Chapter 388: Chapter 388

[Even if you hide a treasure in such a deep place, how could you defeat the passing of time, and what use would it be to you who will disappear as the dew of the execution ground? Thus, this body shall take it and use it in a good place, so do not worry and close your eyes comfortably. Hahaha!]

Crumple!

The letter he stared at time and again completely turned Mu Cheon-pung’s insides upside down.

The moment he looked at each and every line, the killing intent surging up violently could hardly be controlled, to the extent that if the person who wrote this content were in front of his eyes, he might have torn them to shreds so that not even a trace remained.

“You bastard!”

With this, he had already been done in twice.

Even when plundering the imperial treasures, he fell for the fellow’s trick, and though he escaped that place in the end, he could not break free from his grasp.

The more he thought, the more his anger surged.

The one who toyed with the Golden Lion Mu Cheon-pung under heaven.

Mu Cheon-pung, whose face turned bright red, breathed roughly.

“Haa… how do I catch this fellow?”

He was a truly elusive fellow.

Also, since he is a fellow who lives with his ears open every day, he would surely also know that Mu Cheon-pung had broken out of prison.

Hence, he would hide his body even more, so capturing him was not easy. Since finding his traces in the first place was also difficult, it was just like finding a needle in a desert.

He gritted his teeth tightly.

Because he could not find it even after suffering to this extent, his resentment did not easily fade.

His steps returning to the Hunan Dan Family were also heavy. The fellow to be caught was one thing, and the business of the Hunan Dan Family was separate. He was in a situation where he had to pay the fee now, but since there was no money left in his hand, that was also a difficult situation.

“How did the Golden Lion Mu Cheon-pung under heaven end up like this…”

Mu Cheon-pung looked up at the sky and let out a sigh. When he recalled his glorious past, it scattered and vanished in vain like a handful of ashes.

He shouldn’t have met that fellow!

He shouldn’t have made a bet with that fellow!

Meeting with that fellow, his life was completely twisted.

“A parasite-like fellow!”

Mu Cheon-pung kicked the trees thud-thud while walking the path. As his gongfu slowly recovered, it seemed that the one hurting was the tree rather than his foot.

Every time he struck, it was gouged deep.

“You seem to have something that makes you angry.”

At that moment, a voice was heard.

The startled Mu Cheon-pung turned his gaze.

In front of Dongting Lake.

Although he had not felt even a sign of a person, Dan Woo-hyun was seen sitting there with a fishing rod cast.

‘I clearly didn’t feel anything, though?’

Mu Cheon-pung broke into a cold sweat.

Soon, he slowly approached in front of Dan Woo-hyun.

“Well, there is something. By the way…”

“What is it?”

“Why are you speaking informally?”

He spoke without hesitation what no one, absolutely no one, had been able to say to Dan Woo-hyun until now. Dan Woo-hyun, who was fishing, turned his head and looked at Mu Cheon-pung.

His face looked somewhat bewildered.

“Is it strange?”

“Of course it’s strange, you bastard! What is the age difference between you and me!”

Dan Woo-hyun swallowed a short groan.

Certainly, looking at only the appearance, there was a clear difference. Although Mu Cheon-pung was slowly changing back to a younger appearance since he recovered his lost gongfu, compared to the other old men inside, he was distinctly different.

But even so, he could not speak formally, could he?

Dan Woo-hyun naturally turned his head.

“It is my personality.”

“Dumbfounding, indeed.”

Mu Cheon-pung shook his head.

But it was not necessarily a strange thing. With such a young age, he had a large manor, and he even heard from the Yueyang people that he was the number one wealthy man in Hunan.

Since he succeeded at a young age, he would have employed many people, and as his pride naturally grew stronger, his outspoken personality was bound to emerge.

Furthermore, Mu Cheon-pung was not even in a situation to argue fiercely.

Mu Cheon-pung sat down by his side.

“About that… the guest fee, that is…”

“Is it lacking?”

“I… I can pay this much.”

