Chapter 817: If My Heart Had Been Hot-Blooded, I Would Have Died Together with You.
“Still, getting hit once really clears the head.”
Hwa Moogi casually rubbed his completely uninjured face. It was both feigned pain and a provocation.
But the Fist Demon King did not even blink at that provocation.
Although his gaze was directed at Hwa Moogi, his mind was focused on the Cult Leader.
The Cult Leader was someone who never lost his composure under any circumstances. Yet now it felt as if his attention was on something else.
‘What in the world is happening?’
It was certain that he had realized something by making him attack Hwa Moogi.
At that moment, Geom Woojin’s voice transmission reached the Fist Demon King.
—He’s not acting. Other souls have entered his body.
Geom Woojin informed the Fist Demon King first about what he had discovered.
It had always been that way—from his youth until now. Whenever something important occurred, he told him first.
What shocked the Fist Demon King even more was the next transmission.
—It seems that the soul of one of the past Demonic Cult Leaders has entered his body.
—!
Only now did the Fist Demon King understand why Geom Woojin was so serious.
If it were not someone else but a Demonic Cult Leader, then this was the worst possible situation.
—Do you know who it might be?
—I have a few guesses.
Whenever his son returned after leaving the cult, he would recount every little thing that had happened outside.
This time he caught this fellow like this, it seemed there was something behind that incident, and they should be cautious about this from now on.
Geom Woojin had listened to all of his son’s chatter.
Because that time had not been a time for reports—it had been time spent with his son. It had been conversation with his son.
And now, that time with his son finally proved useful. If he had simply read the Heavenly Communication Pavilion reports and moved on, he would not have immediately realized it in this moment.
‘Those people from three hundred years ago!’
They already knew that the beginning of the Dark Palace—the force behind this conspiracy—had started from the battle three hundred years ago between the Heavenly Will Palace and the Martial Alliance.
The Righteous Faction expert he had mentioned earlier to Jin Paecheon had shown deep regret for associating with the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and the Unorthodox Alliance. Yet he had spoken so strongly despite the opponent being the Martial Alliance Leader.
‘So he was the Martial Emperor Divine Sword from three hundred years ago!’
The Martial Emperor Divine Sword was the most famous figure among the past Martial Alliance Leaders known even to Geom Woojin.
If the two people he had seen were the Martial Alliance Leader and the Demonic Cult Leader—
Then the unorthodox soul he had not yet seen must also be the Unorthodox Alliance Leader of that same era.
Now Geom Woojin understood why Hwa Moogi was so powerful.
From the way he had received the Fist Demon King’s punch without the slightest impact earlier, it was clear that it was not merely souls residing inside him.
‘All of their power has merged into him!’
If that were the case, then this fight would absolutely not be easy.
Just because their side had greater numbers did not mean their strength would combine accordingly.
The stronger the experts were, the easier yet harder coordinated attacks became.
They understood better than anyone when and how to intervene, but conversely, interfering while someone else was executing a supreme martial technique was never easy.
If that man attempted to defeat them individually with overwhelming martial power—
Then everyone except himself and the two alliance leaders might be taken down in an instant.
The best method would be to kill him immediately in a single strike.
The first thing that came to mind was Heavenly Demon World Annihilation.
It could kill cleanly and decisively, but others might get caught in it and die.
And an even bigger problem was that Hwa Moogi might also be able to unleash Heavenly Demon World Annihilation.
At the fleeting moment that Heavenly Demon World Annihilation was unleashed—
He would erect the Great Demon Wall.
And in the brief moment while the Great Demon Wall melted away, he would unleash Heavenly Demon World Annihilation.
If the opponent used Heavenly Demon World Annihilation, that was how he would respond.
At the very least, it meant he would not simply die.
But if Hwa Moogi made the same choice—
No one here would survive.
The next method that came to mind was killing him with the Heavenly Demon Spirit.
If the Heavenly Demon Spirit manifested, Heavenly Demon World Annihilation could not be used. The Heavenly Demon Spirit was an absolute existence born from the complete mastery of the Nine Calamities Demon Art and its ultimate principle, so the Nine Calamities Demon Art itself could not oppose it.
The problem was that, by nature, Heavenly Demon Spirits refused to fight each other.
If one manifested, the other would likely not appear.
Thus it was impossible to know whose Heavenly Demon Spirit would manifest.
Geom Woojin transmitted what he had discovered to the two alliance leaders.
If Hwa Moogi used the Nine Calamities Demon Art, he would likely target the two leaders, so they needed to know in advance.
Jin Paecheon felt tense inside.
It was a tension incomparable to anything before.
The fact that the opponent might use the Nine Calamities Demon Art was frightening—but what bothered him even more was something else.
The Martial Emperor Divine Sword is inside that man’s body?
Among all the past leaders, the one he respected most was the Martial Emperor Divine Sword.
The historical legacy he had left in the Righteous martial world was truly great.
