Chapter 98
The warriors blocked the way.
Baekji pointed at the skinny warrior at the very back with his bamboo staff and said, "You, go and tell them that a master of the 'true realm' has arrived."
"Hmph!"
The large leader let out a snort.
The theater troupe had been noisy since morning, and now it was a madman.
Baekji said to the remaining warriors, "You guys need to sleep a little."
Thwack! Thwack, thwack!
Before they could even answer, Baekji's bamboo staff struck the warriors' heads.
The warriors, without even being able to scream, 'pik, pik', collapsed.
"This brat? It's an enemy!"
The large leader gave a single warning and then was struck by the bamboo staff and collapsed.
The skinny warrior trembled and dropped the sword in his hand.
"What are you doing? I told you to go and tell them that a master of the 'true realm' has appeared."
The skinny warrior ran inside like an arrow.
Baekji slowly walked towards the middle gate.
"It's really wide. Should I build a manor like this too?"
It was so wide that it could not be compared to the Yang-Bai Merchant Sect, and the landscaping was also well done.
A commotion arose from inside, and the middle gate opened, and warriors rushed out.
A middle-aged man with a pale impression stood in front of the warriors. His face was long and his eyes were narrow, and the ends of his narrow mustache were slightly turned up, giving him an overall smiling impression.
The middle-aged man, who had seen the approaching Baekji, said to the skinny warrior, "Is that him? The one who calls himself a master of the 'true realm'?"
"Yes. He's an... an incredible master."
"Shut up! You pathetic brat!"
A master of the 'true realm' was not a stone rolling on the roadside.
For such a brat to be a master of the 'true realm'.
If he was in the 'true realm', he could be called the sect master or an elder of a sect.
Even if he was a prodigy raised by a great sect or a great family with all their resources, he would have to be thirty to even look at the 'true realm'.
He did not believe from the beginning that Baekji, who was in his teens, was in the 'true realm'.
Moreover, what kind of a master would go around shouting his own realm?
The middle-aged man with the mustache looked at Baekji with his narrow eyes and said, "Who are you? Do you even know where this is?"
"I'm Baekji, this is Chuga Manor."
Baekji said, walking leisurely with his bamboo staff on his shoulder.
"I am a master of the 'true realm', and you are... third-rate small fry? Ah, ah, you seem to be able to use a sword quite well. 'Peak'?"
The middle-aged man with the mustache shook his head at Baekji's words and, cracked his neck.
"Heh, this is really..."
As if he were dumbfounded, he looked back and then said to Baekji again, "So you were a madman... are you on a martial arts journey? If so, you've come to the wrong house. This is not a martial arts hall, nor is it a place for you to face."
The middle-aged man with the mustache put his hand on his sword hilt.
"...But there's no need to say such things. Just by breaking into Chuga Manor, you deserve to die."
The middle-aged man with the mustache walked down the stairs.
An extremely restrained gait...
Baekji nodded and said, "Hmm... now that I see you again, you seem to be at the Transcendent Peak?"
The mustache twitched, and the middle-aged man instantly stood in front of Baekji.
Shaaak!
With the drawing of the sword, the sword tried to cut Baekji's right arm, which was holding the bamboo staff.
Baekji flicked his wrist and put the bamboo staff against his right arm like a splint.
Clang!
At the same time as he blocked the sword, the bamboo staff, 'sook', shot out and struck the middle-aged man with the mustache's Adam's apple.
Keok-!
The middle-aged man with the mustache clutched his throat and staggered back.
Keok! Keok!
His face turned red as he choked.
It was an incredibly futile exchange.
"Hey, pat his back. He's going to choke to death."
At Baekji's words, the warriors ran up, patted the middle-aged man with the mustache's back, and pressed his stomach.
"You see? This is the skill of the 'true realm'."
Baekji, like the middle-aged man with the mustache, shook his head to the side and, cracked his neck, but no sound came out.
"As expected, my body is flexible..."
The warriors dragged the middle-aged man with the mustache and retreated. The other warriors all aimed their swords, but no one rushed forward.
The middle-aged man with the mustache was the best master at Chuga Manor, except for the manor lord.
It was understandable that he had collapsed without lasting even one exchange.
The warrior at the very back ran inside.
A moment later.
