Chapter 160: Really Rude Guy (3)
Chapter 159 – Really Rude Guy (3)
“You bastard! I’ve been letting this slide, but what on earth do you think you are doing!”
As Do Chang-gu shouted in utter shock, Namgung Cheon replied while picking his ear.
“I saw him running wild with a sword, so I taught him the etiquette of the Jianghu. Can’t you tell even after seeing it?”
“What a crazy bastard…!”
“Look at that. When the owner isn’t decent, the dog he raises barks like that. Isn’t it so?”
“Why, I… I… have never seen such a lunatic!”
*Shhring!*
Do Chang-gu instantly drew the broadsword at his waist.
The blue-gleaming blade shone under the sunlight.
Do Chang-gu growled.
“You brought this on yourself. Do not blame me!”
“I will return those exact words to you.”
“Haaah!”
Do Chang-gu kicked off the ground and flew forward, brandishing his broadsword.
At the same time, Namgung Cheon’s gaze grew freezing cold.
“Just don’t go crying after getting beaten up.”
*Thud-thud-thud!*
His figure sliced through the air and charged forward.
* * *
“Then let us conclude the meeting with this. Chief Administrator, visit the Three Peaks Sect as soon as possible and create a suitable opportunity…”
Before Yeon Chu-ryang could even finish speaking, a cry resembling a shriek from an underling was heard outside the meeting hall.
“Sect Leadeeeer!”
The next moment, the door burst open, and a gatekeeper martial artist ran in gasping for breath, shouting with a face pale as a sheet.
“S-s-something terrible has happened! Sect Leader!”
“What on earth is going on that you commit such rudeness…”
The Chief Administrator quickly stepped forward to give a warning, but the gatekeeper cut him off once again and shouted.
“Y-you must come outside! R-right now, a lunatic… no, that… one of the cadets has gone completely wild and… beaten the Young Sect Leader and the bodyguard… to a pulp… while drunk…”
“Ahem! Calm down and speak properly!”
“*Pant, pant!* Y-yes. So, whether that cadet who came from the Martial Alliance is drunk or not, he beat up the Three Peaks Sect’s Young Sect Leader and the bodyguard!”
“Huh? Who beat up whom?”
“The cadet beat up the Three Peaks Sect’s Young Sect Leader and the bodyguard!”
At the gatekeeper’s repeated shouts, Yeon Chu-ryang still wore a look of incomprehension as he looked at the Chief Administrator.
The Chief Administrator also tilted his head and said.
“Let us go outside first.”
“Y-yes, let’s do so.”
As Yeon Chu-ryang rose from his seat, the leaders followed in a line behind him.
Even as he hurried his steps, Yeon Chu-ryang mulled over the gatekeeper’s words and shook his head.
‘What? A cadet beat up the Three Peaks Sect’s Young Sect Leader and the bodyguard? How absurd… what on earth is going on…’
The Young Sect Leader of the Three Peaks Sect was known to be a first-rate expert. The same went for the martial artist named Sin Wol who guarded him.
Yet a cadet who hadn’t even turned twenty beat up two first-rate martial artists?
He did not know what was going on, but the gatekeeper must have been overly excited, causing his words to get jumbled.
‘This is all due to lax discipline. I must discipline him separately later.’
Letting out a sigh filled with worry, Yeon Chu-ryang walked across the inner courtyard toward the main gate.
Through the open main gate, Namgung Cheon was seen standing triumphantly.
‘Somehow… I feel anxious.’
Was he not the fellow who had talked back to him at the branch? For some reason, looking at his face made a certain anxiety crawl up. His steps naturally quickened.
“What is going on?”
Yeon Chu-ryang, who quickly shouted as he stepped out of the main gate, opened his mouth so wide his jaw almost dropped upon seeing the devastation before him.
“W-what… on earth is this…?”
Yeon Chu-ryang blinked his eyes repeatedly like a goldfish. His wide-open mouth looked large enough to fit a fist.
The bodyguard was crumpled messily against one wall, and next to him, the Three Peaks Sect’s Young Sect Leader lay collapsed with bruised and swollen eye sockets, nose bleeding profusely.
“Ch-Chief Administrator.”
“Yes? Ah, yes.”
