Chapter 131: Chapter 131
Cheon-hwi, who had been smiling faintly, looked around.
Presences were felt through his Qi sense that spread over a distance exceeding fifty zhang in all directions.
His eyes shone as he counted their numbers.
Dozens of presences that had been waiting with bated breath slowly narrowed the distance, like a net herding fish.
And the moment they entered range.
Paat!
The ones who had been hiding in the bushes continuously looking for an opportunity made their move.
As if they had finally finished all preparations.
“Now!”
Along with someone’s shout.
Chwararak!
Chains flew in from all directions.
The chains flew as quickly as snakes indulging in the darkness and bound Cheon-hwi.
“He’s caught!”
A shout was heard from somewhere.
“Now! Everyone pull!”
In an instant, the chains became taut to the limit.
Their gazes turned sharp toward Cheon-hwi, whose limbs were suppressed, and presently.
Pat!
The ones in the back rushed forward.
Sickles, hands, feet, swords, and blades.
As those wielding a variety of ununified weapons rushed in.
“How amusing.”
Cheon-hwi, whose entire body was bound by the chains, looked at them with an indifferent expression.
However, that was only for a moment.
Kkadeuk!
Cheon-hwi pulled his hands out from between the taut chains and grabbed them.
Huk!
He pulled vigorously.
“Heup?!”
“Wh-what is this?!”
The moment the attackers erupted in bewilderment at the pulling force felt in the hands holding the chains.
Hwaek!
The attackers were pulled toward Cheon-hwi like fish caught on a fishing line.
“D-dodge!”
Those who rushed in with weapons and those who were pulled by the chains became entangled together.
“Keuheok!”
When they, tangled in the middle like a knotted skein of thread, fainted from the shock.
Hwik…
Cheon-hwi twisted his hands to the side.
At that, their bodies spun in the air and were slammed onto the ground.
Kwagwagwagwak!
The ground was overturned, and the forest was torn to shreds as if it had met a storm.
Geugeugeuk…
After a while, the dust that had risen all around completely settled, and the revealed scene was completely different from before.
The once green land was filled with dug-up dirt, and trees lay all around, uprooted by their roots.
And around it.
“Uuu….”
The attackers were rolling around, vomiting blood.
The only one standing was a single person.
It was only Cheon-hwi wrapped in chains.
“Their lives are tenacious.”
Cheon-hwi looked at those letting out faint groans and threw the loosened chains.
Kwajik!
The chains laden with internal energy fell like meteors onto those who hadn’t regained their senses.
Kwajik!
A gruesome sound burst out.
The blood of the miserably crushed and smashed corpses soaked the chains and the dirt.
“It’s cleaned up.”
The moment Cheon-hwi let go of the chains.
“Uweeeek… “
“U, uk.”
The sound of retching could be heard.
The rising stars who had witnessed the series of events absolutely couldn’t hold back their nausea.
At least nausea was fortunate.
Hwangbo So-hyeon stood blankly with a pale complexion, having lost her mind.
The rising stars, who had been emptying their stomachs for a long time, were dumbfounded seeing Cheon-hwi acting so calmly after creating such a gruesome scene.
And one of them.
Zhuge Seung-ho’s eyebrows trembled.
“A-as expected, what I thought was right.”
“What you thought?”
At his words, Yang Se-ryeong, who was currently the most intact among the rising stars, asked back.
“Earlier, that person purposely walked slowly.”
“In order to wait for the Sun and Moon Sect to attack!”
At the absurd words, not only Yang Se-ryeong but also Peng Cheol-wi, who had suffered internal injuries, and Hwangbo So-hyeon, who had lost her mind, frowned.
“Th… that’s nonsense.”
“He waited for an attack? Does that even make sense? The Sun and Moon Sect is one of the Five Imperial Sects, yet them….”
“Is there a need to do such a thing?”
At their words, Zhuge Seung-ho gently bit his upper lip and glared.
“Can you say that even after seeing that martial prowess just now?”
“….”
In an instant, everyone’s mouths closed.
As he said, didn’t he completely overwhelm the Sun and Moon Sect?
At that time, Hwangbo So-hyeon trembled.
“Th-then, are you saying this is the situation that person wanted?”
“….It probably is.”
Hwangbo So-hyeon tightly gripped her martial attire.
“Th-then, would following that person be the right choice?”
In her eyes, Cheon-hwi no longer looked like a human.
He was a monster the likes of which would never be seen again in the human world, and he was like an evil ghost whose identity could not be known.
As she spoke while trembling in fear.
“Hu, hu…. There’s…. no choice.”
