Chapter 247
**CHAPTER TITLE: A Multi-Faceted Plan (2)**
I showed her the Gigoego still half-embedded in her body.
It hadn’t been fully extracted, so her movements remained restrained.
“Just a two-month surveillance using my own sorcery on the Senior Hun.”
“…Your guts are enormous. You dared to implant a parasitic technique on me, the daughter of an Integration Grand Completion expert, and then watched me for two months? Do you really believe you’ll survive?”
“Hmm… Not much of a threat.”
I grinned.
“Since the very beginning, the siblings and other members of the Bongrae Palace have already plastered surveillance and tracking techniques all over Senior Hun’s body.”
“….”
“Some of those were truly undetectable, yet you let them stand. And even though you’ve been using them yourself, you’re reacting so defensively to one extra spell from me?”
She kept her expression blank and her eyes icy as she stared at me.
I could read her intent, though. She was quite flustered.
“First, I used my sorcery to keep the Senior under surveillance for two months. I also recorded some of the more important scenes.”
I twisted the Gigoego’s spell slightly. It writhed in the air and displayed a projection.
The scene showed her plotting with her servant to bring me to ruin.
“Since Senior Hun was going to use me from the start, wouldn’t it be better if we had no resentment between us?”
“…What do you want?”
She asked coldly.
I smiled faintly.
“I’d like to ask. What does Senior Hun want? What do you hope to gain by capturing me?”
Her face turned hard as she answered.
“Remove this sorcery and I’ll tell you.”
“Very well.”
“Hm?”
She flinched when I pulled the Gigoego out of her body. My casual extraction made her hesitate to act rashly.
*It really is fully removed…*
Of course. I had only wanted to speak honestly with her now.
“I kept my promise. Tell me why Senior Hun approached the Geumsincheonroemun.”
“…To win the favor of the Geumsincheonroemun.”
“Hmm.”
I watched her intent and felt a flicker of confusion.
It was the truth.
“The love of the sect is the true motive?”
“Precisely. Not love itself. The close relationship and connection between myself and this sect. That is the goal. To become a being loved by the Geumsincheonroemun—that was my ultimate aim. That’s why I wanted to take you, who will one day become the sect’s master, into my grasp.”
“….”
Strange.
The goal was not to hold the sect in my hands, but to receive love.
Yet it was real.
*Why?*
I asked, puzzled.
“Why did you want the sect’s love?”
“Now, may I ask you something?”
“Yes, of course.”
“What do you want from me? Why did you do all this?”
“Why would you do this? You first had your servant dig a strange array in the sect.”
“What?! You carried out the action outside my consciousness…!”
“I am the current chief steward of the Geumsincheonroemun. I have eyes everywhere.”
“…I see. I was the one who committed the rudeness first.”
I relaxed a little and asked, her attitude loosening me.
It seemed the Geumsincheonroemun itself was not the target of some dark scheme.
“What do you hope to gain from a connection with the sect?”
“…Well, since it’s come to this, I’ll tell you.”
Senior Hun sighed.
“I wanted the position of Bongrae Palace’s deputy palace master.”
“The deputy palace master?”
“Yes. It’s the highest position in the palace after my father. Our seventeen siblings are all competing for it.”
“What does that have to do with the sect?”
“There’s a profound connection. All of us siblings are the children of concubines. My father has no legitimate wife yet. Do you know why?”
I finally understood why she had courted the sect’s favor.
“Father once loved a woman from the Geumsincheonroemun. He wanted to marry her as his true wife. But in the war four thousand years ago, the queen he loved was devoured by a two-headed monster that joined the war.”
“….”
“After that, Father grew colder. Even I saw him as stern, solemn, and ruthless. But… when Father heard that the Geumsincheonroemun had defeated the monster behind the Noulseong Peak and became the Noulreungchiljongmun sect, he was happier than he had been in four thousand years. It was the first time he showed such humanity. The moment he did, he realized: if I receive the love of the Geumsincheonroemun, I can become his closest aide…”
“…This is a personal question, but why didn’t you seek revenge on the monster that devoured your beloved?”
I guessed who the monster was.
The Geumsincheonroemun’s ancient texts recorded Geum Wi—Yeon Wi—as having betrayed and devoured her comrades four thousand years earlier.
Yet why had the Yeon Wi who devoured Father’s beloved still been alive in the Noulseong Peak until recently?
“I don’t know the details. I only heard that the situation four thousand years ago was a tangled web of powers and sects.”
“…I see.”
“Anyway.”
She looked at me.
