Chapter 26: Chapter 26
The air inside the room changed in an instant.
The momentum rising from the middle-aged man’s body was so fierce that one’s skin even felt numb.
“Do you know the Giant Stone Monster?”
Cheon Woo-jin nodded his head. If it was the disciples of the Dark Emperor, he had heard about them from his two masters until his ears were worn out.
In particular, Master Black Elder had told him that none of the Dark Emperor’s disciples would be of any help, so he should smash their heads whenever he saw them.
Cheon Woo-jin stared blankly at the man before his eyes.
‘Lacking.’
He was endlessly lacking to be a disciple of the Dark Emperor. It was true that the realm he had achieved compared to his age was high, but the disciples of the Dark Emperor were all beings who transcended common sense.
One could tell just by looking at Master Black Elder right away. Monster-like experts renowned throughout the world visited the safe house several times. Of course, it was rare for them to come to share a drink.
Most of them glared at Master Black Elder as if wishing to kill him, as if meeting an irreconcilable sworn enemy.
– “Woo-jin, you must not become that kind of adult when you grow up.”
Those were the words Master White Elder said every time while looking at the back of Master Black Elder confronting those monsters.
Whenever that happened, Master Black Elder flew into a rage, and the monsters grew even angrier, asking if he was feigning ignorance with them right in front of him.
Of course, to the young Cheon Woo-jin who knew nothing, all those spectacles merely looked like a play.
As in most plays, justice triumphed. At that time, Cheon Woo-jin’s justice was his two masters.
“Who are you?”
At Cheon Woo-jin’s question, the middle-aged man scowled. His originally rough face turned even more menacing.
Seeing this, Song Yi-yeon tried to sneak out with crab-like steps, but was caught by the man.
“Stop.”
At the same time, Song Yi-yeon stiffened as he was, gauging the moods of Cheon Woo-jin and the man.
Cheon Woo-jin’s words continued.
“Young Hero Song, come over this way.”
Song Yi-yeon’s crab-walk proceeded once more. The courtesans stared at that sight as if it were absurd.
When Song Yi-yeon happened to pass by the side of a courtesan.
Whoosh! Thwack!
The courtesan collapsed with her forehead pierced by an ornamental hairpin.
Song Yi-yeon scratched his sideburns as if embarrassed.
“Is it right doing it like this?”
While everyone wore startled expressions, only Cheon Woo-jin nodded nonchalantly.
“Accurate. As expected, you have good eyes, Young Hero.”
“Heheh.”
At the two people’s conversation, the middle-aged man’s face reddened.
“These sons of bitches…”
Soon, a formidable momentum that could not even be compared to before rose from his entire body.
Rumble!
All the furnishings in the room trembled and were pushed outward centering on the man. An expert of the degree to push objects away with just momentum alone.
For a moment, Song Yi-yeon felt his hair stand on end, but before long, he slipped right behind Cheon Woo-jin to hide. Somehow, even though the opponent was a tremendous expert, being here made his mind feel at ease.
“Young Hero Cheon, I shall ask just one thing.”
Song Yi-yeon asked quietly. Of course, it was clearly heard by the ears of all the experts present in this place.
When Cheon Woo-jin nodded his head, Song Yi-yeon’s words continued.
“Can we win? In my opinion, it seems there are people outside as well.”
“Seventeen in total.”
“Huh?”
“They are the martial artists surrounding this restaurant.”
At the number greater than expected, Song Yi-yeon frowned. Looking at the two seniors who had still not awakened from the aphrodisiac poison, he spoke.
“Still, they are seniors, so we cannot abandon them and leave.”
“There is no need to, either.”
Cheon Woo-jin, who answered casually, stretched his hand toward another courtesan once more. Now, the courtesans remaining in the room were two.
The moment the courtesan, trembling with a frightened face, handed the ornamental hairpin to Cheon Woo-jin.
Thwack!
Her head burst open like a watermelon. Blood and bits of flesh splattered and flowed thickly all over the walls.
The middle-aged man, who had smashed an adult’s head in just a single move, marched toward Cheon Woo-jin with heavy footsteps.
Song Yi-yeon spoke with an extremely tense face.
“Young Hero, are you truly sure we can win? To be honest, I feel like I might pee myself a little right now…”
Cheon Woo-jin looked at such a Song Yi-yeon with wonder. Even before such a high and mighty expert, unlike his words, he showed not the slightest sign of being truly terrified. It was truly fascinating that such a Song Yi-yeon became dispirited whenever he stood before Namgung Jin.
Of course, for now, the man approaching with a flushed face before his eyes was more important.
When the man stretched his hand into the air, a chopstick that was on the wine table was sucked into his palm. Soon, a qi barrier formed over the chopstick.
Astral Qi. The realm beyond Sword Qi Manifestation, called the Peerless Realm.
A man possessing martial prowess worthy of entering the top hundred experts in the Central Plains was approaching in an extremely threatening manner.
