Chapter v14c6

Hyeok Seon-Wu, pale and drenched in sweat, finally emerged from his encounter with the two old men.

“Who are they?” he asked, unable to bring himself to address them disrespectfully after witnessing their overwhelming presence.

“D-Don’t ask! About those two!”

He looked like he had just returned from hell, his face ashen and his clothes soaked with cold sweat.

“Just treat them with the utmost respect. They are not to be trifled with. I, Hyeok Seon-Wu, will take full responsibility. Put their bill on my tab. And make sure all your staff are aware of their status. No mistakes.”

“But who are they?”

His curiosity was piqued.

“I’m not allowed to answer that question. All I can say is that they are like gods to me. So be careful.”

He hurried out of the tavern, as if afraid to stay any longer. From that day forward, no one dared to question the two old men, and they were treated with the utmost respect.

If Manager Jang had known their true identities, he would have fainted from shock. They were two of the most respected elders from two of the Nine Great Sects. And one of them was the most powerful figure in Huayin County, the leader of the Mount Hua Sect.

The two old men were none other than Plum Blossom Sword Saint Yu Hwan-kwon and Wise Sword Hyun Geom-ja, the grand-uncle of the current Mount Wudang Sect Leader and the master of Three Absolute Swords Cheong Heun.

**1 AM, Main Gate of Peace Manor, Huayin County, Shaanxi Province**

Boom!

The main gate of Peace Manor, one of the largest manors in Huayin County, exploded outwards, as if struck by a bolt of lightning.

Several figures emerged from the wreckage, led by a burly, middle-aged man with fiery red hair, according to eyewitnesses.

“Let’s go!”

The red-haired man shouted, and his companions dashed away like the wind.

Their greatest enemy wasn’t the pursuers on their tail, but time.

Dawn was approaching.

“I-I apologize, Young Master! Please kill me!”

Hwa Pyung-jang, the owner of Peace Manor, groveled on the ground, his forehead covered in blood. He had failed his master…

But the First Young Master didn’t even look at him.

“I value my subordinates,” he said calmly.

“I don’t like to punish them with death, even for grave mistakes. It’s a loss for the organization.”

Hwa Pyung-jang shuddered.

“So I give everyone two chances!”

The First Young Master continued, his voice still calm. It was a lifeline for Hwa Pyung-jang.

“Retrieve the woman! Failure is not an option.”

“Yes, sir! I’ve already dispatched the Ghost Slayer Squad!”

Hwa Pyung-jang, relieved to have escaped death, shouted.

The First Young Master nodded.

“I hope they succeed.”

Hwa Pyung-jang could sense the implicit threat in his words.

“T-They won’t disappoint you.”

He stammered, his voice trembling.

“The dogs will be on our scent soon! Conceal everything. We’re abandoning this place.”

“Yes, sir!”

* * *

A reunion between men often calls for a drink, and excessive drinking is a natural consequence. Age, status, and wealth are irrelevant.

Plum Blossom Sword Saint Yu Hwan-kwon and Wise Sword Hyun Geom-ja were drinking in a tavern, oblivious to the passage of time. They looked nothing like the respected elders of their sects.

They seemed determined to explore the depths of the Dao of Alcohol, through rigorous self-experimentation.

Where did it begin, and where would it end?

“Do you think those kids will be alright?”

Hyun Geom-ja asked, taking a sip of wine. His body, filled with Taechong Energy, automatically burned away the alcohol, so he rarely got drunk. But even he couldn’t resist the effects of drinking for days on end.

“They’ll be disappointed when they learn the truth about the competition.”

Yu Hwan-kwon answered with a question.

“They’ll be shocked.”

Hyun Geom-ja said with a wry smile. Yu Hwan-kwon nodded in agreement.

“It’s understandable. The reality is far from what they imagined! Even I was surprised. You would have been furious.”

Hyun Geom-ja didn’t deny it.

People were often disappointed when reality didn’t meet their expectations. And that disappointment could lead to conflict and immaturity.

It was like marriage. Most people were disappointed after marriage because they mistakenly believed that the passion of courtship would last forever. But love and marriage were two different things. That’s why married couples were often disappointed.

“They’ll have to let go of the preconceived notions they’ve held for over twenty years. It won’t be easy. They’ll have a lot to think about.”

“I hope they can overcome it! We’re partly to blame for teaching them the wrong things. It’s cruel to ask them to abandon their beliefs overnight.”

“But they can’t move forward without doing so.”

