The story went on and on, as if it had a tail.

“Zhongnan is the descendant of The Complete Truth Sect, and the Primordial Root Scripture, the sacred object of The Complete Truth Sect, should naturally belong to Zhongnan.”

The Zhongnan Wind Sword, Jeon-hyeon, shouted firmly in the place where the elders of the Mount Hua Sect were gathered.

The elders of Mount Hua immediately refuted.

“It was Mount Hua that first discovered the Primordial Root Scripture. Who would trace the origin of an item found in a treasure map that is hundreds of years old and return it to its original owner?”

“Zhongnan succeeded The Complete Truth Sect!”

“Then did Zhongnan return the secret manual of the Choun-kwon, which it had obtained from a treasure map six years ago, to its original owner, the Yang family?”

“That’s…!”

“You see. Who would trace the origin and return it to its original owner? Moreover, The Complete Truth Sect has disappeared. To return it to Zhongnan, the descendant of The Complete Truth Sect, is absurd!”

But even so, Jeon-hyeon did not back down.

As much as he had come here with his sword, he had drawn a line that the Zhongnan Sect could absolutely not compromise on this matter.

‘To go back empty-handed from here?’

Then he would just be an elder in name, and he would surely be treated as a first-generation disciple as before.

Legitimacy.

The legitimacy that connects the Taoist lineage of the Central Plains.

To hand that over to Mount Hua?

‘It’s different from the old days!’

In the past, Zhongnan was definitely a step below Mount Hua.

But the situation had changed after the righteous-demonic war.

Mount Hua had suffered quite a fatal blow during the righteous-demonic war. On the other hand, the Zhongnan Sect had joined the war late, so the damage was minimal.

As a result, the gap between Mount Hua and Zhongnan had narrowed.

So Jeon-hyeon did not back down here.

“I’ll say it again, Zhongnan has no intention of giving up the Primordial Root Scripture.”

At that statement, one of the five great elders of Mount Hua, the Flying Star, said in a serious voice.

“…What do you mean by that?”

“What do you think I mean? Great elder.”

“What an insolent!”

The other elders who had been watching shouted.

Although Jeon-hyeon was an elder of Zhongnan, his actual age was that of a first-generation disciple.

It was just his rank.

On the other hand, the Flying Star was a great elder of Mount Hua.

Normally, it was a difference of two ranks.

But to say that.

What did Jeon-hyeon mean by that?

‘Let’s just have a match!’

Isn’t that what it means?

At that moment, the sect leader opened his mouth.

“Are you saying you want to fight?”

A heavy word.

Even Jeon-hyeon could not hold his head high in front of the sect leader.

“No. I mean that we should define the ownership through a fair duel.”

“A duel?”

“That’s right.”

“Heo! A duel!”

“It seems Mount Hua looks so easy.”

“Since when did Zhongnan… dare to have a duel with our Mount Hua.”

Even at the following reactions, Jeon-hyeon was not shaken.

The sect leader looked at such a Jeon-hyeon and soon said.

“For now, please step back. We also need to talk.”

“Sect leader! Are you saying you’ll accept that duel?”

Although the Flying Star narrowed his brow, the sect leader was silent.

“Then I will step back. I just hope that Mount Hua and Zhongnan, who represent the orthodox martial world of Shaanxi, will resolve the dispute amicably.”

When Jeon-hyeon stepped back, the remaining elders rose up like a swarm of bees.

“To accept a duel?”

“It’s impossible!”

“The Primordial Root Scripture is our property.”

“Doesn’t accepting a duel give them a chance to interfere?”

The sect leader was silent.

In the midst of that, the one who spoke was Cheonghyeonjin.

“Everyone.”

Although he did not belong to the great elders, his words carried weight, as much as his title of the Guardian Sword.

“There is a more important matter at hand.”

“…?”

“It’s the Blood Ghost Valley.”

“Ahem…”

“First it was the treasure map of the Red Blood Sword Demon, and now it’s the Primordial Root Scripture? The problem we are facing now is the Blood Ghost Valley. They are the ones who attacked Shaolin. Instead of tracking them, do we have to have another dispute with Zhongnan now?”

“But…”

“We must resolve the dispute as soon as possible, and cooperate with Zhongnan to lead the orthodox martial world of Shaanxi and find a way to respond to the Blood Ghost Valley.”

Although Cheonghyeonjin argued so, the elders’ reactions were not favorable.

At least the Blood Demon Sect was finished, and the Blood Ghost Valley, which was presumed to be behind them, showed no signs.

