Chapter 60

A shih-chen later.

Jeok Leegeon and Jeong Charyeon were hurrying somewhere.

The two had completely changed their appearances. They were wearing Human skin masks, making them look like completely different people.

It was Charyeon's first time wearing a Human skin mask. She was disgusted, asking if it was real human skin, but she only agreed to wear the mask after hearing that it was just called that and was actually made of animal skin these days.

Perhaps because it was her first time, it felt stifling. Her natural expression stiffened and felt awkward.

In comparison, Jeok Leegeon was a completely different person. He was so natural, as if he were truly someone else.

"Don't you dare open your mouth."

Even Jeok Leegeon's voice sounded completely different.

"How can you do that?"

"Practice."

"No matter how hard you practice..."

"You know?"

Yeah, he's a genius. A genius.

"By the way, I look like I'm sick."

Jeok Leegeon shook his head at Charyeon's worry.

"No. That's perfect."

What on earth was he thinking? What kind of face was hidden beneath that innocent-looking face?

Jeok Leegeon arrived at a large empty lot on the outskirts of the city.

A large tent had been set up in the empty lot.

A middle-aged man with a towel around his neck, as if he had just finished washing his face, approached them.

"How may I help you?"

"I want to meet the person in charge here."

"What for?"

He was quite cautious.

"I've come to commission a job. So don't worry and show us the way."

He led the two into the tent.

It was only after entering that Charyeon could tell what kind of place this was.

Inside the tent, various performance props were hung, and actors of all ages were practicing.

An old man who seemed to be the person in charge approached.

"How may I help you...?"

He carefully examined Jeok Leegeon and Charyeon.

"I need two actors. Two men in their forties."

The old man looked surprised at Jeok Leegeon's words. But he immediately refused.

"We don't act outside the stage."

Especially if the other party was a Martial Artist from the Martial World.

"This job is also a performance. Because there's a stage."

"Even so..."

"One shih-geun will be enough. I'll pay one hundred nyang per person as a reward. Half in advance."

The old man and the man who had guided the two of them looked at each other in surprise at the mention of one hundred nyang.

Two people meant two hundred nyang.

Two hundred nyang was money they couldn't earn even if they performed on the streets all year round. Moreover, they had been under various financial pressures lately.

"It must be a dangerous job, right?"

The old man knew that there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world.

"It'll be dangerous if the acting goes wrong."

It was a provocative remark.

"What if the acting is perfect?"

"It'll be the easiest way to make money in the world."

"......"

Jeok Leegeon briefly touched Charyeon's face.

"The old man must know that we're wearing Human skin masks."

Indeed, the old man silently nodded. He was an old man who had lived his whole life performing. Disguise Technique was, after all, a type of makeup.

Jeok Leegeon spoke calmly.

"Since you don't know us, we won't commit murder to silence you. Don't worry about that."

That was what the old man was secretly worried about. Jeok Leegeon's words relieved him of that concern.

"Give me a moment."

When Jeok Leegeon nodded, the old man called over the man and a few others. They talked to each other on the side.

Charyeon was faithfully listening to Jeok Leegeon's words not to say anything.

She asked with her eyes what he was trying to do.

Then Jeok Leegeon winked one eye.

The old man walked back to the two of them. Two men followed behind him.

They were the very ones who had played the roles of the Heavenly Demon and the Orthodox Alliance Leader when they used to perform on the streets. They had decided to take on the job.

"They're the most experienced actors. You can trust their acting."

Jeok Leegeon took out money from his pocket. He handed one hundred nyang to the old man.

"Let's meet at the Splendid Inn in half a shih-chen. I'll tell you what to do then."

The two left the tent.

Charyeon let out a long sigh.

"Are you scared?"

"It's not the way I've lived. It's unfamiliar."

That was her honest feeling.

"Avoiding adventure is an insult to youth."

Oh, if only he wouldn't say things like that.

"Not all young people in the world live enjoying adventures."

"That's why you're lucky."

"Because I met you?"

"Of course."

Then he shrugged his shoulders.

What a show-off. He's probably the guy who suits showing off the most in the world.

I think he looks more like an actor than the actors I saw earlier.

"I'm needed too, right?"

It didn't seem like he had gone to such lengths as using Disguise Technique just to hire actors. As expected, Jeok Leegeon nodded.

"Of course. Your role is more important."

"I'm worried. They'll definitely notice that I've used Disguise Technique."

"Who are 'they'?"

"I mean the experts from the Medicine King Sect."

Jeok Leegeon chuckled.

"Not 'they,' but 'him.'"

"What?"

"That small difference is the key to this job."

The next morning.

Chu Do-ok, who had come down to eat breakfast, was not in a very good mood.

