Chapter 123: Chapter 123
Contrary to his surprising appearance, the beautiful youth’s first words were completely absurd.
“What did you just say?”
“I asked if you have anything to eat?”
“I didn’t hear that wrong, right?”
Everyone was flabbergasted and stared at the beautiful youth, Cheon-hwi, with blank eyes.
“Amitabha.”
With a low Buddhist chant, the Tathagata Divine Fist passed by the Arhat monks who were keeping their guard up.
“Elder.”
“You should first figure out who that person is before going…”
Some Arhat monks tried to stop him as he approached the unidentified youth.
“How can I, as a monk, reject someone who asks for help?”
Dismissing the Arhat monks’ words with a single sentence, the Tathagata Divine Fist handed him a Fasting Pill from his embrace.
“How about this at least?”
“Do you not have anything else?”
Cheon-hwi’s brow narrowed.
He didn’t like it.
Of all the abundant foods, to think it was the Fasting Pill he had grown tired of eating!
“This is all I have.”
“Tsk. It would have been better if it was meat.”
Cheon-hwi grumbled slightly and refreshingly swallowed the Fasting Pill handed to him by the Tathagata Divine Fist.
Was it because he was on an empty stomach?
It had no taste at all, but just feeling the satiety rise made him feel good.
“I ate well.”
When Cheon-hwi spoke with a satisfied smile.
“Haha. That is a relief.”
The Tathagata Divine Fist smiled gently.
But this was strange.
Having chased away his empty stomach, Cheon-hwi only then slowly looked around.
Why were so many people gathered?
It was a secret cave that shouldn’t clearly have any people.
But even a rough count showed about a hundred people?
Or it seemed to exceed that.
It was a truly amazing thing.
Even the World Merchant Guild Leader had said he didn’t know of its existence until he obtained the treasure map from the Imperial Family.
And the evidence for that was also clear.
The secret cave had been robbed, but still, when he came in, it was definitely a place that hadn’t been discovered for at least several decades.
‘Then did the location become known shortly after I came in?’
It was an unbelievable coincidence.
As soon as he entered, the secret cave of the Shadowless Divine Thief, which had not been discovered for decades, became known to the world.
No, perhaps.
‘It might not be a coincidence…’
At that moment when Cheon-hwi was lost in thought.
“It’s you!”
Someone shouted in rage.
It was none other than Myeong-wol-do.
Exuding a terrible murderous intent, he glared at Cheon-hwi with sharp eyes.
“You stole and hid the Shadowless Divine Thief’s items that were here!”
His eyes rolled back.
It was a place they had barely reached by sacrificing several Hwang-il Squad members to traps.
But what was this?
After struggling to arrive, all that was there was a rolling empty wooden box, a smashed statue, and stones.
It was completely robbed.
But just then, the wall of the secret cave broke and an unidentified youth appeared.
Of course, he couldn’t help but be suspicious.
And that was it.
“That guy stole it.”
“Didn’t he hide it inside the wall?”
Spreading like an epidemic, the fire of suspicion among the nearby martial artists began to fiercely ignite.
Sensing their fierce gazes, Cheon-hwi felt it was ridiculous.
‘I stole it?’
It would be a different story if it was what Bi Ma had brought from inside, but if it was the items here.
“This place was already robbed, though?”
It had nothing to do with him.
However, there was no one who believed that.
“Bullshit! Who would believe your words!”
“Then why did you come out from inside?”
At their continuous shouts.
“Then don’t believe me.”
Cheon-hwi spoke indifferently.
It was because he found it bothersome to argue over something like this in vain.
However, such an action amplified their suspicion into certainty.
“It really is that bastard.”
“That guy stole it!”
In particular, the anger of the martial artists and ronin who had suffered greatly this time reached its peak.
At that time.
“Amitabha.”
A low Buddhist chant rang out.
The Tathagata Divine Fist stood in front of Cheon-hwi and met Myeong-wol-do’s gaze straight on.
“Isn’t it too early to jump to conclusions?”
“Are you protecting that guy right now?”
