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C139. In the Jianghu, Power is Truth
Yeon Jeokha and Shim Tong, the Old Dao of Nine Heavens, approach life in consistently different ways.
In Yeon Jeokha's case, he often found himself involved in disputes unintentionally. On the other hand, Shim Tong deliberately provoked conflicts.
However, today, for the first time, their roles were reversed.
With a churning stomach, Yeon Jeokha started the trouble, while the usually provocative Shim Tong was caught off guard.
“It's still cold, and it sounds like there's a fly buzzing around here. Do you hear it too, old man?”
At Yeon Jeokha's comment, Shim Tong immediately responded.
“Of course, there shouldn't be flies in a restaurant, but there's one the size of a person sitting right here.”
Shim Tong glared maliciously at Im Heodan, known as Thirteen Swords.
Instead of calming the situation, Shim Tong deliberately escalated the tension.
Infuriated by Yeon Jeokha's words, and faced with Shim Tong's provocative gaze, Im Heodan finally exploded.
“What did you say? You're begging to be killed!”
Bang!
The chair fell backward with a loud crash.
The members of the Bongmu Sect, who occupied nearly half of the restaurant, shot cold glares at them.
However, the Blue Sky Sword, Namgung Cheon, didn't even flinch.
In fact, he felt relieved, as he had been annoyed that his only sister had been separated from the group.
With his appetite restored, he beckoned the restaurant owner with a wave of his hand.
“What else do you need, sir?”
“I want you to take all these dishes away and bring us new ones.”
“All of them?”
“Yes, don't worry about the money.”
“Understood, sir.”
The owner, bowing repeatedly, hurried away.
The Bongmu Sect members sitting together looked uncomfortable, but Namgung Cheon paid them no attention.
One sect member couldn't help but cough deliberately.
In response, Namgung Cheon drew his sword and placed it on the table with a dry sound.
The gesture, strange but imposing, silenced the Bongmu Sect members.
As the dispute arose at Yeon Jeokha's table, Seol Chasu glanced at Yu Geunsik.
“Younger brother, we're still members of the Justice Alliance…”
The words “shouldn't we intervene?” stayed in his mouth.
He, too, had been annoyed that the Bongmu Sect had taken the women aside.
Yu Geunsik, reading his thoughts, shook his head.
He wanted to insult the Bongmu Sect leader but held back due to the presence of other sect members.
“It’s better if this blows up soon. The more anger accumulates, the more dangerous it becomes.”
“You’re right.”
Seol Chasu stopped worrying about the Bongmu Sect.
As Yu Geunsik said, it was better to confront the situation while emotions were still shallow. Facing it now could save lives and turn serious injuries into minor ones.
With this in mind, Seol Chasu refocused on his meal.
Im Heodan, who had caused the commotion, finally caught the attention of the sect leader, Yong Yucheon.
Smiling at the situation, Yong Yucheon spoke.
“Well, it seems the leader of the Burning Soul Brigade is a fiery person. Once he gets angry, he needs to burn his opponent completely to calm down. Should I intervene?”
Namgung Yeon continued eating in silence, but Jin Seolha, being a junior of the Justice Alliance, responded sincerely.
“If you don't stop him, someone will get seriously hurt.”
Suddenly, Yong Yucheon's gaze grew sharper.
It seemed she was implying that Im Heodan would be the one to get hurt.
“Im Daeju may not get hurt, but if he does, they’ll make the Bongmu Sect their enemy.”
“Ah! Please don’t. Those people are on a mission at the request of the Alliance Leader. Will you disobey the Alliance Leader?”
“Hmph! Sorry, but I’ve never bent my will to external pressures.”
True to his emotions, Yong Yucheon rejected Jin Seolha's suggestion.
When it came to matters involving women, his temperament, which swung between good and evil, manifested.
He didn’t want to show weakness in front of the women of the Alliance. Rather, he wanted the women to kneel before him and beg for forgiveness for their group.
Although some might get hurt in the fight, what did it matter?
“Such is the Jianghu (World of Martial Artists).”
Slightly excited, Yong Yucheon ordered his vice leader, Yong Bitcheon.
“Younger brother, help Im Daeju subdue those men. Today, we’ll show them the pride of the Bongmu Sect.”
“Yes, elder brother.”
Beyond being the leader and vice leader, they were cousins. They needed a stronger bond than usual, so they called each other personally.
Yong Bitcheon stood up, and two followers accompanied him like shadows.
Im Heodan, the leader of the Burning Soul Brigade, glared at Yeon Jeokha and Shim Tong with fiery eyes.
He wanted to finish them off, but the thought that they were members of the Justice Alliance stopped him.
Trembling, he addressed Shim Tong.
“Why are you standing there like a statue? Are you worried about the Alliance? Don’t worry. The young master and I aren’t part of the Alliance.”
“You’re not part of the Alliance? Who are you then?”
“The young master and I are heroes of Nokrim. Satisfied?”
Shim Tong laughed as he increased the tension.
“Ah! So you’re bandits from Nokrim. No wonder your words are so bold. Nokrim bandits dare to show their faces in Bongmu Sect territory. It doesn’t matter why you’re traveling with brothers from the Alliance; we won’t forgive you.”