If Geom Woojin’s words were true—
Why was that man residing inside the body of the Heavenly Killing Star?
Did it mean there was another hidden story behind the noble history recorded in martial history?
Meanwhile, Baek Jagang had no interest in which Unorthodox Alliance Leader’s soul resided there.
‘So that bastard can even use the Nine Calamities Demon Art?’
Along with fear, a competitive spirit rose within him.
Perhaps today he might finally face the Nine Calamities Demon Art directly.
While these voice transmissions were exchanged, Hwa Moogi was busy provoking someone else.
“Our Poison King sure is quiet.”
As far as they knew, Hwa Moogi was the first person to provoke the Poison King even after knowing his identity.
“You’re curious, aren’t you? Whether I’m immune to all poisons or not.”
The Poison King sat quietly in a corner seat, staring at him.
With deepened eyes that did not match his youthful-looking face.
“You’re absolutely not immune to all poisons.”
Aside from his conversation with Geom Woojin, this was the first time the Poison King had spoken in the Flowing Wind Tavern.
“Why are you so sure I’m not immune to all poisons?”
The reason the Poison King believed so was simple.
“Because such a noble fortuitous encounter would never be granted to someone like you.”
To those who used poison, immunity to all poisons was not merely a natural enemy—it was practically a natural disaster.
Yet the Poison King called it a noble fortuitous encounter.
Because he was someone who truly loved poison, he did not even view poison immunity as an enemy.
And he believed that Geom Mugeuk had received that precious fortune because he possessed an equally noble character.
Despite being words that looked down on him, Hwa Moogi merely laughed instead of getting angry.
Unless another personality surfaced, Hwa Moogi rarely fell for provocation.
He was someone who even expressed anger with laughter.
“Right, I’m not immune to all poisons. Instead, I’m immune to about nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine of them.”
Meaning that although not perfect, he was prepared against most poisons.
“Can you really find the exact poison that works on me? The moment you try to poison me with anything, I’ll kill you first.”
Hwa Moogi slowly walked toward the Poison King.
As he moved, the flow of the air around him changed.
It was a tension different from when he approached Baek Jagang.
“Or should I just kill you right now?”
The red aura in Hwa Moogi’s eyes deepened.
It looked as though he might rush the Poison King and cut off his head at any moment.
Yet even in that crisis, the Poison King remained seated.
“Why aren’t you poisoning me? Are you scared of me?”
But the Poison King was not defenseless out of fear.
“Because the Cult Leader hasn’t given the order.”
“!”
The Poison King’s will—to poison only when the Cult Leader gave the command.
In other words, if the order never came, he would simply die.
“How will you find a poison that works on me?”
Green light seeped out from the Poison King’s eyes.
“I won’t look for one.”
Then came the shocking reason.
“When the order comes, I’ll poison you with all ten thousand poisons.”
“!”
It was an outrageous statement.
How could one person possibly carry ten thousand poisons?
Yet when those words came from the Poison King, they carried weight.
A mad delight flashed across Hwa Moogi’s face as he looked at the Poison King.
“I want to cut off your head,”
Hwa Moogi turned his head toward Geom Woojin.
“And bring it to that man. I want to see how that Cult Leader reacts to your death!”
It was clear he meant it sincerely.
Though it did not show outwardly, ever since arriving here, Hwa Moogi’s killing intent had been steadily rising.
Just as Hwa Moogi began walking toward the Poison King again—
Srrk.
A sword was drawn silently and blocked his path.
Amazingly, it was the Sword King’s sword.
No one had expected him to step forward for the Poison King, so everyone’s gaze focused on him.
Even the Poison King himself looked at him with surprise.
In truth, from the beginning, the Sword King had chosen a seat not far away to protect him.
“You dare draw a sword in front of me?”
It was an arrogant statement to say to the Sword King.
But coming from someone who had declared he would annihilate the Righteous, Unorthodox, and Demonic factions alike, it did not seem particularly strange.
The Sword King answered calmly.
“Understand. This is the only thing I have to put forward.”
Calling it “only” was absurd.
When the White Flower Sword appeared in the Sword King’s hand, his presence felt like a massive fortress wall hundreds of meters tall, blocking the way.
The red aura flowing from Hwa Moogi’s body collided with the cold frost swirling around the sword and froze in midair.
The White Flower Sword blocked the wave of red aura like a breakwater.
“So you’re a cold man? I heard you betrayed us and joined hands with the Young Cult Leader, so I thought you had a burning heart.”
The Sword King replied calmly.
“If my heart had been hot-blooded, I would have died together with you.”
A new thrill filled Hwa Moogi’s face.
His expression clearly said—
This is really interesting.
“I’ll kill you second.”
Just as Hwa Moogi tried to pass him and approach the Poison King—
Clang!
Like lightning, the Sword King’s blade split through the air.
The tip of the sword shot upward at a sharp angle, barely grazing Hwa Moogi’s chin.
It was an attack so fast it seemed impossible to evade—
Yet Hwa Moogi dodged it.
Still leaning his head back, he stared arrogantly at the Sword King.
“Do you want to be first?”
The Sword King made it clear—Hwa Moogi would not reach the Poison King without cutting him down first.
With calm eyes, the Sword King recalled the past.
“The Dark Palace Master always told me that what we were doing was following Heavenly Will.”
“Traitor. In the end, you didn’t follow Heavenly Will.”
“Because Heavenly Will was never with you.”
For a moment, Hwa Moogi’s eyes flashed intensely.
“Then where is this Heavenly Will? Is it here? I don’t see it anywhere.”
After a brief pause, the Sword King said something astonishing.
“Heavenly Will lies with the Young Cult Leader.”
Geom Woojin, Jin Paecheon, Baek Jagang, the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult, the Fist Demon King, and the Poison King—
All of them listened silently to the Sword King’s words.
At that moment, Hwa Moogi’s eyes changed.
A new personality emerged from within him.
“How dare a mere traitor speak of Heavenly Will!”
Geom Woojin immediately realized it.
This was a soul that had not appeared until now.
‘The Unorthodox Alliance Leader’s soul?’
No.
Judging by how fiercely he reacted to the words Heavenly Will—
‘The Heavenly Will Palace Master!’
Now Geom Woojin was certain.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and the Unorthodox Alliance had intervened in that war, and something had happened then.
The souls trapped at that time had continued until now.
A full three hundred years.
It seemed impossible—but the evidence stood before his eyes.
Hwa Moogi asked coldly,
“Do you even know what the will of heaven is?”
Then the Sword King, who had always dreamed of freedom, answered.
“I don’t know the will of heaven. But I know what the sky is. It’s where birds live, where clouds live, where the wind lives, and where the sun lives.”
Whenever the Sword King thought of the sky, there was always one person he remembered.
The person he wished to see most—even now.
“When you kept chanting Heavenly Will, Heavenly Will, Heavenly Will, the Young Cult Leader told us to look up at the sky. Not some grand meaning—just straighten your back and look up at the sky once.”
At those words, Geom Woojin thought of his son and smiled faintly.
Jin Paecheon and Baek Jagang felt the same.
If not for Geom Mugeuk, none of them would be standing here.
The Sword King spoke the thoughts he had long kept in his heart.
“Watching the Young Cult Leader made me realize something. Heavenly Will isn’t something that’s granted with some grand meaning.”
For the first time, he revealed his thoughts on Heavenly Will.
“Heavenly Will isn’t something that descends. It’s something you carry. It’s the burden willingly borne by the one who can endure its weight.”
Looking directly into Hwa Moogi’s eyes, the Sword King asked his final question.
“Do you see the burden placed before you? Or have you spent your entire life pretending not to see it while searching only for Heavenly Will?”
Until now, the souls inside Hwa Moogi had never crossed a certain line no matter how angry they became.
But this time was different.
To hear that Heavenly Will did not exist—from someone who had betrayed the palace—pushed their rage beyond that line.
Shiiiing!
Hwa Moogi’s sword was drawn with the speed of light.
Strangely, the blade was a black sword.
Clang!
The moment he blocked the incoming strike, the Sword King was shoved backward.
Shiiing!
When the second attack came even faster—
Stab!
The sound of flesh tearing echoed.
But the black sword had pierced a soft, human-shaped doll.
The doll seemed to grin at Hwa Moogi—
Bang!
Then vanished like smoke.
Behind it stood the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult and the Sword King together.
Hwa Moogi’s momentum had been so overwhelming that the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader intervened to help.
Since the attack could have taken a life in an instant, he did not hesitate.
“We still haven’t decided the tavern’s name.”
At the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader’s joke, the Sword King rubbed his wrist and replied.
The immense internal energy in Hwa Moogi’s strike had nearly broken it.
“Just name it roughly.”
“No. I’ll give it a proper name.”
Judging by his earlier momentum, Hwa Moogi looked like someone who would attack repeatedly—
Yet he simply stood there smiling.
He had returned to his original personality again.
Hwa Moogi stretched broadly as if enjoying the situation immensely.
The black sword in his hand rose into the air with the stretch.
“Alright, shall we start fighting properly now?”
His gaze moved between the Sword King, the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader, and the Poison King.
“Who should I kill first? Or should I just kill all three of you at once?”
He paid no attention to the other four behind them.
If they wanted to interfere, they were free to try.
Then a calm voice came from behind.
“Come here.”
The one who spoke was Geom Woojin.
Hwa Moogi turned and grinned.
“Our Cult Leader personally calls for me—but what should I do? I’m a bit busy here. Wait a moment. I’ll reduce the headcount first before coming.”
Then Geom Woojin said something shocking.
“Not you.”
“!”
Cold demonic energy flowed from Geom Woojin’s eyes.
And then—to the souls inside Hwa Moogi—he threw a provocation no one had expected.
“Stop hiding in there like idiots. Come out here, all of you.”