Chapter 357

Chapter 357 – Two Lives Wouldn't Be Enough to Survive This Danger (1)
"Wow! To have such a downpour after coming all this way. I'm soaked to my underwear."
"Still, it's fortunate there's an inn nearby."
The martial artists who came with the woman each shook off water while making comments.
Tssss!
At that moment, steam rose from the woman's body. She was using internal energy to evaporate the water from her clothes. Seeing the woman's display, the guests inside the inn lit up their eyes.
Most people inside Clear Flow Inn were martial artists. Therefore, they knew how remarkable the skill the woman was displaying was.
'This is a level impossible without opening the Conception and Governing Vessels.'
'To think a woman has reached such a level.'
Having opened the Conception and Governing Vessels meant internal energy circulated throughout the body without obstruction. In other words, it meant at least peak-level or above.
Among the young women of the martial world, not that many had achieved such a level.
'Who could she be?'
'Perhaps the Phantom Fairy?'
They thought of the most famous female martial artist in today's martial world. But the moment they saw the sword at her waist, they realized their guess was wrong.
Two characters carved on the handle.
Jade Frost.
Though countless martial artists existed under heaven, only one person owned a sword with such a name.
"Ah! She's Miss Hae So-wol of the Hainan Sect."
"To see the Flower in the Sea here. What good fortune."
People's murmuring grew louder.
Flower in the Sea Hae So-wol.
The young sect leader of the Hainan Sect and one of the Nine Martial Dragons. Though her fame had dimmed somewhat with the emergence of the Four Divine Stars, they were still the greatest rising talents of the martial world.
Especially Hae So-wol had achieved notable merit in the battle against the Demon Cult three years ago. Because of this, she was famous enough that any martial artist would know her.
Having dried her clothes instantly, Hae So-wol said to the disciples who came with her:
"Whew! First check if there are any rooms available."
"Yes! Fourth Sister."
The Hainan Sect martial artists who came with her began moving busily. One negotiated with the inn owner for rooms, while the rest prepared a place to dine.
They gathered three empty tables together to create seating.
"Fourth Sister, please sit here for now."
"There are three empty rooms left. One for Fourth Sister to sleep in, and the rest of us can sleep in the remaining rooms."
Hae So-wol nodded and took a seat.
The three years had made her even more beautiful.
She had been beautiful before, but now she exuded the mature beauty of a woman. Because of this, people in the inn couldn't take their eyes off her.
"Sigh!"
Hae So-wol let out a quiet sigh.
Such gazes were quite familiar to her. Normally she could ignore them without care, but when her heart was heavy like now, even that was burdensome.
She looked at the martial artists positioned around her. They were all disciples of the Hainan Sect who had become her junior brothers and sisters. Hae So-wol was the one who bore the heavy responsibility of leading them now.
Hae So-wol looked around the inn.
She could feel the gazes of countless people looking at her with admiring eyes. If the disciples weren't around her, they would have approached long ago.
The disciples with her were all elite members of the Hainan Sect. They were first-generation disciples of the Hainan Sect whose martial achievements were not inferior to first-generation disciples of the Nine Great Sects.
Even while laughing and chatting, the momentum they emanated was extraordinary, so people in the inn could only swallow dry saliva.
Her gaze, which had been casually looking over people, stopped abruptly at the window. More precisely, it fixed on the man in black clothes occupying the window seat.
He was a man with disheveled black hair like a lion's mane wearing a pitch-black long robe. Though his face was hidden by his hair, his atmosphere reminded her of someone she knew.
"That person…"
Just as she was about to say something to the man, suddenly a booming voice was heard from the stairs leading to the second floor.
"What's this? I wondered why it was so noisy, and it's because a bunch of small fry have gathered."
Hooong!
The booming voice, like a large temple bell ringing out, painfully stimulated the eardrums of people in the inn.
"Urgh!"
"Cough!"
Most people covered their ears with both hands and suffered in pain.
Hae So-wol and the Hainan Sect disciples looked toward the owner of the voice.
Thud! Thud!
With footsteps, the stairs bent under the man's weight, unable to bear it. The creaking made it seem like they would collapse at any moment.
He was truly a man with a bear-like massive build. Indeed, he wore clothes made of bear fur, and the forearms visible between the clothes were as thick as logs, packed with muscles reminiscent of granite.
