Chapter 853: Ilcheonkyo.

Passing through the bushes.

The forest, cloaked in night, is dark, but as always, I can see clearly with my eyes.

My body still aches due to the Buun Blood Meridian. Perhaps because I overused my sensory perception, the pain was worse than before.

“Tsk.”

I clicked my tongue and walked. As for the pain, like always, I just need to endure it.

What was important right now wasn’t my pain or anything like that.

[I sense presences nearby. There are four of them.]

I nodded at Amwang’s telepathic message. I knew it too.

‘The distance is far, but they’re surrounding this area like a circle.’

I could tell this once I grasped their energy signatures. This energy is the starting point.

It was a strange sensation. To the eye, it looked like an empty field. It wasn’t even that wide.

Trees spread out around the area, and only rocks and weeds were visible, yet… I was sensing something here.

“Do you sense anything?”

As the question was asked, something fell. It was a person’s head.

Four in total. Amwang had killed them all, just as he told me the number earlier.

Did he travel that distance back and forth in such a short time? It was an incredible speed.

“I don’t sense anything.”

“Hmm…”

Amwang doesn’t know. That statement felt strange. How could Amwang not sense this?

If that’s the case, should I assume it’s not related to presences? Or perhaps.

‘It could just be my imagination.’

I might be mistaken about sensing something, but deep down, I was certain.

There’s definitely something here. That’s my conviction.

‘Where could it be?’

It was around here, but where exactly? I scanned here and there, turning my gaze.

Something should be here, but I still can’t sense anything.

‘Where on earth is it?’

I need to concentrate, but something keeps bothering me. I don’t know if it’s because I’m impatient or irritated. Or maybe, I just don’t like being here like this? Perhaps so.

‘All I can see are weeds and rocks on the ground. At best, there are flowers. What could I possibly sense here….’

I frowned, mid-sentence.

Let’s ignore the two in front. The flowers behind were somehow bothering me.

‘Flowers?’

I shifted my gaze and looked at the flowers on the ground. Come to think of it, it was strange.

‘Why are there flowers here?’

It’s not that I’m seeing flowers for the first time, but… it means this is the first time I’ve seen flowers in this area.

Four flowers in total. They seemed to be common mountain flowers, and their positions didn’t seem connected in any particular way, but…

What’s important here is…

‘Four flowers. Four people.’

The number of people Amwang killed. And the fact that flowers, which weren’t on the mountain, are here.

At first glance, it seems like mere coincidence, but…

I immediately bent down to examine the flowers.

I reached out and gently touched the flower buds.

Then.

Woong-

“…”

I felt a very faint vibration from my fingertips.

This is it.

‘Whether it’s a formation or whatever. There’s something in the flowers.’

The moment I felt the vibration and slightly moved my lips.

“I’ll bring more people.”

Amwang said it as if he were a ghost.

No explanation was needed. He seemed to have figured it out from my reaction and the number of flowers.

Bringing more people. The meaning of this statement is none other than… As I said earlier, it must be related to the number of flowers, so the assumption is that four people are needed to do something. That’s why Amwang said he’d bring more people, but…

“No. We don’t have time for that.”

I didn’t have time to wait for that and figure out the method.

“Since I’ve already killed those guys anyway, others will come soon. It seems difficult to do anything while dealing with all of them.”

It’s probably possible. After all, if Amwang wanted to, he could probably wreck the entire Sichuan Branch by himself. But.

“Then what method?”

“If I can’t solve it… there’s only one way…”

I had one method I could try.

I gripped the flower stem. I didn’t pull it out; I just held it and concentrated.

Woooong.

The vibration intensified. The sensation that traveled through my hand entered my body. From my body, it went deeper, towards my heart. An alien feeling filled my body. I slowly opened my eyes.

I gazed at the flower with my Mind’s Eye (心眼) opened.

‘Wow.’

I was amazed the moment I saw it.

‘They really made this shittily.’

The interwoven and tangled stems were unusual. This was the first time I’d seen something this complex. The sorcery that Pildu-ma used to bind the sword threads. This was several times more complex than that.

