The World’s Greatest Martial Arts Instructor - Chapter 498

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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 498. Because I’ve Seen It Before

 

 

Messenger Zhuge Yi-jong ran with all his might.

He ran as if he would burst through the doors of Gwanje Temple at any moment.

However.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Thud.

Ha Mu-baek appeared before him and punched him, sending him tumbling backward.

“Urgh.”

A groan escaped involuntarily.

“I asked if you’ve ever starved.”

Ha Mu-baek crouched down in front of Zhuge Yi-jong who had fallen to the ground.

“I’m asking because I met children last night who had starved for three days. Their parents took all the money they had saved and left home, saying they were coming here? They didn’t even leave much food for the children. When I came to see, there were indeed people who appeared to be those parents.”

Ha Mu-baek smiled coldly.

That smile was terrifyingly frightening.

Zhuge Yi-jong flinched.

“Th… that’s nothing…”

Grip.

Zhuge Yi-jong’s words couldn’t continue.

Ha Mu-baek had grabbed him by the collar.

“Parents who don’t even properly prepare food for their children put all their money into that box. Right?”

Killing intent flashed in Ha Mu-baek’s eyes.

“So. Let’s start by having you starve first.”

Ha Mu-baek stood up and lifted Zhuge Yi-jong with him.

‘My, my body… my, my internal energy won’t move.’

Ha Mu-baek had already completely subdued Zhuge Yi-jong through pressure point strikes.

The moment he glanced at the wooden statue placed before the shrine.

Crack!

The shrine shattered into pieces instantly.

At that moment, he could see with his own eyes the formation’s qi energy that had been activating around them gradually subsiding.

He could see it because he still had his Infinite Bright Wheel Eye activated.

“So that was the key that activated the formation.”

Ha Mu-baek’s form disappeared after muttering quietly.

A wild mountain somewhat distant from the village.

He threw Zhuge Yi-jong into a small cave that appeared to have been some unknown beast’s den.

After that, Ha Mu-baek returned to the village and observed the situation.

Those who had gathered at Gwanje Temple, bowing frantically with glazed eyes while listening to Zhuge Yi-jong’s sermons, were now living normal lives as if nothing had happened.

The same was true for the parents of siblings Jo Hyang-a and Jo Hu-pyo.

They were startled to hear that a passerby had given porridge to the children last night.

But since it was already past, they focused on daily life while warning them to be careful in the future.

People who had disappeared for over three days and then returned to daily life caused conflicts everywhere.

“Father! The money I saved to buy books this time, did you perhaps take it?”

“You don’t need to read such books anymore. Before you take the civil service exam, Goddess Guanyin will change this world.”

“Father!”

“That money will be used properly by Goddess Guanyin to destroy the world.”

“Father!”

Such conflicts were happening in every other house.

Ha Mu-baek was listening to all these sounds.

He slightly turned his head to look at the wild mountain. Then he looked toward the direction where Yungjoong Mountain was located.

“What exactly are you people hoping for?”

There was subtle anger flowing in that voice.

Three days passed.

Ha Mu-baek observed the village situation and then headed to the wild mountain again.

The appearance of Zhuge Yi-jong, who had been thrown into the cave, was truly miserable.

Since he had been subdued so he couldn’t move, he had soiled himself completely in his pants.

At that sight, Ha Mu-baek immediately frowned.

“Filthy bastard.”

Zhuge Yi-jong’s face contorted at Ha Mu-baek’s muttering.

Whose fault was it that he had ended up like this?

But the thought that came to mind first was.

“Wa, water… water…”

A terribly hoarse voice flowed out between his cracked lips.

He hadn’t had a single sip of water for three days.

Ha Mu-baek approached Zhuge Yi-jong and let a little water from his water bottle trickle into his mouth.

Gulp. Gulp.

Had he drunk about three sips?

Ha Mu-baek stood up again.

“More, more…”

Ha Mu-baek coldly ignored the desperate muttering.

‘Too clumsy, far too clumsy.’

What was the Zhuge family thinking when they sent out such a person like this?

To be in such a state from not eating anything for just about three days.

Of course, one could die from not drinking water for more than three days, but even considering that, his appearance was too pathetic.

“Urgh.”

