Chapter 124: Like a Surprise Attack, Yet Not, Yet Kind of Like One (1)
Chapter 123 – Like a Surprise Attack, Yet Not, Yet Kind of Like One (1)
Namgung Cheon admired them even as he repeatedly swung his sword, watching the monks rushing at him like moths to a flame.
‘Beautiful, how beautiful.’
Whenever dozens of people rushed in with their internal energy pulled up to the limit, this thought never left his mind.
He was not mocking or being sarcastic.
In fact, their dazzling movements looked beautiful in Namgung Cheon’s eyes.
Streams of colorful internal energy rising from the dantians of dozens of people flowed rapidly along their respective meridians and poured toward Namgung Cheon.
There was even an illusion that the colorful beams of light were being sucked in and absorbed by Namgung Cheon.
How could it not be beautiful?
It was like fireworks exploding on the ground.
He deflected the extending light with the blade of his sword, dug into the gaps, and sliced through them in a single breath.
Chwaaaaak!
In the end, red streams of blood were drenched in the cold moonlight and scattered in all directions.
Beautiful, how beautiful!
If he had not seen this mysterious sight while dealing with countless enemies in his past life, he might have gone mad long ago.
Those moments when he crossed the line of death after being driven as a public enemy by so many people.
Was it not a life worth enduring because he could see such beautiful colors even in the midst of it?
No.
Perhaps the very fact that he recognized this sight, which could only be seen at the boundary between life and death, was proof that he was not in his right mind?
If so, was I truly mad? Or was I normal?
‘What does it matter?’
It was enough to enjoy it.
He did not know who first said to enjoy it if you cannot avoid it, but that fellow must have been a genius.
Chwachwaak! Chwaak!
Every time the silver beam of light chillingly cut through the colorful beams of light, red blood burst out wildly.
Nevertheless, not a single drop of blood stained Namgung Cheon’s robe.
Funny enough, this too was a habit.
He minimized colliding or friction with the opponent as much as possible.
That was the fighting style a fugitive had to learn.
Minimizing unnecessary contact.
Thus, escaping like the wind through the gaps if anything went wrong.
The virtue and quality of a fugitive.
As a result, unless he was surrounded by thousands of people and swinging his sword, Namgung Cheon always moved like the wind.
There was no way for blood droplets to stain the wind.
Pababat! Chwaak! Kkang! Swiiiik, puk!
Namgung Cheon became infatuated.
Since he was performing an exorcism dance while dealing with dozens of people for the first time in a long while, it felt like the things that had been bothering him were being cut away one by one.
The thrilling sensation he had forgotten for a while was transmitted to his fingertips through the sword blade.
Even if it was just killing intent, to think he was a man who absorbed that colorful light.
A man like me who performed a sword dance while weaving through those beautiful colors!
A man that Namgung Seon could not help but fall head over heels for!
The man who traversed the boundary of life and death in the most beautiful way!
‘As expected, I am fully qualified to be self-absorbed!’
Pabababat! Chwaaaaak!
“Kuaaaaak!”
The monk whose right arm was completely cut off rolled on the ground and screamed at the top of his lungs.
Peok!
The monk, kicked by Namgung Cheon, flew as if bouncing away and crashed into a corner.
“Just screaming is not beautiful.”
With Namgung Cheon’s cold voice as the end, the dozens of monks hesitated, no longer rushing in.
In life, there were times like that.
Moments when a large gathering of people suddenly fell silent like a lie, or the world came to a standstill as if time had suddenly stopped.
Now was exactly such a situation.
The monks who had been rushing like moths to a flame stopped in an instant, and the Azure Eagle Squad members, who had been performing the exorcism dance alongside Namgung Cheon, also stood at a distance for a moment to catch their breath.
As the fight between the two forces entered a lull, Namgung Cheon smacked his lips in disappointment and asked.
“Is anyone hurt?”
“There are four, but they aren’t serious injuries.”
Son U-gon quickly approached and said.
“How badly are they hurt?”
“They are light cuts.”
Just as Son U-gon said, the majority of the Azure Eagle Squad members were fine.
It was bound to be the case, since most of the monks had focused their attacks on the rampaging Namgung Cheon.
However, since they were fighting with blades, it was impossible for there to be no injuries at all.
Still, it could be called an overwhelming fight.
Even though it was an attack that was like a surprise attack, yet not a surprise attack, yet kind of like one.
In any case, it was a great success.
Chwaaaaak!
Namgung Cheon swung his sword to shake the blood off the Emerald Silk Sword once and adjusted his stance.
“Hey, moths. What are you doing? Aren’t you coming? Should I go instead?”
As Namgung Cheon took a stride forward, the monks retreated in a crowd and grew wary.
“Uh… Huh…? S-Stop!”
“You have to do something, right? If you don’t come, I will go.”
“I told you to stop!”
The monks raised both hands again to stop him.
In the meantime, a familiar face squeezed through the monks.
A man with narrow, slit-like eyes. It was Pa-gak.
“What is the meaning of this!”
“We meet again. Nice to see you.”
“I do not think this is a situation to exchange greetings? What is the reason for doing such a thing?”
“Do you really ask because you don’t know? I said if you guys didn’t negotiate, it would be war.”
“The negotiation deadline was tomorrow!”
“Ah, right. It was.”
Pa-gak looked at Namgung Cheon with a blank expression.
Ah, right?
What do you mean, ‘Ah, right’!
Was that something to say after launching a surprise raid in the middle of the night?
While his insides boiled, Namgung Cheon shrugged his shoulders and said.
“Well, it’s not like that’s important anyway, is it?”
“What? That means you did not care about the negotiations in the first place!”
“To be honest, yes.”
“No, how could…!”
“But isn’t it the same for you guys?”
“…!”
“Honestly, did you intend to hand over the business rights for fifty thousand taels by tomorrow? Weren’t you just planning to ignore it, calling it a mad dog barking?”
“Did the bastard who knew that still propose fifty thousand taels?”
While Pa-gak ground his teeth, Namgung Cheon continued with a nonchalant expression.
“Since the negotiations were bound to fall through anyway, I attacked first. Only the order changed, but what was bound to happen has happened. So don’t be too bewildered.”
“What kind of dog-like logic is…!”
It was then.
“What on earth is going on here?”
From behind the hall, a voice loaded with internal energy rang out loudly.
Soon after, the monks lined up behind Pa-gak parted to the left and right like parting water.
Through the gap, an elderly man walked with heavy steps.
He was loosely dressed in Buddhist robes, but his neck and chest area were stained with women’s makeup.
He was the Leader of the Shining Monk Association, Hye-gwang.
Beside him, the Monstrous Buddhist, whose hair hung loosely, followed; his face was so swollen that it was hard to recognize, as if he had been subjected to something terrible during the day.
Pa-gak stepped aside and bowed his head.
“Have you come out, Reverend Leader?”
“What is all this fuss about?”
Then, the Monstrous Buddhist beside him glared with his swollen eyes and pointed at Namgung Cheon.
“T-That fellow…! That fellow is Namgung Cheon!”
“Namgung Cheon?”
Hye-gwang frowned as he looked at Namgung Cheon.
Namgung Cheon tilted his head as he looked at the Monstrous Buddhist first and asked.
“Aren’t you the fake monk I saw during the day?”
“You bastard! How dare you come to the sacred Shining Monk Association Manor and do this…!”
“Where did you get beaten up like that?”
“What do you mean beaten up! You crazy bastard!”
While the Monstrous Buddhist gasped in irritation, Hye-gwang walked out with heavy steps and spread his arms.
“Welcome. You came from the Namgung Clan? However, our greeting upon our first meeting is a bit intense.”
He looked around with a benevolent expression.
Here and there, the injured monks were groaning.
He could even see quite a few monks whose limbs had been severed.
‘It seems the rumors are not entirely false.’
While maintaining a smiling face, Hye-gwang was inwardly wary of Namgung Cheon.
However, unexpected words escaped Namgung Cheon’s mouth as he quietly watched Hye-gwang.
“I wondered who it was… Oh my. Was it you?”
“…?”
“You’ve gained a lot of weight.”
As Namgung Cheon spoke casually, Hye-gwang knit his brow deeply and spoke.
“This humble monk is seeing the young hero for the first time, though.”
“Right, that must be so. But seeing that you still smell of cosmetics, your old habit remains the same, doesn’t it?”
“…?”
“And you’re even acting like a proper monk. You’ve improved a lot, Lustful Madman.”
“…!”
As soon as Namgung Cheon’s words fell, Hye-gwang’s expression visibly stiffened.
