Chapter 51: Chapter 51
Cheon-hwi pulled out the sword pierced into the heart of the dead White Snake God.
Trickle…
The blood that began to flow out from the gaping wound dyed the pure white clothes as if plum blossoms were blooming.
Withdrawing his gaze from the coldly cooled corpse of the White Snake God, Cheon-hwi muttered bluntly.
“Did I underestimate the Jianghu too much?”
Even though he had defeated the White Snake God, his expression looked so considerably dissatisfied that it was hard to think of him as a victor.
‘I didn’t intend to unfold demonic arts.’
Since he decided to become a Taoist of the Mount Hua Sect five years ago, he had vowed not to unfold demonic arts and absolute techniques anymore.
But how did it turn out?
Unable to break the White Snake God’s qigong technique with just the internal energy of the Plum Blossom Divine Art, he eventually had to draw out the power of the Absolute Reigning Art.
“It’s rather annoying that it couldn’t be helped.”
His furrowed eyebrows gathered together.
“But did he say Eight Martial Gods? It sounds like I’ve heard it somewhere……”
At the moment he was recalling the words of the White Snake God left as a last will right before he died.
“Cheon-hwi!”
He turned his head at the ringing shout heard from behind his back.
“Are you okay? Where is the White Snake God?”
“I’ve come to help!”
To the urgent questions of Hyeon-do and Ha Woo-jin who appeared belatedly, he moved his sword and pointed at the coldly cooled White Snake God.
“……!”
The two opened their eyes wide at the same time.
They were standing with their mouths wide open with blank faces as if they had witnessed an unbelievable sight.
Without paying attention to the two who were making stupid expressions, Cheon-hwi swung his sword and shook off the darkish blood stuck to the sword blade.
Swish…
At the sound, Hyeon-do turned his head.
Moving his Adam’s apple greatly as if swallowing saliva, he opened his mouth and asked.
“D-did you do this?”
“Yes, I did.”
Cheon-hwi answered bluntly while staring at Hyeon-do who was asking stutteringly.
“The White Snake God……”
Around the time Hyeon-do stared at Cheon-hwi with a blank face as if he lost his words.
Rumble…
Unable to withstand the clash between Cheon-hwi and the White Snake God, the White Ghost Castle began to shake.
“Rather than that, it looks like it’s going to collapse soon, so let’s go outside.”
As soon as those words ended, the cracks that were everywhere grew larger, and dust fell as if it would collapse right at this moment.
Crumble…
When stones finally fell on their heads, not only Hyeon-do but also Ha Woo-jin who had lost his mind came to their senses and shouted at the same time.
“Let’s hurry up and get out!”
“We have to get out!”
* * *
“W-what is going on?”
The outside was full of people.
The sound of piercing the air continuously heard from the White Ghost Castle made even those who had fallen into entertainment curious, so people gathered one after another near the castle.
“The White Ghost Castle is……”
“It’s collapsing!”
Those who arrived at the White Ghost Castle couldn’t hide their astonishment.
It was surprising enough that the main gate, which was like an impregnable fortress, was broken, but its interior was full of corpses and the scent of blood.
And all of them were the martial artists of the White Ghost Castle.
Rrrumble…
At that time, an ominous sound was heard.
Subsequently, the people were terrified as the ground shook as if an earthquake had occurred.
“U-uaaak!”
“It’s an earthquake!”
Crash!
Would a lightning strike from a clear sky be like this?
As the White Ghost Castle that ruled Nakcheon County collapsed, the audience watching lost their words.
“As expected, you have to pull it out by the roots.”
Cheon-hwi, who kept his distance from the audience, smiled in satisfaction.
He felt refreshed on the inside as if something that had been stale for a long time was finally digested.
“Finally……”
Hyeon-do, who was whispering with a trembling voice, was speechless with overwhelming joy.
Is he that happy?
While Cheon-hwi was shrugging his shoulders as he watched Hyeon-do choke up after eventually speaking without being able to hold back the overwhelming joy.
“I-Immortal!”
Junior Beggar, who had been hiding in the alley for a while, found Cheon-hwi and the group and came running.
And he stared blankly at the three of them with an expression as if he had witnessed a completely unbelievable sight, and then gulped down his saliva.
“D-did the three of you really bring down the White Ghost Castle?”
When Cheon-hwi was about to answer, Hyeon-do raised his hand to stop him and answered instead.
“Can’t you tell by looking?”
Junior Beggar opened his mouth wide.
Did this sound even make any sense?
The White Ghost Castle was one of the Six Imperial Sects, the six pillars supporting the Four Black Alliances.
It was a great sect known to be comparable to the Nine Great Sects and One Gang, but to think it was brought down by only three people.
If it hadn’t been Hyeon-do, it would have been a remark he would have told to stop spouting bullshit.
“W-what happened to the White Snake God?”
Junior Beggar asked cautiously while gauging Hyeon-do’s reaction.
“If it’s that guy, he’s dead.”
Junior Beggar was dazed in shock.
‘They defeated the White Snake God?’
Right now, Junior Beggar’s mind was complicated.
The reputation of the Mount Hua Sect had fallen to the ground to the point where it couldn’t be compared to the past at all.
To the extent that even if it was the Mount Hua First Sword, he was considered to be similar to the level of elders of other Nine Great Sects and One Gang.
But they defeated the White Snake God?
Vitality dwelled in Junior Beggar’s eyes.
‘This is an opportunity!’
Junior Beggar’s mouth watered completely.
He was certain that this information would be a great benefit to him in the competition for the Next Generation Beggar.
“D-did the Immortal defeat him?”
Hyeon-do nodded his head.
“I-I’ll be back for a moment.”
Junior Beggar, who quickly bowed his head once, dashed towards the White Ghost Castle.
Hyeon-do, who was watching Junior Beggar’s receding back, spoke while looking at Ha Woo-jin and Cheon-hwi.
“Let’s say it was me who killed the White Snake God.”
“Yes? But the one who defeated the White Snake God wasn’t you, Senior, but……”
As Ha Woo-jin, who stopped his trailing words, glanced at Cheon-hwi, Hyeon-do shook his head.
“Do you want Cheon-hwi to follow the footsteps of his youngest junior martial brother?”
“……!”
Ha Woo-jin understood at once.
“But will that really be okay? If this matter becomes known, the Mount Hua Sect will be able to gain great fame unlike before……”
The White Snake God was the supreme ruler of one castle.
But if it became known that the one who defeated him was a young person like Cheon-hwi, it would shake up the Jianghu, no, the whole world.
“What does that sort of fame matter. As long as we have Cheon-hwi, we can obtain it at any time.”
Hyeon-do looked at Cheon-hwi with a soft gaze. To him, Cheon-hwi was more precious than anything else in the world.
“More than such things, Cheon-hwi’s safety is the utmost priority.”
“But if it’s Cheon-hwi who defeated the White Snake God, then no one in the world……”
Ha Woo-jin, who was speaking, paused.
There were those he had forgotten, steeped in the peaceful era of the Nine Provinces Three Supreme Powers.
‘They existed, right.’
Ha Woo-jin opened his paused mouth again.
“……I understand.”
What are they saying?
Cheon-hwi stared at the conversation of the two who were making a fuss in front of him as if they were pathetic, and soon shook his head.
“Rather than that, let’s go back. There’s nothing more to see now anyway.”
“Let’s do that.”
“I think I’ll have to go my separate way now.”
Ha Woo-jin said with a stiff face.
“Are you planning to go straight to Zhongnan?”
“Since it was a matter I did arbitrarily, I think I’ll have to report to the main sect separately.”
As he spoke, he glanced at Cheon-hwi.
“That way, we can stop rumors about Cheon-hwi from spreading.”
Hyeon-do laughed and patted Ha Woo-jin’s shoulder.
