The Youngest Member Chapter 68

The Martial Alliance Main Headquarters, Punishnt Hall.

The head of the Punishnt Hall, Chupunggae, looked at Cheol Jiak across the desk and said.

"Jiak."

"Yes, Hall Master."

Although Cheol Jiak's hands were bound by iron shackles, he was dignified. Because he had done nothing wrong.

At that sight, Chupunggae said with a sigh-filled voice.

"There were few guys who left this interrogation room with their limbs and teeth intact. I am showing you favor."

"Yes."

Cheol Jiak also knew. Apart from his rising anger, he knew that the head of the Punishnt Hall was protecting him.

The Punishnt Hall was an organization that made, refined, and executed the alliance's laws.

Naturally, to be called to the Punishnt Hall's interrogation room ant that enough circumstantial evidence had already been gathered.

In general, the thod of questioning was not only violent, but sotis unconventional ans were also used.

For example, they would identify the location of one's family and use it to intimidate them, or they would gently coax them with lies. There were also tis when they would pull out teeth or fingernails raw, and in extre cases, they would bring in a master of lightning arts to strike their head with lightning.

However, Chupunggae did not touch Cheol Jiak and Zhuge Lin in the slightest.

"First, because I believe you. Others may tease you as the perennial unit commander, but I, who have seen you for that long, know you better than anyone else. You are not a guy who would sell his beliefs for money."

Strictly speaking, even saying such a thing was not befitting of the head of the Punishnt Hall. Because, in principle, the Punishnt Hall treated those who entered the interrogation room as criminals.

However, because he knew Cheol Jiak, he could not do so. Anyway, all of that was a matter between people.

"Second, because all the circumstances are too perfect."

The circumstances of Cheol Jiak smuggling the treasure map and selling it to the black path's Xiangyang Society. The ledger, of course, and the process were too clear. Moreover, the treasure map, which was the core of this incident, had also been discovered recently.

Of course, from the escaped general manager of the Xiangyang Society.

The general manager had committed suicide as soon as he was caught. What a dead person could leave behind was not words, but circumstances. And so, the circumstances that were revealed again pointed to Cheol Jiak.

The timing was too appropriate, and perfect.

Chupunggae, who had investigated and dug into nurous cases, found it strange for that very reason.

It was as if soone with an arrogant disposition was asking, 'I've gone this far, do you think you can get away with not catching him?'

Therefore, Chupunggae was feeling a strange sense of displeasure. Because if there was soone's intention in this matter, the Punishnt Hall would be faithfully following that intention.

"Anyway, for that reason, I will not lay a hand on you. But..."

For a mont, Chupunggae's gaze sank low.

While interrogating the unit commander and deputy commander, the Punishnt Hall was also persistently digging into and investigating the case.

"If the investigation results point to you in the end, I don't think I'll be able to forgive you."

"Yes."

Cheol Jiak nodded his head calmly. It was a dignity that only a person with not a single bit of falsehood could show.

The mont Chupunggae was about to let out a sigh at that sight.

"H-Hall Master!"

A mber of the hall entered, making a fuss.

He was one of the guys sent to pursue the fugitive Cheon Woojin.

The approaching mber glanced at Cheol Jiak.

"It's alright, speak."

As the hall master's order fell, the mber said.

"Well, this ti, while chasing Cheon Woojin, we arrested a man in the middle. He's a martial artist who was using a Thunderclap Bomb..."

He explained the whole process clearly.

How they had arrived at the clearing while chasing Cheon Woojin's tracks.

The mysterious man and the Thunderclap Bomb found in the clearing.

And how they had arrested him and brought him to the alliance, and upon investigation, his identity was the Shadowless Divine Thief.

"What? The Shadowless Divine Thief?"

Chupunggae's eyes narrowed. The Shadowless Divine Thief was a guy who was on the public enemy list even in the alliance. Although his rank was not high because he did not harm people much, in terms of his ability alone, he was a guy who could be included in the second class.

