Reincarnation of the Demon - Chapter 20



Only Noblemtl

Seon-gol

“What is the goal of the Yonggongja? When I think about it, all I know is that he learns martial arts, but what does he want-”

“The best in the world.”

“…I guess I asked something pointless. Something that should be obvious.”

In a tavern in Gyunxian, Hubei Province. In that bustling place, Yongyun and Socheonhong were sitting side by side eating. Yongyun, who was still showing his usual appetite, suddenly asked Socheonhong.

“Wasn’t it on the journey to Hubei that Feng Kai instructed you to be my companion? Why are you here?”

“Why are you so upset, Confucius? I have come to Hubei to find a companion because I am lonely and have finished all my business.”

“If I were your age, I would be crazy about martial arts.”

“You really are saying the same thing as my master. But, as a member of the Open, can’t you see information gathering and bargaining as part of your training?”

The journey from Guangxi to Hubei was not short. During that time, the latest information on martial arts that Socheonhong had passed on to Yongun was indeed useful.

“You said you already knew about the Heavenly Playroom and the Hidden Dragon Room created by Gaebang and Haomen, right?”

Yongwoon nodded.

“Yes. The Cheonyubang, which contains the best swordsmen in the world, and the Jamryongbang, which contains the later swordsmen below Ogijowon and Yirip. You could think of it as a ranking list.”

“We will gather the ten members of the Jeongpa and the fourteen members of the Sapa, as well as the other members of the Demonic Cult and other unmanned forces, and rank them all at once. Since the Gaebong and Haomun will come out at the same time, no one will protest to us even if they are dissatisfied.”

So Cheon-hong shrugged his shoulders as if he was proud. He was a beggar who didn’t hide his pride.

“I thought of it because the story about the best in the world came up. Do you know much about the ranking of Cheon Yu-bang?”

“no.”

“Then I guessed correctly. Anyway, the three most highly ranked beings in the Heavenly Realm are the Three Nobles: the Wise Noble, the Hegemonic Noble, and the Demon Noble.”

“The Lord of the Underworld, the Lord of the Underworld… is he the Heavenly Horse?”

“Yes. It’s been twenty years since the Heavenly Horse revealed itself, but it’s still mentioned as the third highest rank of the Heavenly Yubang. It’s just that the ranking has dropped by two places.”

Yongwoon felt the world had changed anew. Cheon Yubang was there in his time. Before Yongwoon died, Cheon Yubang’s first priority was indeed Hyeonhwajinin, and this was followed by Geomjon (劍尊) Dokgo Jinhan. Only after that was Gyeongcheon Kwonjon, so it could be said that this was truly the world of the Jeongpa.

Even if Gaebong and Haomun were to strictly rank them at the same time, Cheon Yoo-bang could not be free from the world of martial arts. If they were equal, or if the difference was subtle, the one from the more prestigious family, the Jeongpa, would inevitably be ranked higher.

But even so, Cheonma took first place without any objections when he first appeared, so we could indirectly feel the shock.

“Then who is present?”

“The present being is the Venerable Baecheon, the lord of the Pocheonbang.”

‘…This is the first time I’ve heard of Byulhon.’

Is he someone whose nickname changed in the meantime, or is he a hermit who has set foot in the world of martial arts within twenty years?

The latter was also quite possible. The current Shaolin abbot, the Twelve Ghosts, etc… After the chaos that followed the Great Rebellion of Heaven, many masters came out into the secular world.

‘The world of martial arts is truly… vast.’

That’s why it’s more exciting. Yongwoon smiled faintly.

So Cheon-hong, who saw that, smiled mischievously. It seemed as if he was mocking Yong-un, like a frog in a well.

“But shouldn’t His Majesty the Dragon focus more on the Jamryongbang than the Cheonyubang? The Dragon Prince hasn’t even come out of the late Jisoo’s shell yet.”

“…It’s a later index.”

It was an awkward title.

“Yes. The ranking of the Jamryongbang is not 100, but 500,000, but the top ten are the most unique among them. If time passes, they will be able to carve their names into the history of the Central Plains.”

“For example?”

“Well, of course, there’s the most overwhelmingly powerful Mudangpa’s Mukseong (墨星) Jang Hanbaek. Originally, Ogijowon was included in Jamryongbang, but in reality, among those below Yi Rip, those who are Ogijowon only appear once every hundred years. Isn’t that person a talented person?”

“Is it true that the only person who can help in Jamryongbang is a Taoist priest from the Shaman faction?”

“That’s right. After the decisive battle with Cheonma, the sealing of the Wudang faction. As if he had not lost his power, as soon as he released the sealing, he showed a genius that was unrivaled in the entire Central Plains. Oh, how shocking was the Yongbongjihoe five years ago…”

“What’s below that?”

