Chapter 581: You Haven't Forgotten My Request, Have You?
Chapter 581: You Haven't Forgotten My Request, Have You?
The area around the sparring arena was shrouded in darkness.
Geom Mu-geuk landed soundlessly on the stone floor, his feet touching down amidst the countless scars left by past duels. Before descending, he had released his Qi in every direction. Countless strands of energy spread out like a spiderweb, searching for anyone lurking in the vicinity.
There was no one—not in Yeon Baek-in’s darkened office overlooking the arena, not behind the other windows of the building, and not in the shadows surrounding the stage. This meant the entrance was exceptionally well-hidden.
He first climbed onto the arena itself to examine the floor, but he found nothing. He hadn't expected the entrance to be on the stage in the first place; if a fight became too intense, the ground could crack or be gouged out, potentially exposing the mechanism. No one would build an entrance in such a vulnerable spot.
Unless... they were the type of person who valued symbolism?
Geom Mu-geuk’s gaze shifted toward the spectator seats of honor. There was a separate area reserved for the Hall Master, the Masters, and the instructors. Centered around the large, ornate seat for the Hall Master, the other chairs were arranged to the left and right.
Geom Mu-geuk examined the Hall Master’s seat first. The massive chair, crafted in the style of a Grand Tutor’s seat, was bolted firmly to the floor.
‘It’s definitely here.’
Through his various experiences before his regression, Geom Mu-geuk had become quite well-versed in mechanical devices. The most important mindset when searching for a hidden mechanism is the absolute conviction that it exists. Curiously, if one is half-hearted or doubtful, hidden devices never reveal themselves. One must search with the certainty that it must be there.
Geom Mu-geuk meticulously inspected every inch, slowly running his fingers even under the chair, checking for the slightest seam.
After checking the Hall Master’s seat, he moved on to the next Master’s chair. He searched and searched, then moved to the next. Finally, on the third chair, he felt a minute fissure. A circular crack. It was so faint that he never would have felt it if he hadn't been convinced of its existence.
Geom Mu-geuk slowly pressed down on it. He felt the mechanism give way slightly, but no entrance appeared.
An ordinary person might have assumed they were wrong and moved on, but Geom Mu-geuk knew better.
‘A double-locking mechanism. That was just the first trigger.’
Geom Mu-geuk returned to the Hall Master’s seat. As he sat in the chair and re-examined everything, the yellow dragon ornament on the armrest—which hadn't budged before—rotated to the side. This time, it moved with a soft click.
At that exact moment—
Srrr.
The floor beneath the chair opened smoothly, and he descended while still seated. Once he stood up, the chair returned to its original position and the ceiling door closed, plunging the surroundings into pitch-black darkness.
Geom Mu-geuk activated his New Eye Technique to survey the area. When he pressed a device right next to where he had landed, the ceiling opened again, and the chair descended. After enough time had passed for a person to sit, it automatically rose back up. It was a top-tier mechanism that operated with incredible precision.
Geom Mu-geuk looked around again. He was in a space of about ten square meters, and on one wall, there was a mechanical lift leading further underground. He walked cautiously toward it. Since he didn't know the situation below, he didn't board it recklessly.
He peered through the gaps in the machinery. If there was a space to drop down, he intended to jump. No matter how deep it was, with his level of martial arts, he could land without a sound. However, this mechanism was designed so that one had to ride the device to descend. And if one rode it, someone below would undoubtedly be alerted to the arrival.
Just then—
Srrr.
The ceiling opened again, and the chair descended. To his surprise, the person who stepped off was the Sword King. He was carrying a load of supplies in both hands—liquor and meat.
Stepping off the chair, the Sword King boarded the mechanical lift.
Geom Mu-geuk, currently veiled by the Space-Time Displacement Technique, stood right where the Sword King was looking. He had vanished the moment the ceiling opened. Geom Mu-geuk could see the Sword King clearly, but the Sword King only stared into seemingly empty space.
The two men stood facing each other, one inside the lift and one outside. Geom Mu-geuk’s gaze fell upon the man's feet. He was wearing the shoes Geom Mu-geuk had gifted him.
