In fact, whether it was the Lotus Pavilion or Neung-heo, would it be a fatal problem for Cheon Mubaeck?

The answer is no.

Even without the Lotus Pavilion, the process of Cheon Mubaeck reaching the Sword Kiuk would not become difficult.

But that was thinking too simply.

In any case, the Lotus Pavilion was currently the only link to the Blood Demon Sect.

‘Those bastards are originally guys who hide in caves like snakes. You have to catch them when they stick their heads out.’

Even if he just guarded the Lotus Pavilion, the Blood Demon Sect would approach again.

Since the elder Gu Jin-hae had died before, it seemed that they were just quietly watching the situation for now.

Moreover, although Cheon Mubaeck had lived through numerous past lives, he also clearly had the identity of the youngest son of the Azure Star Escort Agency now.

The local blockade by the government office, the fall in trust due to the failed escort mission, the escort agency’s finances that were getting worse due to the lack of work.

Seeing Cheon Yuhwa’s dark face with deepening worries, Cheon Mubaeck could not just comfortably swing his sword as he pleased.

‘Having a stable foundation to lean on at any time is a great strength in training.’

For the most part, Cheon Mubaeck had a strong tendency to wander the martial world alone during his numerous past lives.

A life of endless reincarnation that repeated every time.

The cursed and terrible cycle of reincarnation had even taken away the gift of forgetting from him.

He remembered vividly.

He could not forget the people he had met in every past life.

At first, it was pain.

The fact that the connections of his previous life were not forgotten even after his life ended.

That was a heart demon.

So from a certain point, when a new life began, Cheon Mubaeck cut himself off from his surroundings and lived alone.

The real problem was that he could not make progress and stagnated every time.

The fact that he had no stable foundation.

In the martial world, where one had to live fiercely and dizzily as if always standing on a knife, it was fatal.

Since his mind could not be stable, the tip of his sword shook, heart demons came, and he fell into qi deviation countless times.

Only after wasting several lives like that did Cheon Mubaeck realize.

‘I am me.’

Even if life ends and a new life begins.

No matter what name he had, no matter what environment he was in, Cheon Mubaeck was Cheon Mubaeck. Whether he was the Sword God, the Sword Demon, or the Samjae Sword Saint, all of them were Cheon Mubaeck.

‘So I have to cherish every life as my precious life.’

He had to cherish the given environment as much as possible.

So Cheon Mubaeck felt a strong sense of responsibility for the Azure Star Escort Agency.

A stable foundation to lean on at any time when a heart demon came to his mind.

Thinking of Cheon Mubaeck, who would soon jump into the martial world and face all the storms of the world head-on, the Azure Star Escort Agency was a candle that could be extinguished at any time in front of a typhoon.

That’s how the martial world is.

No, at least the martial world that Cheon Mubaeck would walk silently would be like that.

So Cheon Mubaeck thought of making the Azure Star Escort Agency an impregnable fortress that would not collapse in any storm.

The first step was to secure a financial safety net by absorbing the Lotus Pavilion.

Even if the escort missions were cut off, even if the government office acted tyrannically.

At least there was something Cheon Mubaeck had felt while living through numerous past lives.

‘The gisaeng house business is always in season.’

Alcohol, women, and entertainment were always popular.

Moreover, until just a short while ago, it was the largest in Henan Province, to the point of being called the best blue lantern house in Henan, so even if a financial crisis befell the Azure Star Escort Agency, the Lotus Pavilion would become the foundation to support it.

But…

‘They’re trying to take that Lotus Pavilion?’

Puk! Puk! Puk!

Cheon Mubaeck’s handiwork was clean yet felt violent.

After the gruesome sound of flesh being pierced passed, people fell down one by one with holes in their necks without fail.

In the pitch-black darkness, a gruesome sound was followed by screams and the sound of people falling to the floor, so the inside was truly a mess.

Paat!

When someone barely lit a candle, the survivors were dumbfounded at the revealed sight.

“My god…”

The revealed sight was a tragedy that was literally unbearable to look at with open eyes.

Even the black-way of the Black Heart Gang, who were rolling around covered in all sorts of filth, trembled with shocked expressions.

“It doesn’t seem like even a moment has passed…”

Someone muttered.

As he muttered, the candle had gone out and the screams had been heard for only a very short time.

In that short time, most of the Black Heart Gang inside had fallen.

Even those who were standing on their two feet had their pants wet from the revealed sight and the terrible fear.

