Chapter 164
Chapter 164
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 164
Chapter Title: Do You Know the Formula?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Do you know the formula!"
Cheon Yang-gong shouted, his voice laced with extreme agitation as spittle flew from his mouth.
Disgustingly so.
Cheonhwi twisted his body sideways to dodge the spit and spoke up.
"That's why I told you. What a ridiculous question."
Confusion clouded Cheon Yang-gong's eyes.
The Nine Verses Demonic Transformation Art was the foundational divine art of the Cheon Clan, the supreme demonic path technique.
As such, only two people in the entire clan knew the latter half of its formula.
"Only the Clan Head and Young Clan Head know the latter formula... how could you..."
"At my level, I know it."
"What does that..."
"Hm, maybe experiencing it firsthand will make you understand faster than me just telling you the formula."
Cheonhwi's hand moved.
Startled by the gesture, Cheon Yang-gong instinctively reached out to block, but...
Slap!
Cheonhwi swatted his hand away mercilessly, as if chasing off a fly.
"Don't do anything useless. From now on, just remember the acupoints I'm pressing."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than...
Tap-tap-tap―
Cheonhwi pressed Cheon Yang-gong's acupoints.
Starting from the Upper Dantian's Baihui, he hit a total of forty-six points all over the body.
The speed was so blinding that Cheon Yang-gong could barely memorize them.
"Got it memorized?"
In response to Cheonhwi's question, Cheon Yang-gong circulated his inner energy instead.
Whoosh!
Demonic energy bloomed from his body.
At the same time, he was stunned inwardly.
'This can't be...'
He hadn't intended to bloom the demonic energy.
He had simply circulated his inner energy along the acupoints that had just been pressed...
And yet the Nine Verses Demonic Transformation Art activated on its own.
As naturally as water flowing from high to low.
'Has there ever been a case like this...!'
Though flustered, Cheon Yang-gong hurriedly observed the flow of his inner energy.
And focused his mind.
'If it flows like this...'
The inner energy flowing according to the Nine Verses Demonic Transformation Art's formula naturally followed the freshly pressed acupoints, eventually forming a single circuit.
The Greater Heavenly Circuit.
Flash!
Cheon Yang-gong's eyes snapped open wide, exuding intense demonic qi in all directions.
"Ha, haha!"
He threw his head back and unleashed a roar infused with inner energy toward the sky.
"Even drawing out this much inner energy from the Nine Verses Demonic Transformation Art, and my sanity doesn't break!"
A surge of exhilaration welled up from within.
After leaving the Divine Cult, he had thought there was no way to achieve great completion in the Nine Verses Demonic Transformation Art.
But now?
'Even fortune has smiled upon me!'
Yet at that moment.
His heart sank.
'Why won't it end?'
He had reached the final acupoint, but the Greater Heavenly Circuit still wasn't complete.
There was only one thing that could mean.
"You deliberately held back part of the formula."
Cheonhwi grinned at the question.
"You think I'm crazy enough to tell you everything? You'd just run off if I did."
The moment the words ended.
"Kuh!"
The vigorously circulating inner energy suddenly lost its path, snapped off, and rapidly weakened.
At the same time, his head throbbed.
Recognizing the precursor to rampage, he quickly reined in his inner energy.
"How is it? The formula's right, isn't it?"
"......"
Clutching his head amid the pain and shaking it, Cheon Yang-gong grimaced and said,
"When do I get the rest of the formula..."
"Depends on how you perform."
Cheon Yang-gong's eyebrow twitched.
He then asked cautiously.
"......What do I need to do?"
"Nothing much."
Cheonhwi grinned.
"Work for me instead."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A short while later, following Cheonhwi to the Plum Blossom Inn, Cheon Yang-gong furrowed his brow.
"Why are there so many people..."
The inn was overflowing with customers, and a long line snaked out the entrance.
It was booming more than anywhere he'd seen lately, astonishingly so.
Perhaps because of that.
Curiosity took root.
'Why are they lining up like this?'
But he forcibly shook it off.
What mattered now wasn't that, but the words from the man walking ahead.
Glancing between the inn and Cheonhwi, Cheon Yang-gong asked,
"You want me to work at this inn?"
"Why? You hate it?"
Cheon Yang-gong's brow creased.
"What the hell am I supposed to do at an inn? Serve customers? Cook?"
"Your job will be..."
As Cheonhwi started to speak.
"Kyaaak!"
"Someone's slashing! Everyone run!"
Clattering chaos erupted from inside the inn as customers fled outside.
"Perfect timing. Follow me."
Cheonhwi walked into the inn, against the flow of escaping patrons.
"I'll cut your damn head off!"
"Come on, try it! Yours will roll first!"
Two men faced off across a table, weapons drawn.
Cheonhwi pointed at them and said,
"See those guys? Whenever anyone causes a ruckus like that in the inn, beat them down."
As he spoke, his eyes met theirs.
"That's your job here."
"......You mean guard the inn?"
"Exactly. Easy, right?"
Cheon Yang-gong was at a loss for words.
It was easy, sure, but revealing the Nine Verses Demonic Transformation Art's formula just to guard an inn...? Hard to comprehend.
Then Cheonhwi urged him on.
"Alright, let's start now."
"Now?"
Cheonhwi pointed at them with his index finger.
"Those two are wrecking the inn over there. What are you waiting for? Don't you want to learn the rest of the formula?"
With no choice, Cheon Yang-gong moved, his expression resigned.
