Sword God Reborn

Chapter 23 : It Smells Rotten

"I will serve you until my life is over."

"I think I heard that just a moment ago."

"Pardon? I just said it with determination for the first time."

"No. I think I heard it at the Lotus Pavilion."

Cheon Mubaeck looked at Heo Seong, who was kneeling on one knee, with a sullen face.

He had returned after handling the matter at the Lotus Pavilion.

Neung-heo had normalized the Lotus Pavilion and immediately began preparations to be taken over by the Azure Star Escort Agency.

Originally, a takeover does not happen right away.

There are a lot of documents to prepare, and since the previous Masters were officially missing, there are many problems.

So there is a lot of money that needs to go back and forth. In that regard, Neung-heo was confident. He said he had done this kind of thing countless times.

It was absurd how he boasted that he was quite skilled in dirty backroom dealings.

"Even a guy like that made a pledge of allegiance with that kind of expression. Sigh."

Why do only guys like this get involved?

But Cheon Mubaeck did not push him away. Neung-heo was a guy with a great poison, and he was also quite quick-witted and skilled.

And Heo Seong...

"You seem to have found a way?"

He could tell by his expression.

His eyes shone brightly, and a pale luster emanated from his face.

A faint scent of plum blossoms emanated from him.

"I will swing my sword in front of you and take the sword for you. I will be the first to open the way, and I will protect your back until the very end."

"Well, well. Are you going to war? Why are you so determined?"

"I am just letting you know my will. But it is all sincere. When you are in a crisis, I will take the sword for you and protect you."

"Well. If it's a crisis of that level, wouldn't the entire Heavenly Demon Divine Cult have to come in a group...?"

"Pardon?"

Heo Seong blinked his eyes.

Although Heo Seong would now express absolute trust in whatever Cheon Mubaeck said, he mistook what he had just heard.

But Cheon Mubaeck narrowed his brow and fell into serious thought.

'Last time, when the Heavenly Demon and all his subordinates came at once, it was a little scary. I wonder if a crisis of that level will come in this life.'

It was really scary.

Wasn't it to the point that even the great Cheon Mubaeck had muttered, 'This is a little difficult,' at that time?

Of course, he had won that battle and the fame of the Azure Sky Sword God, who had defeated the famous Heavenly Demon, had shaken the entire martial world...

But it seemed that there had never been a moment as thrilling as that.

Cheon Mubaeck had entered a new path at that time.

It is an unchanging truth of the martial world that one gains enlightenment in a moment of crisis that is more than walking barefoot on a blade.

But not everyone can easily encounter such a moment.

No, even if they do, it is not easy to catch the subtle enlightenment of that moment.

Even if they do, it is difficult to survive by avoiding the crisis.

But if you survive, you can rise to a higher realm.

That is the martial world.

Cheon Mubaeck wondered if such a moment would come again in this life.

'The Heavenly Demon bastard ran away like crazy, and even after I died, there was no news for 40 years... did he really die?'

As a result of Cheon Mubaeck gathering news of the martial world so far.

There was nothing certain.

It was just full of speculation.

The most likely theory was that the Heavenly Demon, who had been fatally injured by the Azure Sky Sword God, had finally died.

If not, in a situation where numerous orthodox sects of the martial world had collapsed, and 40 years after the death of the Azure Sky Sword God (known to the public as ascending to the celestial realm), it was impossible that he would not have shown his face.

'Well. The martial world is a place where you never know when or where danger will come from.'

Cheon Mubaeck smiled bitterly and turned his head.

The moon was setting and the dawn was breaking.

* * *

"Is it a guy named Heo Seong?"

The third elder of the Blood Demon Sect, Yuk Seong, furrowed his pale eyebrows.

Unlike his immortal-like appearance, a strange evil qi flowed from his face.

Cheok, who was prostrated opposite him, trembled unconsciously.

Looking at such a Cheok, Yuk Seong clicked his tongue as if he was not pleased.

"My goodness, why is the name of a guy I've never even heard of, who doesn't even have a title, popping up..."

A full month had passed since Gu Jin-hae had gone to Wonyang County with his two disciples.

But there was no news.

It was none other than the Lotus Pavilion, where they had been putting in their efforts.

It was the largest in Henan, and among the blue lantern houses, its arts and music were by far the best, so it was optimal to make it the Henan base of the Blood Demon Sect.

But the original Master had disappeared, and a strange black-way bastard had taken his place.

Gu Jin-hae had gone himself to investigate that fact.

And he had not returned.

