Chapter 208: Chapter 208
“New food is quite good as well.”
Danmok Rin, who was using chopsticks right next to him, agreed with Cheon-hwi’s words.
“It seems the chef here has mastered all the cuisines of the Central Plains.”
While the two of them peacefully ate their meal, tasting the food like this, the atmosphere directly opposite them was completely the opposite.
“But Elder…”
Sa U-sang, whose eyes had become swollen like chestnuts, gently rubbed his eyes and called out to Heavenly Ear Beggar.
It was a very cautious call.
However, Heavenly Ear Beggar’s response was crooked.
“What is it?”
Heavenly Ear Beggar, who was tilting his alcohol cup, opened his eyes sharply and glared at Sa U-sang.
“Why? Do you want to get beaten up again?”
“H-How could that be?”
Sa U-sang shrank his neck at Heavenly Ear Beggar’s incomparably blunt tone.
Yet, he was grumbling to the fullest on the inside.
‘Even as he gets older, he’s still so narrow-minded.’
However, he absolutely did not show it on the outside. Sa U-sang wore an awkward smile to the point of being subservient and carefully met eyes with Heavenly Ear Beggar.
“I called you because I was curious and wanted to ask why you, Elder, are in such an appearance.”
In an instant, Heavenly Ear Beggar thought ‘Oops’ and rolled his eyes around.
Then he let out a fake cough.
“Ahem, ahem! Since I have an important mission recently, I did this to hide my identity.”
“…Is that true?”
Sa U-sang looked at him with suspicious eyes.
No matter how much of a mission it was, shouldn’t a Beggars’ Sect member follow the sect rules?
But he was in such a state.
At the moment his suspicion was getting deeper and deeper.
“Are you saying you can’t believe my words!”
Heavenly Ear Beggar suddenly shouted out.
Did they say the guilty party gets defensive?
As Heavenly Ear Beggar made a gesture of lifting his chair again, Sa U-sang got terrified and shouted.
“N-No! I believe you!”
The clothes of Sa U-sang, who hastily waved his hands, were already damp with flowing sweat.
‘By the way, an important mission?’
Having escaped the crisis of getting beaten up once again, Sa U-sang stared at Heavenly Ear Beggar with a puzzled look and thought deeply. But as he watched quietly, Heavenly Ear Beggar’s words gradually began to make sense.
‘It would certainly be hard to recognize.’
If Heavenly Ear Beggar had his usual appearance, anyone would have recognized him as a Beggars’ Sect member in a breath, but…
Not now.
‘No, who would see that as a Beggars’ Sect member?’
Sa U-sang quickly looked over Heavenly Ear Beggar.
The beard and hair that were filled with pitch-black dirt were neatly trimmed.
With neat clothes thrown on top of that, it was so perfect that even he, who had seen him for a long time, couldn’t recognize him.
‘He just washed and wore clothes properly, but can a person change this much.’
Looking at Heavenly Ear Beggar, Sa U-sang scratched his head without realizing it.
Only his outward appearance had changed.
However, it changed a lot with just that.
Because even the expression that was usually full of complaints and dissatisfaction, now looked to him like the face of a meticulous scholar.
‘But just what kind of mission is it that he is carrying it out even while breaking the sect rules?’
Curiosity arose in Sa U-sang’s eyes.
“Can I know what kind of mission…”
“I cannot tell you.”
Heavenly Ear Beggar cut off his words sharply.
And deliberately revealing a serious expression, he stared at Sa U-sang’s two eyes.
‘I have to gloss over it somehow.’
And his intention succeeded.
Sa U-sang’s expression, watching Heavenly Ear Beggar’s change in expression, also became serious.
“…Is it that important?”
No matter how much Heavenly Ear Beggar was a troublemaker causing incidents and accidents, he was still the best at gathering information in the Beggars’ Sect.
That was why even the Beggars’ Sect treated him properly, despite finding him a headache.
Seeing Sa U-sang being deceived, Heavenly Ear Beggar thought this was the moment and nodded his head.
“So do not tell the other guys that I am carrying out a mission. Do not let them know that the one in this state is me either.”
“Understood.”
Sa U-sang nodded slightly and slyly looked alternately at Cheon-hwi and Danmok Rin.
‘Then who are those two? Are they people carrying out the mission together?’
