novelraw Chapter 201 : Pursuit (2)
Chapter 201 : Pursuit (2)
Chapter 201: Pursuit (2)
In front of Cho-su, an overly obese middle-aged man sat on a chair, wiping sweat from his face. Dressed in flashy clothes, he looked unmistakably like a wealthy merchant at first glance.
“I heard you have some fine goods.”
“This one.”
Cho-su immediately took out the item and showed it.
The man's gaze slightly shifted as he examined the items, including the Raemun Byeokryeokcho and other spiritual herbs and medicines infused with thunder qi. The tips of his toes subtly tensed.
It was a very brief moment, but Jang Woo-hyun, having spread his Qi Threads densely and widely with full concentration, did not miss that tiny movement.
The fat man reached out and picked up a blue leaf radiating strong Water Qi. His motion was natural, as if it were something he truly needed.
“These are excellent goods.”
He smiled refreshingly, as though he had found exactly what he had been looking for.
“I really like them. Are you selling them all at once?”
“Yes.”
The fat man nodded, then scribbled an amount on a small piece of paper and slid it forward.
“How about this much?”
“Not bad, but not great either. How about this?”
After glancing at the paper, Cho-su wrote down the amount he wanted and handed it over. His gestures made it clear this wasn’t his first time.
“Hmm, that seems a bit excessive. How about we meet halfway?”
Cho-su shook his head at the fat man’s proposal. He had no intention of selling the items in the first place, so he didn’t agree to the amount written on the paper.
“Seems like you need money urgently.”
A trace of doubt flickered in the man's eyes. The amount Cho-su wrote was so high that it made one question whether he truly intended to sell.
“Isn’t it common for someone from the Nation of Mechanical Marvels to end up like this?”
But Cho-su calmly spoke about his situation and dispelled the suspicion.
Those from the Nation of Mechanical Marvels often caused trouble while making things, so Cho-su was pretending to be someone who needed money due to a mishap.
“So you’ve got your circumstances. Then, if I stretch myself, how about this?”
Once again, the paper passed back and forth between the two.
The fat man frowned at the price Cho-su insisted on, clearly thinking it was too much, but eventually made his decision.
“Very well. I’ll pay what you asked.”
Cho-su was slightly taken aback. He had deliberately named a high price, yet the man accepted it.
He still hadn’t figured out who this person was. He didn’t even know yet whether the fat man was connected to Ha Do-gwang or not.
If he sold the real item now, he’d lose both the bait and his leverage.
“What’s the matter?”
When Cho-su froze and couldn’t respond, doubt returned to the man’s eyes.
At that moment, Lee Ga-hang, who had been standing nearby, stepped in.
“How are you planning to pay?”
“This region practically belongs to the Five Elements Cult, so what do you think?”
“That won’t work.”
“What do you mean it won’t work?”
“We won’t accept Five Elements Cult currency.”
In Central Heavens, Spirit Stones were generally used as currency, but some sects also issued their own money.
Since minting and managing money wasn’t easy, these weren’t as standardized as the currencies used in the Lower Realm’s countries. The only widely accepted currency across regions was the one issued by the Samcheong Tai Chi Sect.
Though the Five Wheel Five Elements Cult also minted its own currency for use within its domain, it was essentially just another type of stone used in place of spirit stones.
In any case, the Five Elements Cult did have its own currency, but Lee Ga-hang had firmly stated that they wouldn’t accept it.
“Don’t you know the state the Five Elements Cult is in right now? Demonic Practitioners have infiltrated their territory, and there’s some mysterious organization... what was it called? Anyway, there are strange people moving in. And with the recent battle against the Left Protector, they can’t even operate properly. So how could we accept their money?”
“Then what do you suggest?”
“You’ll have to pay with currency from the Tai Chi Sect or with Spirit Stones. If that’s not possible, bring items of equivalent value.”
Jang Woo-hyun was slightly surprised at Lee Ga-hang’s unexpectedly sharp attitude.
She was, after all, once the leader of a major power that contested for dominance in the Murim. Though she often acted foolishly under Jang Woo-hyun’s influence, this was the real Lee Ga-hang—the one who led the Vermilion Bird Palace of the Dawn Continent.
“Is that acceptable?”
