Scholar Demon Venerable

Ou Huliang shook his head.

No one could enter that place without his permission.

He shook off the ominous thought and asked again.

"What about the casualties?"

"Yes, seventy-five ordinary palace members were caught in the formation and died, and two hundred from the strike team died. There are fifty-two injured, and they are the ones who were injured by the intruder before the Xuanxuan Mili Annihilation Formation was unfolded. Also..."

Padeudeuk.

Ou Huliang gritted his teeth hard. A whopping three hundred people had been killed.

Since about three hundred out of the three thousand Zirong Palace members had disappeared in an instant, it was a tremendous loss.

The only fortunate thing was that the damage to the elite was not great.

The palace master asked the man again, just in case.

"Are there no survivors in the formation?"

"Yes, not a single person survived."

Ou Huliang closed his two eyes tightly.

Although it was an expected thing, the damage was too great. He had not known the opponent would be this strong. He was a master that he could not guarantee he could win against even if he had stepped forward himself.

Ou Huliang, who had stood up from his seat, went out and said coldly.

"Find out who that guy is by any means necessary. If you can't find out in three days... you will pay with your lives."

"As you command!"

Kung!

The executives all hit their heads on the floor of the hall.

The Zirong Palace began to growl like that.

* * *

Tangshan was still busy.

As befitting a transportation hub, countless people came and went.

It was a peaceful appearance, no different from any other time. It was to the point of doubting whether the Zirong Palace bloody calamity that had happened last night had even occurred.

In a manor in Tangshan, there was a pavilion with a small but beautiful garden and a small pond.

This pavilion, which was attached to a detached house, was a place that was famous in the vicinity as the pride of the manor.

On the pavilion located in the center of the pond, a man in white was standing and looking into the water, lost in deep thought.

It was Cheongun. Even though he had gone through that hardship last night, he looked fine.

"I didn't know that the Zirong Palace, which is a righteous path, would use such a vicious formation."

Cheongun looked at the brocade carp playing by the pond. He said as if throwing it out at a sudden thought.

"It seems my skills are still lacking."

What had happened last night did not leave his mind.

He had worked so hard and was now confident, but he had not been able to do anything. If the Blood Emperor had not helped him, he might have died or been seriously injured.

Looking at such a Cheongun, the Blood Emperor said calmly.

[It's because you lack experience, so there's no need to blame yourself. You have already learned as much martial arts as you can. I'll say it again, what you need is not martial arts but experience.]

"Is that so?"

[If you wander the martial world, you will experience all sorts of strange things. Yesterday's incident is just one of them. You don't know what difficulties will come in the future. You have to overcome that moment of crisis well to stand tall.]

Cheongun once again gripped his heart, which was about to be scattered.

As the Blood Emperor had said, if he went back to that moment, he was confident that he would not be easily defeated.

'Do I have to see blood?'

Still, since it was a righteous path, he had not drawn his sword. But if he faced them clumsily, he would be the one to die.

Cheongun, who had been thinking for a long time, came to a conclusion and looked at the Blood Emperor.

"I think I'll go tonight."

[Tonight too?]

Cheongun looked at the carp by the pond and said.

"Let's go fishing for a big one."

* * *

For three days, the Zirong Palace had to receive an unknown enemy's intrusion.

At the skilled hit-and-run attack, hundreds of palace members fell again. Although most of them did not die, they were seriously injured and could not move.

But they could not activate the Xuanxuan Mili Annihilation Formation again.

There were too many eyes of the martial artists who had flocked to help the Zirong Palace.

There were many restrictions in preparing, and there was no guarantee that they would catch the guy even if they unfolded the formation again.

At the damage that was snowballing, Ou Huliang finally exploded.

Shwiik, thwack.

A man flew back.

"I clearly gave you three days, but does it make sense that you still don't even know his identity?"

"I am sorry."

Dozens of people prostrated themselves and held their breath.

The person who had been hit by Ou Huliang's single palm and had flown was the guard captain who was guarding the outer palace.

He had not been able to catch the guy in front of his eyes and had been dragged around, and in the end, he had missed him. Although he had to surround the guy and drive him into a corner, he had slipped away like a loach, so it was not entirely his fault.

But someone had to take responsibility.

"Palace Master. There is one strange point."

One of the executives cautiously stepped forward.

Ou Huliang's head turned.

He was a man with a skinny build compared to the others. His clothes were also not a warrior's uniform but a scholar's robe. He was one of the strategists of the Zirong Palace.

"A strange point?"

"Yes, we have not found any clues in the place where the guy intruded. But it is reported that there are traces of someone intruding in a different place from where the guy attacked."

"What do you mean by that? Tell me in detail."

He had attracted Ou Huliang's interest.

"Just in case, I had set up a few devices in the place where the data is stored."

It was a story that there were traces of someone coming into a deep place in the Zirong Palace and looking for something. If it were normal, it would have been something to just let go, but since it was a situation where an intruder had occurred, he had looked carefully and had found some traces of disarray.

"...that's what happened."

"Ho, you're saying that guy unfolded a strategy of feinting in the east and attacking in the west."

If he had unfolded a strategy of feinting in the east and attacking in the west, it meant that the current commotion was a strategy to attract attention.

Ou Huliang asked the strategist.

"What do you think that guy wants?"

"I haven't figured it out yet. But if we use this well, it seems we can lure that guy into a trap."

