Chapter 120: Chapter 120

The people gathered in front of the inn slinked back and retreated.

If it had been Gwon Mu-jin alone, it might have been different, but with Ma Jang-gang, known as the Wolf King, also present, and even Muho taking their side, they realized it was not a situation where they could do anything.

The three who had stepped out in front of the inn on Dan Woo-hyun’s orders simply stared blankly at the situation in silence.

The fighting spirit that had been boiling until just a moment ago vanished.

In particular, Ma Jang-gang, who was thinking that he had to show a good side of himself to Dan Woo-hyun, let out a deep sigh with a disappointed sound.

“I appreciate the help, but it was unnecessary.”

At that single comment, the Shaolin monks turned around to look at him. As their sharp glares poured over him, even the Wolf King had no choice but to shrink back.

He flinched and trembled.

Muho watched this and snorted.

“I think you are a strange group. The Wolf King and the Small Double Sabers…? I do not know the man next to you, but I did not think you two would be close…?”

“…Did you come to capture us?”

Gwon Mu-jin subtly gripped the hilt of his saber.

Even if it was Shaolin, there was nothing to fear. From the moment he set foot in this land of Henan in the first place, clashing with them had been one of the expected possibilities.

However, Muho shook his head cleanly.

“As I said before, I merely stopped it because I did not like people causing a disturbance in front of the Martial Alliance. Small Double Sabers… I also knew you to be someone who observes the righteous way, even though you belong to the Unorthodox Faction…”

Muho trailed off as he scrutinized Gwon Mu-jin.

Rumors of his death had already spread far and wide. Yet, the Gwon Mu-jin before his eyes looked perfectly fine, without a single injury.

Moreover, traveling with the Wolf King?

Perhaps…

‘Perhaps the rumor that he left Martial Sovereign Castle is true.’

There was a certain level of credibility to the rumors that the Small Double Sabers, Gwon Mu-jin, had fled Martial Sovereign Castle and was subsequently hunted and killed by Ma Dok-jin.

Of course, there were other things that bothered him.

Why would someone who had been hiding for nearly a year suddenly appear in Henan, where the Martial Alliance was located, at a time like this?

If his survival became known, the Unorthodox Faction would certainly not sit idly by.

Muho, thinking up to that point, let out a sigh.

It was best to set aside things that had no answers.

“I do not think you would, but this place is guarded by the Martial Alliance and Shaolin. If you intend to cause a disturbance, you had better discard that thought.”

He spoke firmly as he raised his staff.

Although it was merely a motion to retrieve it lightly, it was a movement that carried his determination and strength.

As Muho finally turned his back, the Shaolin monks also glanced back at the Wolf King and Gwon Mu-jin before quickly following behind Muho.

“What an arrogant bastard.”

“Hahaha.”

Jang Sam-tae muttered softly.

Knowing they were Shaolin monks, he could not speak loudly. He feared the consequences of picking a useless fight with someone who was quietly leaving.

No matter how much martial arts he had learned from Sa Do-hak and Dan Woo-hyun, Shaolin was one of the pillars of Martial World, and he seemed to want to avoid provoking them at all costs.

“That aside, he is an incredible person. If we were to fight seriously, I might not be able to predict the outcome.”

Gwon Mu-jin watched the departing Muho with an intrigued gaze. The powerful energy he felt from him was on a completely different level from ordinary rising stars.

He thought that perhaps he was similar to Namgung So-hye.

‘No, he might be even higher.’

The greatest rising star.

The rising star with the highest probability of becoming the future Sword Queen.

That was what referred to Namgung So-hye. Of course, the public evaluation of her was vastly different from the version Gwon Mu-jin, Jang Sam-tae, and Dan Woo-hyun knew, but it was an undeniable fact that she was strong.

However, Gwon Mu-jin wondered if that Muho might be at an even higher stage.

‘This is why one cannot let down their guard against the Orthodox Martial World.’

He chuckled.

Indeed, was this expected of the thousand-year-old Shaolin?

Gwon Mu-jin’s fighting spirit boiled even more intensely.

“A fascinating person indeed.”

“Yes! He certainly possessed a spirit that makes one feel something. He could hardly be called a mere rising star.”

Gwon Mu-jin, who had returned to the inn, muttered with a somewhat excited expression. Having encountered someone who made his fighting spirit boil after a long time, how could he not feel this way?

“If it is Muho of Shaolin, he is considered a candidate for the next Abbot. It is only natural that he would be outstanding.”

Namgung Cheon nodded with pleased eyes.

He was a youth whom Namgung Cheon had kept an eye on even among the rising stars. Therefore, his growth pleased Namgung Cheon even more. Seeing the talents called the best among the current rising stars change day by day made it seem like the future state of Martial World would unfold in a rather interesting way.

“He’s still just a bald monk at the end of the day.”

Sa Do-hak sneered while picking his nose.

It was clear that Muho possessed great skill, but when compared to the rising stars of the Demonic Cult, he still seemed lacking in some aspects.

This difference arose because people of the Orthodox Faction and the Demonic Cult viewed rising stars through different lenses.

“There’s no killing intent, no killing intent. To think he lacks killing intent to that extent…”

“Haha, does a monk need to have killing intent?”

Dan Woo-hyun asked back, highly amused.

Indeed, as Dan Woo-hyun saw it, Muho had no killing intent. Instead, he possessed a grand spirit, which did not fall short when compared to any martial artist.

“You need killing intent when you beat down or kill someone. That is how you overwhelm your opponent! Don’t you know that well yourself?”

Sa Do-hak looked at Dan Woo-hyun.

Having experienced Dan Woo-hyun’s killing intent firsthand, he knew better than anyone how thick it was and how it drained an opponent’s strength.

