Chapter 198: Chapter 198
Although it ended in a futile conclusion, the crowd remaining in Cheongyapyeong could not yet escape the lingering imagery of the martial arts contest.
“It was a truly amazing martial arts contest.”
“I now know why the Mount Hua Sect’s Plum Blossom Sword Art is called the absolute best in the Jianghu.”
Their eyes were still hazy.
The wave of plum blossoms that filled the sky.
And the sword art of the young Taoist who created such waves was pierced into their minds and showed no thought of falling away.
At the same time, a single Daoist title was engraved.
Cheon-hwi.
It was a Daoist title they had never heard of before, but now it was different.
No, it had no choice but to be different.
“Mount Hua had been holding its breath.”
“Amazing, truly amazing. Even though other sects and martial artists ignored them so much for years, they were silently raising a hidden dragon.”
“To patiently endure such humiliation.”
“Ehei! Aren’t they Taoists? They wouldn’t have even cared about such humiliation.”
The crowd liked rumors.
Especially a new star that newly appeared in the Jianghu, which had been completely stagnant due to the Nine Provinces Three Supreme Powers?
On top of that, it appeared from the Mount Hua Sect, which was walking the path of downfall and was now barely recovering its prestige?
There was no way gossips would miss such a story that made people drool.
“I had thought Mount Hua would soar again! Not to mention the Mount Hua Divine Sword Taoist, the performance of the Seven Plum Blossom Swords in the current Murim Alliance is almost blinding, isn’t it.”
“The landscape of the Nine Great Sects and One Gang will change!”
They began to spread rumors.
Rumors that initially started with stories they heard from around them began to swell in size as flesh was heavily added to them.
And Cheon-hwi, who formed the main subject of that rumor…….
“Here it is. Little Taoist!”
He was receiving two gold ingots.
Cheon-hwi put the gold ingots given by the merchant into his sleeve, and smacked his lips with a ‘tch’.
‘If I only had more time until the martial arts contest, I would have gathered as much money as possible, and done it.’
Of course, one gold ingot was a large sum of money that an average merchant would never get their hands on in their entire life, but having won and received the money so easily, it seemed insufficient.
‘Should I have received more from Chief Steward Oh?’
By the time Cheon-hwi expressed his regret.
“Why do you have so much greed?”
A voice was heard from the side.
“A guy calling himself a Taoist should know how to be satisfied with that much.”
Heavenly Ear Beggar, who had approached at some point, scolded Cheon-hwi, and then spoke to the merchant.
“Hand mine over too.”
“Here it is.”
The merchant carefully handed over a pouch.
“Hehe. It’s nice and heavy, nice.”
Heavenly Ear Beggar, who received the bulging pouch, unknowingly formed a smile all over his face, but when he met eyes with Cheon-hwi whom he had just scolded, he let out a series of fake coughs with an “Ahem.”
“Ahem, hem. More than that, we need to leave this place first.”
With those words, Heavenly Ear Beggar turned his gaze and looked around. Not only the people who were betting on Cheon-hwi’s appearance, but even others were starting to gather.
“A-Aren’t you the Little Taoist of the Mount Hua Sect who just stepped up for the martial arts contest?”
“But why are you here?”
“L-Little Taoist!”
Looking at the people who were gradually getting packed, Cheon-hwi nodded his head and spoke.
“That would be better.”
Tat.
The two kicked off the ground at the same time.
“Huh?”
“H-He disappeared?”
Heavenly Ear Beggar and Cheon-hwi, who unfolded their footwork, distanced themselves from Cheongyapyeong in an instant.
After a short while, the two people who arrived at a secluded forest past Cheongyapyeong came to a stop.
“This should be enough.”
Heavenly Ear Beggar surveyed the surroundings with sharp eyes, and then vigorously scratched his greasy hair.
“Thanks to you stepping up to the martial arts contest, I clearly found out the backer of the Soul-Snatching Sect.”
Cheon-hwi’s eyes sank calmly.
The reason why he intentionally called Heavenly Ear Beggar in a hurry was all for this.
No matter how much they tried to hide their identities, they had no choice but to show their skills in a martial arts contest.
Of course, they would try to unfold their martial arts in a different way than usual, or try to hide their internal energy.
However, that was also only possible when they had a certain amount of leeway. If the opponent was strong, habits that their bodies had unknowingly grown accustomed to would naturally seep out.
‘And with the Beggars’ Sect’s intelligence capabilities, they would have figured it out just from a briefly visible habit.’
And just as he thought, Heavenly Ear Beggar seemed to have read the source and origin of the martial arts they had learned through the martial arts contest.
