Chapter 32: Chapter 32
The annihilation of the Supreme King Sect that occurred last night.
The aftermath was considerable.
In a way, it was a natural sequence.
Because the sect holding absolute power in Hamyang County was annihilated overnight.
However, the annihilation of the Supreme King Sect had a greater impact on the Jianghu than expected.
First of all, the sects that had been suppressed by the prestige of the Supreme King Sect and held their breath began to crawl out.
No, it was not enough that they crawled out; they fought to snatch the interests originally held by the Supreme King Sect.
Like wolves running rampant when the tiger dominating the mountain died.
Was that all?
Even the sects and merchant guilds near Hamyang County began to covet them.
Small and medium sects belonging to the Flying Heaven Alliance.
The sects and black paths that were under the Supreme King Sect.
And even the sects belonging to the Murim Alliance.
Hamyang County turned into a muddy field due to the dogfight they engaged in as they gathered one after another.
And the person involved who created this situation no different from a pandemonium was living peacefully at the Flying Wind Merchant Guild.
“Yawn.”
Cheon-hwi was idling away, lying on the bed in the separate building prepared by Go Gye-yeong like a playboy with nothing to do.
Burying his body in the soft cloth, not the hard floor of the thatched cottage, he muttered with a languid expression.
“I’m bored.”
It had already been ten days since he stayed at the Flying Wind Merchant Guild.
During that time, he just kept repeating eating, sleeping, and doing energy cultivation twice a day.
Of course, it was very good at first.
Because he was able to eat his fill after a long time and lie down on a soft bed.
But that was only for a day or two.
As ten days passed, he started getting sick of it.
Whoosh…
Eventually, unable to bear the boredom, he jumped out of bed and picked up his uniform.
“I should just go get some fresh air.”
While he was walking down the long hallway, leaving the room outside of meal times for the first time in a while.
“Oops.”
He ran smack into Go Gye-yeong and Yeon Su-ran, who were hurriedly running somewhere.
Perhaps because it was a sudden encounter, the two of them were startled and greeted him.
“It’s been a while, Benefactor.”
“It’s been a while since we’ve seen you, Benefactor.”
Cheon-hwi looked at the two greeting him.
Go Gye-yeong had a broad smile on his lips as if he was glad to see him.
On the other hand, Yeon Su-ran was trying hard to smile, but that smile looked truly stiff and uncomfortable.
As if she was terrified.
Cheon-hwi roughly returned the greeting as if he was familiar with the two different reactions.
“It’s been a while.”
At Cheon-hwi’s greeting, Go Gye-yeong’s two pupils widened and he smiled broadly again.
“Hahaha, but for you to come outside outside of meal time, has something perhaps happened?”
Go Gye-yeong asked carefully in a very small voice lest anyone hear, and Cheon-hwi answered calmly.
“I just came out because I was bored?”
“Hahaha, then I will attach a servant to you…”
“No. I don’t need one.”
Cheon-hwi, who firmly expressed his intention to refuse, looked straight at Go Gye-yeong’s face.
Within two days, he had changed again.
‘Even though he treated me affectionately, it wasn’t to this extent.’
He began to change from the day it was known that the Supreme King Sect was annihilated.
At that time, he found him difficult just like Yeon Su-ran standing stiffly next to him, but after passing a certain point, he was treating him affectionately and with the utmost courtesy.
“Husband.”
Then, Yeon Su-ran called Go Gye-yeong.
“We don’t have time.”
“Ah! Right!”
Belatedly recalling the reason they were running, Go Gye-yeong bowed his head to Cheon-hwi again.
“I’m sorry. We have a prior engagement, so we have to go first.”
“Yes, goodbye.”
Cheon-hwi spoke in an indifferent tone whether they did or not, but Go Gye-yeong steadfastly maintained his smile and opened his mouth.
“If you need the help or funds of our merchant guild later on, please look for me.”
Go Gye-yeong left while saying his last words, and Yeon Su-ran followed him.