His face, appearing to be in his late forties to early fifties, was full of scars, frightening just to look at.
The man looked at Hae So-wol and showed his yellow teeth.
"Ho! There's quite a pretty wench here. What's your name, girl?"
"Who might you be?"
"Impudent wench. When an elder asks, you should answer obediently instead of asking back. Despite your pretty face, you have no manners."
"Isn't it proper etiquette to reveal one's own name first when asking for someone else's name?"
Hae So-wol frowned. Then the Hainan Sect disciples beside her stepped forward.
"Fourth Sister, there's no need to listen to such a madman's words."
"That's right."
They showed wariness while looking at the bear-like large man. Seeing the Hainan Sect disciples' appearance, the bear-like large man laughed.
"Kahaha! To be looked down upon like this after coming out to the martial world after so long. How interesting."
Hooong!
At the man's laughter, objects in the inn vibrated. It was truly tremendous internal energy.
The faces of Hae So-wol and the Hainan Sect disciples hardened stiffly.
Such internal energy was comparable to the Hainan Sect elders they respected.
Then the man stopped laughing abruptly and glared at Hae So-wol and her disciples.
"For this Great Strength Black Bear Jang Cheon-so to be so disrespected. How absurd. Even though it's been decades since I came out to the martial world."
Instantly, the air in the hall turned cold.
"My goodness! The Great Strength Black Bear?"
"Isn't Jang Cheon-so a martial artist from twenty years ago?"
Some knowledgeable people recognized Jang Cheon-so's identity and couldn't contain their shock.
Great Strength Black Bear Jang Cheon-so was a martial artist active twenty years ago. Born with natural divine strength and having learned martial arts called Iron Tower Divine Technique, it was known that not many under heaven could match him. However, his personality was so brutal and hot-tempered that many people feared him.
He had strutted around boasting that the martial world was small, but one day he disappeared from the martial world and was forgotten from people's memories. That same person had leaped across twenty years of time and space to appear before people again.
Hae So-wol's eyes sank heavily.
"Are you truly the Great Strength Black Bear senior?"
"Hehe! That's right. Who else under heaven could use the title Great Strength Black Bear besides me?"
"I heard you went into seclusion twenty years ago. What brings you back to the world?"
"So you're displeased? Young wench. Come to think of it, I still haven't heard your name. What is your name?"
"I am called Hae So-wol of the Hainan Sect."
"Ho! The wench called Flower in the Sea. This old man is quite fortunate."
"What do you mean? Fortunate?"
"It was lonely drinking alone, but now I can receive wine service from a pretty wench like you, so how could I not be pleased?"
"Who said anything about serving wine? Watch your words. No matter if you're a senior, I cannot tolerate such careless speech."
"Hehe! The wench has quite a temper too."
Jang Cheon-so let out a sinister laugh.
Though countless people were in the inn, he paid them no mind. His originally arrogant personality had become even more eccentric after living in seclusion for twenty years.
"Why has someone who already went into seclusion twenty years ago come out to the martial world?"
"Naturally to protect the martial world."
"What?"
"Are your ears blocked? I said I came out to protect the martial world from the Demon Cult's hands."
"What?"
"Since the martial world is in crisis, wouldn't this old man be of great help? So naturally, junior martial artists like you should treat this old man well. That's the way of the martial world."
"……"
Hae So-wol was left speechless.
A martial artist of Jang Cheon-so's caliber would certainly be of great help in the fight against the Demon Cult. But that didn't mean it was a reason for her to pour wine for him.
"You are quite shameless. No one can force junior martial artists to drink with them for such reasons. Rather, shouldn't a senior martial artist like you set an example for juniors?"
"Well now, wench. You talk too much. When an elder tells you to sit beside him, you should quickly sit down."
"Watch your words. You are now insulting not only Miss Hae but the entire Hainan Sect. If you continue like this, we can no longer tolerate it."
Unable to bear it any longer, one Hainan Sect martial artist flared up and shouted. Anger was clearly revealed on his face.
Nor was he alone. The other Hainan Sect disciples' expressions were the same. Insulting Hae So-wol was no different from insulting the Hainan Sect. Having greater pride in the Hainan Sect than anyone, they could never tolerate it.
Jang Cheon-so looked down at them.
