Chapter 195: Chapter 195
Whoosh…
The brilliant light that had enveloped the martial arts arena shattered into pieces, and a faint breeze blew.
Was it because of that?
“W-what happened?”
“T-the result?”
The vision of the crowd, who had been blinded by the intense light, returned one by one.
And soon, their gazes turned toward the sunlit martial arts arena.
“……!”
“How could this be!”
Everyone erupted in shock.
“Huff, huff.”
Ha Woo-jin was breathing heavily, his sword drooping downward.
In contrast, Cho-ryeon was relaxed.
No, she pretended to be relaxed.
‘…It was an intense strike.’
She clenched and unclenched her right fist.
The newly formed wound in the dead center stung, but she forced the corners of her mouth up.
‘Flying Swallow Sword Lord, I’ll have to keep an eye on him.’
Wearing a meaningful smile, she raised her sleeve to cover her mouth and spoke.
“Will you surrender?”
It was a soft suggestion uncharacteristic of the Unorthodox Faction.
However, that too was what the woman had planned.
‘Survival of the fittest only works in the Jianghu.’
Her gaze swept over the crowd.
The vast majority of the crowd were commoners, not those involved in the Jianghu.
Specifically, those from merchant guilds, escort agencies, and taverns.
They were all people leading the economy of Shaanxi. Therefore, she showed mercy in her strikes to leave a good impression.
At that moment, Ha Woo-jin parted his lips.
“I admit defeat.”
Speaking calmly, he sheathed his sword.
“T-the Flying Swallow Sword Lord lost?”
“T-that woman defeated the Flying Swallow Sword Lord…?”
Rather than cheering, the crowd murmured, finding it hard to hide their bewilderment.
It was to be expected since it was the Flying Swallow Sword Lord.
He was a master counted among the top five in the Zhongnan Sect, and it was said he had almost no rival in Shaanxi.
To think that he was defeated.
Faced with a result they hadn’t even imagined in their dreams, the crowd stared blankly at the martial arts arena with dazed expressions.
On the other hand, Cho-ryeon’s eyes half-opened.
‘He’s admitting defeat already?’
It was a martial arts contest with the fate of Shaanxi on the line.
Therefore, she thought he would struggle to the bitter end…
The Flying Swallow Sword Lord readily backed down.
When she frowned at the situation flowing in a direction different from her thoughts.
“Why are you giving up already? It looked like you could fight a bit more.”
A voice was suddenly heard.
Flustered, Cho-ryeon looked ahead.
A young man was standing next to Ha Woo-jin.
‘When did he arrive?’
Her eyes widened.
Let alone his presence, she hadn’t even noticed him coming.
At the same time, she could realize the reason why the Flying Swallow Sword Lord had readily backed down.
‘Did he trust that guy?’
At that moment, Ha Woo-jin opened his mouth.
“Aren’t you here?”
At Ha Woo-jin’s words, the young man Cheon-hwi opened his mouth with an absurd expression.
“Are you planning to dump everything on me?”
“It just happened that way.”
“Isn’t it a bit much to forfeit immediately with just that level of injury?”
“Hahaha! That’s true.”
Ha Woo-jin burst into laughter.
If it were in the past, he wouldn’t have admitted defeat with such an injury.
But now it was different.
“However, I have a disciple now, so shouldn’t I take care of my body?”
“Hmm, but will it be okay? The reputation of the Zhongnan Sect will fall significantly. No, not just the Zhongnan Sect…”
Swallowing his latter words, Cheon-hwi stared at Ha Woo-jin. He didn’t say it, but the one in the most precarious position was Ha Woo-jin himself.
Ha Woo-jin’s current reputation would fall even more than the Zhongnan Sect’s reputation.
And Ha Woo-jin seemed to know as well, but he smiled as if he didn’t care and parted his lips.
“Reputation is like a handful of mirage… that cannot last forever anyway. Should one hang oneself on such a thing?”
“Your words flow like a mountain stream.”
Cheon-hwi let out a chuckle.
“Still, you made a good decision. You would have suffered a fatal injury if you fought more.”
Ha Woo-jin nodded.
It was a short competition.
However, that was enough.
To know that the woman was a level above him in skill and an opponent he could not defeat.
“I will go down now.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll leave the rest to you.”
Ha Woo-jin turned his body and went down.
“…….”
Only the two of them remained on the martial arts arena.
Silence lingered on the martial arts arena.
Let alone the crowd, not even a peep came from the camps of each side.
It was a situation no one had expected.
A female master had defeated the Flying Swallow Sword Lord, but the one who appeared to face her was a young Taoist of the Mount Hua Sect.
Most could not understand this situation.
At that moment, Cheon-hwi’s gaze turned toward Cho-ryeon. When she revealed her complex feelings in her eyes, Cheon-hwi parted his lips.
“I finally caught you.”
“T-that guy?!”
“Gasp! T-that guy?!”
At that time, a commotion broke out in the camp of the Divine Province Unorthodox Faction.
‘Why is it so loud?’
