Chapter 629
Hmm.
Since his internal energy hadn't been suppressed, Im Ji-pyeong had no difficulty pulling out the long needle embedded in his Qi Sea Acupoint.
Plink.
As the slender needle lodged in his dantian sprang free, he swiftly tucked it away into his sleeve.
Whoosh.
Unfolding his movement technique, he silently ascended to the rooftop of the hall, then flitted like a ghost between buildings with eerie swiftness.
Im Ji-pyeong not only possessed eyes that could pierce through darkness but also the ability to detect hidden mechanical traps.
Before he knew it, he arrived at the Heavenly Grace Medicine Grove's storage warehouse, filled with old furnishings. He halted and his eyes gleamed.
'So there's a secret passage here.'
After scanning his surroundings, he stepped inside and began meticulously examining every corner.
Soon, he discovered an old scroll hanging on one side of the wall. The corners of his lips curled into a faint smile.
'Quite an intricate mechanism. But it can't fool my eyes.'
When he lifted the scroll, its backside was riddled with needle-thin holes.
At a glance, it might have seemed like mere cracks in the wall, but in truth, it was an exquisitely crafted mechanical device.
Studying the holes intently, Im Ji-pyeong retrieved a thin needle and inserted it into one of them.
Click.
A tiny button inside popped out, allowing him to press it.
Next, he inserted the needle in a sequence that traced the Big Dipper.
Grind—
A low vibration hummed from somewhere, and a small door materialized on the opposite wall.
Clack.
Im Ji-pyeong immediately stepped through.
Inside was a long passageway devoid of even a speck of light.
Yet he moved through it as casually as if he were walking into his own home.
How long had he walked?
The narrow passage gradually widened until, before he knew it, it had expanded enough for five people to stand side by side.
Finally, at the end of the corridor, he spotted a door secured with a massive lock.
Click.
Picking the lock with his needle, he entered.
What greeted him was a vast space lined with endless rows of small iron doors—like a prison.
The upper halves of the iron doors were fitted with dense bars, allowing guards to peer inside.
'A prison? Why?'
Cautiously, Im Ji-pyeong approached and inspected the interior beyond the bars.
Past them lay cramped stone cells, inside which something was piled in layers.
However, they were all covered with large cloths, obscuring whatever lay beneath.
'Hmm.'
After a brief pause, he retrieved the needle from his sleeve once more and unlocked the iron door.
With a metallic clank, he slipped inside and swiftly lifted a corner of the cloth.
"Gah—!"
A strangled cry escaped his lips as he stumbled back in shock.
The things stacked beneath the black cloth—
They were corpses.
Piled high, each one brutally slaughtered.
'Why would the Heavenly Grace Medicine Grove have these bodies...?'
Moreover, every corpse had died with bulging eyes and tongues lolling out.
The sight was so grotesque that Im Ji-pyeong instinctively retreated.
Thud.
But the moment he stepped outside the iron door, something hard pressed against his back.
Startled, he turned his head—
Whoosh.
Suddenly, a massive hand, large as a cauldron lid, shot toward his face.
Im Ji-pyeong instinctively activated his footwork to evade, but the enormous hand pursued relentlessly, engulfing his entire face.
"Ugh—!"
The hand was so enormous it could cover not just his mouth but even his eyeballs in one grasp.
"Mmph!"
Panicked, Im Ji-pyeong unleashed a rapid succession of Shadowless Chain-Kick Technique strikes.
Even the most formidable master, when faced with such a barrage at close range, would have no choice but to release him and retreat.
But something bizarre happened.
The owner of that massive hand didn't dodge—despite clearly seeing the kicks coming—and instead tightened his grip on Im Ji-pyeong's face.
Thwack-thwack-thwack!
The chain kicks landed squarely on the giant's torso in rapid succession.
"Keugh—!"
Yet the scream came from Im Ji-pyeong's mouth.
The giant's body was as hard as steel, and the recoil sent searing pain through his toes, as if they might shatter.
"Urk—!"
Summoning all his strength, Im Ji-pyeong twisted violently and barely managed to wrench free as the giant's fingers loosened.
Standing before him was a towering figure—over seven feet tall—with a face elongated like a horse's and two white, upturned eyes.
Devoid of any hair, his skin bore a sickly grayish hue, making him resemble nothing so much as a walking corpse.
'I'm dead.'
Im Ji-pyeong was certain.
If that giant wielded martial arts properly, he was as good as dead.
"Great Hero, I—"
Just as he opened his mouth to speak—
"So you couldn't resist crawling out after all."
A low mutter echoed as a faint shadow slowly approached from behind the giant.
It was none other than Chief Steward Eom Jeok, the very man who had escorted Im Ji-pyeong into the Heavenly Grace Medicine Grove.
"Chief Steward."
Im Ji-pyeong clasped his hands in a show of relief.
"I was just wandering around at night and happened to stumble upon—"
"'Happened'? Don't insult me."
Eom Jeok waved his hand dismissively, his smile colder than ice.
"You came to steal something from our grove."
Then, his voice dropped to a frigid whisper.
"Thousand-Face Divine Thief... Yu Cheong-rim."
In that instant, Im Ji-pyeong—no, Yu Cheong-rim—widened his eyes in shock.
His disguise had been flawless. His identity was that of a real scholar from Fujian, suffering from a lung disease.
And yet—
How could Eom Jeok have seen through his identity so instantly?
"I think you've misunderstood something. I'm—"
"I'd prefer to let you live if possible, but it seems that won't do."
Eom Jeok cut him off, clicking his tongue as he shook his head.
"You've seen what you shouldn't have."
"I saw nothing, Chief Steward."
Realizing there was no way out, Yu Cheong-rim clasped his hands together.
"Spare me. I swear I didn't come here with ill intentions."
"Then why are you here?"
"I merely heard rumors that the Heavenly Grace Medicine Grove had acquired a large quantity of Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Carp Cores..."
"I see."
Eom Jeok tsked and shook his head again.
"We carried out our operations in absolute secrecy, yet vermin like you always sniff out the scent and come crawling without fail."
"Please, spare me. I only wanted to use the core to cure my elderly mother's illness."
"You, an orphan of the world, have an elderly mother?"
"I recently found the mother who abandoned me long ago. But she was already afflicted with an incurable disease..."
Eom Jeok snorted as he watched Yu Cheong-rim spin his smooth lies.
"You're insane. No more wasting words—I'll just kill you and turn you into a Human Blossom."
"C-Chief Steward!"
"After observing you these past few days, you're clearly not a Golden Spirit Flower Body either."
Eom Jeok's voice was icy.
"You must've caught wind that our grove was seeking youths under twenty with exceptional physiques, didn't you?"
'He really intends to kill me.'
Yu Cheong-rim took a deep breath.
Originally, he had infiltrated the Heavenly Grace Medicine Grove to stealthily steal the Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Carp Core.
But unexpectedly, the security here was not only tight—it was also guarded by formidable Masters serving as guest warriors.
Changing tactics, Yu Cheong-rim learned that the grove provided treatment to young men under twenty.
So he sought out someone of that age, assumed their identity, and came here disguised as one.
—Act as if you possess a special constitution.
Perhaps because he had paid a hefty sum of fifty thousand taels for the information, the merchant added one more detail.
—The fact that the Heavenly Grace Medicine Grove is searching for those with unique physiques is already common knowledge in these circles.
Upon hearing this, Yu Cheong-rim found a suitable candidate—a man named Im Ji-pyeong—paid a fortune to borrow his identity for a month, and then ingested ten Heavenly Sun Divine Pills, which carried Extreme Yang properties, to mimic the Golden Spirit Flower Body before entering.
Yet Eom Jeok had seen through his disguise from the very beginning.
'There's no way out.'
Just one glance at the corpses piled up here was enough to confirm that the Heavenly Grace Medicine Grove was no ordinary place—it was a Dragon Pool and Tiger Den, a den he should never have dared to touch.
Even if Eom Jeok let him go, escaping alive was impossible.
'All or nothing.'
Yu Cheong-rim slipped a hand into his sleeve.
'If I use the Sky-Shattering Blast Pill...'
This place was filled with patients, including dignitaries and leaders from all walks of life.
If he detonated even one of these monstrous explosives—capable of tearing through steel structures—chaos would erupt instantly.
Perhaps then, he could seize that slim thread of an opportunity to escape.
"Spare me!"
Dropping to his knees in an exaggerated bow, Yu Cheong-rim prepared to flick the Heaven-Crushing Explosive Pellet hidden in his sleeve—
CRACK!
A sudden Sound of Breaking Air from behind, and his entire body went numb.
Before he knew it, Eom Jeok had circled behind him and sealed his Demon Blood Point, paralyzing him completely.
'This can't be...'
Though Yu Cheong-rim wasn't known for his martial prowess, his agility and reflexes were unmatched in the Murim.
Yet here he was, his acupoints sealed without even sensing his opponent's presence—despite having mastered Great Lightning Shadow, one of the supreme Lightness Body Arts of the martial world?
Since when was Eom Jeok, the Chief Steward of a mere medicine grove, this powerful?
Just what kind of place was the Heavenly Grace Medicine Grove?
'I walked straight into hell myself.'
Terror gripped him as he desperately cried out:
"S-Spare me! Please, I beg y—"
THUD.
Before he could finish, his Dumb Point was sealed, leaving his mouth flapping uselessly without sound.
"Dispose of him immediately."
DRAG.
Yu Cheong-rim was seized by the hair and dragged across the floor by a towering brute.
The stench of rotting corpses grew stronger as they approached a stone chamber—the foulest-smelling place in the entire compound.
At its center was a gaping hole in the ground, filled with countless mutilated bodies.
None of the corpses below had intact limbs—all were torn apart gruesomely.
It seemed the giant had a habit of ripping people apart alive before dumping them here.
CRUNCH.
The massive man gripped the arms of Yu Cheong-rim, whose acupoints had been sealed as if lifting a toy—
SNAP.
—and began stretching his bones and muscles apart with monstrous strength, preparing to tear him limb from limb.
"Ghk! Ugh—!"
With his Dumb Point sealed, Yu Cheong-rim could only scream soundlessly, eyes bulging in horror.
Was this how his life would end? Torn apart like paper, despite being one of the Four Great Divine Thieves of Murim?
TAP.
But just as his arms were about to be ripped from their sockets—they suddenly went slack.
At the same time, the giant's pupils lost focus, as if he had abruptly fallen unconscious.
"Huh?"
Blinking in confusion, Yu Cheong-rim barely had time to process what had happened when—
SWOOSH.
A hunched old man emerged from behind the brute.
CRACK.
The moment their eyes met, Yu Cheong-rim's Demon Blood Point and Dumb Point were released instantly.
"An extraordinary master."
Eom Jeok possessed considerable martial prowess, and his pressure-point techniques were exceptionally sharp.
Yet this old man had undone thoroughly sealed acupoints with nothing more than a glance?
"W-Who are you?"
As Yu Cheong-rim spoke politely, the old man shook his head.
"Bold, aren't you? Do you even know where this is?"
The old man, who had been glaring at Yu Cheong-rim with a cold voice, now spoke in a low tone.
"I've prepared a corpse to take your place. Leave the Heavenly Grace Medicine Grove immediately by this path. If you delay even slightly, I cannot guarantee your life."
"Th-Thank you."
Yu Cheong-rim, utterly terrified, turned to flee—
—then abruptly halted.
He stared at the old man's deeply wrinkled face.
Though aged like an ancient tree, there was something familiar about his eyes.
After tilting his head in thought for a long moment, Yu Cheong-rim whispered with a delighted expression.
"Great Hero Seol? Is that you, Great Hero Seol?"
The old man furrowed his brow.
"Great Hero Seol?"
"It's me, Yu Cheong-rim! The one who caught the Black-White Witch with Lady So!"
The hunched old man—no, Bu Eun-seol, who had infiltrated the Heavenly Grace Medicine Grove disguised as an elder—was stunned.
'How did he see through my disguise?'
