chapter 276

The net of heaven is never loose (1)

The fire had gone out, but the intense heat was still burning the ground.

Whoosh!

A gust of wind carried the scorching heat directly to them. However, neither Go Jeon-ok nor the martial artists of the Jade Heaven Alliance felt the heat.

It was because of the martial artist who had appeared with the hot wind.

With every step he took, the blackened ground spewed dark dust. But the swirling dust never touched his body; it circled in the distance before dissipating like mist.

Go Jeon-ok squinted his eyes.

The dust was like fog, obscuring the martial artist’s face.

He focused his internal energy into his eyes. Then the previously blurry face of the man became clear.

‘Mm!’

A faint gasp escaped his lips.

Go Jeon-ok’s eyes were shaking violently, as if an earthquake had struck. Seeing Go Jeon-ok’s reaction, Gyeong Chu-wol wore a puzzled expression.

‘Who could he be?’

The Go Jeon-ok he knew was never someone who was easily shaken.

Having clawed his way up from the bottom, he possessed a strong mind and nerves of steel. Why else would Yong Cheon-myeong, the Young master of the Jade Heaven Alliance, trust him and keep him by his side?

Gyeong Chu-wol also joined forces with Go Jeon-ok for that reason.

In the several years he’d known Go Jeon-ok, it was the first time he’d seen him so visibly shaken.

Naturally, Gyeong Chu-wol widened his eyes and focused his gaze on the man who had arrived.

At that moment, Go Jeon-ok’s trembling voice was heard.

“Lee… Gwak?”

Go Jeon-ok clenched his fists tightly and looked at the man walking towards him.

He was tall, with normal-looking features and eyes.

Though darker than before, he was unmistakably Lee Gwak.

‘Lee Gwak?’

Gyeong Chu-wol tilted his head.

It was a name he had definitely heard somewhere before. But he could no longer pay attention to Lee Gwak, because he saw the ugly man following behind him.

‘Ki Jin-hwi?’

He widened his eyes.

Ki Jin-hwi, who had been struck by the “100 days cursed dream” spell, was approaching in a perfectly normal state.

‘The curse shouldn’t be lifted yet. How…?’

The 100 Days Cursed Dream was the spell he was most proud of. Anyone who fell under it would be trapped in a dream world for at least a hundred days, and even a master of curses wouldn’t be able to escape easily. So Gyeong Chu-wol naturally thought that Ki Jin-hwi wouldn’t be able to escape the dream.

Just as he recognized Ki Jin-hwi, Ki Jin-hwi also recognized Gyeong Chu-wol.

“Chu-wol!”

‘shit!’

Thud!

In an instant, Gyeong Chu-wol vanished.

Casting an invisibility spell, he disappeared without a trace.

“Do you think I’ll let you escape?”

Ki Jin-hwi scattered his hand toward the air. Then, dozens of talismans flew out from his sleeve.

Most of the talismans hovered in the air and fell powerlessly, but one of them stuck precisely to Gyeong Chu-wol’s left arm.

At that moment, Gyeong Chu-wol’s concealed figure was revealed for all to see.

Under the deeply pressed hat, his gaping mouth clearly showed how stunned he was.

‘A Marking Curse?’

Gyeong Chu-wol bit his lip.

The Marking Curse was a kind of scar. No matter what method was used, it couldn’t be erased for at least a month.

The sorcerer who cast the Curse of Marking could sense the scar. In other words, for at least a month, the target could be tracked under any circumstances.

“Shit!”

Gyeong Chu-wol drew a dagger from his chest and hurled it at Ki-Jin-hwi.

The dagger, engraved with a single eye on its handle, was a magical tool that Gyeong Chu-wol had painstakingly crafted.

The Poisonous Blade.

True to its name, the blade was soaked in deadly poison for killing. It was also engraved with the Curse of Pursuit.

Once a target was set, it would fly like a sword controlled by the mind.

Like an arrow, the Poisonous Blade flew straight towards Ki-Jin-hwi.

Ki Jin-hwi leapt back, but the dagger chased after him precisely, as if it had eyes

At that moment, Ki Jin-hwi pulled out a fan from his bosom.

Like the feathers of a peacock, it was a fan adorned with dozens of eye patterns.

Heavenly Wind Peacock Fan

It was a magical tool that Ki Jin-hwi had devoted his heart and soul into crafting.

He had been creating it ever since he joined the Jade Heaven Alliance, investing over ten years.

One of the many eyes drawn on the Heavenly Wind Peacock Fan opened.

The eye stared directly at the Poisonous Blade.

Flash!

A strong light burst forth from the eye of the Heavenly Wind Peacock Fan

In an instant, the Poisonous Blade, which had been pursuing Ki Jin-hwi, lost its power and fell to the ground.

