Chapter 730: Shall We Do It Here?
Chapter 730: Shall We Do It Here?
“How long will it take to break the seal?”
At Hwa Mu-gyeong’s question, Ga Ye looked up at the stars etched into the ceiling. A single constellation had been completed, and the stars within it no longer pulsed; they burned with a steady, ominous light.
“I cannot say. I have never heard of anyone breaking the 72 Star Soul-Sealing Formation through their own strength.”
If the person trapped inside were anyone else, she would have declared it impossible. But this was him—the one who had already awakened from this very seal once before.
“It could take a few months at the earliest, or several years at the latest. You must prepare a countermeasure immediately.”
Fear trembled in her voice. The dread that everyone would perish the moment he awakened had dominated her mind for a long time.
Hwa Mu-gyeong, on the other hand, remained unnervingly calm. Though he had been incredulous when he first learned the man had awakened, now that it was a certainty, his course of action was set.
“We don’t have much time.”
And in the time they were allotted, there was only one thing to do.
“We have one last chance. If we can retrieve the Six Paths Primordial Energy before the seal is fully broken, we will be able to control him.”
Hwa Mu-gyeong immediately called out.
“Hwi!”
A black circle manifested on the floor, and the man in black reappeared.
“Go and deliver the word. They must retrieve the energy at all costs.”
“By your command!”
The man in black vanished into the shadows of the floor.
Ga Ye looked up at the ceiling again. In her mind’s eye, she saw the image of every star in that constellation lighting up one by one.
“I am afraid.”
At her honest confession, Hwa Mu-gyeong walked slowly toward the secret casket placed in the corner. He reached out and gently caressed it, the back of his withered hand thick with wrinkles.
Deep regret filled his eyes as he gazed at the casket. He seemed to have much to say, but as always, that regret did not pass his lips; instead, it seemed to seep into the deep furrows of his skin.
“I like that honesty of yours. You show surprise when startled, and you admit when you are afraid. You lack the hypocrisy of your predecessors.”
The darkness that had scattered in fear gathered around Hwa Mu-gyeong once more. As if sensing its master’s mood, the shadows no longer played around. Instead, they settled around him like a deep, chilling void.
“Yes, you should do it while trembling. After all, we are talking about seizing the Murim.”
*
Geom Mu-geuk stood looking up at a plaque.
Eun-wol.
Looking at the sign evoked only one emotion in him: guilt. He knew better than anyone how hard Go Wol had worked to establish this building within the headquarters of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
That was why the Pungcheon Cult Leader’s nagging regarding Go Wol was more appreciated than any other words. It served as a constant reminder never to forget Go Wol’s contributions.
Geom Mu-geuk stepped inside. There were no warriors guarding the entrance. Instead, the walls on both sides of the corridor were lined with top-tier mechanical traps. When he had first introduced this place to Go Wol, they hadn't been functional, but now they were fully operational.
After passing through the long, trap-laden corridor, he finally reached the operations room.
“Welcome, Young Cult Leader.”
Go Wol greeted Geom Mu-geuk with a polite bow.
“You look better than the last time I saw you.”
“I have someone who looks after my health more diligently than I do myself, after all.”
He was referring to the Pungcheon Cult Leader’s overbearing care.
“How has the Pungcheon Cult Leader been lately?”
“He’s been busy trying to lose his belly fat. He pestered me every day to let him know immediately if I find any information on a martial art that helps with weight loss. He even said he wouldn't mind if it was a demonic art.”
Geom Mu-geuk chuckled, knowing that was likely the literal truth.
“Now, please, take a look around.”
The operations room was a hive of activity. Information from all over the Central Plains arrived through dozens of chutes in the walls, where it was immediately categorized. It truly felt like a miniature version of the Tongcheon Pavilion.
“There’s a place I need to inspect.”
Geom Mu-geuk opened a door inside Go Wol’s office. It was a space intended for Go Wol to rest, containing nothing but a single bed.
“Aha! I knew it.”
Stacks of books and documents were piled next to the bed. A flustered Go Wol tried to make an excuse.
“Those are just things I look at when I can’t sleep.”
“In that case, just keep your eyes closed.”
Geom Mu-geuk carried all the documents out of the room.
“This is an order now.”
“Yes! I will certainly obey.”
Whose order would he dare defy?
After touring Eun-wol, Go Wol showed him the materials he had prepared in advance.
“These are the major incidents that have occurred in the Murim while you were at Daecheon Mountain.”