At the sudden commotion, Cho-ryeon turned her head and then frowned.
The members of the Evil Ghost Gang were preemptively terrified and backing away, and the Evil Ghost Gang Leader, who had been sitting on a chair, was throwing a fit.
He foamed at the mouth and trembled violently, even wetting himself.
“S-save me…! Keok, keok!”
The Evil Ghost Gang Leader, who had been making a huge fuss, rolled his eyes back and fainted in that state.
Cho-ryeon’s eyes shot wide open.
There was only one other time in the past when the Evil Ghost Gang members, let alone the Gang Leader, had shown such a violent reaction.
The day the Evil Ghost Gang was smashed to pieces!
‘…Could it be?’
In an instant, her head turned.
And then, recalling the gang member who had detailed the attack on the Evil Ghost Gang, she quickly scanned Cheon-hwi up and down.
A youthful face and a proud attitude.
And a slightly sharp but undeniably handsome impression and Taoist robe.
Everything she had heard matched.
‘Was this the extraordinary Taoist bastard who was said to have attacked the Evil Ghost Gang…?’
She opened her mouth.
“Are you the one who made… the Gang Leader like that?”
Cheon-hwi picked his ear and spoke.
“Huh? What did you say?”
“…….”
Cho-ryeon’s eyebrows twitched at Cheon-hwi’s attitude of ignoring her by pretending not to hear.
“Are you pretending not to know?”
“What nonsense.”
Cutting her off as if it wasn’t worth saying, Cheon-hwi wiggled his index finger.
“Shouldn’t you just come at me in the time you’re asking such things?”
It was a provocative action, but Cho-ryeon moved her lips without losing her composure.
“…That’s too obvious a provocation. Fufu.”
The woman let out a laugh.
“More importantly, aren’t you going to reveal your name before the martial arts contest? Ah! Since you’re a Taoist, would it be your Daoist title?”
Cheon-hwi showed an annoyed expression.
“Is it necessary to exchange names?”
“No matter if it’s a martial arts contest between the Orthodox and Unorthodox Factions, shouldn’t we keep our manners?”
“Manners?”
Cheon-hwi made an absurd expression as if he had heard something unspeakable.
“Wow, I sure have lived long. To see the Unorthodox Faction talking about manners.”
Cho-ryeon’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
It was because the reckless remarks spat out by a young punk who, at best, was slightly past his twentieth year had provoked her temper.
“Well, if you want to hear it that badly, I’ll tell you.”
Cheon-hwi spoke as if he was being generous.
“Cheon-hwi. That is my Daoist title.”
‘Cheon-hwi…?’
Cho-ryeon chewed over the Daoist title.
But no matter how much she chewed over and repeated it, it was a Daoist title she had never heard of.
‘Did the Mount Hua Sect raise him in secret?’
Her gaze fixed on Cheon-hwi.
An appearance in his early twenties.
However, the momentum and composure exuding from him seemed no different when compared to the dignity of seasoned masters.
‘If he’s to the extent that the Flying Swallow Sword Lord readily stepped down, it means he’s not an ordinary master…’
At that moment, Cheon-hwi grinned.
“Wow, I can hear the sound of your brain rolling from here.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s useless even if you rack your brains. I don’t scheme messily from behind like you guys. I’d rather just step forward and smash everything.”
Cheon-hwi stared straight at her.
“Just like how I destroyed Sayugok.”
Cho-ryeon’s shoulders flinched slightly.
For a moment.
“Is that so?”
Cho-ryeon lightly stomped her foot.
At that moment, her figure disappeared, and before anyone knew it, she had arrived next to Cheon-hwi.
“But like that…”
Thinking she had caught Cheon-hwi’s back, she hurriedly kicked off the ground while whispering.
‘W-where did he go?’
Cheon-hwi was nowhere to be seen.
She looked around everywhere, but she couldn’t see whether he had soared into the sky or sunk into the ground.
But then.
“Where are you looking?”
A voice was heard from the front.
Right one zhang ahead.
Cheon-hwi was standing there.
Faced with a bewildering situation as if possessed by a ghost, her pupils shook greatly as if an earthquake had occurred.
“Your hand techniques are excellent.”
Cheon-hwi harbored a sneer.
“But your footwork isn’t much.”
“…….”
Cho-ryeon bit her lower lip hard.
It was nonsense.
The power of the Remaining Shadow Step contributed fifty percent to her rising to her current position.
As if trying to refute those words, she concentrated her internal energy at the tips of her toes.
And she kicked off the ground.
Pat!
A faint wind blew from below as Cho-ryeon’s figure disappeared.
Cheon-hwi tilted his head.
Hwiiing!
A rough wind blew belatedly, disheveling and fluttering Cheon-hwi’s hair.
“You want to compete with me in footwork?”
Cheon-hwi tilted his chin.
“That sounds good.”
Having finished his words, Cheon-hwi disappeared.
There was neither sound nor movement.
He simply vanished into nothingness.
“W-what?”
“Where did the two of them go?”