“Gasp!”

Seeing this scene, Gyeong Chu-wol couldn’t hide his astonishment.

He hadn’t expected his Poisonous Blade to be neutralized so effortlessly.

The Heavenly Wind Peacock Fan had dozens of sorceries that Ki Jin-hwi could perform engraved onto it. While it had no power on its own and couldn’t be used by others, it allowed Ki Jin-hwi to perform his sorcery more easily.

The Heavenly Wind Peacock Fan was a magical tool solely for Ki Jin-hwi.

Swish!

“Haap!”

Ki Jin-hwi swung the Heavenly Wind Peacock Fan and charged toward Gyeong Chu-wol.

Gyeong Chu-wol didn’t even dare to resist and decided to flee.

Ki Jin-hwi chased after him, using the Wind Spirit Arts.

Originally, Ki Jin-hwi was extremely reluctant to use spells in front of people. Because spells were such an alien art, and those who didn’t know might denounce it as witchcraft. However, Gyeong Chu-wol was not an easy opponent that could be subdued without revealing his true skills.

He didn’t know what method he used, but Gyeong Chu-wol had learned to unlock the hidden seal of the Chaos Illuminating Spells. If he couldn’t subdue him now, it would be even harder to subdue him later.

‘With the Marking Curse on him, he won’t escape me.’

Quickening his pace, Ki-Jin-hwi gave chase.

The two disappeared from sight in moments, but no one paid attention to them.

All eyes, including those of Go Jeon-ok and the martial artists of the Jade Heaven Alliance, were focused solely on Lee Gwak. Such was the overwhelming presence of Lee Gwak.

The corners of Go Jeon-ok’s eyes quivered.

Lee Gwak was staring straight at him.

His gaze, heavy and deep as the ocean, was not only oppressive but frightening.

Go Jeon-ok carefully opened his mouth.

“Lee… Gwak!”

“It’s been a long time.”

“How did you…?”

“You haven’t changed at all.”

“……”

Go Jeon-ok deeply furrowed his brows.

He thought for a moment what Lee Gwak’s words meant. But the more he thought about it, the less pleasant it sounded.

He felt as if something was stuck in his throat; he felt irritated.

He didn’t know why Lee Gwak had appeared at this moment. But one thing was certain.

Lee Gwak’s feelings toward him weren’t friendly.

Naturally, Go Jeon-ok’s tone became harsher.

“I don’t know why you’ve come here, but step aside. Lee Gwak! I don’t have time to deal with you right now.”

“Because of the Thousand Kingdom School?”

“Lee Gwak!”

“You destroyed countless homes to hunt down just a few people?”

“Watch your mouth, Lee Gwak! It might seem trivial to you, but to me, it was more important than anything else.”

“Jeon-ok! Because of your reckless decision, countless people’s homes have been destroyed, and lives have been lost. How do you intend to repay that sin?”

“Sin? Heh heh! Gwak, Sometimes I wonder if you’re out of touch with reality. The price of sin is paid by those without power. I’m not so powerless as to pay for my sins. As the head of the Dark Moon Pavilion, who dares to question my sins?”

Go Jeon-ok snorted.

Lee Gwak’s gaze became even more somber.

The old Go Jeon-ok at least knew how to deal with the people around him. He was good at dealing with people because his ambition was great.

But the current Go Jeon-ok was greatly different from the one Lee Gwak knew.

He no longer cared about others’ opinions. Or rather, he didn’t need to. As the Lord of Dark Moon Pavilion of the Jade Heaven Alliance, he had enough power to easily wipe out a mid-sized sect in the Jianghu.

With such power and authority, there was no need to heed others.

Go Jeon-ok had suppressed his desires all this time for the sake of advancement. But after becoming the pavilion lord, he no longer restrained himself.

The result was the Great Fire of Chaohu.

On his way here, Lee Gwak had extinguished the fires he could see, but the flames had spread over such a vast area that it was too much for one person to handle.

Already, thousands of households had been destroyed, and he didn’t know when the fire would be fully extinguished.

At least thousands of people had lost their homes and hundreds had died in the fire.

Despite causing such a catastrophe, Go Jeon-ok felt little guilt.

The sight broke Lee Gwak’s heart.

“Whew!”

Lee Gwak let out a deep sigh.

That sight irritated Go Jeon-ok.

“You didn’t come all this way just to say such trivial things, did you? I don’t know what your business is, but step aside for a moment. I have more urgent matters now.”

Go Jeon-ok’s gaze shifted to Namgung Jin, who was lying on the ground.

Having been struck by the Deadly Soul Sucking Needles, Namgung Jin was barely circulating his internal energy to protect his heart meridian.

