Chapter 287

Chapter 287
## Chapter 287. Qualification to Hold the Opportunity (3)

—

Possessing foresight regarding future events yielded significant benefits, yet relying on it blindly remained a dangerous gamble. This flaw stemmed from the reality that details were frequently sparse or fragmented. The mystery surrounding the Thousand Copper Cave epitomized this issue. The legendary Jianghu Spirit Medicine Record merely pointed out the exact location within the cavernous depths where the coveted Five Spirits Immortal Flower Oil would manifest. Meanwhile, the official scrolls kept by the Xi’an Branch of the Murim Alliance only bothered to note a single historical outcome: that the prize was ultimately seized by none other than the Jong-nam Sect.

It would be simple to dismiss this lack of detail with a cynical scoff, blaming it on the lazy habits of imperial scribes and scholars. In truth, though, recording nothing but the absolute core facts was far more efficient for everyone involved. If the era demanded that every mundane occurrence and insignificant detail be meticulously documented, the sheer volume of data within the Mantong Bureau would have driven me mad long before. I would have been crushed under the weight of memorization, turning into a useless shell before Gwak-gung ever had the chance to end my previous life.

‘Therefore, dwelling on regrets or harboring bitterness is entirely pointless.’

To navigate the complex currents of the martial world, one had to master the art of dismissing trivialities. Unfortunately, while I possessed a vast, accommodating mind capable of looking at the bigger picture, my endearing junior disciples—my Sajes—clearly lacked that level of philosophical detachment.

“What in the…! Huff—world…! What kind of strategy…! Is this?!”

“Using a diversion to strike the opposite side?! No! Why on earth…! Are we! The ones acting as the decoy?!”

“What kind of! Infamous swindler! In this world! Hyaaat! Falls right into! His own… trap?!”

“Uwaaa… this is brutally exhausting!”

The martial artists of the Tae-eul-mun had just collided with their third consecutive squad of Jong-nam Sect disciples. Yet, even while actively trading blows with these elite opponents, the rowdy youngsters spent more energy shouting out bitter grievances than actual battle cries as they forced their adversaries into submission. Watching their rapid hand exchanges and fluid shifts, there was no denying that their martial prowess had advanced significantly. Even so, observing this improvement didn’t bring me the pure satisfaction it should have.

“…Was that loud complaining specifically tailored for my ears, I wonder?”

The venerable masters of antiquity always cautioned that a leader should never misinterpret or twisting the genuine intent behind a subordinate’s candid words. Driven by an inquisitive nature, I decided to verify their intentions directly.

“Huff! Huff! Huff! Absolutely not, senior!”

“Heave! Heave! Heave! How could you even think that! It’s nothing of the sort!”

“Yes, yes! My complaints weren’t directed at you, Dae-sa-hyeong! Truly, they weren’t!”

“…….”

What a fascinating display. Why were they pushing themselves so hard to deny the obvious? Setting aside Dong-ryong, who merely hesitated with a trembling lip, the remaining youngsters shook their heads with frantic energy, desperate to distance themselves from my accusation.

“That is certainly a relief.”

“…….”

“I only ask because you all seem to be enduring quite a trial already, and the last thing I wanted was to burden you further with additional weighted iron rings and reinforced plates.”

“…….”

“What are you standing around for? Are you silently begging for more training weights?”

Perhaps profoundly moved by their eldest brother’s vast, ocean-like benevolence, the group immediately clamped their jaws shut. From that second onward, they focused entirely on neutralizing the incoming Jong-nam Sect disciples without another peep. To be perfectly candid, even I had not anticipated that our current trajectory would veer so dramatically off course.

‘Did they actually deploy their martial artists across every single corridor of the Thousand Copper Cave?’

My original calculation relied on establishing a deliberate delay between the breach of the third outer threshold and our own calculated insertion. I figured that if the main host of the Jong-nam Sect rushed en masse to secure the third entrance against the sudden onslaught of the furious crowd, we could exploit the resulting chaos. It should have allowed us to slip through the opposing flank, essentially plundering an unguarded treasury. Yet, I had severely underestimated one vital factor: the sheer depth of Jong-nam’s arrogance and foolishness.

‘To think they would scatter their forces so thinly throughout the tunnels, even while actively holding the main threshold.’

Did their leadership genuinely believe that the barricaded gateway they established was utterly impregnable? Or did they foolishly assume that no independent martial artist would ever possess the raw audacity to force a passage blocked by the prestigious Jong-nam Sect? No matter how I analyzed their tactical deployment, it screamed of an overwhelming elitism that clouded their collective judgment. To make matters worse, as if they had desperately swept up every available body from their main training halls, the opponents currently crossing our path were green youths whose skeletal frames hadn’t even fully set.

“Huh? Who goes there!”

“We have infiltrators!”

The youngsters confronting us in the subsequent cavern appeared to be fourth-generation disciples of the Jong-nam Sect. They cried out at the top of their lungs in sheer panic, yet despite their frantic alerts, no reinforcements arrived to back them up. Seizing the opening, my Sajes advanced as a single unit to overwhelm the opposition. The four of them had initially drawn their weapons, but upon recognizing that these adversaries lacked any real depth, they discarded their steel and closed the distance with bare fists.

“You lawless brigand! Draw your weapon and face me!”

“Well, calling me a brigand feels a bit unearned…”

“Eeeek! How dare you treat the name of Jong-nam with such contempt!”

For children who had barely begun to cultivate and refine their internal reservoir, their blade forms possessed a surprising, aggressive bite. Unfortunately for them, the reality of the gap between us was unforgiving.

Clang!

“What in the world?”

The young swordsmen could not conceal their utter shock when the Tae-eul-mun disciples utilized their unique “defensive garb”—or more accurately, their raw, conditioned physical power. They simply threw up forearms bound in heavy iron rings to deflect the oncoming edge of the sharp weapons.

“Th-they are wearing restrictive shackles! Pivot and pierce the torso!”

The most perceptive among the group quickly adjusted their angle, pulling back their blades before lunging directly toward the exposed midsections of our fighters.

Clang!

“Huh?”

Once again, the momentum of the strike ground to a halt, the sword tip impacting directly against the hidden iron plates embedded within their vests. The sudden shock chipped the weapon’s edge, leaving the attacker holding a ruined piece of steel.

“Sh-shit, what kind of trick is this…”

It wasn’t a trick; it was the tangible fruit of relentless, agonizing physical conditioning. Watching the Geum, Eun, and Dong brothers alongside Sa-ryeon-Hong maneuver with agile grace despite the immense burden of their weighted iron vests brought a profound sense of pride to my heart.

“I never imagined a day would come where I could handle a disciple of the Jong-nam Sect with such effortless leisure.”

Tap! Clang—

Moments later, Eun-ho-Lee executed a seamless grappling maneuver to strip an opponent of his weapon, simultaneously striking the youth’s paralysis and speech-locking points. The boy collapsed into a motionless heap instantly. It required less than half a gak to completely neutralize the group of five Jong-nam fighters. However, regardless of how easily these encounters went, our team’s physical stamina would inevitably hit a critical wall if this pace continued.

“Dae-sa-hyeong, is it truly wise to sustain this direct approach? If we keep expending energy at this rate, we won’t have enough strength to fight our way back out.”

The point raised by Eun-ho-Lee was a valid concern. We were managing fine at the moment because our opponents were merely fourth-generation trainees, but that luck wouldn’t hold as we ventured into the deeper chambers. While we could likely hold our own against third-generation fighters, stumbling into a vanguard containing second-generation or senior first-generation masters would escalate the situation far beyond simple non-lethal subdual. To make matters worse, every alternative tunnel we scouted for safety seemed to be crawling with Jong-nam patrols.

‘In the absolute worst-case scenario, if we happen to cross paths with the Big Dipper Sword Guards…’

No. It was best to banish such ominous thoughts immediately. Reflecting on my tenure within the So-jeong-dae, disaster had a terrible habit of manifesting the very instant someone voiced a dark premonition. Whenever someone carelessly muttered phrases like “Are they finished?”, “Did we secure victory?”, or “Are we going to survive this?”, an immediate catastrophe would inevitably unfold. Eventually, our unit went so far as to ban those specific expressions entirely, treating them as cursed taboos.

Right at that moment.

