Chapter 195
Chapter 195
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 195
Chapter Title: Cheonhwi Steps In
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Whoooosh—
The brilliant light enveloping the arena shattered into pieces, giving way to a gentle breeze.
Thanks to that, perhaps.
"Wh-what happened?"
"Wh-what's the result?"
The crowd, blinded by the intense light, gradually regained their sight one by one.
And soon, their gazes turned to the sunlit arena.
"……!"
"No way!"
Everyone erupted in shock.
"Hah, hah."
Ha Woojin was breathing heavily, his sword drooping limply toward the ground.
In contrast, Choryeon appeared relaxed.
No, she was pretending to be.
……That was an intense sword strike.
She clenched and unclenched her right fist.
The fresh wound in the center stung sharply, but she forced the corners of her mouth upward.
The Flying Swallow Sword Lord. I need to keep an eye on him.
With a meaningful smile, she covered her mouth with her sleeve and spoke.
"Will you surrender?"
It was a soft enticement uncharacteristic of an unorthodox sect warrior.
But that, too, was part of the woman's plan.
The law of the jungle only applies in the jianghu.
Her gaze swept over the crowd.
Most of them were common folk, not jianghu warriors—merchants from trading companies, escorts from escort agencies, tavern owners, and the like.
All of them were key players in Shaanxi's economy. That was why she had held back in her strikes, aiming to leave a good impression.
At that moment, Ha Woojin's lips twitched.
"I acknowledge my defeat."
He said it calmly and sheathed his sword.
"Th-the Flying Swallow Sword Lord lost?"
"Th-that woman beat the Flying Swallow Sword Lord...?"
Rather than cheering, the crowd murmured in confusion, unable to hide their bewilderment.
And who could blame them? It was the Flying Swallow Sword Lord.
One of the top five masters of the Jongnam Sect, a figure with scarcely any equals in all of Shaanxi.
For him to admit defeat...
The crowd stared blankly at the arena, dumbfounded by the utterly unforeseen outcome.
Meanwhile, Choryeon's eyes narrowed slightly.
Admitting defeat already?
This was a duel with Shaanxi's fate hanging in the balance.
She had expected him to struggle to the bitter end...
Yet the Flying Swallow Sword Lord had withdrawn gracefully.
As she frowned at the situation unfolding contrary to her expectations,
"Why give up so soon? It looked like you could have fought a bit more."
A sudden voice rang out.
Choryeon looked ahead in surprise.
A young man stood beside Ha Woojin.
When did he get here?
Her eyes widened.
She hadn't sensed his presence or approach at all.
And at the same time, she realized why the Flying Swallow Sword Lord had withdrawn so readily.
He trusted this man?
Then Ha Woojin spoke.
"Because you're here, aren't you?"
At Ha Woojin's words, the young man—Cheonhwi—opened his mouth with an exasperated expression.
"You're dumping it all on me?"
"It just turned out that way."
"Quitting right away over a minor wound like that? Isn't that a bit much?"
"Hahaha! You're right."
Ha Woojin burst into laughter.
In the past, he never would have admitted defeat over such a wound.
But things were different now.
"Besides, now that I have a disciple, I have to preserve myself, don't I?"
"Hmm, still, is that okay? The Jongnam Sect's reputation is going to take a huge hit. And not just the Jongnam Sect..."
Cheonhwi trailed off, staring at Ha Woojin. He hadn't said it outright, but the most precarious position was Ha Woojin's own.
The Jongnam Sect's reputation would suffer, but Ha Woojin's personal prestige would plummet even further.
Ha Woojin seemed aware of it but smiled as if it didn't matter, his lips moving.
"Reputation is but a fleeting mirage, never eternal... Why cling to such a thing?"
"Eloquent words, flowing like clear mountain streams."
Cheonhwi let out a chuckle.
"Still, good call. If you'd kept fighting, you'd have taken a fatal wound."
Ha Woojin nodded.
It had been a brief exchange.
But that had been enough.
The woman was a cut above him—a foe he could not defeat.
"I'll head down now."
"Sure."
"Take care of the rest."
Ha Woojin turned and descended.
"……."
Only two remained atop the arena.
Silence blanketed the arena.
Not only the crowd but even the camps on either side held their tongues.
No one had anticipated this.
A young female master had felled the Flying Swallow Sword Lord, only for a youth from the Mount Hua Sect to step up as her next opponent.