"Cheok-ah. Did that guy named Heo Seong seem that strong?"

"No. My master was very relaxed. In fact, Heo Seong seemed to have a martial power that I could handle."

"But Elder Gu has disappeared, and the Lotus Pavilion is operating as usual...?"

At those words, Cheok, who had been sent first by Gu Jin-hae to deliver the news, wore an expression that was hard to understand.

"It's hard to understand. Really, did my master get defeated by a brat named Heo Seong?"

"Heo Seong... Heo Seong."

The third elder, Yuk Seong, narrowed his eyes and repeated the name.

According to what he had found out through various channels, Heo Seong's skills were at a considerable level for an escort warrior.

But the prerequisite was important.

'For an escort warrior.'

Wasn't the Blood Demon Sect a group that didn't even bat an eye at most martial arts sects?

To such a Yuk Seong, Heo Seong's outstanding skills for an escort warrior were not to his liking.

If it were Gu Jin-hae, he would have dealt with it and returned long ago.

There were two elders in charge of Henan Province.

Yuk Seong and Gu Jin-hae.

'Although that guy is arrogant, his skills are the real deal.'

His worry when he came to Henan was Shaolin.

Although they had lost a lot of power in the previous righteous-demonic war, it was Shaolin that had blocked the Heavenly Demon before the Azure Sky Sword God had fully stepped forward.

If it weren't for the Azure Sky Sword God, Shaolin would have been annihilated.

They had suffered that much terrible damage.

Although 40 years had passed since they had entered seclusion, Shaolin had not opened its doors again.

According to rumors, all the young masters had been defeated, and the older generation had almost all died, so their martial arts were on the verge of being lost.

'But Shaolin is still Shaolin.'

If Shaolin were to come down from Mount Song again, the Blood Demon Sect would be shattered.

That was his biggest worry, but he had met an ambush in a completely unexpected place.

"Heo Seong of the Azure Star Escort Agency..."

Yuk Seong lifted his closed eyelids.

"I'll have to go and see for myself."

A cold energy flowed from Yuk Seong's eyes.

* * *

It was a sight that would make anyone who saw it lament that the world was coming to an end.

"Shaanxi is suffering from numerous refugees due to the plague, and the plague is slowly spreading here in Henan, yet the scholars are looking for alcohol and women under the pretext of entertainment, and the young commoners who should be working hard are spending a lot of money just to smell a woman's powder!"

It was a lament that a scholar famous for his high learning in Wonyang County, Henan, had let out after seeing the Lotus Pavilion.

The Lotus Pavilion was so prosperous every day that such words would come out.

Of course, the gisaeng house business is not related to a recession.

Because even when the country was on the verge of ruin, the gisaeng houses had their lanterns up.

But the night at the Lotus Pavilion was brighter than other gisaeng houses.

It was to the point that you couldn't even enter unless you were a wealthy merchant. Everyone would shake their heads when they saw the long line. But they were still anxious to get in, so a passerby couldn't hold back his curiosity and asked.

"Why on earth are so many people gathered here?"

"Ah, why would people gather at a gisaeng house?"

"Is it because of the gisaengs?"

"Right. It's thanks to the appearance of the Lotus Pavilion gisaengs."

"I've heard rumors that the Lotus Pavilion gisaengs are beautiful, but is it to this extent? The other gisaeng houses are completely empty."

"Doesn't that mean that the gisaengs here are that beautiful?"

It was thanks to the appearance of the gisaengs belonging to the Lotus Pavilion.

Although they were originally famous for their beautiful appearance, anyone who had been to the Lotus Pavilion recently would praise them until their mouths were dry.

"In my room, in the room next to mine, and in the room next to that, there is the most beautiful woman in Henan!"

The rumor spread quickly even to the rich playboys. Moreover, since there was a story that it was the best blue lantern house in Henan, they came in droves under the pretext of discussing poetry and songs with the scholars.

Il-seok, while guarding the Lotus Pavilion, which was so busy that he was about to die, kept glaring his eyes.

"Hey! You there! If you cut in line, you'll be in trouble!"

Although he had shown a trembling and servile side to Cheon Mubaeck, Il-seok, who had rolled around in the black-way, had a rough appearance and a rough atmosphere that suppressed others.

"Huh?"

It was then.

There was an old man walking confidently to the left of the long line.

The old man, dressed in white, was very impressive with his white hair, beard, and even eyebrows.

Thanks to the faint smile on his lips, it was to the point that one would wonder if the immortals in the stories looked like that.

But...

'This is strange.'

Il-seok's eyes narrowed.