Soon, the lift carrying the Sword King descended.
Vroooom.
Only after the lift disappeared into the depths did Geom Mu-geuk deactivate the Space-Time Displacement Technique and reveal himself. He stared silently down into the endless darkness where the lift had gone.
‘What is it that you are looking for down there?’
*
When Geom Mu-geuk returned, Yeon Baek-jin was waiting in the guest room with Lee An and Seo Jin.
“The entrance was there.”
At Geom Mu-geuk’s words, Yeon Baek-jin’s expression brightened. His hunch had been correct.
“Knowing my brother’s personality, I thought he might have placed the entrance somewhere in plain sight.”
“You found it well.”
Yeon Baek-jin was pleased that he had personally located the place that would have a major impact on his fate.
“Let’s go in right now. I’ll go with you.”
Yeon Baek-jin wanted to see it for himself. He wanted to see if there really was a peerless martial art hidden there. But Geom Mu-geuk shook his head firmly.
“Even though we know where the entrance is, we can’t just rush in.”
The reason was something Yeon Baek-jin hadn't expected.
“There is a master by your brother’s side that even I cannot handle lightly.”
Yeon Baek-jin was naturally shocked. A master that even the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult couldn't easily deal with? Had he ever seen such a person at the martial arts hall? In that moment, one person flashed through his mind like a bolt of lightning.
“Is it perhaps that temporary instructor?”
He didn't know why that man came to mind, but the man he had seen in his brother’s office had been bothering him—the very man who had taught those strange forms to the White Dragon Unit members.
“Correct. It’s him. As long as he is there, killing your brother is impossible. In fact, if you move recklessly, you’ll be the one to die first.”
“Then why didn't he just order that man to kill me in the first place? There would have been no need to call the White Snake Unit.”
“Because he’s not someone who can be ordered around lightly. Your brother probably fears him more than he fears the White Snake Unit.”
Yeon Baek-jin felt a sense of suffocation. His brother was trying to kill him, and by that brother’s side was a master that even the Young Cult Leader was wary of.
Lee An asked Geom Mu-geuk, “What do you plan to do?”
“I’ll have to go in when that man isn't there.”
He needed to find out what they were trying to unearth. If possible, he had to snatch it first. This was a matter separate from his personal feelings toward the Sword King. If it was something the Sword King was putting this much effort into, it would undoubtedly be a significant threat to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
By the time he had returned, Geom Mu-geuk had already formed a plan. He looked at Yeon Baek-jin.
“You’re going to have to 'die.' It would be strange if the number one ranker of the White Snake Unit came to kill you and you survived, wouldn't it?”
Was he finally showing his true colors? As Yeon Baek-jin recoiled in shock, Geom Mu-geuk followed up with an incomprehensible question.
He turned to Lee An and Seo Jin. “Which of you is better at drawing snakes?”
*
When Gi Seok woke from his slumber and opened his eyes, someone was looking down at him. It was a man wearing a mask and a bamboo hat pulled low, but through his open collar, a coiled white snake was visible.
‘The White Snake Unit!’
Of course, the man disguised as a member of the White Snake Unit was Geom Mu-geuk. Lee An had been the one to ink the image onto his chest. Naturally, Seo Jin had helped, suggesting another coil here or that the tail should be higher there. With the two women putting their heads together, a fairly convincing white snake had been born.
Gi Seok struggled to maintain his composure. The man probably hadn't come to kill him; if he had, Gi Seok wouldn't have even opened his eyes.
“What happened to the contract?” Gi Seok asked.
Geom Mu-geuk replied in a low, gravelly voice. “It is finished.”
He had deliberately deepened his tone.
“But why have you come to me? I heard the White Snake Unit never makes contact with the client.”
“This is an exception.”
Geom Mu-geuk went to sit in a chair in the corner. Meanwhile, Gi Seok sat up in bed. The intruder hadn't moved the sword Gi Seok kept by his bedside—a sign of supreme confidence in his own skill.
