Chapter 90

Chapter 90

“I think we have found him.”

“You think you found him?”

Man Hu-ryang smiled faintly and looked at Murong Hyeok-mun. Although his gaze was somewhat hazy, he could see that the other was definitely staring at him.

He had not lost his sense of self. But that was enough. After all, this Sword Emperor in front of him would not be able to disobey Man Hu-ryang's words.

“I mean the Sword Emperor.”

“……Is he alive?”

“Yes, an old man who lost one arm, they say such a person is in Yueyang, Hunan Province. Since he was hiding so secretly, it was quite difficult to find him, but……”

“Is he really the Sword Emperor? What is the reason you are so certain?”

Murong Hyeok-mun frowned as if he could not believe it.

He had suffered such a heavy injury and was even hit by the energy-scattering poison. It made no sense that he was still alive.

“It is a conjecture. However, shouldn't a bud be stepped on before it grows?”

“……You will move when it is nothing more than a conjecture? When you are not even sure who it is?”

“Didn't I tell you? The timing is so exquisite that the possibility is close to ninety percent. The Gentleman's Sword. It is said he wears a mask and goes by that name.”

“Ha! That is just like him. He must have thought of some fun game to play somewhere again. If so, did it look like he has recovered his internal energy?”

Man Hu-ryang shook his head.

He had already finished all investigations. Although there was an incident where a sect near Yueyang was destroyed, there was no sign of him recovering his internal energy. If the Sword Emperor had recovered his internal energy, it would not have ended with just that.

“What do you plan to do?”

“Leave him be. Even if it really is him, he has already lost an arm and even lost his internal energy. For a martial artist, he is no different from dead.”

Murong Hyeok-mun snorted and turned his gaze away.

Still, he was a friend with whom he had shared his childhood. It would not be strange to say that it was a stroke of heavenly luck just to survive the initial attack.

Even if he returned to the Namgung Family, he would fall into despair, and if he could not detoxify the energy-scattering poison, he had at most a year left to live. There was no need to go out of the way to chase him down and take his life.

However, Man Hu-ryang's thoughts were different.

He grinned and said.

“Think about it carefully. The opponent is none other than the Sword Emperor. What if he is lucky enough to detoxify the energy-scattering poison?”

“That cannot be. That is……”

“It is a story with the premise of 'one in a ten thousand' chance. Many in the orthodox sects will look up to and respect the Sword Emperor again, and those who were on our side will also slip away. Such is the weight of the Sword Emperor's name. And if that happens……”

Then you would naturally have to step down from that position, wouldn't you?

Although he did not speak the words, Murong Hyeok-mun could easily understand them.

He flinched for a moment and then trembled.

Did he have to lose to that guy once again, yet again?

In an instant, countless thoughts shook his mind. What added fuel to the fire was a single word whispered in his ear as Man Hu-ryang stepped slightly closer.

“Are you planning to have everything taken away from you yet again?”

Murong Hyeok-mun's gaze changed. He, who had been trembling, took a few breaths to steady himself. Then, at some point, his mind calmed down as he opened his mouth.

“Are there any children to send?”

“I have already selected a few even without you asking.”

Man Hu-ryang smiled once again.

All preparations were already complete.

Since he had already sent the children near Yueyang, only Murong Hyeok-mun's approval remained. Of course, from Murong Hyeok-mun's position, he would not reject Man Hu-ryang's extremely sweet proposal.

“Then, do as you wish.”

Everything was put together by Man Hu-ryang. However, it was Murong Hyeok-mun who gave the approval.

By doing so, no matter what situation arose, Man Hu-ryang could step back. All responsibility would be borne by Murong Hyeok-mun.

Man Hu-ryang turned his back and smiled invisibly.

Jang Sam-tae and Gwon Mu-jin quietly watched Namgung Cheon meditating at the training ground. Since he had never shown such an appearance until now, they wondered if the energy-scattering poison had really been detoxified.

“Our master can do anything. To think he cured the energy-scattering poison of the world……”

“Maybe it was possible because he obtained the fire ginseng.”

“Fire ginseng…… fire ginseng, indeed……”

Jang Sam-tae thought quietly.

He kept his gaze on Namgung Cheon, who was sitting cross-legged, staring intently at him, and soon frowned.

Whether he detoxified the energy-scattering poison or not, giving the fire ginseng to an old man who did not seem like he would live long.

'He would rather he had given it to him. What a waste.'

Wouldn't one be able to become a top expert under heaven with just that one thing?

With those thoughts, he turned his head again.

Over there, he saw Dan So-mi sitting on the veranda, nibbling on sugar candies.

'Should he try finding spirit herbs together?'

Jang Sam-tae seriously pondered. It felt like he could become stronger if he just had that.

“Human greed knows no bounds, and desire always invites disaster.”

At that moment, goosebumps rose all over his body.

The single remark that pierced his ears was fierce. It felt as if a single blade was piercing through his entire body. And it soon choked him so tightly that he could not even breathe properly.

“Keu-heuk!”

Jang Sam-tae slumped right there.

An immense pressure rushed over him. It felt like if he fell like this, he would never be able to stand up again.

“I… cough! I… I am sorry… cough!”

Jang Sam-tae clutched his neck and coughed.

Slumped on the ground, cold sweat poured from his entire body, and his pupils shook wildly as if they were about to lose focus.

Although he gasped for breath heavily, his mind still could not calm down.