Perk—

Dong-ryong, who had been maintaining the rearguard position, twitched his ears sharply before turning his gaze back toward the labyrinthine paths we had just traversed.

“What do you catch?”

“……It’s hard to pinpoint. I just feel an intense, ominous premonition.”

The natural instincts inherited by one born under the Heavenly Killer Star frequently manifested as borderline supernatural awareness. When it came to calculating the thin line between survival and imminent demise, his intuitive gauge surpassed that of most seasoned masters in the martial world. Without wasting a breath, I projected my own sensory awareness back toward our trail. Tracing our path through the dark caverns one by one, my focus finally reached the distant threshold we had utilized to enter the network…

Zing!

A sudden, sharp chill raced down my spine, causing the hairs on my arms to stand perfectly on end.

‘He actually detected my sensory probe?’

Ever since my days operating within the So-jeong-dae, I had refined my sensory arts to an elite degree, mastering the art of masking minute traces of internal energy to the point where tracking me should have been impossible. Yet, someone within these dark tunnels had effortlessly identified my hidden scouting thread.

“……!”

To make matters worse, this unknown entity deliberately projected a fierce, suffocating wave of killing intent right back along the connection, openly acknowledging his presence. This was no ordinary martial arts practitioner.

“Sigh…”

We were in deep trouble. Was it a senior first-generation cultivator? Or perhaps an elite Hall Master? I couldn’t verify the specifics. The singular, undeniable reality was that a highly dangerous apex predator had entered the cavern system and locked onto our trail.

Tremble, tremble.

Standing directly beside me, Dong-ryong’s complexion drained until he looked ghost-white.

“D-Dae-sa-hyeong… can we please just abandon this path and run?”

Dong-ryong was a fierce individual who normally charged ahead without a shred of hesitation whenever his innate thirst for combat was stoked, completely ignoring the relative strength of his foe. Yet now, his rational self-preservation instincts were screaming in terror, completely overwhelmed by the murderous aura rising to suppress his Heavenly Killer Star attributes. If an instinctual monster like Dong-ryong felt this level of pure dread, the pursuer had to be considered lethal beyond measure.

“Agreed. We move immediately.”

I quickly intervened before my Sajes could instinctively drop into their customary Turtle Breathing Movement (Gwi-sik-haeng-bo) out of pure habit.

“From this point forward, abandon all attempts at hidden concealment or specialized footwork. Prioritize absolute, raw velocity above all else.”

“…….”

Given the distinct physical tracks we would leave behind, combined with the reality that we would likely alert additional patrols, this was an incredibly reckless gamble. However, our immediate priority had to be creating as much distance as possible between us and that terrifying entity.

[The Jong-nam Sect will stop at absolutely nothing to lock down the Five Spirits Immortal Flower Oil, regardless of the body count required.]

The grim warning previously delivered by Sun-jik-Cheol echoed relentlessly in the back of my mind.

“Aargh!”

“Urgh!”

“Ack!”

Another line of Jong-nam disciples collapsed into the dirt. The groups we were running into now were increasingly reinforced by seasoned third-generation fighters. More than half a gak of frantic movement had elapsed. Knowing that deploying my sensory awareness again would serve as a beacon revealing our exact position, I locked eyes with Dong-ryong instead.

“Dong-ryong!”

“……They are gaining ground! They haven’t lost us!”

Confound it. Dong-ryong’s features remained entirely devoid of color. Turning to the rest of the junior disciples, I barked out a fresh directive.

“Break straight through their lines!”

“Sahaeng! If we leave them behind us, we’ll end up completely surrounded as their numbers swell!”

Indeed, two distinct patrol groups had already converged, forming a unified pursuit force snapping at our heels. Before long, every intersecting pathway within the cavern network would be flooded with hostile Jong-nam martial artists. We didn’t even possess the luxury of time required to fall into despair.

“Don’t slow down! Double your pace!”

Channeling a full half of my internal reservoir, I executed a sweeping, decisive strike utilizing the Great Tae-eul Sword Art.

Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang, clang, clang!

