Almighty God of War - Chapter 78
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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078
Heo Choryeong interpreted Guyang Cheongang’s silence as complete trust in her.
If that was the case, she had a responsibility to respond in kind.
Heo Choryeong spoke to Hwa Doryeong in a cold tone.
“Young Master Hwa, I thought everything was settled with our last martial duel, but it seems you still harbor lingering attachments.”
Hwa Doryeong’s face contorted.
The humiliating memory of his crushing defeat to Heo Choryeong in their previous duel came flooding back.
Heo Choryeong continued with a cold expression.
“This is a gathering with an honored guest, and I don’t want any disturbances. So please withdraw now.”
A public and firm rejection.
The guests on the inn’s second floor watched with bated breath.
Heo Choryeong had shattered Hwa Doryeong’s last remaining pride into pieces with a single sentence before all of them.
Hwa Doryeong’s face turned red and blue as he completely lost his reason to anger.
He pointed his finger not at Heo Choryeong, but at Guyang Cheongang and shouted.
“It’s because of you! Everything started going wrong after you appeared! How dare a half-corpse like you…!”
Blinded by rage, he reached out to grab Guyang Cheongang by the collar.
Guyang Cheongang let out a thin sigh and raised the middle finger of his right hand, lightly tapping Hwa Doryeong’s wrist as if shooing away an annoying fly.
Just one light contact.
“…!”
Though it appeared to be light contact, the reality was far different.
Hwa Doryeong felt as if he had collided head-on with a massive rock, his qi and blood flowing in reverse throughout his body as his meridians twisted everywhere.
“Kuk!”
With a suppressed scream, both his knees buckled helplessly, completely against his will.
Thud-!
Hwa Doryeong ended up kneeling before Guyang Cheongang with a pale face.
In an instant, all the murmuring noise in the inn disappeared like a receding tide.
Everyone’s gaze focused on this scene.
The eyes of the Three Men and One Woman who were with Hwa Doryeong widened.
They were surprised. But their expressions quickly returned to their previous state.
To be flustered by this level of situation, their status, martial arts, and Gangho experience were on a completely different level from Hwa Doryeong’s.
The only woman among the four opened her mouth with sparkling eyes.
“How interesting.”
She was a peerless beauty of marriageable age who was not inferior even compared to Heo Choryeong.
Guyang Cheongang’s eyes lightly swept over her clothes and the sword at her waist.
Phoenix patterns were embroidered on her sleeves, and purple gems were embedded in the hilt of the sword at her waist.
If Guyang Cheongang had extensive Gangho experience, he would have immediately recognized which sect she was from just by her attire.
But such discernment couldn’t be expected from him now.
The woman continued speaking while greeting with a cupped fist salute.
“I am Yu Cheongok of the Phoenix Sword Sect. The technique Young Master just displayed was quite unique. May I ask which sect you’re from?”
Guyang Cheongang frowned.
Since the other party had revealed their identity, he couldn’t avoid responding.
That would mean disrespect, and there weren’t many Murim people who would tolerate such treatment.
Sighing inwardly, he stood up and returned the cupped fist salute.
“I am Guyang Cheongang of the Nanchang Guyang Family.”
“Guyang Family…”
Yu Cheongok’s eyes narrowed.
“Are you referring to that Guyang Family where the Divine Physician of Life and Death, who created the Evil-Warding Divine Pills that defeated the recent plague, resides?”
A tense expression appeared on Heo Choryeong’s face.
She didn’t want Guyang Cheongang’s identity to be revealed.
But Guyang Cheongang answered calmly.
“Since the surname Guyang isn’t very common, that’s probably correct.”
One of the young men standing behind Yu Cheongok stepped forward.
He was tall with handsome features, wore blue silk robes, and carried a three-foot sword on his back.
He frowned as if he didn’t particularly like Guyang Cheongang and spoke to Yu Cheongok.
“Samae, that fellow’s technique isn’t particularly brilliant. It only looks impressive because Young Master Hwa’s martial arts are at such a pitiful level.”
Guyang Cheongang looked at Yu Cheongok, the man who had just stepped forward, and the two men behind them in turn with an expressionless face, thinking.
