Cheon Woojin was surprised to see the middle-aged man who had been kneeling. Of course, it was nothing compared to how surprised the middle-aged man was.
"Ch-Cheon Woojin?"
The middle-aged man was none other than Gu Yongbaek, the head of the Gu family.
During the Martial Alliance selection test, he had had a conflict with an arrogant successor nad Gu Jinseok. The guy had ended up making the mistake of bringing in an Unorthodox Path martial artist and was imprisoned in the Martial Alliance's brain prison.
The one who had shown his face at that ti was none other than his father and the head of the Gu family, Gu Yongbaek.
"Wh-why are you here..."
Before Gu Yongbaek's question could even continue.
Cheon Woojin instinctively took a step back. Soon, the Black Plaque Star Lord's finger, which had suddenly appeared in the spot where he had been, lightly touched Cheon Woojin's shoulder.
The Black Plaque Star Lord had tried to wrap his arm around Cheon Woojin's shoulder out of delight, but because he had dodged faster than expected, only his fingertips had grazed him.
"...You dodged this?"
The Black Plaque Star Lord was surprised that he had dodged, but conversely, Cheon Woojin was surprised that he had allowed even his fingertips to touch him.
Although he had reacted a little calmly because there was no killing intent, Cheon Woojin was soone who had never allowed anyone except his masters to touch him in his life.
He was reminded of his masters' words.
- The entire world, except for the Three Lords of the World, will be watching your every move, Woojin.
Conversely, it also ant that the martial artists referred to as the Three Lords of the World were strong enough not to fear Cheon Woojin.
Unlike the other two who had risen to beco the masters of the originally powerful Martial Alliance and Demonic Cult, the Black Plaque Star Lord was a self-made martial artist who had built his own faction.
"Is it really Woojin? You've already grown so much?"
The Black Plaque Star Lord's gaze, as he said so, subtly turned to the Crescent Moon Staff on Cheon Woojin's back. Cheon Woojin, with a worldly polite attitude, cupped his fists and bowed his head.
"It's been a long ti, uncle."
As Cheon Woojin suddenly called him uncle, a cool air descended upon the hall. The Thirteen Black Wolves were the only thirteen martial artists who had risen to the top among the tens of thousands of Unorthodox Path martial artists. They could not tolerate soone lightly calling their lord in front of them.
However, the Black Plaque Star Lord did not bother to restrain them. They were also precious beings, just as much as the Black Master senior, and above all, there was no way Cheon Woojin would be intimidated by just this much montum.
As the Black Plaque Star Lord had expected, Cheon Woojin had a truly nonchalant expression. At that, the Thirteen Black Wolves were rather flustered and exchanged glances.
- Sothing's a little strange.
- I know, right? Normally, a martial artist of that age should have a hard ti even breathing.
- Do it properly.
They were exchanging telepathic ssages that could be heard by everyone, not just a specific person. That alone revealed that their level was not inferior to the martial artists called the Transcendent Realm of the Orthodox Path.
In the midst of the busy exchange of words, a sohow unfamiliar yet calm telepathic ssage suddenly cut in.
- I'm sorry. It's a habit from my childhood. I'll call you Star Lord from now on.
"...!"
Everyone was startled. Snatching another's telepathic ssage was a level that could be called a divine skill. Although it wasn't a secret one-on-one exchange but a telepathic ssage shared by many, it was still surprising.
It was around then that laughter burst out.
"Hahaha! As expected, you're amazing. Well, since you're his disciple, would it be a discourtesy to even be surprised by this much?"
The one who burst into laughter was the man seated right below the seat of honor. He looked the youngest among the Thirteen Black Wolves, but surprisingly, his rank was the highest.
The Ink Jackal. The third-in-command of the Black Plaque Star and the man called the Star Lord's right-hand man.
When the Black Plaque Star Lord had often gone to et the Black Master in his lifeti, he had always served him by his side and had visited together.
Naturally, he knew Cheon Woojin. Cheon Woojin also rembered the Ink Jackal's face.
Cheon Woojin bowed his head slightly. The Ink Jackal responded with a pleasant smile, as if looking at a nephew.
Soon, Cheon Woojin's gaze turned to Gu Yongbaek, who had been kneeling and was now subtly getting up from his seat.
The Gu family was said to have belonged to the neutral faction for a long ti before recently completely turning to the Orthodox Path. But, it seed that they had been disliked by the Alliance Leader due to the previous incident and had turned back to the Unorthodox Path.
