Unexpected (2)
At Gold Spirit's sudden reaction, I stopped walking and asked,
"Why? What's wrong?"
In response, Gold Spirit poked its head out from inside my sleeve, looking around frantically while wiggling its hips.
It looked incredibly excited.
As far as I knew, Gold Spirit only got this thrilled when...
No way.
In my previous life, they'd searched this place thoroughly and found nothing.
But Gold Spirit was more accurate than anyone when it came to things like this.
So, it was worth checking out.
We had time.
"Is there treasure or something?"
Gold Spirit nodded at my question and wagged its tail, as if telling me to follow.
Gold Spirit bobbed along, leading the way.
I didn't need to worry about any mechanisms or formations activating.
As far as I knew, the only one nearby was that single night-luminescent pearl up above.
Of course, the pearl itself was real, but it wasn't the trigger for the formation.
The ornament encasing it was.
The second entrance I'd used could be considered the exit of the one guarded by the warriors.
Now, imagine this.
Pitch-black darkness where you can't see an inch ahead.
Those who enter seeking instant riches or fateful encounters are met only with brutal traps.
They lose comrades and family to those traps, barely making it to this exit.
Unlike other places, they confirm no life-threatening traps here.
They finally exhale in relief and lie down to rest, but the thought of leaving empty-handed fills them with despair.
Especially for the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult—failure meant atoning with death, right?
Then, in the darkness, they spot the brightly glowing night-luminescent pearl.
Wouldn't they think to take it at least?
Against Blood Gon Seong Seung's intentions, a battle reportedly broke out over that pearl back then.
Anyway, someone touched the ornament around it, triggering the formation.
That formation didn't manifest traps immediately—it exploded after a delay.
Reportedly gruesome.
The casualties were far greater than before.
They probably would've survived if they'd just left without touching it.
In any case, I planned to use that pearl to blow up this sword tomb.
And I was benefiting from it right now.
The whole area was lit up bright.
It was a huge, high-grade night-luminescent pearl.
Soon, Gold Spirit stopped and pointed at a spot with its front paw.
"Here?"
Gold Spirit nodded.
Where the wall met the floor.
I pulled a dagger from my bosom and tapped the spot.
Crackle.
Chunks of dirt wall crumbled away, revealing a new stone wall inside.
This... there was definitely something in there.
As I carefully crumbled the surrounding dirt, a space appeared.
About a foot across in every direction.
Tap.
When I inserted the dagger, it hit something hard.
"There's something in there."
"I'll retrieve it."
Seo-u Warrior bent down and pulled out the object.
It was a black iron box.
Seeing it, both Seo-u Warrior and Jin Yu Warrior tensed up.
"My lord, just in case, let me open it."
"It's fine. I'll do it."
I carefully opened the box. Inside was something wrapped in cloth and ten bars of yellowish gold.
So there was something real here?
I picked up the wrapped item first—it felt more important, based on my instincts.
Unwrapping it revealed a book.
Disciple Hyejin's Offering to Shaolin
"Disciple Hyejin presents this to Shaolin."
Come to think of it, Blood Gon Seong Seung's monastic name was Hyejin, wasn't it?
So this was something he left for Shaolin Temple?
The book was made of good material—it wasn't too worn.
And atop it was a sealed letter.
The envelope read [To the One Who Finds This]. So, a message for whoever discovered it.
I carefully unfolded the letter.
If you have found this, it means my earnest prayer has reached its mark.
This book contains my heart of atonement.
Please deliver it to Shaolin Temple.
The enclosed gold is payment. It may not be enough, but I beg you, this old monk's final request—grant it.
A book containing his heart of atonement?
I started to open it but stopped.
Something told me I'd be stuck here forever if I did.
But why was there no mention of this in my previous life?
Maybe it was never found—or someone took it.
No way to know now, but one thing was clear: it had to go to Shaolin Temple.
We'd accepted Grandmaster's request for this gold, after all.
Now I had a reason to visit Shaolin.
I stowed it in my secret pouch and stood.
"Alright, let's get out of here," I said to Seo-u Warrior and Jin Yu Warrior.
Gold Spirit looked up at me with sparkling eyes—reward time for finding treasure.
"Not now. Later."
"Kui!"
Gold Spirit obediently slipped back into my sleeve, and we headed for the exit.
Once we'd put some distance, I picked up a nearby stone and hurled it at the ornament around the pearl.
Thud!
The ornament shattered, and the pearl dropped down.
Woooong!
I focused my qi on the pearl, halting it midair before it hit the ground.
Air Grasp.
I could use it properly since reaching Super First-rate, but deploying it like this was a first.
"Hup!"
The pearl floated toward me under my qi, and I caught it lightly.
Clack!
Couldn't leave this behind.
It was the largest night-luminescent pearl I'd seen—worth a fortune.
