Chapter 111: Chapter 111
Mount Zhongnan, located south of Xi’an.
Two figures rapidly ascended the mountain path spread with blooming flowers.
‘Heo-eo, I cannot know the end…’
Ha Woo-jin couldn’t help but marvel inwardly as he looked at Cheon-hwi running alongside him.
Right now, he was unfolding the Milky Way Roaming Shadow Flight.
And to its very limit at that!
His feet were hot and to the point of sweating, but.
“Mount Zhongnan is quite large too.”
Let alone sweat, Cheon-hwi was moving his feet leisurely as if he could overtake him right this moment.
At that moment, Cheon-hwi raised his finger.
“Is it that place?”
At the place his finger pointed, a massive red mountain gate existed the moment he looked.
“That is right. That place is the mountain gate of our sect.”
Cheon-hwi’s eyes narrowed.
Why is it so big?
Cheon-hwi, seeing the red mountain gate that was about twice as large as the mountain gate of the Mount Hua Sect, opened his mouth.
“It’s incredibly big.”
“Because the original mountain gate was said to be small, it became a little bigger as it was newly built recently.”
Ha Woo-jin knocked on the door of the mountain gate.
Knock, knock.
“Who is it?”
“It is Ha Woo-jin.”
As soon as those words ended.
Creeeak…
The closed mountain gate opened wide.
“Infinite Life Buddha. Did the task go well?”
Ha Woo-jin, seeing the middle-aged Taoist reciting the Daoist chant, held a soft smile.
“It went well.”
“That is a relief.”
The middle-aged Taoist who smiled back looked at Cheon-hwi, and asked with a slightly surprised face.
“Is this a guest Senior Martial Brother brought?”
“That is so.”
“Hahaha, to think Senior Martial Brother would bring a guest…”
The middle-aged Taoist smiled as he looked at Cheon-hwi.
“Infinite Life Buddha. It is a pleasure to meet you. This Taoist is called Jang Woon-gyeong.”
Cheon-hwi, seeing Jang Woon-gyeong taking a Daoist bow, shrugged his shoulders and revealed his Daoist title.
“I’m Cheon-hwi.”
“Oh, you are Young Hero Cheon-hwi. Cheon-hwi…?”
Jang Woon-gyeong tilted his head.
Then, as if something came to mind, he scanned Cheon-hwi up and down before shaking his head.
At that time, Ha Woo-jin brought up words.
“Then we shall go inside.”
“Yes, please do so.”
Ha Woo-jin and Cheon-hwi went inside, and.
“So it is the disciple of the friend that Senior Martial Brother repeatedly boasted about.”
Jang Woon-gyeong looked at Cheon-hwi’s gradually distancing back and politely bowed his head.
“Infinite Life Buddha. Thank you for erasing the wound that settled in Senior Martial Brother’s heart.”
Meanwhile, Cheon-hwi, who entered the Zhongnan Sect following Ha Woo-jin, could not take his two eyes off.
‘Is this a Taoist sect? Or a clan?’
The massive mountain gate was surprising enough, but the interior of the Zhongnan Sect was even more shocking than that.
Antique pavilions that were not flashy were erected in rows.
‘Wow, they are really built well.’
The pavilions, which added a sense of neatness to their antique look, possessed a stylishness.
‘It is completely different from the Mount Hua Sect.’
He recalled the pavilions of the Mount Hua Sect.
Although a few were expanded recently, most of the pavilions were old and worn-out.
‘Wow, is there this much of a difference.’
Cheon-hwi shook his head side to side.
Because he compared them with the pavilions that were in the Mount Hua Sect, the only thing that came out was a sigh.
‘Seeing this, I understand the reason why the Demonic Brain kept talking about money, money.’
In the past, he had ignored the things the Demonic Brain lamented about the Heavenly Demon Cult lacking money every day, but now he sympathized.
The same Taoist sect, the same region.
Furthermore, the same Nine Great Sects and One Gang.
Yet the difference was this severe.
