Chapter 517

Chapter 517
## Chapter 517. The Monster That Eats Despair (2)

—

**Gwak-gung** gazed at the Great Snow Mountain, a trace of melancholy in his eyes.

“I truly wished to witness it at least once.”

Had his schedule been clear, he would have preferred to stay until the absolute conclusion, but the sheer volume of his obligations prevented such a luxury.

“In any case, it is quite remarkable.”

Even if a crossing of paths prevented him from meeting **Jin-so-un**, he felt he surely should have run into **Yong-so-a**. Yet, peculiarly, despite making multiple attempts to locate **Yong-so-a**, he ultimately failed to cross paths.

“It is exceedingly remarkable. Proceeding precisely as if my arrival was foreseen.”

In the end, this particular diversion concluded in this manner, and he shrugged off the lingering trace of regret while whistling a light tune. He had caught wind that another captivating event was unfolding in Shandong. Thus, he began making his way toward Shandong Province. As he walked, his shadow suddenly twitched, moving out of sync with the angle of the sun.

—*There are individuals seeking to impede the Soma’s path. Shall I clear the way?*

Astonishingly, the shadow uttered these words, but the **Soma** merely shook his head, responding with casual indifference.

“Leave them be. If their destinies terminate here, they will throw their own lives away, and if they manage to advance further, they will merely enter the Sword Tomb.”

The squirming shadow soon grew still once more, settling back down to match the natural light of the sun. Just then, a band of martial artists came into view, marching toward the Great Snow Mountain with their banners hoisted high. When **Gwak-gung** paused his stride and stepped onto a side trail to give them room, the vanguard holding the primary banner offered a respectful nod to **Gwak-gung** in appreciation. **Gwak-gung**’s attention shifted to the standard being carried.

[The Greatest Dang Clan Under Heaven]

The moment those immensely proud and overly haughty characters caught his eye, a faint smirk formed on **Gwak-gung**’s face. It resembled the expression of an elder watching small children play-act as peerless master warriors. Right then, the elderly master riding the grandest white horse at the center of the column brought his mount to a halt directly in front of **Gwak-gung**.

“What did you witness that brought such amusement to your face?”

In response to **Dang-su-je**’s inquiry, **Gwak-gung** answered.

“Observing that banner, a chuckle manifested quite naturally.”

“……”

**Dang-su-je** shifted his gaze to the standard.

“Do you find it farcical?”

The question carried a sharp, underlying edge of hostility.

“Farcical…… *hmmm*…… that does not quite describe it.”

“If you believe you can dismiss an offense against us with a clever tongue, you are gravely mistaken.”

“*Heh-heh*, is that truly the case?”

**Dang-su-je** was struck by a peculiar sensation. The young man before him bore a scar upon his cheek. Judging by his appearance, this youth did not seem to possess cultivation beyond the peak realm at best. Yet, strangely, there was no hint of subservience or apprehension in his demeanor.

“Speak, then. What caused your laughter?”

“I laughed because I perceived a magnificent, boundless spirit (**Ho-yeon-ji-gi**).”

“……”

“The majority of the Central Plains martial artists I have encountered hold themselves in the highest regard, yet they simultaneously simulate modesty through their speech and deeds. What name should be given to such a contradiction…… hypocrisy? Pretentiousness? Bluster?”

The martial artists of the Dang Clan collectively knit their brows in irritation. Nevertheless, **Gwak-gung** pressed on without the slightest reservation.

“Having only ever encountered individuals who preach humility with their lips while displaying arrogance through their conduct, is it not entirely expected to laugh upon encountering a bold banner that genuinely radiates a boundless spirit?”

**Dang-su-je** stared down at the youth, momentarily speechless. Despite hearing words that could easily be taken as an affront, he found he did not harbor genuine anger. This was a truly fascinating individual.

“Are you currently departing from the Sword Tomb?”

“Indeed.”

“What was the state of the interior?”

“It proved to be quite engaging.”

“Then why have you exited so soon? Did you not venture inside in pursuit of hidden treasures?”

“The specific treasures I required were absent from the Sword Tomb. Consequently, I took my leave.”

