Chapter 10: Proof of Insult
Chapter 9 – Proof of Insult
“Here, another bottle of fire liquor!”
“Bring us some more meat dumplings!”
“When is the Dongpo pork coming out?”
The Dragon Heaven Inn, the closest one to the Dragon Heaven Academy.
With the non-stop orders pouring in, the waiter busily bustled back and forth as if performing a body-lightening technique.
Although they were extremely busy, the tavern keeper was so excited that he looked ready to dance with joy.
Since the Dragon Heaven Academy had been closed for a long time, the earnings had been quite poor, but today’s sales alone would be more than enough to make up for the previous losses.
‘A group of customers as soon as it reopened. It is a jackpot after a long time!’
Meanwhile, Namgung Cheon, who was sitting by the window, silently watched the faces of the cadets filling the inn.
What? Chilled vinegar chicken noodles and meat dumplings?
Once they arrived at the inn, the cadets did not hesitate to order all kinds of rare dishes as well as expensive liquor.
As if they had made such an agreement with Namgung Cheon from the very beginning.
‘They eat well. Well, they are at the age where they eat a lot.’
Perhaps because of that, Namgung Cheon was also hungry, so he deliciously ate the sizzling beef plate in front of him.
‘It is not my money anyway.’
Unlike Namgung Cheon, who was completely at peace, Yun Jong-seung, who sat opposite him, was burning with anxiety.
‘You crazy bastards! Stop stuffing your faces!’
The money Namgung Cheon was going to use to pay was the money he had taken from the martial artists of the Mount Huang Yun Clan.
Originally, he had thought of somehow recovering the remaining money used for travel expenses, but at this rate, not a single penny would be left.
In the end, it was a situation no different from Yun Jong-seung paying for this meal.
As a result, cold sweat dripped down every time a dish or liquor was served one by one.
Song Won-gyo and Baekli Hyang were not very pleased either.
For some reason, the atmosphere was different from what they had expected.
In particular, Baekli Hyang, who usually regarded Namgung Cheon as a thorn in her flesh, was not at all pleased with this situation.
Was Namgung Cheon, who should have been crying by now, not enjoying this gathering instead, constantly gulping down liquor and food?
He was even placing additional orders.
Baekli Hyang, who was staring at Namgung Cheon, said to Song Won-gyo.
“Usually, he protected him in his own way, claiming he was his father. What on earth happened?”
“Indeed. Did his personality change after coming back from the dead?”
“Does a mutt become a tiger just because its personality changes?”
When Baekli Hyang sneered coldly, Song Won-gyo drained his cup and stood up from his seat.
He wore a fishy smile.
“Should we not teach that mutt what happens when it mimics a tiger? Leave it to me. I have an idea.”
“What are you going to do?”
“If it is a mutt, it should look like a puppy that needs to poop. Let us enjoy that ridiculous sight for once.”
“Young Master Song is mischievous as always.”
‘Look who is talking.’
Song Won-gyo laughed inwardly.
It was Baekli Hyang who hated the Namgung Clan more than anyone else.
In the past, the Baekli Clan had made tireless efforts to enter the Seven Great Clans of Jianghu.
However, it had been repeatedly thwarted due to the opposition of the Namgung Clan at the time.
Of course, the positions of the two families were now completely reversed, but the fact that they were representative rivals within the orthodox faction remained unchanged.
To win her favor, bullying Namgung Cheon was indeed the most reliable method.
If he could maintain a special relationship with Baekli Hyang like this and win Henan’s Number One Beauty, and thus back himself with the influence of the Baekli Clan, would the future of the Zhengzhou Sect not be a smooth road?
‘For the sake of my future, you must willingly become an impious mutt.’
Song Won-gyo, who wore a sly smile, clapped his hands.
Clap, clap, clap…
All the cadets in the inn turned their heads to look at Song Won-gyo.
“Such a grand feast as soon as it reopened. Is this not all thanks to our classmate, Namgung Cheon? I express my deep gratitude to Namgung Cheon. Thank you, Cheon-ah.”
“Right, thanks! Cheon-ah!”
“We are eating well thanks to you! Or is it thanks to your dead father? Giggle!”
The cadets snickered mockingly.
Song Won-gyo approached Namgung Cheon and spoke to everyone.