Once his urgent thirst was relieved, hunger seemed to be rushing in now.

The expression filling Zhuge Yi-jong’s face was hunger and appetite.

Then a small wind blew from the cave entrance.

It blew from outside to inside, and at the same time, the smell of food left outside drifted in on the wind.

“Huh, huhk…”

Zhuge Yi-jong, who smelled that scent, let out a scream-like breath.

Ha Mu-baek looked at him with a pathetic expression.

Could this guy not even smell the stench and foul odor coming from his own body?

He thought that after smelling that odor for more than two days, he might have gotten used to it.

Ha Mu-baek lightly sent out finger wind and turned around.

“You should be able to move. Come out.”

Coming out of the cave, fresh air entered his lungs.

Zhuge Yi-jong, who had been blinking his eyes, tried moving from his fingertips first, then realizing his body could move, staggered and moved outside.

This was due to the aftereffects of being paralyzed for a long time, plus having no strength to move his body after starving for three days.

“Tsk. To look like that from just that much.”

As if he couldn’t hear Ha Mu-baek’s voice, Zhuge Yi-jong’s eyes turned toward the wooden container holding food.

This smell was definitely roasted duck.

Though it was food he usually ate commonly, now it felt sweeter than the peach fragrance of Muling Paradise said to be in the Heavenly Realm.

The feces in his pants stuck to various parts of his legs as he walked, but as if he didn’t care, Zhuge Yi-jong hesitantly approached the roasted duck.

Thud.

However, he clutched his stomach from Ha Mu-baek’s lightly swung fist and knelt down.

“This bastard bewitched people in such a way. Tsk.”

Ha Mu-baek clicked his tongue in disgust and disbelief.

“What are you lot scheming?”

“….”

Zhuge Yi-jong kept his mouth tightly shut at Ha Mu-baek’s question.

“You don’t seem to have any restriction techniques on you.”

He was different from the sect messenger they had captured in Luoyang.

That bastard had only uttered the three characters “Yungjoong Mountain” even under sleep deprivation torture.

It meant he was someone the Zhuge family had prepared with precautionary measures for unexpected situations.

But this one was different.

He had originally learned the Zhuge family’s martial arts and bore the Zhuge surname.

There would be no such restriction techniques.

Ha Mu-baek started with something simple.

“Your name?”

“….”

Zhuge Yi-jong still kept his mouth tightly shut.

Thunk.

Ha Mu-baek threw a water container in front of Zhuge Yi-jong.

His eyes flickered with hope.

Though the deathly thirst had subsided, his throat was still dry.

“Name.”

He asked once more, but Zhuge Yi-jong gave no answer and slowly reached his hand toward the water container.

“Hah?”

Ha Mu-baek let out an incredulous sigh and shot out finger wind.

“Kugh.”

Zhuge Yi-jong grimaced sharply at the heavy pain striking the back of his hand.

“Name.”

This was the third question.

“Zhu, Zhu, Zhuge Yi-jong.”

And he quickly grabbed the water bottle and brought it to his mouth.

Gulp. Gulp.

The moment water continuously went down his throat.

Ha Mu-baek shot out finger wind again.

The water container flew away.

“Cough. Kek. Kek.”

Zhuge Yi-jong, who had choked, coughed roughly.

“Direct lineage? Branch family?”

“Huu. Huu.”

As if his thirst had completely disappeared, vitality appeared in Zhuge Yi-jong’s eyes.

Now his eyes were fixed on the wooden container presumed to contain roasted duck.

After resolving his thirst, hunger was felt even more intensely.

He had starved for a full three days.

Since birth, this was definitely his first experience starving like this.

Even during seclusion training, he had eaten to some extent with fasting pills and jerky.

Though he had starved for a full day before, he had never starved for three days like this.

Ha Mu-baek looked at Zhuge Yi-jong’s state and sighed.

“Looking at how you’re acting, you’re a pampered brat. Direct lineage then.”

Zhuge Yi-jong unconsciously nodded his head.

“Gulp.”

And he swallowed his saliva.

Ha Mu-baek opened the lid of the wooden container.

As Zhuge Yi-jong expected, roasted duck was there, steaming with warm vapor.

It was just roasted duck.