Bow…
Cheon-hwi touched his chin as Yeon Su-ran, who just bowed with a continuously difficult expression along with Go Gye-yeong, disappeared.
‘Help or money… Hmm. It might be useful later.’
When he resumed walking while deeply thinking about the distant future.
Hap! Hap!
Small voices mixed with shouting noises knocked on his ears.
‘These voices…’
For a moment, as if possessed by something, he changed his steps and headed toward the epicenter of the sound.
How long did he walk like that.
Soon, the sight of Jeok-geom and Seol Ran scolding the remaining Plum Blossom Swordsmen while teaching them the sword entered his vision.
“Snap out of it! How can you counterattack if you lose sight of the opponent’s sword tip!”
“A-Understood!”
“Yes!”
Jeok-geom was teaching Jeok Wun and Jeok Jae, and next to him, Seol Ran watched Jeok Bi swing his sword and shouted.
“Senior Brother Jeok Bi! I told you to pay attention to your footwork before swinging the sword too!”
“Hahaha, it looked easy when I just heard it in words… but trying to actually do it is quite confusing, you see.”
At Jeok Bi’s awkward expression, Seol Ran covered her face with her hands and sighed.
“Haa, that’s why I…”
Cheon-hwi approached them while watching Seol Ran say something to Jeok Bi.
“What are you doing?”
“…!”
The five Plum Blossom Swordsmen flinched.
“Martial Uncle?”
“What brings Martial Uncle here…”
When Seol Ran and Jeok-geom revealed their embarrassment and tried to ask, Cheon-hwi asked again.
“I said, what are you doing.”
Feeling the cold air, the two hurriedly stuck both hands to their bodies and stood rigidly. Soon, standing straight as if they had taken root in the ground, the two answered briskly.
“We were teaching them martial arts!”
“We were teaching martial arts.”
Cheon-hwi gently stared at the two sweating from their brows and narrowed his eyes.
“What? You’re teaching martial arts?”
Cheon-hwi opened his mouth while scanning Jeok-geom and Seol Ran with a dumbfounded expression.
“You guys.”
He cut his words, turned his gaze, and said while staring at the remaining Plum Blossom Swordsmen.
“To them?”
“That’s right, but…”
“That’s because the senior brothers asked me for teachings, so I ended up teaching them…”
Disheartened by Cheon-hwi’s dumbfounded reaction, their voices gradually grew smaller, and their expressions also became sullen.
Cheon-hwi clicked his tongue.
“It’s the end of the world, the end of the world. For you bastards to teach anyone…”
For a moment, as if a dagger was stuck in their chests, Jeok-geom and Seol Ran’s expressions darkened.
“The Junior Sister and Senior Brother’s help was great.”
“It was helpful enough.”
“Rather, I am so stupid that I can’t receive my Junior Sister’s teachings.”
The remaining Plum Blossom Swordsmen urgently said at the two’s noticeably changing expressions.
“Everyone…”
“Senior Brothers…”
At the three’s defending words, Jeok-geom and Seol Ran’s complexions brightened, and the dark atmosphere enveloping the two gradually lifted.
A heart-warming atmosphere.
However, that was only for them.
‘What are these guys doing?’
Cheon-hwi had no inspiration at all.
Rather, while looking at them pathetically, an interesting idea suddenly came to mind.
‘I was bored anyway, so this is good.’
He immediately put his thought into action.
“Then shall I teach you martial arts instead of those two?”
“…!”
“Gasp!”
Jeok-geom and Seol Ran stiffened in that state.
“Really?”
“Please do!”
“Martial Uncle is going to teach us?”
Unlike them, the remaining Plum Blossom Swordsmen standing next to them shone their eyes brightly.
“Why? You don’t want to?”
The three shook their heads until their necks nearly fell off.
“No!”
“How could that be?”
“We would only be grateful if you taught us.”
The three Plum Blossom Swordsmen who spoke vigorously revealed expressions overwhelmed with emotion.
In the past, they dismissed Cheon-hwi as just a young Martial Uncle, but not anymore.