“Thank you.”
“Not at all. It’s something I naturally have to do.”
Ha Woo-jin, who smiled softly, was about to turn his body and then asked as if he remembered something.
“But Senior. May I visit the Mount Hua Sect later?”
Hyeon-do nodded his head heavily.
“Come visit anytime. Even if the relationship between the Mount Hua Sect and the Zhongnan Sect is not good, if it’s you, everyone will welcome you.”
“Hahaha! Is that so?”
Ha Woo-jin, who had a relieved expression, took a bow and left.
“Then I will visit you in the future.”
* * *
The world was shaking.
A single rumor spreading from Shaanxi was the beginning.
‘The extermination of the White Ghost Castle.’
It was such a shocking rumor that one would pick their ears in surprise the moment they heard it.
Was the White Ghost Castle just any sect?
It was one of the Six Imperial Sects and one of the great sects counted on one’s fingers in the world.
Because of that, most dismissed it as a false rumor, but the Beggars’ Sect, the epicenter of the rumor, nailed it down as truth, not falsehood.
And they added a surprising fact to it.
‘The Mount Hua First Sword and the Flying Swallow Sword Lord killed the White Snake God and brought down the White Ghost Castle!’
Everyone was astonished.
It was surprising that only two people did it, but their true identities were even more surprising.
At least the Flying Swallow Sword Lord was a person who was widely known while doing Jianghu activities recently.
Since he was a person said to be the next first sword succeeding the Zhongnan Sword Saint from the Zhongnan Sect.
On the contrary, the Mount Hua First Sword?
No one knew about him.
Not only his Taoist name, but even his gender.
Not only was there no one interested in the Mount Hua Sect walking the path of downfall, but it had also been decades since the person called the Mount Hua First Sword engaged in Jianghu activities.
However, perceptions changed because of this incident.
Various sects began to move to figure out who on earth the Mount Hua First Sword was.
For the first time in a long time, the Mount Hua Sect began to stand out in the Jianghu.
As if a stone had fallen into a calm lake.
Soon, the world began to shake.
In addition, the attention of the world was focused on Shaanxi, exactly on the Mount Hua Sect, the Zhongnan Sect, and the Four Black Alliances.
Because it was an important matter where an Orthodox-Demonic war might break out depending on how the Four Black Alliances reacted.
And Cheon-hwi, who committed such an intertwined deed, arrived at the Flying Wind Merchant Guild.
“We’ve arrived.”
Junior Beggar, who was in the coachman’s seat, smiled brightly while looking at Cheon-hwi and Hyeon-do.
Thanks to informing the Beggars’ Sect of detailed information about the collapse of the White Ghost Castle, he was in a state closest to the Next Generation Beggar.
‘I need to build more friendship!’
Junior Beggar smiled brightly while looking at Immortal Hyeon-do with a sticky gaze.
Not knowing such thoughts, Cheon-hwi looked at Junior Beggar like a crazy person.
‘No, he is a crazy person.’
He could be certain when he recalled Junior Beggar smiling sillily while looking at the corpse of the White Snake God.
Cheon-hwi withdrew his gaze from looking at Junior Beggar and opened the door of the carriage.
The broken main gate of the Flying Wind Merchant Guild remained as it was, and the inside was wide open.
At that time, Cheon-hwi’s eyes narrowed.
Beyond the smashed main gate, a familiar middle-aged woman was talking with Go Gye-yeong.
“……The benefactor’s help was great.”
“Is that what happened?”
At that moment, he met her eyes.
“Fairy?”
Go Gye-yeong called out in bewilderment at that reaction, but she took a step forward as if possessed. Before they knew it, the woman who had even unfolded the Jade Ring Wondrous Step urgently stood by Cheon-hwi’s side.
“Hwi!”
At the ringing shout, the attention of Go Gye-yeong and those in the Flying Wind Merchant Guild were focused on the main gate.
Cheon-hwi also turned his head.
‘Senior Martial Aunt Hyeon-ryeo?’
