Chapter 23
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Persuading Elder Geum
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Full Moon Tower.
As the magnificent Full Moon Tower came into view in the distance, I stopped and took a deep breath.
The pressure was immense, as I absolutely had to persuade Elder Geum.
What if I failed?
As my expression hardened, Pure's did as well.
“Don't worry. As long as I'm here, you won't die.”
“But you're the one fighting, Affectionate. I'm just watching.”
“Even if things take an unexpected turn, trust me. You'll find a way to survive.”
I spoke firmly and then slowly made my way toward the Full Moon Tower.
Pure's mind was in a jumble.
‘I knew Affectionate was always brimming with confidence, but he's even more so today. Is he nervous?’
She tilted her head slightly and began to follow me.
I ordered her to wait at a nearby inn and went straight up to the ninth floor, where Elder Geum was staying.
“My friend, you should have sent word first. What would you have done if I were out?”
Elder Geum chided me, but with a smile, he gestured for me to sit.
“If you weren't here, I would have waited until you returned.”
I replied immediately and sat down across from Elder Geum.
Elder Geum folded the document he was reading, set it aside, and stared at me before speaking.
“Is this about what happened in Shanxi Province?”
“Whew, you're truly amazing. How much do you know?”
“You'll have to pay to find that out.”
Elder Geum wore a faint smile.
Even now, his spies must be active in cells within the Martial Arts Alliance and various other clans.
Perhaps even in the Dark Blood Heaven Cult.
No, I was certain of it.
As the leader of the Full Moon Tower, the largest intelligence organization in the Central Plains, Elder Geum was more than capable of it.
“I've come to make a deal.”
“A deal? This is just a hunch, but you want an elixir. A very expensive one at that. But the funds you have deposited here are nowhere near enough. And elixirs aren't something you can buy whenever you please.”
Looking at Elder Geum, who saw right through me, I took a deep breath and stated my request clearly.
“Please give me the Azure Stone Oil.”
Bang.
For the first time, Elder Geum's unshakable expression hardened.
He slammed his palm on the table, unleashing a powerful aura.
Faced with an overwhelming energy, I too circulated my internal energy with all my might to resist.
But it was far from enough to stand against Elder Geum.
Cold sweat beaded on my back, and my face turned pale.
“Hahahahaha.”
With Elder Geum's loud laughter, the oppressive aura vanished completely.
“How did you know about that?”
His gaze was fierce.
Seeing him like this reminded me of the past.
**
When the Sword Emperor, Ouyang Ui, who had dueled me for the position of Martial Arts Alliance Leader, died, the martial world was plunged into deep sorrow.
The shock was especially profound for Elder Geum, who had revered Ouyang Ui.
I, too, wandered aimlessly for a long time from the shock.
Then one day.
Elder Geum came to see me.
Seeing his bloodshot eyes, it was clear he still hadn't gotten over Ouyang Ui.
“Have a seat.”
I offered him a seat with a dignified expression and voice.
Although Elder Geum was a peerless master with few equals, he was no match for me, who was regarded as the strongest Alliance Leader in history.
“Was there no way to save him?”
“You saw for yourself, Elder Geum.”
“Still. Still, if it was the Alliance Leader, the one called the greatest under heaven…”
“The Sword Emperor was my equal, a half-step away from me. At that moment, I believed he was attacking me with his full strength, so I too used my full power. It was unavoidable. I am saddened as well.”
Elder Geum gritted his teeth, his face contorted in grief.
As a peerless master, he knew well that my words were not a lie.
But he had revered the Sword Emperor so much that he wanted to press the matter, even if it was unreasonable.
If he didn't, he would find it hard to let the Sword Emperor go.
“If the Sword Emperor had admitted defeat and stepped back then, I would have helped him become a peerless master once again.”
“With your abilities, Elder Geum, that would have been more than possible.”
“It's true. I was prepared for it.”
“I believe you. I do not doubt you.”
Did Elder Geum misunderstand my words?
Or had the shock of the Sword Emperor's death driven him to delusion?
He was extremely agitated, unlike the man known for being not just level-headed, but cold-hearted.
I had known Elder Geum for a long time, but this was the first time I had ever seen him act this way.
“You don't believe me. I have the Azure Stone Oil.”
I was startled at the mention of Azure Stone Oil.
My eyes, momentarily filled with greed, soon returned to a state of desirelessness.
I had already attained internal energy equivalent to six cycles of sixty years.
To other martial artists, it was a precious elixir that couldn't be bought even for a thousand gold pieces, but to me, it was nothing more than an ordinary elixir.
“Hahaha. As expected of the Alliance Leader. I never thought you wouldn't be swayed in the slightest. Must I really let the Sword Emperor go like this?”
Elder Geum sighed, squeezed his eyes shut, and shed a tear.
**
I pushed aside the memory of him.
“I asked you how you knew.”
A hint of anger could be felt in his voice.
“If you want to know that, you'll have to pay an information fee.”
“Information fee? Hah, hahaha.”
Elder Geum let out a hollow laugh, a look of complete defeat on his face.
“It seems you've heard false information.”
“I heard it from a reliable source.”
“Who is this person?”
“Will you give me the Azure Stone Oil, then?”
“Do you have the money to buy it?”
“I'll pay you back over time.”
“My goodness, you're no different from a highway robber.”
Elder Geum looked at me with an expression of disbelief.
He seemed to ponder something deeply before speaking.
“Who is it? Tell me. Then I'll consider it favorably.”
I took a deep breath and resolved to persuade Elder Geum by mixing truth with lies.
This was just the beginning.
“I heard it from the former Martial Arts Alliance Leader.”
“Nonsense!”
“On a day when it was pouring rain, you went to the former Alliance Leader and questioned him about my grandfather's death, didn't you? You asked if he couldn't have been saved. And then you mentioned the Azure Stone Oil.”
“H-how does this bastard know that…?”
Elder Geum's face flushed red, and his breathing grew ragged.
“The former Alliance Leader was an extremely arrogant martial artist. There's no way he would have given you such information. How do you explain that?”
“I am his disciple. Not a formal one, but we met through a passing connection.”
“That's impossible.”
Elder Geum shook his head vehemently.
“Then can you prove it?”
“Do you remember the Heavenly Will Sword Art performed with the Universe's Will Divine Art?”
“Of course. How could I ever forget it? It's the sword art that led to the Sword Emperor's death.”
“I will perform it for you right here.”
I stood up and drew the Ghost Soul Sword.
As I raised my internal energy to its peak, the Ghost Soul Sword hummed, and a sharp aura flowed from its tip.
Seeing this, Elder Geum felt a chill run down his spine.
‘Th-this can't be. It's definitely the Universe's Will Divine Art. It's incomparably weaker than the former Alliance Leader's, but it's unmistakably the Universe's Will Divine Art.’
“Lightning Flash!”
With a thunderous shout, the first form of the Heavenly Will Sword Art was unleashed.
Elder Geum's jaw dropped at the swift form, executed in the blink of an eye like a lightning strike.
After executing the second form, Swift Explosive Kill, and the third form, Thunderous Lament, I gathered my internal energy, sheathed my sword, and sat back down.
“I was unable to perform the fourth form, Storm Slash Wheel, and the fifth form, Lightning Downpour, due to a lack of internal energy.”
“Unbelievable.”
“Do you not believe it was the Heavenly Will Sword Art performed with the Universe's Will Divine Art?”
“That's not what I mean. I mean it's unbelievable that the former Alliance Leader would have passed down his martial arts to you.”
Elder Geum's expression and voice had softened before I knew it.
“The former Alliance Leader said this. It was out of guilt towards the Sword Emperor. He also said, ‘You are my disciple, and at the same time, you are not.’ He taught me everything and then left me. That was probably around the time people were dismissing me as a scoundrel. I had no choice but to hide it.”
“Sigh, how could something like this happen.”
Elder Geum's eyes were now free of suspicion.
Only the former Alliance Leader knew the Universe's Will Divine Art and the Heavenly Will Sword Art.
The fact that I knew and performed them accurately left no room for doubt.
“Now, please give me the Azure Stone Oil. I beg you. The Dark Blood Heaven Cult has been revived, and soon, countless other evil factions will rise again. The great demons of the previous generation, who had been lying low, are already revealing themselves one by one. If this is left unchecked, the martial world will fall into chaos.”
“Are you saying you will save the martial world?”
“That's right.”
Staring into my blazing eyes, Elder Geum tilted his head and muttered.
“You're just like the former Alliance Leader. Your appearance resembles the Sword Emperor, but your spirit is entirely that of the former Alliance Leader.”
“I learned a great deal while receiving his martial teachings. Perhaps that's why I resemble him.”
“Sigh.”
Elder Geum squeezed his eyes shut, lost in thought.
I watched him as quietly as possible, hoping he would make the right decision.
“Shall I offer a piece of advice?”
“I'm listening.”
“Hide more than half of your martial arts. And if you intend to save the martial world, remain an enforcer for the Demon-Dispelling Pavilion.”
“May I ask why?”
“Spies from the Dark Blood Heaven Cult and other evil factions are openly active within the Martial Arts Alliance and numerous orthodox sects. This has been going on for a very long time. There are probably far more than even I know.”
“Then why did you stand by and do nothing?”
“I only found out by chance recently. And the successors of the Black Way Union, the Evil Emperor Union, and the Blood Palace will also reveal themselves. I don't know the details, but I'm almost certain.”
My vision went dark.
The martial world would be in an uproar if even one of those factions appeared, but what if they all emerged at once?
The mere thought sent shivers down my spine.
“So that's why you told me to hide my identity.”
“It's also for our Yeon. If you become their target, how could our Yeon live with peace of mind?”
“I will follow your will.”
“Thank you. For following my will. Go down to the eighth-floor training hall and wait.”
“Thank you.”
I clasped my fist in salute, left his office, and walked down to the eighth floor.
The memory of teaching Hwangbo Yeon the Nine Heavens Profound Sword Art came to mind, bringing a warm smile to my face.
A short while later.
Elder Geum returned with a chunk of stone.
I had consumed countless elixirs, but this was my first time seeing Azure Stone Oil, so I simply watched Elder Geum's actions.
Elder Geum brought a glossy black stone and sat down, placing it in front of me.
“This is a stone called Azure Stone. The Azure Stone Oil is inside. It's a very small amount. It will vaporize instantly if the stone is broken, so you must use your internal energy to inhale it directly. You can do that much, can't you?”
“Of course.”
I became extremely tense.
I was certain that this very moment was the most important in my life as Guyang Cheon.
I had to succeed.
Crack.
Elder Geum split the incredibly hard Azure Stone in two.
Then, he infused it with strong internal energy, squeezing the softer inner part, and a single drop of milky, clear liquid floated into the air.
He was using his internal energy to envelop the Azure Stone Oil, preventing it from vaporizing.
I absorbed the Azure Stone Oil with my internal energy and immediately pushed the Universe's Will Divine Art to its limits, beginning the Grand Circulation.
Whoooooosh.
The tremendous energy forced Elder Geum to move far away from me.
‘What incredible talent. Heh, I've lived my life in vain. I went around boasting of my reverence for the Sword Emperor, yet I failed to recognize such talent in Cheon. I, too, treated him like a scoundrel. Cheon. Guyang Cheon. Please, become a pillar of the martial world. And please, make Yeon happy.’