Peng Cheol-wi answered softly.
Breathing heavily, he was sweating profusely while clutching his chest.
“I-if that person wasn’t there…. We would have already died. Cough!”
“Young Master Peng!”
When Peng Cheol-wi vomited blood, Hwangbo So-hyeon stuck right next to him and supported him.
“A-are you okay?”
“….I’m still…. okay.”
“Don’t speak for now.”
“It’s not to that extent….”
“I said don’t speak!”
After speaking forcefully, Hwangbo So-hyeon frowned and suddenly rummaged through her embrace.
After that, she took out a single item.
It was a wooden box smaller than the palm of a hand.
She opened the wooden box and took out a very small, pure white pill contained inside.
“Take this. It’s medicine for internal injuries.”
In an instant, Peng Cheol-wi was flustered.
A deep fragrance tickled his nose and momentarily calmed his mind.
It was such a surprising efficacy that even he, a layman regarding elixirs, knew this wasn’t an ordinary medicine for internal injuries.
“It’s not just a medicine for internal injuries….”
“Eat it quickly.”
Hwangbo So-hyeon opened her eyes sharply.
“Only with Young Master Peng here will our chances of survival increase.”
At her continuous words, Peng Cheol-wi eventually nodded and put the pill in his mouth.
“I will stand guard.”
Peng Cheol-wi nodded.
And then he sat on the ground with difficulty and slowly fell into meditating to circulate his Qi.
Hwangbo So-hyeon looked at Peng Cheol-wi with worried eyes and brought her two hands together.
“He has to be okay….”
What she handed over to Peng Cheol-wi was the Hwangbo Clan’s elixir, the Heavenly King Pill.
Even though it was an elixir of which there were only ten in the entire Hwangbo Clan, she handed it over readily.
Zhuge Seung-ho stepped back while looking at the two.
‘Young Hero Peng must be safe.’
The one with the most outstanding martial prowess among the group was undoubtedly Peng Cheol-wi.
Perhaps Hwangbo So-hyeon thought so too, as she handed over the elixir without delay.
‘….It seems it’s not just that, though.’
Zhuge Seung-ho scratched his head.
Because despite the short conversation, he noticed that the atmosphere between the two had changed strangely from before.
Having tactfully distanced himself from the two, he examined the complexion of the collapsed Moyong Sang.
Unlike Peng Cheol-wi, his complexion was not good, perhaps because his internal injuries were deep.
“I should have brought medicine for internal injuries….”
He swallowed the sigh that was about to come out.
Sighing here would only make the atmosphere worse.
At that time, Yang Se-ryeong approached.
“Are the internal injuries severe?”
“His Qi and blood are completely twisted.”
“Don’t you have any medicine for internal injuries that you brought separately?”
“I searched, but the only thing I had was Golden Spear Medicine.”
“….”
Yang Se-ryeong frowned.
If one were to depart on a Jianghu journey, bringing Golden Spear Medicine and elixirs was the basics.
Because no one knew when, where, or what exactly would happen.
“Haa.”
Sighing, she rummaged through her sleeve and handed over a small wooden box similar to what Hwangbo So-hyeon had taken out.
“Feed him this at least.”
At her firm voice, Zhuge Seung-ho received the wooden box and opened it.
Inside the wooden box lay a red medicine for internal injuries exuding a refreshing fragrance.
“Hurry.”
At Yang Se-ryeong’s words containing subtle pressure, Zhuge Seung-ho took it out, overlapped his two hands, and compressed it very small.
And he very carefully let it flow into the mouth of the fainted Moyong Sang.
“U, uuu….”
Moyong Sang, who had been lying as if dead, let out a groan.
At the same time, his dull and dark complexion began to return little by little.
However, that was all; he couldn’t open his eyes.
“He hasn’t regained his senses, but it’s a relief that his complexion has returned at least.”
Zhuge Seung-ho said with a bitter smile.
Not regaining his senses wasn’t good, but just being alive was already something.
“….It’s a relief.”
Yang Se-ryeong also breathed a sigh of relief.
However, even while doing so, she did not let go of the string of tension.
When they might ambush again.
Now she couldn’t know.
Spreading her Qi sense and staying vigilant of her surroundings, she asked Zhuge Seung-ho.
“What will you do now?”
“Let’s gather in one place for now and try to have a conversation.”
At that time, Yang Se-ryeong hardened her eyes.
“Young Master Zhuge.”
At her calling, which seemed unusual, Zhuge Seung-ho swallowed his dry saliva.
“….Why do you ask?”
