Chapter 167: Chapter 167
A suffocating silence flowed.
In that silence, Heavenly Ear Beggar broke into a cold sweat as he looked back and forth between Cheon-hwi and the top of the eaves.
‘He had been hiding this whole time…?’
His back became damp with sweat.
Even though he had not set his mind on martial arts, he had still reached the Limitless Realm.
Yet, he hadn’t felt a thing.
From the time he was at the wall until he climbed onto those eaves.
What those words meant was that the hidden individual was at least above his own realm.
‘…Was it not the tail, but the body?’
His heart pounded.
They were the ones he had chased for the past few years, yet hadn’t even been able to properly grasp their traces.
But now that their outline was visible…
‘Damn it, if I knew it would be like this, I would have secretly brought the Taiji Gentleman.’
Knowing that the Blood Dragon Sect had learned the False Heart Art, he had avoided contact with the Taiji Gentleman as much as possible in order to move secretly.
However, since things had turned out this way, he regretted not bringing him.
‘Is that guy the only one I can trust?’
His gaze turned toward Cheon-hwi.
Just in case, it was a relief that he had earnestly requested the Mount Hua Sect’s Sect Leader.
‘He is still young, but his skill is to the extent that the Sword Saint acknowledged him…’
At that moment, a chilling voice was heard again, slowly breaking the brief silence.
“You brought an interesting guy, Heavenly Ear Beggar.”
Heavenly Ear Beggar frowned at the tone that seemed to know him.
“Do you know me?”
“Huhu, of course I know you…”
The voice was full of laughter.
“Haven’t I been waiting continuously at the Blood Dragon Sect to welcome you?”
“……!”
Heavenly Ear Beggar’s eyes widened glaringly.
That was something only a very small number of individuals knew.
But to know this meant…
‘D-don’t tell me, a spy?’
At that moment.
“So when are you going to show me?”
Cheon-hwi interrupted.
Right now, he was expectant.
That was because the martial art called False Heart Art was deeply related to the Yin Art that person had learned.
And as a higher-tier martial art at that.
“If you aren’t coming, I will go.”
Along with his words, he unleashed the Flying Heaven Footwork.
Every time he took a step, the surrounding scenery was pushed away and changed in an instant.
“……!”
The elderly man in shabby scholar’s attire flinched in surprise and stood up as Cheon-hwi appeared.
“What, you had a face like that? It doesn’t suit that forceful voice at all.”
The elderly man’s impression was good-natured.
A nice-looking grandfather who didn’t seem like he had ever hit anyone, let alone killed someone.
‘But he is terrible on the inside.’
Cheon-hwi smelled the foul stench hiding within the benevolent expression and neat attire.
He had tried to hide it, but a thick smell of blood emanated from the elderly man’s body. And his narrow eyes, hidden by his overgrown eyebrows, were scattering a terrible killing intent.
It wasn’t just one or two guys he had killed.
After looking at each other for a moment, a heavy sound flowed from the elderly man’s mouth.
“You are not an ordinary guy.”
“Really? You look like an ordinary guy, since you couldn’t even follow this much with your eyes.”
His eyes turned cold at the provocation.
However, it was vivid to the eye that a hot anger was boiling inside him.
“With that, will you be able to teach me the terrifying things of the world?”
“…….”
The elderly man straightened his hunched back.
Instantly, the air became heavy, and his presence was engraved in Cheon-hwi’s eyes.
‘It’s a considerable internal energy.’
Cheon-hwi quickly scanned him.
The internal energy he was emitting belonged to the top tier among those he had seen so far.
“But internal energy isn’t everything.”
Cheon-hwi casually waved his hand.
Then, the momentum emitted by the elderly man scattered in a single breath, and the air returned to normal.
The elderly man’s eyebrows twitched.
“You indeed possess outstanding skill enough to have excessive confidence. It is hard to believe you are an up-and-coming talent. However…”
The elderly man’s beard fluttered.
“You are still a greenhorn.”
“Me? Or you?”
“Huhu. The fact that you just said that is the proof that you are a greenhorn.”
Despite the provocation, he remained calm.
“Jianghu is a place where you never know when or where a knife will fly at you. That excessive confidence will only hasten the end of your life…”
“That’s only for those without power. If you have power, is there a need to hide it?”
Cheon-hwi sharply cut off his words.
“…Your arrogance pierces the sky. Someday, it will catch your ankles.”
Cheon-hwi said while picking his ear.
“I get it, so why don’t you come at me now?”
Along with his words, he stared at the wall.
“No matter if it is the Turtle Breathing Great Art, it has been well over half an hour. Won’t those guys suffocate and die at this rate?”
“……!”
The elderly man raised his eyebrows.
“Kill him.”
Following that, he gave a command, letting out a gloomy voice.
Paat!
As soon as the words ended, a total of ten martial artists popped out from behind the wall.
It was a footwork that soared into the sky.
