The Lazy Young Master of the Jin Clan

“What!? What do you mean all of a sudden…!”

Hong Ye, who had been acting as the temporary master since the death of the Cheonhwagak Master, had a look of incomprehension.

And why not? The Red-Faced Lord, who had come up from the branch office, had suddenly appointed Baekhwa, who had been demoted to a low-class courtesan, as the Cheonhwagak Master.

At this, even Baekhwa stood there, blinking her eyes, not understanding.

“The temporary master talks too much.”

At Jeokmyeon’s one word, Hong Ye’s face turned white.

Only then did she realize who she had been talking back to.

“I-I’m sorry!”

Hong Ye quickly bowed her head and stepped back.

“I’ll be out for a while, so Baekhwa, you act as the Cheonhwagak Master.”

“…Yes, I understand.”

“Gwan O.”

Gwan O responded to the call.

But his movements were quite awkward and stiff.

Moreover, it could be felt from the expression on his face that he was struggling.

‘What’s wrong with Gwan O?’

Baekhwa, who was quick-witted and had excellent observation skills due to the nature of her profession, realized at once that something was wrong with Gwan O.

Her gaze naturally turned to Jeokmyeon’s face.

And she saw.

The two eyes that were the only things exposed in the mask.

‘This person is not the Lord… these eyes are…’

Baekhwa, who had realized the truth, covered her mouth with both hands.

She didn't know what kind of magic he had used, but those eyes were the eyes of a person Baekhwa had seen before.

‘Beomhyeon!’

The waiter at the Jahong Inn.

He was wearing the mask of the Red-Faced Lord and acting as him.

As Baekhwa’s eyes, which had realized the truth, shook without rest, Jeokmyeon’s hand touched her shoulder.

“I’ll be back soon, so be good. Umi.”

A voice so small that only she could hear it brushed past her ear like a blowing wind.

At this, the startled Baekhwa again pressed her lips together.

“I… will do so.”

“And close the Cheonru and don’t let anyone in.”

“Yes…!”

“Then I’ll leave it to you.”

Jin Sohyun, who had entrusted the Cheonhwagak to Baekhwa, left Honggang by that road.

At that, sect members wearing black masks appeared on both sides.

“Are you planning to go yourself?”

“Since the matter is what it is, I must see it with my own eyes. Follow me.”

“Yes!”

Thump—!!

As he performed the lightness skill with all his might, Jin Sohyun’s figure stretched out and crossed a distance of ten feet in an instant.

Startled by this, the Hao Sect members stomped their feet with all their might so as not to lose Jin Sohyun.

***

“Those Tang Clan bastards… they’ve created a terrible poison… hehehe…”

Bieunggaek, leaning against a tree, had a hard time even breathing properly due to the poisonous energy that had now covered his entire body.

His breathing was already a mess, and the skin below his neck was dying, turning a dark blue.

“Cough!”

Every time he coughed, black blood was mixed in.

He did his best to prevent the poisonous energy from penetrating his brain.

The poisonous energy reaching the brain meant death.

“Even at this age… I don’t want to die… it’s all the same.”

He thought he no longer had any lingering attachment to life.

But as death loomed before his eyes, he felt a lingering attachment.

“I thought that Kang Cheon bastard would die before me… kehehe… I’m going to die first… he’ll laugh at me.”

Limp— Limp—

Bieunggaek limped forward slowly.

He had put about half an hour’s distance between himself and his pursuers, so there was still a little more time.

Bieunggaek looked around with his blurring vision.

And soon, he found the place he wanted.

Bieunggaek limped and walked to the Mountain Inn.

“Welcome.”

As he entered the inn, a middle-aged woman who was sitting leisurely stood up.

As befitting a mountain inn with not many customers, it had a single-story structure.

“Um… customer? Are you okay? I’ll tell you about a doctor nearby…”

“It’s fine.”

Bieunggaek raised his hand to stop the innkeeper woman who was trying to approach, and then fumbled in his bosom and took out a lump of gold.

At this, the innkeeper’s eyes went wide.

“I’ll… buy this inn. This much… gold should be enough, right?”

It was more than enough, it was overflowing.

