Grasping Hands (2)
A few members of the Mugeuk Sect trembled at Yuk Rin’s words, bodies quivering in unmistakable disgust.
Of them all, Baek Rin shook hardest, his jaw rattling with fury so raw it seemed on the verge of exploding into a roar.
He looked ready to bellow, “How can you even utter such filth?” at any second.
Had Yuk Rin not already reached the Integration realm, he would have done so without hesitation.
I allowed a soft chuckle, turning the matter over in my mind—how best to decline this invitation with every ounce of courtesy still intact.
“Forgive me, but the Lord Abbot has no intention of taking a concubine at present.”
“Ah, is that so? How unfortunate.”
Thankfully, Yuk Rin’s own conscience apparently stirred, for he refrained from pressing further.
Instead he smiled benevolently and offered an explanation.
“Truth be told, the Lord of this palace extended the invitation for an alliance—not merely for the sake of marriage, though that had crossed my mind as well. Among all possible alliances, few are as ironclad as blood pacts.”
“I see.”
“It is only natural, is it not? The ruler of an entire sea region for nearly two hundred years, and the reputation of our conquest fleet precedes us like thunder.”
“And the very mercenaries who now walk our halls are the very force that built that name.”
“The natural instinct of any living being to flock to the strong, after all.”
“Hah… that does sound somewhat embarrassing, doesn’t it?”
“Yet I fear the Lord Abbot may hesitate to visit our palace uninvited.”
Yuk Rin laughed again, clearly sensing my hesitation.
“Perhaps the Abbot finds it burdensome to walk with these four palms in hand. Honestly, forging ties with our palace would bring your sect no true gain. Then again… what if I offered something even more valuable?”
Snap!
He flicked a finger, and invisible currents surged outward, sealing the entire area in a vast formation.
The Dragon Palace stood cut off from the outer world.
While it was possible he had merely erected the barrier to hide us from prying eyes, the tension in every guardian’s gaze suggested he might also have been preparing to strike.
Yuk Rin, however, made no move to attack.
He merely wove two more layers of spell—first a dome of absolute concealment over the entire palace, then an inner ward that blocked even our own passage.
When those layers stood firm, he lowered his voice to a conspiratorial murmur.
“Originally I had planned to propose an alliance, but let me offer something more immediate first.”
“A proposal?”
“Indeed. You have only been in the Goryeok Realm a few days. You must already know what this place truly is.”
“I do. A world swallowed by a sea of ruin… it is truly miraculous.”
“Hah, that is exactly how outsiders see it. And the important part is this: once you enter the deep sea, the chance of finding relics from those fallen worlds rises dramatically.”
“That is true.”
“The Goryeok Realm is the ultimate gathering place of lost civilizations. Without diving into the deep sea, there is no other way to witness their wonders.”
“He speaks of probability, not certainty. Only the deepest trenches hold relics of genuine value, and even those can be entered only once. The sea here flows like the waters of a foreign realm—endless and ever-shifting. A single accidental entry into a treasure-laden dimension means nothing if you cannot return through the same rift.”
“I have heard as much.”
“Precisely. Most who stumble upon such a dimension end up with only trivial trinkets. But the Deep Sea Island is different.”
Buk Hyang-hwa and the others of the Buk Hyang Fleet stared in open astonishment.
“Does the Lord of the Dragon Palace truly know the location of the Deep Sea Island?”
“I do. The Conquest King himself ruled several sea regions, yet he never mentioned this island.”
Curiosity prickled my skin. “What exactly is the Deep Sea Island?”
Yeon Wi answered without hesitation.
“From the name, it is an island located within the deep sea. Most islands in the Goryeok Realm drift freely on the surface. The Deep Sea Island, however, is fixed deep beneath the waves.”
“Fascinating. Then what the Lord of the Four Palms means is…”
“Exactly. I know its position. Few rulers of the Goryeok Realm even suspect its existence. Should the island be claimed, one can conduct endless excavation, claim every treasure, or turn it into a personal safehouse no one else can reach.”
“To put it plainly,” Yuk Rin continued, “as the ruler of the Wijeong Sea, I already sense everything that transpires within its waters. I watched the Lord Abbot from afar during his battles.”
“I see.”
“The power you wield is precisely what is needed to break the seals surrounding the Deep Sea Island. The formation is so tight that only your strength can pass through.”
In other words, he required my help to reach it.
‘It reminds me of Seo Ran’s earlier proposal.’
Seo Ran had once asked the same for the Seopmyeong Ship’s barrier.
‘And he planned to betray me. Or so he thought.’
I flicked a glance at Seo Ran. Our eyes met; his widened in surprise.
I looked away and met Yuk Rin’s gaze once more.