‘Seeing that they all have the same phoenix pattern on their sleeves, they must be martial siblings. But how did someone like Hwa Doryeong end up associating with people like these? At a glance, the difference in their levels is like that between a white crane and a crow.’
Hwa Doryeong, who had been kneeling on the floor, barely managed to lift his head and looked at the woman with resentment.
“Miss Yu… Are you just going to watch as I suffer such humiliation!”
A look of disdain appeared on Yu Cheongok’s face, her brow deeply furrowed.
She spoke in a cold tone.
“Don’t try to drag us into your private grudges. We didn’t come here to solve your personal problems.”
At her words, Hwa Doryeong’s face turned pale.
Yu Cheongok turned to Guyang Cheongang and said.
“As it happens, we were on our way to the Guyang Family Estate. We wanted to meet the Divine Physician of Life and Death, who is famous throughout All Under Heaven. Since Young Master Guyang is from there, you must know something about him.”
Guyang Cheongang was startled inwardly but didn’t show it, speaking in a calm tone.
“I don’t know much about him either. After the plague ended, he only left the words, ‘I have repaid all debts to the world, so now I will sever my worldly ties,’ and departed mysteriously. So we don’t know his whereabouts either.”
Then he looked at Heo Choryeong and continued.
“Elder Sister, I think it would be best if we returned home today.”
Heo Choryeong nodded and stood up from her seat.
At that moment, among Yu Cheongok’s group, a cold-looking black-robed young man who was slightly older than the other three and wore a sword at his waist stepped forward and said.
“Samae hasn’t finished speaking yet. So you cannot leave.”
The surrounding air became as cold as midwinter.
Heo Choryeong tensely grabbed Guyang Cheongang’s sleeve.
But Guyang Cheongang remained calm.
Without batting an eye, he smiled and said.
“Blocking the path doesn’t make for conversation.”
The black-robed young man responded in a cold tone.
“It seems you don’t know that refusing a toast means receiving a penalty drink.”
Meaning he would force it even with strength.
Guyang Cheongang’s gaze turned to Yu Cheongok.
Though she seemed to be the youngest among the Three Men and One Woman, he sensed she was the leader.
“Will you just stand by and watch your companion’s rudeness?”
Yu Cheongok smiled awkwardly and said.
“Senior Brother Seo doesn’t listen to me very well, so there’s nothing I can do.”
Guyang Cheongang grinned and said.
“You’d better stop him. Otherwise, you’ll witness something unpleasant.”
“Since Young Master says that, I’m even less able to stop him now.”
Yu Cheongok was right.
From the enraged black-robed young man Seo Ildo’s entire body flowed an intense aura that seemed capable of suffocating people.
“Something unpleasant… Let’s see if you truly have such ability.”
With those words, he took a large step forward and threw a straight punch at Guyang Cheongang.
Whoooosh-
Though he didn’t unleash his full force since there were many people around, the internal energy condensed in his fist was powerful enough to shatter rocks and more.
Interest appeared on the faces of Yu Cheongok’s group as they watched.
Hwa Doryeong’s face, who had staggered up while leaning against the wall, was also full of tension and anticipation.
Meanwhile, Guyang Cheongang’s face, which had been wearing a smile, became expressionless.
With just a slight twist of his upper body, he let the punch flow past his chest, and his right elbow struck toward Seo Ildo’s chest like lightning.
Swoosh-
Seo Ildo’s face hardened as he stepped back, striking at Guyang Cheongang’s neck with his left hand blade while kicking at the back of his knee.
Whiiiiik-
It was an exquisite improvised response.
But he had chosen the wrong opponent.
Guyang Cheongang was a master of close combat who had perfected Divine Physician Hwata’s Dragon Subduing Golden Binding Technique and Sangchwigae Nohae’s Firm Bird Golden Claw.
Tilting his head slightly to deflect the hand blade and sliding away from the kick with Nine Palace Maze Step, his hand shot out like lightning to grasp Seo Ildo’s elbow.
It was an exquisite move that couldn’t be avoided even while watching.
In an instant, all strength drained from Seo Ildo’s body as he lurched forward and lost his balance.
Guyang Cheongang didn’t miss the opportunity.
He placed his palm against Seo Ildo’s chest and pushed lightly.