**Dang-su-je** inclined his head in understanding.

“I see. That is fair. Nonetheless, exercise greater caution moving forward. You were fortunate enough to keep your life today, but the members of alternative factions will not be so yielding.”

**Dang-su-je** pulled on his horse’s reins and resumed his advance after delivering his piece. **Gwak-gung** lingered in that exact spot for a long duration, silently watching the procession of the Dang Clan move past. As they filed away, a derisive murmur reached his ears from within.

—*They are blessed with immense fortune.*

**Gwak-gung** gave an amused nod of agreement.

“Quite so. They are indeed fortunate.”

—

“**Elder**, for what reason did you permit his departure without consequence?”

**Dang-yang-seo**, whose emerald insignia shone with twice the intensity of the other Dang Clan disciples, closed the gap to ride alongside **Dang-su-je**.

“Did you overhear our exchange?”

“I did.”

“Is he not an intriguing one? Claiming to have laughed because he sensed a boundless spirit.”

“*Mmm*……”

“What troubles you?”

**Dang-yang-seo** scowled slightly.

“It is minor. The youth simply struck me as overly fortunate.”

“Meaning what?”

“Had it been left to me, I would have administered a lesson severe enough to bring tears to his eyes.”

“*Hahahaha*! Restrain yourself. A youth of that age is bound to be brimming with aspirations for what lies ahead.”

**Dang-su-je** let out a roaring laugh. Before long, the vanguard of the Dang Clan reached the outer perimeter of the Sword Tomb. The space surrounding the cave mouth was teeming with merchants and a massive gathering of people.

“I was informed that the influx of people had paused for a period, yet the crowd has swelled significantly once more before our arrival.”

“It appears the reinforcements dispatched by various factions after the discovery of the inheritance have only just reached this location.”

Given the excessive distribution of treasure maps and the numerous bizarre occurrences reported, it was reasonable that such a mass of people would congregate at this juncture.

“We shall begin our operations from this position.”

“Understood. What is your command regarding the distribution?”

“To those who demonstrate allegiance or goodwill toward the Dang Clan, grant them the **Cheongsim-boryeong-hwan**. As for those who do not, there is no requirement to provide it.”

“Understood. Shall we include the **Huk-do** in this distribution?”

“Provide it exclusively to those who explicitly request it.”

“Yes, Elder.”

As the disciples of the Dang Clan began dispersing into the crowd, **Dang-su-je** walked toward a merchant positioned nearest to the cavern entrance, who had established the most expansive stall.

“Greetings, honored guest.”

**Ju-chang-seo**, who had been resting, quickly stood up straight.

“Is your trade proving lucrative?”

“Indeed! Business thrives daily, entirely owing to the benevolence of the Dang Clan.”

“What benevolence from our clan could you mean……. It is a result of your own hard work.”

“You are too kind.”

**Dang-su-je**, idly examining the merchandise on display, inquired in a casual tone.

“What are the current proportions of those entering versus those exiting?”

“Ah, yes! The ratio appears to stand at roughly six entering for every four who emerge!”

“……Is that the case?”

**Dang-su-je**’s facial features tightened momentarily, though he quickly masked his reaction.

“According to the rumors circulating, the interior of this Sword Tomb is said to be an absolute abyss of slaughter, is it not?”

“*Oh*~ how could that possibly be accurate? If things were truly that dire, we merchants would be the first to realize.”

“*Mmm*, quite so.”

“Yes, yes. Naturally, that is the reality.”

**Dang-su-je** turned on his heel. His countenance had grown utterly rigid.

“**Elder**, has a problem arisen?”

“Has the distribution concluded?”

“We have successfully prioritized giving it to those who expressed a desire for it.”

“Very well, excellent. We shall cross the threshold immediately.”

“Right this moment?”

A muted breath escaped through **Dang-su-je**’s clenched teeth.

“The merchant claims the ratio of those entering to those departing is six to four.”

“That is impossible……”

Based on the intelligence reports delivered to them previously, the survival rate of those exiting after venturing into the Sword Tomb did not even amount to a single tenth.

“……An extraordinary anomaly is taking place within. Let us make haste and enter.”

He cast a final look backward at **Ju-chang-seo**, who was wholly absorbed in his trading, and then marched directly toward the opening of the Sword Tomb.

—

**Moyong-seol** felt her surroundings spinning. Leaving aside the reality that she had just faced the precipice of death due to the abrupt manifestation of an undead Jiangshi, she was entirely staggered by the fact that she had encountered **Jin-so-un**—who had annihilated the creature with a brilliant golden radiance—in this exact location. Furthermore, even **Dang-seo-hee** and **Il-gak** were present. It was an arrangement of events far too absurd to be attributed to mere luck.

“This is no twist of fate.”

**Dang-seo-hee**, who was diligently binding **Moyong-seol**’s injuries, murmured.

“He journeyed into this place with the explicit purpose of locating you.”

“The Moyong Clan?”

“No, you specifically, **Moyong-seol**.”

“For what reason?”

From what she understood, had he not entered under the mandate of the Murim Alliance for an official investigation?

“The **Hall Master** was determined to find your whereabouts.”

To realize that **Jin-so-un**, the leader of the **Yoseong-dang**, had been scouring the depths of the Sword Tomb for a significant duration solely to find her left her bewildered.

“Why…… why would he do that?”

“That…… remains unknown to me as well.”

**Dang-seo-hee** paused her movements momentarily, her gaze shifting toward a specific individual. At that exact moment, **Jin-so-un** had successfully captured and subdued the fleeing swordsmen of the Moyong Clan.

“Now, open wide.”

“Wa—wait! I, I am a member of the prestigious Moyong Clan……”

“A member of the Moyong Clan who abandons **Moyong-seol** to save his own skin?”

He was actively forcing open their jaws, intending to compel them to swallow what appeared to be a medicinal pellet.

“Hold on, what are you attempting to do to them?”

The moment **Moyong-seol** attempted to rise swiftly to intervene, **Dang-seo-hee** applied firm pressure directly to her wound.

“*Aaargh*!”

“An injured person must remain still.”

“No, but regardless, those are people of my Moyong Clan……”

“It is not a lethal substance.”

“*Eh*?”

**Dang-seo-hee** held up another pellet.

“You are required to ingest this as well.”

“What sort of medicine is this?”

“An neutralizing agent.”

“A neutralizing agent?”

Exhibiting a touch of impatience, **Dang-seo-hee** popped the **Cheongsim-boryeong-hwan** straight into **Moyong-seol**’s mouth and held her lips closed.

“*Mm-mm*—”

Though she initially attempted to reject it, the pellet dissolved into liquid and vanished down her throat within a split second.

“Just remain calm for a moment.”

Recognizing that **Dang-seo-hee** would possess no motive to administer poison to her, she waited quietly, and a internal shift began to manifest.

“!!!”

Her cognitive faculties, which had felt utterly clouded as if trapped in a dense mist, began to regain clarity at a rapid pace. Furthermore, the dark, volatile emotions that had been churning violently within her chest since entering the cave began to dissipate, allowing her to regain her customary composed state of mind.

“What is the meaning of this……”

“A airborne toxin capable of fracturing one’s sanity was dispersed throughout the subterranean passages.”

“Did the Dang Clan successfully identify the nature of this toxin?”

**Dang-seo-hee** shook her head in the negative and gestured toward the side.

“**Jin-so-un** was the one who uncovered it.”

—

“““We—we beg for your forgiveness!!!”””

The immediate reaction of the Moyong Clan swordsmen upon consuming the **Cheongsim-boryeong-hwan** was to drop to their knees.

“We have enacted an unpardonable offense. This transgression…… this absolute disgrace……”

Based on their frantic explanations, it appeared they had uttered deeply disrespectful phrases and adopted a rebellious stance toward **Moyong-seol** while under the heavy influence of the **Musim-hwan-gak-san**. Ultimately, they had gone so far as to flee the scene, leaving **Moyong-seol** entirely isolated against the Jiangshi.

