"I've decided not to be kind anymore. If I think it's really not right, I'll use my fists first."
"Yes, a martial artist speaks with his martial arts."
Fan Zhong nodded his head and brought the wine bottle to his mouth, drinking it down in gulps just as Cho Myung had done. And after throwing away the empty wine bottle, he put strength into his eyes.
"There's sothing I want to do with you."
"......"
"Although it was only one clash that day, I felt that with you... sohow with you, I could try what I've always dread of. Don't ask why. Because I don't know either. I liked you as if I had fallen in love with a beautiful woman at first sight. When I clashed with you, I felt 'this is the one!'"
"......"
"If your goal is the Huashan Sword Saint, it might not be different from what I want to do."
Since Cho Myung was the disciple of the Fighting Demon, it was natural for him to take revenge on the Huashan Sword Saint. Fan Zhong thought so.
"You also want revenge...!"
"No, it's not revenge for . If it were, I would have rushed in long ago and died in a single blow."
"Then...?"
"I find life boring."
"What?"
"It's just as I said. Life is really boring. Because I can't do anything by myself. Do you know why the Green Forest isolated Guiyang?"
"No."
"It's because the old man who is the king of the Green Forest wants to show off. He wants to let the world know that there is not only the Tianlian and the Demonic Path Alliance, but also the Green Forest. That's why he surrounded Guiyang, where the Tianlian and the Demonic Path Alliance have started to clash again."
"......!"
"It's annoying. Do you know what's more annoying?"
"No."
"That even if he does that, a proper fight won't break out. Do you know why?"
"No."
"Because no one wants to lose. Whether it's the Tianlian, the Demonic Path Alliance, or the Green Forest. Because they don't want to suffer huge losses like in the last Righteous-Demonic War, they will avoid a full-scale war."
"Isn't it a good thing if a fight doesn't break out?"
"Is that really so?"
"......?"
"The world is divided into the Righteous, the Demonic, and the Devilish, and if you belong to one of them, you can never move freely. Let's say you train hard until you're twenty or thirty and learn a high-level martial art. Whether you're twenty or thirty, even if you beco a master through such hard work, you'll just grow old, carrying the na of the place you belong to on your back and acting arrogant. Is that the life of a martial artist?"
"But it's not necessarily a good thing to just fight all the ti."
"It depends on what kind of fight it is."
"......?"
"What if it's not a war like the Righteous-Demonic War, but a fight like the one you had with the Baihua rchant Guild?"
"I don't know."
"A martial artist is ultimately a being who lives in the world with his martial arts. If he can't use his martial arts, he can no longer be a martial artist."
"......"
"What I want is a world where at least the young martial artists with boiling blood can go out into the world and compete to their heart's content. It's to prevent the old n who have divided the world from shackling the young martial artists."
"Are you saying you'll kill them all?"
"What power do I have to do that?"
"Then...?"
"I want to show them. To the world, to the young martial artists with boiling blood, what the fierce path of a martial artist is. Even if I can't go far and fall and die, I want to cause a stir in the world. That's why I need you. If I can gather just a few more great friends like you, I'm confident I can shake things up properly."
What Fan Zhong wanted to do was not sothing grand and great like raising a huge force or becoming the best in the world.
It was to cause a stir in the martial world with like-minded people. And so, to make those with boiling blood realize their identity as a martial artist.
He hoped that it would beco a world of real martial artists where their respective martial arts clashed, not an ideological war like the Righteous-Demonic War.
Cho Myung, who was young but not yet an adult, would challenge the Huashan Sword Saint.
The hot-blooded martial artists, including himself, would pour out their boiling blood on the old-fashioned old n.
Those with a bear's heart in their chest would feel it.
That a shackled person is by no ans a martial artist!
"If the world I want cos, a war that swallows up countless martial artists like the Righteous-Demonic War will not happen. There will only be a fierce competition of martial artists with boiling blood."
Fan Zhong continued to speak as if he were giving a passionate speech.
He had never spoken so intensely in his life. That was how much he wanted to be with Cho Myung.
Cho Myung was impressed by the words that a war would not happen and that there would only be a competition of martial artists.
He felt that such a world would be okay.
Cho Myung nodded his head to show that he understood.
"Will you join ?"
Fan Zhong asked.
His two eyes were blazing with a passion that begged him to do so.
"No."
"......!"
Fan Zhong, who widened his eyes at Cho Myung's answer.
Since Cho Myung's answer was firm, he was disappointed.
"Why? Why not?"
"I don't want to fight and die heroically to show soone. The three from Yifeng Hall died like that. But what has changed? Nothing, nothing at all. I will never do that. If that's the case, I'd rather go and kill them one by one. Until I kill them all."
