The emperor's back trembled at the touch of the Nancheon Steel Sword's blade on his neck.
From his once-arrogant lips came a trembling voice.
"You... what the hell are you...?"
Even with the combined efforts of the so-called Twelve Masters of the World and three other top-tier warriors who had surpassed even that rank, none of them could have expected a situation where someone would be standing behind the emperor.
"Your Majesty!"
"You bastard!"
Pagung-Gwi Chosa and Myowol Yangmyeongshin could not contain their rage.
I warned them once again.
"I believe I told you not to move."
As I said that, I slowly pressed the blade of my sword against the emperor's neck.
Just a little more pressure, and the blade would pierce his throat.
Even while doing this, the feeling was strange.
The life of the current emperor — once called the worst tyrant in history and who tried to wipe out the martial world — was now in my hands.
—You're not going to kill him anyway.
…True.
Doing so would change the course of the future entirely.
If the impact is too great, I might even cease to exist.
Of course, how could someone like me know the grand flow of this world? Still, I must avoid influencing the future as much as possible.
'I must let him live until he dies naturally.'
Regrettably, I'll have to settle for achieving my objective and nothing more.
First, I need to know where Jagyungjeong is and recover the Beopgu that's here.
The Beopgu is likely in the emperor's possession.
There's no way he'd have handed over such a sacred item of the heavens to someone else.
—What about Wunhwi Jonju?
At the question from the Nancheon Steel Sword, I looked at the guard whose face was covered with a black veil.
Despite not being a martial artist, his martial prowess was no less than the Twelve Masters of the World.
No — perhaps even slightly superior.
—Why?
It was his first encounter with the Thunder Blade Heaven Seal, yet he was the quickest to neutralize its energy.
Even from the shape of the split tent boards, one could tell.
Even now, hundreds of years earlier, he's still this strong — if only I could eliminate the future threat now...
It's frustrating that I must stop at merely extracting information.
At that moment, the trembling emperor opened his mouth.
"If you stop now, I'll at least spare your life."
Still, he showed some dignity befitting an emperor.
Most would lose their composure with a sword at their neck.
I spoke gently to him.
"Your Majesty, let me be clear. If you answer only the questions I ask, this will all pass quietly."
"You dare—"
"I believe I told you to stay still. Didn't you tell me not to lift even a finger earlier?"
At my words, Pagung-Gwi Chosa, who had been reaching for his quiver, halted his movement.
Though overwhelmed by the Thunder Blade Heaven Seal earlier, they are still top martial artists of this era.
If I give them even a moment's opening, there's no telling what they might do.
I don't have much time, so I should get to the point.
"Your Majesty, where is Jagyungjeong?"
"...Why do you want to know? To capture him?"
"Yes. Didn't I already tell you that?"
"All your words sound like lies."
Is it because I said I wouldn't kill him if he answered well?
He even responds with dry wit.
Does his composure come from his caliber as an emperor?
—Shick!
As the blade touched his skin, the emperor flinched.
This time, I spoke with killing intent.
"You'll feel the blade as unusually cold. That's because it's directly tied to Your Majesty's life."
I heard the sound of him swallowing nervously.
Now he's starting to feel the tension.
"You…"
"There is no such thing as 'never' in this world. Choose every word with care."
—Drip!
Blood trickled from the emperor's neck.
Myowol Yangmyeongshin's face flushed with anger at the sight.
But since the emperor's life was at stake, they dared not move rashly.
"..."
The man with golden eyes standing behind them, his eyes covered with black cloth, was the same.
Though blindfolded, he frowned deeply, staring in my direction — confused, likely because he knows he's not truly blind.
"Now, let's talk."
"You want to know where Jagyungjeong went?"
"Yes."
"...I don't know."
I frowned at his reply.
Someone who prepared to enter the Fireline and even fortified himself against me claims not to know Jagyungjeong's whereabouts?
"You don't expect me to believe that, do you?"
"Would I lie while offering my neck from the throne?"
At that, I scoffed.
"Your Majesty seems to possess a desire greater than anyone I've met. Could someone like that not know the whereabouts of the one who tempted you?"