An intricate web of phantom blade trajectories saturated the confined cavern space, striking absolute terror into the hearts of the oncoming Jong-nam disciples. Forced to rely on the flickering, unstable illumination of handheld torches, the young cultivators stood no chance of differentiating the optical illusions from the lethal steel manifesting before them in an instant. Against third and fourth-generation trainees, the display was overwhelming. They flinched instinctively, retreating a step to avoid the descending storm of steel, and my Sajes exploited that fleeting hesitation to dart cleanly out of the chamber.

Positioning myself at the absolute rear of our retreating line, I unleashed a sharp burst of sword qi directly toward the unstable rock formations hanging over the heads of our pursuers.

Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!

The focused energy sheared cleanly through a section of the cavern ceiling, sending a massive deluge of boulders crashing down to obstruct the narrow passage. Yet, just as I prepared to launch a follow-up strike to seal the remaining gap entirely—

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!

A succession of powerful, heavy palm strikes erupted from the opposite side of the debris, slamming directly into the falling boulders. Those absolute lunatics—unleashing that level of raw external force within a confined underground tunnel meant that the resulting shrapnel had nowhere to disperse safely.

Whoosh—

Predictably, fragments of solid stone the size of human skulls were propelled through the gap like iron cannonballs.

‘Damn it all…’

I had no data regarding the structural integrity of this specific cavern system, but engaging in a reckless exchange of raw power here risked bringing the entire ceiling down upon our heads. Ultimately, to ensure my Sajes escaped without sustaining critical injuries, I had to intercept the projectile storm myself.

“Fall back! Clear the area!”

Just as I prepared to step forward and shatter the incoming debris utilizing the Ten Thousand Flowers Invincible Fist (Man-hwa-mu-jeok-kwon)—

“Hyaaat!”

A robust, broad silhouette suddenly interposed itself between me and the flying stone.

Thud, thud! Thud, thud! Thud! Thud, thud!

It was none other than Geum-pyo.

“Sahaeng, are you unharmed?”

The thick-headed fellow actually had the audacity to ask about my personal well-being while actively deflecting shattered boulders with his heavy Vajra Shield (Geum-gang-pa). Instead of wasting breath on an answer, I simply nodded. Keeping his broad back squarely toward me, he focused his entire attention on the threats ahead.

“Leave the rear defense to me.”

It was a remarkably dependable, solid back. A faint, appreciative smile tugged at my lips as I answered.

“Understood. I’m placing my trust in you.”

The brief respite purchased by Geum-pyo’s intervention lasted only a moment.

Rumble!

A terrifying, deep groan vibrated through the earth as the upper structural foundations finally gave way. The localized tremors caused by the reckless Jong-nam palm techniques had compromised the entire sector, triggering a massive cave-in. I bellowed a final warning to the fleeing group.

“Move! Run for your lives!”

Kwa-ru-rung!

An avalanche of earth and stone vastly exceeding my initial calculated strike came thundering down into the passage. Projecting my sensory awareness forward to chart an escape route, I steered the Sajes away from any sectors containing active Jong-nam signatures.

“Take the left!”

“Right side! Pivot right again!”

After navigating through five rapid forks in the subterranean labyrinth, the violent tremors echoing through the stone gradually began to fade.

“Huff! Huff! Huff! Heavens! I genuinely believed that was the end of us.”

“Ugh, those absolute maniacs… what kind of idiot unleashes that level of palm energy inside an enclosed cavern?”

“Dae-sa-hyeong, are we finally in the clear?”

Were we truly safe? I lacked the answer to that question myself. Because our frantic flight was dictated entirely by the need to survive a collapsing tunnel, our overall trajectory had drifted significantly away from our primary objective. The most pressing variable remained the current location of that elite master who had previously intercepted my scouting probe. While the ideal outcome would be that he was currently pinned beneath tons of collapsed stone, unable to continue his hunt…

“Dong-ryong.”

“……Yes, senior.”

Upon hearing his name, Dong-ryong merely shook his head in a state of conflicted uncertainty. It was obvious the youth blamed himself, believing our current predicament was a direct consequence of his earlier warning to abandon our original approach. I looked straight into his anxious eyes.

“Accuracy isn’t the priority right now. Just give me your raw instinctual assessment.”

In this current blind spot, I had no choice but to place our survival squarely upon the preternatural sixth sense of the Heavenly Killer Star. Meeting my direct gaze, Dong-ryong squeezed his hands into tight fists.

