Chapter 474

Chapter 474
## Chapter 474. Uncovering the Proof (4)

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“Young Master Jin… that gash is quite severe.”

Focusing on my upper limb after the words of the hairless… rather, after Il-gak pointed it out, crimson fluid was spilling steadily from a jagged tear.

‘I assumed it would mend more rapidly.’

Even though the cavern where I fought the Blood Men was expansive, the usable territory was quite restricted once the enclosures were factored in, which led to my injury. It occurred because the blade arts of the Tae-ul Sect are exceptionally advantageous when confronting massive groups but possess terrible efficiency when battling within a confined perimeter.

‘This highlights exactly why I require a mid-rank martial discipline.’

Naturally, once a warrior attains a certain pinnacle, the specific martial style they have mastered ceases to matter. However, the likelihood of perishing while ascending to that pinnacle is far greater. The most direct path to growing more powerful at present is acquiring a streamlined, novel martial art. I cannot constantly rely on the Three Styles of the White Moon Worship (*Baek-wol-je-cheon-sam-sik*), which demands immense preparation, or the Gwang-cheon Divine Palm, which possesses absurdly cataclysmic devastation.

I scrutinized the laceration intently. Factoring in the regenerative capabilities of the Ten-Thousand-Year Earth Bear (*Man-nyeon-to-ung*), the tear ought to have been midway closed by now, but observing that it remained open, it appeared those Blood Men also possessed blood-toxin. Since the flesh was not rotting and crimson fluid flowed without stopping, it must be that my superior physical recovery was expelling the toxin from within.

“I am fine. The flow will cease shortly.”

“It is not a minor laceration. Kindly offer me your arm.”

Il-gak appeared frantic as he retrieved a golden healing salve and spread it generously over the torn flesh. It would have mended even if neglected, yet he was creating quite a scene.

‘On another note.’

Was he not just moping because I insulted his hairless head? Il-gak inspected the injury while meticulously binding it with cloth strips over the heavily applied ointment.

“…I received word from the Commander. You instructed them to summon the local post rather than the Blue Dragon Pavilion.”

He must have questioned Gwak Su-san regarding why the Blue Dragon Pavilion did not execute an ambush.

“Owing to Young Master Jin’s benevolence, blameless lives were preserved.”

“It was not benevolence.”

“What was that?”

“I merely acted in that manner because they did not appear to possess the capability to accomplish anything.”

Had I detected a true hazard from Mak Hyo-wol, Sang Ja-yang, or the disciples of the Tang-hyeon Sect, I would have summoned the Blue Dragon Pavilion. However, the rationale behind calling the local post and resolving it without bloodshed was simply that they did not pose a significant menace.

“If I had evaluated them as hazardous adversaries, I would have advanced personally and not permitted a single stalk of vegetation to survive here.”

“….”

Il-gak’s hand, which was tending to the flesh, paused momentarily. Then it resumed its motion to treat an alternate injury.

“They say that determining whether someone lives or dies is an emotionally agonizing burden. That is why mortals frequently cease pondering to escape the distress.”

I remained ignorant of this in my previous existence as well. That making a determination from a vantage point of assessment would be this agonizing.

“Even so, the reality that you did not halt that contemplation and acted only after wrestling with it until the conclusion—does that not signify that a Buddha resides within Young Master Jin’s spirit?”

It was nothing so magnificent. I simply understood how much agony the reckless determinations of the evaluators I witnessed in my previous existence inflicted upon people. Even so, at present.

“What sort of nonsense are you spouting to a follower of a Taoist order, you counterfeit cleric?”

The reassurance from this hairless man brought a sliver of comfort to my chest.

“Buddha exists in all places. Within the spirits of the followers of Taoist orders, within the spirits of Confucian students, and within the spirits of those who turn the soil and harvest fish.”

“Good grief, he is a rather intimidating individual.”

“Amitabha.”

Il-gak gaped at me fixedly with a bizarrely unsettling, pleased expression.

The Tang-hyeon Sect dissolved the *Gimun* Formation. The instant the barrier fell, the regional chief and fighters of the Ma-seong outpost of the Murim Alliance poured inside. Whether they had rounded up not just the staff stationed at the outpost but also every warrior available from neighboring factions, the throng approached nearly eight hundred individuals. I could perceive the avarice of the regional chief, who refused to forfeit a scarce path to advancement.

“You have achieved an absolutely spectacular feat!”

The moment he crossed the threshold, the regional chief located us, along with the Yong-bong Association, and lauded us until his throat was dry regarding this affair. Because of this event, he would likely reshape his profession, which he had been on the verge of concluding. The captives were rigidly segregated into commander-class and follower-class, and specifically, the *Dangju*-class figures were all securely shackled.

