Chapter 555: Shaman.

In the chilling atmosphere of the inn.

Silence stretched for a few seconds.

The Taoists of the Murim sect standing behind widened their eyes.

As Gu-ryeonghwa wiped sweat from her brow, covering her mouth.

Screeeech-!

Ji-cheol, who was in front, pushed his chair back and stood up.

“What did you just say?”

Ji-cheol’s thoroughly contorted expression made it clear he was quite angry.

Rattle-rattle-rattle-!

The cup on the table trembled violently.

It was a vibration caused by the aura Ji-cheol was emitting.

Feeling the vibration, I looked at Ji-cheol.

‘His level seems similar to Yeong-pung’s.’

His age is roughly between twenty and forty. By that measure, he was an exceptionally skilled martial artist.

It’s just that Yeong-pung is quite an unusual case.

At that age, reaching that level would mean he was an incredible genius.

‘Perhaps that’s why.’

His eyes were filled with arrogance and pride.

It was the characteristic air of someone from a prestigious family, especially one raised being called a genius there.

‘Makes you want to rip his eyeballs out.’

I suppress the impulse.

Because it wasn’t the right situation for that yet.

“What did you just say?”

His expression suggested he might draw his sword at any moment.

Seeing that, I spoke without losing my smile.

“Oh dear, you seem upset.”

Grind-

Hearing that, Ji-cheol gritted his teeth and spoke to me.

“How dare you, calling a disciple of Murim a member of the unorthodox path?”

“Well, if it’s not true, why are you getting angry?”

Crash-! Ji-cheol slammed his hand hard on the table.

“This punk…. How dare you…!”

Swoosh-!

As Ji-cheol gradually raised his voice, I subtly channeled my aura sideways.

“…!”

Yeong-pung then looked at me with a flustered expression.

It was because I had intercepted his aura.

‘Stay still.’

The moment Ji-cheol showed his killing intent, I felt hostility sharpen within Yeong-pung’s aura.

If I left it like that, he seemed like he’d charge right in, so I blocked it first.

‘Grabbing him with force leaves a bad aftertaste.’

Moreover, there were many eyes around.

If I wanted, I could erase all those eyes, but.

I had to show some measure of magnanimity.

It was for one of my few close friends rolling around in the Northern Sea.

“Do you know whose land this is, to act so rudely?!”

“I don’t know about that. But it’s certainly not the sect leader’s land, is it?”

“What?”

Since it was a region managed by Murim and placed under their protection.

I knew the Murim sect was the administrator of this land.

“Or perhaps, are you the sect leader the embodiment of Murim itself?”

“…!”

“I understand your love for the sect, but a mere young leaf attached to it isn’t the ancient tree itself.”

Don’t speak recklessly without knowing your place.

That was the meaning packed into those words.

Perhaps those words were the problem.

Ji-cheol moved.

His posture suggested he was about to reach out.

Judging by the movement of his wrist, was he reaching for his sword?

Clang-!

As Ji-cheol moved, I felt movements beside and behind me.

Yeong-pung raised his martial aura.

Seong-ryul gripped his sword.

I thought they’d be stammering, but their reactions were unexpected.

However.

‘Please, just stay still.’

Fighting here won’t lead to the desired outcome.

So.

Before things could escalate, I took out the letter from my robes and placed it on the table.

Halt.

Ji-cheol stopped moving at the sudden action.

It was probably because he realized what the letter on the table was.

Leaving aside his arrogance and foolishness, thankfully, it seems he has his eyes properly attached.

“Huh…?”

Yeong-pung also let out a sound of surprise upon seeing it.

Of course. This was originally the letter Yeong-pung had.

“Huh, when…?”

Yeong-pung fumbled through his robes as he spoke, but I ignored him and said to Ji-cheol.

“Do you know what this is?”

“…”

“Since you seem to know, I won’t explain at length.”

The letter roughly stated that we were going to Hwasan to retrieve a treasured item.

It was an item with such words written on it, but.

The seal imprinted on it was the problem.

The plum blossom pattern seal below the letter, possessing a delicate color.

That signified only one thing.

