Chapter 456 : Meeting with the Supreme
Chapter 456: Meeting with the Supreme
Yong Hwarin entered the Eunhyang Teahouse and sat in the most secluded corner.
At the table sat a handsome young man—none other than the Demonic Master, Seok Jamyung, in disguise.
Because Eum Sajeok’s face had become quite well-known, he had no choice but to appear in disguise.
Yong Hwarin sensed his energy immediately and smiled.
“It’s been a while.”
Eunhyang Teahouse was operated by the Blood Green Unit as a front to gather intelligence.
Seok Jamyung remembered that and chose it as the meeting place with Yong Hwarin.
“You’re looking good. When I heard your name resounding throughout the world, I thought I had taught you well.”
“It’s all thanks to you, Elder.”
“Then make sure to treat the present-day Seok Jamyung and Unjeong well.”
Seok Jamyung calmly sipped his tea and continued.
“But judging by the fact that you wanted to see me, I assume you have something urgent to discuss.”
When Seok Jamyung got to the point, Yong Hwarin revealed everything—about the battle against the Three Demonic Heavens’ masters in Yongmun Stone Cave, and the fact that the Martial Flower Lord was the true mastermind behind Eungga, the descendant of the White Tiger King.
After hearing the lengthy explanation, Seok Jamyung looked surprised.
“Huh, so that’s how the story goes.”
“I still don’t understand why the Martial Flower Lord wanted to annihilate the Murim. There must be a reason behind it, but I can’t figure it out.”
Seok Jamyung wet his throat with tea and spoke.
“The fact that she tried to ally with the Three Demonic Heavens suggests she didn’t intend to utterly destroy the Murim, as you might think.”
“Then what reason would she have to join hands with the Demonic Path?”
“If you look at Murim history, the answer becomes clear. The real threat to the Imperial Court was never the Demonic Path or Unorthodox Sects—it was the Orthodox Murim. Because they operate openly, it’s easy for them to grow in strength and attract followers. But the Demonic and Unorthodox Sects operate in the shadows, so they’re easier to control. All you have to do is feed them the right bait.”
In retrospect, Seok Jamyung’s words made sense.
Government authorities were always more concerned about the Orthodox Murim than the Demonic or Unorthodox Paths.
“Do you think the Martial Flower Lord tried to kill all the elites who came to the Murim Reorganization Tournament?”
Yong Hwarin couldn’t discern the Martial Flower Lord’s true intentions.
“It’s possible she intended to lure in the elites and talents of the Murim, who came for the Reorganization Tournament, and then wipe them out in alliance with the Three Demonic Heavens.”
Even Seok Jamyung couldn’t view the Martial Flower Lord’s motives in a favorable light.
Given Seok Jamyung’s extensive knowledge, Yong Hwarin continued to raise questions to satisfy his curiosity.
After a long discussion, he asked in a serious tone.
“Elder, do you remember? In my past life, Sohyeon, the Valley Leader of the Valley of Hidden Darkness, killed five elders of the Orthodox Sects in a single strike. All five were masters not inferior to Sohyeon, but they all fell to him. Do you know what technique he used to kill them?”
If anyone knew, it would be Seok Jamyung, who had been a top figure in the Demonic Path at the time.
He had been the Head Seat of the Six Demonic Clans back then, so he might have heard it from among the demonic masters.
After a moment of thought, Seok Jamyung nodded.
“Yes, I remember. Their deaths shook even the Demonic Path, since they were all such formidable figures. Do you expect to fight him one day?”
He asked, eyes gleaming.
“Yes. Sandok and Moon Gyeom died this time. He withdrew before the battle began. He’ll surely want to settle the score with me.”
“Then it wouldn’t hurt to learn Sohyeon’s technique. No matter how skilled you are, his technique is so exquisite that you won’t be able to avoid it. In fact, it might’ve been a blessing that you didn’t face him then.”
Seok Jamyung spoke with evident caution, making Yong Hwarin even more curious.
“Do you know what Sohyeon’s unique martial art is?”
Yong Hwarin answered immediately.
“It’s Sound of Spirit-Flowing Energy, right? That’s the technique that earned Soh Yonghwa the alias ‘Invincible Among the Three Prodigies’.”