Cheonghyeonjin, who had observed the reactions, sighed and said.

“And… the Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero is also claiming ownership of the Primordial Root Scripture. How do you plan to solve this?”

“Hmph. He’s just a successor, isn’t he?”

“I know that Mount Hua owes a debt to the Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero. But what right does that person have to claim ownership?”

“His martial arts are not in the Taoist sect.”

“Heo. Come to think of it, it’s absurd. How can a latecomer to the martial world…!”

Cheonghyeonjin bit his lip.

Well, they had not experienced Cheon Mubaeck directly.

In a way, their reactions were understandable. Because if he had not experienced Cheon Mubaeck himself, he would not have easily believed it.

Still, the situation now was not good.

Mount Hua was excluding Cheon Mubaeck from the Primordial Root Scripture dispute from the beginning.

‘Why would Young Master Cheon be after the Primordial Root Scripture?’

Even Cheonghyeonjin could not easily understand.

No matter how he thought about it, there was no reason for Cheon Mubaeck to be after the Primordial Root Scripture.

‘It’s probably not just because of greed.’

Cheon Mubaeck had discovered the Ghost Tomb and had claimed that he also had ownership, citing the fact that he had saved the people.

If you just look at this, it is greed for the Primordial Root Scripture.

But Cheonghyeonjin did not think so.

‘Young Master Cheon is not a person who would be swayed by mere greed.’

He was not that kind of person.

‘He is a man who has a great cause in his heart.’

When everyone else was rushing with bloodshot eyes for the secret manual of the Red Blood Sword Demon.

He had gone in, knowing that it was a trap, to fight the Blood Demon Sect, disregarding his own life.

In the end, hadn’t he saved the people and annihilated the Blood Demon Sect?

He was a person who was not tempted by the secret manual of the Red Blood Sword Demon.

When his thoughts reached that far, a thought suddenly came to Cheonghyeonjin’s mind.

‘Could it be on purpose?’

Zhongnan and Mount Hua.

The two were rivals.

If someone came to possess the Primordial Root Scripture, the dispute would surely continue.

The orthodox martial world, which should be cooperating to respond to the Blood Ghost Valley, would be in conflict.

Then.

‘Does he mean that he will become an external enemy himself?’

Wouldn’t it mean that he would take the Primordial Root Scripture himself and seal the conflict between Mount Hua and Zhongnan?

Right. It could be.

‘If it’s Young Master Cheon, surely.’

He was a great person who would do that and more.

Cheonghyeonjin trembled slightly at the sudden surge of emotion.

To become an external enemy himself.

Even if he received hostility from Zhongnan and Mount Hua, he would become a villain to solve the immediate problem of the Blood Ghost Valley.

That was the meaning.

Cheonghyeonjin, who had grasped the hidden meaning, swallowed his dry saliva.

In fact, he also knew well. That the Primordial Root Scripture was important to Mount Hua.

But.

That kind of legitimacy.

‘What’s the use!’

The evil and sinister demons called the Blood Ghost Valley have appeared!

Of course, he could not tolerate the Primordial Root Scripture going to Zhongnan.

But if it was Cheon Mubaeck.

‘He is a real hero who can be trusted.’

Cheonghyeonjin stuck out his head and said.

“If we are to have a duel, we must go with a three-way battle with the Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero.”

* * *

“If you take it, you’ll be making an enemy of Mount Hua and Zhongnan.”

“So what.”

At Cheon Mubaeck’s sullen answer, Gwak Cheon-hu was dumbfounded.

“No, it’s Mount Hua and Zhongnan. You’re alone, aren’t you?”

“Why am I alone?”

“What?”

Gwak Cheon-hu was tense.

Is there a large sect behind the Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero?

“There’s the Azure Star Escort Agency, the Lotus Pavilion, and the Black Heart Gang. Phew, I’m so reassured.”

“…”

Gwak Cheon-hu looked at Cheon Mubaeck with a gaze as if he were looking at a strange guy, and then he soon turned his head to Neung-heo.

At that, Neung-heo raised his chin.

“What, man.”

“…Ha. I think I’m also becoming strange, hanging out with you.”

“Cheon-hu.”

“…?”

“If you make an enemy of me, it’s you who will be in danger.”

“What?”

“It’s Mount Hua and Zhongnan.”

“Right. Yes, that’s right. That’s right. If they make an enemy of our master, they’re madmen. My goodness, since they’re making an enemy of a madman, are they madmen?”