“Jejeje! I warn you, if you draw a sword in front of the young master…”
Shim Tong glanced at Yeon Jeokha, seeking his approval.
He wanted to know how far he could go with these fools.
Yeon Jeokha, with a bored expression, said nothing.
Since descending from the mountain, he had never been in a worse mood than today.
Even when the Demon Warriors ravaged the village, he didn’t feel this bad.
Handling his food with chopsticks, Namgung Cheon intervened softly.
“Senior, we’re eating, so try not to spill blood.”
Knowing Shim Tong's abilities, Namgung Cheon wanted to moderate him.
Shim Tong, though a bit disappointed, accepted Namgung Cheon's suggestion.
“From now on, anyone who draws a sword will lose their teeth.”
Shim Tong's unilateral declaration left Im Heodan incredulous.
“You’re completely crazy. Let’s see if your combat skills are as good as your words.”
With that, Im Heodan drew his sword.
The Bongmu Sect followers stepped back, avoiding being hit by a stray sword.
The food, which had warmed the atmosphere, turned into a battlefield in an instant.
Im Heodan's nickname was Thirteen Swords, earned for his rapid chained sword technique.
Sssshhh.
Im Heodan's sword sliced through the air.
As the old man moved slightly, Im Heodan launched the second and third swords.
Pum!
He felt a burning sensation in his mouth, and his head snapped back.
Staggering, Im Heodan barely regained his balance.
He felt something hard in his mouth.
“Pah!”
He spat into his hand and saw several broken teeth.
Five in total.
“Damn it!”
Im Heodan threw his teeth to the ground and attacked again.
“Die!”
His sword moved like a whirlwind toward Shim Tong.
But Shim Tong was at a level Im Heodan couldn’t reach.
He easily dodged the first sword and approached Im Heodan like a ghost.
Pum!
Shim Tong's fist struck Im Heodan’s cheek with a dull thud.
Im Heodan spun once and fell onto the sect leader’s table.
Now it was Yong Bitcheon and his two bodyguards' turn to face Shim Tong.
Yong Bitcheon, recognizing the old man’s skill, cautiously asked.
“I’m Yong Bitcheon, vice leader of the Bongmu Sect. What’s your nickname?”
“They call me the Old Dao of Nine Heavens. If you draw a sword, I'll feed you porridge for the rest of your life.”
Yong Bitcheon's eyes trembled.
Being challenged in front of his followers, he couldn’t back down.
“Hmph! An unknown and arrogant old man! Attack!”
Unsure if he could handle it alone, he ordered his followers to attack.
Cha-ching!
Three swords gleamed as they were drawn and aimed at Shim Tong.
But Shim Tong, as if deploying a ghostly movement technique, disappeared from his spot.
Pum! Pum! Pum!
The scene repeated itself as it had with Im Heodan.
The heads of the three men were violently struck.
All of them had their mouths shattered, some even dropping bloody teeth.
Namgung Cheon clicked his tongue.
Shim Tong wasn’t taking them down with a single strike but was amusing himself by breaking their teeth, leaving them with a chance to counterattack.
If he hadn’t suggested avoiding bloodshed, the situation could have been much worse.
The three men, still with some strength, screamed and attacked Shim Tong again.
But their luck ended there.
With a swift strike, Shim Tong knocked them down like fallen leaves.
Finally, the smile disappeared from the leader Yong Yucheon’s face.
Seeing his men defeated so easily left him stunned.
‘An expert of that level should be famous in the Jianghu.’
No matter how much he searched his memory, he couldn’t recall hearing about the Old Dao of Nine Heavens. Since he wasn’t directly involved, it was natural not to be aware of matters in Zhengzhou.
The Bongmu Sect members, witnessing Shim Tong’s impressive skill, could only look to their leader for guidance.
With so few men left in the restaurant, they lacked the confidence to confront the old man and his group.
Finally, Yong Yucheon stood up.
After his vice leader’s defeat, he had no choice but to step in.
“Venerable master, impressive. Which fortress are you from?”
In the Jianghu, power is the truth.
In an instant, ‘bandit’ became ‘master,’ and ‘old man’ became ‘venerable.’
Shim Tong, understanding his opponent’s intentions, smiled disdainfully.
“Why? Are you scared now? You said you’d show the pride of the Bongmu Sect. Are you not going to keep your word?”
Basically, he was saying, ‘Shut up and fight.’
But Yong Yucheon didn’t fall for the provocation.
“Of course, I’d love to, but how could the Bongmu Sect face guests of the Justice Alliance? It seems Im Daeju made a mistake. As the leader, I apologize.”
Yong Yucheon, something rare for him, bowed.
He preferred to prioritize the survival of his sect over his pride.
With a master of that level from a fortress in Nokrim, he didn’t want to make enemies.
Despite his vice leader’s defeat, he decided to apologize.
Shim Tong frowned.
Yeon Jeokha, who had been watching with a bored expression, intervened.
“Hey, old man, if you’re going to apologize, do it properly. Kneel.”
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