“Shouldn’t we verify the facts first rather than suspecting blindly?”
“Verify the facts?”
Myeong-wol-do’s lips twisted.
“Are you saying we should verify the facts even after seeing this state?!”
At his shout, which even contained internal energy.
“That’s right!”
“Just looking at it, isn’t that guy the culprit?”
Everyone except Shaolin agreed.
“Everyone, please calm down. This person didn’t say with his own mouth that he took it, did he?”
The Tathagata Divine Fist spoke calmly to soothe them, but.
“How can we calm down!”
“My junior martial brother died in a trap! Yet you’re telling us to hold back even after seeing the thief in front of us?”
It was of no use at all.
Rather, it aroused their anger even more.
In particular, the martial artists who had lost their senior and junior martial brothers to the traps opened their eyes fiercely.
“It seems the one who should calm down the most right now is none other than you.”
Myeong-wol-do spoke confidently with their backing.
Then he opened his eyes sharply.
“Or are you protecting him because he is someone you know?”
“I do not know him.”
“That’s truly strange.”
Myeong-wol-do stroked his chin.
“I can’t understand why you would protect someone who is clearly the culprit…”
At that moment, the secret cave became agitated.
“Don’t tell me Shaolin…?”
“No, it’s still Shaolin…”
“They came all the way here.”
Hearing the whispering voices of the martial artists, the Tathagata Divine Fist’s expression stiffened.
On the other hand, the corners of Myeong-wol-do’s mouth rose.
The atmosphere of the crowd had already completely shifted with Myeong-wol-do wagging his tongue.
‘He could have just stayed still, but he did something useless and helped me.’
As he sneered while looking at the Tathagata Divine Fist.
Step.
The Arhat monks stood next to the Tathagata Divine Fist.
The situation was not good.
The forces had split into two.
The Tathagata Divine Fist and the Arhat monks with Cheon-hwi.
And Myeong-wol-do, along with the Hwang-il Squad members and the martial artists agreeing with his words.
Even in terms of numbers, it was an overwhelming difference.
“Haha. Amitabha.”
However, the Tathagata Divine Fist forced a smile and looked at Myeong-wol-do and the others.
‘It’s my mistake.’
It wasn’t what he had wanted.
What he had intended to do was simply check the current situation with the youth.
‘To think they would distort it like this…’
As they were confronting each other.
‘Rather than this, should I just go out and have some liquor and meat?’
Cheon-hwi moved to go outside.
After the confronting individuals stared blankly for a moment at Cheon-hwi walking as if he had nothing to do with the current situation.
“Where are you going?”
Myeong-wol-do blocked Cheon-hwi.
“Where did you hide the items?”
“I told you they were already gone.”
“You’re still playing innocent.”
Cheon-hwi burst into a hollow laugh.
What do you mean playing innocent.
Moreover, the more he thought about it, the funnier the words were.
“Well okay, let’s say I obtained it.”
“It really was you…”
“The one who found it first is the owner, so it doesn’t matter anyway if I hide it, right?”
“It changes if there is an owner.”
Myeong-wol-do’s eyes narrowed.
“There exist items belonging to our sect that the Shadowless Divine Thief stole in the past.”
Cheon-hwi gazed at him intently.
“How do you know those items belong to your side?”
“That is… if you show them…”
“Who would know even if I showed them?”
“…”
Myeong-wol-do’s mouth snapped shut.
As he said, it was about two hundred and fifty years ago that the Shadowless Divine Thief stole the items.
Now, there was no one in the world who could tell that they were the Sun Moon Sect’s items.
“…You are saying you will make an enemy of our sect right now.”
“Do as you please.”
As Cheon-hwi spoke as if he found it bothersome.
“That crazy…”
“Where does that bravado come from.”
Everyone watching Myeong-wol-do corner Cheon-hwi was astonished.
At least the Tathagata Divine Fist hurriedly regained his senses and said.
“He is Myeong-wol-do. It would be best not to recklessly provoke him.”
In order to urgently stop Cheon-hwi, the Tathagata Divine Fist revealed Myeong-wol-do’s title, but.
