King Shura

Chapter 51. Neng Ha Young’s Guardian

“Young lady, something troublesome has happened.”

“What is it?”

“I’m afraid you’ll have to see this for yourself.”

When Neng Ha Young stuck her face out the carriage, she could see about twenty men wearing masks.

“Get off the carriage, bitch.”

Every one of them were equipped with a weapon, and they were all releasing their killing intent at Neng Ha Young.

“Do you know who I am?”

“Of course we do, you dirty witch! To think a person like you would travel in the open like this…… is this not a chance sent to us from the heavens? Kuhahaha!”

Neng Ha Young faintly smiled, and walked out of the carriage.

“Why are you wearing masks? Is there a use in wearing one if you’re going to kill me anyway?”

“Shut up! I’ll be sure to pull out that filthy tongue from your head first.”

Neng Ha Young didn’t even flinch when she heard that. Instead, she just calmly analyzed the men in front of her.

“You people from the Alliance are trying really hard to catch me, aren’t you.”

The men, who had been approaching the carriage slowly, all simultaneously flinched.

“Isn’t this too obvious? After all, this is the Alliance’s territory. And……”

Neng Ha Young coldly glanced at the men, and spoke.

“The only enemy I have who would do something as idiotic as this would the Alliance.”

“You, you bitch!”

“Did you really think that I am alone?”

“…….!”

The men immediately stopped approaching Neng Ha Young. Come to think of it, it was indeed strange. Why would a person like her travel alone in the heart of enemy territory……?

While the men just stood there not knowing what to do, the man who seemed to be the leader ground his teeth and spoke.

“You truly are a crafty woman. To think you’d try to trick us just like that……. but did you really think we’d fall for it?”

Neng Ha Young stared at the man, and smiled.

“No matter where you go, there are always some people who just don’t trust anything. Like you.”

“Shut up!”

The man charged at Neng Ha Young with a shout. But Neng Ha Young just stared at the charging man without even moving a single step.

Paa—

A sword was slashed, and a flower of blood bloomed in the air. But the blood did not come from Neng Ha Young. The man’s head had been cleanly cut off.

When everyone in the scene made a face of bewilderment, a man appeared in front of Neng Ha Young like a shadow. It was a handsome young man who possessed an unusually pale skin.

The man pushed away the falling corpse, and looked around with a cold glare. While everyone’s gaze was directed at him, the man quietly straightened one of his hands to form a spear hand.

The moment when everyone made a face of confusion looking at that.

Pyut—

The man slashed at the air with that hand once. And that was the end. Everyone that had been previously surrounding the carriage was sliced in half.

Tududuk—

A handful of destroyed corpses began to fall on the floor.

“Hi, hiii!”

Neng Ha Young opened her mouth, while the driver screamed out at the horrifying sight that beheld him.

“Finally. It’s nice to meet you.”

“…….”

“I did think you would show yourself when I got into danger.”

“…….You were too reckless. What would you have done if you actually got hurt?”

Neng Ha Young smiled and pointed at a hill far away.

“I’m not as reckless as you might think. There are people on my side over there. They would’ve come if I just gave the signal.”

Just when did she prepare all this? He stayed with her at all times, and yet he still did not realize she had been scheming such things. The man’s eyes began to be filled with a complex feeling.

‘When did she realize?’

Seeing that she executed the plan like this, the girl had probably known about his existence from a long time ago.

She really was amazing. He didn’t give away anything that might’ve hinted his existence, and yet she still noticed him.

“You probably know quite a bit about me, so how about you tell me a bit about yourself instead?”

The man thought for a bit. Should he tell her? Wouldn’t she be surprised? While he had been thinking that, Neng Ha Young opened her mouth.

“I have a good idea of where you came from. I just want to know your name.”

Shi Yup became quite astonished when he heard this.

He heard of her intelligence from some rumors, and saw a glimpse of it every now and then, but he never realized that she was this smart. The man acknowledged her intelligence and began to introduce himself.

“Shi Yup (視曄) . My name is Shi Yup.”

The Night Emperor Neng Mu Gi. This was the appearance of the emperor’s only disciple.

surawang_51

* * *

When the Administrator erased the formation Cho Ryu Hyang drew on the ground.

Ding—

The strange pearl inside Cho Ryu Hyang’s dantian began to move on its own, and Cho Ryu Hyang began to see something strange.

‘Huh?’

Cho Ryu Hyang’s eyes shook as the Administrator in front of him faded away. At the same time, a certain scene began to play out in Cho Ryu Hyang’s mind.

‘This is…….’

