Chapter 201: Entrance to the Heaven of Sacred Spirits (1)

So Cheon spoke with a somewhat wistful expression.

“Master told me to survive until the end and taught me the ‘Ten Thousand Forms Grand Tai Chi Combat Technique’. That’s it. I haven’t seen him since.”

“He passed down his martial art to you with just that kind of connection?”

“He said since I’ll never be able to fix my thieving hands, I should at least learn this so I wouldn’t get caught.”

A strange sense of pride coming off this guy made me feel a little irritated.

“I heard you got caught by someone from Cheon Jumun, was it Cheon Jumyeong?”

So Cheon, who had been laughing frivolously, quietly averted his gaze at those words.

“That guy’s just a freak, that’s all…”

He smoothly skipped over the topic and continued.

“Anyway, even though I learned Master’s martial arts, it didn’t free me from House of Slaughter and my mother’s restraints.”

“If it was Dao Zun, she could’ve undone it somehow, couldn’t she?”

“Well, Master said that for me to survive, I needed to have that kind of extreme restraint.”

Seriously, this bastard…

Somehow… somehow that didn’t sound completely unreasonable.

‘Miraculous encounters aren’t unheard of in Murim, so let’s go with that for now.’

I gave So Cheon a suspicious glance.

‘He’s definitely hiding something else.’

For some reason, it felt like it was personal enough that even if I pressed him, he wouldn’t say more.

“Fine, let’s leave it at that for now.”

“Hehe.”

“Now it’s your turn to confess how you ended up here.”

“……”

“You know the Hidden Shadow So Clan has closed its gates, right?”

“…Yeah, I know.”

“But then that So brat blatantly popped out into the Central Plains, violating the unspoken rule?”

Even if they’d used the excuse of cutting ties temporarily due to the Underworld King’s Unit, it still should’ve been within the Ten Thousand Mountain region.

This was a clear violation of the cult’s laws.

Just then, a question popped into my head.

“By the way, what’s the situation with the Underworld King’s Unit right now?”

“……”

Sweat started to pour visibly down So Cheon’s face.

My gaze grew a bit colder.

“…Don’t tell me it’s gone to hell?”

Do you know how much money I poured into that place? If it’s really gone to hell, then So Cheon, Sosoryu—everyone’s getting wrecked…

“N-No! Of course not! The training’s proceeding normally, and the trainees’ level is improving rapidly! Big Brother Byeok is also satisfied with the training itself!”

“…Really?”

“Just….”

“Just what?”

“Noona and the chief instructor ended up competing against each other…”

“Myeong-oh and Sosoryu?”

In the end, So Cheon wore a resigned expression.

“Yeah. Each took fifty trainees and said they’d compete after a year.”

“…Compete?”

They called it a competition, but in reality, it was a bet with something serious on the line.

“So, what’s the price of victory?”

“The loser has to stay away from Big Brother Byeok forever…”

A headache automatically surged within me.

“Gu Chil agreed to that?”

“Of course not. Before I came here, hyung begged me to tell you to hurry back and stop them.”

“……”

“The training itself is fine, but because of those two, the atmosphere at Underworld King’s Unit is like walking on thin ice. Noona even said that if she loses, she’ll hang everyone on House of Slaughter’s walls…”

‘God, I really don’t want to go back.’

Maybe I should just settle down here with the Black Lotus Union and drive a stake into this place?

The thought was seriously tempting enough to send chills down my spine.

Of course, if I left things like this, my precious Underworld King’s Unit would be completely ruined by those maniacs, so I knew I’d have to return eventually.

“So… don’t tell me you ran off to the Central Plains out of fear of all that?”

“Of course not! What do you take me for!”

“What do I take you for? A thief.”

At my words, So Cheon shouted with an expression full of injustice.

“I came here proudly under orders from the Cult Leader!”

“…Seriously?”

If that was true, that’d be the most shocking thing I’d heard today.

“See! he told me to deliver this to you!”

So Cheon pulled a small orb from his clothes and held it out to me.

It was none other than—

The key to the Heaven of Sacred Spirits.

‘This bastard brought this back?’

No, more than that—

“he said it would definitely be needed. Told me to deliver it to you and said you’d understand more or less.”

“……”

Even as I took the key to the Heaven of Sacred Spirits in hand, chills ran down my spine.

‘Just how much does the Cult Leader see ahead?’

