Scholar Demon Venerable

At the Blood Emperor's cold words, Cheongun bit his lip.

How much time had passed since then, that he had momentarily forgotten the revenge he had vowed with tears of blood. The pain of the body had planted forgetfulness in his mind.

"I'm sorry. I was momentarily lazy."

Cheongun vowed again to endure and overcome any difficulty and pain.

[That's enough. Let's get beaten hard today too.]

"..."

Thus, Cheongun, who had left the mansion following the Blood Emperor, went out to find the men who had beaten him.

* * *

A week had passed since Cheongun had been staying at the detached house of the Kong family. During that time, Cheongun's eccentric behavior had spread so widely that there was no one in the Kong family who didn't know about it.

It was that he was brawling with the members of the Black Snake Gang near the Seomun Market in Qufu every day.

"I don't know the reason, but this scholar is said to be fighting with the Black Snake Gang guys in the marketplace every day."

"Hmph. We can't step in, and isn't there some story behind it?"

"Should we just watch those ruffians like this? Shouldn't we immediately inform the authorities and have them punished?"

"We can't. Didn't this scholar say that it's his business to handle and that we should absolutely not help?"

That was the problem. Cheongun's eccentric behavior was known the very next day. Several scholars who cherished Cheongun's scholarship rushed over and growled that they would destroy the Black Snake Gang.

With their power in Qufu, they could even make a flying bird fall.

But Cheongun had asked them not to step in, saying it was his business.

"But I heard he knocked down five of them yesterday."

"No, for a noble scholar to be brawling with ruffians. It's an impossible thing."

They debated the pros and cons and looked at the situation, but there was no particular way.

Cheongun had his own difficulties.

When he first fought with the Black Snake Gang, it was all fists. But now, even clubs were being used.

The reason they didn't draw their swords was that if they used weapons, the authorities would step in.

Moreover, the scholars were watching the fight with fire in their eyes.

Because of that, the story that the 'crazy guy who comes every day' might not be an ordinary person like them but a scholar spread in the Black Snake Gang.

"That tough guy is a scholar?"

"Is that leech-like bastard really a scholar?"

"F*ck, we're f*cked."

The Black Snake Gang couldn't help but be intimidated by the sharp gazes of the scholars. This was not just any place, but the mansion where the shrine of Confucius was.

The Black Snake Gang tried to avoid Cheongun in any way they could. But they had no choice but to fight back because of Cheongun, who rushed at them tenaciously.

In the end, they sent a person to the mansion to complain, but all they got back was a cold gaze.

"We are not at fault."

"That's right. He attacked us, so we had no choice but to defend ourselves a little."

They had beaten him one-sidedly with clubs, and now they were saying it was defense. But they had to live, so they couldn't tell the truth.

Regardless, the Kong family showed the same reaction throughout.

"Ahem. I understand, so you can all go back now."

"Grit. What are you all doing, not going back quickly?"

Another three days passed. On the tenth day since he came here, Cheongun no longer went around looking for the Black Snake Gang members.

He couldn't fight because the Black Snake Gang members all ran away when they saw Cheongun.

It was because the scholars had unknowingly put pressure on the Black Snake Gang.

No matter how much the wounds healed overnight, the traces did not all disappear.

The scholars couldn't help but feel sorry for Cheongun, who was talking about Confucius and Mencius with bruised eyes.

Since they were scholars who would even risk their lives for injustice, they used their power without caring about Cheongun's request.

In the end, the Black Snake Gang members no longer attacked Cheongun. They ran away even at the sight of Cheongun's shadow.

Saying, do you avoid sh*t because you're scared of it, or because it's dirty.

Cheongun was disappointed, but he couldn't just attack the Black Snake Gang directly.

"I was just getting a little used to using my body..."

It seemed it was time to leave.

"Shall we go to the imperial capital now?"

[We should. Next time, you have to hide you identity.]

"If I fight like this in another place, I'll get stabbed, right?"

[Of course. That's why I suggested we do it here.]

It was not easy to have a real fight that met the conditions. In that respect, this place had the best conditions. Because you could get hit with a club, but not a sword.

It was also a place where your life was guaranteed.

The next day, Cheongun gifted a painting to the Kong family. He said goodbye, saying that he had left it with a letter in the detached house he had been using.

The scholars who always visited this place left behind writings or calligraphy like Cheongun and left.

The master of the reception hall handed him a heavy money pouch, telling him to use it for travel expenses. He didn't know how much was in it, but it seemed to be enough until he entered the imperial capital.

After Cheongun left, a scholar brought a painting and a letter from the detached house where Cheongun had stayed.

It was a magnificent landscape painting where the painting and the writing were harmonized.

With the magnificent mountain range, clouds were swirling, and a waterfall was pouring down with a roar. On the long river, a small boat was floating, and someone was leisurely enjoying fishing.

"Hmph. How can there be such a painting."

"It's amazing, it's amazing. He has moved the cloud platform of the Heavenly Mountains as it is."

When everyone gathered here was letting out exclamations of admiration, the current head of the Kong family, who was sitting in the center, was surprised to see the writing on one side.

"Ahem! So that Samwon was that Samwon!"

Everyone's attention gathered on the head of the Kong family, and then turned to the direction the head of the Kong family was looking.

There was a vigorous and soaring brushstroke where the signature was instead of a seal.

Samwon Lee Cheongun

They were not unaware of the meaning contained in the five characters.

It was Lee Cheongun who had achieved Yeonjung Samwon in this palace examination.

"Head of the family, we must quickly send a person to call the Samwon back."

"We can't send the Samwon away like this. How can we treat such a great person so neglectfully."

The head of the family listened to the others' stories and opened the letter Cheongun had left.