These were the past memories of Administrator Un Hui.

Starting from the time when the Administrator passed the Prison of Life and Death, all the way to the part where he made the promise with the Pope. All the important events in the Administrator’s life began to flow into Cho Ryu Hyang’s mind.

While Cho Ryu Hyang was just standing there experiencing the strange event, the Administrator spoke up.

“Are……. are you alright?”

Cho Ryu Hyang came back to his senses when he heard the Administrator’s question. For a very short time, a fraction of the memories of the Administrator flowed into Cho Ryu Hyang’s mind.

‘What was that?’

It was definitely the memories of Administrator Un Hui. But why did those memories just come into his mind like that?

Ding—

The pearl that was moving around in its own in his dantian. Actually, it felt like Cho Ryu Hyang had an experience similar to this in the past.

‘Just when was that?’

When he thought about it for a while, he could remember. When he received the Moon Edge Blade Technique and the strange pearl from the dragon and fainted, he became a white butterfly and met his teacher, Gongson Chun Gi.

It was at the time where his teacher blew away Baek Mu Ryang with a single strike. The feeling he felt back then as a butterfly was similar to what he had been feeling just now.

The feeling that gave him a sense of looking back into the past or into the future.

‘Just what is this……’

The thing that was moving around on its own in his dantian.

Just what was this thing?

“I will go call a doctor.”

When the Administrator stood up with a concerned glint in his eyes, Cho Ryu Hyang quickly shook his head.

“No, there’s no need.”

“Truly? Your face is pale. It would do well to see a doctor.”

Cho Ryu Hyang wiped his forehead when he heard the Administrator’s words. It seemed that he sweat quite a bit without realizing it.

“I really am all right. I was just concentrating a little too much.”

Cho Ryu Hyang glanced at the Administrator as he talked. The way he looked at the Administrator had changed, unlike before.

‘A person even teacher acknowledged……’

The man was amazing. Not only did he reach the harmonious stage at such a young age, but he was also able to stay confident when facing Gongson Chun Gi.

If Cho Ryu Hyang hadn’t appeared, the man could’ve actually become the next heir of the church.

‘But…….’

The Administrator was doubting Cho Ryu Hyang’s ability. Even though teacher had selected him, the Administrator held immense suspicion in his heart.

Since a bit of the man’s memories flowed into Cho Ryu Hyang, he could understand why the Administrator was feeling such things. He understood.

After all, he’d feel the same if he was put in the same spot as the administrator. Of course he wouldn’t acknowledge a person like that, especially when that person was just a child.

‘What should I do?’

Cho Ryu Hyang wanted to be acknowledged. There might’ve been no point in making the Administrator acknowledge him, but still, Cho Ryu Hyang wanted to be acknowledged. But just what should he do to gain the Administrator’s recognition?

When he looked around for a bit, he could see the formation that he had been drawing on the ground. The formation that the Administrator erased.

The man probably erased it because it was the destruction technique for the formation that was set here. When Cho Ryu Hyang saw that, he was immediately struck by an entertaining idea.

“Administrator.”

“……..Yes, Young Lord.”

The Administrator flinched when Cho Ryu Hyang called at him in a low voice. Even if the Bloody River Heaven Destroying Sword Formation was one of the greatest secrets of the church, he had obstructed the work of the heir, of all things.

This was, of course, a grave sin. The Administrator could even be accused for treachery, and he wouldn’t be able to do anything about it.

‘Just what is he going to say…….’

Un Hui waited for Cho Ryu Hyang to speak again with an anxious heart. Cho Ryu Hyang, who had taken off his glasses, opened his mouth.

“Let’s make a bet.”

Bet? Why? Un Hui was unable to say anything because this was so sudden. Cho Ryu Hyang, who seemed oblivious to what Un Hui was feeling, just smiled.

“How is it?”

“………”

This was troublesome. Un Hui was unable to discern the boy’s motives for doing this.

And because he was feeling a little bit guilty right now, it was really hard for him to predict Cho Ryu Hyang’s moves.

“…….I don’t know what you are trying to say.”

“You just did something you shouldn’t have done, am I correct?”

“……..”

Un Hui didn’t speak. It seemed that this kid really wasn’t going to let his actions go.

“If you take the bet, I’ll pretend to not have seen your actions, how is it?”

Un Hui made a serious face when he heard this. At first glance, a bet like this where your sins could be forgiven seemed really attractive.

But Un Hui had to be careful. A sweet offer like this usually brought big troubles with it. But…….

‘There’s no way to get out.’

