Disciple of The Three Kings [EN]: Chapter 126

The eyes that appeared between the strands of hair held a piercing gaze that seemed to see through the opponent.

It was an intense gaze, as if no one could avoid being stripped bare before those eyes.

“……!”

But those eyes twitched.

Jongnam’s sect leader, Hyun Ri-young.

He was one of the top masters of the Silver Union and a figure close to the Unranked level, said to be a one-hand fighter.

‘This is….’

He felt fear, if only for a moment.

Lee Rowan had sensed something within him.

“Are you the sect leader of Jongnam?”

Lee Rowan asked, rather than being asked if he was the Heavenly Demon.

“Y-you, this bastard-!”

“Hey!”

Woo Jang-sook and Baek Cheong shouted at Lee Rowan simultaneously.

“Hehe.”

At that sight, the twitching around his eyes returned to normal.

“That’s right. Though I am lacking, I am indeed the sect leader of Jongnam….”

The exploration of each other was over.

“I am Hyun Ri-young.”

“Lee Rowan.”

Lee Rowan introduced himself briefly.

“You are the rising star who has been making a name for yourself these days.”

He spoke without mentioning the name Heavenly Demon.

“But, why are you causing such a commotion? I heard that my Cheong had a guest.”

He was smiling, but his eyes were not.

“I didn’t hear that Jongnam was next to a beggar?”

It was a clear warning and reprimand.

A warning and reprimand for causing a disturbance in Jongnam, even though he was accepted as a guest.

At that, Lee Rowan’s languid eyes curved.

“It’s because there’s a beggar in Jongnam.”

“This bastard is courting death!”

In the end, Woo Jang-sook couldn’t hold back his anger and shouted.

“Master! That crazy bastard’s nonsense…!”

Woo Jang-sook raised his voice towards Hyun Ri-young.

“Go.”

His mouth disappeared at Hyun Ri-young’s small voice.

Woo Jang-sook, who had reached the peak of the Profound Realm [a high level of martial arts mastery].

He glared with bloodshot eyes.

Thick veins bulged on his neck, and he seemed unable to breathe properly.

This was Jongnam’s sect leader, Hyun Ri-young.

“It seems I have not educated my disciple well.”

Hyun Ri-young apologized to Lee Rowan.

“I heard that Han So had his arm cut off for not assessing his opponent, yet he is still so reckless.”

“I, I….”

Woo Jang-sook, who had barely regained his voice, said in a dying tone.

“Are you saying I am inferior to that man?”

“Jang-sook.”

“Yes, yes…. Sect leader.”

Hyun Ri-young looked at Woo Jang-sook and said,

“I think it’s better for me to cut off your head myself than for it to be cut off by someone else. What do you think?”

In the end, Woo Jang-sook completely shut his mouth.

“I didn’t know a beggar could listen so well.”

Lee Rowan spoke as if teasing, but Woo Jang-sook, unable to ignore Hyun Ri-young’s warning, eventually lowered his head.

“Everyone, step back.”

Hyun Ri-young’s command was given.

“I will speak with Cheong’s guest myself.”

***

The entire top floor of the Heavenly Inn, and indeed the entire inn, was emptied.

Never before had the Heavenly Inn been emptied, and people outside the inn protested at the sudden event.

“Why is this….”

But those who tried to protest soon had to shut their mouths.

They were martial artists who had made a name for themselves in Shanghai, so they were bold enough to protest at the Heavenly Inn, which was a business of Jongnam.

“Jongnam’s Divine Maiden….”

“And the Single Heaven Sword is with her…?”

Those who saw the distorted face of Jongnam’s Divine Maiden, Baek Cheong, and the suppressed anger of the Single Heaven Sword, Woo Jang-sook, had no choice but to leave.

It was a reality that even the appearance of one of them would cause a commotion.

Yet, both of them, who were known to have a bad relationship, were standing guard at the Heavenly Inn.

Curiosity was about to explode, but no one dared to protest or set foot in the inn.

“Ha, haha. I’ll come back and eat next time!”

Those who disappeared.