“Even after hearing all that, you still have no intention of marrying me? I don’t love you. I’ve never harbored any feelings. I admit it. But if we marry, you’ll enter Father’s direct lineage. Father will be delighted to see his own child connected to the Geumsincheonroemun and will accept you as direct heir. Moreover, I’ll receive Father’s favor and stand as deputy palace master.”
“….”
“Father rules the palace, but he doesn’t interfere much in its operation. In short, the deputy palace master is the true leader of the Bongrae Palace. The Geumsincheonroemun and the palace would become one, standing tall among the human races.”
“…I cannot marry you.”
Her face showed clear disappointment.
“However…”
I offered a proposal that would benefit both her and the sect.
* * *
Kugugu!
Senior Hun smashed through the earthen shelter and glared at me.
“Not a bad deal, is it?”
“We can help each other.”
“Indeed. Maybe we don’t even need the marriage card. We could both benefit more without it. On one condition.”
She stared at me.
“Promises must be kept. Do not ally with my other siblings in the palace.”
“As you wish.”
“Very well. Then I’ll take my leave. I won’t come looking for you again.”
Flash!
Senior Hun, satisfied with our bargain, flew toward her servant.
*It’s done… I thought this would be harder.*
There might be a few minor complications ahead, but nothing serious.
*Now I can focus solely on training without worrying about those bothersome matters.*
I looked up at the sky with satisfaction.
* * *
Ten more years passed.
Tzutzut!
In Kim Yeon’s dream, I watched her smile brightly as she waited for me.
“You look in good spirits lately.”
“Ehehe~ Is that so?”
Of course. I was inside a factory where the only companion was a mad old man who kissed a puppet and had no one to talk to—except now, in the dream, I had someone to speak with.
If I weren’t in a good mood, that would be strange.
Clack!
When I snapped my fingers, my Gimyoseongsimjeon and Deungbongjogeuk spiritual roots resonated. The time scale inside her dream stretched.
“Shall we review what we learned yesterday before beginning today’s lesson?”
“Yes!”
Whoong!
In the dream, when Kim Yeon imagined it, pink-feathered fans appeared in both her hands.
She began the Fan Dance while clutching the two fans.
It was no ordinary dance—it was a martial art in itself.
The Biikchang that Goe-gun had created had descended as the Double Fan Dance. I combined it with my own Danak Sword Art, adding a few stances tailored to her.
The result was Biikmu.
Her Biikmu, comprising eight forms, shared some movements with the Double Fan Dance. At the same time, it was designed to twist the entire offensive and defensive nature of the original Biikchang belonging to *Her*, completely neutralizing it in a crisis.
It was the technique I had created for Kim Yeon to subdue *Her* should she escape the Wondrous Castle.
“Yeon-ah, circulate your qi faster when stepping.”
I pointed out the shortcomings while watching her perform.
Besides subduing *Her*, what I had focused on in Biikmu was endless “qi circulation.”
I embedded the secret of the Mountain Beyond Mountain stance into it. When she executed the first form, qi would deplete, but each subsequent form would replenish it, turning the eight forms into a continuous dance.
Just as the Mountain Beyond Mountain stance allowed infinite sword forms by recycling spent energy, Biikmu allowed infinite dance as long as qi did not run out.
Unlike the forced suppression of backlash in the sword stance, Biikmu consumed extra qi to sustain itself, creating its own trade-offs.
*Of course, if performed perfectly, the advantages would be clear…*
What mattered most in Biikmu was not the forms but the inner skill.
I named it Yeonriji-sim.
Like the name suggested—branches meeting—the forms and inner energy met, so every time a form was executed, qi was consumed and a small amount of it was replenished.
When combined with the Double Fan Dance over the long term, rotating the eight forms caused the replenishment rate of Yeonriji-sim to increase slightly with each cycle.
Once the critical threshold was crossed, the inner energy generated by the inner skill would exceed the energy consumed by the forms, giving her, in theory, the ability to wield infinite power.
*Theoretical, of course.*
To cross that threshold, Kim Yeon would have to dance the Double Fan Dance approximately seventy billion times in the same spot.
In other words, it was infinite only in theory.
Even if she managed it, the power would still be at the Core Formation level.
*Kim Young-hoon-hyung would probably create something far more realistic and efficient if he were here.*
Still, Kim Yeon had already reached the Foundation Establishment realm. Her internal pure force allowed her to execute the martial art without ever running out of inner energy.
*This is not only for subduing *Her* in a crisis—it’s also a method to instill intent in her and help her surpass Deungbongjogeuk and Woldoipcheon.*
Apart from that, it had no other meaning.
