Chapter 602: Prove It Wrong This Time

TL: FoodieMonster007

A low rumble of thunder echoed from the distance, like a cry of fate.

RUMBLE.

Dark clouds gathered in the distance, and the wind carried air that already felt humid.

Geom Mugeuk felt this meeting would alter his destiny, much like the rapidly changing weather.

From inside the Spacetime Manipulation Technique, Geom Mugeuk stared at the Darkness Palace Lord. He was in a place he should not be, meeting someone he should not meet.

Why on earth are you here, contacting the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult?

His current position allowed him to see the other's face in detail. Geom Mugeuk received two conflicting impressions from the Darkness Palace Lord's intense gaze. They were both cold and hot.

The first impression was one of heat. A flame blazed in his eyes, showing an intense desire to achieve his goal at any cost.

At the center of that flame, Geom Mugeuk could see a cold ruthlessness, a willingness to sacrifice anything for his purpose.

Having witnessed countless villains, Geom Mugeuk knew what he was seeing. This was a man who created answers from death and solved problems by killing.

Geom Mugeuk's gaze then turned to the masked man. He had seen him from a distance last time, but today he could see him up close.

His skill is no ordinary matter.

He did not feel like a Demon Supreme, but rather a demon whose skills were at least at the Captain level. He had to be a figure skilled at handling these kinds of matters.

The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had met with Jo Woong of the Murim Alliance and also with the Darkness Palace Lord of the Heavenly Fate Palace. This meant they had established connections with both sides.

"It looks like it'll rain soon," the masked man added, glancing at the surroundings as they darkened under the storm clouds.

"Isn't the darkness on your side? It seems the heavens are helping you."

The Darkness Palace Lord turned his body toward the masked man standing behind him.

At that moment, Geom Mugeuk saw it. His gaze instantly changed to a lukewarm one, neither cold nor hot.

He's an expert at hiding himself.

The Darkness Palace Lord gave an unexpected answer with a calm face.

"The idea that darkness is evil or bad is just a prejudice. Surprisingly, most bad things happen in broad daylight. Darkness only gives humans rest and peace."

At those joking words, the masked man's eyes smiled.

"I know very well what kind of darkness is yours, so it's funny to hear you talk about peace."

The masked man spoke as if he knew what kind of person the Darkness Palace Lord was. He did not seem wary of the other man, but he was not being disrespectful either.

The gazes of the two men tangled in the air.

Between them, Geom Mugeuk was watching the two.

They don't trust each other.

In other words, it meant they had joined hands for something they needed. What kind of deal was the Darkness Palace Lord trying to make with this dangerous opponent?

The masked man asked the Darkness Palace Lord.

"Who has it now?"

The Darkness Palace Lord answered the masked man's question.

"The Saintess has it."

Geom Mugeuk knew. What the masked man had asked about was the Secret Box.

So the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult also knows that the Secret Box has awakened.

If so, their reason for intervening this time must also be because of the Secret Box.

"Has he gained its power?"

"Not yet."

"Why're you so sure? Couldn't he have already obtained it?"

"No."

The Darkness Palace Lord was certain it was not so.

"If he had, the Divine Sword Martial Emperor would already be a dead man."

He knew the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord's personality better than anyone. He was not the type of person to leave the Divine Sword Martial Emperor alone after gaining such power.

"Here, take this."

The masked man handed him the leather pouch he had been carrying on his back.

The Darkness Palace Lord checked the contents of the leather pouch.

"Everything will be over by tomorrow. We won't be meeting again, so congratulations in advance on ascending to the position of the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord."

After saying that, the masked man was about to turn away when the Darkness Palace Lord spoke to him, as if in warning.

"You'd better keep your promise, if you don't want the darkness to become your nightmare for the rest of your life."

A flicker of amusement, as if to say 'How dare you threaten us?', crossed the masked man's eyes, but the words that came out of his mouth were smooth.

"I already don't sleep well at night, so don't you worry. Our Cult will definitely keep its promise."

Geom Mugeuk confirmed one thing in this place.

The Darkness Palace Lord has betrayed the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord.

At first, he thought this might be proceeding under the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord's orders. After all, he could have been trying to kill the head of the Murim Alliance by bringing in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. However, it was not. This was the Darkness Palace Lord's rebellion.

What on earth was inside that leather pouch?

RUMBLE.

As the sound of thunder grew closer, the Darkness Palace Lord slung the leather pouch over his shoulder and slowly began his descent from the mountain.

After he disappeared, Geom Mugeuk emerged from the Spacetime Manipulation Technique.

The Darkness Palace Lord was undoubtedly going to meet the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord now. To find out what he was plotting, Geom Mugeuk had to get to the camp faster than him.

I must hear what they talk about.

Of course, if the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord was in his barracks, he would not be able to get in, but that was a problem to worry about later.

Geom Mugeuk looked down the cliff. It felt risky to jump down with his current inner arts.

"Pungshin, I'm counting on you!"

Geom Mugeuk threw his body off the cliff.

SHWAAAAAAAA!

