The Heavenly Demon Who Reigns Chapter 142 : The Leader of the Chunguidae (4)

Everyone in the training ground was dumbfounded and couldn't say a word.

To think that the duel would end so anticlimactically.

They had thought that the outco would be decided after at least a three-digit exchange of blows, but when they opened the lid, the result was Heo Cham's victory. And it was an overwhelming victory at that.

Grin-

And the only person smiling among the audience.

The very person who had orchestrated all these results from behind, Cheon Myeong, was smiling.

"..."

The most dumbfounded person among them was Jeonjong.

The cool sensation of the Zanbato felt from the tip of his neck.

If he moved even a little or showed any sign of counterattacking, that Zanbato would rcilessly cut his throat.

'I... lost again?'

This couldn't be.

Why hadn't the distance between him and Heo Cham narrowed even after he had beco the leader?

Rather, it even felt as if the distance had grown further than before.

"I asked what you're going to do."

"...!"

At that mont, Heo Cham asked again with a cold voice.

At that mont, Jeonjong's face, which had been crumpled to the extre.

The sa scene as in the past was unfolding at this very mont, so there was no greater humiliation.

"I... lost."

In the end, Jeonjong had no choice but to say so in a low voice.

However, even though Jeonjong had admitted his surrender, Heo Cham did not withdraw the Zanbato aid at his neck.

"Are you going to deceive everyone's eyes and ears like last ti?"

"...!"

"Speak louder. So that everyone here can hear."

"Heo Cham...! How much humiliation do you have to give to feel satisfied!"

As Jeonjong said that, a sneer appeared on Heo Cham's lips.

"Humiliation? Compared to the humiliation I have suffered because of you until now, what you are feeling now cannot even be called humiliation."

"What..."

"Choose. Will you publicly declare your surrender in this place for all to hear? Or will you just die?"

"...!"

"At least I will let you decide that much on your own."

Jeonjong couldn't easily follow Heo Cham's words.

If he were to shout in this place for everyone to hear that he had surrendered, as Heo Cham had said, it would beco his clear defeat.

Then, not only would his status as the leader of the Eighth Grinding Squad fall, but the suspicion that he had committed a foul in the past duel with Heo Cham would also beco indelible.

'If that happens... my life as a leader will end.'

A leader who has lost the trust of his mbers can no longer exist as a leader.

It ant that if he were to shout his surrender in this place, he might be able to save his life, but he would no longer be able to be the leader of the Eighth Grinding Squad.

Swish-

At that mont, the Zanbato Heo Cham was aiming pressed closer to Jeonjong.

As a result, fresh blood flowed from Jeonjong's neck.

The will to not wait any longer was felt from the cool Zanbato.

Thud-

In the end, Jeonjong dropped the sword he was holding to the ground.

A sound that was heard so clearly that it was empty.

Following that, a squeezed-out voice echoed throughout the training ground.

"...I surrender!"

"..."

"I... lost!"

Unlike the first ti, this ti Jeonjong's voice was loud enough to be heard by everyone.

With this, Jeonjong's defeat beca public.

Although the outco of the duel was already almost tilted towards Jeonjong's defeat for anyone to see, the difference between almost tilted and definitely tilted is large.

Because to be definitely tilted ant that it could no longer go to the other side.

From that mont on, a stir began to arise in the training ground, which had been quiet until now.

"Our leader... lost?"

"Then what happened? Did the leader really commit a foul in the past?"

"W-well, I don't know..."

As Jeonjong had feared, such talk began to circulate among the people in an instant.

Those who said Jeonjong had committed a foul and those who said he hadn't. And even those who remained neutral.

The public opinion of the mbers seed to be divided into three main categories.

However, if you listened closely, the number of those who claid Jeonjong had committed a foul and those who remained neutral was overwhelmingly large, and even among the neutral side, the opinions that he had committed a foul were gradually increasing.

"...It's over."

Heo Cham muttered, looking at Jeonjong.

The duel, his revenge. And Jeonjong's power.

Heo Cham simply defined that everything was over with that one sentence.

Swish-

As he thought that everything was over, Heo Cham withdrew the Zanbato he had aid at Jeonjong.

Thud-

At that mont, Jeonjong knelt on the ground and collapsed.

It was a fitting end for a man who had lost everything in a single duel.

"..."

Heo Cham watched him silently and then turned his body.

Heo Cham, who was gradually moving away from that spot.

At that mont, Jeonjong raised his bowed head.

'Heo Cham...!'

In Jeonjong's gaze, which was glaring at Heo Cham's back, only the emotion of resentnt was strongly felt.

Even if he lived here, he would no longer be able to be the leader of the Eighth Grinding Squad.

Was that all? He would live his whole life being pointed at by everyone.

He could already clearly picture a future where he would live being pointed at even by people he didn't know.

Swish-

At that mont, Jeonjong's right hand went to the sword that had fallen on the ground.

'If I'm going to live like that... I'd rather kill that guy in this place and end everything!'

He couldn't walk the path to hell alone.

It seed that he wouldn't feel so wronged if he took Heo Cham, who had put him in this state, as a companion.

As he made that decision in his mind, Jeonjong picked up the sword without hesitation.

Simultaneously, his body shot forward.

In an instant, the distance between Jeonjong and Heo Cham was narrowing.

"...!"

The audience could discover the figure of Jeonjong rushing at Heo Cham's back.

Anyone could see that that was clearly Jeonjong's foul, wasn't it?

