Chapter 883: There's No Need to Give My Sword Special Treatment

TL: FoodieMonster007

"So the innkeeper has finally shown herself," Sa Juyeong said, his voice filled with confidence.

"!" Lee Gaek could tell from his young master's demeanor alone that he didn't know that old man was Yeom Hwain.

It was only natural. Even if someone had told him via telepathy, he would not have believed it. The old man's face was too battered to be recognizable, and they had all seen him flee from a woman in fear.

Lee Gaek himself had been uncertain, even after seeing the Soul Burning Flame Blade stuck in the barrel and the tattoo on the old man's arm. In fact, he even suspected whether he was an old man hired to impersonate Yeom Hwain, because it was just too unbelievable that Yeom Hwain could be in such a state.

Looking at him now, how could anyone associate him with Yeom Hwain? That notoriously infamous Yeom Hwain?

"I didn't realize the innkeeper was so beautiful," Sa Juyeong commended.

"Thank you for the compliment." Cha Yiran smiled. She and Ak Gunhak had gone through much trial and error to run this special inn. She could never have imagined doing it alone, but working with Ak Gunhak made it enjoyable.

Just then, Sa Juyeong's eyes caught a red stain on her sleeve that looked like chili paste. The thought that she had just come from working in the kitchen made him relax slightly.

Cha Yiran asked, "Master Sa, what brings you here to see me?"

"Did you know that this area is the territory of the Northern Ocean Sect?"

"No, I'm not very knowledgeable about the affairs of the murim."

Sa Juyeong observed the woman. To his eyes, she seemed to have no martial arts training.

Lee Gaek thought the same, which made it an even bigger problem. She was the innkeeper of the inn where a beaten-up Yeom Hwain was working.

She's definitely not an ordinary woman.

Sa Juyeong boasted to Cha Yiran, "This entire area is ruled by our Northern Ocean Sect."

Cha Yiran giggled, "Oh, I didn't realize such a distinguished person had come."

"From now on, if any trouble befalls the Hero Inn, we'll help you."

"I'm grateful just for the offer."

Sa Juyeong was pleased with the inn. Judging by its size, it had to be making a fortune, and its innkeeper was a beautiful woman. Best of all, he was in a position to control it. "With just one word from me…"

SLAM!

Before Sa Juyeong could explain his position, the inn's door was thrown open violently, and someone rushed inside.

Everyone inside turned toward the entrance. A middle-aged man staggered in, bleeding from his arm and side. Despite his serious injuries, his gait alone marked him as a considerable master.

The man looked around the inn. Everyone's eyes were on him, but their gazes were filled with curiosity, not fear. The atmosphere was clearly different from other inns.

"If you wish to enter our establishment, please come this way," Ak Gunhak said.

The man took a few steps closer. "Is it true that there's a rule here that no one can fight each other?"

"That is correct." Ak Gunhak pointed to the rules engraved on the wall. "Please read them."

The man frankly revealed his situation. "The one chasing me will storm this place soon. Will you still protect me?"

Ak Gunhak calmly replied, "No, we will not protect you."

The man tilted his head questioningly.

Ak Gunhak calmly explained, "But we will protect the rules of our inn."

The man was confused. He was certain Ak Gunhak had not learned martial arts. No master capable of hiding his skill from him would be guarding an inn's entrance.

So what's the source of his confidence?

Ak Gunhak looked at the man's sword. "Also, if you wish to stay at our inn, you must first entrust us with your weapon."

The man glanced down at the sword at his waist. Without it, he would die, unable to properly resist his pursuer if a fight broke out.

"If you can't abide by the inn's rules, you can't stay here," Ak Gunhak added.

The man's hesitation was brief. He had come here knowing what kind of place it was. He unfastened the sword from his waist and handed it to Ak Gunhak.

"What is your name?" Ak Gunhak asked.

The man hesitated.

"If you don't want to reveal it, you can give an alias," Ak Gunhak suggested. "I'm only asking because of the weapon you're entrusting to us."

The man still said nothing, but his identity was revealed a moment later.

SLAM!

The inn's door burst open, and a newcomer dressed entirely in a black martial arts uniform stormed in, shouting, "Dusk Swordsman! Is this the best place you could run to?"

Someone in the inn recognized him. "The Black Clawed Wolf!"

The Black Clawed Wolf was a famous martial artist in the unorthodox sects of the murim, well-known enough that someone in a crowd this size was bound to recognize him.

The Dusk Swordsman, who was being chased by him, was also a master of the unorthodox sects.

The two had originally been friends, but a few years ago, they had a huge fight over something trivial. As their conflict deepened, they became bitter enemies.

This time, it seemed a life-or-death duel had unfolded, and the result was clear for all to see.

Feeling the gazes on him, the Black Clawed Wolf shouted, "If you know who I am, then lower your eyes!"

Even then, no one in the inn looked away, seeming having faith that no incident would occur here.

Sa Juyeong was the only one who looked at Lee Gaek nervously. He had also heard of the Black Clawed Wolf. [Can you subdue him?]

