Chapter 709: You Are the One Who Must Flee

TL: FoodieMonster007

Until this moment, the orb had never moved on its own. The Secret Box, however, was now reacting to it.

WOOOOONG.

It's the real energy.

It was undeniably the same energy the Secret Box had been absorbing all this time. Still, there was no way the orb they had brought contained any goodwill.

"It must be put back."

The instant Geom Mugeuk carefully lifted the box to return the orb, it suddenly shot toward Cha Yiran.

With no time to think, Cha Yiran caught it.

The thought that she shouldn't catch it clashed with the fear that it might break. Her instincts took over, and she caught it. Since this was the orb she had been carrying and was meant to return, her body did not instinctively try to avoid it.

Startled, Geom Mugeuk was about to draw his sword, but Cha Yiran raised a hand to signal that she was fine.

The orb rested on her palm. She had only ever seen it inside the box and was now touching it for the first time. She had expected a sinister feeling, but that wasn't the case. Instead, an indescribable, mystical sensation spread through her palm. She did not know it, but this was the energy of the Red Orb.

Geom Mugeuk held the box forward once more.

As she tried to quickly place the orb back inside, it reacted first.

SHARARARARAK.

A thread-like strand of red energy flowed from the orb and wrapped around her wrist.

"I'm fine."

For now, the energy felt friendly. It didn't seem like it would harm her at all. The red thread on her wrist began to slowly wind its way up her arm as if it were exploring her.

Cha Yiran activated her inner arts and slowly drew a throwing knife.

Geom Mugeuk also prepared to draw his sword at a moment's notice. His other hand was ready to snatch the orb from her palm. If anything went wrong, he planned to sever the energy connecting her and the orb in a single motion.

The energy traveled up her arm, passed her shoulder, and attempted to wrap around her neck. She gently pushed it away with her other hand. Having it around her arm was one thing, but she did not feel like letting it coil around her neck.

In that very instant, the thread-like energy that had flowed from the orb swelled up as if angered.

SWOOOOOSH!

The energy that had been wrapped around her arm extended further, coiling around her waist and thighs like a snake. It happened in a flash. The energy remained connected to the orb, as if its roots had to stay there.

Even then, it was fine. The energy was still friendly.

The problem was that something was inside that energy.

"……"

Geom Mugeuk and Cha Yiran both saw it. Something was swimming swiftly through the red energy.

WHIRRRR.

This time, as it circled back through the red energy, they saw it clearly. To their astonishment, it was a snake. A real snake was moving through the red energy that coiled around her body like a serpent.

It was a tiny, blood-red snake, only the length of a finger. The snake swam through the red energy as if it were water.

As the red snake appeared, the nature of the energy wrapped around her body began to change. The incredibly soft red energy seemed to surge once, and then…

CRUUUUSH.

It began to constrict her.

Cha Yiran slashed at the energy with her throwing knife.

"……"

The energy, however, was not cut. The blade simply passed through it as if it were smoke.

I have to get that snake!

She aimed for the swiftly passing snake. It moved so fast that cutting it was not an easy task.

I'll cut it on the next pass!

SHWIIK! SLICE!

The throwing knife precisely sliced the snake as it passed through the energy coiled around the front of her waist. Yet, the severed snake instantly reformed into its original shape and continued to swim through the red energy.

Geom Mugeuk spoke to her with a grave expression.

"It's no use. That snake is both real and fake."

Geom Mugeuk knew what this was. He had studied and researched in advance after learning his opponent was the Dark Palace, and this martial art was among the things he had investigated.

"That snake is the 비blood threads."

It was a term that referred to both the snake and a single secret art.

The Dark Palace's 비blood threads.

This was their unique secret art, which infiltrated a person's body to control their mind.

There are generally two ways to control a person's mind. These are soul-controlling arts and parasite arts. The 비blood threads, however, was a secret art that combined both methods. In a word, it was a living secret art.

If a parasite invades the brain to control a person, the 비blood threads entered the heart to do so.

Parasites were ineffective against Myriad Poison Immunity and could be eliminated if one knew their type. But the 비blood threads was different. Not even Myriad Poison Immunity could block it, and no antidote existed. Furthermore, because it was not just a simple evil art, it was powerfully effective even against opponents who were strong against such arts.

In other words, a secret art with maximum effectiveness against Geom Mugeuk had just been unleashed.