“Myeong-wol-do? Who is that?”
Cheon-hwi tilted his head.
It was a title he had never heard before.
“…Do you not know Myeong-wol-do?”
“It’s my first time hearing it.”
“They say a day-old puppy doesn’t know to fear a tiger, and that is exactly your situation.”
Myeong-wol-do laughed bleakly.
If it was someone who had immersed themselves in Jianghu, there was no way they couldn’t know his title.
‘I wondered if he had a trick up his sleeve since he was so confident, but he was just a guy who is all talk.’
He looked at Cheon-hwi’s waist.
The two scabbards of different lengths were truly ridiculous.
‘Among the guys who carried two swords, there hasn’t been a single proper one.’
Meanwhile, Cheon-hwi, still unaware of Myeong-wol-do’s identity, asked the Tathagata Divine Fist.
“Is that person that famous? Which sect does he belong to?”
“…He is an Elder of the Sun Moon Sect.”
“Ah, Sun Moon Sect!”
Cheon-hwi finally nodded.
“You should have said so earlier.”
Myeong-wol-do smirked at Cheon-hwi’s reaction and exuded murderous intent.
“Even if you have realized my identity now, it won’t be of any use…”
“Then I just have to make an enemy of the Sun Moon Sect, right?”
At that moment, the secret cave was engulfed in shock.
The Tathagata Divine Fist and the Arhat monks, of course, as well as all the martial artists, had their mouths wide open.
“A-Are you not afraid of the Sun Moon Sect?”
“What is there to be afraid of.”
“He was a completely crazy bastard.”
Myeong-wol-do’s eyes became fierce.
An attitude that ignored not only him but also the Sun Moon Sect could never be overlooked.
“Number Eight, Number Nine.”
As he gave an order in a cold tone, two Hwang-il Squad members stepped forward.
“Capture that guy alive.”
He wanted to tear his limbs apart and kill him miserably right away, but it wasn’t the time.
‘After making him confess where he hid the secret cave’s items, I will kill him very slowly.’
As Myeong-wol-do watched with eyes harboring terrible murderous intent.
‘What should I do.’
Cheon-hwi lightly loosened his hands.
‘My identity shouldn’t be revealed yet, so the Mount Hua Sect’s martial arts won’t do…’
The Tathagata Divine Fist and the Arhat monks were also watching.
‘Then it can’t be helped. I guess I’ll have to use the martial arts that were inside the Heavenly Demon Reincarnation Path.’
When he finished his thoughts while loosening his hands.
Tatadat!
The two Hwang-il Squad members rushed in.
Occupying Cheon-hwi’s left and right, the two raised their sharp long blades high.
The five-foot long blades went up as if to touch the ceiling of the secret cave, and a bleak and cold energy enveloped the blade bodies.
“That is!”
“That stance is…”
The Tathagata Divine Fist and a few others watching the Hwang-il Squad members’ starting stance held their breath.
The blades raised high in the sky.
And the terrible energy emitting in all directions while wrapping around the blade bodies was the starting stance of a blade art they had only heard of in rumors.
“Ghost Moon Seal…!”
No sooner had someone’s shout ended.
Huuung!
The two long blades were slashed down in a single breath.
As the blade art representing the Sun Moon Sect fell with long blade traces as if to split Cheon-hwi’s head.
Seu-euk…
Cheon-hwi raised his head.
The two Hwang-il Squad members glared at Cheon-hwi, who suddenly raised his head with a flash, and then flinched.
It was because a chillingly pure white smile had surfaced on his mouth.
‘If the opponent is the Unorthodox Faction, this should be good.’
Cheon-hwi slowly raised his right hand.
At the same time, after drawing up his internal energy, he spread his fingers wide like a hawk’s talons.
The absolute hand technique of the Unorthodox Faction and one of the Evil Path’s Three Great Hand Arts!
The unique secret art and absolute martial art of the Death Blood Emperor, the number one person in the Unorthodox Faction hundreds of years ago.
The Remnant Soul Remnant Blood Claw pierced through nearly a hundred years of time and revealed itself.
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