Chapter 109: A Thief Enters (1)
So-mu stared with shining eyes at Captain Song Gyeom of the volunteer army.
“What were those bastards doing in the cave?”
“The volunteer who survived was stationed thirty zhang away, so… he couldn’t see what was inside. However, he said the smell of rotting corpses drifted all the way outside the cave.”
It was an ominous sign. He had to go and check for himself.
“Would they still be there?”
“We aren’t sure. Our volunteers didn’t dare to return.”
Jang-yang nodded and said, “You did well. Our government forces will look into it.”
“Yes, please be careful. They are said to be highly skilled in martial arts, as twenty of our men were cut down in an instant.”
“Thank you. If you ever face difficulties, feel free to let us know.”
“Yes, General. Since you are busy, we will take our leave.”
The volunteer leaders saluted and left.
Jang-yang and So-mu remained, pondering the matter.
“The smell of rotting corpses in a cave… and whose corpses would those be? Since it’s nothing honorable, we must find the truth and stop it.”
“I will go and check.”
Jang-yang looked worried. “We don’t know the level of the enemy or their numbers. Just in case, why don’t you take the Wolf Fang Squad with you?”
“I will scout first, and if the situation is difficult, I will do so.”
After a moment of thought, Jang-yang nodded. Since he trusted So-mu’s judgment, there was no reason to stop him.
“Since it’s not far, it won’t take long. When will you depart?”
“It’s not a matter to delay. I will stop by the barracks and leave immediately.”
“Do not overexert yourself alone, and please be safe. If anything happens to the hero of Shaanxi, many will grieve.”
So-mu smiled faintly and nodded.
“Do not worry, General.”
Bidding Jang-yang farewell, So-mu headed toward the Wolf Fang Squad barracks.
Although he wasn’t certain, he had a suspicion. If he was correct, wearing his military uniform could be risky.
As expected, only Il-gwang was meditating inside the barracks. So-mu took off his military uniform, changed into civilian clothes, and asked, “Did you gain any enlightenment?”
Without opening his eyes, Il-gwang grumbled, “No. For a blockhead like me to gain enlightenment, I’m going crazy. Tell me how you did it.”
No one in the army could match Il-gwang’s obsession with martial arts. He seemed ready to stay in the barracks and meditate until he died unless he gained enlightenment.
“Imagine the universe in your mind. And within that vast space and time, imagine your existence as a speck of dust.”
“Keep talking.”
“Free your body and mind within the universe.”
“How?”
“You are the master of your body and your mind, so why should it be impossible? If you realize that truth, you can bring changes to the universe at your own will.”
Il-gwang did not answer. However, seeing his body vibrate slightly, it seemed he had caught a clue.
His change of clothes complete, So-mu headed out, murmuring one last thing.
“It is because you yourself are the universe. Therefore, all the void controlled by the universe is your space, and you can utilize it as if it were your own.”
An expert who had reached the Profound Realm had explained it in simple terms. What greater fated encounter could there be?
The rest depended on his talent. If he succeeded, he would enter the Flower Realm.
‘If enlightenment were proportional to intelligence, scholars would be the strongest experts under heaven. Given Il-gwang’s talent, it is entirely possible.’
Emerging from the barracks, So-mu had transformed into a martial artist wearing a robe and a bamboo hat.
He had one more place to visit.
Walking through the streets of Chang’an, he headed toward Yeonhwadang. Since he had made his presence known from afar, she was waiting for him at the door. With her arms crossed, Yeon Seo-hwa looked at him haughtily.
“You visit often during the day lately.”
“Haha. Does that mean you dislike it?”
“Hmph, who said I disliked it? You must have a reason for visiting at this hour.”
“I came because I missed you, Yeon-mae.”
Yeon Seo-hwa scanned So-mu up and down suspiciously.
“In that attire?”
Embarrassed, So-mu grinned and asked, “Shall we go for a walk together?”
Since she had no plans today, she had nothing to do. So-mu and Yeon Seo-hwa left Chang’an Fortress and dashed toward their destination.
“I guess walks are done with light movement lately?”
“It’s been a while since we ran together like this. Isn’t it nice?”
“That may be, but tell me what’s going on.”
“Some volunteers were killed in a cave near Mount Huiyang.”
Yeon Seo-hwa looked puzzled.
“Aren’t all the Hui troops in Shaanxi dead?”
“We don’t know who the culprit is yet. But they say the smell of rotting corpses drifts from the cave. Why would experts hold out there?”
Pondering, she asked, “Hmm… do you think it is related to demonic arts?”
“Of course, I know the Demonic Cult doesn’t practice such martial arts anymore. But with your knowledge, Yeon-mae, you might see something I missed.”
Who would dislike being praised for their knowledge? A faint smile appeared on her face.
“At least you know.”
Fifty li was not a short distance for ordinary people, but for them, it was a mere stroll.
Ten minutes later, they arrived at their destination. So-mu had already received the general location from Captain Song Gyeom.
“It should be around here.”
Yeon Seo-hwa crossed her arms and examined their surroundings. Since it was difficult to detect presence inside a cave, they had trouble locating it.
After a while, she spotted something and pointed.
“Over there.”
“Eh? How do you know?”
“It is a symbol the Demonic Cult uses for secret hideouts.”
An inverted cross was faintly engraved on the cliff face. It was clearly a man-made mark.
“I knew bringing you along was the right choice, Yeon-mae.”
Yeon Seo-hwa tilted her chin proudly, pleased with the praise.
Approaching the cliff face, she released her internal energy.
“The interior is definitely hollow.”
“Then we only need to find the entrance.”
