Chapter 34

Trap (2)

There was no way to know how it had ended in the original future.

Because Cheon Wigang had not uttered a single word about it.

'At the very least, the Family Head clearly suffered severe internal injuries and endured the aftereffects until his sudden death.'

Whether it was due to the battle with the Wolf king.

Or because of a third party's intervention, he could not be certain, but one thing was now clear.

'The Demonic Cult definitely intervened.'

Swaaaaa!

Even the blowing wind felt chilling.

Before he knew it, Cheon Muyang was facing the darkened sky hanging over Makgan Mountain.

"This, this really kills the mood completely."

The Wolf king spat on the ground.

He disliked this entire sequence of events.

"You dare use this body as a chess piece?"

In the martial world, the Wolf king was known as a rough and rude man, yet at the same time, he was a figure who commanded great respect.

That was because he was someone who moved purely by his convictions, bound neither to the Orthodox nor the Unorthodox factions.

For a man who lived by conviction to be used through that very conviction, it was only natural for his anger to boil over.

"That said, the human trafficking is real, and the fact that the Cheon Clan is behind it is also real."

The Wolf king was hot-blooded, but he also possessed the prudence to not act unless he was certain.

He had confirmed traces of the Cheon Clan's involvement, and to verify the truth, he had summoned Cheon Wigang.

"What truth are you talking about?"

"You crossed blades with him, didn't you? Did the Family Head look like the kind of man who would do such a thing?"

"...."

Cheon Muyang was right.

Cheon Wigang was not that kind of person.

That was something the Wolf king, who had crossed swords with him, could tell.

"What's behind them isn't the Cheon Clan, but the Demonic Cult."

Abruptly, the Wolf king leveled his great saber at Cheon Muyang.

"That claim."

Hwoong!

An overwhelming pressure, like Mount Tai pressing down.

Yet Cheon Muyang stood firm and met his gaze head-on.

"Are you certain?"

"I'll stake my life on it."

"...."

After staring at Cheon Muyang for a moment, the Wolf king burst into laughter and withdrew his saber.

"Fine. Then let's start by chewing up those damned bastards."

Cheon Muyang smiled.

It had been a while since he and the Wolf king had seen eye to eye.

Because they were thinking the same thing.

"Sounds good."

"Kid, don't get in my way."

"You either."

"Tsk, arrogant little bastard."

"...Both of you, focus."

"But what about that fellow over there?"

On the ground lay Geumsan, sprawled out.

Looking at the unconscious man, the Wolf king clicked his tongue.

"He looks weak as hell."

The Wolf king swung his great saber down hard onto the nearby ground.

Puuk!

A hole large enough to fit a person was created.

"For now, let's put him in there. He's the witness to a historic duel—can't just let him die, can we?"

"...."

Grabbing Geumsan by the nape of the neck, Cheon Muyang shoved him into the pit.

He then covered him with soil.

"Please hang in there for a bit."

After making a few air holes, Cheon Muyang stood beside the Wolf king, who was laughing as if something amused him greatly.

"Seems I've got some kind of karmic tie with you."

"Shut up."

To Cheon Muyang's right stood Cheon Wigang, and to his left stood the Wolf king.

The three waited for the Demonic Cult forces that would soon arrive.

Tzzzt.

A group arrived.

Clad in black wind robes, they were those who summoned darkness itself.

"...."

They knew no fear.

Thus, even before absolute beings like the Wolf king and Cheon Wigang, they unleashed killing intent.

"Would you look at these punks."

The Wolf king smirked.

Their momentum was impressive enough, but how could trash like that possibly kill him?

"You think you can face this body with just this much? Not a chance, you bastards."

The Wolf king grew angry instead.

The very idea that they judged this to be sufficient to deal with him was laughable.

Cheon Muyang was also suspicious.

'Only this much?'

No matter how many they were.

With the Wolf king's saber and Cheon Wigang's sword, they should be able to sweep them away in a single strike.

'No. There's definitely something more.'