“That’s right. His martial art is indeed the Sound of Spirit-Flowing Energy. But—he’s been hiding one particular ultimate technique. It’s not known to the world, but he has mastered a martial art called Blood Tumor Poison Hand.”
“Blood Tumor Poison Hand?”
It was a technique Yong Hwarin had never heard of. And just from the name, it didn’t sound particularly extraordinary.
“Blood Tumor Poison Hand primarily creates enhanced qi centered around the Geukmun, Gansa, and Naegwan acupoints.”
As Seok Jamyung listed the blood channels, Yong Hwarin frowned.
“Since it’s called a ‘Poison Hand’ technique, I assume it’s a type of palm or hand technique. But why would it use the Geukmun, Gansa, and Naegwan points?”
Yong Hwarin’s question was valid.
All three of those acupoints were located near the wrist.
Yet, most conventional palm or hand techniques channeled qi through the Laogong Point in the palm.
So omitting the Laogong Point felt strange.
“That’s precisely what makes Blood Tumor Poison Hand so terrifying.”
Even with a few clues, Seok Jamyung hadn’t made it clear yet.
“If you’re generating qi using acupoints near the wrist, it still means you're using your hands…”
No matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t understand how that would translate into a technique.
“That’s exactly why it was possible for Sohyeon to kill five master-level experts in a single strike. Because no one anticipated it.”
After a pause, Seok Jamyung spoke again, seeing that Yong Hwarin was still far from the answer.
“If you can’t even guess, then imagine what would’ve happened had you actually fought him.”
Yong Hwarin couldn’t argue with that.
As Seok Jamyung said, it was a method so unpredictable that it could have easily caught him off guard.
“At the time, the five masters had completely surrounded Sohyeon and attacked all at once.”
As Seok Jamyung began to recount, Yong Hwarin tensed in anticipation.
“Master Mongyeon from Mount Hua, one of the Twelve Plum Blossom Swords, thrust his sword into Sohyeon’s left chest with the Piercing Plum Blossom technique. At the same time, Master Jinjin of the Wudang Sect slashed at Sohyeon’s chest with an equally exquisite sword move. But since Sohyeon was busy defending against the joint attack of the other three, he couldn’t block the strikes from Mongyeon and Jinjin. So, he had no choice but to block with his bare left hand. And then—Sohyeon’s left wrist was severed.”
“Ah.”
Yong Hwarin let out a breath of astonishment.
Seok Jamyung described the scene as if he had witnessed it firsthand.
“When Sohyeon’s wrist was severed, blood gushed out and splattered across the faces of Master Mongyeon and Master Jinjin. With the wrist cut right before their eyes, they had no way to avoid it.”
“Of course.”
“But that blood carried poison, and both masters lost their sight. What was even more shocking was that red enhanced qi surged from the severed wrist.”
“That’s impossible!”
“The gushing blood extended out like a whip, forming enhanced qi. It slashed at Master Mongyeon and Master Jinjin while they were temporarily blinded. Then, the same enhanced qi struck the monks of Shaolin and other Daoists who rushed in. All of it happened in that single breath of hesitation, when they were taken aback.”
Yong Hwarin let out a long sigh.
“They probably thought they had won, seeing Sohyeon lose his wrist. But the moment it was cut, Sohyeon deployed Blood Tumor Poison Hand, so it was natural that the careless ones wouldn’t escape. Even I would hesitate if I cut off someone’s wrist.”
“Exactly. Sohyeon was originally a man without a left hand. He cut it off himself to master Blood Tumor Poison Hand. He had been waiting for the enemy to sever his fake wrist.”
“That’s truly what you’d call a death-defying trap technique.”
“When you fight him, you must be especially cautious if you try to cut his wrist. He’ll pretend to give it up by mistake—anyone would fall for it. If I hadn’t witnessed that scene myself, I would never have anticipated it. I’m probably the only one in the current Murim who knows that, having seen it in a past life.”
Now that he knew Sohyeon’s final technique, Yong Hwarin felt a sense of relief.
Even if he were to face him, he no longer felt fear.
This was the advantage of having knowledge of his past life.
Knowing something that had already happened allowed him to fix and prepare for it.
That was his greatest weapon.
