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chapter 65
A lavish carriage, rarely seen in the region, stood in a place overlooking the Yangtze River, which could be called the lifeline of Central Plains.
Hee hee hee hing!
The horses pulling the carriage were four exceptional steeds called Dawan-gu, so rare that even mentioning them as a price was considered worthy.
The carriage was adorned with every kind of precious decoration, and at a glance, it was clear that this was a carriage used by a high-ranking official or an important dignitary.
Outside the carriage, a man lay prostrate, head bowed. Even by his clothing alone, it was obvious he was no ordinary person.
“Interesting,” a melodious voice floated from inside the carriage. Though youthful in tone, it carried an unmistakable sense of displeasure.
The man lying on the ground couldn’t respond to her words. Though prostrate, sweat poured down his face and back.
“Considering the effort we’ve put in, shouldn’t we have seen some results by now?”
“I apologize, Hwalryeongju!”
A low, eerie voice came from the man, reminiscent of the voice that had once echoed from a cave.
“You don’t intend to end it with an apology, do you?”
“We’ve had no deviations from our plan—only the expected results haven’t appeared yet. Everything is proceeding smoothly.”
“Proceeding smoothly… in what sense?”
The man spoke of the plan in progress, exuding strong confidence.
“Hmm… I see why you might think so. Very well. Since no major mistakes have occurred, we’ll let it pass. That aside, have you been able to find their existence yet?”
“My apologies. We’ve been searching, but we can’t even find a trace of them.”
“No trace at all… then the likelihood is high that they’re dead.”
“That is my suspicion, but as nothing has been confirmed, we continue the search. Until their presence is confirmed or until we hear that their disciples have appeared in the martial world, we will continue searching.”
A brief silence fell in the carriage, with the flow of the Yangtze River filling the gap between their conversation.
“They didn’t appear thirty years ago either, so it’s likely they’re dead. But a slim chance remains, so it’s wise to follow your approach and continue searching.”
“Understood.”
“Good. When do you intend to execute this stage?”
“We need more time to shape public opinion.”
The woman inside the carriage fell silent once again. After a brief moment—about a fraction of time—she spoke.
“We’ve waited fifty years; waiting a little longer won’t hurt. But, Mu-yeong!”
The name of the man lying beside the carriage slipped from her lips.
Mu-yeong!
Among the Ten Dragons and Eight Peaks, Mu-yeong, the so-called Mysterious Dragon, was none other than the man prostrate beside the carriage.
“Yes, Hwalryeongju?”
“Remember, you cannot simply wait forever.”
Hee hee hee hing!
Though there was no driver on the carriage seat, the Dawan-gu moved with long, whinnying cries.
Clack… clack…
The carriage slowly moved away along the Yangtze. The man remained prostrate until it had fully disappeared.
“I will remember, Hwalryeongju!”
The eerie voice had transformed into a clear, pristine tone.
Inside a modest hut, the setting was surprisingly simple.
Three people sat around a tree stump used as a table, sharing tea.
“Really impressive,” Son Hak-gyu praised Seo Gun-ha’s martial skills.
Though Seo Gun-ha hadn’t completely overwhelmed Son Hak-gyu, he had forced him onto the defensive and ultimately won by a margin of 150.5 seconds.
Had Son Hak-gyu not conceded the first three seconds, the outcome would have been unpredictable.
Even with the concession, Seo Gun-ha’s current martial ability was comparable to one of the top 100 martial artists in the world.
Through Seo Gun-ha, Geom-ryeong could gauge the level of these top martial artists.
“If you hadn’t conceded, I wouldn’t have been able to strike properly with my sword,” Seo Gun-ha said humbly.
To others, this might seem like modesty, but to him, it felt genuine. He realized why Son Hak-gyu was rightly called one of the top 100.
“You need not be humble.”
Although it was just sparring, someone who could corner him like this had appeared for the first time in thirty years.
“Thank you.”
“Young people are remarkable for that reason. But you must also remain cautious.”
Since there was nothing more to teach about martial arts, he gave advice as a senior in life to guide him in the future.
Geom-ryeong nodded continuously. Everything he said was correct.
His words echoed what he had been told when first entering the martial world, but hearing them again made him reflect on whether he had overlooked anything.
Son Hak-gyu’s gaze shifted to Geom-ryeong.
“From whom did you learn your martial arts? If I can’t even guess, it must have been someone extraordinary…”
His eyes seemed to already suspect who had taught Geom-ryeong and silently asked him to confirm the truth.
“Believe it or not, it was Jeonmo Yakbing who cared for me when I was a child.”
He mentioned only Yakbing, knowing it was pointless to talk about Cheon Nam-yeon or Gu Yeong-cheol, who were associated with orthodox factions.
Son Hak-gyu nodded as if acknowledging that answer.
“You are truly fortunate in the martial world. When disciples of Geomhu and Jeonmo achieved such accomplishments and appeared in the martial world, demons also surfaced.”
He noted that although challenges would arise, these two would ultimately drive the demons out of the martial world.
“There is still much darkness in the world. I hope for your continued guidance,” Geom-ryeong said.
Son Hak-gyu smiled in satisfaction.
“Have the two of you sparred?”
“I haven’t yet asked Ryeong-ah to spar, as I cannot match her,” Seo Gun-ha replied quickly, seeing Geom-ryeong might feel embarrassed.
He could gauge Seo Gun-ha’s skill, but Geom-ryeong’s ability was unmeasurable—clearly far beyond his level.
If Seo Gun-ha hadn’t been beside Geom-ryeong, Son Hak-gyu might not have realized his extraordinary skill. He may have assumed, like many others, that Geom-ryeong hadn’t trained in martial arts.
“It is truly pleasing to see you two together. Your masters would be delighted to see this,” Son Hak-gyu said with a faint smile.
“Do you know anything about Hyeolsu Mujung Sahak-ryeong, the Lord of Siba-seong?”
Being peers, Geom-ryeong assumed Son Hak-gyu would know well.
“Why do you ask?”
“Just curious,” Geom-ryeong replied.
“That fellow…”
Geom-ryeong and Seo Gun-ha parted ways with Son Hak-gyu and walked through the forest.
“What are you thinking about?” Seo Gun-ha asked, noticing Geom-ryeong’s silent contemplation.
“Nothing.”
“Not really. Your demeanor changed after hearing about Hyeolsu Mujung Sahak-ryeong, the Lord of Siba-seong.”
Geom-ryeong paused, then nodded. He felt it was safe to share, as Seo Gun-ha was a disciple of Geomhu.
“In fact, I’ve uncovered signs of a massive conspiracy in the martial world.”
“A conspiracy?”
The sudden mention of a conspiracy naturally caused Seo Gun-ha to raise his eyebrows.
“Regarding the demons?”
“Yes.”
“You’re not just saying that because the demons appeared, are you?”
Geom-ryeong’s expression suggested he was serious, not joking.
“Regarding the demons who crossed the Gobi Desert thirty years ago…”
Geom-ryeong recounted what he had learned about the demons, which sounded increasingly credible.
“I initially believed the demons had planned this from the start, but recent evidence shows I was wrong.”
“Does this relate to Hyeolsu Mujung Sahak-ryeong?”
“Yes. As I mentioned before, demons influenced by demonic energy act on instinct or follow the commands of stronger demons.”
Geom-ryeong had heard something about this from Geomhu.
“If over twenty demons attacked the Seomun faction, someone must have orchestrated it behind the scenes. While your elder brother and sister were fighting, I sought that person…”
Seo Gun-ha didn’t fully understand the level of Geom-ryeong’s Wonryeongshin, but could sense he was several levels higher than him, which is why he hadn’t requested a spar.
“So, that person was the chief of Siba-seong, poisoned by the conspirators, and thus compelled to obey. Following him led you to discover that he was Sahak-ryeong himself?”
“Yes.”
“Why make things so complicated?”
“I’m not the conspirator, so I don’t know. The important thing is that Sahak-ryeong was their planted agent.”
Seo Gun-ha’s eyes widened.
“So you’re saying that since Sahak-ryeong is forty-five, the conspirators must have been planning this for decades?”
Geom-ryeong nodded.
“It may be a stretch, but even the bloodshed at Manmajon Samyeongok thirty years ago could have been orchestrated by them.”
Seo Gun-ha shivered.
“Who?”
“It’s said that many factions have long sought to dominate the Central Plains. I suspect one of them, but it’s not yet safe to speak openly.”
Based on experience, claiming this would likely earn disbelief or accusations of madness.
“That makes sense. But Ryeong-ah, thirty years ago, the demons caused significant damage. If they had aimed for the martial world then, wouldn’t it be under their control by now?”
“I’ve considered that. There’s no clear answer, but I believe there is something they fear.”
“Something they fear?”
“My guess: when Master retired fifty years ago, and the demon uprising occurred thirty years ago…”
“So you mean they fear Jeonmo Yakbing?”
Geom-ryeong shook his head. They wouldn’t fear him merely for his martial skill.
“Then?”
“They feared the emergence of a powerful leader.”
“A powerful leader?”
“Someone who could unite the martial world under one banner.”
A figure capable of uniting the martial world was necessary—someone like Cheon Nam-yeon of Godokmaya!
“The martial world did fight together back then.”
“Yes, but factions often fought for vested interests, orthodox against heretics.”
That internal strife may have worsened the damage.
“If Great Hero Cheon Nam-yeon had been there, no one could have opposed him for personal gain.”
“Ah!”
Seo Gun-ha couldn’t help but exclaim.
Jeonmo Yakbing of the orthodox, Gu Yeong-cheol of the heretics, and Cheon Nam-yeon bridging justice!
Truly representative figures of the martial world.
Had they led the martial world thirty years ago, the bloodshed at Manmajon Samyeongok might have been prevented without major losses.
“So those in the shadows fear these three.”
Geom-ryeong nodded.
“That’s merely conjecture.”