“Ugh!”

In particular, Deung-cho, whose right hand had been cut off, wriggled like a frog.

Cheon Mubaeck, sheathing his sword dripping with blood, looked at Neung-heo.

A sullen expression.

“What did you curse at me for?”

“I’m sorry. I apologize with my head bowed.”

“Your lack of pride is your advantage.”

“Is that a compliment?”

“If you had it, you would have been dead long ago.”

“What’s the need for pride for a black-way?”

“Right. That’s the black-way. Then finish it.”

“Pardon?”

“Like a black-way.”

When Cheon Mubaeck spoke, looking at Deung-cho who was terrified with his right hand cut off, Neung-heo nodded as if he understood.

And with a strength that came from somewhere, he squeezed out all his strength, stood up, and grabbed his broadsword.

He was also left-handed.

“S-Spare me, Neung, Neung-heo! D-Didn’t I take you in and feed you three warm meals a day?”

“What a load of crap, Deung-cho. I’ve wanted to take your head for a long time, and now the opportunity has come.”

“Neung-heo!”

“Grab your sword. Even if you have to go, let’s die like a black-way. Huh?”

“What the hell is dying like a black-way!”

“Try to struggle to live! Like I did!”

At that cry, Deung-cho shut his mouth and grabbed his sword.

Since his right hand was cut off, he held the sword with his left hand, but his posture was extremely clumsy.

Soon, the fight between the two began.

In the beginning, Deung-cho had the upper hand. Because Neung-heo had already shed a lot of blood and was exhausted.

Deung-cho thought that he would win if it went on like this.

Because it was clear that Neung-heo would get more tired as time went on.

It was soon revealed that that was a mistake.

Although Neung-heo got more tired as time went on, he did not lose his strength.

In fact, it was Deung-cho who was gradually being pushed back. As he held the sword with his awkward left hand, the fight between the two was not a formal duel or a life-or-death battle that made one’s hands sweat.

It was no different from a dogfight between neighborhood thugs.

In such a dogfight, what determines victory or defeat is poison.

“Neung-heo, you…!”

For a moment, Deung-cho shuddered when he saw Neung-heo’s one eye.

From the one eye that was left, a blue poison was spewing out in streams.

Only then did Deung-cho recall Neung-heo’s nickname.

‘One-Eyed Snake!’

A snake with one eye.

But it also meant a snake with a poisonous eye.

That’s right. The bastard was a snake.

A cunning and poisonous bastard.

That bastard had revealed his poisonous fangs.

“Keok!”

“Go well! You son of a bitch!”

“S-Spare me!”

“Right! Begging for your life before you die is also like a black-way! Then you know what’s next, right? Killing someone mercilessly and miserably is also a black-way thing.”

Neung-heo, spouting words as they came, thrust his sword under Deung-cho’s chin.

The crude broadsword pierced Deung-cho’s head.

It was an instant death.

“Heok, heok.”

“What a load of crap. Anyone who sees you would think you fought the Heavenly Demon.”

“Do I look like that great Azure Sky Sword God?”

“Wow. I’m so dumbfounded that I can’t even speak.”

“You said it looked like I fought the Heavenly Demon.”

“You really only hear what you want to hear. That’s a talent too.”

“That’s how you live a long life without a headache.”

For a moment, Cheon Mubaeck shut his mouth.

Come to think of it, that was right.

If you don’t have a headache, you realize more when you train.

Cheon Mubaeck’s eyes narrowed.

“Are you a reincarnator?”

“What kind of novel nonsense is that?”

“Look at your attitude after I saved you from drowning.”

“I’m sorry. And thank you very much.”

Neung-heo prostrated himself.

He prostrated himself so flat that it was close to a full prostration.

At first, Cheon Mubaeck, who thought it was another joke, soon wore an embarrassed expression at the earnestness he felt.

Although he was a blunt and free-spirited bastard on the outside, that greeting was sincere.

“I’m a guy who has nothing. So I can only thank you like this. This is the best thank you I can give.”

“If you’re grateful, run the Lotus Pavilion properly first.”

“Yes.”

“When the Blood Demon Sect is dealt with, it will become a part of the Azure Star Escort Agency. Well, it’s probably already known to the Blood Demon Sect bastards that the escort agency is practically running the Lotus Pavilion… but still, being unsure is more confusing than being certain.”

“Then… the Blood Demon Sect kids will be coming soon.”

“Since that bastard Gu Jin-hae is dead, a guy stronger than him will come.”

