Chapter 730: Shall We Do It Here?
"How long will it take to break the seal?"
At Hwa Mu-gyeong’s question, Gaye looked up at the stars on the ceiling. After one constellation was completed, no more constellations lit up.
"I do not know. I have never heard of anyone breaking the Seal of the Seventy-Two Stars Forbidden Soul Formation on their own."
If the person imprisoned inside had been anyone else, she would have answered that it was impossible to undo. But if it was him, who had awakened from the seal by his own strength?
"If fast, it may take a few months. If slow, it could take years. You must make preparations quickly."
Fear lingered in her voice. The fear that if he awoke, everyone would die, had ruled her for a long time.
On the other hand, Hwa Mu-gyeong remained calm. At first, he had been shocked and in disbelief at the news of his awakening, but if it was certain that he had awakened, then what needed to be done was already clear.
"Our time is limited."
And in that limited time, there was only one thing that had to be done.
"We have one last chance. If we can recover the Six-Origin Energies before the seal is broken, we will be able to restrain him."
Hwa Mu-gyeong immediately called someone.
"Hwe!"
Then, a black circle formed on the ground, and the man in black reappeared.
"Go and deliver the message. Retrieve the energy at all costs."
"I accept your command!"
The man in black disappeared into the floor.
Gaye once again looked up at the ceiling. In her mind, she envisioned the sight of all the constellations lighting up at once.
"I am afraid."
At her honest words, Hwa Mu-gyeong slowly walked over to the secret box placed in the corner.
He slowly raised his hand and caressed the secret box. The back of his dry hand was deeply wrinkled.
His eyes, as they looked upon the secret box, carried deep regret. He had so much he wanted to say, yet, as always, his regret never came out through words but instead sank into the heavy wrinkles on his face.
"I like your honesty. When you are surprised, you admit you are surprised, and when you are afraid, you admit you are afraid. You do not have the pretentiousness of your elders."
The darkness, which had scattered from fear, once again gathered around Hwa Mu-gyeong.
As if it knew its master’s mood, it no longer played mischievous tricks but became a deep, cold darkness that sank around him.
"Yes, you should tremble with fear. After all, we are talking about seizing the martial world."
* * *
Geom Mugeuk was looking up at the signboard.
Hidden Moon.
Whenever he saw this signboard, only one emotion filled him.
Regret.
Because he knew better than anyone how much effort Gowol had put in until the building bearing this signboard stood in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s main division.
That was why the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader’s nagging about Gowol was more precious than any other words. Because it always reminded him not to forget Gowol’s merits.
Geom Mugeuk stepped into the building. There were no martial artists guarding the entrance.
Instead, along both walls of the corridor, the highest-grade mechanical devices had been installed. Back when Gowol had first introduced this place to him, they had not yet been operational, but now they were fully active.
After passing through the long corridor lined with mechanisms, the operations room finally appeared.
"Welcome, Young Cult Leader."
Gowol respectfully greeted Geom Mugeuk.
"You look better than when I last saw you."
"There is someone who takes care of my health even more diligently than I do myself, is there not?"
He meant that the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader was looking after him well.
"How has the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader been lately?"
"He has been busy trying to lose belly fat. He pesters me every day to inform him right away if I ever find any martial arts that can help him shed belly fat. He even said that demonic arts would be fine."
Knowing full well that this was likely true, Geom Mugeuk laughed.
"Come, take a look around."
The operations room was buzzing with activity.
Through dozens of holes in the wall, information from all over the Central Plains was pouring in, and on one side, that information was being sorted.
It felt like a miniature version of the Heavenly Communication Pavilion.
"There is a place I must inspect."
Geom Mugeuk opened a door inside Gowol’s office. It was a space where Gowol had placed a single bed just to rest.
"As I thought! I knew it!"
Next to the bed, books and documents were piled up.
Flustered, Gowol tried to explain.
"These are just things I read when I cannot fall asleep."
"In those times, simply close your eyes instead."
Geom Mugeuk carried out all the materials from the room.
"This is an order."
"Yes! I will obey without fail."
Who could possibly defy such an order?
After inspecting Hidden Moon, Gowol presented the documents he had prepared in advance.
"These are the records of major incidents that occurred in the martial world while you were staying in the Daecheon Mountains."
Geom Mugeuk slowly read through the documents Gowol had organized.
The enemies had even used the energy of Red Essence in their attempt to capture him, yet they had failed.
There was no doubt they were weaving a new plot, and among these incidents, there would surely be something related to them.
"Is there any event worth noting these days?"