“Where is it?”
“It’s the Murder Screen.”
“If it’s the Murder Screen, are you talking about that sect of assassins?”
Heavenly Ear Beggar spoke with a stiffened face.
“That’s right. That guy named Jan-chil tried his best to hide his internal energy, but the martial arts and movements he unfolded in between were identical to those of the Murder Screen that I’ve seen in the past.”
As if recalling that time, his expression looking at the empty air was not very good.
“The Murder Screen…… They’ve lost their minds.”
Cheon-hwi was dumbfounded.
Assassins were those who avoided having their existence known and hid themselves.
To think they would expose themselves above the surface like this.
“They must have something they are aiming for, right?”
“I don’t know about that either. But there’s no way those guys would have moved for no reason.”
Heavenly Ear Beggar deeply frowned.
“Because the Murder Screen’s intelligence capabilities do not fall behind even when compared to this sect or the Hao Sect.”
Assassins were the ones who needed information more than anyone else.
Because the better they knew the target they were killing, they could assassinate without shedding blood.
“Well, then there’s nothing more to gain.”
Cheon-hwi smoothly moved past it.
Even if he uselessly interrogated about things that weren’t there, it would only be a waste of time.
“What about the backers of the other places?”
“I couldn’t see his martial arts so I can’t be sure yet, but the guy that the Geumhwi Manor Lord brought is probably from the Blood Ghost Palace.”
“Those guys are amazing too. Even though they are currently waging a war with the Hainan Sect, to think they would stubbornly aim for Shaanxi.”
The Blood Ghost Palace was a giant sect that ruled all of Guangxi and Guangdong, that huge area, and recently, they had reached out their hands to completely dominate Hainan Island as well.
But to aim for Shaanxi on top of that.
There was no greed quite like this.
“……If it’s those guys, they are the ones who would have more than enough in them to do this kind of crazy act.”
Heavenly Ear Beggar clicked his tongue as he spoke.
The Blood Ghost Palace was a den of madmen.
It made sense, as the disciples belonging to the Blood Ghost Palace were those who abandoned their original names and all the reputations they had gained in the Jianghu, and chose to become a single blood ghost.
It wouldn’t be strange no matter what they did.
“Those two are like that for now.”
Heavenly Ear Beggar shook his head.
“I tried to look into the woman who replaced the Sagwi Gang Leader, but I have absolutely no idea what kind of martial arts it was. Judging from the ice arts she unfolded during the martial arts contest, it seems she’s from the North Sea Ice Palace, but…….”
Heavenly Ear Beggar, who recalled the indescribable ice arts that Cho-ryeon unfolded, scratched his head hard, as if his mind was complicated.
“There’s no way those guys would have entered the Central Plains intact like that.”
It was complicated.
For the North Sea Ice Palace, which was in the Outer Realms, to enter the Central Plains, they had to go through quite a difficult journey.
Not only did it require a long time, but they also had to break through the Flying Heaven Society to enter.
But to point to another sect instead, it was very difficult for a place other than the North Sea Ice Palace to show this level of ice arts.
Hearing that story, Cheon-hwi narrowed his eyes.
So that was why she unfolded her martial arts to her heart’s content.
The Jade Shadow Demonic Qigong and White Hand Demonic Art were ice arts without demonic energy, but their power was strong enough to be counted on one hand even within the Divine Cult.
Enough that it was hard to forget once seen.
‘If even the Beggars’ Sect, which shudders at the mention of the Divine Cult, doesn’t know, it means it has never once been unfolded in the Central Plains for three hundred years.’
Cheon-hwi stroked his chin.
For the descendant of she who had not come out to the Central Plains for such a long time to show herself was not an ordinary matter.
‘Are they really aiming for the conquest of the Central Plains or something?’
Cheon-hwi, who was deep in thought, chuckled and erased it from his mind.
‘Well, I can just ask her later.’
Having finished his brief moment of thought, Cheon-hwi asked Heavenly Ear Beggar.
“Any other information?”
“That’s all.”
“There isn’t much.”
Heavenly Ear Beggar frowned.
“Then what more would I get from there? Most of the words they babble about are useless or exaggerated anyway.”
“Well, that’s true too.”
Cheon-hwi chuckled and stood up.
Then, he said ‘Oops’ and turned his head, reaching out his hand straight toward Heavenly Ear Beggar.
“Hand it over now, will you?”
“……What are you talking about?”
Cheon-hwi smirked as he looked at Heavenly Ear Beggar, who frowned as if he belatedly remembered.
