Chapter 748: Long Time No See, My Friend

TL: FoodieMonster007

Everyone stared at the sword leaning against the skeleton. This single blade radiated far more powerful presence than all the other swords they'd encountered.

"Don't act rashly!" the masked man warned.

Even without his warning, no one dared rush forward. They'd already experienced how terrifying the traps in this place could be. Besides, whoever claimed the sword first would be ganged by everyone else.

They focused on the sword while cautiously watching one another.

During the tense standoff, the iron mask man singled out Geom Mugeuk again. "Hey, young master with the luggage."

"Seems like my name's permanently 'young master with the luggage' now," Geom Mugeuk complained.

"You refused to reveal your identity, so what did you expect? I can only call you that."

"So? Why did you call me?"

The iron mask man scanned the room cautiously before asking, "What kind of trap do you think is hidden here?"

"Why are you asking me that?"

"Because you're the guy who dismantled the last trap. You said it was luck, young master, but luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity."

Everyone turned to Geom Mugeuk, their eyes filled with subtle expectation. Even after learning that multiple treasure maps existed and that these traps were built after this place was named the Grave of Swords, they showed no signs of giving up.

Geom Mugeuk sighed. Their greed and ambition are beyond my control. What if this whole affair is a conspiracy? Why go through the trouble of luring all these people here? To draw me here naturally? I would have come anyway, even without them. So why attract all these people by spreading multiple treasure maps? Why turn the entire Central Plains upside down?

His gaze shifted to the sword resting on the skeleton.

"Actually, obtaining that sword is easy."

Everyone looked surprised by his claim.

"The problem will be what happens after you get the sword."

After that cryptic remark, Geom Mugeuk slowly walked toward the skeleton in the center of the room.

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the Flower Sword Supreme watched him tensely, ready to jump in at any moment if the situation became critical. The trap in the previous room was a top-tier device that must have cost a fortune. There was no telling what other dangers lurked here.

However, Geom Mugeuk felt confident he was safe.

"There probably aren't any trap mechanisms installed."

Everyone felt as if blades would fly from the ceiling and floor at any moment, but just as Geom Mugeuk predicted, no attack came as he approached the skeleton.

Geom Mugeuk didn't immediately pick up the sword. Instead, he stood before the skeleton and paid his respects with clasped hands. "I don't know who you are, Senior. I don't know if you were a good person or an evil one, if you died here seeking treasure like us, or if you came for another reason, but no matter what kind of person you were, I believe it's wrong to use you, a skeleton, in a conspiracy. Whoever put you here will surely pay for their sins. So please, let go of your resentment and rest in peace."

The moment he finished speaking, the skeleton collapsed.

RUMBLE!

The people gasped. It was as if the skeleton had understood Geom Mugeuk's words.

Geom Mugeuk bent down to pick up the sword. Immediately, a puff of poisonous smoke rose from the skeleton and entered his body.

WHOOSH!

The poison had no color or smell. If not for his Myriad Poison Immunity, he would never have known he was poisoned.

It's the Violet Cloud Inner Qi Poison!

He'd learned about this poison while studying various toxins to help the Poison King. The Violet Cloud Inner Qi Poison didn't kill its victim instantly. It activated only when the victim, unaware of being poisoned, used intense inner arts. The victim's body would turn purple, their movements would become sluggish, and their qi and blood would become entangled.

It was a supreme poison that required immense time and money to create, but it had no effect on him.

If they wanted to kill me, wouldn't they have used an imperceptible poison?

Just then, a telepathic message reached Geom Mugeuk.

[You have just been poisoned by a deadly toxin.]

Geom Mugeuk slowly picked up the sword and turned around. Everyone was staring at him.

The voice in the telepathy wasn't the young man's, nor was it the scarred martial artist's.

Geom Mugeuk sent a telepathic message to one of the martial artists in the crowd. [How did you know I was poisoned?]

The man's eyes trembled slightly. He was a middle-aged martial artist of average appearance and build. He hadn't revealed his presence until now, simply acted just like another person obsessed with treasure.

[How did you know I was the one who contacted you?]

