Chapter 84: If You Can Catch Me, Try to Catch Me (3)

We chatted pleasantly.

"The fried foods here are incredibly delicious."

"Have you seen the breathtaking lake?"

"Do you, by any chance, have business with the Kunlun Sect in Qinghai? If so, it wouldn't be a bad idea to go with us."

Well, to be precise, Sa Gonghwa kept asking me questions, and I, out of annoyance, either answered or ignored them.

Then, beep-beep—the mobile phone rang.

"Oh, excuse me."

Sa Gonghwa checked the phone briefly and sighed deeply.

"Something urgent has come up, so I need to step out for a moment. Please start eating without me."

Sa Gonghwa looked at me with regretful eyes and left the table.

Gorilla A stared at me. The glare was filled with what seemed like murderous intent…

'No, it's actually murderous intent, isn't it?'

Looking at Gorilla A in disbelief, the gorilla stared back at me with an imposing expression.

"You, you're just a pretty-faced playboy. Lady Sa Gonghwa is not someone you can covet."

This sounds familiar.

Do these orthodox guys always say the same thing?

"Is she someone you can covet?"

"Of course. I have mastered the Peng family's swordsmanship and even obtained the title of young lord."

You?

I looked at Peng Bosung with incredulous eyes.

'He's either similar to or lower in level than that guy from Namgoong.'

Previously, at Nam Hyerin's request, I had destroyed the Namgoong family.

The only survivor there was a girl who was a third-year student.

Even now, she had become stronger. Yet, he acted so arrogantly at that level?

"Sorry, but she's not my type."

"Are you saying she's ugly?!"

Unbelievable.

Seon Woohyeon glanced sideways with a bewildered expression.

Peng Bosung looked at me with a triumphant expression.

I laughed as I saw that.

I couldn't help but laugh.

Ah, I missed this.

This atmosphere.

If you didn't like someone, you could pick a fight, and it was legal to beat them up.

'It's not some game where you fight every time you make eye contact.'

In this martial world, you really fight as soon as you make eye contact.

Because you don't like that guy, because you don't like his face.

Because it seemed like he was messing with someone else's girl, and it pissed you off.

There were such reasons.

And during my third life. I never let those guys off.

'Shall I teach him a lesson?'

"Let me borrow your sword."

"What?"

I snatched a sword from Seon Woohyeon.

"Ha, someone without even a weapon…"

"Stop jabbering. I even got rid of the girl you like to avoid embarrassing you. Why don't you just come at me?"

"…You."

Peng Bosung's face twisted into a strange expression.

"You're quite sly. You thought you'd score points with Lady Sa Gonghwa by bothering me?"

"…"

What would I do with those points anyway?

As I looked at him in disbelief, Peng Bosung marched over to the shop assistant and handed him a gold coin.

"Tell them today's business is done. Half of the inn might get destroyed."

"Eek!"

He was surprisingly considerate.

He was even worried about the inn.

"Then I'll go. I'll show you the Five Tigers Gate-Cutting Blade of the Peng Family!"

Peng Bosung charged at me with great momentum.

And then.

Swish.

"Wha…?"

His sword was cut cleanly in half.

I patted Peng Bosung's shoulder with a grin.

"You're lucky, aren't you?"

"…"

"If I had missed even a little, you'd be on your way to the afterlife."

A very long fine line was engraved on his neck.

Judging by his expression, it seemed he finally realized I was a master, his face turning ashen.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't recognize a master!"

"Now you know."

I sat back down in my seat.

"Let's eat."

"M-me too?"

"Yes."

In a journey, you always need someone who can take care of various tasks.

'Maybe I'll use him for about half a month as the price for picking a fight.'

Doesn't that make me an angel?

The orthodox sect's martial world—was once in ruins.

It was because of one man.

The Heaven-Surrendering Martial Emperor.

It was the price the orthodox sect paid to kill the Martial Emperor who shattered the sky.

That was the Bloodbath of Mount Hua.

That dreadful massacre left an indelible scar on the martial world, even after more than half a century had passed.

The martial world back then was truly glorious.

Comparing the time before and after the Bloodbath of Mount Hua, the martial world had regressed by more than 30 years.

From the most splendid period in martial arts history, it walked into the darkest history.

War.

The Demonic Cult rose, the Four Evil Overlords rampaged, and oppressed the orthodox martial arts world.

The Emperor stepped in to suppress the influence of martial arts.

Sects bearing the name of orthodox factions disappeared one by one, and the merchants supporting the orthodox factions flowed toward the Evil Overlords and the Demonic Cult.

It was such a time.

However, ironically, the orthodox martial arts world could unite better than ever.