It was a peculiar body movement that was swift and free, yet contained an intense power.
‘Did they gather a small number of experts?’
Cheon-hwi looked up at them.
At that moment, their bodies floating in the air rotated.
Pabababat!
Hidden weapons and flying daggers poured down like rain.
They were very fast and sharp, as if they would densely lodge themselves into Cheon-hwi in a split second.
And as expected, the hidden weapons and flying daggers descended upon him, and a fishy smile hovered on the lips of those who attacked.
However, the smile disappeared in the next moment.
That was because the hidden weapons and flying daggers passed right through Cheon-hwi.
Puk! Ting…
Seeing the hidden weapons and flying daggers stuck in the ground or bouncing off, the martial artists belatedly came to their senses and quickly scanned their surroundings.
When they turned their heads in all directions.
“Is this all you prepared?”
A voice was heard from behind.
At the same time, they reflexively jumped backwards and got back into formation.
They stealthily exchanged glances.
Taat!
Dust scattered in all directions.
First Strike Guarantees Victory!
They pounced on Cheon-hwi first before he could attack.
This was because they knew that dilly-dallying pointlessly against an expert of this caliber would only increase the probability of defeat.
‘Oh ho? Look at these guys.’
They were guys with remarkably fast decisiveness.
Was that all?
They showed very systematic movements on a different level from the Blood Dragon Sect disciples.
No, it wasn’t just the Blood Dragon Sect disciples.
It was a skill superior to any unit he had seen in his current life.
‘Every single one of them is at least a peak expert. Did they only gather experts?’
It was an attack that, had it been Heavenly Ear Beggar, he might have been flustered and suffered from due to their skill.
However, their opponent was Cheon-hwi.
Taking in their attacks with his eyes, Cheon-hwi suddenly raised his left foot and stomped it down.
Axe Wielding Kick!
His heel, loaded with internal energy, struck down like a swinging axe and smashed their weapons to pieces.
Kwajijik!
Due to that impact, those who were wielding the weapons suffered internal injuries and retreated.
“Keok!”
“Uk!”
“Ueek!”
Five or six martial artists vomited blood.
Perhaps it was a fairly deep internal injury, as darkish red blood and pieces of internal organs were mixed.
“We must not stop!”
One of the martial artists who had not suffered internal injuries shouted and prepared to attack, but.
“……!”
Cheon-hwi was already no longer in that spot.
Peoeok!
His waist bent forward.
The martial artist couldn’t even scream, let alone say anything, and fell to his knees just like that.
“…….”
The martial artists swallowed dry saliva as they looked at the suddenly appeared Cheon-hwi.
Their inner thoughts were complicated right now.
To dispose of Heavenly Ear Beggar, they had prepared a pincer attack that would be difficult for him to face, and the situation was such that all preparations had been thoroughly completed.
Yet, what was this situation.
The plan went awry, and they ended up facing an unidentified person instead of Heavenly Ear Beggar.
Even that alone was a perplexing matter, but the opponent was not just an ordinary expert.
The martial artists hastily transmitted sound.
[For now, we fall back temporarily.]
[And prepare the pincer attack again…]
As they were sharing their opinions through sound transmission.
“Hey there, don’t babble through sound transmission, just speak. Why bother with sound transmission?”
As Cheon-hwi’s gaze turned exactly toward them, the two who were sharing the sound transmission faltered.
“……!”
“H-how…”
“Well.”
Cheon-hwi smiled broadly.
The method of reading sound transmission was simple.
It was because waves of Qi were flowing between the two of them.
However, noticing that was an impossible feat unless one had the skill to handle all the internal energy in the surroundings.
Cheon-hwi said while looking at the astonished two.
“I’ll give you a chance. You guys should also try using the peculiar internal energy those guys used. You never know. You might win if you use it.”
He spoke while pointing at the Blood Dragon Sect disciples.
They were still trembling and didn’t even think about moving at all.
The expressions of the martial artists contorted.
As he said, the False Heart Art was an outstanding martial art for increasing power. However, there existed one huge flaw that more than offset that…
It was that if one unleashed the False Heart Art, they would lose the internal energy they had accumulated until now.
Seeing them hesitating, Cheon-hwi let out a low voice.
“So you are saying you won’t do it even like this?”
Along with his words, he slowly drew his sword.
“Then it can’t be helped.”
Instantly, his figure disappeared.
At the same time.
Seugeok!
The head of one of them flew off.
The severed head that had been flying through the empty air fell to the floor and rolled, then landed in front of them.
Meeting eyes with the severed head, which had a bewildered expression, they felt goosebumps rising on their backs.
At that moment, an indifferent voice was heard.
“Whether you just die, or die after at least unleashing the False Heart Art, decide for yourselves.”
Having taken the life of a martial artist with a single strike of his sword, Cheon-hwi met the eyes of the remaining martial artists.