The Heavenly Fate Palace Lord sat cross-legged on a rock amidst the pouring rain. The falling raindrops did not hit his body but bounced away instead, as if an invisible barrier surrounded him.

He was in a secluded spot a short distance from the camp, calming his mind ahead of tomorrow's decisive battle.

The power of the Secret Box had not yet been transmitted to him.

If he fought like this? Could he really defeat the Divine Sword Martial Emperor? The word 'of course' did not even vaguely come to mind. His opponent was, after all, a man whose martial arts were at the Emperor level and whose swordsmanship was Divine.

O heavens, are you mocking me?

He even felt a sense of resentment.

Just then, the voice of the Protection Palace Lord was heard.

"The Darkness Palace Lord has arrived."

At that, the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord's eyes flew open. The emotion that flashed in his eyes was clearly the anticipation of 'Finally!'.

When the two men returned to the barracks, the Darkness Palace Lord was waiting, looking at a map of the Central Plains on the wall.

As the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord entered, the Darkness Palace Lord greeted him with the utmost courtesy.

"I greet the venerable Saintess."

"Welcome, Hwa Saintess."

The Darkness Palace Lord's name was Hwa Sogang.

He also exchanged greetings with the Protection Palace Lord. Outwardly, they greeted each other politely, but the looks they exchanged were not friendly.

The Protection Palace Lord, in particular, was always suspicious and wary of the Darkness Palace Lord. He believed the Darkness Palace Lord harbored ambitions to take over the Heavenly Fate Palace.

Of course, he had never mentioned such suspicions to the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord. There was no evidence, and above all, the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord trusted the Darkness Palace Lord. He knew that the Saintess favored him more.

Indeed, unlike himself, who often spoke against the Saintess's wishes, the Darkness Palace Lord mostly said what the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord wanted to hear.

His first words today were no different.

"Tomorrow, the master of the orthodox sects' murim will finally change."

Hearing those words, which seemed to guarantee the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord's victory, a thought suddenly occurred to the Protection Palace Lord.

The Saintess must have wanted to hear those words.

He himself had been with the Saintess all this time, yet he had never once said such a thing. He believed that the Mandate of Heaven had now descended upon the Saintess, but it was likely because he still had an unwelcome feeling about this war itself.

The Heavenly Fate Palace Lord responded humbly.

"I can't guarantee tomorrow's fight. The Divine Sword Martial Emperor is not an opponent to be taken lightly."

"The Mandate of Heaven has reached the Saintess. It's not something a mere mortal can stop."

At that, the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord mentioned the Saintess. His intention was to hear what the other man thought of the prophecy.

"The Saintess was here."

The Darkness Palace Lord asked cautiously.

"By any chance, was there a prophecy?"

As the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord slowly nodded, the Darkness Palace Lord respectfully performed a clasped hands greeting and said.

"I dare to ask about the sacred prophecy."

After a brief pause, the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord answered.

"The prophecy was that I would lose this war. It said our Mandate of Heaven would only be realized three hundred years from now."

Even at those surprising words, the Darkness Palace Lord's expression did not change at all.

"You're not surprised."

Then, the Darkness Palace Lord said calmly.

"Three hundred years from now… it's too distant a story to feel real."

He did not say anything about the prophecy itself, but his words were already filled with his feelings on the matter.

"But we can't just wait three hundred years, can we?"

A faint smile appeared on the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord's lips at the Darkness Palace Lord's words.

The Protection Palace Lord knew. This too was what the Saintess had hoped to hear. That he had been wishing for someone to support him like this. It was likely because he knew this was the kind of person who would say such things that he had been so pleased to hear of the Darkness Palace Lord's arrival earlier.

"A prophecy is, after all, just a prophecy."

"But it's a prophecy that has never been wrong before?"

"Then prove it wrong this time."

The Heavenly Fate Palace Lord laughed out loud.

What the Darkness Palace Lord had prepared was not just pleasant words.

"To do that, this will be helpful."

The Darkness Palace Lord took something out of the leather pouch he carried.

"Please wear this, Saintess."

What he presented was a suit of protective armor.

"It is the Ice Dragon Divine Armor."

Both the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord and the Protection Palace Lord were surprised that it was the Ice Dragon Divine Armor. This Ice Dragon Divine Armor was truly a difficult piece of protective armor to obtain.

"How did you get this?"

"I asked around everywhere and barely managed to obtain it."

Moreover, there was a reason why it was specifically the Ice Dragon Divine Armor.

"The Divine Sword Martial Emperor's martial arts are based on an inner art of extreme yang. This Ice Dragon Divine Armor contains the energy of extreme yin, making it the most suitable protective armor for facing the Divine Sword Martial Emperor."

The Heavenly Fate Palace Lord was greatly pleased.

"Thank you."

There was more that the Darkness Palace Lord had prepared.

He took a small box out of the leather pouch.

"Please take this as well."

When the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord opened it, he found a single pill inside.

Seeing it, both the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord and the Protection Palace Lord were startled. It was a miracle herb they both recognized.

"It is the Heavenly Yin Pill."