His pupils quickly swept over the two people who had been calmly eating their meal continuously since Heavenly Ear Beggar hit him with a chair.
The two were by no means ordinary people.
The young man did not step back even against the Sichuan Tang Clan, and rather was more confident than them.
On top of that, what about that woman.
Since she was wearing a veil even while eating, it was hard to call her ordinary.
‘I haven’t heard any information about such a man and woman recently…’
It was an eye-catching appearance no matter who looked at it.
But no matter how much he searched the information in his head, he couldn’t figure it out at all.
After groaning for a long time like that, Sa U-sang finally couldn’t hold back his curiosity and asked.
“Uh, Elder. By any chance, is it also not allowed to ask the identities of that young hero and young lady?”
“Why are you asking me that. If you are going to ask, you should ask the persons involved.”
At Heavenly Ear Beggar’s correct words, Sa U-sang momentarily stared at him with surprised eyes.
“What is it, with those eyes?”
“Hup! N-No.”
At Heavenly Ear Beggar’s sharp gaze, Sa U-sang hastily turned his gaze away and opened his mouth.
“Ahem, ahem. Come to think of it, I didn’t introduce myself. I am called Sa U-sang. I am the Guild Leader of the Kwayhyeop Pavilion in the Beggars’ Sect.”
Cheon-hwi, watching Sa U-sang suddenly introduce himself, put down his alcohol cup.
At that, Sa U-sang added his words.
“What is your name?”
Cheon-hwi stared at Sa U-sang.
After doing so for a moment, he poured alcohol into his cup with an annoyed expression and opened his mouth.
“Cheon-hwi.”
“Cheon-hwi, you say…?”
Sa U-sang tilted his head for a moment.
The name ‘Cheon-hwi’ was the name he had heard more than anyone else recently.
It made sense, as wasn’t he one of the two figures who recently struck Jianghu greatly.
But he shook his head.
The name was the same, but it couldn’t be him.
Wasn’t what he was sipping right now alcohol, and what he was bringing to his mouth with chopsticks a meat dish.
“Hmm. It seems you are people with the same name.”
Sa U-sang shrugged his shoulders.
“You must suffer a lot too. Out of all things, since you share a name with the Plum Blossom Divine Hero who has recently been making a name for himself in Jianghu, quite a few people must be swarming you.”
“Plum Blossom Divine Hero…?”
Cheon-hwi’s glabella frowned naturally.
Seeing that the word ‘Plum Blossom’ was included in the title, it was obvious that it was a figure from the Mount Hua Sect. But someone with the same name as himself?
‘Don’t tell me…’
At the moment Cheon-hwi was feeling suspicious.
“Do you not know? No, you might not know. Since the title Plum Blossom Divine Hero hasn’t properly spread in Jianghu yet.”
Sa U-sang crossed his arms and said.
“Do you happen to know that a martial arts contest betting the fate of Shaanxi was held recently?”
How could he not know that.
When Cheon-hwi nodded his head.
“Then it will be easy to talk about. That day the martial arts contest opened and…”
Sa U-sang, who had been smiling, immediately continuously poured out words restlessly like a waterfall.
“…But then the Flying Swallow Sword Lord was defeated. Due to that, dark clouds loomed over Mount Hua and Zhongnan. It’s understandable, because the Mount Hua Divine Sword couldn’t participate in that contest. Ahem, ahem. Ah, I’ll drink some alcohol for a moment and continue speaking.”
As his voice cracked a little from continuously speaking, Sa U-sang used that as an excuse to quickly moisten his throat with alcohol.
And he started chattering again.
“But didn’t they say heroes are born in turbulent times. A young Taoist from the Mount Hua Sect with the same name as you stepped forward.”
Sa U-sang, excited, chattered with a slightly raised voice.
“And he took down the female expert who defeated the Flying Swallow Sword Lord…”
As his explanation continued, Cheon-hwi’s expression only became increasingly subtle.
Listening to it, the Plum Blossom Divine Hero he kept talking about was none other than the title attached to himself.
‘They call me a Divine Hero?’
He was someone who was called the Absolute Heavenly Demon in his past life. But what, Plum Blossom Divine Hero?
Not even a laugh came out.
‘If someone who knew me in my past life heard this title, they would throw a fit.’
When he was showing a dumbfounded expression at a title that didn’t suit him at all.