When even Neung-heo chimed in, Gwak Cheon-hu stepped back, meaning that he would not interfere in the conversation any more.

Although he was not a man of one-sided common sense, these two were guys who were really beyond common sense.

‘Hoo. Since the situation is like this, should I go somewhere else?’

He had regretted that he should have gone to the Wudang Sect of Hubei or the Zhuge family, but the situation was not favorable.

Because the time to go back to Hubei was not short.

Moreover, he did not know if the Zhuge family would help, even if the Wudang Sect did.

Because as far as he knew, the relationship between the Zhuge family and his father, Gwak Yong, was not very good.

While Gwak Cheon-hu was worrying like that.

News was delivered to Cheon Mubaeck.

“A duel?”

“That’s right. Mount Hua and Zhongnan have decided to determine the ownership of the Primordial Root Scripture through a duel. The period is one month later.”

“Leaving me out? I claimed that I also had ownership.”

Gukbo, who had come to find him, nodded his head.

“That’s right, there were many different opinions.”

“There must have been many opinions to exclude me.”

“That’s right.”

Cheon Mubaeck smirked.

He did not particularly care. Although it seemed a little petty, what was more important to a prestigious orthodox sect than legitimacy? He understood on the one hand.

But Cheon Mubaeck also had no intention of giving up easily.

“But if they said they would exclude you, would you have just stood by, young hero?”

“That’s not it.”

At Cheon Mubaeck’s words, Gukbo nodded his head.

He also knew well the Cheon Mubaeck he had heard about from Cheonghyeonjin and had experienced himself.

That if he said he would be excluded here, Cheon Mubaeck was not a great person who would just stand by.

“So please participate in this duel. One person of the elder rank, and four of the first-generation disciple rank, a total of five.”

Cheon Mubaeck glanced around.

“Can I participate alone?”

“You can, but…”

Gukbo trailed off with a sullen look.

Doesn’t it mean that he will face five alone?

“Well, that’s not important. I understand.”

Cheon Mubaeck nodded his head as if it were not very important.

It was then.

“What is this!”

Jeon-hyeon’s voice was heard from far away.

Cheon Mubaeck let out a hollow laugh.

“That guy’s throat must be very strong. He’s shouting every time I see him.”

“…”

Although Gukbo did not answer, he sympathized inwardly.

Soon, Jeon-hyeon had reached the pavilion where Cheon Mubaeck was staying, leading five of his martial artists.

He glared at Cheon Mubaeck and Gukbo alternately.

The one who opened his mouth was not Jeon-hyeon. It was the first-generation disciple behind Jeon-hyeon, Sa Jeok-yu.

He was a quite outstanding person with top-tier martial arts skills even among the first-generation disciples.

“How can that person interfere in the duel between Zhongnan and Mount Hua?”

“The Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero was also at the scene, and he is claiming ownership of the Primordial Root Scripture. We can’t exclude him.”

At that, Sa Jeok-yu let out a sigh of ridicule.

“Heo. Then if the Mute Red Demon or the Guansheng Sword, who were there at that time, also claim ownership, you’ll let them in? As expected of Mount Hua. It’s so fair that it’s absurd!”

At the criticism that seemed to have crossed the line, Gukbo’s face hardened.

Although he had intended to take out the Primordial Root Scripture by leading a duel between Mount Hua and Zhongnan, it was understandable that he would be so angry since an outsider had interfered.

But how dare he spout such nonsense at the main headquarters of Mount Hua?

The moment Gukbo was about to say a word.

Cheon Mubaeck spoke first.

“Why, are you scared? That I’ll beat up the Zhongnan guys and take it?”

Jeon-hyeon’s gaze, which had been quiet, turned to Cheon Mubaeck.

“What?”

“That’s what it is. Do you think the great Zhongnan Sect would be afraid of a mere brat who has just gained a reputation?”

“You brat!”

Sa Jeok-yu shouted with red eyes.

“This is a matter between Zhongnan and Mount Hua! How can you! If you have eyes to see and sense, you should interfere where you should interfere, according to your place! Hmph!”

It was then.

Kwang!

Jeon-hyeon’s pupils shook greatly. There was nothing in the place where Sa Jeok-yu had been just a moment ago.

A little further away.

Sa Jeok-yu was stuck in the wall of one side of the pavilion.

And in the original place, Cheon Mubaeck was standing proudly.

Cheon Mubaeck looked down with a nonchalant face and said.

A low voice with not a single emotion.

“Where are you butting in when the adults are talking?”

(End of Chapter)

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep