Chapter v12c23

The old man’s figure, perched atop a boulder that resembled a giant toad, appeared incredibly small. He looked frail, as if he lacked the strength to even lift a chopstick, and his height was barely half that of an average person. Beside him lay two uniquely shaped wooden staffs, neatly arranged.

“It’s an honor to meet you. I am Gwan Cheol-su, leading the Cheonmu Academy delegation for the Mount Hua Convention. If you don’t mind, could you tell us your esteemed name?”

Binggeom asked politely, bowing once more. He sensed that someone in this remote location couldn’t be ordinary.

“Hahaha, there’s no need for such formality… This old man’s name is Jong Kwae. Long ago, I was known by the frivolous title of ‘Sky-Soaring Cloud-Treader.'”

The old man spoke casually, but his words sent shockwaves through the group.

“S-Sky-Soaring Cloud-Treader Jong Kwae! The fastest man in the world!”

Binggeom and the rest of the delegation were stunned. The name “Sky-Soaring Cloud-Treader” had reached its peak of fame a century ago, but its legend hadn’t faded from people’s memories. Anyone who studied lightness techniques had heard of him.

Sky-Soaring Cloud-Treader Jong Kwae!

This man, whose title implied the ability to fly through the sky and tread upon clouds, was a legend in the realm of lightness techniques.

“If you want to know what’s faster than the wind, meet Jong Kwae!”

Such sayings had circulated during his prime, a testament to his unparalleled speed. He was also known as the “Speed Demon” due to his obsession with swiftness.

He had vanished after the Heavenly Tribulation, his whereabouts unknown. To encounter this legendary figure in such a remote mountain valley was beyond their wildest imagination.

But their astonishment was nothing compared to the shock they felt when this renowned old man stood up from the boulder, holding the two staffs beside him. Their eyes widened in unison.

He was missing both legs, the very limbs that had made him a legend.

His legs had been symbols of speed and agility. A century ago, his feet and legs had embodied swiftness and nimbleness. But now, those symbols were gone.

The old man’s height was less than half that of an average person. Both his legs had been severed, and where his legs should have been, there were only empty pant legs flapping in the wind.

Instead, he held long wooden staffs in his hands. These thin, long staffs seemed to be his new legs.

“W-What… What happened?”

Namgung Sang asked in a trembling voice, his gaze fixed on the empty pant legs.

“Ah, this? It’s nothing. Just a lifelong lesson, a bitter reminder of a moment of arrogance…”

A wry smile touched Sky-Soaring Cloud-Treader Jong Kwae’s lips. But it couldn’t be “nothing.”

“Don’t look at me with such pity. I can still do this, even without my legs!”

Whoosh! In an instant, Jong Kwae vanished from Namgung Sang’s sight.

Thud!

A wooden staff landed on Namgung Sang’s shoulder from behind. It was Jong Kwae’s right crutch. Somehow, Jong Kwae had moved behind him, his entire body supported by his left crutch, while his right crutch rested on Namgung Sang’s shoulder.

“You were careless, young man! You’re already dead by my sword. You shouldn’t underestimate a cripple. Even though I’m old and have lost my legs, I can still do this.”

Namgung Sang’s back was drenched in cold sweat. The moment the crutch landed on his shoulder, he felt as if a sharp sword had grazed his neck. He had experienced death in that instant. His heart turned cold.

Namgung Sang wasn’t the only one shocked by Jong Kwae’s movement. The other members of the delegation were also stunned, their eyes darting back and forth between the crippled old man and Namgung Sang, who had been caught off guard. Many of them hadn’t even seen how he moved.

As the crutch was removed from his shoulder, Namgung Sang finally regained control of his body. He had been frozen, like a butterfly caught in a spiderweb.

“Let me tell you an old story. Consider it entertainment before the trial. Like all old tales, it holds a valuable lesson. And it explains the origin of this trial.”

“Origin?”

Jong Kwae’s expression, his eyes clouded with a dark emotion, was strange. But it didn’t take long for them to realize he was telling the truth.

“About a hundred years ago, there was a man. He appeared suddenly, without warning, like a ghost. No one knew where he came from. Of course, no one paid him any attention at first. It was a common occurrence. But they soon had to reconsider their complacency. Five sects, seven societies, and two prestigious clans were destroyed or forced to close their doors at his hands. Indifference quickly turned into shock, confusion, and fear. Many people and sects submitted to his limitless power. No one knew why he did it. But it was clear that the martial world at the time had no power to stop him. The fear he emanated began to spread throughout the land. People trembled at the mere mention of his name, their legs turning to jelly. So, they even avoided speaking his name, as if it were taboo.”

The expressions on their faces changed. Jong Kwae’s story sounded familiar.

“The fear was so great and terrible that no one dared to challenge him for a while. Anyone who dared to defy him met an untimely end. He became fear itself. The owner of a name that no one wanted to speak, a name that evoked terror. He gathered those who had submitted to his fear and pledged their allegiance, forming a vast organization, and he sat upon its throne. Thus, he became the master of the Heavenly Tribulation. People called him the Heavenly Tribulation Blood God, a name that embodied fear, terror, and despair.”

They were stunned. They were listening to the most forbidden tale in the martial world. Their hearts pounded in their chests. It was as if a burning coal had been placed in their mouths, their throats parched, their blood rushing through their veins like a raging river.

They could sense it instinctively. Although the old man spoke calmly, feigning composure, his words carried a tremor of fear, a residue of terror that couldn’t be erased by a hundred years of wind or the passage of countless moons and suns.

“He was practically invincible even when he was alone, so there was no power left in the weakened martial world to stop him after he had gathered a massive force of evil. He wanted everyone, righteous and demonic alike, to submit to his power. That’s when the first joint conference of the righteous and demonic factions was held. Faced with constant defeat and death, people thought,

‘This can’t go on! We need to find another way!’

But no one could come up with a solution. Then an old man stepped forward and said,

‘I have an idea!’

The desperate people, clinging to any hope, turned their ears to the old man. He continued,

‘We’re at a disadvantage with our forces scattered! We need to gather our strength and face that demon together. We have no chance of winning otherwise!’

‘How?’

Someone asked.

‘We set a trap. We lure him to a place of our choosing!’

The old man replied.

‘A trap? Do you think that will work on him?’

Another person asked. It was a valid question, considering the immense power and terror “he” possessed at the time, enough to make even demons cower. The old man said,

‘We use bait, something he can’t resist!’

When people learned what the old man proposed to use as bait, they erupted in protest, criticizing him for his dangerous idea. It was too risky.

‘Have you considered the consequences if your plan fails? We could be completely destroyed! It would be irreversible!’

They shouted in disbelief. It was understandable. Who would suggest using such a thing as bait…”

“What was the bait?”

Yeomdo, unable to contain his curiosity, asked. Jong Kwae looked up, meeting his gaze. Yeomdo flinched at the sight of his clear, glass-like eyes. Jong Kwae shook his head and said,

“I’m afraid you’re not yet worthy of knowing. So don’t blame me for not telling you.”

His words only intensified their curiosity. But no amount of persuasion or flattery could make Jong Kwae reveal the secret.

He continued his story.

“The old man, as if he had anticipated the backlash, remained silent, observing the chaos. When the commotion subsided, he spoke again.

‘Is there any other way to stop him? If there is, I’ll gladly follow your suggestion, even if it means sacrificing my life. So, if you have a better plan, speak now!’

No one could answer him. Then they began to seriously consider his proposal. The meeting lasted for seven days and six nights. And finally, on the seventh day, a decision was made. The old man’s proposal was accepted. It was perhaps the most risky plan in the history of the martial world, a gamble that involved the fate of the entire land, regardless of factions, righteous or demonic, black or white. And a location was chosen to execute the plan.”

“Could that location be…?”

Binggeom asked in a trembling voice. A premonition pierced his heart. Jong Kwae nodded.

“You’re right. It was Mount Hua’s Heavenly Martial Peak. And this very spot where you’re sitting.”

A wave of shock washed over them. A heavy silence followed in the wake of the receding tide. No one spoke.

Jong Kwae’s story was something they had never heard before in their study of martial arts history. They had never known that Heavenly Martial Peak had such a past.

They suddenly felt a prickling sensation in their buttocks, as if needles were embedded in the ground. They looked around with new eyes. Everything seemed different.

“Cheon-u, have you ever heard this story before?”

Yeomdo asked. Jo Cheon-u, a promising Mount Hua disciple and a member of the Vermilion Bird Squad, shook his head vigorously.

“I’ve been training at Mount Hua for over ten years, but I’ve never heard this story before.”

It was astonishing that a Mount Hua disciple had never heard of this incident, even though it had happened practically in their backyard. Yeomdo turned to Yoon Jun-ho, but he too had no knowledge of it.

Jong Kwae, after a brief pause, continued,

“It’s only natural that you don’t know. Everything that happened back then was kept secret, buried in darkness. Only a handful of people in the current martial world know about it, and even those who do are trying to forget. You probably thought this place was just the venue for the Mount Hua Convention!”

They all nodded. It was true.

“There are two reasons why this story was kept secret. One is because its contents must never be revealed. And the other is because of fear!”

“Fear… What do you mean?”

Namgung Sang asked with a puzzled expression, “What do you mean?”

“You’ll experience it firsthand soon enough. Perhaps, to you, ‘he’ is nothing more than a legend, a myth, a character from a story. You’ve only heard of his power and terror through words, never faced it directly. Some of you might even doubt his existence, thinking his story is just an exaggeration, a tall tale. If there are any such people here, they’ll have a rare experience today. They’ll meet him face-to-face and realize how wrong they were.”

Suddenly, a chilling glint, like a red lightning bolt, flashed in Jong Kwae’s eyes.

“!!!”

A wave of terror, like a bolt of lightning, struck them. The delegation members, their faces pale as sheets, stared wide-eyed, their mouths agape like goldfish.

It was as if a giant shadow had suddenly appeared in the clear, blue sky, swallowing the sun and plunging the world into darkness. The air turned frigid, like a winter blizzard, and they trembled in fear, like children afraid of the night. Even though there was no physical presence, the fear he emanated was immense. It was a soul-crushing shock.

Then,

“Hey, Gungsang! What are you doing? Are you messing with me?”

A single sentence, filled with exasperation. And then, divine punishment descended!

Slap!

“Ouch!”

Namgung Sang clutched the back of his head, tears welling up in his eyes. At that moment, he felt the web of darkness that had enveloped him vanish. Starting with Namgung Sang, the others also emerged from the darkness.

The sky was bright again, the sunlight warm, the cool autumn breeze refreshing, and the scent of greenery still lingered in the air.

‘What was that?’

The delegation members couldn’t comprehend what they had just experienced. They only knew that they had been paralyzed by an unknown force, trembling in fear like small animals caught in a trap. Bi Ryu-yeon looked at Jong Kwae and said with a smile,

“That was an interesting story and an interesting trick. But what happened next?”

Jong Kwae looked at Bi Ryu-yeon with surprise, as if he had been caught off guard.

‘He broke free from my mass suggestion and even dispelled it… What an incredible young man!’

Although it wasn’t widely known, he had another skill besides his speed. He could instantly hypnotize anyone who listened to his stories. But today, he had met someone who had broken free from his hypnosis.

“Hahaha, you’re an amazing young man. It was just a simple test. I meant no harm. Tsk, tsk, tsk, to be defeated by such a weak suggestion… How can you face the real thing! It’s… It’s…”

Suddenly, Jong Kwae’s voice trembled, his eyes flickering nervously. He couldn’t finish his sentence. It was as if his entire body was trying to express something beyond words.

After a brief silence, Jong Kwae changed the subject.

“Don’t worry. I can see you’re still afraid, but how can you possibly fight ‘him’ here? You’ll be facing a fragment of his legacy, one of the few remaining traces of his power in this world.”

He didn’t mention that all the sects had joined forces to erase the remnants of that overwhelming terror from the world.

“But don’t let your guard down. You could be consumed by the remaining traces if you’re not careful!”

They swallowed nervously.

“Your first test, the first trace of his power, is over there.”

Jong Kwae pointed to a sheer cliff, separated from them by a deep chasm.

“We call it the ‘Heavenly Tribulation Gap’ or the ‘Blood God’s Step.'”