Chapter 284: Not a Probe, but a Single Strike
Chapter 284: Not a Probe, but a Single Strike
Deep in the night, Baek Cheon-gyeong made his way through the forest.
Fireflies provided the only light in the pitch-black darkness, swirling around him like guiding spirits. With every step he took, the trees and grass parted of their own volition, carving a path where none should exist. Once he passed, the vegetation surged back, returning the forest to its untouched state.
After walking for some time, Baek Cheon-gyeong came to a halt in the heart of the woods.
Rustle.
The grass swayed and branches shifted, though there was no wind to move them.
Figures began to emerge from the thicket. Their clothes and even their skin tones were so perfectly synchronized with the forest that they seemed to be extensions of the woods themselves.
A man stepped forward from the group. He possessed the lithe, swaying presence of a slender blade of grass in the breeze. His name was Cho-rim, and he was Baek Cheon-gyeong’s true disciple. More accurately, he was the disciple of the Wood King.
While Jin Ha-gun had focused on swordsmanship, Cho-rim had mastered Baek Cheon-gyeong’s true signature martial art: the Wood Form Thousand Soul Technique.
Baek Cheon-gyeong looked at Cho-rim and spoke.
“The time has come.”
A faint green light flickered in Cho-rim’s eyes.
“Is it not too soon? This is faster than the original plan.”
“A variable has emerged.”
“We are not yet fully prepared.”
“It cannot be helped.”
“What exactly is the reason, Master?”
Baek Cheon-gyeong thought back to Geom Mu-geuk, who had visited him over the past three days.
Geom Mu-geuk had sat beside him, mimicking his wood-carving. He had prattled on with nonsense, pestering him to let him meet Jin Ha-ryeong. He had brought wine and snacks, insisting they eat together, and had even complimented Baek Cheon-gyeong’s appearance out of the blue, calling his long, narrow eyes "charming."
At times, the boy shared news from the Murim. He was knowledgeable, witty, and possessed keen insight. His mouth never rested. Time seemed to fly in Geom Mu-geuk’s company.
On the third day, when the thought suddenly crossed his mind that it would be nice to have such an entertaining fellow as a subordinate or a disciple, Baek Cheon-gyeong realized the terrifying truth.
‘This man is poison.’
And not just any poison. He was the kind of toxin that slowly infected the soul without the victim even realizing it, leading to an inevitable end—a poison perhaps more terrifying than a venom that kills instantly. It was a death that claimed you before you even knew you were dying.
His instincts screamed at him:
‘This man knows something.’
But how? Baek Cheon-gyeong had hidden himself perfectly. He had even deceived the Alliance Leader for a decade.
However, once he operated under the assumption that the boy knew his secret, Geom Mu-geuk’s behavior began to make sense.
His instincts spoke again:
‘That man with the constant smirk is a reaper who has come to devour you.’
It was then that Baek Cheon-gyeong made his decision.
‘If fate has sent this man to me, I shall accept it as my destiny.’
Ten long years of waiting was enough. It was time to move.
Baek Cheon-gyeong handed an object to Cho-rim. It was the wooden doll of the woman he had been carving.
*
Lee An and Jin Ha-ryeong stood facing each other in an open field.
The gaze they exchanged was sharp. On this, their third meeting, they had decided to hold a martial arts duel.
Becoming friends by their second meeting had been unusual enough, but a duel by their third was extraordinary. At first, Lee An had doubted Jin Ha-ryeong’s intentions. Why would the granddaughter of the Murim Alliance Leader go out of her way to become close to her?
‘It must be because of the Young Master.’
She assumed Jin Ha-ryeong wanted to dig for information about Geom Mu-geuk or perhaps keep her in check.
However, during their second meeting, Lee An felt it—a genuine desire for friendship. This duel was only possible because she recognized that sincerity. Otherwise, she would have suspected that Jin Ha-ryeong was trying to assassinate her under the guise of a spar.
The two women drew their swords and lunged.
The disparity in their skill was stark. Before twenty exchanges had passed, the sword was sent flying from Jin Ha-ryeong’s hand.
Startled, Jin Ha-ryeong asked, “What martial art is that?”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized her blunder. It was incredibly rude to lose a duel and immediately demand to know the opponent’s secret techniques.
“Ah, I’m sorry.” She bowed politely with a fist salute. “I have learned much from this bout.”
Lee An returned the salute with an apologetic expression. She wanted to tell her about the swordsmanship, but she couldn't. The fact that she had been taught the Flying Heaven Sword Technique was a secret that could not be revealed to the outside world, even if the Heavenly Demon had permitted it.
“I knew you were stronger than me, but I didn’t realize the gap was this large,” Jin Ha-ryeong admitted.
“I thought it was only polite not to hide my strength from a friend,” Lee An replied.
Jin Ha-ryeong had desperately wanted to win, at least in martial arts. She had lost to Seo Dae-ryong at the Young Dragon Tournament, and today she had lost to Lee An. She was suffering consecutive defeats against the young demonic practitioners.