Prompted by her smooth handling of the conversation, Cho-su reacted a beat late.
“Huh? Ah, right. As you can see, I cultivate Fire Qi, so if you’re short on money, you can bring spiritual medicine related to that. Either way, this won’t do for now. Can you prepare the payment?”
The fat man paused to think at Cho-su’s question.
“Could you give me a little time? It might take a while.”
“If you're really going to buy it, I can wait. If this is fate, then I should at least give you that courtesy.”
“Thank you. Then please give me two days. I’ll contact you again. Where should I reach you?”
“I’ll come back. Return to this place in two days.”
“Very well.”
Thus, the deal with the fat man was momentarily concluded, and the three returned to their lodging.
“What do you think?”
“I’m a bit suspicious.”
“Really?”
“Yes. He pretended otherwise, but his demeanor slightly changed when he saw the Raemun Byeokryeokcho.”
“I didn’t notice.”
“It was just for a moment. Maybe he’s good at hiding it. Palace Head, did you catch it?”
“Huh? No, well… I didn’t really notice… but if Great Hero Jang saw it, then I’m sure it’s true.”
It seemed Cho-su and Lee Ga-hang hadn’t caught on, but Jang Woo-hyun was confident he hadn’t been mistaken.
Back in his Demon Extermination Sect days…
When he sought instruction from the hunter-turned-warrior Ma Choong-won, he had been taught to observe everything around him.
Jang Woo-hyun, following that advice, had paid attention to not just the man’s expression or gaze, but to everything from the beginning. That’s why he could detect even the smallest change and conclude that the man was suspicious.
“So, what do we do? Should we go catch him now?”
“Let’s meet him again in two days and decide then.”
With Jang Woo-hyun’s words, the group’s course was set.
“They don’t seem to be from the Cult.”
Before the fat man, who had drawn Jang Woo-hyun’s suspicion, sat a pair of young man and woman.
“Are you certain?”
“Yes. From the goods they sold and their behavior, I’m fairly confident.”
The fat man explained what Lee Ga-hang had said.
“She was very clear. She said they wouldn’t accept the Five Elements Cult’s currency and demanded either Spirit Stones or Tai Chi Sect currency. She even spoke like the Five Elements Cult had completely collapsed.”
“Isn’t that a bit weak to confirm it? They could’ve been lying.”
The young woman raised a doubt.
“I’ve considered that as well. Which is why I propose—why not invite them here next time we meet?”
“Here?”
“Yes. With the two of you here, even if something happens, we can deal with it.”
“What did they look like? What was their presence like?”
“Only the woman was marked by the Divine Artifact. They weren’t anyone you two need to worry about.”
The two handed the fat man a Dharma Treasure, a tool used to measure the power of a martial artist who had cultivated the Five Elements Qi.
Unless one could completely conceal their power, it was impossible to avoid the tool’s detection if they had cultivated the Five Elements Qi.
The people who came to sell goods were one person from the Nation of Mechanical Marvels, a typical male martial artist, and a woman who had cultivated the Five Elements Qi.
“I’m also familiar with the faces of the Five Elements Cult’s leadership. She wasn’t Wu Hobup, and she certainly wasn’t one of the Five Elements Envoys. They seemed unrelated to the Five Elements Cult.”
Upon hearing the fat man’s account, the other two fell silent in thought.
The people who had come to sell the items didn’t seem like pursuers from the Five Elements Cult, nor were they strong. Moreover, what they possessed were things they themselves needed.
“Wouldn’t it be better to lure them in?”
Their identities hadn’t been fully confirmed yet, but since the two of them had acquired new power, they should be able to handle most unexpected problems.
After the young woman asked, the man pondered for a while before speaking.
“Very well. Bring them here, and if there’s no issue, we will pay the price.”
“Yes, I’ll do that. And if something goes wrong…”
“Don’t worry about that. We’ll handle it on our side.”
“Understood. I’ll make some preparations as well. Just in case, even with you two present.”
Thus, the three decided to summon Jang Woo-hyun and his party directly.
Two days later.
When Jang Woo-hyun’s group returned to meet the fat man, they were greeted by someone else.
“I’ll escort you.”
The group was led out of the city and arrived at a massive Manor. They had been invited not to the fat man’s shop, but his residence.
