Chapter 326
Chapter 326
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 326
Chapter Title: The Lured Leader
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The next evening.
Hwacheon Pavilion was still open for business despite the huge commotion from the night before, and every room was packed with guests.
In a way, it was only natural.
This Bloodless Street had always been a place where ronin ran wild.
It had only been quiet lately thanks to the Poison Ghost Master's grace, but such disturbances were commonplace all over Bloodless Street.
And it wasn't as if they could close their doors every time one happened.
Meanwhile, Cheonhwi was playing his seven-stringed zither in the new room he had just acquired, exactly as he had the previous night.
'It should be about time.'
Cheonhwi's eyes darkened.
The martial artist who had fled the moment he was discovered last night was several levels above the Colorful Charm Witch who ruled Bloodless Street.
With that thought, his hands began to move.
Even as something entirely different occupied his mind, the melody continued without interruption.
Time passed like that.
Ting—
The moment Cheonhwi finished the final note of Spring Night Dream and lifted his hands from the seven-stringed zither.
"Here you are, young master."
"Please enjoy."
Cheonghwa and Honghwa pressed close.
Their attitudes had grown even more attentive.
They were showing extra care in gratitude for the favor from the night before.
"That was a beautiful performance, young master."
Honghwa, carefully pouring his drink, glanced at Cheonhwi and blushed.
Cheonghwa gave a wry smile at the sight.
Ever since that performance four days ago, the way she looked at the young man had been unusual, and after last night's events, she seemed completely smitten.
'Such futile feelings...'
The young man before them was a master of the jianghu.
An incredible master who had felled the Colorful Charm Witch in a single blow.
In other words, he lived in an entirely different world from courtesans like them.
'She needs to let go of those feelings quickly.'
Even as she thought that, Cheonghwa shook her head.
How could anyone control their emotions with pure reason?
'I just hope she doesn't get hurt.'
It was then, as she wore a bitter smile.
Clap clap clap!
Suddenly, the sound of applause rang out.
It came from the window side.
Cheonghwa and Honghwa froze, swallowing hard.
There had clearly been no one at the window just moments ago.
Not only that, they hadn't sensed any presence at all, yet now a raggedly dressed man sat perched there.
The two trembled.
The terror of death they had felt the night before crashed over them even more intensely now.
"A truly exquisite display of skill."
Meanwhile, the man paid no attention to the two women and grinned widely.
He stared only at Cheonhwi.
"To control the notes with inner energy and keep everything under your hands—truly profound."
The man spoke as if he had fully grasped every aspect of Cheonhwi's performance.
"Have you cultivated sound arts?"
Cheonhwi grinned at the question.
He had already detected the man's arrival in Hwacheon Pavilion during the performance.
Thud.
Cheonhwi set down the seven-stringed zither and answered the question.
He twisted one corner of his mouth.
"No. I haven't really cultivated them."
The man's—Pungri's—eyebrow twitched for an instant at the mocking tone.
"You look young, yet you lack manners."
"What? The one lacking manners isn't me—it's you, isn't it?"
Cheonhwi twisted his mouth further.
It was open mockery.
"Barging into someone's room without permission."
"......"
Pungri glared at Cheonhwi in silence.
His gaze was cold and icy.
Sensing the tension between them, Cheonghwa and Honghwa hurriedly backed away, putting distance between themselves.
They instinctively felt the threat.
As the two trembled anxiously, stealing glances.
"Hahaha!"
Suddenly, Pungri burst into laughter.
Infused with inner energy, the entire Hwacheon Pavilion creaked and shook violently in that instant.
"Kyaa!"
"Eek!"
Cheonghwa and Honghwa, terrified as if an earthquake had struck, plastered themselves against the wall.
"Aaaah!"
"Help! Save us!"
Outside, guests and courtesans, already startled by the commotion, were fleeing in panic.
How long did he laugh like that?
"You're deafening."
Cheonhwi scratched his ear and spoke.
Whoosh—
He lightly waved his hand.
As if swatting away a fly, Pungri's eyes hardened in that moment.
'...That is?'
The gesture stirred the air.
A faint breeze.
But the light force wave carried within it was like a raging storm.
A casual hand motion could become a supreme technique in the hands of a master.
And the gesture Cheonhwi had just shown perfectly demonstrated that.
Soon, the light force wave from his hand swept through the room.
Creeeeak!
The air screamed.
At the same time, the lion's roar infused with inner energy tore apart and scattered rapidly.
It all happened in an instant.
"......"
Pungri's laughter cut off abruptly.
The shaking Hwacheon Pavilion fell still, silence settling in.
"Indeed......"
Pungri's eyes sank deeply.
"Confident in your skills, so you rampaged so wildly."
"I didn't rampage wildly."
"You felled the Colorful Charm Witch in one strike and drew all eyes in Bloodless Street, yet you say that?"
"Oh, you think so?"
Cheonhwi replied in an amused tone.
"Then it's gone exactly as I wanted."
"As you wanted......?"
Pungri's expression hardened coldly.
His face, which had seemed full of mirth, gradually grew indifferent, soon becoming utterly expressionless like a rigid mask.
"You aimed for it."
His voice dripped with edge.
It sounded like a beast's growl.
"For me to come."
"Exactly."
In contrast, Cheonhwi responded lightly and refreshingly.
He looked utterly carefree.
"But this is a bit unexpected. I figured you'd watch a little longer before making your move, not come straight here yourself."