‘If this hadn't been a spar but a life-or-death duel, I would be dead.’
The only consolation was that both of her victors were very close to Geom Mu-geuk. In that sense, both Seo Dae-ryong and Lee An were special.
She pushed aside her sense of defeat, picked up her sword, and sheathed it. She refused to let petty jealousy turn her own blade against her pride. Swords belonged in sheaths, and pride was something others should protect for you.
“You’re beautiful, you have a great personality, and you’re a martial arts genius. Isn’t this cheating?”
She said it like a joke, but Jin Ha-ryeong was being sincere.
Lee An threw the words back at her. “Isn’t that what you’ve been hearing your whole life?”
Lee An truly thought Jin Ha-ryeong was beautiful. Of all the women she had seen, the Alliance Leader's granddaughter was the most stunning.
Jin Ha-ryeong could feel that Lee An’s words weren't just the hollow comfort of a victor, but the truth. It was fascinating that such a beautiful woman considered her even more so. Because of that, her steps on the way back were light.
“Ah! This path is really pretty.”
“It’s a place I come to whenever I feel suffocated. It’s my secret walking trail,” Jin Ha-ryeong shared.
As they walked, Jin Ha-ryeong revealed her inner thoughts. “To be honest, I’m worried about my brother.”
“Don’t worry. You will never regret calling for the Young Master.”
Though those were the words she had wanted to hear, Jin Ha-ryeong smiled. “You really trust your Young Cult Leader.”
“I trust him more than I trust myself.”
“To have someone you can trust like that in your life... it’s a great blessing.”
“You can trust him too, can’t you?”
“What?”
“You said you decided to be friends with the Young Master, right? Then trust him.”
Those were the same words Jin Ha-ryeong had said to her brother. She had told him not to trust Geom Mu-geuk halfway, but to trust him completely. Now, she was hearing those same words from Lee An.
An absurd thought flashed through her mind—an image of a large fish called 'Trust' swallowing smaller fish one by one.
Lee An’s conviction made Jin Ha-ryeong feel a bit more at ease. If all of this resulted in them being played by demonic practitioners, they would look like fools falling for a pair of swindlers. The fact that such a thought even occurred to her meant she didn't fully trust them yet. Yet, the fact that she was even saying these things meant she was willing to accept the consequences.
“Let’s meet again tomorrow. Once you go back, I don’t know when I’ll see you again.”
“Alright, see you tomorrow,” Lee An readily accepted.
Perhaps they would never see each other again. Or perhaps they would meet on a battlefield where they would have to kill one another. That was the nature of their relationship.
“Same time, same place.”
“Sounds good.”
Did Geom Mu-geuk know? When he introduced them and told them to be friends, did he know they would actually connect like this?
How long had she been walking after parting with Jin Ha-ryeong? Lee An stopped and turned around, feeling an inexplicable chill. Jin Ha-ryeong had already vanished from the beautiful trail.
After staring at the path—which looked exactly as it had moments ago—for a short while, Lee An resumed her walk.
*
As usual, I went to find Baek Cheon-gyeong.
However, he wasn't in his workshop. He had been there every day for the past week, so where could he have gone?
Regardless, thanks to his absence, I was able to immerse myself in training all day. My primary focus was the Time Heaven Secret Technique.
Was it because of the Wood King’s appearance? My concentration was sharper than usual, and as a result, the technique yielded better results than my typical sessions.
Repeat, and repeat again. Even when my body revolted out of sheer boredom, I did it again.
Cultivation is like filling a massive vat by adding a single drop of water every day. You must endure the boredom. You must fill that vat with the single drop of water you struggled all day to produce, even if it shows no visible progress. You must not sigh while looking into that vast container that looks the same today as it did yesterday. You must resist the temptation to quit, the voice that asks if you’re going to spend your whole life doing this, and the urge to seek other pleasures.
Only by enduring can you eventually encounter that one special drop among the millions.
Today, that special drop arrived in the form of a trance.
I fell so deeply into the Time Heaven Secret Technique that I forgot I was even training. My entire consciousness was consumed by it. A trance is truly a gift from the heavens.
The catalyst for this state was Hwa Mu-gi. The thought that he might appear heightened my focus even further, leading me into a state of selflessness. Water began to pour into the vat in a torrent.
When ten double-hours—which felt like a mere fifteen minutes—had passed, I felt it.
‘Finally!’
The Time Heaven Secret Technique had reached a stage where it was more effective than training martial arts in reality. Even taking into account the time needed to recover spent internal energy, it was now more efficient to train within the technique's dilation. I had finally begun to possess more time than others.
“I did it!”
The moment I confirmed this, a thrill ran through my entire body. I was so happy I felt like I could fly. I was as joyful as the day my father passed down the Nine Calamities Demonic Art to me. In my excitement, I went hopping around inside the Space-Time Displacement Technique.
Now, the real training began. My time would only continue to grow. For I was mastering the Time Heaven Secret Technique within the Time Heaven Secret Technique.
