Chapter 733: This Way Feels Promising
The inside of the cave was dark.
Of course, to Geom Mugeuk, who had mastered the New Eye Technique, it looked bright as day, and the two Demon Supremes had no real difficulty moving either.
Those with torches would manage better, but those without were likely stumbling through the darkness, relying solely on instinct.
While Geom Mugeuk pulled a small torch from his pack and lit it, the two Demon Supremes exchanged words.
“This cave is called the Maze Cave?”
“Do you really think the three of us would get lost?”
“Isn’t it more likely we’d get lost precisely because there are three of us?”
The meaning was that their trust in one another might ironically be the reason they lost their way.
At Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s words, One-Slash Sword Supreme gave a faint smile. To outsiders, Blood Heaven Blade Demon seemed like the sort of man who would simply smash through obstacles if he lost his way.
But she knew well that he had this surprisingly delicate side to him.
Of course, neither of them truly worried about getting lost. That was because of Geom Mugeuk, who strode ahead with an air of carefree confidence.
“When would I ever get lost with the two of you? And even if we stray a little, that doesn’t mean there’s no path to reach where we must go, does it?”
The three of them walked deeper inside. The thick stench of blood already filled the cavern, echoing with the clash of weapons, curses, and screams. Truly, it was a scene of hell, where killing and being killed unfolded without pause.
“For now, let’s take the path on the right.”
Geom Mugeuk chose the right fork of the three.
“It’s reassuring to move together with the Young Cult Leader. You can’t help but feel that everything will somehow work out, right?”
At One-Slash Sword Supreme’s blind faith, Blood Heaven Blade Demon glanced at Geom Mugeuk’s back and muttered gruffly.
“It’s not like he has any grand plan. He’s just charging ahead without thinking.”
Geom Mugeuk chuckled as he replied.
“Exactly! Our elder has seen right through me! But really, where on earth is the bastard hiding with the Treasure Map?”
“How did he even end up cornered in here? Did they drive him in during a hunt?”
“Or perhaps he entered of his own will.”
“Of his own will?”
Geom Mugeuk clearly seemed to have some intuition about it, but he didn’t voice it. There was no need to ask—sooner or later, he’d explain it in excruciating detail whether they wanted to hear it or not.
As they continued walking through the cave, Blood Heaven Blade Demon used his energy to blast away a jagged rock sticking out from the ceiling. It had been right where One-Slash Sword Supreme would have struck her head.
“I saw it too.”
“I’m sure you did.”
“No matter how kind you try to be, I never go easy on a wager.”
“Did I ever ask you to?”
Listening to their exchange, Geom Mugeuk’s expression softened. Yes—this was why he had wanted to leave with the two of them. To hear conversations like this.
The cave was intricate. After walking for a while, a fork appeared, sometimes splitting into three or even four different paths.
But Geom Mugeuk strode ahead with confidence, as if he already knew exactly where to go.
Ssshhh.
Suddenly, a sword shot out from the darkness, aiming straight for Geom Mugeuk.
He tilted his body slightly, evading the strike, and simply continued walking forward. He didn’t even glance at the attacker.
This left the ambusher bewildered. Not only had Geom Mugeuk passed by as if he were invisible, but the two following behind him didn’t spare so much as a glance either.
Ssshhh.
A belated slash missed as well. By then, the three had already vanished into the darkness.
“What on earth is this…?”
Puk!
A sword suddenly pierced through the chest of the dumbfounded man.
Someone else had ambushed him from behind and killed him.
The new assailant rifled through the fallen man’s body. When no Treasure Map appeared, he melted back into the shadows.
In this place, rational choices and careful judgment held no meaning. Everyone was lying in wait, striking from the dark to kill, rifling through corpses in search of the Treasure Map. It was nothing more than a matter of luck—whoever was fortunate enough would seize it.
Clang, clang, clang, clang!
Elsewhere, several fighters were locked in battle.
“Let’s just move on.”
Surely, one of them might have the Treasure Map.
Yet, for reasons of his own, Geom Mugeuk simply walked past.
A startled swordsman slashed at him as he crossed the battlefield, but the strike didn’t so much as graze a single strand of his hair.
Like a child playing tag, Geom Mugeuk slipped lightly through the clash and emerged unscathed.
Why would Blood Heaven Blade Demon and One-Slash Sword Supreme act any differently?
“Why aren’t you stopping them?”
When Blood Heaven Blade Demon asked, Geom Mugeuk glanced back at the fighters still locked in combat.
“Look at their eyes.”
Each one of them was consumed by the madness of greed.
“It would be easier to make a gambler quit gambling.”
Geom Mugeuk continued deeper into the cave.
“Do you know where they’re hiding?”
“If we’re lucky, we’ll run into them.”
But this wasn’t mere luck.
The truth was, Geom Mugeuk had been to the Cave of Death before.
