Chapter 168: The Demons of Murim (1)

Kunlun Mountain, Qinghai Province.

The huge mountain which looked like it was made of jade, also called Jade Mountain. It was so high that even the clouds couldn't reach it. That was why it was impossible for ordinary people to even look up to it. And at the top of the mountain resides a sect who represented the strong taoist martial arts.

Do Cheol-ho, an old member of Kunlun Sect and the elders of Kunlun Sect gathered urgently, their faces were coloured in many different expressions.

“…the rotten Murim Alliance keep asking about the ‘Magic Orb', they demand us to tell them about ‘magic’.”

Do Cheol-ho gritted his teeth. How did it happen? Until just a few days ago, the Murim Alliance would not have known about ‘magic' at all. No, even if they knew it in the first place, how did they know about ‘Magic Orb’? Also, how did they know that ‘magic’ was mixed with Kunlun Sect’s martial arts?

“Please refuse to answer.”

"Even while I continued to delay answering, the Murim Alliance had already mobilized their troops! It would be a big deal if the Murim Alliance turned their back on us!”

“Then you suggest we give them the magic orb? That’s suicide! Rather, it is better to keep it with us and strengthen the troops! Even if an all-out war broke out, we would be able to stop it if we were in trouble.”

At his words, some elders lowered their heads.

Why was Kunlun so corrupted?

Once upon a time, the sect was built under the belief that someone would not die once they climbed to the peak of the Yangpyeong. Instead they would become a spirit once they climbed to Hyeonpo, and would become a God when one reaches the Sangcheon.

(T/N yeah, shed some light to me about this, guys…)

However, that very belief had made the Kunlun Sect too conservative, and the elders had refused to bring in foreign culture to their midst. It would have been a little better if they had accepted the Earthlings, or at least accepted the people from different races. It was said that the other sects embraced the change and accepted everyone regardless of whether they were black or white, resulting in their remarkable growth.

However, the Kunlun faction rejected it, and their power was noticeably weakened.

If it was like this and yet they still accepted the ‘demon's magic' to strengthen their power, what's the point of sticking with the tradition of Kunlun? In fact, the question itself made no sense because it was Do Cheol-ho, the oldest member of the sect, who would have known that fact best.

“I can’t. .. Once again, I have no choice but to borrow the power of the Magic Orb.”

However, the more someone uses the power of the Magic orb, the more it will invade their spirits and mind. Despite knowing that, in the end, he had no choice but to rely on this stronger force to preserve Kunlun.

When Do Cheol-ho beckoned, a person who was waiting behind him came out and put the Magic Orb on the table. Every time he saw the dark and red magic sphere, he felt something ominous from it. But this was also the blessed creature that had helped the Kunlun Sect become the strongest sect.

“Let me start.”

* * *

In fact, Yoo Seodam had anticipated this situation. He just didn’t think it would be this bad.

Baek So-hwi hated men and created a sect made up of only women. It meant that it was impossible for Yoo Seodam, who was a man, to visit them. So, he suggested, ‘Should I just go away?’, but Seol Jungyeon denied it by saying it would be okay.

She went a mile further by saying it would be a great opportunity for Baek So-hwi since she would see Seol Jungyeon become happy once again because of a man after her life was thrown into hell by a man.

Yoo Seodam could understand her reasoning to some extent. But, it was only valid If Baek So-hwi still respects Seol Jungyeon, and if her words still move her heart. But, Baek So-hwi was a coward. The trauma from her childhood got worse with each passing day, and eventually it became a corrosive tumour to the point she convinced herself, ‘Even Master is wrong. I have to fix it.’

However, Seol Jungyeon did not give up. In her memory, Baek So-hwi was a small, cowardly child. She was so afraid of men that she even killed a small boy.

Unnecessary killing was unacceptable, and at that time, Seol Jungyeon gave a severe punishment to Baek So-Hwi by excommunicating her. But her intention of having her face her inner demon and overcome it did not bear fruit.

‘It seems like it was a futile idea in the end.’

Yoo Seodam was lying on the bed while thinking about it. Looking out from the gap of the door, he could see Taylor sparring with members from the sect. She swung her baseball bat around and spewed lasers in all directions while her opponent tried to avoid it.

It's been a week since he spent time here for Seol Jungyeon's ‘farewell'.

Now that the farewell is over, Seol Jungyeon had to look around the territory as a former lord of the sect. She was wise, and although she had been absent from the position for a long time, she was more experienced than Baek So-hwi, and she had made several improvements to the sect.

In the meantime, Yoo Seodam was being treated in a cold manner by everyone on the Sect.

Taylor Nine possesses a level of strength comparable to that of Hwakyung Expert, so it was only natural that she was treated kindly by the Experts within the clan. However, compared to Taylor, Yoo Seodam, on top of being a man, his power was only comparable to High-Peak rank Expert. No one spoke to him, and they gave him the cold shoulder even though they were the one who initiated contact with him.

It was only his speculation, but perhaps, it was all ordered by Baek So-hwi. No, looking into the eyes of the members of the sect, he could see that all of them had been thoroughly brainwashed with Baek So-hwi’s perception of men.

‘Anyway, it seems like a major accident will soon happen to me.'

The fact that the subject was himself makes his heart quite complicated, but it didn't matter. Afterall, the main purpose of coming here had been achieved. According to the Shadow Group, the Murim Alliance had begun to move.