[Because you were the only one looking at me, not the sword.]

[!] The man was genuinely surprised. He hadn't expected to be found for such a reason.

In truth, that wasn't how Geom Mugeuk had noticed him. His martial skill was simply beyond common sense. Even with his back turned, he had pinpointed the telepathy's origin.

[Who are you?] he asked.

Judging by the warning, the man didn't seem hostile. Still, he didn't reveal his identity.

[I have the antidote. I'll give it to you when the opportunity arises.]

Geom Mugeuk could tell. The man knew he was the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's Young Cult Leader and had a deep connection to the creators of this place's traps. At the very least, he knew poison had been placed on the skeleton.

Just then, an anxious martial artist shouted, "Hurry up and draw the sword!"

"Draw it!"

Geom Mugeuk slowly drew the sword. The revealed blade emanated a cold chill. It was unmistakably a treasured sword. Two characters were engraved on the blade in powerful script—Broken Soul (斷魂).

It was the signature sword of the peerless master, the Broken Soul Swordsman, who was known to have entered the Grave of Swords.

Upon seeing the words, the man who had exchanged telepathy with Geom Mugeuk shouted, "It's the Broken Soul Sword!"

He knew that shouting and showing greed would paradoxically make him less conspicuous.

The crowd stirred when the sword was revealed to be the Broken Soul Sword. Burning desire filled the martial artists' eyes. So what if this place was a trap? If they could just obtain a treasured sword like that and escape!

Geom Mugeuk threw cold water on their desire. "This room has a trap far more terrifying than the previous one."

Startled, everyone looked around. They scanned the walls and the floor, but they could see no hidden trap.

"Where is this trap?" the iron masked man asked.

Geom Mugeuk gave an unexpected answer. "This time, the trap is all of you."

They looked confused, so Geom Mugeuk explained, "Your desire to possess this sword is the trap of this room."

He meant the bloody battle to seize the sword was the room's true trap. Considering these people had slaughtered each other over treasure maps, his words weren't wrong.

"So? Who wants this sword?"

Everyone wanted to answer, "Me," but no one did.

Geom Mugeuk asked the iron mask man, "Should you take it, since you guided us here? Or should I, who solved the last puzzle? Or should we all duel and let the strongest person take it?"

Everyone fell silent. If anyone but Geom Mugeuk had held the sword first, a fight might have already broken out.

The iron mask man asked Geom Mugeuk, "So? What's your opinion, young master with the luggage?"

Geom Mugeuk stared at the two eyes visible through the iron mask. "Let's leave it here. Let's show the despicable schemers who planned this that we won't move as they intended. We'll ignore this sword and move on. That's how we overcome this room."

This place was perhaps far more difficult than the last room. They had to overcome the greed of these avaricious people.

"If you have a better way, please speak up."

While everyone was lost in thought, a telepathic message from Ji Han arrived. [I've found out who the smell is coming from. It was coming from that man wearing the iron mask.]

He'd suspected two people, the iron mask man and the scarred martial artist. Now, the man in the iron mask was confirmed as the mastermind. Right, it was the iron mask man who had induced him to be poisoned.

[Well done.]

Ji Han felt good at Geom Mugeuk's praise. It was the first time he'd properly fulfilled his role since becoming his subordinate.

Geom Mugeuk sent another telepathic message to the man who had contacted him earlier. [If you don't want to tell me who you are, let's at least know each other's names.]

After a moment's hesitation, the man revealed his name. [I am Dan Sojin.]

[I am Geom Mugeuk.]

[I know.]

Indeed, he knew who Geom Mugeuk was.

[Then tell me just one more thing. Who is that man with the sword scar on his face?]

He thought Dan Sojin would surely know the identities of both the iron mask man and the scarred martial artist. He was right.

[He's from the Evil Alliance.]

Geom Mugeuk wasn't surprised. Considering this was the tomb of Ju Gasin, the unorthodox's strongest swordsman and a former Chairman of the Evil Alliance, it wasn't strange for an Evil Alliance master to be here.

