Chapter 25: What Would You Like to Eat (1)
Chapter 24 – What Would You Like to Eat (1)
Song Won-gyo flinched and reflexively took a step back.
Seeing Namgung Cheon up close had naturally brought back the memory of what had happened last time.
The other cadets glared with furious eyes at Namgung Cheon’s arrogant tone.
Only then did the Ghost Servers also feel that something was amiss and tried to step forward quietly, but the Ghost King raised his hand to stop them.
When the Ghost Servers looked back, the Ghost King silently shook his head.
It meant they should wait and watch for now.
Right then, Jo Gang-min wore his characteristic innocent smile, approached Song Won-gyo, and swept his hand.
*Peok!*
“Urgh!”
Song Won-gyo, struck by the back of the hand, stumbled back while spraying nosebleed.
“Ah, sorry, Brother Song. I swept my hand without thinking and didn’t know you would be standing there like an idiot.”
“I-It is fine.”
Song Won-gyo replied with a flushed face.
However, Jo Gang-min asked with an even colder expression.
“Are you really fine?”
“……?”
“No, it is just that you seem to be pathetically intimidated.”
“T-That is not true.”
“Right? There is no way the Young Sect Leader of the prestigious Zhengzhou Sect would be pathetically cowed like an idiot in front of the Dragon Heaven Academy’s official pushover, right?”
“O-Of course.”
The sight of Song Won-gyo answering while clutching his nose was beyond pathetic, bordering on pitiful.
Watching this, Namgung Cheon suddenly spoke up.
“Look at you fools playing around.”
Jo Gang-min turned his gaze, still smiling.
“We meet again here, Brother Namgung.”
“Yeah, little brother. Did you come to stuff your face?”
“No. Actually, I have some business with you today, Brother Namgung.”
“I see. But why is it that you always show up whenever I’m eating, little brother? You are working hard in many ways to personally prove that those of the jianghu are worse than dogs.”
“As expected, you do not disappoint me, Brother Namgung. Those incomprehensible words of yours are always amusing to hear.”
“Finding amusement in something you cannot understand must mean that my eloquence is just that outstanding, right?”
“Hahaha! That might be the case. Or else…”
“Or else?”
“You are just a crazy bastard?”
“Indeed. Unlike me, you babble quite understandably. And that makes you rude and boring. Well, that is how it is.”
“I apologize. I am a bit straightforward.”
“So, why did our little brother, who is worse than a dog, come looking for me?”
“You know that the Wuhan Joint Dragon and Phoenix Conference will be held soon, right?”
“I know.”
“From now until two days before the Joint Conference, it is a period of free observation for all academies in Wuhan.”
“Free snacking period? What, is that a period where we can freely eat snacks?”
“It is… free observation.”
“Ah, free observation. So?”
“As you know, during this period, the academy does not interfere regardless of the conditions under which a duel is fought.”
“Regardless of the conditions?”
“Indeed.”
“So you all swarmed here to gang up on me alone?”
“Of course, not all of us are going to beat you up, Brother Namgung. You only have to deal with the four of us.”
Jo Gang-min pointed at Gwak Cheol-ju, Baekli Hyang, and Song Won-gyo.
“The other cadets are merely observers. Since it seems you have a special relationship with the owner here, Brother Namgung.”
Namgung Cheon smirked.
In short, it meant that the cadets, excluding these four, had come to detain the martial artists of the Ghost King Stronghold.
A free observation period.
‘What a load of shit.’
This was why people said that the bastards of the orthodox faction were even worse.
While pretending to be all righteous and honorable, they created such a bizarre system in the academy?
To make it possible to gang up on a single person like this?
As if he had peeked into Namgung Cheon’s thoughts, Jo Gang-min continued.
“You might feel it is a bit unfair, but this is also a system to assess the cadets’ capabilities. If a rising star possesses both excellent virtue and talent, they would never end up being ganged up on by multiple people.”
“In short, you are saying it has a self-purifying function? That whoever deserves a beating is the one who gets beaten?”
“Wow, you are quick to understand. As expected of you, Brother Namgung.”
He took back his thought that the orthodox faction bastards were worse.
Thinking about it again, just as Jo Gang-min said, wasn’t this free observation period a very good system?
A self-purifying function.
Indeed. If not for that, he would have had to spend a long time contemplating how to crush them.
In that case, he had to make proper use of this free observation period.
Namgung Cheon grinned.
“That is a very good system.”
“I knew you would understand, Brother Namgung. Shall we head outside then? It is a bit inappropriate in here, after all.”
“Yeah, it is a bit inappropriate here. We shouldn’t disrupt someone else’s business, right?”
Well, it was also his business.