*‘Such actions cannot be overlooked…….’*

If nothing else, abandoning a direct descendant who had willingly drawn danger to herself to buy time for the group to reorganize was a severe crime. It was a scenario where the guilt was transparent to any observer. Consequently, no outsider intervened. This was strictly an internal affair of the Moyong Clan. Both the verdict and the subsequent retribution fell entirely on **Moyong-seol**’s shoulders.

*Clang.* **Moyong-seol** unsheathed her weapon.

“Do you comprehend the source of my fury?”

“……”

“It does not stem from the fact that you retreated and left me behind.”

The face of the young woman, who had not yet fully regained her physical strength, remained drained of color.

“It stems from the fact that disciples of the Moyong Clan, who are bound by honor to shield one another until their final breaths…… discarded their own kin and fled merely to secure their own survival.”

A profound coldness saturated her words.

“And you must recognize that this is a betrayal that can never be wiped clean.”

The surviving members, including the second-in-command of the scouting party, squeezed their eyes shut, bracing themselves for execution.

*Pop*— **Moyong-seol**’s robes expanded with internal energy, and a sharp coating of sword-qi enveloped her blade. Without waiting.

*Swaaaa-ek*— Her weapon cleaved through the air with absolute resolve.

*Ske-gek*— However, rather than a spray of crimson blood accompanied by the metallic stench of gore, severed strands of hair drifted down through the air. The swordsmen of the Moyong Clan, finding their topknots shorn, snapped their eyes open in disbelief.

“I shall defer your ultimate sentencing until we have successfully exited the boundaries of the Sword Tomb……”

“Young lady!”

“Do not mistake this for absolution. I am merely granting you a single opportunity to redeem yourselves. Until we emerge from the Sword Tomb, work to atone for your cowardice through your deeds.”

Witnessing that display stirred a profound sentiment within me.

*‘The Sword Queen…… **Moyong-seol**.’*

As I was quietly appreciating the weight of that display, my heart skipped a beat when I noticed **Moyong-seol** turning her steps directly toward my position.

*‘What is happening?’*

Her posture was rigid, her face devoid of color. Yet her piercing gaze unmistakably radiated a quiet intensity.

*‘Have I inadvertently committed some blunder?’*

While I was occupied with such an absurd thought, **Moyong-seol** had already come to a halt right before me.

“**Young Master Jin-nim**.”

“Ah, ye—yes.”

“May I request that you assume responsibility for the oversight of our Moyong Clan?”

Given that I had ventured here with that exact objective from the very beginning, why was she explicitly verbalizing such a request now? **Moyong-seol**’s eyes drifted momentarily toward her subjugated clan members.

“I desire for us to move as a single unit until we leave this Sword Tomb.”

“……”

“…”

A few of the Moyong Clan martial artists displayed visible astonishment at her declaration, but **Moyong-seol** remained entirely resolute. Having deciphered the underlying motive behind her words, I offered a nod of assent.

“Very well. However, I shall retain absolute command over all tactical choices.”

“Understood, I place them in your hands.”

Just as our group prepared to resume the march.

“Furthermore, there is this.”

“What does this contain?”

“This is the inheritance of the **Black King**…… which our party managed to secure.”

“If it concerns the legacy of the **Black King**……”

The esoteric texts she extended toward me consisted of two separate volumes. They bore the titles [**Paewang-sip-i-su**] and [**Paewang-sin-gwon**].

“It is entirely appropriate for **Lady Moyong** to retain possession of them.”

“No. I have harbored a strong desire to rid myself of these items for some time now.”

“For what reason?”

“For some inexplicable reason, it felt as though an unknown party was continuously tracking the location of these secret texts.”

Without delay, I began committing the contents of the [**Paewang-sip-i-su**] to memory, page by page. There was no opportunity for deep study or contemplation. I simply seared the text into my mind exactly as it appeared. After quickly engraving the contents of both manual volumes into my memory, I raised the collection of documents and questioned **Moyong-seol**.

“Does it truly matter not what destination these meet by my hand?”

She offered an unhesitating nod.

“Entirely so.”

“I understand.”

I instantly channeled the **Seong-hwa-myeol-ma-su**, allowing intense heat to manifest, and began incinerating the manual pages.

“!!!”