The Heavenly Yin Pill was a miracle herb with greater efficacy than the Ten-Thousand Year Blood Ginseng and was not easy to obtain.

"This is also a miracle herb based on extreme yin, so it will be helpful in facing the Divine Sword Martial Emperor."

"Thank you, truly, thank you."

"It will take time for the energy of extreme yin to spread throughout your body. So please take it now. We will stand warden."

Assimilating the energy of a miracle herb would enhance one's inner arts, but it took time for its unique properties to take effect in the body. In the case of this particular miracle herb, its extreme yin property was more important than the enhancement of inner arts.

"Thank you. I will take it now."

At that moment, the Protection Palace Lord sent a telepathic message to the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord.

[I think it would be best not to take the pill.]

He knew full well how this would sound to the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord. The Darkness Palace Lord had gone so far as to procure protective armor and a miracle herb for tomorrow's battle, while he was here doubting the man's goodwill.

[Do you think the Darkness Palace Lord would betray me?]

Did he not know there was a real possibility of that? Or was he himself blinded by jealousy?

[The Hwa Saintess I know is a man of great ambition. I'm worried he might be plotting something with this opportunity.]

The Darkness Palace Lord noticed that the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord and the Protection Palace Lord were exchanging telepathic messages. However, he did not intervene and pretended not to notice, simply waiting. The situation was on his side.

Surprising words came from the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord's mouth.

[You're right. More than anyone, the Hwa Saintess is a man of great ambition.]

He knew it too. He knew it even better than the Protection Palace Lord.

[Sitting in my seat is his lifelong dream.]

[!]

The Protection Palace Lord asked with a surprised heart.

[Then why do you intend to take the pill?]

There was another reason.

[That's why he wouldn't do something like poisoning the pill.]

[What do you mean?]

[The moment he poisons me, the position of Saintess will vanish.]

He meant that the palace members would never accept someone who had poisoned the previous Saintess.

The Protection Palace Lord looked at the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord with a sense of amazement. He had thought the Saintess was just being swayed by a sycophant's sweet tongue, but he was wrong. He saw through it all.

"The two of you will stand warden."

The Heavenly Fate Palace Lord took the Heavenly Yin Pill right then and there.

Then he sat down and began to circulate his energy, dissolving and absorbing the pill's power. He circulated his inner qi through one cycle, and then another.

While the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord was absorbing the pill's effects, the Protection Palace Lord waited with a tense heart.

The Darkness Palace Lord, on the other hand, stood with his arms crossed, staring at the map on the wall as if it were nothing of consequence.

The Protection Palace Lord felt a sense of bewilderment. If what the Saintess said was true…

What on earth are you scheming?

He should be hoping for the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord to die in tomorrow's confrontation. Why would he procure and give him protective armor and a miracle herb?

A short while later, after completely absorbing the miracle herb's energy, the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord opened his eyes. His gaze had grown deeper. Indeed, just as he had said, there was no poison in the Heavenly Yin Pill.

"It was a great help in enhancing my inner arts. Moreover, by tomorrow, the energy of extreme yin will protect me from the Divine Sword Martial Emperor's extreme yang inner qi. Thank you."

"For the Saintess's victory, I would gladly offer even my life."

With nothing wrong with the miracle herb, the Protection Palace Lord had nothing to say. He felt rather awkward, but the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord did not reprimand him.

"Please put on the Ice Dragon Divine Armor as well."

The Heavenly Fate Palace Lord put on the Ice Dragon Divine Armor in front of them. It was such a precious item that he felt it was only proper to wear it in front of the person who had gifted it.

After putting on the Ice Dragon Divine Armor, the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord said to the Protection Palace Lord.

"You may leave us for a moment."

The Darkness Palace Lord had supported the Saintess's will and even brought him protective armor and a miracle herb. It was a situation where the Protection Palace Lord had no choice but to leave if asked, even ten times over.

The Protection Palace Lord bowed politely and left the place.

SHWAAAAA.

He slowly walked out into the rain.

Since the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord had said he knew of his ambition, he was not worried, but he felt an inexplicable sense of complexity. Everyone was living by using each other, and he felt like he was the only one falling behind. Was he just being stubbornly loyal?

The reason the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord had sent the Protection Palace Lord out was not out of favoritism for the Darkness Palace Lord. It was because he had secretly given the Darkness Palace Lord an order.

"Did you bring the Secret Box?"

"Yes, I brought it."

He had brought the large Secret Box that was in the treasury of the Heavenly Fate Palace here.

The reason the Heavenly Fate Palace Lord had started this war, and the reason he intended to ignore the prophecy and continue the fight, was all because of the Secret Box. Because he believed the Secret Box had chosen him and would grant him power.

However, as time passed and he failed to gain power from the small Secret Box, he grew more anxious by the day.

The conclusion he eventually reached was this. Perhaps he needed the large Secret Box to be able to obtain the power of the small Secret Box?

He had the Secret Box secretly brought here to make that one last effort. Because right now, the only thing he could believe in was the Secret Box.

"Where is it now?"