Meanwhile, on the top floor of the Heavenly Inn.

“Come in.”

Hyun Ri-young was offering food to Lee Rowan as if he were looking at his grandson.

“You eat quite well.”

Hyun Ri-young’s eyes turned to Bondeano.

He had told everyone to step back, but Bondeano had not left.

Lee Rowan didn’t say anything about it, so Hyun Ri-young nodded.

“If Rowan has to fight, I have to be ready to fight. I think I need to eat well.”

“Hehe. With me?”

“If necessary.”

At Bondeano’s words, Hyun Ri-young’s eyes changed deeply.

“Good….”

Hyun Ri-young was unsure of their relationship.

“Friend.”

“You have a friend.”

Hyun Ri-young said at Lee Rowan’s words.

“Not someone who cannot be measured, but someone who knows how to risk their life while measuring. That is the true attitude of a martial artist.”

Hyun Ri-young said.

“A mage, not a martial artist, has the mindset of a martial artist. The Silver Union is truly blessed.”

Hyun Ri-young had already seen through many things.

“Have a drink.”

The moment Hyun Ri-young reached out his hand.

Swoosh!

A bottle of alcohol, from who knows where, came and was caught in his hand.

“It’s a good wine that tastes best when warmed.”

Sizzle.

Smoke rose from the bottle.

The bottle had been warmed just by Hyun Ri-young touching it.

Lee Rowan held out a cup.

Pour.

The liquid flowed from the mouth of the bottle.

Shudder, shudder, shudder!

The cup Lee Rowan was holding was shaking like crazy.

It was a slow-pouring liquid, but its weight was like a thousand pounds.

Swoosh.

The shaking of the cup stopped.

What was surprising was that the stream of liquid from the bottle had also stopped as if time had stopped.

“…….”

Hyun Ri-young put down the bottle with calm eyes.

“I apologize.”

It was a shallow trick.

He had tried to gauge his opponent through an internal energy battle.

“Amazing.”

He had wanted to confirm it once more because he couldn’t believe the reality he was seeing.

The result was obvious.

Lee Rowan was the real deal.

“If you want to do more, you can.”

Lee Rowan said, looking at Hyun Ri-young.

“You will have to take responsibility for the results.”

“Let’s stop.”

Hyun Ri-young said, acknowledging it.

“Didn’t we say we would talk?”

“I’m curious about your purpose in coming to China.”

At Hyun Ri-young’s words, Lee Rowan’s lips twisted.

“Are you worried that Jongnam is my target?”

“I can’t rule it out. Especially with the actions you’ve already shown.”

“You knew.”

The two pairs of eyes met.

Neither pair of eyes yielded.

“That there is a demon in Jongnam.”

“It’s not just Jongnam.”

Contrary to expectations, Hyun Ri-young readily agreed.

His eyes deepened further.

“There is a demon in every corner of the Silver Union.”

One who has lived long.

One who has seen much.

One who is in a high place.

That was the sect leaders, and Hyun Ri-young before him.

Hyun Ri-young was the sect leader of Jongnam and the guild leader, but he was known to not be heavily involved in external activities or meetings.

Yet, he was seeing everything.

“Did you know that your disciple also has a demon within him?”

Lee Rowan said in a languid voice.

“I know.”

“Yet you call yourself an anti-demon faction?”

At Lee Rowan’s question, Hyun Ri-young’s beard twitched.

It was not anger, but laughter.

“Jongnam is not an anti-demon faction.”

An old man and a young man.

Their appearances were too different, but at this moment, they looked like friends.

“In the first place, nothing can be an anti-demon faction.”

“…….”

“Demons are everywhere, and they dwell in everything. How can one speak of being anti-demon unless they are denying themselves?”

Hyun Ri-young.

“Look.”

His eyes narrowed.

Thump, thump, thump!

The air vibrated.

“Isn’t there a demon before my eyes? A great demon that cannot be compared to my disciple.”

As the leader of Jongnam, who followed the path, Hyun Ri-young had reached a realm.