A triumphant smile appeared on Ou Huliang's face, which had been frowning. He smiled with satisfaction and said to the strategist.

"I will give you full authority, so make a plan. Make a trap and lure that guy. I will step forward myself and cut off that guy's neck!"

"I receive the order."

* * *

Cheongun, who had become tired from shaking the Zirong Palace for several days, came out of the manor and entered an inn in the town.

Although his name was known, his face was not, so he did not disguise himself separately.

The two-story inn was a fairly large place.

According to what he had heard, it was a place that was famous in the vicinity for having the best food.

So Cheongun had come to the inn around noon.

Perhaps because it was located in Tangshan, where many people came and went, the inn was crowded with all sorts of customers.

In particular, it was crowded with people who had gathered to eat lunch.

Fortunately, Cheongun was able to get a seat by the window on the second floor.

It was all because he had given a few iron coins to the waiter at the entrance.

"Young Master, please sit here. This place has a good view and is a good spot to watch the people coming and going while you eat."

"Thank you. Thanks to you, I can eat in a good place. If the food is to my liking, I won't just leave."

"Hehe, thank you."

Cheongun ordered a few of the best dishes from the smiling waiter and turned his gaze out the window.

As the waiter had said, the sight of many people coming and going was good to see.

'Everyone is living diligently. I also worked hard like them.'

If he had succeeded, he could be seen as living a successful life. Although he was now moving for revenge because of a grudge, if he excluded that part, he could be said to have succeeded faster than others.

Moreover, hadn't he received the Emperor's favor and risen to the position of Pacification Envoy, which could be called the core of power?

Although he couldn't settle down yet, he wanted to eat at least one lunch comfortably.

As Cheongun was enjoying a moment of leisure, a noisy sound was heard.

"Please come this way. We have saved a seat, so please come up to the second floor."

A waiter with a rat-like, cunning appearance was making a fuss, looking at two men and one woman.

The waiter, who had climbed the stairs leading to the second floor, saw Cheongun and showed a look of dismay.

"Huh? I clearly told them to save a seat."

The waiter was at a loss, looking at the people he had guided. It seemed the seat Cheongun was sitting in was the seat they had reserved.

'It seems this seat was reserved.'

Cheongun's gaze naturally turned to the first floor.

There, he saw a young waiter with a pale face. It was the waiter who had guided him.

Although Cheongun was disappointed, he did not want to see the young waiter being scolded because of him, so he stood up from his seat.

"I didn't know this was a reserved seat and sat down. I'll sit somewhere else."

As Cheongun stood up from his seat, the man who was about to get angry at the waiter turned to look at Cheongun.

Cheongun looked around. But there were no empty seats. Since it was a time when customers were flocking, it seemed he would have to wait for a long time.

'I'll have to come here next time.'

He had no intention of waiting to eat a meal.

As Cheongun was about to just go back, an unexpected sound was heard.

"Young Master, if it's alright with you, would you like to have a meal with us?"

Cheongun turned his head to the place where the sound had come from.

It was a young woman who had come with two men.

The woman looked to be one or two years older than Cheongun.

Cheongun, who was wondering where to go, did not refuse her request.

"Would that be alright? I don't know if I'm being a nuisance."

"There's just one seat left. This is also fate, so let's have a meal together."

"Thank you. Then I will shamelessly join you."

Cheongun lightly bowed his head and expressed his gratitude.

At the polite appearance with an upright appearance and a clear voice, the woman's face slightly reddened.

The faces of the young men who had come with her also reddened. Although the meaning was a little different.

As the party that had come with the woman sat down, Cheongun also sat in the empty seat. Coincidentally, the woman was in the seat in front of Cheongun.

The young woman smiled brightly and introduced herself to Cheongun.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Miao Qingqing."

"So you are Young Lady Miao. It's a pleasure to meet you, my name is Lee Samwon."

"Young Master Lee, these two are family members who have come to protect me."

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Lee Samwon."

The guards did not reveal their names to Cheongun and just bowed their heads slightly. They had an expression that seemed to have a lot of complaints.

But Cheongun didn't care. From the perspective of a guard, it was natural to be wary of a person they had never seen before sitting in front of them.

The person who looked to be in his mid-thirties among the guards ordered the food. When Cheongun said he had ordered separately, he did not order more.

After that, various conversations continued. Most of the time, Miao Qingqing led the conversation.

'Young Lady Miao has a really bright personality.'

Perhaps because Miao Qingqing had a bright personality, her smiling appearance was refreshing. It was a smile that cleared the heart of the person watching.

"Do you live here?"

"No. I came here because I have some business."

"Don't tell me you have business at the Zirong Palace? I came here because I have business at the Zirong Palace. But hmm... since Young Master Lee doesn't seem to be a martial artist... you must have other business."

She trailed off her words as if she were disappointed about something.

Cheongun smiled slightly at the corner of his mouth.

He didn't know if she was interested in him, or if she originally liked to talk, but she poured out various questions without resting until the food came.

Nevertheless, since her voice was clear and bright, Cheongun also did not dislike it.

"Yes, it's not a particularly important matter. More importantly, you must be a martial artist, Young Lady."

"Yes, but I'm not that strong. These two uncles are strong."

Cheongun naturally gave his gaze to the two guards.

As Miao Qingqing had said, the two were masters who had reached the peak level.

'To have two such martial artists as guards. And the ones who have hidden their bodies around are all at the peak level... what on earth is this woman's identity?'

(End of Chapter)