“Puhahahat!”
Heavenly Ear Beggar burst into roaring laughter.
Laughing breathlessly as if it was so funny, he wiped the tears forming in his eyes.
What kind of person was the Cheon-hwi he saw by his side.
Selfish and self-righteous.
He was a figure far from ‘chivalry’.
But his title was…
“This guy is the Plum Blossom Divine Hero? Pfft!”
When Heavenly Ear Beggar burst into laughter again.
“It is a title that perfectly suits you, Senior Brother!”
Danmok Rin spoke with emphasis.
Unlike Heavenly Ear Beggar, she, who was saved by Cheon-hwi, thought it was a very fitting title and purely sparkled her two eyes.
Meanwhile, Sa U-sang, who watched the reactions of those two, couldn’t hide his bewilderment.
Weren’t these two talking as if Cheon-hwi was that Plum Blossom Divine Hero right now!
His trembling pupils captured Cheon-hwi and the alcohol and meat placed in front of him.
“But why alcohol and meat…”
“Why? Can’t I eat them?”
“No, not necessarily…”
At Cheon-hwi’s words that were incomparably confident, Sa U-sang was about to be convinced for a moment before hastily coming to his senses.
“N-No! Of course you shouldn’t eat them. Taoism has strict rules.”
“Hmm, rules?”
Cheon-hwi slyly looked at Heavenly Ear Beggar.
“…”
Sa U-sang immediately shut his mouth.
To point out Taoist rules, wasn’t Heavenly Ear Beggar also breaking the Beggars’ Sect rules.
It was like spitting on his own face.
‘But it’s amazing. To think I’d see the Plum Blossom Divine Hero in a place like this…’
His rapidly moving pupils scanned Cheon-hwi thoroughly from top to bottom.
As a Beggars’ Sect member, he couldn’t possibly miss the information of the Plum Blossom Divine Hero who was shaking the current Jianghu, so he quickly stored it in his head one by one.
Appearance, personality, and even his actions shown to the Sichuan Tang Clan today, all of it.
Having meticulously gathered information about Cheon-hwi like that, he wore a satisfied expression and turned his gaze to Danmok Rin.
“Then the young lady’s name is…”
“I’m Rin.”
Danmok Rin spoke calmly.
“That is the first time I’m hearing that name.”
Sa U-sang, who had been nervous wondering if she might be another amazing figure, swept his chest and stared intently at the veil.
He didn’t know for sure.
She too might be an astonishing figure.
But due to the veil made of densely woven fabric, her face couldn’t be seen at all. Eventually, he shook his head, looked at Heavenly Ear Beggar, and opened his mouth.
“May I know where you are heading after this?”
“The Zhuge Clan.”
“T-The Zhuge Clan, you say…?!”
Sa U-sang’s eyes widened.
Currently, due to the Patriarch’s sixtieth birthday banquet, influential clans and sects of the Flying Heaven Society were gathering one after another at the Zhuge Clan.
But they were personally visiting that place?
It was no different from sticking one’s face directly into a tiger’s jaws.
“It is no ordinary matter.”
Thinking it was a serious mission, Sa U-sang stepped back and asked quietly.
“Is there anything I can help with?”
“Not exactly…”
When Heavenly Ear Beggar was about to say there wasn’t.
“Then give us some information.”
Cheon-hwi interrupted in the middle.
“What information do you want?”
At Sa U-sang’s following question, Cheon-hwi twisted the corners of his mouth and spoke coldly.
“The Zhuge Clan and the Sichuan Tang Clan.”
* * *
The Zhuge Clan.
Located on Mount Tai in Shandong Province, the Zhuge Clan was one of the clans that supported the Righteous Faction Martial World for a long time.
Whenever the Righteous Faction faced danger, how great a power had their outstanding intellect and formations displayed.
Was it because of such influence.
As the day the Patriarch’s sixtieth birthday banquet would be held approached, the number of people visiting the Zhuge Clan was noticeably increasing.
Due to that, at the main gate of the Zhuge Clan, figures of the Outer Pavilion, including the Outer Chief Steward, were standing.
Normally, it was a main gate guarded by only two gatekeeper martial artists, but it was different now.
It was because even more people than they thought were visiting.
“We came from the Chuseong Sect.”
