Chapter 382: A Tiger and a Lion Are Different (2)
Shudder.
Gang Ryang felt a shock that made the skin all over his body tremble.
He wasn’t scared of Yang Cheon. His personality was one thing, but having recently done training close to a seeker of truth and achieving great growth in both martial arts and mind, he had gained the toughness not to yield even in the face of overwhelming power.
Nevertheless, he trembled.
His mind did not yield, but his body had reacted first.
‘He is incredible.’
Gang Ryang swallowed his saliva without realizing it.
‘Is this the power of the Saintly Heaven Thirteen Seats, an absolute master who discusses being the strongest in the Central Plains!’
Swish.
The air brushing past his skin was like a blade.
The cold mountain air was gone, and a hot blast of wind blew sharply. It stung as if the skin all over his body had been peeled off, his joints creaked, and his muscles, heavily pooled with blood, were pulsating as if they would explode at any moment.
‘It’s to this extent even though he didn’t emit qi waves. Just by revealing his killing intent, my body is terrified.’
Gang Ryang grabbed his right wrist with his left hand.
‘Damn it, he was much more of a monster than I thought.’
At that moment, he recalled his late father’s words.
‘What? Haha! Yeah, just like you said, how great would it be if this father of yours reached the realm of Saintly Heaven. But Ryang, you must know. There are many monsters in the world for whom common sense doesn’t apply. Saintly Heaven is the peak among them. Although your father is also called an outstanding master in the Black Path, I have no confidence that I’ll reach the ranks of Saintly Heaven even if I train for ten or twenty more years.’
He was a father who was always overflowing with confidence when it came to martial arts. He was caring to his family, but he was a father called the greatest brave man of the Black Path with his strong tenacity and confidence.
That was the only time his father had ever spoken weakly.
‘Even if I train for ten or twenty years, I cannot reach Saintly Heaven…’
The corners of Gang Ryang’s eyes trembled faintly.
‘I finally understand the weight carried in those words.’
Thud!
Half of the huge axe blade of the Crazy Dragon Axe was embedded into the ground.
“It’s a pity in many ways that we meet again in this manner. Have you been well all this time?”
Yeon Ho-jeong’s expression as he boldly asked was very calm, unlike Gang Ryang.
Yang Cheon looked at Yeon Ho-jeong with transparent eyes.
Even though he wasn’t glaring fiercely, it felt as if thousands of daggers were pouring out of his two eyes. It was truly not the gaze of a human.
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.
“Did you lose your words because you suddenly saw a welcome face?”
“…Right, glad to see you.”
A faint smile was cast on Yang Cheon’s face as well.
In an instant, Gang Ryang’s face turned pale.
‘Danger!’
His heart rate doubled from an extreme sense of crisis.
Fortunately, unlike the sense of crisis Gang Ryang felt, Yang Cheon did not make a move.
“There were a few times when old subordinates whom I thought were dead returned without any notice. Poisonous guys who crawled their way back up to this world through death. Even now, those guys are working hard under my command.”
“…”
“But I can’t use you again. Why didn’t you just hide in a mountain village where you wouldn’t be noticed and live your life tilling a field?”
Yeon Ho-jeong chuckled.
“Seeing that you still call me a subordinate, the affection built up during that time seems to have been quite deep.”
“Affection? Well… Yeah, come to think of it, affection did build up. Living for over sixty years, I’ve never seen an outstanding figure like you. Good guts, a smart head, and even excellent martial arts. Frankly speaking, for a very brief moment, I even thought about passing down the Black Dragon Manor to you in the future.”
Yang Cheon’s disciple, Bu Seon’s eyes wavered.
She had never seen or heard of her master giving such a high evaluation to a junior.
“But looking at you now, aren’t you truly like a rat bastard. Then again, they say heaven seems unreasonable but contains fairness within it. God bestowed you with ability and decisiveness, but he didn’t give you the right nature.”
“Is that so?”
It was a strange answer.
Yang Cheon’s voice grew colder.
“The eldest son of the Jiangdong Green Mountain Yeon Clan, the number one rising star under heaven Yeon Ho-jeong, was that your identity?”
“Do not attach shameful modifiers. I am just Yeon Ho-jeong.”
“Yeon Ho-jeong… Yeon Clan…”
The corners of Yang Cheon’s mouth rose.
“Aren’t you curious? How long it would take to erase a single sword clan in a remote corner of Jiangdong?”
“…”
“There’s no need to send anyone. I’m very angry right now. I feel like going to Jiangdong for an outing to relieve my mood and uprooting your family would be quite a good amusement. What do you think?”
“It seems people really don’t change easily.”
“…?”
“Even living loudly sitting in the seat of power, in the end, your vessel is only to that extent…”
Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes turned cold.
“You are a fierce general, but you cannot be a great commander. In that aspect, Murong Jun would be better.”
Hwaaaaak!
A fiery killing intent erupted from Yang Cheon’s body.
It was an instantaneous reaction, but unexpectedly, Yang Cheon’s voice became even calmer.
“You all play well.”
“Is that so.”
“Murong Jun, Yeon Ho-jeong. Did I seem like such an easy pushover that you two bastards came to shake me up one after another?”
As time passed, the killing intent thickened, but Yang Cheon’s expression and voice regained their composure.
“Why do you think I am blabbering without plucking out your head right now? Because I’m afraid of the Murim Alliance? Or because of the headquarters’ future? Or is it because of a petty loyalty left over that’s not even worth three pennies?”
“…”
“No. The reason I am leaving you alone right now is for myself. It is true that I have been intoxicated with power ever since I sat in the seat of the Black Dragon Manor Lord. I have done many foolish things because of it.”