All that is left was the timing of Cheonma Sect’s appearance when the Murim Alliance was engulfed in chaos.

That's enough.

Thinking so, Yoo Seodam was about to try to enjoy the leisure as much as possible, but it was then something flew through the window. When he stretched out his hand, a flower pot enchanted in a magic sphere specializing in acceleration and stealth was caught. Unpacking the small letter tied to it, Yoo Seodam begins to read it.

“Hmm?"

The situation so far has been quite similar to his prediction. In the end, despite the warning, the Kunlun Sect did not give up the magic orb. And in the end, the Murim Alliance united and had a small clash with the Kunlun Sect…

“It seems that Kunlun's martial arts have gotten a little stronger. Hmm…."

Yoo Seodam thought for a moment. It seems that Kunlun Sect had borrowed the power of ‘demon’ again fearing that they would lose the war. By the way, as he read the sentence added below it, Yoo Seodam frowned.

‘A new power believed to be demon’s magic has been discovered?’

It was also discovered in a sect belonging to the Murim Alliance. The magic had very unusual powers, such as giving the opponent a strong feeling of exhaustion and helplessness, making them collapse during battle. It was a power completely different from the ‘fear' and ‘anger' possessed by the existing demons.

That being said, it means that another demon has appeared…

‘Well… The gate to the world of the demons is already open here.’

Bang Ho-win’s ‘lecherous art’, the demons of ‘fear and anger’, and another ‘sloth’ demon. Three demons had already been discovered. Just how many more demons are hiding in this murim?

…but no matter how much I think about it, I wouldn’t be able to solve them fundamentally. For the sake of the Earth right now, the only choice is to completely close the portal to Murim.

* * *

The Gwisaldae, a unit under the direct control of the lord, was a small unit consist of 5 High-Peak Rank Experts and 12 Peak-Rank Experts, and specialized in assassination of a single Expert. They work using all kinds of illusions to dye the area with darkness, blocking the senses of the opponent, and also twist the sense of direction and space to induce them to avoid their attacks.

And this time, their Lord, Baek So-hwi participated in the operation directly.

It was an operation to deal with a man called Yoo Seodam.

In order to actually assassinate someone, they must first understand the characteristics and habits of the opponent.

The time Seol Jungyeon and her party stayed at Cheonma Palace had already been almost two weeks, and throughout that time the Gwisaldae had grasped one of the habits of Yoo Seodam. It was his habit in the evening where he would always go to the peak alone to watch the sunset.

For some reason, whenever he went hiking, his body would always be wet with sweat, but, just like the woman named ‘Taylor', it could be that it was only his body which was weak while his ability was strong.

But it was enough since it will soon become a fatal weakness towards his death.

This evening, as always, Yoo Seodam climbed the peak to watch the sunset. Baek So-hwi couldn't quite understand his behaviour. Afterall, it was a sight that she saw every day.

He looked up at the sky with his back facing her as if he wanted to pretend to be cool. The 17 members of the team and the Baek So-hwi who were secretly pursuing him, unleashed their secret technique once they reached the peak.

sususu…. The wind blew and the grass shook violently. At some point, they all encircled Yoo Seodam.

“Is that all of you?” 

Yoo Seodam asked without glancing towards them. It was such a cliché line that is always said by powerful Experts in a ‘Martial Arts Movie'. However, he had to admit that it wasn't very cool when he was the one who said it.

“It is already too many just to end a life as insignificant as yours.” 

Baek So-hwi replied. It was a very natural conviction. Yoo Seodam was only at the level of the High-Peak Expert, but there were five High-Peak Experts in the group. Moreover, Baek So-hwi herself had reached a higher stage than that.

Even those who had reached the realm of Hwakyung Expert would not be able to withstand the technique the Gwisaldae was spreading. It could be said that Baek-So-hwi had brought too many people just to kill Yoo Seodam.

But Yoo Seodam only laughed. He may seem like he was calm, but behind his demeanour, he was using [Concentration] to catch the string of mana swaying in his surroundings.

“…!!!”

The members of Gwisaldae opened their eyes wide and looked at each other.

“Lo…lord…”

Baek So-hwi also felt something and frowned.

‘What is this?’

When the seventeen members of Gwisaldae arrived at this place, she was certain that the Jinbeop had been activated. Numerous devices and natural objects were installed everywhere, and supernatural phenomena should already have occurred.

But they wouldn't know the fact that Yoo Seodam was already interpreting the existence of their Jinbeop that even themselves cannot understand the ‘principle' behind it. For Yoo Seodam it was merely a branch of science called ‘magic'. All of nature's occurrence had a rationale, a principle, and a mixture of mathematical formulas.

Yoo Seodam simply cut it off with the help of [The Library of the White Witch] and the Flower Pot.

“It seems that you could see through our Jinbeop, but it doesn’t matter. After all, our strength alone is enough for you."

The moment she said that, Baek So-hwi felt something strange.

Suddenly, the sunset came to her mind. It was strange since the already setting sun was rising once again, but the clouds, which had been flowing slowly before, began to flow quickly, too quickly if she was honest.

The wind stopped. The sun was rising but the world was getting dark.Then, Yoo Seodam looked back. He smiled pretentiously as he struggled to cover the damp cold sweat that had spread all over his body.

“Since when have you been using the Jinbeop?”