Chapter 65: Chapter 65
Cheon Woo-jin stood before an inn.
It was the place the Hao Sect Leader had directed him to, saying someone who knew information about the Shadowless Divine Thief would be waiting.
– “Who is it?”
– “Who knows. You will find out once you go, won’t you?”
Saying so, the Hao Sect Leader had merely let out a mysterious smile. Ultimately having come in person, Cheon Woo-jin stood in front for a moment and examined the inn.
“Mhm.”
It was a fairly luxurious inn spanning three whole stories, yet there were only two presences of qi sensed inside.
They were neither waiters nor cooks.
One person was familiar. It was Butcher Ma, whom he had briefly met during the escort convoy mission before.
‘He said he was being pursued by the Black Overlord Castle.’
The presence of the other person was quite impressive. Though unfamiliar, it was somehow recognizable, and retracing his memories, it closely resembled one of the people who had visited Master Black Elder.
Ha Yul-cheon, the foremost figure of the present Unorthodox Path and Lord of the Black Overlord Castle.
Seeing him a few times in his youth was all, but because he was a man who possessed such extraordinary presence and aura, a deep impression had remained.
However, it was not Ha Yul-cheon. Back then, the Lord of the Black Overlord Castle was virtually the only man capable of exchanging over a hundred bouts with Master Black Elder.
The presence sensed inside the inn was also among the fairly high-ranking experts he had met since descending from the mountain, but compared to the Lord of the Black Overlord Castle, the Alliance Leader, or the Sword King, it fell far short.
Gauging the identity, Cheon Woo-jin soon stepped inside the inn. After all, it was a matter of verifying it directly in person.
* * *
Entering the inn, two people greeted Cheon Woo-jin.
An unfamiliar young man sitting down, and a familiar middle-aged man standing beside him as if escorting him.
The middle-aged man was indeed Butcher Ma, whom he had met previously.
“Ah, Member Cheon! Have you been well in the meantime?”
Butcher Ma clasped his thick hands together and gave a martial greeting. When they first met, he had merely been acting as a butcher in a small village, but now that he had returned to being a proper martial artist of the Unorthodox Path, he observed the etiquette of the martial world.
Cheon Woo-jin nodded casually.
“Yes, well.”
While it was true he had saved his daughter, it was not done out of special goodwill. It was merely part of the process of carrying out his mission at the time.
Despite Cheon Woo-jin’s lukewarm attitude, Ma Yong-seok repeatedly let out bright smiles that contrasted with his rough impression.
Because he was the benefactor who had saved his daughter, who was dearer than his own life, just looking at him naturally made his heart feel warm.
Soon, Cheon Woo-jin’s gaze turned to the seated young man. His age appeared similar to the youngest members of the Martial Alliance. However, the presence subtly emanating from him was completely different from theirs.
Namgung Jin was also counted as a genius among his peers. However, that young man had already surpassed even Namgung Jin by a vast margin.
Above all, he wore pitch-black attire from head to toe, and the aura naturally commanding his surroundings was identical to the Lord of the Black Overlord Castle in his past memories.
“I heard you know information about the Shadowless Divine Thief.”
At that question, the young man merely nodded his head. His eyes were sparkling like stars, appearing just like a child who had discovered something amusing.
Cheon Woo-jin met his eyes with an unenthusiastic gaze.
Soon, the young man, raising the corners of his lips into a smirk, broke the ice.
“Pleasure to meet you. I’ve heard a great deal about you in the meantime.”
Natural condescension.
The present Black Overlord Castle was a massive power that had completely unified the Unorthodox Path, which had been divided for centuries. Naturally, Ha In-seong, born and raised as the Young Castle Lord of such a power, found treating others as subordinates far more natural than treating them as superiors.
Cheon Woo-jin looked down at Ha In-seong with a dry gaze.
After a brief staring contest, Ha In-seong subtly curled his lips and pointed to the chair opposite him.
“Sit down first. You’re taller than I expected, so my neck hurts a bit.”
Cheon Woo-jin silently took a seat. Soon, Ma Yong-seok, who had entered the kitchen, rattled about looking for something before emerging with a liquor bottle and cups.
“Had I known this would happen, I would have told the waiter to stay.”
“Did you chase them out?”
There was no one in the inn. For the bloodline of the Lord of the Black Overlord Castle, occupying an inn without permission would be child’s play.
