Scholar Demon Venerable

Cheongun picked up the manual that was rolling on the floor and asked.

"By any chance, is the face-changing art in this manual the same face-changing art that you are currently unfolding?"

"Didn't you come here knowing that?"

"By any chance, are there no side effects?"

"Side effects?"

"I mean, if you change your face, you can't go back to your original state, or your whole body turns blue and blackish-red like yours."

At Cheongun's question, Jo Gwang's face contorted.

"How did you know?"

"I saw it when you were fanning your folding fan during the day. I caught a glimpse of the inside of your forearm."

Only then did Jo Gwang realize how Cheongun had known him and had come to find him.

He nodded his head, rolled up his sleeves, and said.

"My body became like this not because of the face-changing art, but because of the martial art I learned."

"Ah! So it became like that because of that soft demonic art."

"To think that you know the soft demonic art. I'm getting more and more curious about your identity."

"I can tell you my identity as much as you want. But first, answer my question."

"If you are a person of the Zirong Palace, you should know well about that manual, but it seems you are not."

Jo Gwang stopped talking and was lost in thought. He soon opened his mouth, which he had closed, as if he had decided something.

"The manual you are holding is my family's manual that was stolen by the Zirong Palace."

So they had stolen it.

As he learned the reason why Jo Gwang had attacked so tenaciously, he felt pity.

Jo Gwang told the story about the manual that Cheongun was curious about.

"If you learn it properly, you can have a face of a thousand transformations. But if you change into too many people, there are also people who lose their original appearance and cannot go back. So you should not live with another person's face for too long."

"Ah, if it's that, don't worry. I have something to change my face for a short time."

He had met a fortunate encounter unexpectedly. He had learned that the manual he had been anxious about and had not been able to learn because he was afraid it was a fake was real.

Jo Gwang asked the happy Cheongun.

"By any chance, is your identity... Jinyiwei?"

"How did you know?"

"It seems I'm right. I heard a rumor that the Zirong Palace was involved in a rebellion this time. I was inwardly happy, but I can't believe I'm seeing the person involved."

Jo Gwang's tone had changed. It had been like a sharply honed sword, but now it had become a dull sword.

The power of the Zirong Palace was too great for him to face with his own strength. He had not been able to get revenge and had been hovering around it.

So he had been enduring hardship for revenge, waiting for a possible opportunity, and then he had heard unexpected news.

It was the news that the Zirong Palace had been destroyed by the Jinyiwei.

But to think that the person involved, a Jinyiwei, had come to find him.

Jo Gwang turned his body and said to Cheongun.

"If you want, I will tell you about that martial art. Follow me."

"I will be indebted to you."

Cheongun followed Jo Gwang and left the room.

The Blood Emperor, who was quietly watching Jo Gwang, smiled a mysterious smile.

'Wait, that guy...'

* * *

The river that flowed south of Yongcheng was deep and wide enough for large ships to come and go, so the waterway was well-developed.

The Haran port was located a little further south from Yongcheng, and one day, a middle-aged man with a longsword tied to his waist appeared in that place where many people came and went, forming a long line.

But since it was a common sight anywhere, no one looked at him intently.

The man, who had moved his steps towards the port at the mouth of the river, stopped and looked at one place.

The work of unloading the grain that was full on a large grain transport ship was in full swing.

And on one side of the port, away from it, small boxes were being unloaded.

The place the man was looking at was not the grain that was being unloaded from the grain transport ship, but the boxes that were being unloaded on one side.

The man moved his steps, which he had stopped, again.

He headed straight for the place where the boxes were being unloaded.

As the man gradually approached, the warriors who were around formed a long line as if to make a fence.

A man with a sharp impression held out the sword he was holding in its scabbard.

"Stop. We are unloading precious goods, so don't approach any further."

Perhaps because about a dozen warriors were standing behind him, his momentum was great.

But the middle-aged man did not care and took another step forward and smirked.

"Did you guys rent this place?"

"What did you say?"

The face of the man with the sharp impression contorted.

"Are you trying to pick a fight now?"

"A fight? I just want to see the river, so open the way."

The middle-aged man took another step.

It was not a strong momentum. At the man's too-dignified appearance, the man who had stepped forward flinched and slightly retreated.

The face of the man who had realized he had been pushed back turned red.

"I'm warning you, if you want to see the river, go somewhere else."

"The river is right in front of me, so why should I go somewhere else? If you don't want me to go, you guys should move the ship somewhere else."

Bbaddeuk.

The sound of the man who was blocking the front grinding his teeth was heard eerily.

The middle-aged man had approached within a short distance. It was a distance where he could reach if he just extended his hand.

Two of the warriors who were lined up behind stepped forward and grabbed the middle-aged man's arms.

The middle-aged man did not resist and just stood there and turned his head.

"What are you doing?"

"Don't mess around and follow us obediently."

"Listen before you get a beating."

The two warriors frowned fiercely and tried to drag the middle-aged man.

But they could not achieve their goal. No matter how much they pulled, the middle-aged man's body did not budge.

The middle-aged man walked forward, dragging the two. The two, who were better built than him, were dragged, hanging on to the middle-aged man's body.

"What...?"

"Uh, uh, uh..."

"What are you all doing? Get rid of that guy at once!"

Although it was a surprising sight, the man with the sharp impression immediately came to his senses and responded.

If it were normal, he would have drawn his sword and would have cut his neck right away, but unfortunately, there were many eyes watching. Moreover, because of the grain that was being unloaded from the grain transport ship, officials and soldiers were out at the port.

If he saw blood, it was obvious that they would intervene. Even now, they were looking this way and murmuring.

In the end, the other people also rushed at the middle-aged man.

