Chapter 89: The Request of the Divine Thief
“Th-thief!”
“Catch that bastard!”
The shouts of martial artists filled the night sky.
A vast estate of dozens of pavilions, filled with hundreds of martial artists.
The aura they released as they drew their blades was uniformly sharp and menacing.
The walls, higher than the rooftops of most buildings, showed that this was no ordinary power.
And upon that very symbol of authority—
A lone man gazed down calmly at the hundreds of martial artists.
“You think you can catch me?”
The man’s low voice reached the ears of every one of them. That single phrase made them feel that his martial ability had reached a truly supreme realm.
At that moment—
An old man stepped forward from among the hundreds, radiating an especially fierce aura and sharp gaze.
The Sword Master, Namgung Cheon.
With a single sword, he had seized a place among the Ten Great Masters of the Martial World, and no one doubted that he would be the next Alliance Leader.
His steps were unhurried as he approached, but suddenly, he shot forward.
Swaek—!
Like a lightning bolt, he leapt and slashed with his sword. The strike was so fast that had it not cut across the moonlight, no one would have even seen it.
The sword split the air.
Namgung Cheon’s eyes widened.
The man he had aimed for still stood loftily atop the wall. He had evaded with only two simple steps.
‘When in the world…?’
Even the one called Sword Master had not clearly seen his movement. He had been sure he struck, but the opponent’s form seemed to have shifted through space itself.
“Technique of Exchanging Two Forms.”
The man spoke the name of the technique aloud. Not because there was any great reason. Simply because it sounded cool.
Of course, everyone else did not think so. Speaking out the name of one’s martial technique was something only arrogant third-rate warriors, newly learning their arts, would do.
But here was a man capable of toying with the Sword Master’s sword strike, doing something so crude—it was absurd.
Not that he cared.
The man leapt over the wall and dashed away. In his hand was a sword sheath.
The sheath of the Azure Sky Sword, Namgung Cheon’s greatest pride.
As he fled with it, dozens of masters, including Namgung Cheon, launched in pursuit.
They unleashed waves of Namgung’s blue Sword Flux toward him.
But the distance between them and the man only grew greater.
The man leapt toward a vast lake.
Some of the masters, including Namgung Cheon, pursued across the surface, using the profound footwork of Water-Stepping Arts.
They thought he had made a foolish choice. No matter how skilled one was in movement arts, there were limits upon water.
Yet the man continued running gracefully across the boundless expanse of the lake.
The masters eventually reached the limits of their qi and focus, retreating to shore. Even Namgung Cheon could do no more than glare from the surface of the water at the man’s vanishing figure.
Returning to his retainers, Namgung Cheon spoke firmly.
“He’s heading for Shaolin!”
The thief truly seemed to have gone mad. Starting with the Murim Alliance, he had plundered the Nine Sects and the Five Great Clans.
All that remained were Shaolin, the Namgung Clan, and the Sichuan Tang Clan.
Fortunately, Tang Clan and Shaolin lay in opposite directions from here in Anhui. Judging by the direction he had gone, it was almost certain he was targeting Shaolin.
Namgung Cheon ordered his subordinates to send word to Shaolin so they could prepare.
.
.
.
That very night, the Sichuan Tang Clan was robbed.
Everyone was shocked.
Not merely because their prediction had been wrong. What stunned them was that he had crossed the immense distance between Anhui and Sichuan in a single night.
And the following morning, while people were still reeling—
Shaolin was robbed as well.
That day, the nameless thief gained the alias, the Divine Thief (Shintu).
.
.
.
After plundering the Five Great Clans, the Nine Sects, and even the Murim Alliance, the Divine Thief now sat calmly in an inn, eating noodles.
No one recognized him.
Few had ever seen his real face, and even those who had had only seen disguises.
The Divine Thief did not wear a mask.
Because it lacked style.
Nor did he use vulgar human-skin masks.
He simply manipulated his qi to deceive others’ senses, distorting his features. Even while unleashing tremendous movement arts, he could maintain this delicate control.
At that moment—
A woman entered the inn.
Instantly, the Divine Thief stirred his qi to alter his features.
Though he continued eating with a calm face, his heart pounded violently.
The red-haired woman drew everyone’s attention as she scanned the room.
Then she walked straight across the inn.
‘Go, go…’
But contrary to his hopes, she stopped directly before his table.
“Shall we talk?”
It was always like this.
No trick of his could fool her eyes. Techniques that had deceived even the greatest masters of the era were useless before her.
“How in the world did you know?”
“I told you, I can see everything.”
She smirked, her crimson eyes gleaming.
The Falling Flame Point Pupil.
Eyes that could read the flow of all qi under heaven—no matter what he tried, it was impossible to hide his essence from her.
“You haven’t eaten yet.”
“Then shall we talk here? Yesterday, in the end…”
The Divine Thief shot to his feet in alarm.
Always the same.
What she had been about to say was obvious.
‘Yesterday, in the end, you even robbed Shaolin, didn’t you?’
If she said it aloud, search parties would be formed nearby, and he would once again be on the run.
With an exasperated face, the Divine Thief followed her out of the inn.
.
.
The two sat side by side on the edge of a cliff.
Though the drop below was so high and steep that the ground could not be seen, both of them looked perfectly calm.
“Want to make a bet with me?”
Her proposal was unexpected.
The Divine Thief looked at her with a mocking face and asked:
“What kind of bet? No, never mind. Whatever it is, you’ll lose to me.”
“You never know until you try.”
The Divine Thief was intrigued by her sudden suggestion. Having already plundered all of the orthodox Murim, he had been wondering if he should move on to the Demonic Cult.
Moreover, the fact that she ran the reputable Falling Flame Iron Workshop while being a thief at the same time amused him.
