Chapter 10

Chapter 9: Creating a Tool Box (2)

“Ugh.”

Seohwi climbed up the wall he had cut with his sword, barely managing to pull himself up.

Though his body was covered in stench, his face was not one of pain but of exhilaration.

[Critical Hit! The opponent has taken 1,404 damage.]

The words that had flickered before his eyes several times.

Seohwi was looking at the dead Jikmyeong, who had fallen on his buttocks.

Health 0/1,404

“Without health, you die.”

The changed value in the opponent's status window.

His inner energy was also marked as 0.

It was only natural since Jikmyeong was dead.

“Will this phenomenon continue to happen from now on?”

When he swung his sword, an immense force extended from the tip of the blade.

It was a force that seemed capable of being unleashed at will.

“Hmm? My inner energy hasn’t decreased at all?”

Inner Energy 240/240

Seohwi, holding his aching body, looked at his status window.

For some reason, even though he had used a sword technique, his inner energy had not decreased.

“How did I use the Great Sword Technique?”

The power that had activated in an instant.

He himself had no idea what had happened.

He had just moved to avoid the feces...

“I don’t know. Let’s clean up first.”

The stench from the filth covering his body reached his nose.

Thud.

Seohwi pushed Jikmyeong into the toilet.

Plop.

He rushed out of the toilet to find some clothes.

* * *

“Phew, phew.”

By the lake in the center of Taehwang Pavilion.

Seohwi, who had come here to avoid people’s eyes, began to wash his body.

No matter how much he washed, the smell wouldn’t go away.

His body itched as if poison had risen due to the excrement.

“Finally...”

Seohwi’s expression brightened rapidly after washing off all the filth.

Right above his head.

The words he had been waiting for appeared.

Coin 3 [Three Chances]

“I can live again!”

Seohwi instinctively looked at his side.

His right arm, cut off from the shoulder, showed his current situation.

Even if he died, he could return to the past. And it wouldn’t be as bad as this.

“Should I go to Gonma?”

Since he had dealt with Jikmyeong, it might be good to go to him and report the completion of the mission.

Since he was the one who gave the mission, he would likely believe Seohwi now.

“No. I need to be cautious.”

Seohwi shook his head.

He still couldn’t trust him.

He couldn’t understand the intention behind giving an impossible mission.

As a disciple chosen by the leader, he must have been very intelligent.

“Yes. It’s better to go to Samgwae.”

Rustle.

Seohwi picked up his clothes.

In this life, he had lost his right arm.

If Jikmyeong’s death was known, his survival would be precarious.

Perhaps it would be better to set up the next life properly.

If he could find a weakness in the leader of Taehwang Pavilion, it wouldn’t be a waste to use this life as a foundation.

He must have the secret information Gonma wanted.

Swoosh. Swoosh.

Seohwi put on his clothes.

No matter how much he washed, the stench was still noticeable.

“Let’s go.”

Seohwi quickly headed towards Taehwang Pavilion.

* * *

“Who’s here?”

Samgwae, the leader of Taehwang Pavilion, who was admiring a beautiful landscape painting, turned his head.

It was quite late, and an unexpected person had come to see him.

“He said it’s an urgent matter...”

“...”

“I’m sorry! I’ll send him away immediately...”

“It’s fine.”

“...Yes?”

“Since he came to see me in the middle of the night, there must be a reason.”

Samgwae’s eyes turned cold.

After a moment of thought, he nodded and smiled.

“Let him in.”

He then moved to his desk.

Creak.

A moment later, the door opened, and Seohwi appeared.

It was a rather simple study.

A few landscape paintings hung on the right wall.

On the right side, a desk and some pottery. And at the far end, the leader of Taehwang Pavilion was sitting.

“Chunilguan’s secretary. I greet you, Leader of Taehwang Pavilion.”

Plop.

Seohwi prostrated himself on the floor as he had learned before.

While doing so, he observed the leader’s reaction.

“...”

There was no response.

But he knew better than anyone that the leader’s feelings towards him were not good.

“Are you completely finished?”

As expected, a sneer came from the leader’s mouth.

“To dare enter my study without fear. What are you thinking? And...”

Creak.

The leader got up from his chair and approached Seohwi, wrinkling his nose.

“You stink all over.”

“There was no choice.”

“What?”

Seohwi met Samgwae’s gaze, who had a displeased expression.

“Was it easy to deal with the Black Moon Leader, Jikmyeong, with my own hands?”

“...”

Samgwae silently watched Seohwi.

He didn’t show any expression, even though he had heard a surprising story.

That was his nature.

He remained calm even in difficult situations.

“Hmm.”

Seohwi noticed Samgwae’s subtle glance.

It was a sinister look, as if he could read Seohwi’s thoughts.

“I’m curious how you killed him, but before that...”

Thud.

He gradually closed the distance.

The closer he got to Samgwae, the redder Seohwi’s face became.

The fire magic he had learned was choking Seohwi.

“You. Who did you meet?”

Thud.

Samgwae, who had come close, leaned in, making Seohwi’s eyes waver.

“Huh? What... Cough.”

Seohwi’s collar was grabbed by Samgwae.

“Don’t roll your eyes. One wrong word and you’ll die.”

“Cough... Cough...”

“Say it again. Who did you meet?”

Samgwae’s eyes, holding Seohwi’s collar, split like a snake’s.

‘Did Gonma come here?’

A fleeting thought.

But he didn’t dwell on it.

He knew it was more important to find the right answer now.

“Isn’t it more important to know what the leader of Taehwang Pavilion is hiding rather than who I met?”

“Huh?”

His eyebrows twitched strangely.

He sneered and spat out.

“You seem to have lost your mind after going to Chunilguan. Do you really want to die?”