Chupunggae's brilliant gaze sank endlessly.

"The situation has beco serious."

Catching a public enemy was a good thing for the alliance.

However, the fact that a fugitive alliance mber had started to use force was not a welco thing.

Chupunggae, who had been thinking, finally said.

"I will step forward myself. Also, the existing Class C pursuit team will be upgraded to a Class B pursuit and kill team."

"Hall Master, what do you an by that!"

Cheol Jiak let out a roar.

Unlike a pursuit team, which simply chased and arrested, a pursuit and kill team had the goal of killing its target.

Moreover, the pursuit and kill team led by the head of the Punishnt Hall, Chupunggae, was famous for never having failed its mission even once.

Chupunggae looked at Cheol Jiak with a cold gaze.

"Hey, Jiak. A mber of an ard force whose movent was forbidden according to the alliance's laws has escaped of his own will. That alone makes Cheon Woojin a criminal. But he has started to use force. And he has the outstanding martial might to subdue even the Shadowless Divine Thief."

A criminal who had escaped from the Martial Alliance was running rampant with outstanding martial might. Naturally, the Punishnt Hall had to put aside all other matters and make it a top priority to pursue and kill him.

"But...!"

Although Cheol Jiak tried to say sothing, the head of the Punishnt Hall just shook his head. It was too far gone to turn back.

The head of the Punishnt Hall put on his robe and said to his subordinate.

"Raise the surveillance level on the Black Tortoise Unit Commander and Deputy Commander. In particular, the Black Tortoise Unit Commander is a guy who is at risk of taking rash actions for his subordinates, so bring masters with you."

"Yes, I understand."

The mber who had received the order glanced at Cheol Jiak. The Black Tortoise Unit Commander was a man with outstanding external skills. If such a huge external skill master were to take rash actions with determination, it would beco quite troubleso.

* * *

Whether the Martial Alliance was turned upside down or not, Cheon Woojin was walking leisurely.

It had been a long ti since he had shaken off the alliance's pursuit team.

"The Three Great Talents of the White Path."

Cheon Woojin said so for no reason and repeated the pronunciation.

He had heard stories about the Three Great Talents, who were revered in the white path, several tis before.

Because his master, who was also called the White Flower Sword Saint, was one of the Three Great Talents.

'If it's my master's secret cave...'

Perhaps he would get a clue related to his masters' deaths.

As the Martial Alliance Leader, Beili Tian, had said, the deaths of his two masters were a little strange. It was unlikely that two masters with that level of martial might would pass away on the sa day at the sa ti by coincidence.

Then, why didn't he feel it was strange at that ti?

Because to Cheon Woojin, who had only lived in the mountains, his two masters' words were the truth. His masters had known the exact date they would pass away for a long ti.

He had never doubted his masters' words. If his two masters said so, then it was so.

However, after coming down from the mountain, he had t many people and had experienced various things.

Thinking about it now, there was definitely sothing suspicious about his masters' deaths.

As Cheon Woojin was walking with his hands behind his back, thinking so.

A pile of stones rushed at him from the front.

Cheon Woojin avoided it with a light step. When he turned his head and looked back, the pile of stones that had been flying endlessly scattered with a thudding sound.

Cheon Woojin was walking vertically up a cliff.

'It's surprisingly steep.'

The location of the secret cave that the Shadowless Divine Thief had told him about was a basin in Nine Dragons County. Since it was surrounded by steep cliffs on all sides, it seed that it could beco a natural fortress depending on its use.

It would be difficult for even decent masters to approach, and at so point, even animals were no longer visible.

How long had he walked like that?

Cheon Woojin's world tilted again. To be precise, his footsteps that had been walking on the cliff were now heading for the ground above the cliff.

A rather marvelous landscape unfolded before the eyes of Cheon Woojin, who had climbed up. Since it had not been touched by human hands, the vegetation was lush, and only winged creatures like bees and birds were enjoying this nature.

