Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: Seop Dae-gang's Scheme
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Mo Yong-ak stared at the cave where Heuk Do-san had vanished for a long while. She was gripped by an emotion she couldn't quite put into words.
For some reason, the shocked expression on Heuk Do-san's face when he learned Dang Yak-ran had disappeared refused to leave her mind.
He had plunged headlong into the cave without knowing what dangers lurked inside.
Without so much as a glance in her direction.
'Was I that insignificant to him?'
Something that had been lodged deep in her heart for so many years seemed to rip free. She struggled to contain the boiling emotions amid the wave of loss crashing over her.
'It's all because of Dang Yak-ran.'
Meanwhile, Seop Dae-gang and Hong Gong-tak were flipping over a corpse and examining its back. Earlier, Hong Gong-tak had lied to Heuk Do-san.
There were no external wounds on the body.
No signs of poisoning, either.
But that was only true when looking at the chest. The back bore a clear palm mark.
To fool that cunning bastard Heuk Do-san, they had mixed one part truth with ten parts deception about Old Man Gu's death.
Of course, Seop Dae-gang had been informed of the situation beforehand via sound transmission into the ear, and he had instructed Hong Gong-tak to lie. And now, they were scrutinizing the palm mark on the corpse once more.
"How is it?"
"No doubt about it."
"By my humble judgment, it seems he hasn't yet surpassed the seventh stage..."
Martial artists commonly divide martial arts proficiency into twelve stages.
The beginner stage, where one memorizes all the forms and can perform them in sequence, is called the first stage.
Once one begins to grasp the martial principles behind the forms, it's the second stage. When ferocity is infused based on that understanding, the third. When free variations become possible alongside ferocity, the fourth. Realizing the hidden truths of the forms through variations brings the fifth.
The sixth is the realm where the cultivated art finally displays its unique power, distinct from others.
The seventh is when the forms begin to mature. At this point, man and art become one, producing vastly different powers depending on the degree of training.
This is when a familiar low form defeats an unfamiliar high form, or a street-level martial art topples a major sect's advanced technique—miracles like these occur.
It's no simple realm.
But neither is it an impossibly lofty one.
Most martial artists hailed as peak masters only gained fame after mastering the composition of their signature techniques.
"Seventh stage means he's still lacking."
"It's an absolute art called Heavenly Beyond Divine Art. You can't compare a seven-year-old child to a seven-year-old tiger. We mustn't take it lightly."
"I wasn't taking it lightly. I only meant that at the seventh stage, it's no insurmountable mountain for our Sword Lord, who has mastered the Plum Blossom Swordsmanship composition."
"Insurmountable?"
"......!"
"So you're saying I'm still far beneath him. I never imagined the one who mastered the Plum Blossom Swordsmanship composition would be treated this way."
"If I've offended you, I apologize."
"No, you're right. If the Plum Blossom Swordsmanship were an invincible martial art, I wouldn't be mere Sword Lord."
"What on earth happened? To see a Blood Palm Mark in this remote wasteland a myriad li from the Central Plains."
"What... did you say?"
Mo Yong-ak suddenly cut in. Her voice trembled unlike before.
Hong Gong-tak glanced at Seop Dae-gang, seeking permission on whether to speak frankly.
Seop Dae-gang answered directly.
"They were all killed by the Blood Palm Mark."
"The Blood Palm Mark—you don't mean...!"
"Just as you suspect."
"No way. Are you sure you saw it right?"
"The eyes of the Ghostly Ten Hounds have never been wrong."
When discussing the world's martial forces, people first divide them into the broad categories of White Path and Black Path.
The White Path consists of those who cultivate so-called orthodox martial arts, revere justice, and pursue righteousness. The Righteous Alliance is the representative organization of White Path martial artists.
The Black Path, on the other hand, pursues only strength, crossing the line between good and evil like a threshold. Their essence is violence and coercion; for personal glory, they disregard others' suffering.
And then there are the Evil Demons and Heretics.
Broadly part of the Black Path, but far more vicious, cruel, and powerful than the Black Path's mere thugs who rely on brute force.
They cultivate arts beyond the orthodox, revere mysterious entities, and hesitate not at all to forsake human ethics for power.
Born in human flesh but abandoning humanity itself—these are the beasts known as Evil Demons and Heretics.
The Hundred Thousand Great Heaven Palm was one of the representative palm arts of the Evil Demons and Heretics, standing twin pillars with the Heavenly Demon's Five Thunder God Palm.
But the Five Thunder God Palm, without encountering the once-in-a-century genius with Heavenly Bone Earthly Body, is merely a ferocious palm art.
Regrettably, while the Heavenly Demon was a monster born of heaven's mistake, his disciples were not.
Thus, unless unleashed by the Heavenly Demon himself, the Five Thunder God Palm posed no great threat to the Righteous Alliance's peak masters.
The Hundred Thousand Great Heaven Palm, however, was different. Though also an absolute art no one could casually cultivate, its threshold was far lower than the Five Thunder God Palm.
This stemmed from its unique training method.
Legend has it that the Hundred Thousand Great Heaven Palm accumulates internal energy by extracting essence from living humans.
It absorbs the innate essence qi everyone possesses from birth and converts it into internal energy.
This allows one to amass in mere years what it would take decades of meditation to gain for practitioners of the Five Thunder Divine Art.
A human lifespan is at most a century; even with spirit pills, ordinary martial artists struggle to surpass it through lifelong cultivation.
The Hundred Thousand Great Heaven Palm has no such limit.
One step shakes a province, two steps dye the world in blood—the demonic art that has never known defeat since its emergence in the world is the Hundred Thousand Great Heaven Palm.
The Blood Palm Mark is the palm print left when a practitioner absorbs essence from a living person's body.
"No, that can't be. The Hundred Thousand Great Heaven Palm was said to have been lost fifty years ago. How could it appear here now?"
"An abnormally strong martial vein devours human reason and gains a life of its own."
Fifty years ago, the world-shaking demonic figure known as Snow Mountain Elder had mutually perished with over five hundred experts from nine sects who came to slay him on Great Snow Mountain, mercifully severing its lineage.
Afterward, a rumor spread through the martial world.
Three days before the final battle, sensing his death imminent, Snow Mountain Elder—lamenting the loss of the absolute art he had perfected over a lifetime—had hidden its manual in a secret place.
The impact was immense. Countless martial artists from Black and White Paths alike, blinded by lust for supremacy, scoured Great Snow Mountain for Snow Mountain Elder's Hundred Thousand Great Heaven Palm manual.
But no one claimed to have found it.
As years passed, the tale of Snow Mountain Elder and the Hundred Thousand Great Heaven Palm faded from memory. No one climbed Great Snow Mountain for the manual anymore. Travelers passing by merely recounted the old stories for amusement.
Yet traces of that very Hundred Thousand Great Heaven Palm had now appeared on this nameless snow peak in the highlands, suspected to be Daldo.
"You lied on purpose to put them in danger, didn't you?"
Mo Yong-ak asked. Her voice brimmed with anger.
"Are you worried?"
"That's not what I mean."
"You could go in if you want."
"Are you testing me right now?"
"Your face says so."
"Sword Lord!"
"It's been ten years since we met, so you're bound to be confused. But we can't wait forever. Let's wrap this up quickly."
"Didn't you like me?"
"I liked your beautiful face, your stunning body, and your impressive background. To me, you can't be just one of those. This is how I show affection. Isn't it the same for you?"
Mo Yong-ak had no retort.
Seop Dae-gang was right. She liked his handsome face, the ambition in his heart, his exceptional talent, and his Mount Hua Sect background.
Remove any one, and he wouldn't be Seop Dae-gang. With him, she felt he could reach the world's pinnacle.
That's why she left Heuk Do-san—a failed scholar, a drunkard with no future in sight.
Mo Yong-ak knew too much to stake her life on the volatile emotion called love.
But hearing it straight from Seop Dae-gang made tears well up. She felt stripped bare before him.
What saddened her more was that, even so, she still didn't want to let him go. He alone could realize her ambitions.
Seop Dae-gang gently grasped Mo Yong-ak's shoulder and spoke in a softer tone.
"I'm sorry. My nerves are on edge, and I said things I didn't mean."
It wasn't sincere. This was just his way of making amends. But Mo Yong-ak accepted it.
"What now?"
"From what I can tell, someone's been hiding here cultivating the Hundred Thousand Great Heaven Palm. The bats are like gatekeepers monitoring intruders. He'll definitely come for us to silence us. He can't let word spread that the Hundred Thousand Great Heaven Palm has reappeared."
"Then...?"
"If I'm right, he hasn't grasped the exact number of people who entered the cave. Hong Squad Leader and I will lure the monster out to the snowy plains. Meanwhile, Lady Ak hides in a nearby rock crevice, returns to the cave, and rescues them."
"......?"
"The key is to confirm the monster has gone far away before entering the cave. If I were him, I'd check for ambushes around first. You get what I mean?"
"That's too dangerous for you two."
"It's the only way for now."
"Why does it have to be you, Sword Lord?"
"You wouldn't want me to send my fiancée to her death while I take the easy job, making me a cowardly man, right?"
Mo Yong-ak's earlier resentment melted away like snow. She even felt unnecessarily sorry.
'Yes, not everyone loves the same way. This is our way.'
"I suppose not."
Hong Gong-tak suddenly spoke up.
He added,
"Didn't you see the bats form a Strange Gate Formation right as we entered the cave mouth? If the entrance is like that, who knows what lies deeper? Forgive me for saying so, but Lady Mo Yong is clueless about Strange Gate Formations."
"Hong Squad Leader, watch your words."
"The Sword Lord must enter the cave."
"He's right. I'll lure the monster. You go into the cave and rescue them meanwhile."
"I can't let you be chased by the monster."
"I'm grateful for your concern. But right now, we need cool heads, not warm hearts. And who knows—maybe being chased by the monster is safer."
"So be it."
Hong Gong-tak chimed in.
Seop Dae-gang thought for a long moment before saying,
"After rescuing them, I'll follow as fast as I can."
"Don't worry."
Fearing Seop Dae-gang might change his mind, Mo Yong-ak hurried out of the cave.
Hong Gong-tak followed her. Just before exiting the cave mouth, he suddenly turned and gave a subtle nod.
Seop Dae-gang nodded back.
It was a silent signal only they understood.
'Secure the manual at all costs.'
'Be careful.'
* * *
"So you're saying this palm-shaped mark called the Blood Palm Mark appears when cultivating the Hundred Thousand Great Heaven Palm?"
Heuk Do-san whispered tensely.
"For now, yes."
Gong Cheon-ak replied in a mosquito-like buzz.
"Is the Hundred Thousand Great Heaven Palm that impressive?"
"What's the strongest martial art you know in the martial world?"
"Plum Blossom Swordsmanship from Mount Hua? I faced it myself—truly remarkable. Nearly died."
Gong Cheon-ak rolled his eyes.
The Plum Blossom Swordsmanship, alongside Wudang's Taiji Sword and Qingcheng's Four-Sun Sword, is hailed as one of the Three Great Sword Arts of the world.
It's no sword art to brush off with "nearly died." Surviving it is the miracle.
'I knew he had some skill, but this guy's incredible. If a guy like this joined a major sect and trained properly...'
But Gong Cheon-ak betrayed none of it as he said,
"The Plum Blossom Swordsmanship is impressive, yes. But that's only as the strongest in the White Path martial world. In the other half—the world of the Black Path and Evil Demons and Heretics—there exist demonic arts that surpass human limits aplenty. The Hundred Thousand Great Heaven Palm is the supreme divine art among them."
"What kind of palm art is it specifically?"
"In our Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's terms, Hundred Thousand Great Heaven refers to the vast, boundless universe. It's named so because one palm strike shakes that very universe. As the name implies, it's a fiercely powerful palm art pursuing divine might beyond brute force."
Heuk Do-san snorted at the grandiose, fanciful name. He got that it was some great art, but shaking the entire universe with a palm?
"Heaven Above, Heaven Below, Only I Am Venerated."
"I know the name sounds exaggerated. But once you hear of the miracles wrought by its last inheritor, Snow Mountain Elder, who appeared fifty years ago, you won't laugh so easily."