Chapter 135

Even without Dang Ran-yeong's words, Cheong-ra had no intention of using any other weapon instead of this precious sword. He gazed at the blade endlessly, lost in thought, before speaking.

"Dark iron has settled in the moon sword, so Dark Moon. I'll call it the Dark Moon Sword."

For the first time since learning about the mind-controlling insects in his body, Cheong-ra's face lit up brightly. Although he claimed to have no competitive spirit, he was still a martial artist at heart, and he couldn't hide his joy at how much he liked the sword.

Cheong-ra gripped the sword and swung it downward. His previous sword had been good, but it couldn't compare to this one. It felt good just cutting through the air. As many people tested their swords at the blacksmith's, the blacksmith set up a log. Cheong-ra swiftly cut it.

Swish–! Even without infusing sword energy, the log was instantly cut into pieces. Marveling at the sensation of cutting without any resistance, he swung the sword dozens of times carefully until he became accustomed to it. When Cheong-ra turned around with a bright smile, he paused. Dang Ran-yeong was sleeping, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

It was the first time he had seen the other sleeping, and he found it fascinating. He stole glances at the straight forehead, slightly parted lips, and sharp nose bridge for a moment.

In fact, Cheong-ra had thought that Dang Ran-yeong might mock him as a weak coward in the past. After all, trembling in fear of mere insects would be hard for a proud and strong man to understand. However, instead of criticizing, Dang Ran-yeong had given Cheong-ra a reason to live.

Even when he had treated Cheong-ra harshly and just used him, Cheong-ra couldn't help being drawn to him, so what was he supposed to do now...? Sighing quietly, Cheong-ra couldn't take his eyes off Dang Ran-yeong for a long time until he woke up from his brief nap.

***

When Cheong-ra went to find Dang Ran-yeong because he had something to say, he was in the middle of maintaining his weapons. After a good night's rest, all signs of fatigue had completely disappeared from his face. It was truly remarkable stamina and recovery.

Usually, when martial artists maintained their weapons, they would prepare a whetstone, oil, stone powder, and soft cloth, and carefully tend to their swords or spears in a sunny spot. Those who practiced fist techniques might wrap cloth around their fists.

However, befitting a Tang Clan martial artist, Dang Ran-yeong's weapons were countless. Although he usually carried them all, there was a suspiciously large number of hidden weapons neatly arranged on the floor. He hadn't even taken out his main weapon, the whip, yet.

Wondering if it was okay for an outsider like himself to see this, Cheong-ra glanced at Dang Ran-yeong, who didn't seem to mind. Not wanting to disturb his weapon maintenance time, Cheong-ra sat in a chair and quietly watched.

Starting with various daggers and flying daggers, there were dozens of arrows with shafts only about three inches long, making one wonder if they could even be nocked on a bow, hook-shaped flying claws, pouches filled with the famous poisonous sand, hundreds of poisoned needles, metal balls, poisoned thorns, and tools whose function he couldn't guess.

As Cheong-ra was curiously observing the Tang Clan's hidden weapons, his eyes stopped on some out-of-place items that shouldn't have been there.

'These aren't hidden weapons?'

Among the sharp and pointed hidden weapons, there were accessories. There were several rings with large, flashy stones, earrings, and belts with dazzling jewels embedded in jade pendants. It seemed odd to be maintaining accessories along with hidden weapons.

Soon, Dang Ran-yeong finished maintaining the poisoned needles and picked up a belt. When he touched something, a soft sword with a flexible blade sprang out. Cheong-ra's eyes widened, not having imagined a weapon would come out of there. Dang Ran-yeong sharpened the soft sword's blade with a whetstone, applied oil, and then pushed it back into the belt. Cheong-ra inwardly marveled.

'A soft sword is almost as difficult to handle as a whip...'

Next, he picked up a clear white jade pendant and tapped it somewhere, and the bottom opened like a lid. Inside were several tiny flying daggers. As he continued to watch, he saw that the large-stoned rings contained poison, and the earrings were so sharp at the ends that they could be thrown as hidden weapons on the spot.

To think that all those luxurious accessories he usually wore were hidden weapons... Even as he watched, he could hardly believe his eyes.

Then Dang Ran-yeong began attaching the maintained weapons to his body. After attaching enough hidden weapons to kill hundreds of people to his forearms, chest, waist, and thighs, he put on his luxurious robe, and they disappeared without a trace. Then, after putting on rings and earrings with enough hidden weapons to kill several people, Dang Ran-yeong, now as lavishly adorned as usual, asked Cheong-ra, who had been watching in a daze,

"Did you enjoy the show?"

