Chapter 583: One Man, but Worth a Hundred
Chapter 583: One Man, but Worth a Hundred
“You seem quite confident he can hold out for at least ten days.”
Whatever he truly felt, the Fist Demon did not let his worry show.
The One Flower Sword Venerable shared his sentiment.
“I don’t know who the enemy is, but spending ten days trapped with the Young Cult Leader won’t be easy for them, either.”
At her joke, both the Fist Demon and Lee An smiled. Indeed, Geom Mu-geuk was the kind of person who could find a way to make others laugh even in a situation like this. This was why he and the other Demon Lords placed their absolute trust in the Young Cult Leader.
“Since Mu-geuk set a deadline, why don’t we wait?”
The One Flower Sword Venerable readily agreed to the Fist Demon’s polite suggestion.
“Let’s do that.”
Given the circumstances, it appeared Geom Mu-geuk had gone underground with the enemy. Of course, the Fist Demon didn’t intend to just sit idly by. He turned to Lee An.
“Send word to the Tongcheon Pavilion. Tell them to report every movement related to the Yellow Dragon Martial Arts Hall. Have them confirm that Mu-geuk isn’t at the hall or anywhere nearby.”
“Yes, Father. I’ll see to it immediately.”
Not only the Tongcheon Pavilion, but Eun-wol had already mobilized their entire information network. If even the slightest suspicious sign appeared, they would be notified instantly.
The Fist Demon did not let down his guard. He spoke to the One Flower Sword Venerable again.
“We should also keep in mind the possibility of other powerful enemies arriving as reinforcements.”
If the opponent was someone who made even Geom Mu-geuk tense, they surely had formidable subordinates or the means to call upon other foes.
“They might try to flush him out like a cornered animal.”
He meant they could trap Geom Mu-geuk underground and then swarm him with numbers.
The One Flower Sword Venerable replied respectfully to the Fist Demon’s concern.
“I will prepare for that as well.”
She knew that the Fist Demon wasn’t just a man with a terrifying face. He was a veteran who had weathered all sorts of storms in the Murim alongside the Cult Leader since his youth. In an urgent situation, his judgment was to be trusted.
Only after finishing his conversation with the One Flower Sword Venerable did the Fist Demon check on his daughter.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“No, I’m fine.”
The One Flower Sword Venerable stepped aside to allow the father and daughter to speak privately.
“Then I shall head inside first.”
Lee An quickly spoke to her.
“Sword Venerable, if there is anything uncomfortable or if you need anything done, please let me know.”
“I will.”
Before turning away, the One Flower Sword Venerable added one more thing.
“Captain Lee, you’ve made a breakthrough in your martial arts, haven’t you?”
As expected, the One Flower Sword Venerable recognized Lee An’s progress. There was no way she would fail to notice the changes in Lee An, who had reached the Great Achievement of the Flying Heaven Sword Technique and seen a significant increase in her internal energy.
“I was lucky.”
“Congratulations. It is a remarkable achievement for your age. Even I hadn’t reached this level when I was your age.”
“You flatter me, Senior.”
Lee An bowed politely with a fist salute. She didn’t want to miss this golden opportunity of meeting the Sword Venerable.
“I still have so much to learn. If you have the time, I would be truly grateful if you could give me even a brief lesson.”
It was a difficult request to make, but the One Flower Sword Venerable accepted it readily.
“I would like nothing more.”
The One Flower Sword Venerable wasn’t just being polite; she meant it. She knew well that the enlightenment gained from teaching was as great as the enlightenment gained from learning. In that regard, there was no better student than Lee An, who was still thirsty for training.
The One Flower Sword Venerable walked toward the building. As she walked down the hallway, she saw the Fist Demon and Lee An talking in the distance through a window. Her gaze lingered on the smiling Fist Demon.
Is he really that happy?
Had she ever seen the Fist Demon make such an expression during their time active as Demon Lords? Even on the journey here, she hadn't seen him smile once.
Suddenly, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon came to her mind. Though he now doted on Geom Mu-geuk like a son, there had been a fated moment when he, too, could have had a child of his own. And the same was true for her.
She didn't regret it. She had lived believing that her choices back then were for the best. However, seeing the smile on the Fist Demon’s face—a sight rarer than a Moon Shadow Herb—she couldn't help but wonder what it would have been like to live a different life just once.
*
The mechanism reached the underground level. When the door opened, a young man was waiting for them.
“You’ve arrived?”
The man, who greeted the Sword King respectfully, glanced at Geom Mu-geuk.
“Take charge of the newcomer.”
At the Sword King’s words, a flash of welcome crossed the man’s face, but it quickly turned into disappointment.
“Is it only one person this time?”
“Is he not enough?”
“No, it’s not that.”
They had rested for a while, but everyone was exhausted. He had expected at least five or six people to be brought down this time.
The Sword King took off his shoe and playfully smacked the man’s backside with it.
“Wipe that look off your face! He’s just one man, but he’s worth a hundred.”
Upon arriving, the Sword King took off his shoes first.
“The terrain is so rugged that shoes wear out in the blink of an eye.”
After hooking his shoes to his waist, the Sword King took the lead. Doubt flickered in the man’s eyes as he looked at Geom Mu-geuk.
You’re really worth a hundred men?
This handsome fellow before him looked far too refined for the grueling work of this place. The man turned and followed the Sword King.
“You must step exactly where I step. One wrong move and you’re dead!”
The path leading inside was incredibly complex. They had to pass through areas where mechanisms had been dismantled, and the floor tiles they had to step on changed frantically from yellow to red to blue.
“Don’t even think about trying to get out on your own.”
The man was certain that no one could memorize the path after following it just once, but in reality, an accurate map was already being drawn in Mu-geuk’s mind. Since he might need to escape at any moment, Mu-geuk focused all his effort on memorizing the route.
The place was truly dangerous. It was filled with mechanisms that hadn't been fully dismantled, and blades jutted out from every direction.
“You have to jump across to that side in one go. Can you do it?”
“Wait a moment. Let me catch my breath.”
Mu-geuk feigned exhaustion. He wanted to talk to the man for a bit.
“My name is Geom Yeon.”
“I’m Hong-in.”
Hong-in asked Mu-geuk with a somewhat pitying look.
“What kind of money do you need so badly that you came down here?”
“I... I came because of the Instructor.”
“The Instructor? You mean the Big Brother?”
The Sword King was being called "Big Brother" by these men. It made sense; he probably hadn't taught them before, so he wouldn't have been their instructor. Big Brother. From that title, Mu-geuk could guess how the Sword King treated them.
“He has a certain way of drawing people in.”
Hong-in nodded as if he related to that.
“Still, you wouldn't have come if he said he wouldn't pay you, right?”
Mu-geuk readily admitted it, seeing the look in Hong-in's eyes that said don't pretend you're here for any reason other than money.
“You’re right. It’s for the money.”
“Alright, jump.”
With an I thought so expression, Hong-in leaped lightly. Mu-geuk followed suit.
“You jump just fine! Stop complaining!”
Hong-in led the way again. Mu-geuk realized that there were far more mechanisms installed than he had initially thought. Many lives must have been sacrificed in the process of breaking through this place.
Eventually, the two arrived at a wide open space. The workers were gathered around the Sword King, who had arrived first. Their gazes naturally fell upon Mu-geuk—wary eyes sizing up the newcomer.
Mu-geuk observed them carefully as well. First of all, they were exhausted. Fatigue radiated from their entire bodies. Yet, there was passion and heat in their eyes. Since they were all people who had come voluntarily to earn money, they were all dreamers.
However, Mu-geuk read something else in them as well.
It was madness.
These young men were enduring this suffocating place, this perilous environment where their comrades were dying, thinking only of money. How could they endure without going mad? They likely thought they were holding up well, but Mu-geuk could feel that the light in their eyes was not normal. Since they were all gathered together, they probably couldn't tell what state they were in.
Mu-geuk looked at the Sword King.
Do you not see that exhausted madness in them?
Was he pretending not to see it for the sake of his goal, or was he also unable to feel it because he was one of them?
Mu-geuk greeted them loudly and brightly.
“I’m Geom Yeon, a newcomer from the White Dragon Unit. I look forward to working with you!”
The mention of the White Dragon Unit caused a stir. It was the first time someone from that unit had come down here. Despite the Sword King’s presence, one worker couldn't help but ask.
“How did someone from the White Dragon Unit end up here?”
“Well, doesn't that just show how smart and strong I am? Ah, are you asking why such a talented person joined the White Dragon Unit in the first place?”
Mu-geuk remained relaxed despite the focused stares.
“There were circumstances.”
“What circumstances?”
“When a man makes a choice that defies logic, what other reason could there be? It was a woman problem.”
At that moment, several workers laughed. Some laughed because it was absurd, others out of relatability. It was the first time he saw their expressions soften. When they laughed like that, they looked just like the workers above ground.
In any case, since the Sword King had brought him and he was talking so boldly in the Sword King’s presence, they figured he wasn't trying to deceive them.
“Where do I sleep? Where’s my spot? Ah, I came down in such a hurry that I couldn't pack anything.”
The Sword King didn't order a subordinate but stepped forward to show him around himself.
