Chapter 188: Trivial Act. (3)

The Black Night Palace Main Branch.

It is one of the great organizations of the Demonic Sect, led by the Black Night Palace Master, one of the Four Demon Emperors, who is called the absolute ruler of the Demonic Sect.

Boom. Boom.

An unknown roar repeats, and someone is walking down a dimly lit corridor with no torches.

Strangely, no footsteps could be heard from the man passing through the corridor with a steady gait, neither fast nor slow.

It was hard to say it was drowned out by the roars coming from all directions; his presence was far too faint.

It felt like walking on water.

The man, walking quietly, eventually reached a massive door.

The door, black as pitch, had small, violet gems embedded in it.

“Greetings, Palace Master-nim.”

As the man appeared, those waiting in front of the door immediately bowed their heads in greeting.

“Status report.”

“None.”

Hearing this, the man nodded and reached out to the violet gem embedded in the door.

As the gem touched the man, it briefly shone brightly.

Deudeudeudeuk.

A strange sound came from the door.

Kuuung!

The man lightly pushed open the massive door, which looked incredibly heavy just by looking at it, with one hand.

“Chilju.”

“Yes, Palace Master-nim.”

“The gem is cracked, so summon Taejeolgwi later.”

“Understood.”

Having delivered the message, the man stepped inside the door.

Inside the door was just as dim as the outer corridor.

However, the man walked without hesitation, as if he could see perfectly clearly.

In the pitch-black darkness, only the man’s faint, violet eyes were dimly visible.

Eventually.

After walking for some time, the man stopped at one spot. Although it was a room devoid of any light, the man could see it perfectly clearly.

After briefly looking around, the man began to slowly kneel, gazing at one particular spot.

“Have you been well?”

The man’s words scattered into the void.

No answer was heard.

However, the man was unconcerned.

He simply continued with what he had to say.

“Many things have happened in a short time.”

As if answering the Palace Master’s words.

Pasak. Pasak.

A faint crumbling sound could be heard from in front of the Palace Master.

It was the sound of a flower drying, withering, and crumbling powerlessly.

The room, layered heavily with darkness, was brightly illuminated in the Palace Master’s eyes.

Ahead, countless flower petals lay piled up, having turned to dust.

These were flowers bloomed using a vast amount of inner energy.

“Outside remains like hell, but please, you need not worry about it.”

The Palace Master simply continued speaking.

“The heavens merely look down, while you…”

The Palace Master, who had been speaking continuously, suddenly shut his mouth.

Because his own sky stood before his eyes.

The Palace Master raised his head, a drop of cold sweat trickling down his cheek.

“Ah…”

A faint sigh of admiration escaped the Palace Master’s lips as he looked at the sky with his own eyes.

It was truly a small body.

It was a thin, frail body that looked like it could barely run around the distance of a ‘hyeon’, but…

The Palace Master knew.

How great a power was hidden within that slender body.

In the child’s hand was a completely dried and withered flower.

In the other hand, a book was held.

Although the child’s face was hidden by long hair that reached the floor,

the Palace Master could see that only unusually bright, violet eyes, incomparable to his own, were shining within.

“…My Sky…”

It was clearly visible to the Palace Master’s eyes.

That is profound darkness.

The fact that light had faded all around was thanks to Sky,

and the swirling of the Palace Master’s inner energy, which formed an ‘yeonghae’ just by having it before him, was proof of that.

The child raised a small arm and handed the book to the Palace Master.

The Palace Master carefully accepted the book.

“Done.”

Said the child’s small voice.

The Palace Master immediately burned the book. This was a blessing.

“…I shall prepare the next one.”

“Hungry.”

“I shall prepare that promptly as well.”

At the Palace Master’s words, the child turned and returned to their original spot, as if having nothing more to say.

Was it an illusion? The place where the child stood seemed particularly dark.

Sky was no different from a blessing bestowed upon him by the gods.

The Palace Master watched the retreating figure and quietly got to his feet.

It should have been a space enclosed by walls on all sides, yet it felt strangely like a breeze was blowing.

Still standing, the Palace Master took in a bit more of Sky’s appearance.

‘I must make the body stronger.’

The vessel is far too small to contain that vast darkness.

For that, more flowers needed to be prepared.

The Palace Master bowed respectfully towards Sky, who wasn’t looking this way, then turned his back and headed for the entrance he came through.

Boom!

The moment the Palace Master exited, the door closed as if it had been waiting.

The guards outside were still there,

but someone who hadn’t been there earlier was waiting for the Palace Master outside the door.