“Don’t pretend you don’t know, hurry up and hand it over.”
“Erai! You still remember that?”
Heavenly Ear Beggar pouted his lips.
He then took out the pouch from his bosom, grumbled, and placed a single silver piece on his hand.
“Here, take this and get lost.”
Right when Heavenly Ear Beggar tried to put the pouch back in.
“Aren’t there two?”
“What do you mean by that……”
Cheon-hwi silently stared at him.
As the subtle pressure continued to ensue.
Heavenly Ear Beggar eventually violently distorted his face and took out one more silver piece.
“Here! Take it, take it! You bastard who would even pluck the liver of a flea! Are you satisfied with taking an old beggar’s money like this?”
“Yes. I’m quite satisfied,”
“T-This……”
Heavenly Ear Beggar trembled his fists in anger.
“I’ll be going now.”
Heavenly Ear Beggar, who was shuddering, watched Cheon-hwi suddenly turn his body and smacked his lips.
“……Where are you going again?”
“Now that we’ve found out what we needed to, shouldn’t we pull it out by the roots entirely?”
* * *
The footsteps of the Four Tyrants of Shenzhou, who were returning after being defeated in the martial arts contest, were incredibly heavy.
Especially the expressions of the Geumhwi Manor Lord and the Sect Leader of the Soul-Snatching Sect walking at the very front were dark.
“……Damn it.”
The Sect Leader of the Soul-Snatching Sect spat out a curse.
It was the gamble of a lifetime.
However, it disastrously crumbled down, disappearing like a handful of dust.
The reputation he had built up all this while, and the money too.
At that time, the Geumhwi Manor Lord approached.
“What will you do now, Sect Leader of the Soul-Snatching Sect?”
At the quietly murmuring voice that sounded as if he had attained nirvana, the Sect Leader of the Soul-Snatching Sect gritted his teeth.
“Is there any other way? As they said, we have no choice but to quietly accept sealing our sects.”
After the martial arts contest ended, the words the Sect Leaders of the Zhongnan Sect and Mount Hua Sect handed over like a notification when they visited was the sealing of their sects.
And they had no choice but to accept it.
“Is it a relief at least that they didn’t chase us out of Shaanxi entirely?”
Around the time the Geumhwi Manor Lord was muttering.
“This has become quite troublesome.”
The man that the Geumhwi Manor Lord brought suddenly popped his face in between the two and smiled.
“To think the money and military force we supported you with would turn into bubbles in an instant like this.”
The Geumhwi Manor Lord bit his lip.
“It couldn’t be helped. There was a stronger master than us on the opponent’s side, so what could we do?”
“Manor Lord, are your words implying that another master should have come instead of me?”
The man brought his face closely forward.
Facing the Geumhwi Manor Lord closely enough for their breaths to touch, the man drew a deeper smile.
“How strange. In my eyes, it seems we came to this point because you were greedy, what do you think?”
“That’s…….”
At that moment, a blinding flash sparked.
Right when the Sect Leader of the Soul-Snatching Sect, who was next to them, looked in surprise at the sudden light.
Squelch…
Bloodstains formed on the Geumhwi Manor Lord’s neck.
And before long.
Spurt…
As blood soared in all directions, the Geumhwi Manor Lord’s head dropped down with a thud.
“U-Uaaah!”
“Manor Lord!”
The martial artists of Geumhwi Manor jumped out of their skins in shock, trembling uncontrollably.
Several tried to run away, but.
“Know that you will die if you take even a single step from here.”
The man’s chilling warning prevented it.
At that sound, when not only Geumhwi Manor but even the unrelated disciples of the Soul-Snatching Sect were frozen like statues, forgetting to breathe.
“Heo, heop!”
The Sect Leader of the Soul-Snatching Sect gasped for air.
He felt something touch his toes and looked down, only to see the Geumhwi Manor Lord’s head, which had rolled over, looking at him.
With eyes that had completely no idea he had died.
Gulp…
His Adam’s apple bobbed heavily.
At the same time, he abruptly raised his head and looked at the man who created this situation.
“You just had to do what you were told.”
The man, whose face was covered in blood, wore a thick smile.
“To needlessly cause a scene and ruin it.”
The man swept his face with his hand.
Drops of blood trailed along his fingers, leaving marks on his face.
It was a creepy sight.
When the Sect Leader of the Soul-Snatching Sect broke out in cold sweat on his back unable to even breathe.
Tak.
Jan-chil stood in front of him.
The man saw Jan-chil and smirked.
“Don’t you think so too?”
“…….”
