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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: TushChen
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A week had already passed since Tang Do-gyeong left.
“So, the Gyeongsu Market incident was an unusual case, that’s what I’m saying.”
“I see.”
“Usually, there are two main benefits for righteous factions when they receive requests to eliminate black path practitioners. First, since they’re righteous factions, it’s difficult for them to deal harshly with black path practitioners. But among these black path practitioners, there are always some bad seeds or troublemakers who reappear right away even after being dealt with.”
“Is that so? I thought it was a PR strategy to show that they were kind righteous faction members who even saved black path practitioners, based on what I saw at the Gyeongsu Market.”
“…How could that be? Outcasts originally have the feeling of an evil faction that extorts black path practitioners. They completely crush the malicious black path practitioners. So from the righteous faction’s perspective, it’s good that the malicious black path practitioners disappear, and it’s also good because it makes a better picture to defeat the Sacheon outcasts, who appear much more threatening than black path practitioners.”
“If the Gyeongsu Market incident had proceeded normally, I would have roughed them up a bit, then extorted the money they had taken, and if those black path practitioners were causing trouble in the market, the Taegyeong Sect would have appeared to deal with me. That would have been the normal course of events.”
Ho Cheon-an had returned to his daily life as a Sacheon outcast.
Of course, some hadn’t.
“Do-gyeong…”
“Woo… Hero Tang…”
Some outcasts dug into the ground when evening came, seemingly missing Tang Do-gyeong.
Ho Cheon-an was clicking his tongue at the sight of these outcasts when it happened.
“Extra! Extra!”
An outcast burst into the inn, shouting energetically.
“News of Hero Tang Do-gyeong has arrived! They say he demonstrated a new martial art at an official Tang family gathering! I couldn’t get all the details, but it’s said that he’s opened up a new horizon in martial arts by combining hidden weapon techniques and fist techniques!”
“Ooh…! Hero Tang!”
“So what about Hero Tang’s treatment?”
“Since it’s an internal Tang family matter, I couldn’t get that far…”
“Ah, that’s a shame!”
The Outcast Inn instantly became noisy.
‘Hmm.’
Ho Cheon-an thought about Tang Do-gyeong for a moment.
‘It seems the Family Love characteristic has blossomed.’
Now that he had gained enlightenment, his realm would probably rise to the Flower Realm, but it would likely take much more training to reach it.
After all, it would be challenging to train in the Flower Realm with just the Fierce Tiger Fist technique.
It would take a very long time for Tang Do-gyeong, who had just entered the early stages of the transcendent realm, to reach the threshold of the Flower Realm.
‘I’ll have to be more careful when giving enlightenment in the future.’
Ho Cheon-an could understand what enlightenment was after experiencing Yeo Il-ye and now Tang Do-gyeong.
Enlightenment wasn’t just a convenient tool to raise one’s realm limit.
It was indeed a topic that penetrated life and changed a person completely.
‘Anyway, now that Tang Do-gyeong has gained enlightenment, should I discard the theory that he couldn’t receive information due to stress?’
Ho Cheon-an couldn’t know what situation Tang Do-gyeong had gained enlightenment in.
Still, the fact that he had gained enlightenment meant that enlightenment could have been given if the method had been chosen correctly.
In the end, did he have to give enlightenment verbally?
Ho Cheon-an tentatively concluded.
‘Why did I do that?’
He recalled the memory of that day, associated with the thought of enlightenment.
Displaying gambling techniques while Tang Do-gyeong was gaining enlightenment was just an ‘impulse’ at that time.
It wasn’t the action of a 10-year veteran player, but the intuition of Ho Cheon-an in his 8th year of Murim Cheonha’s life.
Tang Do-gyeong’s behavior during gambling, the stories from his childhood, Tang Do-gyeong’s confession that he had stopped hidden weapon techniques on his own, the story he had heard from Tang Do-gi, and so on…
The various things floating in his aching head pushed Ho Cheon-an’s back, saying this was how it should be.
As a result, Tang Do-gyeong had created a new martial art.
This was something entirely unexpected for Ho Cheon-an.
‘Well, I suppose this is progress in its own way.’
He knew that Tang Do-gyeong was weak in hidden weapon techniques, but the judgment that this could be filled with gambling techniques was a gamble.
Had that gamble paid off in its own way?
It had been 8 years since he started living as Ho Cheon-an.
He had accumulated as much experience as a 10-year veteran player.
The experience gained while clashing with Tang Do-gyeong as a Sacheon outcast might have unconsciously led to some conclusion.
“Oh, the dumplings are delicious today.”
Watching Black Cat push dumplings into her Black Shadow Qi technique, Ho Cheon-an was filled with complex emotions.
‘I’m sure I was cooling off in my room.’
After that, his consciousness was cut off.
Considering how he had been running around trying to lure out Tang Do-gyeong just before, it wouldn’t be strange if he had passed out, but…
The state of his head and body, aching as if he had drunk strong alcohol, was strange no matter how he thought about it.
It was also strange that Tang Do-gyeong had conveniently entered a state of enlightenment while unconscious.
‘I just can’t understand…’
The most suspicious person, based on the circumstances, was Black Cat.
She was the person who had been hovering around the most and also the person who had intentionally approached after Yeo Il-ye’s incident.
Considering the aching of his body, the most suspicious thing was that drugs had been injected.
‘But that doesn’t make sense either.’
Let’s say drugs were really used to extract Tang Do-gyeong’s enlightenment.
If that were the case, Ho Cheon-an wouldn’t be here now.
If Black Cat had really become an outcast aiming for Ho Cheon-an because of Yeo Il-ye’s incident and confirmed that fact through Tang Do-gyeong’s incident, the best option for Black Cat would be to kidnap Ho Cheon-an and disappear.
‘Disappearing and attracting people’s attention doesn’t make sense either.’
During the two years of trying various things, Ho Cheon-an dug into his past.
He had inquired through information organizations, spending no small amount of money, but nothing came up.
If Black Cat had come to target Ho Cheon-an after hearing the rumors about Yeo Il-ye, there was a high probability that she would have connections with information organizations.
Black Cat’s identity had never been revealed in the first place, and if Ho Cheon-an disappeared, there would be no way to track him.
Even if it attracted attention, in an environment where they could disappear cleanly, there was no reason not to do so.
‘Above all, leaving me like this now is the worst plan.’
Firstly, Ho Cheon-an himself could have strong suspicions about his physical condition. Secondly, the fact that Tang Do-gyeong had gained enlightenment at the Outcast Inn meant that the Tang family people would all find out. Naturally, Ho Cheon-an would also receive attention.
More precisely, the Outcast Inn would be affected, and Ho Cheon-an would be included.
‘Ah, it doesn’t make sense after all.’
Black Cat injected drugs to extract enlightenment and gave it to Tang Do-gyeong?
If that were true, what would be left for Black Cat now?
From Black Cat’s perspective, it was just a story of losses.
It would only unnecessarily raise the target’s attention and leave suspicions like now.
Above all, the Black Cat that Ho Cheon-an had seen was a pretty promising junior, except that she sold her wits and chewed popped rice at all times.
Still, Ho Cheon-an left a corner of wariness in his heart.
The lingering ache in his body and the Black Shadow Qi technique were still uncomfortable points.
Unless he learned Black Cat’s true identity, this level of caution seemed appropriate for now.
“Huh.”
Ho Cheon-an thought as he gulped down the broth of his noodles.
‘Now I really need to get my act together.’
From nearly losing his life to Yeo Il-ye until Tang Do-gyeong’s departure, he had been dazed by the events unfolding all around him.
After the storm had passed and he returned to his daily life, he realized quite a few things.
He had stayed too long in this Outcast Inn, where he had resided for 7 years.
He had become buried in the daily life of a Sacheon outcast, and from the middle, he couldn’t even adapt and was just dragged along.
When he suddenly woke up, his whole body was aching, and all the events were over.
The conclusion of the Tang Do-gyeong incident had become a stinging whip for Ho Cheon-an as well.
The 10-year veteran player was now a thing of the past, and only Ho Cheon-an, the second-rate martial artist who hadn’t progressed for 7 years, remained.
He thought he should take measures before his fame value started rolling. Still, in reality, his heavy bottom had prevented him from moving.
There was a saying that if you don’t have teeth, you should chew with your gums, and Ho Cheon-an was precisely that case.
‘If you don’t have teeth, you should get dentures, not chew with your gums.’
Playing around with third-rate ruffians and stupid first-rate peers every day had turned both his body and mind to stone.
If he had decided to break out of his shell, he should have charged forward at a speed that would make others dizzy just by looking at him, but he hadn’t even started yet.
It was time to shake off the second-rate Ho Cheon-an, the Sacheon outcast Ho Cheon-an, and elevate the parts of the 10-year veteran player and 8-year martial artist Ho Cheon-an.
“Ah, this cool sensation. It’s time to return to being a [veteran player].”
“…Senior, did you eat something wrong?”
“No, I’ve just been reborn.”
Black Cat smiled wryly as she watched Ho Cheon-an suddenly start acting dramatically.
He had looked worried for the past week, but it seemed he had finally shaken it off.
The dull eyes beaten down by the world finally regained their spark.
Black Cat hoped that this look in his eyes would last as long as possible.
She wanted to see a ball of yarn that moved around freely and bumbled about, not a ball that followed where she pulled it.
‘Well, it’s good that he seems to have regained his spirit.’
It was now June.
The month when summer would arrive.
As Ho Cheon-an seemed to be regaining his determination, the atmosphere in the Outcast Inn began to shift.
The other outcasts, who had been moping around since Tang Do-gyeong’s departure, started to perk up as well, perhaps influenced by Ho Cheon-an’s change in attitude.
“Hey, Ho brother, you seem different today,” one of the outcasts called out.
Ho Cheon-an grinned. “Just remembered who I am, that’s all.”
The outcast laughed. “Well, it’s good to have you back. Things have been too quiet around here lately.”
Ho Cheon-an’s mind was already racing with plans as the conversation continued.
He had wasted enough time.
Now was the moment to take action, to push forward and break through the barriers that had held him back.
He glanced at Black Cat, who was still contentedly eating her dumplings.
He still didn’t understand much about her, but for now, he would keep his suspicions to himself.
He had bigger fish to fry.
“Black Cat,” he said, catching her attention. “I think it’s time we took on some more… interesting requests. What do you say?”
Black Cat’s eyes glimmered with curiosity. “Oh? And what kind of requests did you have in mind, Senior?”
Ho Cheon-an smiled, a hint of his old confidence returning.
“The kind that will make people remember the name Ho Cheon-an. It’s time to shake things up a bit in Sacheon.”
As he spoke these words, Ho Cheon-an felt a surge of excitement.
The stagnation of the past few years was over.
Now, the actual game was about to begin.
And this time, he was determined to be the one calling the shots.
The summer breeze blew through the open windows of the Outcast Inn, carrying with it the promise of change.
It felt like the dawn of a new era for Ho Cheon-an and the other outcasts.
What challenges and adventures lay ahead? Only time will tell.
But one thing was sure – life in Sacheon was about to get a lot more interesting.
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