Cheon Mubaeck kicked open the door of the pavilion without hesitation.

Kwang!

It was not polite.

This was Mount Hua, and Zhongnan was staying in the pavilion as a guest of Mount Hua.

But to visit that pavilion without any special notice was not polite in the first place.

On top of that, Neung-heo and Gwak Cheon-hu, who had followed him, were dumbfounded at the act of kicking open the door with a bang.

“Hey, your master.”

“What, you bastard.”

“Does he have several lives?”

“He has one.”

“Then why is he so arrogant?”

He has one life, so isn’t he scared?

Neung-heo answered nonchalantly.

“Because he thinks no one can touch that one life.”

Gwak Cheon-hu’s mouth fell open.

What an arrogant thought. Gwak Cheon-hu muttered in a worried tone.

“The martial world is wide. If he keeps acting like that, he’ll get stabbed by a master and die.”

“That master will die.”

“…”

Gwak Cheon-hu could not refute Neung-heo’s words.

Gwak Cheon-hu was actually quite intimidated by Cheon Mubaeck due to the tremendous martial prowess he had shown in the duel.

That Cheon Mubaeck would die?

No matter how much he thought about it, he could not easily imagine it. He would probably live until he was old and senile.

‘But still, this arrogance…’

As Gwak Cheon-hu had worried, the first-generation disciples of Zhongnan rushed out.

“What is this impolite act!”

“Politeness, my ass.”

“…!”

The crowd’s mouths fell open.

Although Cheon Mubaeck had often shown a bold appearance, his words and actions now were beyond common sense.

In particular, there were those who had secretly admired Cheon Mubaeck for his overwhelming performance in the duel.

To such people, Cheon Mubaeck’s raw reaction was hard to understand.

Cheon Mubaeck ignored the wall of people that had blocked his path and formed a circle, and walked forward.

“…!”

Although they were clearly blocking the path, when Cheon Mubaeck moved, the wall of people also retreated.

A strange standoff.

No one could properly block Cheon Mubaeck’s path.

“At this point, shouldn’t someone come out and guide the guest?”

“There is no etiquette of visiting without prior notice.”

“We’re not close enough to contact each other.”

“Go back and make an appointment again.”

“I’m sorry, but I have to leave Mount Hua soon, so I don’t have time.”

“What is your purpose?”

“It’s no use talking to you. Let me see the great elder’s face.”

“This rude…!”

“I’m just saying I want to see his face, but it’s hard to see.”

“Go back. I won’t tolerate it any longer.”

Seureureung!

The first-generation disciples all drew their swords at once.

Cheon Mubaeck’s nonchalant face hardened slightly.

Whether it was because he felt that he was scared, Sa Jeok-yu said triumphantly.

“I know you’re strong, but you can’t face all of us. Go back.”

Cheon Mubaeck tilted his head with a look of incomprehension.

“Didn’t I beat you up?”

I think I beat him up quite a bit at the duel stage.

“…Eek!”

“Did I hit you too lightly? You haven’t come to your senses.”

Sa Jeok-yu’s face flushed red. He drew his sword and took a step forward without even realizing it.

It was then. Cheon Mubaeck shouted in a cold voice.

“I don’t spare those who attack with a real sword. Don’t cross the line.”

Sa Jeok-yu was stuck to the ground and could not move.

Although he had taken a step forward with momentum, when Cheon Mubaeck’s cold voice was stuck in his ear, he could not move as if his body had hardened.

‘What is this…’

It wasn’t just him.

All nine of the first-generation disciples were stuck to the ground and could not move.

Their hands, which were tightly gripping their sword hilts, trembled and turned white.

At Cheon Mubaeck’s preemptive strike, the nine first-generation disciples of the Zhongnan Sect were all tied up.

It was a fact that was hard to admit.

“At this point, someone should have come out. Are you busy plotting a conspiracy inside?”

It was a complete disregard.

Sa Jeok-yu forcefully overcame the momentum that was binding his whole body. He bit his lip. There were nine first-generation disciples here, including himself.

Nine people could not back down because they could not block just one person. Wasn’t the name of Zhongnan at stake?

Sa Jeok-yu took a step forward, shouting roughly.

“You baaastard!”

The moment he took a step forward, Sa Jeok-yu saw Cheon Mubaeck’s face and got goosebumps all over his body.

A cold smile.

