The Kunlun Sanctuary
Having set out to find the sanctuary, we had to spend a considerable amount of time climbing the mountain.
"If you climb to the very top of this peak, you will reach the sanctuary. In the meantime, I shall devise a way to deal with the Kunlun Sect nearby. Well then, Young Sect Leader, I shall see you again soon."
The entrance to the sanctuary was hidden far more meticulously than I had anticipated.
If Yu Gwan-ji hadn't told us this was the entrance, and if the Sect Leader hadn't given me a detailed explanation beforehand, we would never have found it.
"I believe it is this way!"
Only after all four of us had searched thoroughly for nearly two hours did Yeongho Bin call out to us.
Following the direction of Yeongho Bin's finger, the small entrance of a cave hidden amidst the thick undergrowth came into view.
We entered one by one, and after walking down into the depths of the cave for a long while, we finally discovered a vast underground chamber.
Much like the Spirit Star Cave, it was a massive natural cavern that had been artificially renovated.
In the center of the spacious cavern, the mystical blue and red flames of the Holy Fire flickered, licking the air like tongues of fire.
"To think the sanctuary was hidden in such an inconspicuous place. It is no wonder the Kunlun Sect could never find it," Yeongho Bin remarked.
It was exactly as Yeongho Bin said.
If the Kunlun Sect had known the location of the sanctuary, it would have been natural for them to lie in ambush at the entrance.
But because they were ignorant of its whereabouts, they had resorted to waiting for me near the base of Mount Kunlun.
"Lady Baek, is that madman truly one of our Guardian Dharma Kings?"
"There is no mistake. Now that I hear him speak, I vaguely recall seeing someone like him when I was a child," Baek So-cheong replied.
Even after arriving at the sanctuary, the group continued to exchange various opinions regarding Yu Gwan-ji.
"At the very least, thanks to him, we do not have to worry about the Kunlun Sect. Is that not a good thing?"
"That may be true, but..."
Namgung Eon offered an optimistic view as he unloaded the baggage from his shoulders, and I agreed with him in a broader sense.
Befitting his title as a Guardian Dharma King, his martial prowess was beyond question.
However, it was difficult to judge which was the more severe problem: the Kunlun Sect or Yu Gwan-ji.
Though he was technically on our side, Yu Gwan-ji seemed to be a lunatic of the highest order.
Nevertheless...
"I have a plan, so do not worry yourselves too much."
When I spoke with such absolute certainty, everyone nodded, their expressions turning solemn once more.
A moment later, Yeongho Bin and Namgung Eon headed outside the cave to hunt for wild game to secure our provisions, while Baek So-cheong took up a position in another chamber near the cave's entrance.
She intended to guard the entrance and act as my protector while I contemplated alone before the Holy Fire.
My first moment of solitude in a very long time.
Under normal circumstances, I would have sprawled out spread-eagled and rested without doing a single thing.
But right now, I did not have the luxury of wasting time.
Sitting cross-legged before the Holy Fire of the Kunlun Sanctuary, I spent the entire day cultivating the Black Tortoise Inward-Facing Mind Method.
Since sunlight did not reach the depths of the cavern, it was impossible to tell how much time had passed.
I could only roughly estimate the time by sensing the faint presence of my companions.
To avoid disturbing my cultivation, Baek So-cheong, Yeongho Bin, and Namgung Eon made absolutely no noise. They took turns resting in shifts, guarding the cave entrance without moving an inch.
Yeongho Bin and Namgung Eon slipped in and out of the cave with extreme caution, bringing back wild beasts to serve as our food.
Since the Holy Fire burned continuously twenty-four hours a day, we had no need to worry about starting a fire.
Thanks to those who reliably guarded me, and thanks to Myeongjon, who assisted in my cultivation after a long while, my training yielded significant results.
By the time the fifth day passed, I had successfully rearranged about eighty percent of the acupoints along my Conception Vessel, spanning from the Seungjang point near my lower lip down to the Hoeum point near my groin.
It was an unimaginably rapid pace.
It felt as though my efforts to travel all this way to find a place bathed in the energy of the Holy Fire had truly paid off.
And when another two days had passed...
Yes, it is all thanks to you, Myeongjon.
As I concluded my meditation, Baek So-cheong, who had been guarding me throughout my cultivation, approached.
"You have already reached the late stage of the Second-class Realm. It is a marvelous achievement."
"I still have a long way to go."
My martial realm, which had been stagnant at the early-to-mid stage of the Second-class Realm, was now on the verge of entering the First-class Realm.
If I continued to cultivate as I had been, and finished rearranging my Governing Vessel after the Conception Vessel, I would likely reach that realm.
Once I could freely manipulate Sword Qi without relying on the power of the Heavenly Killer Star, my martial strength would be sufficient to protect myself.
Surely, even Yu Gwan-ji, who had demanded to evaluate me once more, would have no choice but to acknowledge my worth.
By the way, what on earth is that bastard up to right now?
I had deliberately tried not to think about him during my cultivation, but whenever Yu Gwan-ji crossed my mind, a heavy weight pressed down on my chest.
"Are you thinking about Dharma King Yu?"
Baek So-cheong asked, noticing my troubled expression.
"Sister, how much do you know about Yu Gwan-ji... that is, the Purple Flame Dharma King?"
"I do not know much either, other than the fact that he is a man shrouded in secrets. Considering his identity in the secular world as Gwangheo Sanin, he is certainly not someone to be trifled with. However..."
She shook her head as she replied.
"If Father trusted him enough to assign him as your escort, you likely do not need to worry too much."
If only it were that simple.
On the contrary, I believed the very fact that the Sect Leader had entrusted him with this task was the problem.
For I knew that the Sect Leader was a man who would readily discard even his own son, if he believed it would serve the revival of the Sun and Moon Sect.
If he placed any degree of trust in me now, it was solely because I was playing the role of the Young Sect Leader reasonably well.
The moment I ceased to be useful, both the Sect Leader and Yu Gwan-ji would eliminate me without hesitation.
"Young Sect Leader. May your sister offer a word of presumptuous advice?"
Baek So-cheong spoke gently, locking her eyes with mine.
I stared at her blankly before giving a nod.
"It was the same when you faced Father, and it remains true even after Dharma King Yu appeared. You are constantly striving to live up to some ideal image of a Young Sect Leader, but..."
Baek So-cheong spoke with her usual bright, warm smile that seemed to illuminate her surroundings.
"Your sister believes that you are more than enough just being yourself. Even this incident is proof of that."
"Hmph..."
Her words were incredibly gentle, as if soothing my troubled heart, and I truly wished to believe them.
But...
"You are as hopelessly optimistic as ever, Sister."
Yet, I had no choice but to push her kindness away like this.
Her words were only possible because she remained ignorant of my true nature.
If she ever found out what kind of person I actually was, she would undoubtedly find me pathetic.
Therefore, I had to keep changing myself, pushing forward to become the ideal Young Sect Leader.
"Hmph..."
Baek So-cheong pouted and turned her head away. Watching her, a chuckle slipped past my lips before I could stop it.
It was an undignified act, entirely unbefitting of the Young Sect Leader.
But surely, just this once would be fine.
"In any case, thank you for your words, Sister."
"Whatever. See if I ever try to comfort you again..."
"Are you angry?"
And right at that moment.
"Young Sect Leader."
A presence and the sound of footsteps echoed from outside the cave, calling out to me...
"Your unworthy servant has completed his mission and returned."
Yu Gwan-ji strode boldly into the sanctuary.
Slung over his shoulder was a massive, heavy-looking sack.
"You are late. It seems you had much business to attend to?"
I forced down my pounding heart, asking with feigned composure.
While Yu Gwan-ji was away, I had spent my time cultivating in the sanctuary to ensure I was fully prepared for his return.
So that no matter what scheme he cooked up, I would be ready to counter it.
"Ah, indeed."
Thus, I was confident that nothing he said could possibly shock me...
"I infiltrated the Kunlun Sect and brought something back with me."
But the moment Yu Gwan-ji dropped the heavy sack and pulled out what—no, who—was inside...
"Behold. The daughter of the Kunlun Sect's Sect Leader."
Lying there unconscious, likely due to her acupoints being sealed, was a girl around my age.
Her hair was cut short, and she wore only a simple undergarment and skirt, as if she had been snatched straight out of her bed. The moment I saw her face, a stark realization washed over me once more.
This absolute lunatic...
He is a psycho on a level I can't even begin to comprehend.
"She is alive."
I first took the unconscious girl's wrist to check her pulse and ensure she was unharmed.
They say that masters of profound martial arts can discern a person's cultivation realm and diagnose their exact injuries just by taking their pulse, but such a feat was still far beyond my current capabilities.
Even so, I could at least verify that her pulse was beating steadily.
Seeing me release her wrist, Yu Gwan-ji spoke.
"She still has some use left in her, after all."
Though Yu Gwan-ji's expression remained blank and his eyes hollow, he seemed to harbor a quiet, smug pride in his handiwork.
"So, this girl is the daughter of Sect Leader Ha Seung-ji of the Kunlun Sect?"
"Indeed, My Lord. Your servant infiltrated the main headquarters of the Kunlun Sect and carried this sleeping child out. It took some time, as I had to disguise my identity using disguise techniques to gain access."
As he spoke, Yu Gwan-ji pulled a crumpled human-skin mask from his robes and showed it to me.
It seemed he couldn't very well infiltrate the Kunlun Sect as Gwangheo Sanin, so he had used the mask to disguise himself as someone else.
"What on earth do you plan to do with her?"
"Is it not obvious?"
When Baek So-cheong questioned him, Yu Gwan-ji let out a scoffing laugh.
"Those bastards dared to plot the abduction of our Young Sect Leader. If we let this slide, our Sect will become the laughingstock of the entire Jianghu. We must have our vengeance."
"Vengeance? In what way?"
"Since they targeted the Young Sect Leader, it is only natural that we execute this girl..."
"And then?"
"And then, we use her as bait to claim the life of Sect Leader Ha himself."
"How?"
Yu Gwan-ji proudly laid out his plan.
"At daybreak, I shall dispatch a letter to that bastard Ha Seung-ji. We will inform him that we hold his daughter, and command him to come to a designated location alone. We must add that if any other disciple of Kunlun is spotted, his daughter's life will be forfeit. Once he shows up alone, you, Lady Baek, and I shall launch a coordinated assault and strike him down."
"Hmph..."
It seemed I was still far from ready to become the leader of the Demonic Cult.
Seeing Yu Gwan-ji propose such a heinous plot without a single flicker of emotion made my heart feel incredibly heavy.
But Yu Gwan-ji was not finished yet.
"Once the girl wakes up, we shall force her to write the letter herself. He will surely recognize his own daughter's handwriting. After that... well, keeping her alive would only make her a useless burden. Therefore..."
Yu Gwan-ji looked at me, a rare smile gracing his lips.
I had suspected as much, but he truly was the type of person who got thrilled by discussing such horrific matters.
"You should execute her yourself, Young Sect Leader. After all, you are the one with the direct grudge against the Kunlun Sect."
"Sigh..."
Hearing Yu Gwan-ji's plan, I let out a deep, heavy sigh that felt as though it could collapse the ground beneath us.
Naturally, Yu Gwan-ji did not appreciate my reaction.
"What is the meaning of this?"
"I find it increasingly difficult to tolerate your insane ramblings."
"Young Sect Leader?"
Yu Gwan-ji's voice trailed off as his brow furrowed deeply.
"I had my suspicions, but is it truly so? Are you, Young Sect Leader, afraid of staining your hands with blood for our grand cause of Demonic Dominion?"
This was a critical moment, not just for me, but for Yu Gwan-ji as well.
He had likely harbored doubts about me all along.
He must have been displeased ever since I chose to flee instead of slaughtering the Kunlun disciples, and when I tried to sacrifice myself to protect Baek So-cheong's life.
A ruthless, cold-blooded Young Sect Leader who would cut down anything and everything for the sake of Demonic Dominion.
That was the kind of Young Sect Leader he desired, but...
He might have decided he could never accept me after seeing me refuse to kill this girl.
But so what?
What the hell is this crazy bastard even talking about?
I had already envisioned the demonic path I would walk in my own way, and that path was slightly different from the one he had laid out.
"Young Sect Leader!!"
The very moment Yu Gwan-ji's suppressed rage erupted through his hollow expression...
I scooped up the girl lying on the ground and leaped backward, widening the distance between us.
And before he could even make a move, I shouted toward those waiting outside the cave.
"You may enter, Sect Leader."