MTLNOVEL Chapter 562
Je-gal Lee-hyun and Sama Chun-bong are fiercely burning their inner strength as they search for the book.
It’s not just about finding a single book.
The reputation of their families is at stake!
The two prideful geniuses are pitted against each other while Qing is just sitting there munching on some lamb jerky like it’s nobody’s business.
Pang Dae-san can’t help but wonder, what the heck?
Are they actually going to chew and swallow that?
Does she even taste it?
Maybe she’s not eating it because it’s delicious, but because she just wants to shove something in her mouth and swallow it whole.
How can a woman eat like that? It’s not just eating; it’s more like a savage feast.
Watching her devour food without chewing, it’s just… well, how do you put it?
Yeah, she’s certainly eating with enthusiasm. What a sight to behold.
Pang Dae-san watches Qing with a satisfied smile.
Oh sure, they just take tiny pecks like chicklets and pretend to chew, but they’re practically inhaling the food without even tasting it.
If Oki-rin’s royal guard and loyal followers knew this, they could probably spark a feeding frenzy throughout the Central Plain!
Then suddenly he smirks.
“Are you not going to tell me to try some too?”
“What are you talking about? San doesn’t eat stuff like this.”
“Huh?”
“She doesn’t enjoy snacks, and when she does, it’s something that’s so dry it won’t stick to her teeth. She hates anything that leaves a strong taste lingering in her mouth.”
Pang Dae-san’s eyebrows twitch in surprise.
Wait, she knew this? How?
Just so you know, the Lamb-Scents-and-Mouthfuls is absolutely my sister Pang Choryeo’s favorite, and yet Pang Choryeo, despite raising her, doesn’t know her taste in snacks.
But they do agree on one thing: siblings need to eat well, so Pang Choryeo keeps putting only the stuff she hates in front of her.
Plus, there’s the nagging question of when she’s going to have grandkids.
Leading that group of absolute nightmare women is precisely why Pang Dae-san often wanders out of the family.
“Ahem. Even if it looks like I’m mindlessly gorging myself, I’m actually showing deep gratitude with each and every bite! What’s up, San? You really haven’t felt my heart until now, have you? It’s a bit disappointing.”
“Ha! As if.”
Pang Dae-san chuckles while reminiscing about the time he secretly slipped out at night and paid extra to raid the deliveries.
So, does this mean he knew all along that he’d been buying her snacks?
Cough, Pang Dae-san turns his head away, his earlobes reddening, and he pretends to glance around casually.
“Based on records from the Sudaung era, the anatomical development theory according to the sword’s form…”
“Is that book the one you mentioned earlier?”
“Huh? Oh! Aha! That’s the one! The title was so long it slipped my mind.”
“Slipped your mind? What’s this? Are you really browsing through snacks while looking for records?”
“I don’t trust food-recommending writings. All they do is say how delicious everything is. If I expect too much, I’ll just end up disappointed.”
That was a dubious little comment, wasn’t it?
Anyway.
If you’re at the level of a martial arts master, you can easily pull out a book with just a flick of your finger.
Just like this.
“San! Go!”
As Qing grabs the book, the Martial Arts Inventory immediately announces its grand presence.
It starts making a ruckus, demanding to be opened while shining bright, and Qing thinks, fine, I’ll let it win this time.
Various Arts. Red. Heart Vitality Technique, Red.
Suddenly, Unyeonjeong’s words flash through his mind.
They say it’s the kind of martial art that barely qualifies as divine!
What a disappointing martial art it really is…
“This clearly looks like a book for idiots. Does it even contain any hidden secret manuals?”
“Yeah. It’s said to cover the Martial Arts of Various Arts and Heart Vitality Technique. Ever heard of them?”
Pang Dae-san’s expression stiffens.
“Pearl Martial Arts. It looks like Unyeonjeong told you.”
“Yeah. Just in case. Knowing whether it’s a martial art or not makes all the difference.”
“It wasn’t that impressive of a martial art. It’s all about using the entire body’s muscles effectively in one punch. Since they didn’t pass down powerful techniques through Qi, they could only focus on external skills.”