The iron mask man was part of the mastermind group, and the scarred martial artist was from the Evil Alliance. All that remained was to figure out where Dan Sojin belonged.

Just then, the iron mask man made a decision. "I'll follow the will of the young master with the luggage. I don't think we should fight amongst ourselves here over a single sword."

The other martial artists also followed his lead. The atmosphere wasn't one where a single person could take the sword just by being greedy.

"Now, let's go."

As the group walked toward the door at the back, someone lunged for the Broken Soul Sword. In an instant, he snatched the sword and threw himself toward the first room they'd entered. He couldn't resist.

If I can take this sword and get out that door! I'm satisfied with that!

Just like its name, the Broken Soul Sword had severed the restraint from his soul.

"Don't even think about it!"

Other martial artists swarmed him furiously. If they couldn't have the sword themselves, they certainly weren't about to let someone else have it.

Three people attacked the man at once. Unable to escape, he drew the Broken Soul Sword and swung it.

"……"

The Broken Soul Sword shattered his opponent's sword and sliced right through the man's torso.

SLASH! SLICE!

The swords of the other two martial artists cut his thigh and side.

The man gritted his teeth and swung the Broken Soul Sword again, cutting down the martial artist who had slashed his thigh. The sword displayed immense power against ordinary blades.

However, his skill wasn't a match for the sword. Cutting down three people was his limit.

SHLICK!

His movement stopped as a sword protruded from his back. He looked at the Broken Soul Sword with no regret in his eyes.

"I've wielded the greatest sword in the world. I can die satisfied now."

With those words, he collapsed and died.

"Damn bastard!"

The martial artist who killed him picked up the Broken Soul Sword. He seemed about to sheathe it, then he too lunged for the entrance. After seeing how it shattered the Sword Demon's blade, he couldn't resist either.

However, he didn't even get a chance to swing the sword.

SHWIIIIK!

A throwing knife flew like a beam of light and pierced his back. The martial artist with the scar on his face had thrown it.

The fleeing man staggered, then collapsed and died. Clutching the sword in death, his appearance was no different from the skeleton that was originally there. If someone saw this man years from now, they would see the exact same sight.

Now, no one else tried to claim the sword.

The iron mask man opened the door to the next room. Everyone was startled by the scene that unfolded. Inside, martial artists were fighting each other. They weren't real people, but life-sized puppets crafted so exquisitely that they looked like real people fighting.

At first glance, they assumed it was a reenactment of a battle from the Grave of Swords, but it wasn't. Several puppets were attacking one person, and the one being attacked was, surprisingly, Geom Mugeuk.

The puppets surrounding him were the Twelve Zodiac Kings he'd faced. From the Wood King who died in the Murim Alliance, to the Illusion King and Hwan Yeo who died in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, the Brawling King who died in the Evil Alliance, the Blood King who died in the North Sea Ice Palace, the Death King who died in the Golden Dragon Clan, and the Queen of Darkness who died at the Thousand Flower Palace.

They attacked Geom Mugeuk from all sides. Wooden stems extended from the Wood King's body. Demons emerged from a gate opened by the Illusion King and Hwan Yeo. The Brawling King charged like a mad bull, and the Blood King's blood splattered everywhere. Darkness descended around the Queen of Darkness's palanquin, and the Death King leaped through that darkness to attack Geom Mugeuk.

Every detail was crafted with incredible vividness. It truly looked like a battle was unfolding before their eyes. Since they were all dead, the puppets seemed like a memorial to the deceased Twelve Zodiac Kings.

Geom Mugeuk was surprised, but not because there was a puppet of himself, nor because the surrounding puppets were the Twelve Zodiac Kings. A living person was standing in front of the puppets. He blended in so naturally that at first, he also looked like a puppet.

He stood barefoot in a shabby martial arts uniform, his hair tied back tightly, an old iron sword at his waist. He was the person in this murim who best suited the Grave of Swords.

The Sword King Ak Gunhak, who'd been looking at the puppets, turned toward Geom Mugeuk. The shoes Geom Mugeuk had given him as a gift were hanging from his waist.

He greeted him with a bright smile, "Long time no see, my friend."