Chapter 99: Chapter 99
Before long, winter passed and spring arrived.
New lives, which had hidden in the solidly frozen ground waiting for their time, poked their heads out as if they had been waiting when the sunlight beat down, and sprouted green shoots.
Along with that.
Ribbit… Ribbit…
Cheon-hwi glanced at the frog that had woken from hibernation before turning his gaze forward.
Three months had passed since Zhuge Seong-hyeon and his party arrived.
While the seasons changed, Geonwondong, no, the Seven Plum Blossom Pavilions, had also changed.
“Finally, it looks somewhat decent.”
Cheon-hwi’s gaze was fixed on the Seven Plum Blossom Pavilions.
A small door was hung at the entrance, and on the wall next to it was a strangely eye-catching phrase.
[Seven Plum Blossom Pavilions]
It was something he had carved in with his sword on the first day.
‘It’s strange. I didn’t imbue it with internal energy.’
Did his unconsciously swung sword somehow imbue itself with internal energy?
Or had the Plum Blossom Divine Art become familiar to his hands and feet now?
The phrase contained a bizarre magical power that would captivate anyone who looked at it.
‘Did the Plum Blossom Divine Art have this kind of nature?’
As he stroked his chin and glared at the phrase.
“Young Hero!”
Along with the shout, Zhuge Seong-hyeon emerged from the entrance with a bright expression filling his face.
“Because we moved exactly as you said earlier, Young Hero, the array triggered.”
Zhuge Seong-hyeon’s eyes watching Cheon-hwi were filled with deep trust.
It couldn’t be helped.
He had been agonizing over the array not triggering for several days, but it was solved by his single word.
“Then is everything done?”
“The first pavilion is all finished.”
At that moment, the entrance became noisy.
“Oh my.”
“It’s finally over.”
The people of the Zhuge Clan were pouring out in a crowd while brushing off dust.
Wow, as expected of the Zhuge Clan.
He had thought it would take at least half a year to finish even the first pavilion.
There were that many mechanisms and arrays to install, and the arrays weren’t easy either.
However, it was completed faster than expected.
‘There was a reason he was so confident on the first day.’
“Then we’ll need someone to test if the first pavilion triggers properly now.”
“Haha. Testing it is fine, but.”
Zhuge Seong-hyeon half-opened his eyes.
“Not just anyone can test it.”
Oh, he seems overflowing with confidence.
“Then what level is required?”
“They would need to be at least a Peak realm expert.”
Zhuge Seong-hyeon spoke confidently.
‘Hehe, even for the Daoists of the Mount Hua Sect, passing this gate will not be easy.’
“Hmm, at least Peak realm?”
The moment he heard those words, the faces of the man and woman who waited on him quickly flashed through Cheon-hwi’s mind.
“Alright. I’ll bring them.”
About a quarter of an hour later.
“Did you call?”
“Did you call?”
Cheon-hwi looked at Jeok-geom and Seol Ran, whom he had called, and then narrowed his eyes as he looked at the party trailing behind them.
It was the Divine Physician and Princess So-hui’s party.
“Why did those people come?”
At Cheon-hwi’s tone, which sounded as if he were addressing uninvited guests, Jeok-geom smiled awkwardly.
“Haha, that is…….”
While Jeok-geom was glancing at the Divine Physician.
“I forced my way to tag along.”
The Divine Physician spoke as he pushed his body forward.
“I was curious about what you have been so busy with lately.”
Raising his head with his arms crossed, he looked back and forth between Cheon-hwi and Geonwondong, moving his beard with an annoyed expression.
‘Hmph. I wondered what you were making. To think you weren’t coming just to make such a bizarre thing.’
Since making the Dark Fragrance Pills, the Divine Physician had been voluntarily taking care of the second-generation disciples alongside the Hall of Medicine Master, growing closer to Cheon-hwi.
But suddenly, from a certain point, Cheon-hwi did not even show his face at Dorimpyeong.
“What on earth is this?”
Showing a face full of complaints, Cheon-hwi looked at the Divine Physician and replied indifferently.
“It’s a gateway.”
“A gateway……?”
Looking at the Divine Physician, who wore an expression of incomprehension, Cheon-hwi spoke as if it were a good opportunity.
“Well, this worked out perfectly. We might have some injured people, after all.”
Cheon-hwi’s gaze as he spoke headed toward Jeok-geom and Seol Ran, and meeting that gaze, the two shivered from an unknown chill.
‘Senior Brother?’
‘Junior Sister?’
Around the time the two were exchanging conversations with their eyes due to an unknown sense of anxiety.
‘No matter how many times I look, it’s fascinating.’
The expression of Zhuge Seong-hyeon, who was staring at the party that appeared, became complicated.
Just who were the people in front of him right now?
The old man with a face full of complaints was the Holy Hand Divine Physician, the world’s number one doctor who wandered the world freely regardless of Jianghu.