With this, the controversy over whether Jeonjong had committed a foul in the past could be put to rest, but no one could stop the foul that was happening right in front of their eyes.

Jeonjong aid the sword he had raised at the sa ti as he had narrowed the distance.

The target was that hateful Heo Cham's heart.

'Let's go to hell together, Heo Cham!'

Jeonjong thrust his sword, having already raised his sword ki.

Grin-

At that mont, a smile appeared on his lips.

Even if he had lost in the duel, he had won in the life-and-death battle.

'How foolish, Heo Cham!'

To not finish him off in that spot.

To show his back so defenselessly was also no different from before.

Heo Cham would finally realize at the mont his heart was pierced by his sword that he had lost his own life because of that complacency.

"...I thought you would do that."

At that mont, that mutter ca from Heo Cham's mouth.

Simultaneously, Heo Cham's figure disappeared.

In the end, Jeonjong's sword just pierced the empty air.

'Wh-where did he disappear!'

As Heo Cham's figure suddenly disappeared from in front of his eyes, Jeonjong was flustered and looked around.

However, no matter where he looked, Heo Cham's figure was not to be seen.

When he belatedly raised his head, he could realize that a huge shadow was swooping down on him.

"...!"

Heo Cham was falling towards this side with the Zanbato raised with both hands.

A huge form of ki had also ford on Heo Cham's Zanbato.

Jeonjong first raised the sword he was holding with both hands above his head to block that attack.

A trendous montum was felt from the weapons held by both sides.

The one trying to attack and the one trying to block.

Finally, a huge blow fell on Jeonjong's head.

With a trendous roar, the inside of the training ground was instantly filled with dust.

Literally, a situation where one couldn't see an inch ahead.

Since it was impossible to predict how the clash between the two would end, everyone's gaze was directed at only one place.

'Wh-what happened?'

It seed as if Jeonjong's surprise attack was succeeding, but Heo Cham had dodged it and had counterattacked instead.

If he had his way, he wanted to run into that dust and check the results.

But since they didn't know what would happen there, everyone, with the sa mind, just waited for the dust to disappear.

The dust that was slowly disappearing.

And in the dust, the figures of the two began to be seen.

"...?"

Sothing is strange.

Although they couldn't see, they had thought that the two would be constantly fighting in that dust, but no movent was felt from the figures that were seen intermittently.

'What is it...?'

Heo Cham, who was holding the Zanbato towards the cracked ground, and Jeonjong, who was still holding the sword he was holding with both hands above his head.

Although they didn't know the reason, the two were just standing still in that state.

Moreover, until just before the dust had risen, a strong sword ki and saber ki had been ford from the weapons of the two, but now even that had disappeared.

"...It's over."

Cheon Myeong muttered, looking at them.

Crack-

At that mont, a crack suddenly appeared on the sword Jeonjong was holding.

And soon, the sword blade broke in two.

As such a change suddenly occurred in Jeonjong's sword, the people couldn't help but be surprised.

However, at the following sight, even more astonishnt arose on the people's faces.

A red blood path appeared on Jeonjong's body.

A blood path that stretched from his head to his torso.

And a large amount of blood flowed from that blood path, instantly soaking the ground.

"...!"

As a large amount of blood suddenly flowed from Jeonjong's body, the people could only watch the scene without saying a word.

To think that so much blood could flow from a person's body.

Even while they were thinking this, blood was still flowing from Jeonjong's body.

"..."

Looking at him, Heo Cham raised his Zanbato above his head.

And he swung the Zanbato not at Jeonjong but at the empty air, and as if drawing a picture with blood, the blood of Jeonjong that was on the Zanbato was scattered on the ground.

Thud-

Simultaneously, Jeonjong's figure finally fell backward.

No further movent was felt from the body of the fallen Jeonjong.

"..."

A training ground where only silence flowed.

And for good reason, what could they say when their leader, who had been standing fine until this morning, was lying there, spewing blood like that?

If it were a moderate wound, they would have taken him to the Demonic Infirmary right away, but at the point where he was bleeding that much, no one thought that Jeonjong was still alive.

"O-overwhelming...!"

At that mont, soone said that.

Until the duel began, they had thought that Heo Cham and Jeonjong would be evenly matched, but in the end, Heo Cham did not allow a single attack from Jeonjong.

Was that all? Even the surprise attack that had broken everyone's expectations, Heo Cham had dodged it as if it were a joke and had made Jeonjong like that in a single blow.

It was truly overwhelming.

At the sa ti, in the minds of the people, there was a na that was imprinted along with Heo Cham's existence.

'What on earth is the Chunguidae?'

A place where a person who overwhelms the leader of the Eighth Grinding Squad like that is the leader.

The people's interest couldn't help but be directed to the Chunguidae as well.

"Heo Cham!"

At that mont, soone shouted and walked forward.

"Is it over?"

Cheon Myeong, who walked forward and asked nonchalantly.

Then, Heo Cham approached Cheon Myeong, knelt on one knee, and bowed his head.

"Yes, it is."

"Really? Then let's go."

"As you command."

The two people who were talking nonchalantly in the silence.

And the two left the Eighth Grinding Training Ground as if they had no more business here.

"..."

For a while after the two had left this place, no one moved or spoke.

They just silently looked at the corpse of Jeonjong lying in the center of the training ground.

Whoosh-

In the Eighth Grinding Training Ground, the bloody wind raised by the Chunguidae remained thick.

(End of Chapter)