“…”

“Why the long face?”

“I’ll be honest. I can’t stop them.”

“I know.”

“I might run away.”

“Right. Go if you want to go. Until then, run it properly.”

“Is that okay?”

“If you go. Well, I can just attach a person and run it.”

“Isn’t that too heartless?”

“What a load of crap.”

“Damn it. Shit. It’s a black-way life anyway. Living and dying is life. Leave this place to me. Whether it’s the Blood Demon Sect or the Poisonous Snake Sect, I’ll show them who the real poisonous snake is!”

“You’ll get yourself killed if you show off.”

“Sometimes, showing off works.”

“Enough, just finish those things.”

Cheon Mubaeck pointed behind him with his chin.

It was the surviving Black Heart Gang kids. When Cheon Mubaeck and Neung-heo’s gazes turned to them, their faces turned pale.

“Do I do it?”

“Should I take care of the small fry too?”

“I’ll finish it like a black-way.”

“Right.”

Neung-heo couldn’t get used to the old man-like tone coming out of that young face.

But sometimes, it reminded him of his deceased grandfather, so it was quite affectionate.

Anyway, Neung-heo approached the bastards who were trembling in fear on one side.

There were only four left.

When Neung-heo approached, they prostrated themselves.

“Please spare us!”

“Yes.”

“…Pardon?”

“Alright. Hurry up and clean this up. Fix what’s broken, clean up the corpses, and wipe the blood. Start with cleaning. So that we can hang the lanterns and do business tomorrow evening.”

The four who were prostrated glanced at each other for a moment and then quickly stood up.

And they bowed to Neung-heo.

“Thank you. We will serve you with our lives!”

“Yes.”

The four even rushed to Cheon Mubaeck.

“Thank you! We will do our best to work!”

“You guys would do well wherever you go to work, hey.”

Look at them coming over to greet him, even grasping the power relations in that situation.

These bastards are quite quick-witted.

“Throw away your names. You’re not from the Black Heart Gang. Forget your original names. From the left, Il-seok, I-seok, Sam-seok, and Sa-seok.”

Neung-heo said so and approached Cheon Mubaeck.

“All my subordinates are dead. I need people to run the gisaeng house right away, so I spared them.”

“They’re the guys who came to kill you?”

“Those bastards were just following that bastard Deung-cho’s orders. The pimps who work at the gisaeng house shouldn’t touch the gisaeng kids. But when that bastard Deung-cho was harassing the kids, these guys were standing aside with uncomfortable expressions.”

“Really?”

“They may have lust, but they are guys who know how to control it, and they are guys who know human decency. No matter how much of a black-way they are, they are humans, not beasts, so they should have basic decency.”

“Well, well, a disciple of Confucius has appeared.”

“Thank you.”

“Enough with the greetings. Just run it properly.”

When Cheon Mubaeck waved his hand, Neung-heo shut his mouth and bowed his waist.

In fact, he had guessed.

Cheon Mubaeck would have killed them all when the candle went out.

But he had deliberately spared those four.

Neung-heo could not help but admire Cheon Mubaeck’s deep thoughts.

Hadn’t he accurately pointed out the necessary parts for the future operation of the escort agency? Moreover, he had not dealt with Deung-cho himself and had passed him on.

That was a way of confirming Neung-heo’s authority to those four who would become his subordinates in the future.

Because he had killed him even in a situation where he had lost his arm and was bleeding profusely.

Wouldn’t they think that he was a possessor of a martial power that could not be trifled with and that he had a poison?

Moreover, since he had subtly hinted that Cheon Mubaeck was behind him, those four would not even dream of insubordination like his previous subordinates.

‘The fact that he entrusted Deung-cho to me was probably because he believed that I could handle him.’

For a moment, it felt like electricity was flowing through his body.

Who would have guessed that Neung-heo would win in that situation?

But he had entrusted the finishing to him.

In the end, didn’t it mean that he had believed in him?

For a moment, it felt like something was welling up.

While wandering the bottom of the black-way, he had heard a lot of flattery like ‘Hyung-nim! I believe in you!’, but well. This was the first time he had felt this way.

‘Hehe. Neung-heo, you bastard. You’ve gotten old too. You’re so emotional. So.’

Neung-heo looked at the back of Cheon Mubaeck’s small head and suddenly shouted.

“Hey, I will serve you for the rest of my life until I die! Young Master, no, my lord!”

(End of Chapter)

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep