Heo Cham looked at the broken Zanbato with a face close to horror.
How could this be?
For this huge saber to break in a single blow, and with a bare fist at that.
Heo Cham felt as if he were possessed by a goblin right now.
"..."
After staring blankly at the broken saber, his gaze soon turned to Cheon Myeong.
Heo Cham's gaze as he looked at Cheon Myeong had changed dramatically in an instant.
If his face had been full of confidence before he swung the saber, now it was like a half-shriveled persimmon.
In fact, Heo Cham's lips were now parched.
"Gasp...!"
And here was one person who found this situation even more unbelievable than Heo Cham.
'No way... is Mr. Heo being pushed back by that guy right now?'
Even he, who had no knowledge of martial arts, could tell that.
No, putting aside knowledge, the weapon was broken now, so wasn't it obvious that he was at a disadvantage?
Since Heo Cham himself had said that a weapon is like a life to a martial artist, according to that logic, Heo Cham was no different from having lost his life now.
'He won't lose, will he?'
How much had he poured into Heo Cham until now? He was just about to get so of his investnt back, but wasn't this a bit much from the very beginning?
Wang Ja-un couldn't bear the anxiety and finally asked Heo Cham with a trembling voice.
"Mr., Mr. Heo! You're not being pushed back right now, are you?"
"...!"
As Wang Ja-un's voice ca from behind, Heo Cham barely regained his dazed mind.
And he turned his head to Wang Ja-un with an awkward movent and answered with an equally awkward smile.
"Of course, I'm fine!"
"..."
"That attack just now was rely to gauge the opponent's capabilities! He seems to be a bit better than I expected, but he still doesn't seem to match this Heo Cham's skills."
What a load of crap.
Let's see how long he can keep that up.
Cheon Myeong thought so, crossed his arms, and quietly watched Heo Cham as if watching a fire across the river.
"But Mr. Heo's weapon seems to be broken! Are you okay?"
"Of course, I'm fine!"
"Didn't you say that a weapon is like a life to a martial artist?"
"...Actually, this Zanbato is just for decoration! The essence of my martial arts lies in my fist techniques."
"Ooh!"
As Heo Cham said that, Wang Ja-un's face brightened up again.
"As expected of Mr. Heo! You're so cool!"
"..."
"Please turn that guy into a complete rag with that Iron Fist!"
"A, a rag..."
Heo Cham muttered and glanced at Cheon Myeong.
Cheon Myeong was still watching this side silently with his arms crossed.
Seeing that, Heo Cham broke out in a cold sweat, but since he couldn't show a weak side in front of Wang Ja-un, he forced himself to maintain his composure and said.
"S-still, wouldn't it be better to show so rcy? Actually, I value chivalry..."
"rcy is wasted on such a rude bastard!"
"..."
"Please turn him into a tattered rag so that his form can no longer be recognized!"
Why did he keep ntioning that damn rag?
In fact, it seed that the one who would beco a rag was this side, not that side.
But not knowing his own feelings, Wang Ja-un, who kept saying things that would provoke Cheon Myeong, was just resentful to Heo Cham.
Creak- creak-.
Heo Cham's neck turned unnaturally, like a rusty wheel that hadn't been oiled enough.
He desperately wished that if he turned his head, all of this would be a dream and Cheon Myeong would disappear from his sight, but such a pipe dream would not happen.
'There's no way I can win against that guy!'
He felt like he would lose even if he had a hundred lives.
Heo Cham had long since given up the thought of winning against Cheon Myeong from the mont his saber broke, and he realized that there was an unbridgeable skill gap between him and Cheon Myeong.
"..."
Would he not go if I just let him go?
It seed that Wang Ja-un wanted to beat Cheon Myeong half to death, but since that was actually impossible, he had no choice but to hope for that possibility.
Of course, there would be words later, but couldn't he sohow manage that?
At least, that seed much easier than turning Cheon Myeong into a rag in this place.
"You bastard!"
Heo Cham first shouted loudly at Cheon Myeong. And the following voice was very careful and small, like a crawling ant.
"...I'll let you go, so go when I'm being nice."
"Now that you say it like that, I want to hear so bad words too."
"D-don't regret it and go when I'm letting you go!"
"It's okay, go on."
"..."
After calling Cheon Myeong loudly, he just stood in his spot and kept whispering, so Wang Ja-un looked at Heo Cham with a puzzled face.
"Mr. Heo?"
"...Prepare yourself!"
His voice rose again. However, the following voice was very polite and careful.
"...I don't know where you ca from, great one, but if you show rcy just once, I will never forget that grace for the rest of my life!"
"..."
"I have a deer-like wife and a toad-like child. But if I get kicked out of here, my whole family will be wandering the streets..."
"Well, since your situation is like that, I'd like to listen if possible."
As Cheon Myeong said that, Heo Cham's face brightened for a mont. However, his expression had no choice but to return to its original state at Cheon Myeong's following words.
"But since I heard that you were a forr leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, I don't think I can do that."
"I-it's a misunderstanding! Actually, I..."
"I know. That you weren't a leader."
"...!"
"The squads of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult end at the Twelfth Grinding Squad. The Thirteenth Grinding Squad doesn't even exist in the first place."
It seed that he had said that to him even at the mont he broke the saber. As expected, he had not misheard.
'How does he know so well?'
The fact that there were squads like the First Grinding Squad or the Second Grinding Squad in the Demonic Cult was information that the public roughly knew, but most people did not know exactly how many squads there were.
