Chapter 507 : Side Story 27 The Twins (5)
Chapter 507: Side Story 27 The Twins (5)
It was purely by chance that the place was discovered.
But in hindsight, it was also strange that no one had found it until now.
The group stood at the entrance of a cave hidden by thick foliage.
“It’s closer than I thought. And... the entrance is pretty big too.”
The place the twins pointed to was about ten li from the fortress.
“Is this really the first time? A cave of this size... any herbalist or mountain keeper in the area would’ve known about it.”
Although the surrounding forest was quite dense, the mountain terrain wasn’t particularly rough.
It fell far short of what one might call a Demonic Zone.
“Everyone who sees this place says the same thing.”
Yoo Cheong shook his head, as if it was giving him a headache.
“They say it’s like it just dropped out of the sky.”
This place never existed before.
That was the unanimous statement from the locals.
San Dojeon was the first to step into the cave.
He was the very person who had once experienced the Tomb of the Gucheon Saintess firsthand in Qinghai Province. In a place like this, he couldn’t help but be more cautious.
‘I’ll give my life to protect the two of them!’
San Dojeon's resolve surged forth with storm-like intensity.
He vowed that no matter what kind of trap appeared, he would shield them with his iron-like body.
But then—
“Ah, you’ve arrived, Clan Head.”
From deep inside the cave, a group appeared, holding torches.
Judging by the insignias on their clothes, they were warriors of the Suncheon Yoo Clan.
Yoo Cheong glanced around awkwardly, clearly having missed the timing to explain.
“The internal exploration was completed quite some time ago. There are no mechanisms or traps. The place is clean.”
“……”
The storm-like determination faded into a gentle breeze.
Ignoring San Dojeon's resentful glare, Yoo Cheong questioned the warriors.
“Anything unusual?”
“Nothing. We even risked exploring hidden paths and side trails, but still found nothing.”
“I see…”
It had already been over seven days and nights since the Yoo Clan’s warriors began exploring. If nothing had turned up by now, then there truly was nothing.
And yet...
Something still didn’t sit right.
Was it instinct? Or maybe something embedded in his bloodline?
Whatever it was, Yoo Cheong’s intuition kept screaming that this place should not be left alone.
“Then what exactly is supposed to be here?”
“Hmm… It’s probably best if you see for yourself.”
The inside of the cave was quite spacious and deep.
In terms of depth alone, it was comparable to the Thousand Day Pass.
However, the peculiar thing was that the cave was a straight path with no side tunnels.
“The path is pretty well-formed… but there’s nothing.”
“That’s the problem.”
For a cave of this size, it was normal to find at least a few spiritual beasts or demonic creatures nesting inside.
And if those creatures were around, there would almost certainly be tunnels or side paths they created.
Even in the Tomb of the Gucheon Saintess, there had been giant centipedes—evidence of living creatures. But here, there wasn’t a single trace. Instead, it reeked of artificial design.
“We’re here.”
Not long after, the group arrived at a massive open area at the end of the cave.
“…This is!”
“Wow!”
“So cool!”
“This is why we made the report.”
At the very deepest point of the cave stood an Asura Statue with Three Heads and Six Arms.
Its size… was about three jang.
Not overly large, but certainly not small either.
“…Identical.”
The moment San Dojeon saw the Asura Statue, he murmured lowly.
Aside from the size, its form was exactly the same.
It was identical to the colossal Asura Statue hidden within the Thousand Day Pass of the main branch!
“Look here.”
Yoo Cheong pointed to a spot beneath the statue.
There, something old remained.
“...A ritual offering?”
Fragments of broken bowls, charred paper, and a worn-out candlestick.
They were all typical objects used in ritual offerings.
“Yes, it’s very old, and most of it is gone, but there are definite signs that someone performed a ritual here.”
“We’ll need to have the Demonic Pavilion investigate.”
The Demonic Pavilion was in charge of the Cult’s customs and rituals.
Whenever historical traces like these were discovered, it was standard procedure to send a research team from the Pavilion.
That said, judging from what was left behind, the scale didn’t seem particularly grand.
Rather, it looked like someone had simply placed a few incense sticks and bowls and carried out a modest ritual in accordance with tradition.
‘Is this really all?’
On the surface, it seemed like an ancient ruin that had been abandoned long ago...
But if that were the case, there’s no way the twins would’ve reacted the way they did.
As San Dojeon casually scanned the surroundings, his gaze happened to land on the statue.
Of its six arms, two were neatly brought together near the dantian.
As if they had once held something in their overlapping palms.
And the moment he saw it, a long-buried memory resurfaced.
‘I’m sure I heard it from the Lord once.’
It had been a tale told over drinks with the Cult Leader—loose words slipping out under the influence of alcohol.
It was a story meant to mourn someone who no longer existed, but the tale itself had been so fascinating that he remembered it clearly.
‘A fragment of the Heavenly Demon Ancestor?!’
If his hunch was right, then at some point in the past, the overlapping palms had held a fragment of the Heavenly Demon Ancestor.
Yoo Cheong must have vaguely remembered that story too, and that’s likely why he filed the report.
“Clan Head…”
Just as San Dojeon was about to call out to Yoo Cheong, the twins suddenly stepped forward.
“Young Master? Young Lady!?”
Sunyu and Sunha didn’t respond to his call.
They simply stared at the Asura Statue, murmuring blankly to themselves.
“So it was you.”
“The one who secretly watched over us.”
“…?!”
At that moment, I sensed something was wrong.
I didn’t know what exactly, but something was definitely off.
The two of them knew something I didn’t.
That was never a good sign.
And soon, the identity of that something revealed itself.
Fwoosh!
Without any warning—
A brilliant light suddenly burst out from the statue.
“This… this can’t be!”
Yoo Cheong was horrified.
There had been no mechanisms or formations. No catalyst or medium to trigger any formation.
They had finished inspecting the statue long ago. It was just a plain stone statue with no devices of any kind.
Then why? How?
‘No! It doesn’t matter what it is.’
If anything happened to the twins here, he’d never be able to face Jin Yeomyung again, who had entrusted him with the path.
Before he realized it, San Dojeon had thrown himself forward to shield the twins with his body.
Zzzzt! Zzzzt! Zzzzt!
The light from the statue brightened the dark surroundings and began to overlay reality with another space.
The transformed space…
Was like a paradise woven with blue and pink hues, resembling the legendary Peach Blossom Land.
“It’s okay, Uncle.”
“It’s not dangerous.”
Sunyu and Sunha comforted the San Dojeon who was holding them.
“More importantly, could you move aside a bit?”
“We need to talk to them.”
“…Them?”
San Dojeon reflexively turned his head in the direction Sunyu was pointing.
And when he saw something, his eyes widened.
A boy, about the same age as the twins,
Had suddenly appeared—right before their eyes.
“…Who are you?”
No matter how much the twins said they weren’t in danger, neither Yoo Cheong nor San Dojeon could accept that so easily.
Most of all, the “boy” had a sword hanging from his waist.
“I asked you who you are.”
The boy, who had appeared out of nowhere, didn’t respond to San Dojeon’s threatening question.
His gaze remained fixed solely on Sunyu and Sunha.
San Dojeon carefully examined the boy’s face.
A young boy, not yet fully out of his baby fat. About the same age as the twins.
Yet, perhaps because of his aura, he seemed a little more mature than the two.
After a long silence, the boy finally opened his mouth.
“It was you. You were the ones who woke me.”
“We woke you?”
“We didn’t wake anyone though?”
The twins tilted their heads.
“Your very existence… is what awakened me.”
“Oh… I see.”
“……”
Sunyu and Sunha just went along with it. Whether they had really awakened him or not didn’t particularly matter to them.
What mattered was why he had been watching them from afar.
The boy spoke again.
“I have a favor to ask.”
“What is it?”
“I want to see the world.”
He wanted to see the world. The twins pondered the meaning of those words.
They thought for a moment about what “the world” meant, but no clear answer came. Since the boy didn’t seem blind or anything, there was only one thing they could say.
“If you want to see it, then just look.”
At that, the boy shook his head.
“I can’t do it alone.”
“Then?”
“You have to be with me.”
Before they could ask why, the boy continued.
“Because only when you're with me… can I stay conscious.”
Stay conscious?
Though the boy continued to say incomprehensible things, the twins still didn’t think too deeply about it.
“Sure!”
“If you want to follow us, go ahead.”
Their sudden acceptance left San Dojeon in shock.
“P-please wait a moment!”
“He’s right, kids. That’s an unknown, unidentified existence.”
Yoo Cheong also objected with a stern expression.
‘I can’t read him.’
Yoo Cheong possessed an extraordinarily sensitive intuition, as befitted his natural genius.
Even after reaching the Peak Master Level, there had only ever been two people whose power he couldn’t read.
The Cult Leader and the Grand Duke of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
And now… he felt like today might add a third exception to that list.
“My name is Yuseong (流星).”
The boy placed a hand over his chest and introduced himself.
“Call me Cheon Yuseong.”
“…Cheon?”
The moment they heard the boy’s name, Yoo Cheong and San Dojeon’s faces froze.
They didn’t know who this boy was, but within the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, the surname “Cheon” was never taken lightly.
However—
Though they knew the weight of the Cheon surname, neither of them knew the true significance of the name Yuseong.
Because in this era, there was only one person who knew that Cheon Yuseong was the original name of the Heavenly Demon Ancestor.
Sunyu and Sunha sent a letter to their father at the Heavenly Demon Pavilion.
They wrote asking for his permission to visit the Central Plains, instead of staying on the grasslands.
But when the Guardian Lion returned, he told them that their father was currently away due to some incident.
Fortunately, their mother had replied in his place.
—Do as you wish.
Some might see it as neglectful or irresponsible, but the tone of the letter conveyed her love and consideration for her children.
At least, that’s how San Dojeon saw it.
‘Is this really the right thing to do?’
San Dojeon still disapproved of the boy who called himself Cheon Yuseong joining them.
But for some reason, the twins continued to insist.
They said they wanted to grant the boy’s wish.
Of course, to San Dojeon, it felt more like they were using the wish as an excuse to follow their whims, but with the Cult Leader’s permission already granted, he no longer had any grounds to object.
“…Fortunately, Senior Gu Chil has agreed to join us.”
A small stroke of luck, perhaps.
He had thought Gu Chil had gone to follow their lord, but it turned out he would be joining their group instead.
Naturally, the twins couldn’t care less whether Gu Chil came along or not.
The three of them were huddled together, enthusiastically debating how to explore the world.
“If you want to see the world, we obviously have to start there!”
“Where?”
With an excited expression, Sunha boldly declared their next destination.
“Luoyang, the Murim Alliance! ”