“It is true that we have treated Namgung Cheon coldly all this time. However, there was a good reason for that. It is because Namgung Cheon inherited the blood of the Great Killing Star.”
Everyone nodded as if in agreement.
Song Won-gyo draped his arm over Namgung Cheon’s shoulder and continued.
“In the past, Namgung Cheon protected even that trash-like demon, claiming he was his father. However, it seems today is different. Whether he had a change of heart, he is celebrating that trash’s death just like us. Does this not mean he is the same as us? Therefore, I will no longer treat Young Master Namgung carelessly. Furthermore, if anyone dares to treat Young Master Namgung carelessly, this Song will not forgive them.”
For a moment, the room fell silent.
The cadets were bewildered.
It was only natural, as were Song Won-gyo and Baekli Hyang not the ones who lived for the pleasure of bullying Namgung Cheon more than anyone else?
But now he was saying he would punish those who bullied him instead?
However, Namgung Cheon’s reaction was indifferent.
What? You won’t forgive anyone who treats me carelessly?
As if.
There had to be a reason why Song Won-gyo was acting like this.
Having lived his entire life as a public enemy of the martial world, he had associated with all kinds of bad guys.
Thus, he could read the thoughts of bad guys faster than anyone else.
Kid, what are you plotting?
Sure enough, Song Won-gyo looked back at Namgung Cheon with a malicious smile.
“So… I want you to clarify your stance so that all the cadets here can be convinced.”
“……?”
“You prove that your thoughts are the same as ours. Then, we will no longer exclude you and intend to make you a true friend.”
Then, a cadet who was smacking his lips and tearing at duck meat in a corner suddenly spoke up.
“Brother Song, how can we know that?”
“Well, is there not a simple way?”
“What is it?”
“The so-called ‘Proof of Humiliation’.”
Only then did the mocking laughter return to the faces of the cadets.
Namgung Cheon also chuckled.
Proof of Humiliation.
The kids were certainly playing cute.
In the past, when the power of the Demonic Cult was strong, there were quite a few cultists who pretended to be orthodox martial artists throughout the Jianghu.
So, a joke once circulated like a fad as a way to filter them out.
The method was simple.
They would grab the martial artists with suspicious behavior and say:
“Say, ‘The Demonic Cult Leader is a son of a bitch.’”
It was truly a childish method, but there were rumors that it was quite effective.
To the Demonic Cultists, the Cult Leader was indeed a sacred existence.
And now…
“Now, Namgung Cheon. Say ‘Jin Cheon-rang is a son of a bitch.’”
I, who just treated them to plenty of liquor and meat, am undergoing this kind of test.
As he let out a light sigh, Song Won-gyo, unable to control his widening smile, turned around.
“Everyone, if Namgung Cheon says it, let us acknowledge him as a true friend!”
“Brother Song is smart as expected!”
“Yeah, Namgung Cheon! Spit it out cleanly and become our comrade!”
The cadets continuously giggled and enjoyed the situation.
Baekli Hyang also wore a faint smile, seemingly satisfied at last.
How would he feel, having to insult his own father in front of everyone?
‘It will be quite a sight to see him insult his father with a tearful face.’
Song Won-gyo turned back to Namgung Cheon.
“Even if he was a piece of trash, if calling your father by his name feels too uncomfortable, you can just say, ‘My dad is a son of a bitch.’”
“Hahaha! That is also good!”
Several cadets held their stomachs and laughed.
Jin Cheon-rang scanned those cadets with an emotionless expression.
Did they really find this kind of thing funny?
Their lives must be incredibly boring.
Otherwise, why would they sneer at such a childish prank?
By nature, when a man laughs, he should have narrowly escaped death and thrust his sword into the opponent’s neck…
Ah, no.
If I think like this, I will really seem like the Great Killing Star, right?
Anyway, this is all due to the shitty environment.
Yes, of course.
Because originally, speaking of myself, I was the nicest guy in the whole world.
So, of course, I would not utter such impious words.
However…
‘If I swear at myself, it is not impiety.’
As a side note, because he had rolled through harsh environments, he was very good at swearing.
In his past life, had he not thrown Sunlight Sword Sa Baek-jun into a qi deviation just by swearing?
