Sword God Reborn

Chapter 248 : Dragon, my ass. At best, he's an imugi.

"I can't understand it."

"What?"

"How can I still not see it?"

"..."

Gyo Mun-cheok understood what Hwangbo Sung was saying at once.

Because he himself was currently holding an ice pack to his swollen red cheek.

How could he block or dodge what he couldn't see?

Gyo Mun-cheok, who empathized with that earnest lament, made a gloomy face without realizing it.

It wasn't just the two of them.

"...I want to die."

Tang Su-gun, whose gloomy voice came from the side, had both of his cheeks swollen red.

Hwangbo Sung was startled and poked Gyo Mun-cheok.

"What's wrong with him?"

"Didn't you see?"

"I got hit and passed out."

"Ah."

Hwangbo Sung was the first to challenge and get knocked out.

Gyo Mun-cheok looked at Tang Su-gun with pitiful eyes and said.

"I heard he used poison on Cheon Mubaeck before the test."

"Poison?"

"He used it to get a hit in, but..."

Although he trailed off, Hwangbo Sung felt like he knew the inside story without having to hear it.

"Would poison work on that crazy bastard?"

There was no way poison would work on the great Cheon Mubaeck.

Tang Su-gun's attempt naturally came to nothing, and he suffered a terrible retaliation.

"He got hit twice."

"Crazy!"

Hwangbo Sung's face turned pale. He got slapped twice?

"But he's alive?"

"...You call that talking."

Although Tang Su-gun glared at him, Hwangbo Sung brushed it off with a sly smile.

Hwangbo Sung was not someone who would be intimidated by Tang Su-gun.

Hwangbo Sung patted Tang Su-gun's shoulder.

"Still, you did well. You Tang family bastard. My body is itching to get a proper hit in on that Cheon Mubaeck bastard too."

"You'll separate your muscles and bones if you do that. Be careful."

"Just you watch. I'll get a proper hit in someday."

Hwangbo Sung gritted his teeth. It wasn't just him. As Cheon Mubaeck's name came up, all the members of the Demon Repelling Squad scattered around gritted their teeth.

If someone had been watching, they would have said it was a comedy.

Because everyone's cheeks were flushed red.

It was the result of nearly a fortnight of continuous training.

The factions that had been divided, as if it had never happened, the entire Demon Repelling Squad was now united.

After Cheon Mubaeck had called Hwangbo Sung and the other two the "three idiots," they had become the officially recognized three idiots.

The days when they were horrified about why they had to be lumped together were a thing of the past.

Those who had looked at each other like a cow looks at a chicken were now treating each other as comfortably as if they were the closest of friends.

That was how vicious Cheon Mubaeck's training was.

They were all united by their hostility towards Cheon Mubaeck.

"But I do feel like my body has gotten lighter and my sense of balance has improved..."

"Why can't we break through that formation?"

"Is Young Lady Zhuge's formation that amazing?"

It was truly ever-changing.

If you didn't know, you wouldn't know. But if you knew there was a formation, you could break through it even if your internal energy was sealed.

At the very least, the three of them were that skilled.

But as the days went by, the formation became more and more ever-changing. As if it changed every day.

"No way, is Young Lady Zhuge?"

"Aww... no way."

"...She's close to Cheon Mubaeck, right?"

"Umm..."

At the uncomfortable fact that she was close to Cheon Mubaeck, the three idiots swallowed a groan.

Because it was an undeniable fact.

Although the three of them were scheming to somehow steal Zhuge Seol-ah's heart, they couldn't see a way.

Because the entire Demon Repelling Squad agreed that the relationship between Cheon Mubaeck and Zhuge Seol-ah was unusual.

"What. Our three great heroes, you still haven't lost your affection for the Vice-Squad Leader?"

At that moment, the three idiots flinched at the youthful voice that suddenly interjected.

It was So-hang, one of the few female martial artists in the Demon Repelling Squad.

So-hang was also rubbing her red cheek.

"You shouldn't even look at a tree you can't climb."

"A tree you can't climb?"

As Gyo Mun-cheok reacted as if it were absurd, So-hang shook her head.

"No. You can't separate a pair of mandarin ducks that already have a mate."

"Mandarin ducks?"

In an instant, the gazes of the three idiots were all fixed on her. So-hang sighed and crossed her arms.

"Haven't you seen the butterfly hairpin on the Vice-Squad Leader's head?"

"What about it."

"You're asking because you don't know? It's a butterfly hairpin, a butterfly hairpin."

"What about it?"

"It was pretty."

"It looked luxurious. It must be quite expensive."

"Ugh. You idiots."

"Idiot?"