Lee Gaek shook his head firmly. [The Black Clawed Wolf is not someone the two of us can handle.]

Sa Juyeong's pride was slightly wounded. Only a moment ago, he had boasted that they would protect the Hero Inn if any trouble arose.

Meanwhile, the Dusk Swordsman sat at the nearest empty table. "Bring me a bottle of wine!"

With his injured body and surrendered sword, his chances of winning against the Black Clawed Wolf were nonexistent. He had only ordered the drink to show his state of mind, but a waiter actually brought it to him.

The Dusk Swordsman was just as bewildered at the waiter's action as the Black Clawed Wolf.

Seriously? They're serving wine in this tense situation?

"How much is it? I might not be able to pay for it," he asked.

From the entrance, Ak Gunhak said, "Don't worry. I've called for a physician, so you can take your time paying it back after you've received treatment." He pointed to the rules on the wall for the Black Clawed Wolf. "Please read this first."

After reading the rules, the Black Clawed Wolf sneered. "I plan to break all three of those principles. I won't surrender my sword, I will fight that bastard, and I will kill him. You've heard who I am, so are you still trying to pull this crap?"

The Dusk Swordsman took a swig of his drink. "This wine is good. A final drink before being struck down by a friend's sword… it's fantastic."

"Damn it! What friend?!"

"That's my line! You narrow-minded bastard!"

As the two argued, Lee Gaek noticed Yeom Hwain standing in front of the kitchen. He didn't know when the old man had come out. Though Yeom Hwain had been practically chased away by the woman earlier, he now leisurely held a cup of wine with a smile, his eyes filled with clear anticipation.

What on earth is he anticipating?

Lee Gaek followed his gaze to the Black Clawed Wolf.

Is he expecting the Black Clawed Wolf to save him? But the Black Clawed Wolf is much weaker than him.

A thought flashed through Lee Gaek's mind.

Could it be? Is he hoping the Black Clawed Wolf will become his replacement?!

As if to confirm it, Yeom Hwain looked more and more pleased the longer the Black Clawed Wolf ignored the man with the ponytail.

"I'll kill every last one of you here today!" the Black Clawed Wolf roared, unleashing an immense killing intent.

Before he could do anything, though, someone entered the inn from behind him.

"Excuse me, coming through!"

The Black Clawed Wolf turned to see someone entering with a large flowerpot.

"Phew, this is heavy." Geom Mugeuk set the large flowerpot, grumbling. Looking at Ak Gunhak, he said loudly, "Congratulations on the opening, my friend!"

A bright smile spread across Ak Gunhak's face.

The watching guests were all surprised. It was the first time they had seen the ponytail man smile so brightly since they started staying at the inn.

"You came?" Ak Gunhak greeted back.

Lee Ahn followed behind Geom Mugeuk, her hands full of gift bundles. "I'm here too. Congratulations!"

Everyone's eyes widened at the sight of the beautiful woman. She was a peerless beauty, with a different feel from the innkeeper.

"You haven't forgotten your promise to let me use this place for free for life, have you?" Lee Ahn asked.

Cha Yiran smiled brightly. "Of course."

After dealing with all sorts of characters since the opening, both Ak Gunhak and Cha Yiran broke into wide smiles upon seeing Geom Mugeuk and Lee Ahn.

On the other hand, the Black Clawed Wolf was furious.

These people, really! How dare they act like this when I'm right here?

He should have been enraged, but he had missed the timing. They ignored his presence, brought wine to the man he was trying to provoke, and now someone had brought in a congratulatory flowerpot, completely oblivious to the atmosphere.

The Black Clawed Wolf unleashed his killing intent, but his expression soon faltered. He had raised his killing intent to its absolute limit, yet none of it was being released.

What is this?

His qi was fine, but no killing intent was forming. He had spent his entire life emitting killing intent, so what in the world was happening? His paralysis acupoint was not sealed, nor was he poisoned. His inner qi circulated through his meridians without issue, and his body felt fine. Yet, he felt no will to fight.

He was only certain of one thing.

It's because of that young man. Just what kind of technique did he use?

He tried to calm his startled heart and watched what Geom Mugeuk was doing.

Geom Mugeuk showed off to Ak Gunhak. "This isn't just any tree, you know. It's the legendary Ten Thousand Year Old Lucky Tree, said to bring endless customers to any business. To get this, I wandered through the poisonous mists of the southern jungles and searched every corner of the Kunlun Mountains."

Ak Gunhak laughed. "You're lying. You probably got it in no time."

Lee Ahn nodded in agreement. "His movement arts have gotten faster lately, so he brought it back quickly."

Geom Mugeuk placed the flowerpot next to Ak Gunhak. "It looks perfect right here. Ak-hyung, I wish you ten thousand years of happiness!"

Ak Gunhak's eyes filled with gratitude as he looked at the only friend he had in his life.

Geom Mugeuk turned to Lee Ahn. "Right, we should entrust our swords to him too."

Lee Ahn handed over her sword first, and Ak Gunhak accepted it carefully. "So this is the Sun Moon Sword. This is the most precious sword I've received so far."

