“Well, life has suddenly gotten better, hasn’t it?”

The public sentiment of Hubei Province was all contained in that one phrase.

Although the Zhuge Clan and the Wudang Sect were there, it was impossible for the Unorthodox Alliance to be completely absent.

Although they were absurd riffraff in the eyes of martial artists, to the common people, they were truly detestable thugs and gangsters, weren’t they?

But those thugs had not disappeared from just one place in Hubei Province, but had almost evaporated from the entire province.

Cheon Mubaeck had thoroughly exterminated them.

“According to my standards, I only picked out the guys who seemed moderately useful, and I handed over the rest to the government office.”

Neung-heo had excellently carried out Cheon Mubaeck’s order.

It was Neung-heo’s job to pick out the guys who seemed to have some potential.

In fact, the personnel that Neung-heo had chosen were also suitable in Cheon Mubaeck’s eyes. Even if their martial arts were lacking, their nature was decent, or even if their skills were good, they did not have a terribly cruel personality.

But at the same time, there were also quite a few guys with a ruthless heart who were not afraid to see blood when necessary.

If a proper opportunity had come, they were guys who could have grown into a sufficiently scary Unorthodox Alliance.

Other than that, the guys he didn’t like, the trash that had no room for edification, and the guys who were born thugs were immediately handed over to the government office.

The government office also welcomed them with open arms.

Because they were not backed by a scary Unorthodox Alliance that was hard to touch, but were just thug gangsters.

Wasn’t it a good thing to raise their performance? Moreover, the funds that the guys had collected by running small gambling dens were also handed over to the government office. Since it was a moderate bribe, they threw the guys in as Cheon Mubaeck wished.

Thanks to that, the expression that the Unorthodox Alliance had been wiped out in Hubei Province was valid.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“…”

Neung-heo’s heart melted at the one word of encouragement.

But soon, he felt a strong sense of disharmony.

‘What is it?’

Was he so tired that his heart would be relieved by just one word?

No. It wasn’t that.

‘Right. This man. Since that time, a strange light has been shining on his face, and a strange energy is felt in his every word.’

It was a certain atmosphere, or momentum, that was on a different level from internal energy.

Wasn’t there a temperament that was unintentionally exuded from the person himself?

‘Since that day when the inn roof was broken.’

A person’s temperament was not something that changed easily.

Neung-heo had thought of Cheon Mubaeck as a ‘monster’ for a while.

Let’s be honest.

‘He’s the man who cut off my arm.’

To a martial artist, what else could he be but an enemy?

But Neung-heo had not disliked Cheon Mubaeck from the beginning.

The strange temperament that Cheon Mubaeck had.

That unique temperament that made even a person who saw him for the first time feel an inexplicable sense of favor was so monstrous that he wondered if a fox had transformed.

But now, it felt even more intense.

‘It’s a good thing I was born a man. If I had been born a woman, I would have bewitched the heavens and the earth.’

Neung-heo shook his head.

As Neung-heo thought, Cheon Mubaeck’s temperament had been further strengthened.

‘The bands have increased.’

The bands had not become thicker, but had been divided.

One strand of hair would snap, but if dozens, hundreds of strands of hair were overlapped, even a man of great strength would find it difficult to break.

It was the same principle.

A band divided into hundreds of strands like noodles. It had become even stronger, and Cheon Mubaeck found another advantage of his current state.

‘The band of immortal energy is a kind of passage and connection through which the energy of the upper and lower dantians can come and go.’

With the few existing bands, a large amount of energy could come and go at once, but various energies could not.

In other words, since the passages through which energy could come and go had increased countless times, he was able to utilize all of them.

Since he could subdivide his power, he could make meticulous adjustments when emitting his internal energy. Even to the point of emitting just the right amount of force at the right spot.

While Neung-heo was busy moving around, Cheon Mubaeck had focused his attention only on this.

‘I’ve gotten a little used to using the two energies appropriately using the bands.’

Of course, it couldn’t have been easy. It required enormous concentration and a natural sense. Hundreds of bands each contained energy, but to operate each of them was an absurd thing.

But Cheon Mubaeck was able to do it.

His concentration, knowledge, and application skills that had surpassed the human category through countless past lives.

And on top of that, a kind of extrasensory perception that had surpassed the five senses, which he had obtained after opening his upper dantian.

Cheon Mubaeck smiled leisurely. As a new path appeared, his heart naturally became at ease. As his heart became at ease, the surrounding scenery came into his eyes.

“Move quickly! We have to go to Fujian, so pack everything you need!”

Cheon Mubae-ck let out a laugh as he saw Neung-heo urging the Unorthodox Alliance members who had come under him.

Indeed.

