Chapter 87: Chapter 87
“Junior Brother!”
“Are you already leaving? Isn’t it too early?”
Cheon-hwi, who had packed his bags, nodded as he looked at Hyeon-do, Hyeon-jin, and the Plum Blossom Swordsmen who had flocked over at some point.
“Since the Sect Leader is telling me to come, I have to go.”
“However, wouldn’t doing a little preparation be good for the journey?”
Hyeon-do spoke cautiously.
“They say to strike while the iron is hot.”
He spoke firmly, but in truth, Cheon-hwi was thinking that it turned out well right on time.
‘There is nothing more to see at the Murim Alliance.’
His purpose in coming to the Murim Alliance was to experience the martial arts of the sects belonging to the Murim Alliance.
However, far from experiencing martial arts, he had only been dealing with annoying matters.
‘If there were no results, I would have already quit.’
He raised his head slightly and looked at the pavilion.
Although he had only stayed for a mere four days, he was satisfied with just that.
‘Since I have laid the cornerstone for the Mount Hua Sect to become the number one sect in the world, they should be able to take care of the rest on their own now.’
Cheon-hwi nodded his head.
There were two things he desired in this life.
To experience all the martial arts in the world.
And to make the current Mount Hua Sect the number one sect in the world.
‘First of all, since it is the sect I belong to.’
At that moment, the Plum Blossom Swordsmen approached.
“Take care of yourself.”
“Don’t wander off onto another path.”
He scanned them as they spat out words.
On one side of their worried expressions, a small smile was lingering.
‘Oh ho.’
“You are not going to take a break from training just because I am not here, right?”
“What are you talking about, Junior Brother!”
“Taking a break from training, could that be possible?”
“That makes no sense!”
They shouted while being startled.
It was as if they were urgently trying to hide it like a child who had told a lie for fear of getting caught.
‘Just looking at it, they were planning to slack off.’
Continuing to watch them awkwardly move the corners of their mouths, Cheon-hwi smirked.
“If your skills haven’t improved the next time I see you, even though you continued training like that, I will increase the training intensity a bit more.”
The Plum Blossom Swordsmen broke out in a cold sweat.
“Huh? Why are you so flustered?”
When Cheon-hwi spoke pretending not to know even though he knew.
“H-however, you wouldn’t know whether our skills will improve or not, right?”
“T-that’s right. It’s not like our skills will unconditionally improve just because we train.”
“That is why the training intensity has to be increased.”
Cheon-hwi spoke firmly.
“If they still don’t improve even after doing that, wouldn’t you have to train even more harshly?”
The Plum Blossom Swordsmen tightly closed their eyes.
Even now, the training was so exhausting that their minds would go blank.
But to have a higher intensity than that.
“Why? Do you hate it? Then you can quit.”
“N-no!”
“We will train hard!”
The Plum Blossom Swordsmen answered urgently.
Because of Cheon-hwi’s personality, they didn’t know if he would actually make them quit.
“Then if your skills are exactly the same next time, please look forward to it.”
“U-uh……”
“Under…… stood.”
Around the time the Plum Blossom Swordsmen lowered their heads in dumbfoundment at Cheon-hwi’s continued words.
“Will you be alright alone?”
Hyeon-do approached Cheon-hwi.
Originally, he had wanted to return together with Cheon-hwi as well, but he couldn’t do so.
‘We joined hands with the Beggars’ Sect, so it’s not like I can just up and leave…….’
Currently, the actual figure of the Mount Hua Sect in the Alliance was not the Sect Leader but Hyeon-do. Yet he is leaving?
The Mount Hua Sect’s barely regained position might shrink back again.
“Am I a child?”
“Heo heo.”
Hyeon-do laughed awkwardly.
In fact, the underlying meaning behind his words wasn’t because he was worried about Cheon-hwi.
‘If only you didn’t cause an incident.’
As someone who had known Cheon-hwi’s personality and martial prowess for a long time, he was only worried that some incident might occur.
“Please do not cause any trouble.”
Only then realizing why Hyeon-do was restless, Cheon-hwi chuckled.
“Depending on the situation.”
* * *
Chwareureuk…
A sound rang out as the beaded curtain at the entrance of a small guest house in Yichang County was lifted.
The faded beaded curtain swayed wildly, and the person who revealed his appearance was Cheon-hwi wearing gray martial arts uniform.
