Chapter 364

Chapter 364 – No One Can Predict Even an Inch Ahead in This World (2)
"Huff! Huff!"
Geom Yul-cheon continuously exhaled rough breaths. His lungs were greatly expanded and his heart was racing. This was because he had run over a distance of thousands of li without resting even for a moment.
Thanks to this, his vast internal energy that had been like an ocean had hit rock bottom, and his steel-like stamina had also reached its limit. However, his eyes were shining more intensely than ever before.
"Finally… I've caught up."
The place where he stood precariously was atop Heavenly Cliff. Below his feet, he could see a narrow gorge stretching dangerously. And through it, a carriage was racing.
Void Spirit Guest Gwan Mu-oe and the Void Spirit Killers were truly meticulous.
After kidnapping Eum Yu-kyung, they had thoroughly erased their traces. Because of this, even Geom Yul-cheon found it difficult to track their trail.
He had wasted effort several times and chased wrong decoys. At this point, he could have given up, but Geom Yul-cheon's persistence was truly remarkable. He returned to the starting point several times to resume pursuit, and finally was able to follow them to this place.
Geom Yul-cheon looked around. Having been so frantically tracking them, he didn't even know where this place was. Dense clouds were swirling throughout the gorge, making the atmosphere look quite eerie.
"Is this a tiger's den?"
He couldn't know whether there were tigers in the gorge, or perhaps even worse monsters. But Geom Yul-cheon had no choice. For him, saving Eum Yu-kyung was the top priority.
Geom Yul-cheon kicked off from the gorge summit and launched his body. With both hands spread wide, descending toward the earth, he looked like a large bird.
Just before Geom Yul-cheon, who had been descending at terrifying speed, landed on the ground, he kicked the top of his left foot with his right foot and rebounded. At that moment, the carriage passed beneath his feet.
"It's him."
"That persistent bastard!"
The martial artists guarding the carriage discovered Geom Yul-cheon and gritted their teeth. Meanwhile, Geom Yul-cheon landed lightly on the ground and caught up to the carriage at terrifying speed.
"Die!"
"Haaaah!"
Instantly, the martial artists guarding the carriage jumped down and attacked Geom Yul-cheon.
Swoooosh!
Powerful blade strikes flew one after another.
Geom Yul-cheon didn't slow his speed at all and avoided the blade strikes with just a few body movements. Then his counterattack followed.
Kwareurung!
Thunder roared through the clouds. The Thunder Strike Technique was deployed. And the two martial artists who had attacked Geom Yul-cheon were turned into mincemeat and sent flying. It was truly terrifying power.
Thud!
Geom Yul-cheon used that momentum to leap directly onto the carriage. At that moment, five gleaming sharp sword blades protruded through the carriage roof. If he landed like this, Geom Yul-cheon's feet would be pierced by the blades.
"Chaaaat!"
But instead of avoiding them, Geom Yul-cheon moved his feet frantically.
Clang clang clang!
The sword blades made of refined steel were shattered by Geom Yul-cheon's kicks and scattered in all directions.
Without catching his breath, Geom Yul-cheon immediately thrust his fist into the carriage roof. Then he tore off the carriage roof entirely.
Crack!
The interior of the carriage was revealed.
A large coffin placed in the center of the carriage, and five martial artists positioned around it. They were precisely the Void Spirit Killers who had kidnapped Eum Yu-kyung.
They discarded their broken swords from Geom Yul-cheon's kicks and drew new swords to attack.
Swish swish swish!
Sharp sword energy swept through the cramped carriage like a storm.
"Hmm!"
Instantly Geom Yul-cheon deployed his protective energy and leaped directly into the carriage.
Kwakwakwang!
The protective energy and sword energy collided, and the carriage exploded like a firecracker. The Void Spirit Killers who had attacked Geom Yul-cheon were also swept up in the explosion and flung outside. But they too were masters who had reached the supreme level. Their reaction was truly dazzling. The moment they landed on the ground, they launched sword energy toward Geom Yul-cheon once again.
Swoosh!
At that moment, Geom Yul-cheon soared into the air. On his shoulder was the coffin that had been loaded in the carriage.
"Yu-kyung."
It was the moment when Geom Yul-cheon tried to hastily open the coffin.
Thwack!