At that moment, Cheonhwi sent a transmission.
『Absolutely no killing. And no using demonic qi, obviously.』
"Tch, so picky."
Cheon Yang-gong stepped forward.
Step―
In that instant, his figure vanished.
Then reappeared between the two, extending both hands left and right.
Grab!
Cheon Yang-gong clamped their mouths with his palms and hoisted them up high.
"Mmph! Mmph!"
"Ughhh!"
As they struggled, he fixed them with a glare laced with murderous intent.
Terror filled their eyes, and...
Drip. Drip.
Droplets fell to the floor.
"Filthy bastards."
Releasing their faces, Cheon Yang-gong looked at the pair who had pissed themselves in fear from his killing intent.
"Get the hell out."
Having fallen on their asses in the puddle of urine, they shuddered at his shout and scrambled up.
Tat-tat-tat!
They fled without looking back.
"Not bad."
Cheonhwi smiled in satisfaction when...
"......Who might that be?"
Manager Oh approached with a frightened expression.
"The one who'll guard the inn from today."
"Guard the inn...?"
Manager Oh gulped.
The killing intent from moments ago was on a whole different level from anything he'd felt before.
It was terrifying to even approach.
As if a demonic figure from the jianghu rumors had arrived.
But...
'If he's an ally, that's a different story!'
The fear in Manager Oh's eyes vanished instantly.
"I'll go say hello."
He hurried over to Cheon Yang-gong.
"Pleased to meet you, great hero. I'm Manager Oh, owner of the Plum Blossom Inn."
Cheon Yang-gong frowned.
"He's not the owner?"
Pointing at Cheonhwi, he asked, and Manager Oh broke into an awkward sweat-smile.
"Ha, haha. The young hero is the investor..."
As he explained his relationship with Cheonhwi, the errand boy who had hidden in a corner waiting for the fight to end emerged.
"I-is it over?"
Glancing inside, he spotted Cheonhwi and beamed.
"Daoist!"
Cheon Yang-gong, listening to Manager Oh, flicked his ear at the sudden "Daoist" from the boy.
Ridiculous title.
Calling someone with such overwhelming aura and brutal hands a daoist.
'Must be auditory hallucinations from unleashing the Nine Verses Demonic Transformation Art after so long.'
The boy approached Cheonhwi with a smile.
"Daoist, shall I prepare a room again this time?"
But it was odd.
The hallucination persisted.
"Daoist, what tea should I prepare?"
"Dragon Well tea."
Realizing it wasn't a hallucination, he pointed accusingly at Cheonhwi and yelled.
"That guy's a daoist?!"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Time flew by swiftly.
The snow had stopped before long, and the frozen valley stream was thawing.
Croak―
A frog awakened from long hibernation hopped out through the cracked ice.
The slightly warmer weather was greatly affecting the Plum Blossom Inn as well.
'Wonderful!'
Manager Oh, counting the receipts, couldn't wipe the grin from his face.
It had been dozens of days since opening the Plum Blossom Inn.
He had sold countless meat buns and even secured a growing base of regulars.
'At this rate, I'll repay the young hero's investment in less than a year.'
He had expected success, but gathering even more money than anticipated had him humming unconsciously.
'Maybe hurry up with the uniforms too.'
As he pondered accelerating the second plan.
Bam!
"Where do you get off messing with me!?"
A fight broke out in the inn's corner.
"Haa, again?"
Manager Oh scowled.
Thanks to Cheonhwi, the inn was much calmer overall, but not entirely.
Some first-time visitors got drunk and caused scenes repeatedly.
Sighing, Manager Oh approached Cheon Yang-gong, who was chugging liquor in the corner, and made a request.
"Elder."
"I know, I know. What kind of inn has fights every other day?"
Grumbling, Cheon Yang-gong set down the half-empty bottle and stood.
"If you're gonna disrupt business, get out."
The drunk man kicking a table looked at him with bleary eyes.
"What? Get out? You senile old..."
His loud voice trailed off.
Cheon Yang-gong was glaring murderously with killing intent.
"Hic―"
Overwhelmed by the gaze, the man hiccuped, and Cheon Yang-gong grabbed his collar.
"Hmph, no guts."
Cheon Yang-gong lifted him effortlessly and hurled him out the door.
He flew without touching the ground, smacked his head on the curtain with a crisp thud, and...
Roll-roll―
Tumbled across the dirt.
"Should've left when I told you."
As Cheon Yang-gong dusted his hands, now adept at tossing people out,
"Kek."
"Pfft."
Laughter erupted here and there.
"With that great hero inside, who dares make a fuss."
"Tsk tsk. Hasn't he heard the rumors about the Plum Blossom Inn?"
They whispered, eyeing the fallen man.
The Plum Blossom Inn was now busier than anywhere else around.
Selling the unique meat buns was a big factor, but there was an equally important policy.
No fighting allowed.
No matter the expert, they had to stay quiet inside the Plum Blossom Inn.
All the renowned masters in the area had rolled on the floor like that young man.
The dirt-covered man sprang up and shouted,
"You dare touch me? Do you even know who I..."
Then something flew from a window.
Crack!
Hit by it, he toppled backward and sprawled spread-eagled on the ground.
"So noisy."
Cheonhwi, who had thrown the liquor cup from the window, glanced at the groaning man and turned away.
'Hm?'
Someone was approaching from afar.
"Martial Uncle!"
Jeokgeom came running, out of breath, and yelled,
"The Sect Leader summons you!"