Chapter 137
Chapter 137
Crack-!
Pungwol ground his teeth so hard it felt as though they might shatter. Veins bulged at his temples as he fixed his bloodshot eyes forward and spoke.
“What did you just say?”
The killing intent radiating from Pungwol before him tightened relentlessly around the Man in Black’s body.
An indescribable fear surged deep into his heart, yet the Man in Black maintained his composure as best he could.
“…Five additional masters of the Transformation Realm have perished.”
“…….”
Pungwol’s silence only heightened the Man in Black’s anxiety, but he forced himself to steady his mind. This was not his fault. Therefore, Pungwol’s wrath would not be directed at him.
The Man in Black briefly met Pungwol’s eyes before immediately lowering his gaze again.
Pungwol’s eyes looked colder than ever before. One might think that “cold” implied calmness.
However, within Pungwol’s gaze flickered an indescribable madness alongside that chill.
Staring at the Man in Black with frenzied eyes, Pungwol asked,
“Was there any gain?”
“That is….”
“Speak quickly.”
“……We obtained the Heaven-Shaking Pill, and also received a message from the Medicine Immortal.”
Ordinarily, obtaining the Heaven-Shaking Pill would have been cause for celebration. But in the present situation, it was impossible to rejoice purely.
Perhaps because of that, Pungwol showed more interest in the words “message from the Medicine Immortal” than in the Heaven-Shaking Pill itself.
“What nonsense did he spout?”
The Man in Black’s lips trembled briefly before, as if resigned, he spoke in a voice devoid of spirit.
“‘You have come this far, so as a token of your effort, I shall give you a little of the Heaven-Shaking Pill. Now there is truly only a little distance left until the place where the method of manufacture lies.’”
Snap.
The brush Pungwol was holding finally broke in two.
Glowering at the Man in Black with murderous eyes, Pungwol said,
“Are you telling me you did not obtain the method of manufacturing the Heaven-Shaking Pill?!”
It was a Lion’s Roar thick with fury. Objects around them shattered, yet Pungwol paid them no heed.
“Medicine Immortal! That wretch who would not satisfy me even if I ground him between my teeth!”
Had the Divine Cult obtained the Heaven-Shaking Pill without suffering such heavy losses, he would not have been this agitated.
But Pungwol had expended one in ten of the Divine Cult’s total strength.
If it had been in exchange for the method of manufacturing the Heaven-Shaking Pill, that would have been a cheap price. Yet all they had gained were a mere handful of spirit pills.
Unless there existed someone capable of analyzing the Heaven-Shaking Pill to discern its ingredients and manufacturing method, such an absurd feat was impossible even for an Immortal.
Suppressing the resentment building in his chest, Pungwol asked,
“How many Heaven-Shaking Pills are there?”
“……Exactly five.”
Bang-!
Unable to contain his rage once more, Pungwol hurled his fist into the wall. Cracks spread like a spiderweb before a hole was punched straight through it.
A frigid wind entered through the opening, quickly cooling the overheated air inside the chamber.
Witnessing Pungwol’s wrath for the first time, the Man in Black found it exceedingly difficult to endure.
Pungwol bit his lip so hard that blood trickled down before asking,
“How many traps has the Medicine Immortal laid thus far?”
“At least a hundred.”
“Describe the most vicious ones.”
What followed from the Man in Black’s mouth sounded utterly unbelievable.
There had been roads engulfed in molten lava, and corrosive liquids like acid suddenly pouring from the ceiling, melting bodies away.
Even so, those still fell within the bounds of human capability.
But how had he prepared savage giant pandas that could not be cut down even with Sword Qi, and wolves that gave even Transcendent Peak Masters a hard time? It defied imagination.
The tomb had been built centuries ago. By what means could animals sealed within a confined chamber still be alive?
Beyond that, countless formations had been installed. After sacrificing numerous lives to overcome them, all they had obtained were five Heaven-Shaking Pills.
From Pungwol’s perspective, nothing could be more humiliating.
Had he known this would happen, he would have thrown the Medicine Immortal’s tomb to either the Orthodox Sect or the Unorthodox Faction without hesitation.
