Cheon Myeong was riding a horse, moving through the streets.
And just like Cheon Myeong, the three members of the Chunguidae were following behind him on horseback.
These four had now arrived in Luoyang, located in Henan Province.
"..."
The reason why Cheon Myeong had come to Luoyang leading the Chunguidae was, of course, not for the purpose of sightseeing.
The invitation of the Martial Alliance.
In response to that, Cheon Myeong was now here as a representative of the Demonic Cult.
'Is this Luoyang?'
This was also the first time Cheon Myeong had come to Luoyang.
The same went for this body now, and also when he was Jangcheon in the past.
In fact, as long as one was a member of the Demonic Cult, there was not much reason to come to the Central Plains.
Moreover, Luoyang, where the headquarters of the Martial Alliance was located, was even more so.
If he had not received this invitation from the Martial Alliance, it seemed that Cheon Myeong would not have come to Luoyang even if more time had passed.
"..."
At that moment, Cheon Myeong's gaze turned to Baekjo, which was below.
Baekjo, which was sitting on the protruding part of the saddle.
Discovering Baekjo, who was yawning as if it were bored, Cheon Myeong lightly shook his head.
'As expected, it's not here either.'
Just like in the North Sea, Cheon Myeong had told Baekjo to tell him in advance if it felt something.
However, until he arrived here, Baekjo had not shown any reaction, and although he had checked its reaction just in case after arriving in Luoyang, it seemed to be the same.
'Finding the other two will be a difficult journey.'
In fact, before arriving here, Cheon Myeong had held a little hope that Baekjo would feel some reaction.
So if he were to feel a reaction on the way, he had been thinking of finding the Three Sacred Treasures first, even if it meant not going to the Martial Alliance...
To the extent that that determination was embarrassing, Baekjo had not said anything to Cheon Myeong.
'This guy, don't tell me... he's not intentionally not telling me, is he?'
For a moment, Cheon Myeong had that suspicion.
When he had exercised excessively recently, Baekjo had been stranded in the mountains.
Of course, although he had miraculously found Baekjo, since it had been quite sulky at that time, hadn't he gone through all sorts of hardships to cheer it up?
In the end, he had thought that its anger had been completely resolved by giving it meat, but Cheon Myeong suddenly had the thought that that might not be the case.
"Baekjo."
"Peep?"
"...It's nothing."
Don't tell me Baekjo is hiding the location of the Three Sacred Treasures just because of that.
If that were really the case, then it would be time for white chicken soup.
Thinking so, Cheon Myeong this time looked at the ice tiger, which was behind.
"Nyaa-."
The ice tiger, which was lying on its stomach on the horse's rump and was yawning as if it were leisurely.
Cheon Myeong had brought the ice tiger with him on this journey.
Although there were several reasons, since the ice tiger was also a spiritual beast that had been protecting the Heavenly Demon Sword, wouldn't there be a possibility that it could feel the Three Sacred Treasures, just like Baekjo?
In fact, since he had been a little unsure with just one Baekjo, he had brought it on this journey.
'This one is also a blank?'
Seeing it yawn, it seemed that there was no need to ask the ice tiger.
In the end, did he not get anything until he arrived in Luoyang?
Although the main purpose was to go to the Martial Alliance, Cheon Myeong couldn't help but feel a lingering regret in his heart.
"Oh!"
At that moment, an exclamation from behind.
Seopung was exclaiming and was moving his head here and there in all directions.
"What on earth is that food? Is it only sold in Luoyang?"
"..."
"As expected, there are many beauties in the Central Plains! Even if you walk around a street like this, there are beauties everywhere..."
"Hey, that's enough."
At that moment, Yu Daeha, who was next to him, said that to Seopung.
Although he had been annoyed from the beginning at Seopung's appearance, as if he had come for sightseeing, since it was in front of Cheon Myeong, he had endured and endured, and in the end, he had spoken, unable to endure it.
"...?"
Seopung looked at Yu Daeha with a puzzled face.
Then, Yu Daeha suppressed his voice as much as possible and said so that Cheon Myeong would not hear.
"Did we come here to play?"
"Then?"
"You... what have you been listening to until now?"
"He said we received an invitation from the Martial Alliance. But why are you being so serious?"
As Seopung said that, a surge of annoyance came up in Yu Daeha.
However, realizing that Cheon Myeong was nearby, he forcibly suppressed his annoyance and said.
"This is the middle of enemy territory. What's so good about being excited in a place like this? Are you crazy?"
"What enemy territory? We're not at war now, so we can look around the streets a bit."
"It's a situation where it's not enough to be more on guard, but you're sightseeing... Do you have any awareness as a member of the Chunguidae?"
"I am on guard. I'm also looking around the streets at the same time."
In the end, Yu Daeha's annoyance exploded.
Although he had been trying to just let it go since it was in front of Cheon Myeong, wasn't Seopung continuing to refute his words one by one?
Since the content of the refutation was also truly absurd, Yu Daeha finally said with a raised voice.
"What? Do you think everything is a word just because you say it with an open mouth?"
"Then what about you, what's with the sermon since a while ago? I'll do it on my own even if you don't say that!"
"Do it on your own, my ass. Are you continuing to climb up because I let you off the hook for cleaning the Changcheon Training Ground?"
"What do you mean, let me off the hook? That was a draw!"
"No, I finished one more."
"Bullshit. You must have slipped it in on the sly!"
In the end, as was their usual flow, the two were now having a verbal fight.