“…”
“I don’t want to do that anymore. That’s why I’m holding back.”
Trickle.
Yeon Ho-jeong looked down at Yang Cheon’s interlocked hands.
His fingernails were digging into his flesh. He was striving to maintain a calm appearance and pull himself together.
‘This is unexpected.’
Yeon Ho-jeong was secretly surprised.
‘Yang Cheon, you actually show something called progress?’
A person sitting in a high position, a person with high prestige, a person with power.
Whether it was power or practical strength, those who were superior to others in one field all rejected change without exception. Simply put, it was because they became arrogant.
The Yang Cheon that Yeon Ho-jeong saw was also like that. He had plenty of human charm and was a capable person who was not bad as the head of an organization, but he had tasted the sweetness of power and was also a person who boasted the highest prestige in the Murim.
In other words, anyone was bound to experience stagnation. And Yeon Ho-jeong thought that among the strong people of Saintly Heaven, Yang Cheon would be the one to experience that stagnation for the longest time.
However, he was wrong.
‘Is it because of Murong Jun.’
Yeon Ho-jeong nodded.
“I’m thankful for that. Honestly, it’s difficult to deal with you right now.”
“Right now?”
“Why? Does that word bother you?”
“…You really are interesting. It seems you are confident that you will reach this realm someday?”
“Of course. And within a short time too.”
The corners of Yang Cheon’s mouth rose as he stared at Yeon Ho-jeong.
“The limitlessness that the world talks about, the so-called realm of Saintly Heaven, resides in an area that transcends human common sense. It is not a realm that can be reached with simple effort. If it could be reached with effort, every dog and cow would have already been called a strong person of Saintly Heaven.”
“I know.”
“However.”
Yang Cheon tilted his head sideways.
“At least the you I know is not a guy who would waste time looking at a tree he can’t climb. If it’s the you from back then that I saw.”
“I am no different from the me you saw back then. Only, back then, I showed more exaggerated words and actions than now.”
“To deceive me?”
“Right. To deceive you.”
Yang Cheon wordlessly stared at Yeon Ho-jeong. Yeon Ho-jeong also closed his mouth and looked straight into Yang Cheon’s eyes.
Whooooosh.
The hot wind that had boiled like magma subsided, and the original icy mountain wind cooled the air.
‘Just how…’
Bu Seon looked at Yeon Ho-jeong with shaking eyes.
‘How can he do that?’
She had served her master exceptionally longer than other martial siblings. Therefore, she knew to the bone how scary Yang Cheon’s martial arts were and how massive his presence was.
Even she, who had broken through the Wall of the Martial Arts´ End three years ago, still found it difficult to meet her master’s eyes. It was because even without emitting momentum, just being angry could strike a blow to her mind and body.
But what was with that guy? How could he stand proudly without shedding a single drop of sweat while looking straight into the eyes of her master, a strong person of the Heaven Beyond Heavens?
‘The Tiger General of Green Mountain… I heard he was a rare genius who accomplished unbelievable tasks over the past few years.’
Bu Seon swallowed her saliva.
‘He was a scarier guy than his rumored prestige!’
At that time, everyone could not help but be flustered at an unexpected sight.
“Kuhahahaha!!”
A person bursting out in laughter like crazy enough to blow the sky away.
Surprisingly, that person was Yang Cheon. Yang Cheon, who had been glaring at Yeon Ho-jeong for a long time, was bursting into uproarious laughter as if he felt relieved.
His action was so sudden that even Yeon Ho-jeong looked at Yang Cheon with strange eyes.
Soon after, Yang Cheon nodded as if he was satisfied.
“Good. As expected, it’s not bad.”
“What do you mean?”
“I will tell you honestly. I worried a lot before coming out to this place. Well, it was a worry of little value. I planned to kill you exactly like that after our conversation ended.”
“I thought you would do that.”
“But my mind changed.”
Yang Cheon changed his posture.
He slowly leaned his upper body back and supported it against the rock with both hands. That posture of sitting with his legs crossed for everyone to see looked truly arrogant yet free-spirited.
“I will listen. For now.”
“For now…”
“You can think of me however you like. However, your evaluation is meaningless to me right now. Also, I don’t want to think about what happens after.”
“…”
“Explain the reason you asked to meet me. I’m curious what kind of words will come out of that greasy tongue of yours.”
“If you like it, will you just let us go?”
“Of course. Frankly speaking, would an outstanding guy like you have shoved his head into a deadly place without even seeking a way to survive?”
“If you kill me, a war will break out?”
“You evaluate your own worth excessively high. A war doesn’t break out that easily.”
“I know. Still, a war will break out.”
“As expected, you had something to believe in. But.”
Yang Cheon smiled chillingly.
“I don’t care if a war breaks out. So explain the reason you came here, the reason you called me out. Carefully, and politely if possible.”
A sincere smile settled on Yeon Ho-jeong’s face.
‘My my.’
As expected, Yang Cheon was not a person worthy of being called the best as the head of an organization.
‘From the beginning, you didn’t need such an organization. The ambition you dreamed of for a long time hindered your development, but as expected, what suits you is not the seat of the Black Path’s supreme head or anything.’
The seat of the Black Dragon Manor Lord did not suit Yang Cheon.
What suited him was precisely that appearance right now, that leisure. That leisurely posture was precisely what made Yang Cheon like the Combat King.
‘The alliance leader of the Black Path Alliance has returned to being a strong person of Saintly Heaven once again.’
Yeon Ho-jeong opened his mouth.
“To treat you.”
“What?”
“I came to peel off the poison of the Yin Desolate Divine Palm, the palm print of the Evil Lust Cult Leader stamped on your chest.”
“…!!”