Chapter 822: Ilcheonkyo.

Squeeeeze.

“Kkkhh….”

Feeling the pressure on his neck, Mookyeon let out a groan.

His toes were already floating in mid-air. He had been lifted up, his neck gripped.

Along with this came a suffocating sensation and pain, but the bigger problems were the helplessness and fear.

He truly couldn’t do anything. The only thing he could barely manage was letting out the bubbling groans with his breath.

“Hhhue… kkeu….”

The room was cold.

As if signaling the heart of autumn, even lighting a fire didn’t ward off the chill. But that wasn’t the case anymore.

Something was forming, bead-like, on his forehead. Mookyeon quickly realized it was sweat.

It was hot. Where had the cold air gone? The room was filled only with heat. He could even feel the temperature steadily rising.

Mookyeon lowered his gaze and looked at something.

It was the figure raising the room’s temperature and gripping his neck. Mookyeon, whose ki was close to that of an ordinary person, found it difficult to make out the opponent in the darkness, but even within it, he could clearly see crimson eyes.

Eyes like they were burning. Just those alone were enough to identify the opponent.

“Mookyeon.”

A heavy voice pierced Mookyeon’s ears.

“I will ask again.”

It was a calm tone, devoid of inflection. However, Mookyeon could feel a thick rage within it. Anger. The opponent was barely suppressing rage that had reached its boiling point.

This was a man who was unusually cold, even when using fire techniques. That such a man was this furious was quite astonishing to Mookyeon, even in this situation.

“Where is my son?”

“Kkeuk….”

As the question was asked, the grip on his neck loosened slightly. Just enough for him to speak.

Noticing this, Mookyeon carefully uttered his words.

“You… should… already… know… wouldn’t you?”

At Mookyeon’s words, the opponent’s eyes narrowed slightly. He knew that was a sign of affirmation. Moreover, Mookyeon was certain, just as he had said. He was sure this man had come knowing the situation to some extent.

He was always decisive. Once angered, he couldn’t be stopped, but until then, he meticulously kept to the lines. This was especially true because he knew well what kind of disaster his anger could unleash. That’s why. That’s precisely why he was more terrifying.

A man who knew his own strength so objectively. It had always been this way, but Mookyeon found this man, Gu Cheol-un, difficult. Too upright to sway. He possessed the strength to maintain his upright beliefs, but that strength was far too dangerous. His firm beliefs weren’t necessarily directed towards the righteous path. So, shackles were placed. So strong that he could break them anytime, but his own beliefs were made to hold him back. That was the time he had created.

“…”

The owner of the crimson eyes, Gu Cheol-un, looked at Mookyeon calmly before releasing his grip.

Thump-!

Mookyeon’s body, freed from the grip, collapsed onto the floor. His aged body slumped down.

“Cough-! Cough–!”

As he coughed roughly, Gu Cheol-un bent down, making eye contact with Mookyeon.

“I will change the question.”

“…Cough.”

“Why did you do it?”

“…!”

At Gu Cheol-un’s voice, Mookyeon’s body stiffened. Even without sensing his ki, he knew. The sensation now was killing intent. A chilling sensation meticulously burrowing down his throat. It felt like even the will to breathe was surrendered to the opponent. His vision began to blur. All he could see were Gu Cheol-un’s crimson eyes.

Ssssseeeeuuu.

The air he inhaled was now unbearably hot. It felt as if the heat was burning his lungs.

‘Still the same.’

Feeling this, Mookyeon recalled a certain past. Though not at the time, two of those now called the ‘Three Venerables’ were present. The greatest martial artist of the era. Three leaders from the Nine Great Sects. Against those whose victory no one could predict, the youth, not the middle-aged man he was now, had spoken.

-There is no reason to run.

A voice that felt utterly devoid of trembling. His low, heavy tone, just like now, echoed softly towards them.

-Therefore, I will not run.

Hiding a dying woman behind him, even while bleeding profusely himself, the youth continued speaking to them. Someone spoke upon seeing that. If I recall correctly, it seemed to be Woo Bong-chwi-gae. Asking if he thought he could win even in this situation. Telling him to obediently give up on that monster and return. Otherwise, they would have no choice but to kill him. Anyone could see that. It was a fight with no chance of victory. There was nowhere to run, and no way to win by fighting. Knowing all that, even if his heart were dying.

-Why are you deciding my defeat?

His eyes had not died.

-I have not yet lost,

-And I never will, until the moment my breath ceases.

His heart burned and burned, emitting light. Even facing absolute powerhouses, the youth did not back down.

-So, come.

It was, so to speak, a flame. That was a flame in human form. Truly, a flame that would burn endlessly until it extinguished itself. A blazing fire fueled solely by conviction and will. Recalling that time, Mookyeon let out a laugh without realizing it.

Kkkhhl….

“…”

At that laugh, Gu Cheol-un’s brow furrowed. He seemed displeased that Mookyeon was laughing in this situation.

“…I apologize.”

Mookyeon readily offered an apology. Why had he laughed just now? Recalling the reason, he knew immediately.

“I didn’t mean to laugh. It’s just that your son suddenly came to mind.”

Yes, that was definitely the reason for his laugh.

“I thought he seemed similar but not entirely so. But looking now, he resembles you quite a bit.”

Thinking of Gu Cheol-un as an endlessly burning flame, another flame surfaced in his mind. A strange child who sparked curiosity, seeming to hold profound secrets. He had thought that child, too, was a constantly burning flame like Gu Cheol-un. But now, he was different.

‘Cold.’

