Hwang Jabok just stared blankly.

Thwack! Thwack!

As soon as Cheonyeong's words ended, Gwi-su's hands, which had run out, moved like lightning, and the two warriors who had been aiming their swords collapsed to the floor.

Immediately followed by a shout.

"It's an attack! The Tang Family has attacked the branch!"

It was a natural reaction.

"Hmm. My, my, to not only draw a sword on someone who came to pay respects with good liquor, but to also frame it as an attack. This is very unpleasant. Isn't that right, Warrior Hwang?"

Cheonyeong was making the natural unnatural.

"Lord Tang! I will explain. Please calm down for now."

"No. No. I cannot do that."

"Pardon?"

"I am the Lord of the Tang Family. How can I stay still when my life has been threatened?"

"What does that mean?"

The answer to Hwang Jabok's question was one word.

"Gwi-su!"

"Yes!"

"Annihilate the enemy."

"Yes! Lord!"

At Cheonyeong's smiling words, Gwi-su answered vigorously and immediately rushed towards the main gate of the Black Heaven Gate's Geumdang branch.

The gate exploded as if it had been hit by Gwi-su's palm strike.

The warriors of the branch flocked, but none of the inn staff in martial attire standing in line moved.

No, there was no need to move.

The opponent was one of the Ten Talents of Sichuan, Gwi-su, No Gwanyeong.

Even if the warriors of the branch attacked in a group, there was no way they would be a match.

Only then did Hwang Jabok understand the meaning of the 'greeting' Cheonyeong had spoken of.

He had intended this from the beginning.

The inn, the greeting, the gift…

Those were just pretexts.

And the reason he had babbled such useless words to him was.

"Warrior Hwang will have a lot to say. They will never believe my words."

It was for Tang Cheonyeong to make him a 'witness'.

To frame the Black Heaven Gate for the fault of the attack.

"Now, then, shall we go in?"

At Cheonyeong's leading hand, Hwang Jabok followed with his shoulders slumped like a cow going to the slaughterhouse.

When they went inside, there was a sharp confrontation.

The branch head was leading the warriors in a formation, aiming their swords at No Gwanyeong.

"Great Hero No! What is the meaning of this!"

"…"

"To attack so suddenly in broad daylight! Are you trying to start a war with the Black Heaven Gate!"

The middle-aged warrior recognized No Gwanyeong and shouted.

"Reveal your identity."

"I am the Black Heaven Gate's Geumdang Branch Head, Yang Mando!"

"So you were the branch head. I am an elder of the Tang Family, No Gwanyeong!"

Even though there was probably no one who didn't know, No Gwanyeong deliberately revealed his identity for everyone to hear.

"You have just aimed your swords at my master! As a subordinate, I cannot stand by and watch! I plan to hold you responsible from now on."

At No Gwanyeong's words, the warriors of the Geumdang branch began to murmur.

"What kind of bullshit is that! Wasn't it you, Sir Gwi-su, who attacked first!"

At the words that were no different from being framed, Yang Mando shouted, his veins popping.

"Hmm, attacked first? On what grounds do you say such a thing?"

As Cheonyeong stepped forward with his hands behind his back, Gwi-su bowed his head and stepped back, and at that reaction, the corners of Yang Mando's eyes twitched.

Although he was young, if Gwi-su took a low posture?

Like a seasoned warrior, he, who was quick-witted, held his sword upside down and greeted Cheonyeong.

"Yang Mando, the Black Heaven Gate's Geumdang Branch Head, greets the Lord of the Tang Family."

"Tang Cheonyeong."

When Cheonyeong answered with a nod, Yang Mando frowned and glared, saying.

"Seeing as the Lord has stepped forward himself, it seems you will give an explanation for this."

"An explanation? Why should I?"

"Pardon?"

"You are the ones who should be explaining."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Didn't you hear from the elder of my family just now?"

"Pardon?"

"You aimed your swords at me."

"N-no, what does that mean?"

"I came to pay my respects, thinking of my friendship with Elder Seoak, as I was opening an inn in Geumdang."

"…"

"But why are you persecuting me?"

"W-wait a minute! Persecuting? Who on earth persecuted you?"

"You drew your swords and revealed your killing intent to someone who came with goodwill, so that is persecution."

At Cheonyeong's firm words, the corners of Yang Mando's eyes trembled minutely.

Anyone could see it was a forced pretext.

The Lord of the Tang Family was trying to forcibly frame them.

As if they had attacked him, who had come with good intentions.

"Don't talk nonsense! With Gwi-su and so many warriors, anyone would think it was an attack!"

"You're not making sense. Then, why didn't you ask before you drew your swords?" 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"Th-that's."

At Cheonyeong's words, Yang Mando couldn't easily answer.

But it was not something he should obediently admit.

The order of events had to be clear.

Because that would decide who had the pretext.

"It's sophistry. Sophistry!"

"Sophistry?"

"That's right! How will you, Lord Tang, prove that you came to pay your respects!"

"Hah!?"

Cheonyeong, who nodded at Yang Mando's words, looked at Hwang Jabok.

"Hey, messenger."

"Yes?!"

Cheonyeong looked, and the gazes of the crowd all turned to Hwang Jabok at once.

"What do you think?"

"Ah, that is… I."

"Was there a lie in what I said?"

"Ah, that's."

Hwang Jabok, who couldn't take either side, was just troubled.

But his hesitation was enough to raise the credibility of Cheonyeong's words.

Because he had hesitated when he should have immediately said that Tang Cheonyeong was wrong.

But every matter needs a clincher.