Facing Cheon-hwi’s eye light, which had sunk pitch-black like an abyss, fear began to sprout in their chests.
“…….”
However, they bit their lips tightly and suppressed the welling fear.
It was because they were individuals who had already experienced too many hardships to feel fear from something like this.
“Do not forget our purpose.”
“I know.”
“It is not yet time for the False Heart Art.”
Having corrected their minds, they attacked again without anyone being first.
“You still haven’t come to your senses.”
Since they did not draw up the False Heart Art, Cheon-hwi moved his body.
His figure shot forward.
The martial artists who saw it were momentarily terrified but hastily scattered in all directions.
‘Doing useless things.’
However, Cheon-hwi did not miss it.
Ssweaeaek!
Sharp sword qi cleaved through the empty air.
“…Heup!”
A martial artist holding a longsword hurriedly tried to strike away the flying sword qi. But the sword qi sliced past his shoulder joint.
One arm soared into the sky.
And.
Hwik…
Cheon-hwi surged forward.
His sword was swung mercilessly.
Following that, sharp sword light erupted from all sides, taking away the martial artists’ lives.
“You are the sixth one.”
Cheon-hwi swung his sword at the neck of a martial artist whose complexion had turned pale from suffering internal injuries.
It was then.
Kwaang!
Along with an intense repulsive force, Cheon-hwi collected his sword and looked at the person who appeared before his eyes.
“Hmm? Are you going to step forward yourself?”
The elderly man’s expression contorted.
“They raised a monster while avoiding our eyes.”
Whispering, he looked at his palm.
There was a long line of a bloodstain drawn on his palm, which had never been injured since he mastered the Bright Jade Hand.
At that moment.
“D-Divine Brush Scholar?!”
A flustered voice was heard.
Heavenly Ear Beggar, with glaringly widened eyes, was looking at the elderly man.
Divine Brush Scholar?
As Cheon-hwi watched quietly.
“It’s been a long time.”
The Divine Brush Scholar spoke calmly.
“Why are you here…?”
Heavenly Ear Beggar’s mind was chaotic.
The Divine Brush Scholar was a great hero among great heroes who had entered Jianghu thirty years ago and eradicated countless public enemies of Jianghu and demonic heads.
When he washed his hands in a golden basin five years ago, the Murim Alliance and the Flying Heaven Society had jointly commended his chivalry and spent that day grandly…
For such a person to be here…
Heavenly Ear Beggar’s body trembled violently.
“For you to do such a thing…!”
Listening to the shout mixed with anger, the Divine Brush Scholar’s eyes curved like half-moons.
“You dog-like bastard! When was it that we had conversations for the future of the Righteous Faction!”
“This is for that future.”
“What kind of bullshit…!”
The smiling Divine Brush Scholar moved his lips.
“The preparations are finished, so activate it.”
In that instant, the martial artists moved frantically and stabbed the hearts of the Blood Dragon Sect Leader and the Blood Dragon Sect disciples.
Seugeok!
Blood splattered in all directions.
At the same time, the bodies of the Blood Dragon Sect disciples twisted, and they soon bled from their eyes.
By the time the dripping blood soaked the floor and they fell down one by one.
Hwik…
After that, the martial artists who had stabbed the hearts climbed onto the wall and began to mutter.
“What is that nonsense they are doing?”
As Cheon-hwi quietly observed them.
“We have to get out of here!”
Heavenly Ear Beggar, who read the unusual atmosphere, hurriedly tried to run out, but…
“Where are you trying to go? I prepared this formation for you.”
The Divine Brush Scholar blocked his retreat path.
“A formation…?”
“Thank you. Heavenly Ear Beggar. Originally, I was only planning to take care of you, but you also brought along a guy who might become a tricky enemy in the future.”
“Y-you bastard!”
Heavenly Ear Beggar struck out the Jade Shattering Divine Palm.
Paang!
However, his palm power passed through the body of the Divine Brush Scholar and vanished into the empty air.
“……!”
“The formation has already been activated.”
The Divine Brush Scholar’s figure gradually blurred.
“Have a good trip. Still, you won’t be alone in the end, isn’t that nice?”
Heavenly Ear Beggar spat out a venomous sound toward him, who was beginning to disappear.
“You son of a bitch! You will never be able to die peacefully!”
“I know that too.”
The Divine Brush Scholar, who spoke calmly, moved his eyes and stared at Cheon-hwi.
“Ah, come to think of it, I should express my gratitude to you as well. Thanks to you dragging for time without killing my subordinates immediately, I was able to complete this formation.”
The corners of his mouth twisted.
“Didn’t I tell you so? That your arrogance would catch your ankles someday.”
Ending with those words, he completely disappeared, and the scenery was dyed red.
Very bright red and vividly, like blood.
Surprise tinged Cheon-hwi’s eyes as he felt the changes happening around him.
‘They are unleashing this formation?’
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