Chapter 126: Chapter 126
Entering a random inn near Mount Bang, Cheon-hwi tossed the liquor into his mouth.
“Kuh.”
Perhaps it was because it had been a long time since he drank, even though it was a cheap fire liquor rather than a precious, famous wine.
Even the hot sensation of the fire liquor going down his throat, which he normally would not have welcomed, felt pleasant.
Excited, Cheon-hwi picked up his chopsticks.
With a pleasant hum, he moved his chopsticks and picked up the meat placed in front of him.
And the moment he took exactly one bite.
“Mhm, this is it.”
A smile naturally bloomed on his face.
Following that, his chopstick movements began to grow faster.
Clack, clack.
It was a meal consisting of nothing but fire liquor and five-spice sliced boiled meat, but having starved for three days, Cheon-hwi repeatedly enjoyed chewing, tearing, and tasting it.
“Amitabha.”
At that time, he stopped his unhesitating chopstick movements at the low Buddhist chant heard from right in front of him.
‘Hm? Why did they come?’
Raising his head, he saw Tathagata Divine Fist and the Arhat monks he had seen in the hidden cave standing in front of him.
Their expressions as they looked at Cheon-hwi with their hands clasped together were filled with goodwill. Especially among the young Arhat monks, there were some who looked at Cheon-hwi with eyes of admiration.
It was a natural matter.
Not only did he chase away the Sun Moon Sect, but didn’t he also show astonishing divine might?
Moreover, he even showed martial arts of the righteous faction.
Already, the thought that Cheon-hwi was the disciple of Sa Hyeol-hwang was gone from their minds.
At that time, Tathagata Divine Fist asked as their representative.
“If it is not an impoliteness, may we share a table?”
“Share a table?”
Cheon-hwi spoke while looking around.
The location near Mount Bang and a time that wasn’t yet mealtime made the already quiet inn completely empty.
“There are overflowing seats, though.”
“Hoho, it is because I wish to converse with the benefactor.”
Tathagata Divine Fist spoke while shaking his head.
“With me?”
Cheon-hwi furrowed his brows.
“What kind of conversation is it?”
“It is a light conversation.”
Cheon-hwi scratched his chin.
It was annoying.
He was just enjoying pouring his own drinks for the first time in a while.
However, when he actually tried to refuse again.
‘They did give me a Fasting Pill.’
Although it tasted bad, wasn’t he still the person who allowed him to chase away his terrible empty stomach?
‘Even if it’s a conversation, how long could it take?’
Having quickly finished his thoughts, Cheon-hwi spoke.
“Suit yourself.”
“Thank you.”
Tathagata Divine Fist and two Arhat monks sat at Cheon-hwi’s seat, and the remaining Arhat monks sat at the surrounding tables as if escorting them.
Then, the waiter who had been secretly watching the situation from afar quickly ran over.
“What would you like to order?”
“We would like plain noodles for everyone, please.”
“Understood.”
The waiter stepped back.
“Hohoho, I did not know I would reunite with the benefactor in such a short time.”
Tathagata Divine Fist gladly initiated a conversation.
“Is that so?”
However, Cheon-hwi chewed and swallowed his meat while letting Tathagata Divine Fist’s words flow out the other ear.
“Ah! Come to think of it, I have not exchanged names with the benefactor yet.”
Tathagata Divine Fist brought his two hands together and clasped them.
“This little monk is called Woneum.”
Tathagata Divine Fist, having revealed his dharma name to Cheon-hwi, signaled to the Arhat monks with his eyes.
The Arhat monks who read the meaning contained in his glance clasped their two hands together and spoke.
“I am Gongmun.”
“I am Gongjin.”
Tathagata Divine Fist, who was looking at the two politely revealing their dharma names, turned his head toward Cheon-hwi.
‘Lightning is about to shoot out of his eyes.’
Cheon-hwi pondered for a moment under Tathagata Divine Fist’s gaze, which stared intently as if he would continue to watch him until he revealed his name.
Whether to reveal a Daoist title or not.
‘It will become annoying if I reveal it, right?’
After contemplating for a long time, he opened his mouth.
“Gu Yeon.”
What he spat out of his mouth was a very familiar name from his past life.
‘I didn’t expect to use this name again.’
While looking for an appropriate alias to replace a Daoist title, only his past life’s name came to mind.
“Gu Yeon, that is a good name.”
Tathagata Divine Fist’s eyes sparkled as if he was satisfied just hearing Cheon-hwi’s name.
“Perhaps your sect is…”
“That is a secret.”
Cheon-hwi spoke firmly, cutting him off.
If he was going to reveal his sect, he wouldn’t have used an alias either.
Tathagata Divine Fist smiled benevolently while looking at Cheon-hwi with an expression of understanding.
“Hoho, then I will not pry any further regarding the benefactor’s identity.”
Tathagata Divine Fist slightly backed down.
“Instead, there is one thing I am curious about…”
“Something you’re curious about? Didn’t you say it was a light conversation earlier?”
As Cheon-hwi asked in a dry tone, Tathagata Divine Fist realized his mistake and lowered his head.
“This little monk has been impolite. If the benefactor does not wish it, I will not ask any further.”
Seeing that sight, Cheon-hwi chuckled.
Different from what he said, Tathagata Divine Fist’s face was full of disappointment.
“Your expression is different from what you’re saying, though?”
“Hoho, no matter how much one tries to hide their emotions, wouldn’t it be a difficult task to completely conceal them?”
“It seems like you revealed it on purpose.”
Looking at Tathagata Divine Fist with a suspicious expression, Cheon-hwi spoke as if giving in.
“Fine. Ask away. Since you also gave me a Fasting Pill, I will do at least that much.”
He couldn’t be like this forever over a single Fasting Pill; he had to put an end to it.
And this was the perfect opportunity.
“Thank you.”
To Cheon-hwi, who spoke as if doing a favor, Tathagata Divine Fist smiled awkwardly and moved his mouth.
“In fact, after the benefactor left, we went inside the wall you had broken down.”
Inside the broken wall.
In other words, it meant they had examined the room where the Heavenly Demon Reincarnation Path was located, but Cheon-hwi was nonchalant.
It was already something he had entirely expected.
There was a person who suddenly broke through a wall and came out of a hidden cave where all the items had been robbed?
Then wouldn’t checking inside the wall just in case be a natural sequence of events?
“You thought I had stolen it like that guy Bright Moon Blade or whatever, right?”
“Hoho.”
Tathagata Divine Fist laughed awkwardly at the words that hit the mark.
“So how was it?”
At Cheon-hwi’s immediately following question, Tathagata Divine Fist shook his head left and right.
“As you said, we could not find anything inside the wall.”
Cheon-hwi twisted the corners of his mouth.
‘Of course there would be nothing.’
That room was a boundary between the human world and the netherworld, artificially created through the Heavenly Demon Reincarnation Path.
Now that the Heavenly Demon Reincarnation Path had disappeared, entering that room again was impossible.
At that moment, Tathagata Divine Fist’s eyes sparkled.
He knew that Cheon-hwi hadn’t taken the items.
However, a question still remained.
“But why did the benefactor enter such a place?”
Cheon-hwi twisted one corner of his mouth.
“Why? Am I not allowed to go in?”
“Ah, no. That is not it. But still, your purpose for entering or…”
“I just went in, though.”
Cheon-hwi put on a brazen face.
He had absolutely no thought of talking about the Heavenly Demon Reincarnation Path, nor did he want to hide it while telling bothersome lies.
‘And if I say I went in just because I wanted to, what are you going to do about it?’
Inside the wall was an empty space.
Because of that, there was no way for them to figure out exactly what purpose he had entered for.
“Hoho.”
Just as Cheon-hwi had thought, Tathagata Divine Fist smiled bitterly while at a loss for words.
Since he said he just went in, would they even be able to get an answer if they interrogated him any further?
‘There is nothing to be gained even if I ask more.’
Tathagata Divine Fist lightly shook his head, then opened his mouth while making eye contact with Cheon-hwi.
“By the way, would it be fine for you to leisurely eat a meal here?”
At the unexpected words, Cheon-hwi drank his still-remaining fire liquor and looked at him.
“Kuh, what is?”
“Did you not let Bright Moon Blade go?”
Tathagata Divine Fist’s voice lowered.
“If this matter reaches the ears of the Sun Moon Sect Leader, he will not stand idly by regarding the benefactor.”
Along with his words, Tathagata Divine Fist sent a worried look.
If it became known that the Sun Moon Sect was defeated by merely one person, the Sun Moon Sect Leader was a person who would absolutely not stay still.
Was that all?
Although he had shown astonishing divine might while facing Bright Moon Blade, he was alone.
On the other hand, what about the Sun Moon Sect?
A massive sect that was one of the Five Imperial Sects.
The number of their disciples was uncountable, and there was not just one or two masters either.
Facing them alone was like striking a boulder with an egg.