Once approximately two-thirds of the material had succumbed to the flames, I choked out the fire and brushed away the charred remains. As I concluded the action and looked up, I found that not only **Moyong-seol** but even the kneeling, remorseful swordsmen of the Moyong Clan were staring at me, utterly paralyzed with shock.

“*Uh*…… *mmm*…… that, did you not explicitly state I was free to handle them as I saw fit?”

“No, that—while that is indeed accurate, still……”

At that juncture, **Dang-seo-hee** interjected casually as she walked past.

“What is the purpose of such immense shock? This behavior is hardly a novel occurrence.”

Yet, peculiarly.

“**Jin-so-un** simply acted true to form.”

Was it merely a trick of my mind that her phrasing carried a subtle undertone of reprimand, as if I had committed a social blunder?

—

Without wasting time, we verified our provisions, concluded a brief period of internal cultivation, and set off. I refrained from forcing the disciples of the **Yoseong-dang** and the swordsmen of the Moyong Clan to integrate their formations. From a tactical standpoint, forcing individuals who are unaccustomed to fighting alongside one another into a single unit only results in chaos and hindered movements. **Do-gwang-su** maintained his position at the front as our scout.

“**Hall Master Jin**, what course of action do you intend to pursue next?”

“Our immediate priority must be to navigate our way out of here.”

**Il-gak**’s features were clouded with worry.

“Are you filled with apprehension regarding the other factions?”

“Even the martial artists of the esteemed Moyong Clan lost all semblance of sanity and behaved like madmen. The situation for alternative groups is bound to be significantly more severe.”

“That cannot be denied.”

While a part of me desired to linger within these tunnels to purge more of those wretched scum from the Demonic Cult, the confirmed presence of the powerful **Hon-gang-si** meant that lingering inside the Sword Tomb would drastically increase the peril for the rest of our companions. Furthermore, our reserves of the **Cheongsim-boryeong-hwan** were dwindling.

“We shall retreat to the surface for the time being, as administering aid to the martial artists afflicted by the airborne miasma requires an ample supply of the **Cheongsim-boryeong-hwan** first.”

In any case, that had remained our primary objective since the beginning.

“Understood.”

I gave a reassuring tap to **Do-gwang-su**’s shoulder.

“Your performance thus far has been exemplary. You simply need to maintain this standard. Do you comprehend?”

“*Hieek*! I—I understand perfectly.”

What could be causing him to tighten up so rigidly once again? We pressed forward into a run, refusing to pause for breath. Though we crossed paths with several antagonistic factions and scouting patrols, we prioritized speed, bypassing altercations whenever feasible. Providentially, no pursuers materialized seeking the inheritance of the **Black King**, which had been a point of concern for me. Owing to that stroke of luck, we maintained our rapid pace without disruption.

“*Heok*!”

**Do-gwang-su** suddenly skidded to a halt before a solid, unyielding stone face.

“What is the meaning of this? Have you managed to lead us astray once more?”

In response to **Nam-hwa-seong**’s sharp inquiry, **Do-gwang-su** gestured frantically in denial.

“No, indeed! This is precisely, unmistakably the exact passage we traversed to get here.”

“……”

**Do-gwang-su**’s assertion was entirely accurate. This was the exact route we had utilized to double back and discover the Moyong Clan after encountering a prior dead end.

*‘Have the architects of this place begun manipulating the structural mechanisms in earnest?’*

Given that less than half a day had elapsed since we last walked this path, the alteration was astoundingly swift. Yet, the blocked passage was not the sole complication.

*Zzzzzzt*—

A distinct tremor rippled through the air.

“……?!”

The **Jeok-bong-hwan** secured tightly around my wrist began to act up. That specific device.

*Zzzzzzt*—

It persisted in emitting a profound, violent tremor, displaying an intensity unmatched by any prior activation. I scanned our immediate surroundings.

“……”

The corridor behind us was entirely desolate; not a single living creature was in sight.

*‘Where in the world is the threat originating from?’*

Nevertheless,

*Zzzzzzt*—

The **Jeok-bong-hwan**, as if crying out a desperate alarm—

*Zzzzzzt*—

Refused to quiet its violent trembling.