Chapter 53

Chapter 53

Namgung Sohye, who had rushed to Agyang, dashed toward the Murim Alliance branch.

Although it was a considerable distance, she chose only the fastest routes, not even minding sleeping outdoors as she hurried along.

That was how urgent the situation was.

'The Martial God?'

Even while running, Namgung Sohye's mind was complicated.

Of course, she had heard the legend that there was someone who held the title of the Martial God.

At that time, when the system of orthodox and unorthodox was not even properly established, he was the figure who rose to the very peak of that Murim, which was no different from a crucible of chaos.

The one who was said to have died at the hands of the Eight Immortals after slaying tens of thousands of martial artists at the end.

She had also heard stories about the Martial God in her childhood.

But a legend was just a legend.

She had thought it was merely something spewed by people who liked to talk. How could someone rise to the absolute peak of that Murim where the Three Heavens existed?

They even said he cut down tens of thousands of people?

That was absolutely not something a single person could achieve.

Realistically, it was an impossible task.

Until now, many people had thought so, and Namgung Sohye shared the same opinion. It was nothing more than a fabricated story passed down like a legend.

However.

A secret cave?

'Even so, why are the corpses of the Three Heavens there?'

Unbelievable things poured out one after another.

The Three Heavens referred to the two experts representing orthodox and unorthodox, and a woman whose affiliation was unknown but who possessed power similar to those two.

They could be called the highest peaks of the Murim at that time.

Except for Namjuryeon, the other two had their respective affiliations, so the Martial God, who was said to have cut down tens of thousands of martial artists, must have been their enemy.

Yet their corpses appeared in the secret cave of the Martial God?

She couldn't help but think that someone had set a trap.

'A little faster!'

Namgung Sohye spurred her horse even harder.

She had to investigate before something happened.

* * *

"The Martial God's secret cave?!"

Gwon Mu-jin, who had been sitting, jumped to his feet, his expression hardening.

Looking at Namgung Sohye's expression, he had thought that something went wrong, but this was no simple matter.

The one who was only passed down in legends.

The one called the Martial God, or the Muguksinma.

The discovery of the secret cave of that entity, whose actual existence remained unverified for a thousand years, whether he truly existed or was simply a fabricated story, was never a matter to be taken lightly.

This was also true for Jang Sam-tae, who had brought this information.

In fact, because he couldn't believe it, he had even mobilized Hong Wonchang's information network.

"The Martial God's… secret cave…?"

However, Dan Woo-hyun alone was calm.

With an indifferent expression, he murmured and stroked his chin. It was impossible to guess what he was thinking.

Gwon Mu-jin hurriedly spoke.

"We must go. It is proof that the Martial God actually existed, and we might also obtain something good."

"That is correct, Manor Lord! That is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

Gwon Mu-jin and Jang Sam-tae chimed in together, raising their voices.

The one who was said to have cut down countless people of the Central Plains.

The one who was not only highly skilled in martial arts but also possessed the ability to survive in any situation.

The one who was said to have died by the Eight Immortals.

They could meet the trace of such a legend.

However, Dan Woo-hyun looked completely uninterested.

"Where did you say it was?"

"It… It is Gunjado."

"That is a two-day journey."

"If we make up our minds, we can go quickly! Before the Murim Alliance or other bastards make the first move, we should…"

Watching Gwon Mu-jin shout loudly, Dan Woo-hyun chuckled. Soon, with a still indifferent expression, he shook his head.

"Even if you go, you won't be able to get anything."

"Yes?"

"Because it is a place with nothing."

"How… do you know that…?"

Gwon Mu-jin stared at Dan Woo-hyun with a strange expression.

How could he know whether there was something in a place he hadn't even entered yet?

Looking at that expression, it did not seem like he was lying.

Then a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

'The fortuitous encounter of the Martial God…?'

Dan Woo-hyun's strength was not ordinary.

Among the experts of similar age to him, not a single one could enter the top one hundred experts, but now he seemed to have risen to the level of the Seven Stars or the Ten Venerables, let alone the top one hundred experts.

Since he was by no means ordinary, it was clear that he had obtained some fortuitous encounter.

"It is not what you are thinking. Do not worry, for I have not obtained any fortuitous encounter."

"How… then…"

Pfft.

Dan Woo-hyun laughed.

Gunjado… Gunjado, was it?

It seemed that was the name it was called now.

But when he was there, it was an isolated island that did not even have a name.

No one could enter it, and even if they did, it was a hell-like place from which they could not escape alive.

'Was there a thousand-year-old imugi?'

He vaguely remembered.

In the underground, a thousand-year-old imugi crawled out every night to hunt, and inside and outside the island, there were many bizarre things beyond imagination.

Poisonous herbs and poisonous insects were scattered all around, and even a single wild boar was several times larger than the wild boars commonly seen.

It was all due to the spiritual energy emitted by the imugi.

Because of that, sleeping at night was unimaginable, and it was an island where one could never survive without being tense day and night.

'It was twenty years. That I cleared that place and came out…'

He entered the island around the age of fifteen and came out after turning thirty-five.

