Chapter 147
Chapter 147
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 147
Chapter Title: No One to Fear
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“A bit late.”
Cheonhwi muttered as he gazed at the passage.
Thud— thud—
From the dark passage, Zhuge Seonghyeon staggered out.
His condition was no joke.
His disheveled hair and deeply tanned skin couldn't hide his deathly pale complexion.
Cheonhwi glanced at him and asked,
“What's with that look?”
At the utterly indifferent remark, Zhuge Seonghyeon trembled with rage, clenching his fists.
Why do you think!
I got wrecked by the Plum Blossom Seven Gates!
He wanted to yell.
But how could he?
Zhuge Seonghyeon swallowed his words and forced a calm tone.
“It's because of the Plum Blossom Seven Gates.”
“Huh? It got you? It actually worked?”
Zhuge Seonghyeon glared at Cheonhwi before sighing and shaking his head.
“Perfectly fine. Worked like a charm.”
“Huh? That's weird.”
Cheonhwi tilted his head.
It didn't make sense.
“The exit just opened for me.”
“What...? The exit opened right away?”
Wrinkle formed on Zhuge Seonghyeon's forehead.
No way.
What happened when he entered the Plum Blossom Seven Gates?
He got beaten half to death by his own father's martial arts.
Dust to dust, just like the day he declared he wouldn't learn martial arts in the past!
Father definitely appeared, and the techniques were executed properly...
His wrinkles deepened.
Look at his current state.
No physical wounds, but utterly exhausted—which meant the formation had activated properly.
The gates tormented the mind instead of the body, so fatigue was inevitable.
But if the exit opened without activation...
Could it be...?
He asked cautiously,
“By any chance, did nothing appear?”
“Yeah. Why?”
Zhuge Seonghyeon shuddered at the response.
It worked fine for him, but not for Cheonhwi?
Then there was only one problem.
“...By any chance, do you remember what the Plum Blossom Seven Gates is?”
Cheonhwi narrowed his eyes at the cautious question.
What kind of gate was it?
“The formation activates and summons the strongest person in the world, I think.”
“Slightly different.”
“Different? How?”
Zhuge Seonghyeon asked carefully.
“Before that, young hero, may I ask one thing?”
“What?”
“Who do you think is the strongest person in the world?”
“Me.”
Zhuge Seonghyeon's forehead creased deeply with new wrinkles at the answer.
He followed up,
“Then, any troublesome opponents?”
“None.”
“Anyone you're afraid of...”
“Nope.”
“...”
Zhuge Seonghyeon, hearing the answers, pressed his forehead with a look of enlightenment.
The problem wasn't the Plum Blossom Seven Gates.
“...In that case, the Plum Blossom Seven Gates won't activate for you.”
Zhuge Seonghyeon explained calmly.
“The Plum Blossom Seven Gates summons the person the entrant considers the strongest, or someone troublesome, or someone they fear the most.”
Cheonhwi tilted his head.
Why make it so complicated?
“Why not just summon the strongest under heaven?”
“As you know, young hero, there is no recognized strongest under heaven in the current murim.”
“Huh? No strongest under heaven?”
Cheonhwi was surprised for the first time.
The murim world was full of people dying to know who was the strongest, constantly fighting and ranking each other.
Come to think of it, there were no 'Ten Great Masters' or anything like that before.
He hadn't paid attention back then, but it was odd now that he thought about it.
Meanwhile, Zhuge Seonghyeon felt dizzy.
When Cheonhwi once said 'the phantom of the strongest opponent under heaven should appear,' he thought it was metaphorical, but it was literal.
“In the current murim, there's endless debate over who is the strongest under heaven, but no one can pinpoint it definitively.”
Zhuge Seonghyeon explained calmly.
What era was the current murim?
The era of the Nine Provinces, Three Hegemons, and Four Powers—no wars.
Since true masters had never clashed directly, they could only gauge strength, never confirm who was superior.
Who is the current strongest under heaven? It was murim's greatest topic, but only speculation abounded.
Some said the Murim Alliance Leader, others the Bicheon Society Leader, or the Evil-Black Alliance Leader, and sometimes even sect leaders outside the Nine Provinces Three Hegemons Four Powers.
And there was one more issue.
“Besides, young hero. Even if we knew who the strongest under heaven is, there's a big problem. How do we recreate their martial arts if we've never seen them?”
Zhuge Seonghyeon emphasized.
After Cheonhwi left, Zhuge Seonghyeon had agonized alone for days over this.
How to solve it?
But as they say, even if the sky falls, there's a way out.
Zhuge Seonghyeon eventually found a solution.
What if we summon the person the entrant feels is the strongest?
He put the idea into action immediately.
“That's the method I mentioned. Combining the Noble Touch Divine Formation, the Phantom Illusion Formation, and the All-Heaven Transformation Great Array you taught me to draw out the entrant's memories.”
Cheonhwi stroked his chin.
“So, it pulls out memories of the most frightening opponent or the strongest besides oneself?”
Seeing Cheonhwi grasp it instantly, Zhuge Seonghyeon breathed a sigh of relief.
“Exactly.”
Cheonhwi narrowed his eyes.
Originally, the Heavenly Demon Gate of the Heavenly Demon Ten Gates summoned past Heavenly Demons, but that's impossible now.
The situations were different now—context, location, preparations.
So, what Zhuge Seonghyeon did was the best possible.
“Then, for someone like me, the Plum Blossom Seven Gates is meaningless.”
Zhuge Seonghyeon was at a loss for words.
He hadn't even considered it wouldn't activate.
No one they consider strong?
He had even set it to manifest if there was even the slightest fear.