At Cho Myung's words, Fan Zhong could not find anything to say.
Because he had also heard that Cho Myung and the three from Yifeng Hall had rushed to the Evil Family Fortress.
When Fan Zhong did not speak, Cho Myung opened his mouth again.
"I have a path to follow."
"Yes, the Huashan Sword Saint. I told you that if your goal is him, it's not much different from my goal."
"My goal is all of the Six Orthodox Heavens."
"......!"
It was a shock as if he had been hit on the back of the head with a mace.
The shock was so great that Fan Zhong could not speak.
"Thank you for thinking well of ."
Cho Myung bowed his head to Fan Zhong. And after looking around the scenery of Yifeng Hall, he moved his steps out of the main gate.
As Cho Myung moved, Fan Zhong, who had co to his senses,
"Where are you going?"
"To the Demonic Path, to the land of the demons."
"......!"
Another shock surprised Fan Zhong.
"Why are you going there?"
"The Immortal Divine Demon, I'm going to find his footsteps."
"The Immortal, the Immortal Divine Demon...!"
Fan Zhong, who widened his eyes.
He was so surprised that he could not even grab Cho Myung or open his mouth.
Cho Myung left such a Fan Zhong behind and gradually moved away.
Towards the land of the demons in search of the footsteps of the Immortal Divine Demon.
The Immortal Demonic Aura!
The reason the Immortal Divine Demon was so strong must have been thanks to the Immortal Demonic Aura.
But was that all?
If that was all, shouldn't he also be that strong by now?
A question he had had all this ti.
The decision to go to the land of the demons was the conclusion he had reached at the end of that question.
The Immortal Divine Demon!
He was thinking of finding out the reason why he was strong enough to face all ten of the Righteous Heavens, whether there was a way to beco stronger, or if there was sothing he had missed.
***
Taean, Shandong Province.
Tianlian Headquarters, Grand Secret Pavilion.
The vice leader ran to the office of the leader, Gongye Zhong.
"We've found him."
"Him?"
"The one who might be the successor of the Immortal Divine Demon."
"Where is he?"
"He has reappeared in Guiyang."
"Guiyang?"
"Yes. After causing a commotion at the Baihua rchant Guild with Xiong Fu of the Green Forest, he went to Yifeng Hall, and now he is heading north alone."
"Xiong Fu? You an Xiong Fu Fan Zhong?"
"Yes."
"What is his relationship with him?"
"I have sent soone to find out."
"No, that's fine, tell the Zhengtian Sword Hero in Yichang to kill him."
"The Zhengtian Sword Hero? He's quite famous in that area, but will he be able to kill him?"
"He is the Cold-Blooded God. The Cold-Blooded God who was one of the forr ten great masters of the Demonic Path."
"What?"
"If you say I sent you, he will move, so go and tell him to kill him. And attach the most secretive person to watch the fight between the two."
"Ah, I understand."
As the vice leader hurried out, Gongye Zhong propped up his chin and his eyes shone.
"It seems it's him. That's right. Yes, it must be you. It has to be you because I don't want to wait any longer. And if you have the Immortal Demonic Aura, you should be able to handle the Cold-Blooded God."
***
Black Pond.
It ans a pond with black water.
Although it was a strange thing for an inn to have a sign with those two characters, the inn was full of custors.
Black Pond or Black Pond Inn.
It was a famous inn in the land of the demons, and it was not just one. There was one in every large city without fail. And they were all prosperous. For a very long ti.
It was not because the alcohol and food of the Black Pond Inn were very special. It was not because the prices were cheap either. The reason the Black Pond Inn had many custors was because of its own iron rule.
The iron rule of the Black Pond!
Anyone who sheds blood inside the Black Pond will surely die!
Thanks to that iron rule, even though it was the land of the demons, anyone could drink without worrying about being stabbed in the back.
Heavenly Pavilion!
The Black Pond was run by the Heavenly Pavilion, one of the nine great sects of the Demonic Path. So there was no one who would dare to challenge that iron rule.
Tangchang, Gansu Province.
It was two months after leaving Guiyang that Cho Myung opened the door of the Black Pond Inn and entered.
The inn was full of custors eating lunch, and Cho Myung was guided by a waiter and had to share a table.
"What's with this pale face?"
A woman in her twenties with a face full of scars grinned and treated a person as food. As if to prove that she was a person living in the land of the demons, she spoke rudely even though it was their first eting.
"Does it make you feel good to say that?"
Cho Myung asked as he sat down.
Staring blankly with an expressionless face.
The woman who blinked her eyes several tis.
Cho Myung was still staring with an expressionless face.
Then the woman put down her chopsticks. And she made a fierce face.
"Are you picking a fight with now?"