What he had realized after reaching the realm that transcended life and death was the mind’s eye that saw the essence.

And in Hyun Ri-young’s eyes.

“I don’t even know what you are. Maybe you really are the Heavenly Demon.”

Lee Rowan was just a pitch-black existence.

A vast darkness that could not be examined, and if one tried to examine it, it felt as if they would be sucked into its depths.

“Cheong accepted you. Then tell me, is Cheong also a demon?”

Hyun Ri-young asked.

“What’s the difference between the two? Are you saying that the owner will take the demon of the meeting?”

Snort.

“Are you the owner?”

Hyun Ri-young thought.

It was a question that could never be answered.

That was because he was a Taoist who followed the path.

He threw a deep question at his opponent, making him focus on that question.

With that, Hyun Ri-young hoped that this man would fall into contemplation.

The storm that was about to come could not be avoided, but he hoped that the storm could be delayed a little.

But his thoughts were soon proven wrong.

“I am the owner.”

A very firm answer and eyes.

Voice.

“Not just of the demons, but of all of you.”

Hyun Ri-young closed his eyes tightly.

* * *

“……What did you talk about with the sect leader?”

Baek Cheong asked cautiously.

After the conversation between the sect leader and Lee Rowan at the Heavenly Inn.

-I will return to Jongnam.

The sect leader, who had been out of the world, had returned to Jongnam.

Baek Cheong could not forget that face.

‘I’ve never seen it before.’

A face that looked terrified, and also like it had hit an insurmountable wall.

It was the sect leader.

A figure who was like a father, and like a teacher.

In particular, Hyun Ri-young was a figure who was respected and loved by all Jongnam disciples.

Baek Cheong could not help but be shaken by the sight of such a sect leader.

‘Am I doing something wrong?’

She had questioned herself, but could not find an answer.

That was why she asked, but.

“I just told him what he was curious about.”

“That’s all…?”

“It’s similar to what I did to you.”

At Lee Rowan’s words, Baek Cheong made an expression that she couldn’t understand.

That was why Baek Cheong looked at Bondeano instead of Lee Rowan.

A face that asked if it was true.

“It’s true.”

Bondeano only answered that much.

“……I understand.”

Baek Cheong, who had judged that she wouldn’t find an answer even if she asked more, closed her mouth with a face like a rain-soaked puppy.

It was at that moment.

“Are you going to follow?”

“Huh?”

She put down the coffee she was drinking.

“I’m leaving Shanghai. Are you going to follow?”

“Why?”

Leaving Shanghai, which was Jongnam’s territory?

“Wasn’t Jongnam your goal?”

Baek Cheong, who thought that Lee Rowan’s purpose in coming to China was Jongnam, had a puzzled expression.

“It’s a side goal. My original purpose is separate.”

“……!”

The entire Jongnam was shaken, and that wasn’t even his main purpose?

“Where are you going?”

Baek Cheong asked cautiously.

The situation in China was different from that of South Korea.

In South Korea, travel within each sphere of influence was relatively free, but not in China.

Each sphere of influence was like a country.

Crossing those borders was not something that could be done lightly.

“Guangzhou.”

“……!”

Baek Cheong, who was not easily surprised by ordinary things.

She wondered if she was spending the most surprising moments of her life in the past few days, or even in her entire life.

“Why… why there?”

At Baek Cheong’s question, Lee Rowan stood up.

“To find what the Silver Union lacks.”

“What the Silver Union lacks?”

Baek Cheong thought of the Silver Union.

Quite a few martial artists, spheres of influence, and masters.

‘Crazy financial power.’

The Silver Union, which already had a deep relationship with the Black Market.

Moreover, there were rumors that the Silver Union’s financial power had now surpassed Mount Hua after capturing the Golden Gate.

What could the Silver Union possibly lack?

‘The influence of the meeting?’

No, even that could not be said to be lacking, as the Silver Union had joined hands with the anti-demon faction.

Then….

“No way!”

There was only one thing.

“You’re going to capture the blacksmith.”

A divine weapon.

That was the only thing the Silver Union lacked.