I taught Kim Yeon her martial art and pointed out the few areas that still needed work.
“Hmm, well done, Yeon-ah.”
“Ehehe~”
Her strength had grown explosively. She was now at the initial level of the Peak realm.
In another ten years, she would reach the late Peak realm and stand on the threshold of the Peak.
*From the Peak realm onward, I can read her intent. The Gimyoseongsimjeon will be a great help.*
It would be even more useful at the Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown and Five Qi Consorting with the Origin. Deungbongjogeuk was a slight worry, but once at the peak, Woldoipcheon would come naturally.
*When Gimyoseongsimjeon reaches its pinnacle, it will grant vision of Woldoipcheon.*
Through that vision, she could reach Woldoipcheon even faster using the martial arts she had learned.
*If she had awakened her consciousness-related talent from the very beginning and crossed the Peak, it would have been easier afterward.*
Teaching the movements was the only difficult part. From my perspective, that was better.
I watched her perform Biikmu with a bright, happy face and smiled softly.
It had been only twenty years.
Back when she first ascended to Gwanghan Realm, back when Goe-gun had captured her.
Even then, her face had been filled only with fear and pain.
During the fifteenth loop, when she had clashed with Seo Hyul, contact had been impossible. Eventually her mind had broken.
Only now could I finally see her smiling.
*In the dream at least, I can comfort you.*
“…Then, for today, that’s enough.”
“Ah, already over?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll wait for you tomorrow.”
At first she feared leaving me, but day by day she had grown.
She had learned to look forward to tomorrow.
It was nothing like the Kim Yeon from the past, who had always been shattered by Goe-gun’s cruelty.
Sssss…
I woke from the dream.
Du-guk, du-guk…
A faint, prickling sensation rose from deep inside my chest.
For nearly ten years I had taught Kim Yeon, Jeon Myeong-hoon, and Hong Beom.
I had watched them grow and felt something stir.
*…Non-human…*
Thinking of Yang Su-jin’s philosophy, I considered it again.
Yang Su-jin’s mindset had been overcome ten years ago. I had found a clear direction beyond fate.
Yet I realized I had not completely eradicated the mindset he had created.
I was a slave of fate, so I was non-human. Still, if I gave meaning to it, it held value.
That was what I had awakened to.
Over the past ten years, however, I had come to understand that I needed to shatter the very phrase “slave of fate.”
*Not non-human. It was never just non-human.*
I remembered the day I danced with Buk Hyang-hwa.
The day I received instruction from Cheongmun Ryeong.
The day Changhoza sacrificed himself to protect us and died.
*Was that simply a puppet’s script? No…*
Fundamentally, I needed something beyond Yang Su-jin’s logic.
*…But how could I escape fate?*
Fate was absolute.
Nothing could escape it.
If something could, it would have to be a Creator God level.
How was one to defy the fate hanging at the edge of heaven?
While I was pondering that,
Pazizik…
Kwa-a-aang!
A flood of red lightning crashed down onto me, who had been quietly cultivating in the eastern region.
I quickly pulled out my club and divided the torrent of lightning in half.
In the next instant, Jeon Myeong-hoon charged at me at lightning speed.
At the same moment, I pierced his flank with my club and struck him dozens of times.
“Kueueueuk!”
Kurung!
Jeon Myeong-hoon retreated backward, wrapped in lightning tribulation.
But in the next moment, I sprinted to his front and raised my club to strike his head.
And.
Kwaang!
I shattered his head.
His brain matter scattered in all directions.
[Damn!]
Churruk!
Yet from the broken head, red lightning surged, and Jeon Myeong-hoon’s head began to regrow.
Of course.
For ten years, Jeon Myeong-hoon had already become a Core Formation expert.
[Die, Seo Eun-hyun!]
Kwororung!
Jeon Myeong-hoon flew straight into the sky and unleashed lightning at me.
It was no longer just me beating him down. He was now proactively attacking me.
Flash!
A pillar of red lightning struck me down.
I infused a trace of sword qi into my club, blocking a Core Formation-level attack and looking for an opening.
But Jeon Myeong-hoon poured even stronger lightning tribulation into me without giving me any chance.
[You’ll be deep-fried, Seo Eun-hyun!]
Pachijijijik!
The lightning exploded.
* * *
“Did you finally die?”
Jeon Myeong-hoon looked into the dust cloud with mixed expectation in his eyes.
Boosusu…
When the dust cleared, Jeon Myeong-hoon saw only charred remains and smiled wickedly.
“Finally! I killed him! He’s dead….”
“He isn’t dead.”
Boom!