Fumbling, Mu Cheon-pung pulled money out of his chest. It was the money he gathered while working hard for seven days. Although it was less than five taels, it was a tremendously large amount considering it was gathered in a short time.

His figure fumbling and offering the money even looked pitiful for some reason.

Perhaps because the offered hand was wrinkled, even Dan Woo-hyun who received the money felt sympathy.

“It… it is fine.”

“Huh? You are not receiving it?”

“It is not as if our house will collapse just because one more spoon is added. You can give me something larger later.”

“Heh…”

Mu Cheon-pung felt emotional and tears were about to well up.

It was his first time receiving sympathy from a person, and since the sympathy he received for the first time was no different from holding out a hand to him who had nothing, his heart shook despite himself.

He forcibly swallowed his tears and looked up at the moon.

“The moon is truly beautiful…”

“…….”

Dan Woo-hyun tried hard to smile.

Inwardly, he thought whether his inner thoughts were too wicked. Looking at Mu Cheon-pung’s appearance, he felt as if a conscience he did not possess had popped out from somewhere.

He gathered his mind as much as possible.

“Manor Lord! Manor Lord! It is time to eat!”

At that moment, a voice was heard from behind.

It was a voice he heard for the first time.

When he turned his head and looked there despite himself, a strange-looking fellow was approaching with a black-and-blue bruised face. Whether he had engaged in fistfights with the neighborhood ruffians, his face was in a terrible state.

“Who is he?”

“A servant.”

“Ah! As expected, you were here? This Sam-tae put all his effort into making it for the Manor Lord after a long time, so go eat quickly… By the way, the person next to you is…?”

Jang Sam-tae and Mu Cheon-pung met eyes.

Since both saw each other for the first time, they wore expressions wondering why such a fellow was in this place.

“Is he a guest?”

“Yes, he is our manor’s guest starting today.”

“Ah… did So-mi pick him up again, by any chance?”

“I am not an object! Pick me up?”

“No, well, it’s just a manner of speaking.”

Jang Sam-tae spoke casually and let out a chuckle.

This was clearly an expression as if ignoring the other. However, Mu Cheon-pung, whose strength had drained due to past events, merely shook his head and let out a sigh.

For some reason, he did not like it because his personality reminded him of that fellow.

* * *

“Y… You bastard, how are you here?!”

“And why are you here?”

Mu Cheon-pung and Sa Do-hak raised their eyes, facing each other. Even though a long time had passed, since they had fought a life-and-death battle, they could recognize each other instantly the moment they saw their faces.

To them, the passing of twenty years of time seemed like nothing.

Mu Cheon-pung gritted his teeth.

“Yeah, you bastard! They say enemies meet on a single-log bridge, and those words are perfect right now.”

“Madman! What enemy… are you playing the drums all by yourself?”

Unlike the relaxed Sa Do-hak, Mu Cheon-pung glared while gritting his teeth.

If he hadn’t met him, if Sa Do-hak hadn’t pursued him, or if he hadn’t placed a restriction on his dantian, things like now would not have happened.

Whether he thought this entire situation occurred because of Sa Do-hak, Mu Cheon-pung’s gaze grew even sharper, and his killing intent also flowed considerably thick.

“Sit.”

However, Dan Woo-hyun’s single word instantly cut off the tensely winding air.

The momentum of the two subsided.

Sa Do-hak sat down with a frown.

However, Mu Cheon-pung looked at Dan Woo-hyun with a surprised expression instead.

He did not get a sense of what had just happened.

‘The momentum dispersed?’

This was an impossible thing.

Although it was not as much as in the past, he was still an expert who ranked within the top five in the Central Plains.

Washing away such a person’s killing intent with a single word was not something that could be easily accepted.

Mu Cheon-pung turned his head and looked at Dan Woo-hyun.

He had a casual expression, sitting with Dan So-mi by his side.

‘Just what is this place?’

He could not understand.

If Sa Do-hak was here, they could naturally be called people related to the Demonic Cult, but the one sitting in the seat of honor was Dan Woo-hyun, and Sa Do-hak naturally listened to him.