Observing that display, Gwak Su-san’s expression was shadowed with anxiety.

“The Blue Dragon Pavilion will be furious.”

“I expect so.”

Given that we had caused those who were waiting for the operation to resemble hounds chasing a bird, though I lacked absolute certainty, their irritation must have surged considerably.

“’I expect so’…? Why do you speak as though it concerns someone else?”

“Well, because it *is* someone else’s concern, is it not?”

I am not the Commander, am I?

“…!!!”

Why is he adopting an expression as though he has been betrayed by an ally he relied upon? The rationale for omitting the Blue Dragon Pavilion from this affair was partially due to the circumstance regarding the Tang-hyeon Sect’s fate. Additionally, it played a role that I remained ignorant of what motives the Blue Dragon Pavilion kept hidden. Until I encountered them in person, I could not ascertain whether they desired the Yong-bong Association’s endeavors to flourish or crash.

“Are you Alliance Member Jin… So-un?”

At that instant, a fighter who appeared far more advanced in years than myself discreetly addressed me.

“The Tang-hyeon Sect Leader requests an audience with Alliance Member Jin.”

To abruptly wish to see me…

“Where is he located?”

I proceeded under the fighter’s escort. The *Dangju*-class figures of the Tang-hyeon Sect were assembled within the Great Hall. In an area of the Great Hall, Mak Hyo-wol sat bound and under close watch.

“What is the purpose of this?”

“I have been informed that I will be moved to the Murim Alliance shortly.”

It was because the regional chief, who was desperate to relocate the captives before the Blue Dragon Pavilion arrived, had pressed forward.

“Perhaps, if I depart this time… it will be the final instance we cross paths. I wished to offer my farewells.”

It was the first occasion I had encountered him, and the duration was incredibly brief, so I did not believe we shared a bond to exchange sentiments. Yet, at that specific moment, Mak Hyo-wol’s demeanor was slightly peculiar.

“…?”

His eyes briefly darted toward the Murim Alliance enforcers who were listening to the talk while watching him, and then fixed back on me.

“Upon realizing that the reliance forged in the presence of irresistible might is trivial…”

He recalled the tale he had recounted during our drink a few nights ago.

“I have been unable to rest peacefully for even a solitary breath. Even when I attempted to sleep, phantom might in my slumbers prevented me from drifting off.”

As though recounting it for the initial time.

“Because regardless of how potent one is in a slumber, actuality is never simple.”

And he added composedly.

“Yet… somehow, I believe you might be capable of existing like that slumber.”

“…Is that the case?”

He gave a slow nod.

“Precisely. Because you, who comprehend my state of mind, will not replicate my errors.”

At last. A radiant grin, broad enough to display his teeth, formed across his face.

“Do not surrender as swiftly as I did. You are intelligent, so you will succeed in capturing that phantom might.”

Like an individual who had reclaimed existence, rather than facing demise. A brief interval later, an Alliance enforcer stepped into the Great Hall.

“We are moving out!”

Concurrently with his shout, the Alliance enforcers began to escort the members of the Tang-hyeon Sect one by one and place them into transport wagons. Right before entering the wagon, Mak Hyo-wol caught my eye once more and spoke.

“Bear it in mind. That reliance is trivial in the presence of might.”

Even amidst the prodding demands of the Alliance enforcers, Mak Hyo-wol struggled so desperately to communicate something to me.

The Tang-hyeon Sect was stripped bare. Be it the granaries or the vaults. Numerous scrolls from the pavilion and even esoteric techniques were stacked into transport wagons and directed toward the Murim Alliance. All that endured were aged structures and a handful of Alliance enforcers patrolling the grounds. Now, for an extensive duration, the Murim Alliance would inspect and inspect the Tang-hyeon Sect repeatedly. And in the end, nothing would endure. Only the sign of the vacant estate would signify that this was the Tang-hyeon Sect, and after the proprietor shifted, even that vestige would vanish.

“Let us depart as well.”

At Gwak Su-san’s remark, I detained him briefly.

“I have a matter to verify momentarily.”

Having stated this, I moved toward the Sect Leader’s Pavilion. The phrases Mak Hyo-wol had imparted at the finish. That was not merely a tale sharing bygone reflections. Assuredly, it must have been a plea to communicate something to me amidst the rigid observation of the Alliance enforcers.