Of course, there was no way the Black Plaque Star Lord, the ruler of the Unorthodox Path, would look kindly on such a Gu Yongbaek. If the sects of the Orthodox Path were bound by the affection of a master-disciple relationship like that of a parent and child, the factions of the Unorthodox Path were bound by a loyalty like that of real brothers.
And the Black Plaque Star of that ti was the most cohesive organization in the history of the Central Plains' Unorthodox Path.
'And yet, for Gu Yongbaek to dare to be here...'
It ant that the Gu family had never completely turned to the Orthodox Path in the first place. If they had, they wouldn't have even been able to set foot in the Black Plaque Star like this.
"Shall I co back later?"
Cheon Woojin asked the Black Plaque Star Lord. Looking at the atmosphere, it seed there was a problem to be solved between Gu Yongbaek and the Star Lord.
The Black Plaque Star Lord glanced at Gu Yongbaek and then said.
"I will call you again later. Until then, seal the entire family and wait."
"But, Star Lord...!"
"Ink Jackal."
At the Black Plaque Star Lord's low voice, the Ink Jackal drew his pitch-black straight sword without a sound. It was a famous sword that seed capable of cutting anything with just its sharp energy.
Gu Yongbaek glared at the Ink Jackal for a mont. It seed that Gu Yongbaek's status in the Unorthodox Path was quite considerable. To think that such a person had tried to pretend to be of the Orthodox Path.
Cheon Woojin was inwardly dumbfounded.
In any case, it was the Black Plaque Star Lord who had given the order to the Ink Jackal. The mont he had even a finger in the Unorthodox Path, he could not resist him.
Soon, Gu Yongbaek, who had averted his gaze from the Ink Jackal, bowed his head slightly to the Black Plaque Star Lord and then left the hall.
As he disappeared, the atmosphere beca much lighter.
The Black Plaque Star Lord, who had returned to his seat and sat down, observed Cheon Woojin for a mont and then said.
"I heard that you entered the Martial Alliance after the senior passed away. In fact, I've been watching you for quite so ti."
The first ti he had heard news of Cheon Woojin was from the Ink Jackal's report.
He had ordered him to retrieve the corpse of the Giant Stone Monster, but he had returned empty-handed and confidently, saying that the Lust Demon, the Blood Immortal, and even an elder of the Demonic Cult were there. In the midst of his absurdity, he had said that he had seen Cheon Woojin.
And a short while later.
The news that the Demonic Cult's elder, Ma Cheongseok, the Blood Immortal, and the Lust Demon had died was spread throughout the martial world.
"Did you kill the Lust Demon?"
At the Black Plaque Star Lord's question, Cheon Woojin nodded calmly.
At that, the Thirteen Black Wolves, except for the Ink Jackal, were startled.
It was because they would have to endure considerable damage to compete with the Lust Demon.
However, the words that followed were even more shocking.
"Ma Cheongseok and that Blood Immortal guy too?"
"I killed Ma Cheongseok. He was the weakest of the three. But I was not the one who killed the Blood Immortal."
"The Sword King, as expected?"
A faint disappointnt flashed across the Black Plaque Star Lord's face.
He had heard the news that the Sword King and the Alliance Leader's right-hand man, the White Sword Hall Master, had joined late at that place.
"No. The Blood Immortal escaped because the Sword Demon intervened in the middle."
"I see. If the Sword Demon and the Blood Immortal had a fit, even the Sword King wouldn't have been able to protect the Alliance mbers who were there."
Cheon Woojin nodded. After a mont of silence, the Ink Jackal, who could not hold back his curiosity, urged.
"So who killed the Blood Immortal?"
Cheon Woojin looked at Ha Inseong. When it was his turn, Ha Inseong took a step forward.
"A few days ago, I t the culprit presud to have killed the Blood Immortal. He was a man with silver hair down to his waist, and his martial prowess is estimated to be at least above the transcendent peak. His martial arts were sothing I had never seen before."
He didn't bother to say that it resembled the martial arts that this Cheon Woojin guy here was unfolding with a fan. Ha Inseong already recognized Cheon Woojin as a semi-close friend.
The Black Plaque Star Lord's brow narrowed slightly as he asked.
"Where did you et him?"
"It was at the Cheonsu Fortress, the main headquarters of the Green Forest."
