The geographical conditions were a great help in the terrifying growth of the current Azure Star Escort Agency.

To the west, it bordered Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces, and to the north, it touched Hebei and Shandong provinces. To the east, it reached Jiangsu and Anhui provinces, and to the south, it headed towards Hubei province.

The number one escort agency in Henan.

It was the word currently used to refer to the Azure Star Escort Agency.

Wonyang County, where the Azure Star Escort Agency was located, was relatively biased to the north in Henan, and it was not a large town to begin with.

Because of this, rumors were slowly spreading that the Azure Star Escort Agency might move to Kaifeng or Zhengzhou.

Because they had to expand their manor to handle the enlarged scale, but they were not doing so.

As a result, the officials of Wonyang County were in an uproar.

If the Azure Star Escort Agency moved away right now, Wonyang County would surely lose its current growth engine and be plunged to the bottom. Unbeknownst to them, the economy of Wonyang County was greatly influenced by the Azure Star Escort Agency. The officials were anxious and listened to the news of the Azure Star Escort Agency.

At this time, the government office, which had heard the news that the youngest son, who was terribly loved by the people of the escort agency, was returning, began to act.

Flutter!

“…”

Cheon Mubaeck was at a loss for words.

Look at the flag fluttering the moment he entered Wonyang County.

No, to be precise, the phrase written on the flag.

Righteous Hero, Lord Cheon.

The Hero’s Return

“What is this…”

It would be one thing if it were just one flag. It wasn’t as if a high-ranking official was visiting, nor was it a royal family member.

The fluttering flags were full of embarrassing phrases like those.

Who would that be referring to?

It was Cheon Mubaeck.

Cheon Mubaeck could confidently say that his head was spinning from an emotion he had never felt before in his countless past lives.

“So this is what shame is…”

It felt like his face was getting hot.

“It’s not like they’re telling me to control my supreme yin energy in this way, geez.”

My goodness.

Such phrases in public.

Cheon Mubaeck sighed and looked at Cheon Yuhwa.

“Father did this, right?”

Cheon Yuhwa smiled gently.

“I think the officials did that to get on Father’s good side. It’s well known that Father is a doting parent.”

“From the government office?”

Cheon Mubaeck had an idea of how the situation was unfolding.

This wouldn’t be good. What great authority. For them to hold such a grand welcoming ceremony so openly, there was no way his father would stay still.

At least…

“Father is probably inwardly pleased.”

“…”

Cheon Yuhwa’s prediction was accurate.

Cheon Mungyeong, who had come out to the main gate to greet him, had a grin from ear to ear.

“My son!”

The chief of the Azure Star Escort Agency, the giant of the Henan escort industry, Cheon Mungyeong.

But now, he was the image of a doting parent famous for being a fool for his son.

“Did you happen to see it on your way? No, I mean. They were all deeply impressed by our son’s activities in the martial world. Huh? The officials and the wealthy people who are quite something here held such a welcoming ceremony…”

As expected.

He was inwardly proud of this.

Cheon Mubaeck sighed. He thought he shouldn’t go outside the escort agency for a while.

* * *

“Home is good.”

Cheon Mubaeck stayed cooped up in his room for a while and did not go outside.

There was a reason why anyone in Wonyang County would recognize his face if he just walked around outside due to the boisterous welcoming ceremony, but the most important reason was the supreme yin energy in his lower dantian.

“What should I do with this guy?”

He had never heard of two opposing energies coexisting in one person’s body.

Two energies coexisting? Then what else is there but death?

It was only to this extent because the Heaven-Shaking Soul Art was a heart art of the upper dantian that was a compilation of orthodox martial arts; if it were another internal energy heart art, a clash would have been self-evident.

“I might have been in big trouble if the immortal energy hadn’t been overlaid on the energy of the Heaven-Shaking Soul Art.”

To be honest, Cheon Mubaeck had not even a shred of thought that he would fall into qi deviation. But it was a real crisis.

If the verses of the Primordial Root Scripture hadn’t come to his mind at that time, and the immortal energy hadn’t flowed with it, he might have had to be prepared for a serious internal injury.