“Greetings, Palace Master-nim.”

Before him stood an old man, a master serving as the Black Night Palace’s Vice Palace Master.

Chilseongmun of the Ghostly Rivals Seven Swords (鬼比七劍). That’s what the Central Plains called the old man.

The Palace Master looked at the old man with different eyes than before and asked,

“What is it?”

“I have urgent news, so I ventured to intrude like this.”

“Speak.”

“We have found the whereabouts of the Flame.”

At Chilseongmun’s words, the Palace Master’s expression shifted, showing interest.

“The location?”

“They say it is at Jeonseon.”

“Jeonseon… It seems to be one of those Orthodox Sect fellows.”

At the Palace Master’s words, Chilseongmun carefully handed over a letter.

The Palace Master immediately took it and unfolded it.

The Palace Master quickly read the written words, stopping at one part.

“Gu Clan.”

The name that came from the Palace Master’s lips felt like a thorn snagging the back of his throat.

“I see. Gu Clan.”

Without questioning, the Palace Master simply nodded.

To think the Flame we seek is Gu Clan; doesn’t that name fit so well?

“You said Jeonseon?”

“Yes.”

Jeonseon.

It’s a region already turned into ruins, corrupted by the aftermath of the Demon Mirror Gate.

The Orthodox Sect fellows, composed of hypocrisy and crudeness, are sending clan members and sword brigades under the pretext of blocking this place to gain the trust of the common people, but…

It is all futile.

Chilseongmun looked at the Palace Master and offered his opinion.

“…We are hastily assembling a unit, but given the target, we anticipate the situation will be somewhat difficult.”

At those words, the Palace Master burned the letter he was holding.

Hwareureuk.

Chilseongmun, who had been bowing, lowered his head further as the Palace Master’s violet Samadhi True Fire unfolded from his hand.

“There is no need to assemble a unit.”

At the Palace Master’s words, Chilseongmun wore a puzzled expression.

Why would the Palace Master react like this, having found what he sought so desperately?

“I will go myself.”

“…Palace Master-nim!”

Chilseongmun reacted with bewilderment at the words of the Black Night Palace Master, who had never left the palace for years, stating he would lead himself.

This is because the Black Night Palace Master had not moved from the palace for over ten years.

“It’s too dangerous. If things go wrong, the Flame Ghost might intervene directly… Guk!”

Chilseongmun’s babbling mouth was instantly shut.

He was involuntarily crushed by the pressure emanating from the Palace Master’s body.

The Palace Master’s expression was the same as before, but Chilseongmun instinctively knew that uttering the wrong word here would mean his neck snapping instantly, regardless of his position as Vice Palace Master.

“Flame Ghost, you say? Are you afraid of that toothless old tiger?”

“N-no… No, I… How could I…”

“That’s right, you shouldn’t be.”

Hearing the suppressed reply, the Palace Master lightly patted Chilseongmun’s shoulder.

The pressure tightly constricting Chilseongmun vanished in an instant.

“The Flame Ghost of the past died long ago; now, he’s just an old tiger (老虎) living peacefully in Shanxi.”

The fear associated with Gu Clan wasn’t about some Flame Ghost.

Moreover, there was no need to fear past martial artists who couldn’t easily leave that place.

“This matter, this Palace Master will handle personally. Make sure that’s understood.”

“…Yes… Understood.”

It wasn’t just anything; it was the Flame needed by Sky.

Now that he knew about it, there was no need to hesitate.

‘Normally, I would have just let this pass, but…’

Hearing it concerned Gu Clan sparked a small interest.

After all, a Gu Clan clan member was involved in a matter I received a report on before.

‘Gu Yangcheon, was it?’

The boy who killed Daejeolgwi, a peak master whose skills were considerable, though useless…

He too was a member of Gu Clan.

Furthermore, he was said to be the Flame Ghost’s only son.

The Palace Master then recalled the name he saw in the letter before burning it.

Sword Phoenix (劍鳳) Gu Huibi.

If nothing went wrong, she was a martial artist expected by many to inherit the name Sword Empress in the near future.

“Vice Palace Master.”

“Yes, Palace Master-nim….”

“Prepare more flowers and books.”

“…I shall follow your command. I will relay the message about the books to Taeju.”

Having given the final command, the Palace Master walked past Chilseongmun.

After a few steps, the Palace Master vanished with a faint gust of wind.

The destination: Jeonseon, where Sword Phoenix resides.

It was the moment the Palace Master set foot in the Central Plains for the first time in ten years.