The higher a martial artist’s stage, the more usefully killing intent could be employed. Being able to break an opponent’s spirit without using even a single technique was an extremely useful tool in combat.

The commonly mentioned realm of ‘Killing with the Mind’ was also achieved by utilizing killing intent.

“You all listen carefully as well. Killing intent is the spirit of intending to kill. ‘I will kill you.’ If you lose to this momentum when first meeting an opponent, even your next move will be read, and your initial reaction will be delayed. Do you understand?”

Gwon Mu-jin and Jang Sam-tae listened intently and nodded.

They also knew this.

Subduing the opponent’s spirit was the basic foundation of a fight. That was why morale was important during a war, creating a difference between those whose spirits were heightened and those whose were not.

“Those are not incorrect words.”

“Right? I told you I don’t speak incorrect words. Hahaha!”

Sa Do-hak burst into a hearty laugh and clapped his hands. It was none other than Dan Woo-hyun who had validated his words. If so, then his thinking was not wrong, and consequently, the path he had walked was not wrong either.

But on the other hand.

‘Who is that person to step forward like that?’

Ma Jang-gang watched the scene with a lukewarm expression. The white mask and the black mask. Although he had seen them before, seeing them face-to-face like this made it look even stranger.

Furthermore, even if they knew about killing intent or spirit, if anyone were to give instructions, it naturally should have been Dan Woo-hyun, so he was displeased that the masked man stepped forward first to speak and laugh.

“What are you so displeased about?”

“No, regardless of killing intent or whatever, isn’t it true that the Shaolin monk from earlier was incredible?”

“So?”

“What do you mean, ‘so’? As I, Ma Jang-gang the Wolf King, saw it, he was incredibly amazing, unlike you, old man.”

Ma Jang-gang shrugged his shoulders and smirked.

Although he was at the absolute bottom tier of the One Hundred Great Masters, simply having his name listed there was enough to earn the respect of ordinary people.

Therefore, Ma Jang-gang did not feel that he was inferior to anyone here except for Dan Woo-hyun, and he believed most of them were at a lower stage than himself.

Hence, he expressed his opinion as much as possible.

Instantly, startled glares turned toward him from all directions.

Although it was invisible due to the mask, the eyes of the old man known as the Gentleman’s Sword widened.

Gwon Mu-jin and Jang Sam-tae, who were beside him, stared at Ma Jang-gang with deathly pale expressions. In contrast, Dan Woo-hyun cast an intrigued gaze and laughed.

‘What? It’s not like I said anything wrong, so why are they acting like that?’

Ma Jang-gang felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding.

This was partly due to the glares pouring over him, but also because Sa Do-hak’s eyes, visible through the black mask, seemed to flash like lightning for a split second.

“Ahem. Come to think of it, we haven’t had lunch yet. I shall go feed So-mi for a moment.”

“I… I will go too.”

Watching Namgung Cheon rise from his seat, Gwon Mu-jin hastily followed behind him. He knew that staying inside would not lead to anything good.

It was best to escape before a stray spark flew at him.

With a clicking sound, the door closed as Namgung Cheon, Dan So-mi, and Gwon Mu-jin stepped outside. Cold sweat trickled down the face of Jang Sam-tae, who had not dared to follow them out.

Finally, unable to hold back any longer, he spoke.

“Seriously, if the Elder says so, then it is so. Why do you keep nitpicking?”

“Nitpicking? Are you saying that without knowing who I am? I am Ma Jang-gang the Wolf King! The one whose name is listed among the One Hundred Great Masters!”

He thumped his chest as if that was an immense source of pride. He looked like someone who had absolutely nothing else to boast about.

Jang Sam-tae let out an absurd chuckle and shook his head.

“That damn Wolf King nonsense… you should pick the right opponent to boast to…”

“W-What?”

“What!”

As their voices grew louder, Dan Woo-hyun watched the two with a highly amused gaze. Jang Sam-tae truly had not changed a single bit since the old days.

In his eyes, there was nothing to fear except for Dan Woo-hyun, Namgung Cheon, and Sa Do-hak. In truth, he was so weak that he would rank near the bottom not only in the manor but also in the entire Central Plains Martial World.

Even so, he possessed that level of audacity.

It was impossible to let it pass without laughing.

At that moment, Sa Do-hak slowly rose from his seat.

Having stood up, he grabbed his stiff back neck.

“Wolf King? Did you say Wolf King?”

“Indeed! I am the king of vagabonds, Ma Jang-gang the Wolf King. I came here because the master I wish to serve is right there, not because I want to be beneath you people!”

“Ha. That bastard sure has a mouth on him.”

Sa Do-hak laughed in disbelief.

What should he do with him? He stared silently at Ma Jang-gang as if thinking for a long time. His eyes, narrowing slightly, flashed fiercely.

Then he looked at Dan Woo-hyun.

It was a look as if they were conversing with their eyes.

The moment Dan Woo-hyun was seen nodding his head.

Thud!

“Urgh!”

Ma Jang-gang saw stars.

He had absolutely no idea what had happened. Yet, nosebleed trickled down from his nose as intense pain swept over him.

Seeing him clutch his nose in confusion, Sa Do-hak sneered and spoke.

“I see bastards like you often. My kids are a bit like that. If they are strong, they don’t realize others can be strong too.”

“W-What…”

Thud!

Once again, his vision flashed.

Sa Do-hak’s lightly swung fist struck his face.

His head snapped far back, and he stumbled backward, losing his balance. However, although the distance between him and Sa Do-hak should have widened, it somehow seemed to have grown closer.

“A beating is the only medicine for guys like that. Indeed!”

Sa Do-hak smirked and rolled up his sleeves.

His expression showed that he had dealt with more than a few fellows like this.

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