King Shura

“Hah? I came here to ask you that question. What the heck am I supposed to do if you ask me the same question?”

The master of the Sichuan division of the Beggar’s Sect.

In other words, the one who administrated everything that happened in Sichuan, Wi Gul Gae, looked at the four people in front of him with an annoyed face.

The four experts who were looking at each other with troubled faces.

They were the leaders of the major powers in the Sichuan area.

Diancang Sect, Emei Sect, Qingcheng Sect, and the Sichuan Tang Clan.

(TL: I do realize that Qingcheng sounds a lot like Chingchong. But let’s just ignore that for now.)

They were the masters of those powers.

But their faces, that were usually filled with pride and confidence, were currently filled with worries and troubles.

“Did the Tai God Beggar not say anything?”

“What use is there in trying to find an old man? The Tai God Beggar gave up getting involved in any matters related to the alliance after we got completely crushed in the war. There’s no use in trying to find him.”

When Wi Gul Gae said this with a bored face, the master of the Qingchang Sect, and the one known as the Ten Thousand Qing Wind Sword, Qing Song Ja, stroked his white beard, and spoke with an annoyed face.

“You should know how strong the Heavenly Demon Sect is! Please, help us. The beggar’s sect should help out in matters like this, should they not?”

The Heavenly Demon Church made its move into Sichuan.

Unlike in the past, they were telling the entire world about this matter, as if they were going to parade into Sichuan.

There was no way to stop them, however.

That made the sects located in Sichian very afraid.

Wi Gul Gae looked at Qing Song Ja’s face calmly, then sighed.

“I’ll be honest, since you’re being so desperate. Even if us beggars get into the fight, just what would change? We’re weak, and we complain a lot…….. We just have numbers. That’s why we’re going to make a run for it when we can.”

“…….”

The four experts lost their words when they heard this.

The Alliance valued justice and camaraderie. Saying something like this was almost heretical.

Wi Gul Gae smiled after looking at the ridiculous faces of the experts, then sat down on his chair.

“If you’re trying to get the Beggar’s Sect to make its move, it’s better to give up. We have no power to help you. No, even if we did, we wouldn’t help. They’re scared. The beggars in the sect are just observing what’s going on fearfully.”

“…….You’re still very honest, I see.”

The master of the Emei Sect.

When Godly Monk Gyu Min smoke this with a disappointed voice, Wi Gul Gae shrugged, and opened his mouth.

“Do you mind if I keep on being honest?”

“Please do so.”

When the master of the Sichuan Tang Clan, Tang Mun Hyup said this, Wi Gul Gae began talking.

“Don’t look lightly at the fact that the Heavenly Demon Church is making its move. You may have expected this as well, but this is a serious move made by that demon, Gongson Chun Gi. Do you mind if I give you a serious advice to you right now?”

“…….What is it?”

Wi Gul Gae took a sip from a bottle strapped to his hip, while Tang Mun Hyup looked at him a little uncomfortably.

“The best thing we can do at this point is to get as far away as we can from this damn place/”

“…….Amitabha.”

Just at the point when everyone grew fearful.

The master of the Diancang Sect, the one known to be the Worrying Light Sword, Man Suk Ja, sighed and spoke.

“Amitayus……. It’s not like this would be solved if we run, correct? Isn’t it better to help?” (無量壽佛)

Wi Gul Gae stopped drinking alcohol from the bottle in his hand, and wiped his mouth.

“Half a year. One if it’s late. After that point, something will definitely change.”

“Half to one year…….”

When everyone made a dark face.

“If we hold on till then, the world will change.”

“Can we believe that?”

“That’s your choice, not mine.”

Everyone made a serious face when they heard this.

Tang Mun Hyup, who was thinking quietly for a bit, opened his mouth.

“Is this the conclusion you made yourself?”

Wi Gul Gae paused, and looked at the man who spoke.

He faintly smiled.

‘As expected of Tang Mun Hyup…….’

The master of the Sichuan Tang Clan was staring at him with a serious face.

Wi Gul Gae did not avoid the man’s gaze as he responded.

“This is the conclusion that the Beggar’s Sect……. No, the Alliance reached.”

Everyone’s worried faces lightened a little when they heard this.

Like this, the response to the movement of the Heavenly Demon Church has been decided.

* * *

Sunwu Cho Rin had been looking at the carriage with a complicated face for a while.

Shw was looking at the carriage where Cho Ryu Hyang and Gongson Ahri was.

‘Damn child.’

Sunwu Cho Rin thought of Cho Ryu Hyang in her mind, and sighed.

The look Cho Ryu Hyang gave Gongson Ahri a moment ago.

Sunwu Cho Rin knew that face of Cho Ryu Hyang’s very well.

‘To think I’d witness someone fall in love…….’

The boy’s face was similar to those that men gave her, but somewhat different.

It was a little warmer? Softer?

That was the impression she got from Cho Ryu Hyang’s eyes.

‘You must be kidding me.’

Even so, she couldn’t hand over Gongson Ahri.

How much did she treasure the girl till now?

But she was still a little bit worried for some reason.

Sunwu Cho Rin had been looking at the carriage intently from a while back.

She was doing her best to pick up any sounds from the carriage.

‘Damn it, why’d they build the carriage so well?!’

The carriage was built strongly, as it was made for the heir himself.

Thanks to that, the carriage blocked sound very well, which prevented Sunwu Cho Rin from hearing anything.

This made her annoyed.

* * *

Cho Ryu Hyang breathed deeply as he sat down facing Gongson Ahri.

‘I made a mistake.’

Did he show his emotions by any chance?

He didn’t want to admit it, but he probably did.

After all, he clearly felt his heart shake for a moment.

Cho Ryu Hyang was very disappointed with himself.

His heart was shaken simply because of a person’s external appearance.

While Cho Ryu Hyang was being disappointed with himself, Gongson Ahri looked in the carriage, and opened her mouth.

“So this was what father told me that he was making.”

Cho Ryu Hyang came back to his senses, and nodded.

“I believe teacher did indeed put some effort into making this.”

What Gongson Chun Gi talked proudly about before the trip was this carriage.

It wasn’t even possible to pierce the external parts of the carriage with a normal expert’s arrow, or qi.

Since it was built using the famous Hardened Black Trees from Nanman, it would be able to withstand blows from even a first-rate expert.

“I have something that father requested me to give you before we arrive.”

Cho Ryu Hyang’s eyes brightened.

Something from Gongson Chun Gi?

Why’d his teacher give it to Gongson Ahri, not him?

He felt that this was a part of Gongson Chun Gi’s prank, but he decided to not think about that for now.

Cho Ryu Hyang stuck his hand out to Gongson Chun Gi.

“I’d like to have a look at it.”

“Right, please give me a moment.”

Gongson Ahri took out a small box from her clothes.

When she took it out, Cho Ryu Hyang immediately felt annoyed.

‘What is it?’

He felt a sense of rejection just by looking at the box.

Since he never felt something like this before, Cho Ryu Hyang made a troubled face.

Right then, Gongson Ahri handed the box to Cho Ryu Hyang.

“Open it.”

“What’s inside?”

“I don’t know. But father told me to have you open it yourself.”

That was what his teacher said? There was no need to reject it, then.

Cho Ryu Hyang licked his lips.

They were getting dry for some reason.

He took off the lock on the box, and opened it.

Squirm–

Cho Ryu Hyang could feel something move in his stomach, right when he confirmed what was inside the box.

At the same time, Cho Ryu Hyang stepped backwards rapidly.

‘Eh? Why?’

He didn’t know why.

It was a bracelet.

There were just two black bracelets in the box, but he felt rejection towards it for some reason.

He began to sweat profusely.

“What’s going on? Is there anything wrong?”

“…….”

Screen Shot 2016-02-28 at 9.00.19 PM

Cho Ryu Hyang did not respond, but instead glared at the box from the corner of the carriage.

To be more specific, he was looking at the black bracelets.

‘What are those? And the things that are moving inside my body…….’

If Cho Ryu Hyang’s memory served correctly, this was the power of the Shura Environment.

Right now, that power was desperately trying to escape his body.

While Cho Ryu Hyang was being quite confused, Gongson Ahri clapped her hands, as if she just remembered something.

“Ah! Father told me to give you this after showing you this.”

She should’ve given it to him earlier.

While Cho Ryu Hyang complained inside, Gongson Ahri took out a small scroll from her clothes.

Cho Ryu Hyang snatched it from her hands, and began reading.

[What do you think? Seeing those makes them go berserk, doesn’t it? Feels exciting, doesn’t it?]

Cho Ryu Hyang read the passage in Gongson Chun Gi’s playful voice, and smiled bitterly.