“Above this is the Plum Blossom Sword Peak of the Hwasan faction. At the young age of twenty-four, he has already raised the Purple Haze Divine Art to the fifth level. He began learning the Hwasan’s peerless divine art, which only the long-legged learn, when he was young, so he is certain to be the next long-legged learner. He is also one of the Five Flowers of the Central Plains.”

“Misunderstanding?”

So Cheon-hong smiled darkly. It was a perverted smile that was hard to believe was from Nam-a.

“Why, there are. The five most beautiful women in the Central Plains. Hehe, Plum Blossom Sword Peak, Princess Nachal-”

“I’m not interested.”

“Hey, be honest. Even though I look like this, I’m not open-minded. For just one nyang of silver, you can buy a portrait of Maehwageombong-”

“I said I’m not interested.”

“Hey, that’s not fun…” So Cheon-hong whispered, speaking in a playful tone.

“Did you know that? In Guangxi, Prince Yong is called the Fighting Doctor.”

“A fight?”

“It is a nickname that contains both sides, having cured the Iron House and killed the Talhon Nanggeun. Since Gwangseo is far from the Central Plains, no one here will know about it. First, congratulations.”

The first nickname. Even though it was a small nickname in the insignificant Guangxi, it was enough to make my heart beat a little. It was a bit of a shame that the word “doctor” was not included.

“It seems like you don’t mind getting a nickname. How about you join the Yongbong branch in Hanam this time and make your name known?”

The Yongbong branch was a competition for the later disciples hosted by the Jeongpa. It was mainly young disciples who wanted to make their name known in the Jeongpa or to show the prestige of the sect and showed off their skills, and sometimes they were given the title of Yong (龍) or Bong (鳳).

“The Yongbongjihoe is a really good way to gain fame. Isn’t it a place where you can show off your martial arts skills? Of course, you shouldn’t kill people anymore.”

When So Cheon-hong said that with a smile, Yong-un stopped using his chopsticks for a moment.

“…What do you mean?”

“Did you think I didn’t know? The few bandits, thieves, and criminals outside of Gyunhyeon. Even if they are shamans, they can’t completely suppress the human desires that spread throughout Hubei. So, those criminals who were rampant in Hubei… they all died, right?”

So Cheon-hong said this while looking at Yong-un’s calloused hand.

“A hand-shaped burn carved into the chest, as if it had been burned by a cannon. The outside is fine, but the inside looks like it has been burned….”

Yongwoon, who had been keeping his mouth shut for a moment, nodded obediently.

“It really is open. It’s information power that doesn’t match its shabby appearance.”

“I will take that as a compliment. However, I am a little surprised that Prince Yong is such a cruel person.”

“Cruel?”

“Didn’t you kill them all?”

“Are you here to question me?”

“Hey, I’m not a Shaolin monk or a shaman, so how could I do that? If only the cruelty was directed at the common people and not at them.”

So Cheon-hong said, still smiling.

“I don’t think I would have come here to talk to the dragon prince just now.”

Yongwoon shrugged. Was he warning me? It could have been. He had been killing bandits as soon as he arrived in Hubei, so they might have suspected that he had mastered magic.

“Threatening while getting food?”

Before So Cheon-hong, who was startled, could say anything, the door to the guest house opened.

The sound of chairs being dragged could be heard from all over the inn. People everywhere stood up with the sound of people hurriedly leaving. They all headed toward the entrance of the inn.

“Please take a seat.”

“Ugh!”

Since he had his back turned to the entrance, Yong-un could only hear the young voice. However, So-cheon-hong’s face turned pale when he saw the entrance, so Yong-un also turned his head.

There was a young Taoist priest wearing a crown with a Taegeuk symbol on his head, a woman wearing a bamboo hat, an old man, and a child.

A person wearing a Taegeukgwan on his head is a shaman. That was the reason why several of the shamans in the inn were playing cards despite his young appearance.

The young Taoist turned around and spoke to me. He clearly seemed proud of the respect the shamans showed for the shaman sect.

“Your child has a keen eye. This Qinghua Inn is one of the most delicious Inns in Hubei, so enjoy it.”

Yongwoon turned his head and quietly looked at the scene. The clothes of the shamanist Taoist priest and those behind him were clearly different. The only difference was that the clothes behind him had no patterns at all, and were pure white.

An old man, a woman with her face covered, and a child.

“Oh, crazy! Why are they here-”

He heard So Cheon-hong’s urgent voice. Yong-un met the old man’s eyes.

“…”

A moment of silence that could never be called long. While the young Taoist priest of the shaman sect was trying to dissuade several of the shamans, Yongwoon turned his head. He began to eat his meal in silence.