“You seem to be tight-lipped. No. I heard assassins are originally like that, so it might be natural.”
“A-Assassin! Heop!?!”
The Sect Leader of the Soul-Snatching Sect unconsciously spat out his words before hastily covering his mouth with his hand.
“Do you know about me?”
“Hahaha, what are you saying?”
The man burst into laughter.
“Do you think only you would know about us? You are overflowing with confidence.”
Jan-chil’s eyes sank calmly.
Watching him like that, the man moved his lips with an expression that showed he liked it.
“Haha.”
Suddenly, he burst into laughter.
Resolving the heavily inflated atmosphere with laughter, he extended his right hand toward Jan-chil.
“Since we both know each other’s identities, won’t you join hands?”
Looking down at his extended hand, Jan-chil’s eyes beneath his bamboo hat flashed.
“What do you mean?”
“Wouldn’t it be better to focus and share as one instead of uselessly wasting our energy. It would be troublesome if someone who thinks like these guys needlessly appears, you see.”
“……That is correct.”
Jan-chil agreed with a cold tone.
He too didn’t like that the Sect Leader of the Soul-Snatching Sect acted as he pleased.
To the point he wanted to kill him right this moment.
“However, the martial arts contest was already lost. Pouring more effort here is a waste.”
“No, not yet.”
The man twisted his lips.
“What Mount Hua and Zhongnan wanted from the defeat of the martial arts contest was the sealing of the Four Tyrants of Shenzhou.”
The man’s voice was calm.
However, the faint killing intent contained within it made the watchers’ hearts very uncomfortable. A few felt their hearts were beating so fast they thought it would soon burst.
“That means if only the Four Tyrants of Shenzhou seal their gates, they won’t care about anything else.”
“Are you telling me to spend time and money again?”
“Hahaha, is there a need for that?”
The man spread both his arms wide.
“The newly born troops and money are sufficiently right here.”
Jan-chil’s eyes slightly widened.
“……So that’s what you meant.”
He whispered and turned his body.
“S-Sir?”
The Sect Leader of the Soul-Snatching Sect was flustered by Jan-chil’s gaze suddenly looking down at him.
The killing intent briefly seen inside the indifferent eyes.
It was so cold and chilling that it was stabbing his chest like a needle.
“I was just wanting to see your blood.”
“Yes……?”
Stab!
A chilling sound echoed.
At the same time, a sharp sword pierced into the Sect Leader of the Soul-Snatching Sect’s chest, protruding through his back.
“Ku, cough! Y-You…….”
The Sect Leader of the Soul-Snatching Sect reached out both hands toward Jan-chil who thrust the sword into his chest, but.
Drop.
Soon, his hands fell down powerlessly.
“He was an useless guy.”
Jan-chil pulled out his sword.
The Sect Leader of the Soul-Snatching Sect’s body collapsed downwards, and soon the blade slipped out, stained with blood.
Clap! Clap!
The man clapped his hands and approached.
“I will take it as joining hands.”
“Although I don’t like it.”
Jan-chil spoke like a mutter as he shook off the blood stained on his blade.
“There must be no other way.”
“Hahaha, that’s right.”
The man laughed heartily.
At the broad-minded appearance that was hard to believe he was someone who had just covered himself in blood with a cold face, the martial artists of Geumhwi Manor and the Soul-Snatching Sect watching from behind felt a chill as if the cold was piercing through their bodies.
“But you’re quite lucky. I wanted to join hands only with you if possible, and just in time, she vanished completely.”
The man recalled Cho-ryeon.
Although he lived acquiring information from all directions, he could not figure out the woman’s identity.
Like she dropped out of the sky.
“If she was here too, I wouldn’t have accepted that proposal either.”
Jan-chil also spoke in agreement.
To an assassin, information was life.
That being the case, he did not want to join hands with a woman named Cho-ryeon who had no information at all.
“Then I look forward to working with you.”
The man extended his hand.
Jan-chil alternated looking at that hand and the man’s face, before abruptly turning his head.
“It’s just a temporary cooperative relationship, I have no intention of getting close.”
“Hahaha.”
The man smiled awkwardly and withdrew his extended hand as he spoke.
“Still, wouldn’t it be better to get close. Between the place you belong to and us, we will be together for quite a long time.”
“No. Won’t that be difficult?”
At the voice that suddenly interrupted, the man and Jan-chil hastily raised their heads.
Cheon-hwi was on a tree branch.
“Y-You?”
“When did you get there……!”
Looking down at the two who were startled, Cheon-hwi revealed his pure white teeth and smiled.
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