"Get out of the way!"
The warriors, parted to the side like a parting of the waters.
An old man with a slightly thin build walked through them.
The owner of Chuga Manor and a Martial Alliance elder, Chuganyang.
Chuganyang, who had roamed the martial world with the moniker 'One Flash Saber', had come out in person.
Chuganyang had already been reported on the situation.
He glanced at the middle-aged man with the mustache, who was unconscious and surrounded by his subordinates, and then looked at Baekji.
His expression was not good.
"If it's the 'Lightning Saber', he's a master worthy of roaming the martial world... his skills are quite good."
Baekji smiled at Chuganyang.
"Of course. I told you I'm a master of the 'true realm'."
"What is the reason you came to find me?"
This was the first time Chuganyang had experienced such a thing.
To break into an elder's house in the Alliance's territory.
It was something that could not happen unless one was crazy.
Baekji shook his head.
"It's a misunderstanding. I didn't come to find you."
"...? Are you joking with me now?"
"The 'River Frost Performance Troupe's Chogang!"
Although Baekji said it, Chuganyang just frowned and glared.
"Huh? You don't know? You don't know the 'River Frost Performance Troupe's Chogang? I heard she's being held somewhere here."
"Who is that?"
"You held a banquet here yesterday, calling the actors of the 'River Frost Performance Troupe', right? Chogang attended, but you're holding her captive."
Chuganyang turned to the side.
A pale-faced general manager whispered in his ear.
Chuganyang's complexion, changed as he listened to the general manager's words.
The middle-aged man with the mustache, who had just regained consciousness, stood up and stood next to Chuganyang.
Chuganyang's eyes, looking at the middle-aged man with the mustache, were full of anger.
"Is this true?"
The middle-aged man with the mustache answered with a flustered face, "Yunbi wanted to see the actors in person... I will find out what happened."
Thwack!
Chuganyang struck the middle-aged man with the mustache's shoulder with his scabbard.
"What are you doing? In my house..."
Chuganyang, who was shouting, cut off his words as if he were conscious of Baekji.
"Bring them here at once!"
The middle-aged man with the mustache hurriedly went inside with two warriors.
"Umm..."
Chuganyang let out a groan and then shouted to the surrounding warriors, "Everyone, retreat!"
The general manager, conscious of Baekji, said, "Manor Lord, that brat seems to be no pushover..."
"Enough. I said everyone retreat!"
The warriors, retreated like a receding tide.
Chuganyang glared at the general manager.
"You're the general manager, and if something like that happens, you should report it immediately..."
"I'm sorry."
The general manager, sweating coldly, bowed his head repeatedly.
Chuganyang, turned his head towards Baekji.
"The actors will come out. Who are you? You don't seem to be part of the theater troupe."
"A master of the 'true realm'..."
"I mean your name. Don't even dream of trying to get away with it in front of me, Chuganyang."
"Somehow... being in the 'true realm' at this age doesn't make sense, does it? Shall I just say I'm at the Transcendent Peak?"
"..."
"Yes, in fact, I'm at the Transcendent Peak."
Baekji kept changing the subject.
Since Chuganyang was a Martial Alliance elder, he felt reluctant to reveal his name.
He just had to find the actors Chogang and Jueon.
Chuganyang glared at Baekji.
A slightly thin face, desolate eyes, a shrill voice...
Even the twisted lips.
'Sigh... he must have a temper.'
The middle-aged man with the mustache seemed to be his disciple, and seeing that he had hit him right away, it was clear that he had a stubborn personality.
In Chuganyang's left hand was a sword with a narrow blade.
From his stance and center of gravity, it was a stance where he could unleash a single sword at any time.
It was as if a single sword were standing there.
'He's knocking on the door of the 'manifestation realm'. From the looks of it, he's a fast sword.'
From his ki, it seemed he could not be easily dismissed.
I shouldn't stand out...
That's why I emphasized that I was in the 'true realm'...
When Baekji changed the subject, Chuganyang growled, "Are you going to keep spouting nonsense?"
Tick.
When Chuganyang flicked his thumb, the sword slightly came out of its scabbard.
Then, a sharp ki pressed down on Baekji's entire body.
'Umm, the preparation for drawing the sword comes first... then he suppresses the opponent with his ki...'