Yet right now that roasted duck looked more delicious than any delicacies in the world.

This was the first time Zhuge Yi-jong had experienced such a thing.

“Want to eat?”

Ha Mu-baek looked at Zhuge Yi-jong’s face with disdain and asked.

Zhuge Yi-jong slightly nodded his head.

Every single one of his actions was absurd.

Then suddenly Ha Mu-baek’s gaze stopped on Zhuge Yi-jong’s face.

Though he was showing emotion, his expression was incredibly awkward.

The thought occurred to him that this guy was wearing a mask.

“Let’s see your face first.”

When Ha Mu-baek lightly waved his hand.

“Ugh, ughhh….”

The mask seemed quite firmly attached, as Zhuge Yi-jong let out groans of pain.

Riiip.

The mask came off as if being torn away.

Ha Mu-baek showed a surprised expression upon seeing the revealed face.

It was because of his youthful face.

Was he at most around twenty years old?

He was such a young fellow.

Seeing his face, he finally understood this guy’s behavior.

Both his clumsiness and lack of patience.

“Tsk.”

Ha Mu-baek unconsciously clicked his tongue.

Why on earth was such a young fellow doing this.

This wasn’t even a time like the Great Murim War when fierce battles unfolded daily.

Ha Mu-baek used void grasping to tear off a very small piece of duck meat and put it in Zhuge Yi-jong’s mouth.

If he ate such greasy food after starving for three days, he would surely get sick.

But that wasn’t Ha Mu-baek’s concern.

Zhuge Yi-jong hurriedly chewed and swallowed the meat.

His eyes were craving more meat.

“What are you lot scheming?”

“…Hea, heaven….”

Zhuge Yi-jong’s lips trembled.

The first step was difficult, but once water and meat entered and the hunger in his stomach raged madly, his mouth gradually began to move.

“We spread the influence of Seseegwaneum Temple throughout all under heaven to collect money, then send it to the family estate. That is the mission I was assigned.”

Zhuge Yi-jong spoke with his eyes tightly shut.

He kept twitching his nose.

Ha Mu-baek tore off a slightly larger piece of duck meat and put it in his mouth.

“Where is that money used?”

“I don’t know.”

Zhuge Yi-jong answered quickly while chewing the meat.

Since not knowing was the truth, there was nothing to hesitate about or hide.

“The reason for pretending to be Demon Cult members?”

“What do you mean by that?”

Zhuge Yi-jong asked back instead.

“Didn’t you call it the Heavenly Demon Guanyin statue?”

“We called it Heavenly Demon Guanyin simply because it’s a Guanyin that will destroy the world.”

Ha Mu-baek reached a conclusion from the answer he received.

This bastard doesn’t know much.

Seeing that he was from the Zhuge Family’s direct lineage yet knew so little and was stationed in such a small village, he was clearly someone sent out for experience.

Meeting him seemed to be something not planned by the Zhuge Family.

Who could have predicted that Ha Mu-baek would appear in a place like this?

Even for the Zhuge Family, known for their divine calculations.

What was strange was.

‘That bastard knows my face?’

That was it.

There was no way that bastard, who was barely past his coming of age, would know his face.

“Where on Yungjoong Mountain are you raising the messengers?”

“I don’t know.”

He answered far too boldly.

“Then what about you?”

“I was educated at the family estate. I personally requested it from Father.”

Now the bastard was even moving the wooden container over, grabbing roasted duck and tearing into it as he answered.

Ha Mu-baek didn’t bother to stop him.

To think he’d act like this after starving for just three days.

Irritation flared up.

The siblings from the hut came to mind.

“Then how do you know my face?”

At Ha Mu-baek’s question, Zhuge Yi-jong answered indifferently.

“Because I’ve seen you before.”

Ha Mu-baek frowned.

He had no memory of it, yet this one claimed to have seen him before?

He examined Zhuge Yi-jong’s face carefully once more.

Though it was the face of someone past coming of age, there were still traces of youth remaining, and looking more carefully, it was a face that seemed familiar somehow.

“You are…”

He recalled the memory.

The day he single-handedly defeated two hundred Blood Cult Elite Warriors.

The foolish child who had secretly hidden nearby to watch that battle.

It was that bastard.

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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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