Flap-.
Baekjo flew over and landed on Heo Cham's head.
However, like a rock placed on a field, Heo Cham did not show any reaction and could not take his eyes off Cheon Myeong, constantly thinking only about the reason why this Demon Tablet had co out of Cheon Myeong's bosom.
'This is definitely the Demon Tablet.'
There was only one being in this world who could possess the Demon Tablet.
The leader of the Demonic Cult. In other words, only the current leader, Cheon Jin, could possess it.
'There's no way the leader could have changed in the anti...'
It had been just a little over a year since Heo Cham had left the main headquarters.
Not only was it unlikely that the leader of the Demonic Cult would change so easily in that ti, but it was realistically impossible for a young person like Cheon Myeong to beco the leader.
But since what he was holding seed to be definitely the Demon Tablet that only the leader could possess, Heo Cham had no idea what was going on.
'Huh...?'
At that mont, Heo Cham's gaze as he looked at Cheon Myeong changed slightly.
'Wait... sothing seems familiar...'
It should have been the first ti he had seen Cheon Myeong today. As he suddenly felt that Cheon Myeong's face was sohow familiar, Heo Cham began to look at Cheon Myeong's face more closely.
And a being that suddenly ca to mind.
As the forgotten being seed to overlap with Cheon Myeong's face in front of him, Heo Cham's face was instantly filled with horror.
"No way...!"
"...?"
"Could it be... Young Master Cheon Myeong?"
"What, you knew ?"
Cheon Myeong asked as if he were puzzled.
"I saw you a few tis when I was still a mber of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult."
"Really? I don't rember your face."
"Of course, you wouldn't. I also only watched from a distance a few tis during important events..."
Still, as Cheon Myeong was the leader's son, Heo Cham naturally rembered his face clearly.
Of course, even though he had now cut ties with the Demonic Cult, a face he had once rembered would not be so easily forgotten.
Although Cheon Myeong's appearance had changed a little from what Heo Cham rembered due to the passage of ti, the original form had not changed much.
'Why couldn't I recognize him at once?'
No, it was perhaps natural that Heo Cham could not recognize Cheon Myeong.
Even if the Cheon Myeong of a few years ago and the current Cheon Myeong had not changed much in appearance, the atmosphere they gave off had completely changed.
And above all, the biggest reason why Heo Cham could not recognize Cheon Myeong was his skill.
'The Young Master had definitely fallen into Qi Deviation and lost all his internal energy...'
That was a fact that all the mbers of the Demonic Cult knew.
However, hadn't Cheon Myeong just shattered the Zanbato he had swung with his bare hands?
That was by no ans the power that could co from the fist of a person who had lost all his internal energy due to Qi Deviation.
'What on earth happened?'
Naturally, Heo Cham could not know the reason.
However, even if Cheon Myeong was completely different from the image he rembered, it was not that important in this situation.
What was important was the fact that Cheon Myeong was now in front of his eyes.
And he was currently a fugitive who had left the main headquarters on his own and was avoiding the eyes of the Demonic Cult.
'If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have said that...'
No, to be precise, it was not him but Wang Ja-un who had said it, and Cheon Myeong had found out, but... anyway, since he had told Wang Ja-un that in the first place, it was ultimately tying himself with his own rope.
While Heo Cham was trying to figure out how to untie the rope he had tied himself with, Cheon Myeong asked him.
"Tell honestly."
"Yes?"
"How much of it is true and how much is a lie?"
"What do you an by that..."
"The part about being the forr leader of the Thirteenth Grinding Squad is obviously a lie. But seeing that you recognize the Demon Tablet, it seems to be true that you were once a mber of our cult."
"..."
"What position did you hold in our cult before you deserted on your own?"
Why was he asking such a thing all of a sudden?
His life would depend on how he answered this question.
As he had that thought, Heo Cham began to rack his brain to find a way to save himself.
"I can hear your brain working."
"...!"
As Cheon Myeong suddenly said that, Heo Cham was startled inwardly.
"If I get the slightest feeling that you're lying."
Swish-.
Cheon Myeong suddenly pointed to the floor with his finger. Then, Heo Cham's gaze also automatically turned to the place Cheon Myeong had pointed to.
In that state, Cheon Myeong continued to speak with a cold voice.
"Your head will imdiately be rolling over there."
"...!"
"It will roll and roll."
"W-what on earth do you an by that..."
"It ans that if you don't want your head to beco like a football, don't try any funny business."
"..."
Gulp-.
Those weren't just empty words.
As if he had instinctively realized that fact, Heo Cham decided to tell Cheon Myeong only the truth.
"H-how could I dare to tell a lie in this safe place!"
"..."
"I will tell you the truth, so please spare my life!"
"That's a matter to be decided after I've heard all of your story."
After saying that, Cheon Myeong walked towards the table. And with a light movent, he got on top of it and sat down in a very comfortable position, looking down at Heo Cham.
Heo Cham still looked up blankly at Cheon Myeong, who was sitting on the table in a kneeling position, and soon, he pulled himself together and opened his mouth.
"Actually, I... was affiliated with the Eighth Grinding Squad."
"..."
"I developed my skills to so extent and even served as a captain."
The Eighth Grinding Squad, and to be a captain among them, was by no ans a low position.
If Heo Cham had not been careless and had fought properly from the beginning, he would not have been defeated in that way.
Although it would have only been at the level of blocking a few more moves.
Still, being able to block a few more of Cheon Myeong's attacks and not being able to was a pretty big difference.
"Why is a guy who was a captain of the Eighth Grinding Squad here, having turned his back on our cult?"
"..."
As Cheon Myeong asked that, Heo Cham closed his mouth as if it were difficult to answer.