As Bu Eun-seol's eyes sharpened, Yu Cheong-rim shrugged and laughed.
"Hahahaha! I knew it was you!"
"How did you recognize my disguise?"
Bu Eun-seol's expression darkened as he asked.
If someone like Yu Cheong-rim could see through his disguise, then other masters might be able to as well.
"Great Hero Seol, who do you think I am? The Thousand-Face Divine Thief, remember?"
Yu Cheong-rim shrugged again.
"I've been disguising myself since childhood—so much that I've nearly forgotten my own face, let alone others'!"
Leaning closer, he whispered in a hushed voice.
"That's why I learned to distinguish people by their pupils."
Yu Cheong-rim, the unrivaled master of disguise in the Murim, had honed the ability to recognize people not by their faces but by their eyes and gaze.
Moreover, he had spent days with Bu Eun-seol—who had disguised himself as the wandering warrior Seol-so—and So Ok-rim while hunting the infamous Black-White Witch.
Those experiences had been so grueling that they were impossible to forget.
Because of them, Yu Cheong-rim could recognize Bu Eun-seol and So Ok-rim's eyes at a mere glance.
"Distinguishing people by their eyes..."
An unbelievable claim—but Bu Eun-seol could believe it.
Because he, too, possessed the ability to identify people by their body structure and muscle patterns.
"But Great Hero Seol, what brings you here?"
Yu Cheong-rim grinned and whispered again.
"Don't tell me you're after the Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Carp Core too?"
Instead of answering, Bu Eun-seol sighed.
Yu Cheong-rim had infiltrated this place, unaware that it was the headquarters of the most fearsome organization in the world—the Infinite Realm—thinking only of stealing the core.
"There is no Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Carp Core here. Leave at once."
"Ah, come on, Great Hero Seol."
Yu Cheong-rim chuckled dismissively.
"What kind of medicine grove sets up mechanisms like this and stations masters here? There must be some incredible treasure hidden away. Right?"
Indeed, thieves like him had a different way of thinking.
Even after barely escaping the jaws of death, the mention of treasure had him drooling with excitement again.
"If I'd known the Heavenly Grace Medicine Grove was such a perilous place, I would've prepared better. Seems I was swindled by that information broker. Still, I should be grateful just to be alive..."
Watching Yu Cheong-rim chatter endlessly, Bu Eun-seol fell into brief contemplation.
He had infiltrated by swapping places with a deaf old man who worked here, intending to thoroughly investigate the grove.
But the mechanisms inside were more complex than expected, the surveillance was tight, and he still hadn't located the Heavenly Venerable, nor determined the number of troops or secret mechanisms hidden within.
Moreover, with so many patients coming and going, reckless action was impossible.
Yet Yu Cheong-rim had infiltrated the grove with only a disguise and an identity—and in a single attempt, found the secret mechanism Bu Eun-seol had spent ten days searching for.
'Truly, a Divine Thief is a Divine Thief.'
Bu Eun-seol gazed at Yu Cheong-rim with a fiery intensity.
'Then... the plan I've been preparing can be executed flawlessly.'
"At any rate, I owe you my life, Great Hero Seol. I won't forget this kindness."
Having finished his rambling, Yu Cheong-rim clasped his hands together.
"Then, take care of yourself, Great Hero Seol."
Just as he turned to leave—
Whoosh.
Bu Eun-seol grabbed his shoulder.
"Is there something else you—"
Instead of answering, Bu Eun-seol offered a gentle smile.
Instantly, Yu Cheong-rim felt a foreboding chill.
He had seen a similar smile before—on a woman nearly seven feet tall.
A woman who could turn a man into a bloody pulp with a single strike.
A woman who led with her fists rather than words, expressed her thoughts through violence, and used persuasion in the form of—
—more fists.
A truly destructive, violent figure who solved everything with brute force.
"Brother Yu."
"W-What is it?"
As Yu Cheong-rim stepped back, Bu Eun-seol reached out with an exceedingly affectionate expression.
Then, gripping his shoulder firmly, he spoke in a voice both warm and tender.
"Let's work together on something."