Lightning's Shadow (2)
Kidnapping Jeon Myeong-hoon had been shockingly easy.
I slipped into the gaps between his patrols and approached him under the veil of Wansuigungmurok. One precise strike from my Invisible Sword to the soul's core knocked him unconscious. Then I draped his limp body over my shoulder and reactivated the stealth technique. It was over in an instant.
And the man I had captured was even weaker than I had expected.
'He's too weak?'
I said it aloud.
Jeon Myeong-hoon barely reached the Core Formation realm. His soul wasn't even properly conscious of itself. Kidnapping him was almost comical.
Yet I furrowed my brow and tilted my head.
'In my previous life Jeon Myeong-hoon was strong enough to defeat a Four Pillars inspector.'
And that point in time was still fresh in my memory.
'Only a few months ago.'
How could someone who had just been Core Formation suddenly leap to Four Pillars in mere months?
It was absurd.
'Well, for me right now, it's actually convenient.'
I tore my consciousness free from its current vessel.
Woouuung!
The technique of the Strange Parasite.
The parasitic spell I had received from Gyeon Shin.
Chwaaaroop!
As I activated the Strange Parasite, my consciousness wriggled inside my palm like a tiny gray caterpillar.
The gray larva twitched on my hand. When I brought my fingers to Jeon Myeong-hoon's nose, it slipped inside without hesitation.
I felt the Strange Parasite settle into his dantian and claim a foothold in his soul.
If I left it like this and let it slowly devour him, in ten years I could wipe out his personality completely and turn him into my perfect puppet.
'Of course I have no intention of doing that...'
What I wanted from Jeon Myeong-hoon was nothing more than a few days of deception.
Woouuung!
As I activated the Strange Parasite already lodged in his dantian, Jeon Myeong-hoon's eyes snapped open.
Controlling a target with this technique was efficient, but the downside was that the Strange Parasite quickly eroded and dissolved inside the target's soul.
Still, a few days was more than enough.
“Listen, Jeon Myeong-hoon. From now on you will enter the Geumsin Cheonroe Sect and retrieve the Heavenly Thunder Banner from the Bongroedang on Noeun-bong. Understood?”
“...Y-yes... I understand, Master...”
Jeon Myeong-hoon answered with a hazy, vacant stare, clearly under the parasite's control.
After I took control, I released him.
'Now comes the important part.'
From here on, I would manipulate him remotely and steal the Heavenly Thunder Banner through him.
I shifted my vision to his perspective and sent his body back to the Geumsin Cheonroe Sect.
'Let's see what kind of trouble I'm in.'
“Teacher! Where did you go?”
At that moment a woman in golden robes approached him, feigning surprise.
The moment she saw Jeon Myeong-hoon her cheeks flushed and delight bloomed in her eyes.
She was the woman Jeon Myeong-hoon had once walked with.
'The great-great-granddaughter of Supreme Sect Master Geum Byeok-ho, Geum So-hae.'
And I had heard they were a perfect couple with excellent affinity.
It was common knowledge in the Geumsin Cheonroe Sect from the start. I didn't need to investigate; rumors alone were enough.
'Jeon Myeong-hoon was the most famous person in the sect in the first place.'
The Heavenly Lightning Bodyborn was the most renowned celebrity in the Geumsin Cheonroe Sect.
If that man was dating the Supreme Sect Master's granddaughter, the rumors would spread like wildfire.
I recalled the rumors about the two and made Jeon Myeong-hoon's mouth move.
“I just went for a walk.”
“...”
Geum So-hae tilted her head, sensing something was off.
“What? Why suddenly take a walk? When did you start using honorifics with me?”
“...Just now.”
I recalled Jeon Myeong-hoon's past tone and spoke to her.
“I tried it once. What happened?”
“Ah, I see. The thing Teacher said to me last time... I thought about it.”
“...”
As she spoke I broke out in cold sweat inside.
'Damn it, if I bring up something only Jeon Myeong-hoon and I know, I can't handle the reaction...'
Should I wake his consciousness?
While I was hesitating,
“As expected... accepting the idea of running away together would be difficult.”
“...”
'What kind of future-proof sect rule did this guy drag me into by bringing me along?'
“The Geumsin Cheonroe Sect has been my family since I was very young. The Geumsin Cheonroe Sect is basically my family. If you abandon your family, where are you going? I love you, but... I'm sorry...”
“...”
I didn't know what to say and stayed silent for a moment.
Then I borrowed Jeon Myeong-hoon's mouth to speak.
“We'll talk about it later.”
“Yes. You must be troubled too. We'll talk again later.”
I sighed inwardly as I left Jeon Myeong-hoon's body and moved deeper into the sect grounds.