As such a thing happened in the middle of the street, the attention of the people around was naturally focused, and in the end, due to Heo Cham's mediation, the two became quiet.
"What are you doing now!"
"Th-that is... he started it first..."
"I'm sorry. I was trying to warn Seopung, and I ended up doing it without realizing it..."
At that moment, Cheon Myeong approached the side where the two were.
At that moment, the two immediately got off their horses.
Since it was a considerable fault to commit such a discourtesy in front of Cheon Myeong, the two immediately knelt down and bowed their heads.
"We're sorry, Young Master!"
The two said to Cheon Myeong at the same time.
Cheon Myeong, who was looking down at them silently.
As the silence grew longer, it seemed that the two were feeling a silent pressure.
"What did I say I would do if you fought one more time?"
"..."
"No, it's a problem before that. We came here as representatives of this cult, but it seems you are not yet aware of that."
At Cheon Myeong's words, the two could not say anything.
To think that they had had a shameful verbal fight in the middle of Luoyang when they had come as representatives of the Demonic Cult.
Of course, although the people around would not know that they were people of the Demonic Cult, it did not mean that it was okay.
It was a matter of mindset.
At that one word from Cheon Myeong, Seopung and Yu Daeha seemed to have clearly realized their mistake.
"If you, who came as representatives of this cult, cause such a disturbance in the middle of the streets of Luoyang..."
"No! Why can't we!"
"...?"
A sharp woman's voice pierced Cheon Myeong's ears.
Because of that, Cheon Myeong, who stopped his words in the middle and naturally moved his head to that side.
Then, he could discover a woman who was having a dispute with a man in front of an inn.
"Th-that is... it's difficult, customer."
"What's difficult? This child is my family! Why can't I enter when I'm going to have a meal with my family!"
"No... no matter how much you insist that it's your family..."
The man said that and looked at what was next to the woman.
The woman who had been insisting that that was her family since a while ago.
The man forcibly suppressed his fear and finally gathered his courage and said to the woman.
"Our inn does not allow the entry of tigers!"
That's right.
What was next to the woman was a tiger.
And a great tiger with a size that seemed to be three or four times that of an adult.
Just with such a guy standing in the street, people were feeling fear and were keeping their distance.
Of course, although the man also wanted to leave this place and run away right away.
The problem was that the man was the owner of this inn, and that this crazy woman was trying to enter the inn with a tiger.
"Look! Just with that tiger standing there, aren't the people around running away in fear!"
"What? Look closely! What's so scary about this cute child!"
The woman said that and grabbed the tiger's face next to her with both hands.
And her two hands, which were pulling the tiger's face, as if she were playing with mud.
No matter how much the woman touched it like that, the tiger was quiet, but the man who was watching it in front of his eyes couldn't help but tremble.
"Hic-! G-get it away!"
"How pretty and cute our Cheongha is! Look closely, I said!"
Hearing the woman's words, it seemed that the tiger's name was Cheongha.
The name seemed pretty.
The problem was that only the name was pretty.
As the woman grabbed the tiger and suddenly pushed it in front of the man, in the end, the man could not endure it anymore and had no choice but to fall backward.
Thud-
The man, who was foaming at the mouth, fainted.
Although he had just fainted, from a distance, it did not look like that.
"A-a tiger attacked a person!"
Someone shouted.
At that moment, the street was completely turned into a mess, and the woman began to shout at the surroundings to clear up the misunderstanding.
"Our Cheongha attacked a person? Who just said such nonsense!"
"..."
"Cheongha didn't do anything! It was just quiet!"
No matter how much the woman shouted like that, no one listened to her.
Cheon Myeong, who was watching that from a distance, blankly.
Even at this moment, the street was full of people who were running away, passing Cheon Myeong.
'What on earth... is this?'
It would not be a very common thing for a tiger like that to be in the middle of the streets of Luoyang.
Of course, although he also had a tiger called the ice tiger, wasn't the ice tiger now the size of a cat?
It could not be compared to that great tiger.
'...It's become somewhat ambiguous.'
Compared to the disturbance caused by that woman and the tiger, Seopung and Yu Daeha were just a drop in the bucket.
As the situation became like this, Cheon Myeong somehow became embarrassed to scold the two, and in the end, he said to the two, who were still bowing their heads, with a low voice.
"...You two, get up."
As Cheon Myeong said, Seopung and Yu Daeha immediately stood up from their seats.
"From now on, don't forget the fact that you are representatives of this cult and act accordingly. Understood?"
"Yes, understood."
At Cheon Myeong's words, the two answered at the same time.
After hearing that answer, Cheon Myeong, who was looking at the side where the woman and the tiger were again.
Although he was a little concerned about being over there, there would be no need to step forward and get involved.
Because unnecessary meddling would only cause unnecessary problems.
Rather than that, since they had the purpose of going to the Martial Alliance, in the end, Cheon Myeong turned his horse's head and said.
"It's late. Let's hurry up and go to the Martial Alliance."
As soon as the order was given, Seopung and Yu Daeha got on their horses again.
And the party, which began to move again.
Although there was still a big disturbance in the back, perhaps because they had already done something wrong to Cheon Myeong, no one looked back.
"..."
A woman and a great tiger...
Although something came to mind, Cheon Myeong soon shook his head and moved forward.
"What on earth! Is Luoyang always like this?"
The woman's shout from behind.
Soon, Cheon Myeong's party moved away from that place, so much so that that shout could not be heard.
(End of Chapter)