When Namgung Cheon willingly stood up, Jo Gang-min slightly knit his brow.
“If you are thinking of running away like this, you had better stop……”
“Man, you babble too much, little brother. Didn’t you say we’re fighting? Follow me.”
At Namgung Cheon’s boldness, a few cadets let out dumbfounded chuckles, and one cadet whistled mockingly.
Jo Gang-min glanced at Gwak Cheol-ju once, nodded, and then started walking.
Stepping outside, Namgung Cheon looked up at the rainy sky.
“Man, this weather is just perfect for beating someone up. Don’t you think so, little brother? There is a saying that you should beat someone until dust rises, even on a rainy day.”
“I thought you had changed, Brother Namgung, but I must correct myself.”
“Oh? How so?”
“It seems you are out of your mind, Brother Namgung.”
“The same goes for you, who babbles such things with a smile. Now, bring it on. It is too troublesome to set an order, so let’s do it all at once.”
*Sheeeing.*
As Namgung Cheon drew the Emerald Silk Sword, a sharp, blue energy surged out ominously.
Indeed, Namgung Cheon, who stood in the rainy street with a drawn sword and a bizarre smile, looked out of his mind.
When Jo Gang-min gestured with his chin, the three others, including Gwak Cheol-ju, scattered and ran, quickly surrounding Namgung Cheon.
Jo Gang-min also drew his sword and pointed it at Namgung Cheon.
“I really cannot tell how serious you are.”
“Don’t worry. This body of mine is always serious when it comes to true education.”
“Are you perhaps relying on the owner and the waiters here?”
When he saw them on Mount Daun, he had instinctively felt that they were quite strong.
However, today was one day they could not step forward.
Had they not brought as many as thirty cadets under the pretext of observing?
If the owner and waiters laid a hand on the cadets, not only the academy but also the prestigious orthodox sects would never let it go.
In short, if they rashly stepped forward to help Namgung Cheon, a fight would break out in an instant, and they could become public enemies of the martial world.
Jo Gang-min smirked.
“If you are relying on them, it won’t be of any help……”
“Do you fight with your mouth?”
*Paaat!*
In a split second, Namgung Cheon kicked off the ground and flew like an arrow toward Jo Gang-min.
‘This bastard, right in the middle of talking…!’
Jo Gang-min widened his eyes.
He was fast!
When he had struck Namgung Cheon’s back with a palm strike a few days ago, he had not thought his skill would be of this level.
Did his martial arts level rise in the meantime?
No way. Unless he had consumed some incredible spiritual medicine.
In any case, it was a situation where he could not afford to think for long.
Jo Gang-min quickly tapped the ground and retreated.
However, even before that, Namgung Cheon had already seen the internal energy rising from Jo Gang-min’s dantian stretch along the Foot-Shaoyang Gallbladder Meridian to his little toe.
Footwork techniques that utilize the Foot-Shaoyang Gallbladder Meridian, which runs down the outer side of the leg, generally tended to move diagonally.
Therefore, Namgung Cheon thrust the Emerald Silk Sword diagonally ahead of Jo Gang-min.
*Shwiiiip, stab!*
“Keugh!”
From Jo Gang-min’s perspective, it was an absurd moment, as if he had thrown his own body into the place where the sword had already been waiting.
“Young Patriarch!”
Startled, Gwak Cheol-ju reflexively threw his body forward.
Namgung Cheon also naturally rotated his body and quickly swung his sword.
This time, he did not even need the First Sight Skill-Breaking Eyes.
Living as a fugitive for a long time allowed one to quickly grasp the psychological state of those targeting them.
First of all, since Song Won-gyo and Baekli Hyang had memories of being beaten, they could not move rashly.
Naturally, Jo Gang-min was supposed to take the lead in attacking, but Namgung Cheon had struck first.
This was because he knew that if Jo Gang-min fell into danger, Gwak Cheol-ju would move reflexively.
And now that Jo Gang-min was even injured, Gwak Cheol-ju’s composure was bound to be shaken.
Just like right now!
“You bastard!”
*Vwoooong!*
The guandao cleaved through the rain, falling diagonally.
‘As expected, his movements are too large.’
It was proof that he had gotten excited because his master was struck.
He was indeed a loyal dog.
He wished he had a loyal dog like this too.
At the brief thought, his gaze inadvertently shifted to the Ghost King, but he shook his head inwardly.
After all, a loyal subject might be better than a loyal dog.
By the time his thoughts finished, the Emerald Silk Sword had slashed Gwak Cheol-ju’s left arm.
*Chwaaaat!*
*Chupapapapapat!*
Gwak Cheol-ju retreated, executing footwork with a startled expression.
