Yeom Hwa-sin (1)
Baek So-cheon emerged from the Cheon-ryong Secret Chamber after forty-five days inside.
He had wanted to stay in secluded training until he achieved great success in the Seven Stars Thus Come Sword Art, but the current situation made that impossible.
His brief seclusion had yielded several results.
First, the Immovable Wisdom King Heart Method had reached the fourth stage—the initial achievement he'd made there.
Next, he could now freely unleash the first three forms of the Thousand-Handed Asura God Sword. Not just unleashing them, but executing the third form so swiftly that the sword lines of the first and second forms lingered in the air afterward.
Of course, the moment he accomplished it, Baek So-cheon had firmly declared, "No more!" Though he'd felt the same when he first succeeded with the second form.
Honestly, he now harbored a vague hope of "maybe?" But he sensed it wouldn't be easy from here on.
The Heavenly Thunder Nine Fists flowed smoothly up to the fifth fist. He'd deliberately held back his progress, focusing instead on perfecting the first four.
The supreme sword art, fist art, and heart method of all time. He was mastering three of the greatest martial arts in history.
Since he was already learning three, the thought struck him: why not acquire the last one too? The final art was a lightness skill.
Wind God Movement Technique.
It was known as the fastest lightness skill in the world.
But it was truly hard to obtain.
Only Black Heaven Alliance Lord Yeom Hwa-sin possessed it.
Baek So-cheon chuckled softly.
Once, he'd thought acquiring the Thousand-Handed Asura God Sword from Ak So-gun would be harder. That spoke volumes about how dire his relationship with Ak So-gun had been back then.
In any case, if he could obtain the Wind God Movement Technique too, he'd achieve the feat of mastering all four martial arts dubbed the greatest of past and present.
Stepping out of the Cheon-ryong Secret Chamber, Baek So-cheon gazed up at the sky for a moment. The autumn sky, awaiting winter, was clear and high. A chill wind blew, signaling winter's swift approach.
He headed straight for Yun-ryong Hall, where the Alliance Lord handled his duties.
Ak So-gun welcomed Baek So-cheon warmly.
"So-cheon."
"Alliance Lord."
"How was it? Any progress?"
"Thanks to you, I made some achievements."
"Well done. Truly fortunate."
Ak So-gun rejoiced as if it were his own accomplishment.
"You remember the exact position of the life gate in the Seven Stars Nine Palaces Formation, right?"
"Yes."
"Then memorize this too."
Ak So-gun taught Baek So-cheon the inner energy circulation method to open the stone wall of the Cheon-ryong Secret Chamber.
"Got it all?"
"Yes."
"Recite it back once."
Baek So-cheon repeated the circulation method exactly as taught.
"Now you can go there and train anytime."
"Is this really alright?"
"It's fine."
This was knowledge meant only for the Alliance Lord, yet Ak So-gun stated it firmly.
No way?
Baek So-cheon nearly voiced the sudden thought but held back, deeming it not the right moment.
He bowed deeply in gratitude.
"Thank you truly."
"It's been a while since you came out—go breathe some fresh air first. We'll talk later."
"Yes, Alliance Lord."
Bidding Ak So-gun farewell, Baek So-cheon left the hall in high spirits.
The first place Baek So-cheon headed was Daroo Tea House near the headquarters entrance, now run by Cheon-geuk.
He wanted to see her above all else.
Of course, after forty-five days, she likely wasn't there. Her subordinates would be guarding it, so he planned to leave word for her to visit.
As he approached Daroo in good spirits, someone called from behind.
"So-cheon."
Few called his name so casually.
Turning instinctively, Baek So-cheon froze in shock.
Across the street, a man twice the size of an ordinary person waved at him.
It was none other than Black Heaven Alliance Lord Yeom Hwa-sin.
"What the hell!"
The words burst from Baek So-cheon's mouth unbidden.
"Why stand there gaping? It's me."
His tone was like calling a friend, leaving Baek So-cheon questioning his eyes. For the Black Heaven Lord to stroll right up to Murim Alliance headquarters—truly audacious.
Baek So-cheon walked toward him.
"Are you in your right mind?"
"My mind's perfectly fine."
"Do you know how many of our warriors are in this headquarters?"
"I know better than you. I get reports every morning—which units are moving or returning. You lot do the same, don't you?"
Yeom Hwa-sin taunted confidently.
"Why not shout and call them over? Go on, show me. What do you think happens?"
"You die."
"Fat chance! Hundreds of yours would die first, and I'd slip away leisurely. Besides, your coward Alliance Lord wouldn't step up himself."
Baek So-cheon hesitated. Should he just fight right here?
If his first surprise strike landed properly?
Even with his relatively lacking inner energy, he could hold his own.
But he wasn't confident of killing him for sure. And fighting here would devastate passersby and merchants.
Oblivious to Baek So-cheon's deliberations, Yeom Hwa-sin pointed to a distant tavern.
"Let's have a drink there."
"Fine."
Who would've thought he'd share drinks with the Black Heaven Lord at a tavern right in front of Murim Alliance headquarters?
Being early, the tavern was empty.
The server boy startled at Yeom Hwa-sin's overwhelming bulk.
Had he known his identity, he wouldn't have grinned so innocently praising, "What an impressive build, sir."
Yeom Hwa-sin ordered the house specialties and best liquor, like a traveler from afar.
The two downed their first cups refreshingly.
"Why are you here?"
"To see you. Heard you reconciled with your Alliance Lord?"
"Yes."
The news had spread like wildfire through the Alliance, so Yeom Hwa-sin naturally knew.
"Your Alliance Lord's a hypocrite. Don't let him fool you."
"Why do you hate our Alliance Lord so much?"
"He's my arch-nemesis. Of course I hate him."
Said with a beaming smile, but it defined their relationship at its core.
"This world is full of truth and lies. Which did you choose?"
"At least I know you're far from the truth."
"Hahaha. A truth-worshipping unorthodox alliance lord? Wouldn't that be strange?"
Once the laughter faded, unimaginable words slipped from Yeom Hwa-sin's mouth.
"How'd you get rid of the gu parasite?"
Baek So-cheon froze.
"You? How did you know?"
And precisely which gu. This implied two things. First—
"Were you involved too?"
"I innately despise gu parasites."
If true?
There was a spy?
Few had been present during the Alliance Lord's treatment. Even the secret guards under Pung-geuk-an had been dismissed, leaving only Baek So-cheon, Cheon-geuk, Na-sa-rin, the pavilion lords, and Divine Physician Ban Wol-ryang.
One of them a Black Heaven spy?
Then Yeom Hwa-sin grinned.
"Guessing who the spy is, eh? Only key figures were there for the treatment, right? Listen, So-cheon. If one of them were my spy, would I tell you? After all the effort to plant and promote them to high office?"
True. With Baek So-cheon's reconciliation with Ak So-gun, no reason to reveal a spy now.
Then?
Baek So-cheon stared silently at Yeom Hwa-sin.
Moments passed.
A thought flashed through Baek So-cheon's mind!
"No way? You too!"
"As expected. You're sharp."
Shocking truth from Yeom Hwa-sin's lips.
"I got hit by that damned gu too. But they didn't know one thing. My Dark Spirit Control Technique detects gu intrusion and suppresses its activity."
Baek So-cheon had heard from the demoness in the underground prison that Yeom Hwa-sin knew the technique. He'd even suspected it was used for soul subjugation on Ak So-gun at first.
"They put a female gu in you?"
"Yeah."
"Who got the male?"
"Planted it in my son."
His son, Black Heaven's official heir. The Blood Cult had schemed to take down both Murim Alliance and Black Heaven simultaneously.
"You removed the gu?"
"If I had, I wouldn't have come all this way to find you. I've only suppressed the one in me with the Dark Spirit Control Technique—haven't eliminated it yet."
The ingredients for the antidote were easy to obtain. The acupuncture and pressure point methods weren't complex either. The issue was no one knew them.
"Damn it! The technique's so ancient and lost that not a soul in my alliance knew the cure."
"So what did you do?"
"Pretended it worked while acting distant from my son."
"You know who's behind it."
"Obviously. When you and we fall, only one benefits."
Indeed, he knew too.
"While we're busy tearing each other apart, those Blood Cult mongrels were plotting to destroy us all."
"Then why not punish the Blood Cult Lord? With your temper, you'd have already."
"What do you think?"
Baek So-cheon soon found the answer.
"Because breaking the alliance with Blood Cult means you can't hit us?"
"That's why I like you. Smartest sword-wielder I know."
In other words, he'd planned to exploit Blood Cult to the max before devouring them.
But with Baek So-cheon and the Alliance Lord cured, things changed—and now he aimed to eliminate his own gu.
"You knew from the start. About the gu in the Alliance Lord and me."
"Yeah. Detected it the moment it took root. Made me wonder: did Blood Cult only target us?"
Yeom Hwa-sin was no ordinary man. That massive frame housed endless schemes.
Even during their last meeting over the Shin-hwa-bang incident, he'd known—yet spouted nonsense about the Alliance Lord being a hypocrite and three years being enough.
Planning to consume Blood Cult after the Alliance Lord and Baek So-cheon fell.
Ah, so the 'three years' he mentioned back then meant something else entirely!
Baek So-cheon glared at Yeom Hwa-sin. A man as grand in intellect and ambition as his build.
"Simple reason I'm here today. Remove the gu from me and my son. You must've found the method. Your dumb Alliance Lord sure didn't."
"What if I refuse?"
Bam!
The table before them flew, and Yeom Hwa-sin lunged like lightning, seizing Baek So-cheon's throat.
"I'll kill you. Why keep you alive now that you're useless?"
Killing intent poured from Yeom Hwa-sin. No bluff—pure resolve to end Baek So-cheon.
Baek So-cheon's dormant inner energy stirred in his veins. Desire surged to strike once and begin.
Pour everything after a surprise attack—could he win?
The temptation returned.
Baek So-cheon analyzed odds. Yeom Hwa-sin might've grown stronger recovering from injuries.
Cold calculation: his win chance now, three or four out of ten.
He had to endure. Time favored him in this fight. No need to gamble on uncertainty.
Right then—
"Stop!"
At the inn entrance stood Cheon-geuk. Despite the forty-five days, she hadn't left the Alliance.
"I'll handle the Alliance Lord's request."
Yeom Hwa-sin turned to her and grinned broadly.
"So you helped him, as expected."
Baek So-cheon looked at her.
She'd revealed herself from hiding to save his life. She knew better than anyone how dangerous tangling with Yeom Hwa-sin was.
Their eyes met.
······ Why go this far for me?
Cheon-geuk's eyes replied:
······ Why do you go this far? Just live well on your own.
She told Yeom Hwa-sin,
"So let go of his throat."
"Daring to order me?"
At Yeom Hwa-sin's icy question, Cheon-geuk's gaze calmed, deepening.
"Look at us. See anyone here afraid of dying?"
Both Baek So-cheon and Cheon-geuk bore eyes indifferent to life and death. Yeom Hwa-sin, possessing the same gaze, read their resolve perfectly.
Yeom Hwa-sin grinned.
"That's it. Now it's fun."
Releasing Baek So-cheon's throat, he said,
"Half a shichen from now, we leave from here. Prepare and regroup. Try anything to catch me, and ten times your expected casualties vanish today."