Chapter 59

Chapter 59

“In the end, you are saying that you did not find out who attacked, nor who took it.”

Namgung Cheon, who had entered Hunan, came into Gunja Island and murmured as he looked around the Martial God's hidden cave.

His eyes, examining the sword marks engraved everywhere one by one, were somewhat calm, and his tone of voice was also blunt.

The remains of the Three Heavens had disappeared, and they did not know who had taken them.

Although the pursuing party of the orthodox and unorthodox factions were tracking their traces, even those disappeared at some point, so they could no longer search.

“We…… We apologize, Alliance Leader.”

The Hunan branch leader of the Murim Alliance bowed his head deeply.

He was overwhelmed by self-reproach, thinking that if he had been a little wiser, things would not have come to this.

In the end, neither the orthodox path nor the Heavenly Demon Sect gained anything, and they had only done a good deed for someone else.

At that moment, Zhuge Un, the chief strategist of the Murim Alliance, muttered.

“It is not the unorthodox path. Since we were watching their movements from the beginning. If so, what remains is either one of the undisclosed forces, or the outer realms…….”

At those words, Namgung Cheon stroked the sword marks engraved on the wall with his hand and smiled.

“Or it might be the Heavenly Demon Sect.”

“Pardon?”

“……!?”

Everyone around him was startled.

Not to mention the branch leader of the Murim Alliance, even Zhuge Un.

Even Namgung Sohye, who was bowing her head, raised her eyes instantly. For the words that came out of Namgung Cheon's mouth were that shocking.

The Heavenly Demon Sect? The Heavenly Demon Sect?

No one had thought of such a thing.

“It is a hypothesis, a hypothesis. But what is visible is not everything…… Haven't I told you repeatedly.”

“……I did not think of that. We will investigate that side together as well.”

Zhuge Un bowed his head with an impressed look in his eyes.

Namgung Cheon.

A member of the Namgung Clan, which was called the top of the Eight Great Families.

His skill, which made him called the Sword Emperor, was already among the best in the Central Plains, and it was said that no one could match his extraordinary brain and foresight that looked ahead.

It was fortunate that such a person was the Alliance Leader.

That was why they could follow him even more.

‘There is not much time left, though…….’

Zhuge Un let out a deep sigh.

There was not much time left until the election of the new Alliance Leader of the Murim Alliance.

It was he who commanded the Murim Alliance with just the title of Sword Emperor and prevented even some people from doing foolish things, but if he stepped down from the position of Alliance Leader and a new person was elected, the Murim Alliance would become quite chaotic.

Thinking of that, his head already throbbed.

“By the way, Alliance Leader, these sword marks are……”

“They are useless. It looks as if they were overlaid to erase someone's traces. It will be impossible to obtain anything here.”

Namgung Cheon put on a bitter smile.

Although he thought he was living a life that did not envy others as one of the Five Emperors, he also had at least one worry that others did not know about.

Being blocked by a wall and not being able to break through it.

Since he had not been able to cross it for more than ten years, how frustrated must his heart be?

So when he heard that they had found the Martial God's hidden cave, he too could not contain his joy, but when he actually came to visit, it was completely useless.

A small sigh escaped from his mouth.

* * *

Trickle…

Two people were standing blankly.

Behind the manor.

On that small hill, Gwon Mu-jin and Jang Sam-tae were standing blankly.

It was not known what they were trying to do, or why they were here, but their expressions were all so extraordinary that it seemed as if they were about to experience something big.

“Seeing that he called us to a place like this, it must surely be a big deal, right?”

Jang Sam-tae swallowed dry saliva.

The one who had called them to this place was none other than Dan Woo-hyun. Since he had never called the two of them at the same time until now, he thought they might hear or learn something important.

“Probably so, I suppose.”

“Hehe, he must have been watching our active performance on Gunja Island. So he wants to teach us a better martial art……”

“You're acting ridiculous.”

“What?”

Gwon Mu-jin sighed softly and shook his head.

He also had the same expectation as Jang Sam-tae. For they had shown outstanding skills on Gunja Island.

However, since he was in front of Jang Sam-tae, he could not bring himself to smile and had to manage his facial expression, so it was quite hard to suppress his joy.

The corners of his mouth twitched invisibly.

“Or maybe he got something from the Martial God's hidden cave and wants to give it to us!”

“Haha…… Ahem! That cannot be true. Our Lord has never entered that place.”

“Hmph! He is our Lord Manor Leader, after all! Entering without the Murim Alliance or the Heavenly Demon Sect guys knowing would be a piece of cake.”

Gwon Mu-jin could not bring himself to refute.

Indeed, if it was Dan Woo-hyun, he was fully capable of doing so.

It was then.

Step, step…

The sound of someone approaching toward where the two were was heard. When they quickly turned their heads and looked there, they saw Dan Woo-hyun coming up.

In one hand, a bottle of Sohongju, which seemed to be quite expensive, was held, and in his other hand, he was carrying something wrapped in a large cloth.

Dan Woo-hyun stopped blankly and looked at the two of them.

“Are you here?”

“Yes! Lord!”

“Hehe, I have been waiting.”

“I apologize for making you wait. I had a little work to do.”

His expression was still not visible, but his tone of voice seemed to contain trust in the two of them. Also, receiving that gaze, their hearts trembled of their own accord.

It really seemed that he was going to show or give them something.

Indeed, since they had worked for Dan Woo-hyun that much, they deserved to receive one.

At that moment, Dan Woo-hyun threw what he had been holding in his hand onto the ground.

“What is this?”

“Open it.”

It was finally here!

Jang Sam-tae's face brightened. There was definitely something in this. The moment they opened it, it would surely be something so great that their eyes would spin.

This man, while saying he was taking a nap, must have looted the hidden cave.

