"Hyung-nim!"
As Cheon Myeong finished the duel and returned to his seat, Cheon Seong was the first to greet him.
At the sa ti, Baekjo, who had flown and sat on Cheon Myeong's shoulder at so point.
Cheon Seong spoke with a genuinely happy face, as if he himself had won the duel just now.
"It was a truly splendid duel!"
"What's with the embarrassing complint?"
"No, not just , but everyone here is probably thinking the sa thing!"
Peep-!
Not only Cheon Seong, but Baekjo also chid in from Cheon Myeong's shoulder.
Well, although Baekjo had chid in to secure his dinner, the fact that Cheon Seong liked his victory so much was not sothing that Cheon Myeong could not understand.
'Today's victory is not just a simple victory.'
This victory contained many anings.
One was that the gazes of the people who had evaluated Cheon Myeong as not suitable for the young leader candidate until now had now changed.
In this place today, hundreds of people who were called the influential people of the Demonic Cult had watched the duel.
Since he had overwhelmingly suppressed Su Yeongseong in such a place, the rumor would be exaggerated even more and would spread throughout the entire Demonic Cult.
And another one was.
Swish-.
Cheon Myeong's gaze moved to one place.
There, the other disciples except for Su Yeongseong were sitting, and Cheon Myeong could feel that the gazes of the guys who were looking at him were very different from before.
'Since they have seen my skills directly, they won't recklessly challenge to a Demonic Position Battle as before.'
The common point of the three people who had challenged Cheon Myeong to a Demonic Position Battle was that they all did not know Cheon Myeong's skills.
Since Cheon Myeong was weaker than them, they could surely win. Because they had thought so, hadn't Jang Hyeon and Jo Seokjin also raised their hands right away in the leader's palace?
But after seeing Cheon Myeong's skills directly in front of their eyes, they would not have such a thought in their heads.
The skill of finishing off Su Yeongseong in one move.
Of course, among Cheon Jin's disciples, there would be a guy with skills superior to Su Yeongseong, but even after seeing that duel just now, there was no one who could guarantee that they could surely beat Cheon Myeong one-on-one.
'They're making an interesting face.'
Among them, the faces of Jang Hyeon and Jo Seokjin were a sight to see.
In particular, if Su Yeongseong had not made that provocation, Jo Seokjin would have originally been his opponent this ti.
Perhaps the person who was lying on the floor, bleeding, could have been Jo Seokjin, not Su Yeongseong.
'Shall I tease them a little?'
Looking at their dumbfounded faces, he sohow couldn't just stay still.
Leaving Cheon Seong behind, Cheon Myeong walked to where the disciples were.
"..."
As Cheon Myeong suddenly walked towards them, the expressions of Jang Hyeon and Jo Seokjin changed.
Although they wanted to leave this place right now, they could not leave their seats on their own when Cheon Jin had not yet left the venue.
'Why... why is he coming this way?'
Although everyone here was surprised to see the duel between Cheon Myeong and Su Yeongseong just now, the person whose heart had sunk the most was Jo Seokjin.
To think that he had tried to make such a bet without even knowing that Cheon Myeong had hidden that much skill.
Of course, he would not lose easily, but he was not confident that he could beat Cheon Myeong either.
"..."
It's a relief that Su Yeongseong took that swindler.
Although Jo Seokjin was thinking so inwardly and was relieved, as Cheon Myeong suddenly walked towards him, he felt a sense of tension again.
Thump-.
Cheon Myeong, who stopped in front of Jo Seokjin and Jang Hyeon. And he smiled aningfully as he looked at the two alternately.
"You two also said you wanted to fight , right?"
"..."
"The stage is already set. I don't really mind fighting right now. Who wants to go first?"
As Cheon Myeong said that, Jo Seokjin and Jang Hyeon began to look at each other.
Of course, although the two had raised their hands in the leader's palace just like Su Yeongseong, that was, after all, because they had thought that Cheon Myeong's skills were poor.
However, the skills that Cheon Myeong had just shown could be said to be equal to or greater than the two.
It was not a situation where they could raise their hands with confidence as before.