'Jeon Myeong-hoon's quarters aren't far from Noeun-bong.'
Should I go there first?
I moved his body to Noeun-bong and reached its peak.
'This is the summit of Noeun-bong, the shrine where the Heavenly Thunder Banner is kept...'
I was staring at the small shrine when
“Young Master, I told you not to enter here lightly.”
A Core Formation elder flew over to him and lectured him.
“If you wish to enter this Bongroedang that holds the Heavenly Thunder Banner, you must first reach the Heavenly Person realm through diligent cultivation. Given your talent, Young Master, you should be able to reach it within two hundred years. Please calm yourself.”
'As expected, even with his talent Jeon Myeong-hoon couldn't just walk in.'
Even the direct disciple of the Supreme Sect Master found it hard to barge in.
“Lately there have been many unsettling matters. The sudden engagement with the Great-great-granddaughter of the Supreme Sect Master instead of the fiancée you planned to marry... I understand how troubled you must be. Moreover, the Great-great-granddaughter of the Heavenly Person is said to have an extremely peculiar personality, so I can imagine your worry.”
I didn't say a word, yet the elder on duty at the shrine sighed and comforted him.
“But you have nothing to worry about. Young Master possesses the same talent as the sect's founder Yang Su-jin. Your value will never fall below that of the Heavenly Thunder Banner. The Geumsin Cheonroe Sect will protect you as much as possible.”
“...Thank you.”
I expressed my gratitude through Jeon Myeong-hoon's mouth and pieced together the situation.
'He proposed running away together with Geum So-hae. Then an engagement offer from the Heavenly Person's daughter arrived. The Heavenly Person's daughter has a weird personality. In short...'
He was afraid he would be forced into a marriage with the Heavenly Person's daughter and had considered fleeing the Geumsin Cheonroe Sect with Geum So-hae.
At the same time I heard that his value would not fall below the Heavenly Thunder Banner and felt my plan for stealing it take perfect shape.
'So then...'
After organizing the plan that had formed in my mind, I left Noeun-bong and found Geum So-hae.
“Teacher, have you thought about it?”
“Yes.”
I moved Geum So-hae to a secluded spot inside the Geumsin Cheonroe Sect with Jeon Myeong-hoon's body.
Then I whispered close to her ear as if sharing a secret.
“I'm leaving. Don't stop me.”
“...!”
“I'm abandoning Noeryeong-do. If we leave the Human Realm entirely and go somewhere else, there won't be any problems.”
“...”
“Thank you until now. Take care.”
“Wait!”
She called after me, but I stepped forward and left her behind.
'It's done.'
I wouldn't know for sure if Jeon Myeong-hoon's words were real until I checked the truth.
But from tonight onward Jeon Myeong-hoon would truly be gone for several days.
I dragged his body to an uninhabited area and unfolded Wansuigungmurok through the Strange Parasite inside him.
Shwaak!
Soon Jeon Myeong-hoon vanished from everyone's sight. I manipulated him through that state and sent him to the foot of Noeun-bong.
I dug a hole in the ground and placed his body inside. Then I waited.
'Come back, Yu-you.'
Using Yu-you, I struck the protection barrier at the edge of Noeryeong-do so it looked as if someone had forcibly broken through.
Now if Jeon Myeong-hoon remained missing from the Geumsin Cheonroe Sect for several days, the sect would fall into chaos.
Geum So-hae would relay his words straight to the upper levels. When the sect investigated and found signs that someone had breached the barrier at Noeryeong-do, they would flip the entire sect upside down to find him.
'The Geumsin Cheonroe Sect will be in uproar and all the high-ranking elders will be away, so I can move Jeon Myeong-hoon's body and steal the Heavenly Thunder Banner in the meantime.'
I had a way to steal it, so now all that remained was the escape route.
'If Geum Byeok-ho finds out the Heavenly Thunder Banner is stolen, he'll go berserk chasing me.'
The idea that no tracking technique would be set on such a precious treasure or that the Geumsin Cheonroe Sect's members hadn't learned a skill that responds to it was too naïve.
'No matter how well I steal it, I'll eventually be caught. So securing an escape route is the most important thing.'
So where would I run?
How would I run?
'The escape route is already decided.'
It wouldn't be leaving the Human Realm.
Rather, I had to enter deeper into the Human Realm.
'The headquarters of the Human Race Alliance, Cheonin-do.'
Then from Cheonin-do I would use a transportation array of another race and fly to somewhere else.
The first layover would be the Lake of Bright Spirits in the realm of the Cold Spirit Clan.
'In this life I hadn't had the chance to care for Kim Yeon.'
At first I had been too busy eating Seo Hyoel's bait to breathe.
