Chapter 72: Elusive (3)
When Tang So-yeon sought out Seo Yu-gyeom, the atmosphere became strange.
Hyeon-un showed a blatantly bright expression, while Tang Tae-san flinched with a worried face.
In that brief crossing of joy and concern—
At that moment, Seo Yu-gyeom, who had quickly stir-fried meat and vegetables to make side dishes, came out.
Spotting Poison Lord and Tang So-yeon, Seo Yu-gyeom asked.
“Did something happen in Deyang?”
Pretending to be unaware, he asked with concern. Poison Lord chuckled wryly and replied.
“How could that be? From now on, nothing will happen in Deyang. For a while, the Tang Clan’s martial artists will be active based on the Hwa-un Trading Company.”
Seo Yu-gyeom nodded. If that was the case, there was no need to worry about the Heavenly Poison Alliance or anything else.
Soon, Poison Lord naturally joined the table and continued explaining.
“The reason we came is because of a thief.”
“Ah. That one who only steals miscellaneous things?”
Seo Yu-gyeom, who had already heard the rumors, responded knowingly. Poison Lord nodded in satisfaction and continued.
“That fellow cunningly reveals his next target. After stealing something, he always moves to a neighboring region to steal again.”
In other words, those chasing him only needed to focus their guard on the areas near where the theft occurred.
But at the same time, it meant that despite leaking his whereabouts, he was still not caught—proof of his skill.
While chewing on stir-fried vegetables, Jin Seong-un asked.
“Is the next expected target Yichang?”
Poison Lord nodded.
After stealing in Wuhan, the center of Hubei Province, the thief moved slightly westward to Jingzhou.
Judging from his direction, the next most likely targets were here in Yichang or Dangyang.
“By tomorrow, many martial artists will flock to Yichang. By now, it has become a matter of pride between Murim factions.”
“……I see.”
Truly, there was never a day of peace in Murim.
Jin Seong-un only hoped this situation would pass quietly.
As silence naturally settled into the conversation—
Suddenly, people’s gazes turned toward Tang So-yeon. She had been staring at Seo Yu-gyeom with a fierce gaze for a while now.
Even Seo Yu-gyeom found her gaze burdensome and cleared his throat.
At that, Hyeon-un smirked slyly and said.
“Poison Phoenix, why are you staring so intently at our handsome chef?”
For some reason, his tone carried personal interest.
Poison Lord glared at him.
Regardless, Hyeon-un, excited like a child, continued.
“Well, our Chef Seo’s appearance is indeed……”
“Seo Swordsman.”
Tang So-yeon called Seo Yu-gyeom in a resolute tone. Seo Yu-gyeom looked at her nervously.
Then, Tang So-yeon took a short breath and confessed.
“Fight me once.”
“……”
Hyeon-un’s face immediately twisted.
What kind of conversation was this between young men and women?
But Tang So-yeon’s determination was firm.
Her jade-green eyes fixed on Seo Yu-gyeom, and in her hand appeared a dagger.
Seo Yu-gyeom let out a bitter laugh.
“Why me, of all people?”
“Swordsman Jin is too strong to even attempt, and Swordsman Seomun is too weak to be fun.”
Seomun Ak, who had been quietly sitting, looked wronged. Tang So-yeon continued.
“And you use a dagger. After all, I am a daughter of the Tang Clan. I can’t stand that among my peers, someone surpasses me in hidden weapons.”
“Oh-ho.”
A glint flashed in Seo Yu-gyeom’s eyes.
After gaining the Thousand-Year Ice Crystal, he hadn’t had a fight and was feeling bored anyway.
As if welcoming the challenge, Seo Yu-gyeom flicked his Heaven-Slaying Dagger and stepped outside.
Tang So-yeon followed him out.
Not long after, a sharp scream echoed through the air.
After tidying up the inn, Jin Seong-un went into his room.
Having returned after a long time, his heart felt at ease, and his body melted into comfort.
It was the first time he had a proper “home” of his own, and he never imagined it would feel this peaceful.
He felt grateful once again to Elder Shin Mok, who had built this house on the inn’s grounds.
Jin Seong-un wanted to sleep like this, but there was something he absolutely had to do first.
After staring at the built-in closet in the room for a moment, Jin Seong-un stood up.
.
.
.
The Martial God Realm.
That was what Jin Seong-un called this space.
As always, it was like a vast night sky cut out from somewhere.
The moment he entered the Martial God Realm, something came rushing at him at terrifying speed.