While passing through the second round of the Dragon Phoenix Gathering, the Ihwa-in subtly ignored Chu Do-ok and the Medicine King Sect. It was because of his inherently arrogant personality, but in fact, Chu Do-ok was no less of a pain in the ass.

He really wanted to just smack them.

His mood was at its worst, thinking that it was a sin to be weak.

His father, that is, Chu Su-yeong, the current Sect Leader of the Medicine King Sect, wanted him to win this Dragon Phoenix Gathering at all costs. The hope of his father and the elders of the Sect was to use his victory as an opportunity to elevate the Medicine King Sect to a first-class Sect in the Martial World.

Naturally, the burden on Chu Do-ok's shoulders was great.

'Damn it! It's impossible!'

Chu Do-ok realized that he and the Ihwa-in could never win. Even in yesterday's second round, there were countless people who were superior to him at a glance.

"Why does this taste like this?"

Chu Do-ok shouted angrily, startling not only the waiter but even the cook, who was peeking out from behind the curtain in front of the kitchen. Every day was a struggle for them, fearing that they would be dragged away and beaten.

They wanted to protest to the owner to kick out the Medicine King Sect, but if they did, they would really be beaten to death by Chu Do-ok.

He beat up even Martial Artist to death, so what would happen if ordinary people like them spoke up?

"Shall I make it again?"

"Where would your skills go? Go buy it."

"Yes?"

"You bastard! Go to another inn and buy food!"

"Ah, yes. Yes!"

The waiter ran away as if trying to escape the place.

The cook disappeared into the kitchen with a face that looked like he wanted to drop his nose into the plate. He really wanted to pour a bowl of poison into that bastard's rice if there was any.

Chu Do-ok gulped down alcohol from morning.

At that time, two middle-aged men entered the inn. Even before sitting down, they raised their voices.

"We're busy, so quickly give us a bowl of rice with warm soup!"

They, wearing Northern Sky Hegemon Clan Martial attire, took a seat behind Chu Do-ok.

"It's so busy."

"Damn Dragon Phoenix Gathering!"

Chu Do-ok's ears perked up at the word Dragon Phoenix Gathering. Judging by their appearance, they seemed to be Martial Artist from the Dragon Phoenix Unit among the Northern Sky Hegemon Clan.

"Holding the Heavenly Dragon Battle and the Dragon Phoenix Gathering together! Damn it, this is the worst!"

"I heard that the Hubei merchant association invested a lot of money to promote it."

The voices of the two men faded slightly.

"Is that something that's only happened for a year or two?"

"Only we at the bottom are dying."

"By the way, did you hear that news?"

"What news?"

"About Great Warrior Won of Sunset Island, who is in charge of the judging this time."

"Didn't he refuse to judge?"

"That's... Great Warrior Won's daughter is sick. And she's his only daughter."

"Sunset Island had a daughter?"

"That's right."

"But what's wrong with her?"

The men's voices faded even more. Chu Do-ok pretended not to notice and drank alcohol, but he was completely focused.

"Rumor has it that she was stung by a Blood Bee."

"A Blood Bee? Isn't that the swarm of death that Bongmasin drives around?"

"That's right. It's that terrifying poisonous bee that, if stung by the poison, you'll suffer and die ten years later."

Chu Do-ok's eyes narrowed.

"Great Warrior Won is now searching for that Bongmasin with bloodshot eyes."

"But hasn't Bongmasin disappeared from the Martial World for a long time?"

"It's difficult, difficult. His daughter is still in her prime, what a pity."

"To find an antidote, Great Warrior Won is really ready to cut off the sea. He said he would do anything if he gave him the antidote."

"But isn't he a judge for this Dragon Phoenix Gathering?"

"That's right. They have to replace him, but because of his daughter's problem, they're just watching for now."

"So that's what's going on. Then where is Great Warrior Won now? Is he wandering around the Martial World?"

"No. He came here the day before yesterday. He's planning to take on the Dragon Phoenix Gathering judging as promised. He's at the Splendid Inn now."

"Sunset Island, I've wanted to see him once before."

"He has a big scar on his forehead, so it'll be easy to find him. Go take a look. But I can't guarantee your life. He's a completely venomous snake these days."

"Hey, don't say such things even as a joke."

In the meantime, the food they ordered came out.

The two men were engrossed in their meal.

Chu Do-ok's face was flushed. His heart was pounding.

'Sunset Island is a judge for the Dragon Phoenix Gathering? But his daughter was stung by a Blood Bee?'

The only medicine that could detoxify Blood Bee poison was his Seven Divine Pills.

Wasn't this heaven giving him a chance? If he missed this opportunity, he would be a fool.

Whether he was a fool or not was impossible to judge, but at least he didn't have the observational skills to figure out that the Martial attire of the two men behind him was not the official Dragon Phoenix Unit Martial attire. Furthermore, it was even more impossible to recognize that they were faces that could be seen in street performances.