152 - Mission, Pursuit (2) - The Heaven-Slaying Sword

The vanguard kept running. Before they knew it, they had left Sacheon behind and entered Cheonghae. Along the way, they had faced two more battles. “Gasp!” Namgung Jincheon slashed through another Ma Un. Beside him, catching his breath, Ilwoon commented, “It seems the Ma Uns are starting to appear in earnest now.” Namgung Jincheon nodded at Ilwoon’s words, his brow furrowed. Once they had passed through Sacheon and entered Cheonghae, the number of Ma Uns had increased beyond words. Although the Gonryun faction of Cheonghae was busy capturing the rampant Ma Uns elsewhere, preventing any delays, the frustration was still palpable. Urgency was the issue. If they couldn't resolve this in Cheonghae, beyond it lay the realm of Shin Gang and the Cheonma Sin Gyo, beyond which they could no longer pursue, fueling their urgency. “However, Inner Circle Master…” As Ilwoon turned his head, Namgung Jincheon did so as well. Inner Circle Master, Sea Wave Sword Gyeon Gweol. Since they began their pursuit, he had been silent, wielding his sword continuously. Namgung Jincheon observed him keenly. Ilwoon might not have noticed, but Namgung Jincheon could certainly feel it. ‘Transcendence.’ From Inner Circle Master Sea Wave Sword Gyeon Gweol, he felt the same pressure he felt from his grandfather, the Sword King Namgung Hyuk. ‘Is he hiding something?’ He didn’t know. But speaking up about it wouldn’t do any good. Namgung Jincheon wasn’t foolish enough to think that a transcendent warrior would conceal himself without any reason. “What are our losses?” At Gyeon Gweol’s question, Namgung Jincheon responded, “We haven’t suffered any losses.” “The Cheongryong troop is also completely safe.” “Jeok Undae is also safe!” As they sequentially reported their status, Gyeon Gweol nodded. “Then let’s continue our pursuit. Cheonghae is vast; there’s still a chance.” Saying so, Gyeon Gweol began to use his lightness skill, moving at a speed that allowed the other warriors to follow. “Ugh... I’m going to die of exhaustion.” Hyewon grumbled, speeding off with her lightness skill, being the first to follow Gyeon Gweol. * After racing all the way from Muhan, Wi Gwang-cheon arrived in Cheonghae and started cultivating energy in one of the local residences. The constraints he'd placed on himself for 15 years were gradually loosening. The resurging evil Qi began to aggressively consume the medicinal Qi that had not left his body for so long. His mind started to clear. His breath deepened and his vision seemed to clear. Wi Gwang-cheon gathered his breath and stood up. He reflected on the hasty judgments he'd made while under the influence of drugs over the past 15 years. ‘...I should never use it again.’ Sealing away all the evil Qi and steeping his body in drugs had made it quite troublesome to eliminate their aftereffects. “I greet the Vice Sect Master.” As he left the room, Yeon Rigun was kneeling in submission. Wi Gwang-cheon asked him, “The pursuers?” “They are still about a day’s distance away.” “I recall having a significant number of Ma Uns planted in Cheonghae.” “They are currently being held back by the Gonryun. Those folks are particularly fast movers.” Wi Gwang-cheon frowned. The Gonryun faction. Like quick-footed mice, they were particularly talented in lightness skills, specialized in pursuits and escapes. Accordingly, Wi Gwang-cheon had encountered them thrice upon entering Cheonghae. “We move now.” “As you command.” As Yeon Rigun stood up, Ma Uns emerged from various places and formed a formation. Yeon Rigun walked to the center of them, continuing his thoughts. ‘The Sect Master…’ Has returned. After a 25-year hiatus, he has returned to his throne. By now, he would have grasped everything that had occurred. From the moment he entered seclusion, the betrayal by Dancheonhwa, his ordeal, and the disappearance of Cheonsalseong, to all the endeavors Yeon Rigun had undertaken in the last 15 years to find it. How should he explain all of this? The more Wi Gwang-cheon pondered, the more he felt irritation rising to the top of his head. A 25-year seclusion meant the Sect Master’s achievements had reached somewhere significant. ‘A man unsatisfied even by transcendence.’ He must have achieved something beyond. A burning sense of urgency overwhelmed him, an anxiety greater than ever before. Wi Gwang-cheon sighed deeply amid these feelings when suddenly, “We’ve found them!!!” A sharp cry echoed from somewhere. Wi Gwang-cheon raised his head and expanded his evil Qi. “Those rats are on the move again.” It was the warriors from Gonryun. They were quick to move and, upon being spotted, immediately scattered in different directions, seemingly attempting to reveal their location. ‘Such futile efforts.’ Wi Gwang-cheon gathered his Qi. And with a strong leap forward, he propelled himself toward the incoming warriors. Two of the highest-caliber warriors. Approaching with inferior evil Qi would only get him ensnared. Deciding they must be dispatched swiftly, Wi Gwang-cheon concentrated his burgeoning Qi and launched it. “KWAANG!” “Gah…!” Two warriors spat out blood and were thrown back. The remaining scrubs charged in, but Yeon Rigun and Wi Gwang-cheon, having defeated all of them, looked toward the warriors who had already fled far away with their lightness skills. ‘Should we give chase?’ No, even that would be a waste of time. Discovering our destination was regrettable, but we couldn't afford to waste more time unnecessarily. Even if we were being trailed, entering the Shimman Daesan would bring all matters to an end, so running was indeed the right decision. Just as he thought this, ‘…Hmm?’ The presence of the warriors faded away. Then, two very familiar auras appeared and approached Wi Gwang-cheon. “Greetings, Vice Sect Master!” The voice belonged to a man with a bandit-like demeanor and another man with snow-white hair. “…Paewoongchu, Taeulbyeok.” Quanma Paewoongchu and Bingma Taeulbyeok, Wi Gwang-cheon’s trusted aides, appeared, holding the heads of the warriors who had just fled. “We will escort you! To the sect!” Paewoongchu’s face bore a broad smile. * Mok Riwon and his group traveled at a brisk pace. There was no hesitation or getting lost, as the vanguard had left messages at the Martial Alliance branches along the route they had taken. After roughly five days, they finally arrived in the land of the Sacheon Tangmun. Considering it was not too long ago they had last visited and that Tang Hwa-seo, the current head of the Tang family, was with them, Mok Riwon's group stayed at the Tang family mansion that evening. That night, Mok Riwon found himself looking in the direction of forbidden places. -The true owner of your star. What came to mind were the Ma Un's words. As far as Mok Riwon knew, Cheonsalseong was a star that rarely made its appearance on this land, every few hundred years, and once it had an owner, it could not be passed onto another. But if the Ma Un's words were true, wouldn't that premise be broken? He might wonder if the snake residing there knew the answer to this rising question, but Mok Riwon soon gave up on entering the forbidden area. ‘The question is whether it would even meet me.’ It was clear that the snake showed discomfort towards anything closely related to Cheonsalseong, even going as far as driving him away. Thus, it was said that revealing the heavenly secrets was not possible. Wasting time trying to meet the snake seemed futile. ‘I can directly ask about the meaning behind those words.’ Mok Riwon steeled his resolve. “Mok Sohyeop.” In the midst of this, Tang Hwa-seo approached with a smile. Why was she outside? Mok Riwon, who pondered this, belatedly remembered the reason. ‘She must be attending to Tang family matters.’ Tang Hwa-seo had taken over the Tang family and mostly managed it through correspondence. Today, having stopped by the Tang household, she must have come to personally resolve some matters. “Ah, Damo.” “Why are you out here? You should rest.” Tang Hwa-seo sat beside Mok Riwon. In front of them was a small pond, and Mok Riwon, gazing at the lotus flowers on it, said, “Coming to the Tang family, I remembered what happened in the forbidden area last time.” “Ah... You mean the snake?” Mok Riwon nodded. He had previously inquired to Tang Hwa-seo about the snake, but she had said she didn't know much about the spiritual creature of the forbidden area, hence expecting a clear solution from her was difficult. “It's quite suffocating. It’s a problem that doesn’t seem to have a clear solution.” “That’s understandable. I also didn’t know that the snake was the first owner of Cheonsalseong.” Tang Hwa-seo comfortingly placed her hand on Mok Riwon’s shoulder. “Don't worry too much. No matter what kind of person Mok Sohyeop is, I’m on your side.” Her comforting words warmed his heart. Mok Riwon, feeling slightly embarrassed, scratched the back of his neck before asking, “Ha, have you managed to sort out the matters at the Tang household?” “Yes, it wasn’t too difficult to conclude. Most of the management was handled by Sohyang, so I only needed to review and approve.” “I heard the household has diminished.” “I’m not bothered. The Tang family is merely a place for me to spend a peaceful and quiet retirement.” Tang Hwa-seo lightly chuckled as she subtly mentioned, “Will Mok Sohyeop join me then? Roaming around Sacheon might not be such a bad way to spend our later years.” Retirement. The word felt strangely unfamiliar to Mok Riwon. It couldn’t be helped. Mok Riwon was a person who lived every moment intensely, constantly walking a tightrope between his destiny and instinct. Hence, he had never envisioned a long future, always summarizing his future objectives as “what I want to achieve before I die.” Today, for the first time, he imagined his older self. ‘What kind of person would I be when old?’ Would he be like his master, possessing an aura of immortality, or passionate like the Sword King he met once? Alternatively, he might even become a serious person resembling the sect leader. Anyway, amidst such imagination, Mok Riwon had a realization. “If I think about retirement," he said. “Hm?” “In imagining the future me, regardless of how different my conjectures were, there’s one thing that always remained the same.” Mok Riwon turned to Tang Hwa-seo. The look of curiosity on her face somehow made his heart flutter, prompting him to say shyly: “No matter what future me is like, you’re always there. Ever since leaving the martial world, I seem to have always been by your side.” “That…" "I may have become someone who cannot imagine the martial world without Damo." Feeling embarrassed, Mok Riwon scratched his cheek. As there was no response, he glanced at Tang Hwa-seo, only to find her, even amidst the darkness, with a face flushed so red it was unmistakable, and she seemed frozen. "Damo?" "...No, it's nothing." Saying so, Tang Hwa-seo abruptly stood up. "Let's go to sleep for now. We have to depart early tomorrow after all." "Understood! Then, have a good…" Before Mok Riwon could even finish his response, Tang Hwa-seo had left the spot. Had he said something wrong? Could his words have been taken as a request for her to take care of future troubles? Such questions soon dissipated with Tang Hwa-seo's murmuring that drifted to him. "Mok Sohyeop is the bad one. It’s Mok Sohyeop..." Her murmuring sent a chill down his spine. Mok Riwon clenched his mouth shut.