For a fleeting instant, Youngho’s face flashed through Pungwol’s mind.
‘Could that bastard have known?’
If he had truly known, it explained why he had so readily relinquished the Heaven-Shaking Pill back then.
To obtain merely five Heaven-Shaking Pills, the Divine Cult had expended one in ten of its strength. Had the Unorthodox Alliance attempted it, they would likely have lost two or three in ten of theirs.
‘Unless he knows the future, it would be impossible…?’
Pungwol pondered for a moment before twisting his face in irritation.
No matter how extraordinary Youngho was, to assume he knew the future was a leap too far—even for him.
Sweat beading down his face, the Man in Black spoke cautiously.
“If we advance just a little further, the method of manufacturing the Heaven-Shaking Pill may appear. So if you would grant us a little more time….”
“On what basis?”
“…….”
“Did you not hear me? On what basis do you utter such words?”
Upon reflection, there was no real basis. The Medicine Immortal had only said that if they went a little further, there would be a method of manufacture.
If he had seemed to value human life as rumored, Pungwol might not have questioned it.
But the Medicine Immortal they had experienced firsthand was no benevolent man. He was vicious enough to dry an opponent’s blood and kill them slowly—never someone who could be called virtuous.
“If the Medicine Immortal is more malicious than I thought, then there will be no method of manufacturing the Heaven-Shaking Pill at the tomb’s end.”
“…Are you saying there was never any method to begin with?”
“Perhaps. Or perhaps the method at the end is for some ordinary medicine. The Medicine Immortal appears to enjoy wordplay.”
At those words, the Man in Black realized the truth. The Medicine Immortal had merely said that a method lay ahead—never that it was the method for making the Heaven-Shaking Pill.
At this point, the hatred he felt toward the Medicine Immortal far surpassed his fear of Pungwol.
With superhuman endurance, he clenched his teeth and suppressed his anger.
In that brief interval, Pungwol had already regained his composure. Returning to his usual demeanor, he sat down once more, picked up a new brush, and resumed his work.
“Give one Heaven-Shaking Pill to Gundo. That one has exceptional talent. Had it not been for the Mad Black Sword Ghost, he might have become a toy for that person in the future.”
“Understood.”
“I will distribute the rest myself.”
The Man in Black’s form slowly dissolved into the shadows.
A suffocating silence lingered in the room.
Gazing toward where the Unorthodox Alliance resided, Pungwol muttered,
“To think oil and water could mix… What are you planning, Mad Black Sword Ghost?”
***
“Cheon-ah.”
At the voice coming from outside, Namgung Cheon ceased swinging his sword and opened the door to the Training Ground.
“Why did you come?”
“You’re still working hard as ever. May I come in?”
Before Namgung Cheon could even grant permission, Zhuge Lianhua stepped into the Training Ground and glanced around before speaking.
“It feels especially desolate today….”
Namgung Cheon agreed with her words, yet the Training Ground itself was not truly desolate.
It was simply that both Namgung Cheon and Zhuge Lianhua were troubled at heart.
“So, what brings you here?”
His tone was as gentle as ever, but Zhuge Lianhua discerned the fatigue contained within his voice.
“The Clan Head said you’ve been overworking yourself. He asked me to at least talk with you a little and make sure you get some rest.”
“Then I’ll continue training. If you have something to say, go ahead.”
“Oh my, are you not even going to offer a guest a cup of tea after she’s come all this way?”
Watching Zhuge Lianhua speak with a soft, smiling gaze, Namgung Cheon let out a deep sigh.
“Alright. Let’s rest for a moment at the pavilion.”
Once Zhuge Lianhua sat down in the pavilion, Namgung Cheon warmed the already brewed tea with his Internal Energy and handed it to her.
“It’s not an expensive tea.”
“I know. You don’t particularly like tea.”
The two sipped in silence for a while. It was Namgung Cheon who broke the long quiet first.
“I know you didn’t come just because of that instruction. What exactly do you want to say?”
“As sharp as ever.”
“Don’t drag it out. Speak.”
“You know that an Orthodox–Unorthodox Alliance has been formed, right?”
