As Jin Ho collapsed, unconscious, Cheon Jo picked up Jin Ho’s sword with a blank expression.
“Rest for now, kid...”
Then as he stood up, he turned around, facing the old man.
“Shall we begin then?”
***
If it was any other martial artist they either would’ve attacked Cheon Jo the moment he was talking to Jin Ho or they would’ve been shaking out of fear just by the pressure he was emitting.
But the old man did neither of them. Of course, he was just standing there the whole time. But not out of fear. He was just calculating things. But was it the right decision?
Wasn’t it better to just attack Cheon Jo who was distracted earlier because of Jin Ho? The very existence of Cheon Jo was threatening his life, after all.
Well, it might look that way. But that wasn’t the case. Having experienced countless battles in his life, maybe that’s why he could feel it. The moment he recklessly attacked the kid in front of him, he would die instantly.
Basically saying, Jin Ho was just a monster. Or rather a monster who hadn’t properly grown up yet. That’s why he had yet to become a true threat for the old man. But this kid in front of him...
He was a true monster. A type of monster that if you act recklessly in front, you’re finished.
The two old men were staring at each other with a blank expression.
On the other hand, Baek Han, still terrified, had no idea of what was going on now? How did that Wolryung boy suddenly get the power to fight the old man? Or if he was hiding his power for some reason.
But either way, he would only get in the way if he tried to fight. So, he just used the chance and went toward the chubby boy, taking Jin Ho with him.
Then after a moment of silence Cheon Jo opened his mouth.
“Aren’t you gonna attack first?”
“...”
It looked like the old man wouldn’t answer. So, Cheon Jo sighed softly.
“Swordsmen these days have no guts at all. Hmm...”
He tilted his head.
“It’s not gonna work. If you aren’t gonna come at me...”
He took a step forward.
“Then I’m gonna come.”
Then...
With a flash, Cheon Jo charged at the old man.
Whoosh! Clang!
But the old man blocked the attack with his sword. However, he didn’t stop at that. With their swords still clashing with each other, the old man projected white qi into his sword to crush Cheon Jo’s sword which made Cheon Jo smirk.
“Not bad!”
Cheon Jo, not giving the sword with white qi to crush his sword, retreated back which made the old man’s sword go down to the ground, the sword got buried almost half to the ground as it stabbed into the earth. And in the meantime, Cheon Jo used the opportunity to swing his sword mid air.
Swoosh!
However, clenching his teeth, the old man pulled out his sword from the earth in an instant and swung it toward Cheon Jo’s sword which was coming for his thigh.
The two swords clashed with a clang. Then the old man immediately retreated back to regain his composure.
“...”
Wolryung, who was watching the battle in ghost form, looked a bit displeased by it.
“What are you doing, ancestor?”
“Hmm?”
Cheon Jo looked at Wolryung with a puzzled face.
[What do you mean? Can’t you see? I’m fighting.]
Wolryung looked a bit sore from that answer and shouted loudly.
“I can see that, you old man! But why the hell are you this weak when you call yourself the sword emperor, huh?!”
[...]
“A sword emperor should have crushed that bastard old man in an instant!”
[...]
Ah, true.
But he missed mentioning something.
[I’m not in my body but yours. And your body is very weak. No. significantly weak. You know what that means, right?]
“...”
Wolryung was totally speechless at that.
What Cheon Jo said was true, after all. If he uses powers beyond what the body can endure, it will be a great disaster for the body. Wolryung might even die on the spot. So, Cheon Jo needed to control his power. Even the amount of power he was using now was already beyond what Wolryung’s body could endure. It was already a surprise that he could still shout at Cheon Jo with the pain he was enduring.
At that moment Wolryung shouted again.
“Ah! I don’t care! Just kill that bastard already! I’m already dying of pain! The more you drag the fight the more I will suffer!”
[...]
So, the pain was the problem, not Cheon Jo’s power, huh?
“Just kill him in one attack and let me have some peace!”
[...]
‘You bastard! If I do that you’re gonna complain while dying, why did I do that and kill you if I could just deal with him slowly.’
Well, if he said it outloud, Wolryung would just be nagging at him even more. So, he just ignored Wolryung and focused on the old man again who was now ready to fight.
“Man... Don’t just stand there and stare at me like that. Just co... huh?”
Before he could finish his words the old man charged forward with his sword filled with pure white qi.
“Look at you, attacking me before I finish talking.”
Clang!
“Before you didn’t even have the guts. And now attacking suddenly?”
“Ahhh! Why waste time by blocking?! Just crush him! Crush him!”
[...]
Shut up, brat! At least let me fight in peace.
Cheon Jo pushed the old man back causing the old man to take several steps backward out of imbalance. Then the old man fixed his balance as he drew his sword.
‘What is this kid doing? He is definitely stronger than me. So, why is he dragging it too long? Is it...’
The old man charged at Cheon Jo again this time without using qi. But Cheon Jo blocked it with his sword. However, the old man went to the side in a flash and swung his sword again with a swoosh. On the other hand, Cheon Jo clicked his tongue as he crouched to dodge the sword by an inch, swinging his sword, targeting the old man’s legs.
Shinnnng!
The old man out of instinct immediately retreated to the other side and swung his sword downward at Cheon Jo’s head. But Cheon Jo without any delay rolled on the other side dodging the sword of the old man again. The old man’s sword hit the ground, scattering the soil.
The two old men stood there, staring at each other again with a blank expression, both breathing hard and drenched in sweat.
“Huff! Huff!”
“Huff! Huff!”
This time Wolryung approached Cheon Jo with a calm voice.
“Can’t you finish the fight already? At this rate it really is gonna be an endless fight if anything.”
Well, Wolryung wasn’t wrong though. If the fight goes like that it will just become an endless fight in the end. Cheon Jo just didn’t want Wolryung’s life to keep at stake. That’s why he was trying to win this fight with the lowest power he could use. However, the old man in front of him was truly strong. And judging by his fighting style he had so many experiences in his life. So, in the end, to finish this fight, he had to use more power, gambling Wolryung’s life on the line.
[You might truly die, brat...]
Wolryung smiled softly at that.
“I already told you, old man. It doesn’t matter.”
He glanced at the old man now.
“Just crush him already.”
[Well...]
Cheon Jo smirked as he tilted his sword slightly.
[Just don’t cry later when you become a ghost.]
He pointed his sword toward the old man.
“Hey, you kid!”
“...”
Hearing the word ‘kid’, the old man’s face went stiff.
“Kid? Me? Are your eyes for decoration or something?”
Cheon Jo just shrugged at that.
“Ah, Whatever. Just listen carefully.”
“Hmm...”
The old man looked a bit confused by that.
“What is it?”
“Let’s just call it a day. You can take your companions with you and withdraw the ambush. It won’t be good for us to fight needlessly.”
‘What the hell is he saying?’
Was the old man hearing clearly now? Cheon Jo was really stronger than him. He could just kill the old man and get finished with it. So why was he suggesting them to retreat? Showing mercy?
That’s not something people do in Murim. Like he said earlier, strong will always devour the weak. That’s the rule of the Murim.
So, why?
“Are you for real?”
“Yes.”
No, just why?
The old man’s face went dark for a moment.
“So, can we just go? Just like that?”
“Of course. Do you have problems with your hearing or something? Why do you ask the same thing over and over again?”
The old man bowed slightly in respect.
“Thank you, we will leave then.”
Cheon jo felt a bit relieved by that answer.
‘Thank god, he isn’t a stubborn person.’
“That’s good to hear.”
Cheon Jo turned around, facing Baek Han and the others. While Wolryung approached him.
“Ancestor.”
[Hmm...]
Cheon Jo looked at Wolryung who looked a bit displeased.
“Why did you spare them? Those bastards just pissed me off earlier.”
Cheon Jo gave an awkward smile.
[Well, that’s just...]
It was then...
Kakakakak...
Wolryung’s eyes went wide at the chilling sound that came from behind.
“First and foremost lesson of Murim. Never trust your enemy, kid!”
A sword was already near the neck of Cheon Jo in the form of a huge moonlight that lit up the whole tunnel. It was beautiful upon looking, but the sound was chilling to make a person’s body shiver.
Kakakakaka!
It looked like it was the end of Cheon Jo. No, for Wolryung’s body. However, at that exact moment...
“Fool!”
For the first time, Cheon Jo released his qi. A significant amount of qi surrounded his body.
Dark Heaven Sword Art!
“You should’ve run the moment you were spared.”
First Form!
Shhhhhhk!
The old man stopped mid motion, so did his sword. His qi vanished in an instant. He was just standing there now with eyes wide open. Didn’t even open his mouth or he just couldn’t.
Nobody saw what happened? Nobody saw Cheon Jo moving his sword. He was just standing where he was. But...
Thud!
The head of the old man touched the ground in slow motion as it got separated from his shoulder. Then his headless body also collapsed, blood covering the ground.
On the other hand, the body of Wolryung also collapsed with a thud as Cheon Jo left the body.