Chapter 88: True Intent (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 88: True Intent (1)
The Emperor’s back trembled as the blade of the Namcheon Iron Sword pressed against his neck.
A shaky voice escaped the mouth that had been so full of arrogance just moments ago.
“You... just what are you...?”
How could he have anticipated this? Even with the combined attack of three masters—one of the Twelve Peaks of the World and two others who had crossed the wall to reach a similar level—this man had still managed to take his back.
“Your Majesty!”
“You bastard!”
Ghostly Bow Chosa and Wondrous Moon Yang Myeongshin could not contain their fury.
I warned them once more.
“I believe I told you not to move.”
With those words, I slowly pressed the blade closer to the Emperor’s throat.
If I applied even a little more strength, the edge would bite into his flesh.
It was a strange sensation, holding the sword like this.
The life of the Golden Emperor—the man known as the worst tyrant in history, the one who had tried to wipe out the martial world—was now resting in the palm of my hand.
...That’s true.
If I did, the future would be completely rewritten.
If the ripple effect became too great, in the worst-case scenario, my very existence might vanish.
Of course, how could a mere individual like me understand the vast flow of the world? Regardless, I had to minimize any impact on the future.
‘I have to leave him be until he dies of illness.’
It was a pity, but I had to settle for achieving my immediate goals.
First, I needed to find out where Jagyeongjeong was and recover the Dharma Tool kept here.
The Dharma Tool was likely in the Emperor’s possession.
There was no way he would have handed something known as an ancient treasure to anyone else.
At the Namcheon Iron Sword’s question, I looked at the guard whose face was hidden by a black veil.
Even though he wasn't a man of the martial world, his martial prowess was in no way inferior to the masters of the Twelve Peaks of the World.
In fact, he might even be slightly superior.
It was truly regrettable that I had to stop at merely extracting information.
Just then, the Emperor, his back still trembling, spoke up.
“If you stop now, I shall ensure that your life, at the very least, is spared.”
He still showed the dignity befitting the Emperor of a nation.
Normally, most people wouldn't be able to stay calm with a sword at their throat.
I spoke to the Emperor in a soft tone.
“I should be the one saying that to Your Majesty. If you only answer the questions I ask, this will all pass quietly without incident.”
“How dare this wretch...”
“I told you to stay still. Didn't you tell me earlier not to move even a finger?”
At my words, Ghostly Bow Chosa, who had been moving his hand toward his quiver, froze.
Though they had been pushed back by the lightning sword technique, they were still the pinnacle of the current martial world, known as the Twelve Peaks of the World.
There was no telling what they would do if I showed even the slightest opening.
Since I didn't have much time, I decided to get straight to the point.
“Your Majesty, where is Jagyeongjeong?”
“...What do you intend to do with that information? Are you trying to catch him?”
“Yes. Didn't I already tell you?”
“It’s just that every word you say sounds like a lie.”
Was it because I said I wouldn't kill him if he answered well?
He was answering calmly, even throwing in a joke.
Was this the level of boldness one possessed by having the capacity of an Emperor?
Ssh!
As the blade touched his skin, the Emperor flinched slightly.
Unlike before, I spoke with a voice thick with killing intent.
“The blade will feel exceptionally cold. That is because it is directly linked to Your Majesty’s life.”
I heard the sound of the Emperor swallowing hard.
It seemed he was finally starting to feel the tension.
“You...”
“The word ‘absolute’ does not exist in this world. Please consider every single word carefully before you speak.”
Drip!
Blood trickled down the Emperor’s neck.
Watching this, Wondrous Moon Yang Myeongshin’s face flushed with rage.
However, because the Emperor’s life was on the line, she couldn't move recklessly.
“.......”
The same went for the golden-eyed man standing behind them, his eyes covered by a black cloth.
Even with his eyes covered, he was frowning and staring intently at me.
He must be confused, realizing that I know he isn't actually blind.
“Now. Speak.”
“You want me to tell you Jagyeongjeong’s whereabouts?”
“Yes.”
“...I do not know.”
I frowned at the Emperor’s answer.
How could the man who had tried to enter the Fuse based on information provided by Jagyeongjeong, and who had even prepared defenses against me, not know his whereabouts?
“You don't expect me to believe that, do you?”
“Why would I, the one on the Dragon Throne, have any reason to lie when my life is at stake?”
I snorted at his words.
“Your Majesty seems to have stronger desires than anyone I’ve ever met. Can I really believe that such a person doesn't know the whereabouts of the man who tempted him?”
“You are a suspicious one.”
“It’s reasonable suspicion.”
“I cannot explain in detail what I do not know...”
Stab!
“Huk!”
The Emperor gasped in shock.
The blade had bitten deeper into his neck.
I smiled thinly and said to him, “Please do not force me to commit the crime of treason.”
“Th-this... if this isn't treason, then what is...?”
“It is merely a self-defense measure to protect myself. Whether that measure turns into something else depends entirely on Your Majesty’s answer.”
With that, I applied more pressure to the blade.
The Emperor shouted urgently, “Th-that man said he was going to hold the Mist Forest in place!”
‘!?’
I couldn't hide my bewilderment at those words.
‘Hold the Mist Forest in place?’
My mind was in a whirl.
The Fuse periodically moves through the flow of time and space.
Because it moves separately from the existing flow according to the 36 Celestial Scripture, it cannot stay in one place for long.
By now, the Fuse should have vanished from that spot.
I believed that, which was why I thought Jagyeongjeong had failed to predict the Fuse’s location.
But he went there to hold it in place?
“Is that true?”
“It is the truth. To confirm this, I had the Governor of Lightning follow and monitor Jagyeongjeong.”
What on earth was going on?
Does this mean Jagyeongjeong has gone to the Fuse right now?
‘Ha...’
He betrayed the Fuse and left on his own feet, claiming it was for the sake of the people’s livelihoods and whatnot.
But this audacious bastard went back to the Fuse just to hand the Dragon-Tiger Golden Pill—the elixir of longevity—to the Emperor?
Lesser Conversation Sword was right.
One can only enter the Fuse if their name is on the celestial register of the 36 Celestial Scripture.
The only reason I was able to enter the Fuse, albeit by chance, was because I had the spirit fragment of my master, the Sword Immortal.
Since he was expelled from it, he shouldn't be able to enter the Fuse on his own.
Unless...
As Lesser Conversation Sword said, Yeoyangseon had not been removed from the celestial register.
She could enter at any time.
This was an arrangement made by the Sword Immortal in case she ever escaped Jagyeongjeong’s grasp.
‘That damn bastard. Did he use his own junior sister?’
If that was the case, it was entirely possible.
But by what means could he hold the Fuse in place?
It might be possible if he destroyed the 36 Celestial Scripture, but because of what he did, the seven masters, excluding Great Immortal Jeongyang, take turns guarding it.
No matter how strong he is or what Dharma Tools he possesses, the situation is different inside the Fuse.
Great Immortal Jeongyang alone, who has reached the realm of immortals, would be enough to subdue him instantly.
‘What kind of nerve does he have?’
I couldn't understand it at all.
Regardless, it seemed I had to return quickly.
If he isn't here anyway, I have to stop him before he pulls any more stunts.
But before that...
“Your Majesty.”
“I-I told you the truth, didn't I?”
“You have a treasure you received from Jagyeongjeong, don't you?”
“That is...”
“That is a treasure of my sect. It is a very dangerous object, even for Your Majesty who rules a nation. So, please return it.”
I would recover the Dharma Tool and then head back.
‘Don't worry, Namcheon.’
I’ll check the Jonju’s face too.
At my words, the Namcheon Iron Sword fell silent.
When I applied pressure to the blade again, the Emperor spoke, trembling.
“I-I will give it to you. I’ll give it! If I return it, will you let me go?”
“I will.”
He should have just given it up nicely.
Why did he have to see blood first?
The Emperor slowly reached into his robes.
“Don't try anything funny.”
I warned him, just in case.
Even though he hadn't learned martial arts, there was no way I would fall for anything he tried, but things would change if he tried to use a Dharma Tool.
That was why I kept the pressure on the blade.
The Emperor pulled something out from his robes and placed it on his palm.
It was a small token made of jade.
‘The Token of the Immortal Wall True Prison?’
I frowned.
I expected him to have the Stone of Solar-Lunar Radiance.
If he had that, he could have prevented anyone from approaching him, yet he just kept it in his robes like an ornament.
Something was strange.
According to the Needle Board, he had definitely been using it continuously.
I reached into my robes and pulled out the Needle Board.
Since the Emperor wasn't using a Dharma Tool right now, the needle shouldn't be moving, but...
Whirrrrrrr!
The needle of the board was shaking at an incredible speed.
And that needle was pointing not at the Emperor, but at someone else.
Turning my gaze there, I couldn't help but scowl.
‘The Jonju?’
The needle was pointing exactly at the Emperor’s guard wearing the black veil.
I looked down at the Emperor, who was conscious of the blade.
“H-hurry and take it.”
Is he trying to deceive me right now?
By entrusting the Dharma Tool to that man?
I sighed and said to the Emperor, “I believe I told you not to try any foolish tricks.”
“What are you talking about? Didn't you ask for the treasure Jagyeongjeong gave me? This is it.”
“Do I look that foolish to you? Tell that guard over there to hand over the treasure quietly right now. Otherwise, Your Majesty will...”
The blade bit deeper into the Emperor’s neck.
The Emperor, panicked and convulsing, shouted at the guard.
“D-do as this man wants!”
At his words, I added a warning.
“If you use the treasure, the Emperor dies.”
“.......”
At this, the guard in the black veil silently pulled something out from his robes.
It was exactly the same as the jade token in the Emperor’s palm.
The only difference was that the red gem in the center was much more vivid.
Seeing this, the Emperor muttered in confusion, “How do you have that...?”
“Enough. Toss the jade token over here.”
At my command, the guard gripped the jade token and took a stance as if to throw it.
Then, he thrust it toward me.
It was at that exact moment.
Wooooooong!
A bizarre phenomenon occurred before my eyes.
A wall that looked like a thin, gray-lit membrane blocked the space between the Emperor and me.
When I turned my head left and right, I saw that it had formed on both my sides as well.
“Wh-what is this...?”
The Emperor muttered, seemingly having no idea what was happening.
I grabbed his throat and tried to pierce the thin membrane wall with the Namcheon Iron Sword.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sword was repelled by a powerful rebounding force.
“Damn it.”
He used the Token of the Immortal Wall True Prison.
This membrane is known as the Immortal Wall, used to imprison someone and protect oneself.
It is said that even monsters and demons can be trapped within it, and it cannot be broken by the strength of an ordinary human.
I gripped the Emperor’s throat tightly and said, “Do you want to see the Emperor die?”
At my words, the man in the black veil chuckled.
He’s laughing when the Emperor’s life is on the line?
The Emperor was just as flabbergasted as I was, and he shouted in a fit of rage.
“What do you think you are doing! Do you not care what happens to me...?”
“Shh.”
Before he could finish, the man in the black veil placed his index finger to his lips.
Immediately, the Emperor fell silent as if he had been struck dumb.
His face flushed, the Emperor kept his mouth shut and made muffled noises, clearly confused.
‘What on earth...’
Then, the guard in the black veil clicked his tongue and spoke.
“I told them to make someone who could perfectly imitate me, but they’ve brought me nothing but mockery.”
‘!!!’
At his words, Ghostly Bow Chosa and Wondrous Moon Yang Myeongshin, who were standing on either side, stared at him with wide eyes.
The Emperor’s eyes also widened, as if asking what this meant.
I narrowed my eyes and spoke to the guard.
“...So you were the Emperor.”
The man I was holding by the throat was a double.
He wasn't the real one.
“I did not expect to show my imperial countenance to such a lowly creature.”
The guard removed his black veil.
Revealed beneath was a face with short, thick eyebrows that looked like bold dots, and a handsome, strong impression.
The voice of the Namcheon Iron Sword echoed in my head.
Ha...
I was so dumbfounded I was speechless.
The Golden Emperor, known as the worst tyrant, was the Jonju.
The Golden Emperor, who was said to have died of illness, was the Jonju who pulled the strings of the martial world from the shadows.
Even I couldn't help but be shocked by this.
But his eyes...
Both of his pupils were normal, not golden.
‘Is it really him?’
The Namcheon Iron Sword was overcome with rage.
If the Emperor really is the Jonju, has he not undergone the procedure yet?
Otherwise, there was no way he would look so normal.
Then, the Golden Emperor, who had revealed himself as the true ruler, walked closer with his hands behind his back.
“To think you would try to harm me, even if it were a double... you are a man who does not value his life.”
Dignity, and arrogance.
He was a man who also possessed strength.
It seemed certain that the Emperor was indeed the Jonju.
Coming right up to the wall, he said to me, “Now, before I kill you, I must hear your true purpose.”
The Golden Emperor thrust the jade token he held in one hand forward.
The red gem in the center of the token began to glow.
As expected, he knew exactly what power the Token of the Immortal Wall True Prison possessed.
The gray-lit wall rippled like water.
“Is your purpose truly to catch the man named Jagyeongjeong?”
At his question, I gritted my teeth.
