The Owner Of The Thousand Gold Coins Is A Military Official - Chapter 21

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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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Chapter 21

“Th-the Branch Manager is….”

“Wh-what is this….”

Just moments ago, Jungseokmun was on the verge of disappearing, but in an instant, the Demon Sect Branch found itself on the brink of destruction.

If there had been a Vice Branch Manager, they could have at least made some minimal response, but the Vice Branch Manager who should have done so was already gone.

He had long since become impossible to trace.

“Kill them all!”

With the sect leader’s words, the disciples began charging forward all at once.

They had been at a disadvantage just moments before, but now the story was different.

Cheongun was planning to throw some blind stones.

‘Most of them aren’t even worth crossing swords with.’

Since the method he had used when dealing with Jowonhaeng’s companions earlier had been quite useful, Cheongun pointed his sword tip toward the ground again.

Keeng.

His internal energy briefly resonated with the sword, then made contact with the ground.

And fragments burst out in all directions.

With a fluttering sound, fragments precisely embedded in the foreheads of the Makyodo, and they all began collapsing on the spot.

“….”

“A-a master….”

It became quiet.

So much so that it was hard to believe this had been a place of fierce battle just moments before.

The situation was already over, but there was a strangely oppressive atmosphere that made it difficult to move.

In an atmosphere that seemed to constrict everyone’s entire body, only Cheongun was permitted to move.

The sect leader clutched his side where blood was slowly flowing out.

As Cheongun approached that sect leader, everyone’s gaze remained fixed on them.

“Why are you using that sword?”

“…That’s….”

He couldn’t speak.

It wasn’t that he had nothing to say, but that he was hesitating.

“My work is done, so I’ll be going now.”

He had expected more questions, but it seemed there was no such intention.

“Please at least tell us the great hero’s name.”

“If fate allows, we’ll meet again.”

With those final words, Cheongun immediately left the place.

“Hah….”

Why he used an ordinary sword instead of a great sword or heavy sword.

He should have at least given an explanation to Jungseokmun’s benefactor.

“Sect Leader. What do we do now?”

“Ah, let’s clean up the corpses first. The injured disciples should tend to their wounds….”

Though it was regrettable that he wouldn’t reveal his name, the sect leader resolved never to forget his face.

And there was someone who had been watching all of this from beginning to end.

“Hah… beyond imagination indeed.”

He had been a little surprised when he first saw him.

No, he had been quite surprised.

“This seems too much for the price of rice wine….”

The Old Beggar who had been with Cheongun was now sitting on the roof of a high pavilion, looking down at Jungseokmun.

At first, he had wondered who it was.

Then the aura he felt, the clothes he wore.

Adding the atmosphere he gave off and the information that one person had emerged from Cheongeumjang, he became certain it was the Patriarch.

It was impressive.

Not just impressive, but truly shocking.

How preciously Cheongeumjang had treasured him – the Patriarch of Cheongeumjang had only been the subject of rumors.

The last information was that he had accompanied a Kunlun expedition at age ten.

However, an incident serious enough to cause the Kunlun Sect to temporarily close its gates had occurred then, so they couldn’t gather much information.

“He hadn’t ventured out for seven years.”

He had left Cheongeumjang before.

He had briefly gone out and returned, but he had never been active in earnest like this.

He hadn’t even carried a sword.

He had expected him to move someday.

But to think he would move in this manner.

Who could have predicted that the Patriarch of Cheongeumjang would begin his first journey into Gangho not with commerce, but by massacring a Demon Sect Branch?

“Well, this old man will have to go personally.”

Observing, listening to, and recording information was both duty and responsibility.

And beyond that, it was also personal interest and entertainment.

The Old Beggar thus set off following the direction Cheongun had taken.

Since he had left earlier, there was a long way to go.

But now it didn’t matter how far he had gone.

Because he had planted the Thousand-Li Tracking Incense.

He hadn’t intentionally planted it, but since things had turned out this way.

Cheongun had already passed through the sparsely populated areas and reached a place where no villages were visible.

“Shall I pick up the pace a bit now?”

It wasn’t far, but because of what had happened at the Demon Sect Branch earlier, things might change unpredictably.

He should arrive faster than the information about the problems here, at least.

At minimum, arrive at the same time or…

“Arriving at the same time would be good too.”

A smile crossed Cheongun’s lips.

Nothing seemed like it would be more entertaining than that.

Entertainment aside, it seemed like it would be the most effective course of action too.

So he increased his speed to the maximum.

Since he had to travel day and night without distinction.

“Hehe….”

The Old Beggar who had been continuously following behind.

“What kind of lightness skill is this fast?”

Of course, it wasn’t burdensome or anything, but the problem was that using more strength would increase the risk of being detected.

Since the sun was already setting, he would probably rest for the night.

For a beggar, the ground was home and the sky was ceiling anyway.

He planned to plop down somewhere suitable and spend the night.

As day broke, Cheongun, who had lightly slept, soon opened his eyes.

An uncomfortable day.

Because the sleeping place was uncomfortable, because it was an unfamiliar place?

No, it wasn’t for those reasons.

This inexplicable strange sense of alienation kept grating on his nerves, but it was a feeling where he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was.

‘I definitely felt something similar somewhere before….’

Perhaps because it was from his previous life, he couldn’t remember it well, but only that unpleasant feeling from then remained.

Still, since the memory seemed on the verge of surfacing, it would probably come to him soon.