As he spoke, twisting his mouth, Cheonhwi gazed steadily at Pungri and added,
"Worth drawing all those eyes."
Seeing the sneer on Cheonhwi's lips, Pungri straightened his posture.
Chilling killing intent poured from his entire body, overturning the room.
"Are you from the Murim Alliance?"
"Maybe, maybe not."
Cheonhwi teased as he grabbed the glass before him and downed it in one gulp.
Watching the action, Pungri narrowed his eyes.
He drank alcohol.
If he was from the Murim Alliance, that narrowed the possibilities quickly.
'A young master with this level of skill... not the Murim Alliance.'
Among the Murim Alliance's younger generation, only the likes of the Plum Blossom Divine Hero or Jade Kirin reached this level.
Though the special unit had headed to Mansu Gate, it wouldn't be strange if one had slipped away to come here.
But those two were Taoists from Wudang and Mount Hua respectively, so the young man before him couldn't be either.
His nose wrinkled.
This was an unforeseen situation.
'I thought we'd grasped all the Murim Alliance's intel... Perhaps he's not from the Alliance but somewhere else?'
Pungri, lost in thought, stared at Cheonhwi and spoke.
"There aren't many in the world your age with such skill. The so-called Three Great Prodigies of the world and the Plum Blossom Divine Hero are probably at that level now. You don't seem to be them... Who the hell are you?"
Cheonhwi let out a scoff.
"Stupid question. You think I'll just tell you straight because you asked?"
It was pure provocation.
"If you're curious, find out yourself."
"......Arrogant bastard."
Pungri's robes fluttered.
From beneath the patched clothing, a thick white mist-like energy seeped out.
It was mysterious and bizarre.
As if a pristine white robe had been draped over his ragged attire.
From within it, he spoke.
"Punks like you pop up from time to time. Ones who gain power beyond their years and get cocky."
A flat voice emerged.
His lips, sealed tight in a straight line, had curved upward softly.
With a sinister smile.
"And the end for those who overestimate themselves is usually the same."
In that instant, his eyes flashed.
"Just like this one."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a presence appeared above, and a massive shadow dropped between them.
Thud!
It was a person.
Drenched head to toe in blood, he looked almost like a corpse, but his chest rose faintly—he was still alive.
'...This energy?'
Cheonhwi's eyes narrowed.
The faint energy from the half-dead man was all too familiar.
At that moment, Pungri bent at the waist, grabbed the man's hair roughly, and hoisted him up in one motion.
"Ugh......"
A faint groan escaped.
Seeing the face of the man Pungri held up, Cheonhwi's mouth twisted downward.
"Finally, the smile's gone."
Pungri lifted his chin.
Sneering.
"How does it feel seeing one of your underlings in this state?"
Cheonhwi replied coldly.
"I told him to run if it seemed like he'd be caught, but he got nabbed anyway."
It was a rebuke aimed at Ho Gwanggae.
"Still, since he's not spilling my identity despite all the questioning, he didn't give up any info."
At that voice, Ho Gwanggae twitched.
He moved his mouth, but he lacked the strength to speak.
"We'll hear the details later."
Pungri's eyebrow twitched at Cheonhwi's attitude, ignoring him.
"Funny talk. You think there'll be a later for you lot?"
As he spoke, Pungri moved his left hand.
His padded sleeve blurred for an instant, his hand drawing a long afterimage.
Its target: Ho Gwanggae's neck.
Whoosh—
Power bloomed from his palm and erupted violently, instantly whipping up a gale.
The air warped for a moment.
Soon, his hand blade completed its trajectory toward Ho Gwanggae's neck.
Whoosh!
But his hand sliced through empty air.
"......!"
Pungri's eyes widened.
The man he had been holding had vanished in that instant.
He slowly turned his gaze.
With a sense of disbelief.
And.
"......"
His eyes hardened coldly.
Right before him, the young man held the one who had been in his grasp.
Cheonhwi examined Ho Gwanggae.
His condition was quite poor.
Tortured, perhaps—covered in wounds, blood leaking from all seven orifices.
His face grave, Cheonhwi channeled inner energy through his fingertips.
To assess the internals.
'At least the inside held up.'
Cheonhwi nodded faintly.
Fortunately, unlike the exterior, the internals weren't wrecked or shattered.
'To end up like this and still not spill a thing.'
He was practically on the brink of death.
Yet even in this state, he hadn't uttered a word about him or the Extermination Squad.
"This isn't something I can let slide."
Muttering softly, Cheonhwi laid Ho Gwanggae down as he was and drew Hwayol from the scabbard at his side.
The subtle red-tinged blade reflected the yellow lantern light, scattering it about.
For a moment, it felt like sunset had fallen.
And from within that.
"You've made a grave mistake."
A low voice echoed from all directions.
It was Six Harmonies Resonance.
The surging power of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art amplified Cheonhwi's voice, devouring the space.
Placing everything beneath it.
Pungri gritted his teeth.
Six Harmonies Resonance was a realm impossible to match with ordinary inner energy volume or control.
Yet the young man before him had achieved it.
'A true master.'
Realizing he was an even greater master than expected, his eyes wavered slightly.
Then Cheonhwi spoke again.
"Tried to shake me by turning him into that, huh... If that was your goal, you should've just killed him cleanly and brought the corpse."
With those words, Cheonhwi stepped forward.
Step.
A light footfall sounded.
And a chilling, indifferent voice followed in its wake.
"That way, he could've died in peace."