Geom Mu-geuk slowly read through the records Go Wol had compiled. The masterminds had tried to capture him using the energy of the red moon but had failed. They were undoubtedly plotting a new conspiracy, so there was bound to be a trace of them among these incidents.
“Is there anything particularly noteworthy lately?”
“Yes, there is one incident of note.”
“What is it?”
“Have you perhaps heard of the Sword Tomb?”
Geom Mu-geuk nodded. In the current Murim, there was only one Sword Tomb of any significance.
“Isn't that the place where masters of the previous generation gathered to fight and ultimately all perished?”
“Correct. It became famous when rumors spread that the masters fought over treasures and artifacts so valuable they were worth risking their lives for.”
Geom Mu-geuk had actually entered that place in his life before the regression. Of course, it hadn't been for the treasures, but to find someone who had gone inside.
“Recently, rumors have been circulating that a treasure map indicating the location of the Sword Tomb has been discovered. The movements within the Murim are unusual; there have already been numerous casualties from the scramble to claim it.”
Geom Mu-geuk’s eyes sharpened. The timing of the Sword Tomb’s appearance was wrong. In his past life, the Sword Tomb had appeared much later, inciting a bloodbath across the Murim.
The Sword Tomb is opening now?
Go Wol read the gravity in Geom Mu-geuk’s expression. “Is something weighing on your mind?”
The timeline for such a major event had been moved up significantly. It could be related to the masterminds, and even if it wasn't, it was certainly an event that demanded attention.
“Investigate this under the assumption that it is related to them.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Go Wol didn't question him. Through his experience handling information, he had seen just how many different ways those people plotted their conspiracies.
“Here, distribute this to the strategists.”
Geom Mu-geuk pulled a stack of envelopes from his robe. Inside were bank notes for a considerable sum.
“There’s nothing like this for boosting morale.”
Geom Mu-geuk spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear and held the envelopes high. The strategists and staff members working in the room broke into bright smiles.
“They say a person’s lifespan shortens by the amount of time they spend sitting. Everyone, make sure to stand up often and get plenty of sleep.”
With that, Geom Mu-geuk bid farewell to the staff of Eun-wol and stepped out. Go Wol followed him to the entrance.
“Thank you truly for your concern.”
Before leaving, Geom Mu-geuk gave Go Wol a separate piece of advice, knowing how he always overextended himself.
“Your health is the most important thing. If your health fails, the tens of thousands of pieces of information gathered here will be worth less than the simplest fact that everyone in the world knows.”
Geom Mu-geuk emphasized that one point.
“Health is everything.”
*
After leaving Eun-wol, Geom Mu-geuk headed to the residence of the One Flower Sword Venerable.
“Sword Venerable.”
The door of the hermitage hut opened, and Geum Sa-yeon stepped out.
“Young Cult Leader, welcome.”
“It’s been a while, but your beauty remains as radiant as ever, Sword Venerable.”
“It feels quite good to hear your flattery after so long.” Since she no longer placed any importance on her appearance, she spoke with ease. “Please come by often and offer me some empty words.”
“Of course, I’ll come every day to do so. And they aren't empty words!”
The two laughed together.
“Shouldn't you check how hard I’ve been training?”
At that, the One Flower Sword Venerable made an unexpected suggestion.
“Shall we do it here?”
She meant to have their duel right here in the courtyard, rather than at the training ground. Geom Mu-geuk looked around. There were rows of flowerpots with blooming flowers and several jars containing food. On a laundry line stretched across the yard, her snow-white robes fluttered in the breeze.
She was suggesting a duel where nothing was to be broken—a proposal for a higher level of sparring than they had ever attempted.
“Fine by me.”
Naturally, Geom Mu-geuk accepted readily. The two drew their swords simultaneously. Just from his stance, the One Flower Sword Venerable could tell the results of his training at Daecheon Mountain.
With swords drawn, the two began to move slowly. As they circled each other with the hanging laundry between them, a gust of wind blew, causing the clothes to flutter.
Swish!
Geom Mu-geuk’s sword lunged through the fluttering fabric.
Clang!
The One Flower Sword Venerable quickly swung her sword to parry the strike. It was a strike delivered without internal energy, yet it was heavy. Incredibly heavy.
The momentum carried by his sword has changed.
Swoosh!
This time, her sword grazed the laundry line as it lunged forward.
Clang!
Geom Mu-geuk also realized that the momentum behind her sword was incomparable to before.