"My, I didn't consider your position. Even if my words are right, how can a man who eats the rice of the Black Heaven Gate tell the truth?"

"…"

"But you're not the only witness."

"Pardon?"

Not the only one?

Hwang Jabok turned his head, following Cheonyeong's gaze.

Where his gaze stopped, there was one person.

"This person is the one who ran the Manhwa Pavilion before I bought it. There are probably quite a few among the branch's warriors who know him."

At Cheonyeong's introduction, the owner of the Manhwa Pavilion, Yeon Jeongmun, came forward and greeted them.

Hwang Jabok realized again.

Such meticulousness… he was talking about a liquor bottle.

He had been so out of it that he hadn't even paid attention.

"Innkeeper Yeon, is there anything wrong with what I said?"

"Not at all. I heard it clearly. There is nothing wrong with what Lord Tang said."

As Yeon Jeongmun's testimony continued, Yang Mando couldn't help but be troubled.

Tang Cheonyeong's forced pretext was increasingly becoming an established fact.

"His testimony is not valid! Hasn't the Tang Family already bought his inn? Who knows if the current situation was behind that contract."

At Yang Mando's words, Cheonyeong grinned and said.

"Your words are the ones that are a forced pretext and sophistry. Are you unable to admit it even with a witness?"

"It was you, Lord Tang, who used a forced pretext first!"

"My, it can't be helped. Then how about this? Will you believe it if there are testimonies from others?"

"T-testimonies again? There are other people?"

At Yang Mando's words, Cheonyeong smiled sinisterly and called the people who were lined up behind him.

"These are the staff members newly hired when I bought the inn."

"…Staff members?"

"There must be some you know. These are the vagrants who lived on the outskirts of Geumdang County."

"V-vagrants?"

At Cheonyeong's words, Yang Mando's eyes went wide.

Of course, it would be so.

Could it be that he had done nothing for a month?

He had put in some effort secretly to create the current situation.

"Oh, come to think of it."

"No, that man is?"

Surprised voices erupted from among the branch's warriors who recognized some of them.

Yang Mando's face couldn't help but contort.

He had thought they were warriors of the Tang Family because they had come in formation wearing martial attire.

"This is a trap!"

"A trap?"

"That's right. Otherwise, why would you dress vagrants in martial attire with the Tang Family's crest! Isn't it to deliberately induce us to attack first?"

"Hmm, why is it a problem to dress them in martial attire with the Tang Family's crest?"

"What?"

"Since the Tang Family bought the inn, isn't it natural for the staff to wear the Tang Family's clothes?"

"Th-that's?"

"And you have finally admitted it with your own mouth."

"Admitted?"

"Didn't you just say it? That you attacked first."

As Cheonyeong smiled coldly, Yang Mando protested with wide-open eyes.

"A m-mistake! It was a mistake!"

"There is no such thing as a mistake in the words of a warrior with a sword. Because that one word can kill a person."

Cheonyeong, who had untied the front of his robe, walked towards the warriors of the branch.

"All the circumstances are clear and there are many witnesses! From now on, I will hold you responsible for the crime of threatening me, the Lord of the Tang Family, by pointing your swords at me!"

He could no longer protest.

Since they had prepared so meticulously, there was no way out.

Grind!

There was only one thing Yang Mando, who gritted his teeth, could choose.

Although there would be many reasons to achieve a certain will, what ultimately carries it through is power in the martial world.

"Warriors of the Black Heaven Gate, draw your swords! And annihilate the enemy who has attacked the branch!"

With Yang Mando's shout, the warriors of the Geumdang branch all drew their swords and aimed them at Cheonyeong.

That was enough.

Now everyone would think the same.

That they had attacked and tried to drive out Cheonyeong, who had come to pay his respects with good intentions.

This becomes a pretext.

And that pretext would become a reason to take over the entire Black Heaven Gate's Geumdang branch, and in turn, a reason to call in the One-Horned Brigade waiting in Chengdu.

With this, the war with the Black Heaven Gate begins.

The current fight is the opening of that war.

Flutter!

Cheonyeong threw back his outer robe.

The inner garment he was wearing was revealed, and Cheonyeong's hand clenched the flying needles that were stuck all over it.

Charrrrk!

And hundreds of flying needles were scattered over the heads of the Geumdang branch warriors.

The flying needles, sparkling in the sunlight, were truly a magnificent sight, and everyone watched blankly.

Thump!

Then, Cheonyeong stomped the ground hard.

Drrrrr!

With the emission of internal energy, the earth vibrated, and as he stretched out his hand and pointed, the flying needles floating in the air all stood up straight.

"Huh?"

The eyes of the warriors, who had been captivated by the sparkle, went wide.

The numerous flying needles above their heads…

Weren't they looking at them with their sharp points raised, as if to attack them, while suspended in the air?

Could it be?

Was Tang Cheonyeong controlling so many flying needles with his energy?

Their wide-open eyes filled with surprise, and with their faces hardened, feeling the urgency, they moved hastily.

But Cheonyeong's hand, which was lowered with a cold smile, was much faster than their movements.

When he created an energy barrier in the air and pressed down, the flying needles poured down like a torrential rain under the pressure.

The place where the warriors stood was a killing formation with nowhere to escape.

The fight with Muak at the Jingagu.

What he had tried for the first time, tailored to the situation then, had been gradually refined and had become a single form that could face numerous enemies alone.

It was a martial art that was a waste to use in the first battle, but there was nothing better than this to add to the rumors about himself.

Killing Formation, Torrential Rain.

Kwaaaaaaaaaa!

(End of Chapter)