The divine might he showed when saving the Flying Wind Merchant Guild.
And even the annihilation of the Supreme King Sect.
To them, it was natural that Cheon-hwi was a Martial Uncle, and going further, he was a figure they deeply respected.
For such a person to give them teachings directly.
It was an opportunity that would never come again.
The three, who were jumping with joy, simultaneously bowed their heads toward Cheon-hwi and shouted.
“Please take care of us!”
Cheon-hwi let the greeting go out the other ear and lifted the sword on his waist along with its scabbard.
“Good. Then let’s start with you.”
He pointed at Jeok Wun with his scabbard and called him.
“Come here.”
“Yes!”
“I’ll be your opponent, so unleash your martial arts with all your might.”
Jeok Wun expressed his awkwardness.
“Weren’t you going to teach me martial arts?”
“I have to know what kind of martial arts you learned to do something.”
“Ah, understood.”
Cheon-hwi glared at Jeok Wun, who was helplessly emitting his internal energy, and added words.
“I said do it with all your might, not roughly.”
“With all my might? Will you be okay?”
In an instant, Cheon-hwi, who read Jeok Wun’s thoughts in his words, let out a smirk.
“Why? Are you afraid I might get hit by your martial arts?”
“Th-that is…”
Whether he hit the nail on the head, Jeok Wun flinched and slurred his words, and Cheon-hwi cut him off flatly.
“That won’t happen even if you die and wake up, so stop spouting nonsense and raise your internal energy with all your might.”
“A-Understood.”
Jeok Wun raised his sword with a nervous expression and immediately raised his internal energy.
Emitting a distinctly different momentum from before, he unleashed the Nine Palaces Footwork and Heavenly Flow Sword Art, which he was most confident in.
Swish… Swish…
The Nine Palaces Footwork, which firmly grasped the space while properly stepping on the nine palaces, was flawless.
The Heavenly Flow Sword Art that followed.
The starting stance, power, and internal energy management, the Heavenly Flow Sword Art perfectly executed in all aspects, had a different grain from when fighting the Supreme King Sect members.
“What? You can properly unleash martial arts though?”
Cheon-hwi, who was watching Jeok Wun approach right under his nose, took half a step forward and stepped firmly on the ground.
Thud!
The swung scabbard had suddenly poked Jeok Wun’s wide-open left flank.
Crack!
“Kuaaaak!”
Jeok Wun’s waist folded with a scream along with the sound of something breaking.
Thud…
Jeok Wun, who dropped his sword in pain, wrapped his hands around his flank and knelt.
“The bone, my bone…”
He smacked his lips while looking down at Jeok Wun, who was complaining of pain while holding his flank.
“But you couldn’t unleash it like this in actual combat, so you struggled against such mere guys, right?”
Jeok Wun’s back heaved.
“Pathetic guys.”
After withdrawing his gaze with his last words, he shifted his eyes to Jeok Jae and Jeok Bi, who were still steeped in astonishment, and said.
“Just attack together.”
Jeok Jae and Jeok Bi flinched.
However, the two soon took a deep breath, calmed their minds, and rushed at Cheon-hwi.
Half a quarter hour later.
“…”
The three Plum Blossom Swordsmen, who collapsed in just a single strike, were lying on the ground.
Cheon-hwi, standing in front of them, opened his mouth.
“Next.”
When no answer came, Cheon-hwi narrowed his brows and raised his head. Then he glared at Jeok-geom and Seol Ran and said.
“What are you doing not coming?”
Feeling Cheon-hwi’s gaze, the two were startled, and pointing at themselves with their index fingers, their lips trembled violently.
“…Yes?”
“U-Us too?”
Cheon-hwi’s eyes grew colder.
“Are you guys not going to do it?”
The two shook their heads from side to side.
“N-No.”
“No!”
Cheon-hwi, watching their vigorous head movements, slung his scabbard over his shoulder and opened his mouth.
“At least your skills were better than those three guys. Because you unleashed martial arts coldly even in actual combat.”