After that I had been dragged down to the lower realm because of Seo Hyoel and received instruction from Jang Ik.
'I'm sorry, Yeon... but because I never cared for her or rescued her from Goe-gun, Goe-gun is still probably smiling near the Lake of Bright Spirits and playing with [her].'
Near the Lake of Bright Spirits.
I would pass through the area where Goe-gun was and head toward the Demon Realm.
That way Geum Byeok-ho wouldn't be able to chase near Goe-gun.
And putting the stolen Heavenly Thunder Banner into Seo Hyoel's mouth would be the greatest goal of this life!
I clenched my teeth and made my vow.
'No matter what, I'll give Seo Hyoel a one-shot.'
I had a method to steal it.
I had secured an escape route.
I had also considered how to dispose of the Heavenly Thunder Banner.
Of course, even after disposing of the Heavenly Thunder Banner, if a True Immortal who came to retrieve it placed another curse on the Geumsin Cheonroe Sect, there would be nothing I could do.
Even after going that far, if it still ended up that way, then as it was now I had no way to handle it.
'Good, let's wait.'
Using the Strange Parasite hidden in Jeon Myeong-hoon's consciousness, I unfolded Wansuigungmurok to its limit with his body.
I spent the next seven days waiting at the foot of Noeun-bong.
* * *
Seven full days passed.
The Geumsin Cheonroe Sect was in chaos.
Jeon Myeong-hoon, who carried the same talent as the sect's founder Yang Su-jin, had disappeared without a trace.
And Geum So-hae's testimony made it even more shocking.
The sect's people assumed Jeon Myeong-hoon had simply taken a short runaway because he didn't want to marry the Heavenly Person's daughter.
But according to Geum So-hae, Jeon Myeong-hoon had completely left Noeryeong-do!
The elders of the Geumsin Cheonroe Sect rushed to investigate the barrier at Noeryeong-do and were shaken once more.
They found unmistakable signs that someone had forcibly broken through the barrier.
As a result, an emergency alert was issued throughout the entire sect.
Seventy Core Formation elders, thirty-three Heavenly Person elders.
And Supreme Sect Master Geum Byeok-ho, the sect's only Four Pillars inspector, personally went to look for Jeon Myeong-hoon.
In the end the Geumsin Cheonroe Sect had become an empty house.
And only then did I move.
'Now.'
Woouuung!
I moved Jeon Myeong-hoon's body up to Noeun-bong and stood before the entrance of the Bongroedang that housed the Heavenly Thunder Banner.
'Today the Heavenly Thunder Banner is coming into my hands!'
Please, let the terrible disaster that will surely fall upon the Geumsin Cheonroe Sect be prevented.
I laid my hand on the shrine without any of the Core Formation elders guarding the nearby area noticing.
And I began drawing Goe-gun's circuit on the surface of the shrine while manipulating Jeon Myeong-hoon remotely.
Chiziziz...
After a while the Bongroedang was in my hands.
'All I have to do now is go in and steal it...'
But the Core Formation elders standing nearby were an annoyance.
Wansuigungmurok could easily be unfolded because it was based on 'sight', but with the Strange Parasite's fragile consciousness it was impossible to use something like the Invisible Sword.
In short, I couldn't knock them out.
'Then... shall I draw their attention with something else?'
I took out Yu-you.
“Delay them, Yu-you.”
The Yu-you that had been sleeping in my arms transformed into a human form and stood up at my command.
I manipulated Jeon Myeong-hoon remotely while maintaining Wansuigungmurok and sent Yu-you forward to the Geumsin Cheonroe Sect.
In the past fifty years,
I had reached out to the veins of the fallen planet and raised Yu-you to Core Formation level as well.
Won Rip had scattered his Blood Bloods across the veins around the Dabcheon Desert.
I condensed those Blood Bloods into the veins, merged them again, and Yu-you had achieved the Core Formation realm even though his host body had no soul.
'Strictly speaking it's forced condensation of spiritual energy by the Strange Parasite's spell...'
But in any case Yu-you had succeeded in reaching the Core Formation realm.
And because Won Rip had poured his heart and soul into creating Yu-you's body, his talent was superior to mine and he was already in the mid-Core Formation stage.
'Come on, show me.'
It had been a long time.
Honestly the spell felt unpleasant, but since it was just an old technique from the past, I felt a little better about it.
“Blood Demon Subdues the Sea.”
As Yu-you formed a seal, thick clouds of blood rose around him.
And.
Kwaaang!
Yu-you's spell struck the sect's formation with tremendous force.
'Now the real show begins.'
Most of the sect's main force had gone out searching for Jeon Myeong-hoon. The Geumsin Cheonroe Sect was left empty.
In this empty house, were there any talents that could rival the peak-era Won Rip?