“In your view, Young Master Zhuge, do you think we can hold out on our own like this?”
“It’s difficult with just us.”
Zhuge Seung-ho asserted.
The opponent was the Sun and Moon Sect.
But how could they, who were merely rising stars, block them?
It was an impossible matter.
“Is that so.”
Yang Se-ryeong’s pupils wavered.
The terror and fear she had experienced from the attackers’ assault just moments ago were still settled in her heart.
‘I thought I was going to die.’
She was trying hard to stay calm, but the tips of her fingers were trembling minutely.
If that person leaning his back against the tree hadn’t been there, she would have died.
Looking at Cheon-hwi, who had peacefully closed his eyes, she bit her lip.
‘I can’t die….’
Her eyes half-opened.
Participating in the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering was her stubborn insistence. But to die because of that?
Where would there be such a lack of filial piety?
‘I will survive no matter what.’
Yang Se-ryeong strengthened her resolve and spoke.
“Then please go ahead first.”
“Where are you planning to go, Lady….”
Her gaze directed toward Cheon-hwi.
“I will try asking that person for help.”
Zhuge Seung-ho’s eyes widened.
It was because her courage to try to have a conversation, even after seeing his terrible ruthlessness just now, felt amazing.
“Then I will go with you.”
“No. I will go alone.”
Yang Se-ryeong rejected his proposal.
“….I understand.”
Zhuge Seung-ho looked at her and then carried Moyong Sang on his back with a bitter smile.
Following that, he turned his body and spoke.
“Then I will leave it to you.”
When Zhuge Seung-ho left.
“Huu.”
She regulated her breath and then moved.
Meanwhile, Cheon-hwi was feeling the presences in all directions when he turned his gaze toward Yang Se-ryeong, who was approaching him.
When their eyes met, she cupped her fists and politely bowed her head.
“Young Hero.”
“What is it?”
Cheon-hwi spoke lackadaisically, but Yang Se-ryeong did not loosen her tension.
The opponent was not an ordinary figure.
Overwhelming martial prowess and cruel methods.
Placating him with ordinary words would be a difficult task.
“Can you help us?”
“Why should I do that?”
Yang Se-ryeong bit her lip.
Because she absolutely couldn’t refute his words.
“I beg you.”
Instead, she deeply bowed her head.
If someone else had seen this sight, they would have fainted in surprise.
She had lived a life lacking nothing throughout her entire life.
The background of being the precious only daughter of the Divine Spear Yang Clan and an appearance that was not lacking.
Thus, she had never bowed to a man of her age or anything of the sort.
But right now.
For the first time in her life, she deeply bowed her head to a man of her age.
“Please help us.”
What kind of antic is this?
Cheon-hwi became slightly annoyed.
He hadn’t even cared about them following, but if they were making requests like this, it was different.
Especially the sight of continuously making requests even though he had rejected once.
Cheon-hwi’s eyes looking at Yang Se-ryeong started to grow colder little by little.
Soon, his lips moved.
“….You’re being annoying.”
“Y-young Hero?”
The moment she heard Cheon-hwi’s cold monologue, which was no different from a warning, Yang Se-ryeong was momentarily frightened.
In fact, she also knew very well that her current actions were impolite.
Since she was asking for help from someone whose identity she didn’t even know.
But what could she do?
It was obvious that she would die if she just backed off here!
‘I don’t want to die. I want to live.’
She, whose desire for life boiled up, swallowed her fear and stared straight at Cheon-hwi.
The moment she saw his gaze, her breath caught, and deep terror surged up from below.
However, she gritted her teeth and endured it. And following that, she deeply bowed her head toward him again.
“Young Hero! No, Great Hero! Then could we at least accompany you? I will do whatever the Great Hero wants. If you want me to wait on you, I will even wait on you….”
Cheon-hwi, who was glaring at the desperate her, was enticed by a single word he heard.
‘Wait on me? Hmm, it has been uncomfortable recently without Jeok-geom and Seol Ran.’
For a moment, Cheon-hwi’s gaze directed toward her and the group gathered beyond.
Presently, his mouth slowly opened.
“Do you know how to cook?”
“C-cook, you mean?”
Yang Se-ryeong was startled by the unexpected question, but she nodded her head up and down.
“I know how to.”
“Good. Let’s travel together then.”
“R-really?”
Yang Se-ryeong’s expression brightened.
“Instead, you’ll have to do it properly.”
Cheon-hwi’s eyes narrowed.
Around the time Yang Se-ryeong flinched at that cold gaze, Cheon-hwi added his final words.
“If you can’t, you know what will happen, right?”
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