Unrivaled Spear Demon
Chapter 13 - The Staff Fiend (1)
Meanwhile…
Chui sat at the lowest seat, quietly eating and drinking.
“…”
Even as he ate, his mind was entirely focused on the internal energy seething within his mental world.
[So cold…]
[So hot…]
[Let me out of here…]
[Please, release me…]
[I was wrongpleaseforgivemeI was wrongpleaseforgivemeI was wrongpleaseforgivemeI was wrongpleaseforgivemeI was wrongpleaseforgivemeI was wrongpleaseforgivemeI was wrongpleaseforgivemeI was wrongpleaseforgiveme…]
The new Changwi, acquired in the process of annihilating the Jo family.
They swarmed in the center of the abyss within his dantian, weeping, begging, and laughing.
In the deepest part sat the Changwi of Jo Yang-ja.
‘As expected of a first-rate master.’
He wept tears of blood as he glared at Chui, his defiant attitude unwavering even as his internal energy was being drained.
He was indeed the strongest of all the Changwi captured so far.
But Chui felt not the slightest bit of impatience.
‘Even so, he won't last more than a few days.’
The abyss of internal energy created by the Art of Unrestrained Demon was an exceedingly cold and lonely place.
Right now, Jo Yang-ja was burning with hatred for Chui, grinding his teeth in fury, but… soon enough, he would be crying out to be cherished, to be taken out and used, begging to be freed, even for a moment, from this cold, dark place.
‘That's not what's important right now.’
Chui checked his body’s condition once more.
One Heavenly Cycle.
As he circulated the crimson internal energy flowing through his body once, from the crown of his head to the tips of his toes, his entire physique finally came under his complete control.
Compression Stage, Tenth level.
With this, he had ascended through all ten levels of the Compression Stage.
Now, a large, massive gate appeared before Chui.
A terrifying gate made entirely of skulls and blood vessels.
Only by opening this gate to the next stage and stepping onto the next level, one that overflowed with nothing but pain and hatred, could he truly be called a master of the Unrestrained Demon Art.
‘…However, to cross over to this stage, I need external help.’
That was precisely why Chui was attending this feast.
To advance, one had to open the Ren and Du meridians.
To do so, one had to pierce specific acupoints, drain half of the existing blood in the body, and replace it with the energy of an elixir.
Naturally, it was a process that could not be accomplished without the help of an outsider.
However, Chui, who had weathered countless life-and-death situations, was confident he could do it alone.
But to acquire the necessary elixirs and other items in time, he needed to borrow someone else's hands.
‘Escort Leader Ju Yehwa, was it?’
Chui gazed intently at Escort Leader Ju Yehwa, who was at the head table.
She spat out the alcohol she was drinking and was coughing repeatedly.
It seemed she had noticed his presence.
Chui quietly raised a finger to his lips.
At that.
“Hup!”
Escort Leader Ju Yehwa hastily shut her mouth.
Her mind was racing.
‘Why? Why is my benefactor sitting in such a place?’
In this utterly incomprehensible situation, Escort Leader Ju Yehwa pondered how she should conduct herself.
But,
…Thwack!
Chui's head suddenly snapped forward.
U Dong-won had slapped the back of Chui's head.
“Hey, punk, your elders are talking. Where are you looking!”
“The new kid's already slacking off!”
“Straighten up! My cup is empty!”
The stablehand boys, a little drunk, were tormenting Chui.
U Dong-won, his face flushed with alcohol, pressed his fist down on Chui's head repeatedly.
“Even if you're just a drifter who'll be leaving soon, huh? You should at least try to behave while you're here. Got it? If you don't want a beating, you'd better wise up.”
Naturally, Escort Leader Ju Yehwa, who was watching this, was on pins and needles.
“Th-th-those crazy bastards!”
“Yes? Is something the matter?”
“N-no, it's nothing, Young Lady!”
“…?”
Ho Yeyang turned her head, following the gaze of Escort Leader Ju Yehwa, who had cried out involuntarily.
Escort Leader Ju Yehwa desperately racked her brain to draw Ho Yeyang's attention back to herself.
Just then, someone else opportunely drew Ho Yeyang's attention.
Tok, tok, tok, tok, tok, tok…
The clear, resonant sound of a wooden fish.
Where had he come from? A monk was suddenly standing at the lowest end of the banquet tables.
He wore a tattered bamboo hat pulled down low, and in his hand, he held a dark, grimy staff like a walking stick.
The rag-robe he wore was so old and frayed it was indistinguishable from a beggar's rags.
Ho Yeyang put her palms together and spoke.
“Venerable monk. What brings you here?”
The monk laughed.
“This humble one is no monk, just a passing traveler. It seems there is a joyous occasion in this house. If it's not too much trouble, might I have a bite to eat before I go?”
“Of course. Please, help yourself.”
Ho Yeyang gladly offered him a seat.
Just then.
Thud- Thud- Thud-
The monk strode unhesitatingly toward the head of the tables.
Without a single word, he plopped himself down in the seat of highest honor.
Then he began to grab and devour the rice cakes, rice, and alcohol before him.
“My, this is delicious. I've skipped quite a few meals, you see. Ahem ahem.”
The distinguished guests nearby frowned at the sight of the monk smacking his lips and chewing on a meat skewer.
At that, Hojeong Gate Master Ho Yeon-am spoke gently.
“Venerable monk.”
“I am no monk. I just picked up the wooden fish on my way here.”
“I see. In any case, the seats for guests are not over here.”
“Is that so? Then where?”
“You may eat over there.”
Ho Yeon-am gestured toward the lowest seats.
At that, the monk clicked his tongue.
“Isn't that the low end, where the servants sit?”
“We haven't divided the seats by status. The food is the same.”
“Ho ho~ well. Still, a man has his feelings. Ah, very well. If the food is the same, then that's all that matters.”
The monk brushed himself off, stood up, and let out a long belch.
Then he shuffled over and squeezed into a spot at the lowest table.
Next to him was U Dong-won.
“What kind of damn monk shoves meat in his mouth like that? Ugh, and why does he smell so bad…”
As the monk sat beside them and devoured all the rice cakes and meat, the stablehand boys glared at him fiercely.
U Dong-won spoke up, as if their representative.
“Hey, you lousy monk. Our Gate Master is a good man, that's why he's letting you join. Be grateful. Frankly, you look more like a beggar than a monk. Tsk, normally we'd beat a guy like you and throw you out. Phew~ what a stench. The foul smell could kill a man.”
Hearing this, the monk guffawed.
“What an impertinent little brat you are. Come here for a moment.”
The monk reached a hand toward U Dong-won.
Just as U Dong-won frowned, about to slap the hand away.
“What are you doing?”
A hand blocked the space between the monk and U Dong-won.
Chui looked at the monk with an indifferent expression.
Seeing Chui blocking U Dong-won and looking his way, the monk let out another hearty laugh.
“Oho? Did you sense what I was about to do?”
“…”
“You have good instincts, child. A promising sprout. Hohoho~”
Finally, the monk lowered his raised hand.
Then he spoke to U Dong-won, who was peeking out from behind Chui.
“You should live the rest of your life grateful to this little brat. For he has saved your life.”
“What's this fucking monk talking about?”
Hearing the monk's words, U Dong-won stuck his pinky finger in his ear and dug around.
Just then.
Fwump
The monk shot up from his seat.
And he shouted in a loud voice.
“Now, everyone, listen!”
His booming voice was powerful enough to draw the attention not only of those at the lowest seats but also those at the very head of the tables.
A shout infused with internal energy.
The complexions of several people changed.
Regardless, the monk continued to speak.
“Well, I don't know what the happy occasion is, but I thank you for letting me join this lavish feast. However, there is just one small thing I find lacking… the wine is cold. Cold wine chills the stomach, and a chilled stomach is prone to upset. On a chilly day like this, is it not human nature to drink warm wine?”
