Chapter 84

Chapter 84 – If You Can Catch Me, Try to Catch Me (3)

We chatted pleasantly.

“The fried foods here are incredibly delicious.”

“Have you seen the breathtaking lake?”

“Do you, by any chance, have business with the Kunlun Sect in Qinghai? If so, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to go with us.”

Well, to be precise, Sa Gonghwa kept asking me questions, and I, out of annoyance, either answered or ignored them.

Then, beep-beep—the mobile phone rang.

“Oh, excuse me.”

Sa Gonghwa checked the phone briefly and sighed deeply.

“Something urgent has come up, so I need to step out for a moment. Please start eating without me.”

Sa Gonghwa looked at me with regretful eyes and left the table.

Gorilla A stared at me. The glare was filled with what seemed like murderous intent...

‘No, it’s actually murderous intent, isn’t it?’

Looking at Gorilla A in disbelief, the gorilla stared back at me with an imposing expression.

“You, you’re just a pretty-faced playboy. Lady Sa Gonghwa is not someone you can covet.”

This sounds familiar.

Do these orthodox guys always say the same thing?

“Is she someone you can covet?”

“Of course. I have mastered the Peng family’s swordsmanship and even obtained the title of young lord.”

You?

I looked at Peng Bosung with incredulous eyes.

‘He’s either similar to or lower in level than that guy from Namgoong.’

Previously, at Nam Hyerin’s request, I had destroyed the Namgoong family.

The only survivor there was a girl who was a third-year student.

Even now, she had become stronger. Yet, he acted so arrogantly at that level?

“Sorry, but she’s not my type.”

“Are you saying she’s ugly?!”

Unbelievable.

Seon Woohyeon glanced sideways with a bewildered expression.

Peng Bosung looked at me with a triumphant expression.

I laughed as I saw that.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

Ah, I missed this.

This atmosphere.

If you didn’t like someone, you could pick a fight, and it was legal to beat them up.

‘It’s not some game where you fight every time you make eye contact.’

In this martial world, you really fight as soon as you make eye contact.

Because you don’t like that guy, because you don’t like his face.

Because it seemed like he was messing with someone else’s girl, and it pissed you off.

There were such reasons.

And during my third life. I never let those guys off.

‘Shall I teach him a lesson?’

“Let me borrow your sword.”

“What?”

I snatched a sword from Seon Woohyeon.

“Ha, someone without even a weapon...”

“Stop jabbering. I even got rid of the girl you like to avoid embarrassing you. Why don’t you just come at me?”

“...You.”

Peng Bosung’s face twisted into a strange expression.

“You’re quite sly. You thought you’d score points with Lady Sa Gonghwa by bothering me?”

“...”

What would I do with those points anyway?

As I looked at him in disbelief, Peng Bosung marched over to the shop assistant and handed him a gold coin.

“Tell them today’s business is done. Half of the inn might get destroyed.”

“Eek!”

He was surprisingly considerate.

He was even worried about the inn.

“Then I’ll go. I’ll show you the Five Tigers Gate-Cutting Blade of the Peng Family!”

Peng Bosung charged at me with great momentum.

And then.

Swish.

“Wha...?”

His sword was cut cleanly in half.

The fight wasn’t intense.

One strike.

The fight ended with just one strike.

If there’s a problem, it’s the man’s exquisite swordsmanship.

“...?”

Geum Pungseong looked at the path the sword had taken.

It felt familiar.

He had seen this sword art countless times. But where was it from? Where had he seen it?

“...!!”

A memory suddenly surfaced in his mind.

Righteous Heavenly Alliance.

There, Geum Pungseong had undergone countless trainings.

To deduce incidents at any time, he had memorized all the characteristics of various sword and spear techniques.

He always solved cases with his sharp intellect.

Hence, he was even given the nickname of the master detective.

Apart from that, his hair was falling out frequently, contrary to his name.

—That wasn’t the issue.

‘This can’t be.’

This sword art, he realized its unusual nature the moment he saw it.

The impression of its trace was too striking.

Such things usually involve angles, the differences between oneself and the opponent. And subtle habits and routines.

And then, he examined the characteristics of the swordsmanship.

Among them, he can discern part of the opponent’s intent.

That was the additional effect of his Unique Trait, Observation.

‘Is it an illusion?’

That’s why the man saw it.

Which man displayed that swordsmanship?

And what intent he had.

「Just memorize this spear technique, swordsmanship, and martial arts in your head. Never imitate them.」

「What is this, senior?」

「And swear and stamp the contract. Promise that you won’t leak this in any way.」

「Is it the swordsmanship of the great... No, wait. If it’s swordsmanship, spear technique, and martial arts...」

「Yes, it’s the traces of ‘that’ martial art that our Righteous Heavenly Alliance members barely managed to obtain by risking their lives. Even so, it seems we won’t be able to use this knowledge, but it’s the command of the leader...」

The senior’s words came to mind.

‘Ah, I have to inform them.’

However, to what extent?

This case was too high for him to handle.

Perhaps his superiors might have him buried for discovering this truth.

‘No, I must report it.’

This was not something that could be covered up by killing him.

If that man had come back to life...

‘The movements of Evil Overlords, Righteous Heavenly Alliance, and the Demonic Cult have become strange.’

They are not strange.

Because they are all individuals with excellent minds and martial prowess.

But if.

If this man, the one who caused the incident known as the Bloodbath of Mount Hua, has been resurrected.

They would be shocked.

Because someone who couldn’t possibly come back to life has somehow returned.

“...”

“Why, sir?”

His subordinate looked at Geum Pungseong.

A superior who always solves cases clearly. But he had never seen such an expression on his superior’s face before.

An expression as if he had seen something impossible.

“Send an urgent message to the Lord of Righteous Heavenly right now!”

“W-What? W-What should I say?”

The subordinate asked diligently, despite being flustered.

What could it be that made the man have such an expression?

“No, never mind. I must go and report to the lord myself immediately!”

The man thought as he moved swiftly.

Heaven-Surrendering Martial Emperor.

If he really has returned.

‘No way.’

You have no place in this martial world.

And never will, forever.