“Oh? You seem to know a lot. Do you know her?”
Pang Dae-san’s eyebrows twitch again.
“I used to hang out with my sister regularly.”
“Oh, with Choryeo? So, San must have played around too?”
“Hmm.”
“Not denying it?”
“I know my sister’s personality. It had nothing to do with my intentions.”
“Oh, so she wasn’t exactly unpleased either? Sister’s friend? Wow, sister’s friend. First love. Though they might seem a bit off, she is indeed a beauty.”
“Absolutely not. No way. Given how long I’ve seen her. Well, if I had to say, it was more like I hardly knew her than anything else.”
“Oh, childhood friends then?”
“Not a friend, more like, well, if I had to describe it, it feels like a distant cousin.”
“Ooh, childhood friends and family-like? Wow.”
“Not like that…”
“Are you hot or something, sweating like that? Did lunch irritate you, or is it that Nan-ah brewed poison again?”
“Yeah, that’s right. That woman’s got real poison. It’s rare in this world to find someone who brews poison on those they know!”
“Forget about Nan-ah. So what was Youngeon like? She was flipping people’s minds back in the day, right? They said Choryeo was very timid, scared of even squirrels.”
It’s a bit ironic that a timid person would get all riled up before a crowd.
Pang Dae-san carefully picks his words.
“She was more grossed out than scared. They’re quite similar.”
“Why are they similar?”
“Have you ever noticed people who are afraid of bugs? Why would a martial artist be scared of bugs? To be accurate, they would shiver at the sight of a bug.”
“Oh, that makes sense. So is San one of them too?”
“Why would my name come up?”
“Because you hate women.”
“Only the ones that bother me and nag. Otherwise, I feel indifferent.”
“People who don’t like bugs always say that, right? They only hate the ones that are in sight. The ones hiding quietly somewhere? They don’t mind them. But anyway. How about people? Was Youngeon always like, you know, a bit nasty with an unsettling vibe?”
“Not really, she was just kind-hearted. Even with a weak body, she couldn’t ignore those in trouble. She was a pleasant person, always fitting in with everyone, but this shouldn’t be taken as me siding with her.”
Something in him is feeling awkward.
What’s this? Did something go on between the two?
Seems amusing, maybe I should ask Choryeo later?
Yeah, about your first love, the Blood Sect demon.
That would definitely cross the line.
It’s not good to tease about sensitive topics, so let’s drop it for now.
“What? Kind-hearted? That doesn’t match the description. She must have been putting on an act in front of you, right?”
“I’d expect a similar answer from anyone I ask.”
At that, Qing cocks his head.
“Really? Then just ask around.”
Sama Chun-bong and Je-gal Lee-hyun look frustrated but also slightly relieved to not be losing.
But they should ask them first.
“Do you know about the martial arts called Escape from Life’s Heart? Is this some kind of Demonic Art? A righteous heart taking lives? This whole phrasing seems off.”
“Oh! Sister! You know about Escape from Life’s Heart? The ‘escape’ part doesn’t mean taking life but rather escaping from fate…”
“Hehe, and the Cheonhwa-geom is quite an eye-opener too. The escape isn’t to take someone’s life but to free oneself from their fate; originally…”
“It was from the Muwipha! Originally, it was a non-Buddhist martial art that was marginalized during the Great Justice Tournament…”
“Originally! Thus it could be called an orthodox school’s teaching. Hm. With someone interjecting such mediocre knowledge, it makes me feel a bit disrespected.”
At that, Je-gal Lee-hyun jumps back in surprise.
And then he apologizes with an embarrassed expression.
“Oh dear, Sama Chun-bong! I seem to have offended you unknowingly. I hope you can show some generosity as an elder just once?”
To that, the veins on Sama Chun-bong’s forehead bulge, counting to one, two, three, four…
Wow, Je-gal isn’t as easy-going as he seems.
Of course, one must know when to get mad.
But that doesn’t really concern me.
Surprise, surprise! Escape from Life’s Heart is NOT a Demonic Art!