The old man also turned his head without saying anything.

“Crazy, crazy…”

The Socheonhong in front of me was flustered and didn’t even think about eating.

“Welcome!”

Even Gyunhyeon’s Jeomsoi had clear eyes and a bright face. Before Jeomsoi could bow down after seeing that he was a Taoist from the shamanist faction, the Taoist opened his mouth first.

“I’m not going to eat. Can you provide a place for these three to eat?”

“Of course! This way!”

Jeomsoi gave thorough guidance, and the four followed her. Yongwoon quietly closed his eyes and picked up his chopsticks again.

No, that’s what I was trying to do.

“hmm?”

Right next to Yongwoon. In front of Socheonhong, who had her head bowed. A boy younger than Socheonhong, who was next to the old man and the woman, was quietly looking at him.

Since even their steps had stopped, the group of children who had been moving had no choice but to stop.

“…”

Yongwoon looked at the child quietly. The child also looked at Yongwoon. As Socheonhong lowered his head even further, the woman approached the child.

“What’s going on?”

A voice like a jade bead. But even without that, the attention of all the guests was drawn to that scene. Those who were being guided by the shamanist Taoist. The sudden behavior of one of the children among them.

Rumble-

The woman’s gaze under her bamboo hat was also directed towards Yongwoon. Her eyes were clear and beautiful, not even covered by the bamboo hat.

Yongwoon, who was eating food, did not take his eyes off the child.

So Cheon-hong lowered his head even further. The embarrassment on his face was obvious. Yong-woon, who had his mouth empty, asked the child in an unusually warm tone.

“What’s going on?”

“Can I sit here?”

It was an abrupt remark. It wasn’t the best seat in the guest room, nor was it exactly in the center of the room. No, it was more like a corner.

Yongwoon looked closely into the child’s eyes. There was something strange and strange about them-

“Small group.”

The one who came before Yongwoon was not a woman, but a Taoist priest. A young, energetic man who at first glance seemed a little arrogant. He spoke to Yongwoon politely while playing the lottery.

“I am Jin-kwan, one of the three great disciples of the Wudangpa. I will pay for this meal, so would you mind moving to a different seat?”

Jin-gwan, who was momentarily startled by the amount of food on Yong-un’s table, said so. Yong-un snickered as he looked at it.

“It is a truly polite request, but you still can’t let go of the strength in your eyes. You are not a partisan, but a bunch of thugs. Even if your spirit is pure, if your heart cannot follow it, you are just like a pearl necklace on a pig’s neck.”

Jin-kwan’s smile hardened. Yong-un said while putting a piece of food in his mouth.

“I know that you don’t know that temper, but think about it in your heart and say it again. Don’t say it with the arrogance of ‘of course it will happen’. Or practice hiding your emotions from your eyes. That’s not bad either.”

A sudden quarrel. The atmosphere in the guest house turned cold. In Hubei Province, Junxian, there was no one who did not know about the power of the Wudang faction.

No, there was no one in the Central Plains who did not know the power of the shamans. And even in the shamans’ stronghold.

“…how dare you.”

The energy released from the body of the Taoist monk Jin-kwan. A powerful force befitting the name of a shaman. It was a clear and heavy energy that was hard to believe was from a disciple who had not yet become a shaman.

Yongwoon snapped his fingers. He didn’t seem intimidated at all. It was a bonus that Socheonhong’s face turned pale at Yongwoon’s sudden behavior.

‘Did this guy really learn magic and go crazy?’

“stop.”

The one who came forward was an old man. He was wearing a different uniform than the shaman. As the old man, whose eyes were hidden by thick white eyebrows, stepped forward, Jin-kwan’s momentum instantly waned.

It wasn’t Jin-kwan who had taken it. The old man’s will had all evaporated in an instant.

“Hey, senior?”

“No matter what, shouldn’t the blood of the nonpartisan be shed because of something like this? My reputation is also at stake.”

‘The blood of the non-partisan…?’

Jin-kwan thought in confusion. That means I’m losing to this man-

“And I guess I made a mistake when I told you to move. Wood, did you come to this place or to find a person?”

“People….”

The child spoke slowly, and the old man nodded. The old man looked at the official and took out a lottery ticket.

“I can stop guiding you now. You should go back quickly.”

“Ha, but-”

“It was an unnecessary favor to begin with. Don’t you know that we didn’t come to Hubei to travel?”

“…All right.”

The shamanist Taoist named Jin-gwan, who had once glanced at the woman and once at Yong-un, disappeared like that. So-cheon-hong now had his face buried in the bowl, and the three of them joined Yong-un at the table.

“…”

Yongun, Socheonhong, an old man, two female Taoist priests, and a young boy.

It was a strange combination.