It was a situation that could not be easily accepted by his head, let alone his heart.

Also, the people in the surroundings did not care, as if this was daily life. There were even those who were eating food, moving their chopsticks before he knew it.

Mu Cheon-pung broke into a cold sweat.

“Just what is this place…”

“Hahaha, it is called the Hunan Dan Family.”

At the heard voice, Mu Cheon-pung frowned and turned his head. Namgung Cheon was sitting there, and unlike his gentle smile, his face looked filled with competitive spirit.

He was an old man he hadn’t even paid attention to for the past few days, but looking at him now, he seemed out of the ordinary.

Even the old man standing by his side, who was unmistakably living as a servant, did not care about the killing intent from earlier either.

Mu Cheon-pung’s head became a jumble.

“Seeing your state, you managed to break the restriction.”

“Hmph! A restriction placed by you is easy.”

At the voice heard soon, Mu Cheon-pung snorted. As if he never wanted to lose to Sa Do-hak, sharpness was loaded in his voice.

However, Sa Do-hak looked at Mu Cheon-pung with a dumbfounded gaze instead and said.

“Madman, is that why it took twenty years?”

“You bastard! Come outside!”

Mu Cheon-pung stood up abruptly, ready to fight a match right away.

Although it was already obvious that he would lose if they fought properly since his body was not whole, he glared nonetheless and looked ready to rush in right away.

The twenty years of time suffered because of Sa Do-hak.

That resentment did not fade easily.

“Fine! Let’s do this!”

Sa Do-hak dusted his hands and stood up.

His reddened eyes poured fiercely toward Mu Cheon-pung. As the sharp gaze pierced as if to eat him alive, Mu Cheon-pung flinched and retreated a step.

He looked elsewhere stealthily and muttered.

“However, since it is a past affair…”

“…….”

“Pfft…”

Cooling his head, he exhaled.

Although fighting a life-and-death match with Sa Do-hak once again like this also seemed fine, his desire not to suffer a useless loss was more earnest.

In the first place, he could not even win.

Since he was in a situation where he had to save even a handful of gongfu, Mu Cheon-pung let out a sigh and sat down.

Everyone looked at Mu Cheon-pung with dumbfounded gazes.

“To try and match Elder Sa… he must be someone extremely remarkable, I suppose?”

At that moment, Jang Sam-tae muttered while moving his chopsticks with a casual expression.

Judging by the words, he seemed to have crossed hands with Sa Do-hak, but he did not look grand at all.

Mu Cheon-pung let out a sigh.

Had the time finally come to reveal his identity?

With such thoughts, he scanned the assembly.

Soon, thinking they would be shocked out of their wits, he wore a confident smile, thumped his chest with a wrinkled hand, and spoke in a strong tone.

“You have probably only heard of my name. Seeing me in person is indeed close to a miraculous encounter.”

The moment he spat out the words, gazes returned from everywhere. They were all looks filled with curiosity, wondering what he was trying to say.

“If I am to speak of myself, I rank within the top five under heaven! With martial arts that overturn heaven and earth! I am one of the Five Emperors who knelt tens of thousands of martial artists of the Central Plains under my feet, the Golden Lion Mu Cheon-pung!”

Boom-!

Mu Cheon-pung introduced himself confidently.

Pride overflowed on his face and there was strength in his voice.

Fully know the weight that the name Golden Lion Mu Cheon-pung gives, it was as if he spoke like that.

“Ah… I… I see. You are a… remarkable person.”

“Wow, I didn’t know. One of the Five Emperors, that is amazing.”

However, the surrounding atmosphere was different from what Mu Cheon-pung had expected.

Namgung So-hye spoke with an awkward smile, and Zhuge Yeon muttered in a stiff tone as if reading a book.

Soon…

“Is becoming one of the Five Emperors something any dog or cow can do these days?”

Jang Sam-tae’s scathing voice crushed Mu Cheon-pung’s heart.

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