How should I solve this? Such thoughts flashed through my mind, but I was already moving.

No need to call anyone.

I will unravel it. I just needed to undo whatever was covering the surroundings.

‘Won’t unraveling it take longer than bringing people to find a solution?’

Maybe so. But, I believe.

I can unravel this. I believed that.

There was something Shinui said to me once. It was when I was learning sorcery from Shinui late at night.

-“You’re really pushing it.”

-“Huh? What are you talking about?”

I was trying things one by one as you taught me. Shinui, watching me, said.

-“Where did such a damn bastard pop out from…”

-“…Suddenly? Did I do something wrong?”

-“No, quite the opposite. You did well. That’s why I’m dumbfounded, you damn bastard.”

-“Then you should praise me, why are you cursing…”

-“If you were going to pop out, you should have done it about fifty years ago. Why did you have to be born in this era?”

I was dumbfounded.

-“What kind of hurtful thing is that to say? I wasn’t even born fifty years ago.”

-“Ggggrrr. That’s precisely why it’s such a shame.”

-“A shame about what?”

I wondered why the old man was acting like this, so regretful. But then.

-“If only the Zhuge family had existed in this era without losing its honor… No, maybe even as it is now would have been fine. If only your surname had been Zhuge.”

Shinui said, sounding truly regretful.

-“Perhaps it wouldn’t have been so difficult for the Zhuge family to reappear in the world. That’s what I regret.”

If it was praise, it was praise. And it was excessive praise at that. I hadn’t heard anyone say I was great anywhere else, but… it was always like that when it came to sorcery.

At this point, I couldn’t help but know.

‘So I do have at least this one thing.’

I thought I had nothing. But still, I have something significant. The problem is that it just happens to be sorcery.

Moreover, since there are so few people who know about sorcery or use it, I don’t know how good it is, but… at least I know it’s enough to startle anyone who sees it. If I were to exaggerate, maybe it’s about the level I handle children?

‘If that’s the case.’

If it’s really like that.

‘I can do it.’

There’s nothing stopping me.

I focused my eyes, looked at the arranged lines, and slowly applied force. To unravel this damn thing.

*******************

The large iron gate that had been closed opened. It was just large enough for a person to enter.

Wi Seol-ah and Namgung Bi-ah took a step forward. They cautiously entered through the door.

As soon as they entered the room, Namgung Bi-ah frowned.

“…It’s big.”

She muttered, looking around. The room was quite spacious. And tall. Its width was overwhelming compared to the size of the passage. How could a space this large exist underground? No, did we even descend this far in the first place? Only a sense of strangeness was felt.

“…”

Unlike Namgung Bi-ah, who was surveying the surroundings, Wi Seol-ah was staring intently at one spot with wide eyes. Straight ahead. Something completely out of place in this vast room was there. It was what Wi Seol-ah had been looking at since entering the room.

“…What is that…”

Wi Seol-ah uttered, her voice trembling slightly. At her voice, Namgung Bi-ah also looked in the same direction as Wi Seol-ah. Only then could she see it.

A single, out-of-place tree standing alone in the room. The floor was made not of soil, but of stone. Yet, a small tree was growing there for some reason. Its size was only slightly larger than Namgung Bi-ah’s; strictly speaking, it should be called a sapling. Why would such a sapling be in such a large room? Moreover.

“It’s white…”

Strangely, the tree’s leaves were white. They had a jade-like color and even emitted a faint light. The reason the room was relatively bright, even without a single lamp, seemed to be thanks to that tree.

Namgung Bi-ah was looking at the tree with curiosity. But Wi Seol-ah’s reaction was strange. She seemed surprised, perhaps even shocked.

“Seol-ah…?”

Namgung Bi-ah called out to Wi Seol-ah like that, but Wi Seol-ah didn’t answer and moved forward. Her slow steps ended at the tree. Standing before the tree, Wi Seol-ah gently stroked a leaf. As her hand touched it, the leaf crumbled instantly. The fragmented leaves looked like shattering light.

