Chapter 54: Which Brings Me To...
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 54: Which Brings Me To...
The dazzling city nightscape stretched out below the window.
On the top floor of the tallest building in the vicinity.
The owner of the place was lost in thought amidst the silence.
He gazed at the city without moving until he sensed a faint presence behind him.
"My Lord."
The figure who had been looking out the window turned to face the Black-Clad Figure kneeling prostrate before him.
"The task?"
"All threats in the Thunder Prison have been eliminated. You need not worry about any further information leaks."
The scent of blood wafted from the kneeling Black-Clad Figure.
Its intensity was far greater than usual, causing his Lord to frown as he asked.
"You're wounded."
"...While eliminating the threats, I encountered an unexpected expert, but I managed to shake them off and return."
"You shook them off, not killed them?"
"They were an expert beyond my ability to kill."
"..."
The Black-Clad Figure calmly admitted the truth, but his Lord couldn't help but be greatly surprised.
The individual he had sent to deal with the Assassins imprisoned in the Martial Alliance's Thunder Prison was one of his most skilled subordinates.
An Assassin capable of killing even a typical Peak Master in the blink of an eye.
Yet, an expert he couldn't handle was waiting in the Martial Alliance's Thunder Prison?
"That old man, the Martial Alliance Leader... He has more than a few hidden tricks up his sleeve."
His words, while wary of the Martial Alliance Leader, also held a natural contempt.
At that moment, the Black-Clad Figure kneeling before him raised his head and spoke to his Lord.
"My Lord. May this subordinate presume to offer an opinion?"
His Lord gave a slight nod, and the Black-Clad Figure cautiously continued.
"Could it be that some of the Eight Great Sects have sided with the Martial Alliance Leader?"
"...Is that suspicion based on evidence?"
"No, My Lord. However, everyone within feels that the alliance of the Eight Great Sects, which appears as solid as a fortress wall from the outside, is not what it once was."
As if bracing for punishment for speaking out of turn, the Black-Clad Figure bowed his head even deeper after finishing his words.
However, his Lord did not refute his subordinate's words.
"It's only natural for cracks to appear in the fortress wall. Everyone desires to be at the top, yet eight of them sit together in such a cramped position."
"If someone among them has joined hands with the Martial Alliance Leader, it would explain the leak of our plans. As you know, the Martial Alliance's intelligence network has never escaped our notice."
"...Indeed. That's entirely possible."
His Lord, grinding his teeth, issued a command to the Black-Clad Figure.
"Monitor the Martial Alliance Leader's surroundings and uncover any traces of other Eight Great Sects' involvement."
If concrete evidence was found, the Eight Great Sects would no longer be able to maintain their current relationship.
'If there is someone who caught wind of my plans and informed the Martial Alliance Leader...'
'Whoever it is, I will never forgive them.'
Seeing the Killing Intent flickering in his Lord's eyes, the Black-Clad Figure bowed his head and replied.
"As you command."
It was the moment a crack appeared in the long-standing, solid alliance of the Eight Great Sects.
The accumulated dissatisfaction and suspicion they held for each other had been ignited by the incident that occurred during this License Exam.
"Anything else to report?"
"We have completed our investigation into the Rising Star who played a decisive role in thwarting our plans."
"...You mean the fellow who was on a team with Yang Ha-yun at the exam? His name was Ki Mu-hyeok, wasn't it?"
"That is correct."
From the Black-Clad Figure's lips flowed various pieces of information about Ki Mu-hyeok, public opinion of him, and even the fact that the Changcheon Sword Sect among the Eight Great Sects was keeping an eye on him.
After finishing his report, the Black-Clad Figure glanced at his Lord, then asked.
"Shall we eliminate him?"
His Lord, silent for a moment, slowly shook his head.
"At a time like this, there's no need to needlessly stir up trouble. For now, we'll observe him, then slowly make contact..."
He paused, then gave a cold laugh and issued an order to his subordinate.
"His talent seems quite exceptional, so we'll either recruit him or kill him later, depending on the opportunity."
"Recruit him into the main sect?"
His Lord shook his head at the Black-Clad Figure's question.
"Send him to the Cult. If he keeps catching my eye, I feel like I'll constantly want to kill him."