At Cheon Woo-jin’s quiet question, Ha In-seong’s eyes widened, and he burst into laughter.
“It’s not like I’m some third-rate hooligan. This is an inn operated by our Black Overlord Castle. Didn’t you see what was written on the signboard as you came in?”
He had seen it. The name of the inn was Dark Night Moon.
Indeed, he had thought it peculiar for an inn name to exude such a pitch-black scent.
“Hey, Guard Ma. Bring that out.”
“Yes.”
Ma Yong-seok, who had barely managed to locate the liquor bottle, entered the kitchen once more. During that time, Ha In-seong filled the two cups with liquor in turn.
Clack.
Cheon Woo-jin stared blankly at the liquor cup placed before him.
Unlike ordinary liquor, it was pitch-black as though mixed with ink.
“It is Dark Night Liquor, sold only at Dark Night Moon. Despite how it looks, it tastes quite good, so give it a try.”
With a playful expression, Ha In-seong gestured for him to drink quickly. However, Cheon Woo-jin did not pick up the cup. He had not come to guzzle liquor.
“Where is the Shadowless Divine Thief?”
“Who knows.”
Downing his cup of liquor, Ha In-seong gave an evasive answer. Meanwhile, Ma Yong-seok, who had been rummaging through the kitchen again, reappeared holding a golden carp.
“A Fire Carp?”
Judging by its size, slightly larger than a palm, it did not seem to be a Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Carp.
Indeed, even the Black Overlord Castle could not carry around a spiritual medicine of the caliber of a Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Carp so defenselessly like this.
“Oh, you recognize it. In the Black Overlord Castle, there is a pond where I often fished since I was young. Frankly, calling it a pond is an understatement; its size is quite large, rivaling any reservoir. At any rate, I just caught it from there, so it must be exceedingly fresh. Look at it flapping around.”
Ha In-seong pointed at the Fire Carp. Naturally, Cheon Woo-jin turned his head as well, but far from flapping, it looked to have been dead for a long time.
Given the distance from the Black Overlord Castle to here in the first place, there was no way a Fire Carp could remain alive.
However, Ma Yong-seok injected internal energy into the Fire Carp to forcibly make it flop about.
“…”
When Cheon Woo-jin looked at him as if dumbfounded, Ha In-seong suddenly pulled a small dagger from his bosom. Drawn from its sheath, the dagger held a sharpness that rivaled any famous sword.
Ha In-seong smirked and spoke.
“Member Cheon, do you know who I am?”
“The Young Castle Lord of the Black Overlord Castle.”
“Oh, for someone who knows that, you don’t even bat an eye when I draw a blade from my bosom. Just as I heard.”
For some reason, Ha In-seong appeared exceedingly delighted by this meeting with Cheon Woo-jin. Receiving the Fire Carp, Ha In-seong began slicing sashimi on the spot. His skill was not something practiced merely once or twice; it was quite adept.
Soon, the sashimi prepared from the Fire Carp filled a plate completely.
“Although it isn’t a Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Carp, a Fire Carp is still hailed as a spiritual medicine regardless. It pairs especially well with Dark Night Liquor. Here, help yourself.”
Saying so, Ha In-seong moved his chopsticks on his own, as though unconcerned whether Cheon Woo-jin ate or not.
Chewing on the Fire Carp sashimi, he gulped down the Dark Night Liquor poured by Ma Yong-seok and swallowed them together.
Simultaneously, Ha In-seong’s dark eyes shimmered with an even deeper black hue. The energy of the Fire Carp was directly melting into his body.
As Cheon Woo-jin watched Ha In-seong with a dry expression, Ma Yong-seok, who had been observing his mood from the side, spoke cautiously.
“Member Cheon, why are you not partaking?”
However, Cheon Woo-jin’s gaze remained fixed upon Ha In-seong.
He had come here guided by the Hao Sect Leader. His objective was clear, and he had no desire to engage in trivial chatter. Yet it was also true that the Young Castle Lord of the Black Overlord Castle was under no obligation to reveal information regarding the Shadowless Divine Thief.
“Do you know the location of the Shadowless Divine Thief? If you do not know or have no intention of telling me, I will take my leave.”
Cheon Woo-jin’s voice was dry, as always.
Ha In-seong smacked his lips and spoke.
“Of course I called you to tell you. Right, you are more impatient than I thought. I shall get straight to the point. But are you sure you don’t want to eat? I told you, even a Fire Carp is a spiritual medicine.”