In particular, since they had just seen Su Yeongseong's miserable defeat, they felt as if they had already lost to Cheon Myeong in terms of montum.
"I-I'm not feeling well today!"
"..."
"So I will give the opportunity to that side!"
"...What?"
As Jang Hyeon took the initiative and said that, Jo Seokjin looked at Jang Hyeon with a bewildered gaze.
'This cunning bastard!'
Not feeling well, my foot!
Just like him, he was just unable to easily say that he would fight because Cheon Myeong's skills were unexpectedly strong.
But the sight of Jang Hyeon, who was passing all the work to him while pretending to give him an opportunity, felt only despicable.
"How about it?"
"...Yes?"
"Didn't you co to see a while ago, asking why I didn't choose you as my opponent?"
"..."
Yes, he had gone to see him.
Although he didn't know why he had tried to do such a crazy thing then.
"I'll do it for you right now? You wanted to fight , right?"
"..."
"Of course, what we said then will go as it is."
This guy is trying to sell sothing again!
In the first place, the situation then and now was different.
At that ti, since there were many competitors, he had bet the Blood Ginseng in exchange for designating him as his opponent, but now, there were no competitors at all.
The deal had not been established in the first place.
"Ahem! If only my body were okay..."
You should just shut up.
Listening to Jang Hyeon's muttering from the side, Jo Seokjin's anger flared up inside.
'Fighting this guy now is not good in many ways.'
Now that he knew Cheon Myeong's true skills, he needed to make a more careful decision.
If he were to fight without full preparation, wouldn't he also end up in the sa state as Su Yeongseong?
Moreover, to fight with the entire Blood Ginseng that his family possessed on the line, there was no room for consideration.
'The excuse of being sick won't work.'
Because Jang Hyeon had already used that.
But to just refuse would make it seem as if he were running away because he was scared of Cheon Myeong, so he needed a plausible excuse.
'What should I say?'
The excuse of being sick is indeed perfect.
If he had known this would happen, he should have taken the initiative first.
After a brief deliberation, Jo Seokjin finally opened his mouth.
"...There is a family matter, so I don't think I can do it today."
"Suddenly?"
"Since I was originally planning to go to my family's ho right after the Heavenly Demon Festival ended..."
"What is it?"
"That... since it's a family matter, it's a little difficult to say."
Looking at Jo Seokjin, who was making an excuse while sweating profusely at the continuous questions, Cheon Myeong felt like he was about to laugh.
"That's a sha. Then let's do it next ti."
"Yes, next ti..."
Cheon Myeong said and returned to where Cheon Seong was.
Swish-.
At that mont, Cheon Jin got up from his seat.
At the sa ti, the venue beca quiet again, and everyone bowed their heads to Cheon Jin.
"..."
Cheon Jin, who was walking towards the entrance.
Although he continued to look ahead and walk, he moved his gaze just once in the middle.
Grin-.
Looking at Cheon Myeong, the corners of Cheon Jin's mouth curled up slightly.
However, that was also for a very short ti, and Cheon Jin returned to his expressionless face and walked out of the venue.
Pow-!
As soon as Cheon Jin went out, the people raised their heads.
At the sa ti, a person who was rushing to the center.
Su Yijeong lowered his posture and began to check Su Yeongseong's condition.
'He's still breathing.'
However, he was in a dangerous state where he could die at any mont.
As soon as Su Yijeong confird Su Yeongseong's life and death, he shouted imdiately.
"Bring a stretcher at once!"
As soon as Su Yijeong shouted, as if they had prepared it in advance, people ca running to where Su Yeongseong was with a stretcher.
And imdiately, Su Yeongseong, who was put on a stretcher and left the venue with Su Yijeong.
Cheon Myeong watched him silently.
"Hyung-nim."
"...?"
"Let's go now."
When he turned his head, Cheon Seong was standing there with the outer garnt that Cheon Myeong had thrown off.
Looking at him, Cheon Myeong put on the outer garnt with a light smile. And he moved his steps towards the entrance with Cheon Seong.
Clap- clap-.
At that mont, a strange sound was heard from sowhere.
At that sound, Cheon Myeong stopped his steps, and he could discover the figures of Jong Seojun and Hong Yeorin, who were clapping at him.