If that kid did anything to him in the future, there would be no way for him to avoid it. Un Hui looked at Cho Ryu Hyang with a bitter face and spoke.

“It’s not something that I can refuse, is it?”

“The conditions should be pretty appealing.”

“I’ll take it.”

When Un Hui took up the bet, Cho Ryu Hyang smiled and put on his glasses. Things have gone the way he wanted it so far. RIght then, Un Hui spoke.

“What kind of a bet do you want?”

Cho Ryu Hyang didn’t respond. After pausing for a bit, Cho Ryu Hyang spoke with a smile on his face.

“Before that, I think we should choose what we’re putting at stake here.”

What was that about? Un Hui made a confused expression as he spoke up in response.

“We’re choosing what we’re going to bet even before settling on what kind of a bet this is?”

Cho Ryu Hyang’s actions seemed illogical. But the boy just nodded, and spoke as he pointed at the ground.

“The Heavenly Demon Church. If you win, the church would be yours.”

–The Heavenly Demon Church. If you win, I’ll give you this.

For a second, Un Hui could hear the Pope’s voice from a decade ago simultaneously with Cho Ryu Hyang’s voice.

“……..”

Un Hui, who became a little dazed after hearing that, became furious.

‘This arrogant little brat…….’

Did the Pope tell the boy? Un Hui felt some suspicion for a second, but he immediately dispelled the thought. There was no way. The Pope wasn’t a person who’d talk about such things this easily.

Then just how did this boy know about the bet between him and the Pope? Did Guardian Ju tell the boy?

But that was even more improbable than the Pope telling the boy about the bet. This was something related to the Pope himself. Ju Sang San wasn’t idiotic enough to talk about the Pope’s past carelessly.

‘Anyways, you just touched a subject you shouldn’t have touched.’

A hot feeling of rage surged up in Un Hui’s chest. It felt like his precious memory with the Pope was being dirtied by this boy. Un Hui grit his teeth as he spoke in a low voice.

“I will bet myself, young lord. I will bet the remainder of my life here.”

He bet the same thing he bet in the past. But this time, he won’t lose. The Un Hui of now wouldn’t be able to lose to anything anyone would bet.

Cho Ryu Hyang, not caring a bit about Un Hui’s thoughts, grinned and stretched out his fist towards Un Hui.

“A man’s words?”

Un Hui looked at Cho Ryu Hyang’s little fist with a twisted face. This kid really knew about the bet from the past, didn’t he?

Un Hui thought about all this just being a coincidence, but that didn’t seem like the case. The boy knew about the exchange between him and the Pope, and was provoking him.

Un Hui looked at the fist with a complicated face, then soon sighed and put his fist against Cho Ryu Hyang’s.

“……..is worth a thousand gold.”

Cho Ryu Hyang stared into the furious eyes of Un Hui, and opened his mouth.

“I’ll tell you about the bet now. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to take it.”

“Alright.”

Un Hui was actually thinking of doing whatever the boy told him to do. He wanted to crush the boy.

Cho Ryu Hyang slowly walked to a open field in the garden they were in, and opened his mouth.

“You just have to attack me using the formation that is set up here.”

“…….?”

Un Hui couldn’t comprehend Cho Ryu Hyang’s words for a second. Use the formation? Did the boy just tell him to attack using the Bloody River Heaven Destroying Sword Formation with his subordinates?

“I want to bet on whether I can destroy this formation or not. How does that sound?”

Un Hui’s eyes turned ice cold. It seems he really didn’t misunderstand. This boy here really was talking nonsense.

His lips turned up into a grin. If there was one thing that defined the boy that the Pope brought along this time, it was this: arrogance.

It would be good to teach this boy a lesson using this chance. Un Hui opened his mouth with a calm face.

“This is an unfair bet. I cannot take it.”

Cho Ryu Hyang flinched, and scrunched up his nose. He didn’t expect the other side to refuse. Then, Un Hui faintly smiled and spoke up.

“The bet needs to be edited a little bit.”

“Edit?”

“Yes. I will not take part in the formation. And…….”

Kakakak–!

When Un Hui lightly waved his hand, a big circle appeared in the field with Cho Ryu Hyang at the center.

“I’ll admit my defeat as long as you come out of that circle. How does that sound?”

Cho Ryu Hyang looked around a bit, then spoke.

“If you want it to be that way, sure.”

Un Hui coldly smiled.

“The bet has been made.”

The moment Un Hui finished that sentence, he held up one of his hand. He then pointed at Cho Ryu Hyang.

Then, a hundred martial artists who were in hiding all simultaneously charged at Cho Ryu Hyang like a black wave.