“Haa, you were safe.”
She, who had approached before they knew it, swept down her chest with a relieved expression.
“Heoheoheo. It seems Junior Martial Sister only sees Cheon-hwi and doesn’t see me.”
Hyeon-ryeo raised her head abruptly.
“Senior Martial Brother!”
Hyeon-do smiled softly despite her sharp voice.
“It was a joke. By the way, you hated coming out to the Jianghu so much, so what brings you out?”
“Because Cheon-hwi and Senior Martial Brother were in danger……”
She, who was mumbling, seemed to remember something instantly, and added words in an urgent tone.
“How did the matter go?”
“It went well.”
Hyeon-ryeo’s expression changed every moment.
From question to realization, and finally to joy.
She looked at Hyeon-do with an extremely excited expression and struggled to open her quivering lips.
“T-that means……”
“I achieved the revenge of our youngest junior martial brother.”
“Is that…… really true?”
As Hyeon-do nodded his head forcefully, Hyeon-ryeo bit her lip and sobbed.
“Heuk, finally……”
“What tears are there on this good day.”
Hyeon-do patted Hyeon-ryeo’s shoulder.
“Don’t cry and smile. Won’t our youngest junior martial brother like that.”
Around the time Cheon-hwi discreetly distanced himself from Hyeon-do who was soothing the tearful Hyeon-ryeo.
“I am glad you returned safely.”
Go Gye-yeong approached.
“It seems there were no subsequent attacks.”
“Fortunately, there were none.”
“Is that so?”
When Cheon-hwi was about to turn his body, Go Gye-yeong asked in a very cautious tone.
“By any chance, may I ask you one thing?”
“What is it?”
“How did the matter turn out?”
At the words asked with an expression full of worry, Cheon-hwi chuckled and answered.
“There won’t be any more attacks now.”
Go Gye-yeong’s pupils shook greatly.
There are no more attacks?
The meaning behind those words was one.
Either they finished negotiations or the enemy was exterminated.
However, it was highly unlikely that they had negotiated with their enemy, the White Ghost Castle.
Those words meant.
‘The White Ghost Castle has been exterminated!’
Go Gye-yeong, who finished his thoughts, immediately bowed his head so fast that his hair fluttered greatly.
“Thank you. How should I repay this grace…… Ah!”
Go Gye-yeong, who was expressing his gratitude, seemed to remember something and urgently searched his embrace.
“In here……”
A moment later, he carefully handed the resplendent gold plaque taken out from his embrace to Cheon-hwi.
“If you show this plaque to any named merchant guild in the Central Plains, you will be able to receive a little money, although it is meager.”
A strange light dwelled in Cheon-hwi’s eyes.
‘Money? I just needed that.’
Cheon-hwi grabbed the item that might be needed for his Jianghu activities in the future.
“It’s nice.”
“Hahaha. I’m glad you like it.”
Go Gye-yeong smiled brightly.
The gold plaque was a very important thing that made the current Flying Wind Merchant Guild, but Go Gye-yeong didn’t have a single hesitation.
‘Losing the gold plaque is painful, but rather than that, if I build a connection with the benefactor, I won’t have anything to fear in the world.’
In a brief moment, Go Gye-yeong finished calculating in his head.
What was the most important thing for a merchant?
It was money and trust.
It was personal connections.
And he handed the gold plaque to Cheon-hwi, bearing a slight loss for the sake of personal connections.
Throwing the winning move of a lifetime that perhaps held the future of the Flying Wind Merchant Guild.
Go Gye-yeong smacked his lips while looking at Cheon-hwi putting the gold plaque into his sleeve as if it was nothing.
“What are you planning to do now, Benefactor?”
“Since the mission to protect the Flying Wind Merchant Guild still remains, while continuing to stay……”
“No, that will not do.”
Hyeon-ryeo approached, cutting him off firmly.
“Cheon-hwi has to return to the Mount Hua Sect starting now.”
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