Chapter 421

Lee Wang-chul’s head is spinning sharply.

Bang Jeoksa is already in the wrong.

The detailed description of the twisted arm is that it’s in such a severe condition that he’ll live forever as a fool, but even living like that means he might be a fool for a reason.

More importantly, the injury on the neck—a serious cut made by a flesh demon who’s all too accustomed to killing—was definitely intending to take a life.

How would one even stop the bleeding from a neck wound?

If one tries to hold the neck to stop the bleeding?

First, they have to catch the person before the bleeding.

So, Lee Wang-chul’s concern isn’t about how to save Bang Jeoksa.

“Damn it, the strategist borrowed from the Sado Sect.”

The problem lies with the Sado Sect.

He borrowed one of the chief strategists, but instead of being treated well, he couldn’t even keep him safe and he ends up dead. (Well, not really dead yet.)

How on earth will he explain this?

If Bang Jeoksa, who was headed to the side room, was found dead, that’s absolutely inexcusable.

How could you let a vulnerable strategist go to the toilet alone? As a mere local heterodox faction, you should have honored the chief strategist properly, maybe even laying down silk to avoid soiling it; is that a valid excuse now? It would only serve to incite their anger.

Who on earth would want an escort even on the way to the bathroom? But that’s just the sorrow of a minor faction.

So, the only way to avoid their wrath is—

Revenge!

At the very least, he must find and thoroughly avenge that heinous act. If the Sado Geon-a gets involved, then they’ll have to understand!

Flames ignited in Lee Wang-chul’s eyes.

Of course, it wasn’t merely because his close strategist got killed.

Lee Wang-chul is from the heterodox sect, and having a grudge against heterodox people is a basic expectation.

Bang Jeoksa, who barely crossed the threshold of third-rate martial arts, made him uneasy, and that’s why Bang Jeoksa, who met such an end, really was an annoying fool.

Lee Wang-chul’s anger stemmed purely from the harm he suffered.

Damn it, now he can’t even ask the Sado Sect for help again.

If he could just get one more box of elixirs, they could swiftly surpass the current level and become a significant faction with influence. But thanks to this fool and that heinous act.

“Find out who did this. Even if you have to make something up, just find them!”

Saying “even if you can’t find them, find them” means he expects them to find someone, no matter what.

So the warriors of the Salwold Sect began to swing the side door open all at once.

—-

The Jinhaeru is structured in such a way that the viewing platform rail is located outside the guest room.

So, while getting some fresh air, the remaining uncle showcases the magic of entering through the opposite corridor door.

“What’s that? Why are you coming from there?”

Then, Gyeon Pohee shyly smiles and leans in close to Qing’s ear to whisper sweetly.

“I just went to pee.”

Hmm. That’s genuinely information I didn’t want to know.

Do you really have to say that while I’m savoring this bowl of noodle soup? But hey, it’s refreshing.

But hey, cute young lady could totally do that.

Because she’s cute like that.

In truth, Qing isn’t the type to get all queasy about such things.

Qing chuckles and asks back.

“So? Was it refreshing?”

“Yeah.”

“And how was it? Clean?”

“Yeah. Must be a good tavern.”

That was definitely a piece of good news.

Clean restrooms are hard to come by.

I thought I should visit one too, eventually.

Then it happened.

A loud crash from outside echoed through the space.

Someone shouted, and someone else screamed in terror.

At that, the members of the Hwa Ryong Jo all seemed to stop moving in unison and shut their mouths.

Jo Hak-che, who had been glaring at Chang-bin with furious eyes, suddenly turned grave and slammed the table.

Then the young men seated by the outer table opened the side door to let in the night air.

And suddenly, a thick haze of liquor wafted in.

The members of the Hwa Ryong Jo simultaneously exhaled their alcohol-saturated breath, filling the air with the haze of booze.

It wasn’t opened for no reason; it quickly merged with the night air.

Oh, looks promising.

Qing admired.