“But is it alright to leave the Martial Flower Lord alone?”
Seok Jamyung asked with concern.
Hearing that, Yong Hwarin thought perhaps Seok Jamyung didn’t know what became of the Martial Flower Lord in their past life.
“In our past life, the Martial Flower Lord didn’t fall by our hands but was ambushed by someone else and suffered severe injuries. So she didn’t have the luxury to concern herself with us. After being ambushed, she lingered in illness for years before passing away.”
Seok Jamyung, who had no interest in the Imperial Palace affairs, hadn’t known this.
Because Yong Hwarin had been involved in the Upper World, he had access to more intelligence on the palace and officials than Seok Jamyung, including such covert matters.
With a serious look, Seok Jamyung said,
“Hwarin, think about it carefully. How could someone like the Martial Flower Lord, who is of such high and noble status, come up with a plan like this? You said she’s the true mastermind, but I think there’s someone else behind her. Sure, she has the power and authority to orchestrate such a plan—but someone must’ve planted the idea in her.”
Yong Hwarin was taken aback by that.
“No way… the Emperor?”
Seok Jamyung shook his head.
“The Emperor has no reason to think that way. If he did, he wouldn’t have tasked the Martial Flower Lord with it, but someone else. Think about it. Would the Emperor assign such a dangerous matter of the Murim to someone like her? She could easily die.”
Thinking about it that way, it made sense.
He himself wouldn’t ask someone he cherished to handle something so perilous.
Especially not a woman like the Martial Flower Lord.
That alone proved it wasn’t the Emperor’s doing.
‘Then who could it be? Could Elder Seok Jamyung be mistaken? Perhaps the Martial Flower Lord acted out of loyal devotion to safeguard the Imperial Palace by eliminating the Murim?’
He considered it, but the reasoning felt flimsy.
“And I have a favor to ask of you, Elder.”
“What is it? Since you wanted to see me in person rather than through a letter, I figured it must be important.”
Yong Hwarin revealed his inner thoughts.
“In our past life, the Great Martial Battle of Moon and Orthodoxy broke out, and the Murim was swept in a storm of blood. That happened because the Three Demonic Heavens couldn’t contain their accumulated power and unleashed it outward. The Orthodox Murim didn’t suppress it but chose to clash instead.”
Seok Jamyung nodded.
Yong Hwarin continued.
“At that time, I was part of the Upper World, so that war didn’t matter much to me. But now, I don’t want my family to get dragged into such a war.”
“I can understand that.”
Seok Jamyung acknowledged.
“And now that you’ve become the Supreme of the Heavenly Demon Sect, I’d like to ask you to unify the Blood Demon Castle and Demonic Cult, which are currently leaderless. If left unchecked, they’ll probably start a war to devour each other’s strength. They might even try to absorb both factions into the Valley of Hidden Darkness.”
“What you’re saying is… I should reap the benefits while they fight.”
“Exactly. If you unify the Demonic Path, the Great Martial Battle of Moon and Orthodoxy won’t happen.”
Seok Jamyung smiled slightly.
“And what if I take that opportunity to unify the Demonic Path and raise a force to conquer the Murim?”
Yong Hwarin surprisingly accepted the idea easily.
“That could happen. But at the very least, we can still talk like this. That alone makes me believe we can avoid the worst outcome. And more than anything, I trust your nature, Elder.”
Yong Hwarin had thought long and hard about this before making the request.
When one gains power, they often become corrupted. If Seok Jamyung turned, he could become the most dangerous threat.
But Yong Hwarin had a final measure in mind.
‘Right now, there are two versions of Seok Jamyung living in this era. One is just a soul, but even so, it’s clearly unnatural.’
Recalling this, Yong Hwarin had even considered that if Seok Jamyung’s soul caused a storm of blood with the power it had absorbed, he would have no choice but to kill the present Seok Jamyung.
If that happened, the soul of Seok Jamyung would certainly suffer a major blow as well.
Of course, this was only a hypothesis—nothing was proven or certain—but he believed that it might be a way to restrain Seok Jamyung’s soul if needed.
Still, that was merely a last resort.
Yong Hwarin trusted Seok Jamyung’s soul enough to believe he would never have to go that far.