Chapter 591: If Something Goes Wrong Just by Flipping It Over

TL: FoodieMonster007

When Yeom Baekyin entered his office, his heart plummeted. Someone had been inside while he was briefly away. This silent intruder was standing by the window and looking outside as if he owned the entire place. The man's broad back completely blocked the view from the office window.

Yeom Baekyin could identify the man just from his back.

It was the father of Lee Ahn, the very same man who had been pestering him about his daughter's location.

To have entered the office like this demonstrated his formidable skills, especially since Yeom Baekyin's subordinate was standing guard perfectly fine outside the door. He had not come through the window either. A man of that size could never have fit through such a narrow opening.

He had suspected the man was no ordinary person upon their first meeting. Now, seeing the man's large fists clasped behind his back made Yeom Baekyin feel suffocated.

Despite this, Yeom Baekyin drew upon his inner arts and spoke with a cold tone.

"Who are you?"

A fight was always about momentum. If you were pushed back at the beginning, you would be pushed back until the very end.

However, he regretted his words almost immediately.

The moment the Fist Demon turned to face him, every hair on Yeom Baekyin's body stood on end. The man's presence was not something he could confront with mere courage or resolve, even without any particular killing intent. He was even more terrifying than the face he had seen that day.

"I've come to ask a favor," the Fist Demon said politely. This politeness made him seem even more frightening.

"What favor?"

"Send all the disciples out right now."

Yeom Baekyin flinched, completely surprised.

"What do you mean by that?"

"The Yellow Dragon Academy is closed for the day."

The Yellow Dragon Academy was too much of a Big Bro martial arts academy to engage in a fight while ignoring the disciples. Many of them would surely be caught in the crossfire and die.

Yeom Baekyin knew by instinct. Something significant was about to happen at the Yellow Dragon Academy today.

"What in the world are you planning?"

The Fist Demon stared at him with cold eyes and asked in return, "And you?"

Yeom Baekyin was frightened just by the look in the Fist Demon's eyes, but he did not back down so easily. If his own skills were insufficient, there was always the man in the basement.

"Who are you, really?"

"Didn't I say I was Lee Ahn's father?"

"Reveal your true identity."

The parent of a simple disciple would never commit such an act.

"I asked who you are!"

The Fist Demon chose the most direct method. The Fist Demon revealed his demonic qi. He was so terrifying that every hair on Yeom Baekyin's body stood on end even when there was no pressure. But when he revealed his demonic qi, Yeom Baekyin's legs began to tremble.

"I'm from the Divine Cult."

The moment he heard the words 'the Divine Cult', Yeom Baekyin felt his stomach churn as a wave of dizziness washed over him.

His ironclad faith that the man in the basement could handle anyone was instantly replaced by doubt. Can he really handle this? That was the kind of influence the Demonic Cult had on martial artists.

He had been relieved, thinking no one would discover this matter since it was happening deep underground. Why on earth was the Demonic Cult intervening at this final stage?

It was them!

The disciples who had left the basement! They must have been the ones who spread the news to the Demonic Cult. That was his misunderstanding.

Regardless, he had to survive this moment.

"Why is the Divine Cult threatening us?"

"I believe you know that better than anyone."

He was about to feign ignorance. But he did not dare to when his eyes met the Fist Demon's. The man revealing his demonic qi now felt a hundred times more terrifying than on the first day when he had interrogated him about his daughter.

As if to say he would not waste any more words, the Fist Demon turned back toward the window.

"Hurry up and close the martial arts academy. A new door will be opening soon."

Yeom Baekyin knew that door meant the gates of hell.

All the Masters and instructors of the Yellow Dragon Academy started to send the disciples home.

"Everyone, go home for today."

The disciples were all taken aback. They had never been sent home like this before.

"Is something wrong?"

"It's none of your business. Get out of the martial arts academy right now!"

The Masters could not tell them the reason even if they wanted to. They did not know the reason themselves.

And so, hundreds of disciples began to depart from the martial arts academy. Even those who ate and slept within the academy were sent out, along with the cooks and those who performed menial chores.

As if a poisonous fog had descended upon the martial arts academy, the Yellow Dragon Academy was completely emptied in an instant.

Finally, the Masters and instructors stood before the building. They reported to Yeom Baekyin, who was staring out at the grand training ground.

"We have sent everyone out as you commanded."

They thought they would finally be told the reason.

"You all should leave as well."

"What?"

They were all startled. They never imagined he would send them away too. They had expected him to announce that a powerful enemy was coming and that they should all fight together.

If not that, what on earth was he planning to do by himself?

"What is going on?"

"I'll tell you later."

After dismissing even the Masters and instructors, Yeom Baekyin went back to his office.

The Fist Demon was looking out the window at the duel grounds. They had not been there before, but as soon as the disciples departed, martial artists began to gather there one by one. They flocked to the area as if changing shifts with the disciples, and their numbers were not small.

Among them, the Fist Demon's gaze was fixed on a man seated in the spectator section.

Just as the All-Knowing Hall's report had stated, the man had both of his hands wrapped in bandages. That man was also looking in this direction, and his presence was extraordinary.

Moreover, he did not move from his spot, though he must have been aware of the Fist Demon's gaze.

Just then, Yeom Baekyin's voice came from behind.

"I've done as you wished."

The Fist Demon started to leave the office without another word. It was then that Yeom Baekyin gathered his courage and spoke. He needed to know what the man was planning to do.

"Are you really planning to turn my martial arts academy into a hell?"

"Isn't that why I had you send everyone out? The people who shouldn't be in hell."

The Fist Demon left after one last remark.

"And that's why you remained."

Geom Mugeuk and the Sword King entered the room.

The moment they stepped inside, they knew. This was the final room.

No jewel or miracle herb could compare to the mysterious energy that emanated from this place.

The first thing that caught their eye was the pattern on the floor. It was identical to the one on the door they had passed, a square with six small circles drawn on the floor.

Not only on the floor, but various patterns made of squares and circles were also drawn on the surrounding walls, in the colors of black and white, blue and red, and yellow and purple.

Even without that, there was something that convinced them this place was related to the Secret Box.

The object placed in the center of the room was, surprisingly, a Secret Box.

The color and shape were identical. However, it was a Secret Box made as large as a full-grown adult, like the one Geom Mugeuk carried.

Upon seeing the Big Bro Secret Box, the mysterious energy inside his body began to react. The dormant energy within him started to stir and awaken.

Geom Mugeuk looked at the Sword King. The Sword King was also staring at the Secret Box with trembling eyes. He was moved. He had finally arrived at the place he had sought.

"Is that it? The thing you were trying to find?"

Then an unexpected answer came.

"I don't know either."

It seemed he too had entered without knowing what was here.

"I only promised to retrieve what is stored here."

At first, he thought it was impossible for someone like the Sword King to work without even knowing what he was looking for. However, recalling what he had said in the formations, he thought it might be possible.

"So if you retrieve that, you'll have repaid your debt."

The Sword King nodded. Who was the recipient? Was it Hwa Mugi? Or was it someone else?

The Sword King slowly walked toward the Secret Box. He looked slightly bewildered. He probably had not expected such a large lump of iron to be waiting for him here.

TAP.

The Sword King cautiously placed a hand on the Secret Box. But nothing happened. It was just a cold lump of iron. After examining the front, he moved to inspect the side. Then he walked to the back before circling around and returning to his original spot.

Geom Mugeuk silently watched his actions. Although he had asked for everything in this place upon entering, the Sword King had priority rights to what was in this space. Geom Mugeuk acknowledged that.

"……"

The Sword King's body floated into the air. He carefully landed on top of the Secret Box and examined its upper surface. Then he came back down.

"I don't see any mechanism to open it."

It seemed he had judged that this box was not all there was to it.

"It's fine, go ahead and touch it."

At the Sword King's words, Geom Mugeuk finally stepped forward. The reason the Sword King felt favorable toward Geom Mugeuk was not just because of his eloquence. It was because of this side of him, the ability to restrain his greed and wait.

Geom Mugeuk placed his hand on the Secret Box. At that, the energy inside his body reacted.

This Secret Box, it's not just a simple imitation of the exterior.

The Sword King asked from behind.

"Is it perhaps thousand-year cold steel?"

It was a question of whether he had seen it incorrectly. But how could the Sword King see wrong?

"No, it's just made of a lump of iron."

A hint of disappointment flickered across the Sword King's face.

Even if this were made of thousand-year cold steel, he felt that the box itself was not the objective. Thousand-year cold steel could not change the fate of the murim.

Of course, one might think they could sell this large piece of thousand-year cold steel and change the murim's fate, but if it were simply about money, he would not have been sent to the basement.

"There must be a way to open this."

Geom Mugeuk nodded in agreement with the Sword King's words.

"I think so too. There must be some secret. Let's unravel it together, slowly."

The Sword King nodded. For some reason, it felt like Geom Mugeuk could solve any difficult secret with ease. Indeed, he was thinking of things the Sword King had not considered.

"First, let's flip it over and look at the bottom."

The Sword King was startled. He had not thought of that.

It was clearly a good idea, but the Sword King hesitated for a moment. He was worried something might go wrong if they flipped it, and Geom Mugeuk saw right through him.

"If something goes wrong just by flipping it over, could anything truly great come out of it?"

The Sword King laughed at his words. He was right. It was something he would have agonized over for a few hours if he were alone, yet Geom Mugeuk came up with an answer so readily.

Of course, Geom Mugeuk was treating that large Secret Box the same as the one in his pocket. Had he only flipped it? He would not have cared even if he had drawn a smiling face on it.

"Alright, let's flip it."

The two of them flipped the Secret Box over. There was no hidden passage on the bottom as they might have hoped, and the bottom surface was identical to the other sides.

"I've made you go through all that trouble for nothing."

"No. It was a good idea."

Geom Mugeuk's way of thinking was different from his from the start.

Geom Mugeuk walked over to one of the walls. A small decorative cabinet stood there, with books tucked inside. There were not many, only about ten volumes.

"Hoho, sometimes important things are hidden in plain sight in places like this."

The Sword King came over to look as well. He thought there might be a clue to opening the lump of iron, but the books tucked there were all martial arts manuals.

"There's even a manual the Principal would like."

Seeing the martial arts manuals, he knew he had not made an empty promise to Yeom Baekyin. Of course, that did not mean he genuinely cared for him.

"I'll give you half of the manuals here."

It meant he would give Yeom Baekyin some of what was left.

And Geom Mugeuk sensed something more important. The offer of half the manuals implied that he could not have anything else.

First, Geom Mugeuk took what was offered.

"I don't need half, I'll just take one."

Geom Mugeuk took one of the manuals. It was a demonic art called the Big Dipper Body, which protected the body with enhanced qi.

"This is a demonic art known to have been lost long ago, but here it is."

The Big Dipper Body was a protective demonic art that created enhanced qi to shield the body. The reason this martial art was so good was that it could be used in conjunction with other protective arts.

This meant it could be used simultaneously with the Heavenly Demon Defense Art or the Vajra Asura of the Thunder Arhat Fist.

Of course, the correct choice would normally be to focus one's inner arts on the most powerful protective art, but Geom Mugeuk possessed immense inner arts, enough to allocate an extreme amount to multiple protective arts. Because of that, the Big Dipper Body could serve as another life for him.

"How much stronger are you trying to get?"

"I must really have an anxiety about death. I can't resist when I see martial arts like this."

After taking the manual, he meticulously examined the patterns on the wall. The Sword King also examined the opposite wall.

Since they were not inside the formations, he was prepared to bring in food and persevere with his research if it came to that.

How long had they been examining them?

Geom Mugeuk squeezed his eyes shut and turned around.

"Ah! I've stared so hard my eyeballs are about to fall out. Let's take a break. A break."

At Geom Mugeuk's words, the Sword King replied gruffly without turning around.

"Even if you find it, I can't give you this."

"I know."

"Then why are you trying so hard?"

"First, I find it. Then I have to persuade you, Master."

The Sword King wanted to know where this greed stemmed from.

"Why the sudden greed?"

"It's not sudden. I've always been a greedy person. If I weren't greedy, I wouldn't have come down to this basement."

Geom Mugeuk leaned back against the Secret Box.

This time, Geom Mugeuk asked the Sword King, who was examining the patterns on the wall.

"You said there was something here that would change the fate of the murim."

Geom Mugeuk calmly added.

"Why did you bring me down here?"

The Sword King did not answer. He just stared at the wall with a deepened gaze.

"Huh? Uh oh?"

Wondering what kind of prank he was pulling now, the Sword King did not turn around.

"Master!"

Only at the urgent shout did the Sword King finally turn toward Geom Mugeuk.

In that instant, the Sword King's eyes flew wide open.

Geom Mugeuk was being sucked into the Secret Box. He was already almost completely pulled in.

Secret Box, your father is eating us.

Was it because he was being absorbed by the Secret Box and not something else? Even in this urgent moment, Geom Mugeuk felt no fear at all.

No, he actually felt a sense of comfort. That was why he did not forcefully resist the pulling force.

SHWOOOP.

The Sword King rushed forward to grab Geom Mugeuk. But by the time he arrived, Geom Mugeuk had already completely disappeared into the Secret Box.

It was a cold lump of iron.

The Sword King knocked on the spot where Geom Mugeuk had been pulled in. But the surface was hard, as if it had never absorbed a person.