Chapter 232: Are You Going to Regret It Again Later?
Chapter 232: Are You Going to Regret It Again Later?
I stopped in my tracks.
It wasn’t because of the sudden gust of sandy wind. The question I had once asked him was deeply important to me.
"When I asked if it was possible to make time flow slower within the Space-Time Displacement Technique, you answered like this: 'Bah, you rascal! Does that even make sense?'"
I remembered his exact words.
"You said that even the current and former Cult Leaders had tried, but it was impossible."
"You have a good memory."
After a brief pause, the Pungcheon Cult Leader spoke.
"That statement was both a truth and a lie."
"What do you mean by that?"
"In reality, no matter how much we researched and practiced, it remained impossible. I still feel the same way. Bah, you rascal! Does that even make sense?"
"Then what was the lie?"
"I told you it was nonsense, but there is actually a secret technique that has been passed down privately among the Cult Leaders. It is called the Time Heaven Secret Technique."
My heart raced the moment I heard those words. Sensing my agitation, the Pungcheon Cult Leader spoke quickly.
"Don't get your hopes up. No Cult Leader has actually managed to master the Time Heaven Secret Technique. No matter how much they researched and trained, it was nothing but a waste of time. I’m even skeptical if it’s a proper technique at all."
Despite his warning, I felt a surge of excitement. That was how important this matter was to me.
The Pungcheon Cult Leader continued his explanation.
"According to the records, the Time Heaven Secret Technique was created two hundred years ago by the Cult Leader at the time, Yeon Myeong-deok. He reportedly succeeded in making time flow differently inside and outside the Space-Time Displacement Technique while living in seclusion after stepping down from his position. He claimed that while one double-hour passed inside, not even half a double-hour had passed by the time he came out."
The Pungcheon Cult Leader emphasized once more that this was an impossible feat.
"However, no one since Leader Yeon has achieved it. It’s only natural; at the time, Leader Yeon possessed the most profound internal energy in the history of the Pungcheon Cult. He was born with the Heavenly Martial Physique, and his level of martial attainment was indescribably high. Thus, ordinary people couldn't understand the secret he left behind. Either that, or the technique he left is a sham."
"Then why are you telling me this?"
Our gazes locked in the air.
"Before that, let me ask you something first. Why are you interested in this impossible task? Oh, of course, anyone would dream of such a space, but it seems you have a reason beyond a vague wish."
I did have a reason. It was because of the Nine Calamities Demonic Art.
Once I inherited the Nine Calamities Demonic Art, I had to achieve Great Achievement. Furthermore, my goal wasn't just the Ten-Star stage, but the Twelve-Star Great Achievement.
However, I lacked the absolute time required. Perhaps it would be different for other martial arts, but the Twelve-Star Great Achievement of the Nine Calamities Demonic Art was no easy feat.
"There's someone I want to beat to a pulp after training to my heart's content."
"You want to add more training to your current skill level just to beat someone up? Whoever they are, they've certainly crossed the wrong person."
Yes, as the Cult Leader said, they crossed the wrong person. Whether it was Hwa Mu-gi or me, one of us was in serious trouble.
"When you first asked me about it, I never imagined a moment like this would come."
Then, shocking words flowed from his lips.
"I will pass the Time Heaven Secret Technique on to you."
Our eyes met again. Even if it was a secret technique that no one had mastered, it wasn't the kind of thing one would normally give away to others.
"Though I did not succeed... perhaps you will."
At my trembling gaze, which asked why he was showing such favor, the Pungcheon Cult Leader revealed his heart boisterously.
"Didn't you say so yourself? That you would take me as your master within this place."
"!"
"Is it not natural for a master to pass down secret techniques to his disciple?"
I was truly moved. I knew to some extent what kind of person he was. He was as greedy as he was human, and I knew he even regretted the things he had given me so far.
And yet, he was trying to give again. He was offering up the secret technique he possessed.
"Are you going to regret it again later?"
"If I regret it, then I regret it. Am I not someone who knows a thing or two about regret?"
My heart swelled at those words. He was truly giving his all for my sake. Seo Dae-ryong had once said of me that I was the type of person who returned ten things for every one received. Those were the words I should have said to the Pungcheon Cult Leader. I had given him one, and he was repaying me with ten.
I dropped to the ground and performed a deep bow.
"Please, feel free to be cranky and act like you're doing me a huge favor. I'll put up with all of it for the rest of my life. Thank you, truly."
Instead, the Pungcheon Cult Leader, his eyes growing red, helped me up.
"I don't even know if this is something to be thanked for. I'm worried I might just be wasting your mental energy and time by passing on a technique I couldn't even succeed with."
