Chapter 170: Do You Know Who I Am (4)
Chapter 169 – Do You Know Who I Am (4)
“Let’s enter!”
Red Robe Gang Leader Yo Chung said, twisting his lips.
The Black Daoist glanced around and approached Yo Chung’s side.
“Bi Ryang might have entered first. You must be careful.”
“Well, since that is something I’ve already taken into account, it’s nothing new.”
“Then will you go first?”
“I won’t decline.”
Yo Chung nodded and slid his body into the entrance of Madan Valley. A dozen elite martial artists of the Red Robe Gang followed behind him.
Once all the Red Robe Gang martial artists disappeared, Young Master Jade Flute looked back at the Black Daoist and Red Crone, smiling.
“Would you two like to enter first?”
“Let’s do that.”
Soon after, Red Crone and the Black Daoist slid their bodies into the molehole. Finally, Young Master Jade Flute scanned the surroundings once and threw himself into the narrow gap.
Although a few martial artists passed nearby after he disappeared, they were too busy fighting to the death in a desperate situation, and no one paid attention to this narrow hole.
* * *
“Wait, wait a minute!”
Paeng Su-hyeok quickly raised his hand and stopped Namgung Cheon’s words.
“So what you are saying now… is that this place is the Madan Valley we’ve only heard about?”
“Yes.”
“This is Madan Valley… to think this is Madan Valley…!”
As Paeng Su-hyeok muttered continuously, Namgung Cheon frowned slightly.
‘Sigh, I think that bastard’s eyes are rolling.’
Namgung Cheon growled toward Paeng Su-hyeok, who was somehow deeply flushed.
“I’ll say it again, if you lay a hand on my stuff, ally or not, you will all die.”
“Hey!”
“What?”
“Why is it yours?”
“It is mine.”
“So why?”
“Because I found it.”
“You haven’t found it yet! It’s not like you hid it either.”
“So you’re determined to piggyback on this?”
“Didn’t you say this is a royal tomb anyway? It’ll be difficult to navigate through the mechanical traps alone.”
“So?”
“If we all join forces, it belongs to all of us in the end. Of course! Indeed!”
That bastard, I knew he would do that.
This won’t work. I must eliminate him early on before trouble arises later…
Namgung Cheon was about to approach while releasing combat spirit, when Baek Mu-geuk abruptly blocked his path.
“I’d rather you beat me up.”
“Why do you keep talking nonsense? Get lost.”
“Please treat me like you did back then.”
No, why does he keep saying weird things since earlier…
It was then.
Yu Hyeon, who was only watching, suddenly tilted his head and cried softly.
“Wait! I think someone else is entering.”
At his words, the cadets held their breath in unison and fully spread their sensory perception.
Rumble…!
Sure enough, stone dust crumbled down from the ceiling, and the faint voice of a person seemed to be heard.
A moment later, a dark figure indeed popped out of the hole in the ceiling.
It was as if the ceiling with a mouth was spitting people out one by one.
Whoosh!
Crash! Thud! Boom!
People began to fall from the ceiling like rain.
“W-What? What are these!”
Paeng Su-hyeok was startled and ran to Namgung Cheon’s side.
Shring!
He drew his broadsword, stood on guard, and cleared his throat.
“Ahem! I didn’t come to your side because I’m relying on you. Since I came to rescue you anyway, I’m doing this to protect you from the side.”
“Is that so? It’s bringing tears to my eyes.”
“Hmph!”
Namgung Cheon did not speak further and stared at the unfamiliar uninvited guests with calm eyes.
Currently on the surface, a life-and-death battle would be in full swing. Furthermore, because of the thick smoke, no one would pay attention to a small hole in the corner of the cliff wall.
Even if they saw it, there would be even fewer who would think of sliding their bodies into it.
Nonetheless, someone entered this place.
Not just one guy, but several.
‘It must mean they were looking for this place from the beginning.’
Let’s see.
A dozen or so men wearing identical martial robes. And three men dressed in their own distinct outfits.
It was a strange atmosphere.
They all seemed to be in league, but there was also a feeling that they acted independently.
Conveniently, Yo Chung, who fell first, stood up and looked around.
He soon discovered the cadets and frowned deeply.
“There are only kids here.”
“What are these greenhorns?”
As the Black Daoist muttered coldly, Red Crone snorted.
“How could there be only kids. Children, where is your instructor?”
“……?”
“Bi Ryang, I mean. You’d better answer while I’m asking nicely. We aren’t that broad-minded.”
When Red Crone asked in a shrill voice, the cadets looked at each other.
Even in the midst of that, only Namgung Cheon stared intently at the unorthodox martial artists without much agitation.
‘The Black Daoist and Red Crone. It’s been a while. To think I’d see them again like this here.’
He had a brief relationship with those two in his past life.
He had briefly crossed hands with the Black Daoist, and only passed by Red Crone after seeing her face.
Well, it wasn’t a deep connection, but they were acquaintances.
‘Though they won’t recognize me.’
While he was having such thoughts, the Black Daoist smirked with a ridiculous expression.
“Hey, kid over there.”
The Black Daoist pointed his finger at Namgung Cheon and gestured.
“Come here.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you. Those eyeballs of yours staring intently when an adult asks are quite pretty. Come here.”
Namgung Cheon walked forward with an expressionless face.
The Black Daoist twisted his lips and approached Namgung Cheon.
When they stood close enough to touch, the Black Daoist put his hands behind his back and asked.
“I asked where Bi Ryang is.”
“I don’t know. He’s probably upstairs.”
At Namgung Cheon’s stiff attitude, the Black Daoist frowned slightly and asked back.
“Really? Then that means there are only you guys here?”
“Yes.”
“Are you telling me to believe that?”
“Why ask when you won’t even believe it?”