Most couldn't make sense of the situation.
Then Cheonhwi's gaze turned to Choryeon. Seeing the turmoil in her eyes, he spoke.
"Finally caught you."
"Th-that guy?!"
"H-he's the one?!"
At that moment, commotion erupted from the Sa-gwi-bang camp.
Why are they making such a fuss?
Choryeon turned at the sudden uproar and frowned.
The Sa-gwi-bang Taoists were recoiling in fear, and their faction leader, seated on a chair, was thrashing about.
Foam bubbled at his mouth as he trembled violently, even wetting himself.
"S-save...! Gah, gah!"
After a fit of frenzy, the Sa-gwi-bang leader rolled back his eyes and fainted on the spot.
Choryeon's eyes bulged.
She—and the entire Sa-gwi-bang—had seen such an extreme reaction only once before.
The day Sa-gwi-bang had been utterly crushed!
……No way?
In that instant, her head snapped around.
Recalling the Sa-gwi-bang Taoist's detailed account of the raid, she quickly scanned Cheonhwi from head to toe.
The youthful face and aloof demeanor.
The slightly sharp but undeniably handsome features and Taoist robes.
Everything matched the description.
So this is the extraordinary Taoist who attacked Sa-gwi-bang...
She spoke up.
"Did you do that to our faction leader...?"
Cheonhwi dug in his ear and replied.
"Huh? What'd you say?"
"……."
Choryeon's eyebrow twitched at Cheonhwi's feigned ignorance.
"Playing dumb?"
"What are you on about?"
Cheonhwi cut her off as if it wasn't worth responding to, flicking his index finger.
"Instead of yapping about that, why don't you come at me?"
It was provocative, but Choryeon kept her composure and moved her lips.
"……That's a pretty obvious provocation. Hehe."
The woman let out a laugh.
"More importantly, won't you reveal your name before the duel? Or since you're a Taoist, is it a Taoist name?"
Cheonhwi looked annoyed.
"Do we need formal introductions?"
"Even in an orthodox-unorthodox duel, etiquette matters, doesn't it?"
"Etiquette?"
Cheonhwi wore an incredulous expression, as if he'd heard something outrageous.
"Man, I must be living a long life. Never thought I'd see an unorthodox sect preaching etiquette."
Choryeon's eyebrow twitched again.
The impudent words from a mere youth barely past his early twenties had irked her.
"Fine, if you want to hear it that badly, I'll tell you."
Cheonhwi said it like he was granting a favor.
"Cheonhwi. That's my Taoist name."
Cheonhwi...?
Choryeon mulled over the name.
But no matter how much she repeated it, she'd never heard it before.
Did Mount Hua secretly raise him?
Her gaze fixed on Cheonhwi.
He looked to be in his early twenties.
Yet the aura and poise he exuded rivaled that of veteran masters.
If even the Flying Swallow Sword Lord yielded without a fight, he's no ordinary expert...
Then Cheonhwi grinned.
"Whoa, I can hear your brain grinding from here."
"What do you mean?"
"No use racking your brains. I don't scheme dirty from the shadows like you lot. I'd rather step up front and smash everything outright."
Cheonhwi stared straight at her.
"Like how I crushed Mount Sai Valley."
Choryeon's shoulders flinched slightly.
For a moment.
"Is that so?"
Choryeon lightly stomped her foot.
In that instant, her figure vanished, reappearing beside Cheonhwi in a flash.
"But like this..."
Thinking she'd flanked him, she whispered—only to urgently kick off the ground.
Where'd he go?
Cheonhwi was nowhere.
Neither soaring into the sky nor sinking into the earth—he was gone, despite her scanning everywhere.
But then.
"Where you looking?"
A voice came from right in front.
Just one zhang away.
There stood Cheonhwi.
In this bewildering situation, like being haunted by a ghost, her pupils shook violently as if struck by an earthquake.
"Impressive technique."
Cheonhwi sneered.
"But your footwork sucks."
"……."
Choryeon bit her lower lip.
Absurd.
Her ascent to this position owed eight or nine parts to her Residual Shadow Step.
As if to refute him, she channeled her internal energy into her toes.
And kicked off.
Pop!
A faint wind blew from below as Choryeon's form vanished.
Cheonhwi tilted his head.
Whoooosh!