"Please leave the rest to me."
"Now, listen carefully."
The Pungcheon Cult Leader passed on the oral formula for the Time Heaven Secret Technique. He checked several times to ensure I had memorized it correctly.
"If this is possible, the degree to which time slows would vary from person to person, wouldn't it?"
"I suppose so."
"Then, if one reaches the pinnacle of the Time Heaven Secret Technique someday, it might even be possible to make time stop entirely in that place."
"You haven't even learned to crawl yet, and you're dreaming of flying?"
"I happen to be quite greedy when it comes to martial arts."
We looked at each other and laughed.
"That would be something beyond human capability."
"I'll give surpassing it a try."
"Even though I think it's impossible, a part of me expects it from you. I wonder how much you'll surprise me with this."
He wouldn't know just how grateful I was at this moment. I would surely hone the Time Heaven Secret Technique and leave him in awe.
*
I opened the space with the Space-Time Displacement Technique alone and activated the Time Heaven Secret Technique within it.
Whirrrrrrr.
The sound of the wind swirling around me felt mysterious. I hadn't even passed the introductory stage of the oral formula yet, but the internal energy it demanded was already immense. I could see why everyone else had given up.
The complexity of the secret technique was one problem, but the sheer amount of internal energy required was staggering. At this rate, even if one succeeded, the time they could stay inside would be so short that the technique would feel meaningless.
Furthermore, if one were to practice martial arts here, it would require additional internal energy, making it even more daunting.
But for me, it was meaningful.
My internal energy was so pure and vast that it couldn't be compared to anyone else in the Murim.
Moreover, I had a firm belief. Just like other top-tier martial arts, the efficiency of internal energy for the Time Heaven Secret Technique would improve rapidly as one's mastery increased. The Wind God Four Steps was a perfect example. As my mastery rose, the speed increased while the required internal energy decreased.
I practiced the Time Heaven Secret Technique with the conviction that I would succeed. I believed in myself. I also possessed the Heavenly Martial Physique, and I was confident that my current level of martial arts was higher than Yeon Myeong-deok's when he first created this technique.
*
The next day, I met Go Wol in the courtyard.
"Did something good happen?"
At Go Wol's question, my gaze turned toward the Pungcheon Cult Leader standing nearby.
"Something good did happen."
The quick-witted Go Wol realized it was related to the Pungcheon Cult Leader.
"You always say how much you dislike the Second Young Master, yet what did you give him this time?"
At Go Wol's question, the Pungcheon Cult Leader looked off into the distance, feigning ignorance.
I smiled and asked Go Wol, "How about you?"
"I think I'll need a bit more time. Right now, it's a time to use my eyes rather than my head."
He meant he was monitoring and observing the target. He was trying to find a weakness in Ya Yul-han's daily routine.
Go Wol was busy all day. He received and sent missives, and he met with those delivering information. Of course, since the Pungcheon Cult Leader was with him, I wasn't worried.
"Take as much time as you need. Just handle it carefully."
"Yes!"
"I'll go buy something delicious, so let's have dinner together."
I intended to feed them something truly special tonight.
*
That day, I sold some of the Night-shining Pearls I had left at the bank and bought four roots of Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng.
Having experienced all sorts of things across the Central Plains before my regression, I knew the shadow merchants who sold spirit medicines near the Unorthodox Path Alliance headquarters very well.
Since they handled items that were difficult to obtain, the price was extremely high, but I didn't hesitate to spend the money.
After buying the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng and returning to the safe house, I called the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon, Go Wol, and the Pungcheon Cult Leader together. I placed the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng before them and spoke firmly, as if driving a nail.
"Now, we're each having one root. I won't take no for an answer. You must consume it right here in front of me."
As I had said when I shared spirit medicine with the Smiling Demon before, I wasn't the type of person to share such things with just anyone. Nevertheless, I wanted to share these with them.
It was a gesture of support for the Smiling Demon ahead of the fight, a gift for the Pungcheon Cult Leader who had given me his final secret technique, and a restorative for Go Wol, who had worked so hard until now.
The Pungcheon Cult Leader joked, "Why would anyone refuse such a good thing? If anyone wants to refuse, give theirs to me!"
Go Wol's face clearly showed his thought of 'I don't need this, please have it yourself, Young Master,' but he knew that the command not to refuse was directed at him.
Go Wol bowed his head deeply, and the Smiling Demon expressed his gratitude with his eyes.
And so, the four of us consumed the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng together.
