Chapter 57

“Then if you think it’s unfair, attack me.”

“All right! Die today!”

Jeok Mugun poured his internal energy into the sword.

He looks like he’s thinking,

‘Early and mid forms don’t mean anything against that bastard. I’ll settle this with the late, killing forms.’

As he was about to swing—

“Huh?”

Unlike usual, the energy he felt from the sword was stronger.

“What is this?”

As Jeok Mugun stared at it, puzzled, I said,

“When you inject your energy into the sword, that thing boosts it to twice as strong on its own.”

“What?”

That insane, impossible ability was inside the sword?

“You only need to use half your usual internal energy, Grandfather. How is it? Pretty damn amazing, right?”

“H-How did you make a sword like that?”

“I engraved a formation on the blade.”

“A formation? That works on a sword?”

“Yeah. It’s a formation, but also kind of a spell-art? Something like that.”

I had no idea what he was even talking about.

Either way, it meant he’d made a ridiculous, cheating sword.

And there was someone else who was horrified by what I’d said.

Geum Hwangryeok—who’d already been so shocked watching our spar that his jaw practically dropped—was even more shocked and stumbled backward.

This wasn’t some ordinary divine sword.

It doubled the wielder’s attack power.

It was a lunatic ability.

Right now, since the Heavenly Martial Emperor held that sword, nobody would even think about touching it—but once the Heavenly Martial Emperor died, the martial world could fall into chaos as everyone fought to claim it.

It was a terrifyingly dangerous sword.

“You crazy bastard! If you make a sword like this, what happens when I die later? The martial world will go insane trying to take it!”

“Then I’ll retrieve it. If idiots come for it, can’t I just blow every last one of them away?”

If I was going to retrieve it, and blast everyone who came for it, what was there left to say?

“S-So that’s it.”

“Our conversation’s getting too long. We can talk later—let’s keep going.”

“No... I think this is plenty—”

“Come on. Your martial arts just doubled, Grandfather. Doesn’t that make it worth trying?”

“D-Does it?”

He set his jaw.

“Fine! Today, I’ll make surrender come out of your mouth!”

Jeok Mugun gripped the sword and cut straight down in a single line.

“Heavenly Way, One Thought!”

The air rippled, and a powerful sword aura tore through space and surged at me.

But at the instant he thought it had hit, my body blurred and vanished.

Still, Jeok Mugun had already predicted I’d move behind him.

That attack had been bait.

This was the real one.

“Nether Emperor Descends!”

He swung the sword behind him.

A colossal phantom of a nether king slammed down as if it would cleave everything in the world.

KWA-KWA-KABOOM—!

The ground shook, and thick dust swallowed the entire drill yard.

Geum Hwangryeok went pale.

No way—he’d really attack his grandson at full power?

And I’d gotten hit by it.

“H-Hyungnim! That one was too much!”

“Shut up! It’s not too much!”

Not too much?

He’d attacked his grandson with everything he had, then stared at the dust cloud with a face so tense it looked like it might crack.

“Whew. That one surprised me. You predicted I’d be there?”

“Haven’t you always moved that way?”

“Ah!”

I let out a shout like I’d just realized something.

“I didn’t know I had a habit like that.”

“You’re really okay?”

“Yeah. I’m fine. Other than my clothes being a little torn.”

If my clothes were torn, that meant it had connected.

Nether Emperor Descends was a killing move that could instantly kill even a Mystical-View expert if it landed.

And right now, its power was doubled.

Yet all it did was tear my clothes, and I was fine.

Geum Hwangryeok exhaled in relief—then stared at me in disbelief.

It was enough to make him wonder if I was even human.

This wasn’t just anyone’s attack.

It was the Heavenly Martial Emperor’s.

And I took it cleanly and stayed fine.

Only now did he seem to understand why Jeok Mugun had been that tense—and why he’d snapped, shut up.

“My grandson, but... you really are unbelievable. What the hell is that body made of?”

“I don’t know either. I’ve been like this since I was born.”

“Hah... this is driving me insane.”

“Want to keep going?”

“I’m out of cards. Let’s stop.”

“Come on. You’ve still got one left.”

“If I use that wrong, everything here will get blown away.”

“If that’s what you’re worried about, I’ll solve it for you.”

“What?”

I pressed my palm to the ground and murmured the mantra of the Five-Element Mantra Method.

Light flared around my hand, spread wider and wider, and swept past until it washed over even the scenery around the drill yard.

“Done.”

“What did you do?”

“I set up the Ten-Thousand-Mile Shadow-Return Binding Formation. Now even if you smash everything around here to pieces, once I release the formation, it’ll all return to normal.”

“What kind of impossible formation is that?”

“Normally, I was going to do one that can’t be destroyed no matter what—but then it wouldn’t be fun. It’s fun when things get wrecked and turned into a wasteland, right?”

Jeok Mugun stared at me with a face like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

What, exactly, couldn’t this bastard do?

Pure force and a freakishly tough body were one thing, but even his formations were far beyond anything normal.

And he didn’t calculate directions, and he didn’t use any tools.

All he did was put his palm on the ground and mutter something.

Who in the world sets up a formation like that?

That wasn’t a formation—it was closer to spell-art.

“You... can you use spell-art too?”

I asked just in case.

“Huh? How did you know?”