His cheek trembled, and he spoke in a low, heavy voice.
“Who are you?”
“I’m Namgung Cheon, you Lustful Madman.”
“…!”
Hye-gwang’s expression trembled once more.
Lustful Madman.
There had been only one person who called him that to this day.
The Great Killing Star Jin Cheon-rang!
But hadn’t the Great Killing Star Jin Cheon-rang died?
As if sneering at his thoughts, Namgung Cheon smirked and continued.
“You were a good-natured fellow despite everything, so how did you get this ruined?”
“You green, young brat…! Ah, come to think of it, you were the Great Killing Star’s bastard son.”
“So what?”
“Did you hear about me from your biological father?”
“Yeah, you bastard. My father told me in my dream. Did you have nothing better to do than to steal the business rights of our family for free?”
Hye-gwang’s eyes narrowed.
He could not gauge what to believe and what not to.
In any case, it did not matter.
‘To think that the Great Killing Star’s son walked in on his own.’
Suddenly, forgotten memories came to mind.
Hye-gwang, who was notorious as the Lustful Mad Heretic, had received a secret proposal from the Martial Alliance.
That if he captured the Great Killing Star and brought him in, they would remove him from the list of public enemies of the Martial World.
From then on, he had searched for the Great Killing Star.
And when he finally met Jin Cheon-rang, Hye-gwang was beaten until he was covered in blood.
In the end, he was only able to save his life after kneeling and begging desperately.
He had suffered so much after that.
He had followed the Great Killing Star for several months, attending to all his needs, and had even revealed several of his unique secret techniques because he could not withstand the coercion.
It was probably then.
That the Great Killing Star looked at him and said he was good-natured.
‘When he patted my head like that, I wagged my tail like a dog.’
It was a story that could not be heard without tears, even in retrospect.
Yet, that bastard’s son had appeared right before his eyes.
He had not paid any attention to that son of his, fearing he might get involved with that guy.
Now, the Great Killing Star was dead and gone.
‘It means no matter what I do to the son, there is no way I will get involved with that guy.’
What was this if not Buddha sending him a gift?
“Amitabha. Did the benefactor come to me to regain the business rights?”
“Yes.”
“But what if I cannot return the business rights?”
“Then you’ll get beaten up just like in the past.”
“Tsk, did that bastard even tell his son such stories?”
Nevertheless, Hye-gwang did not erase the smile that bloomed all over his face as he continued.
“Did you not consider that the one getting beaten up might be you?”
“If you’re confident, why don’t you try it?”
“However, this humble monk is one who has set his mind on the Buddhist path. How could I recklessly harm the benefactor?”
“Cut the bullshit. You became an apostate monk after seducing married women in ordinary households, yet what do you mean by setting your mind on the Buddhist path?”
“Haha, the young benefactor speaks too harshly. Our association acquired the business rights through a fair process and paid the proper price. But if you unilaterally break the contract now just because you regret it, wouldn’t the world point fingers at the Namgung Clan?”
“So we should pay one million taels to get it back?”
“If one million taels is difficult, how about this?”
“Spit it out, you Lustful Madman.”
A vein bulged slightly on Hye-gwang’s face, but he soon put on a smile and continued speaking.
“How about you and I decide it through a duel, without shedding the blood of many people? If I win, the business rights will belong to our association, and if you win…”
“If I win?”
“I will hand it over for only one hundred thousand taels, which is the exact price our association initially bought it for.”
“I don’t want to.”
“Then?”
“If I win, just vanish from here. Leave everything behind.”
“That is difficult…”
“But if I lose, I will give you ten million taels. Without any conditions.”
“…!”
At that moment, not to mention the people inside, even the spectators gathered outside the main gate gasped in shock.
Hye-gwang burst into a hearty laugh.
“Hahaha! The Namgung Clan, which is said to have nothing to live on these days, will put up ten million taels? Are you telling me to believe that?”
“Will you believe it if you see this?”
Namgung Cheon took something out of his chest and thrust it forward.
Hye-gwang narrowed his eyes to inspect it, and then jumped in shock.
“The G-Gold King’s plaque?”
In an instant, the surrounding people began to stir with expressions even more shocked than before.
Furthermore, even the Azure Eagle Squad members gaped, their mouths wide enough to fit a fist, alternating their gaze between the plaque and Namgung Cheon.