Hyun Geom-ja, frustrated, emptied his cup. A wave of heat surged through his body.

“By the way, I didn’t expect him to call you too.”

Hyun Geom-ja nodded, his hand still holding his cup.

“Who knows what he’s thinking! I just follow orders.”

Who was this mysterious figure who could command even Hyun Geom-ja, one of the most respected elders of the Mount Wudang Sect? Yu Hwan-kwon seemed to know.

“Have you found his tail yet?”

Yu Hwan-kwon asked quietly. Whose tail was he referring to?

“He’s too elusive. It’s not easy to even catch a glimpse of him.”

Hyun Geom-ja shook his head. It seemed like he was troubled by a certain individual.

“Are you sure? That recommenda…”

Boom!

Their conversation was cut short.

Crash! Bang!

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

A deafening noise erupted from outside the tavern.

“Quiet!”

Yu Hwan-kwon shouted, throwing an empty wine bottle at the window.

He wasn’t so weak as to waste good wine.

Smash!

The bottle hit a masked figure in the back of the head, shattering into pieces. The figure crumpled to the ground.

Sal Hon-sip-gwi, the leader of the Ghost Slayer Squad’s Tenth Division, glanced at the fallen figure. But he had more pressing matters to attend to. He had to eliminate the intruders and retrieve the woman.

The commotion outside was the result of a clash between the fleeing intruders and his Ghost Slayer Squad. And it seemed like they were losing. Three of his men were already down. The intruders, on the other hand, were all still standing.

“Who are you punks, blocking my way? I don’t have time for this! Damn it, do you want to die?!”

Yeomdo shouted, his voice filled with rage. He wasn’t afraid of these “punks.” They were tough, but no one in his group was weak enough to run away from them, even if they were outnumbered two to one. But they didn’t have time to waste.

Sal Hon-sip-gwi, offended by his arrogance, raised three fingers, then pointed his index finger at the second-floor window where the wine bottle had come from. It was a signal for three of his men to go upstairs and deal with the source of the disturbance. He wanted to make an example of them, to intimidate the intruders.

But his plan backfired.

Crash! Crash! Crash!

Three figures, his own men, came crashing through the second-floor window, their limbs twisted at unnatural angles, their bodies stiff as statues.

An old man’s voice boomed from inside the room.

“How dare you bring the stench of blood into our drinking session! Have you no manners?!”

It was Hyun Geom-ja.

“Who are you? Show yourselves!”

“My, my, what rude young men. Your words are getting bolder.”

Hyun Geom-ja’s tone was surprisingly harsh for a Daoist priest. But he wasn’t the type to hide his emotions. He was known for his bluntness, his straightforward speech. Even his fellow Daoists sometimes shook their heads at his unrestrained behavior.

“Daoists usually enjoy some moonlight exercises after a drink.”

The two old men emerged from the hole in the wall, as if they couldn’t be bothered to walk around.

The onlookers gasped.

The old Daoist priest in a faded purple robe was wearing a strange, crudely made mask, while the old Daoist priest in a faded blue robe was wearing a straw hat.

They were concealing their faces, but everyone knew who they were. Yoon Jun-ho, the Mount Hua Sect disciple, was particularly shocked.

“Wow! That’s the famous Plum Blossom Mask!”

A voice, filled with awe and excitement, rang out. It was Jang Hong, breaking the tension with his outburst.

The Plum Blossom Mask turned his head slowly, then gave him a thumbs-up! Jang Hong grinned and returned the gesture.

The old Daoist priest in the straw hat, watching their antics, felt a pang of envy.

“Hmm, maybe I should get a mask too, with a Taegeuk symbol on it…”

He muttered to himself, his voice filled with envy and jealousy. Fortunately, no one heard him, so he didn’t embarrass the Mount Wudang Sect.

“Gasp!”

They all stared, their eyes wide with disbelief. The two old men were descending from the sky, their movements as slow and graceful as falling feathers. It was a testament to their mastery of lightness skills.

Hyun Geom-ja landed softly, his gaze sweeping over the Ghost Slayer Squad. He frowned.

“You’re all addicted to the taste of blood. Your swords are a blight on this world. I’ll relieve you of them.”

He turned to the rescue team.

“You seem to be in a hurry. Leave this to us old men!”

Yeomdo and his companions bowed respectfully.

“Thank you, Elder!”

Hyun Geom-ja added,

“Oh, and we’ve never met!”

Yeomdo, confused for a moment, understood the implication and bowed again.

“Thank you!”