Chapter: 561
Woohoo—!
As the unknown vibrations began to gradually spread.
Among the somewhat busy Wudang warriors, Woo Baek was facing off against Geom Hu.
The weather was sunny and there was a lot of warm tea.
Yet, the atmosphere between the two was no different than the midst of winter.
“Things have turned out badly.”
After a brief silence, Geom Hu raised his head at Woo Baek’s words.
The swordsman’s eyes were not the usual affectionate ones but rather icy and piercing.
“You said you felt sorry just now?”
Geom Hu’s voice was filled with anger.
“The one who committed this act was a Wudang, so how can you be so confident?”
“I think there’s been quite a misunderstanding. We just grasped the situation and responded accordingly.”
“Are you talking about locking up a guest who came to see a Wudang for a job?”
“After the inspection.”
Squeak.
Woo Baek started to speak, pulling something out in front of Geom Hu. It was a bracelet made of jade.
This was the bracelet that had been stolen at dawn.
It was an item discovered at Gu Yangcheon’s residence just before.
“How can you say that after seeing this?”
“…”
“We have been very careful with the volcano and its precious transactions. This Dawn was once a symbol of Wudang. It is a truly precious item to us as well.”
Bracelet Dawn (黎明).
This is the relic of a person who was the representative warrior of the past, known as the absolute sword of Wudang.
“So, when the volcano wished to exchange Dawn and return, I was filled with joy. That is why I prepared so thoroughly.”
Geom Hu listened to Woo Baek’s words silently, without any rebuttal.
“In the meantime, the item was eventually stolen. Later, I found it in the residence of one of my trusted guests. Therefore, I took appropriate action.”
Woo Baek was speaking calmly, but Geom Hu couldn’t help but chuckle in disbelief.
“That’s a funny pun.”
“A pun…?”
“Don’t you see? You refer to them as trusted guests? Didn’t you not trust the children in the first place?”
From the moment I put a string of lotus on my wrist.
All the responses that followed appeared quite dubious for trusting outsiders.
Woo Baek chuckled back at Geom Hu’s words.
“So, no problem occurred.”
“Elder Woo…!”
Geom Hu’s voice finally rose in frustration at Woo Baek’s attitude.
“So, you’re saying you’re going to start by locking me up without even listening to my story properly?”
“If it was just a problem with the relic, it wouldn’t have been necessary. But—”
Crack.
Woo Baek’s brows furrowed deeply.
“Our child died.”
“…That…!”
Wasn’t it suicide?
Geom Hu, who was about to say that, had to keep his mouth shut.
Such words shouldn’t be thrown around carelessly at the time of his disciple’s death.
And.
Woo Baek was very much aware of Geom Hu’s temperament.
“A person has died. The one who was meant to lead Wudang in the future has met an untimely demise. The circumstances suggest suicide, yet I absolutely do not believe that.”
“…So, you, Elder Woo, seriously think our children would do something like that?”
“Rather than think that, I simply can’t make a definitive claim.”
That was indeed the situation.
On the day I visited as a guest, there was an issue with a relic.
That same day, the Wudang master died.
And a lost item surfaced in the residence of the individual who had visited as a guest.
The circumstances were more than enough to raise eyebrows.
“In that situation, what exactly is it that displeases you, Your Majesty?”
Frost gathered in Woo Baek’s eyes.
“Or perhaps, because you are from the Great Volcano, you expect to be treated with some form of convenience?”
“It’s different. The question is whether it’s righteous to imprison someone based merely on suspicion.”
“With the circumstances so clear, do you expect me to show you all due respect? If something like this happened in Hwasan, Your Majesty, you would be saying just that.”
Throb.
Geom Hu felt suffocated by Woo Baek’s words.
There was nothing inaccurate in his statements.
However, from Geom Hu’s position, this situation was filled with doubt and frustration.
From the very start.
What on earth is Biseonggeom planning?
Geom Hu knew that the shaman was trying to make a move here.
If you look at how Dae Cheo was reacting and the sense of Wu Baek, they wanted something to be done about this incident.
Originally, the Crown Prince wanted to utilize him.
That is why I accepted their plan to briefly vacate the area while keeping watch over the relic.
With his capabilities, he should be able to recognize this much.
However.
“In that brief gap, something ruptured.”
As predicted, things began to unfold while Geom Hu had stepped away.
No, that was not confirmed either.
The incident occurred some time later.
Yet, Geom Hu was convinced something had occurred while he was absent.
A delicate feeling he sensed while standing guard vanished the moment he left.
It was clear something had happened then, but Geom Hu had no idea what it was.
Hiding his complicated emotions, Geom Hu started to speak.
“Elder Woo was the first to commit a rudeness to stop the work, have you forgotten?”
“Rudeness, you say?”
“For surveillance purposes, you made us wear the Lotus String against our will. Moreover…”
Geom Hu furrows his brows, trying to suppress the brewing rage.
“Didn’t you even fail to catch any sign of movement from the child?”