“Yeon Baek-jin said something strange before he died.”
Gi Seok’s heart sank at those words, but he answered dismissively. “What won't a man say when he’s about to die?”
Geom Mu-geuk quoted the words of the deceased White Fifth Snake.
“Usually, people show predictable reactions. They threaten, they hate, or they beg. But Yeon Baek-jin said something else.”
The words Gi Seok had desperately hoped wouldn't be said flowed from Geom Mu-geuk’s mouth.
“That you people are digging for treasure underground?”
Gi Seok fumed inwardly. ‘Damn it! He should have just died quietly instead of blabbering nonsense.’
Gi Seok immediately feigned ignorance. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Geom Mu-geuk said calmly, “It was strange from the beginning. Calling me, the number one ranker of the White Snake Unit, just to kill the brother of a mere hall master.”
Gi Seok was shocked once again. ‘So this man is the number one ranker of the White Snake Unit.’
He knew the Hall Master had asked the White Snake Unit to handle this matter with certainty. But to think they sent the number one ranker? The White Snake Unit Leader had sent him because of an inexplicable sense of foreboding, but Gi Seok misinterpreted it.
‘They sent this man to blackmail us for more money.’
He looked down on them because they were just a martial arts hall. To those who lived by the blade, the reputation of the "Central Plains' Foremost Martial Arts Hall" probably just smelled like money. They had come to squeeze more gold out of a naive hall master, and Yeon Baek-jin’s words had given them the perfect leverage.
What could one expect from people who killed for coin? They were people he should never have become entangled with in the first place. Sure enough, the man began to radiate a cold killing intent as he demanded money.
“Since I personally moved for this, I require an additional three hundred thousand taels.”
At this absurd demand, Gi Seok foresaw how this would end. ‘Because of this greed, both the number one ranker and the Unit Leader will end up being replaced.’
These fools had no idea what kind of monstrous master was staying here.
“It is not my decision to make. I must report to the Hall Master first.”
Geom Mu-geuk delivered his final cold warning and turned away.
“Bring three hundred thousand taels to the White Snake Unit headquarters within five days. For every day you are late, I will add another hundred thousand.”
*
Having received an urgent message, the Sword King entered Yeon Baek-in’s office. One look at Yeon Baek-in’s expression was enough to know that a serious problem had arisen. The Sword King sat down, feigning ignorance.
“I was drinking with the boys yesterday. I think I’ve had enough rest, so I’m thinking of resuming the work. I’ve already picked out some students to take underground.”
Yeon Baek-in spoke cautiously. “Before you go, I have one urgent favor to ask.”
“Speak.”
Yeon Baek-in spoke in as calm a tone as possible. “My brother was killed by the White Snake Unit.”
The Sword King didn't seem surprised at all, as if he had expected this. Yeon Baek-in had expected the man to look at him with eyes that said: ‘Wasn't he killed by you? I’m the one who killed him! Just say it proudly!’
Instead, the Sword King wore a strangely enigmatic expression. He even had a faint smile on his lips. One thing was certain: it wasn't a smile of mockery directed at him.
“But a problem has arisen. Before he died, he revealed the existence of the underground treasury to the White Snake assassin.”
This was a major issue, yet the Sword King remained calm. “What did they demand?”
“Three hundred thousand taels.”
Yeon Baek-in pulled a thick envelope from his robe and placed it before the Sword King.
“Here is the three hundred thousand taels.”
He wasn't asking the Sword King to deliver the money. He was asking him to take the money and eliminate them. Their demands wouldn't stop at three hundred thousand taels.
“Normally, I would have handled it myself. But in the current situation, I don't have the luxury of time to find people capable of dealing with the White Snake Unit.”
What he feared even more was the possibility of drawing in another pack of wolves. Yet he couldn't just leave it be. The White Snake Unit, having caught the scent of money, wouldn't just let it go.
“I am ashamed to have to ask such a favor of you.”
Yeon Baek-in bowed his head. The Sword King stared at him with an unreadable expression, then smiled.