‘Coexistence is possible, but what if I want to use them at the same time?’

The immortal energy of the Primordial Root Scripture.

That was the answer.

‘But…’

Cheon Mubaeck focused while sitting in a cross-legged position. The verses of the Primordial Root Scripture, which were now imprinted in his mind from being recited countless times, naturally came to mind.

The immortal energy was overlaid on the energy of the Heaven-Shaking Soul Art.

That was it.

‘I can’t control only the immortal energy at my will.’

Moreover, it was not easy to understand the series of processes of how it even occurred.

It was certain that the immortal energy played an important role in controlling this supreme yin energy and the Heaven-Shaking Soul Art at the same time.

However, since it was difficult to control it at Cheon Mubaeck’s will, he had to find a way to utilize it for now.

‘I’ll have to find a way to handle the immortal energy.’

Well, the Central Plains was full of Taoist studies, and there were countless Taoist sects.

‘Come to think of it, there were more sacred relics of Complete Truth besides the Primordial Root Scripture.’

The five sacred relics of Complete Truth.

Cheon Mubaeck recalled the five sacred relics he had heard about from Zhongli Hong.

‘I’ll have to think about it.’

He hadn’t been very interested until now, but since they were called sacred relics like the Primordial Root Scripture, they must hold some deep secret.

But since he couldn’t find the five sacred relics right away, Cheon Mubaeck thought differently.

‘It means I have to operate them separately so that they don’t clash.’

For now, using them at the same time was not easy. Because it was a matter of doing three things at once every time he used his energy, as he had to use the concentration to handle two energies at the same time and recite the Primordial Root Scripture at the same time.

Would that be easy even for the great Cheon Mubaeck?

The next best option was to operate the upper dantian with the Heaven-Shaking Soul Art and the lower dantian with a new heart art to operate the supreme yin energy.

If he did this, the two energies would coexist, but he couldn’t use them at the same time. For example, it meant he couldn’t use the energy of the Heaven-Shaking Soul Art with his left hand and the supreme yin energy with his right hand.

‘For now, controlling the supreme yin energy is the priority.’

Cheon Mubaeck searched his mind.

Although he was not well-versed in ice arts, there was a quite useful heart art in the vast library of his mind.

No, if someone had heard its name, they would have been astonished at the evaluation of ‘useful’.

‘Ice White Divine Art’

Far away. The mysterious sect outside the borders.

The incantations of the North Sea Ice Palace’s internal energy heart art came to mind.

* * *

“Jeombak, prepare to go out.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

Cheon Mubaeck chuckled as he saw Jeombak running over.

Everyone had welcomed him warmly, but this guy Jeombak had been crying and making a fuss. Seeing his pale skin due to the supreme yin energy, he had been so worried, asking if he was sick.

“Oh? Your complexion has returned? Are you all better now?”

“I told you I wasn’t sick. It was an internal energy problem.”

“Aha, well, this looks much better. Rather than a cold-looking Young Master, you have some color in your face and, huh? You need to have a cute side…”

“Shut up. Let’s go.”

“Yes, yes. Where are we going?”

As Jeombak’s words grew longer, Cheon Mubaeck cut him off.

“Yeonhwaru.”

There were several reasons why Cheon Mubaeck was heading to Yeonhwaru.

First, he intended to check the situation of Yeonhwaru, which he had seen in documents, with his own two eyes, and second, a meeting with Hwaung, who was leading the Black Heart Gang in place of Neung-heo, was also scheduled.

The Black Heart Gang strictly followed only Cheon Mubaeck’s command. Only Cheon Yuhwa and Cheon Mungyeong knew that the Black Heart Gang was under Cheon Mubaeck. Although Cheon Yuhwa could also mobilize the full power of the Black Heart Gang in an emergency, she did not reveal it on the outside.

It was kept strictly secret. If it was said that the escort agency was backing an unorthodox faction, there was no way a good rumor would spread.

“Young Master, are you going to stay at the escort agency from now on?”

“Why do you ask?”

“You’ve gained fame and all, so. It’s time for the Young Master to think about marriage, so…”

“My goodness. You’re bringing up the topic of marriage that even my father and sister don’t talk about.”