However, unlike his worries.
“Is that so?”
The person involved, Cheon-hwi, spoke carefree while picking up the five-spice sliced boiled meat on the plate.
Gulp…
Soon, after swallowing the meat, he opened his mouth.
“I don’t need to go look for them one by one, so that’s great.”
At Cheon-hwi’s nonchalant answer, Tathagata Divine Fist and the Arhat monks dropped their jaws.
Even for Shaolin, if their opponent was the Sun Moon Sect, speaking like that would require determination.
However, the young man in front of them overflowed with confidence.
Tathagata Divine Fist narrowed his brow as he looked at Cheon-hwi, who was armed with an unknown confidence.
‘Is it a bluff? Or is there another…’
Tathagata Divine Fist erased the thought he was having.
‘No, it is a pointless thought.’
Whether it was a bluff or not, what did it matter?
It wasn’t like he was going to help him anyway.
“It is a relief to hear that.”
Around the time Tathagata Divine Fist spoke quietly.
“The plain noodles are out!”
Right on time, the plain noodles arrived.
Tathagata Divine Fist respectfully clasped his hands together before eating the plain noodles placed right in front of him.
“Amitabha.”
After that, it was only after Tathagata Divine Fist picked up his chopsticks that their meal began.
Cheon-hwi looked at them in wonder.
Very careful chopstick movements.
And perhaps worried that a sound might be made, they slowly chewed and savored the plain noodles.
As if a meal was also a form of asceticism.
‘They’re eating with difficulty.’
Cheon-hwi watched them eating plain noodles before picking up and eating the five-spice sliced boiled meat.
In contrast to the quiet them, Cheon-hwi filled his mouth full of meat and munched on it.
And just then, as he drank the fire liquor.
Tap… Tap…
There were people walking in this direction.
Three young men and two women.
The five men and women, who seemed to be in their early twenties, were wearing fancy clothing and accessories to the extent that anyone could tell they were high-ranking officials or children of prestigious families.
It was then.
Among them, a young man with bold features stepped forward as the representative and took a fist-and-palm salute.
“This junior martial artist Peng Cheol-wi greets the renowned great masters of Shaolin.”
Tathagata Divine Fist’s eyes widened slightly.
Peng Cheol-wi was the third son of the current Hebei Peng Clan, and recently, he was one of the Nine Dragons and Five Phoenixes, who were called the future of the Flying Heaven Society.
“I thought you looked extraordinary the moment I saw you, and it turned out to be young hero Blade Dragon.”
“It is a title undeserved for this lowly one.”
A smile formed on the corners of Tathagata Divine Fist’s mouth as he looked at Peng Cheol-wi speaking humbly.
‘Hoho, to think they would come to greet us first.’
It had already been decades since the current Murim Alliance and the Flying Heaven Society began to clash.
Already, the past where the two were part of the same faction had faded, reaching a point where they were hostile to each other.
For a person like Blade Dragon, who was counted as one of the top rising stars in the Flying Heaven Society, to come in person and greet them, his feelings were renewed.
“This little monk is called Woneum.”
Instantly, the eyes of Peng Cheol-wi and his group, who were about to greet them next, grew wide.
“So it was Tathagata Divine Fist.”
“Hoho, it is a title undeserved for this little monk.”
The exact same words as Peng Cheol-wi.
However, its weight was different.
“If the Great Hero says that title is undeserved, then who in the world could be called the Divine Fist?”
Following that, the group behind Peng Cheol-wi also began to introduce themselves one by one.
“I am Hwangbo So-hyeon.”
“I am Moyong Sang.”
“I am Yang Se-ryeong.”
“This lowly one is Zhuge Seung-ho.”
Tathagata Divine Fist, having heard the names of the four men and women, nodded his head.
Just as he had expected, they were all children of the Eight Great Clans.
‘Is this also fate?’
Meeting the children of the Eight Great Clans in Shanxi was a rare sight to see.
Tathagata Divine Fist signaled with his eyes to the Arhat monks who still hadn’t let their guard down.
The Arhat monks nodded their heads slightly.
“Amitabha. This little monk is…”
They revealed their dharma names one by one in turn.
Around the time everyone had finished exchanging names like that, Peng Cheol-wi sneakily looked to his side.
There, a handsome young man wearing entirely black martial arts robes was sitting alone.
“If it is not an impoliteness, could I know the young hero’s esteemed name?”
At the question, Cheon-hwi, who was tilting his liquor cup, glanced at him and parted his lips.
“It is an impoliteness.”
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