“Flies are bound to swarm when one is doing great things. I will take care of it for you.”
For whatever reason, the Sword King readily accepted the request. Yeon Baek-in was actually the one taken aback; he hadn't expected it to be accepted so easily. He had been prepared to hear harsh words, and had even been ready to get down on his knees.
But the Sword King simply smiled, tucked the envelope containing the three hundred thousand taels into his robe, and stood up.
“When do you plan to leave?”
As he walked out of the office, the Sword King replied, “I should finish my class first.”
*
“Today is my last class.”
The Sword King had everyone perform the Yellow Dragon Sword Technique. Since most hadn't learned it properly, they performed the original version. After the students had finished their display, the Sword King addressed them.
“Only a few of you actually listened to my lessons.”
He pointed to several people: Geom Mu-geuk, Lee An, Seo Jin, and even Yu Gwang and Gyo Seok, who had followed along diligently.
“Only you five learned properly.”
The looks the other students gave them were not kind. They believed these five had only followed those nonsensical moves because they were infatuated with the women or were trying to suck up to this temporary instructor.
“You five, follow me. I will show you a new world.”
The Sword King turned abruptly and walked away. He didn't even say goodbye to the remaining students. The five designated individuals followed behind him.
The place the Sword King arrived at was the sparring arena used for the White Dragon Unit’s graduation exam. Standing on the stage, the Sword King asked Geom Mu-geuk, “Where did everyone else go? Why are you the only one here?”
Geom Mu-geuk was indeed the only one who had arrived.
“I sent them a voice transmission telling them to run. By now, Lee An should be taking them to the Cult’s safe house.”
Geom Mu-geuk also climbed onto the stage and stood before him.
“Why so suddenly?”
The Sword King asked with a straight face, but Geom Mu-geuk knew his intentions.
“Because I realized that you had figured out my plan, Instructor.”
The reason he had come to this place, of all places, and brought not just Geom Mu-geuk but the other students as well, was simple. He had intended to take them all underground. That situation would have been a massive burden for Geom Mu-geuk.
“A single shield cannot protect four people at once, can it?”
The Sword King laughed loudly. He didn't seem disappointed at all that the other four hadn't followed. In fact, his face suggested he had expected this to some extent.
“If you were on our side, we would have achieved our goal long ago.”
Geom Mu-geuk didn't ask what that goal was. Their relationship wasn't yet at a point where such information would be shared. He had to save that question. For a question to have power, it must be asked at the perfect moment.
The Sword King pulled the envelope from his robe and gave it to Geom Mu-geuk.
“What is this?”
“Didn't you say you wanted it?”
Opening it, he found three hundred thousand taels.
“You’re giving this to me even though you know I’m the one behind it?”
“It’s not my money anyway, is it? I get to act like I did the Hall Master a favor by 'handling' the matter, and I get to act like I’m doing you a favor by giving you the money.”
As expected, this man was no ordinary person.
“If I had known it would be like this, I should have asked for a million taels.”
“Then you would have been even more disappointed. You’re going to die before you can spend it all anyway.”
Geom Mu-geuk laughed as he tucked the money away. It seemed the shoes he had given were worth three hundred thousand taels.
“But how did you know? That I was the one who set this up?”
“The moment I heard from the Hall Master that Yeon Baek-jin was dead, I knew.”
The reason was simple.
“You aren't the type of person to let someone you’ve formed a connection with die easily, are you? There’s no way Yeon Baek-jin would have died at the hands of the likes of the White Snake Unit.”
He had a precise read on Geom Mu-geuk’s character.
“You overestimate me.”
“I’m still underestimating you. That’s why I’m letting you live like this.”
And that sentiment was related to the reason he had called Geom Mu-geuk here today.
“You haven't forgotten that you agreed to do me a favor, have you?”
“Of course not.”
What kind of favor was he going to ask? Since they were standing on a sparring arena, Geom Mu-geuk sensed it might be a request related to a fight.
But the Sword King’s request was something he truly hadn't expected.
“Let’s go dig some dirt together.”