After the Martial Alliance collapsed once, the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families somehow formed the new Righteous Heavenly Alliance.

Centered around it, they could regain their prestige.

At that point, it was significant that they moved to this place called 'Earth'.

Their martial artists, who could be considered the majority of their fighting strength, had all been 'tied up' in a certain place.

Anyhow, it was at such a place that a man visited the inn.

"Is this the place?"

The middle-aged man said, looking around the inn.

The man's position was quite high even within the Righteous Heavenly Alliance.

Originally, it was an issue that his subordinates should have handled without the need for him to step forward.

However, this time was different.

Strange stories had been circulating recently.

And the movements from above were strange, too.

'It might be the demonic cult causing trouble.'

He recalled a series of incidents.

The demons.

They had been quiet since their Heavenly Demon went somewhere, but lately, the situation was becoming unstable.

'Even the Evil Overlords or the Righteous Heavenly Alliance are becoming tumultuous.'

The atmosphere at the top was unusual.

As if something impossible had come to life and was trying to confirm it.

Is it only in Murim?

The world of magic was also very active these days.

The Seven-Colored Magic Tower.

And the Empire.

They have started to move.

Because of that, even these small incidents have come under his responsibility.

Don't big problems always arise from small ones?

With a sense of duty, the middle-aged man, Geum Pungseong, entered the inn to investigate the incident.

'The fight ended in just one move, right?'

The problem was that the opponent who was defeated in just one move was a well-known expert here in Qinghai.

The Peng family.

Peng Bosung, who learned the sword arts there, was defeated.

And that, too, in just one move.

'A master suddenly appears in a place like this? Really suspicious.'

Geum Pungseong looked at the scene of the incident.

The fight wasn't intense.

One strike.

The fight ended with just one strike.

If there's a problem, it's the man's exquisite swordsmanship.

"…?"

Geum Pungseong looked at the path the sword had taken.

It felt familiar.

He had seen this sword art countless times. But where was it from? Where had he seen it?

"…!!"

A memory suddenly surfaced in his mind.

Righteous Heavenly Alliance.

There, Geum Pungseong had undergone countless trainings.

To deduce incidents at any time, he had memorized all the characteristics of various sword and spear techniques.

He always solved cases with his sharp intellect.

Hence, he was even given the nickname of the master detective.

Apart from that, his hair was falling out frequently, contrary to his name.

—That wasn't the issue.

'This can't be.'

This sword art, he realized its unusual nature the moment he saw it.

The impression of its trace was too striking.

Such things usually involve angles, the differences between oneself and the opponent. And subtle habits and routines.

And then, he examined the characteristics of the swordsmanship.

Among them, he can discern part of the opponent's intent.

That was the additional effect of his Unique Trait, Observation.

'Is it an illusion?'

That's why the man saw it.

Which man displayed that swordsmanship?

And what intent he had.

「Just memorize this spear technique, swordsmanship, and martial arts in your head. Never imitate them.」

「What is this, senior?」

「And swear and stamp the contract. Promise that you won't leak this in any way.」

「Is it the swordsmanship of the great… No, wait. If it's swordsmanship, spear technique, and martial arts…」

「Yes, it's the traces of 'that' martial art that our Righteous Heavenly Alliance members barely managed to obtain by risking their lives. Even so, it seems we won't be able to use this knowledge, but it's the command of the leader…」

The senior's words came to mind.

'Ah, I have to inform them.'

However, to what extent?

This case was too high for him to handle.

Perhaps his superiors might have him buried for discovering this truth.

'No, I must report it.'

This was not something that could be covered up by killing him.

If that man had come back to life…

'The movements of Evil Overlords, Righteous Heavenly Alliance, and the Demonic Cult have become strange.'

They are not strange.

Because they are all individuals with excellent minds and martial prowess.

But if.

If this man, the one who caused the incident known as the Bloodbath of Mount Hua, has been resurrected.

They would be shocked.

Because someone who couldn't possibly come back to life has somehow returned.

"…"

"Why, sir?"

His subordinate looked at Geum Pungseong.

A superior who always solves cases clearly. But he had never seen such an expression on his superior's face before.

An expression as if he had seen something impossible.

"Send an urgent message to the Lord of Righteous Heavenly right now!"

"W-What? W-What should I say?"

The subordinate asked diligently, despite being flustered.

What could it be that made the man have such an expression?

"No, never mind. I must go and report to the lord myself immediately!"

The man thought as he moved swiftly.

Heaven-Surrendering Martial Emperor.

If he really has returned.

'No way.'

You have no place in this martial world.

And never will, forever.