The Unorthodox Alliance had to be handled by the Unorthodox Alliance. But as he saw one figure that stood out among the Unorthodox Alliance members, Cheon Mubaeck tilted his head.

“Huh?”

A somehow familiar gait and physique.

‘How absurd.’

Because the one mixed in with the Unorthodox Alliance members was Guk Jihum.

‘Why is that man there?’

A quick glance showed that his appearance was ridiculous. Wasn’t it the appearance of being disguised as a member of the Unorthodox Alliance?

In fact, it was a surprisingly excellent disguise. Guk Jihum, disguised as a typical member of the Unorthodox Alliance, to the point where he would not have known if it weren’t for Cheon Mubaeck’s keen eye.

Cheon Mubaeck tilted his head.

‘I told him not to follow, but he still…’

Guk Jihum had said that he would follow him. The purpose was to obtain the verses of the Dark Truth Wisdom Sword in the middle. But Cheon Mubaeck had firmly refused.

‘My movements will be exposed.’

To none other than the Hao Faction leader himself.

Guk Jihum was the faction leader. Even if the Dark Truth Wisdom Sword was important to him, if he had to choose between the sect and Cheon Mubaeck, he was a person who would move for the benefit of the sect.

‘Well, unless I break that man’s legs, it’s also a difficult thing to shake him off if he’s determined to follow.’

Cheon Mubaeck nodded his head.

If he couldn’t shake him off, he should just use him to the fullest.

Cheon Mubaeck approached Guk Jihum. Guk Jihum, who was disguised as a member of the Unorthodox Alliance, calmly bowed his head.

“Are you the youngest?”

“…Yes.”

When Cheon Mubaeck grinned, Guk Jihum’s body flinched for a moment.

“What’s the use of the youngest just standing still?”

“Ah, I’m sorry. I’ll move right away.”

“Right, right. Neung-heo.”

“I’m busy as hell, why?”

“Since this friend is the youngest, you take good care of him.”

Neung-heo looked back and forth at Guk Jihum, and then, as if he had realized something, he smiled meaningfully.

“Of course! I have to take care of the youngest.”

In an instant, Guk Jihum flinched at the chilly cold that seeped into his body.

‘No. There’s no way he found out.’

Guk Jihum glanced at Cheon Mubaeck’s smiling face looking at him and tried to deny it. Unfortunately.

* * *

After entering Jiangxi Province, they decided to travel by boat.

“No, Lord. Didn’t you bring any money?”

“I have you, don’t I?”

“Am I your wallet, Lord?”

“It seems so.”

“What kind of Unorthodox Alliance buys a boat politely with money?”

“Then you should have taken it?”

“…”

Neung-heo clicked his tongue. It was a mistake to say he had money while ordering expensive food at the inn last time. He had to compensate for the roof, and he had to pay for the boat…

‘He’s really stripping me clean, stripping me clean.’

Neung-heo’s anger flared up, but he couldn’t take it out on Cheon Mubaeck. So he approached the subordinates who were bustling about on the boat and hit them on the back of the head without fail.

Paak!

“Ugh!”

“You bastard. Slacking off. If you’re the youngest, why don’t you move quickly like the youngest?”

The youngest, that is, Guk Jihum, glared at Neung-heo for a moment.

“Oh? You’re glaring at me?”

“Ah, no. I’m sorry, hyung-nim.”

At Cheon Mubaeck’s gaze, which was glancing this way, Guk Jihum swallowed his tears and moved quickly. Neung-heo continued to nag him noisily next to him.

At that sight, Cheon Mubaeck let out a laugh.

‘Anyway, that bastard, he’s doing it on purpose even though he knows.’

His guts were really thick.

The boat departed from Dochang, crossed Poyang Lake, and took a route to Fujian along the tributary of the flowing river.

Poyang Lake was a wide lake, and it was famous for its beautiful scenery, so it was also a place where many cruise ships were launched.

But there, not cruise ships, but dozens of huge ships slowly appeared.

Neung-heo, who was tense at the suddenly appearing fleet, came running. Leading such a fleet was either a merchant group or river pirates.

“They’re river pirates.”

And they were probably not ordinary river pirates.

Cheon Mubaeck narrowed his eyes and looked at the fleet. And a strange light flickered in Cheon Mubaeck’s eyes as he saw the flag fluttering on the ship.

“The Yangtze River Waterway General Leader, the River King, Wang Jeonyu.”

The king of the river pirates. The River King, Wang Jeonyu.

Neung-heo’s face hardened.

Just then, as if they had also spotted them from the fleet, a small and nimble boat approached.

Cheon Mubaeck erased his momentum in an instant and said.

“Deal with them well. We’re not fighting. Because we have to participate in the Black Assembly like this.”

“…Yes, I understand.”

Although Neung-heo had a tense gaze, the matter was resolved quite smoothly.