"You are very suspicious."
"Reasonably so."
"Would you have me explain in detail something I do not know—"
—Thrust!
"Ugh!"
The emperor flinched in shock.
The blade dug deeper into his neck.
I smiled faintly and said:
"Don't force me to commit treason."
"If… If this isn't treason, then what...?"
"It's simply a means of self-preservation. And whether this method becomes distorted depends entirely on Your Majesty's answer."
With that, I pressed the blade harder.
The emperor urgently shouted:
"H-He said he was going to hold the Fog Forest in place."
'!?'
I couldn't help but be taken aback.
'Hold the Fog Forest in place?'
—What does that mean?
My mind reeled.
The Fireline moves periodically through space and time.
Due to the Scripture of the Thirty-Six Celestial Positions, it deviates from the normal flow and moves independently, never staying long in one place.
By now, the Fireline should've disappeared from its last known location.
I assumed Jagyungjeong failed to locate it in time.
But now he says he went to keep it from moving?
"Is that true?"
"It is. I had Governor Noi follow Jagyungjeong to confirm this."
What is going on?
So Jagyungjeong went back to the Fireline?
'Ha…'
He claimed to care for the people, betrayed the Fireline, and walked away on his own.
And now this daring man is returning — to offer the emperor the Dragon-Tiger Golden Elixir, the elixir of immortality?
—Isn't that impossible?
Sodam Sword was right.
To enter the Fireline, one must be listed in the Scripture of the Thirty-Six Celestial Positions.
I only got in by chance because of my Sword Master's connections.
Jagyungjeong was removed from that list — he can't enter on his own.
Unless...
—There's Yeoyangseon!
As Sodam Sword said, Yeoyangseon was never delisted.
She can enter any time.
That setup was a safeguard by our master, in case she ever escaped Jagyungjeong's grasp.
'Damn it. He used his junior sister?'
If that's the case, it's entirely plausible.
But how in the world does he plan to hold the Fireline in place?
Destroying the Scripture of the Thirty-Six Celestial Positions could do it, but after his betrayal, the place is guarded in shifts by the seven masters, save for Master Jeongyang Jin-in.
Even with his power and a Beopgu, the situation changes inside the Fireline.
If Jeongyang Jin-in, who has reached the realm of sages, steps in — he'll be subdued quickly.
'What's his plan?'
I can't make sense of it.
Looks like I'll have to return quickly.
If he's not here, I must stop him before he pulls off whatever he's planning.
Before that happened,
"Your Majesty."
"Didn't I… didn't I tell the truth?"
"You have an artifact received from Jakyungjeong, don't you?"
"That is…"
"That item is a treasure of our sect. No matter if you are the ruler of a nation, this item is extremely dangerous. So please return it."
I'll retrieve the Dharma Tool and return.
— Unhui.
'Don't worry, Namcheon.'
I'll also check Jonju's face.
At my words, Namcheoncheolgeom fell silent.
As I pressed the sword blade again, the Emperor flinched and said:
"I—I'll give it to you. I'll hand it over. If I return it, will you let me go?"
"Yes."
You should've just returned it nicely.
Why go so far as to shed blood?
The Emperor slowly reached into his robe.
"Don't try anything foolish."
I warned him just in case.
He hadn't trained in martial arts, so it wasn't like he could harm me. But if he tried to use the Dharma Tool, the situation could change.
That's why I kept pressure on the sword blade.
The Emperor pulled something out and placed it on his palm.
It was a small jade token.
'The token of Seonbyeokjinok?'
I frowned.
I expected it to be the Stone of Yanghwanggangmyeong.
If it had been that, he wouldn't have let me approach so easily. But he had just been carrying this like an ornament.
Something felt off.
According to the detection compass, he had definitely been using it all along.
I reached into my robe and pulled out the detection compass.
Since the Emperor wasn't using the Dharma Tool right now, the needle should remain still—
—Frrrrrrrr!
The needle trembled violently at high speed.
And it wasn't pointing to the Emperor, but to someone else.
I turned my gaze in that direction and couldn't help but scowl.