He could feel them going berserk inside him, like his teacher said.

It made his entire body tremble, in fact.

The power of the Shura Environment was going berserk inside him.

It hasn’t even been that long since he learnt the technique, but the energy of the technique already grew from a size of a small grain of rice, to that of a big apple.

To think this power could affect the body controlled by the Moon Edge Blade Technique to this degree.

‘As expected of the Shura Environment.’

Indeed, this was an amazing amount of power.

He could understand why previous Popes of the church risked so much in trying to learn it.

But…….

‘I won’t let you do what you want.’

Power was useless in the hands of someone who couldn’t control it.

That was what Cho Ryu Hyang believed.

And that made him want to control this power inside him.

Cho Ryu Hyang glared at the power of the Shura Environment struggling to get out of the sphere in his dantian.

He was looking inside his own body.

Then, the Moon Edge Blade Technique began to move.

Wuu–

The power of the Moon Edge Blade Technique came in contact with the power of the Shura Environment.

If the Shura Environment was akin to a sticky mess of bloody power, the Moon Edge Blood Technique was more clear, invisible, and clean energy.

When the two energies came in contact, the insides of Cho Ryu Hyang’s body began to tremble violently.

The turbulence in his body immediately spread outside.

Tududuk–

Cho Ryu Hyang’s arms suddenly bulged outwards, with the veins inside popping up, then contracted immediately.

His shoulders expanded massively as well, then returned to its original size. This effect was repeated on different parts of his body.

Crack–

With a sound of bones cracking, Cho Ryu Hyang’s body constantly shook.

“Eh? Ehh?”

Gongson Ahri became confused when she saw this.

She didn’t know what to do.

Just when she was about to ask for help outside,

A giant torrent of energy swept out from Cho Ryu Hyang’s body.

“Kyaa!”

The force of this energy was enough to push Gongson Ahri to the other side of the carriage.

At the same time, Cho Ryu Hyang opened his eyes.

He whispered softly to himself.

“…….Bastard.”

His whole body was covered in sweat, but he still made a satisfactory smile.

He managed to contain the power of the Shura Environment.

Then, his eyes met with Gongson Ahri’s, who was quietly looking at him from the corner.

Cho Ryu Hyang scratched the back of his head, and spoke.

“I apologize. I didn’t get a chance to help you. Are you hurt anywhere?”

“I, I’m fine.”

Cho Ryu Hyang smiled, and kept reading the letter Gongson Ahri gave him.

[It’s a little early, but there is a need to put that thing back in its place. Those guys will definitely go crazy, as they do not wish to be sealed, when they see the bracelets. Ignore them, and wear the bracelet.]

Cho Ryu Hyang nodded.

He finally understood why the energy inside him was berserking like so.

The pair of bracelets in front of him seemed to be made to suppress the power of the Shura Environment.

[Since this is something I created myself recently, you don’t have to do anything complicated. Just wear it to suppress that thing before it restores its power. You’ll be more comfortable that way. Well, at any case, this is just a temporary solution to your problems, but you should be safe for now.]

Cho Ryu Hyang faintly smiled.

He realized why his teacher gave this to him.

But he did not need them.

‘At least, for now…….’

Cho Ryu Hyang had used his own power to crush the power of the Shura Environment back into the sphere in his dantian.

He did not know how stronger he’d get in the future, but he shouldn’t have many problems, for now.

Cho Ryu Hyang extended his hands to the bracelets in front of him.

When he touched them, he could feel a shock run down his spine, but he ignored it.

Clack- Clack–

Cho Ryu Hyang played around with the bracelets for a few seconds, then stuffed them into his pocket.

“I’ll take care of these for now.”

“Right…….”

Gongson Ahri looked at Cho Ryu Hyang with a curious face.

According to her father, Cho Ryu Hyang should’ve put on the bracelet.

He should’ve then fainted inside the carriage.

Gongson Ahri quietly thought to herself while fondling the bottle of medicine in her clothes.

‘It’s the first time.’

There has never been a case where her father’s words were incorrect.

Even the tiniest details matched what Gongson chun Gi had said.

Even the tiniest details.

But now, for the first time, Gongson Chun Gi’s words did not come to life.

For the entire day, Gongson Ahri watched Cho Ryu Hyang as if she was observing a peculiar animal, with the bottle of medicine in her hand.