Suddenly a sword blade protruded from the coffin and pierced through his abdomen. At the unexpected ambush and pain, Geom Yul-cheon's eyes widened greatly.
"Keoheuk!"
Without realizing it, he dropped to one knee. At that moment, a mysterious woman burst out, breaking the coffin. The woman with her face covered by a black veil was also a member of the Void Spirit Killers. She had been disguised as Eum Yu-kyung and hidden inside the coffin.
That's when it happened.
"Finally caught a big fish."
An ordinary-looking middle-aged man walked out from one side of the gorge. He was precisely Void Spirit Guest Gwan Mu-oe, the master of the Void Spirit Killers. Beside him stood Eum Yu-kyung, restrained.
"Yu… kyung!"
Though Geom Yul-cheon shouted with all his might, Eum Yu-kyung couldn't respond. Her entire body's pressure points had been sealed.
Gwan Mu-oe only released the pressure points near Eum Yu-kyung's neck.
"Yul-cheon!"
Only then did Eum Yu-kyung cry out for Geom Yul-cheon. Her eyes were so red and bloodshot that she seemed about to shed bloody tears.
Her only love was injured and bleeding because of her. Just seeing that sight was torture for her.
"Yu-kyung!"
Geom Yul-cheon covered his sword-pierced abdomen with his hand and stood up. Tremendous fighting spirit was swirling throughout his entire body.
Though he had unexpectedly fallen into the enemy's trap and been injured, this much couldn't completely incapacitate him.
"Hmm!"
When he inhaled and tensed his muscles, the wound tightened and the blood that had been flowing freely stopped completely.
"Truly remarkable."
It was when Gwan Mu-oe was bursting into admiration at that sight.
Crackle!
Lightning formed around Geom Yul-cheon's body. It was proof that Geom Yul-cheon's anger was that great.
The Void Spirit Killers didn't dare attempt to attack at the lightning flickering around Geom Yul-cheon.
In their eyes, Geom Yul-cheon didn't look human but like a thunder god.
Thud!
Geom Yul-cheon stepped toward Gwan Mu-oe. Instantly the entire area shook as if an earthquake had occurred.
It was truly overwhelming imperial dominance.
Even the renowned Gwan Mu-oe couldn't help but flinch. But that was only momentary. He soon looked at Geom Yul-cheon with a calm expression.
"Truly remarkable. Except for the Fist Demon, you're probably the best among young martial artists. If you had been born in the right era, you would have become an emperor. What a pity."
"Cut the nonsense. This place will become your grave anyway."
Thick killing intent appeared in Geom Yul-cheon's eyes.
His momentum grew like a snowball, becoming almost unbearable. Indeed, cold sweat and the light of tension appeared on the faces of the Void Spirit Killers positioned around him.
"Chaaaat!"
It was the moment when Geom Yul-cheon charged with a battle cry. Gwan Mu-oe smiled and raised his hand.
"Stop!"
"Cut the… non… sense…"
Geom Yul-cheon's eyes widened greatly. It was because of the round plaque in Gwan Mu-oe's hand.
"Could it be?"
"That's right. This is the sacred object of the Demon Cult that you've been searching for so desperately."
"That can't be!"
Geom Yul-cheon's pupils shook.
It was the object Eum Yu-kyung had risked her life searching for so desperately. The only divine artifact that could control the Demon Cult was in Gwan Mu-oe's hands.
"You're saying that's real? I can't believe it."
"Ask her. As the Holy Maiden, she should know for certain, shouldn't she?"
At Gwan Mu-oe's words, Geom Yul-cheon looked at Eum Yu-kyung. Then Eum Yu-kyung silently nodded.
"It's real?"
"Divine Blade Mad King Jeong Yul-hwi."
"……"
The moment Jeong Yul-hwi was mentioned from Gwan Mu-oe's mouth, Geom Yul-cheon tightly closed his lips. He instinctively realized it was the truth.
Two people mentioned in the Thousand Days Secret Records that Eum Yu-kyung had obtained from Shaolin Temple. One was Master Hyeondo of Taeul Sect, and the other was precisely Divine Blade Mad King Jeong Yul-hwi.
Among them, they had already met Master Hyeondo, but it was determined that he didn't possess the sacred object. The remaining person was precisely Jeong Yul-hwi, but he had hidden his tracks long ago and couldn't be traced, so they had almost given up.