So we need to learn it.
Strangely, as my level rises, it seems like I’m getting weaker in terms of inner strength.
When I reach Hyun-gyeong level, what good would it do to have inner strength at that level? That’s like saying it’s an achievement.
Now that I think about it, is Martial Arts Inventory really as all-powerful as it seems?
In front of true strong ones, it’s nothing but a way to scare people.
Martial Arts Inventory could feel severely wronged.
Is there really such an ungrateful dog like this in the world!?
“Anyway. Does Unyeonjeong know anything? What was she like before her betrayal?”
“If we’re talking about Sister, she was quite graceful. Honestly, I still find it hard to believe she betrayed. Yet, she was quite weak, and seeing how the Youngeons are known for their strong bodies, she must have gone through a rough time back home.”
That’s Je-gal’s testimony.
“She wasn’t much of a match for me back then, right? Huh? Hehe, the Cheonhwa-geom, that’s a funny joke! Why would someone as exceptional as myself have to remember someone so mundane? Hm. According to my genius deduction, oh dear, the sinful genius! She probably knew about me in Zhengpai but was so disheartened that she jumped ship to the Blood Sect, right? Cheonhwa-geom? Where are you going? I’m not done talking yet!”
I regrettably asked that.
He has no idea about anything and talks excessively.
No wonder he’s at the bottom of the strategist rankings.
But, hmm, doesn’t the wisdom locker have great potential after all?
Should I suggest we take a bath together when he gets better?
I need to see what’s inside that box; no matter how I look at it, it looks like a watermelon, and I won’t believe it until I see it with my own eyes.
“Are you talking about Youngeon or Youngeon-ya? Should I call it a bit more mature? Whenever a fight broke out at the Dragon and Phoenix Association, she always tried to break it up. Of course, Young Lady is a hundred times, no, a thousand times more mature, and she’s super impressive and really magnificent, like really, just ridiculous.”
That’s the typical blunt statement from Mo Yong Joo-hee.
“Nope.”
“Gunyongi? Was my question just a yes-or-no one?”
“It’s not Gunyongi. No.”
“Why are you denying it when you already know? Well, no. I think I was at fault for asking.”
Sulgunyongi.
“Youngeon? I’ve never met her, and even if I did, you’re the only one I know, Qing. If I ever see that betrayer from the Blood Sect, I’ll—”
Tang Nan-ah was first seen in Sichuan during the Martial World Tournament.
Naturally, she’s never even laid eyes on Unyeonjeong.
“Well, you see, um, never mind.”
“……?”
Thinking it through, there’s no need to ask Ye.
She was a training fanatic, locked away in the training grounds even within her own family.
“Unyeonjeong? Isn’t she some kind of swordswoman?”
“Hmm. I knew that would be the answer.”
“As expected, a Swordmaster! We’re on the same wavelength! Care for a duel?”
“I haven’t even set my bones yet…”
After a long investigation, I’ve reached a rather meaningful conclusion.
Is the Half-Sword Festival really okay as it is?
Our members seem a bit socially awkward; it’s like a gathering of loners.
Even though Chang-bin, a registered member and ghost member, is absent, why bother asking?
Well, for this, well, um, Young Lady, I don’t actually know much about.
More like, this awkward situation means I wouldn’t get polite speech nor casual speech, just some weird nonsense.
Suddenly, Qing’s forehead bulges.
But wait, where is this guy hiding?
He bravely returned alive from the treacherous mountains of Hwasan and set a new record in the history of Martial Arts that will shine forever, yet he hasn’t even shown his face once?
When he pops out, I’ll be sure to reserve a seat right in the middle of the Phoenix Association banquet for him, with Brother Jo beside him.
Thus, while Chang-bin was fervently training his miraculous divine skill, the moment he felt an ominous energy—
What’s this, an extremely ominous presence…!
A Daoist’s extreme abilities might get enhanced through a connection with the world, so isn’t it astounding how Chang-bin unconsciously reads the vague tiding of fate and senses the ominousness?
That’s truly remarkable.