*
Geom Mu-geuk was resting for a moment after emerging from the Space-Time Displacement Technique when Lee An entered the room.
“Oh? When did you get back?” she asked.
Since Geom Mu-geuk had been training inside the technique the whole time, she seemed to think he had been out and just returned.
“Young Master. Did you happen to see Miss Jin?”
“No. Why?”
“We were supposed to meet today, but she didn't show up.”
“Is that so?”
“I wonder if something happened. She’s not the type of person to break a promise.”
“And she didn't send anyone with word?”
“No. That’s why I’m a bit worried and uneasy.”
He recalled the fact that Baek Cheon-gyeong had vacated his workshop. A person who wouldn't break a promise, and a situation where a workshop shouldn't be empty. Coincidentally, both happened at the same time.
“When was the last time you saw her?”
“Yesterday afternoon.”
“Where?”
“We met in the field to the west and had a spar.”
“And then you parted ways?”
“We walked along the trail together for a bit and then said goodbye.”
“Was there anything strange then?”
Lee An shared what had been weighing on her mind with a slightly anxious expression. “On my way back, I felt something strange, so I did look back once.”
Another suspicious circumstance was added to the pile. If someone of Lee An’s level felt something, then something had undoubtedly occurred.
And then, the final piece of this unease fell into place.
He felt a massive number of martial artists surrounding the safe house from a distance. If such a large force was surrounding them, it had to be the warriors of the Murim Alliance. Geom Mu-geuk could guess exactly what was happening.
“If it was a trail, there must have been many trees around, right?”
In a forest, Baek Cheon-gyeong could have easily deceived Lee An’s eyes and kidnapped her. Baek Cheon-gyeong was the only one who would move right now.
‘He didn't just test the waters; he delivered a full-on strike.’
Seeing Geom Mu-geuk’s grave expression, Lee An asked worriedly, “Miss Jin will be alright, won’t she?”
“For now.”
After kidnapping the granddaughter of the Murim Alliance Leader, there was no way to end this peacefully. This meant he intended to see this through to the bitter end.
The only saving grace was that Baek Cheon-gyeong was a cautious man. Even if he intended to kill her, he wasn't the type to do it right at the start. However, if she wasn't rescued in time, her life could not be guaranteed.
‘What does he want? To kill me? Or something else?’
How exactly did he plan to handle the aftermath?
“The Murim Alliance warriors will be storming in soon.”
“I just felt them too.”
Geom Mu-geuk opened the door and stepped out into the courtyard. Lee An pulled up her mask to cover her face, pressed down her bamboo hat, and followed him out.
Dozens of experts from all directions surrounded the place in layers. The pressure they exerted was immense. It was the first crisis Lee An had faced since coming to the Central Plains, but she remained calm. Being with Geom Mu-geuk made her feel surprisingly stable.
A moment later, a group of martial artists entered the courtyard. Leading them was the Murim Alliance Leader, Jin Pae-cheon. The experts guarding him followed close behind.
“It has been a while.”
Instead of a greeting, Jin Pae-cheon asked bluntly, “Where is Ha-ryeong?”
When he had arrived or why he was here didn't matter. To Jin Pae-cheon, Jin Ha-ryeong was the only priority.
“I do not know either.”
“I will ask again. Where is Ha-ryeong?”
It felt as though Jin Pae-cheon’s furious aura would explode at any moment. If it weren't for their past connection, he would have already attacked to subdue Geom Mu-geuk.
Geom Mu-geuk sent a Voice Transmission to Jin Pae-cheon.
— Alliance Leader.
— Why are you using Voice Transmission instead of speaking aloud?
— Because that man’s eyes and ears might be here.
— Whose?
— Baek Cheon-gyeong’s.
Jin Pae-cheon’s expression stiffened instantly.
— Do you even know who you are talking about?
— Yes. He is the master Young Master Jin studied under for ten years. Young Master Jin felt a sense of danger from that master and asked me for help.
Jin Pae-cheon looked as if he couldn't believe it. How could he? The idea that his grandson felt threatened by his own master and sought help from the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult was preposterous.
— I know it is hard to believe, but it is the truth. Where is Young Master Jin right now?
— He is away on a mission for the Demon Extermination Squad.
— He even timed it for when Young Master Jin would be absent. He likely hoped for a clash between you and me right here.
— At the time Ha-ryeong disappeared, Baek Cheon-gyeong was with me.
Now he knew why the man hadn't been in his workshop. He had been with the one person who could provide the most solid alibi to clear him of suspicion. That meant he had subordinates with the skill to kidnap her.
— He planned this quite well, but Baek Cheon-gyeong missed one crucial fact.
— What is that?
— The fact that you trust me, Alliance Leader.
Jin Pae-cheon asked coldly.
— What makes you think I trust you?
— Because you know that if I had orchestrated this, I would never have allowed myself to be caught in this situation. You must trust me this time, just as you did before.
Geom Mu-geuk looked at Jin Pae-cheon with eyes of absolute clarity and added calmly:
— This time, as well, I am the only one who can save Miss Jin.