"..."
Were those two congratulating him on his victory?
Since only two people were clapping in this wide space, the sound seed quite empty.
Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap-.
At that mont, a sound that was gradually filling the venue.
At so point, an innurable number of people were sending applause to Cheon Myeong, and Cheon Myeong looked at them with slightly surprised eyes.
"..."
It was the first ti in his life that Cheon Myeong had received such applause.
Although he didn't know how many of them were sincerely congratulating him on his victory, the fact that they were clapping ant that they were at least acknowledging him as the winner, right?
Heh-.
To think that he would laugh at sothing like this.
But... it felt good.
Cheon Myeong decided to enjoy this victory now.
Thump-.
Cheon Myeong responded with a fist salute to the people who were sending him applause.
***
Inside the Heavenly Demon's secret vault.
Two n were talking as if they were excited.
"Wasn't the Demonic Position Battle today amazing?"
"That's right. I didn't expect much, but I was able to see a high-level duel."
As such a chat was heard from behind, the man in front said to them.
"The mission is not over yet."
The na of the man who had given that warning was Man Jeokseon. The leader of the Guard Corps.
They were now moving the Three Sacred Treasures to the inside of the secret vault.
Since the Heavenly Demon Festival was over, they were imdiately returning them to their original place.
The Three Sacred Treasures were in the chest that the two corps mbers in the back were holding.
"Leader, since we have already entered the secret vault, isn't it unnecessary to be on guard anymore?"
At that mont, one of the corps mbers said.
Not only the Three Sacred Treasures, but also many precious treasures whose value could not be asured were in the Heavenly Demon's secret vault.
That's why the secret vault was usually guarded under strict security.
After passing through the three gates guarded by the gatekeepers and entering the secret vault, there were no more gatekeepers, but in the space located inside, difficult chanisms blocked the entrance.
And that was the place where the Three Sacred Treasures were stored.
If one were to try to pass through the chanism without a key, no matter how much of an absolute master that person was, they would not be able to pass through safely.
Since the three had already entered the inside of the chanism using a key, it was not unreasonable for the corps mber to say that.
"That's right. Who on earth would break through that chanism?"
"That's right. Unless they don't value their lives, they wouldn't dare to try to co in here."
Thump-.
Saying that, the corps mbers put down the chest they were holding.
"Well, but still, we could steal the Three Sacred Treasures if we put our minds to it, right?"
"Don't be silly. We don't even get the key on normal days unless it's a day like today."
"So we steal it on a day like today."
"Don't even joke about that. I don't want to live my life being chased."
"That's also true."
The corps mber opened the chest with a smile.
Then, the Three Sacred Treasures appeared.
The corps mber carefully lifted the Heavenly Demon Mirror and tried to place it in its original place.
"...?"
As he turned his head with the Heavenly Demon Mirror, Man Jeokseon was blocking the way.
Since the passage was narrow, it seed that it would be a little uncomfortable to pass if Man Jeokseon did not move aside.
"Leader? If you stand there, it seems that it will be a little in the way of moving it."
"..."
"...Leader?"
Man Jeokseon did not say anything.
And at that mont.
Slash-.
Fresh blood that was scattered on the floor.
The corps mber let go of the Heavenly Demon Mirror he was holding, spewing blood from the sword wound that had appeared on his chest, and Man Jeokseon quickly caught it.
"..."
As such a thing happened in front of his eyes, another corps mber quickly drew his sword.
However, Man Jeokseon's movent was one step faster, and looking at the sword that had pierced his stomach, the corps mber muttered as if he could not believe it.
"Leader... why..."
"Didn't you guys just say it?"
"..."
"That there is no other day to steal the Three Sacred Treasures than today."
Thump-.
At the sa ti as he pulled out the sword, the corps mber fell to the floor, vomiting blood.
"..."
The two n who were lying in a sea of blood.
Man Jeokseon silently looked at the Heavenly Demon Mirror he was holding.
Although there was a little blood on it, the Heavenly Demon Mirror was reflecting Man Jeokseon's face.
Grin-.
A smile full of desire.
Man Jeokseon's face, stained with blood, looked like that.
(End of Chapter)
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