'Jonju?'
The needle was pointing precisely at the Emperor's bodyguard wearing a black veil.
I looked down at the Emperor, who was still wary of my sword.
"H-hurry and take it."
Is he trying to deceive me?
Leaving the real Dharma Tool with that man?
I sighed and said to the Emperor:
"I told you not to play tricks."
"What are you talking about? You asked for the item from Jakyungjeong, and this is it."
"Do I look that naive to you? Tell that guard over there to hand over the real artifact. Otherwise, Your Majesty…"
The blade pressed deeper into his neck.
Panicking, the Emperor shouted at the guard.
"D-do as he says!"
At that, I added a warning.
"If you use the artifact, the Emperor dies."
"..."
The guard in the black veil silently took something out from his robe.
It was exactly the same jade token as the one in the Emperor's hand.
The only difference was that the red gem in the center was more vivid.
Seeing this, the Emperor muttered in confusion.
"How do you have that…"
"Enough. Toss the jade token here."
At my words, the guard held the jade token as if to throw it at me.
And then extended it forward.
That's when it happened.
—Uwoooong!
Something strange happened before my eyes.
A thin, grayish membrane-like wall appeared, blocking the space between me and the Emperor.
I turned my head left and right—walls appeared on both sides too.
"W-what is this…?"
The Emperor mumbled in confusion.
I grabbed him by the neck and stabbed the thin wall with Namcheoncheolgeom.
—Papapapak!
The sword bounced back from a strong rebound force.
"Damn it."
He used the token of Seonbyeokjinok.
This barrier is called Seonbyeok and is used to trap and protect someone.
It's said to be able to imprison even demons or monsters, and cannot be broken by ordinary human strength.
I tightened my grip on the Emperor's neck and said:
"Do you want to see the Emperor die?"
At that, the veiled man chuckled.
He's laughing? When the Emperor's life is at stake?
It wasn't just me— the Emperor was also enraged and shouted:
"What are you doing! Do you not care if something happens to me…?!"
"Shh."
Before he could finish, the veiled man raised a finger to his lips.
And the Emperor fell silent as if struck mute.
His face turned red, and he mumbled in confusion, unable to understand what was happening.
'What is this…'
Then, the veiled guard clicked his tongue and spoke.
"I told them to make the decoy able to perfectly mimic me, and they dared to humiliate me like this."
'!!!'
At those words, even Pagung-gwi Chosa and Myowol Yangmyeongshin, standing on either side, stared at him in shock.
The Emperor, too, widened his eyes as if to say, "What is he talking about?"
I narrowed my eyes and said to the veiled guard:
"...So you're the real Emperor."
The man I was choking was a decoy.
Not the real one.
"I didn't think I'd have to show my face to someone so lowly."
The guard removed the black veil.
Beneath it was a strong, dignified face with short eyebrows marked by bold dots.
Namcheoncheolgeom's voice rang in my head.
—It's him, Unhui!
Hah…
I was speechless.
The most tyrannical Emperor was Jonju all along.
The Emperor, believed to have died as a soldier, was actually Jonju, the mastermind controlling the martial world from the shadows.
Even I couldn't hide my shock.
But his eyes—
—They weren't golden.
Both pupils were ordinary, not golden.
'Is he really that man?'
—He is. That voice and that face—I'll never forget the look on his face when he cut off my master's arm and looked down arrogantly!
Namcheoncheolgeom could barely contain his rage.
If this was truly Jonju, the real Emperor, then he must not have undergone the procedure yet?
Otherwise, he wouldn't look so normal.
At that moment, the true Emperor, who had revealed himself, walked toward me with his hands behind his back.
"To think someone would dare to harm me, even if I used a decoy—you must not value your life."
Majesty. Arrogance.
He was a man of power, no doubt.
He seemed to truly be Jonju.
He stopped in front of me and said:
"Before I kill you, I must hear your true purpose."
He held the jade token forward.
The red gem in the center began to glow.
As expected, he knew exactly how to use the token of Seonbyeokjinok.
The gray wall wavered like a ripple.