However, regardless of my will, my mouth opened on its own.
“It is.”
The Token of the Immortal Wall True Prison.
This is known as the Dharma Tool of Truth.
Anyone trapped within the Immortal Wall is forced to answer the owner of the tool truthfully.
I gripped the Namcheon Iron Sword.
I had to get out of here.
Seeing this, the Golden Emperor smirked and said to me, “You, who came from the Fuse, should know better than anyone that this wall, the Immortal Wall, can never be broken.”
“I cannot... keep answering... your questions here.”
Every time he asked a question, I was forced to answer, making it impossible to circulate my energy.
I could move slightly each time an answer ended, but he continued to fire questions.
“But you will have to answer until you die.”
“You... cannot kill me.”
At my words, the Golden Emperor burst into a hollow laugh, as if it were absurd.
“I suppose you’re relying on that sword technique of yours that handles lightning. Did you learn that from the Sword Immortal as well?”
Damn it. I shouldn't speak, but my mouth keeps opening.
“That’s right. It is a combination of the Chasing Return Sword I learned from the Sword Immortal and the Life Bright Sword Technique.”
“Life Bright Sword Technique? Did you learn that from the Sword Immortal too?”
“It wasn't the Sword Immortal.”
Grit!
At this rate, I might tell him everything.
I quickly took a stance with the Namcheon Iron Sword, preparing to thrust.
Seeing this, the Golden Emperor shook his head and said, “I told you it cannot be broken. More importantly, it is quite surprising. It was a peerless sword technique the likes of which I have never seen. Then, from whom did you learn this technique...?”
Crackle!
Before the Golden Emperor could finish his sentence, blue lightning flickered from my sword.
The Golden Emperor snorted.
“Do not waste your effort. Even the one called the Scholar of the Overturned Mountain, Noejangjo, who tried to cross the wall of walls, could not break this wall. He was merely injured by the force the Immortal Wall reflected. No matter how strong you are...”
Before he could finish, my mouth opened against my will.
Because I was inside the Immortal Wall, the thoughts in my head were spilling out directly.
“I have... crossed... the wall... of walls.”
“What?”
At those words, the Golden Emperor’s eyes behind the Immortal Wall wavered.
The Immortal Wall, which had been rippling as lightning was released, began to fluctuate even more violently.
Sensing danger, the Golden Emperor instinctively took half a step back.
Boom!
Regardless, I stomped my foot down.
“What are you trying to do?”
I forced myself to endure his question.
‘Thrust. Thrust. Thrust.’
I focused solely on this single thought.
My heart felt like it was tearing apart with pain, and blood trickled from my mouth.
I was learning for the first time that such side effects occurred when one forcibly resisted the divine power of the Immortal Wall.
Fine.
I’ll answer what I’m trying to do.
“True...”
“Do you truly believe you can break it?”
“Chasing...”
“Stop. The Immortal Wall reflects the force applied to it. You will die.”
“Return...”
“I told you to stop!”
“Sword!”
“Stop him. Now!”
The Golden Emperor shouted as he threw himself backward.
Wondrous Moon Yang Myeongshin hurriedly blocked the space in front of him.
“Sword!”
Adaptation of Thunder Energy: True Chasing Return Sword.
The blue lightning erupting from the sword created a vortex and slammed into the Immortal Wall.
The intensely rotating lightning strike caused a massive sonic boom to erupt from the Immortal Wall as it shook violently.
Screeeech!
At the same time, my body was pushed back about three steps.
Seeing this, the corners of the Golden Emperor’s mouth curled up.
He seemed to think, Of course.
I gritted my teeth and opened my Middle Dantian, following the Lower Dantian.
After three years and eight months of training, by crossing the wall of walls, I had reached the unity of Energy and Spirit among the Essence, Energy, and Spirit.
My master, the Sword Immortal, called this the Profound Realm.
Crrraaaaack!
As I performed the Essence-Energy Unity, my internal energy and innate true qi harmonized, and my power exploded.
Then, the Immortal Wall, which had seemed unbreakable, began to warp and dent.
“Hwaaaaaaaa!”
I thrust the Chasing Return Sword forward with all my might.
In that instant, the Immortal Wall shattered, and the vortex of lightning became a single storm, surging forward with unstoppable force.
Zap! Crackle!
The massive tent was torn to shreds by the storm of lightning.
“What?!”
“This is...!”
Rumble! Boom! Crash!
And a portion of the Imperial Army that had been advancing was swept away by the storm.