“Follow me.”
The Sword King first took him to the sleeping quarters. A large room had been carved out of the wall, and rows of shabby wooden cots were lined up. It seemed everyone was equal here; there were no better or worse spots.
“The cots are too small and hard.”
Mu-geuk sat on a cot and bounced his backside.
“If it’s too comfortable, you’ll just have too many distracting thoughts.”
“Isn't that just what the employer thinks?”
“I sleep here too.”
“That doesn't make it okay for it to be uncomfortable.”
The Sword King stared at Mu-geuk and gave another reason.
“Thanks to this, they’ve become much stronger.”
“Ah! Then I should lie down.”
Mu-geuk flopped onto the cot. The Sword King stood beside him, looking down. Mu-geuk lay there, silently staring up at the ceiling.
“As expected, I already feel suffocated now that I’m underground.”
The Sword King began walking again, and Mu-geuk followed. He had to be careful even while walking. Blades jutted out in various places within the living area. He felt they had been left there as a reminder never to let one's guard down.
Trickle, trickle.
Following the sound of water, they reached a place where groundwater flowed down.
“If you want to wash, you can do it here.”
The Sword King took out basic necessities from a wooden box in the corner and handed them over. He knew every nook and cranny of this place.
The last place he led him to was where the excavation had been halted. An iron wall blocked the path inside the cave. The Sword King had described it as digging into the ground, but more accurately, it was a task of digging through this iron wall. The wall was covered in mysterious characters and patterns, giving off an inexplicably dangerous aura.
“This is the final gate.”
“How do you know it’s the last one?”
“Because I’ve done enough. Because I don't want to do any more.”
It was a joke laced with sincerity, and Mu-geuk laughed out loud. Mu-geuk, who had been silently staring at the iron wall, placed his palm against it. A cold energy seemed to warn him.
Do not enter any further.
This wall wouldn't be the end of it. A dangerous final trial would be waiting.
What lies at the end?
The Sword King had said he could become stronger here. Just what was in there?
“Who built this place?”
“I don't know either. I only know it was built a very long time ago. But I am certain that there is an ultimate divine art and immense treasure inside.”
But you don't want those things, do you? You're the kind of person who gives me a fortune like three hundred thousand taels without hesitation.
Mu-geuk turned his back to the iron wall.
“Now that we’re here, please tell me. Why do you need me? It’s not like I have some special talent for breaking through this gate.”
The Sword King’s answer was unexpected.
“To be honest, I’m tired too. This final gate will be truly dangerous. There will be many casualties.”
He didn't say anything more, as if that was all. Mu-geuk asked in surprise.
“Are you telling me to protect the workers?”
Surprisingly, the Sword King nodded.
“I won’t be enough on my own. That’s one of the biggest reasons I called you.”
As if he had said everything he needed to, the Sword King turned and walked away. Then, Mu-geuk asked from behind.
“Do you really intend to let these workers live?”
The Sword King’s footsteps stopped.
“When the secret vault containing the ultimate divine art and all sorts of treasures is opened, the workers will see it too. Of course, since you are here, Instructor, they won’t dare be greedy. But once they return to the world, they will eventually spread rumors. That the Instructor claimed the ultimate divine art and treasures here. That they were there to see it.”
The Sword King replied.
“What of it?”
Indeed, if it was the Sword King he had seen so far, he might truly not care. What if they spread rumors? He possessed the strength to ensure no one could take anything from him.
However, there was a reason Mu-geuk brought this up. Before his regression, there had never been a rumor that such a treasure had been discovered. He had never heard that a worker from a martial arts hall had spread such a rumor. Did all these people really keep the secret?
Or did you kill them all?
The Sword King turned toward Mu-geuk.
“So? Are you suggesting I should kill them all to silence the witnesses?”
“Wouldn't that be cleaner?”
Terrifying words were exchanged, but instead, the taut tension between the two vanished.
“Then you take care of that task as well.”
The Sword King laughed, and Mu-geuk laughed along.
“I was joking. You know my reputation.”
The Sword King stared at Mu-geuk and said.
“Yes, if it’s the Young Cult Leader from the rumors, he would save those children.”
Their gazes locked in the air. How much of it was truth, and how much was a lie? Mu-geuk felt that as long as the man stood barefoot before him, and until they went beyond this wall to the very end, he wouldn't be able to find the answer.
Mu-geuk turned back to the iron wall and this time, he quietly pressed his ear against it.
“Do you hear something?”
“I do.”
The Sword King asked in surprise.
“What do you hear?”
“It says that if we want to get the job done safely...”
Mu-geuk even closed his eyes tightly, concentrating his mind.
“...we need a good bed and soft bedding.”