But the middle-aged man did not care and, just like at first, went forward, dragging them.

No matter how much the ten or so people pulled, they could not match the middle-aged man's strength.

A few swung their fists and hit the middle-aged man.

It was useless. The middle-aged man just walked silently as if he had not received any shock.

Only then did everyone feel fear of the middle-aged man and flinch.

In the meantime, the middle-aged man stood tall at the riverbank he wanted.

"Let go."

Only after the middle-aged man's dry voice was heard did the ones who had been desperately holding on and hanging on quickly let go.

"Iik."

"Just you wait, you bastard!"

They each said a word and moved away as if running away.

As if he really wanted to see the river, the middle-aged man just looked at the river without a word.

"Don't mind that guy and hurry up and unload the luggage!"

The man with the sharp impression gritted his teeth and finished what he was doing.

Killing that arrogant guy was something he could do later. If only the soldiers went, that guy was a dead man.

Eventually, the luggage that had been unloaded from the ferry was loaded onto a cart.

The porters and the warriors of the Yongfeng Manor left the port. They glanced back and showed a strong hostility towards the man who was still looking at the river.

After they had all disappeared, the middle-aged man smirked and muttered.

-What should I do now?

[We have to move according to the next plan.]

The middle-aged man was Cheongun, who had changed his face. He had learned the face-changing art of the Thousand Faces Ten Thousand Transformations Divine Art from Jo Gwang of the Baifeng Manor and had changed his appearance.

Cheongun looked at the river like that for a while and then disappeared.

The warriors of the Yongfeng Manor loaded the luggage onto two oxcarts and moved.

It took about a shichen from the Haran port to the Yongfeng Manor.

If they crossed the bustling street of Yongcheng, the distance to the manor was not far. But if they went to the bustling street, it was often crowded with people coming and going, so it often took more time.

So whenever they carried the luggage of the port, they carried the luggage through a detour.

As the warriors of the Yongfeng Manor were going along the road for a long time, they saw the figure of the middle-aged man they had met at the river far away.

That person was leaning against a wall and was resting in the shade of a tree.

"Huh? Why is that guy over there?"

"Well. He seems to be a little crazy."

"Don't mind him and let's go."

The party pulling the oxcart looked at Cheongun, who had changed his face to a middle-aged man, with a pathetic look.

He had spent time looking at the water at the riverside, and this time, he was spending time in the shade of a tree. He was clearly an idle person who had nothing to do or a crazy person.

But he had to be careful. That guy was clearly a master more than them.

It was when the oxcart was passing by Cheongun. Cheongun's mouth, which had seemed as if it would not open, opened.

"Hey."

Although it was not a loud sound, to them, who were on high alert, it sounded like a clap of thunder.

Thanks to that, the oxcart stopped.

Everyone's gaze was focused on Cheongun. A warrior stepped forward and asked a question.

"Do you have something to do with us?"

"This is disappointing. They say it's a connection even if you just brush past each other's clothes."

"What do you mean? Don't pick a fight for no reason and just go on your way."

The Yongfeng Caravan, which was their base, was right in front of them. There was no need to create a disturbance while doing a simple thing like transportation.

But their thoughts and Cheongun's thoughts were different.

"A fight? Hehe, you guys are the ones who picked a fight, and you're saying you'll just go like this?"

Twitch.

The brows of the warriors who were transporting the goods frowned. This was a call to fight.

But he endured it one more time. He should not create a disturbance while transporting the goods.

"I've seen all sorts of strange guys. Let's go. There's no need to face him."

A person stepped forward and smoothed over the situation.

The oxcart that had stopped moved again.

There was no need to waste time on the street with a crazy person. It was better to deliver the goods quickly and go to an inn and have a drink of white wine and relieve the fatigue of the day.

Geureureuk.

As the oxcart moved, the corners of Cheongun's mouth moved strangely.

"Hehe, it seems these guys won't listen to words."

He took a step forward threateningly.

The warriors, who were on high alert for Cheongun, rushed at him.

Thwack.

The two warriors who had rushed with a good momentum rolled on the floor.

They were knocked down by Cheongun's kick.

In succession, the warriors attacked, but they could not even touch Cheongun's collar and rolled on the floor.

"Ugh."

"Aigoo."

The warriors groaned and suffered.

The only fortunate thing was that no one had died.

Cheongun looked at the fallen warriors and spat a thick saliva.

Kaak, thwack!

"All sorts of beggar-like things are messing around. Yongfeng Caravan? I've never even heard of it, and they're walking around with their necks stiff."

Cheongun made a pathetic expression and turned his body.

He soon moved his steps and entered the inn in front.

The warriors who had barely raised their bodies glared at the inn.

"Just you wait, you bastard."

When a quarter of an hour had passed, the warriors of the Yongfeng Manor appeared in front of the inn.

The person who seemed to be their leader asked.

"Is that guy still inside?"

The porter who had remained there and had been watching Cheongun said.

"Yes, he is eating on the second floor over there."

As he raised his head, he saw the figure of Cheongun eating at the window on the second floor of the inn.

"I understand. You may go back now."

A warrior with a heavy atmosphere said to the porter.

The porter quickly bowed his head and turned his body. But he did not go back and watched the backs of the warriors.

The inner courtyard warriors of the Yongfeng Manor went straight up to the second floor of the inn. They went in front of the middle-aged man who was eating a dish alone and said coldly.

"Did you touch the caravan warriors?"

Cheongun, who was just about to take a bite of Wuxiangrou, put down his chopsticks and looked up at the warrior blankly.

"So?"

"Follow us when I'm talking nicely."

"I have food left, so that's going to be difficult."

(End of Chapter)