“Am I seeing this correctly right now?”
“I-indeed. What on earth is this…”
Having stood in a daze for a long while, Yeon Chu-ryang suddenly snapped back to his senses and spun around to face Namgung Cheon.
“W-what is the meaning of this? Could it be that you did this?”
“Yes. Well, they came to get work but behaved too rudely.”
“Work?”
“Well, that bastard told us to hand over the request. Spouting such nonsense…”
“He told you to hand over the request?”
“That’s what I’m saying. It is hard to believe, but it is the truth.”
Namgung Cheon huffed as if he was angry just thinking about it.
Yeon Chu-ryang looked back at the Chief Administrator.
The same thought arose in both of their heads.
‘We are screwed!’
Though they didn’t know what that immature cadet had done, it was certain that a massive crisis had befallen the Biyue Sect.
Yeon Chu-ryang stumbled for a moment, then quickly regained his balance, ran to Do Chang-gu, and shook him.
“H-hey! Young Sect Leader! Wake up!”
At the end of his urgent cries, Namgung Cheon’s voice reached his back.
“Don’t worry. I put him to sleep soundly.”
Put him to sleep? You lunatic!
Suppressing the urge to unleash a barrage of curses, Yeon Chu-ryang also shook the bodyguard lying next to him.
“Hey! Wake up! Your master has collapsed! Hurry!”
“It will be hard to wake him up.”
“No, what on earth did you do!”
“I told you earlier. Since these ill-mannered bastards tried to steal the request for free, I taught them manners.”
“No, then why did you…”
“Since the Sect Leader seemed busy with the meeting, I stepped forward instead. Don’t worry. These guys won’t be thinking of snatching the request anymore.”
But that is the problem.
Yeon Chu-ryang trembled all over as he swallowed the words that rose to his throat.
Ah, he couldn’t even kill this young bastard.
Beside him, the Chief Administrator spoke with a dark expression.
“Sect Leader, what do we do now? Since this has happened, far from taking over the request, the Three Peaks Sect will demand accountability for this matter.”
“Then we must teach the Three Peaks Sect Leader Jianghu etiquette too.”
“You stay out of this!”
Yeon Chu-ryang barked at Namgung Cheon and massaged his temples.
“Ugh. For now…”
It was at that moment.
“Oh, the bodyguard woke up!”
“It seems he regained consciousness!”
The leaders who had gathered to watch shouted one after another.
Yeon Chu-ryang turned his head and saw the bodyguard Sin Wol groaning with half-open eyes.
Namgung Cheon spoke with an admiring expression.
“Oh, he regained consciousness already. Maybe I should have punched him one more time?”
I told you to stay quiet!
Yeon Chu-ryang quickly approached Sin Wol.
“Are you alright? This matter was a mistake…”
“Ugh, did you say a mistake?”
“……!”
Sin Wol growled with an expression that looked ready to eat him alive.
“Do you think your sect will be safe after turning our sect away at the gate like this?”
“Listen to me. That child…”
“Hmph! You seem to have requested help from the Martial Alliance, but do you think you can turn the situation in Guilin around just by reinforcing a few martial artists? How dare you treat even the Young Sect Leader this way! Just wait and see. Our sect will hold you strictly accountable for this matter…”
*Whack!*
“Heck!”
When had he approached? Had Namgung Cheon not slammed a fist directly into Sin Wol’s face?
*Spin, crash!*
As Sin Wol, who flew like a leaf in the autumn wind, collapsed unconscious again, Yeon Chu-ryang ended up wearing a face that looked almost ready to cry.
“You, on earth…”
“This insolent bastard talking back to the Sect Leader.”
You did it too, you bastard!
“Do not worry, Sect Leader. No matter how the Three Peaks Sect acts, we are with you.”
That is what is most worrying!
“The more I think about it, he is a truly insolent fellow. Tsk.”
Ah, I don’t care anymore.
As Yeon Chu-ryang stumbled with a pale expression, the leaders approached him in surprise.
“S-Sect Leader!”
“Sect Leader! Pull yourself together!”
Meanwhile, the culprit who had caused this entire situation shrugged and muttered.
“Geez, he is weaker-minded than I thought.”
* * *
*Bang!*
A corner of the table broke off under a violently slammed fist.