“Congratulations on the Patriarch’s sixtieth birthday. These are items containing the meaning of our congratulations.”
“Thank you for visiting.”
Inside the carriage, Cheon-hwi leaned his body back while listening to the voices heard from outside.
“Yawn. It’s taking a long time.”
When Cheon-hwi, who had a bored expression, buried himself in the chair and let out a yawn, Danmok Rin sitting opposite him smiled softly.
Then, glancing back slightly, she spoke.
“I wonder if the Elder went well?”
“He probably did.”
Cheon-hwi recalled this morning.
As soon as he arrived at Mount Tai, he immediately got off the carriage and moved separately.
It was probably somewhat awkward for the Grand Supreme Elder of the Beggars’ Sect to personally enter the Zhuge Clan.
Around the time he recalled his back as he left.
Rattle.
The carriage standing in front of the main gate stopped.
“Hmm? Isn’t it Go Sam! It’s been a while!”
“It’s been a while.”
The Outer Chief Steward of the Zhuge Clan, who recognized the coachman Go Sam, smiled brightly and welcomed him.
“Hahaha, I already heard from the Waryong Merchant Guild Leader that you were coming.”
The Outer Chief Steward, who spoke quietly, knocked on the carriage door and opened his mouth.
“Welcome to your visit.”
As soon as those words ended, the carriage door opened, and Cheon-hwi and Danmok Rin came out.
“There really are a lot of people.”
“Indeed.”
The Outer Chief Steward, seeing the two, frowned for a moment.
As far as he knew, the person Go Sam brought was definitely a disciple of the Mount Hua Sect, but he was wearing ordinary clothes, not Taoist robes.
He approached the two and asked.
“Is it correct that you came from the Mount Hua Sect?”
“We are.”
“However, your clothes are…”
“Hmm? Ah, I forgot.”
Lowering his gaze to check his attire, Cheon-hwi spoke to Danmok Rin.
“I need to bring some luggage.”
“Yes, Senior Brother.”
Danmok Rin rummaged through the luggage.
And after carrying a small bundle out, she took out a Taoist robe.
“Will this do?”
When the Outer Chief Steward was getting flustered watching Cheon-hwi holding the Taoist robe with one hand like it was a piece of luggage.
“T-That flag?”
“The Tang Clan, it’s the Tang Clan!”
A commotion arose from behind.
Following that, the people standing in line split in half, and a splendid carriage entered.
Soon, the carriage door swung open.
“It’s been a while.”
“It is a similar size to our clan.”
Eunhyeong Bigaek and Tang Jeok alighted.
While looking at the main gate of the Zhuge Clan, they turned their heads to the side, discovered Cheon-hwi, and emitted killing intent.
“You bastard…!”
“You really came to the Zhuge Clan.”
When the martial artists of the Tang Clan who followed, including Eunhyeong Bigaek and Tang Jeok standing at the forefront, glared at Cheon-hwi.
“Did something happen with the Tang Clan?”
The Outer Chief Steward got flustered and asked him.
“Well, there was something.”
Cheon-hwi looked at them and grinned.
‘We met sooner than I thought.’
Meeting the Sichuan Tang Clan was a predetermined sequence.
Since they had also come to attend the Zhuge Clan Patriarch’s sixtieth birthday banquet.
‘Will they attack here?’
At that moment when Cheon-hwi did not avoid their eyes filled with killing intent and stared back.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Huge footsteps were heard.
Following that, the door opened with a bang, and a muscular man with dark skin came out.
“Hmm? What is with that size?”
“Is he a martial artist who visited the Zhuge Clan? With that level, he could match the Peng Clan…”
“Hmm? Sichuan Tang Clan?”
The man who stood in front of the momentarily surprised Tang Clan martial artists briefly glanced at them.
“Huh?! Young Hero! You were there!”
Discovering Cheon-hwi standing in front of the main gate, he ran over in a single breath. Running with steps that felt like they would cause an earthquake right away, he stood in front of Cheon-hwi and smiled brightly.
“It’s been a while.”
“Your size has gotten bigger than last time?”
“Hahaha, is that so?”
The man, Zhuge Seong-hyeon, smiled awkwardly.
Following that, he reached out his hand embedded with calluses and grasped Cheon-hwi’s hand.
And bowing his head, he spoke.
“More importantly than that, thank you for accepting my invitation this time!”
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