Chapter: 560
One morning, five days after.
Amidst the bustling noise, people were gathered around.
Most of them were wearing the light blue attire that symbolized the shamans, encircling something as if trying to confirm its existence.
To their surprise, what they were surrounding was a corpse.
The body belonged to Ji-cheol, a promising candidate to lead the shamans in the future.
Woo Baek, the Biseong Sword practitioner, was silently peering down at Ji-cheol’s cold body.
Ji-cheol lay dead, a sword piercing through his neck.
Blood was soaking the ground.
Beside him, there was a letter that appeared to be a will.
The contents indicated that he could no longer endure the narrow-minded actions of the shamans due to his guilt.
That was the content.
Creak.
Woo Baek, upon confirming this, clenched his fists tightly.
At that moment.
Hooosh-!
A tremendous energy erupted from Woo Baek’s body.
Despite his aged, wrinkled physique and withered appearance, Woo Baek’s power was formidable.
It was enough to make nearby objects tremble.
“Ugh… .”
“Uh… .”
The shamans staggered, clutching their chests.
In that gap, Woo Baek spoke with fierce eyes.
“When did you find the child?”
“It was just past the hour of the tiger, Elder.”
“… The hour of the tiger.”
Only a short time had passed since he ordered them to carry out their tasks.
Crack.
Recalling it, Woo Baek bit down hard on his teeth.
Was it because Ji-cheol had committed suicide due to disappointment with the shamans? No, that couldn’t be.
‘Who did this?’
Woo Baek didn’t believe Ji-cheol had taken his own life.
There was no way that could possibly happen.
It had to be that way.
‘The ghost of the shamans has vanished.’
The ghost of the shamans had indeed disappeared.
As the three great disciples and a few second-tier disciples believed that Fengyun Guido had addressed the issue, Woo Baek did not share that viewpoint.
And neither did the first-tier disciples and the elders, including Woo Baek.
From the outset.
‘There’s no such thing as Fengyun Guido.’
After all, the promise of Fengyun Guido showing up was just a lie.
In this situation, Ji-cheol’s sudden death occurred.
Moreover, it was Ji-cheol, who was supposed to play the role of a night watchman.
This meant it was someone’s doing.
‘Who could it be?’
Woo Baek pondered with a chilling gaze.
Who was audacious enough to commit such an act in the shaman’s domain?
And to do so so cleanly, without leaving a trace.
‘Not only is there no handwriting on this letter, but there’s also not a single trace of someone’s hand having touched it.’
As if Ji-cheol had truly written it directly and ended his life himself, it appeared astonishingly pristine.
It was hard to believe.
Who could perpetrate such an act?
Perhaps…
‘Could it possibly be Fengyun Guido?’
That fleeting thought crossed Woo Baek’s mind, but he quickly drove it away.
That possibility was out of the question.
It had been decades since then.
The likelihood of someone who had never shown themselves coming forth in such a situation was exceedingly slim.
Moreover, the Fengyun Guido had never killed a single soul while committing theft.
Therefore, that individual should be excluded from consideration.
‘Then who could it be?’
As Woo Baek exhaled a rough aura, he contemplated again.
He exhibited worry that shouldn’t have lasted too long.
If it wasn’t Fengyun Guido they were looking for, there weren’t many options left.
‘If this happened within the shaman’s ranks, and it wasn’t one of the shamans.’
In any case, there were only one or two choices at most.
“… I need to meet with the guests.”
Saying this, Woo Baek instructed them to recover the body and turned away.
It was so cold that it pierced to the bone.
The old man’s icy gaze seemed as if it could summon snow.
However.
Within those eyes at least.
There was no sign of mourning for the death of the shaman.
Not even a tiny bit.
Amidst the noisy atmosphere, I was sipping tea in my room.
“Hmm.”
I took a sip and sweetly savored it.
“It tastes absolutely terrible…”
And just set it down.
Once again, I had no idea what tea was supposed to taste like.
Sniff, I exhaled through my nose and put the tea away.