“Even if the island holds treasures, I cannot guarantee they will benefit my sect.”
“During my last expedition I saw books written in the language of the sea spirits, still intact in the island’s library.”
Wooong!
Yuk Rin plucked a small ore from his sleeve and tapped it. A three-dimensional image burst forth.
I blinked in disbelief.
Within the dark library, entire shelves were crammed with tomes bound in black ghost-script—Bu-deok-je-sa-seo, Su-myeong-je-sa-seo, Yoo Ho-deok-je-sa-seo—each category occupying its own slot. One slot remained empty.
“That empty slot presumably once held the Gang-nyeong-je-sa-seo. I have already stacked five virtues and studied them, yet in the middle realm they are simply reabsorbed. Here in the Goryeok Realm they would dissolve completely.”
“…”
“The Dragon Palace has no need for such relics. I myself am an Integration expert who requires no virtues at all. More importantly, the more rulers who hoard these virtues, the more my own position is threatened.”
“Yet your sect possesses only the Lord Abbot and his immediate subordinates. You could claim an entire four-pillar force in one stroke.”
He smiled slyly.
“Moreover, even the Lord Abbot would find it difficult to obtain the Soul-Generating Flower. Hah… should you assist my palace, I shall hand over the entire library. I cannot promise what lies deeper, but whatever you obtain, you may keep.”
“…”
I stared at the hovering image of the library.
‘It’s real.’
Yuk Rin had not lied—not about the island’s existence, not about the need for my strength, and certainly not about the sacrificial tomes waiting inside.
All of it was fact.
I should accept without hesitation.
Thanks to Yeon Wi’s explanation, even the Buk Hyang Fleet’s captains now understood the full implications of these virtues. They sucked in a collective breath.
Yet I exchanged a knowing glance with Kim Young-hoon. Something felt off.
Yuk Rin, sensing my suspicion, suddenly placed a black object on the table. A contract.
I read it aloud in the Ghost Tongue. The text spoke of an alliance between the Mugeuk Sect and the Dragon Palace.
‘This is no ordinary contract.’
I ran my fingers over the strange leather. Buk Hyang-hwa’s eyes widened slightly; she recognized the material.
“Does the Conquest King know of this?”
I turned to her. Yuk Rin chuckled. “I shall explain. This is a contract written on Hyeongo Paper—an extremely rare item found only in the deepest reaches of the Goryeok Realm. Not the true original, mind you, but a flawless replica. The effects are identical. Contracts written on Hyeongo Paper can bind even higher existences while the intermediary lives.”
“Higher intermediary?”
“The entity registered here is none other than the Holy Sage Haerim-nim. He has guaranteed our alliance.”
“I see…”
I studied the document carefully. Unlike the con artist Yuk Yo, this contract contained no clauses that harmed us. It was almost too lenient.
One-sided betrayal prohibition and mutual protection in times of crisis—that was the entire text. No fine print, no hidden riders.
Yet one suspicious detail remained.
‘Him…’
The Lord of the Dragon Palace—only he himself.
‘He intends to stab me in the back.’
The thought had not occurred to me during our earlier spirit-phone call, but now, face to face, it was obvious.
The aura of deceit swirling around him was unmistakable.
I glanced at the jade beads on his wrist.
‘A technique that blinds the eyes of the Sea Dragon Clan.’
I had seen something similar from Seo Hyoel. He had probably used it to conceal his pirate crew’s eyes, but it was insufficient for us. Both Kim Young-hoon and I could still read his intentions.
Kim Young-hoon’s whisper reached my ear.
“Should we cut off his head?”
Yuk Rin’s expression tightened. The surrounding spirit qi had warned him of danger.
I smiled and passed the contract to my companions. “The Lord Abbot consults his protectors and officers before making any major decision. I ask for your understanding.”
“Perfectly understandable.”
I kept my face neutral, yet my body language screamed warning. Yuk Rin was the only one who could betray us.
I asked Buk Hyang-hwa directly. “Do you know the difference between the true Hyeongo Paper and its replica?”
“Only minor ones. The replica can bind up to the True Immortal, while the original can reach the Integration realm. The true version is extremely rare—only the Holy Sage currently possesses one in the entire Goryeok Realm.”
“I see…”
She took the contract and examined it. ‘He did not tamper with the paper itself.’
I showed it to Kim Young-hoon, Jeon Myeong-hoon, Hong Beom, and Yeon Wi. Every single one of them nodded without hesitation, confirming that the contract itself was flawless.
The text contained nothing more than the clauses already discussed. With this alone, betrayal was impossible.
Yet I could not help but hesitate. Even an honest contract is worthless if the signer is a liar.
“Is there no record of the entire Deep Sea Island?”