‘There’s a lot.’
Perhaps because it was the time when the sun began to set, the guest house was full of customers.
“Hahaha! So I…….”
Kkiiiiik…
The inside of the guest house was filled with the sound of talking, the clattering of bowls, and the sound of an instrument playing from somewhere.
It was a boisterousness that almost made his ears hurt, but his mood wasn’t entirely bad.
It was because having this many customers proved that this guest house was a pretty decent place.
Moreover, the smells of food piercing his nose were stimulating his appetite.
‘More importantly, will there be a seat?’
After standing at the entrance of the noisy guest house, he moved his head and looked around the entire interior.
Even though the guest house was on the larger side, there were absolutely no empty seats to be seen.
It was because it was the only guest house on the official road heading to Shaanxi, so it was a place crowded with people passing through.
‘I thought I was going to rest at a guest house for the first time in a while.’
Cheon-hwi’s eyebrows narrowed naturally.
‘Do I have to go somewhere else.’
Right when he was about to exit the guest house.
“Welcome!”
A waiter’s voice was heard from behind.
Turning his head, a waiter with a sociable impression was smiling with his eyes.
“Do you have a party?”
“No.”
“The only remaining seats are on the second floor, would it be alright if I guide you there?”
He nodded.
Seeing the nod, the waiter wore a relieved expression and quickly guided him to the second floor.
“It is right here.”
As he sat in his seat, the waiter looked back.
“What would you like to order?”
“Your most confident food and alcohol.”
“It is quite expensive…… would that be alright?”
As he asked with a slightly suspicious expression, Cheon-hwi immediately took out a pouch and lightly handed over a piece of silver.
“S-silver?!”
The eyes of the waiter, who had only been putting on a formal smile, shot open.
“I will prepare it quickly!”
The waiter urgently turned his body and slipped away in fear that the order might be canceled.
“It is grain tea.”
In the meantime, another waiter appeared and left a warm teapot and teacup.
How long had he waited for the food to come out while drinking the tea with a bitter scent?
“Thank you for waiting!”
The waiter who strode up the stairs placed the dishes on the table.
“This is the Qingzheng Wuchangyu (Steamed Wuchang Fish) famous in Hubei Province. It should be fresh since it was caught this morning.”
Oho. This is?
Cheon-hwi opened his eyes wide.
The Qingzheng Wuchangyu was quite famous, but it was a dish with a tricky cooking method.
‘The smell is good, though?’
Vegetables and red seasoning mixed on top of a cleanly steamed fish were stimulating his nose.
However, that wasn’t the end of it.
The waiter subsequently left a liquor bottle.
The liquor bottle was crude as if it were directly handmade, but a sense of pride was dwelling on the waiter’s face.
“And this is a fruit wine personally brewed by our chef.”
He immediately pulled out the stopper of the liquor bottle.
Along with a popping sound, saliva naturally pooled in his mouth at the fragrant liquor scent from the bottle.
“It’s good?”
“Isn’t it?”
The waiter’s face bloomed brightly.
“I will be going now. Please call for me again if you need anything else!”
When the waiter backed away with quick steps.
Clatter…
Cheon-hwi immediately moved his chopsticks and picked up a piece of the fish placed on the dish to eat.
“It is delicious.”
A smile lingered on Cheon-hwi’s mouth.
He then immediately gulped down the fruit wine as well.
‘Taking off the Daoist robe was a good thing.’
A satisfied smile naturally formed.
The very first thing he did after leaving the Murim Alliance was to go to a drapery and change his martial arts uniform for a new one.
Exactly this.
It was in order to avoid the public’s gaze of him being a Daoist and do whatever he wanted.
“At this rate, I almost want to roam the Jianghu more before returning.”
While he was contemplating whether to delay his return due to the quite satisfying journey.
“E-excuse me, customer.”
The waiter hesitantly called out to Cheon-hwi.
Wearing a troubled expression, he subtly looked back and asked cautiously.
“I-if it is not an inconvenience, would it be alright for them to share a table?”
‘Share a table?’
Cheon-hwi’s gaze turned towards the party standing behind the waiter.
There were a total of three of them, and all of them were wearing luxurious attire like the children of an influential family.
“Do as you please.”
“Thank you.”
The waiter bowed his head deeply.