So Heo Cham had also created a fictional squad called the Thirteenth Grinding Squad and had told Wang Ja-un that, and thanks to that, he had been able to live in the Black Night Gang while receiving great treatnt.
'That's the tone of soone who knows the structure of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult well!'
Heo Cham finally realized that Cheon Myeong was a person related to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
And not just any related person. He could guess that he at least resided in the main headquarters and had a considerable position within the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
'To have such bad luck...!'
He had thought it would be okay because Namgang had little influence from the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
In fact, for the past year, he had been able to live without any incidents.
But now that the situation had beco like this, Heo Cham began to rack his brain to figure out what would be the best course of action for him from now on.
However, no matter how much he racked his brain, it didn't seem like there was any room to escape.
"I'll give you a chance."
At that mont, Cheon Myeong suddenly said that to Heo Cham.
"A, a chance?"
"Yes."
"W-what is it?"
"First, before I say anything, send everyone out except for you and ."
"E-everyone?"
"Yes, or should I just reveal your true identity here and now?"
"...!"
That can't happen.
Before Cheon Myeong's mind changed, Heo Cham hurriedly said to Wang Ja-un.
"Leader Wang!"
"Yes?"
"Please leave this pavilion right now."
"Leave?"
After standing still for a long ti, as Heo Cham said that, Wang Ja-un couldn't help but be puzzled.
"From now on, I will fight that guy in earnest."
"..."
"The opponent's skills are by no ans to be trifled with. The fight will surely beco fierce. Leader Wang could die from the aftermath."
"I-is that true!"
"Yes, I would like to protect you if I could, but I don't think I'll have the leisure to do so."
As Heo Cham said that, Wang Ja-un's gaze turned to Cheon Myeong.
'Is he an opponent that even Mr. Heo thinks so?'
That brat?
Well, even if it was just for decoration, he didn't look weak at all since he had broken that huge saber with his bare hands.
Moreover, since he had made such a ss of the auction house, there was no guarantee that this place would not beco like that.
"Those two are not related to our duel. So it would be okay to send them outside, right?"
"As you wish."
As if they had planned it in advance, Cheon Myeong and Heo Cham naturally exchanged such a conversation.
"Leader Wang!"
"...Yes!"
"Please leave quickly."
Heo Cham said with a serious face.
Then, Wang Ja-un hurriedly passed the two and waddled towards the entrance, and the man who was standing at a distance also ran to where Wang Ja-un was heading.
"I will co back when that guy becos a rag!"
"..."
"Good luck!"
Click-.
The door closed, and only the two of them were left in the room.
And the sound of footsteps hastily descending the stairs was heard beyond the door, and as the footsteps completely disappeared, it seed that only Cheon Myeong and Heo Cham were really left on the top floor of the pavilion.
'Are they gone?'
It seems they're gone.
Then what should he do?
It was to prostrate on the floor and beg for forgiveness faster than anyone else.
Swish-.
Heo Cham carelessly dropped the broken saber.
The saber, leaving Heo Cham's grasp and heading for the floor.
Before that saber even hit the floor, Heo Cham's knees were the first to touch the floor.
"Please forgive for the rude words I have said to you, great one, until now!"
Heo Cham shouted to Cheon Myeong while prostrating on the floor.
As only the two of them were left in the pavilion, Heo Cham's voice beca so loud that it seed to pierce the sky, while Cheon Myeong maintained a similar level of voice as before and said.
"That's enough."
"Oh my, the great one's rcy is like the sea!"
"..."
"Still, since I have committed a fault without recognizing the great one, I will punish myself, albeit in a small way!"
After saying that, Heo Cham began to slam his forehead hard on the floor.
Once, twice.
Heo Cham's actions continued to the point where a slight madness could be felt.
"It doesn't even hurt to hit your forehead like that anyway."
Flinch-.
As Cheon Myeong said that, Heo Cham's movent stopped. In fact, those words were right.
No matter how much Heo Cham's skills did not match Cheon Myeong's, in terms of his capabilities as a martial artist, he was still at a pretty good level.
Therefore, this level of impact was just loud, and in fact, it was only at the level of a mosquito bite.
Heo Cham had put on a show to curry favor with Cheon Myeong even a little, but seeing Cheon Myeong's reaction, it felt like it had brought about a counter-effect.
'What on earth is this guy?'
As the situation had co to this, Heo Cham began to wonder about Cheon Myeong's identity.
A person related to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. A thief who stole auction items. A bird lover who likes birds.
Although there were so pieces of information about Cheon Myeong, no matter how much he combined that information, Heo Cham could not infer Cheon Myeong's identity at all.
"Excuse ... who might the great one be?"
In the end, Heo Cham carefully raised his head and asked Cheon Myeong.
Then, Cheon Myeong silently took sothing out from his bosom and threw it in front of Heo Cham.
Heo Cham carefully picked up what had fallen in front of him and looked at it closely.
'What is this?'
It seed to be so kind of high-class item, but he couldn't tell what it was used for.
Swish-.
Heo Cham, who was holding it, turned it to the other side. At the sa ti, Heo Cham's two eyes widened.
'Th-this is...!'
The character for 'Demon' engraved on the jade tablet. Heo Cham knew the aning it symbolized.
"Y-you are...!"
The Demon Tablet that only the leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult could possess.
Why on earth did this person have such a thing?
"The fact that you recognize that seems to an that your words weren't a complete lie."
"..."
"Do you know who I am now?"
Cheon Myeong asked with a aningful smile to Heo Cham, who was sitting with a blank face.
(End of Chapter)
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