“Slumbers and phantom might…”

I scoured the environment meticulously to discover what he had attempted to impart to me. Even the light stands that had been utilized were absent from the interior of the Sect Leader’s Pavilion. All that endured were the worthless underground chambers and the splintered decor of the pavilion.

‘Recognizing that they would seize everything for the scrutiny, the fact that he communicated the tale signifies he understood they would not seize that item…’

Abruptly, the cot that had been utilized to obstruct the underground chamber entered my view. The cot was shoved into an area of the chamber to extract items from the underground area.

*Rattle—*

Now that I observed it, while the majority of the decor in the chamber was pristine and coated in varnish, the cot alone was an aged piece with the varnish entirely stripped away. It was not that it possessed an ancient charm; it was riddled with rot in numerous spots, rendering it decor that did not belong in this private chamber.

“He stated ‘phantom might in a slumber,’ did he not?”

Now that I observed it, the lower lining of the cot was remarkably sleek. Proof that it had not been long since it was substituted. I severed the lower lining with the Ascension Blade (*Seung-cheon-do*), extracted all the filling, and tore away all the fine lining, exposing the timber base of the cot slightly. And when I went so far as to raise the timber base.

“This is it.”

Beneath it, a miniature container was situated within a cavity. When I ripped away the top of the container, three martial arts scrolls emerged from the interior.

“Just what are these things?”

Precisely as I was deeming it insignificant compared to how frantically Mak Hyo-wol had called out.

“…!”

While scanning the titles of the scrolls, my entire frame became rigid.

*[Mu-eum-cheong-su-in]* (Silent Blue Crystal Seal)

*[Bi-ryu-mu-hyeong-geom]* (Flying Flow Invisible Sword)

*[Cheol-ryong-gap]* (Iron Dragon Armor)

The initial scroll, the secondary scroll, and even the concluding tertiary scroll. Not a solitary one omitted to exude an extraordinary vitality. And I…

“W-Why are these items in this location…”

I recognized every single one of these scrolls. *[Mu-eum-cheong-su-in]* and *[Bi-ryu-mu-hyeong-geom]*. They were the definitive styles of the executioner Mu-pung-su-ra (Windless Asura) from three centuries ago. The tale that Mu-pung-su-ra solitary executed the blood relations of the Cheon Clan, which was deemed the realm’s premier lineage at the time, is still recounted like a myth to the extent where contentions persist over its truthfulness. In alternative terms, Mu-pung-su-ra was a figure who accomplished absurd exploits as an executioner.

“Why is this… in this location?”

The rationale for there being substantial dispute over the destruction of the Cheon Clan is ultimately because Mu-pung-su-ra’s legacy was forfeited. Since he vanished, there has been no individual who utilized the Silent Blue Crystal Seal or the Flying Flow Invisible Sword.

“Ha, furthermore, even the external martial style of the Iron Tower Hermit?”

Correspondingly, *[Cheol-ryong-gap]* was the martial art that permitted the prominent external expert recognized as the Iron Tower Hermit to trade blows on equal terms with the Diamond Indestructible Body (*Geum-gang-bul-goe*) of Shaolin. Just like Mu-pung-su-ra’s, the legacy had been forfeited. Then, an inquiry inherently arose. Why did the Tang-hyeon Sect Leader, who had acquired these absurd scrolls, trouble himself to employ the Blood-Man Arts?

“Are they counterfeits? Yet they were stored so meticulously.”

And that inquiry was swiftly answered.

“…The origin is the Murim Alliance?”

The text of the scrolls was completely written in cipher. Furthermore, it was the cipher utilized solely for the absolute classified records of the Sim-hyeon-gak. Mak Hyo-wol, who had actually acquired the scrolls, must have been bewildered. Save for the sketches demonstrating the stances, all the script was written entirely in cipher. He would not have been capable of locating an individual to unravel this cipher either. The instant he investigated the origin of this peculiar cipher, he would have comprehended that the creators of the cipher held the scrolls.

The rationale for Mak Hyo-wol braving peril and selecting the Blood-Man Arts was ultimately because he possessed no alternate option.

“Regardless, why are the definitive styles of figures who vanished written in the Murim Alliance’s cipher?”

My thoughts are spinning on account of the scrolls packed with all manners of peculiar details. At that instant.

“Young Master Jin, how much additional time will it require?”

Il-gak’s prompting tone was perceived from beyond the entrance. I must not reveal that I was collecting the scrolls, as the lingering outpost staff in the Tang-hyeon Sect might observe.

“Blast it, I believed I would not engage in this sort of activity further in this existence…”

I rapidly committed the scrolls to memory within my mind. There was no interval to even mutter, let alone comprehend what sort of martial disciplines they represented.