"How?"
"We had a hard time finding him too. He had hidden his tracks for so long that there were almost no traces left. But we finally found him and were able to recover the sacred object like this."
Gwan Mu-oe waved the sacred object in front of Geom Yul-cheon. Geom Yul-cheon's pupils shook along with it.
If only they had the sacred object, they could control the Demon Cult that had become an uncontrollable monster. That's why they had searched so desperately for the sacred object.
Gwan Mu-oe read the desire in Geom Yul-cheon's eyes.
"Do you want to reclaim the sacred object?"
"……"
"Then I'll give you a chance. Kill the Fist Demon. Then I'll return the sacred object. How about it?"
Gwan Mu-oe's voice was as sweet as a devil's whisper. But Geom Yul-cheon firmly rejected his proposal.
"He is my friend."
"A friend."
The corners of Gwan Mu-oe's mouth curved into a gentle arc. It was clearly mockery by anyone's standards.
"Heroes usually have many friends. But does he also consider you a friend?"
Instantly Geom Yul-cheon's eyes narrowed. Gwan Mu-oe's voice had pierced the vital point like an awl.
"Right now you're on opposite sides to prevent the Demon Cult's rampage, but isn't your root the Demon Cult? The Thunder Lightning Style you learned is one of the Demon Cult's Thirteen Branches."
"How do you know that?"
Geom Yul-cheon clenched his fists tightly.
Only a very few knew the fact that he inherited the Thunder Lightning Style, one of the Demon Cult's Thirteen Branches. At most Eum Yu-kyung, Sin Mu-wol, and Myeong-cheon. If he added one more, it would only be Dam Ho. But they wouldn't have told Gwan Mu-oe such a fact.
That's when it happened.
"I'm sorry."
Suddenly Eum Yu-kyung apologized.
"What for?"
"I… told him. I'm sorry."
Eum Yu-kyung couldn't look directly at Geom Yul-cheon's face. It was proof that she was suffering from that much guilt.
"Why did you?"
"Because of this."
Gwan Mu-oe waved his hand. Then the sacred object in his hand reflected light chaotically.
"The sacred object?"
"You might not care about sacred objects, but she's different. She's a Holy Maiden, after all. A Holy Maiden cannot deny the authority of the sacred object."
Eum Yu-kyung had been raised as the Demon Cult's saintess from birth. Just as many masters of the Demon Cult had no choice but to follow the sacred object, she too couldn't be free from the sacred object's influence.
For her to deny the sacred object was tantamount to denying her identity.
Geom Yul-cheon could finally understand why Eum Yu-kyung had revealed his identity.
Gwan Mu-oe spoke again.
"Will you really not follow the sacred object's command?"
"Someday there will come a day when I fight him with my life on the line. But that will be done entirely by my own will, not because of the sacred object or others' coercion."
"You truly are a great man. I acknowledge it. That this mere sacred object cannot move you. But what about the Holy Maiden? Can she be as resolute as you?"
Instantly Eum Yu-kyung's pupils shook.
Gwan Mu-oe released the pressure points that had been restraining Eum Yu-kyung's body and said:
"Saintess of the Demon Cult. Will you also deny the sacred object?"
"……"
Naturally, Eum Yu-kyung couldn't deny the sacred object.
"By the authority of the sacred object, I command you. Saintess, obey the command. Saintess, execute the Demon Cult traitor Geom Yul-cheon. If you won't follow the command, I'd rather destroy the sacred object."
Eum Yu-kyung squeezed her eyes shut.
The sacred object was more precious than life. She would rather die herself than let the sacred object be destroyed.
"Saintess Eum Yu-kyung accepts… the sacred object's command."
With her answer, Eum Yu-kyung looked at Geom Yul-cheon. Tears had already formed in her pupils.
"I'm sorry, Yul-cheon."
"It's alright."
"I'm really sorry."
"I said it's alright. I understand everything."
Geom Yul-cheon smiled.
At that moment, Eum Yu-kyung kicked off the ground and charged toward Geom Yul-cheon.
Swiiish!
Eum Yu-kyung's signature technique, the Falling Moon Divine Sword, was deployed.
Claaaang!
Geom Yul-cheon spread his palm wide and blocked Eum Yu-kyung's attack. Considerable shock was transmitted through his palm.
'Hurry up.'