Chapter 291

Chapter 291
## Chapter 291: Qualification to Have an Opportunity (7)

—

The dark blade flew from its scabbard, leaving a brilliant crimson arc across the stone ground of the cavern.

I couldn’t pause for a moment.

Cheon-ji Gun was already scrambling to recover his balance, desperate to mount a counteroffensive. This was precisely why dealing with veterans was so exhausting.

Refusing to give him breathing room, I lunged forward.

*Swish—*

*Swish—*

The Black Dragon Sword danced continuously, carving two fresh lacerations across Cheon-ji Gun’s torso.

“You underhanded coward!”

A Zhongnan disciple locked in combat with my younger martial brothers barked an oath. I paid him no mind, instantly unleashing the Ten Thousand Flowers Matchless Fist.

*Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!*

Catching an opponent off-guard right after a surprise injury meant he was completely compromised. Trying to parry dozens of blur-like strikes simultaneously was a losing battle.

*Whoosh—*

*Crash!*

His frame lifted off the ground and crashed violently into the cavern wall.

A quick glance toward the older Zhongnan martial artist revealed he was accelerating his movements, clearly alarmed that I might join forces against him. He wanted to finish off at least one of my companions before I could intervene.

Unfortunately for him, his math was entirely wrong.

Such neat calculations only worked in peaceful spars.

I vaulted directly toward Cheon-ji Gun, deliberately moderating my output as I swung the Black Dragon Sword.

*Boom!*

*Rumble.*

The condensed blade energy detonated, shaving the space just millimeters above Cheon-ji Gun’s head. In a chaotic skirmish, when a companion is effectively held hostage, the party that panics and retreats loses all leverage.

So, by all means, bite the bait.

I unleashed another wave of physical sword qi straight at the fallen warrior. Cheon-ji Gun barely managed to hoist his weapon, deflecting the lethal energy at a sharp angle.

*Boom!*

*Crackle.*

The redirected blast slammed into the cavern wall, showering the prone Cheon-ji Gun in debris and dirt.

I looked toward the older swordsman and canted my head slightly.

Right on cue.

“You lunatic!”

The older martial artist, who had been on the verge of slashing at my junior brothers, abandoned his position and closed the distance with lightning speed.

*Clang!*

Anticipating this exact rotation, I pivoted and fired a burst of sword qi directly at him.

“Gah!”

Caught off guard by my instantaneous shift in targeting, the older man desperately threw out a palm strike to counter the blast.

*Boom!*

Because he couldn’t cleanly deflect the raw power of the blade, crimson dripped from his fingers. Even so, he successfully anchored himself right in front of Cheon-ji Gun.

Cheon-ji Gun raised his agonized, contorted face to look up at his savior.

I threw his own earlier mockery right back at him.

“Do you really have the luxury to fret over someone else?”

From where I stood, it looked like he was hurting quite badly.

“You absolute madman!” the older martial artist snarled, grinding his teeth.

Glancing back, I noted Sa-ryeon checking on Eun-ho’s injuries. Meanwhile, Geum-pyo and Dong-ryong flanked me on both sides.

The battlefield was now entirely under my control.

As Geum-pyo and Dong-ryong assumed their positions to execute the White Tiger Sword Formation, a flicker of sheer panic crossed the older man’s features. His thoughts must have been racing; he couldn’t gauge the true extent of Cheon-ji Gun’s wounds, nor did he know his next best move. To make matters worse, his own hand was now compromised.

“Ugh…”

When the fallen Cheon-ji Gun let out a ragged wheeze, the older man called out frantically.

“Cheon-ji, can you hear me?”

“…Ah.”

Seeing him visibly trapped in indecision while trying to calculate an escape, I offered an alternative.

“Why don’t we both call it a day here?”

“…What?”

“I tempered my strikes, so his lacerations aren’t fatal. If you apply medicine immediately, his sword arm will recover perfectly.”

“How dare you insult the Zhongnan Sect!”

The older man’s expression twisted into something resembling a vengeful specter. Predictably, a proud creature loathes having its ego bruised by a minor setback.

“Would you prefer to leave your corpses in this cave instead?”

Even the proudest beast must learn to size up its adversary. Sometimes, what appears to be the harmless nibble of a prey animal is actually the lethal strike of a viper.

“If that is your choice.”