Did he figure out I was planning something in Luoyang? No—does he even know that the entrance to the Heaven of Sacred Spirits is located here?

The way everything aligned so perfectly—it felt like the Cult Leader’s will was involved. It was reassuring yet deeply unsettling.

I returned to the Black Lotus Union headquarters and took out the scrap of paper So Cheon had stolen.

“In the end, all that remains from this incident is this Wudang’s Treasure Map.”

By now, that Sword Supreme Sage Gwan Hyun must’ve realized this Wudang’s Treasure Map had been stolen.

‘Heaven of Sacred Spirits, huh…’

I sank into brief contemplation.

Let’s say I did find the entrance to this Heaven of Sacred Spirits.

And let’s say I used the key I had to enter it.

‘What’s in it for me?’

It might sound ridiculous to say this, but right now—I wasn’t lacking in power.

It was merely a matter of time. If I fused the power and vitality granted by the Heavenly Demon with my own, I would eventually reclaim the power I had at my peak.

‘The Cult Leader must have had a purpose in sending this through So Cheon. In that case… I have no choice but to trust him and face whatever comes.’

I resolved to uncover the location of this Wudang’s Treasure Map.

However, it was impossible for me to decipher this unfamiliar formula alone.

So, I decided to cheat a little.

“Military Strategist, sorry to bother you when you’re busy.”

“…Is something the matter, First Strategist?”

Jegal Eun, who had been in the thick of preparing for the opening ceremony, greeted me with haggard eyes.

I glanced at the mountain of papers piled around her with a bit of a frown.

“Aren’t you working a little too hard?”

“If the organizational hierarchy is clearly established, it’ll be easier to dismantle when needed. More importantly…”

Jegal Eun spoke with a faint tinge of solemnity.

“There’s a need to distinguish between the demonic sect members and the wandering martial artists.”

“I see.”

Right now, the Black Lotus Union was a mix of two types: worthless dregs from the demonic sects, and relatively blameless wanderers or unaffiliated martial artists who joined with hopes of fame and success.

While organizing the structure, Jegal Eun was being meticulous in drawing a clear line between them.

“So, what did you come here for?”

“I need you to interpret this.”

I handed her the Wudang’s Treasure Map without hesitation.

“This is…!”

Her eyes sparkled as she looked over the Wudang’s Treasure Map.

“An ancient script of incantations.”

“Incantations?”

“It’s a script derived from the oracle bone script used during the Shang dynasty. The characters themselves carry faint traces of mystical power.”

She murmured softly as she examined the Wudang’s Treasure Map.

“There should be hardly anyone using this script nowadays. Fascinating…”

“Is it difficult?”

“Not too much. I learned some of the ancient incantation language as a hobby from an elder in my clan. Actually, it seems like they used the script to encode a sort of mathematical problem. Solving that will take more time.”

Jegal Eun continued decoding the Wudang’s Treasure Map for a while before exhaling a long breath.

“Phew! This seems to be indicating specific coordinates. Is it urgent? If we want to decode it properly, I’ll need to focus on it full-time.”

“Even if it delays the opening ceremony, I want you to prioritize this. Is that possible?”

Jegal Eun flinched slightly at my request, but soon regained composure and nodded.

“It’ll take about two days.”

“Good. I’m counting on you.”

The two days Jegal Eun mentioned passed in a flash.

Whether high-ranking or low-ranking, everyone in the Black Lotus Union was swamped with work. I, too, put aside all distractions and devoted myself fully to internal affairs.

“The interpretation is complete.”

“Oh, that was fast.”

Jegal Eun approached, looking even more worn out than two days ago.

“But… the decoded location is… a bit of a problem.”

“Where is it?”

Her next words made my expression stiffen slightly.

“It’s beneath the inner fortress, where the Lord of Luoyang resides.”

“…!”

“It seems this Wudang’s Treasure Map was created back when Luoyang’s structure was very different from now. At least a thousand years ago—maybe even over two thousand.”

“Hmm…”

“That means the Luoyang of back then and the Luoyang of now aren’t the same at all. Even if the coordinates are accurate, unless you dig down from above, finding the entrance will be extremely difficult.”

“I’ll handle that part. Good work. As expected of a member of the famed Jegal Clan, the sharpest mind in the Central Plains.”

“Hehe! This much is nothing.”

Her teeth gleamed eerily from the effort she’d put in over the last two days.