Was that all?
Even when he was dying, he had poured curses and thrown a fit at all the gods in the world, including the heavens, the Emperor of Heaven, and the spirits.
That was how good he was at swearing.
Therefore, this is not even a test.
Swearing at himself?
It was just ridiculous.
The swearing he had done while kicking the blanket shortly after reincarnating had also been directed at himself.
“Ah! Why did I idiotically fail to kill the Alliance Leader?”
Well, anyway.
Taking a quick look around at the cadets, their eyes were full of expectation.
Especially Baekli Hyang…
‘She is so pleased her eyes are about to roll back.’
Unfortunately, he could not fulfill that expectation.
Well, he would swear.
Although it might be confusing who was actually getting sworn at, he intended to take this opportunity to show them what real swearing was.
Namgung Cheon raised the corners of his mouth and stepped close to Song Won-gyo.
“Will you be satisfied if it is curses for Jin Cheon-rang?”
“Ho, calling him by name. Yes, that is enough.”
Since he is satisfied with my swearing, there is no need to hold back.
“Then listen carefully.”
The cadets, including Song Won-gyo, watched with excited expressions.
Namgung Cheon stared straight at Song Won-gyo and began to pour out a stream of colorful curses.
“Hey, you son of a bitch. Now that I look at you, you are just a retarded bug. A guy who is worse than an earthworm’s asshole. A piece of rotten shit that is so useless it cannot even be used as manure. Was it fun bullying people all this time? Now that you have to pay the price, let us burn some incense. If it were up to my temper, I would peel off your skin, sprinkle salt on it, and then tear your limbs to shreds and knead them, but I will endure it because I am the father. Damn it, you absolute half-wit whose seeds should have been removed long ago. Ptooey!”
The spit he spat at the end fell right at Song Won-gyo’s feet.
“…….”
Haa, how refreshing.
How long had it been since he spat out curses that rolled so smoothly off his tongue?
This inexplicable sense of liberation.
Hmm? But why is the atmosphere like this?
He willingly did it because they asked him to swear.
The room was as silent as a dead mouse.
Some cadets, their entire bodies seemingly frozen by the incredibly brutal curses, barely swallowed the food stuck in their throats.
Even one guy was letting the liquor he had in his mouth dribble down.
What a sight.
The face of Song Won-gyo, who was sworn at directly to his face, slowly distorted.
“You… who is that swearing…”
“Ah, that was Jin Cheon-rang’s swearing.”
Yes, the swearing I did.
“Ugh…!”
Not only Song Won-gyo but also Baekli Hyang had an uncomfortable expression. In fact, Baekli Hyang’s expression was gradually distorting.
They clearly forced him to swear and bullied him… but why did they feel so dirty?
At that moment, a cadet suddenly stood up, knocking over his chair.
Clatter!
A long saber over five feet long was slung on his back. He was a cadet with copper skin and a robust build.
“Damn it! I lost my appetite! I am leaving.”
As the cadet fumed, Namgung Cheon tilted his head and asked.
“Why? Aren’t you going to eat more?”
The cadet hesitated, glared at Namgung Cheon, and then strode over to grab him by the collar.
“You bastard, what are you thinking?”
What is this guy talking about?
Why is there not a single normal person here?
The cadet gripped his collar even tighter and shouted.
“Either way, you are the bloodline of the Great Killing Star, and the child of my family’s enemy. I do not care what your curses mean, but no matter what you do, that fact does not change. Do you understand?”
No, I do not understand at all.
“Tch! A pathetic bastard not even worth swearing at.”
The cadet, who had roughly let go of Namgung Cheon, turned around and strode away.
Namgung Cheon blankly watched his back.
Come to think of it, is that guy Paeng Su-hyeok of the Hebei Paeng Clan?
The Hebei Paeng Clan.
The starting point of his notorious name as the Great Killing Star spreading throughout the Jianghu.
It was from the death of the Hebei Paeng Clan’s Patriarch.
At the time, Paeng Yang-mun had come to kill him, but consequently, it was he who died.
‘So that is it. That guy is Paeng Su-hyeok, the descendant of Paeng Yang-mun.’
Even so, why is he throwing a fit after eating so well?
Anyway, kids these days do not know how to be grateful.