Seeing this, Song Yi-yeon, with a slightly pale face, dragged the two seniors along and placed them behind Cheon Woo-jin.
“What is your relationship with the Giant Stone Monster?”
Cheon Woo-jin asked. It was a perfunctory tone that did not seem particularly curious. The middle-aged man also had no intention of answering, so it seemed their intentions matched.
The man, who had closed the distance right up to his nose, raised the chopstick high without a single word of explanation and stabbed it downward.
It was merely a light motion, but the ominous astral qi wrapped around the chopstick contained the power to cleave even ordinary chunks of iron like tofu.
Cheon Woo-jin instinctively reached behind his back. However, he had just left the Crescent Moon Staff at the Song Clan. Having carried it by his side his whole life, it was the first time this had happened, so a novel feeling arose.
‘Was that place comfortable, then.’
Before he knew it, Song Yi-yeon seemed to have become a fairly comfortable presence to Cheon Woo-jin. Feeling an unusual emotion, Cheon Woo-jin extended his palm into the air.
The corners of the man’s mouth twisted cruelly.
“Blocking an attack imbued with sword astral qi with your bare hand?”
Endlessly foolish.
Even his master could not do such a thing. Even if the Dark Emperor, whom he had only heard of through stories, or Black Elder, who was said to be the most outstanding among his disciples, were to come, it would be the same.
Of course, that was merely the man’s thoughts.
Intending to crush Cheon Woo-jin’s palm without difficulty and then shatter his head as well, the man struck down even more violently.
Soon, the moment the chopstick touched Cheon Woo-jin’s palm center.
Crack!
The tip of the chopstick shattered. In that brief instant, the man felt bewilderment. It seemed the bastard’s external martial arts were more outstanding than expected. However, it could not be completely blocked. Even if the Dark Emperor returned to life…
Crunch!
Trapped between the man’s momentum and Cheon Woo-jin’s palm, the chopstick soon disappeared without a trace. The expression that it had truly evaporated was fitting.
The man’s eyes went wide. Regardless, Cheon Woo-jin lightly grabbed the man’s wrist and twisted it.
Crack…
A grotesque sound was heard from the wrist. Moreover, it was twisting to the point that the flesh was stretching.
“Aaaaargh!”
The man screamed. At the same time, more than a dozen martial artists who had been waiting outside the restaurant rushed in all at once.
Cheon Woo-jin glanced at them casually and waved his hand in the air. At that, the room door closed.
At that, the courtesans, the middle-aged man, and Song Yi-yeon inside widened their eyes.
Telekinetic Attraction. It meant the qi art of pulling or pushing objects with only internal energy. Furthermore, he had casually accomplished the delicate action of closing a door with Telekinetic Attraction. This was something that even half of those claiming to be among the top hundred experts could not achieve.
Suddenly, Cheon Woo-jin’s calm voice rang out.
“The moment you open the door, you will witness the death of your leader.”
It was a threat that was neither excessive nor lacking.
However, everyone could feel the fact that those plain words were completely sincere.
No one dared to even think of opening the door and entering. Of course, even the courtesan trapped inside along with them did not.
Cheon Woo-jin poured even more strength into the hand still firmly gripping the man’s wrist.
Snap, snap!
It was a bizarre sound, as if something were snapping apart repeatedly. The man also had experience crushing or smashing many people’s bodies, but such a sound was truly the first.
Soon, the man’s wrist gradually shriveled like a drained pig’s bladder, and then…
Rip!
Due to Cheon Woo-jin’s grip strength, the wrist was torn straight off.
“Aaaaargh!!”
The man grabbed his wrist, collapsed to the floor, and let out a wail of despair.
Cheon Woo-jin casually tossed the wrist aside, then grabbed the man by his hair and bent it backward.
The man looked up at Cheon Woo-jin with tear-filled eyes.
“Who are you?”
It was the same question as earlier.
However, it sounded different to the man.
Those words, which he had dismissed as the bravado of a young Martial Alliance member, now felt like the final chance granted by the Grim Reaper.
A fierce conflict arose within the man. The desire to beg for his life by revealing what he knew clashed with the reason that he could not betray his master.
Cheon Woo-jin also saw clearly through his inner thoughts.
So he decided to offer some help.
“Young Hero Song.”
“Uh, yeah…”
Song Yi-yeon answered in a truly trembling voice. As he always felt, his friend Young Hero Cheon seemed to become an exceptionally different person whenever he dealt with wicked people.
Cheon Woo-jin’s words continued.
“Give me a chopstick.”
Saying so, he stretched his palm toward Song Yi-yeon. Looking at that palm, Song Yi-yeon’s complexion turned stark white. It was because the sight of the courtesan dying for not handing over the hairpin was still vivid in his mind.
Moving faster than anyone, Song Yi-yeon gently placed a chopstick onto Cheon Woo-jin’s hand.
Receiving it, Cheon Woo-jin bobbed the chopstick in the air and stared blankly at the man.