"Why did you go there?"
"To steal the Spirit Deer Pill."
"..."
"Not , him."
Ha Inseong pointed at Cheon Woojin with his index finger.
At that, everyone looked at Cheon Woojin with bewildered faces. After all, the Green King was also a master who had reached the Transcendent Realm.
"So, did you steal it?"
"Yes, the Green King is dead."
"...!"
The Thirteen Black Wolves were startled. They had not expected that the greedy and cautious Green King would be dead.
Ha Inseong's words continued.
"Of course, we didn't kill him; the silver-haired man did. We stole the Spirit Deer Pill and were returning with light and cheerful steps when we felt that energy and went back to the Cheonsu Fortress."
Then how on earth did you steal the Spirit Deer Pill? Also, if you felt such a strong energy, you should have run away, but you went back there? Why?
The Black Plaque Star Lord swallowed these questions that rose to his throat. In the first place, his son, Ha Inseong, did not avoid danger if his own reasons were sufficient. So praised it as a bravery befitting the Young Star Lord of the Black Plaque Star, but in the Star Lord's view, it was nothing more than the youthful spirit of a young martial artist.
Anyway, that son of his and the Black Master's disciple had t.
How? And why?
He didn't even have the will to ask such things.
"At that ti, the silver-haired man and this Cheon Woojin guy here were having this conversation. You killed the Demonic Doctor. Right, then you killed the Blood Immortal. Isn't it absurd? I thought so too."
Now, even the Thirteen Black Wolves had given up on being surprised. At the sa ti, a natural question arose. Who on earth was that guy's master?
Looking at the reactions of the Black Plaque Star Lord and the Ink Jackal, he seed to be a great elder of the Unorthodox Path.
But, in the Unorthodox Path of that ti, there was no concept of a great elder.
The Unorthodox Path before the Black Plaque Star was just a relationship of killing each other; they rarely respected each other's seniority. They just bowed their heads if soone was strong or rich.
So, the greatest elder of the Unorthodox Path at that ti was no different from the Black Plaque Star Lord. A person whom such a Black Plaque Star Lord would treat as a senior...
In an instant, a few of the older mbers of the Thirteen Black Wolves were startled. It was because a single nickna that they had forgotten for a while had flashed through their minds.
"D-don't tell ..."
For a mont, fear was reflected in their eyes.
Ha Inseong did not miss that reaction and took it in with his eyes. Who on earth was his master that even martial artists of the Thirteen Wolves would show such a reaction?
In the anti, the Black Plaque Star Lord, who was tapping the armrest with his fingers, muttered to himself.
"Perhaps that silver-haired man didn't go there to kill the Green King, but might have been chasing Woojin."
"That's probably it. I exchanged the bead taken from the Demonic Doctor's heart for the Spirit Deer Pill, and the silver-haired man took that bead after killing the Green King."
"Ink Jackal. What was the Giant Stone Monster's corpse like?"
"His chest was wide open. As if it had been eaten by a wild animal."
The Black Plaque Star Lord's eyes narrowed. To cut the skin of the Giant Stone Monster, one had to be at least one of the Three Lords of the World or a swordsman of the level of the Sword Demon or the Sword King.
It didn't make sense that he had been attacked by a wild animal.
"A bead taken from the Demonic Doctor's heart, a Giant Stone Monster who died with his chest open."
"The Blood Immortal's corpse was in a similar state, and above all..."
- I saw the sa thing at the Black Master's dug-up burial mound.
As Cheon Woojin's telepathic ssage continued, the Black Plaque Star Lord shot up. Soon, a deep shadow was cast over the Star Lord's face.
At that sight, everyone swallowed hard. Their leader was a man who did not lose his composure in any situation.
Even if he heard the news that the Martial Alliance Leader or the Demonic Cult Lord was charging in right now while he was eating, he was the type of person who would continue to use his chopsticks, saying, 'Right, it's about ti we decided who the best in the world is. But who made these noodles? Why are they so bland?' But such a man was making a very tense expression.
Soon, the Black Plaque Star Lord asked Cheon Woojin with a voice that had a very slight tremor.
"Do you think the sa as ?"
Everyone looked only at Cheon Woojin's mouth.
After a mont of silence.
Cheon Woojin nodded slightly and said.
"The Dark Heavenly Son."
"...!!"
"I think he has returned.”
(End of Chapter)
Reviews
All reviews (0)