Naturally, Cheon Woo-jin also knew that.
Although inferior to the Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Carp, even a common Fire Carp was a spiritual medicine potent enough that it would not be strange for first-rate martial artists to engage in swordfights over wanting to consume it.
However, at Cheon Woo-jin’s level, a spiritual medicine of the Fire Carp’s caliber held little significance. When even Shaolin’s Small Return Pill was treated as such, what meaning could a mere Fire Carp possess?
“I am fine.”
“Hahaha, alright. The cold wind is blowing fiercely.”
Wondering what was so amusing, Ha In-seong laughed for quite a while before gesturing to Ma Yong-seok. At that, Ma Yong-seok approached, took the plate containing the Fire Carp, and vanished into the kitchen.
Soon, wearing a serious expression, Ha In-seong rested his chin on the table and looked steadily at Cheon Woo-jin before opening his mouth.
“This is a gathering to repay a debt of gratitude. Unlike how he looks, Guard Ma over there is naive and happens to be my treasure. Naturally, I must bestow goodwill upon you for returning my treasure. But you see…”
Sensing that the conversation was about to veer off track again, Cheon Woo-jin let out a sigh.
Ha In-seong also could not understand why he was acting like this. Originally, his plan was merely to take a look at what kind of man Cheon Woo-jin was, treat him to a Fire Carp as the price for returning his treasure, reveal the location of the Shadowless Divine Thief, and depart.
Yet somehow, this time spent sitting opposite Cheon Woo-jin felt delightful. He was clearly a man met for the first time, and had no common ground with him whatsoever.
However, only far in the future did Ha In-seong realize it. After spending his whole life looking at pathetic martial artists of his generation who could never even reach the tips of his toes, meeting a man whose heights could not even be guessed, how could he not feel delighted as a martial artist?
“I get it. I get it. Good grief, you have quite an impatient temper.”
Ha In-seong held back Cheon Woo-jin, who was about to rise from his seat. Had he joked any further, it felt as though the fellow would truly walk away without the slightest lingering regret.
Ha In-seong retrieved a small letter from his bosom and handed it to Cheon Woo-jin.
“I sent an identical letter to the Shadowless Divine Thief. Naturally, not under my name, but Father’s. The Shadowless Divine Thief fears the Castle Lord, so he will definitely act according to this letter.”
In the letter were the commission details ordered to the Shadowless Divine Thief under the name of the Lord of the Black Overlord Castle. If he headed to the location at the designated time, he would be able to meet the Shadowless Divine Thief.
Tucking the letter into his bosom, Cheon Woo-jin spoke.
“What do you want from me?”
Naturally, if one received something, one had to hand something back. His two masters were also such individuals. They had taught that repaying both kindness and grudges without fail was the virtue of a martial artist.
However, Ha In-seong shook his head.
“It is bestowed in return for retrieving Guard Ma for me, so do not mind it. Well, if you truly wish to repay it, it would be nice if you visited the Black Overlord Castle sometime to fish for Fire Carps together. Ah, since you are a Martial Alliance member, is that a bit awkward?”
The youngest member of the Martial Alliance fishing with the Young Castle Lord of the Black Overlord Castle. In a pond situated right in the center of the Black Overlord Castle at that.
Even Ha In-seong himself thought it was a story lacking realism after saying it.
Yet contrary to expectations, Cheon Woo-jin nodded.
“I shall do so.”
It was not a particularly difficult matter.
At that sight, Ha In-seong’s eyes narrowed.
‘This fellow isn’t someone who lives under discipline either.’
He himself was such a man. Because of that, his father, the Lord of the Black Overlord Castle, had suffered great heartache. Of course, separate from his apologetic feelings, he had no desire to live under rules.
The reason was simple. It was merely boring.
“The Martial Alliance Leader must suffer a great deal. No, perhaps your direct superior, the Black Tortoise Squad Leader, suffers even more.”
Cheon Woo-jin shrugged his shoulders.
As he was about to leave his seat, Ha In-seong suddenly asked.
“By the way, I heard you have something to recover from the Shadowless Divine Thief.”
“I do.”
“Even if you know the location, you won’t be able to catch him. By what means do you intend to capture a fellow who robbed even the Namgung Clan and escaped from the hands of the Sword King? Can you do it?”