When the crowd, who had been watching the martial arts arena with bated breath, was flustered at the sight of the two who had vanished without a trace.
Kaaang!
A shockwave erupted.
It was not just one.
Suddenly, the air distorted from all directions of the martial arts arena, and shockwaves scattered.
Ha Woo-jin, who had returned to the camp, shook his head from side to side while looking at the martial arts arena.
“…He will suffer quite a bit.”
His disciple came to his mind.
His disciple’s goal was Cheon-hwi.
However, looking at this sight now, that dream seemed too high and impossible.
But Ha Woo-jin smiled.
Cheon-hwi was not a distant relation.
The disciple of his close friend.
And he was sworn brothers with his disciple.
Rather, they could be said to be close.
“Are you laughing right now?”
At that time, Im Yeong scolded him.
Ha Woo-jin looked at Im Yeong, then neatly gathered his two hands and bowed his head.
“I am sorry. This disciple was lacking and has blemished the prestige of the Zhongnan Sect.”
“You know well.”
Im Yeong’s expression became serious.
“Due to your defeat, our sect’s reputation will plummet. How will you take responsibility for this?”
“I will gladly accept any punishment.”
“Right, you said any punishment.”
At that moment, Im Yeong smiled.
“Then complete that sword form as quickly as possible.”
Speaking calmly, Im Yeong raised his head, looked at the martial arts arena, and continued his words.
“And try to defeat that child.”
Ha Woo-jin’s eyes widened.
Then he formed a faint smile.
“That seems like it will be difficult.”
“Hmm, do you think you can’t win?”
“It’s not that.”
At Im Yeong’s question, Ha Woo-jin shook his head left and right, and spoke softly.
“The one who will defeat Cheon-hwi with this sword form is not me, but Jong-hyeon.”
Im Yeong looked at Ha Woo-jin with a surprised expression, then burst into loud laughter.
“Hahaha! That is good!”
Around the time the master and disciple laughed pleasantly.
Tak.
On the martial arts arena where the shockwaves had stopped, Cheon-hwi and Cho-ryeon were facing each other.
The appearance of the two was contrasting.
Cheon-hwi was standing leisurely with his newly drawn sword slung over his shoulder.
On the other hand, Cho-ryeon, whose hair was disheveled, was exhaling heavily.
“Is it already over?”
Seeing Cheon-hwi’s mocking expression, Cho-ryeon slowly regulated her breath, which had risen to her throat, and swept her bangs back.
And she maintained her smile again.
“It’s just the beginning now.”
“Hmm, is that so?”
Cheon-hwi parted his lips while looking at her trying hard to maintain a relaxed appearance.
“By the way, why did you come to the Central Plains? Are you planning to conquer the Central Plains or something?”
Instantly, Cho-ryeon flinched.
But that was only for a moment.
She quickly covered her mouth with her sleeve and tilted her head to the side.
Showcasing such heavily exaggerated gestures, she fiercely furrowed her brows and let out a voice deliberately filled with anger.
“Conquering the Central Plains? What are you talking about?”
When Cho-ryeon got angry and tried to feign ignorance, Cheon-hwi let out a chuckle.
Although she showed an extraordinary response in a brief moment, it was merely laughable in Cheon-hwi’s eyes, which pierced through everything.
“Isn’t it too late to feign ignorance when you’ve executed the Jade Shadow Divine Demonic Hand?”
“……!”
Cho-ryeon’s pupils trembled finely.
However, she pretended not to be shaken at all, tilted her head, and opened her mouth.
“Jade Shadow Divine Demonic Hand? What is that again? Is it a hand technique you’ll execute this time?”
In an instant, Cheon-hwi showed a sneer.
Seeing her hurriedly pouring out words unlike her consistent feigned ignorance, it was obvious her composure had long been shattered.
“Right, let’s see you keep pretending not to know.”
Along with his words, he raised his internal energy.
Hwaaaa…
The transparent internal energy of the Plum Blossom Divine Art bloomed beautifully, wrapping around his palm.
“It might look a little different due to the mental cultivation method, but…”
Cheon-hwi spread his palm wide open.
Then, his internal energy clumped into one.
Flash!
An intense light surged.
“T-that’s?!”
Cheon-hwi discharged the internal energy gathered in his palm toward the surprised Cho-ryeon.
At that moment, the light that brushed past Cho-ryeon’s face crashed into the martial arts arena.
Kwaaaang!
The floor of the martial arts arena overturned.
“…….”
Cho-ryeon opened her mouth wide, looked to her side, and gulped her saliva.
A distinct palm print remained clearly indented about three inches deep in the floor.
It was the trace of the Jade Shadow Divine Demonic Hand.
“How is it? Is it roughly similar?”
“H-how…”
“What do you mean how, can’t you tell by looking? I just executed it, what else is different.”
Looking at the shocked Cho-ryeon, Cheon-hwi curled the corners of his mouth up and added his words.
“And when it comes to the Jade Shadow Divine Demonic Hand, I know it best. Better than anyone else.”
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