Cheon Woojin walked slowly. Even though he was passing right by, the birds did not fly away in surprise. Because Cheon Woojin's level had already reached a level where he could assimilate with nature.

"There it is."

There was no need to look for it. Because a single stream of heterogeneous energy in nature was blowing as if it were pulling him.

Cheon Woojin followed that energy and continued to move deep into the vegetation.

* * *

"..."

Soon, he stood still in front of a large cave.

It was wide open without anything blocking it.

The energy leaking out from inside spread out of the cave and naturally assimilated with the energy of nature.

"It wasn't my master."

It was different from the White Master's energy. It was a little softer and calr than that.

Cheon Woojin walked slowly. Although the cave was quite deep and darkness ca quickly, it was not a problem.

When he reached the end, a wide space appeared, and it was filled with a rather magnificent energy. Although it was not very aningful to him, it would be a great help if martial artists like Song Yiyeon or Zhuge Lin trained here.

Suddenly, he saw characters written in a flowing script on the wall.

Cheon Woojin's mouth opened slightly.

Although he was not a person who was easily surprised, he could not be calm this ti.

Cheon Woojin.

Because his own na was written there.

Below the wall, there was a dark-colored iron chest.

It was locked so that it would not open, but when he poured in his energy just in case, it opened with a click.

"..."

Cheon Woojin looked up at his na written on the wall again.

He had never t the other Three Great Talents besides his master. However, this secret cave was clearly a place prepared for him.

In the first place, even if soone else had discovered this place, they would not have been able to open the iron chest even by force.

Because it was an iron chest made of ten-thousand-year-old dark iron, which was the material of the Crescent Moon Staff and was known to be harder than ten-thousand-year-old cold iron.

Cheon Woojin looked at the things in the iron chest with a puzzled heart.

The composition was simple, but with it, he could imdiately know who the owner of this secret cave was.

"Divine Beggar Man Gija."

Cheon Woojin took out a red knot from the iron chest. It was an item that symbolized Man Gija, the forr leader of the Beggars' Sect and one of the Three Great Talents of the White Path.

Man Gija was a truly strange person.

The person with the most jobs in the world...

Basically, he was a beggar, as befitting the leader of the Beggars' Sect, and he would go around villages telling fortunes and reading palms, and at the sa ti, he was also the incarnation of records who had left the most books.

Also, in the Martial Alliance, he had researched martial arts as a martial arts scholar, and sotis he was a craftsman who made ingenious weapons, and it was even known that he had served as an astronor in the imperial palace in his youth.

As his na suggested, Man Gija was a person who was proficient in all fields.

Why would such a person leave sothing like this for him?

Cheon Woojin looked into the iron chest with a puzzled heart.

In addition to the red knot, Hongru, there were two letters. A letter to be left to the Beggars' Sect and a letter to be left to Cheon Woojin.

Cheon Woojin put the letter left to the Beggars' Sect in his bosom without reading it and then looked at the letter with his na written on it.

A letter left by a talent whose face he did not even know.

It was a matter that naturally aroused his interest.

The mont Cheon Woojin was about to open the letter.

"..."

A single presence was felt from outside.

There was no one who would visit this steep cliff by chance.

Cheon Woojin gathered his energy and stood still in the deepest part of the cave, looking at the entrance.

Soon, a man stood at the entrance.

"Hah, so this is the place...!"

As if he had not noticed Cheon Woojin's presence, he looked around and then slowly walked in.

There were not many who would appear here.

'Either the pursuit team of the Martial Alliance that was chasing

or the person who obtained the treasure map from the Shadowless Divine Thief.'

The probability of the forr was not high. If it were the latter, then that person would be the mastermind behind this incident.

Cheon Woojin, in the dark silence, rolled up the Crescent Moon Staff and quietly looked at the approaching man.

Thud, thud, his steps echoed low.

"W-what..."

Soon, the man who had reached the deep part finally confird Cheon Woojin's presence and stopped walking.

However, it was too late to retreat, as the distance between the two was too close.