Chapter 746: Shall We Go Find the Treasure?
Chapter 746: Shall We Go Find the Treasure?
A new star shone brilliantly, completing yet another constellation.
"Haa..."
A long sigh escaped the lips of Ga Ye, the Divine Maiden Palace Master, as she gazed up at the ceiling. Centered around the largest star in the middle, several surrounding constellations were now fully illuminated.
"The speed at which he is breaking the seal is increasing," reported Hwa Mu-gyeong, the Dark Palace Master. He stood behind her, his eyes trembling slightly. "At this rate, he will break the 72 Star Soul-Sealing Formation and emerge much sooner than expected."
Ga Ye remained still, silently staring at the ceiling. The deep, layered wrinkles on her face served as a perfect mask for her emotions. Faint traces of dark energy swirled around her, making it impossible to guess her thoughts.
Left with no choice, Hwa Mu-gyeong asked her directly, "Are you not afraid, Palace Master?"
"I am afraid."
Her voice, resonating like the toll of an ancient bell, spoke the truth.
Hwa Mu-gyeong knew. He knew that the person trapped inside that seal was the only person in the world the Divine Maiden Palace Master truly feared. That was why their plan for the Sword Tomb had to succeed.
"This is our last chance. Can he handle the Young Cult Leader alone? Especially when the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the One Flower Sword Venerable are with him?"
In response to Ga Ye’s concern, Hwa Mu-gyeong said something unexpected. "He is not alone."
Ga Ye’s eyes sparkled. "Who did you send?"
"Someone thoroughly trustworthy."
There was one more crucial fact.
"He has completed the song."
"!" Ga Ye’s voice trembled. "How? He was still a long way from reaching Great Achievement, wasn't he?"
Hwa Mu-gyeong revealed the startling truth. "I gave him the Heavenly Will Divine Pill."
Ga Ye gasped. The Heavenly Will Divine Pill was the supreme elixir of the Heavenly Will Palace—a treasure the Dark Palace Master had been hoarding for his own use at the most critical moment of his life.
He had decided that this was that moment.
"We will recover all of the Six Paths Primordial Energy. The Young Cult Leader dies this time."
*
"The entrance to the Sword Tomb is through an underwater cave hidden beneath the pond."
Tae-su’s voice trembled as he revealed the location. He was terrified. Now that he had played his final card, his life was naturally in jeopardy. Paralyzed by fear, he didn't even dare to test Geom Mu-geuk with words.
Of course, Geom Mu-geuk wasn't about to miss an opportunity to tease the nervous man.
"I have no use for you anymore, then."
As Mu-geuk stared at him with a cold gaze, Tae-su flinched before trying to muster some bravado. "Are you so sure I told you the real location?"
"If it's not the pond on the left, I'll just check the one on the right."
"What if it's not even on this mountain?"
"Not this mountain?"
When Mu-geuk asked so bluntly, Tae-su was momentarily speechless. He had observed Mu-geuk throughout their journey. Would lying even work at this point? Tae-su let out a defeated sigh instead of answering.
"I'll bury you in a sunny spot by the pond," Mu-geuk added.
"No, bury me somewhere else. If I'm lying there looking at the pond, I'll just regret it every day. I'll be thinking about how I should have run away when I had the chance."
The playfulness vanished from Geom Mu-geuk’s face. "I'll give you a chance right now so you won't have to regret it."
As Mu-geuk’s expression turned serious, Tae-su grew tense.
"Think carefully before you decide. You know well enough that even if I don't kill you, there's a high risk of dying in that place, right? You can leave now. If you want to go, I'll let you."
Tae-su fell into deep thought. If he left now, he could certainly save his life. He had survived even after touching a treasure map he should never have laid hands on; this was already a decent outcome. He could live if he just let go of his greed. Leaving while he was being allowed to would be the wise choice, but...
"I... I want to stay until the end."
For once, he had a reason to see things through.
The choice wasn't given only to him. Geom Mu-geuk turned to Ji Han. "And you? You don't need to take unnecessary risks. You can wait for me in the village at the foot of the mountain."
Ji Han answered immediately, as if he had already made up his mind. "How can I stay in safety while my Lord is in danger? I also wish to serve you until the end. However, please promise me one thing."
"What promise?"