Of course, creating the 비blood threads was an act so difficult it was considered nearly impossible. It was known to be a struggle to create even one in a lifetime. The process was too difficult, cost an immense amount of money, and even if one succeeded, keeping it alive and stored was said to be even harder.

It was said to be a secret art that only a genius of the dark martial arts could create.

Surprisingly, that very martial art had appeared.

Cha Yiran didn't know the specifics of the 비blood threads, but she was certain of at least one thing.

"Don't come near me! It's a trap!"

She knew instinctively that they wouldn't try to kill her. This was a lure for Geom Mugeuk. They must have predicted this situation from the moment they entrusted the orb to her.

Meanwhile, the red energy coiled even more tightly around her body.

"I'm going to kill you. Hurry and run away!"

She believed that if this unknown energy was absorbed into her, she would kill Geom Mugeuk. She would be consumed by madness and unleash tremendous inner arts. Since it was a dark scheme meant to deal with the Young Cult Leader, its power would be immense.

"……"

Her expression contorted further. The red energy pressed in so hard it felt like her body would crumble.

Just then, Geom Mugeuk said something unexpected.

"You are the one who must run away."

Cha Yiran couldn't understand what Geom Mugeuk meant.

The moment Geom Mugeuk approached her again, she recalled what Hwa Domyeong had said to her earlier.

[You'll be persuaded by the Young Cult Leader. Just like Ak Gunhak was persuaded.]

He knew she would join hands with the Young Cult Leader.

[This whole plan was calculated.]

Yes, he had definitely said that. And he had calculated this as well.

That the Young Cult Leader would save me!

Hwa Domyeong must have entrusted the orb to her knowing that Geom Mugeuk would save her. He knew Geom Mugeuk wouldn't obediently absorb this orb. This was to force him to absorb it. The words she had said to Geom Mugeuk, half-joking and half-serious, had become reality.

…I really was their tool.

Her face was contorted not just from pain.

The gradually strengthening pressure was reaching its limit. She couldn't block it with her protective enhanced qi. It felt as if her entire body would burst at any moment.

Cha Yiran returned Geom Mugeuk's own words to him.

"I'll go to hell first and wait for you."

At the same time, she plunged the throwing knife into her own neck without a hint of hesitation.

SHWIIK.

She had broken her own principle of never taking her own life. In the moment of her death, she was grateful that she was someone who did not fear it. It was the same when she had sensed her death at the hands of the Evil Alliance Chairman, and it was the same now. Yes, a death like this wasn't so bad, she thought.

Of course, Geom Mugeuk was not one to stand by and watch.

The throwing knife stopped just before her neck. Geom Mugeuk had stopped her throwing knife with telekinesis.

"…Let me die for your sake."

Of course, it was a plea that wouldn't work on Geom Mugeuk.

"Have you forgotten? What would happen if you did that. Hey, you call yourself the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult, and you couldn't even save one woman who likes you? What the hell were you doing? Hey, you half-a-woman."

Geom Mugeuk stared into her eyes and said, "Trust me."

As soon as he finished speaking, Geom Mugeuk snatched the red orb from her hand.

At that, the red energy that had emerged from the orb vibrated more intensely, constricting her.

Geom Mugeuk placed the orb inside his robes.

To Cha Yiran, it looked as if he were bringing the orb to his own heart. It seemed he was saying he would make the sacrifice, so she cried out desperately.

"No! Please… no."

However, the orb didn't touch his heart. It touched the Secret Box he had placed in his robes.

In that very instant, the orb, which had extended its long tendrils of energy, vibrated powerfully once.

Sssssssssst.

The energy enveloping Cha Yiran uncoiled and began to return to the orb. The orb started to retract all the energy it had sent out. The red snake was also among the retracting energy.

The Secret Box in his robes vibrated and rose into the air, taking Geom Mugeuk's body with it.

The Secret Box began to dissolve the orb's energy, just as it always did. This was energy that had already been moving in and out of the orb, but now the box began to melt it all down without a trace, as if refining it anew. The energy that flowed out from the Secret Box then began to seep into Geom Mugeuk's body. Geom Mugeuk did not avoid the energy and accepted it.

The energy that passed through the Secret Box was completely absorbed into Geom Mugeuk's body. The 비blood threads that had been dissolved in the energy reformed into the shape of a snake and was absorbed into Geom Mugeuk's body along with it.

Once all the energy was absorbed, he felt the orb pop out of the Secret Box.

Geom Mugeuk understood. They had used the Red Orb to implant the 비blood threads into him. Perhaps if they succeeded in controlling his mind, they would use any means necessary to retrieve all the energy inside his body. There was no way they would give up on this energy.