‘Beneath the inner fortress of Luoyang, huh…’

There was no way I could bring an entire group down there. It would have to be a small, elite team.

The people who immediately came to mind were—

“Lady Cheon, So Cheon.”

Originally, I’d considered going with Cheon Yura alone for a quiet operation.

‘But with how unpredictable So Cheon is, he might be able to adapt if something unexpected comes up.’

With that decision, I immediately informed So Cheon and Cheon Yura that they would be joining me in infiltrating Luoyang’s inner fortress.

“Infiltrating the inner fortress, huh…”

For some reason, Cheon Yura gave So Cheon a subtle glare.

“Well, whatever. I suppose it’s fine. He is from the cult, after all.”

So Cheon flinched and muttered.

“Y-Your tone says it’s fine, but your eyes are really scary…”

“These are just my natural eyes.”

I nodded in agreement with her.

“She’s right. Lady Cheon’s eyes have always been beautiful.”

Cheon Yura’s cheeks flushed slightly at my compliment.

So Cheon looked horrified.

“Hyung, you really… have a thing for…”

“What? Want to say that again?”

I smiled and coated my hand in black qi.

“N-Nothing at all.”

So Cheon quickly composed himself and looked away.

After silencing So Cheon, we began making plans to infiltrate the inner fortress.

While discussing that, Cheon Yura suddenly spoke to me.

“Jin Yeowoon, it’s fine that we’re infiltrating the fortress, but there’s one issue.”

“You’re referring to how quiet the Mount Wudang Sect has been.”

“Yes. There’s been no attacks at all for the past few days.”

Just as Cheon Yura said, even after we’d patrolled the demonic faction territories day and night with vigilance, there had been no assaults by Wudang’s Awakened since the clash with the Dokgo Clan.

‘It’s definitely unexpected. I thought they’d go berserk because of the Wudang’s Treasure Map.’

To prepare for a possible strike by Gwan Hyun, I had stationed Saber King and Venerable Buddha at Baek Sang-ah’s side—but these past two days had been eerily peaceful.

I didn’t believe for a second that Gwan Hyun was staying quiet for no reason.

‘What are you really planning, Gwan Hyun…’

About three hundred li southeast of Luoyang, near Mount Pyeongjeong.

While more than a hundred martial artists in golden uniforms were bustling around outside an inn—

Namcheon Sword King stood with his hands behind his back, facing north. The leader of the Golden Dragon Heavenly Sword Squad, Baek Gongjin, approached him.

“Alliance Leader, we’ll arrive in Luoyang in two days.”

“Hmm, I see…”

Baek Gongjin continued, speaking to the Sword King who looked troubled.

“As you know, there are many in the alliance who are concerned about this campaign.”

“Hmm…”

“We’re sending the Lord of Lotus, Demonic Sword Flower, and two warriors of the Transformation Realm—or rather, Grand Demonic Level. While the Golden Dragon Heavenly Sword Squad is strong enough to deal with them, it’s concerning that we’re operating independently.”

“Ahem!”

“In my humble opinion, Demonic Sword Flower is highly suspicious. The alliance elders assume she’s merely a puppet of the demonic cult, but… she might actually be an ancient demonic witch who reversed aging…”

“Alliance Leader?”

“…What is it?”

“Your expression doesn’t look too good…”

“It’s nothing. Keep talking.”

The alliance leader, who had seemed ready to devour someone alive, relaxed his expression.

Unaware that he’d just narrowly escaped becoming the target, Baek Gongjin cleared his throat and continued.

“The only silver lining is that Sword Supreme Sage Gwan Hyun lost face because of this. If you’re able to handle the aftermath, Alliance Leader, it’ll be a perfect opportunity…”

“But that won’t be easy?”

“No. According to scouts, the Black Lotus Union is preparing for a grand opening ceremony. It’s said the momentum surpasses even the founding of the Evil Overlords of Heaven…”

What’s worse, the Lord of Luoyang personally attending the ceremony was fatal.

Because of his honor, launching an attack during or after the ceremony would be extremely difficult.

“The demonic cult bastards planned this well. If they take Luoyang and the nearby Henan region, Shaanxi Province—our primary defense line—will end up facing enemies from both sides.”

“……”

“Demonic Sword Flower might be the new strategist of the demonic cult.”

The Sword King’s expression darkened further.

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