"Please treat me as if I'm not there. Even if I fall into danger, you don't need to save me. You don't even have to look my way."
He said this out of concern that his inferior martial arts would make him a burden. His skills weren't actually something to be ashamed of elsewhere, but because Geom Mu-geuk’s strength was so overwhelming, such worries arose naturally.
"I wasn't planning on paying attention anyway, but now that you've said that, I'm going to be worried."
"Ah! I didn't mean it like that!"
After enjoying Ji Han’s flustered reaction, Geom Mu-geuk spoke more gently. "Do not expect my help. I will help if I have the leeway, but when things get urgent, you must survive on your own."
"That is only right. I will never be a nuisance."
Seeing the resolve to face death in the man's eyes, Geom Mu-geuk offered a word of reassurance. "You don't need to worry about that while you're with me. If an enemy is strong enough that I can't protect you, they're an enemy I couldn't beat even if I fought alone."
Ji Han was truly grateful. He didn't know what role he would play in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult in the future, but he knew this would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience—accompanying the Young Cult Leader and two Demon Lords. He didn't want to give up on this moment just because he was afraid.
Geom Mu-geuk gave orders to Tae-su and Ji Han. "The two of you, go to the village right now, get a room, and leave the carriage. Wait, take this luggage down first."
Geom Mu-geuk grabbed his leather pouch from the carriage.
Seeing this, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon asked, "You're not planning on carrying that yourself, are you?"
"I have to. There might be a reason for you two to sleep there."
"We're fine."
"Well, I'm not. When you're away from home, you have to be particular about where you sleep."
Once the pouch was unloaded, Ji Han and Tae-su took the carriage toward the village. Now, only Geom Mu-geuk and the two Demon Lords remained. Mu-geuk took a small piece of leather from his pouch and spread it over a rock.
"Please, sit here."
The two sat side by side. Despite the circumstances, the soft leather was surprisingly comfortable.
Just then, the sound of clashing weapons drifted down from the mountain. They had already seen martial artists flocking to Zhejiang on their way here. But the fact that they were converging specifically on Mt. Cheonmok out of the entire province meant someone was guiding them.
"This is a trap, isn't it?" the Blood Heaven Blade Demon asked.
Geom Mu-geuk nodded. "Yes, it seems so."
"Does setting a trap so openly even work?"
Geom Mu-geuk looked up toward the peak. "It's working, isn't it? Everyone has gathered just as planned."
The One Flower Sword Venerable, who had been quietly listening, asked, "Are those people behind the scenes involved in this as well?"
"I'm not certain yet, but I believe so."
While Mu-geuk only speculated, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon reached a conclusion. "If you think so, then it's definitely their doing."
Such was his trust in Mu-geuk’s judgment.
"Did you know this from the start?"
"I anticipated it might be the case. That's why I asked you to come along, Elder. If my guess is right, this might not be an easy fight."
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the One Flower Sword Venerable locked eyes.
"I suppose I should earn the cost of that elixir, shouldn't I?" the Blade Demon joked.
The One Flower Sword Venerable replied with a smile. "We'll have to earn it in full. It shows on our faces, after all—both yours and mine."
A smile naturally formed on the Blood Heaven Blade Demon's lips. The massive increase in internal energy was one thing, but these days, nothing made him feel better than being told he looked younger.
In the meantime, Ji Han and Tae-su returned.
"Martial artists are arriving one after another as we speak," Ji Han reported.
It seemed the rumors had been spread effectively.
"Well then," Mu-geuk said, "shall we go find the treasure?"
With Geom Mu-geuk in the lead, they began to ascend Mt. Cheonmok.
As the sounds of fighting echoed from all around, Tae-su whispered, "The treasure map said Mt. Cheonmok, but the fact that the entrance is through the pond on the western peak could only be known by deciphering the code. I could solve it because my father trained me in code-breaking since I was a child, but others won't find it so easy."
They climbed for some time until they reached a large clearing halfway up the mountain. A massive battle was taking place. It wasn't just a skirmish; people were being skewered by blades and dying in rapid succession.
"Hand over the treasure map!"
Surprisingly, even here, the catalyst was the map.
"I told you I don't have it!"
"That guy has it! Get him!"
"That's a lie!"
It was pure pandemonium. They killed to search corpses for the map, and others framed innocent people just to incite chaos. It was clear that most of them had been swept up by rumors without even knowing if the entrance to the Sword Tomb was actually here.