Neither Hyeon-un’s Taiji Sword, Poison Lord’s dagger, nor Sa Ryeong-geuk’s saber technique had ever been this fast and fierce.
For once, Jin Seong-un was genuinely startled and instinctively unleashed his Blood Demon Palm.
“Damn it!”
At the same time, Divine Thief cursed as he twisted his body midair. Barely dodging the Blood Demon Palm, he looked at Jin Seong-un with shock.
“You brat, you dare strike your master?”
“Ah, I didn’t know. Sorry……”
Indeed, Divine Thief had approached so fast that even seeing him clearly was difficult.
From the direction Divine Thief had come, a massive crimson energy surged closer.
Divine Thief’s face went pale.
Anyone could tell it was the aura of the Blood Demon.
Apparently, Divine Thief had done something to offend him.
“Elder Sword Immortal! Please do something about that mad demon!”
There was no response.
Anxious, Divine Thief quickly hid behind Jin Seong-un.
Jin Seong-un looked dumbfounded.
The overwhelming energy drew nearer, sharp enough to make his entire body tense.
Soon, the Blood Demon spotted Jin Seong-un.
And also the Divine Thief hiding behind him.
“……”
“……”
For a moment, Jin Seong-un and the Blood Demon locked eyes.
Then, Jin Seong-un lowered his head politely and greeted.
“I have returned.”
“……Fine.”
The Blood Demon glared at the Divine Thief, who was hiding behind Jin Seong-un, then let out a sigh and turned away.
When the Blood Demon left, the Divine Thief poked his head out from behind Jin Seong-un’s shoulder.
“Wow, it seems that guy really does think of you as his disciple.”
“……”
Jin Seong-un was utterly dumbfounded.
But unlike before, not once did he think, ‘This kind of person is a Martial God?’
The more martial arts he mastered, the more he realized how incredible the Martial Gods’ abilities were.
“Thanks to Master teaching me the Technique of Exchanging Two Forms, I was able to end the fight easily.”
Sa Ryeong-geuk’s final move of mutual destruction.
It had scattered helplessly before Jin Seong-un’s Technique of Exchanging Two Forms.
As Jin Seong-un walked along with the Divine Thief, he shared what he had experienced in Sichuan.
In any case, the other Martial Gods were listening, no matter how far away.
By the time he reached where the Martial Gods were gathered, his account had come to an end.
As always, the Sword Immortal, who had been contemplating at his Go board, nodded in satisfaction.
“Excellent. When one acts with righteousness through the sword, the chance to ascend to immortality will appear.”
“I have no thought of ascending just yet.”
“Ahem, regardless, it is excellent.”
Jin Seong-un smiled faintly and bowed his head.
The Martial God Realm was comfortable in a different sense from his home.
The space, the time, and the Martial Gods were always constant.
As he gazed for a moment at the countless stars that filled the surroundings, Jin Seong-un suddenly spoke as though recalling something.
“Ah, Elder Merchant King.”
“Call me Master.”
“Yes, Master. The saber art you taught me, is it an unorthodox martial art?”
Discussing saber techniques with Sa Ryeong-geuk had led him to realize it naturally. Merchant King did not deny it and nodded immediately.
“You saw correctly. Though now gone, once there was a sect called the Black Saber Fortress that unified the Unorthodox Faction. The saber art I taught you was created by its master.”
“Master, were you also of the Black Saber Fortress?”
Merchant King looked at him in disbelief.
“No. How could I ever join the Unorthodox Faction? Besides, the master of Black Saber Fortress was from an entirely different era. I simply bought the martial art.”
The martial art of the Number One of the Unorthodox Path was powerful, yet difficult.
Regrettably, there was no one in the Unorthodox Faction capable of inheriting it perfectly.
Thus, the manual was passed down until the Merchant King, then master of the Myriad Gold Manor, bought it.
The Merchant King had the insight of one hailed as among the Ten Great Masters of his generation, and so he had no trouble mastering the Black Wolf Saber Art.
“Ah……”
Jin Seong-un nodded.
He had thought there would be some grand tale behind it, but it was simply purchased with money. In a way, it felt fitting for the Merchant King.
“I also saw the chief steward of the Myriad Gold Manor. A middle-aged man with the surname Jang.”
“Really?”
For an instant, Jin Seong-un noticed the Merchant King’s expression stiffen. The other Martial Gods also seemed to be gauging his reaction.