After traveling a bit, he learned about this unidentifiable sense of alienation.

“Hah… to only realize this now.”

Thousand-Li Tracking Incense.

Something that supposedly allowed tracking even from a thousand li away.

It was on his body.

It left no trace and couldn’t be detected without using special herbs.

But Cheongun had lived as an asura itself.

He had even fled with elixirs coveted by martial artists or hidden secret manuals.

“When I buried the tracking incense, perhaps…”

The only thing that came to mind was the turbid wine.

There was nothing else besides that time.

That old man, there was something suspicious about him, and it seems he wasn’t an ordinary old man after all.

That would mean he’s chasing me now, wouldn’t it?

More than that, he had no knots at his waist, and I couldn’t particularly feel any internal energy either.

Or could it be that he’s at a level where it’s difficult to sense his internal energy with my current abilities?

‘That can’t be.’

I can guarantee that those with such a gap in ability can be counted on one hand in today’s martial world.

Let me check first.

I had to eliminate my presence as much as possible.

Now that I knew tracking incense was buried on me, I had to send the lingering scent forward as much as possible to leave traces that I was moving ahead.

Thanks to Cheoneuisimgong, I could operate my internal energy without any restrictions even while holding my breath.

With my presence completely erased, I could naturally blend in with my surroundings.

‘He’s coming.’

It’s taking quite a while.

Of course it would take time since he’s chasing from such a distance.

“Huh.”

The distance was gradually closing, but suddenly the Old Beggar stopped abruptly.

“Without the tracking incense, I would have been completely fooled.”

“…”

At those words, Cheongun slowly revealed himself.

The atmosphere was quite different from when they first met.

“I don’t have any good liquor yet, did you perhaps bring some?”

“Where would a beggar have such things?”

“May I ask you one thing?”

“That’s your freedom. Answering is also my freedom.”

Both of them already knew anyway.

What kind of question would be asked.

“The tracking incense. Was I your target from the beginning?”

“Hehe, I have no obligation to answer.”

“Then I won’t answer either.”

“…What?”

I could feel the Old Beggar’s eyes flash.

Even though his unkempt hair grown carelessly was covering here and there, it pierced through the gaps.

“Aren’t you curious how I knew about the tracking incense?”

“…Hmm. That is indeed curious.”

If it had been a situation where suspicion was possible, it would be different, but it wasn’t such a situation.

Hadn’t he approached first, and hadn’t he made the first request?

“Then it seems we have an equal number of things to answer each other. Don’t you think so?”

“Nothing else you’re curious about?”

“If there’s something else I’m curious about…”

Of course there was.

I was curious about this old man’s identity.

Just who could he be?

Even tracing back my memories from my previous life, I had no recollection of such an old man.

Even though I had wandered Gangho and seen all kinds of masters.

There was one thing I suspected.

Though I couldn’t be certain until I heard it from his own mouth.

“Who are you?”

“What would you do by knowing who this old man is?”

“You should have just waited as a drinking companion. Then I wouldn’t have been curious at all.”

At those words, the Old Beggar immediately burst into laughter.

“Your words have quite a few thorns. Good. Try blocking just one move.”

“No thanks. I’d rather remain curious.”

“You won’t go easy on me… what?”

The old man who had been showing a spirited expression looked quite flustered.

Cheongun turned his back without any lingering attachment.

‘Th-this isn’t how it should go…?’

When we conversed earlier, I did grasp that he wasn’t an ordinary person, but isn’t this going a bit too far?

“D-don’t be like that.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Then I’ll go easy on you.”

“Then what’s the point of taking it?”

“This…!”

There wasn’t a single wrong part in what he said, but that’s exactly why it was infuriating.

If I just revealed my identity, it would feel like losing somehow.

Anyone would bow their head wanting to receive even one teaching from me.

“I-if you knew who this old man was…!”

“So who are you?”

“Hmph, fine. Tell me about the tracking incense first.”

“It’s nothing special. It’s a martial art.”

“…A martial art?”

Was there such a martial art?

I had lived for many years, but I had never heard of such a martial art.

“Yes.”

“What kind of martial art?”

“That’s separate.”

“This…!”

Unfortunately, this wasn’t wrong either.

“Hmph, fine. This old man is just an old beggar.”

“…Is that so. You should tell me about the past, not the present.”

“Then you should have asked that.”

Indeed, being old meant having survived. And that meant being strong.

“Hmph, fine. I’ll take it.”

“Haha. You were going to do that anyway.”

As he said, this was how it was originally going to be.

I was just gauging him briefly through our conversation until now.

The beggar before my eyes was the same.

Even though he clearly knew that Cheongun was gauging him, he had played along with this word game.

He was curious how I would respond, and it was actually quite an interesting word game too.

“Please prepare yourself.”

“Yes.”

Cheongun drew his sword and held it in one hand, placing his other hand on the scabbard from which the sword had emerged.

The old man watched Cheongun with interest.

It seemed similar to others yet felt different, making it all the more intriguing.

The old man had no weapon.

The old man walked to a tree right beside him and cut off an appropriately long branch.

When he gently grasped the end of the branch with his hand and pushed it, the smaller branches were neatly trimmed.

“This old man originally had a weapon, you know.”

The old man swung the hastily made staff through the air a few times, then looked at Cheongun as if it wasn’t bad and spoke.

“I gave my staff to my disciple, so I don’t have it anymore.”

So that’s who he was.

The former Dragon Head of the Dragon Head Room.

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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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