Because of money, not anything else!
‘This was why the Demonic Brain made a fuss when he returned from the North Sea Ice Palace or the Sun Palace.’
At that time, the Heavenly Demon Cult was an overwhelming sect throughout the Nine Provinces and Eight Desolates, but.
‘Compared to the North Sea Ice Palace and the Sun Palace which were filled with splendor, it was indeed shabby.’
It was an inevitable matter.
Because it was lacking even to pour money in order to save countless believers.
‘Is money the best after all.’
Cheon-hwi felt that the state of the Mount Hua Sect was serious.
‘Hmm, it should be better than these guys.’
At that time, a group of Taoists appeared.
“Is it not Junior Martial Brother?”
At the words of the leading Taoist, Ha Woo-jin stopped his footsteps and politely took a bow.
“Infinite Life Buddha. I greet Senior Martial Brother.”
“Did the task you went for go well?”
“It was resolved well.”
“Yes, that is good. By the way…”
The middle-aged Taoist who was speaking looked at Cheon-hwi.
“Is this child Junior Martial Brother’s guest?”
“That is so.”
“My goodness. He is a tall and handsome youth.”
Cheon-hwi stared at the middle-aged Taoist.
The pupils hidden between his soft eye smiles were coldly scanning him.
‘What is this? It’s different from what I heard?’
Cheon-hwi formed a dumbfounded smile.
What kind of place was the Zhongnan Sect that he had heard about until scabs formed on his ears.
He had heard it was a place that took the seat by luckily taking advantage of the time the Mount Hua Sect collapsed.
But this.
‘The level is higher than I thought.’
Not only Ha Woo-jin next to him, but the martial prowess of the middle-aged Taoist he just met was similar to or slightly superior to the elders of the Mount Hua Sect.
Was that all.
The skills of the young Taoists standing behind the middle-aged Taoist did not fall behind at all even compared to the Plum Blossom Swordsmen.
No, it was rather to the point of slightly leading.
‘I was completely underestimating the Zhongnan Sect.’
Cheon-hwi clicked his tongue without realizing it himself.
‘The martial prowess of the experts is similar, but the skills of the disciples supporting the bottom are greater than the Mount Hua Sect’s and far superior.’
The Zhongnan Sect was not lucky.
Right now, their skills and level were definitely overwhelmingly ahead of the Mount Hua Sect.
“Hmm?”
At that time, the middle-aged Taoist who was looking at Cheon-hwi opened his eyes wide.
“That sword…”
His two pupils contained the sword dangling at Cheon-hwi’s waist.
The one who was looking for a moment abruptly turned his head to look at Ha Woo-jin, and moved his lips.
“Is it not the sword that Junior Martial Brother’s friend possessed?”
Ha Woo-jin nodded his head.
“That is right.”
“Then this child… Hahaha!”
The speaking middle-aged Taoist laughed heartily. After that, he approached Ha Woo-jin, patted his shoulder, and held a beaming smile.
“I wondered why Junior Martial Brother was staying in our sect instead of going out to the Jianghu recently, and it was because of that child.”
The middle-aged Taoist spoke as he looked at Cheon-hwi.
“Please take good care of Junior Martial Brother.”
What? Take good care?
As Cheon-hwi was looking at the middle-aged Taoist with dubious eyes, he turned his body.
“Everyone, let us go now.”
He took the wondering young Taoists and left for somewhere.
“…Then let’s go again.”
Ha Woo-jin stepped forward the foot that had stopped.
The two continued to ascend the mountain path, and.
Tak.
They stopped their feet at a small pavilion.
“Phew.”
Ha Woo-jin, having caught his breath, stood in front of the pavilion’s door and slowly knocked.
Knock. Knock.
“Sect Leader. It is Ha Woo-jin.”
“Come in.”
Words could be heard from inside as if he had been waiting, and Ha Woo-jin spoke as he looked at Cheon-hwi.
“Wait for a moment.”