Those listening were startled. The Sun Moon Sword was a treasured sword they had only ever heard about in legends.

Sa Juyeong glanced at Lee Gaek, his eyes asking, Is the Sun Moon Sword that precious?

Lee Gaek nodded.

Sa Juyeong asked again. More than my sword?

Lee Gaek's expression gave a clear answer. They're not even comparable.

Sa Juyeong felt embarrassed. The beautiful woman had entrusted such a precious sword to the inn so casually, while he had made a huge fuss over his own.

However, the real surprise was yet to come.

Geom Mugeuk unfastened the Black Demon Sword from his waist and handed it over.

"I've prepared something, thinking you would come one day." Ak Gunhak lifted a wooden sword stand from below the counter and placed the Black Demon Sword on the stand for display.

Geom Mugeuk chuckled. "There's no need to give my sword special treatment. Just put it in the barrel with the others."

"You might be fine with it, but the Black Demon Sword wouldn't be."

Ak Gunhak thought for a moment, then displayed the Sun Moon Sword alongside the Black Demon Sword. He would not have placed any other sword with it, but he figured the Black Demon Sword would understand if it was Lee Ahn's sword.

Lee Gaek's eyes widened in disbelief. "Isn't the Black Demon Sword one of the four legendary swords of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult?"

Everyone flinched at the mention of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. A demonic practitioner could visit the inn, but one carrying one of the four legendary swords of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult? If the sword was stolen, masters from the Demonic Cult could storm the inn at any moment!

Naturally, everyone's tense gazes focused on Geom Mugeuk.

"Make sure you put a name tag on my sword, written in huge letters. If that thing gets lost, the Central Plains will be thrown into chaos. You should write: The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult Young Cult Leader Geom Mugeuk (天魔神教 少教主 劍無極)."

A hush fell over the inn. The Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult? This young man's identity was so shocking that silence dominated.

Ak Gunhak and Cha Yiran knew Geom Mugeuk had intentionally revealed his identity. His real congratulatory gift was not the Ten Thousand Year Old Lucky Tree, but a widespread rumor that the Hero Inn was a place where even the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult entrusted his sword to rest.

After all, if the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult willingly surrendered his sword, who would dare argue about entrusting their own? It was the greatest gift for their inn.

Ak Gunhak asked, "Is the Cult Leader doing well?"

Geom Mugeuk shrugged. "He must be. It's been a while since I've seen Father, too."

Everyone stiffened. From their conversation alone, it was clear this young man really was the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

Sa Juyeong's face turned pale. There's no way… right? The man with the ponytail I dismissed was friends with the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult!? From what I see, very close friends, too…

After entrusting their swords, Geom Mugeuk and Lee Ahn once again passed in front of the Black Clawed Wolf.

"Alright, coming through. Hey, why is this person still blocking the way?"

The Black Clawed Wolf stood frozen, unable to move a single finger. He felt like he was suffocating, and his entire body went cold.

To exude such pressure without releasing any aura! He's the real Young Cult Leader!

Now he understood why his killing intent had not surged earlier. How could a rabbit emit killing intent in front of a tiger? He had not even realized he was being suppressed, he had simply been crushed by the other's presence.

As he walked away, Geom Mugeuk turned back and stood before the Black Clawed Wolf. "My hearing is sharp, so I overheard you on my way in. It seems you were fighting with a friend. You should try to make up. Even if they're pathetic and annoying, having a friend in life is a great source of strength…" He glanced at Ak Gunhak and waved.

"Why are you looking at me when you say that?!" Ak Gunhak complained.

After teasing Ak Gunhak, Geom Mugeuk walked away.

Without hesitation, the Black Clawed Wolf strode toward Ak Gunhak, his hurried pace making it seem as if he was about to draw his sword. However, his tone was docile as he asked, "Is this where I entrust my sword? You can just toss mine on the floor."

"Haa…" Yeom Hwain sighed deeply from the corner where he was watching. With a disappointed face, he trudged toward the pile of dishes that needed washing.

After entrusting his sword, the Black Clawed Wolf sat down across from the Dusk Swordsman and offered a medicinal salve for the wounds. "We had a bit of a misunderstanding, didn't we?"

The Dusk Swordsman nodded. "Yes, I was being narrow-minded."

Who would refuse to reconcile when told to do so by the Young Cult Leader? In that moment, the two were forced to become childhood friends again.

Geom Mugeuk and Lee Ahn took a seat and called to Cha Yiran. "Hurry up and finish your business and come over here! Ak-hyung, you come too!"

He shifted around in his seat eagerly, itching to boast about his relationship with Lee Ahn.

Cha Yiran turned back to Sa Juyeong. "Oh, right. What were you about to say earlier?"

Sa Juyeong froze. In his eyes, she was a completely different person now. A moment ago, she had been an incredibly charming innkeeper, but now she looked like a terrifying witch.

He also understood one more thing—the red stain on her sleeve was not chili paste.

With the most polite attitude he could muster, he said, "Oh, I just wanted to let you know that you have blood on your sleeve."