‘The direct seal of the Sect Leader.’

It meant this was a letter sent directly by the Hwasan sect’s Sect Leader.

Do you know what implications these words carry?

“This means we’ve come as representatives of the Sect Leader, Sect Leader Ji-cheol.”

Because the Sect Leader couldn’t move personally.

He sent representatives along with this letter’s seal.

A family head’s or sect leader’s direct seal carried such implications.

Back when I visited Hwasan.

That was why Maehwaseon showed me courtesy, even briefly, during my private audience with the Sect Leader.

And yet.

“Is this the attitude Murim shows towards someone like that?”

Even Hwasan’s Maehwaseon showed respect.

And yet this punk, who’s at best a second-generation disciple, acts like this? Can you believe the audacity?

As I spoke, showing the seal, Ji-cheol’s brow furrowed.

That wasn’t an expression of anger. It held a faint trace of bewilderment.

“I ask you, Sect Leader Ji-cheol. Are you the representative of Murim?”

“…Well.”

“Personally, I hope not. If you were representing Murim, this situation shouldn’t have happened.”

I laid down the facts.

We came to Murim as representatives of the Hwasan sect’s Sect Leader.

Are you in a position to treat us like this?

In other words.

‘Who the hell do you think you are?’

That was the gist of it.

What could Ji-cheol possibly say now?

I watched him, my eyes betraying my interest.

His eyeballs were visibly shaking.

He realized this was a time to choose his words very carefully.

‘When arrogance consumes someone’s brain, they end up like this.’

If he reached that level at his age, he was indeed a talented individual, but.

If arrogance and conceit swallowed him whole during that process, he was bound to become this kind of punk.

Of course, from my perspective, it was rather fortunate.

I’m confident in handling idiots like him.

“Earlier, your mouth seemed quite busy, but you’re more tight-lipped than I expected?”

When I urged him to speak again as he had been babbling just before, Ji-cheol bit his lip.

However, the silence couldn’t last long.

I had already seized the initiative. What Ji-cheol could do now was.

‘Jump off the cliff I created.’

Or discard that worm-like pride and retreat.

I had planted sharp thorns where he stood.

Ji-cheol wouldn’t be able to remain still.

Those ‘thorns’ were the gazes.

The Taoists from all around were watching Ji-cheol.

What could he possibly choose here?

From my perspective, there weren’t many good options available.

After rolling his eyes for a moment, Ji-cheol spoke.

“…I had no intention of disrespecting our guests.”

He showed signs of backing down slightly. It seemed he had finally regained his senses, but.

Now, I had no intention of letting him off the hook.

“As I mentioned earlier, something came up at the main sect…”

“Then, fuck.”

Ji-cheol flinched at the sudden profanity.

Cutting him off, I immediately put on an awkward expression.

“Ah, apologies. It just slipped out.”

Though I wasn’t particularly sorry, after offering a brief apology.

“Wouldn’t it have been better to explain your circumstances first before proceeding? Sect Leader Ji-cheol of Murim.”

“…”

I subtly implied with my words that his position currently represented Murim.

“Murim has matters to attend to, therefore there are things we need to verify with you.”

Creak.

I leaned my upper body forward, moving slightly closer to Ji-cheol.

“Explaining such circumstances tactfully is what we call social skills, you moronic bastard.”

“…!”

“Even if we were in a subordinate position, I’m pissed off. Do you know what the problem is?”

I waved the letter I was holding and showed it to Ji-cheol.

“The stated purpose is return, but looking at it, it’s a trade, isn’t it?”

Flinch.

I sensed movement from Yeong-pung.

I ignored it for now.

The letter bearing Maehwaseon’s seal had a few calm phrases written on it.

Yeong-pung had told me we were going to ‘return’ Hwasan’s treasured item.

But the words written there said.

‘There was also the return of Murim’s treasured item.’

Hwasan would return the Murim sect’s treasured item it held.

Therefore, conversely, we wanted to receive back the Hwasan sect’s treasured item held by Murim.

That was the gist of it.

“If we came just to ask for it, we could have been a bit more accommodating. But if we came to exchange, the story is a bit different, isn’t it?”

Especially between sects of equal standing.

‘That they think Murim is superior, well, that’s understandable.’

The leader of the Martial Alliance is the Sect Leader.

With the region so developed, they consider themselves superior to the quietly living Hwasan sect?

As humans, they might think that. Most humans are like that, after all.

But.

‘The problem is showing it.’

You should have kept it to yourself, why bring it out and cause this mess?

It was incomprehensible to me.

If you can’t back up your words with power.

There’s nothing more idiotic than that, and this punk clearly doesn’t know his place.

Watching Ji-cheol’s expression, I said.

“I’ll ask again.”

As I spoke, I glanced at the table.

The teacup, which had been shaking madly, was no longer trembling.

Confirming this, I turned my gaze and stood up.

I slowly walked forward and stood before Ji-cheol.

“Is the attitude you, Sect Leader Ji-cheol, have taken truly representative of Murim?”

I said, looking him in the eyes.

“And are you aware that you are committing a discourtesy towards the representatives of the Hwasan sect who have officially visited Murim?”

“I wasn’t trying to…!”

Ji-cheol’s eyes widened as he tried to retort.

Though I was asking with words.

I was asking Ji-cheol something else with my eyes.

-What are you going to do.

I smiled.

To slightly ease the tension I was holding.

-Are you going to apologize now and leave quietly?

And then, moving only my lips slightly, I whispered to him.

-You pathetic bastard.

“…This punk…!”

Clack.

Hearing that, he grabbed the sword at his waist, but.

He couldn’t draw it.

“Think carefully. This is your last chance.”

“…!”

Grrr-!

It’s because I was blocking him with my hand, preventing him from drawing his sword.

Ji-cheol tried to exert force in his panic, but.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t draw the sword.

With one hand, I held onto his shoulder.

“If you draw this,”

I moved close to the struggling guy’s ear and whispered.

“You die here.”

Whoosh-!

“Gk…!”

Hearing my words, Ji-cheol hastily pulled back.

His forehead was slick with cold sweat.

Did I put too much killing intent into my words?

No, it couldn’t be just that.

‘It’s not easy to control.’

I had to brush my neck slightly with my hand to quell my regret.

I had used this on Seong-ryul last time, but using it like this felt rather complicated.

What was this called again?

‘Was it called Dragon Speech (Yong-eon)?’

Dragon Speech (Yong-eon).

The power to imbue words with aura and project them onto the target.

It’s different from sound transmission (jeon-eum) for conveying words further and more discreetly.

And it’s different from the Lion’s Roar (sa-jah-hu) which injects internal energy to temporarily seal the opponent’s movements.

Was it the power to overwhelm the opponent with one’s voice?

The Dark King (Am-wang) described it that way, but.

I still wasn’t quite sure.

I nodded slightly and looked at Ji-cheol.

Regardless of my poor control, it seemed to have worked quite effectively on Ji-cheol.

His face was streaming with cold sweat.

His eyes held disbelief at the current situation.

“How dare you… Someone merely at the late stage of cultivation…!”

“You must be happy being old. I’m happy being young too.”

“Since people praise you as great, you’ve become conceited!”

Haha.

Hearing that, I chuckled.

“You’re laughing?”

“I find things like this quite amusing.”

How could it not be amusing?

“Usually, people who say such things don’t realize they’re doing the same thing themselves. It’s entertaining to watch.”

Who is it that became conceited because they were praised under the name of Murim?

It certainly isn’t me.

Hearing this, Ji-cheol’s face flushed red.

Thankfully, it seems he knows shame.

“…This punk… I won’t forgive you.”

Swish-!

Ji-cheol, unable to contain his anger, drew his sword.

“I must discipline you here…”

“You drew it?”

Ji-cheol couldn’t finish the words he intended to speak.

By the time he was speaking, my hand had already reached Ji-cheol’s neck.

“What did I just say?”

I said you’d die if you drew it.

I definitely said that.

Ji-cheol seemed to recall this and hastily tried to swing his sword, but.

That couldn’t stop my movements.