She was the only thief in the world whom the Divine Thief acknowledged.
The wager she proposed was simple.
As expected, it was about stealing something.
But the target was unusual.
“Qinghai Iron Workshop?”
The Divine Thief narrowed his eyes at her.
The Qinghai Iron Workshop was recognized as the greatest iron workshop in all the Central Plains.
“Isn’t that too obvious? If I rob Qinghai Iron Workshop, that would only benefit you.”
She chuckled softly.
“Confident, aren’t you?”
“Haven’t you heard the rumors? I’m the Divine Thief. The one who caught the dagger thrown by the Poison Lord.”
“The formation of Qinghai Iron Workshop is different. I barely managed to cross the threshold and had to flee. I almost died in there.”
The Divine Thief’s expression hardened.
“That serious?”
Even he inwardly acknowledged her skills.
Though she did not match him, aside from the Divine Thief himself, he believed there was no one in the world who could capture her.
A spark of competitiveness flared in his eyes.
“Before I steal the Cult Leader’s underwear, I’ve found another stop.”
“…Why would you steal that?”
“Anyway. So if I plunder Qinghai Iron Workshop for you, what will you give me?”
“Everything.”
“…What?”
The Divine Thief, who had been gazing off beyond the cliff, turned to her with a frown.
Her eyes were brimming with tears.
“Everything. Whatever you want, I’ll give it all to you.”
“……”
Only then did the Divine Thief realize.
What she had said wasn’t a wager—it was a plea.
What in the world had happened between Falling Flame Iron Workshop and Qinghai Iron Workshop?
The question lingered briefly, but he didn’t bother voicing it.
The reason was clear.
‘It’s not stylish.’
To the Divine Thief, who lived and died for style, such a question could only be asked after mocking Qinghai Iron Workshop with ease.
Rising to his feet, he said:
“Tonight. Let’s meet again here.”
“Huh?”
“No. Seeing your face right now, you’ll probably wait here all day. Go home. I’ll come find you tonight.”
After robbing Qinghai Iron Workshop, he’d finally feel loosened up. She’d better lay down plenty of formations around her home.
Throwing out such boastful words, the Divine Thief hurled himself off the cliff.
The Divine Thief awoke from his long reminiscence.
“That was the last time.”
“……”
For a moment, no one spoke.
When someone who was always bright wore such a sorrowful expression, it was even more painful to behold.
“In the end, I stole what I wanted from the Iron Workshop. But on the way out, I was trapped in a formation. Only when I escaped, tattered and broken, did I finally get out…”
And waiting for him after he escaped would surely have been martial artists with blades honed for his life.
Jin Seong-un gave a calm nod.
“What would you have me do?”
Jin Seong-un had tried to predict the answer.
Revenge against Qinghai Iron Workshop? Or revenge against the woman who had used him?
Given the Divine Thief’s character, the former seemed more likely.
But then the Divine Thief grinned.
“Let’s finish the bet I never could.”
“…Pardon?”
“Recently, there was a rumor about someone claiming to be my successor. Turns out, it was a descendant of Falling Flame Iron Workshop. And coincidentally, you, my true disciple, caught her.”
“……”
“The wager left unfinished between two thieves has, after decades, been passed down to you and her. Shouldn’t you see it through?”
Jin Seong-un blinked slowly.
The Divine Thief had promised at the start that he wouldn’t ask him to steal anything.
Seeing his disciple’s wary look, the Divine Thief flinched once, then said:
“This isn’t asking you to steal. It’s asking you to finish the bet.”
“…And what was the bet? What were you trying to steal from Qinghai Iron Workshop?”
A faint unease stirred in Jin Seong-un’s heart.
Even if it was his master’s request, was it really right to rob an innocent iron workshop?
This wasn’t like the thefts before.
Perhaps sensing his disciple’s concerns, the Divine Thief added:
“In all my life, I never once tormented the innocent. The Sword Master joined hands with the Black Path to plot the Alliance Leader’s assassination out of greed. And the Arhat Hall Master of Shaolin had three mistresses.”
“……”
“You’ll see when you go to Falling Flame Manor. That girl, Chae Seo-ryeong, already asked you for help, didn’t she? Ask her what it is you should steal.”
Jin Seong-un felt troubled.
To go back after sending her away so coldly, and say, ‘Sorry, should we continue what you were saying before?’—it would feel awkward.
But this was the Divine Thief’s request. It was not something he could refuse.
He had already received much in return for accepting these requests. Perhaps even this would not be enough to repay all that he had been given.
A deal with a Martial God was always one-sidedly in his favor.
Every Martial God had left their names in history as the greatest of their age, and countless martial artists would willingly sacrifice even their lives for the chance to inherit their progress.
“…Understood.”
Jin Seong-un finally nodded.
The Divine Thief grinned, and the other Martial Gods also sighed in relief. In the sight of the Divine Thief entrusting his disciple, they saw themselves reflected.
“Seong-un.”
“Yes.”
“When you visit my hidden residence, you’ll find things there you can use. A pitiful master asking his disciple for such a thing—still, it’s because I hope you’ll be safe. So use them without hesitation.”
“I’ll gladly make use of them.”
Jin Seong-un was curious.
What exactly lay in the secret residence of the greatest thief in history? What was it that even the Divine Thief himself had failed to steal?
As he was leaving the Martial God Realm, Jin Seong-un suddenly turned back and asked:
“Master. Don’t you feel resentment?”
He was asking about her.
After all, by all appearances, she had used the Divine Thief for her own gain, and he had met his end because of it. Even if it had been his own choice.
The Divine Thief chuckled.
“That wouldn’t be stylish.”
“……”
Jin Seong-un gave a firm nod.
The Divine Thief nodded back.
The two shared a silent look, and then Jin Seong-un left the Martial God Realm.