Chapter 53
'It must have... missed.'
The conclusion reached in Wenzhong's mind was enough to shake the Black Contemplation Fortress.
The one move that Mo Guangdi, Jeul, had just thrown at Huang Feihu had not been intentionally made to miss, but had clearly missed.
Mo Guangdi was not a person who would miss his Ten Variations Finger Sword.
Huang Feihu should have been hit by the Ten Variations Finger Sword!
And if he had died, it would have been enough to consider him a person of that level as an example, and if he had survived, it was clear that he had intended it as a warning, as he had just done.
Is it possible for a supreme master to not hit an unguarded opponent with his unique martial art?
No, that is impossible.
The Ten Variations Finger Sword of Mo Guangdi, which he had seen for ten years, was a fatal finger art that had never once failed to achieve its intended target.
And that slight tremor.
The momentum that had soared through Mo Guangdi's entire body in the instant the Ten Variations Finger Art was displayed seemed somehow unstable.
Although it was so small that only a strong person like Wenzhong would notice it, a supreme martial artist who should be the most perfect should not have even such a small tremor in his move. This was not something that could be done on purpose.
If something that could never happen had happened, it clearly meant that there was something wrong with the current Mo Guangdi's physical condition.
Once he had reached a conclusion, as if a blocked dam had been opened, the unnaturalness that he had felt in Mo Guangdi's actions and words so far began to unfold before Wenzhong's eyes.
Looking back, there were more than one or two strange things.
Immediately after Wenzhong had left the Black Contemplation Fortress, there was no one in the Sichuan martial world who could stand against the Black Contemplation Fortress, and Wenzhong also did not doubt that the Black Contemplation Fortress would have unified the Sichuan martial world even without him.
But strangely, the Black Contemplation Fortress had stopped expanding its power and had begun to focus on strengthening its internal affairs.
After that, there was also the matter of the succession of Jeshin and Jejeong.
At first, he had thought that a long time had passed, and since Mo Guangdi had also aged as much as Wenzhong, the years had changed him.
The Mo Guangdi that Wenzhong knew would not have dragged out the succession issue for so long.
Moreover, even though he, who had returned to the Black Contemplation Fortress, had shown a movement that challenged his authority, he had not imposed any particular pressure or sanctions after that.
This was also an action that was quite different from the Jeul he knew.
Wenzhong carefully examined Mo Guangdi's face.
'Makeup... is it?'
Who in the Black Contemplation Fortress would stare at the face of Mo Guangdi, Jeul?
In Wenzhong's eyes, Jeul was clearly wearing heavy makeup.
Since it was unlikely that he had suddenly become interested in makeup, it was clearly a measure to hide his complexion.
"..."
Although Wenzhong, who was engulfed in shock, kept his mouth shut, Mo Guangdi was still leisurely continuing his words to his subordinates.
"The righteous people of Sichuan, who do not even know their place, and the Sichuan Alliance, which they have created to oppose us, cannot be left alone."
"Then!"
The arena was in an uproar for a moment.
It had been a long wait and also a preparation.
If the righteous sects of Sichuan were to gather their strength, led by the Sword Immortal, things would surely become difficult.
Now that the Black Qilin had returned to the Black Contemplation Fortress, it was the right time if it was the right time.
"Wenzhong."
"Yes, my lord."
"There is no one more suitable than you as an opponent for the Sword Immortal. Show the power of the Black Contemplation Fortress to the brats of the Sichuan Alliance."
"As you command."
Once the words were out of his mouth, it was a heavenly command.
Wenzhong obediently accepted Mo Guangdi's words.
But the expression on Jeshin's face, who was next to Wenzhong, was not very good.
This was because it was clear that his position would be reduced just by Wenzhong being away from his side.
But as long as Mo Guangdi did not step forward, there could be no disagreement that Wenzhong was the only one who could lead a full-scale war in the Black Contemplation Fortress.
"I will give Wenzhong the authority to lead the Black Contemplation Divine Squad, as well as the Red Flower Annihilation Squad that Jeshin commands."
The Black Contemplation Divine Squad was the elite martial artists of the Black Contemplation Fortress, and their number was a large force of a total of one thousand.
Not only that, but giving the command of the Black Contemplation Divine Squad was the same as handing over the entire military power of the Black Contemplation Fortress.
In case of an emergency, he could also mobilize the thousands of martial artists of the Black Contemplation Fortress in one go.
If the Black Qilin, Wenzhong, were to lead this huge force and go on a conquest, it was clear that no sect in Sichuan would be able to handle it.
"As you command."
"You may all leave."
As Mo Guangdi declared the end of the meeting, the martial artists of the Black Contemplation Fortress who had gathered in the main hall hurriedly began to scatter to their own quarters to prepare for the coming great war.