“……The knot in my chest hasn’t faded. I’m still incredibly anxious.”

Confound it. Since our original path was completely choked with debris, that elite predator would simply calculate an alternate vector through the intersecting tunnels. We were currently operating in an environment where the enemy master could materialize from literally any connecting shaft without warning.

“We keep moving.”

For the time being, maintaining forward momentum was our solitary option. If we were forced into a direct confrontation with an elite of that caliber in these narrow confines, the consequences would be entirely catastrophic.

“Left corridor.”

“Left again.”

“Maintain the left.”

“Pivot right.”

I deliberately guided our group through the least populated channels available, attempting to slip entirely beyond the active tracking perimeter of that unknown hunter. Fortunately, it appeared the local patrols lacked the exceptional sensory acuity demonstrated by that initial master, as none of them reacted to the light scouting threads I projected through the tunnels. With every successful evasion, the healthy color slowly returned to Dong-ryong’s face—a silent indicator that brought immense relief. By the time we reached a secluded pocket, my own lungs were burning slightly.

“We will halt here briefly to restore our breathing before proceeding.”

As the exhausted Sajes sank onto the stone floor to immediately initiate their internal circulation techniques, I projected the layout of the caverns within my mind’s eye. This was the updated chart of the Thousand Copper Cave I had recently secured from the contacts within the Hao-mun—a comprehensive reference where the missing thirty percent left unmapped by the Beggars’ Union had been meticulously filled in.

‘Our evasion has carried us drastically off course from our initial destination.’

If the Jong-nam Sect was operating with an inferior, incomplete chart, I could still exploit our superior geographical knowledge to outmaneuver them moving forward. Unfortunately, Sun-jik-Cheol had explicitly stated that the Beggars’ Union surrendered a fully completed map directly to Jong-nam’s leadership. At this point, I could only pray that whoever was directing their search turned out to be an amateur when it came to reading subterranean layouts.

Right then.

Jump.

Having concluded his brief internal alignment, Dong-ryong suddenly leaped to his feet. He turned toward me, his eyes wide with stark alarm.

“…….”

“…….”

No words were required to explain his reaction. The hunter had recalculated our trajectory and was closing in once more. Recognizing the shift, the remaining Tae-eul-mun disciples broke their meditation instantly, checking their gear and preparing for immediate movement.

“Let’s move out.”

Once more, we pushed our bodies through the darkness, prioritizing paths that registered zero signs of life. Yet, despite our continuous maneuvers to shake the pursuit, the deep tension carving lines into Dong-ryong’s features never truly alleviated.

‘Exactly how close has he managed to get?’

As that troubling thought crossed my mind—

“Ha.”

Emerging into a massive junction presenting three distinct forward paths, my boots ground to an abrupt halt.

“Dae-sa-hyeong?”

Damn it all… I could distinctly perceive multiple human signatures vibrating from within all three openings. Furthermore, the sheer volume of individuals approaching was staggering. Which path offered an escape? My mind failed to yield a viable solution. And yet,

‘The one absolute certainty I have is that turning back means certain death.’

My fingers clamped firmly around the hilt of the Black Dragon Sword.

“Draw your steel and steel yourselves.”

“…….”

Just as the younger disciples began unsheathing their blades with grim, rigid expressions—

Rumble.

A disorganized torrent of figures burst forth from all three tunnels simultaneously.

“Huh? What do we have here? Did a group beat us to the punch?”

“Are these fighters from the Jong-nam Sect?”

“Negative. That isn’t the standard martial attire of Jong-nam.”

The emerging crowd displayed an absolute chaotic mishmash of different organizational robes and uniforms. Their choice of weaponry was equally scattered, ranging from standard swords and massive broadsabers to heavy iron staffs and long spears. Seeing this disorganized collection of distinct arms made their identity instantly clear… these were the exact independent martial artists who had been loudly demonstrating outside the entrance of the Thousand Copper Cave.

“Dae-sa-hyeong…”

“Don’t tell me…”

In our frantic attempt to outrun an elite predator, our blind flight had brought us directly back to the vicinity of the third main entrance. Blast it all.