He proudly revealed to the approaching nimble boat that they were also members of the Unorthodox Alliance of the Black Heart Gang participating in the Black Assembly.

At that, the other party went back and forth between the fleet a few times and relayed the story, and the River King, Wang Jeonyu, then suggested that they join the fleet and go to Fujian together. Although it was a suggestion, it was practically an order.

“What should we do?”

When Neung-heo asked, Cheon Mubaeck nodded his head.

“Not bad. Take this opportunity to get to know the River King guy and become friends with him.”

“…Wow, Neung-heo has made it. To have to become friends with the River King.”

So Neung-heo’s boat carefully joined the River King’s fleet.

When the River King personally invited Neung-heo to come up to his boat.

A problem occurred.

A fairly large cruise ship had suddenly appeared from the other side in the distance.

The cruise ship, as if it had spotted this fleet, turned sharply, but the river pirates’ eyes lit up at the prey they had found after a long time. That ominous aura was transmitted to Cheon Mubaeck, who had joined the fleet.

“Well, this is a good thing. As a consideration for the guests who have joined the fleet, the River King has handed over that delicious food to you.”

The face of the river pirate who was delivering the River King’s order was full of envy.

For them, capturing a boat was an important thing. If they offered a part of all the goods there to the River King, they could take the rest for themselves.

It was as if the River King had shown goodwill to the Black Heart Gang.

But Cheon Mubaeck knew that was not the case.

‘Is it a kind of test…’

Well, would he believe them at face value when the guys he had met on the river suddenly said they were members of the Unorthodox Alliance?

Cheon Mubaeck looked at Neung-heo. Neung-heo’s face was also dark, as if he had also guessed. If he refused here, it would be like refusing the favor that the River King had shown.

Neung-heo tried to be ruthless.

His original identity was a member of the Unorthodox Alliance.

‘You brat. Did you think you had become a real hero of the Orthodox Faction while hanging out with Cheon Mubaeck!’

Making up his mind so, Neung-heo bit his lip.

Did he notice that feeling?

Cheon Mubaeck, who had been quiet until now, let out a laugh and said.

“I have a way.”

“A way?”

“First, as the River King guy ordered, prepare to attack that boat.”

Neung-heo closed his mouth.

He said he had a way.

Although he was a target of love and hate, Neung-heo still thought that the only man he could trust in this world was Cheon Mubaeck.

Since Cheon Mubaeck had said so confidently, he decided to move as he wished for now.

The boat got closer and closer.

Their boat was a cruise ship, so it was heavy and slow. Although they were rowing hard to escape, the distance was closing in an instant.

As it did, the expressions of the crowd on the boat came into view.

Neung-heo’s face hardened.

‘Ordinary lovers, filial sons who are on a cruise with their old parents, people who are on an outing with their families…’

If it were the Orthodox Faction guys he had hated so much in the past, it would be different.

Weren’t they ordinary people?

‘Neung-heo, you’re not a member of the Unorthodox Alliance anymore.’

In the old days, there would have been no hesitation, but now that emotion was too clear.

Neung-heo tried to be ruthless.

If he acted arbitrarily here, he would end up fighting with the River King before participating in the Black Assembly. Then there would be no point in coming this far, and no reason to have gathered the Unorthodox Alliance guys.

Moreover, wasn’t Cheon Mubaeck by his side? If it was Cheon Mubaeck, there would be a way. A way to send them back after scolding them appropriately without killing them…

Neung-heo’s body, which was turning his head towards Cheon Mubaeck who was always by his side, froze for a moment.

“Huh? Where did he go?”

He’s not there. Cheon Mubaeck is not there. Cheon Mubaeck, who had been next to him, had disappeared in the blink of an eye.

But it was then.

A bustling movement was captured on the boat on the other side. The murmuring among them intensified, and soon, cheers and laughter erupted.

It’s on the river.

Why are they cheering when they’re being attacked by river pirates on the river?

Are they all crazy?

But Neung-heo soon thought that he might be the one who was crazy.

A figure that had suddenly appeared on the bow.

A slender but unwavering male figure like a thousand-year-old tree.

Somehow, the graceful line that ran from his head to his toes was familiar.

Neung-heo’s hand trembled.

“What? Why…?”

Neung-heo’s eyes shook violently.

From that bow.

A martial artist who was drawing a pure white sword and pouring out a dazzling flash.

A lion’s roar resounded.

“You vicious river pirate bastards! Not a single one of you will survive!”

“…”

All sorts of emotions swirled on Neung-heo’s face. What appeared on his pale face was bewilderment, fear, a sense of betrayal, and so on…

“I, the Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero, Cheon Mubaeck, will bury all of you bastards!”

Why are you there?

You bastard…

(End of Chapter)

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep