Facing the Multitude
A sudden barrage of gazes slammed toward us.
Among them, the most striking was the total guardian of Noeryeong-do—the one who had sent the will of the separated fragment of Weiyunseon.
Uuuuuung!
As the separated fragment of Weiyunseon concentrated its technique and fixed its gaze skyward, the heavens began to shimmer with a gentle emerald light.
I didn’t bother to hide. I simply met the gaze of the separated fragment of Weiyunseon head-on.
Kugugugug!
The sky shook violently, and the voice of Weiyunseon echoed through the heavens along with the heavenly qi.
[Lord Geumhyeon of Geumsincheonroemun, could you tell me what happened just now?]
The will of Weiyunseon descended from the sky.
I answered brazenly, steeling my expression.
“Only a routine inner energy cultivation, Lord Total Guardian. Why would the chief of Noeryeong-do take an interest in a mere Nascent Soul elder like me?”
[The aura of Heaven’s Age appeared in my diary. I briefly kept watch to see if anyone was attempting a realm breakthrough. If Lord Geum did it again this time, he would become a Heavenly Person elder, and I would have to come visit again to offer my congratulations…]
“Hahaha, I’m deeply grateful for your kindness.”
[However, the aura I felt just now was truly similar to the aura of Heaven’s Age. Was what happened a direct result of your inner energy cultivation? From what I know, only the tribe of beastmen can produce an aura resembling Heaven’s Age during inner energy cultivation…]
“That’s a misunderstanding. Our Geumsincheonroemun is a sect that primarily studies Heaven’s Age and practices lightning techniques. Through delving into the Dao of Thunder cultivation method, we accidentally produced results similar to Heaven’s Age.”
[Truly producing an aura like Heaven’s Age with only the Dao of Thunder cultivation method?]
“Hmm… Is attempting to manifest the power of the Thunder Tribulation through the Dao of Thunder cultivation method that strange?”
The moment doubt began to swirl in the gaze of the separated fragment of Weiyunseon.
Kurrurung!
Golden lightning crackled across the sky, and Geumbyeok-ho shot upward into the heavens, shouting toward the direction of the separated fragment of Weiyunseon’s gaze.
[Total Guardian, greetings. What exactly are you doing right now?]
[I was observing the movements of your sect’s Lord Geumhyeon.]
“Has Lord Geum done something wrong? Has he secretly learned some forbidden evil art within Noeryeong-do?”
[No, it’s not that…]
“Then why is the Total Guardian currently peering deep into the internal affairs of Geumsincheonroemun and casually digging into the secrets of our sect’s Dao of Thunder cultivation method?”
Weiyunseon paused briefly at Geumbyeok-ho’s words.
Whether right or wrong, the separated fragment of Weiyunseon was clearly spying on the inner workings of Geumsincheonroemun and interrogating the cultivation method of one of the elders.
[The cultivation method of Lord Geumhyeon is quite unique compared to the other cultivation methods of Geumsincheonroemun. That is why you have sensed something unusual. This is a sect secret. Please withdraw.]
[…Understood. I reacted too sensitively.]
After speaking, the separated fragment of Weiyunseon withdrew its technique. The sky, once filled with its gaze, gradually dispersed its will and returned to its original color.
And then, Geumbyeok-ho, who had been standing in the sky blocking Weiyunseon’s will, descended from the heavens and walked toward me.
“Are you alright, Geumhyeon? No, wait… rather than that…”
Kugugugug!
As Geumbyeok-ho clenched his fist, thunderclouds boiled in the sky and completely blocked the view of the sky beyond, preventing anyone from observing us.
A golden formation rose up, changing the surrounding heavenly qi so that no one could monitor us.
“I felt an incredibly strong aura of Heaven’s Age just now. With Myeonsingeobcheon, you should have lost all attributes of the Dao of Thunder cultivation method. How is this possible!”
“Ah…”
I didn’t know what to say, so I stood quietly for a moment before speaking whatever came to mind.
“I was trying to revive the attributes of the Dao of Thunder cultivation method by making a few attempts, and by chance I manifested the power of the Thunder Tribulation.”
“What?!”
Geumbyeok-ho’s eyes widened in shock at my words.
“Is… is that even possible!?”
“Uh… it worked.”
“Huh, huh… hehehehe…”
He stood there blankly for a moment before bursting into laughter.
“Master chose you not because you possess a thunder body, but because you are you—because you are the one he prepared for.”
Geumbyeok-ho clapped me on the shoulder with a proud smile.
I flinched, but didn’t show it.
“Indeed, you are the future of the main sect. Recently you’ve been neglecting Jeon Myeong-hoon, so you barely have time to cultivate, huh? Tch, that Jeon Myeong-hoon… Still, since he’s a Heavenly Golden Lightning Body, it looks like he’s growing quickly. Once he reaches Nascent Soul, you’ll finally have the time to comfortably challenge the Heavenly Person realm.”
“…I will definitely reach the Heavenly Person realm first. We entered Geumsincheonroemun on the same day, so the Heavenly Person realm should come on the same day… right?”
“What nonsense! Even you have to reach the Heavenly Person realm as soon as possible! You don’t have time to reach the Heavenly Person realm because you’re looking after Jeon Myeong-hoon, but everyone already knows that once you’re given a little more time, you’ll reach it!”
‘Giving me time does mean I’ll reach it.’
I smiled awkwardly, seeing the enormous wall of misunderstanding surrounding Geumbyeok-ho.
“Helping my companion is never a waste. Even if I reach the Heavenly Person realm a little later, I will do my absolute best to raise Jeon Myeong-hoon’s realm.”
“Kid…”
Geumbyeok-ho looked at me with eyes full of admiration.