In front of me, Seongyul was silently drinking tea.
Watching him made me chuckle.
“Is it good?”
“… I don’t know.”
“Right.”
His expression screamed ‘I genuinely have no clue.’
Seeing that, I continued speaking.
“Speak up.”
“… Yes?”
Seongyul had a look of confusion at my sudden request. Observing him, I elaborated.
“You want to ask something, right?”
“How did you…?”
“Your eyes are giving it away.”
“…”
Anyone could see that he had a gaze full of questions he wanted to ask.
I felt annoyed observing him battle with his own discomfort, so I took the initiative.
“… That matter.”
Then Seongyul hesitated but finally spoke.
“When I fought with the Sword Dragon in the past… there were parts I doesn’t understand.”
“Back then? Why’s that?”
“How did you… manage to block it?”
I tilted my head at Seongyul’s inquiry.
What exactly did I block?
“I mean, my killing intent. Didn’t you stop it?”
“Ah.”
Is that what he was curious about?
During that time when Seongyul failed to control his Thousand-Sal Melting Spirit to avoid killing Yeongpung, he had come to inquire about controlling his killing intent.
From the approach of his inquiry, Seongyul’s eyes were particularly filled with curiosity.
No, rather than curiosity.
‘Is it hope?’
That’s the vibe I sensed.
‘What should I respond with?’
It was particularly complex to explain.
“I just told you not to do it.”
“…”
That was genuinely it.
Only telling him not to do it was what I had done for Seongyul.
But.
‘Even if it’s tough to describe, it doesn’t mean I’m without methods.’
I simply tapped into one of my special methods.
It’s not martial arts. I didn’t use terms or magic either.
I merely gave a ‘command.’
The uniqueness of that command lay in its particulars.
What it implies is.
‘The advantage gained since that significant event.’
Physical growth and changes within the Danjeon.
Among those, one other change embedded deep in my physique was that my capacity had increased.
The Dark King had once described this as a power held by dragons.
‘Power, huh?’
Just saying the term gathers a sense of grandeur.
Truth be told, it was formidable.
At least, the power described by the Dark King had worth.
The Dark King, afflicted by a curse of Dragon’s Blood, didn’t possess as much strength as a true dragon.
However, he had an immortal body that could not perish and held powers applicable only due to his dragon lineage.
This authority is defined as:
Not a power derived from a certain energy, but simply the strength that is available because it’s a dragon.
‘The darkness the Dark King wielded is his authority, right?’
To craft an unknown shroud of black.
The ability to keep someone alive, no matter how many times they die while ensnared in darkness.
It was a capability that perfectly matched the Dark King.
‘Perhaps being called Dark King stems from possessing such powers.’
Regardless of everything, the powers of a dragon are outstanding to that extent.
Only as an existing being can such power reside.
Isn’t that absolutely biased and unjust power?
Such bewildering capabilities.
It exists for me too, as I’ve become more dragon-like.
The catch is.
‘… With such formidable powers, why on earth am I like this?’
Playing around in darkness.
The Dark King’s power, resulting from a curse that made him a half-dragon, is so magnificent and exceptional.
Yet, my own power is utterly paltry in comparison.
‘What on earth is Yong-eon? What’s that?’
That’s my power.
Just talking.
To convey things a little better when one speaks.
That’s the significance of the Verbal Power I witnessed.
It’s utterly ridiculous.
“… At the very least, I won’t lose in verbal battles.”
“Excuse me?”
“No, nothing.”
It’s absurd to even consider this a power.
Yet, it’s not some force that works universally.
It doesn’t resonate with people of a certain caliber, adding a tricky nuance to its usage.
At least.
In a scenario where magic exists, the Dragon’s Power loses its significance.
In terms of creating mines, it listens well regardless, so what’s the real point of this?
‘Essentially, it serves only to soothe my guilt.’
The guilt I experience when leading others into ruin.
You could undertake its powers to lessen that guilt.
‘That’s amusing—if they’re not someone I’d kill outright, I’d not even turn them into a mine.’