“Of course. Even without investigating, it’s already the talk of the clan.”
“Not just the Namgung Clan. The entire world is shocked. Even the Lord of the Unorthodox Alliance, who is said to detest the Orthodox Sect, personally brought gifts and proposed forming the alliance.”
“……Was there no opposition?”
Ordinarily, that would have been an unnecessary question. But with the Demonic Cult as a common enemy, Namgung Cheon had to seek harmony with the Unorthodox Faction as much as possible.
“Of course there was.”
Zhuge Lianhua answered without the slightest hesitation, as if the question were obvious.
“It’s like trying to mix oil and water. Naturally, the shockwaves would be enormous.”
“That’s only natural….”
When Namgung Cheon gave a bitter smile, Zhuge Lianhua suddenly stretched his cheek outward.
“……What are you doing?”
“Obviously you were thinking about something pointless like eternal peace under heaven.”
“…….”
She was correct, and he found no words to refute her.
“Anyway, it was decided that there will be joint training with the Unorthodox Alliance once every three months.”
“……What?”
“You didn’t actually mishear me, did you?”
“No, it’s just so unreasonable that….”
Zhuge Lianhua let out a quiet hum before continuing.
“It seems the Alliance Lord exerted some influence.”
“Influence?”
“Simply put, money. The Unorthodox Alliance has the Gold-Blood Hall, and the Gold-Blood Hall operates under the Alliance Lord’s protection.”
“How much did they bring…?”
“Well… I heard it was roughly half of the current Murim Alliance’s assets.”
“……No wonder the Gold-Blood Hall Master is called the King of Wealth….”
“Even the Murim Alliance Leader and the Lord of the Unorthodox Alliance will attend together.”
“The distance between the Murim Alliance and the Unorthodox Alliance is considerable. They already have plenty to handle—are they really participating in something like this?”
“For the Orthodox Sect and the Unorthodox Faction to fight together isn’t a trivial vacancy. Besides… I’m sure both the Murim Alliance Leader and the Alliance Lord have capable General Overseers beneath them.”
“Hmm….”
That made some sense. In truth, most matters handled by a leader of a major faction were first reviewed by subordinates.
Even if they personally oversaw affairs only once a month, operations would not suffer greatly.
“By the way, Cheon-ah. You’re one of the faces of the alliance. So whenever the Unorthodox Faction comes, you must always attend.”
For an instant, Namgung Cheon’s hand trembled. He quickly steadied himself and looked at Zhuge Lianhua with a hardened expression.
“Will the Mad Black Sword Ghost… no, Youngho, be coming as well?”
Zhuge Lianhua’s body stiffened. An ordinary person might think she was shaken.
But Namgung Cheon knew. She was not struggling to find an answer—she was refining the answer she had already decided upon.
“……For now, they say the Mad Black Sword Ghost will not be attending.”
“…Even though the Alliance Lord will be there?”
“He’s someone the Heavenly Demon himself evaluated as a Sword God or a Martial God. He may be training extraordinary elites beyond our knowledge. Or perhaps he’s honing his own Martial Might.”
“……That’s unfortunate.”
“Why? Do you wish to receive instruction from him?”
To request guidance from someone of the same generation… Namgung Cheon let out a faint chuckle without realizing it.
Seeing that, Zhuge Lianhua spoke in a flustered tone.
“N-No, I didn’t mean to offend you.”
“I know. The Mad Black Sword Ghost is already far stronger than I am. Frankly speaking, in terms of Martial Might alone, he may well surpass even the Alliance Lord. There are even rumors that he is the only person in the world capable of stopping the Heavenly Demon.”
“Then….”
“Why am I reacting like this?”
“Mm.”
“Even with your brilliant mind, it seems you cannot figure this one out.”
Namgung Cheon’s lips parted slightly. That subtle movement only heightened the tension, drawing Zhuge Lianhua’s full attention.
“…He looked lonely.”
“…That’s it?”
“No. It always seemed as though he was being chased by something. And for someone of the Unorthodox Faction, he had a gentler side than expected. And….”
‘I strangely wanted to become closer to him.’
In the end, Namgung Cheon swallowed the final words and kept them to himself.