He seemed to be pondering. The chopstick pointed in turn to the man’s eyes, heart, dantian, and groin.
At that sight, a chill ran down the man’s spine. Combined with those emotionless pupils, a fear that he might mince his entire body right this instant surged forth.
Soon, the moment the chopstick shot up as if having settled its direction.
“Lu, Lust Demon! That person is my master!”
The man blurted out his identity as if throwing a tantrum.
Cheon Woo-jin nodded his head as if he had expected it.
“Indeed, among the disciples of the Dark Emperor, the only person who would choose such a method would be the Lust Demon.”
“Wh-What…”
The man widened his eyes and looked at Cheon Woo-jin. Just how could a mere low-ranking Martial Alliance member know the internal affairs related to the Dark Emperor like the back of his hand?
However, he was not given the chance to express his doubt.
The chopstick fell mercilessly.
Eyes, heart, dantian, groin. It was none of those.
Slash!
The man’s entire body was cleaved long from the crown of his head to his crotch, remaining in his seated posture. Soon, blood soaked the floor heavily, and Song Yi-yeon turned his head and dry-heaved.
Cheon Woo-jin lifted a handkerchief placed on the wine table, wiped his blood-drenched face, and casually tossed it away.
Turning his head, the one remaining courtesan was trembling violently in terror.
“Young Hero Song.”
“Uh, uh, why do you call?”
Song Yi-yeon replied while desperately suppressing his churning stomach.
At that, Cheon Woo-jin asked.
“Should I spare this woman, or kill her?”
“Uh, that is…”
Song Yi-yeon looked at the courtesan. She was looking at them with eyes far more desperate and sorrowful than when she had first entered to serve them.
Since Song Yi-yeon was also a rising star who had just taken his first steps into the martial world, it was inevitable that compassion surged in his heart.
Of course, it was even more so because the martial arts the courtesan had cultivated her whole life were designed to move people’s hearts.
“For now, the truly bad bastard is the one who died over there, but…”
A ray of hope crossed the courtesan’s face.
Song Yi-yeon’s words continued.
“Still, the fact that they tried to kill us remains true anyway, so it also seems right to just kill her…”
The courtesan’s complexion turned pale once again.
Unable to choose at all, Song Yi-yeon shook his head.
At that, Cheon Woo-jin let out a soft chuckle.
“Young Hero Song, are you not a member of the Martial Alliance?”
“Ah, that is right!”
Song Yi-yeon wore an extremely startled expression, like a human discovering fire for the first time.
Naturally, a wicked person ought to be escorted to the Martial Alliance. Yet, having assimilated with Young Hero Cheon before he realized it, he had only been thinking of the choices between killing or sparing.
Cheon Woo-jin’s words continued.
“The Martial Alliance does not easily kill people. No matter how great a wicked person they may be. I do not know whether that is true good or evil.”
“…”
When philosophical talk suddenly emerged, Song Yi-yeon nodded with a serious face.
Cheon Woo-jin took a chopstick from the wine table and approached the courtesan. The courtesan backed away with a frightened face, but soon her back hit the wall.
Soon, the chopstick cut through the air.
A hole the size of a chopstick formed in the courtesan’s forehead.
With a startled face, the courtesan raised both hands to cover her bleeding forehead. However, her hands were stained with too many sins to hold onto her fading life.
Soon, the courtesan’s figure collapsed onto the floor.
“…”
Song Yi-yeon watched that scene with his mouth shut.
Cheon Woo-jin had killed her after deliberately reminding him once more of the role of the Martial Alliance.
There was a clear meaning contained within. It meant that Cheon Woo-jin’s conviction did not align with the Martial Alliance.
“Young Hero Cheon…”
“I also do not know yet. Because my two masters were such vastly different people, I do not know which path I should walk.”
“…”
“However, what is certain is this.”
Cheon Woo-jin spoke while looking around the room that had turned entirely red.
“Whichever path I choose, enemies will be made. They will likely be quite strong and vicious people. That enemy could be the Heavenly Demon Cult, could be the Unorthodox Path, or could be the Martial Alliance.”
“…”
Cheon Woo-jin was clearly warning him. That a day might come when he would regret having grown close to him.
Having grasped the meaning of his words, Song Yi-yeon merely nodded his head. Not even Cheon Woo-jin could know what meaning was contained within.
“No. The Martial Alliance will not do. Mmm…”
The gazes of Cheon Woo-jin and Song Yi-yeon turned simultaneously toward Jang Woo-pyeong. He was still in a naked state, intoxicated by the aphrodisiac poison.
“Ahem, first we must sort out the seniors. Let us ponder Young Hero Cheon’s convictions again when that time comes. Is that not right, Senior?”
“Mmm, I am busy enough just making a living, so convictions my ass…”
Wearing an expression as if he had seen something he shouldn’t have, Song Yi-yeon first put the lower garments on Jang Woo-pyeong.
Cheon Woo-jin burst into a soft chuckle.