Keeping their presence sealed, they continued along the cliff. Before long, the putrid smell of rotting corpses drifted to their noses.
“Ugh! Did you have to bring me to a place like this?”
“An Extreme Demon expert can hold their breath for a quarter of an hour, right?”
“Make sure to finish it within that time.”
The senses of superhuman experts were far more refined than those of ordinary people, making the torment of the stench even worse. They quickened their steps to finish the task quickly.
Soon, they found the entrance to the cave. From inside, the sound of whispering voices could be heard.
So-mu raised his hand, signaling her to wait, so they could listen to the conversation.
“Damn it! How much longer do we have to do this?”
“On our side, we only need to kidnap fifty more people to finish.”
“Did you say she is coming tonight?”
“Yes, so we must go and kidnap them now if we don’t want to be late.”
“Curse it… what kind of madness is that old woman committing in her old age?”
“Just bear with it. Once it’s finished, she promised to hand over all the ultimate martial arts manuals of the Cult.”
“Are those still intact? The Spirit Cult bastards didn’t take them?”
“They are hidden in a place only the executives know. Anyway, once Mother Eunhwa completes the Demonic Soul-Killing Claw, no one under heaven will be able to match her.”
“Why on earth is she practicing such a heinous martial art that was banned even within the Cult?”
“I don’t know either. She said there are a couple she must kill.”
“I wonder who reduced the great Mother Eunhwa to such a state. By the way, how much time is left?”
“Ten days. If she doesn’t absorb the essence of a thousand people within that time, it will all go to waste.”
Yeon Seo-hwa poked So-mu’s waist from behind, signaling him to finish quickly since they had heard enough. There were six presences inside. All of them were first-class experts, but they were at a level the Wolf Fang Squad members could defeat in one-on-one combat.
There was no need to hide anymore. So-mu and Yeon Seo-hwa blocked the entrance and stepped inside. The six men clad in black gasped in shock.
“Wh-who are you?”
“Who are you bastards?!”
They were startled that anyone could approach the entrance without their knowledge.
The sight inside was horrific. Over a hundred mangled corpses were scattered about, all of them shriveled up as if their essence had been drained.
Unlike the furious So-mu, Yeon Seo-hwa seemed to understand the situation. Her irritation had reached its limit due to the stench. She released a terrifying demonic energy toward the men in black.
Boom!
“Ugh!”
“Gah!”
Overwhelmed by her presence, they flinched.
“Who are we? You don’t even recognize your Cult Leader’s face.”
The men in black retreated in panic.
“The… Jade Flower Saintess?”
“How are you…”
If she was the Jade Flower Saintess, their chances of survival were zero. And the man who had accompanied her blocked even that sliver of hope.
“I am known as the Sword Saint. I wonder if you’ve heard of me.”
As So-mu opened his right hand, his sword unsheathed itself and floated into the air.
Clang.
Seeing him grip the sword, the men in black realized it was no lie. Despair filled their eyes.
“Th-this is madness…”
“What kind of terrible luck is this…”
“Mother’s words were true…?”
To think the Sword Saint and the Jade Flower Saintess had appeared together. It was the worst possible situation, one they couldn’t believe. They now understood why Mother Eunhwa was desperately trying to master the Demonic Soul-Killing Claw.
So-mu glanced at Yeon Seo-hwa and asked, “Is there a need to capture and question them?”
“We already heard all the necessary information. I want to leave this place quickly, so just finish it.”
“Four for me, two for you?”
Yeon Seo-hwa shook her head.
“Three and three.”
They were discussing how many to take. The men in black understood, and though they felt indignant, terror took precedence.
The leader of the group raised his sword, emitting sword qi.
“This is the end. Let us die with honor.”
A cold smile appeared on Yeon Seo-hwa’s face.
“Honor? What nonsense.”
Simultaneously, her figure shot forward like lightning.
Enveloped in a dark current, her hands unleashed the Black Dragon Divine Palm. Facing her onslaught, the men in black fell one by one in their final struggle.
Crack! Crunch! Thud!
“Ugh!”
“Gah!”
Desperate to leave the place, she showed no mercy. Overwhelmed by her presence, the men in black collapsed in an instant without being able to offer any decent resistance.
Although she had finished them off quickly, So-mu was a step faster.
“I won this time.”
“You must be at least that good to be my husband. Let’s speak outside. I feel like I’m going to faint.”
The two quickly emerged from the cave and breathed in the fresh air. Yeon Seo-hwa pointed to the cave and said, “They are the Black Mist Guard of the Cult, created when the old woman was the Cult Leader. It seems they fled without surrendering to the Spirit Cult.”
“How many are there?”
“About a hundred. They were arrogant because they had the old woman’s backing. I wanted to deal with them eventually, so this is a good opportunity.”
“Indeed, it was related to Mother Eunhwa. To think she came all the way here… and she mentioned the Demonic Soul-Killing Claw?”
“Yes. I read records that the seventh Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult threw the martial world into terror after mastering this art. It is a forbidden technique that can only be completed by absorbing the essence of a thousand people within a month.”
So-mu frowned.
“This means she has already kidnapped and killed at least several hundred innocent people. And she is doing the same elsewhere.”
“Only the old woman and the designated members know the hidden hideouts.”
He shuddered at Mother Eunhwa’s vicious deeds. Although he had faced many demonic martial artists, he had never seen such a villain.
After composing his thoughts, he asked, “You said she is coming here tonight, right?”
“I heard it clearly. It seems we finally have a chance to capture the old woman.”
They looked around. Being in the mountains, there were plenty of places to ambush. So-mu pointed to a suitable spot and said, “Let’s hide there for now, and once she enters, we’ll block the entrance and capture her.”