Unlike what Jeon Myeong-hoon’s wind had predicted, Seo Eun-hyun burst out from the sky like a ghost and beat him.
After a while, Jeon Myeong-hoon lay panting on the ground. Seo Eun-hyun stood over him, club in hand, and said,
“Your movements have been improving lately. You’ve even evolved the Lightning Tribulation Scripture to the early stages of Core Formation…”
He suddenly asked with a look of disbelief.
“How did you evolve the Lightning Tribulation Scripture that far, yet you can’t master the Seven Thunder Tribulation Scripture?”
“…I don’t know. Don’t ask.”
Seo Eun-hyun asked in genuine confusion, but Jeon Myeong-hoon dodged the question.
Inside, however, Jeon Myeong-hoon thought,
*Good. He’s been deceived.*
Lately, as Seo Eun-hyun had praised, Jeon Myeong-hoon had been launching attacks that carried genuine meaning.
He hadn’t awakened any particular martial talent.
Recently, though, he had begun to sense something new.
It wasn’t the intent-view of Seo Eun-hyun, nor the aura-view of Hong Beom.
It wasn’t even the fate-vision of the heaven race.
It was, quite literally, a third sense.
The voice of lightning.
That was how Jeon Myeong-hoon had named it.
*It’s whispering…*
He closed his eyes and focused on the lightning’s voice.
As his training deepened, he had felt the “lightning” speaking to him more and more.
At some point, he had begun following the lightning’s voices, operating the Thunder Dao Law. He discovered a hidden secret in the Lightning Tribulation Scripture.
The lightning was whispering.
The true name of the Lightning Tribulation Scripture was not this.
If you follow us, you will reach a far greater power.
He had gradually followed the lightning’s voices, and the results were finally appearing.
*The number of attacks carrying meaning toward Seo Eun-hyun is gradually increasing.*
Seo Eun-hyun had found it strange that Jeon Myeong-hoon could not master the Seven Thunder Tribulation Scripture.
But the reason was simple.
The technique he was mastering was no longer the Lightning Tribulation Scripture.
It was something higher.
*When I succeed in mastering this technique, it feels like the enemy will disappear.*
He looked up at Seo Eun-hyun.
Over the past twenty years.
He and Seo Eun-hyun had beaten each other, retaliated, and attacked, unknowingly growing closer.
He had wanted to kill Seo Eun-hyun many times, but even that desire had turned into admiration and rivalry once the critical threshold was crossed.
*I will definitely surpass him.*
Pazik, pazijik…
Jeon Myeong-hoon listened to the rising voice of red lightning inside his body and thought,
*If I master the new technique the lightning guides me to… perhaps I might even defeat him.*
He burned with ambition while looking at Seo Eun-hyun.
*I will definitely surpass you!*
That was when Jeon Myeong-hoon was glaring at Seo Eun-hyun.
“Elder Geum! And Jeon Myeong-hoon! It starts in a little while!”
From afar, Geum So-hae flew over on a cloud technique and shouted.
Both men turned their eyes toward her.
Geum So-hae landed beside Jeon Myeong-hoon, brushed the dust from his clothes, and helped him up.
“Is it time already?”
Seo Eun-hyun changed back into his original form and asked Geum So-hae.
“Yes, Elder. Hong Beom is completely prepared. He just wants you to take a look.”
“…Very well.”
Jeon Myeong-hoon let out a bitter laugh.
“Damn. He was born even later than us.”
“Why do you feel such rivalry toward Hong Beom? The Youji Technique and the Human Race Technique are completely different!”
She pinched his side and shot back, but Jeon Myeong-hoon smiled outwardly while his heart twisted with bitterness.
*Even the pure paths and the tame youji I keep… all of them overshadow me. Seo Eun-hyun…*
Seo Eun-hyun used his cloud technique and headed somewhere. Jeon Myeong-hoon and Geum So-hae followed.
*But I will definitely surpass you!*
He thought that as he watched Seo Eun-hyun, who was still flying farther ahead.
* * *
Flash!
“You have arrived?”
Hong Su-ryeong welcomed me.
The Thunder Guiding Peak of the Geumsincheonroemun.
This was the place where experts of the Deungbongjogeuk realm came to face the Heavenly Tribulation.
I nodded to Hong Su-ryeong.
Practitioners from the Geumsincheonroemun sect were scattered everywhere.
“You’ve come, Master.”
And there he was—Hong Beom, the giant youji that had grown to the size of a three-story house, now as large as a small mountain.
I smiled at him.
Today, Hong Beom, who had reached the Core Formation Grand Completion, would attempt to form his golden core in the Nascent Soul realm.
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