A fierce gust followed belatedly, tousling Cheonhwi's hair.
"Wanna compete on footwork with me?"
Cheonhwi jutted his chin.
"Sounds fun."
With that, Cheonhwi vanished.
No sound, no motion.
He simply disappeared into thin air.
"Wh-what?"
"Where'd they go?"
The crowd, holding their breath to watch the arena, panicked at the duo's complete vanishing act. Then—
Clang!
A shockwave exploded.
And it wasn't just one.
Suddenly, the air warped in all directions around the arena, shockwaves scattering wildly.
Ha Woojin, who had returned to his camp, watched the arena and shook his head.
"……You're in for it now."
His disciple came to mind.
His disciple's goal was Cheonhwi.
But seeing this, that dream seemed impossibly lofty.
Yet Ha Woojin smiled.
Cheonhwi wasn't a distant figure.
p>He was his close friend's disciple.
And sworn brothers with his own disciple.
If anything, they were close.
"You find this amusing right now?"
Im Yeong chided him then.
Ha Woojin looked at Im Yeong, clasped his hands politely, and bowed his head.
"My apologies. My inadequacy has tarnished the Jongnam Sect's honor."
"You know that much."
Im Yeong's expression grew stern.
"Your defeat will cause our sect's reputation to plummet. How do you intend to take responsibility?"
"I will gladly accept any punishment."
"Any punishment, you say."
At that moment, Im Yeong smiled.
"Then complete that sword form as quickly as possible."
He said calmly, then looked up at the arena and continued.
"And defeat that kid."
Ha Woojin's eyes widened.
Then he smiled faintly.
"That might be difficult."
"Hmm, think you can't win?"
"No."
Shaking his head at Im Yeong's question, Ha Woojin said softly.
"The one who will defeat Cheonhwi with this sword form isn't me—it's Jonghyeon."
Im Yeong looked at him in surprise, then burst into hearty laughter.
"Hahaha! Excellent!"
As the two priestly brothers laughed heartily,
Thud.
The shockwaves ceased, leaving Cheonhwi and Choryeon facing each other atop the arena.
Their appearances were a stark contrast.
Cheonhwi stood leisurely with his drawn sword slung over his shoulder.
Meanwhile, Choryeon—with her hair disheveled—panted for breath.
"That it already?"
Seeing Cheonhwi's mocking expression, Choryeon steadied her ragged breathing and swept her bangs back.
She resumed her smile.
"Just getting started."
"Hmm, is it?"
Cheonhwi eyed her attempt to maintain composure and spoke.
"So why'd you come to the Central Plains? Planning a conquest?"
Choryeon flinched momentarily.
But only briefly.
She quickly covered her mouth with her sleeve and tilted her head coyly.
After an exaggerated gesture, she furrowed her brow and spat out feigned anger.
"Conquest of the Central Plains? What are you talking about?"
As Choryeon tried to play innocent in outrage, Cheonhwi chuckled.
Her quick but distinct reaction was amusing through his piercing gaze.
"After deploying the Jade Shadow Divine Demon Palm, it's a bit late to play dumb, isn't it?"
"……!"
Choryeon's pupils trembled faintly.
But she tilted her head as if unshaken and replied.
"Jade Shadow Divine Demon Palm? What's that? Some technique you're about to use?"
Cheonhwi sneered.
Unlike her denial, her rushed words betrayed her shattered composure.
"Fine, keep pretending you don't know."
With that, he circulated his internal energy.
Whoooosh—
The transparent energy of the Plum Blossom Divine Art bloomed beautifully, enveloping his palm.
"It might look a bit different due to my cultivation method..."
Cheonhwi spread his palm wide.
The energy converged into one.
Flash!
A brilliant light surged.
"Th-that's?!"
Cheonhwi unleashed the gathered energy at the startled Choryeon.
The light grazed past her face and struck the arena floor.
Boooom!
The arena floor upheaved.
"……."
Choryeon gaped and swallowed hard, staring beside her.
A clear palm print, three chi deep, was etched into the ground.
It was the mark of the Jade Shadow Divine Demon Palm.
"How's that? Close enough?"
"H-how...?"
"How what? Can't you see? I just used it. What's so special?"
Cheonhwi curled his lip at her shock and added,
"Besides, I know the Jade Shadow Divine Demon Palm better than anyone."