However, the true masters did not join the fray. They stood far back, observing the carnage. Geom Mu-geuk’s group also stayed at a distance, waiting for the fighting to settle.
As the killing continued, a voice infused with powerful internal energy boomed across the clearing.
"Everyone, stop fighting! I will lead you all to the Sword Tomb!"
At those words, the combatants froze and backed away. Lead them to the Sword Tomb? To think someone would make such a claim in this den of vipers.
Every startled gaze turned toward the speaker. Geom Mu-geuk, the Demon Lords, Ji Han, and Tae-su all looked over in surprise.
The man who offered to lead them wore a mask made of iron. Because of the metal, his voice sounded distorted and peculiar, making it impossible to guess his age.
"How do you plan to lead us there? Do you even have the map?"
As if expecting the question, the man in the iron mask pulled a scroll from his robes. "Indeed. I have the treasure map to the Sword Tomb."
Greedy killing intent flared in the eyes of the crowd. In the next moment, the man spread the map out for everyone to see.
"Now, look, all of you, and stop this useless fighting."
The martial artists crowded forward. They wanted to snatch it and run, but the unique aura and sheer composure radiating from the man in the iron mask held them back. The location on the map was indeed Mt. Cheonmok, but the exact spot was obscured by unknown characters and numbers.
"As you can see, the exact entrance is in code. Even if you were to steal this, you wouldn't be able to find the way."
Then, someone shouted, "How can we trust that your map is real?"
"The map is real. I have already deciphered the code and discovered the entrance."
The martial artists began to murmur.
"And yet you're going to take us there? Just like that?"
"I am."
Naturally, they didn't believe him. "Ridiculous. You expect us to believe that? You should be killing everyone to keep the treasure for yourself. Why share it?"
The man in the iron mask revealed his reason. "Because I cannot break through the entrance alone. That place requires several people to work together. It is a path that can never be traversed by one person."
Someone in the crowd asked, "Who are you?"
"Rumors will eventually spread that someone obtained the treasure. Is there anyone here who wants to reveal their identity first? If so, step forward. Then I will reveal mine."
Silence followed. No one wanted to be identified.
Then, another man stepped forward. "This is a trap."
This newcomer was a middle-aged martial artist with a jagged sword scar running from his forehead to his chin—a face one could never forget.
"Why is it a trap?" the Iron Mask asked.
The scarred man pulled a scroll from his own robes and spread it before the crowd. "Because there is a treasure map here as well."
Those nearby checked the contents and gasped. "It's the exact same map!"
Indeed, it was identical to the one the man in the iron mask had shown. Not a single character was different.
The scarred man turned to the crowd. "What would be the reason for making multiple identical maps? Is this not a conspiracy to lure us all here and slaughter us?"
The martial artists murmured in agitation. With two maps appearing, the situation was undeniably suspicious.
Then, the man in the iron mask asked loudly, "So? Are you not going in?"
He understood their desires better than anyone.
"Whether there are two maps, three, or even ten circulating, are you going to just leave without checking the place? If so, leave right now. Anyone who thinks it's a trap, get out."
It was highly likely to be a trap. But no one moved. What if it was real? Couldn't someone have just made copies? What if they left and those who stayed claimed the treasures of the Sword Tomb? That was a thought they couldn't endure.
Someone shouted, "Someone must have made two maps to make us think it's a trap so we wouldn't go!"
The crowd erupted.
"I'm not leaving! Take me with you!"
"I'll go too!"
"We're following you!"
They didn't even know who the man behind the mask was, but they were blinded by greed.
The man in the iron mask looked at the scarred martial artist. "If you think it's a trap, why aren't you leaving?"
The scarred man said nothing, but he did not retreat.
Watching this, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon narrowed his eyes. "That fellow is suspicious."
Geom Mu-geuk looked at the scarred man who had warned them. "If you look at it that way, that man is suspicious too."
"Why?"
"The one trying to lead everyone is obvious, but why did that man go out of his way to try and stop them? It feels staged."
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon nodded, seeing the logic.
Geom Mu-geuk scanned the sea of faces and whispered, "Our enemy is definitely among them."
It was right then that Ji Han inhaled sharply, a look of shock crossing his face.
"I smell something."