"The fight was started over there, and I asked if it makes you feel good to pick a fight."
"This brat!"
The woman pushed her chair and shot up.
At that mont, the inside of the inn beca as quiet as a dead mouse.
The movents of those who were eating stopped all at once.
The woman hardened her face and quickly straightened her chair. And she brought her face close to Cho Myung and said in a low voice.
"You, follow out."
"I don't want to."
When Cho Myung refused, the woman stared at him for a long ti and then looked around once and sat down. And then she picked up her chopsticks and stretched them out.
It stopped right in front of Cho Myung's eyes, and then she said coldly.
"The mont you open that door and go out, I'll stick this chopstick in you."
Cho Myung did not answer.
After staring silently for a long ti, he turned his head to the waiter who was standing next to him.
The waiter here also seed to have a lot of guts.
Although he looked younger than Cho Myung, he was calm as if nothing had happened even in the murderous situation.
"Do you have stir-fried pork?"
"Of course."
"Give two servings of that and two servings of chicken."
The mont Cho Myung ordered, the woman flinched and the waiter asked.
"You have company?"
"No, I'm eating alone."
"I understand. I'll prepare it right away."
The waiter bowed his head and then ran to the kitchen.
His appearance was no different from the waiter of any other inn.
"Hmph! Eat a lot. You won't be able to eat again after you go out that door."
The woman leaned back in her chair and lightly tapped the table with the chopsticks she was holding. It was a threat that she would definitely not let him go.
Cho Myung looked around the inside of the inn.
Although it had suddenly beco quiet when the woman had kicked her chair and stood up, now they were eating or talking among themselves as if nothing had happened.
"Hmph! If you're looking for soone to help you, wake up. This is not a generous place to help an outsider."
"I'm a person who doesn't need help."
"You don't need help? That's funny. I can clearly see that your heart is pounding and your legs are trembling! Your balls must have shriveled up to the size of a baby's fist!"
Every ti she opened her mouth, it was a threat and a curse.
Cho Myung closed his mouth. And he waited for the food he had ordered to co out.
The woman also just glared and did not open her mouth anymore.
After a while, the waiter brought the food that Cho Myung had ordered on a tray.
"Enjoy your al."
"Thank you."
"Ah, yes."
The waiter, who was flustered at Cho Myung's thanks, bowed his head and then withdrew.
Cho Myung picked up his chopsticks and started eating the stir-fried pork first.
It was quite excellent.
Since it was the first decent al he had had in three days, Cho Myung ate frantically like a person possessed. The amount that was enough for four people went into Cho Myung's mouth endlessly.
At first, the woman, who was glaring with a murderous expression as if to say 'choke on it', made a dumbfounded face when the amount Cho Myung had eaten exceeded about three servings.
"There's no other beggar like him."
Whether she was sneering or not, Cho Myung ate all four servings cleanly and then drank a full glass of water. And then he smiled brightly with satisfaction without even realizing it.
"You're smiling?"
"Can't I smile?"
"Did you forget what will happen when you go out that door?"
"You keep talking about that door, do you want to go out that much?"
"Of course. I'm dying to stick this in your eyeball!"
"If you teach one thing, I'll go out that door."
"You'll go out? You don't know who I am, do you?"
"It's the first ti I've seen you."
"The Yama of Tangchang, who never misses a prey he has once marked, is . You've ssed with my temper. And for good reason, I had a bad day today."
The woman grinned.
Her eyes were sharp as if filled with killing intent.
"Yama? You must be really vicious."
"Vicious?"
"Yes."
"This brat... do you want to see soone die?"
"......!"
"There's the Mad Brute, the Lustful Killer, and the Five Bodhisattvas, so what kind of bullshit are you spouting!"
"The Mad Brute, the Lustful Killer, the Five Bodhisattvas... which of the three is the most vicious?"
"Shut up! If I say who is the most vicious, do you think the other two will stay still?"
"Who is the Mad Brute?"
"If you tell , you'll really go out?"
"Of course."
When Cho Myung nodded his head, the Yama gestured with her chin to her right.
"You see that big old man by the window? He's the Mad Brute. Since I told you, let's go out quickly."
The Yama quietly got up from her seat.
Cho Myung also got up.
The Yama walked towards the inn's entrance with a satisfied smile on her lips.
Cho Myung also walked. But it was not towards the entrance, but towards the big old man by the window, the Mad Brute.
The Yama, who realized late that Cho Myung was not following her, looked back to find Cho Myung. The mont she did, Cho Myung, who was in front of the Mad Brute, stretched out his fist.
Thwack!
The Mad Brute, who was staring blankly without any thought, had his face smashed and fell down with a clatter.
At that noise, the inside of the inn beca as quiet as a dead mouse.
(End of Chapter)
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