Clang! Ching!
The Black Demonic Sword and the One Flower Sword crossed rapidly amidst the laundry. The swords clashed with perilous intensity, yet neither the clothes nor the laundry line were torn. The white robes merely fluttered in the wind generated by the blades.
They continued to exchange blows as they moved. Though it wasn't a duel of overwhelming force and pressure like before, it was far more tense and dangerous.
Their swords crossed in front of a stack of firewood in the corner. A log that hadn't been split yet flew into the air. Their swords lunged at each other with the log between them.
Thud, thud, thud.
The log fell to the ground, perfectly split into firewood. It wasn't a game to see who could make firewood while attacking; splitting the wood was a given condition they both understood without speaking. Within that condition, they exchanged truly lethal moves. It was a feast of swordsmanship unfolding within perfectly restrained movements.
They leaped off the flowers in the pots, yet not a single petal fell. When they landed on the roof, they made no sound at all. They sparred using only basic swordsmanship without employing their signature techniques, yet this duel was far more perilous than a battle where Sword Qi and Sword Force ran rampant.
Whoosh.
After completing a full circuit of the courtyard, the two returned to their original positions. The surrounding objects were exactly as they had been before the duel. Nothing was broken; there wasn't even a scratch from a blade.
“Thank you truly for the lesson.”
At Geom Mu-geuk’s polite bow, the One Flower Sword Venerable returned the gesture with a formal fist salute.
“Congratulations on reaching the Great Achievement of the Nine Calamities Demonic Art.”
She showed her respect to the technique before acknowledging Geom Mu-geuk himself.
“How did you know?”
The way she realized he had reached the Great Achievement was different from Geom Wu-jin or the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
“In the past, I could feel you hiding your true skill. I felt that you were trying to protect me.”
The One Flower Sword Venerable was surprised by her own heart, realizing she felt no blow to her pride while saying this.
“But just now, that feeling was gone. I felt that you were giving your best.”
“Doesn't that mean my skill has actually decreased?”
“No. It means you have reached a realm where you can fight with your full strength without harming me.”
This time, she offered a fist salute while still holding her sword.
“I am very grateful for this duel.”
She sensed that this spar had a profound impact on her and would be a great help in advancing to the next realm. She was amazed—to see the Great Achievement of the Nine Calamities Demonic Art twice in one generation... When was the last time she had seen the Cult Leader smile after reaching that same stage?
“I also learned a great deal. Thank you, Sword Venerable.”
Having finished their duel, the two sat side-by-side on a small wooden bench in the yard and drank tea.
“By the way, I intend to leave the Cult tomorrow.”
“Where are you going?”
The name he had heard once today escaped her lips. “I heard the Sword Tomb has appeared in the Murim.”
Geom Mu-geuk looked at her. She was staring into her teacup.
“As someone who lives by the sword, shouldn't I go and take a look?”
She likely wasn't going out of greed for the treasures. She didn't seem like the type to get involved in such matters.
Geom Mu-geuk asked tentatively, “Would it be alright if I came along?”
The One Flower Sword Venerable looked surprised. “You?”
“I want to go with you, Sword Venerable. Am I not also a man of the sword?”
She nodded readily. “I would like that. In fact, it’s something I would have liked to ask of you. But you only just returned from Daecheon Mountain; are you alright?”
“Didn't I just confirm it? To my frustration, the Cult runs perfectly well even without me.”
At those words, the One Flower Sword Venerable laughed pleasantly.
“I shall see you at dawn, then.”
*
At dawn the next day, Geom Mu-geuk and the One Flower Sword Venerable met at the main gate of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. Geom Mu-geuk was carrying a leather pouch stuffed full of luggage.
Who in the world would believe it? That the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was leaving the headquarters carrying such a heavy load. He was a man who could have anything in the world just by stepping out with a single sword.
“Let’s go.”
“Wait a moment.” Geom Mu-geuk bowed his head deeply to the One Flower Sword Venerable. “I must apologize in advance.”
“Why? Can you not go with me?” She thought he had to go somewhere else, which was why he had so much luggage.
“No. It’s the opposite. I’ve already stirred up a bit of trouble, and I’m apologizing for it now.”
Just as she was wearing a look of confusion, the "trouble" Geom Mu-geuk mentioned walked toward them.
Approaching with a grumpy, grumbling face was the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, carrying a massive great blade on his back.
“Where the hell are we supposed to be going this early in the morning?”