"Is your goal really to capture that man called Jakyungjeong?"
At his question, I clenched my teeth.
But regardless of my will, my mouth opened on its own.
"Yes."
The token of Seonbyeokjinok.
It is called the Dharma Tool of Truth.
Anyone trapped within Seonbyeok must answer the wielder's questions truthfully.
I gripped Namcheoncheolgeom tighter.
I must escape.
The Emperor smirked and said:
"If it's truly Seonbyeok, then you know better than anyone that it cannot be broken."
"I cannot keep answering your questions forever."
Because every time he asks something, I'm forced to answer—and I can't gather my energy.
I could only move little by little between each answer, but he kept asking nonstop.
"You'll answer until you die."
"You cannot kill me."
The Emperor let out a disbelieving laugh.
"You think your thunder sword technique will save you? Was that also something you learned from the Sword Sage?"
Damn it. I shouldn't speak, but my mouth keeps moving.
"Yes. It's a combination of the Thunder Sword of Heaven Piercing and the Sword of True Name taught by the Sword Sage."
"The Sword of True Name? Did the Sword Sage teach you that too?"
"No."
—Grrr!
At this rate, I might tell him everything.
I quickly raised my sword in a thrusting stance.
The Emperor saw this and shook his head.
"I already told you it can't be broken. But I'm surprised. That's a sword technique I've never seen before. Then who taught you…"
—Bzzzzzt!
Before he could finish, blue lightning flared from my sword.
The Emperor scoffed.
"Don't waste your energy. Even Raijang, who was called the Scholar of the Thunder Wall, couldn't break the wall. He only ended up injured by the backlash. No matter how strong you are…"
Before he could finish, my mouth opened again against my will.
Because inside Seonbyeok, thoughts escape as words.
"I… broke through… the wall… once…"
"What?"
The Emperor's eyes widened in shock.
The lightning raged, and the Seonbyeok wavered even more violently.
Sensing danger, the Emperor took a half-step back unconsciously.
—Boom!
Regardless, I advanced.
"What are you trying to do?"
I resisted his question with all my might.
'Stab. Stab. Stab.'
I focused only on that thought.
My chest burned with pain, and blood dripped from my mouth.
Now I knew—there were side effects to resisting the divine force of Seonbyeok.
Good.
I'll answer your question.
"True…"
"You really think you can break it?"
"Strike…"
"Stop. Seonbyeok reflects all force. You'll die!"
"A…"
"I said stop!"
"Re…"
"Stop him! Now!"
The Emperor leaped back and shouted.
Myowol Yangmyeongshin hurriedly blocked the space in front of him.
"Sword!"
Heavenly Thunder Sword Art – True Chuk-Ah Returning Sword (逐亞回劍).
A blue flash of lightning burst forth from the sword, creating a vortex as it struck the barrier.
The fiercely rotating slash of thunder and lightning exploded against the wall, releasing a tremendous cracking sound as the barrier trembled.
-Chwarurururu!
At the same time, my body was pushed back about three steps.
Seeing this, the Emperor's lips curled upward.
He seemed to be thinking, "Of course."
In response, I clenched my teeth and opened the middle energy center (중단전), following the lower one (하단전).
After three years and eight more months of training, I had finally broken through the barriers and reached the unity of Qi and Spirit (기신의 합일), among the Essence (정), Qi (기), and Spirit (신).
My sword master called this state "Hyun-Gyeong" (玄境) — the Profound Realm.
-Kwa-ji-ji-ji-jik!
As I achieved the unity of Qi and Spirit, my internal energy and innate true energy harmonized, causing my power to surge dramatically.
Then, the once-unbreakable barrier began to collapse.
"Huuuaaah!"
With all my strength, I thrust the Chuk-Ah Returning Sword forward.
At that moment, the barrier shattered, and the whirlwind of lightning became a storm, surging forward like an unstoppable wave.
-Pachichichichik!
The thunderstorm tore apart the massive canopy.
"What!?"
"This is..."
-Kwakwakwakwakwakwakwa!
And then, part of the advancing Imperial Army was swept away by the storm.