I was about to grab him and break it, but.

“Please stop there.”

Hearing the voice, I had to stop my hand.

I turned my gaze.

An old man who appeared out of nowhere was approaching.

All the figures from Murim looked surprised upon seeing the old man.

Ji-cheol’s expression, in particular, was priceless.

“Elder…!”

The old man, approaching with calm steps, spoke to me without looking at Ji-cheol.

“I am Yu-baek of Murim.”

Upon the old man’s introduction, I released Ji-cheol’s neck.

And then, offering a slight bow, I said.

“It is an honor to meet you, Senior Bi-seong-geom (泌星劍).”

“Ho ho ho….”

The old man’s identity was one of the Hundred Great Masters of the Central Plains and a leading expert representing Murim.

Bi-seong-geom Yu-baek.

He was a famous master I knew.

“…I appreciate you recognizing me.”

“You are someone impossible not to recognize.”

As I spoke with a bit of flattery, Yu-baek’s eyes slightly drooped at the corners.

“It seems my disciples have committed a great discourtesy towards our guests.”

Yu-baek briefly assessed the situation, then spoke looking at me and my companions.

“I apologize.”

And then he offered his apology.

“Since I apologize like this, would you please set aside your anger?”

“Elder! How can you apologize to this punk…!”

The moment Ji-cheol cluelessly interjected.

Slap-!

Yu-baek swung his hand and slapped Ji-cheol across the cheek.

It wasn’t a light slap either; Ji-cheol, struck on the cheek, was almost sent flying.

Crash! Knocking over the table, Ji-cheol fell.

“Guhh…”

As Ji-cheol trembled, blood trickling from his mouth, Yu-baek saw him and said.

“Useless brat.”

“Elder…”

“Shut your mouth. Your treatment will be decided properly once we reach the main sect.”

The growling tone was incredibly sharp.

At first glance, it seemed like he was furious.

However.

‘Tsk.’

From my perspective, I knew it was a pointless act.

Yu-baek quickly relaxed his strained gaze, then continued speaking, looking back at us.

“Regarding the child’s mistake, I will discipline him severely, so I beg you, for the sake of this old man, please grant your forgiveness.”

Saying this, Yu-baek bowed his head once more.

As a respected elder of Murim bowed and admitted fault like this, the Murim Taoists standing behind trembled.

Seeing that, I pondered for a moment.

Should I push it further?

I could push it further if I wanted.

If I played my cards right, it seemed possible, but.

“Yes. Understood. I accept your apology.”

I decided not to.

It wasn’t because I liked Yu-baek’s apology.

Because I could see that if I carelessly pushed the issue here, the justification would shift to their side.

As I accepted the apology, Yu-baek smiled and said.

“Thank you for accepting. Also, if our guests are amenable, I have people waiting outside. Would you not care to proceed to the main sect? This time, without such mistakes, we shall escort you ‘politely’…”

“Well, you mentioned there was something to verify. Is that alright?”

“Such a process is normally necessary, but how could we impose that upon esteemed guests? It can certainly be done at the main sect. Please show us your generosity.”

The old man’s tongue was thin and long.

Those words implied that while the procedure was necessary, they would forgo it for our sake, and.

They skillfully conveyed that the verification process could still be completed at the main sect.

“Understood.”

Hearing that, unable to twist things further, I had no choice but to nod.

I picked up the letter from the table and handed it to Yeong-pung.

Yeong-pung accepted it with a bewildered expression.

Seeing that, I asked.

“Why the long face? If you don’t like it, shall I make them do more?”

“Ah, no…! I’m just a bit flustered…”

Perhaps it was his first time experiencing such a situation; Yeong-pung’s confused expression was quite amusing.

‘Tsk tsk, how will he survive this harsh world acting like that.’

Most novices in the martial world are like this, but.

Seeing such a clueless display bothered me quite a bit.

It’s a world where ignorance leads to suffering.

If you lack the strength to overturn things after realizing too late, you must be thorough.

I glanced at the fallen Ji-cheol and Yu-baek looking our way, then led my companions out of the inn.