His face soon turned red.

"H-how dare you!"

Everyone held their breath at the head of the family's roar. The head of the family carefully folded the letter and gave a word of request to those who had gathered.

"It's a secret that the Samwon came here. The Samwon's life is at stake."

The scholars felt that there was some problem and kept their mouths shut.

When Cheongun first came here, he was also in the guise of an ordinary commoner. It was clear that there was something he couldn't reveal to them.

"Third, send a person this way and ask for help from the Zhuge family and the Huangfu family."

"What should I tell them?"

"Hmm... let's move first. And everyone, keep my words in mind. You must keep it a secret! We might lose a great person of the country."

"I understand."

"Please don't worry."

* * *

The first thing Cheongun did after leaving the Kong family was to purchase a martial arts uniform and a blue steel sword.

After changing his clothes, he transformed from a scholar to a martial artist.

When he wore the blue steel sword at his waist, strength automatically entered his body.

[Do you like wearing a sword?]

"Should I say I feel reassured?"

[Everyone feels fear at the cold and sharpness of a sword when they first encounter it. And when you have a sword, you gain confidence.]

The Blood Emperor smirked as he looked at Cheongun, who was fiddling with the sword. It was a process that every martial artist went through.

[Be careful. A sword can harm the opponent, but it can also harm you.]

"Yes, a sword has no eyes."

Cheongun also had no intention of acting rashly. For that, the cultivation he had accumulated was not shallow.

Still, he couldn't help but feel good.

"Let's go to Dongping and take a boat up."

Thus, Cheongun and the Blood Emperor set off for the imperial capital.

They left Qufu and took a boat on the canal in Dongping and continued to travel by boat.

They changed boats several times in the middle. And when night came, they would invariably get off at a fishing village and learn martial arts from the Blood Emperor.

Now, in addition to the fist and palm techniques, he began to learn the sword. Although it was the first time Cheongun held a sword, it was not difficult to follow the forms. Cheongun's body, which had become flexible and strong, made it possible for him to follow any movement.

The problem was that the Blood Emperor's expression was not good.

[Hmm. You're good at following... but it seems your body can't keep up with your head.]

The Blood Emperor found the reason that was somehow grating on his nerves.

Cheongun's head understood the martial arts that had to be learned with the body first. The problem was that he couldn't unfold it with his body as much as he understood it with his head.

Since his head was too outstanding, it was natural that his body couldn't keep up with his head, but it was still a pity.

The Blood Emperor, who had been thinking, came to a conclusion.

[I guess you have to learn by being beaten.]

"I have to get beaten again?"

He had to make Cheongun a master somehow. Only then could he get revenge or do whatever.

[I'll think of a way, so don't be lazy in your training.]

"I understand."

Cheongun picked up the sword he had let down and began to unfold the moves.

What he was unfolding was the basic sword art of the Heavenly Cult.

The Blood Emperor taught the basic martial arts of the Heavenly Cult to build Cheongun's martial arts foundation.

In addition to the martial arts of the Heavenly Cult, he also knew the martial arts of other forces and individuals. But he couldn't use their martial arts as a foundation.

Each martial art had its own characteristics, and there were elements necessary to learn that martial art. The Blood Emperor himself had the skill to unfold that martial art just by looking at it once, but teaching was another matter.

'How do I teach that guy to become a master in a short period of time?'

There must be some good way.

'If only I could take over his body...!'

The most certain way to get revenge was to take over Cheongun's body. But it was impossible because his strength had not yet returned.

'For now, I have no choice but to give a shock to his blood points by being beaten. That way, I can awaken the sleeping energy, and then let's think about the next step slowly.'

* * *

CRASH.

A large waterfall, where the cool sound of water echoed, was showing off its magnificent figure in the forest.

At the edge of the waterfall, there was a wide rock, so wide that dozens of people could sit and play on it.

Through the sound of the waterfall, dozens of people appeared, murmuring.

"We'll quench our thirst here and go."

It was an escort group holding a flag that said "Jintian Escort Agency."

They were on their way back to their home in Hebei Bazhou after an escort mission to the Shanxi region.

Since it was only half a day's journey to their home, they had come to the waterfall to relieve the fatigue accumulated from the last business trip.

A group of women got off the carriage. They immediately went through the men to the water's edge and drank the cool water.

"Young lady, is it refreshing?"

"Yes, Uncle Xiong Biao, you should quench your thirst too."

At the clear and cute voice, the strong man called Xiong Biao had a smile all over his face.

Xiong Biao was one of the escort leaders of the Jintian Escort Agency and was responsible for the safety of this escort mission.

Splash, splash.

The sound of water splashing was heard from somewhere. It was a faint sound that was submerged in the sound of the waterfall, but it was caught by the ears of the first-class martial artist Xiong Biao.

"Huh? Is there a carp?"

In this valley, there were various kinds of large fish, from small fish. Especially under the waterfall, there were quite large fish, so they would sometimes catch them and eat them raw.

The gaze of the young lady called "young lady" followed Xiong Biao's gaze, who was smacking his lips. No, everyone's gaze turned to the direction where the sound was heard.

Splash, splash.

But it was not the fish they were expecting.

Through the protruding willow trees, someone was seen doing laundry.

"Huh?"

"Ugh."

"Gag!"

It was a mess. The problem was the water they had just drunk coolly. When they realized that the water they had drunk was the water a man had done laundry in, nausea rose from the depths of their stomachs.

The man doing the laundry had even taken a bath, as his hair was let down and he was even shirtless.

"Who are you!"

At the shout, the man's head turned. Through his long, let-down hair, his two eyes sparkled.

(End of Chapter)