“Who knows.”
Cheon Woo-jin replied vaguely.
At that sight, a strange light flickered in Ha In-seong’s eyes. That was because, although he had not answered clearly, there was not the slightest shred of doubt in Cheon Woo-jin’s eyes.
‘He doesn’t consider the possibility of missing him in the slightest.’
Just where did that fellow’s realm lie?
Was it truly hollow arrogance, or justified confidence?
Although it was a brief meeting, he was a fellow who became insanely intriguing for some reason.
For that reason, Ha In-seong ultimately added one more remark. By nature, he did not like clinging to long, drawn-out conversations, but words kept slipping out of him.
“Well, let’s say by heavenly luck you catch him. What after that? Would a martial artist of the caliber of the Shadowless Divine Thief open his mouth?”
At Ha In-seong’s question, Cheon Woo-jin let out a smirk.
It was a situation deduced that there was a mastermind behind the Shadowless Divine Thief.
In that case, the Shadowless Divine Thief would have to make a choice.
“Since he is not a man of the true Unorthodox Path, would he not value his life over loyalty?”
In life, whenever Master White Elder spoke of the Discourse on the Righteous Path forty times, Master Black Elder would occasionally mention the Discourse on the Unorthodox Path in passing.
Consequently, the only ones of the Unorthodox Path recognized by Master Black Elder in the present era were the Lord of the Black Overlord Castle and a few executives.
True martial artists of the Unorthodox Path were those who would willingly cast away their lives for their beliefs.
Master Black Elder said he found it exceedingly displeasing that all sorts of miscellaneous scum imitating the Unorthodox Path were lumped together and called Unorthodox. In particular, the Shadowless Divine Thief was a man always brought up as an example of a fake Unorthodox artist.
“A true Unorthodox artist.”
Ha In-seong’s black pupils gleamed brightly for the first time. He was the next castle lord of the Black Overlord Castle, the man who would succeed his father as the foremost figure of the Unorthodox Path in the future.
Uttering a discourse on the Unorthodox Path before him. And a low-ranking member of the Martial Alliance at that.
It was truly grating. Furthermore, the Shadowless Divine Thief was a master of lightness arts recognized even by the Lord of the Black Overlord Castle.
To call such a person a fake Unorthodox artist.
Suddenly, Ha In-seong erased the fighting spirit flickering around his eyes and curled his lips into a grin. That was because a truly amusing idea had occurred to him.
“Fine. Then let us make a bet.”
“A bet?”
“If that bastard, the Shadowless Divine Thief, opens his mouth, you win; if he keeps quiet to the end, I win. How about it?”
“I’m not interested.”
Soon, Cheon Woo-jin turned his body. Thinking that the Young Castle Lord of the Black Overlord Castle was truly a persistent man.
The moment he drew aside the bamboo bead curtain and exited the inn, the Young Castle Lord’s cheerful voice rang out from behind.
“Right, I wish you martial fortune.”
Immediately after Cheon Woo-jin left like that.
Ma Yong-seok, who had been reading his expression from one side of the inn, approached and asked.
“Young Castle Lord, do you truly intend to go through with the bet?”
The Young Castle Lord he knew was a man to whom his own will was the most important thing in all matters. The other party’s intentions did not matter. If he decided to make a bet, it was a bet.
Sure enough, Ha In-seong readily nodded.
“Of course. Originally, the Unorthodox Path naturally loves gambling and bets.”
“No, that is not the issue…”
Giving up on persuading him, Ma Yong-seok soon sighed.
“So, what do you plan to wager on the bet? In the event that renowned seniors of the Righteous Path stand behind Member Cheon, he might truly subdue the Shadowless Divine Thief.”
“Well. If that fellow wins, I can simply grant one wish within the limits of my power without asking any conditions.”
Ma Yong-seok’s eyes widened.
Though he spoke lightly of one wish, the Young Castle Lord’s influence within the Unorthodox Path was absolute.
Furthermore, the Young Castle Lord was a man who unconditionally kept his word. Even if it was an unreasonable request.
‘Depending on how it is used, it could even mobilize the entirety of the Black Overlord Castle.’
It seemed like an absurd notion, but the Young Castle Lord was more than capable of doing so.
“Then what will you do if Member Cheon loses?”
“Naturally, I will have to extract a corresponding price. In whatever way.”
Ha In-seong’s laughter softly filled the inn.