It was a shame I couldn’t beat Ji-cheol up more, but.

This much was enough.

Just about this much.

******************

Shortly after Gu Yangcheon left the inn.

Yu-baek stared at the exit where they had left, his eyes calm.

His previously smiling face was gone, replaced by a cold, chilling expression.

Towards Yu-baek, the fallen Ji-cheol began to stir.

“…Elder…”

As Ji-cheol’s voice was heard, Yu-baek looked at him.

A gaze that pierced down coldly.

Ji-cheol felt it and trembled.

“…I apologize.”

He spoke in a trembling voice, but Yu-baek’s expression didn’t change.

“Useless brat.”

“…”

“To fail at handling such a simple matter, forcing me to step in.”

At Yu-baek’s words, Ji-cheol secretly clenched his fist.

“Elder… However, they were more than expected…”

“Are you making excuses to me now?”

“N-no. How could I…!”

“You were the one who said you could handle them, being mere late-stage cultivators. Have you forgotten?”

Ji-cheol quickly changed the subject and said urgently to Yu-baek.

“I was too careless. If you give me just one more chance. This time, I’ll definitely…”

“There’s no need.”

“…!”

Ji-cheol’s expression darkened at Yu-baek’s firm words.

It was because he felt deprived of an opportunity.

However, Yu-baek was thinking something else.

Saying ‘no need’ to Ji-cheol wasn’t about taking away an opportunity, but rather.

‘He’s not on the right level.’

Because he judged that this wasn’t something Ji-cheol should interfere with.

‘That young man just now.’

A face surfaced in Yu-baek’s mind.

It was the face of the young man who had been cornering Ji-cheol until just moments ago.

‘Was he called So-yeom-ra?’

He was a young man who had caused quite a stir in the Central Plains just a few years ago.

Was he the youngest to reach the Hua-gyeong realm?

Yu-baek had never believed that rumor, but.

This time was different.

Grip.

Yu-baek examined his own hand.

His palm was subtly damp with sweat.

“…”

Was he nervous?

This Bi-seong-geom Yu-baek?

‘Ho ho.’

Feeling a chilling emotion, Yu-baek cooled his head.

‘He really intended to kill him.’

If Yu-baek hadn’t intervened, Gu Yangcheon would have truly killed Ji-cheol.

His gestures and gaze clearly indicated so.

But the funny thing was.

‘Even though he knew I was here.’

Gu Yangcheon acted that way, yet.

He knew Yu-baek was watching nearby.

‘He knew everything.’

From the moment Gu Yangcheon entered this street.

He knew Yu-baek was nearby.

Which meant he acted that way regardless.

Almost as if trying to show Yu-baek something.

‘How frightening.’

Murim was already facing internal issues, and yet.

It seemed like troublesome business had arrived for Yu-baek.

Just then.

“Aaaargh!”

Suddenly, the fallen Ji-cheol started screaming.

Yu-baek looked at Ji-cheol, slightly surprised by the strange situation.

“Why is he suddenly…?”

And he knew immediately.

Ji-cheol was clutching one of his shoulders.

‘That arm.’

It was clearly the shoulder Gu Yangcheon had grabbed while dealing with Ji-cheol.

Recalling that, Yu-baek examined Ji-cheol’s shoulder.

“Huh.”

And then he let out a breath of disbelief.

Ji-cheol’s shoulder was shattered.

And not just shattered, but pulverized into tiny fragments.

Had he done this to his shoulder in such a short time?

‘But why is this brat reacting now?’

Ji-cheol, who had been fine until moments ago, was now suddenly feeling pain.

Yu-baek couldn’t comprehend this.

However, one thing was certain.

“…This isn’t good.”

The visit from them didn’t seem likely to unfold favorably for Murim.

Especially in the current situation.

Swoosh.

Yu-baek rose, leaving the screaming Ji-cheol behind.

He spoke to a Murim Taoist next to him.

“Send a dispatch to the Sect Leader immediately.”

The Taoist trembled greatly upon meeting Yu-baek’s gaze.

His eyes were incredibly cold.

“It seems something has happened at the main sect.”