And next to him, the noble beauty, young girl, and young man were figures from the Imperial Family.
Furthermore, the beauty was the daughter of the Qinghai Province Lord and Princess So-hui, who carried the Emperor’s blood.
‘They are all figures far removed from Jianghu, yet they are gathered at the Mount Hua Sect.’
A strange combination that seemed entirely ill-suited no matter how one looked at it was staying at the Mount Hua Sect.
And the center of it was Cheon-hwi.
No, it wasn’t just the center.
‘To think that the Great Holy Hand Divine Physician, who was said to fear nothing in the world, and figures from the Imperial Family are walking on eggshells around Young Hero Cheon-hwi……. No, am I one to talk?’
While thinking, a hollow laugh leaked out.
If he thought about it, wouldn’t he be the most ill-suited figure here?
Have I lost my mind?
Meanwhile, Cheon-hwi looked at Zhuge Seong-hyeon, who had turned serious alone before laughing dejectedly, and said.
“Let’s test it now.”
“Y-yes!”
Startled out of his daze, Zhuge Seong-hyeon looked at the party and asked cautiously.
“By the way, who among them will enter the gateway…….”
“Jeok-geom, Seol Ran.”
Before he even finished speaking, Cheon-hwi wiggled his finger at Jeok-geom and Seol Ran.
The two quickly ran over.
“You want to become stronger, right?”
It was an out-of-the-blue question.
“Yes.”
“That is true, but.”
“If you want to become stronger, go in.”
“Will we become stronger if we go in?”
“Have I ever lied to you?”
Jeok-geom and Seol Ran looked at each other.
Then, with determined eyes, they stepped toward the entrance simultaneously.
Step… Step…
Eventually, the moment the cast darkness of the cave swallowed their bodies and they disappeared.
Rumble…
Geonwondong began to shake as if a weak earthquake had occurred, and a mystical energy poured out from within.
“Hoh, fascinating.”
“Waaah!”
“So this is an array…….”
The Divine Physician and Princess So-hui’s party, watching from afar, showed various reactions.
Hmm. It’s working properly.
It was a quite satisfying result.
‘For now, there is nothing wrong with the Road of Ten Thousand Kalpas Reincarnation (輪) created at the entrance.’
The Road of Ten Thousand Kalpas Reincarnation was an array of no return that one could enter but not leave, and he had considered it important since he planned to make the Seven Plum Blossom Pavilions.
“How many days did you set it to remain active for?”
“If they fail to pass the gateway, they will be trapped helplessly for at least ten days.”
For now, would that be enough?
There were various reasons for making the Seven Plum Blossom Pavilions, but one among them was precisely to substitute for actual combat.
But if they could just leave as they pleased?
There was no greater nonsense than that.
If that were the case, no matter how much the gateway felt like actual combat, their minds would inevitably become slack.
Therefore, for the purpose of creating tension, he made it so that they could not leave for a maximum of ten days until they passed the first plum blossom pavilion.
“However, I am a bit worried.”
Zhuge Seong-hyeon scratched the back of his head.
“I wonder if their minds will become exhausted while undergoing the trials of the gateway in a cave where they can’t even tell day from night…….”
When they first completed it, he had only been happy, but now that he thought about it, worry came first.
“On top of that, as they reach the end of the gateway, new mechanisms and arrays will trigger and further aggravate their confusion.”
The Seven Plum Blossom Pavilions was a living hell.
Since a total of seven, not one, mechanisms and arrays would unfold, perhaps most martial artists might go crazy.
“That’s a matter of just passing through.”
Cheon-hwi, who had actually designed this gateway and knew of its dangers, was indifferent.
Rather, it felt a little regrettable.
‘If possible, I wanted to make it like the Ten Heavenly Demon Gates rather than just trapping them for ten days.’
The original Ten Heavenly Demon Gates were not like this.
Either you passed or you were trapped and died.
Compared to the Ten Heavenly Demon Gates, which were a matter of choosing between only two options, the Seven Plum Blossom Pavilions was a very peaceful inferior version of the Ten Heavenly Demon Gates where a gate of life was opened.
However, it couldn’t be helped.
Not only was it self-evident that the Sect Leader would not allow it, but doing so right now would severely reduce the fighting power of the Mount Hua Sect, which was already small-scale.
‘It might not have the intensity shown by the Ten Heavenly Demon Gates, but they will still become a little stronger.’
Though they wouldn’t be put in life-threatening situations, receiving continuous trials for ten days was bound to result in growth.
‘And there are other advantages too.’
The original Ten Heavenly Demon Gates was a gateway one entered risking their life, so the number of people who challenged it multiple times could be counted on one hand.
But how were the Seven Plum Blossom Pavilions right now?
There was no threat to life.
What that meant was that as long as one had the will, they could keep entering at any time.
And that was a perfectly fitting situation for the Mount Hua Sect, which wanted to become stronger right now.