“…!”

No, to be precise, only the corners of his mouth went up. His eyes were the same.

Cheon Mubaeck’s lazy voice flowed out slowly.

“You moved?”

Cheon Mubaeck’s fingers moved.

Sa Jeok-yu, unfitting for the situation, felt that those fingers were elegant.

As if he were playing an instrument, as if he were plucking a zither, a very careful and elegant movement.

But the following result could not be considered simply elegant.

Pik! Pik! Pik! Pik!

The finger-flicking technique that poured out from his ten fingers in order.

The white finger-flicking technique hit the sword hilt part.

Chwareureuk!

“…!”

All nine, including Sa Jeok-yu, dropped their swords. But they did not even think of picking them up. They had not seen it. If they had not seen it, it meant they could not block it. Block? No, they could not even dodge it.

And he had accurately hit the sword hilts of nine people.

It was a precise attack without a single error.

What if that precise attack had aimed for the neck or the center of the forehead?

Cold sweat ran down their backs.

In particular, Sa Jeok-yu, who had seen the white internal energy gathered at the tip of Cheon Mubaeck’s right index finger from the front, swallowed his dry saliva.

Nine of the ten finger-flicking techniques had all made them drop their swords, and the remaining one.

That one was aimed at Sa Jeok-yu’s head.

Cheon Mubaeck uttered a word.

“Move.”

Cheon Mubaeck took a step forward without hesitation.

Sa Jeok-yu could only watch Cheon Mubaeck pass by with a pale face.

Seureung.

Cheon Mubaeck untied the cloth that was wrapped around his scabbard. And he drew his sword and entered the inside of the pavilion.

Although they were rivals, Mount Hua had treated Zhongnan well and had given them a pretty good pavilion.

It was spacious, and clean.

Was it because the sun was setting? The inside was filled with a dim orange light and was dark.

In the midst of it, Cheon Mubaeck’s smile spread.

“Well. What kind of conspiracy were you plotting? Our Zhongnan elders.”

* * *

“Your visit is noisy. Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero.”

“I was being polite in my own way, but if you’re displeased, I apologize.”

Dan-hu flared up.

“Look at this arrogant brat! You brat! What on earth is your sect that you don’t even have basic manners!”

“Manners are for those who are worthy of them. What country’s etiquette is it to be polite to a guy who is plotting a strange thing to backstab me?”

“…!”

Dan-hu’s face hardened.

Cheon Mubaeck smiled brightly.

“What. Are you scared that I found out you were plotting to backstab the guy who was going down Mount Hua and to steal the Primordial Root Scripture?”

“…I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Your training is lacking. It’s all over your face. Why don’t you go back to Mount Zhongnan and cultivate the Tao more?”

At Cheon Mubaeck’s ridicule, Dan-hu clenched his teeth.

A demonic fire burned in his pupils.

“You’re crazy to want to die.”

“Do you have a talent for saying what I want to say? Keu. As expected, a Taoist is different.”

At that moment, Zhong Li-hong’s heavy voice, who had been quietly watching the situation from behind, flowed out.

“How did you know?”

“Isn’t the martial world a life of walking on a blade’s edge? If you’re not careful, you’ll get cut, so you have to be vigilant.”

Zhong Li-hong let out a long sigh.

“It’s strange. Who would see you as a seventeen-year-old child?”

“My father and my sister see me that way.”

“What is your sect?”

“Are you asking for a Q&A?”

“Right. Since we both seem to have a thing or two we’re curious about, let’s have a Q&A.”

“I have no sect.”

Zhong Li-hong’s thick eyebrows twitched.

“Are you lying from the start?”

“There’s no reason to lie, and I’m not good at lying.”

“Pfft.”

At that moment, Neung-heo, who had been quietly following behind, burst out laughing. When Cheon Mubaeck glanced back, he quickly bit his lip and bowed his head.

“At that age, with that much skill, that much martial art, and the skill to defeat the Zhongnan Wind Sword and the Plum Blossom One Sword at the same time, to believe that you have no sect is to see me as too careless, isn’t it?”

“Then investigate it yourself. Whether it’s the Beggars’ Sect or the Hao Faction.”

“…”

Zhong Li-hong quietly stared at Cheon Mubaeck’s eyes. Pupils that did not waver in the slightest.

On the contrary, the more he looked, the more Zhong Li-hong felt as if he were falling into those eyes.