It meant that he would get an answer even if he had to use force.
"Well, it's not a name worth telling... you're a Martial Alliance elder?"
"..."
Chuganyang, who was glaring silently.
"...I'm Baekji. The Honored One of the Yang-Bai Merchant Sect..."
"...?"
"You're a Martial Alliance elder, and you don't know? I'm quite famous. The Honored One of the Yang-Bai Merchant Sect who caught Bai Renguang and Tang Tian'e, who had joined the Blood Sect. The Honored One of the Household of the Tang family... that's me... so put that sword back."
"..."
"...Don't you think I, who am in the 'true realm', no, the Transcendent Peak, would be scared? I feel my life is threatened..."
A brat who doesn't feel threatened at all...
The events that he had recently heard of flashed through Chuganyang's mind.
He had heard that a power struggle had broken out in the Tang family, and that the Blood Sect had been involved.
Since it was not a matter he was directly in charge of, he did not know the details.
"I heard that the chief investigator of the military affairs department resolved it."
"That's right... we resolved it together. I'm actually a person who has a foot in the Martial Alliance. In that sense, we're a family..."
"Don't you have a father and a mother?"
"Yes."
Baekji, who was staring as if to ask why he was asking such a thing.
He was speaking informally to a Martial Alliance elder, and he didn't even seem to know what he was doing wrong.
Innocent eyes with no fear...
But...
Deep.
"...!"
Chuganyang was unknowingly tense.
In his entire life, he had roamed the martial world and had met all sorts of strange brats.
But it was the first time he had met a brat who was so purely insolent like the one in front of him.
Even though he had pressed him with his ki, his face was comfortable.
Who is this brat?
An unknown brat...
Chuganyang, who was muttering to himself, opened his eyes wide.
A brat that he could not understand with his common sense!
I don't know...?
"...!"
Chuganyang had been knocking on the door of the 'manifestation realm' for years.
His topic of meditation was that his sword was where his thoughts reached.
If the opponent was a being outside the scope of his thoughts...
Could I cut him...?
Chuganyang was immersed in his topic of meditation.
To enter a topic of meditation in front of an opponent whose identity was unknown was an extremely dangerous act.
But he did not want to miss the moment he had caught the clue he had so desperately wanted.
Although Chuganyang's eyes were glaring at Baekji, the end of his gaze was directed at himself.
'Ha... is there such a case?'
When Chuganyang had sent out his ki, he had received it and had sent it back, and he had entered the 'manifestation realm'.
'I can't just leave like this. This kind of teaching is something you can't get even for a million pieces of gold.'
It was a torment to stand still, not wanting to break Chuganyang's enlightenment.
But unfortunately... it was soon broken.
"Manor Lord... there's big trouble. The young master... the young master..."
A warrior who had followed the middle-aged man with the mustache ran up and reported.
"Umm. Huh?"
At the words that his grandson was in danger, Chuganyang immediately came to his senses.
"What's wrong?"
Chuganyang, without even listening to the answer, hurriedly flew.
"Huh? I... I have to go too."
When the general manager tried to stop him, Baekji's figure disappeared.
"Gasp!"
He rubbed his eyes and looked around, but Baekji was not seen.
The general manager hurriedly ran to the young master's quarters.
* * *
Deep inside Chuga Manor.
The door of the living room exploded.
Boom-!
A cold, brilliant light shot out from the eyes of Chuganyang, who had appeared with the fragments.
The spacious living room was a mess.
It seemed a commotion had broken out during a banquet, and tables were overturned, and cups and bowls were rolling around with food.
On the head seat of the living room, his grandson, Chuwunbi, was sitting in a wheelchair.
In front of Chuwunbi, a young woman was sitting collapsed.
Chuwunbi, with his left forearm, wrapped around the neck of the woman who was sitting with her back to him, and forcibly held her up, and with his right hand, he held the woman's hand.
In the right hand of the woman who was held by Chuwunbi was a dagger.
On the opposite side, the middle-aged man with the mustache was supporting a bleeding young man and was confronting them.
Chuwunbi's eyes, seeing his grandfather who had appeared, breaking the door, flashed with a brilliant light.
"Kehehe... Grandfather, you've come? It's been a long time... kehehe."
(End of Chapter)