As if unable to control the rising Killing Intent, he repeatedly clenched and unclenched his palm.
Then, a chillingly sinister energy flared up from his hand like a blaze.
"...Understood."
The Black-Clad Figure bowed his head and replied, as if unfazed by the blaze.
Several days had passed since Ki Mu-hyeok had fully recovered from his injuries and received Internal Energy from Yeo Pil-geuk.
"Huuuh..."
Ki Mu-hyeok, having gathered the Internal Energy in his Dantian, slowly opened his eyes.
Through his half-opened vision, he saw golden and blue shimmering hazes.
It was the process of Metal Energy and Water Energy seeping out of his body during Qi circulation and then being reabsorbed.
Compared to when he first received the Metal Energy from Yeo Pil-geuk, he now handled the two energies with much greater ease.
"Hmm. It seems you're finally showing some results."
"...When did you arrive?"
Ki Mu-hyeok turned around to see Choi Geon watching his disciple with a pleased expression, hands clasped behind his back.
"Not long ago. It seemed you were nearing the end, so I was just standing guard for a bit. You seem quite accustomed to handling the two energies, don't you?"
As if something wasn't to his liking, Ki Mu-hyeok shook his head with an ambiguous expression.
"Not yet. These energies are quite a handful."
At first, he was simply overjoyed by the sudden increase in Internal Energy.
However, his body couldn't easily adapt to the abundant Internal Energy he had never experienced in his previous life, and he ended up breaking several practice swords.
Moreover, he had even suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Shin Kang-heon during a sparring match meant to help him adapt to the Five Elements Divine Art...
-Wahahahaha! I won! I won against the crazy bastard!
-...Again.
-Are you crazy? I'm going to brag about this all day!
-...I said, again.
-Can't a loser make a polite request? And first, why don't you get that strange Internal Energy under control before you challenge me? Stop flailing your limbs around like that.
Grind!
Even now, it felt as if he could still hear that laughter, forcing him to take a deep breath lest he suffer Qi Deviation.
Huuu-
"I need to get used to the Five Elements Divine Art quickly and get my revenge on that lunatic."
Seeing his disciple's gaze, sharper than usual, Choi Geon chuckled heartily.
"There's no need to rush. It's something most people experience when they begin cultivating a high-level Mind Cultivation Method. Moreover, what you've learned is called a Divine Martial Art, isn't it?"
Internal Energy, even if easily gained, isn't something that can be easily controlled.
If it were an energy easy enough to control at will, it wouldn't have been given the name 'Divine Martial Art'.
"Right now, contrary to what you might think, your sword path is off, and the spacing of your footwork has changed. If you focus too much on that, the tip of your sword will inevitably dull. It's all part of the adaptation process."
At his master's words, spoken with a gentle smile, Ki Mu-hyeok could only nod.
"Greed often leads to trouble, after all. I'll try to take things one step at a time."
"You say that, but I hear you've been doing nothing but Qi circulation lately, except for meal times?"
"..."
"Hmm. Look at this rascal?"
As Choi Geon narrowed his eyes and looked at him, Ki Mu-hyeok subtly averted his gaze.
"Tsk, tsk. This won't do. You and I are going out for a bit."
"Where at this hour?"
It was quite late at night.
However, in response to his disciple's question, his master merely offered a meaningful smile.
"Let's just go for a light stroll, clear our heads, wherever our feet take us."
The two quickly dressed, stepped outside, and walked side by side, conversing quietly.
Most of it was discourse on martial arts.
"More important than a large amount of Internal Energy is the harmony between Internal and External Energy. Once you're accustomed to the Five Elements Divine Art, you must increase the proportion of your External Energy training again."
"I was already planning to increase my Swordsmanship training starting tomorrow."
"Don't force yourself to balance the energies either. The cultivation mantra itself states that the energies should harmonize naturally."
"When would be a good time to acquire the lacking Fire, Wood, and Earth energies?"
"Even water, if drunk too quickly, can cause indigestion. It would be best to attempt it when you feel your vessel has grown stronger."
Choi Geon had allowed his disciple to read and interpret the Five Elements Divine Art's secret manual on his own, but he offered minimal advice, reading passages from the manual with him whenever necessary.
'From my perspective, he's already doing quite well.'
Though Ki Mu-hyeok himself seemed unsatisfied, being able to handle the Five Elements Divine Art's energies to this extent in just a few days would have been impossible with ordinary effort, perseverance, and talent.
It was only possible because he had literally sat and performed Qi circulation so much that he could have developed boils on his backside.
"When the Five Elements' energies gather and harmonize, a new change will occur... That passage is bothering you, isn't it?"
"I am curious about what will happen."
Ki Mu-hyeok nodded with an excited expression.
Yang Ha-yun's Extreme Yin Energy.
And the Martial Alliance Leader's Metal Energy.
Both were energies so pure they were hard to find anywhere else.
By merely acquiring these two, Ki Mu-hyeok instantly gained Internal Energy that would not fall behind any other Rising Star.
'What would happen if I gathered all the other energies as well?'
Of course, acquiring Fire, Wood, and Earth energies of a similar level to these two would by no means be easy.
And even more important than that was expanding his own vessel.
For now, he already felt as if he had reached his limit with just these two energies.
"...As Master said, now is the time to make my vessel larger and stronger. I think I've been too greedy."
Having been cooped up at home for days, coming outside definitely seemed to clear his head, and Ki Mu-hyeok scratched his head with an embarrassed laugh.
"Oh, you rascal. You're finally admitting it!"
Choi Geon, seemingly in good spirits, reached out and roughly ruffled his disciple's hair.
And then, Ki Mu-hyeok noticed a faint cut on Choi Geon's palm and asked in surprise.
"You're injured?"
"It's nothing. There was an intruder in the Martial Alliance's Thunder Prison, and I got a small cut while exchanging blows."
"What?"
Choi Geon gave a slight smile as he spoke of the shocking truth as if it were nothing.
"It seems I'm getting old too. To get wounded by a fellow I would have cut down in a single stroke in the old days."
"Who on earth..."
"Hehehe. I'd like to see that face myself."
While Ki Mu-hyeok focused on recovering, Choi Geon concealed his identity and interrogated the spies in the Martial Alliance.
The spies, disguised as Black-White agents, were so thoroughly brainwashed it was terrifying.
Furthermore, the enemies had even sent Assassins to prevent any potential information leaks.
"They were no ordinary opponents. I almost let them get away completely..."
"Master. So, where are we going now?"
At Ki Mu-hyeok's words, which seemed to indicate he had caught on, Choi Geon's smile deepened.
"Right there."
Choi Geon stopped in his tracks and gestured with his head towards a certain spot.
In the distance, a building with a large signboard bearing the name 'Great Heaven Sect' was visible.
"The trail of the escaped Assassin had gone cold, putting me in a difficult situation, but then I remembered what you told me about the Great Heaven Sect a while ago."
Ki Mu-hyeok had once told Choi Geon about the Ghost Sound Hall, which had caused Kim Hyeon-seung to be possessed by a Monstrous Being during the Sword Dance Competition, and the Great Heaven Sect behind it.
Choi Geon recalled that story, and knowing that the Great Heaven Sect was not far from where the trail went cold, he investigated just in case.
And eventually, he rediscovered the Assassin's trail here, which he thought he had lost.
"While the Great Heaven Sect is a mid-sized sect with a considerable history, they don't have the guts to provoke the Martial Alliance. Nor do they have the capability."
Choi Geon's eyes, looking up at the building, gleamed coldly.
"I am certain that one of the Eight Great Sects is behind them."
The corners of Sword Demon Choi Geon's lips, entangled in a bitter rivalry with the Eight Great Sects, curved into a fierce arc.
With that same smile, Choi Geon turned to his disciple and spoke, as if making a casual suggestion.
"Which brings me to this, my disciple."
He thought it could also be helpful for his disciple, who had recently been struggling with the harmony of Internal and External Energy.
"Would you like to come along, both to adapt to your newly acquired Internal Energy? After all, there's nothing better than real combat."
And his disciple was the type who excelled in real combat more than anyone.
Sure enough, a smile exactly like his master's formed on Ki Mu-hyeok's lips.
"Sounds good. As they say, 'seeing something once is better than hearing about it a hundred times,' right?"
Even before his master finished speaking, Ki Mu-hyeok was already warming up.