It was a distant lake.

Zhong Li-hong, at the strange atmosphere that flowed from Cheon Mubaeck, let out a hollow laugh without even realizing it.

He had been planning to attack Cheon Mubaeck to obtain the Primordial Root Scripture.

Although he did not know how he had found out and had come here, Cheon Mubaeck was, if he had to nitpick, in a hostile relationship.

But even so, Zhong Li-hong strangely did not dislike Cheon Mubaeck.

That proud attitude and the skill to back it up. And even that attitude of throwing away his rank. Looking at the smile and the gaze revealed on his white face, his vigilance was released.

‘…What?’

In an instant, Zhong Li-hong’s spine went cold.

Although just a few hours ago, he had been discussing how to deal with Cheon Mubaeck and to get the Primordial Root Scripture.

What was this feeling he was having now?

Zhong Li-hong, who had belatedly realized what he had been thinking, looked at Cheon Mubaeck with trembling eyes without even realizing it.

At that moment, Cheon Mubaeck smirked.

“It’s a pity.”

“…Did you learn a soul-captivating art?”

“Let’s just say it’s my charm.”

“Pfft.”

“Neung-heo.”

“Yes. I’ll be quiet.”

Cheon Mubaeck said nonchalantly.

“Alright, then is it my turn to ask one thing? What is the Primordial Root Scripture that you’re even prepared to backstab me for?”

“Because it’s a sacred object of The Complete Truth Sect.”

“Is that all? Really?”

“That’s all. The Taoist scripture that the founder of The Complete Truth Sect, Wang Chongyang, wrote himself. You should know too. The extraordinary power contained in the characters and sentences.”

“It’s certainly a sentence and a character that I can feel a profound understanding from. But. No matter how much I think about it, I don’t think you would covet it that much.”

“That’s all.”

“Then, for just that reason, you were aiming for my back. Do you know what that means?”

Zhong Li-hong laughed loudly as if he were dumbfounded and glared at Cheon Mubaeck.

“Are you trying to show off in front of the great Zhongnan Sect? Just because you’ve gained a little bit of a paltry reputation? I am the Wind and Cloud Sword Lord, Zhong Li-hong.”

“I am Cheon Mubaeck.”

Zhong Li-hong stared at Cheon Mubaeck for a long time.

He was not just staring. The momentum that filled the room.

A gaze as if a huge mountain were reigning and looking down poured down on Cheon Mubaeck.

Although it was a momentum that was pouring down on Cheon Mubaeck, Neung-heo and Gwak Cheon-hu, who had followed him into the room, felt as if they were suffocating.

“Do you know this?”

At that moment, Cheon Mubaeck suddenly said, breaking through the momentum.

The momentum of Zhong Li-hong, which had been filling the room, scattered like the wind in an instant.

A look of bewilderment appeared in Zhong Li-hong’s eyes.

‘He scattered the momentum? With just one word?’

He had exquisitely cut off the space between his breaths.

That meant that he had to see through the opponent’s breathing, momentum, and the flow of his internal energy.

‘Is this guy really at that level?’

But Zhong Li-hong’s thoughts did not continue.

Tuk.

The matte black plaque that Cheon Mubaeck had taken out from his bosom.

Although Dan-hu, who was next to him, tilted his head, not knowing what it was, Zhong Li-hong realized what it was at a glance.

“This is…”

“The Shaolin Exemption Plaque.”

“…!”

Cheon Mubaeck smiled.

“You were trying to attack the one who holds the Shaolin Exemption Plaque. There’s enough evidence. If this fact becomes known, what will happen?”

Zhong Li-hong, trying to hide his bewilderment, raised his eyes.

“Do you think Zhongnan will be afraid of Shaolin!”

“Even if you’re not afraid of Shaolin, you should be afraid of the meaning that Shaolin has. To attack the one who holds the Shaolin Exemption Plaque is to attack Shaolin, and to attack Shaolin is to attack the orthodox martial world.”

Cheon Mubaeck, wiping the smile from his lips, became serious.

“So. Are you going to make an enemy of me? Or are you going to give it a try?”

“…What on earth do you believe in?”

“I believe in myself.”

“…”

“How about it? I’m confident. Want to have a match?”

A swaggering tone and posture.

But Zhong Li-hong could only be silent.

(End of Chapter)

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep