Chapter 577: Because They Looked Too Worn Out

TL: FoodieMonster007

When Geom Mugeuk opened the window of his inn room, a drift of cold air swept inside. A hazy fog flowed through the alley below in the early dawn.

He had just finished his training, having entered the Spacetime Manipulation Technique the previous evening.

Although only four sijin had passed in reality, he had actually trained for two full days. His steady progress with the Heavenly Space Secret Art now granted him six times the normal flow of time.

For two days straight, he had completely exhausted his inner arts, recovered, and then exhausted them once more. He repeated this cycle so many times that he couldn't count how many demons had appeared and vanished before him.

At the very end of his training, he had unfolded a private space for himself within the Spacetime Manipulation Technique.

He created a hot spring in the middle of a snowy field, where the rising steam produced a dreamlike atmosphere.

Soaking his body there helped relieve the fatigue from a day and a half of nonstop training.

He had truly repeated the Nine Calamities Demonic Art so many times that it felt as if the demons themselves might materialize from the steam, asking to stretch their own bodies.

He could feel it. The seventh-star Nine Calamities Demonic Art was on the verge of ascending to the next level.

The experience and enlightenment he gained from his battle with the Queen of Darkness, combined with the insights from reinterpreting the Yellow Dragon Sword Technique, were causing his martial arts realm to stir.

This experience of reinterpreting the Sword King's own reinterpretation offered a special and unexpected enlightenment. He had never before reinterpreted a martial arts academy's techniques with a master like the Sword King.

I have to keep doing this.

He felt that this work with the Sword King would grant him a great achievement.

Just then, the window of the adjacent room opened, and someone leaned out.

"Aren't you sleeping?"

It was Lee Ahn.

"What about you?"

"I was training my internal arts, and the time just flew by."

She had been feeling that the current atmosphere was unusual. An enemy had appeared who could make Geom Mugeuk, the most formidable person in this place full of novices, feel tense. So how could she possibly sleep?

"Training is good, but sleep is important too."

"Look who's talking."

She knew that Geom Mugeuk always trained until dawn. Of course, she assumed he was just practicing his internal arts since he trained quietly in his room. She had no idea how much sword qi and enhanced sword qi actually flew about in the room right next to hers.

"I'll get plenty of sleep when I'm dead!"

Geom Mugeuk smiled faintly at her words.

You've already slept plenty.

So stay awake in this life.

Stay awake and watch the world with those beautiful eyes until you become an old woman with white hair.

A white-haired Lee Ahn would surely age beautifully. He wondered if they would still be able to stand side-by-side like this and watch the world together then.

"That person… he's strong, isn't he?"

Lee Ahn asked about the Sword King for the first time.

Geom Mugeuk nodded honestly.

"How strong?"

"Have you ever seen a true master who was barefoot?"

"No."

"He's exactly that strong."

Although she understood this meant he was a special kind of master, Lee Ahn deliberately spoke as if it were no big deal.

"Well, that should be fine. It's not like you're lacking in specialness yourself, Young Master, is it?"

As she said this, she tapped her left breast twice.

"To pierce the Young Master's heart, they'll have to pierce not one, but two."

Geom Mugeuk laughed, amused by her half-joking, half-serious words. His gaze toward her, however, deepened. What she had just said was something she had already experienced.

"Is this the advantage of someone with two hearts?"

"Just trust me!"

"Your heart must never be pierced! I'm going to bed trusting only that heart!"

"Get a good night's sleep for my sake, too."

Of course, in Geom Mugeuk's mind, the order was reversed.

To pierce her heart, they would have to pierce his own first.

His heart being pierced would never lead to that blade reaching Lee Ahn's heart. All this effort was to prevent such a moment from ever happening.

While Lee Ahn was gazing at the stars in the dawn sky, a fierce battle where the ground split and cliffs crumbled was taking place silently in the room next door.

The Sword King arrived for class on time the next day as well.

He had even prepared the next three techniques of the Yellow Dragon Sword Technique.

"Alright, today I will teach techniques four through six."

What on earth did this man want?

The thought naturally occurred to Geom Mugeuk as he watched him, but he could at least understand why he was teaching the Yellow Dragon Sword Technique again.

The Sword King's gaze toward Geom Mugeuk said it all.

[Let's have another round!]

He had lost their contest of reinterpretation yesterday, admitting that the technique Geom Mugeuk created was superior. That was why he sought another match today.

[This time, no matter how you base your reinterpretation on mine, you won't be able to make it better.]

Geom Mugeuk replied with his eyes.

Let's do it. Even if we kill each other eventually, let's enjoy this for now.

They both knew instinctively. For a martial artist, meeting an enemy like this was a chance that came once in a lifetime, if at all.

The Sword King demonstrated techniques four through six.

The trainees watching him looked at each other and whispered.

"What is that?"

"It's different from yesterday, too."

"He's just doing whatever he wants."

The Sword King's interpretation of the technique today was yet another version.

The Yellow Dragon Sword Technique he had shown yesterday was as soft and fluid as water. It had even looked like a dance.

Today, however, it was indifferent. There was no way to describe it other than truly indifferent. He swung the sword indifferently. He strode forward and stabbed indifferently. It was a continuous series of movements like casually kicking a stone lying on the ground.

Of course, the trainees couldn't grasp the deep essence of martial arts imbued in each and every move, so this too seemed like a half-hearted demonstration.

Geom Mugeuk, on the other hand, even took off his shoes and followed his technique barefoot.

At this sight, the trainees frowned even more.

They had already considered his offer to be a shield for Lee Ahn and Seo Jin a ploy to get on their good side. Now they believed he was training barefoot to curry favor with the instructor.

"Shouldn't we call the Black Dragon Class Seniors to teach him a lesson?"

"He's really unlikable."

Some even began to exchange such whispers.

Of course, not all the trainees were like that.

Yoo Gwang and Gyo Seok were diligently trying to follow. Gyo Seok was doing it for his friend, and Yoo Gwang was doing it for Lee Ahn. Since Lee Ahn was following so diligently, he couldn't just stand by and watch.

"Do you like that woman that much?"

As Gyo Seok shook his head, Yoo Gwang shook his head even more vigorously.

"That's not it."

"Then what?"

"I've been so anxious lately I can barely sleep. But just looking at this Young Lady calms my heart. Strangely, all my anxiety disappears. There's something about that woman."

"It's just because she's pretty."

"It's not!"

Yoo Gwang tried his best to follow along. Gyo Seok also reluctantly copied the movements. Although he always nagged his friend to stop fantasizing, he knew there was a special side to him.

And so, the class on the second day came to an end.

Geom Mugeuk and the Sword King met again in the same place they had met on the first day.

Watching Geom Mugeuk perform the martial arts, the Sword King wore a pleased smile.

Yesterday, he had reinterpreted what he was taught, but today, he was performing it exactly as he had been taught.

"Today, your reinterpretation of this technique is perfect, Instructor. It would be disrespectful to ruin such a fine technique out of a selfish desire to win, wouldn't it?"

When he frankly admitted defeat, this time the Sword King let out a sigh.

"Why are you sighing when I'm the one who lost?"

"Because you admitted it so cleanly."

Then came an unexpected remark.

"A Young Cult Leader like you is a rare sight in the history of the Demonic Cult, someone sent by the heavens. I can't help but sigh that I must kill such a person with my own hands."

He was still filled with the confidence that he could kill Geom Mugeuk.

"You'll be the one to die, Instructor. Just like your comrades who died at my hands before."

It was the first time he had mentioned the other Twelve Zodiac Kings to him. How would he react?

"Comrades? Who are my comrades?"

The Sword King did not consider the previously fallen Twelve Zodiac Kings his comrades. In fact, the ever-composed man showed displeasure for the first time at being put on the same level as them.

"I'll show you my comrades."

The next moment, the Sword King unleashed his aura. It was the first time he had revealed his aura since they had met.

The entire space was glittering.

At a glance, it looked like jewels sparkling in the sunlight.

But it was not. They were all blades.

Blades protruded from the walls, floor, ceiling, and every direction. There were hundreds, thousands of blades. The entire space was so densely packed with blades that it seemed the slightest movement would get one cut.

When Geom Mugeuk turned his head to the side, a blade was pointing at his face. Another blade protruded from the opposite side. There were blades in front of him and above his head.

Geom Mugeuk reached out his hand and touched a blade.

"……"

Blood trickled from his finger as it was cut by the blade. The aura was so sharp that it actually cut his finger. Of course, he was also cut because he hadn't deployed his protective enhanced qi.

Far in the distance, between the glittering blades, the Sword King's figure was visible.

"What do you think of my friends?"

It meant that only the sword was his friend.

In this place full of loneliness, where could a friend possibly be?

Geom Mugeuk smiled pleasantly and said to him.

"You have so many friends, there's no room for me to squeeze in."

As if pleased with the answer, the Sword King laughed with him.

SSSSSS.

As the Sword King's aura vanished, the surrounding swords disappeared in an instant.

"Later, before you die, would you grant me one request?"

Geom Mugeuk could feel it. The reason the Sword King had appeared before him, the reason they were having this leisurely exchange of lessons, might have been to make that very request.

"Very well. I'll grant your request before I kill you, Instructor."

Of course, he did not agree so meekly.

"In return, please grant one of my requests as well. I shall state mine right here and now."

"Speak."

"Please continue to reinterpret the Yellow Dragon Sword Technique up to the final technique, just as you have been. Let's continue our wager."

A flicker of doubt naturally crossed the Sword King's face.

"No matter how well I reinterpret it, it's a martial art you have no need for, isn't it?"

"There are three reasons."

"Three of them?"

"First, this wager is incredibly fun."

He thought the Sword King must feel the same way. Otherwise, they would not be having this conversation here and now.

"Second, there is someone I wish to pass on the martial art that will be completed this way."

And finally.

"This is just my intuition, but I feel my martial arts realm will ascend by the time this process is over."

The Sword King laughed and asked with an expression that said, 'And you're asking me to teach you?'

"Where did you learn this shameless level of honesty?"

"From people who aren't trivial. They never used my honesty as a weakness."

A peculiar emotion flickered across the Sword King's face. When they parted yesterday, he had said that there were too many trivial people in this murim.

"Didn't we meet as a trainee and an instructor? Since fate brought us together like this, I want to learn everything I can."

Although it must have been a difficult request, the Sword King's deliberation was not long.

"I can't very well refuse if I want to be someone who isn't trivial. Fine, I'll grant your request."

"Thank you."

The Sword King was about to turn away when he suddenly asked.

"What if my request is one you cannot grant?"

Geom Mugeuk smiled apologetically and answered.

"That's why I made my request first, isn't it?"

Even though Geom Mugeuk had told him he intended to get stronger and kill him if the chance arose, the Sword King kept his promise. He taught him all the way to the final technique of the Yellow Dragon Sword Technique. This had not been in his plans when he first became a temporary instructor.

On some days, Geom Mugeuk's reinterpretation was better, and on others, the Sword King's was. They sometimes combined their versions to complement each other, and at other times, they created something entirely new.

The technique flowed like water, blew like the wind, soared like hot flames, and on some days, struck like lightning.

It was as if the two were playing a game of Go, one move at a time. It was a game that would never come again in their lives, and also a battle of pride.

The trainees sensed that something was happening, but they did not know exactly what was going on. None of them could grasp the profound essence of the martial arts involved.

On the day they learned the final technique of the Yellow Dragon Sword Technique, the style was newly completed.

The techniques the two of them completed were different from each other. Although they had endlessly influenced one another, they arrived at different interpretations in the end.

While they were doing it, they burned with a competitive spirit, but once it was over, neither of them cared who had won more.

Geom Mugeuk handed something wrapped to the Sword King.

"What is this?"

"A gift."

"A gift of death? One that spreads an imperceptible poison when opened?"

"For that, my wrapping is a bit too clumsy."

The Sword King unwrapped the package. Inside was something he truly had not expected. It was a pair of shoes.

"Because they looked too worn out."

For the first time, a look of bewilderment crossed the Sword King's eyes. But he soon turned the shoes over and shook them, as if checking for hidden weapons inside.

"Why are you giving me this?"

Geom Mugeuk answered him honestly.

"My martial arts have reached the eighth star."

The realm of his turbulent Nine Calamities Demonic Art had finally reached the eighth star last night.

Geom Mugeuk could not describe how overjoyed he was by the increased power of the strengthened Nine Calamities Demonic Art. He had reached the eighth-star realm in the shortest time of any Cult Leader in history.

Even though it was news to be feared and wary of, the Sword King smiled brightly.

"Why are you smiling? Aren't you worried?"

"If I win, it's more glorious to beat an eighth-star than a seventh-star, and if I lose, it's less shameful to lose to an eighth-star than a seventh-star, right?"

Geom Mugeuk could feel it for certain. Facing this man would be more difficult than facing the Brawling King and the Queen of Darkness combined. In every sense of the word.

The two of them stared at each other in silence. The Sword King asked with a calm gaze.

"You've gotten stronger, so why are you handing me shoes instead of a sword?"

Geom Mugeuk faced him with honesty to the very end.

"It seems I want to become even stronger."