The survival methods Dan Woo-hyun currently possessed, the way he easily subdued opponents using his overflowing talent, and even the Cheoniljohwagong, which could be said to be the foundation of Dan Woo-hyun, were all created to survive in that place.

Of course, he repeated countless failures, and experienced so many deaths that even the term 'narrow escape from death' felt ridiculous. In fact, it was a miracle that he was alive like this.

'All that remains is about the traces of training carved on the walls.'

He had no desire to go back just to see such things.

Since Dan Woo-hyun had already obtained a power strong enough to be considered overwhelming compared to the sword marks he had carved at that time.

Slurp.

Sipping his tea, Dan Woo-hyun thought.

If there was someone who could gain enlightenment even after seeing those sword marks, wouldn't that also be considered that person's fortuitous encounter?

"Oh, Manor Lord! Right now, even the Murim Alliance Leader is coming down from Henan! They say Gunjado is in a bloodbath because of the people gathered to find the fortuitous encounter… If we don't go quickly…"

"Is a fortuitous encounter something that is obtained so easily?"

Dan Woo-hyun quietly looked at Jang Sam-tae and Gwon Mu-jin.

These people currently wanted to obtain a fortuitous encounter.

The fortuitous encounter of the Muguksinma.

"You cannot even properly handle the power you possess, so what do you intend to do by obtaining something else?"

"…"

"Ugh… But the bastards currently on Gunjado as well…"

"Even if those bastards enter, do you think they will obtain something?"

To obtain a fortuitous encounter through sword marks, one would have to possess a talent that was beyond outstanding, that of a genius.

They were high-level sword marks, and to ordinary people, they would look like nothing more than graffiti carved on a wall.

"It takes ten years to polish a single sword and master it in one's hand. A lifetime is not enough to obtain a single martial art and master it in one's body."

"That… That is true…"

Although it was a statement that did not resonate with Jang Sam-tae at all, he listened closely and nodded since it was what Dan Woo-hyun said.

"The higher the level of martial arts, the longer the years that must be spent to complete them, but looking at them with your level, there will be nothing you can obtain."

"Then what about the Murim Alliance Leader or the current Demon Cult's Sa Do-hak?"

"Sa Do-hak?"

"He is the Demon Emperor, one of the Five Emperors and the peak of the Demon Cult."

"The Demon… Emperor?"

"Yes."

Dan Woo-hyun pressed his forehead with his finger.

The title of the Five Emperors was somehow extremely strange.

The more he heard it, the more he felt like laughing.

It wasn't like that in the past.

If a certain fellow heard this story, he would hold his belly and double over.

"Wouldn't they be able to obtain the fortuitous encounter? Even if we do not know now, in the future…"

"Do not talk nonsense and just train. If you are lucky, that fortuitous encounter might reach you."

With a chuckle, Dan Woo-hyun laughed.

These people did not even know that the fortuitous encounter was right in front of them. That was why it was quite funny and interesting.

He realized for the first time that teasing people was this exciting.

He sipped his tea without continuing the conversation. Since he had decided not to go there no matter what was said, there would be no reversing it.

"Still, it is regrettable. We could have seen it."

"Seen what?"

"The remains of the Three Heavens."

In an instant, Dan Woo-hyun's movement of sipping his tea stopped. His eyes quickly turned toward Jang Sam-tae, and a force that felt like it would swallow everything was felt from them.

Thud!

"Ah… Ah…"

Jang Sam-tae slumped to the floor on the spot.

At the same time as meeting Dan Woo-hyun's fierce eyes, the strength left his entire body, making it impossible to even stand. His breath hitched and even his mouth went dry.

"What did you say?"

"Th-The… Three Heavens, is what…"

"Their remains?"

"Y-Yes, I… I heard that the remains presumed to be the Three Heavens are there."

Jang Sam-tae barely opened his mouth while trembling.

He had seen many sides of him until now, but this was the first time. He had never seen those eyes even once, nor had he ever felt such fear.

Gwon Mu-jin also felt the same way.

Although he did not collapse like Jang Sam-tae, he was sweating profusely trying to force his trembling hands to calm down.

His cold eyes and this momentum made him fall into the illusion that he was looking at the state of killing with the mind, which he had only heard of in legends.

"Tell me what is going on."

"Th-This time, in the discovered secret cave of the Martial God… the remains of the Three Heavens were found… The remains of Tae Gong-jin, Cheon Mu-gwang of the Demon Cult… and Namjuryeon… That is why it is in even more uproar…"

Jang Sam-tae glanced at Dan Woo-hyun's expression. Although the momentum had subsided slightly, those fierce eyes did not disappear at all.

Rather, one by one.

Each time those names came out, they seemed to deepen.

It was terrifying.

He wanted to leave this room right now.

Even the air turned stagnant and the flow of the wind was cut off.

Beads of sweat formed and fell.

Clack!

Eventually, the moment Dan Woo-hyun put down his cup, everything that had been cut off began to flow again, and the settled air came back to life.

The two were at a loss for words at the extremely bizarre phenomenon.

"I have changed my mind. Let us go… to Gunjado."