If the father appeared cold yet was actually hot, then the child, conversely, seemed to burn desperately yet was cold. He was definitely a flame, but for some reason, a deep coldness could be felt within. At barely twenty years old, how much could he have experienced? His eyes held the weight of years. In his way of speaking and tone, hostility occasionally surfaced. Therefore, his coldness was a form of restraint. He could flare up and burn everything around him at any time, but he chose to conceal himself, making himself cold. If anything, Mookyeon feared that kind more.

But then.

“Hooo…?”

For some reason, Mookyeon suddenly felt his breath returning. The difficult breathing eased, and the suffocating killing intent felt less intense. Feeling strange, Mookyeon lifted his bowed head. Gu Cheol-un’s crimson eyes were still visible directly ahead, but looking at them, Mookyeon thought.

‘Something has lessened.’

The gaze felt less menacing than before. Was it his imagination? If not, then why? As Mookyeon pondered this strange development.

“At that time. We definitely made a promise.”

Gu Cheol-un spoke to Mookyeon. But his tone seemed slightly different….

“If I granted what you desired, I wouldn’t interfere.”

“…”

“So, I did as you wished.”

Gu Cheol-un’s words were too weighty to allow for questions.

“I fought the war as you wished. I burned many, piling up mountains of them. And furthermore.”

A chilling glint flashed in Gu Cheol-un’s eyes.

“I turned a blind eye, knowing what atrocities were committed in the name of the Murim Alliance’s justice during that war.”

Mookyeon’s mouth fell shut. Gu Cheol-un’s eyes showed no emotion, but that made it even harder.

“It didn’t matter. I had long known that justice and agreement had collapsed. That wasn’t particularly important to me either.”

As Gu Cheol-un continued speaking, Mookyeon could tell. His voice was gradually gaining emotion.

“Thus, I didn’t even shy away from the troublesome task of imposing restrictions on the Five Demonic Sects. It wasn’t that difficult, you see.”

Kkigigik.

The table moved. Not just the table, but the documents piled high upon it shook and scattered.

“Even when the Elder Wi ultimately made the wrong choice. Even when my subordinates died because of it.”

Ppyeojyeok.

The building instantly cracked.

“That too, didn’t matter. What was important to me. Was solely the promise.”

“…Great Leader Gu.”

“You would know.”

Despite Mookyeon’s call, Gu Cheol-un merely continued his own words.

“That I could have broken this trivial promise at any time. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“…”

Mookyeon gave a slight nod instead of speaking.

“The reason I didn’t, despite everything, was ironically due to a small stubbornness.”

Gu Cheol-un’s hand moved.

“The stubbornness of needing to protect a wish.”

Whose wish was he protecting? The crucial part of the sentence was missing, but Mookyeon knew the answer.

“So, I endured.”

Kkugugeug.

Flames wrapped around his slowly moving, rough hand.

“Following the promise, I sent her away with my own hands.”

The flames wrapped around didn’t grow larger, but they became visibly clearer.

“That was to uphold the end of the grace period.”

Hwareureuk-!!

The flames, which had been adding color, gathered as if about to explode.

At that moment.

Kuuung-!!!

Someone appeared and charged forward. As if anticipating it, Gu Cheol-un moved his hand.

Kwadeuk-!

His hand, wrapped in flames, caught the incoming sword blade. Yet, his gaze remained fixed. Gu Cheol-un seemed indifferent to the sword’s owner, looking only at Mookyeon.

“Everything was for the promise with you all. Didn’t I tell you that back then too?”

Kkang-!

Gu Cheol-un tightened his grip, and the sword he held shattered.

And then.

Kwaaang-!!

“…!”

With a violent sound, someone knelt. The figure who had burst into the room and swung the sword. It was the leader of the Guardian Corps, the Sword Emperor (劍帝), who protects the Alliance.

Kneeling on one knee, the Sword Emperor frowned. He seemed to have taken a blow, but only a shattering sound was heard; how it happened wasn’t visible.

“I will protect what needs protecting, so you protect yours too. Otherwise, I won’t stop either. Remember this?”

“…I remember.”

“I see. You remember.”

At Mookyeon’s reply, Gu Cheol-un nodded briefly. And then.

Kwak-!

“Keok!”

He grabbed Mookyeon’s neck again, which he had released.

“Then why did you do it?”

His voice conveyed disbelief.

“Why, then, is that child working within the Alliance?”

“Kkeueuk….”

He couldn’t answer the question. He couldn’t even breathe.

“I certainly did as I was told.”

“Kkkh.”

“Because that would grant us a reprieve, I did so.”

Just as Gu Cheol-un was speaking, the Sword Emperor tried to move. But he couldn’t move in the end. It was because Mookyeon gestured for him to stay still.

“Because you wished for him not to reveal himself, I concealed his appearance instead of interfering with the children.”

Along with the emotion seeping into his voice, Gu Cheol-un’s expression was the same. His eyes were gradually filling with anger.

“But.”

Chiiiiik.

A bubbling sound came from the floor. Flickering flames began to consume the floor bit by bit.

“Why, how could you touch my ‘conviction’?”

Following his emotions, flames enveloped Gu Cheol-un. Mookyeon was looking at a disaster. If it erupted here, it would be a disaster no one could easily stop.

“Answer me. Otherwise.”

Gu Cheol-un said, looking at Mookyeon.

“From today, I will erase the Murim Alliance from the world.”

It was not a lie. Just like he had done with the Tang Clan, Gu Cheol-un genuinely intended to erase the Murim Alliance. That. Was not a difficult task for him now.