A palm strike infused with Second Star’s Internal Power struck Seo Ildo’s chest.
Thud!
With a heavy impact sound, he was sent flying backward and rolled helplessly across the floor three or four times.
Yu Cheongok’s group’s expressions changed as they witnessed the completely opposite result from what they had expected.
“Ugh…”
His face flushed bright red, Seo Ildo got up several times faster than when he had fallen.
This was thanks to Guyang Cheongang having no killing intent and merely pushing him away without using the Internal Injury Infliction Method that would damage his insides.
Anger blazed in Seo Ildo’s eyes, who hadn’t suffered such a humiliating defeat since turning twenty.
Kicking off the floor, he closed the distance with Guyang Cheongang in an instant and swung both fists with terrifying momentum.
Fists with enough power to dent iron plates flew consecutively toward Guyang Cheongang’s face.
Whoooooong-
Guyang Cheongang met his opponent’s offensive with the same expressionless face.
He avoided the double punch by swaying his upper body once like a willow branch, then precisely grasped Seo Ildo’s shoulder with Dragon Subduing Golden Binding Technique.
Then he lightly turned his wrist as if shaking off his hand.
Seo Ildo spun around two or three times in midair before being mercilessly slammed head-first into the floor.
Thump!
Dust rose with the sound.
Seo Ildo didn’t seem seriously injured, but he lay spread-eagled and couldn’t get up.
This was because Guyang Cheongang had also sealed his pressure points when grasping his shoulder.
Guyang Cheongang glanced at the fallen Seo Ildo and spoke to Yu Cheongok.
“Miss Yu, I think you’ve seen enough of this ugly spectacle. How about we stop here?”
Yu Cheongok looked at him with surprised eyes.
‘Senior Brother Seo’s Raging Heart Fist is at a level approaching mastery. To break through it so easily… The martial arts of someone not even twenty years old is truly remarkable. On the way to meet the Divine Physician of Life and Death, I’ve encountered an unexpected monster…’
She responded without revealing her inner thoughts.
“You’re right. Senior Brother Seo’s fists may not compare to swords, but they’re still formidable martial arts. Young Master Guyang, would you release Senior Brother Seo’s pressure points?”
Nodding, Guyang Cheongang released Seo Ildo’s pressure points.
Yu Cheongok said.
“Senior Brother, let’s stop here.”
Seo Ildo sprang up and glared at Guyang Cheongang with frightening eyes while clenching his fists tightly.
But as if unable to disobey Yu Cheongok’s command, he forcibly lifted his reluctant feet and retreated behind her.
Guyang Cheongang lightly ignored his gaze and said.
“The conversation seems to be over. May I go?”
Yu Cheongok looked at him for a moment, then slowly nodded.
“It’s not something that requires my permission, so do as you wish, Young Master.”
“Since meeting you wasn’t pleasant, let’s not see each other again.”
“Hah…”
Guyang Cheongang ignored Yu Cheongok’s gaze, which looked at him as if he were absurd, and spoke to Heo Choryeong.
“Let’s go, Elder Sister.”
Leaving the inn with Heo Choryeong, he headed toward Bamboo Forest Manor.
Yu Cheongok, who had been looking down at the two figures walking away from the window, asked Hwa Doryeong.
“What on earth were you thinking when you attacked Young Master Guyang? Do you carry spare lives around with you?”
It was obvious sarcasm.
“Ugh…”
Hwa Doryeong hung his head low with a corpse-pale face, unable to respond.
He knew that Guyang Cheongang had learned martial arts, but he never imagined he would be a master of this level.
If he had known that, no matter how much of a scoundrel he was, he wouldn’t have attacked.
Because even to him, his one and only life was precious.
Yu Cheongok spoke to Hwa Doryeong in an ice-cold voice.
“Because of your petty pride, the Main Sect nearly became enemies with Young Master Guyang. Don’t ruin things with personal emotions. This is a warning. Next time won’t end with just words.”
“I… I’ll keep that in mind, Miss Yu…”
Cold sweat formed on Hwa Doryeong’s spine as he answered.
He had no confidence to handle Yu Cheongok’s anger.
No, even the entire Hwa Family Trading House wouldn’t be able to handle it.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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