*Clang!*

In a flash, I brought the Black Dragon Sword sweeping down toward his throat.

Gasping in terror, he threw his blade up to parry. Instead of disengaging for another strike, I surged my internal cultivation directly into the steel, grinding down against his weapon with sheer physical pressure.

“I will gladly accommodate you.”

To truly instill dread in an opponent, one must display an absolute, overwhelming dominance.

*Squelch—*

Crimson sprayed anew from the older man’s torn hand, and his pupils dilated with shock.

“…What immense inner strength is this!”

Perfect.

I hadn’t survived that absolute nightmare of a training regime to gather this internal energy just for it to go unappreciated. He owed me at least that much shock.

*Screeech—*

The edge of my blade overwhelmed his defense in an instant, drawing dangerously close to his skin. Just as it was about to bite into his flesh, he angled his steel and desperately pressed back with both hands.

Yet, unless he was a master of diamond-body external arts, there was zero chance he could match my internal reserves.

*Grind—*

Along with the harsh screech of scraping metal, the Black Dragon Sword touched his neck, leaving a thin crimson line.

“P-please… stop…”

Cheon-ji Gun, his voice fading, weakly reached out to restrain the older swordsman.

“Senior Brother, stand down…”

“Cheon-ji!”

“Can you not see it, Senior Brother? This man… is a monster.”

Cheon-ji Gun shifted his eyes toward me, coughing out his words.

“Will you… honor your terms?”

“I have never once gone back on my word.”

“How can we trust a man who hides behind a mask…”

An excellent point.

But then again, what choice did they have?

*Screeech—*

As I applied an extra ounce of pressure to the Black Dragon Sword, Cheon-ji Gun’s expression filled with sheer dread.

“F-fine. We yield.”

I smoothly drew my weapon back.

The older martial artist still maintained a defensive posture, refusing to lower his blade.

Well, look at this stubborn fool.

“Does Zhongnan intend to forfeit their word?”

“…!”

At my sharp rebuke, Cheon-ji Gun barked at his companion.

“Senior Brother!”

The older man shifted his gaze between me and his injured junior for a tense moment before finally snapping his weapon back into its sheath. He immediately knelt to hoist Cheon-ji Gun up.

“Cheon-ji, are you holding together?”

“I-I can manage. Ah, ouch, don’t press there.”

Just as the pair began to hobble toward the exit, supporting each other’s weight, I stepped forward and obstructed their path.

“…What now? Is there more to this?”

I looked at the older disciple, who was pretending to be oblivious to standard protocol, and sighed at his ignorance.

“Leave your weapons.”

“…….”

“And while you’re at it, empty your coin purses and pouches too.”

Ah, I suppose a proud disciple of Zhongnan had never been thoroughly mugged before.

“Are you holding up?”

At my query, Eun-ho stared back at me with a bewildered, conflicted expression.

“In the middle of a life-and-death struggle, your primary thought was to pick their pockets?”

His mask obscured his face, but the sheer judgment radiating from his eyes was unmistakable.

“Since you still have the energy to complain, you’ll survive.”

As the saying goes, kids grow sturdier when they experience a few hard knocks.

He responded in a subdued, raspy tone.

“It feels like swinging a blade is out of the question for a while.”

“That’s perfectly fine. I never counted on your swordsmanship in the first place.”

“What? What is that supposed to mean? …Senior Brother? Hold on, look at me. Senior Brother! Hey! Answer me…!”

I quickly tapped the mute acupoint of the vocal Eun-ho, silencing him instantly, and began rifling through the packs abandoned by the Zhongnan pair to locate medical supplies.

As representatives of the Nine Sects and One Gang or the Five Great Families, it was standard practice for them to carry high-grade emergency rations and panaceas. While the clotting salves from Jeong-ma Sa might be superior in quality, Vitality Pills were always a valuable find.

I bit off a small piece of the Vitality Pill to verify its authenticity, shoved the rest into Eun-ho’s mouth, and began applying the wound-sealing paste.

…Wait, did this brat just address me as ‘Hey’ a moment ago?

*Squeeze—*

“Mmmph! Mmmph! Mmmph!”

Despite the agonizing sting of the treatment, Eun-ho managed to swallow his screams. He was intelligent enough to realize that making a scene in these tunnels would only draw unwanted attention to our position.

“Senior Brother, is it safe to apply it so roughly?”