Because of that, water splashed wildly from the ground.
True to being a loyal dog, he kept his back to Jo Gang-min to shield him even while retreating.
Jo Gang-min had suffered a sword wound about three inches deep on his side, while Gwak Cheol-ju had a shallow but hand-span-long wound on his left arm.
“H-How can this be?”
Song Won-gyo and Baekli Hyang, who were uninjured, stared at what had unfolded before their eyes with expressions of disbelief.
Jo Gang-min quickly stopped his bleeding and screamed venomously.
“You idiot, Junior Song! Why the hell are you just standing there watching? Get a grip!”
“Ah……!”
Only then did Song Won-gyo snap out of it and adjust his grip on his sword.
In that instant, Namgung Cheon barked.
“Back off! Unless you want to die!”
“……!”
Song Won-gyo could not budge, looking like someone who had been hit on the head with a hammer.
Baekli Hyang was also about to grasp her sword and whip, but froze in place.
‘T-Terrible killing intent…!’
An indescribable energy rose in streams from Namgung Cheon’s entire body.
‘W-What on earth is this energy…!’
Goosebumps broke out all over her body.
The degree to which it grazed the skin was different from ordinary killing intent.
It felt as if countless corpses were already laid out before her eyes.
It even seemed like a thick smell of blood was wafting from somewhere.
Rather than the feeling that he was going to kill from now on, it gave off a strong impression that he had already killed many before.
Amidst that chilling killing intent, only Gwak Cheol-ju remained indifferent and slammed his guandao onto the ground.
As if telling him to try and pass if he could.
Namgung Cheon twisted the corner of his mouth.
He was indeed a loyal dog.
However, he also knew very well how a loyal dog got broken.
Namgung Cheon spoke in a chilly voice.
“Get out of the way. I only beat up one guy.”
Of course, Gwak Cheol-ju was not one to accept that.
“Impudent!”
Spitting out short, blunt words, Gwak Cheol-ju charged forward like a bull.
*Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!*
The sound of feet stamping the ground and raindrops colliding sounded like percussion instruments being played.
In Namgung Cheon’s vision, a red brilliance stretching straight from the toes along the Foot-Yangming Stomach Meridian was visible.
Followed by the guandao swung along the Hand-Yangming Large Intestine Meridian of the right arm.
The momentum was like a charging bull capable of splitting even Mount Tai in two!
If one were to face it without knowing, it would indeed be a terrifying blow.
However, once you knew, it was excessively simple.
*Pabat!*
Even before the guandao could fall, Namgung Cheon brushed past Gwak Cheol-ju.
“……!”
Gwak Cheol-ju, who swung his guandao a step too late, could not stop even as he looked at the empty ground.
*Kwajak!*
As Gwak Cheol-ju slammed his weapon into the empty ground again, Namgung Cheon flew straight toward Jo Gang-min and delivered a sword strike.
*Shwiiiiit!*
“Hup!”
*Clang!*
Along with a clear metallic sound, Jo Gang-min stumbled and retreated.
However, the real deal was from now on.
“Keuaaaap!”
*Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!*
Along with a fierce shout from behind, a heavy fighting spirit rushed forward at a murderous speed.
*Papapapat!*
Finally, when an attack like a massive wave swept in horizontally, Namgung Cheon kicked off the ground as if he had been waiting.
*Pabat!*
Namgung Cheon’s figure performed a swallow flip in mid-air, lightly vaulting over Jo Gang-min.
“Heh!”
“Uh!”
Gwak Cheol-ju and Jo Gang-min cried out at the same time.
All of a sudden, Gwak Cheol-ju’s guandao was aimed at Jo Gang-min.
“Young Patriarch!”
Gwak Cheol-ju screamed in panic, twisting his guandao with all his might.
*Peok!*
“Keugh!”
Ultimately, the flat side of the twisted guandao struck Jo Gang-min’s shoulder hard.
Namgung Cheon grabbed Jo Gang-min by the nape of his neck as he was blown away like a cannonball, as if he had been waiting for this.
“Oops! The dog fetched his master for me, didn’t he?”
Gwak Cheol-ju’s eyes rolled back at Namgung Cheon’s mockery.
“Aaagh!”
Meanwhile, as the cadets who were watching from the restaurant tried to step forward stealthily, the Ghost Servers approached with somewhat murderous smiles.
“Customers? You have not ordered yet, have you? Why don’t you order some food while the atmosphere is good?”
It was a somehow chilling smile.
The Ghost King also grinned, holding a kitchen knife in each hand.
“Now, what would you like to eat? For your information, today is our grand opening, so all dishes are exceptionally expensive.”
Now, it was the cadets who were instead being detained.