“Speak clearly. Didn’t you always want to kill me?”

“Huh...”

Samgwae was the one who was taken aback by the direct rebuke.

“If you’re curious, I’ll tell you. I met a disciple of the Heavenly Demon. He sent me here.”

Of course, it was a lie.

But it didn’t matter if it was discovered. There was something more important to find out now.

“Hmm...”

He got up from his seat.

The anger that had briefly shown on his face disappeared, and he seemed more relaxed.

“Indeed, it couldn’t be otherwise. If that person hadn’t helped, someone like you couldn’t have killed Jikmyeong.”

‘That’s it.’

Seohwi finally understood why he was asking who he had met.

Samgwae knew that Gonma lived in Chunilguan.

He must have assumed that Seohwi had received a fortuitous encounter and therefore could kill Jikmyeong.

“Yes. What does the disciple want to know?”

Samgwae, slowly moving away, turned his eyes to a landscape painting on one wall.

“He asked when and where you had a secret meeting with Huashan Sect’s Guzongming.”

“...!”

‘As expected.’

Seohwi watched closely and finally saw it.

For a moment, Samgwae’s body wavered.

It couldn’t be helped.

Communicating with the righteous sects was a grave crime in the Demon Sect, regardless of the reason.

“...”

The silence was long.

Samgwae, who had turned his back on Seohwi, stood for a while with his hands behind his back before speaking.

“Did the disciple ask that?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“...Did he ask anything else?”

“About the next meeting, when and where...”

“...”

He didn’t answer. He stood there with his hands behind his back, hiding his expression.

So, he needed to provoke him further.

“Leader of Taehwang Pavilion. The fourth disciple of the Heavenly Demon, Gonma, has been thinking about this issue for a long time. But since it’s a serious matter, he asked me to relay the message to gauge the severity. So, please answer honestly.”

Seohwi was triumphant.

The other person would never know. This was information he could never have discovered if he hadn’t returned.

“Cough.”

Samgwae seemed to be deep in thought.

‘Please, just tell me.’

He didn’t know if Samgwae would answer honestly or ignore him.

If he was in league with someone higher in the Demon Sect, he might kill Seohwi.

This made Seohwi even more anxious.

Just give me a clue.

“Early next month. We agreed to meet at the foot of Huangjia Mountain on the last day of the month.”

‘Got it!’

Seohwi’s eyes widened.

At the same time, he rejoiced inwardly.

After several returns, he had finally obtained significant information from Samgwae.

‘Huh?’

Something caught Seohwi’s eye, which had been gleaming with joy.

On the right side of the floor.

Exactly three feet in front, about two feet to the right. It was a light that was hard to notice unless you looked closely.

It flickered and disappeared, then flickered and disappeared again.

Sneak.

Seohwi, who had been prostrate, inched forward while watching the leader of Taehwang Pavilion.

In the past, he wouldn’t have done this, but now it was different.

Whatever happened to him.

It might be related to this.

Moreover, now that he had committed such an act, he had gained the courage.

‘There’s nothing here?’

Seohwi shook his head as he moved closer to the spot.

A flat wall.

But the light continued to flicker and disappear.

Just in case, he placed his hand on the spot where the light was coming from.

‘Huh!’

Seohwi’s eyes widened.

Suddenly, words appeared before his eyes.

[Secret Map of the Leader of Taehwang Pavilion. You have obtained the Map.]

‘Map?’

[Do you want to view the details? Accept/Decline]

‘Of course, accept.’

As soon as he answered, the words unfolded before his eyes.

[Map]

Description: A book showing the famous places in the Central Plains that the leader of Taehwang Pavilion prefers. It includes a map of Huangjia Mountain, where he first met Huashan Sect’s Guzongming.

They meet here every quarter to have secret talks. It is a book with a patched map of the Central Plains.

‘So this is possible.’

Seohwi was pleasantly surprised.

Moreover, what caught his eye was.

[A Tool Box has been created.]

There was a noticeable change.

Herb 1

Yanggang 1

Secret Map (Map) 1

‘Herb? What’s Yanggang?’

He tilted his head in confusion.

“By the way.”

At that moment.

Samgwae, who had been silent, spoke.

“When did the fourth disciple teach you martial arts?”

“Huh? Ah, that...”

Seohwi hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“He taught me a few days ago.”

“When did you meet?”

“It was the day I went to Chunilguan.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Samgwae turned his eyes.

But there was something strange about his gaze.

It wasn’t a calm expression but one that was intensely rising.

“You haven’t been sent out for long... You were trusted to teach you martial arts and to kill Jikmyeong?”

“...”

“And you were trusted to come here to spy on information?”

Something felt ominous.

His tone, expression, and gaze. He was gradually approaching Seohwi.

And at that moment.

“Ugh!”

Seohwi fell backward.

The leader of Taehwang Pavilion’s sword, which had been hidden, pierced through his abdomen.

“You little brat, you really think I’m an idiot. Do you know what you missed?”

“...”

“Gonma doesn’t teach martial arts to anyone.”

“Ugh... Ugh...”

Seohwi, writhing in pain, saw Samgwae’s lips curl into a smile.

“He only uses the martial arts given to him by the leader.”

Samgwae, with a sneer, but Seohwi’s eyes, despite the wound in his chest and the fading life, shone even brighter.

“What? You’re making that face even as you die.”

“...Don’t... know...”

“What?”

Seohwi mumbled, slowly continuing.

“Don’t... know...?”

“...?”

Seohwi stopped breathing.

Then, looking at Samgwae, he spoke clearly, unlike before.

“You... lost... to me.”

“You crazy!”

Crack!

He stabbed Seohwi’s chest again, making his vision blur.

And.

He saw it again