The scale of the manor was immense—enough to astonish even Lee Ga-hang, who once led a great sect in the Lower Realm.
Following the servant who had come to meet them, they walked quite a distance before arriving at a modest backyard garden.
And then—
The moment they crossed over the small fence of the backyard, Jang Woo-hyun laughed.
“Palace Head.”
“Yes?”
Lee Ga-hang, who had been disguised as a quiet escort, flinched in surprise when Jang Woo-hyun suddenly addressed her without any signal.
“There aren’t many who can wield Thunder Qi, right?”
“Pardon? Yes. That’s true. Most people who cultivate Five Elements Qi handle one of the five elemental forces. Rarely, some combine it with Yin-Yang energy and end up handling thunder or wind. Even on the Dawn Continent, the only one who wielded thunder was the Thunder Sect Leader. But Great Hero Jang, why bring that up so suddenly—”
“That’s enough. No need to confirm anything further.”
Jang Woo-hyun cut her off mid-sentence. He no longer needed any explanation.
As he listened, he had already expanded his Qi Perception to observe in detail and confirmed it for himself.
Two martial artists carrying the force of thunder.
Upon examining them closely, he sensed a faint but familiar power.
‘It’s his power.’
The energy that squirmed at the Cult Leader’s side.
The power of the Martial God known by the title Heavenly Gold Thunder God.
Jang Woo-hyun became convinced that the hidden martial artists were connected to Ha Do-gwang.
“Seems like this will be over faster than expected. Palace Head, guard Cho-su.”
“Huh?”
Before Lee Ga-hang could even reply, Jang Woo-hyun had vanished.
BOOM!
In the next instant, he had already crashed into a building some distance away.
Inside, two startled men and women looked up in confusion.
“How…?”
“I’m just a bit sensitive, that’s all.”
With those words, Jang Woo-hyun closed the gap and reached out his hand. He aimed to seize their throats, but his hand merely sliced through empty air.
CRACKLE!
The thunderous roar echoed as the two, transformed by thunder, shot up through the ceiling into the sky.
‘Well now?’
Jang Woo-hyun was surprised by their movements. Their speed and reactions were a step quicker than expected.
BOOM!
Once more, a thunderclap sounded as a lightning bolt struck the building where Jang Woo-hyun stood.
The structure collapsed in an instant, and the remaining force scorched everything nearby.
Startled by the sheer power, Lee Ga-hang and Cho-su instinctively stepped back.
Then, as a black gleam sliced through the endless waterfall of thunder, the torrent split in two and disappeared.
From within, Jang Woo-hyun, wielding his sword, soared into the sky.
“They’re the enemy!”
“Kill them!”
Voices rang out from every direction. Some approached on Dharma Treasures, others using Movement Arts, all rushing toward Cho-su and Lee Ga-hang.
In response, Lee Ga-hang drew upon her power.
FWOOSH!
Wings of flame unfurled from her back.
Every step she took left branded scorch marks on the earth like hot irons.
“I’ll hold them off.”
Lee Ga-hang stepped in front of Cho-su.
“Don’t worry about me. Just do what you need to.”
Cho-su pulled out a shield from his Inner Robe and tossed it. Two shields spun around him, blocking incoming Sword Qi and Hidden Weapons.
Seeing this, Lee Ga-hang dashed forward to intercept the enemies. Her intent was to crush them before they could reach Cho-su.
BOOM!
An explosion ripped through the area in front of her.
Watching her fight, Cho-su took out two Dharma Treasures. Pressing one face of a cube-shaped tool, a silver beam shot into the sky—a signal to reveal his location.
He then brought the second treasure to his mouth and spoke into it, sending a message to those waiting.
“Antlered White Mask. Over here.”
【Yes.】
What he held was a communication Dharma Treasure.
A voice responded, and moments later—
VWOOOOOM.
A massive sound echoed from the heavens.
Even Lee Ga-hang, who had been locked in battle, turned her head.
Not just her—the enemies also halted their attacks, focusing their gaze.
Everyone instinctively realized something extraordinary was happening.
All eyes turned skyward.
Space twisted and then, in a flash, light burst forth.
And when that light faded—
A colossal Floating Stronghold had appeared.