Ha Woo-jin opened the door and went in.
“What business did you come looking for?”
“There is someone I wish to introduce to you.”
“Introduce? Who is that?”
“It is the disciple of my friend that I mentioned last time.”
“…”
The conversation inside was cut off.
That too was for a moment.
“Cheon-hwi, come in.”
Cheon-hwi stepped forward at the voice calling him, and entered into the pavilion.
Inside, there were Ha Woo-jin and an old Taoist with white hair and white eyebrows sitting at a round table.
The old Taoist was the Sect Leader of the Zhongnan Sect, the Taiyi Swordsman Im Yeong.
‘He’s quite something? At this level, the Mount Hua Sect will never be able to surpass the Zhongnan Sect.’
He thought that with one Zhongnan Sword Saint, they could look down on the Zhongnan Sect, but it was a delusion.
“Sit on this chair.”
Cheon-hwi, who was planning to sit even if he wasn’t told, walked with long strides and sat on the chair.
“It is nice to meet like this.”
“I am Cheon-hwi, a first-generation disciple of the Mount Hua Sect.”
“I am always thankful to you.”
His gaze headed toward Ha Woo-jin.
“If it were not for you, this guy, Ha Woo-jin, would have continued roaming outside.”
“Senior Martial Uncle!”
Ha Woo-jin was flustered and called the Sect Leader, but rather he burst into laughter.
“Heoheoheo, why, were my words wrong?”
“That is…”
Ha Woo-jin swallowed his latter words.
The smiling Im Yeong stroked his long-grown white beard, and asked Cheon-hwi.
“Did you take a good look around our sect?”
“Not all of it, but a little.”
“How was it?”
“It was neat, and it was nice.”
“Heoheo, thank you for praising it.”
“It’s the truth.”
“Heoheo, is the Mount Hua Sect not nice as well.”
“Ay, what do you mean nice. The buildings are all worn out and old right now.”
“Heoheo…”
The Sect Leader was flustered at the sight of Cheon-hwi bitterly belittling his own sect.
“What is the use of decorating the outside. The important thing is the inside rather than the outside.”
“But isn’t the first thing a person sees the outside, not the inside?”
“…”
“If the outside is a mess, who would look at the inside?”
Im Yeong lost his words to say.
“I’ve taken a hit with this.”
Smiling bitterly, he stared at Ha Woo-jin and moved his lips.
“I understand why you, who have not taken a disciple until now, are trying to raise one.”
Im Yeong looked at Cheon-hwi for a moment with a soft gaze, then slowly got up.
“Haha, you may leave now.”
Ha Woo-jin stealthily formed a smile.
“Thank you.”
Through the meeting with the Sect Leader, Cheon-hwi changed all his prejudices about the Zhongnan Sect.
‘It is completely different from the Zhongnan Sect I knew.’
His perception of the Zhongnan Sect had completely changed.
The Taoists of the Zhongnan Sect he saw in the Murim Alliance were completely steeped in the secular world and were hostile to the Mount Hua Sect, but the Taoists on the main mountain were completely different.
Starting with the Sect Leader, he was not hostile to the Mount Hua Sect, and was rather welcoming him.
Was that all.
They were humble, and they also had skills.
‘…The one that was complacent was the Mount Hua Sect.’
Meanwhile, Ha Woo-jin smiled as he looked at Cheon-hwi who was following him while lost in thought.
‘I will be able to have them meet faster than I thought.’
The reason he brought Cheon-hwi to the Zhongnan Sect was exactly one.
To have Cheon-hwi and one person meet.
A short while later, Ha Woo-jin and Cheon-hwi arrived at a small hut.
‘Are all the huts of Taoist sects similar?’
While Cheon-hwi was looking at a hut of a similar size to the hut he was staying in.
“In fact, the reason I invited you to the Zhongnan Sect is because there is a person I want to introduce to you.”
Ha Woo-jin opened his mouth.
At that moment, a boy came running out of the hut in a flurry.
“Master!”
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