Go Jeon-ok intended to finish him off completely to eliminate any future threats.

“Ugh!”

Sensing Go Jeon-ok’s killing intent, Namgung Jin struggled. But deeply poisoned, he couldn’t move his limbs as he wished.

At that moment, Lee Gwak stepped in front of Namgung Jin.

Instantly, Go Jeon-ok’s expression hardened. He knew all too well what Lee Gwak’s action meant.

“Are you… trying to stop me?”

“Yes.”

“Your friend?”

“……”

“We are friends, aren’t we?”

“We used to be.”

“You’re saying we’re not now?”

Go Jeon-ok’s face twisted unpleasantly.

Even seeing his expression, Lee Gwak neither affirmed nor denied. Go Jeon-ok was not unaware of what that meant.

“You’re betraying me like this? Me, your friend?”

“Jeon-ok!, did you ever once think of me as a true friend?”

“…….”

“I doubt it. You only kept me around as a ‘friend’ because it suited your needs. You were always searching for someone to serve as a stepping stone for your ambitions, and I was just another one of those stepping stones.”

Lee Gwak spoke calmly, his expression unchanged.

Go Jeon-ok raised his voice, feigning hurt, but Lee Gwak knew it was only wounded pride.

Unable to respond, Go Jeon-ok fell silent. No matter how shameless he was, he couldn’t deny the truth, piercing his heart like a dagger.

“So, it’s come to this, after all.”

Go Jeon-ok let out a long sigh.

He had anticipated that one day, he and Lee Gwak might cross swords, though he never imagined it would be today.

A faint killing intent glimmered in Go Jeon-ok’s eyes as he looked at Lee Gwak.

“You should’ve pretended not to see this and walked away. Then at least you wouldn’t be dying today. Remember, you brought this disaster upon yourself, so don’t blame me.”

Go Jeon-ok raised his hand.

Around him, martial artists dressed in blue battle robes of the Dark Moon Pavilion closed in.

During the years since becoming Pavilion Lord, Go Jeon-ok didn’t sit idle.

He had recruited renowned masters not only from the Jade Heaven Alliance but also from outside. The number of martial artists he had enlisted with promises of wealth and glory exceeded several hundred, and among them were many with formidable reputations in the Jianghu.

After becoming the lord of the Dark Moon Pavilion, he had devoted three whole years to strengthening his forces, and as a result, he now had the strongest power at his disposal.

Go Jeon-ok trusted the martial artists positioned behind him.

No matter how strong Lee Gwak was, he was alone.

There was only so much an individual could do alone. That’s why masters who had reached great heights formed sects or built clans to expand their influence.

Even though Lee Gwak could see the numerous martial artists gathering around Go Jeon-ok, there wasn’t a hint of wavering in his expression. That only served to worsen Go Jeon-ok’s mood.

At that moment, Go Jeon-ok noticed a small boy and a young woman behind Lee Gwak.

The young woman was Namgung Yeon-hwa, the younger sister of Namgung Jin, and the boy was Lee Gwak’s son, Lee Cheong.

Lee Gwak suddenly looked at Lee Cheong.

“Cheong-ah!”

“Yes, Father.”

“It’s dangerous, so step back.”

“Yes!”

Without hesitation, Lee Cheong nodded.

Lee Gwak’s expression was stern.

Lee Cheong was still young.

In his heart, he didn’t want to show Lee Cheong a bloody fight. He wanted him to live a leisurely life away from the Jianghu. But Lee Gwak knew best that that was impossible.

As Lee Gwak’s child, whether he liked it or not, Lee Cheong had to live in the Jianghu. He also possessed an unusual talent, and for him, blood was inevitable.

If he couldn’t avoid it, he would rather let him realize it early.

The destiny of those who wield swords.

The mindset required in the Jianghu.

A father was a mirror for his son.

What Lee Cheong would realize by looking into that mirror was entirely up to him.

As Lee Cheong stepped back, Namgung Yeon-hwa, who had been watching for an opportunity, approached Namgung Jin.

“Brother!”

She gave Namgung Jin the medicine she had received from Lee Gwak beforehand.

Even while watching this, Go Jeon-ok took no action. He trusted in the power of the Deadly Soul Sucking Needles, and he didn’t have the leisure to pay attention to them now.

His opponent was Lee Gwak.

The man who had shaken the Jianghu under the nickname Sura Blade.

He couldn’t even guess how much stronger Lee Gwak had become in the three years since they last met.

Just by seeing how he had extinguished the flames in the area in an instant, it was easy to guess that he had become even stronger than before.

Go Jeon-ok issued a cruel command.

“Eliminate him.”