Unless the person is someone absolutely expendable, I won’t transform them into a mine.
That’s my firm rule.
‘That said, it doesn’t seem entirely useless, I suppose.’
While I mused over this, I glanced back at Seongyul.
‘It worked. Definitely back then.’
Back when Seongyul detonated that Thousand-Sal technique intending to kill Yeongpung.
I had used my verbal command on him right then.
“There’s no need for killing,” I had said with intent, and he instantly released his killing intent.
When I recalled that instance,
‘Did Yong-eon manage to act as a control over Thousand-Sal?’
I thought that perhaps that could be the case.
Seongyul remaining as he is could be because of that.
Thus, I take a moment to ponder.
‘I need to ascertain it for certain.’
I’ll verify whether it works or not.
If I decide it cannot, then I will lead him into becoming a mine.
That was my rationale.
‘If it was as planned, I’d have done it by now.’
Sure, there are experiments to check if Thousand-Sal can be controlled.
There’s another reason I hesitate to transform Seongyul into a mine.
‘If only he had no connections with Cheonghae Ilgeom.’
If it weren’t for his previous connections with that deceased man, I would have turned him into a mine long ago.
It was an unsettling situation.
-Do seek peace.
The visage of the elderly man who had once concerned himself with my peace flashed through my mind.
The only reason I wavered before Seongyul now stems from this single concern.
As if sensing my hesitation, Seongyul looked my way and queried.
“Um… Sohyeop.”
“Why?”
“May I ask you something else?”
“What is it?”
What’s remained to be asked?
Indeed, there’s quite a bit to inquire about.
‘What’s my fate? Where do I go now? What are the next steps?’
It was peculiar how Seongyul hadn’t inquired anything until now.
I expected him to start posing these questions at this point.
“I wanted to know how the shamans managed to call themselves Fengyun Guido.”
“…!”
That unexpected inquiry widened my eyes in surprise as I gazed at Seongyul.
“Wait… how did you find out?”
How on earth did he know? I asked, caught between surprise and wonder.
“I can perceive.”
Seongyul said, maintaining his composed expression.
“I can sense when someone is lying.”
“What?”
Once again, a rather captivating reply.
You can sense a lie?
I intended to ask for a detailed explanation, but Seongyul spoke before I could.
“Yesterday, when I encountered the Biseong Sword, I sensed a falsehood coming from him.”
There was also the note stating that Fengyun Guido had appeared. Most of the statements relating to him were indeed false.
“Oh…”
I could feel excitement bubbling within me as I listened.
If that were true, it would be a remarkably beneficial skill.
‘Did the Sword Demon possess such abilities?’
Indeed,
In his previous life, he often spouted such phrases.
[Hehehe… I detest lies. Thus, your fate is sealed.]
He always portrayed that line when killing his targets.
‘Now that I think about it, wasn’t he a torturer?’
Most of the times, it was indeed the Sword Demon who had tortured those captured.
When pondering that fact,
Seongyul’s words began to resonate with credibility.
“That’s quite fascinating. Was this ever feasible?”
His eyes widened in astonishment at my unfiltered words.
“Do you really believe me?”
“Why not? If that’s the case, it must hold truth.”
Honestly, my past experiences played a role in my belief.
Who could easily accept such claims?
“So, it makes it more puzzling. Why are you sharing this with me?”
“…”
Those weren’t rhetorical words easily thrown around.
The capacity to detect lies could become quite dangerous information.
Moreover, Seongyul is a Thousand-Year Saint.
With plenty of reasons to justify his elimination, it sounded odd to provide me with such leverage.
“… I’m expressing it to the small business owner.”
“Expressing?”
“I possess this ability and am presenting it as one of my strengths that could potentially be of help.”
“Why?”
I pressed further.
Seongyul glanced at me, responding steadily.
“I need to convey that I hold value. Hence, the small business owner won’t abandon me.”
“…”
Those words, delivered so calmly, sent a chill down my spine.
“…Remarkable.”
I initially considered him a madman adrift in insanity with no grasp of reality.
Surprisingly, Seongyul’s gaze was sharp.
‘Feigning ignorance. Did he catch wind of all I was contemplating?’
Indeed, it seemed as if he had noted everything I thought regarding him.
Yet that was not merely to dismiss his worth.
‘Regardless of that, he holds potential.’
He still hadn’t reached the expected age for maturity and was residing at the pinnacle of his growth.
He bore the talent to become a Sword Demon in the future.
For that alone, his value seemed prominent.
“What if I overheard that information and chose to eliminate you or abandon you outright?”
“I deemed it worth sharing. As for dying… that’s a matter of indifference…”
It wasn’t a problem if he died.
But being abandoned posed issues.
That statement felt unsettling.
“That’s unusual. Why are you supposedly scared of being abandoned by me?”
We had met for less than a month at best.
There was absolutely no affection or connection.
From Seongyul’s standpoint, it was naturally grating to be dragged without consent.
And yet, divulging information to ensure he isn’t abandoned was something I couldn’t wrap my head around.
And then.
“I’m unsure myself,” Seongyul added.
“So, I wish to invest time unraveling the reason.”
“You’re quite the enigmatic person yourself.”
“…”
That meant he intended to keep following me.
I sighed, glancing at Seongyul with an incredulous look.
“You can manage that on your own.”
From the very beginning, I had no intention of ditching him; there was no room for discarding him.
At least, not yet.
Contemplating that, I shifted the conversation’s direction.
“I recall you inquiring about Fengyun Guido.”
This was indeed the question Seongyul had posed earlier.
Why had the shamans spread lies regarding Fengyun Guido?
“It’s merely… a political matter.”
A political issue.
That was precisely the case.
“With the new leader of the Wudang Sword Master and the growth of the Wudang faction because of him.”
It was a time when an array of stories flowed amidst the tide of change.
The leader was gaining support by establishing security and organizing sword placements here and there.
Thanks to this, the Wudang Clan’s status was on an upward trajectory.
In that void,
‘If rumors surfaced of the Fengyun Guido targeting a shaman.’
The interest contained therein would swell exponentially.
The faction Fengyun Guido selected upon returning was shaping up to be significant.
Something along those lines.
‘Moreover.’
I recalled Ji-cheol from the night before.
‘He had plans for the volcano’s treasure too, cunningly targeting it.’
He had hoped to seize the opportunity while the swordsman was absent.
Despite the orders, I pondered why someone with an injured arm would undertake such a venture.
‘The circumstances likely aligned favorably.’
A guy with an injured arm.
He’d probably have been confined to a hospital receiving treatment, leaving no room for being accused.
‘Chances are, those on guard had also been briefed.’
The probability of prior discussions on the matter seemed quite high.
No, it was a certainty.
Originally, Ji-cheol, the so-called ghost, would have fled, claiming to be Fengyun Guido.
In which case, the Wudang would be held accountable for the failure to protect the volcano.
‘It could affect public sentiment.’
-This was stolen by none other than Fengyun Guido.
-Can one place all the blame on the shamans solely?
The statements had the high likelihood of arising.
That’s usually how public sentiment works.
‘Perhaps, the discussions have circulated far enough.’
I didn’t hope for that, but it was entirely plausible that there had already been conversations with the more liberal factions.
In such a case, it would become more difficult to pin responsibility solely on the volcano, and thus for the Wudang…
‘They would ultimately be able to claim both treasures.’
In other words, the Wudang would preserve their hoped-for attention and treasures while simultaneously acquiring the lost treasure of the shamans.
And if the volcano disregarded this and insisted on taking responsibility.
‘They would have already gained attention and practically diminished the influence of Hwasan, who stands firm as not being aligned with the Wulin Alliance despite being a political entity.’
Thus, whatever action was taken, it truly favored the shamans.
What a truly rotten deal.
Is this what a righteous faction would do?
‘They should simply be honing their martial arts in quietude rather than indulging in political schemes.’
Later, they’d take the beating in a bloodbath anyway.
They couldn’t have been anything but utter fools.
Oh, but of course.
‘Though, I have to admit, it made getting things sorted easier.’
Due to the conflux of a few favorable coincidences,
On my part, tasks had become a touch more manageable.
It was due to the decadence exhibited by the shamans.
And it was apparent that this would hold true for the forthcoming situations.
Inhale.
I turned my gaze towards the commotion happening outside.
[Are you there?]
It seemed someone had sought out the place.
Upon hearing that, I stood up and headed outside.
Outside, numerous figures from the Wudang had come to pay a visit.
In the center stood the elder of the Wudang, Woo Baek of the Biseong Sword.
Woo Baek looked at me, offering a slight smile as he spoke.
“I regret bothering you while you’re resting. Please forgive me for this.”
“No. It’s fine. May I ask how you found your way here, Elder? You must be quite busy.”
This was a reference to Ji-cheol’s death and the looting of the treasure.
At this, the corners of Woo Baek’s eyes flickered slightly.
“… As you may have heard, things have grown somewhat complicated.”
“I was already concerned about that. Are you okay?”
“… Haha. I appreciate your concern.”
Woo Baek spoke to me with a tone that barely masked his disregard for heartfelt worry.
“The nature of this event isn’t supposed to transpire, but… since it happened within the main sect, I have no option but to seek your understanding in this matter.”
“What do you mean?”
“Would it be alright if I conducted a search of your residence for a moment?”
“…!”
Upon hearing that, I immediately scowled.
“Elder, do you hold any suspicions regarding me?”
“I apologize to you, former small cultivator, but this is just a verification.”
“Ha.”
I had to exhale in disbelief at those words.
Then, I lifted my wrist.
I was referring to the wrist wrapped in the Yeon-i-seon that Woo Baek requested I wear yesterday.
“You even went so far as to attach those for surveillance, and now, since issues have arisen, you wish to carry out a search? What ludicrous nonsense is this…!”
“… I sincerely regret this. Nevertheless, this is for confirming certainties. I hope you can bear with it.”
Crack.
I had to grind my teeth.
Then, thumping my steps, I exited the chamber.
“… This is utterly absurd. If you desire, proceed. However, I shall not forget this indignity demonstrated by the shamans.”
“…”
As I spat those words with irritation, Woo Baek nodded.
In response, members of the Wudang surged into my residence.
After that, they searched with an intensity that seemed determined to leave no dust untouched.
Not long after,
“Now, Elder!”
A Taoist approached Woo Baek with a startled expression.
“We… we found something!”
The item he carefully retrieved from my drawer was a blue jade bracelet.
Indeed, that was the very object the shamans sought to exchange.
Seeing it, Woo Baek’s eyes widened with shock as he fixed his gaze on me.
“How could this be? Young cultivator.”
His tone was steely with evident chilling undertones.
I stammered in response to Woo Baek’s inquiry.
“Th-this… Why is this in my drawer…! I-I have no knowledge of its existence!”
“…”
I tried my hardest to deny the accusations, but Woo Baek’s demeanor had already transformed into one of volatile anger.
“Immediately.”
That was a clear sign of his fury. Woo Baek’s voice trembled with rage.
“Subdue them! Lock them up! The ‘Leader’ will deal with their fates personally!”
His voice seemed teetering on the edge of violence as he spoke.
The Taoists approached me, seemingly intent on capturing me in response to his directive.
I was quaking in terror at the sight unfolding before me.
But inside, I couldn’t help but smile.
‘This will ignite like a wildfire.’
Dry, decayed wood.
Those were excellent materials that would blaze endlessly once ignited.
Observing the shaman’s current antics, it perfectly aligned with that imagery.
Amidst the chaos of being subdued, I quietly transmitted my thoughts.
‘Dodol.’
I was speaking to the small earthworm frolicking somewhere deep within the forest.
‘It’s time. Bring him here.’
In that instant.
Boom-!
A rumble erupted from somewhere deep in the woods.
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