Grin, grin…

Continually curling up the corners of his mouth, he removed the cloth together with Gwon Mu-jin.

Soon, the eyes of the two widened in surprise.

“W-What is this?”

Flustered, the one who opened his mouth first was none other than Gwon Mu-jin. He stared intently at the things before his eyes and then watched Dan Woo-hyun's face, which was extremely calm.

However, this person tilted his head without changing his expression even a little.

“A shovel, do you not know what a shovel is?”

“……Ah, I know. But why to us……?”

Unlike how they had thought it would be something incredible, it was just a shovel. It meant it was a tool made to dig the ground.

Is this the legendary shovel that came out of the hidden cave?

Did the Martial God do something holding this shovel?

The minds of Gwon Mu-jin and Jang Sam-tae were tangled up in an instant.

However, regardless of what the two were thinking, Dan Woo-hyun, who did not even care, gave a smirk and opened his mouth.

“Dig.”

“Pardon?”

“I said dig the ground.”

“……A-Are you serious?”

“Then would it be a lie?”

Jang Sam-tae felt his head throb. Looking at that tone of voice and that behavior, there was truly not a single falsehood.

He was telling them to dig the ground in all seriousness.

Is this also a kind of training?

Jang Sam-tae and Gwon Mu-jin looked at each other. However, the two, who did not have the courage to leave the place, just quietly picked up the shovels and began to dig the ground.

In that way, about half a double-hour passed.

Jang Sam-tae, who was silently digging to a depth of about half a zhang, spoke while watching Dan Woo-hyun's reaction.

“I-Is this enough?”

“Dig deeper and wider. I would like it to exceed one zhang.”

The moment he heard that, Jang Sam-tae was dumbfounded.

It took half a double-hour just to dig half a zhang.

Since the ground was so hard and stones were embedded everywhere, digging was quite difficult.

‘Damn it! Why doesn't he do it himself!’

It was a sentence he could not bring himself to speak out loud.

As another half a double-hour passed like that, the two crawled out of the deeply dug place, drenched in sweat.

Going up was also quite difficult, so before they knew it, their whole bodies were covered in dirt.

“Pant…… Pant…… It…… It is all done.”

“It is not bad.”

“For that…… Well, th-thank you.”

With the corners of his mouth trembling, Jang Sam-tae clenched his fists. If Dan Woo-hyun had not been strong, he would have punched him once.

That was how shocking today's work was.

At that moment, Dan Woo-hyun's voice was heard.

“Sam-tae.”

“Why again?!”

Suddenly, gasp! He inhaled a false breath. At the words calling him out of nowhere, the words he was uttering inwardly came out. He saw Gwon Mu-jin's gaze looking at him in horror.

Whack!

“Ouch!”

“Think before you speak.”

“He…… Hehe…… O-Of course. S-So, what is the matter?”

“Carefully bring what is hidden in the bushes over there.”

‘What on earth is in the bushes?’

Although nothing was visible, since it was Dan Woo-hyun's words, there had to be something.

Jang Sam-tae slowly approached there and examined the surroundings, but no traces of anything being there were visible.

“Reach out your hand.”

At those words, Jang Sam-tae reached out his hand.

At the same time, he felt something being touched.

Surprised, his eyes widened greatly, but he soon realized the fact that this was a formation and maintained a calm mind.

As he slowly pulled it out.

“Gasp?!”

Three remains revealed their appearance.

It was not that he did not know whose remains they were. For they had been to Gunja Island, and that was a place where three corpses called the Three Heavens surely existed.

As he looked at Dan Woo-hyun with an absurd gaze, he closed his eyes tightly and muttered.

“Bury them.”

Looking at the burial mound that was built before they knew it, Dan Woo-hyun sat down in front of it. Without anyone being able to ask any questions, they just had to watch Dan Woo-hyun's actions.

The atmosphere was that solemn.

Dan Woo-hyun poured alcohol over the built burial mound.

“It was the alcohol they liked the most.”

The alcohol these three liked the most was precisely Sohongju. Although the taste had changed from that of a thousand years ago, it was enough to bring back old memories.

“I never thought I would pour alcohol for you like this.”

Dan Woo-hyun put a self-mocking smile on his lips. He had thought that if someone died, he would go first, but looking back, they had gone first and he was still remaining.

Indeed, the world does not go as one intends.

Trickle!

He poured a cup for himself and poured three cups one by one over the burial mound. Dan Woo-hyun also drank a cup and did not leave the front of the burial mound in silence.

Jang Sam-tae and Gwon Mu-jin, who were watching that, felt a strange sensation. This Dan Woo-hyun in front of their eyes now felt as if he would disappear if they reached out their hands.

Moreover, even the tone of voice he uttered.

‘As if he knew the Three Heavens…….’

Gwon Mu-jin and Jang Sam-tae had such thoughts and tilted their heads. How could a person of the present generation know someone from a thousand years ago?

That question was not resolved at all.

However, they did not open their mouths to ask questions and just watched.

It was because Dan Woo-hyun's appearance looked that lonely and desolate.

At that moment, Jang Sam-tae stepped forward.

“May I also pour you a cup?”

“Haha, try it.”

Somehow, he felt like he had to do this.

Because today, Dan Woo-hyun's back looked exceptionally lonely.

Jang Sam-tae poured and filled three cups and poured them over the burial mound.

At the same time, the moment he also drank a cup holding the Sohongju.

Thump!

“Pfft!”

The Sohongju that was in his mouth squirted out.

Dan Woo-hyun's hand had lightly struck his abdomen.

Soon, a cold gaze shot toward him.

“Who told you to drink?”

‘Damn it!’

Jang Sam-tae put on a crying face.

The opportunity to drink the expensive Sohongju flew away.