Do Ji-baek, the Sect Leader of the Three Peaks Sect, trembled all over with his fist tightly clenched.
He spoke as if spitting out the words.
“How dare they… how dare they…!”
“Sect Leader, please calm down.”
As the elderly Chief Administrator cautiously spoke, Do Ji-baek shouted in a fully enraged voice.
“Am I in a position to calm down? Right now! Wasn’t it you, Chief Administrator, who suggested sending the Young Sect Leader in the first place? Yet what is this sight?”
“Ugh.”
The Chief Administrator groaned and bowed his head.
He too had not expected the situation to turn out this way.
He had assumed the Biyue Sect would be highly troubled by their two consecutive failures. Thus, he had believed they would willingly transfer the request even if only the Young Sect Leader visited.
Yet reinforcements from the Martial Alliance had come.
As far as he knew, the Alliance did not care about such frontiers. He had heard that in such remote places, it was difficult to expect support from the Alliance unless a substantial bribe was provided.
With the Biyue Sect’s current financial state, it would be difficult for them to provide such a bribe.
‘Looking at it, it is indeed a bit strange.’
According to what he had found out, the support personnel sent by the Alliance were merely cadets. He also heard that the Young Sect Leader and the bodyguard were defeated by a cadet.
*Crack!*
Another harsh sound rang out as the table shattered completely.
Do Ji-baek huffed, his shoulders shaking.
“They call him the Divine Dragon who won the Joint Conference. It seems it is not a completely empty title!”
“Or perhaps the Young Sect Leader was careless…”
“Of course he was careless! Otherwise, that cadet would have been crippled by now. However, even if they were careless, making Do Chang-gu and Sin Wol turn out that way means the cadet has some skill.”
“…….”
“I shall visit the Biyue Sect right now! That cadet…”
“Sect Leader, that kid is not what is important right now.”
“That fellow is not important?”
As Do Ji-baek raised his eyebrows and questioned sharply, the old Chief Administrator replied in a calm tone.
“Please calm down and listen to my words for a moment.”
“What? If you intend to stop me…”
“No. It is rather the opposite.”
“The opposite?”
Only then did Do Ji-baek, slightly appeasing his anger, tilt his head.
The Chief Administrator continued speaking in a calm tone.
“It is unexpected that the Alliance sent support personnel. However, that support personnel consists of only cadets. In fact, it is at an embarrassing level to even call it support. What do you think this means?”
“What does it mean? Does it mean they want to screw over the Biyue Sect?”
The Chief Administrator’s mouth curved up slightly.
“Would it not be something similar? It likely means they are just going through the motions.”
“Hmm. And?”
“The Young Sect Leader, who went to help the Biyue Sect in their difficult situation, was attacked. We have sufficient justification. Since it happened at the Biyue Sect, we can fully hold the Biyue Sect Leader responsible. Therefore, do not rush and challenge them to a formal duel instead.”
“To the Biyue Sect Leader? Then I shall visit right now and duel…”
“No. It would be best to schedule the duel for the day they set off on the transport mission.”
“The day the Biyue Sect departs? Why such…”
As he spoke, Do Ji-baek soon caught on to the Chief Administrator’s sinister intention and wore a fishy smile.
“Indeed. On that day, the Biyue Sect will try to evade the duel.”
“Yes. Then we will gain another justification. Since they avoided a legitimately proposed duel…”
“Justification to suppress the Biyue Sect with martial force.”
“Since the support personnel sent by the Alliance also seems to be just for show…”
“The Alliance won’t bother caring about what happens next?”
“Yes. Do they have the leisure to care about a small fight on the frontier? Besides, our sect has approached the Biyue Sect with courtesy twice. It was the Biyue Sect that refused the offered toast.”
Only then did Do Ji-baek nod.
“The Chief Administrator is right. I was excited and rushed too much.”
“If you calm your anger for a moment, a great opportunity will come. A way to thoroughly crush the Biyue Sect and take even the trust of the Jangheung Escort Agency.”
“Do you have a good idea?”
The old Chief Administrator smiled and said.
“First, do not make any response and wait. Afterward…”
Sinister schemes began to flow smoothly from the Chief Administrator’s mouth.