In fact, he had a pretty good intuition.

When Deung-cho was harassing the gisaengs in front of Neung-heo, why wouldn't he have felt lust?

But it felt like something ominous was poking at him.

So he just took a step back and stood still.

'In the end, that saved my life.'

Weren't the three who had a similar intuition to him, I-seok, Sam-seok, and Sa-seok, the same?

But it was like that now.

A strange unpleasantness flowed down his back like at that time.

"It's the Wansegum Yuk Jin-ryeong of the Jincheonmun!"

Someone in the crowd recognized the old man and shouted.

At that title, Il-seok flinched.

The master of a small sect of the Jincheonmun and a swordsman evaluated as having reached a realm as a sword.

As a former secular disciple of Mount Hua Sect, he was a famous person who was even treated as a guest of honor when he visited Mount Hua Sect.

'The Wansegum Yuk Jin-ryeong? Why is that person here?'

But since a great person like the Wansegum had appeared, he couldn't just stand still.

"Welcome. It is an honor to have you visit the Lotus Pavilion."

"Hoho, I came to Henan Province on a personal matter and heard that there was a famous blue lantern house, so I came to see. By any chance, can I enter before the dawn deepens?"

When Yuk Jin-ryeong asked, looking at the long line, Il-seok hesitated for a moment and then nodded his head.

For some reason, he felt uneasy, but since he was a famous person of the orthodox sects, what could happen?

'Wow. To think that a black-way guy like me is relieved because he's from the orthodox sects.'

The order that came down from above was to be careful of the heretical group called the Blood Demon Sect.

No matter how he looked at it, this Wansegum, who looked like an immortal, did not seem to be related to the Blood Demon Sect.

Then, shouldn't he be treated well?

"You can enter right now, great hero."

"Is that so?"

"Of course. It is a great honor to have you visit the Lotus Pavilion."

Il-seok personally guided Yuk Jin-ryeong.

Il-seok, who was roughly agreeing with Yuk Jin-ryeong's trivial talk as they walked down the corridor, flinched at the name he suddenly heard.

"By any chance, do you know a person named Heo Seong of the Azure Star Escort Agency?"

"Heo Seong... you mean the escort warrior?"

"That's right."

"Why is a great hero like the Wansegum looking for a mere escort warrior..."

"I am also from the Jincheonmun, a secular branch of Mount Hua Sect, and I heard that a person named Heo Seong of the Azure Star Escort Agency is also a disciple of the secular branch, the Taeryang Sword Sect. So please tell him that I would like to share a drink and exchange greetings."

There was no way Il-seok didn't know Heo Seong.

Wasn't he the escort warrior who always guarded that monstrously scary brat?

Il-seok hesitated for a moment and then nodded his head.

Whether it was a coincidence or not, Heo Seong had just come and was in Neung-heo's room.

Yuk Jin-ryang, who was waiting quietly in the room, raised his head at the presence.

The door opened, and a man with a quite dignified expression entered.

A slightly surprised look appeared on Yuk Jin-ryang's face when he saw the man.

'I heard he was at the beginning of the first-rate, but he looks like he has reached the peak.'

In an instant, his eyes grew cold.

'But it's not enough to kill Gu Jin-hae. Of course, it's not entirely impossible...'

"An unworthy junior greets the senior of the martial world, Great Hero Yuk Jin-ryang. I am Heo Seong, an escort warrior of the Azure Star Escort Agency."

The moment Heo Seong took a fist-and-palm salute.

A strong energy shot out from Yuk Jin-ryang's entire body. No, he was about to shoot it out.

He had intended to pressure Heo Seong in an instant and find out the truth.

But he hastily gathered the momentum he was about to pour out and swallowed it.

"...!"

Jeobeok.

A low footstep.

The moment a heavy footstep was heard from behind Heo Seong, who was bowing with a fist-and-palm salute, Yuk Jin-ryang's chest pounded.

Jeobeok.

When the second footstep was heard, his dantian boiled.

The evil qi he had been hiding reacted violently.

'It's an opposite!'

The corners of his eyes trembled. The pupils revealed under his pale eyebrows vibrated violently.

His internal energy reacted violently. As if it were vomiting blood. As if it had met something it should not have met.

The Heo Seong in front of him?

No.

The owner of the footsteps heard from behind Heo Seong.

The moment a low but firm tone pierced Yuk Jin-ryang's ears, his body stiffened as if struck by lightning.

"For a martial artist of the orthodox sects, you smell rotten."

Cheon Mubaeck's bright smile followed.

(End of Chapter)