The innkeeper carefully took the lump of gold that Bieunggaek had placed on the table and asked.

“But why are you buying such a shabby inn? It’s a bit funny for me to say this as the owner… but we don’t have many customers. As you can see…”

“It’s fine. However, I have a favor to ask.”

“Just say the word.”

“In this inn… besides you… is there anyone else?”

“There’s no one except my daughter who sometimes comes to help with work. And there are no customers right now.”

“Hehe… that’s good… I have one more favor to ask.”

“Yes, yes! Say anything.”

Bieunggaek said with a pained smile.

“Never… come back here.”

“Ah… yes, I understand!”

The middle-aged woman, who had hit the jackpot, rushed out of the inn.

At that, Bieunggaek locked the door and then squeezed out his internal energy, launching a palm force to send the few tables and chairs flying to one side.

The small inn became a mess, but he didn't care.

Bieunggaek, who had thus created an empty space, smiled as he took a step with his left foot before his breath was cut off by the poisonous energy.

“This Bieunggaek’s… last… step.”

***

“This is the place.”

The pursuers found Bieunggaek’s location faster than they thought.

“It seems even the number one divine thief of the world is not free from the exterminating poison.”

The gaze of the pursuers’ leader, Jang Ik, stared at the tiny mountain inn.

Here was the number one divine thief of the world, Bieunggaek.

“Ah, you’ve come.”

Jang Ik bowed his head deeply to Ma Seongun, who had appeared afterward.

‘This person is the Blood-Sucking Sword Demon… Ma Seongun!’

Ma Seongun was a genius martial artist who had received the favor of the Heretic Path's Alliance’s leader at a young age, and a famous figure in the heretic martial world who had cut down renowned masters of the Central Plains without a single scratch.

‘Just facing him makes my flesh tremble.’

Jang Ik clasped his shamelessly trembling hands and hid the tremor.

In the meantime, Ma Seongun strode forward without hesitation and stood at the entrance of the mountain inn.

“Bieunggaek.”

The reason he had accepted Ok Myeon’s proposal and tried to kill Bieunggaek was for the number one divine thief’s mysterious lightness skill.

He didn't need the infiltration and stealth techniques, but Bieunggaek’s footwork and movement techniques were enough to fascinate Ma Seongun.

‘Even in that narrow space, he dodged my slashes several times.’

In particular, when he had approached to detonate the iron poison pill containing the Formless Earth Killing Poison, he had been completely caught.

If he hadn't harbored the Blood Jade.

Ma Seongun would also have met his fate in that place.

Creak—!

Ma Seongun, who had opened the door of the inn and entered, could face Bieunggaek, who was sitting in the center of the narrow inn, drinking alcohol.

Gulp— Gulp—!

“Keuheuk!”

Bieunggaek, who had drunk all the alcohol in the bottle, chuckled.

“Even though it’s a cheap white liquor sold in such a shabby inn… it has its own taste… would you like a drink?”

“Is this the grave you’ve chosen?”

“Hehe… I thought you were an unusual fellow, but to be free even from the Formless Earth Killing Poison. What is your identity?”

“I would have told you. You won’t be able to understand me even until the moment you die.”

“You’re arrogant. That arrogance… someday…”

Thrust—!

A blood-colored blade was embedded in Bieunggaek’s chest.

“Don’t worry. Bieunggaek.”

Ma Seongun’s eyes flashed with a red light.

“Until I surpass that person… I can never be arrogant.”

‘That person?’

Bieunggaek was curious.

Who on earth was that person who made even the strong Ma Seongun so humble?

But his curiosity did not last long.

He felt the blood from his entire body being sucked in, and the candle of life that he had barely been holding on to was flickering out.

‘Is this really the end.’

As death loomed before his eyes, the faces of three people flashed before Bieunggaek’s eyes in turn.

The faces of Kang Cheon and Oh Yoran flowed by like clouds, and finally, Jin Sohyun’s face came to mind.

A man who was born with the martial talent bestowed by the heavens, but also with the laziness of the number one in the world.

My one and only disciple.

“I’ve fought on par with the number one in the world… and now I’ve become the master of the number one in the world.”