I hoped I was wrong.

“It felt closer to spell-art than formation-work.”

“Right. I mixed spell-art and formations. Convenient, right?”

“S-So it is.”

Every formation master and spell-art master in existence would wail and collapse at his casual tone.

“Can you use other spell-arts too?”

“Yeah. I can use Healing Sorcery. So when I train the kids, I can do it without worrying. If they get hurt, I just heal them.”

“S-So you can.”

I felt bad for the bastards who were going to be trained by me.

“If you ever get sick too, Grandfather, just tell me. I’ll heal you.”

“Thank you.”

“Okay, then—want to start again?”

I was persistent.

“You little bastard. Grandpa’s tired. Let’s stop, huh?”

“Aren’t you disappointed? I heard you go around singing about how you’ve got no equal, how you’re bored and lonely.”

“Who said that? I’m not lonely at all. And when do I have time to be bored? Do you have any idea how hard it is managing Heavenly Martial Castle? I’m busy.”

“Really? Did I hear wrong?”

“Of course you did! Isn’t that right, little brother?”

“Me? Hyungnim always says you’re lonely because you don’t have a rival, and you keep asking me if I understand the loneliness of the absolute—”

At some point, Jeok Mugun had already stepped right up to Geum Hwangryeok and clamped a hand over his mouth.

Don’t run your mouth.

When Jeok Mugun whispered low with murder in his eyes, Geum Hwangryeok immediately shut up.

It was shocking.

Jeok Mugun was genuinely avoiding sparring with me.

“All right. If that’s what you want, Grandfather, I’ll stop here.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Hahahaha. Thank you. Should we go drink what we were drinking again? I didn’t burn off the alcohol at first, but now that I’ve blown it all away, I’m craving liquor again.”

“Sure. That drink earlier was really good.”

“Right? The storehouse is full of it. Drink as much as you want.”

“Really? Let’s go, Grandfather.”

“Fine!”

Watching Jeok Mugun get excited and take me down with him the moment I said we’d stop, Geum Hwangryeok shook his head.

“If I told anyone else what happened today, nobody would believe me, right?”

If he said it, they’d call it nonsense and treat him like a senile old man.

He’d have to keep it quietly to himself.

But his thoughts didn’t last long, thanks to Jeok Mugun’s interference.

“Hey! You coming or not? You not drinking?”

“Huh? I’m coming! I’m coming!”

Geum Hwangryeok wasn’t giving up liquor.

*****

The three of us went back in and kept tipping our cups.

In the middle of all the talk going back and forth, I opened my mouth.

“Should I help you, Grandfather?”

“How?”

“In Heavenly Martial Castle, the only person who knows who I am is Grandfather Geum. So if you place me in another department, I can see what kind of corruption there is. Like a covert inspector.”

“Hm.”

Jeok Mugun stroked his beard.

“Is it really so serious that you have to step in?”

I nodded.

“It’s just a feeling, but... it feels like someone is deliberately running an operation to bring Heavenly Martial Castle down.”

If it had been anyone else, he might’ve brushed it off as nonsense.

But since I felt it, his trust snapped into place.

If someone was truly running an operation, then aside from the two of us here—Geum Hwangryeok and me—there was nobody he could trust.

Jeok Mugun thought for a moment, then smiled to himself.

This is actually perfect. He has to inherit my seat anyway—so it’s better °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° if he learns Heavenly Martial Castle in advance. And if he builds ties with the people here, and grows attached, even better.

He could catch corruption, crush the unknown enemy’s scheme if my feeling was right, and make me experience Heavenly Martial Castle firsthand.

And I was the one proposing it.

There wasn’t a single reason to refuse.

No—this was something he should be begging me to do.

“If you help, then of course your grandfather’s grateful. But will it interfere with your court exam?”

Jeok Mugun said something he didn’t even mean.

I grinned.

“It’s fine. I’ve got time until next March.”

“And you don’t have to study?”

“It’s all in my head. Even if I fail, I don’t care. My goal is touring the Central Plains anyway.”

“Is that so? Then I’ll ask you for this. Thinking about it, there isn’t a single person I can trust.”

“Yes. I’ll solve your worries.”

“Thank you. Truly.”

“Come on. Are we strangers? If a grandson doesn’t help his grandfather, who will?”

“That’s right! Hahahaha!”

In a good mood, Jeok Mugun started thinking about where to send me.

Where did the corruption start first?

As he was thinking, Geum Hwangryeok spoke.

“How about you send him to Martial Star Hall?”

“Martial Star Hall?”

“It’s where Heavenly Martial Castle raises its future. If that place rots, it’s no different from the roots of Heavenly Martial Castle rotting. It’s the first place where the rot must be cut out.”

Jeok Mugun nodded at Geum Hwangryeok’s words.

“You say spine-chilling things sometimes. You’re right. Martial Star Hall is the future of Heavenly Martial Castle. If that place rots, it’s a disaster.”

I asked,

“What does Martial Star Hall do?”

“It’s where Heavenly Martial Castle fosters its rising talents. From eighteen to twenty-two—either talented ones, or the children of Heavenly Martial Castle’s leadership—enter there and receive systematic training.”

I nodded.

If that place rotted, Heavenly Martial Castle had no future.

“Write Jeok Wigang’s recommendation letter.”

“Huh?”