‘If they have the desire to become stronger and a competitive spirit, it will be more than enough to make them stronger.’
It would be fine even if it just went like this.
At that time.
“Huh?”
Zhuge Seong-hyeon suddenly frowned.
“What’s this? That mechanism and array should move later…….”
Wondering if something had gone terribly wrong, he hesitated with a flustered expression.
“Why is this?”
“T-Third Young Master!”
At that moment, someone shouted urgently.
Cheon-hwi and Zhuge Seong-hyeon turned their heads at the sudden shout.
From there, one of the Zhuge Clan’s party members was running over with a completely pale complexion.
Seeing him run over almost on all fours, Zhuge Seong-hyeon felt anxiety sweeping over him.
“W-what problem has occurred?”
“R-right now!”
The man nodded his head like crazy.
“The mechanisms and arrays are running wild!”
“What did you say?!”
Zhuge Seong-hyeon immediately ran in a panic.
The face of he who quickly arrived at the mechanisms and arrays installed in Geonwondong became serious.
“……!”
His pupils, watching the mechanisms and arrays moving here and there, shook immensely.
“Damn it!”
Zhuge Seong-hyeon clenched his fist.
Originally, they were mechanisms and arrays that should have proceeded in order.
But right now.
“To think they triggered all at once! I-if this happens, the two people inside are in danger!”
Biting his thumbnail with an anxious expression, Zhuge Seong-hyeon hurriedly shouted.
“What are you all doing right now! Stop it somehow!”
“T-that is…….”
The man who had reported the situation clenched his teeth and trailed off.
Watching that reaction, Zhuge Seong-hyeon’s face turned pale white.
“Don’t tell me…….”
“It’s…… not stopping.”
“……Damn it.”
Zhuge Seong-hyeon’s shoulders slumped.
He couldn’t even swear properly.
‘If they end up dying from this…….’
Everything went black before his eyes.
One wrong move, and the two people who entered could lose their lives to starvation or the berserk mechanisms and arrays.
‘If those two die, I will have crossed a river of no return.’
Thinking of the tragedy that would occur due to this incident, he felt dizzy.
‘If I’m held responsible for this…….’
Just as he recalled the worst-case scenario.
“What is it?”
A voice was heard from behind his back.
Turning his head back, Cheon-hwi, who had arrived at some unknown time, was looking at them.
“That is…….”
Zhuge Seong-hyeon, whose mind suddenly became complicated, couldn’t spit out the words before eventually letting out a groan and confessing the current situation.
“……The second installed array has gone berserk, and the mechanisms and arrays that normally should have moved in order have triggered simultaneously.”
What?
It was a more serious situation than he thought.
If it were just the mechanisms and arrays of the First Plum Blossom Pavilion, Seol Ran and Jeok-geom could have sufficiently passed it together, but with it being like this, it was a different story.
“Didn’t you say earlier that it was properly completed?”
“……I am sorry.”
Squeezing his eyes shut, Zhuge Seong-hyeon bowed his head. It was because there were no words to substitute other than an apology for this situation.
“It is all my fault.”
Still, at least he knows his fault.
Cheon-hwi glared at the back of the head of Zhuge Seong-hyeon, who was repeatedly apologizing, and quickly turned his body.
“Well, never mind for now. We will talk properly about this matter later.”
“Young Hero?”
Around the time Zhuge Seong-hyeon was flustered seeing Cheon-hwi leave without any further interrogation.
Step… Step…
Cheon-hwi walked toward the entrance.
“W-where are you going?”
“I should save them first.”
“Excuse me?”
“You cannot go in alone!”
Zhuge Seong-hyeon shouted in shock.
The Road of Ten Thousand Kalpas Reincarnation was an array that one could absolutely never escape from until the array was lifted if they entered while it was active.
But right now, it was even worse.
The Road of Ten Thousand Kalpas Reincarnation had tangled up, so it was a situation where the array couldn’t even be lifted.
‘I cannot let the Young Hero die too!’
The moment he hurriedly tried to stop Cheon-hwi.
Crack!
His body stiffened at the following sight.
The First Plum Blossom Pavilion was something they put great effort into over a long time, combining the secret methods of the Zhuge Clan with newly obtained mechanisms and arrays and absolute arrays.
At that moment, Cheon-hwi reached out his hand.
The moment he clenched his fist as if catching a bug in the air.
Crash!
The sound of glass shattering was heard, and the inside of the cave dyed in darkness was revealed.
“……!”
Zhuge Seong-hyeon’s jaw dropped.
No, it wasn’t just that.
The Zhuge Clan’s party, and the Divine Physician too.
And when Princess So-hui’s party, who were watching boredly, were swept up in astonishment.
Step…
Cheon-hwi took a step inside.
“Uwaaah!”
“Senior Brother! Dodge that way!”
So it’s that way.
Listening to the echoing shouts of the two, Cheon-hwi lightly stamped his foot.
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