When he roamed the Central Plains to gather materials for the Great Regression Technique, there was no way he would have overlooked this famous cavern of Cheonja Mountain.
This mysterious maze-like cave had never let him leave easily. He had always felt that something hidden awaited in places he had not yet explored.
He had forgotten much now, but back then he had known this place so well he could have drawn a map of it.
‘Could those things still be here, even at this time?’
He had failed to find materials for the Great Regression Technique here, but instead he had discovered other things. The only uncertainty was whether they still remained after all this time.
And if someone were to hide, he could also guess the places they might choose.
Blood Heaven Blade Demon and One-Slash Sword Supreme exchanged a glance.
By now, one might have expected him to lose his way at least once, but Geom Mugeuk never once passed through the same place twice.
Eventually, the passage opened into a slightly wider chamber.
Geom Mugeuk pulled two bamboo water flasks from his pack and handed one to each of them.
“Please drink some water.”
The two of them drank deeply and refreshed themselves.
Geom Mugeuk then looked at Blood Heaven Blade Demon with concern.
“You must feel stifled, don’t you?”
“I’m fine.”
But he wasn’t. Sweat trickled down Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s face. As he had said before entering, he truly despised cramped, suffocating places.
“I’ll explore this passage. Please rest here for a while.”
Geom Mugeuk handed him the torch.
“And you?”
“My night vision is good.”
The truth was, Geom Mugeuk preferred moving without a torch.
Swaeeeek—
Using the Star Light Step, Geom Mugeuk vanished from sight in an instant.
Blood Heaven Blade Demon and One-Slash Sword Supreme sat side by side on a flat rock.
“After seeing the Young Cult Leader surprise us so many times, something like this doesn’t even faze me anymore.”
Blood Heaven Blade Demon nodded as he wiped his sweat.
“You disliked narrow, stifling places even when you were young. Still the same as ever.”
“Do people really change so easily?”
At those words, One-Slash Sword Supreme laughed softly.
“Why are you laughing?”
“It’s nothing.”
If anyone shouldn’t have said such words, it was Blood Heaven Blade Demon. Because he had changed more than anyone else—ever since he met Geom Mugeuk.
“Do you remember? We once went to visit the Cult Leader’s training chamber?”
That was back when Geom Woojin was still the Young Cult Leader. She didn’t recall the exact reason, but he had been ordered to spend a hundred days training in the chamber.
“We sneaked in with liquor bottles in hand.”
A smile tugged at Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s lips. How could he ever forget one of the rare memories that still made him laugh when he looked back?
“You boasted that we should just trust you, but you got us lost almost immediately.”
“Did I?”
The truth was, he hadn’t lost the way that day. He had only pretended to, wanting to walk a little longer beside her.
Come to think of it, that cave hadn’t felt so suffocating. Even though he had been drenched in sweat, not once had he thought it unbearable.
“We really were so young back then.”
He recalled the Cult Leader smiling as he caught them sneaking in with liquor bottles in hand.
The two of them lingered in that moment of shared memory.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!
From the darkness, throwing weapons suddenly flew straight at One-Slash Sword Supreme.
Clang, clang, clang, clang!
They were all deflected by the Heaven-Extinguishing Saber, its blade wrapped in cloth.
Blood Heaven Blade Demon lowered the Heaven-Extinguishing Saber he had raised to shield One-Slash Sword Supreme.
By the time the ambush failed, the one who had thrown the hidden weapons had already vanished. The two Demon Supremes didn’t even think of giving chase. They showed no interest in the petty scuffles happening around them.
“Why? Did you think I wouldn’t be able to block that?”
At One-Slash Sword Supreme’s question, Blood Heaven Blade Demon glanced at the torch standing beside him.
“It seemed darker on your side.”
Then, for no reason at all, he added something unnecessary.
“You know how night vision fades with age.”
“Telling an older woman that she’s old is an insult.”
“What’s wrong with getting older? No need to strain to look young. Evening is always more beautiful than morning.”
“You just won’t stop, will you!”
When One-Slash Sword Supreme glared at him, Blood Heaven Blade Demon simply turned his head away.
Just then, another group of martial artists stumbled in. Their swords still dripped blood. Leading them was Chu Yeon, daughter of the Flying Dragon Gang Leader, along with the warriors following her.
Of the ten elite martial artists she had brought, eight remained.
Chu Yeon had thought she would sweep through this cave with ease. After all, her companions were the Flying Dragon Ten Elites, the best of the Flying Dragon Gang.
But they had suffered two ambushes during the search, and two of the Ten Elites had been slain. Fighting in this narrow, tangled cave—with only torches for light—was nothing like what she had imagined. Only today did she realize that even the Flying Dragon Ten Elites could die so easily.
Her nerves were raw.
“What are you two doing here?”
The reason these two stood out more than anyone else was different.
“And where’s that porter?”
That arrogant remark from earlier still gnawed at her. For a mere porter, he had been so brazenly confident. She had promised herself that when they met again, she would put him in his place.
“Dead already? Why don’t you answer?”
At her sharp words, Blood Heaven Blade Demon, who had been staring elsewhere, slowly turned his head.
The instant her eyes met his, Chu Yeon’s heart sank. It wasn’t that he revealed his aura or unleashed killing intent. Yet her entire body shivered.
It was his gaze. The torchlight flickered in his pupils, making it look as if flames were burning inside his eyes.
She felt as though her entire body had been set ablaze. Instinctively, she drew upon her inner energy.
Her reaction made the Flying Dragon Ten Elites raise their swords in unison.
Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s hand drifted toward the knot of cloth binding the Heaven-Extinguishing Saber. The moment he pulled it free, he would lose the wager.
But if it came to a fight anyway, he had no intention of letting One-Slash Sword Supreme step forward just to win a mere bet.
At that very moment—
Clench.
Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s gaze dropped to the knot. One-Slash Sword Supreme’s hand was gripping it firmly, telling him not to undo it.
“Young lady.”
At her calm call, Chu Yeon, who had been entirely focused on Blood Heaven Blade Demon, turned her gaze toward One-Slash Sword Supreme.
The instant she met that composed look, her senses snapped awake.
‘Both of them… they’re true masters!’
If they could make her feel this way without revealing their energy, then she and her companions had never stood a chance against them from the beginning.
Chu Yeon motioned for the Flying Dragon Ten Elites to lower their swords. Her heart grew heavy.
‘So even experts like this have entered here. Can I really obtain the map?’
Her mindset now was completely different from when she had first stepped into the cave.
Just then, Geom Mugeuk returned.
“Young lady, you’re safe!”
His greeting was so warm and sincere that Chu Yeon was instead thrown off guard.
“I was worried, with so many injured and dead. I’m glad you’re unharmed.”
Now she understood why this so-called porter was so arrogant. With masters like these at his side, what could he possibly fear?
“Why were you worried about me?”
“Well, we talked outside, didn’t we? That makes us connected, doesn’t it?”
To Chu Yeon, it sounded like teasing, but half of it was meant sincerely. If this incident had some shadowy force behind it, then there must be arrangements and pawns set in place.
‘Could you be one of them?’
It was possible—or maybe not. Perhaps he was just someone she would meet once and never see again. Or perhaps following the thread of their connection would lead her to those very forces.
As always, Geom Mugeuk had no intention of letting anything slip past him. He would feign ignorance, accept everything, and then twist their plans to his own advantage.
“There are corpses strewn about in that passage. Please be careful.”
It wasn’t as if she could scold or curse someone who was expressing such concern—though, truthfully, it was likely more because of the two great masters at his side. Still, she told herself: one day, she would teach this porter a lesson.
“You’d best be careful yourself, porter.”
With that, Chu Yeon turned on her heel and walked off. At the last moment, she cast a glance at the two Demon Supremes, but neither of them even looked her way.
Once she and the Flying Dragon Gang warriors were gone, Geom Mugeuk pulled something from the pack he carried.
“I didn’t find anyone with the Treasure Map in that passage, but I did discover this.”
Wrapped carefully in paper, it was a mass of dark blue-green moss.
“What’s this?”
Blood Heaven Blade Demon and One-Slash Sword Supreme gasped the moment they recognized it.
“Stalactite Immortal Moss?”
Stalactite Immortal Moss was a medicinal herb that grew only on stalactites hanging from a cave’s ceiling. It was an elixir so rare it could only appear when countless conditions aligned perfectly.
“This is my first time seeing it in person.”
Not only One-Slash Sword Supreme, but even Blood Heaven Blade Demon had never seen it before.
“I’ve never seen it before either.”
The two Demon Supremes looked at Geom Mugeuk with astonishment. To think he had not only found Stalactite Immortal Moss in that chaotic darkness but had even brought it out—such a thing was almost unbelievable even when witnessed firsthand.
“Why are you both so surprised? Isn’t it normal to find at least this much of an elixir in a cave? Once we get out, the three of us can share it evenly. I’ll make sure to prepare it into a dish so it tastes good. But the cooking will be done by me!”
The Stalactite Immortal Moss had a quality that set it apart from ordinary elixirs—it wasn’t just effective in increasing internal energy.
True to its name, said to be moss eaten by immortals, it was known to restore vitality and grant health and longevity. Geom Mugeuk, in particular, intended to make Blood Heaven Blade Demon eat plenty of it.
As they listened to his words, both Demon Supremes found themselves sharing the same thought. If fortune always followed the Young Cult Leader to this extent—
Then perhaps he truly would be the one to find the one holding the Treasure Map here.
Shouldering his pack, Geom Mugeuk once again strode forward, taking the lead down an unexplored path.
“This way feels promising. Come, let’s go!”