After thanking Geumbyeok-ho, I left to look for Jeon Myeong-hoon, who had run off.
***
After finishing that day’s duties, I returned to my eastern wing and summoned the person who had been training nearby before contacting Kim Yeon.
“Hong-beom, come here for a moment.”
Chururuk!
Even though I hadn’t called out loudly, the black snake had already arrived right in front of me.
“You called for me, Master?”
“Yeah. I heard from Jeon Myeong-hoon today. You said you taught him, didn’t you?”
“I worry that I may have instilled bad habits in Myeong-hyeonnim with my insufficient skills.”
“Hmm, no. After all, his main thing isn’t martial arts… Rather, at the moment, his movements reached me. He said he was guided by you. What kind of guidance did you give him?”
Hong-beom lowered his head to me and said.
“I exceeded my bounds. I advised Master to look for moments when he is conversing with others and has finished his conversation, when he is lost in thought. I told Master to use the Dao of Thunder cultivation method to attract attention during those moments of thought and strike with a fist at the part that feels most solidly defended.”
“Hmm…”
Jeon Myeong-hoon’s movements had been martial, but Hong-beom had completely read me and pointed out the gaps in my habits and habits.
“That alone made it impossible for Jeon Myeong-hoon to reach me. His movements suddenly took on the nature of a move. Did you teach him that move as well?”
“I adjusted the move Master uses to suit Myeong-hyeonnim.”
“…What? Was that my Chunjunwolakbi?”
I recalled the move that was completely different from what I used and felt dazed.
I had modified my own martial arts and taught them to Jeon Myeong-hoon, yet they had transformed into something unrecognizable to me.
“If that displeases you, I apologize. From now on, I will not casually reveal Master’s martial arts to others, only remembering them myself.”
“…No, no. Anyway, Hong-beom… you…”
Looking at Hong-beom, I felt anew how incredibly skilled the snake was.
‘In about five hundred years, I might be calling this guy Master.’
“You… have any interest in learning martial arts?”
If the snake possessed a talent for martial arts, it would be a huge waste not to teach him.
And Hong-beom nodded enthusiastically.
“If Master teaches me, I will treasure it and learn gratefully.”
“Well, I’m honored to be teaching a genius like you.”
“You call me a genius, but I am not.”
“Your words are now deceiving countless dullards. Hahaha… Alright, then, what martial arts should I teach you from now on…?”
I wondered how I could create martial arts suitable for Hong-beom.
Suddenly, without needing to think further, I recalled that among the martial arts I had already made, there was one that fit him perfectly.
‘Yeah, that would be the best for Hong-beom.’
I pulled out several hidden weapons from Jeomuldo.
“The martial art you will learn is called the Fighting Beast Hidden Weapon Art.”
Hong-beom, as a snake spirit, was a master at producing and spreading poison, and there was no martial art that combined better with poison than the Fighting Beast Hidden Weapon Art.
From that day on, during the day I beat Jeon Myeong-hoon with a club while training my Danak Sword Art, in the evenings I taught Hong-beom the Fighting Beast Hidden Weapon Art, and at night I visited Kim Yeon to teach martial arts.
And so, about two months passed.
Whoooosh—
That day, dark clouds gathered heavily, the surroundings were dark and gloomy, and a strong gale raged.
‘It’s cold.’
I was outside the boundary of Geumsincheonroemun’s territory.
“Will she arrive soon?”
A few days earlier, Heon-wi had contacted me separately and asked to meet just the two of us, so I was standing here according to her words.
‘By now, it should be time to settle this with her.’
She seemed to be planning to negotiate with me today and turn me into her slave, so today would be the decisive battle between us.
After some time, Heon-wi flew over from afar using her pigeon technique and sat in front of me.
“It’s been a while. So, have you changed your mind yet?”
She smiled boisterously, arms crossed, and asked.
I smiled faintly and replied.
“I’m sorry, but no matter what you say, I am satisfied with my current state.”
“Hmm…”
“If you want me to return all the jade stones you gave me until now, I will return them. Heon-ssi, please stop holding onto your heart soon.”
“There’s no need to return them. I gave them to you to use. Anyway, will you not marry me?”
“Yes.”
“Even in a double marriage?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm… Do I not have any charm as a woman?”
“Heon-ssi is beautiful. However…”
At that moment.
I sensed that she was subtly hiding something behind her back and completing a blood oath.
“It’s done. It’s done. Stop now. Since you won’t accept me no matter how much I pursue you, you’re just…”
The next instant.
She smiled wickedly and completed the blood oath.
“Even if I have to turn you into a rogue who cannot resist me and drag you away.”
Along with that, Heon-wi shouted while completing the blood oath.
“Waste Mountain Array, activate!”
“….”
“….”
“….”
And nothing happened.
“Eh…? Why didn’t it activate…”
I smiled faintly at the sight.
“You planned to send a weak needle from afar once the formation activated, but it seems you got flustered because the first button is tangled.”
At those words, her face hardened completely.
“You… how did you…”
And killing intent exploded from her.
“I don’t know how you knew, but you’re making things difficult.”
“You think I’m making things difficult? I don’t think so….”
“What…?”
The next instant, without any regard for her own will, she raised one arm and sent a signal to the person far away who was preparing the weak needle.
It was one of the signals she exchanged with her servant—the meaning of “wait a moment.”
“Wh-what is this! What did you do to me…”
And the next instant.
She rolled her foot and erected earthen walls in all directions.
In an instant, a house made of her spiritual power surrounded us.
“Now, shall we have a more comfortable conversation?”
“…You.”
At the same time, the confident smile that had been on Heon-wi’s face vanished, leaving only a cold expression on her face.
“What have you done to me.”