The Owner Of The Thousand Gold Coins Is A Military Official - Chapter 57

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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 57

 

Killing Pokdanma.

 

In some ways it was a simple matter, but there was one thing that needed to be resolved.

 

Namely, what would happen after the killing.

 

It was somewhat amusing to discuss death before even crossing swords, but Cheongun hadn’t even considered the possibility of failure from the start.

 

In his previous life, failure meant death.

 

What more could one do after death?

 

It wasn’t just about hoping for success alone.

 

If the result called success was right before your eyes, making it the best possible outcome was naturally important.

 

There were countless cases where hard-won success became utterly useless.

 

Cheongun had lived the life that some called a warrior, others called a wandering swordsman.

 

“The method is already decided.”

 

If an incident occurred that directly threatened someone’s safety, Cheongun wouldn’t escape the realm of suspicion either.

 

Moreover, he would be away from his quarters at that time, making it even more so.

 

“This should be good.”

 

Before getting any closer to Pokdanma’s residence.

 

And this place, somewhat removed from the banquet hall.

 

Should it be called the most secluded area?

 

Since he was a demon who managed gunpowder, there were few people around to begin with.

 

Seeing the thick smell of gunpowder lingering here and there, it seemed explosions had occurred frequently during research.

 

Cheongun faintly revealed his concealed presence, and at that moment, Pokdanma, who had been walking ahead, stopped in his tracks.

 

“Huh…”

 

The meaning of his exclamation was unclear, but it didn’t sound very positive.

 

He probably knew it best himself.

 

No matter how drunk he was, how could he fail to notice the presence following behind him?

 

“Who is it? There’s no way someone wouldn’t know who I am in this place… ah, there is one person who might not know.”

 

His intuition wasn’t bad, befitting his experience.

 

He immediately placed Cheongun as the most suspicious candidate.

 

“How could I not know? Elder Pokdanma.”

 

“You know who this old man is, yet…”

 

Soon, killing intent began to surge in Pokdanma’s eyes as he turned around.

 

“Why are you covering your face?”

 

At those words, Cheongun smiled and answered.

 

Ah, but Pokdanma couldn’t see Cheongun’s smile.

 

“That’s enough then.”

 

“That’s… enough?”

 

A momentarily puzzled expression.

 

Since he had essentially proven that he didn’t recognize him, Pokdanma let out a hollow laugh.

 

“I see, you’ve taken this old man lightly.”

 

“It does seem that way. Senior.”

 

Pokdanma had always had an inferiority complex about his short stature.

 

Cheongun wondered if this level of provocation would have an effect, and sure enough, there was a reaction.

 

“…You may look young, but your tongue seems to have lived for sixty years already…”

 

Still, he seemed not to have lost his grip on reason.

 

It would actually be more convenient for Cheongun if he flew into a rage immediately.

 

The black blade that had been drawn before arriving was now pointing at Pokdanma.

 

“I’ll just borrow it for tonight and return it.”

 

“Haha! Where exactly will you return it?”

 

“Since you’re close to the ground, I’ll return it to the ground.”

 

His hardened expression was truly exquisite.

 

Though he didn’t prefer such personal attacks, what of it?

 

Wasn’t this the Demonic Sect?

 

“Insolent bastard… Fine. I’ll return your head, which is close to the sky, back to the sky.”

 

Pokdanma’s usual inferiority complex wasn’t solely based on his height.

 

Purely researching gunpowder and thunder orbs was what he truly wanted and desired to do.

 

He found it more interesting than training martial arts and disciplining himself.

 

But paradoxically, that’s what made him feel inferior.

 

The assessment that without thunder orbs, Pokdanma was nothing.

 

Those assessments wouldn’t leave Pokdanma as a martial artist alone.

 

“Hup…”

 

Pokdanma took his stance while taking a deep breath.

 

His martial arts based on fist techniques had exceptional natural talent from the start, but physical limitations existed.

 

“Come. The intoxication that flew away thanks to you needs to be replenished using your head as a side dish.”

 

“Then. I won’t decline.”

 

Who was Pokdanma?

 

Wasn’t he an unfortunate genius hidden behind the infamy of being obsessed with gunpowder?

 

Just because he was somewhat short, he had reached his limit in external martial arts, but his internal energy far transcended such realms.

 

Was his inclusion among the Seven Great Demons simply luck?

 

Achieved solely by being better at handling gunpowder than anyone else?

 

Absolutely not.

 

No one could deny this, and even the previous Heavenly Demon he had served acknowledged this aspect.

 

How many had looked down on him until now?

 

Whenever ranking battles came around, even those outside the top twenty would challenge Pokdanma, let alone those in the top ten.

 

But the outcome was always the same.

 

‘You’re no different from those bastards…’

 

At that moment.

 

Something Pokdanma had forgotten for a very long time appeared again.

 

This was an instinctive warning bell.

 

That young man before his eyes was definitely not someone to take lightly.

 

‘Isn’t this demonic energy intense enough to make my skin tingle…!’

 

Inwardly, Pokdanma had thought that mysterious young man was probably from the Righteous Sect who had been captured this time.

 

Though not certain, he had been almost convinced.

 

But what was this demonic energy?

 

This terrible demonic energy was closer to purity than even the demonic energy of Cheonjeokha, whom he acknowledged and supported.

 

Was that all?

 

At the same time, the black blade had reached right before his eyes in an instant.

 

He thought he hadn’t let his guard down, but apparently he had.

 

The opponent’s youthful appearance and seemingly frivolous words and actions were probably the cause.

 

Clang.

 

If he hadn’t hastily deflected it with his hand, it would have been a quite deep wound.

 

Even while belonging to the same Demonic Sect, to be able to influence one of the Seven Great Demons with demonic energy alone.

 

“Su-surely you’re not…”

 

“It seems you have a guess.”

 

“…How! They clearly said you were dead…!”

 

Pokdanma’s expression was far from normal.

 

As if witnessing something that shouldn’t exist happening before his eyes, his expression was half-dazed.

 

What could it be?

 

Even though he realized from their brief exchange that Cheongun was definitely not someone to take lightly, seeing him so dazed suggested it was quite a shocking fact.

 

“…Where is it.”

 

“What do you mean.”

 

“Right. I didn’t think you’d speak obediently.”

 

Pokdanma’s eyes changed.

 

But what difference would that make?

 

Cheongun’s eyes remained exactly the same as before.

 

Since he had been sincere from the beginning, there was no reason for his eyes to change, was there?

 

“Even now, showing such resolve is laughable.”

 

“I acknowledge it. I underestimated you.”

 

Thunder Orbs finally emerged from Pokdanma’s chest.

 

Pokdanma was someone who had devoted his entire life to researching gunpowder and Thunder Orbs.

 

Would such a person have ended his Thunder Orb research with merely increasing or decreasing their power?

 

Long ago, when he couldn’t even rank within the top thousand, let alone among the Seven Great Demons.

 

From that time, Pokdanma had endlessly researched ways to utilize Thunder Orbs and martial arts simultaneously.

 

“Consider it an honor. This is the first time I’m showing this to someone who isn’t from our sect.”

 

Someone who isn’t from our sect.

 

Was he certain of Cheongun’s identity?

 

No, if that were the case, his earlier reactions wouldn’t make sense.

 

There were more than one or two strange points, but he figured he’d learn about this too once this battle ended.

 

Right now, both had things they were curious about, so neither had any intention of backing down.

 

The first to move was Pokdanma.

 

Since he had yielded the first move earlier, now it was Pokdanma’s turn.

 

Having no intention of dragging this battle out, Pokdanma rapidly circulated his internal energy.

 

At the same time, small marble-sized objects he had taken from his chest began scattering into the sky.

 

“One of the Danggga’s ultimate techniques is called Manceonhwau.”

 

The rapidly circulated internal energy began flowing toward those orbs all at once.

 

“One of this Pokdanma’s ultimate techniques, I named it like this.”

 

Even though the sun had completely set, the surrounding area began to brighten.

 

It went far beyond simply becoming bright.

 

If it weren’t Cheongun, just witnessing this scene would have blinded him.

 

“Mancang Flower Explosion.”

 

Explosive flowers filling the sky.

 

The name was quite fitting.

 

“Do you know something?”

 

“…What do you mean?”

 

“In terms of beauty, Manceonhwau was more beautiful.”

 

“How do you…”

 

Still, wasn’t it amazing?

 

Thinking that all those explosions would soon be directed at him, it was a beautiful sight that made his knees weak.

 

What was the reason those explosions occurred in the sky?

 

Explosions can only damage an opponent when they finally reach their vicinity.

 

Therefore, Cheongun did not let his guard down.

 

From the beginning, the words “carelessness” and “Cheongun” could never be placed on the same level.

 

Manceonhwau was a lethal technique in itself, but there was one sharp dagger hidden within that splendor.

 

Mancang Flower Explosion had a similar context, but there was one difference.

 

This splendor wasn’t meant to hide something.

 

From the start, those Thunder Orbs had been detonated by Pokdanma’s internal energy.

 

The fact that they had already reacted to internal energy made it clear to anyone that those flames weren’t ordinary flames.

 

Containing both the fire energy of Thunder Orbs and Pokdanma’s demonic energy simultaneously.

 

“Quite a spectacle.”

 

The flames that exploded like that made the air thick.

 

He wasn’t sure if there was also an intention to block vision, but it seemed capable of that too.

 

Should he say the compatibility wasn’t good?

 

Cheonsosu’s ice techniques hadn’t affected Cheongun much either.

 

Since Cheongun had long ago reached the realm of immunity to heat and cold, he wasn’t affected by fire energy.

 

As for demonic energy, well.

 

There was no need to even mention it.

 

Then, something flew in at high speed through the thick smoke.

 

Pokdanma’s Thunder Orbs were deeply connected to internal energy.

 

Therefore, those Thunder Orbs couldn’t be dodged or deflected.

 

“Boom!!”

 

The right size for Pokdanma himself.

 

The right weight.

 

Materials that could contain internal energy well, and so on.

 

Thunder Orbs that could be thrown with desired intensity to desired locations were Pokdanma’s greatest weapon.

 

And being able to detonate them at the desired moment was also part of it.

 

Pokdanma wasn’t certain of his victory.

 

But he was confident he could inflict at least minimal damage on that young man.

 

This first explosion was like a victory salute, and also like a signal flare for the Thunder Orbs that would follow.

 

“…?”

 

But the Thunder Orb didn’t explode.

 

He had clearly circulated his internal energy well, so why?

 

At that moment, the mist created by the thickly spread fire energy and demonic energy began gathering toward a single point.

 

“What…!”

 

Was he using sorcery?

 

Pokdanma wondered what on earth was happening.

 

Had his thoughts about predicting Cheongun’s identity been wrong?

 

The result of what had gathered this mist into a single point began to appear.

 

“Ha! As expected. As expected! I wasn’t wrong!”

 

At that sight, Pokdanma could finally be certain that his prediction had been accurate.

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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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