“…”

“Seol-ah…”

The moment Namgung Bi-ah questioned Wi Seol-ah’s actions.

“…!”

Namgung Bi-ah quickly turned around. Her white hair swayed as a flash erupted from her waist.

Chaeng-!!

The quickly swung sword deflected something. With friction, sparks briefly flew. It was a sword. Namgung Bi-ah frowned and looked in the direction the sword had come from.

“Tsk.”

There stood an old man, looking at the two people with his hands clasped behind his back.

“I intended to go straight for the throat… You’re a more sensitive child than I expected.”

“…”

At the old man’s voice, Namgung Bi-ah raised her sword.

“Hoho.”

Seeing Namgung Bi-ah like that, the old man exclaimed in admiration.

“My, you are a truly beautiful young lady. Yes, seeing your hair and features, I know who you are. You must be the Flower of Anhui.”

Huwoong.

Along with the old man’s words, swords floated around them.

“This is strange… Star King. Did that guy order this? It shouldn’t be…”

“Who…?”

The old man muttering to himself. Namgung Bi-ah asked, looking at him.

“Ah… yes, my apologies. I should have introduced myself first.”

The old man finally smiled and introduced himself.

“I am Daehwan, the Gate Master of the Gyecheon Gate.”

Hearing the introduction of the Gyecheon Gate Master, Namgung Bi-ah let out a small gasp.

“…”

Cheol-geok.

The tips of the swords floating in the air pointed towards Namgung Bi-ah and Wi Seol-ah.

“It seems uninvited guests have arrived, so I came to see your faces…”

Seuseuseu-!!

As the aura grew stronger, Namgung Bi-ah gasped. It was powerful. My body tensed up involuntarily. Namgung Bi-ah glanced back. Despite the situation, Wi Seol-ah was still looking only at the tree. She seemed entranced.

Kiiing-!!

Kkang-!

“Ngh!”

Namgung Bi-ah moved her sword and blocked the attack again. She succeeded in defending again, but her hand tingled; the power was twice as strong as before.

“When someone is speaking to you, you shouldn’t look elsewhere.”

“…Hoo….”

“Child. Please concentrate. This is an important question.”

Seureureureung.

The swords began to circle Daehwan. In the time I didn’t see, another sword had been added.

“How did you open this door?”

“…”

At the question, Namgung Bi-ah’s eyebrows twitched.

“For six years. That door hasn’t opened even once during that time. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t open it… How did you two open it?”

A door that couldn’t be opened. Those words were rendered meaningless. Namgung Bi-ah recalled the situation just before. The method of opening the door? It was nothing special. Wi Seol-ah’s hand simply touched the door, and it opened on its own. Recalling that, she assessed the current situation. Wi Seol-ah, staring at the tree as if entranced. The door she opened, which couldn’t be opened. The surprised Gyecheon Gate Master.

“…”

Recalling this, Namgung Bi-ah nodded. Did she realize something?

‘This is difficult….’

No. She decided to just give up. Since ancient times, difficult things like this haven’t suited her.

There is something. That’s all she needed to know. If so, the course of action is easily decided.

Composing her thoughts, Namgung Bi-ah spoke to the Gyecheon Gate Master.

“…Are you curious…?”

“Oh, are you going to tell me?”

Cheok.

“Hm?”

The Gyecheon Gate Master reacted to Namgung Bi-ah’s action. She quietly aimed her sword at the old man.

“…If you’re curious…”

Seeing the tip of the sword, the Gyecheon Gate Master’s eyebrows furrowed.

“…Try and find out.”

“Hohoho….”

As always, if she didn’t know the answer, she fought. There was no easier method for Namgung Bi-ah than this.

“…Oh dear, oh dear.”

Daehwan shook his head as if truly pitying Namgung Bi-ah, looking at her.

Chwareureureuk.

The circling swords stopped their movement and aimed their tips at Namgung Bi-ah.

“You’ve made a poor choice.”

With those words, four blades rained down upon Namgung Bi-ah.