“Probably no one but you, young hero.”
“You never know. First time was me; doesn't mean no second.”
“True, but...”
Zhuge Seonghyeon glanced at Cheonhwi.
“People like that are rare in the world.”
As Zhuge Seonghyeon vaguely skirted around saying 'you're the weird one, young hero,'
“Cheonhwi!”
Hyeonryeo came running.
She unfolded her movement technique, looking at Cheonhwi with worry.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“Fine.”
“Good.”
Hyeonryeo patted her chest in relief, a pleased smile on her lips.
Then she hugged him.
“You're back.”
She was immensely proud of him.
All missions assigned to him so far had been far from easy.
This one was no different.
Yet he completed it perfectly and even gained extra benefits.
Even the Qinghai Castle Lord sent a separate message offering tribute...
Her smile deepened, recalling the letter received via messenger bird a few days ago.
She's doing it again.
Meanwhile, Cheonhwi looked at the top of Hyeonryeo's head as she hugged his chest and shook his head.
I thought she stopped lately.
He'd thought the hugs had decreased recently, but after being apart so long, she was back to old habits.
Whatever, she'll let go eventually.
Watching them, Zhuge Seonghyeon's eyes widened.
He's just standing there?
The Cheonhwi he knew drew a firm line whenever anyone approached.
But now?
When the fairy hugged him, he accepted without resistance.
The young hero is human after all.
A smile formed on Zhuge Seonghyeon's lips.
Cheonhwi had always felt distant.
Not just in martial prowess, but in formations too.
Like a being from beyond the heavens, but now he felt approachable.
As he watched them warmly,
“Senior Brother!”
“Junior Brother!”
Two women's voices called out.
Dan Mokrin and Cheonhyang raced up the mountain path, competing to arrive first.
At the arrival of the two beautiful female Taoists, Zhuge Seonghyeon's smile vanished instantly.
...Of course.
His expression soured.
Hyeonryeo pulled away from Cheonhwi's embrace.
“Rin has been worrying about you every day.”
“Has she?”
Cheonhwi replied indifferently.
He didn't care whether she worried or not.
Hyeonryeo gave a wry smile at his demeanor and shook her head.
“Greet her properly.”
“If I feel like it.”
No sooner had he spoken than the two, panting as they arrived, asked Cheonhwi,
“Are you hurt?”
“You're back? Spar with me!”
They were polar opposites.
Dan Mokrin worried about him, while Cheonhyang stated her sole purpose.
Dan Mokrin frowned at Cheonhyang's words.
“Junior Sister. What are you saying to Senior Brother? He went out into the murim world—weren't you worried?”
“Huh? Why worry about Junior Brother?”
Cheonhyang looked puzzled at the question.
“Wherever you put Junior Brother in the world, he'll survive just fine.”
“This is the murim world.”
“Pfft, Senior Sister. The murim world isn't that different.”
Cheonhwi eyed the suddenly bickering pair before half-closing his eyes.
Can't compare to before.
Their internal energies had grown considerably.
Cheonhyang had trained diligently too, but her growth was notable.
Dan Mokrin was completely transformed.
Before he left, she was barely a beginner; now she had reached third-rate level.
Remarkable progress.
And not just heart method—she's properly learning sword arts too.
His gaze shifted to her hands.
Swollen from swinging the sword, covered in calluses.
Recent nail loss left bruises on her fingertips.
Whoosh—
Then Dan Mokrin quickly hid her hands.
Embarrassed at showing her messy hands to Cheonhwi, she blushed and tucked them behind her back.
Cheonhwi met her eyes.
“You've trained hard.”
Dan Mokrin's face lit up instantly.
“Yes! I've trained really hard.”
“What sword art did you learn?”
“Master taught me the Lady Sword, and...”
Thrilled that Cheonhwi was engaging her, Dan Mokrin poured out words nonstop.
“...Lately, I've started learning the Jade Maiden Pure Heart Sword Art.”
“That's good.”
Cheonhwi nodded.
The Jade Maiden Pure Heart Sword Art suited her current level perfectly.
Much better than the others.
Cheonhwi looked satisfied.
Among Mount Hua Sect disciples, few trained that diligently.
“Learning other arts too?”
She nodded vigorously.
“Yes. Movement techniques, leg techniques, and lately, hand techniques step by step.”
“Hm. I see.”
Cheonhwi stared intently at her.
Most struggle with one art, but she was different.
Her exceptional aptitude and Yin body, now perfected.
She could absorb tenfold from one lesson.
No better test subject for the newly completed Plum Blossom Seven Gates.
As he nodded slightly,
“Junior Brother, how about a spar?”
Cheonhyang, unable to wait for their conversation to end, finally interrupted.
Cheonhwi glanced at her and replied,
“Too bothersome.”
Cheonhyang immediately clung to him.
“Come on, just once...”
As she reached to grab him, Cheonhwi dodged by flicking her ankle.
“Junior Brother...”
Fire lit in Cheonhyang's eyes.
As she prepared to use hand techniques,
“I'll do something better than a spar.”
“Better than a spar?”
Cheonhyang's eyes sparkled like stars.
“What's that?”
“Got something like that.”
With that, Cheonhwi turned his head.
“You said five can enter the Plum Blossom Seven Gates at once, right?”
Zhuge Seonghyeon nodded at the sudden question directed at him.
“Ah! Yes, yes. Correct.”
“Perfect number then.”
“Huh?”
As Zhuge Seonghyeon looked puzzled at the out-of-nowhere remark, Cheonhwi tilted his head.
There, approaching from the direction of the Foundational Cave, were Jeokgeom and Seollan.