"Why do you have such a gloomy expression?"
"Master."
Jeshin, realizing that his emotions were showing on his face, hurriedly managed his expression.
He had many enemies. He could not show a weak side.
"It seems I have become weak in the meantime. I have shown a shameful side."
Jeshin obediently confessed his feelings.
Since the time he had endured alone had been so lonely and difficult, he had unknowingly developed a great desire to rely on Wenzhong.
And that was also a way of showing his trust and faith in Wenzhong, who had stood by his side unconditionally.
"Are you worried that I am leaving?"
"I am worried whether I can go on the right path without your advice, master."
"You must be able to stand firmly on your own. Isn't that the virtue of a monarch?"
"I am ashamed."
Wenzhong, after scolding Jeshin, slowly moved his feet.
And next to him were Jeshin, Shiyue, and Huang Feihu.
"You should also prepare."
"What you mean is..."
"For the one who will be the master of the Black Contemplation Fortress, a battlefield as a first outing is not a bad start."
Jeshin's eyes trembled lightly.
Although he had shown a mature side that did not suit his age, he still had no experience in the martial world.
The fact that Wenzhong was leading the martial artists of the Black Contemplation Fortress was a great event that would draw the attention of the entire world.
"It is a golden opportunity to show your excellence to the world, young master. I am impressed by the Grand Preceptor's insight."
If he were to achieve a great merit in this great war, it would surely be a great strength for Jeshin in the future.
Unlike the happy Shiyue, Huang Feihu's expression did not look very bright.
Although he had been prepared for such a thing to happen as long as he was a part of the Black Contemplation Fortress, since it was a matter where countless lives might be lost, he could not be entirely happy about it.
"King Wucheng."
"Yes, Grand Preceptor."
"Do not disappoint my expectations."
"Yes."
At Wenzhong's one word, as if he had read his inner thoughts, Huang Feihu cut his answer short.
It was said that a subordinate dies for the one who recognizes him.
Although it was a deal that held the Seo Won Merchant Guild hostage, the grace of Jeshin and Wenzhong, who had given him the title of King Wucheng and had entrusted him with the position of the general leader of the Red Flower Annihilation Squad, was something that Huang Feihu could not betray.
Even if he was called the Escort King, in the end, he was just an escort.
This was also an opportunity that had come to him, who had turned his back on the martial world and was withering away.
"Jeshin and King Wucheng, please leave for a moment. I have something to talk to Shiyue separately."
"Yes, master."
Since Huang Feihu and Jeshin had to maintain the inside of the Black Contemplation Fortress and prepare their subordinates for the great war that would unfold in the future, they left without a word at Wenzhong's words.
Wenzhong, who had left Shiyue behind, walked to a deserted place without a word.
Shiyue also patiently followed behind Wenzhong like a shadow.
Since he also had something he wanted to ask Wenzhong, he had been waiting for such a place.
"While I was gone... was there anything strange in the Black Contemplation Fortress?"
Wenzhong, who had confirmed that there was no one around, quietly asked Shiyue.
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm saying, was there any particular change in the physical condition of the Black Contemplation Fortress Lord?"
"I don't know well..."
Wenzhong slowly examined Shiyue's face.
Although he was secretive and liked to plot, he was a person who was loyal to the Black Contemplation Fortress.
But Shiyue was Jeshin's person, who was more loyal to Jeshin than to the Black Contemplation Fortress.
But despite that, Wenzhong could not erase the suspicion that Shiyue was hiding information from Jeshin and himself without their knowledge.
"All the internal and external information of the Black Contemplation Fortress is held by the inner court. I don't think that you, of all people, did not know that there was something wrong with Mo Guangdi's physical condition."
The words that there was something wrong with Mo Guangdi's physical condition in the Black Contemplation Fortress were enough to shake the heavens and the earth.
Shiyue flinched and looked around without realizing it.
"I'm afraid someone will hear."
"As expected, you're not surprised."
Since Wenzhong also knew how big a backlash the current conversation would cause, he was spreading his qi in the arena and was watching even a single ant move.
"I had some suspicions... but if the Grand Preceptor saw it that way, I am sure that my suspicions were correct."
"Why did you have such suspicions?"
"In the inner court, even information about the womanizing of the lower-ranking martial artists of the Black Contemplation Fortress comes in. How much more so the information of the supreme one..."
Although Wenzhong did not like Shiyue's words, he was also well aware of the characteristics of the inner court.
"When did the strange symptoms start to appear?"
"Perhaps it was after the accident of the first young master."
"If it was then, wasn't it before I left the Black Contemplation Fortress? Has it been that long?"
"Since he is a very stubborn person... although it was not revealed on the outside, after that, he often skipped meals and could not sleep well, so it seemed that he was very heartbroken."
Mind and body are one.
The fact that a master who had reached the supreme state could not eat or sleep well also meant that his mind had weakened that much.
'A heart demon...'
How could a superhuman who had achieved the ultimate of martial arts be free from a heart demon?
The sense of loss and anger that had come to Jeul had surely made his mind sick and had caused an abnormality in his body, which had been in a perfect state.
"Who else knows this fact besides you?"
"The physical condition of the supreme one is a top secret. Since it is a matter that even I, who handle information, am not sure about, you can assume that no one knows."
Who could suspect that an absolute master was sick?
Moreover, since he was Mo Guangdi, who had a pride as high as Mount Tai, it was clear that he had thoroughly hidden it.
'Foolish...'
He would not have accepted or admitted his own change.
No, even if he had admitted it, could he have revealed it, thinking of the Black Contemplation Fortress?
Wenzhong, thinking that Jeul had been fighting the disease alone for years without receiving any help from those around him, felt a pain in one side of his chest.
Although their relationship was strained now, he never wanted to see the man who had once been his best friend and lord slowly wither away.
"Shiyue, the story we had today must never leak out to any other place."
"Are you not going to tell the young master either?"
"Even more so."
Now was the most important time for Jeshin.
His character and martial arts were about to bloom.
If he were to hear that his father's physical condition was not normal, only the heavens would know what judgment Jeshin would make and how he would change.
"But how much longer can you hide it?"
Although it was not revealed yet, there are no secrets in the world.
"Even so, there are a few people who have recently started to find the supreme one's actions strange."
People who had seen Mo Guangdi for a long time, like Wenzhong, had a high probability of noticing his minor anomalies. Wasn't that the case even today?
"It seems that the supreme one's condition has worsened even more since the Grand Preceptor returned."
"..."
If Shiyue's prediction was correct, the subtle relationship between Jeul and himself would surely be the cause.
"It seems there isn't much time."
The current Jeul was not the Mo Guangdi he had known in the past.
If more time were given, he could not predict what kind of mind Jeul would have and what he would do.
"Shiyue, prepare even more thoroughly. We will take action after conquering the Sichuan Alliance."
"I understand."
If Wenzhong showed an active move, Shiyue could not be more reassured.
"But, there are things I want to ask the Grand Preceptor."
"What is it?"
"Have you heard of the sword manual of the Ten Thousand Sword Master, Grand Preceptor?"
"The Ten Thousand Sword Master..."
Wenzhong had also heard of the Ten Thousand Sword Master, the number one sword in the world, a giant of the previous generation.
Although he was a man who had turned his back on the martial world before achieving the supreme martial prowess, when he had found his traces in the Hermit's Valley later, even Wenzhong could not hide his small excitement.
"In my opinion, it seems that the appearance of the Sword Immortal this time is clearly related to Xi Xichang of the Qingcheng Sect, who possesses the sword manual of the Ten Thousand Sword Master."
"It could be."
The fact that the Ten Thousand Sword Master had spent his later years with the Sword Immortal was not much of a secret to those who were in the Hermit's Valley.
If so, as Shiyue had judged, the Sword Immortal might have broken his seclusion and had appeared, related to the Ten Thousand Sword Master.
Seeing Wenzhong easily accept his question without any surprise, Shiyue carefully asked again.
"By any chance, was the Sword Immortal also in the Hermit's Valley?"
Wenzhong did not answer Shiyue's question and looked at him quietly. He didn't know if he had a good sense or if he had collected information about him, but either way, Wenzhong was not pleased.
And Shiyue was able to infer the answer sufficiently from this attitude of Wenzhong.
Two masters who had turned their back on the martial world and had gone into seclusion in the same place would face each other again.
A fight between peerless masters.
It was a clash between two superhumans who were said to have no rivals in the world.
If Wenzhong were to win, it could not be a greater strength for Jeshin, but if he were to lose, the aftermath would surely lead to Jeshin's downfall.
"From today, I will go into seclusion for a fortnight."
Wenzhong's words were no different from setting the preparation period of the Black Contemplation Fortress to attack the Sichuan Alliance to a fortnight.
Since it was very difficult to keep such a big matter a secret, it was very important to rush through the preparations as soon as they were finished and to strike like a storm.
Even if a supreme master like Wenzhong were to go into seclusion training right away, it was impossible to achieve any progress in a fortnight.
This seclusion training was to have time to concentrate his mind in one place to face a great enemy.
"I never thought I would ask such a question... but if so, can you guarantee victory against the Sword Immortal, Grand Preceptor?"
Wenzhong was silent for a moment. If he and the Taoist Lingbao were to compete with all their might, it would be difficult to avoid a mutual destruction.
"Four out of ten."
Wenzhong answered briefly and moved his feet, leaving Shiyue behind.
(End of Chapter)