Even Gwon Mu-jin, who was beside him, had sweat breaking out on his hands.

“Is there anything to be sorry for?”

“Pant…… pant…… N-No…… No, sir……”

When Dan Woo-hyun stood tall in front of Jang Sam-tae, Jang Sam-tae did not dare look at his face and slammed his head onto the ground.

He himself had thought that he had become lax lately. Since he thought of the human named Dan Woo-hyun as an ally, his mind had become comfortable.

But he had by no means forgotten.

The person in front of him was the descendant of the Martial God, someone who had reached a realm transcending humanity, and a human whom even the Sword Emperor of the world had acknowledged.

It was only yesterday that he had killed so many people in front of his eyes and always ruled with terror, but as time passed and things became somewhat comfortable, Jang Sam-tae had room to think idle thoughts.

Because of that, Jang Sam-tae felt death. And he shut his mouth.

All that was left was to wait for Dan Woo-hyun's forgiveness.

“Just because one has internal energy does not mean they become strong. If you do not even understand that and only hope for a stroke of luck, you cannot gain enlightenment.”

“I-I will keep it in mind.”

Dan Woo-hyun did not say anything more.

He knew better than anyone what Jang Sam-tae was thinking as he looked at Dan So-mi, but that too was a desire possessed by humans. Moreover, no harm had actually occurred due to that greed.

Furthermore, Jang Sam-tae was a guy who was useful in many ways.

He did not want to spill blood in vain.

“Haha, I thought the Grim Reaper had come to visit.”

At that time, Namgung Cheon slowly opened his eyes and muttered. His forehead was covered in cold sweat.

He had also felt Dan Woo-hyun's momentum while circulating his energy. Even though it was not unleashed toward Namgung Cheon, the indirect feeling alone almost caused his energy to be disrupted in an instant. He might have fallen into qi deviation.

“Did you recover your internal energy?”

“Haha, about ten percent. I will have to put in more effort in the future. Whether it will take several years or several decades……”

Namgung Cheon smiled bitterly.

Recovering ten percent was also largely due to the influence of the fire ginseng. If not for that, it would have stopped at just detoxifying the energy-scattering poison. But even with just ten percent, it felt as though strength was surging through his entire body.

The difference between having internal energy and not having it was this vast.

“Still, it is a relief. To think you stood up from your seat in just three days. I thought you would be lying down for at least a fortnight.”

Dan Woo-hyun smirked.

At the time of detoxification, Namgung Cheon screamed for nearly ten double-hours. Since he had exhausted his energy and wasted his mental power to that extent, it was surprising in itself that he was standing so fine now.

“Though now in name only, am I not still the Sword Emperor? I can easily handle this much. Hahaha.”

Namgung Cheon laughed.

In truth, the detoxification process was painful and hard to endure. He wished he were dead instead. Still, the reason he grit his teeth and held on was that he knew the pain he was experiencing now was nothing compared to the path he had walked to become the Sword Emperor.

Namgung Cheon recalled the day of detoxification for a moment, then looked at the slumped Jang Sam-tae and clicked his tongue.

However, he also understood his feelings. If the positions were reversed, Namgung Cheon might have thought the same.

He gently reached out and pulled Jang Sam-tae up.

“Having greed is not necessarily a bad thing. Humans are born that way, after all. But you must not use someone. Once you start to stray from the human way, it will go on endlessly. Keep that in mind.”

“Ugh!”

Jang Sam-tae groaned.

Although Namgung Cheon's voice was very gentle, there was a sting to his words. He carefully nodded his head and took a final breath to steady himself.

'I really almost died.'

This time, his life was truly in danger.

Jang Sam-tae knew well that the price for messing with Dan So-mi, of all people, would never be ordinary.

He once again braced his slackened mind.

“I will make sure this never happens again.”

“Yes, you should, unless you have nine lives.”

“……”

Under Dan Woo-hyun's gaze, which told him that he could kill him as many times as it took whether he had nine lives or ten, Jang Sam-tae stealthily turned his head away.

It was terrifying.

He felt like he would pee his pants right now.

Suppressing it tightly, he nodded his head.

“In any case, thank you so much. If not for you, this old man would have……”

“It is not me. It is that child's strength. I merely assisted.”

Thinking about it again, it was truly surprising and mysterious that Dan So-mi found the spirit herb. It was as if heaven had bestowed it. That was why he called it heavenly luck.

But would he have detoxified the energy-scattering poison just because he had the spirit herb?

No. Without Dan Woo-hyun's power, detoxification would have been impossible.

'Just what kind of mental cultivation method has he trained in for his internal energy to be this pure?'

Namgung Cheon could still feel Dan Woo-hyun's energy flowing through his body even now.

Even Wudang, Shaolin, and Kunlun, famous for Taoist and Buddhist arts, did not have anyone with such pure energy.

It was as if all the nature of the world, its principles, gathered around him, and as they swept through his body, they set everything at peace. That single ray of light felt in the midst of extreme pain was precisely that.

'Seeing that the Martial God became the public enemy of the Murim, he must have been an evil person, so how can he possess such pure energy?'

Namgung Cheon was already certain that Dan Woo-hyun was the descendant of the Martial God. Because of that, he thought Dan Woo-hyun's mental cultivation method would also be the same as the Martial God's, but not even a speck of demonic energy or evil energy could be felt in his energy.

With that pure energy, Namgung Cheon's mind grew even more chaotic as he wondered if he had guessed wrong.