The Soul of the Heavenly Demon (3)
“Damn it! So it was you after all.”
Geomya scowled deeply. He had suspected me once before. Back then, I had managed to evade his suspicion thanks to a clever trick with the lighting. If he had confirmed his doubts then, things might have turned out differently.
“I had a bad feeling about this.”
“Then you should have checked properly.”
“Blame it on the booze.”
Of course, he was completely sober now. Before coming here, he had used his inner strength to purge the alcohol from his system.
His eyes were sharp as they fixed on me. He must have realized how strong I was from the bodies scattered around the Twelve Sages and from the Heavenly Sword.
He would give it his all, and I would have to do the same.
There was no malice in Geomya. Instead of a sinister aura, there was a story behind his life of drinking.
“Just one question.”
“What is it?”
“Why did you join them? With your skills, you don’t need to be tied to anyone.”
Geomya sighed lightly before answering.
“Being tied to something has nothing to do with skill. If it did, why would the greatest martial artist, Cheonhajin, become the leader of the Martial Alliance?”
“True, you have a point.”
He was right. It had nothing to do with skill.
Asking about his story was meaningless now. No matter how good a person is, if they join hands with evil, the end is always bad.
With a soft sound, Geomya’s sword slowly unsheathed and floated into the air.
I knew then. He intended to settle this in one swift move using the Sword of Will.
My Suramyeongwang Sword also rose into the air.
The two swords hovered, aimed at each other.
It was a bit surprising that he could use the Sword of Will. It seemed like a risky move for him, akin to me using the Great Catastrophe. If he wasn’t careful, he could end up injuring himself.
For me, however, the Sword of Will was no different from the basic techniques of the Soul-Reaping Demon Sword. It was a move I could use freely.
Even though we both used the Sword of Will, there was a clear difference between his and mine.
With a sharp sound, the two swords clashed in the air.
They flew at each other like beams of light, but only one sword returned to its original place.
The Suramyeongwang Sword returned to me and slid back into its sheath.
Geomya’s sword, having missed its mark, flew off into the distance, piercing through a pile of weapons.
Blood gushed from the gaping wound in his chest like a fountain.
With a weak gaze, he asked me, “Why are you tied down? You’re so strong.”
He must have thought I was also bound to something, given that I was opposing his organization.
I looked at him calmly and replied, “I’m in the process of freeing myself. One tie at a time.”
He looked at me with an expression of incomprehension.
Thud.
He collapsed forward.
My gaze turned to the closed door. The only one left was Cheonsoseon.
The sound of rain poured down as a man’s shout echoed through the air.
“It’s all because of you, Father!”
His eyes were filled with resentment, and he held a child who looked about ten years old in his arms.
The man was clearly crying.
“It’s all because of you!”
In the next moment, an old man jolted awake.
He was drenched in sweat.
“Phew.”
The old man let out a long sigh, followed by a muttered curse.
“Damn it!”
It had been a long time since he’d had a nightmare. He hadn’t had one in ages, but on such an important day, he dreamt of that day again.
A man spoke politely from behind him.
“Are you alright?”
The man was the one with the peculiar, eyebrow-less face who had been waiting in the cave.
“Having a nightmare in the Heavenly Egg? That’s unusual.”
“I’m fine.”
The old man rose from the half-spherical egg and stepped outside.
The man followed him with a worried expression.
The old man stood on the cliff outside the cave. The cool breeze dried his sweat.
The man stood a few steps behind, still looking concerned.
“It’s probably because you’re worried about the Great Law.”
The old man nodded at the man’s words. The man continued speaking.
“Don’t worry. With Geomya and the Twelve Sages involved, nothing will go wrong.”
“Yes, you’re right.”
The old man was frustrated that he couldn’t attend the Great Law himself.
He was restricted in his movements. There were times when he could leave the Heavenly Egg and times when he couldn’t. Usually, he couldn’t leave.
If he forced himself to leave and couldn’t return to the Heavenly Egg in time, he would die.
“You need to stay healthy to achieve your great ambition.”
“Great ambitions don’t always go as planned.”
“If it’s you, you’ll surely succeed.”
“I hope so.”
The old man’s eyes deepened. He had to succeed. It was the lifelong goal he had worked tirelessly for.
He had given up so much to walk this path.
I remained cautious.
Even though there was now a gap in our skills, Cheonsoseon’s Wind Blade was still dangerous. Especially if it came at me unguarded or from close range, it could be fatal.
I focused all my senses and carefully approached the door.
I made sure not to walk in a straight line towards it.
But I didn’t let my guard down. The Wind Blade could pierce through the walls. At least if it came through the wall, I had a better chance of dodging it.
When I was at a suitable distance, I swung my sword lightly.
With a swift motion, the edge of the door was sliced off.
I punched forward, and the door fell backward.
Thud.
Now I could see inside clearly.
Yang Jeonghoe was there, engrossed in the Great Law despite the broken door. He seemed oblivious to his surroundings, likely due to Cheonsoseon’s orders.
Even if that weren’t the case, there was nothing he could do in this situation. Unlike the previous scholar who was skilled in sorcery, Yang Jeonghoe had no martial arts training.
I moved cautiously from side to side, scanning the interior. But Cheonsoseon was nowhere to be seen. He must have been hiding in a blind spot.
Entering wasn’t going to be easy. If it were an opponent wielding a sword or a blade, it would have been easier to deal with. But the Wind Blade at close range was truly threatening. One wrong move, and I could be killed in a single strike.
But I couldn’t afford to be overly cautious.
The Great Law was supposed to end before evening. It was midday now, so it didn’t seem like it would end soon, but that was just an assumption.
The Great Law could end at any moment. It might have been scheduled to end around the time they brought in the meal. Even if not, it could end earlier than expected.
I drew my sword again.
With a swift motion, I sliced a square into the wall a little away from the door.
I punched forward again.
Crash.
The wall crumbled, revealing the inside. Still, Cheonsoseon was nowhere to be seen.
I was about to send a sword strike towards the opposite wall when it happened.
“Stop.”
Surprisingly, a woman’s voice called out.
“Stop and come inside.”
It was definitely a woman’s voice. One I had never heard before.
“Show yourself.”
In response, the woman spoke again from inside.
“Alright. Just don’t attack.”
A woman emerged from behind the uncut wall and stepped into view.
She was truly beautiful. In terms of sheer physical beauty, she was almost a match for Song Hwarin.
Of course, their auras were completely different. While Song Hwarin had a pure and bright beauty, this woman’s aura was intensely dark.
“Where is Cheonsoseon?”
“He’s not here.”
“Not here?”
“Yes. It’s just Yang Daehyeop and me here.”
“Step back.”
The woman obediently took a few steps back.
“Yang Jeonghoe, come out here too.”
Yang Jeonghoe looked at me and said, “I can’t.”
“Come out!”
At my shout, Yang Jeonghoe stopped what he was doing and stood beside the woman.
“If you try anything foolish, you’ll die!”
After giving a proper warning, I advanced with my sword aimed at them.
This Great Law was more important to Cheonsoseon. If Yang Jeonghoe were to die, the Great Law would be ruined.
As I approached them, I heightened all my senses.
But I sensed no other presence besides the two of them.
Could it be? Was Cheonsoseon really not in the room?
I cautiously approached, then suddenly leaped forward.
I stepped into the room with a swift movement, changing speed to catch them off guard. But my efforts were in vain; there was no one else in the room besides the two of them.
There were devices scattered around, making it hard to see the entire room, but there were no visible doors.
“I’ll continue my work!”
Yang Jeonghoe resumed the Great Law. I didn’t stop him.
I kept my sword trained on the woman as I carefully examined the room. From the ceiling to the walls, I scrutinized every inch, but there was no secret passage.
I looked at the woman coldly and asked, “Where is Cheonsoseon?”
“He left.”
“When?”
“Before I arrived.”
I hadn’t been monitoring the place constantly since I had been to the Black City. Cheonsoseon could have left, and this woman could have entered during that time.
But to leave during such an important Great Law? It was hard to believe.
I remained wary of the woman.
“Who are you?”
“I came to assist Scholar Yang.”
I glanced at Yang Jeonghoe and asked, “Is that true?”
“Yes.”
He answered without turning to look at me.
I turned back to the woman.
“Why didn’t you join from the start?”
“You told me to come only when needed.”
It was entirely plausible. The woman’s expression remained unchanged, as if she were telling the truth.
Her calmness was almost suspicious.
“Yang Jeong-hwa, turn around.”
“Why are you doing this when I’m busy?”
As Yang Jeong-hwa turned, I asked abruptly, “What’s this woman’s name?”
For a moment, Yang Jeong-hwa couldn’t answer. I could see his eyes waver.
Whoosh.
A sudden gust of wind shot toward my heart. The woman had launched it.
Instinctively, I summoned my protective energy and twisted my body.
The wind, deflected by the bracer on my arm, grazed my chest instead.
Thud!
I felt a sharp pain and something warm trickling down.
Had I been a moment slower, my chest would have been torn apart.
Fortunately, the bracer on my wrist and the protective armor on my chest shielded me from the attack.
This time, my sword sliced through the air toward her heart.
Swish.
Her eyes flashed white.
Splash!
Blood spattered in the air.
But as soon as my sword struck, she vanished.
If she had died, her body would have reappeared, but she was gone.
“We’re in trouble!”
Yang Jeong-hwa shouted urgently.
Sizzle!
The wind she had sent pierced a device used in the ritual, causing liquid to leak out.
Yang Jeong-hwa rushed to fix it, but the connected apparatus began to bubble violently.
“No!”
He shouted just as—
Boom!
The device exploded with unexpected force.
Yang Jeong-hwa was thrown backward, and I ducked, summoning my protective energy.
Whoosh!
I, too, was pushed back.
The child and Ma Cheol-gun were sprawled on the ground.
I rushed to the child, but he had already passed. Yang Jeong-hwa was gone too.
“Damn it!”
There was no time to mourn. Something eerie sliced through the air with a strange sound.
Whirr.
It circled once in the air and then flew toward me.
“No!”
As it engulfed me, the surroundings suddenly changed.
Silence.
Not a sound could be heard.
The world darkened, and the ground beneath me vanished as I began to fall.
Like sinking into a swamp, I was slowly, helplessly drawn in.
The surface grew distant. Beyond it, I could see the room, the fallen bodies.
I struggled to rise, but the more I did, the deeper I sank into the abyss.
There was nothing I could do to stop it.
When the surface became a mere dot—
Flash!
The world went dark.