“Eun-ho is taking it like a champ, isn’t he?”

“……It looks less like endurance and more like he has no choice.”

“Give him some credit. Eun-ho is a resilient lad.”

“Mmmmmmmph——!”

Once the rudimentary emergency treatment was complete, Geum-pyo and Dong-ryong hoisted Eun-ho up, steadying him between them.

“Senior Brother.”

Turning around, I met Sa-ryeon’s icy, disapproving glare.

“Why… did you hesitate to step in for our side from the beginning?”

Ah, she still hasn’t grown accustomed to my methods.

I answered in an even tone.

“Because it was the most efficient course of action.”

“……What do you mean by that!”

“In that exact scenario, it was the optimal choice. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“…….”

This wasn’t something that could be smoothed over with a simple explanation. On a real battlefield, you cannot guarantee everyone’s survival if you constantly cater to individual feelings.

Even if she resented it, keeping everyone alive was what truly mattered. That was why, despite anticipating her frustration, I chose not to offer a long justification. A lengthy explanation wouldn’t make the harsh reality any easier to swallow. If you get bogged down trying to rationalize every grim choice, it becomes impossible to execute them when the time comes.

“……Is that all you have to say?”

“Yes.”

Sa-ryeon bit her lower lip hard before letting out a sharp breath. She clearly recognized that now was not the time or place for an ideological debate.

Attempting to shift the heavy mood, she gestured toward Eun-ho’s bandaged arm.

“Where did you acquire such medical proficiency? That isn’t the handiwork of an amateur.”

“…….”

To be fair, I had mastered these battlefield triage techniques during the catastrophic Great War between Justice and Evil.

“……I’ve spent a vast amount of time traversing wild terrains, remember? I simply picked up a few skills along the way.”

“The coagulation is far too rapid for a simple hobbyist, don’t you think?”

She really was entirely too perceptive.

When caught in an uncomfortable interrogation, creating a diversion is always the best strategy.

I forced a gentle, reassuring grin and patted the air.

“What matters is that Eun-ho’s life isn’t in danger. We should be grateful the fallout was limited to this. Right, Eun-ho?”

“Mmmmmph——!”

As I forcefully ruffled the hair of Eun-ho—who was currently glaring at me as if I had murdered his ancestors—the conversation naturally drifted back to the retreating Zhongnan martial artists.

“By the way, is it wise to let them walk away?”

She was obviously concerned about a potential ambush from behind.

“As I stated before, shedding Zhongnan blood in this specific place brings too many complications.”

“No, I mean, shouldn’t we have detained them as hostages at the very least?”

“My, my, Sa-ryeon, you’re turning into quite the hardened wanderer of the martial world. To avoid spilling blood, your solution is to bury them alive?”

“No! I never insinuated anything of the sort!”

Sa-ryeon shuddered, visibly repulsed by the mental image.

“Rest easy. It will take them ages to regroup with their main force and report this incident. Besides, they won’t have the luxury to hunt us down.”

“Why is that?”

“Because the depths of this Heavenly Cave are already swarming with trespassers.”

Zhongnan’s critical error was pulling their perimeter guards inside the Heavenly Cave to secure the interior. I understood their paranoia regarding an external disciple seizing the Five Spirit Immortal Flower Oil, but that greed left their outer defenses completely exposed.

Furthermore, since the third passage has been compromised, the independent martial artists of Xi’an aren’t about to sit idly by once they realize the seals are broken. At this very moment, all three main entryways are likely descending into utter chaos.

In the middle of such a massive breach, a minor report about a localized ambush won’t carry much weight. They probably don’t even have an accurate head count of who has infiltrated the labyrinth.

“What if they pursue us regardless?”

“Then we make pursuit physically impossible.”

In truth, the reason I fought to secure this specific path was entirely calculated.

I thrust my hand upward, channeling the Great Ocean Palm directly into the ceiling of the tunnel we had just navigated.

*Rumble—*

*Crash! Crash!*

The passage instantly collapsed, choked by massive boulders and cascading debris dislodged from above.

“With this route sealed, anyone trying to reach our destination will be forced to take a massive, circuitous detour.”

The sole reason I went through the trouble of clearing this specific sector was simple.

This particular tunnel represented the most direct path to the prize.

I was now one step closer to securing the Five Spirit Immortal Flower Oil.