After all, Cheon Wigang had barely survived after passing through the brink of death.

He had to remember this as well.

Leaving the briefly hesitant Cheon Muyang behind, the Wolf king strode forward proudly.

"Brat, I'll step in myself."

"...."

Cheon Muyang decided to observe.

At that, the Wolf king swung his great saber and advanced.

Shiiik!

Though he had suffered light internal injuries, they were not fatal, and the Wolf king's movements were as nimble as ever.

Swoosh!

With a single strike, several of them were cut down.

It was almost absurdly simple.

Even so, Cheon Muyang did not loosen his tension.

Drip.

Drip, drip.

And so, he saw it.

From the ground where their blood had fallen, smoke was rising.

Psssss.

The black smoke was ominous.

The burning smell—its scent was unmistakably gunpowder.

"Get away!"

"What did you say?"

The moment the Wolf king asked back—

The blood ignited, and the flames surged backward toward the headless corpses.

Flinch!

Only then did the Wolf king realize something was wrong and tried to pull back.

"...!"

But the burning corpse he had thought dead was clutching the Wolf king's ankle.

"You damnable bastard!"

A short scream.

Kwaaaaaang!

It was swallowed by the roar of an explosion.

Smoke blasted upward by the explosion engulfed Cheon Muyang and Cheon Wigang.

"Muyang! Don't let your guard down."

"Family Head, please retreat at once."

"...."

Within the hazy smoke,

Figures clad in black wind robes were charging in, throwing their lives away.

Each and every one of them was effectively a thunder bomb of terrifying power.

"Where would I retreat to, leaving you behind?"

Cheon Wigang was like an iron wall.

He had taken up the sword to protect the family, and had he not obtained his current blade precisely because of that?

"I protect. That is—"

The sword of the iron wall.

"—my sword."

Hwoong!

From within the murky smoke, a single sword surged forth clearly.

Kwagagagagang!

With a thunderous roar, the gray smoke was soon dyed crimson with flames.

"Ah...."

Cheon Muyang was unscathed.

Thanks to Cheon Wigang's sword standing just one step ahead of him.

Hwoooong!

So this was why he was called an iron wall.

He was witnessing Cheon Wigang's true sword—one that even Wumyeong had never once seen.

Fwoosh!

The flames could not melt the iron wall.

Uncollapsing, unbreaking, the iron wall stood firm.

Swaaaaa!

The smoke dissipated.

Cheon Wigang stood alone, resolute.

"Did you see?"

"Yes. I saw it."

Cheon Wigang's sky was not free.

Yet within it, the history of the Cheon Clan could be felt.

'A sky refined over generations… no wonder it stands so high.'

In exchange for losing freedom,

The sky of the Cheon Clan was steadfast.

The sword that carried the wishes of their ancestors—that was Cheon Wigang's sword.

'As expected....'

Watching Cheon Wigang, unshaken, Cheon Muyang felt relief.

'You've grown stronger.'

Cheon Muyang was certain.

That he had reached a realm even higher than the one he was originally meant to achieve.

'The future has changed....'

Only then did he truly relax.

Cheon Wigang would not die.

Still, the situation was far from good.

The number of enemies continuing to swarm showed no sign of decreasing.

'How could a force of this size move without us noticing?'

It was proof that the Demonic Cult had already deeply infiltrated the Central Plains' martial world.

'No… perhaps they knew and chose not to stop it.'

Even within the orthodox sects, struggles over interests existed.

'Especially if it's the Beggars' Sect... all the more so.'

Their relationship with the Beggars' Sect had been poor for generations, so there was no way information from them would have reached the Cheon Clan.

'We need information. The Cheon Clan is far too blind.'

Not just martial strength—

They needed information as well.

The eyes of the Cheon Clan were blind.

"Damn it, this is damn irritating."

At that moment, the irritated voice of the Wolf king rang out.

At some point, he had slung Geumsan—who had been buried—over his shoulder.

"I can't take this anymore… I'll open a path, so just follow."