Bieunggaek smiled at Ma Seongun, who had stabbed him.

“Wouldn’t it be… a pretty great life?”

“…”

After his last words, no more life could be felt in Bieunggaek’s eyes.

Ma Seongun pulled the sword from Bieunggaek’s heart.

Soon, the blood of Bieunggaek that had flowed from the blade flowed down the hilt and into Ma Seongun’s palm.

“Keuk… keu-euk… keu-a-a-ak!!”

A sharp scream burst from Ma Seongun’s mouth.

***

Tadadat—!!

The steps of Jin Sohyun, who was crossing a distance of several feet in one step, stopped in their tracks.

The place where he had stopped was the mountain inn where Bieunggaek was last seen.

There, the Hao Sect members who had arrived first were surrounding the area.

‘Master!’

Jin Sohyun opened the door of the inn without hesitation and went inside.

No one stopped him, who was wearing the mask of Jeokmyeon.

And so, Jin Sohyun’s body, which had entered the inn, stopped in its tracks.

In the inn where no presence could be felt, only a single dead body was lying there.

A dry corpse that was hard to recognize.

Nevertheless, Jin Sohyun could tell.

“Master…”

One step.

Two steps.

He slowly approached Bieunggaek’s corpse.

Every time he did, his heart pounded, and he felt as if his blood was rushing backward.

His head was hot.

And the intense internal energy gathered in his clenched fists roared and swirled.

Jin Sohyun took off his mask and gently stroked the dead Bieunggaek’s face.

“I’m sorry I’m late.” 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

There was no answer.

“I’m sorry again. Please… do not forgive this unworthy disciple who cannot even collect his master’s remains right now.”

Jin Sohyun put on the mask he was holding in his hand again.

At the same time, Jang Ik rushed into the inn.

“Lord Jeokmyeon! What brings you all the way here!?”

Jang Ik rushed over at the news that the lord, who was famous for being heavy-bottomed, had left his own branch office and come all the way to Henan.

“Report the situation. What happened?”

At Jeokmyeon’s cold voice, Jang Ik hurriedly explained.

“Lord Ma Seongun, the Blood-Sucking Sword Demon, has plunged his sword into Bieunggaek’s heart.”

Jang Ik said proudly.

“It seems he couldn't shake off the pursuers because he was poisoned by the Formless Earth Killing Poison. Tsk! Even the number one divine thief of the world is no different from a grub in front of the exterminating poison of the Sichuan Tang Clan.”

“I see.”

Jeokmyeon said in a voice that seemed to contain a laugh, and then patted Jang Ik’s shoulder in encouragement.

“You’ve done well. I want to give you all a reward, so send me the list of the proud sect members of the Hao Sect who were deployed in this operation.”

“Thank you!”

“And leave this Bieunggaek’s corpse and the inn as they are. To rot lonely… in the mountains where there is nothing.”

“As you command!”

Jin Sohyun, wearing the mask of Jeokmyeon, left the mountain inn.

He did not look back.

Right now, there were things he had to do first.

Jin Sohyun took in the faces of the pursuers who surrounded the inn one by one.

Finally.

‘The Blood-Sucking Sword Demon, Ma Seongun.’

For the first time, a killing intent was revealed on Jin Sohyun’s face, which was hidden in the mask.

“We will definitely… meet.”

***

“Excellent.”

The lightness skill he had obtained by absorbing Bieunggaek’s life force was beyond imagination.

In particular, the Shadowless Movement was by far the best among all the lightness skills he had ever seen.

Ma Seongun, who was savoring the newly obtained martial art with satisfaction, raised his head sharply.

His gaze was directed at the mountain inn.

A chill ran down his spine.

Just like when he had reunited with Jin Sohyun.

Ma Seongun quickly returned to the inn, but in that place, only the pursuers who had not yet left remained.

Jang Ik, who had discovered him, ran over quickly.

“Is there something wrong?”

Ma Seongun ignored Jang Ik’s words and looked around.

But the intense killing intent he had felt just a moment ago could no longer be felt.

“Hut… huhuhuhu…”

Ma Seongun turned his body and muttered to himself.

“Let’s meet again… Jin Sohyun.”