Following that, he turned his head and spoke to the party while smiling broadly.
“You may sit here.”
“Thank you for allowing us to share the table.”
The woman in the middle expressed her gratitude with a calm voice and sat down.
Unlike her splendid outfit, her expression was cold, as if she were a woman emitting a feeling of coldness.
“Thank you.”
“Thank you!”
The man and woman who seemed to be her companions also sat down side by side to the left and right of the woman.
“What would you like to order?”
“For now…….”
While they were placing an order with the waiter, Cheon-hwi ate his food.
The waiter who received the order left.
Gulp chew.
Only the sound of eating the Qingzheng Wuchangyu and gulping down the fruit wine could be heard.
Clack.
After finishing his meal, Cheon-hwi stood up.
Subsequently, when he left while tying the sword leaning next to his chair to his waist, the eyes of the party who had been quietly eating their meal changed.
“So he was a martial artist.”
The handsome young man whispered.
The appearance of the young man wearing luxurious silk clothes and making a serious expression was like a painting.
“How was he?”
At the question of the cold-looking woman, the young man recalled the man they had just shared a table with.
“I didn’t feel anything.”
He was just an ordinary person holding a sword, from whom nothing could be felt.
“He seems like a person carrying a sword for fear of encountering mountain bandits during his journey.”
“Then there’s no need to pay attention.”
The woman immediately turned off her interest.
“Let’s stay here for the night.”
At those words, a somewhat young-looking girl with a cute impression opened her eyes wide.
“We aren’t sleeping outdoors today?”
“Right.”
“Wow!”
“But Young Miss, being in a hurry…….”
The young man spoke urgently, but.
“No.”
The woman with a cold expression cut him off.
“I know it is dangerous, but we have to take a rest even if it is for the sake of the journey ahead.”
The young man let out a sigh as he looked at the figure of the woman who didn’t seem likely to back down.
“I will prepare the rooms.”
* * *
In the quiet middle of the night, Cheon-hwi, who was trying to sleep, opened his eyes.
The moonlight was bright and all directions were silent.
The intermittently heard cries of insects through the window were making this silence even more desolate.
Cheon-hwi slowly raised his body.
“Did I do something to be attacked?”
He thought deeply.
However, there was nothing of the sort.
“No matter how much I think about it, there isn’t anything.”
His pitch-black pupils pierced through the darkness.
“Why did they come?”
That moment.
Swoosh!
The sound of the wind rose loudly, and three or four people emerged from the darkness.
At the same time, daggers poured down.
It was a sudden ambush, but Cheon-hwi moved his hands as if he already knew.
A hand gesture resembling the flapping of a butterfly’s wings.
However, the sharply pouring daggers were sucked into that hand gesture.
“You guys carry around daggers that are too good for your trivial skills.”
The daggers harbored an unusual sharpness, as if made by a master craftsman.
After lightly tossing and catching the daggers for a moment.
Tiiing!
He flicked his fingers and sent flying daggers flying.
It was none other than the Flying Lightning Blade.
The Flying Lightning Blades shot out like lightning, pierced through the bodies of the attackers, and punctured the wall.
“Keok!”
While watching an attacker who let out a short groan stumble, Cheon-hwi immediately lifted his index finger at the killing intent he felt from the side.
Puk!
A gruesome sound was heard.
The attacker who rushed in right after collapsed just like that with a hole pierced in his forehead.
Thud!
The remaining ones gulped their saliva with faces finding it hard to believe as they saw the tragedy that had occurred in barely a single breath.
“Was that bastard Sim Wi Jin?”
At the words spilt by someone among the attackers, Cheon-hwi’s eyebrows frowned slightly.
“What? Sim Wi Jin? Who is that again?”
“What?”
“You’re saying he’s not Sim Wi Jin?”
The eyes of the assassins shook.
“But he was with them.”
“Could it be there is another master besides Sim Wi Jin?”
I was with them?
While listening to the conversation they were whispering urgently, there were people who flashed across his mind for a moment.
The party he had shared a table with last night.
‘So they were aiming for those guys?’
He understood the flowing situation.
However, that didn’t change anything.
‘The important thing is that you attacked me.’
Cheon-hwi glared at the attackers with cold eyes and spat out a warning.
“Whether you guys misunderstood or not, you should pay the price for attacking me, right?”
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