“There is one. The Lord of the Dragon Palace recorded every moment of his exploration.”
Yuk Rin slid a crystal ball across the table. He tapped it. Infinite images of the island bloomed in mid-air.
The scenes swirled—memories he had relived.
Then my gaze, Buk Hyang-hwa’s, Seo Ran’s, Song Jin’s, and Kim Young-hoon’s all locked onto a single frame.
I leaned forward, eyes narrowing. “Does this Deep Sea Island bear a name?”
Yuk Rin smiled. “Read the exploration log and you will understand. The island was once called Bongrae-do.”
In the crystal, a name appeared: Bongrae-do. A transparent sphere of pure white light encased the island. At its heart rose a mountain half the size of the sphere itself—white as fresh snow.
Yuk Rin opened his mouth to speak.
A sound talisman flew toward him. He caught it and read the message. His face twisted in fury.
He stood slowly, expression carefully blank. “Forgive me, but the daughter I brought from your sect has run away again.”
“…”
“She cannot have gone far. I shall bring her back at once. Hah… I apologize for the interruption. Please wait only a moment.”
Crunch.
Yuk Rin gnashed his teeth and left the room. I turned to Baek Rin. “Thirteenth Guardian Ghost King, Yuk Yo, was entrusted to you for protection. As a guest, I cannot have the host personally intervene. Escort the Sea Dragon Princess back to the palace with the Lord of the Dragon Palace.”
“Yes, Lord Abbot!”
“Hah… you need not trouble yourselves further.”
“The Lord Abbot’s kindness is enough.”
“…”
“Thank you.”
Yuk Rin left with a forced smile, Baek Rin following.
‘Even if Baek Rin follows, he will not kill her.’
I had sensed it from the moment they arrived. Yuk Rin showed no familial affection toward Yuk Yo.
When his rage surfaced, I wondered if he might actually murder her.
She was a swindler, true, but she had received the first lessons of the Goryeok Realm from him. I could not let her father kill her.
Moments later, Yuk Rin’s presence vanished from the Dragon Palace. I flicked my fingers, unraveling the formation he had woven.
Jee-jee-jee!
The Strange Star-Mind Scroll sealed the circuits. For a time, even Yuk Rin could not see inside.
“Everyone, voice your opinions.”
I suggested we discuss this quickly.
Buk Hyang-hwa spoke first. “The contract itself contains no suspicious clauses.”
Kim Young-hoon frowned. “You saw it. His mind is full of betrayal. The reward is genuine, but—”
Every guardian’s face darkened with rage.
“He dares… to scheme behind the Lord Abbot’s back!”
“Like father, like son!”
“Lord Abbot! We should destroy the Dragon Palace and turn its ruler into fish soup!”
The guardians erupted. Hong Beom raised a quiet hand. “Silence.”
The room fell still. He turned to Seo Ran. “Lord Seo Ran, do you have something to say?”
Seo Ran nodded. “The first senior. Senior, as you saw, that mountain was pure salt. And the aura that surged from the Lord of the Dragon Palace’s memory—it was identical to the one I sensed near Cheongmun Ryeong.”
Because Yuk Rin was a True Expert, his memories included the flow of spirit qi.
The salt mountain was the same.
“Therefore…”
‘The mountain is the relic left by its owner.’
Kim Young-hoon nodded. “…He did seem connected to Cheongmun Ryeong. But obtaining that power will be invaluable.”
Hong Beom agreed. “Even now I am considering how to bring those infinite virtues to the Lord Abbot’s sect and gain an army beyond imagination.”
“Precisely…”
And the Soul-Generating Flower.
Obtaining it was far harder than the others. Even Yeon Wi had failed.
Yeon Wi spoke next. “The situation is clear. Yuk Rin is almost certain to betray us. Yet discarding such a tempting offer is unwise.”
“That is the correct assessment.”
“Then there is a simple solution.”
I stared at her in confusion. She smiled. “It is a technique passed down since the Ancestor’s time—fundamentally rooted in the Geumsin Cheonroemun sect. The Ancestor claimed one can read anyone’s true heart with this method.”
The words “since the Ancestor” sent a chill down my spine, but she ignored it.
“Immediately bind that suspicious fish and implant a torture technique such as the Suffering Thunder Banner. Ah, you are skilled in curses, so you can create even more exquisite ones. After capturing him, inflict continuous pain until he reveals every secret and betrays his true intentions.”
“…”
“What are you waiting for! All guardians, prepare to conquer the Dragon Palace! Since he invited us in, we shall shatter the inner seals, seize his fortress, lay a trap, and when he returns, capture him and torture the truth out of him!”
[Woo-o-o-o-o-!!]