The Black Daoist let out a dry laugh.
“The kid speaks short. Besides, I like those eyeballs staring at me since earlier enough that I want to gouge them out!”
Strike!
The Black Daoist abruptly reached out his dark hand.
Namgung Cheon frowned slightly.
He had already confirmed that internal energy was circulating in the Black Daoist’s dantian.
‘In any case, his bad habit is still the same. Reaching out with his hands so suddenly!’
Grab!
“?”
In a split second, the Black Daoist’s eyes widened. Although it was not his full power, it was a fairly fast speed for a mere cadet to block.
However, Namgung Cheon had blocked it.
Catching the Black Daoist’s wrist, Namgung Cheon smirked.
“If you like eyeballs that much, you should gouge out your own and play with them, why covet someone else’s?”
“What…!”
Swish!
Instantly executing a grappling technique, Namgung Cheon twisted and held the wrist, then pushed it straight toward the Black Daoist’s eyes.
Stab!
The Black Daoist, who ended up stabbing his own eyes with his hand, bent his waist, screaming.
“Aaarggh!”
In a flash, Namgung Cheon kicked out his foot and kicked the Black Daoist’s groin.
Thud!
“Geugh!”
Whoosh, crash!
It was a matter that happened literally in the blink of an eye.
As the miserably deflected Black Daoist rolled around haphazardly on one side of the cavern, the unorthodox martial artists drew their weapons one after another.
Clang!
“The young brat has no fear!”
“Are you crazy to die?”
However, Namgung Cheon’s expression was freezing cold.
“In a situation where we’re going to kill and be killed anyway, what good is it to be scared?”
“Th-That young brat…!”
While Yo Chung wore an dumbfounded expression, the cadets also put their weapons forward and stood on guard.
“Hey, Namgung Cheon. What on earth are those guys? Are they the Black Mountain Stronghold? Or the Three Peaks Sect?”
The answer flowed from Yu Hyeon’s mouth.
“They don’t seem to be from those sides. Judging by the thick evil qi they emit, they seem to be unorthodox martial artists distinct from the Black Mountain Stronghold.”
Paeng Su-hyeok swallowed his dry saliva and adjusted his grip on the saber.
They were by no means easy opponents.
Just as Yu Hyeon said, the killing intent they thickly emitted was filled with evil qi. He felt that each one of them was sharply trained through real combat.
However, the unorthodox martial artists did not rashly attack either.
It was not because they feared the cadets.
But because of the thought that Bi Ryang might be somewhere in this place.
Seeing mere cadets acting so boldly, they thought they might have something to rely on.
Like that, a suffocating tension flowed tightly.
* * *
‘Found it!’
Standing in front of the dark hole, Cheol-un wore a triumphant smile.
Looking at the surrounding traces, it seemed several people had already entered the cave.
‘Is it the one named Bi Ryang?’
Well, it didn’t matter who it was.
Seeing that the cave was still intact, they must have thought they could come out here again.
However, Madan Valley had different entrances and exits. And one could only reach the place where the spirit pills were by collapsing the entrance.
“Then now I enter…”
It was then.
A familiar voice suddenly hit his back.
“Hey, rookie!”
“……!”
When Cheol-un flinched and turned around, was it not the man with the handlebar mustache who used to nag him from time to time in the stronghold?
‘That bastard again…’
The handlebar mustache walked over with heavy steps, and upon seeing the hole beneath the cliff wall, let out a dry laugh in disbelief.
“Look at this cheeky rookie bastard. When your comrades are fighting with their lives on the line right now, you’re only planning to find a mousehole and hide?”
“It’s not that…”
“What do you mean it’s not? You brat. Did you think you’d survive if you dug a mousehole and hid here? This bastard lacks basics, basics!”
Strike!
The handlebar mustache tried to slap him, but Cheol-un caught his wrist.
The handlebar mustache’s eyes rolled up wildly.
“Oh? Insubordination now? You bastard need to be punished to come to your senses, don’t you? Let go of this!”
“Hey.”
“What?”
“Do you know who I am?”
“What, you bastard?”
“I am one hundred and thirty… ah, forget it. I am the Shadowless Demon Cheol-un.”
“What is this idiot talking about? Is your head spun because it’s time for you to die…!”
Slap!
In an instant, the handlebar mustache’s face was turned aside. He glared at Cheol-un with wide eyes at the unbelievable situation.
“Keugh, this motherfucker! How dare you…”
Slap!
“Ugh! You bastard, release this hand right…”
Slap!
“Keugh!”
Slap!
“Ack!”
Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap! Swish!
“W-Wait… wait!”
Slap!
“Keugh! Wait a minute! Wait a minute!”
Only then did Cheol-un stop hitting him and waited quietly.
The handlebar mustache, whose eyes even welled with tears, took a deep breath and calmed his mind. His cheeks, swollen in an instant, were hot red as if they would burst at any moment.
Realizing that something was wrong, he spoke as if squeezing it out.
“Please forgive… me.”
“I don’t want to, you bastard.”
Crack! Snap!
The handlebar mustache, whose wrist was twisted and face spun around in an instant, died on the spot without even being able to scream.
“Still, he found his dying place on his own. Son of a bitch.”
Cheol-un looked at the fallen handlebar mustache with an indifferent gaze, then kicked his flank hard.
Thud!
Without even giving a glance to the handlebar mustache who was deflected far away, Cheol-un turned back toward the entrance.
Now there was no one to interfere.
Whoosh!
In an instant, he threw his body toward the entrance of Madan Valley. Simultaneously, he swung his sword to completely collapse the molehole.
Rumble…!
Since it was a narrow hole barely enough for one person to slide down anyway, the entrance was filled with boulders and stones in an instant.
And Cheol-un slid down the narrow passage at a high speed.