In any case, thanks to them, Geom Mugeuk had succeeded in obtaining the energy of the Red Orb.

There was just one problem. The 비blood threads had entered his body!

The energies within his body awoke all at once and began to run wild. He knew it was a rejection of the newly entered 비blood threads. Now, the 비blood threads was also among the five streams of energy circulating through his blood vessels.

Like a living creature, the 비blood threads watched for an opportunity to burrow into Geom Mugeuk's heart.

Geom Mugeuk circulated his qi, struggling to block it.

Although she had suffered enough pain to lose consciousness, Cha Yiran did not pass out. She struggled to her feet to help Geom Mugeuk but then stopped.

"Young Cult Leader!"

She could feel it. Geom Mugeuk was currently fighting the red snake inside his body. This was not a situation where someone else could carelessly intervene.

"You have to win!"

It was at that very moment.

TAK.

Someone struck her pressure points from behind. Then, a voice whispered in her ear.

"The Young Cult Leader can never win."

The man who had appeared behind her like a ghost was none other than Hwa Domyeong. Having just been freed from the constricting energy and with her focus entirely on Geom Mugeuk, she couldn't block Hwa Domyeong's surprise attack.

"So the Young Cult Leader really does know how to absorb energy."

He wore an expression as if he couldn't believe it even after seeing it with his own eyes.

Hwa Domyeong's gaze turned back to Cha Yiran.

"You worked hard, my friend."

Cha Yiran glared at him without a word. Hwa Domyeong, as if frightened, opened his fan and hid his face behind it. His words flowed from behind the fan.

"Because of the Heavenly Demon Defense Art, there was no ordinary way to implant the 비blood threads into the Young Cult Leader's body. So we decided to throw out some big bait."

That bait was both Cha Yiran and the orb containing the Red Orb.

"No matter how great the Young Cult Leader is, he can't block the 비blood threads."

Hwa Domyeong peeked out from behind his fan. Various emotions were mixed in Hwa Domyeong's eyes as he looked at her.

On the other hand, Cha Yiran's feelings as she looked at him were clear.

Contempt and rage.

"You brought up Ak Gunhak on purpose, didn't you?"

It was Hwa Domyeong who had first brought up Ak Gunhak to her. It was to make her naturally grow closer to the Young Cult Leader through Ak Gunhak.

A satisfied smile formed on Hwa Domyeong's lips. It was a smile of affirmation.

"The Young Cult Leader isn't the type of person to stand by and watch someone who gave up their contract, abandoning everything, die right in front of him."

Cha Yiran was furious and despaired. However, this was not the time for self-blame.

"Hey, friend."

"Sorry, but are you still calling me a friend?"

"I can understand others, but shouldn't you, of all people, not be doing this to me?"

"Didn't I tell you not to meet the Young Cult Leader earlier?"

Is that the best excuse you could come up with?

Cha Yiran desperately held back the words she wanted to spit out.

"Why couldn't you trust me? I was going to pretend to refuse the contract and kill them all. You should have given me a chance."

Hwa Domyeong looked at her and laughed. It was clearly a sneer.

"This Young Cult Leader must be something else, seeing as he's making you tell lies like this."

Was the reason you fanned me so gently by my side all this time, calling me a friend, all for this day?

She once again held back the words she wanted to say.

"If it ends like this, I won't be able to close my eyes even in death. Let me handle my final contract with my own hands."

She was determined to save Geom Mugeuk somehow, even if it meant sacrificing herself.

However, it didn't work on Hwa Domyeong.

"Don't look at me, look over there. It's the moment the history of murim changes."

Geom Mugeuk stood with his eyes closed. Beneath his eyelids, his pupils moved violently. It was clear he was fighting a desperate battle with the 비blood threads inside his body.

"Once the 비blood threads completely dominates the Young Cult Leader…"

Words that should never have been uttered flowed out.

"The Young Cult Leader will kill the Evil Alliance Chairman."

CHWAAAK.

Hwa Domyeong opened his fan and gently fanned her.

"Your contract is a success."

Cha Yiran looked at Geom Mugeuk, who was fighting a desperate battle with his eyes closed. His last words came to her mind.

Trust me.

I gave up my contract for you, so I have to trust you. Yes, even if I give up the contract, I won't give up on you.

"The contract is a success, you say?"

Cha Yiran asked, adding a bewitching smile.

"I don't have to return the money, do I?"