We pressed forward past the cavern where we encountered Cheon-ji Gun, collapsing several strategic junction points along the way. With these barricades in place, anyone aiming for the chamber where the Five Spirit Immortal Flower Oil was set to materialize would have to navigate a grueling, circular path around the perimeter.

As we navigated through the deep network of tunnels, we encountered no further signs of the Zhongnan Sect.

“No more patrols on this route?”

“They’ve likely all been deployed to containment zones to handle the influx from the third entrance.”

Sa-ryeon nodded slowly in understanding.

Moreover, this sector lay in the northeastern quadrant, which constituted the extreme periphery of the Heavenly Cave. Given that all historical documentations of the Five Spirit Immortal Flower Oil pointed to it appearing in the southwestern chambers, their surveillance here was naturally sparse.

As a consequence of our deep penetration into the uncharted tunnels, the frequency of the wall torches installed by Zhongnan dwindled sharply, until we eventually entered stretches shrouded in absolute pitch blackness.

Each of us kindled a portable torch to guide our steps inward.

“Hold…”

At my soft command, my junior brothers halted instantly, concealing their flames behind a jagged rock formation. Though it provided enough ambient light for us to see, the glow remained contained within our immediate pocket.

“Move faster! The intruders are breaching the inner ring!”

“How is that possible? We had the gates locked tight!”

“Those external scum are always finding a way!”

We waited until the hurried footsteps and angry curses of the fleeing Zhongnan Sect disciples faded entirely into the distance before slowly rising to our feet.

It appeared the secular martial artists who had flooded the complex were executing their roles perfectly. Zhongnan was currently dealing with an absolute crisis.

Particularly with the window for the Five Spirit Immortal Flower Oil’s manifestation rapidly closing, the presence of outside factions was bound to push them to the brink of desperation.

“But Senior Brother, if we want to locate the Five Spirit Immortal Flower Oil, shouldn’t we spread out and search?”

Hearing Geum-pyo’s inquiry, I gave a firm shake of my head.

“The exact coordinate of the manifestation is already fixed.”

“What?”

“The flow of the Five Spirit Veins operates on a strict law of equilibrium; when one node depletes, the opposing node saturates. Because the Five Spirit Immortal Flower Oil manifested on the same side three consecutive times over the previous cycles, the next convergence must occur at the polar opposite location.”

Naturally, while this was a theoretical concept documented within the Records of Ten Thousand Herbs, the chamber I was heading toward was the precise coordinates detailed in the Jianghu Secret Medicine Manual.

We soon stood within a chamber that was remarkably modest compared to the massive caverns we had traversed.

“Extinguish the flames.”

“Huh? Is there another patrol ahead?”

“No. It is simply time for the darkness to do its work.”

‘I recall Zhongnan squandered roughly twenty percent of the Five Spirit Immortal Flower Oil during the first harvest because they failed to comprehend this mechanic.’

The moment our torches were snuffed out, an absolute, suffocating darkness enveloped the room, blocking out even the faintest shimmer of light.

Before long, a subtle shift began to occur.

“……Huh?”

“Ah!”

“Mmmph—— Mmmph——.”

The ceiling overhead began to glow with a deep, crimson hue, looking very much like an awakening ember.

The expanding red radiance rapidly intensified, casting a brilliant illumination that put ordinary torches to shame. The once pitch-black cavern was suddenly flooded with a light so vibrant it felt as clear as broad daylight, revealing everyone’s startled expressions.

“What under heaven is this…!”

Blinded by the sudden, intense brilliance after adapting to total darkness, the group winced and shielded their eyes.

Uncapping a leather water skin, I strode directly toward the focal point of the chamber.

Atop a thick, bulbous protrusion that resembled an ancient, exposed tree root, a shimmering, amber condensation had gathered like heavy morning dew.

I swiftly positioned the vessel underneath, catching the falling golden droplets.

*Drip—*

*Drip—*

*Drip—*

With each falling droplet, an ethereal, intoxicating fragrance expanded throughout the entire chamber.

“Senior Brother, that’s…”

Geum-pyo stood frozen, his mouth slightly open in sheer awe.

I looked back at him and offered a slow nod.

The legendary substance that Zhongnan had gambled everything to monopolize, and the very prize the Beggars’ Union had desperately coveted for years, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

“Yes. It is the Five Spirit Immortal Flower Oil.”