"Yes, there is one recent incident of interest."
"What is it?"
"Have you ever heard of the Sword Tomb?"
Geom Mugeuk nodded. In the martial world of this era, there was only one Sword Tomb of true significance.
"Is it not the place where it is said that the masters of the past gathered to fight and all perished in the end?"
"That is correct. The place became famous because it was said that the reason those masters fought was for treasures and artifacts so valuable that it was worth wagering their lives for them."
In his life before regression, Geom Mugeuk had once entered the Sword Tomb himself. Of course, it had not been for its treasures, but to find someone who had gone inside.
"Rumors have spread that a map with the location of the Sword Tomb has been discovered, and the movements of the martial world have become unusual. There are already those who have died in the scramble for it."
Geom Mugeuk’s eyes sharpened.
The timing of the Sword Tomb’s appearance was not right. The Sword Tomb was supposed to reveal itself much later, bringing a bloody storm to the martial world.
‘The Sword Tomb is opening now?’
From Geom Mugeuk’s expression, Gowol sensed the gravity of the situation.
"Is there something troubling your mind?"
The timing of such a major event had been pulled far ahead of schedule.
It might have been connected to the forces in the shadows, and even if it was not, it was undoubtedly an incident that demanded attention.
"Investigate this matter under the assumption that it is connected to them."
"Yes, I understand."
Gowol did not question it. Through his own work handling information, he too had experienced just how many ways those enemies schemed and plotted.
"Here, distribute these among the soldiers."
Geom Mugeuk pulled out a stack of envelopes from within his robes. Inside were promissory notes of considerable value.
"There is nothing better than this to lift morale."
After saying it loudly enough for everyone to hear and raising an envelope high, the soldiers at work broke into bright smiles.
"It is said that the longer a man spends sitting, the shorter his lifespan becomes. So get up often, and make sure you sleep well."
After bidding farewell to the Hidden Moon soldiers in this manner, Geom Mugeuk departed from the place.
Gowol followed him out to the entrance of Hidden Moon.
"Thank you very much for your concern."
Before leaving, Geom Mugeuk gave Gowol a separate reminder. Gowol had always been the type to overwork himself.
"Your health is the most important. If your health fails, then the tens of thousands of pieces of information gathered here will not be worth more than this one truth known by everyone."
Geom Mugeuk spoke that one truth with emphasis.
"Health is the most important."
* * *
After leaving Hidden Moon, Geom Mugeuk entered the residence of the One-Slash Sword Supreme.
"Sword Supreme."
The doors of the hall opened, and the One-Slash Sword Supreme stepped out.
"Young Cult Leader, welcome."
The One-Slash Sword Supreme warmly greeted Geom Mugeuk.
"It has been a while, yet our Sword Supreme’s beauty remains unchanged."
"It feels nice to hear your flattery after such a long time."
Now that she no longer placed any meaning on her appearance, she responded more comfortably.
"Come by often, even if only to say empty words."
"Of course, I will come by every day to say them. And they are not empty words!"
The two looked at each other and laughed.
"You must see for yourself how diligently I have trained before coming down here."
Then the One-Slash Sword Supreme made an unexpected proposal.
"Shall we do it here?"
Her meaning was to have their duel right here in the courtyard instead of the training ground.
Geom Mugeuk looked around.
Flower pots lined the yard, filled with blooming blossoms, and several jars of food stood nearby. In the center of the courtyard, a long clothesline stretched, and the Sword Supreme’s pure white garments swayed in the wind.
In other words, her intent was to have a duel without breaking anything — not the kind of duel they had shared before, but a far more refined one.
"Very well."
Naturally, Geom Mugeuk accepted without hesitation.
The two drew their swords at the same time.
From his stance alone, the One-Slash Sword Supreme could already tell the results of his training in the Daecheon Mountains.
With swords drawn, the two began to move slowly.
As they passed each other with the fluttering garments between them, the wind blew and the clothes billowed.
Swish!
Geom Mugeuk’s sword shot through the fluttering fabric.
Clang!
The One-Slash Sword Supreme swiftly swung her sword, deflecting the strike.
It had clearly been a strike launched without internal energy, yet it was heavy. Truly heavy.
‘The force carried in his sword has changed.’
Swishhh!
This time, the Sword Supreme’s blade sliced past the clothesline.
Clang!
Geom Mugeuk, too, realized that the momentum carried in her sword was unlike before, far greater than ever.
Clang! Clang!
The Black Demon Sword and the One-Slash Sword crossed swiftly among the hanging clothes.
The clash of blades carried perilous force, yet neither the garments nor the clothesline tore or broke. Only the white clothes scattered in the sword wind.
Once more, the two advanced and exchanged strikes.
Though it was not the fierce, relentless duel of before, it was more tense and far more dangerous.
Their blades danced before a stack of firewood piled in the corner.
A log, not yet split, was sent flying.
Their swords struck at one another through the log in between.
Crack-crack-crack.
The log fell apart into chopped firewood. It was not some playful game of chopping wood together while fighting.
Splitting the log was an unspoken, natural condition — and on top of that condition, their exchange was truly perilous. It was a display of swordsmanship unfolding within absolute restraint.
They leapt, kicking off a flower pot, yet not a single petal fell. When they landed on the roof, not even the sound of a step could be heard.
Without resorting to their unique sword arts, they dueled only with the most fundamental techniques — yet this match was far more dangerous than a battle filled with sword qi and sword force.
Whooshhh.
After circling the courtyard in this clash, the two returned to their original positions.
Around them, not a single thing had changed from before the duel. Nothing was broken; not even the slightest mark of a sword’s edge remained.
"Thank you deeply for your guidance."
At Geom Mugeuk’s respectful bow, the One-Slash Sword Supreme also returned the courtesy with a proper clasped-fist salute.
"Congratulations on reaching Ten Star Greatness in the Nine Calamities Demon Art."
She, too, first showed courtesy toward the Nine Calamities Demon Art, not toward Geom Mugeuk.
"How did you know?"
The way she had discovered that he had reached Completion was different from his father or the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
"In the past, I could feel that you were hiding your strength within your sword. It felt as though you were trying to protect me."
Even as the One-Slash Sword Supreme said these words, she was amazed at herself for not feeling the slightest wound to her pride.
"But just now, I did not feel that. It felt as though you were giving your all."
"Wouldn’t that mean my skill has actually declined?"
"No. What it means is that you have now reached the level where even if you fight with all your strength, you will not harm me."
This time, the One-Slash Sword Supreme offered a clasped-fist salute while still holding her sword.
"This was a duel for which I am truly grateful."
She could sense that this duel had left a great impact on her, one that would help her advance to the next realm.
And she was astonished. To witness the Nine Calamities Demon Art reach Completion twice in her lifetime. When had she last seen the Cult Leader smiling after attaining it?
"I, too, have learned greatly. Thank you, Sword Supreme."
With that, the two finished their duel and sat side by side on a small bench in the courtyard, sipping tea.
"By the way, I plan to leave the cult tomorrow."
"Where will you go?"
Then, from her lips came the name he had already heard once today.
"The Sword Tomb has appeared in the martial world."
Geom Mugeuk turned to look at the One-Slash Sword Supreme. She was gazing down into her teacup.
"As one who wields a sword, should I not at least go have a look?"
It was not because she coveted the treasures or artifacts said to be there.
She had never seemed the type to involve herself in such matters.
Geom Mugeuk asked softly,
"Would it be possible for me to accompany you?"
The One-Slash Sword Supreme’s expression showed surprise.
"You?"
"I would like to go with you, Sword Supreme. Am I not also one who wields a sword?"
The One-Slash Sword Supreme nodded readily.
"I welcome it. In fact, it is I who should be making the request. But you have only just come down from the Daecheon Mountains. Are you sure you are all right?"
"Did I not already confirm it this time? To my frustration, I discovered that the Cult runs far too well even without me."
At those words, the One-Slash Sword Supreme laughed pleasantly.
"Then, let us meet at dawn tomorrow."
* * *
The next dawn, at the front gates of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, Geom Mugeuk and the One-Slash Sword Supreme met. Geom Mugeuk had a travel pack strapped full across his back.
Who in the world would believe it? That the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult would leave carrying so much baggage. He was a man who, with nothing but a single sword in hand, could obtain anything in the world.
"Let us go."
"Just a moment."
Geom Mugeuk lowered his head deeply toward the One-Slash Sword Supreme.
"First, I must apologize in advance."
"Why? Are you saying you cannot accompany me?"
The One-Slash Sword Supreme thought Geom Mugeuk must have to go elsewhere. That would explain why he carried so much luggage.
"No. Quite the opposite. This time, I caused trouble first, and now I must apologize."
Just as she wore a puzzled expression, wondering what he meant, the trouble Geom Mugeuk had mentioned came walking toward them.
Grumbling with a sullen face and carrying a massive saber across his back — it was the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
"Where on earth are you planning to go at this hour of dawn?"