At Cheon-hwi’s praise, which they heard for the first time in their lives, Jeok-geom and Seol Ran’s faces brightened.
However, that shattered to pieces at Cheon-hwi’s words that followed immediately.
“But isn’t it too pathetic to be the skills you learned from me for five years?”
He didn’t show it, but Cheon-hwi was slightly annoyed.
How many times had he taught them martial arts while they were attending to him.
But for them to be pushed back by mere guys like that.
Jeok-geom and Seol Ran sweated profusely.
“Th-that’s…”
“Since it was our first real combat…”
“Bullshit. Do you think such excuses will work in a life-or-death battle? Your neck will be cleanly cut off before that.”
At the words hitting the mark, the two felt their breath choke and swallowed their words.
Next, Cheon-hwi drove a wedge toward the two.
“Have you gotten loose recently because I made things a bit easy for you?”
Jeok-geom and Seol Ran’s faces turned pale.
Recalling Cheon-hwi’s teachings that they had temporarily forgotten, the two’s minds went completely blank.
“N-No!”
“That’s not…”
“No, you must have been comfortable. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have struggled against those guys after I taught you…”
Cheon-hwi’s momentum as he spoke suddenly changed.
Facing an overwhelming presence completely different from when he was teaching martial arts to the three, the two’s complexions suddenly turned white.
“So I’ll properly teach you so that such a thing doesn’t happen next time.”
From Cheon-hwi’s entire body, who gave strength to the word ‘properly’, a fierce internal energy exploded.
“Block well.”
Realizing that it was already too late to reason with words, Jeok-geom and Seol Ran hurriedly raised their internal energy and lifted their swords.
However, despite the two’s resistance, only the sound of beatings and screams were rampant.
Smack! Smack!
“Kuaaak!”
“Tsk, can you not even dodge this much?”
“If you go gently…”
“What? Gently? Why don’t you ask the enemy to go gently then too?”
“B-but you’re too fast!”
“Fast? You must be slow.”
Cheon-hwi refuted their words and took out his anger by constantly moving his scabbard.
And Cheon-hwi’s scabbard wasn’t only directed at the two.
“Gah!”
“M-Martial Uncle! We’re…”
“Get up if you’re awake.”
Cheon-hwi tapped the pressure points of the Plum Blossom Swordsmen pretending to be unconscious with his scabbard.
“Kuaaak!”
“S-Spare…”
“Don’t worry. You won’t die.”
Half an hour later after Cheon-hwi’s beating under the guise of martial arts training started.
“Gurgle… “
“Stop now…”
“Martial… Uncle.”
“…”
“Please…”
Cheon-hwi sheathed his sword while looking at the five trembling on the ground.
“To be so sickly with just this much. I’ll have to tell the Sect Leader to select the Plum Blossom Swordsmen again or something.”
He, who spat out words that would have made those who had almost lost their minds run wild if they had heard them, brushed off his hands and poked them, who were lying like corpses, with his scabbard.
“Know that anyone who doesn’t get up by the count of three will be hit more…”
In an instant, the five, who intuitively felt a threat to their lives, had a seizure and jumped up.
“I-I’m up!”
He twisted the corners of his mouth while looking at them.
“Seeing that you got up right away, this much must be okay. Then I’ll go harder.”
The Plum Blossom Swordsmen, who belatedly regained their reason, turned blue in the face after looking at Cheon-hwi.
However, Cheon-hwi added his words regardless of their terrified expressions.
“Then you’ll be hit more… no. You should do a bit more martial arts training. Right?”
“N-No.”
“It’s enough now…”
“No, it’s still not enough.”
When Cheon-hwi, with a slightly relieved expression, raised his scabbard again, the Plum Blossom Swordsmen waved their hands, but…
The scabbard was swung before that.
Smack! Smack!
“Kuaaak!”
Cheon-hwi’s beating under the guise of training began again, and the sound of hitting and screams filled the Flying Wind Merchant Guild.
Swoosh…
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