The Wolf king rushed forward, and Cheon Muyang and Cheon Wigang hurried after him.

"Move! Get out of the way!"

"...."

The Wolf king advanced without hesitation.

But just the same, the black tide continued endlessly.

Drip.

Drip, drip.

To make matters worse, it seemed the Wolf king was bleeding.

Moreover, his saber—normally swung without discrimination—hesitated, wary of triggering explosions.

"I'll really kill these bastards…!"

The Wolf king's anger boiled over.

A man who prized duels against the strong above all else, this kind of battle was especially ill-suited to him.

"Tsk."

Unable to stand by any longer, Cheon Muyang stepped forward.

"Fall back."

"And what plan do you have?"

"I've got one."

"What?"

Cheon Muyang smiled.

Though compared to the Wolf king and Cheon Wigang his strength was still woefully insufficient—

"There's such a thing as compatibility."

What about the Five Elements?

Just as wood and fire can exist in a mutually reinforcing relationship, there are also opposing relationships—like fire melting metal.

The Wolf king questioned him.

"Compatibility?"

"Yeah."

Cheon Muyang looked up at the sky spread out above them.

It was a dark sky.

Hwoooong!

The darkness of the dark sky was different from night.

Neither moon nor sun—

It was a sky filled only with darkness that permitted nothing else.

"Fortunately… I've cut through a sky like that once or twice before."

In other words, he had reached a level of proficiency.

Heavenly light surged high into the sky.

"...!"

The Wolf king doubted his own eyes.

The heavenly light rising into the sky looked like a sun driving away the dark sky.

'Did the sun… rise from the north?'

It was no illusion.

Thus, the Wolf king stared, dumbfounded, at the newly risen sun.

"Th-that sword is…?"

Cheon Muyang answered with a smile.

"Dark Sky Slash."

Shwoong!

The sun that had slowly risen rapidly set.

Paaaat!

The darkness vanished—

"Kraaaaaaah!"

Those bound by the darkness screamed in pain for the first time.

It was hard to believe these were the same people who had disregarded even death.

"Pitiful and disgusting beings stained by the dark sky, step aside."

"...."

Cheon Muyang withdrew the heavenly light.

All those who had been screaming stood frozen, as if time itself had stopped.

"Family Head, I'll escort you."

"Mm."

Cheon Muyang walked toward them.

They opened a path.

"W-what the hell?"

Seeing this, the Wolf king's eyes went wide.

How could such a thing be possible?

It was astonishing—no, unbelievable.

"You're not coming? I'll go on ahead then?"

They did not precisely regard Cheon Muyang as an enemy.

Thus, though only momentarily delayed, they released killing intent toward the Wolf king instead.

"Y-you insolent bastard…!"

"If you're not coming, suit yourself."

"Let's go together."

The Wolf king hurriedly stuck close behind Cheon Muyang.

Just like that, the three of them calmly escaped the Makgan Mountain area.

"Just what in the world was that sword?"

"You don't need to know."

"Come on, tell me a bit. We're not exactly strangers, are we?"

The Wolf king pestered Cheon Muyang.

He seemed deeply impressed by Dark Sky Slash.

"True, we're not ordinary acquaintances."

"Right?"

The Wolf king brightened.

Looking at him, Cheon Muyang replied with an expression that said not a chance.

"Yeah. Someday I'm going to kick your ass. I'm not the type who can live with owing debts."

"You're really that petty, still holding onto that? As the eldest young master of the Cheon Clan, you ought to be more broad-minded."

"Bullshit."

"Kheheheh, arrogant bastard. Now that I look at you, I kind of like you."

The Wolf king seemed to like even Cheon Muyang's arrogance.

"You should be grateful I'm not just all talk."

"Enough. Hand him over to me and leave."

The Wolf king was still carrying Geumsan over his shoulder.

"That won't do. I still have questions to ask this guy."

"...No, to begin with, why did you even bring Geumsan along?"

"Ask him yourself."