"What if you don't tolerate it?"
"Grr!"
"Want to have a go? Do you have the confidence to handle it?"
The smile that appeared on Jang Cheon-so's lips was clearly mocking. At this, the Hainan Sect disciples trembled with their bodies.
"Hehe! I know. I know why you left the Hainan Sect to crawl thousands of li away to Shaolin Temple. Since the Demon Cult has seized the Central Plains' waist, it's only a matter of time before the Hainan Sect in the south is occupied. So you're going to ask Shaolin Temple for help, aren't you?"
"Grr!"
The Hainan Sect disciples' jaws twitched. Because Jang Cheon-so's words were true.
Jang Cheon-so's mockery deepened.
"But do Shaolin and the Martial Alliance really have the capacity to help the Hainan Sect? They're already struggling to protect themselves. Moreover, what if I suggest to the Martial Alliance not to help the Hainan Sect as a condition for helping them? Hehehe!"
"Senior Jang!"
Instantly Hae So-wol's eyes sank sharply. She couldn't bear it any longer.
Right now Jang Cheon-so was making threats.
What was frustrating was that Jang Cheon-so's threats weren't entirely baseless. If a martial artist with Jang Cheon-so's fame and martial prowess offered to help, the Martial Alliance would certainly accept with joy.
"So what does Senior Jang want?"
"Didn't I tell you? I want to drink wine served by you. If you attend to me at my side, I'll speak well of you to the Martial Alliance. Or I could help directly."
"……"
"The choice is yours. Bearing the consequences is also your responsibility."
The corners of Jang Cheon-so's mouth curled up.
"Fourth Sister, there's no need to listen to his words. We are the Hainan Sect. We don't yield to any threats, much less need to listen to words from a madman like him."
Shing!
The disciple who stood in front of Hae So-wol drew his sword. Then others also drew their swords.
Resolute expressions appeared on their faces.
Having greater pride in the Hainan Sect than anyone, they couldn't bear receiving such insults.
Hae So-wol's expression also turned colder than ever. But her inner thoughts were extremely complicated.
Normally she would have drawn her sword regardless of whether he was a senior, unable to contain her anger. But as Jang Cheon-so said, the Hainan Sect's circumstances were not good in many ways.
After the Demon Cult seized Hunan and Jiangxi Provinces, southern Central Plains had come under their sphere of influence. Though Hainan Island where the Hainan Sect was located was still holding out taking advantage of its geographical benefit of being an island, it was certain to become isolated as time passed.
She wasn't afraid of Jang Cheon-so. But she was concerned about relations with the Martial Alliance becoming strained if they made enemies with him.
Reading Hae So-wol's inner thoughts, Jang Cheon-so burst into loud laughter.
"Hehe! Young wench. There's no need to complicate your thoughts. You just need to pour wine beside this elder. Then everything will be resolved, so there's no need to make the problem big."
"Sigh!"
Hae So-wol let out a sigh.
Suddenly her eyes changed.
She didn't want to cause trouble if possible, but if she endured such insults, everyone would look down on her.
She knew too well what happened to those who were once looked down upon in the martial world.
Above all, enduring while receiving such insults was not her nature. She grasped the handle of her beloved sword Jade Frost.
"Hehe! This is interesting."
Seeing this, Jang Cheon-so laughed even louder. His eyes were gleaming with red light.
This time that was agonizing for Hae So-wol was extremely exciting for him. The past twenty years had been too boring for him, making it even more so.
Actually, he knew better that Hae So-wol wouldn't serve him wine. He just needed an excuse. An excuse to release his long-suppressed destructive urges.
"Hehe!"
He hoped Hae So-wol would deploy martial arts soon. Only then would he have justification to deploy his martial arts.
Screech!
Then a completely different sound echoed through the inn. It was the sound of chair legs scraping the floor. Because of this, the excitement that had heated up cooled down as if cold water had been poured on it.
"What?"
Jang Cheon-so looked irritably toward where the sound came from. In his eyes appeared a man in black clothes rising from his seat.
Jang Cheon-so frowned at the sight of the man black from head to toe.
"Who are you?"
"……"
The man walked over without answering.
"Ah!"
Suddenly an exclamation burst from Hae So-wol's mouth.
The man walking straight toward them was limping slightly with his leg.