This is the power of the orthodox sect…wait, no—it’s just because three stunning beauties have entered the tavern, joining the likes of the Six Harmonies of Martial Arts.

If there were only men here or if it was just a bunch of courtesans, they wouldn’t so swiftly prepare for battle.

So in a way, this whole moment is likely thanks to Qing’s clueless entering.

Or perhaps it’s the gluttonous desire for food and drink causing excitement.

Meanwhile, the tumult of chaos grew nearer and finally—Bang! The side door broke apart and shattered.

Ignoring the proper etiquette of the Central Plain, a Salwold warrior thundered in with fierce energy.

“Kneel! You bastards…huh?”

Though he bravely kicked the door down, he faltered upon seeing about thirty weapons aimed in his direction.

Thirty members from Hwa Ryong Jo, plus three more.

An avalanche of requests for deals with various weapons.

The Salwold warrior, recalling the secrets of the Sado Geon-a, stepped back as if time had reversed smoothly.

Swish, something menacing brushed past his ear.

He couldn’t even see what it was.

The Salwold warrior stopped abruptly.

His expression turned serious as he opened his mouth.

“Should we kneel?”

Jo Hak-che nodded solemnly.

The Salwold warrior dropped to his knees and laid down his sword.

At this spot, except for at least two, everyone else is from the orthodox faction.

Thus, it means that all but at least two have lost their will to fight and chosen passivity against a diminished opponent instead of taking their lives unnecessarily.

Jo Hak-che, with a somewhat softened demeanor, began to speak respectfully.

Despite being someone who gets distracted at the sight of a woman, his nature aligns well with all the faction’s young men.

He might be the topmost undesirable figure among all the women from orthodox factions.

“Hey, what kind of trouble is this in the shared restroom? Of course, when people are angry, especially when drunk—”

“Ah! It’s these bastards, these bastards!”

A shout interrupted Jo Hak-che’s gentle reprimand.

Then, footsteps rushed in.

In an instant, the side door was smashed and collapsed, while Salwold warriors armed with swords encircled the area in a line.

And finally, the sect leader makes his entrance!

Lee Wang-chul strides in, exuding the calmness of a master.

Not because he’s truly composed, but because he thinks that’s how he brings flair to the situation.

After all, asserting some presence is useful to intimidate others.

As Lee Wang-chul dramatically strolls in, his gaze suddenly catches the sight of an ethereal beauty who he’s never seen before…no, next to her is a somewhat plain-looking beauty (that old saying really is true: a smooth stone next to a sharp stone means it’ll stand out) catches his eye.

Wait, is that Jin Seol? What’s she doing here?

If Jin Seol wasn’t here, he might have thought those were just some amateur fools. But now that she’s seated, they no longer appear to be just some novices.

“Hmm, cough. I am Lee Wang-chul, leader of the Salwold Sect. It seems there has been some misunderstanding; my subordinates were feeling furious trying to seek out the heinous act that brutally murdered one of the Sado Sect’s strategists and might have caused some disruption.”

The leader’s choice is rapid retreat.

It may be an embarrassing move, but what can he do?

However, with the numbers stacked against him, angering them now could escalate things far beyond the Sado Sect’s troubles.

Jo Hak-che thinks for a moment.

If it’s the Salwold Sect, it’s undoubtedly those heterodox fellows.

While they might have the numbers, the older folks on their side actually outnumber them, making it unwise to brawl recklessly when it’s his duty to protect his comrades.

Moreover, the Hwa Ryong Jo was formed as a reserve combat team to build experience and connections among the young men.

Had he known it would come to this, he should’ve brought some of the older brothers from the Deadly Sword Villa.

Thus, he can only comply reluctantly.

“The heinous act of murdering a strategist from the Sado Sect? What do you mean by that? Are you saying something terrible occurred out of nowhere in the middle of the night?”

Lee Wang-chul’s eyebrows twitch slightly.

The young guy, no matter how orthodox they claim to be, is still speaking to someone much older and a senior.

But he clearly gets the signal to settle things amicably.