Since my internal energy was already so profound, I had reached a realm where a Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng was barely a drop in the bucket, but for the other three, it was a spirit medicine that would be quite helpful. Especially for Go Wol, who had the least internal energy, it would provide the best effect not only for his cultivation but also for recovering his exhausted physical strength.
— Take good care of your health, Strategist Go.
I specifically sent him a voice transmission.
Go Wol conveyed his gratitude to me with a deepened gaze.
*
Finally, Go Wol found a way.
"I have conducted a lot of research on Ya Yul-han. His residence is within the Inner Court of the Unorthodox Path Alliance. He wakes up in the morning to train, eats, spends his day as the Unit Leader of the Extreme Blade Corps, and enters the Alliance Leader's palace whenever he is summoned. He spends all his time inside the Unorthodox Path Alliance. Since the deaths of Ji-saeng and Aecha, he hasn't stepped outside at all."
Ya Yul-han, who misunderstood that the Unorthodox Path Alliance Leader was targeting him, was being extremely cautious. Because of that, catching an opportunity to strike him was no easy task.
"It won't be easy."
"Yes. Striking him while he's in the Alliance is several times more difficult."
Even if it weren't difficult, killing him inside the Unorthodox Path Alliance was something to be avoided. Since Bi Sa-in had permitted this task, I had to maintain basic courtesy toward the Alliance.
"I was curious. Do the Five Thunders Divine Sword and the Blood Wheel Calamity also live inside the Unorthodox Path Alliance like Ya Yul-han?"
Go Wol looked at me and asked for my opinion.
"They won't be there."
"What makes you think so?"
"Because both of them are listed as Public Enemies of the Murim. There is a pact between the Murim Alliance and the Unorthodox Path Alliance. It's a pact that states they must never harbor anyone who has become a Public Enemy of the Murim."
The Pungcheon Cult Leader chimed in.
"Would those Unorthodox bastards even keep such a pact?"
"The one who wants to keep this pact is likely Ya Yul-han."
"Why him?"
"Because he wouldn't want to give the Unorthodox Path Alliance Leader any leverage over him. If the Alliance Leader ever decides to move against him, there would be no better pretext than this."
The Pungcheon Cult Leader nodded with an expression that suggested he hadn't thought that far.
Go Wol spoke up again.
"Your assessment is exactly correct. You're right. The Five Thunders Divine Sword and the Blood Wheel Calamity do not live inside the Unorthodox Path Alliance. That's why I worked hard to find out where the two of them are staying."
"They must have a residence near the headquarters, right?"
"Yes. But they hid it so thoroughly that it wasn't easy to find. So, I changed my method. I monitored someone likely to visit that place."
"Who? Ya Yul-han?"
"No. Cha Hwan."
Cha Hwan, the last survivor of the four-man group.
"He is acting as Ya Yul-han's right-hand man. Someone has to serve and look after an old master like the Five Thunders Divine Sword, and they wouldn't have entrusted that to just anyone."
I judged it to be the right approach. As expected, Go Wol's judgment was clever.
"While monitoring Cha Hwan, I discovered one peculiar fact. I found out that he buys Shanxi Fenjiu once a month without fail."
Go Wol added with a meaningful look in his eyes.
"The Five Thunders Divine Sword's hometown is Shanxi. According to the information sent from Tongcheon Pavilion, his favorite liquor was Fenjiu."
"So he's taking that liquor to the Five Thunders Divine Sword."
"Exactly. By tailing Cha Hwan based on that, I've identified the Five Thunders Divine Sword's residence."
"Well done!"
"The problem is Ya Yul-han. Because of recent events, he is refraining from all outside travel and isn't even meeting with the Five Thunders Divine Sword. However, while looking through the materials sent from Tongcheon Pavilion, I found this. Look."
As I looked at the materials he handed over, I turned to Go Wol with a meaningful gaze.
"It's almost the Five Thunders Divine Sword's birthday!"
"And it's his ninetieth birthday, at that. They might skip other days, but on this day, Ya Yul-han and the Blood Wheel Calamity will surely go to congratulate him."
Go Wol's eyes sparkled.
"We strike on this day. There's no need to risk taking them all on at once. We'll eliminate them one by one with a time delay. First, we kill the Five Thunders Divine Sword, and then we eliminate everyone who visits the place in turn. One by one, in order."
I gave Go Wol's shoulder a firm, encouraging pat.
"You really worked hard to find this out."
"It's all thanks to the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng."
Though he smiled, Go Wol still wore a worried expression.
I looked at the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon and spoke.
"It's an old man's birthday; I suppose we should go congratulate him too, shouldn't we?"
The blue flames in the Smiling Demon’s eyes began to burn with a chilling intensity.
"Leave the rest to us!"