very least, you should show courtesy.”
“Courtesy? What courtesy! A disciple of a shameful loser should stay out of this! This is not your place!”
Beon Sa immediately flared up and rose to his feet.
“Such nonsense…!”
Not to be outdone, about thirty members of the Jackal Wolf Blade Sect gang also rose at once, radiating fierce momentum.
But then.
SWISH.
Cheol Ryu-heun quietly rose and swept back his hair.
“Five Supreme Martial Experts of Hunan Province, Hungry Wolf Blade Demon… Yes. I know. Jinjo Jeok-je. Then are you Jong Pyeong? The one commonly called Violent Wolf Blade.”
Jong Pyeong, though seething with anger, felt his shoulders somehow lift when his alias was mentioned.
‘This guy, finally…’
As the atmosphere was flowing unusually, he judged that the opponent had finally shown a change in attitude.
Though his face was still expressionless.
Soon Beon Sa spoke in a cautious tone.
“Sect Leader Cheol. Please just leave. His master is also here in this place. If you cause friction here for no reason, it will only make the matter bigger. You should manage your condition before the duel.”
When Cheol Ryu-heun walked toward the door without saying anything, Beon Sa quickly followed behind him and thought.
‘Hmm. He has this side to him too. I was worried what would happen if he just recklessly fought…’
Jong Pyeong saw that and smirked.
“I knew it. If you’re a person, you should know when to protect yourself.”
At that moment, Cheol Ryu-heun suddenly handed money to the inn owner.
“This should be enough.”
Then he sent him outside and tossed Beon Sa words that sounded like an order.
“Go wait over there in the corner.”
“Pardon?”
“There should be at least one spectator.”
“…!”
In an instant, Beon Sa’s expression changed.
‘Could it be…!’
He was going to fight.
Nine out of ten.
The nonchalant voice struck his ears again.
“What are you doing?”
Just as Beon Sa hurried over to stand in the corner.
“Conduct.”
The door slammed SHUT.
“Makes.”
The latch was locked with a CLANK.
“The person.”
His body whipped around.
Thus Cheol Ryu-heun gestured arrogantly with his chin.
“Guys like you only learn after getting beaten.”
A gaze without even a speck of emotion.
The moment Jong Pyeong received that look, he immediately gripped the sword hilt at his waist tight.
It was an instinctive reaction.
CHANG!
No sooner had he drawn his blade than he was shouting.
“You! You want to do this? Did you think I would refuse!”
“Your side drew the blade first. I’ve secured justification.”
Simultaneously with Cheol Ryu-heun’s indifferent voice.
KWAHANG-!
Jong Pyeong’s body smashed through the wall behind and was driven deep in.
“GURGH…”
Jong Pyeong let out a pained groan, then vomited a mouthful of blood before immediately falling unconscious.
The aghast disciples of Jackal Wolf Blade Sect.
Nobody had seen whether he used hands or feet.
They had only heard the sound.
“What in the…”
“Wh-what do we do?”
“GRRGH… Wh-whatever! Let’s all charge!”
“SHIIIIT!”
Thus the area became a scene of carnage.
KWANG- KWAKWANG- UDJIK, UDIJJIK- KWADEUK, KWADEUK, KWADEUK-!
Loud sounds rang ceaselessly, then abruptly stopped.
Silence.
The area was quiet as if nothing had happened.
Beon Sa, standing blankly in the corner, scanned the area with his eyes.
‘My god…’
Whether wall or ceiling, all the Jackal Wolf Blade Sect blade practitioners were unconscious, driven in like decorations.
At that moment, a voice awakened him from his stupor.
“Bring that one.”
What Cheol Ryu-heun pointed to with his finger was Jong Pyeong.
“Wh-what are you going to…”
“I need to show him to his superior. Tell him to properly educate his subordinates’ character from now on.”
“HURP! S-superior, you mean…”
One of the Five Supreme Martial Experts of Hunan Province, Hungry Wolf Blade Demon Jinjo Jeok-je.
Yes, who else could it be.
Beon Sa intuited.
That today, this place, Wanju, would be greatly turned upside down.