Asking about what happened is essentially saying he found himself in the wrong room and that it has nothing to do with them; it’s best not to stir the pot.

So the anti-orthodox faction can’t charge in angrily.

“Ahem, during the banquet, our strategist was found dead in the restroom. As there is still blood flowing, we concluded that the culprit can’t be far and were in the midst of searching, but unintentionally interrupted the festivities in the process.”

“Oh, I see. Hmm.”

It was at that moment when Qing suddenly chimed in, raising her voice.

“Isn’t it impossible to stick together what’s already broken? If you really feel sorry, how about you cover the bar tab? What good comes from just saying sorry?”

The faces of the Hwa Ryong Jo members gradually broke into smiles.

If the heterodox fellows buy drinks as an apology for their mischief, that would indeed be quite the heroic tale to spread far and wide.

On the flip side, Lee Wang-chul’s expression crumpled.

What kind of young brat is trying to ruin my face?

But between the orthodox sect and the heterodox sect, any minor quarrel could escalate into a serious battle.

Lee Wang-chul realized he had misspoken.

By suggesting blame on them, he hammered down the point with “sorry” right after that.

What shall he do now?

If he buys drinks, he’ll be seen as a fool scared of a young lass, handing over valuables.

Not buying drinks makes him a petty character who can’t even afford a single drink.

If he says no, he’ll just be insulting them. That would be an opening for attacks to come pouring in.

Truly a no-win situation!

Of course, Qing is the most committed to messing with villains more than anyone else in the world, even showing an acute surge in intelligence thanks to this moment of conflict.

But right now, she merely aimed to create a stir.

Isn’t that right? He’s tidied up the first two and has one left to manage.

If he could just knock that leader’s head off, the rest would crumble, and he could leave feeling light as a feather.

Little did they know that the members of the Hwa Ryong Jo were internally bursting at the seams with admiration, thinking they’ve achieved a monumental feat.

The Cheonhwa-geom certainly has as much wit as it has beauty!

Though that would come across as a grand misunderstanding and nonsense.

Then it happened.

“Hey. That person. It’s that person from earlier!”

Gyeon Pohee pointed at the body of Bang Jeoksa being carried out from behind Lee Wang-chul.

“Cute young lady? What do you mean by that person?”

“The one who kept insisting I pour drinks, kiss, and get dragged around to do what men and women do. I put an end to it.”

At that, everyone suddenly fell silent.

Oh. So the cute young lady did that. Well, it’s understandable, given how cute she is.

Ah… so it was indeed our doing.

Crap, it really was those bastards.

The same thought echoed among all of them.

In a moment, Qing was the first one to throw the first punch.

“How dare you! Trying to flirt with my sister, the Cheonhwa-geom! You degenerates were dazzled by her beauty and schemed to drag her away to do indecent acts! This can’t be forgiven!”

“What the—”

“No more talking!”

Boom! For some reason, black dust surged as Qing’s martial prowess exploded forward.

Before Lee Wang-chul could react and draw his weapon, a loud, yet subdued sound like a bell rang out.

The Cheonhwa-geom connects with Buddha’s Physical Body, and Buddha’s Physical Body ties back to the Shaolin Temple, doesn’t it?

And since the name Cheonhwa-geom was given by the Great Master Muhak, it may sound disjointed, but still, it makes some sense.

Lee Wang-chul suddenly recalls the legendary divine skills, the successors of the Buddha’s Physical Body, such as the Three-Eyed People and the Significant Crown Princes, having lost themselves in base jokes.

But it was already too late, as the titanic force of the Buddha’s Physical Body surged forth beneath Lee Wang-chul’s very feet, creating a crunch!

Martial arts start from the feet.

In other words, when the ground beneath you crumbles, you can’t possibly unleash martial arts.

And before long, the Cheonhwa-geom, with its radiant hand raised high—

In that dazzling, jade-like hand, an instrument glistening, as if the sultry light of sunset clung onto it—

Lee Wang-chul’s eyes widened.

A pig’s trotter!

He cannot be killed by a pig’s trotter!

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