Although Hwangbo Sung's eyes flipped and he stood up, the opponent was not intimidated either.

Although So-hang had originally belonged to his faction, it was different now.

The meaning of the faction had faded.

Hwangbo Sung felt that fact keenly now. Because So-hang clicked her tongue and looked at him with pity.

Not a single bit of fear could be felt in her large eyes.

'She means we're comrades.'

Hwangbo Sung sighed and sat down.

Still, it was natural to be angry at being called an idiot. Hwangbo Sung asked with his eyes raised.

"Why do you call me an idiot?"

"You know the Vice-Squad Leader cherishes the butterfly hairpin, right?"

"Cherishes? Isn't that because she likes it and treasures it?"

"It's not just that. There's the look in her eyes, the look in her eyes!"

"The look in her eyes?"

"The look in her eyes when she looks at the butterfly hairpin is unusual. So I asked, and it turns out it was a gift from none other than the Squad Leader."

"Cheon Mubaeck?"

"That bastard?"

"......!"

Only then did the three idiots, who had realized what So-hang was saying, show their anger.

So-hang added fuel to the fire.

"And think about the fact that it's a butterfly hairpin."

"What about it? Butterfly hairpins are common, aren't they?"

"They are common. But the meaning of the gift is different."

"Different?"

"Aigoo. Our three great heroes must have only honed their martial arts their whole lives. How can you not know a woman's heart like this?"

"..."

At a loss for words, the three idiots closed their mouths. So-hang clasped her hands and made an excited face as if she were in a dream.

"Butterflies always approach flowers, right?"

"..."

"The Vice-Squad Leader is the most beautiful flower, right? It's natural for a butterfly to visit such a flower. Even if they are far apart, a butterfly always finds its way to the flower. This is it. The Squad Leader was expressing his feelings to the Vice-Squad Leader."

Of course, if Cheon Mubaeck had heard, he would have clicked his tongue and said it was a better interpretation than the dream.

It was plausible.

Because the faces of the three idiots were greatly contorted.

"Good heavens..."

"I thought he was a terrible guy who only honed his martial arts."

"Even a woman's heart..."

At the somehow deep sense of defeat, the three were greatly discouraged.

So-hang shrugged her shoulders.

"You should only feel a sense of rivalry towards an opponent you can compete with."

"..."

Although it wasn't wrong, Hwangbo Sung, who was strangely in a bad mood, glared at her.

But So-hang, who was no longer afraid of the three idiots, just smiled brightly and left the place.

However...

"Why is your face turning red?"

"Me?"

Hwangbo Sung was startled and let out a dry cough.

"It must be the red from the slap I got earlier."

"That's your right cheek. You idiot. Your left cheek is red too."

"What... it's hot."

"It's the middle of winter. You idiot."

"..."

Gyo Mun-cheok sighed.

To think that this guy was a rival in love for Zhuge Seol-ah...

"He was just a guy who falls in love easily when he sees a woman."

How pathetic.

Gyo Mun-cheok clenched his two fists with a determined face.

"I will definitely win Young Lady Zhuge."

Of course, Gyo Mun-cheok was unaware of the fact that it might be more pathetic to keep trying to climb a tree he couldn't climb.

"By the way, is he going to drag that guy into the Demon Repelling Squad too?"

"Who?"

Hwangbo Sung asked at Gyo Mun-cheok's murmur.

"The dragon of the Namgung clan."

"Ah!"

Hwangbo Sung let out a low cry of admiration.

The dragon of the Namgung clan.

The successor of the Namgung Clan and the peerless rising star called the Namgung Sword Dragon.

That was Namgung Jincheon.

The reason Gyo Mun-cheok had suddenly brought up Namgung Jincheon's story was simple.

"He's arriving tomorrow or the day after, right?"

"Hmm. To be honest, you and I may hold our heads high as the best among the rising stars, but..."

"Namgung Jincheon is different."

Namgung Jincheon is not evaluated as a simple rising star.

He is a prodigy who is evaluated more highly than even the Plum Blossom First Sword Gukbo of the Hwa Mountain Sect or the Fighting Demon Gwak Cheon-hu.

While others had gained fame through their background and various rumors, Namgung Jincheon was different.

"He annihilated all the black path and unorthodox factions in Anhui Province, and he also took care of all the Blood Demon Valley's Vidas. They say his actual skills match his fame, right?"

Such a Namgung Jincheon was coming to the Righteous Alliance.

As soon as the news that Cheon Mubaeck had established the Demon Repelling Squad was heard, the rumor that Namgung Jincheon had moved in person was widespread.

There were many words about Namgung Jincheon's whereabouts.

Just as the Righteous Alliance had given Cheon Mubaeck the authority of the Demon Repelling Squad, the general opinion was that they would probably entrust a comparable strike force to Namgung Jincheon.

In fact, not a single member of the Anhui faction within the alliance had joined the Demon Repelling Squad.

It meant they would follow Namgung Jincheon.

"Well. I don't know what will happen."

"Namgung Jincheon might see Cheon Mubaeck as a worthy rival."

"A worthy rival?"

"That's right. Until Cheon Mubaeck suddenly appeared, wasn't Namgung Jincheon always the one mentioned when discussing the number one in the world of the next generation?"

"Well..."

It's different now.

Everyone picks Cheon Mubaeck. No, not just the next generation, but aren't there even people who are making a fuss, saying that he might become the number one in the world at the youngest age in this generation?

"Well... he'll take care of it himself."

"Well. We're in a tight spot ourselves."

"But. About Namgung Jincheon. If that man were to join the Demon Repelling Squad."

"He's joining the Demon Repelling Squad? No way."

"No, I mean, just in case."

Hwangbo Sung thought for a moment and then continued.

"Could he dodge or block Cheon Mubaeck's slap?"

"..."

Gyo Mun-cheok and Tang Su-gun could not easily answer.

The great Namgung Jincheon getting slapped?

The person called the dragon of the Namgung family?

"I can imagine that... but I can't imagine a picture of him dodging Cheon Mubaeck's slap."

Perhaps it was fate.

The situation to resolve the question they had harbored came quickly.

Namgung Jincheon had sought out Cheon Mubaeck as soon as he arrived at the Righteous Alliance.

* * *

"The dragon of the Namgung clan..."

Cheon Mubaeck muttered as he saw the Righteous Alliance in an uproar.

It was none other than Namgung Jincheon's visit.

The young people might say that the Righteous Alliance was startled by Namgung Jincheon's fame, but.

"Dragon, my ass. At best, he's an imugi."

Cheon Mubaeck sneered.

The leaders of the Righteous Alliance were not fools, so would they be in an uproar just because one Namgung Jincheon had come?

The real reason was the Namgung Clan's joining of the Righteous Alliance.

Since the successor, Namgung Jincheon, had come in person, it was a natural fact that the joining of the Namgung Clan, which had stood aloof until now, was just around the corner.

The Righteous Alliance was in an uproar over that fact.

But Namgung Jincheon had suddenly come to find Cheon Mubaeck.

His tanned skin, thick eyebrows, and fiery, sharp eyes showed at a glance that he was no ordinary person.

"Are you the Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero?"

"You're speaking informally."

"Can't we speak comfortably as fellow rising stars?"

"Fellow rising stars..."

"I've heard many rumors about you. And, I've also developed a fighting spirit."

Cheon Mubaeck just listened quietly. Because he was curious about what more Namgung Jincheon would say.

Although he was gathering the young martial artists through the Demon Repelling Squad, there were still some he had not yet gathered.

'The Anhui Province bastards.'

The three factions led by the three idiots had now almost completely assimilated, but the martial artists commonly called the Anhui faction had not budged.

They were all in Namgung Jincheon's hands.

To Cheon Mubaeck, who was trying his best to properly establish the Righteous Alliance and fight against the Demonic Path, it was naturally seen as an eyesore.

So he had waited for Namgung Jincheon.

Now, Cheon Mubaeck was racking his brain on how to deal with Namgung Jincheon depending on how he came out.

"Since I was young, my father, the elders, and countless people have called me the dragon of the Namgung clan."

I know. The moniker of the Namgung Sword Dragon.

"But in the current martial world, when they think of a dragon, they think of you, not me."

The Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero had become the most famous with the name of a dragon in the current martial world.

So Namgung Jincheon had decided.

When he heard the news that Cheon Mubaeck was fighting the Demonic Path in the Righteous Alliance.

He really, purely wanted to see Cheon Mubaeck's skills.

So, despite his confidence that the Namgung Clan could face the Demonic Path alone, he had come in person.

"There can't be two dragons in the world..."

"Why are you dragging on your words so long? It's frustrating."

"...What?"

"So you want to have a bout, right? Over the moniker of a dragon?"

"..."

For a moment, Namgung Jincheon was flustered and closed his mouth.

Hearing the rumors about the Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero, he was a serious and true hero who fought desperately against the Demonic Path... but?

Namgung Jincheon's pupils wavered.

Cheon Mubaeck, with his arms crossed and a look of annoyance.

"..."

A gangster was standing in front of him.

"What are you doing? Then take out your sword. Let's finish it quickly. I have to go to the bathroom."

Pajik.

Namgung Jincheon's eyebrow twitched.

(End of Chapter)