But the Merchant King soon laughed as if nothing had happened and asked casually.
“How was he?”
“He seemed remarkable.”
“Remarkable? In what way?”
“Though clearly not trained in martial arts, his presence was firm like that of a master.”
“You saw well. In any field, those who reach the pinnacle naturally exude such an aura.”
Jin Seong-un nodded indifferently.
It seemed the Merchant King held some story unspoken in his heart, but Jin Seong-un did not press.
‘When the time comes, he will tell me.’
After all, their relationship was a kind of contract.
He had agreed to fulfill their requests in return for learning martial arts and other teachings from the Martial Gods.
So Jin Seong-un simply resolved to wait until they chose to speak first.
Amid the slightly awkward atmosphere, Jin Seong-un deliberately shifted the topic.
“Ah. I hear there’s a famous thief making rounds these days. Some say he is a disciple of Elder Divine Thief……”
The Divine Thief scoffed.
“I’ve never taken a disciple other than you. Those pretentious gentlemen imitating me are everywhere. Most of them can’t even touch my toes. Understandable though—it’s because the history I left in Murim was so vast……”
“If a thief dares enter the inn, strike him down immediately. Especially make sure to smash his loose mouth first so he won’t run it.”
At the Merchant King’s advice, the Divine Thief glared at him.
The Merchant King met his gaze head-on, his expression saying, ‘What? So what?’
The two glared at each other for a moment, then—as usual—grabbed each other by the collar.
Jin Seong-un simply watched.
At first, he had been a little taken aback, but their level was so high that even from a simple scuffle, there was much to learn.
While this went on, the Noble Enchantress silently approached and placed her hand on Jin Seong-un’s back.
Her moon energy flowed softly into his body through her palm. The energy swept through his entire meridian system.
There was no discomfort at all. On the contrary, his fatigue dissolved instantly, and his heart felt at ease.
The Noble Enchantress smiled gently and said.
“You’ve grown further in such a short time.”
“It is thanks to you, Elder.”
The Women’s Moon Heart Method of the Noble Enchantress nurtured constant growth, day and night.
In daily life, while sleeping, even while fighting, the method continuously gathered and refined qi in the dantian.
“This time may take a little longer, but since you are my disciple, Seong-un, you will surely manage it. Do not be impatient.”
A tiny bead of qi entered Jin Seong-un’s body. It moved differently than before, drifting through his whole being.
When teaching martial arts, the Noble Enchantress did not explain with words. Instead, she allowed Jin Seong-un to feel and comprehend directly.
Of course, this was possible only because her heart method had reached the extreme and Jin Seong-un’s insight was equally exceptional.
At last, as though her task was complete, she gently patted his shoulder before returning to her seat.
As Jin Seong-un observed the new form of the heart method, a low, chilling voice came from beside him.
“Seong-un.”
“Ah, yes.”
It was the Blood Demon.
Even Jin Seong-un still found the Blood Demon difficult.
His very aura was frigid, and he spoke little.
Even among the Martial Gods, aside from the Sword Immortal, none treated him comfortably.
The Blood Demon stared intently at Jin Seong-un and then asked.
“Do you see what lies at the far end there?”
He pointed toward the distant void of the Martial God Realm.
Jin Seong-un looked. As always, there was only a black sky filled with countless stars.
But if the taciturn Blood Demon pointed it out, there must be something. Jin Seong-un sharpened his vision, pushing his inner qi.
That was when it happened.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz–!
A thunderous crash exploded from behind, followed by a long scream from the Divine Thief.
Startled, Jin Seong-un turned to see a cloud of dark crimson blood energy dispersing like mist.
Of course, in the Martial God Realm, death did not exist. Only pain.
“I won’t strike someone in front of my disciple.”
So said the Blood Demon casually before returning to his usual spot and lying down.
Jin Seong-un looked at him and let out a helpless laugh.
The Blood Demon was a mysterious man—the more he knew, the stranger he seemed.
Still, hearing the word “disciple” from him for the first time was not unpleasant.
Thus, all four Martial Gods, except for the Sword Immortal, had formally acknowledged Jin Seong-un as their disciple.
Soon, the Divine Thief’s distant voice pierced Jin Seong-un’s mind.
My request is for you to grow strong enough to thrash that Blood Demon bastard!
It was surely a joke, and Jin Seong-un scratched his head awkwardly.
He wondered if the thief currently called the Divine Thief’s disciple knew—
That the real Divine Thief was right here.