“Well, won’t you stay if you get married and not go to the dangerous martial world?”

Jeombak grinned.

Instinctively, Jeombak knew. The fact that Cheon Mubaeck would soon go out into the martial world again.

Cheon Mubaeck just smiled, feeling Jeombak’s heart.

“I’ll think about it after you get married first.”

“What? Oh my, what am I. Oh my, no. I will be the Young Master’s servant for the rest of my life.”

Cheon Mubaeck thought carefully. He looked decent enough, and he wasn’t a cripple anymore. Since he would be lonely when Cheon Mubaeck went out into the martial world, the thought of getting him married suddenly came to mind.

‘Well, I’ll think about it later.’

Cheon Mubaeck soon arrived at Yeonhwaru.

As soon as he arrived, the three brothers, Ilseok, Iseok, and Samseok, who recognized Cheon Mubaeck, came running out.

“You’ve come! Big Brother!”

“…Hearing you call me Big Brother makes me feel like an unorthodox faction guy.”

They were the three he had taken in when Neung-heo was attacked by Deungcho of the Black Heart Gang.

They made somewhat awkward expressions at Cheon Mubaeck’s rebuke.

“Then what should we…”

“Just call me Young Master.”

“Yes, Young Master. But what brings you here?”

“Neung-heo is here, right? Guide me.”

In an instant, the three Stone brothers flinched. Weren’t they looking at each other instead of running up right away?

Cheon Mubaeck narrowed his brows.

“What? Is Neung-heo not here?”

“No, he’s here. It’s just…”

“Where is he? The top floor?”

“Yes, yes. Th-that’s right. It’s just… ah, that’s…”

Ilseok, the eldest of the three Stone brothers, licked his lips with a troubled face.

Cheon Mubaeck, who felt a strange premonition, went up the stairs without hesitation.

“Neung-heo. What are you doing?”

A resounding voice filled with martial power echoed through the building.

The room on the top floor where the owner stayed.

A short while after Cheon Mubaeck shouted, the door creaked open, only halfway.

Neung-heo’s face popped out from between the half-open door.

But his expression was strange. It seemed urgent, and also embarrassed. At a glance, his upper body, which was hidden behind the door, was bare, and beads of sweat were forming on his face.

“What are you doing? You?”

“L-Lord, you’ve come.”

“It’s broad daylight, so you wouldn’t be sleeping. You’re sneaking glances at me, what are you doing?”

“Well… that’s.”

It was then.

The half-open door opened, and a woman with a somewhat flushed face popped out.

It was Seolyeong, the courtesan who had been running Yeonhwaru in place of Neung-heo.

Seolyeong straightened her disheveled clothes and bowed her waist in greeting.

“You’ve come, Young Master.”

“…”

Cheon Mubaeck looked back and forth between the two in silence. Neung-heo with his bare upper body and Seolyeong with a flushed face.

Cheon Mubaeck let out a laugh with a deflated sound.

“Ha. In broad daylight…”

Neung-heo cleared his throat with an awkward face.

“Well, without any notice. You told me to rest comfortably and relieve my fatigue, so why did you come so suddenly?”

“Do I have to give notice to visit the courtesan house I run? Neung-heo, and it’s broad daylight.”

“Ahem, hem.”

Seolyeong quietly left the scene, watching their reactions.

Neung-heo looked at her back with a regretful expression, then quickly changed his expression after seeing Cheon Mubaeck’s eyes.

The sight was so absurd and funny that Cheon Mubaeck felt strange for some reason.

“Have you ever been married?”

“What? No. What are you talking about.”

“You haven’t gotten married at that age?”

“Uh, it makes me feel strange when you say that with such a young face.”

Neung-heo’s expression became sullen.

Hearing such words from a guy who was the age of his son was not a very pleasant thing, even if he had become close to Cheon Mubaeck.

But there was no way Cheon Mubaeck would consider Neung-heo’s feelings.

Cheon Mubaeck just muttered as if in lament, finding it absurd and funny.

“Haa. Jeombak, and you too. Why are there so many guys to get married?”

(End of Chapter)

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep