Sword God Reborn

Chapter 272 : Neung-heo? Neung-heooo? Neung-heo!

The journey to Henan was very long.

Since he couldn't use his lightness skill without rest, it was a distance that naturally had to be traveled on horseback.

Cheon Mubaeck unfolded his lightness skill to the extreme without hesitation.

Paat!

Cheon Mubaeck's figure shot up, leaving a faint afterimage.

The trees, which had shot up densely without knowing the height of the sky, swayed.

The wind whistled by. If someone had seen Cheon Mubaeck's lightness skill, they would not have been able to tell if a person had passed by.

Because he was not even visible to the eye.

Just the swaying treetops and the leaves scattering and falling to the ground proved that Cheon Mubaeck had unfolded his lightness skill.

Cheon Mubaeck sprinted at his usual unrestrained speed.

It was not a wide, winding official road, but a rampage that ran in a straight line to Henan on the map.

It was not for nothing that Cheon Mubaeck had left Zhuge Seol-ah and the rest of the Demon Repelling Squad behind and had moved first.

Because it was a speed that no one could follow.

Of course, it wasn't that there was no one.

"You crazy bastard, if you use your lightness skill like that, you'll die! Even if your internal energy is overflowing!"

The Ghost Demon shouted with a flustered face and followed.

No matter how urgent the matter was, Cheon Mubaeck could not leave the Ghost Demon alone.

The Ghost Demon was the leader of the Dark Sect. He was sinister and skilled in schemes. He was very likely to betray him if things went wrong. Although Cheon Mubaeck was confident enough to control the Ghost Demon, and had the ability, it was only possible within his sight.

If he were to leave him alone outside his sight, he didn't know what he would do.

So Cheon Mubaeck had headed for Henan with only the Ghost Demon.

'The demonic people who encountered the Blood Buddha in Shanxi Province are not from the Blood Demon Valley, but from the foreign demonic path. They are likely to be guys I don't know, and they are probably the rest of the Seven Demonic Orders who have not appeared until now. It's better to have the Ghost Demon by my side.'

It wasn't that he had brought him along just to control him.

The Ghost Demon's information power would surely be very useful in dealing with the Blood Buddha and the demonic people.

It was also an unavoidable choice. At least it was the Ghost Demon, so he could follow, shouting at his back like this.

"You fledgling! Are you really crazy! At this rate, you'll run out of internal energy and collapse before you get to Henan! Even if you arrive, when will you circulate the consumed internal energy to make it normal? What if the Blood Buddha attacks in the meantime?"

The Ghost Demon felt a sweet taste rising in his mouth.

He had already left Gansu and had entered Shaanxi Province.

Cheon Mubaeck shouted without caring.

"We're going straight to Henan like this. We're not resting. Ghost Demon. If you get tired and collapse, I'll bury you in the ground so you can rest forever."

"You crazy bastard! You son of a bitch! You've lost your mind!"

"Ghost Demon, seeing as your mouth doesn't stop, you're still full of energy. I was being considerate because I have a strong respect for the elderly..."

Pasak!

The Ghost Demon almost fell from the tree while running.

Lightness skill had to be supported by a high-level operation of internal energy. It was a lightness skill that could go wrong at any time if you took a wrong breath.

Fortunately, the Ghost Demon regained his balance, but he couldn't hide his bewilderment.

"Do you have a strong respect for the elderly? A strong respect for the elderly? This crazy bastard... What's your standard for an old person?"

What kind of respect for the elderly is it to speak informally and use your hands?

"You have to be about eight hundred years old to be an old person by my standards."

"..."

The Ghost Demon closed his mouth. Because he would be the only one tired if he dealt with that strange logic. Because if he got caught up in that way of speaking, he might become a Ghost Demon who falls while unfolding his lightness skill, like a monkey falling from a tree.

But it was already too late.

Cheon Mubaeck shouted at the Ghost Demon and increased the speed of his lightness skill.

"You still have the strength to shout. Then it means I can increase the speed even more, right? Ghost Demon. You ugly old monster. If you get far from my radius, I will definitely kill you. After I kill you, I will kill you again. So don't get far and follow me!"

"..."

Hearing the threat that was not a threat, the Ghost Demon just barely followed Cheon Mubaeck's back with his bloodshot eyes.

* * *

The Ghost Demon eventually had his mouth fall open. He staggered, pale as a sheet as if his soul had been sucked out, and finally sat down on the floor.

"Crazy... we really came?"

Henan Province.

At Cheon Mubaeck's crazy sprint, they had finally achieved the feat of arriving in Henan Province in less than ten days.

The Ghost Demon's head was spinning. His vision was spinning, and he didn't have the strength to even lift a finger. His lungs were painful as if they were being squeezed, and he felt a fierce thirst in his throat.

The Ghost Demon was anew dumbfounded at his own condition.

"To think I would even draw on my innate qi while unfolding my lightness skill..."

Thanks to that, he felt as if he had aged several years.

"It's a crazy thing to do."

The Ghost Demon muttered weakly.

Although he knew, he had no choice.

"You managed to follow well. I was going to kill you if you got far."

"It's more scary because it sounds like you mean it."

"I am a man who does not lie."

"..."

At Cheon Mubaeck's threat, he couldn't even say a word about resting.

The Ghost Demon, who had achieved an achievement that could be counted on his fingers in his martial world life, slowly got up from his seat.

"You monster-like fellow."

Although he himself had even drawn on a part of his innate qi, Cheon Mubaeck, although he looked clearly tired, seemed fine.

It was a strange thing.

'Does he have more internal energy than me?'

That was absolutely impossible...

But Cheon Mubaeck was anew impressed by the historical achievement he had committed.

'Although it's not certain yet, the handling of my internal energy has become so much freer.'

Although the total amount of his internal energy had not increased, the flow of the demon-subduing qi and the extreme yin qi of the three dantians had become much more natural. Even without that, wasn't the purity of the internal energy created by the Gyeongcheon Hon-gong the best in the world, and wasn't it the extreme yin qi of the highest purity after swallowing the ice crystal? The same went for the divine energy.

Even with the same amount, the power it displayed was different.

'But now, it seems the connection of the three dantians has become even smoother.'

Cheon Mubaeck was engulfed in the desire to study for a few days. But since it was not urgent now, he could study it gradually.

"Now. We've arrived, so catch your breath. Since we've come to my house, there's someone I need to introduce you to."

"Is your house a courtesan house?"

"I was going to go home first, but there's a welcome presence here. That guy gives off a rather unpleasant smell."

"...?"

The place where Cheon Mubaeck had stopped was the Lotus Pavilion. And the eyes of the Lotus Pavilion's gatekeepers, who had recognized Cheon Mubaeck, widened, and soon, someone came out from inside.

"Aigoo! My lord!"

It was none other than Neung-heo.

Cheon Mubaeck was also quite glad.

"Let me introduce you. That friend is Neung-heo. Neung-heo."

At those words, the Ghost Demon's eyes spewed a blue light in an instant.

The flames that burned as if they contained lava were enough to even make Cheon Mubaeck flinch.

"Neung-heo? Neung-heooo? Neung-heo!"

"...What? This old man. When did you see me that you're calling my name?"

"You bastard!"

Perhaps the sorrow of the past had welled up. As his anger burst out, the Ghost Demon's saber suddenly stabbed at Neung-heo like a lightning bolt.

It was truly a swift and sharp strike.

But Neung-heo was also not to be trifled with. Although his collar was cut, he had narrowly dodged the attack.

"You dodged?"

The Ghost Demon poured out a series of attacks with his eyes turned upside down.

No, he had tried to unfold them.

But Cheon Mubaeck, who thought Neung-heo would die at this rate, intervened.

Kakang!

"Oh, oh. Ghost Demon. Where are you swinging your sword in front of me?"

"..."

The Ghost Demon gritted his teeth, panting.

Cheon Mubaeck clicked his tongue.

"Is it right to swing your sword at someone you've just met? Ghost Demon. Apologize. I brought you to be friends..."

At that, Neung-heo intervened.

"Ah, it's fine. Although I may look like this, I'm from a Confucian scholar's family. The old man looks like he hasn't read a single book. Well, what is it. There's a saying that there's an order between the old and the young. An order between the old and the young. So I'm a person with an outstanding respect for the elderly. So how can I see an old man bowing his waist and apologizing?"

"......!"

"Good grief, why are you turning your eyes upside down again? My lord. Why did you pick up a strange beggar from somewhere? What is this, a Beggars' Sect beggar? Looking at his face, he looks like he could be the Beggars' Sect's leader's grandfather, no, great-grandfather."

"Ugh!"

Cheon Mubaeck inwardly burst into laughter. It was quite funny to see that terrifying ghost demon groaning and trembling without being able to say a word.

His mouth was blocked so he couldn't speak, but his anger was soaring, so the only thing he could express was his pupils, which had turned white.

"What? Did you have a seizure or something? Or did you have a stroke? Well, just looking at that face and the way you walk, you're a rare and healthy old man to see these days. Go in and rest a little. I'm actually the leader of the Lotus Pavilion, you know? What kind of place is the Lotus Pavilion? The beautiful courtesans'... oh, oh. Our old man, are you still full of vigor?"

Cheon Mubaeck had no choice but to honestly admit. Even he, who was just watching, was getting angry, so how would the Ghost Demon feel?

Cheon Mubaeck clicked his tongue at the Ghost Demon.

"See? Neung-heo is this kind of guy."

"Wow. My lord. Did you praise me when I was away?"

"Yes. A lot."

"Keu. See? Now that I'm gone, you're truly feeling my value."

Somehow, it seemed his spirit had revived because he hadn't been hit recently.

"Anyway. What on earth is that old man? Where did Young Lady Zhuge go... What's with this shabby, half-dead corpse?"

The Ghost Demon was now almost foaming at the mouth and trembling. It was a pitiful sight, to the extent that even Cheon Mubaeck felt a sense of pity.

"It's the Ghost Demon."

"The Ghost Demon? The Ghost Demon? What kind of bullshit moniker is that?"

"...Keoheuk!"

"The Ghost Demon. Seeing as the character for 'demon' is attached, it seems like he's an unsociable demonic path trash. Is he a prisoner? What's with this half-dead old man? You should have just killed him."

"He's still useful. He knows a lot."

"Eh, he looks like an illiterate person who doesn't even know how to write."

"..."

In an instant, the Ghost Demon's trembling stopped. His white, upturned eyes turned to Neung-heo. As if he had made up his mind, Neung-heo had a reluctant face at that murderous presence.

"My, my lord?"

"Yes."

"His moniker is the Ghost Demon, and is there any other personal information I should know?"

"He belongs to the Blood Demon Valley."

"...And?"

"He's the second-in-command there."

"..."

Neung-heo closed his mouth.

And he looked up at the sky and let out a pitiful sigh.

"Hah. Shit. My life is a mess again."

Cheon Mubaeck clicked his tongue and agreed.

"What can you do? You ran your mouth before I could even introduce him. Take care of it yourself. Just don't kill each other."

"No, my lord. Well, you know. No matter how much I. Huh? Are you really going to leave me and the second-in-command of the Blood Demon Valley alone? Really?"

"Yes."

"I have a daughter now, you know? If I die now, my daughter won't even remember her father's face."

"Don't worry. I'll be her guardian."

"Hah, damn it."

Neung-heo couldn't say any more. Because the Ghost Demon had taken out his saber. That presence was a kind that Neung-heo could not handle.

Neung-heo laughed reluctantly and raised his hand.

"Well, old man? Shall we go to my house and have a meal together?"

"Shut up. Neung-heo. It is the most cursed name in my life."

"No, why? Why is it the most cursed?"

"Because you are Neung-heo."

"So what's wrong with Neung-heo?"

At the hostility, as if he had met his family's enemy, Neung-heo was quite flustered.

"Is it because I ridiculed you earlier? That's because the old man attacked first, right? No, then it's tit for tat. Huh? You used your sword, and I just touched you a little with my mouth."

"Shut up. Neung-heo. Just hearing your name makes my anger soar. This dirty name..."

"Well, it's a name my father gave me."

"Shut up. Draw your sword. I have to see if you are better than me."

"Let's make up. Huh?"

Cheon Mubaeck looked at the two and clapped his hands.

"It is said that men become friends while fighting. I'll be the judge, so fight to your heart's content."

"Damn it. You're not stopping the fight, you're starting it?"

"It is said that you should bring a lunch box to watch a fight."

"..."

Neung-heo sighed and drew his sword.

"Well, don't forget those words."

"Words?"

"That you'll be my daughter's guardian if something happens to me."

"Don't worry, you won't die. Ghost Demon. Don't kill him."

"No, not just in this place. I mean in the fights that will happen in the future."

"..."

Cheon Mubaeck stared at Neung-heo for a moment.

And he answered.

"Don't worry. You won't die. If you die, it's just two things. You'll die of old age, or you'll die after being hit by my fist for acting up without knowing your place."

"That's a very reassuring statement."

"I think the latter is more likely."

If you were to calculate the probability, it would be about nine out of ten?

(End of Chapter)