“…”
An item was found in Guyangcheon’s drawer.
Since this was during a period of chaos, locking them up could be somewhat justified.
However, there was one pressing issue.
This pertains to the response made by Wudang just before all this transpired.
I even requested the Lotus String be used to monitor the other party’s movement.
Along with that.
At the time the incident happened, Gu Yangcheon had made no movements at all.
“Didn’t you verify this yourself?”
Throughout the whole night, Gu Yangcheon hadn’t moved an inch, merely residing in place.
But then—right after the incident—a Wudang relic was found in his drawer?
This indicated that the issue likely resided elsewhere.
“The person who was so thorough in preparations to prevent a catastrophe is now willfully ignoring the evidence?”
“Geom Hu, I’ll say this again, the situation was as stated.”
“Just because an item was found in a drawer does not automatically implicate the child as the culprit. Are you suggesting that the child is, in fact, an unparalleled talent of some kind?”
“There’s a chance of that possibility.”
Hah…
Communication was breaking down entirely.
Both sides held that belief.
What should be done, though? There was no backing down now.
As they reached this impasse, Geom Hu couldn’t help but think of a young man.
Once a little boy himself.
Years had flown by.
He is now a young man who closely resembles his father in every aspect.
What’s brewing in your mind?
As he continued to argue with Woo Baek, that thought lingered solely in his mind.
Why is that?
Even though they hadn’t properly greeted each other yet.
When that young man crossed his mind, it felt as if everything was tangled up.
It had always been this way.
In every significant incident, Gu Yangcheon invariably stood at the center.
And the present situation was no exception.
Every time such occurrences arose, Geom Hu would ponder.
Perhaps, just as before.
Currently, the maze of events unfolding is yet again intertwined with Gu Yangcheon.
If that’s the case, does this mean the present event holds his intention?
I can’t say for sure…
What was that boy trying to achieve?
Or perhaps this was just his own hallucination.
Originally, he would never entertain such thoughts.
Was it the act of seeing in person that triggered this?
The moment he laid eyes on Gu Yangcheon, an intuition struck.
Something had shifted.
With eyes searching further afield.
Even the energy was particularly pronounced.
The exhibited energy, rather than hidden, seemed almost intentionally displayed.
What can it be said?
It felt as if he was showing it off, compelling me to look.
It was like, “I’m at this level—exactly this level.”
That was the impression it gave off.
I don’t think he’s hiding his strength.
But even so, the displayed might seemed exceedingly remarkable.
How could a person at that age possess a physique and energy that surpassed the standards of flower juncture?
Such figures were physically impossible to see with one’s own eyes.
Hence, such realizations only proliferated.
That child was forever gazing beyond the present.
Could there be some sort of intention hindering this time as well?
But that question lingered.
“…Geom Hu.”
Woo Baek’s voice drew Geom Hu back to the present.
Now was not the time to ponder upon Gu Yangcheon.
“Whatever your take on this is, we will move according to principles.”
Woo Baek’s stance remained unchanged.
“Furthermore, the sect master will arrive shortly. This matter will be addressed afterwards…”
Rumble—!
“…!”
“…!?”
As Woo Baek tried to bring his tale to a close.
Geom Hu and Woo Baek lifted their heads simultaneously.
They immediately leapt to their feet, bolting from the room.
Upon stepping outside, several warriors were already gazing skyward.
“What… is that?”
“What in the world! Contact Maeng right away…!”
“Gather the swordsmen!”
Amidst the commotion of the hurried warriors,
Woo Baek keenly observed the direction of their gazes.
There,
“Heh…!”
Something hovering in the air had coiled its massive body and was looking down.
It was a figure large enough to cast a shadow across the ground.
“What…?”
Woo Baek widened his eyes at the unimaginable size.
Growwwl…-
Even though it emitted a low sound, it resonated throughout the air bizarrely.
“A monster…?”
“There were no reports of a magic gate opening nearby…?”
“Stay alert…! Whatever happens next, we cannot afford to be blindsided!”
Judging from the color of its scales, it appeared to be a blue monster.
However, the awe it radiated was anything but ordinary.
With such a presence at that size, it was definitely beyond the level of a mere blue monster.
Cold sweat trickled down even Woo Baek’s wrinkled skin as he gawked at it.
“…What on earth is that…?”
At first glance, it was undoubtedly a monster.
Leaving it merely at that.
“When on earth did you infiltrate Wudang?”
Worry bubbled up, for a creature of such size to appear here without any warning was a problem.
If it was truly that large, it should have been visible while coming through.
If a magic gate had opened in proximity, the magical task force should have been informed as well.
“Not a single alert came through.”
Until that behemoth began radiating energy from the sky.
This meant that no one had been aware of such a being’s arrival until then.
A dangerous presence.
Woo Baek’s instincts were warning him loudly.
But.
“Focus your stance! It’s just a monster, after all!”
Woo Baek shouted commandingly to the Taoists.
Indeed, it was just a monster at best.
Whatever it was, this was the very heart of Wudang shrine.
They had gathered all their powers under the guise of preventing the wind and clouds from breaching.
There was no way they couldn’t stop such a beast… .
“Elder…! Something is descending!”
“What…?”
Woo Baek narrowed his focus onto the words of the Taoist.
Then it could be seen.
Something was falling starting from that massive creature.
As its speed started to quicken and the figure became clearer, it became obvious that it was a person.
At last…
Boom—!
Someone slammed into the ground, creating a gust of wind.
In the whirlwind of air, Woo Baek’s brows knitted together.
The dense wind dispersed after a moment.
At the center of it all, a figure arose, leaving a dazzling trace behind.
It was a giant.
An enormous giant stood up, bearing a spear the size of his own body upon his shoulder.
Simultaneously.
Fwoosh—…
“Crack…!”
“Hu-uk…!”
A tremendous amount of aura radiated from the giant’s physique.
The ferocity was so intense it rattled the nearby Taoists.
Woo Baek, having confirmed this, clenched his teeth and waved his hand.
Hooosh—! The aura began to explode outward, attempting to keep the giant’s power at bay.
“…This…!”
Woo Baek immediately realized the adversary’s aura was out of the ordinary.
It was because his pure spiritual energy was being trampled and devoured by the giant’s overpowering presence.
“This is…!”
What on earth is this situation?
As Woo Baek struggled with his confusion over the unexpected crisis,
“Shut up.”
The giant spoke in a deep voice.
“The leader has not yet had the chance to step forward. Don’t even dare draw a breath carelessly.”
“What in the world are you talking about…?!”
In response to that unfathomable language, Woo Baek tried to gather his energy to shift his position.
At that moment.
Whoooosh—!!
“…!”
Darkness cascaded down around them.
The bright day was instantaneously consumed by shadows.
Surrounded, the vicinity became enveloped in an unidentifiable black veil.
In the midst of this bizarre occurrence.
Thud!
The giant knelt down, showing respect.
And then.
Woo Baek lifted his head to gaze into the vast empty space.
He could feel it.
Something was descending from the far-off sky.
Flap—!
A robe resembling darkness fluttered in the wind.
Unlike the giant, who fell triumphantly, something else was approaching.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
Tsuuu—!
As something indistinct morphed into view.
Light began to coalesce above.
“Her…!?”
Seeing this, Woo Baek let out a breath of disbelief.
It was the sun.
Light was gathering, forming the shape of the sun.
At first glance, it appeared bluish, yet it emanated a darkness that lacked brightness, but undeniably radiated illumination.
It created light in a shadowy environment cloaked in darkness.
Everyone was rendered speechless by that absurd vision.
As the figure that descended gradually approached the ground.
Thud.
The feet made contact with the earth.
Woo Baek examined the person who alighted before the giant.
Dressed in a deep black uniform, standing sternly hands behind his back.
Judging by his form, it was unmistakably a male, yet certainty eluded him.
His face concealed by an elusive mask obscured any certainty.
Only.
He could observe that the blue light emanating from the eyes shone brightly beyond the mask.
Drawing his attention, Woo Baek addressed the stranger.
“…Who are you? What is your identity?”
It was a rough voice.
Being the architect of this entire fiasco, it was unlikely he had anything pleasant to say.
At that moment.
Thud—!
The masked figure took a step forward.
The calm strides were unmistakably directed towards Woo Baek.
In response, Sreung—!, Woo Baek drew his sword, as did the nearby Taoists.
The energy and ambition pouring from the Taoists converged and grew stronger.
The entity continued to walk nonchalantly, seemingly unfazed by that aura.
After five steps.
The figure halted abruptly, scanning the surroundings.
Everyone was poised, swords drawn, gazing at him.
Having noticed this, he tilted his head slightly.
Then uttered a few words briefly.
“Look at all of you with your elevated heads. I don’t care much for such gazes.”
“…What?”
“Thus, first off.”
Creee—!
“Kneel.”
Boom—!
“Ugh!”
“Guh!”
With that short command, the bodies of the surrounding Taoists crumbled.
Thud thud—!
They fought desperately to remain standing, but one by one, they began to kneel.
A few clung to their swords, trying to hold firm, but that was all they could manage.
The only exception was Woo Baek, the elder.
His shoulders shook, yet he refused to bend the knee.
Of course, his eyes still bore the astonishment of what was unfolding.
“What… is this guy up to…?”
Struggling to suppress his tremors, Woo Baek asked.
Then, a smirk formed on the stranger’s lips.
“Pleasure to meet you.”
Within the oppressive atmosphere,
the blue eyes seemed too vivid. Woo Baek sensed that he wouldn’t be able to hold those eyes for long.
“I am.”
The man who compelled all around him to kneel at one command said this while eyeing Woo Baek, who was soon drenched in sweat.
“It’s the Heavenly Demon (天魔).”
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