Only then did Cheong-ra come to his senses and realize that Dang Ran-yeong was looking at him with a mischievous expression. He finally took out the whip from his waist and started maintaining it, applying oil. Unconsciously glancing at the mere two weapons he had - the Dark Moon Sword at his waist and the dagger in his bosom - Cheong-ra asked blankly,

"Do you carry all these hidden weapons around all the time?"

"Compared to other Tang Clan martial artists, I carry relatively few."

For Cheong-ra, who thought one sword was enough to travel the Central Plains, this was simply astonishing. Tang Clan martial artists carry even more than this! To think this is considered few...! He suddenly realized why they all wore clothes with wide sleeves.

"So, why?"

Only then did Dang Ran-yeong ask about the reason for his visit. Cheong-ra finally tore his gaze away from inside Dang Ran-yeong's sleeves and waist and spoke.

"I want to go to the Martial Arts Alliance."

"If you want to work for the Martial Arts Alliance, that's not allowed."

Dang Ran-yeong flatly refused and then asked with a strange smile,

"Or are you trying to meet that Geum Sa-cheon fellow from last time?"

The reason Cheong-ra was asking for permission like this wasn't because he considered Dang Ran-yeong his superior. It was because, having mind-controlling insects in his body, he needed to stay within range where Dang Ran-yeong could deal with him at any time. So he had to get Dang Ran-yeong's consent to go anywhere. Cheong-ra shook his head and said,

"It would be nice if I could meet Young Master Geum once, since I couldn't keep my promise. But I don't want to work for the Martial Arts Alliance. I just want to have a conversation with the Alliance Leader."

Cheong-ra had been impressed by Geum Sa-cheon's mention of being sent out on the Alliance Leader's orders to investigate cult members. Didn't it mean that even while the Martial Arts Alliance was underestimating and trying to use the Blood Cult, at least Mo Yong-hyeon, the Alliance Leader, had the will to eradicate the Blood Cult?

Of course, if Dang Ran-yeong said no, he would have to give up. In fact, he didn't have much hope. But surprisingly, Dang Ran-yeong answered readily,

"Alright."

"Really? We can go to the Martial Arts Alliance?"

"I have some business in that area anyway."

Cheong-ra's face brightened at Dang Ran-yeong's answer. He had been unintentionally neglecting to send letters to his sect lately due to various circumstances, but if they went to the Martial Arts Alliance, he could safely and surely contact Moon Lake Sect. It was regrettable that he had become unable to return until the Blood Cult was completely eradicated.

'I left the sect of my own will and could return anytime, but the feeling of not wanting to go back and not being able to go back are different.'

Even before, he had no intention of returning to the sect until the Blood Cult was eradicated, but now that things had turned out this way, Cheong-ra smiled bitterly, feeling uneasy. He might never be able to return from now on. No, in fact, even after eradicating the Blood Cult, he would find it difficult to easily set foot in the sect due to his worries.

As he was having these melancholic thoughts and about to stand up, Dang Ran-yeong casually threw out a remark.

"And stop doing that. It's better to correct it before it becomes a habit."

"Doing what?"

When Cheong-ra asked in confusion, Dang Ran-yeong nodded his head. His gaze was directed at the center of Cheong-ra's body.

"That hand."

Only after Dang Ran-yeong pointed it out did Cheong-ra realize he had been scratching and pressing his chest. This was a habit he had developed after learning about the mind-controlling insects in his body. Even though he didn't know exactly where the blood insects were in his body, he would occasionally feel an unbearable itching and tightness in his chest or solar plexus.

Realizing his strange behavior, Cheong-ra bit his lip and lowered his hand. He hoped Dang Ran-yeong would let it go, but as he finished oiling his whip and coiled it around his waist, Dang Ran-yeong said,

"I'll let it slide only twice."

"...What will you do if it's more than twice?"

When he asked back without thinking, Dang Ran-yeong smiled deeply. Looking at him as if to say, "Do you really not know?"...

Flustered by that gaze, Cheong-ra abruptly stood up and quickly left the room. It wasn't because he was afraid of being caught in his habit again. It was because he was embarrassed by the subtle feeling of anticipation that arose in himself at that moment.