"Okay, let's hurry out!"
"Yes!"
We dashed out at full speed with lightness skill.
Just as we neared the camp...
Kaboom!
A earth-shattering roar echoed from the sword tomb, as if the heavens and earth were splitting.
Smoke and dust billowed up.
No martial artist slept through that boom. Everyone woke and rushed out in panic.
"Hah..."
"Ah..."
They stared, speechless. Some collapsed in hollow despair.
"No... my merits..."
Elder Gyeong San-ja muttered blankly.
As I suspected?
The Murim Alliance must've promised him support if he succeeded.
Don't make that hopeless face.
In the previous life, Elder ended up pathetic.
The Alliance pinned all blame on him; he had to shatter his own dantian.
But this was a sudden, cause-unknown accident—no repeat of that.
Once calmed, everyone headed to the sword tomb.
The other two factions arrived around the same time.
"It was you bastards! You sabotaged it so we couldn't find anything inside, right?"
A Black Dao warrior shouted. A Justice Faction one yelled back,
"You bastard! Fanning flames in a fire? Pouring oil? You think we're crazy enough for that crap?"
Well, I did the crap. Am I crazy?
I coughed awkwardly.
"Are you under a spell or something?"
I chuckled at Palgap's words.
"Spell? Just dusty—throat's scratchy."
As the argument heated, I stepped forward.
"Everyone, calm down. Sigh... What's done is done. This old structure always had collapse risks."
"True..."
"Hmm..."
I continued explaining.
"And who knows? Maybe the will of heaven helped. If we'd been inside when it collapsed... Ugh, terrifying to think."
They paled or shuddered, imagining it.
"Now that you say it, we're lucky?"
"Whoa... we almost died?"
"Aigoo! Mother!"
I pressed on.
"But leaving empty-handed after coming this far? Embarrassing, no?"
"Right."
"So, as discussed before, divide zones and excavate? Who knows what might be left."
My main reason: their lingering regrets.
Regret festers long.
Unresolved, it'd cause trouble later.
Second: let them see for themselves what was inside.
Understanding the sword tomb's true nature would show how stupid entering was.
Third: public revelation would vindicate the monk Jeong Myeong who convinced Shaolin on my word.
Finally: confirm if the Gold Guards here were truly Alliance-tied.
They served by imperial order—had to be sure.
Sloppy work could give the Emperor leverage. Imagining his probing questions made me sweat.
They nodded in agreement.
After breakfast, red lines divided the rubble.
Ah...
Zoned by faction.
I suggested it, but this minimized pointless fights.
We began excavating.
With high-level martial artists, it went smoothly.
Rubble piled into mountains in no time.
Why did I think tales would spread of the three great powers' masters making mountains from earth?
Then—
"Argh!"
Shoosh!
A scream, arrows launching skyward!
So sudden, from so close.
"These bastards ambushing?"
"N-no!"
"What do you mean no?"
I'd been waiting near expected trap spots and jumped in.
"Where'd those arrows come from? I watched from afar—they shot from the ground."
"The ground?"
"Yes. For an ambush, why aim high instead of people?"
"Now that you mention..."
"Then what?"
"Why from the ground...?"
Factions halted, investigated.
The shocking truth left them aghast.
"Blood Gon Seong Seung's sword tomb... how such traps?"
"Arrows shooting upward from below. If fired from inside..."
"Hmmm..."
I smiled bitterly inside.
Why so shocked already?
Worse remained.
Excavation resumed; traps emerged one by one.
Floor collapsing onto spikes below.
Log with blade flying from front.
Arrows from sides, above.
Poison gas clouds.
Sudden flames incinerating.
Reactions varied.
Murim Alliance/Justice: "Such brutality! Is this really Blood Gon Seong Seung's tomb?" Sighs.
Heavenly Demon Divine Cult: "We knew this monk's cruelty since he oppressed our cult!" Sneers.
Black Dao: "Ah, fuck! Again?" Grumbles.
But one common thread: relief at not entering, patting chests.
Days passed: two, three, four, five... excavation nearly done.
No treasures or manuals.
I'd already taken them.
Then—
"Gasp! L-look here! Something!"
"We found something!"
Warriors' shouts drew crowds.
"What'd you find?"
Elder Gyeong San-ja rushed down but froze.
A emaciated corpse of an old monk sat in lotus position—entered nirvana.
Blood Gon Seong Seung's remains.
Despite the explosion, the structure above held, preserving it intact.
Wall beside: [I, Hyejin, will watch from here].
I, Hyejin, will watch from here.
"Likely Blood Gon Seong Seung's holy remains."
"What now?"
Debate over the corpse ensued. I gazed at it.
And murmured inwardly,
It's quite different from the previous life.
So, what do you think, Grandmaster?
You might hate me for ruining your plan.
But...
Huh? Wait?
Did Grandmaster just... smile?