"Roll, roll."
"...!"
"Do you want to be cut?"
Cheon Myeong, who was saying things that would make one's heart sink without a care. As he spoke in that way, it seed to feel even more eerie to the one who was listening.
In the end, Heo Cham could not withstand that eeriness and had no choice but to open his mouth.
"...Actually, my left arm is in a state of discomfort."
"Discomfort?"
From the outside, it didn't look like that.
As Cheon Myeong's gaze naturally turned to Heo Cham's left arm, Heo Cham rolled up the sleeve there and held it out.
Swish-.
The scar that had been hidden by the sleeve until now was revealed.
A size that could be said to have covered almost the entire left arm.
Just by looking at the scar, one could tell that a deep wound had been there in the past.
"It's a wound I got in a duel for the position of leader of the Eighth Grinding Squad."
"..."
"It doesn't interfere with my daily life, but if I put just a little strength into it, it becos like this."
Heo Cham said that and put strength into his left arm.
Tremble-.
The left hand that began to tremble with a trendous force.
If he had been holding a glass of water with his left hand, it seed that all the water would have already spilled out.
'So there was a reason why he only held and swung the saber with his right hand.'
He had been a little puzzled when he had swung a huge weapon like a Zanbato with one hand instead of holding it with two hands.
Usually, if it was that heavy and that big, holding it with two hands would be more stable and the power would also be higher, so why didn't he do that?
Cheon Myeong could now understand the reason.
"With this hand, I naturally cannot handle my weapon, the Zanbato, properly."
"..."
"What would a guy who can't even fight properly do by staying in the Eighth Grinding Squad? I thought that I might cause trouble for my colleagues because of , so I left the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult on my own."
Heo Cham said that and rolled his sleeve down again.
Even with the sleeve down, his left arm was still trembling, and it seed that it was impossible for Heo Cham to even stop the trembling at will once he had put strength into it.
"In the world of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, which is the law of the jungle, it is difficult to survive with an arm like this."
"..."
"Is this enough of an answer?"
"...Yes."
From Heo Cham's point of view, it must have been quite reluctant to show a wound that could be called his sha. Nevertheless, the reason he had shown it in that way was to convince Cheon Myeong that much more certainly.
Thanks to that, Heo Cham's words certainly gained credibility, and as Cheon Myeong answered, Heo Cham stealthily observed Cheon Myeong's expression.
'Is it now?'
He had stimulated Cheon Myeong's sympathy by revealing a sha that he did not want to reveal as a martial artist.
Heo Cham thought that now, Cheon Myeong might pretend not to know and let him go, and he might be able to retreat as it is.
"It was an honor to et you in this way, Young Master. Then, are you going to just retreat as you promised?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Yes? If I told you the truth, you were going to just retreat..."
"I said I would spare your life, but I never said I would just go."
"..."
"I understand that you have such a situation. Still, that's that and this is this."
Then for what reason had he been playing the sympathy card until now?
As Cheon Myeong said that so calmly, Heo Cham felt all the strength drain from his body.
"Is there anyone in this world without a story? Even a petty thief has his own reasons when he steals."
"..."
To compare his story to the theft of a petty thief.
As Cheon Myeong suddenly said that, his story seed to feel really cheap.
"You're going to the main headquarters with ."
"...!"
Those words from Cheon Myeong sounded like a thunderbolt out of a clear sky to Heo Cham.
To think that he would go back to the main headquarters after leaving on his own and barely settling down here. That was not much different from telling Heo Cham to die.
"Excuse ... Young Master, why are you asking to go to the main headquarters with you..."
"Then did you think I would leave you here?"
"..."
"You have to go there and pay for your sins. I've already gone easy on you by not cutting off your head in this place."
Ah, so that's it.
Just by the fact that his head was still attached, Heo Cham could imdiately understand.
"Before we leave, go to the leader of the Black Night Gang and sort things out."
"Yes? What do you an by sorting things out..."
"Explain the reason for your departure appropriately. And while you're at it, make it so that the Black Night Gang no longer chases ."
"H... how?"
"You were good at it before."
Cheon Myeong said that and picked his ear with his finger as if he were annoyed.
"You're good at scamming, aren't you? Do it like that this ti too."
"..."
"Or should I just grab you by the collar in this place and drag you outside?"
As Cheon Myeong said that with a slightly sharp voice, Heo Cham was startled and answered.
"N-no! I'll take care of it myself!"
"Yes, let's not see each other's blood."
"..."
"You must have been indebted to the Black Night Gang a lot in the anti. It's better for you too if the place you were indebted to remains safe, right?"
Does that an that if he put his mind to it, he could turn the Black Night Gang into a sea of blood by himself?
'...It seems possible.'
To be honest, the Black Night Gang was not very strong in terms of military power.
That's why Wang Ja-un had treated Heo Cham with such great respect, and the strongest military power in the Black Night Gang was Heo Cham.
But the strongest military power of the Black Night Gang was in this state now. So even if the entire Black Night Gang were to attack Cheon Myeong, there was a very high possibility that only a scene of breaking a rock with an egg would co out.
"If you just sort things out well, I'll reduce your punishnt."
"I-is that really true!"
"Yes, but if you try to run away even a little or try any funny business..."
Cheon Myeong did not finish his sentence and just made a gesture of slitting his own throat with his hand.
Heo Cham already knew firmly what that gesture ant, and he had long since given up the thought of escaping from Cheon Myeong's grasp.
'Is that... Young Master Cheon Myeong?'
The weak and endlessly kind Cheon Myeong in his mory was no longer there.
What on earth had happened to Cheon Myeong while he hadn't seen him?
Heo Cham was most curious about that fact now.
(End of Chapter)
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