From beneath the tattered bamboo hat, the monk's eyes shone with a blue light.
“This one, Gu, shall offer a cup of warm wine to all the heroes gathered here.”
Then, the monk's finger touched the table.
Simultaneously.
R-r-r-r-r-r-r-r…
The entire long table began to vibrate faintly.
And soon, warm steam began to rise from every wine cup on the table.
Bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble…
The cups seemed to grow scorching hot, and then all the wine within them began to boil furiously before evaporating in an instant.
All the other food on the table remained untouched, only the wine in the cups had vanished completely.
While everyone's expression hardened, only the monk was laughing heartily.
“Oops. Looks like I really ‘emptied the cups.’ What should I do, having dried up all this fine wine?”
Silence.
Witnessing the skill of a martial master who had reached the Pinnacle, everyone was speechless.
It was only natural.
For what is a Pinnacle master?
Martial artists of such caliber that just three of them could submerge an entire castle in blood and make it vanish overnight.
Absolute powerhouses who have set one foot in the supreme realm.
With such a being openly displaying his power, the lives of everyone gathered here were as good as in his grasp.
Finally, Hojeong Gate Master Ho Yeon-am spoke.
“Are you perhaps the one who holds Escort Leader Ju's gold plaque?”
“No, Gate Master. That person… is not the one I met. I am also seeing him for the first time.”
Ju Yehwa, who was beside him, managed to squeeze out the words.
Just then, the monk removed the bamboo hat that had been covering his face.
Gray hair swept back, the wrinkled face of an old man.
His small eyes, which showed only the whites, and a long scar running across the bridge of his nose were striking.
The monk introduced himself.
“I am the Gold-Collecting Demon of the Unorthodox Alliance. I was once known by the moniker ‘Club Demon,’ you see. Hahaha.”
The moment he said this, the faces of everyone at the feast contorted in horror.
The Club Demon, Gu Gang-ryong.
He had once shot to fame as one of the Twin Demons who stood unrivaled in the martial world.
However, after a certain incident led to a conflict with the Unorthodox Alliance, he was defeated in a duel with its leader and was said to have been working for them ever since.
His primary role was to visit organizations that failed to pay their tributes, interest, or principal on time, pressuring them for payment or collecting the debt.
Sip
The Club Demon poured the warm liquor from the bottle into his cup and drank it down.
“The Black Way Guild is finished, I hear.”
No one in the crowd dared to speak.
The Club Demon continued to sip his drink.
“And the Jo family, who were in bed with them, are finished too, yes?”
The Club Demon’s sharp, menacing gaze swept across the banquet tables.
“So, who stands to gain the most? Who are the ones so delighted by this situation that they’d throw a feast? That’s what I’ve been wondering.”
His gaze, which had been licking over the lavish dishes on the tables, came to a stop on the face of Hojeong Gate Master Ho Yeon-am.
“So I paid a few places a visit today. The Hojeong Gate here is my last stop.”
“…We have no connection whatsoever to the Black Way Guild.”
“If that’s true, then nothing will happen tonight, so feel free to pick up your spoons and eat in peace.”
The Club Demon let out a hearty laugh and turned his head.
His gaze shifted to Ho Yeyang, who was beside Ho Yeon-am.
“…Hmm, well now. I see it was for good reason.”
“?”
Ho Yeyang forced a smile under the Club Demon’s blatant stare.
“What do you mean, Senior?”
“I heard the Jo family met their end because they coveted Lady Ho’s beauty, and I can certainly see why. A face that could easily ruin a sect or two. Hahaha, quite the beauty.”
A blatant appraisal of her looks, right to her face.
The moment Ho Yeyang hesitated, unsure how to respond, it happened.
The Club Demon suddenly thrust his head toward Ho Yeyang.
And then.
Ptui!
He spat a thick wad of phlegm right in her face.
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