Absolute Sword Sense

[Long]

‘Damn it.’

If I had reacted even a second slower, I would have fallen down.

Chun Mu-seong, I thought he was being strange when he was fiddling with that tablet on the altar up there. The tablet on the altar was the one that was used to recognize a person who had passed away.

Would anyone touch it like that and move its place once it was created? I thought he was hiding something but didn’t expect such a trap.

-Wow. Still, aren’t the Eight Great Warriors like the best in Murim now? How come he didn’t even realize this?

Short Sword felt this was absurd. I had the same opinion as her.

This guy was different from the Eight Great Warriors I had met so far.

It was said that he was known to be a wicked man from the start, so he tested me with my father. Even if he didn’t like it, how bad was it to confine a person like this?

-And he seems to have one idiot son, Wonwi.

Iron Sword’s words reflected my thinking.

Well, if I hadn’t responded in advance, I would have been in huge trouble. I looked down–

Woong!

The bottom was shrouded in a cloud of smoke right now. It could be said that the smoke was from sleeping and poisonous materials.

‘It isn’t coming up.’

Normally the smoke should rise up, but this smoke was stuck to the ground. And this was fortunate for me.

But in case it moved, I had to hurry and get out. I poured internal energy into the string and went up. Each time I moved upwards a little, the body would shake without balance.

‘I am shaking.’

And with that, I climbed up carefully.

Tak!

Standing there as if the ceiling had turned to the floor, I pulled the silver string tightly and drew out Iron Sword.

Looking at the ceiling, unlike the wooden boards from outside, the bottom seemed to be made of iron, I would have to stab it with the sword.

Raising my internal qi, I focused it on the tip of Iron Sword.

‘What?’

I tried to piece through it, but instead of opening, it moved very slightly. It was a lot tougher than I had imagined.

I didn’t think I could pierce or cut through this with soft blows.

-Hit it hard then.

I was worried that hitting it hard would create a loud noise.

I couldn’t hear the presence of the other sword, but I had to be careful. So I waited for a minute. Taking a little time, I calmed my breathing.

And this time, I opened the mid dantian point and gathered the innate qi before hitting the ceiling with all my might.

Kaaang!

At that moment, my body got thrown down like it had bounced off something.

Thankfully the string was tight and it pulled me close despite being stretched out.

Shhhh!

As I began to fall, I infused the qi into the string and–

Tiing!

I was pulled back up right then. I adjusted the qi infused into the string to get myself pulled up and my body swayed once again.

“Sigh…”

I thought I was dying there.

Wiping the forehead with the back of my hand I realized how dangerous this was. The thick smoke was right below me.

-Wow… Why is it so hard?

-It seemed to be made of cold iron.

I looked up and I could see where the attack landed, everything was perfect except for the slight dent.

It seemed to be made of a material similar to the basement in the Valley I escaped from. The wall next to that basement was made of similar material, it was made to prevent anyone from escaping.

-Oh my! Is he going to continue playing with you like this?

That was a problem and if I kept bouncing back with each hit, the sound would reach them. While I tried to escape the man could be back with his disciple any time.

‘Then I need to change the plan.’

-How?

I looked at the ground below.

Dark underground passage stairs.

There were two men dressed in the uniform of the Martial Heavenly Order. Who moved with lanterns in hands.

Upon reaching the entrance to the passage was a small cave. Inside it, on both sides of the wall were five prison cells, equating to ten.

Four of the cells were blocked with black iron and among the warriors the man with mustache said.

“Ha!”

Parts of the iron wall on the right side had protruded out as if someone had applied force, wanting to come out.

“To leave the thick black iron like this.”

“It was a mess for the three days.”

“Had he not given up yet? Didn’t they say that they started adding in the sleeping powder yesterday?”

“Even then, it was a mess for half a day. And only now it slowly turned quiet.”

“Looks like the person is getting weaker.”

“Wouldn’t anyone give in sooner or later?”

“How long can they even endure? Well, the smoke needs to be gone now.”

“It must be.”

“I will open the prison, so bring him in.”

“Yes.”

The young warrior answered and entered from another passage.

Upon entering the passage there was another thick iron door that had to be turned several times near the handle to open it.

Kiiik!

As the warrior turned it, the door which seemed to be stuck in place opened and the guy went in with a lantern in hand.

A large space could be seen with black iron walls on all sides.

‘Uh?’

The warriors frowned. There should be someone lying inside but he could see no one.

Thinking this was odd, he turned to shout.

“Here…”

Shhh!

At that moment a black form moved right behind him with the help of silver thread. The warrior was about to scream without knowing about it.

Tatata!

The instant it happened, two major blood points were sealed and the guy fell down as someone held his falling body.

‘Huk!’

The person who lifted him, laid him on the ground. As he did so, the face of the figure could be seen.

‘H-How?’

He was none other than So Wonhwi.

The warrior who saw this couldn’t hide his shock, the man who should be unconscious was alright in front of him. And then he heard–

[How many are inside?]

-Boring

Right.

I took out three fingernails and yet this man said nothing. Even though he looked like he would speak right away, he said nothing till now.

How great were they trained!

‘He isn’t the kind to speak unless tortured properly’

I searched the entire body but there was no weapon. It was like he was prepared in advance for such situations.

Pak!

In the end, I touched the blood points and knocked him out.

It was because I could feel the presence of another. I took the guy and hid him aside as I stood up to one side.

Soon, I heard someone walking.

“Kwak Jong. Could it be that you were searching the body of the fallen guy again? How many times have I told you to do such things in moderation… uh?”

The warrior with a mustache who entered was shocked to see me. I tried to move for him but then he moved back right away.

‘He?’

The guy had a normal robe on him, but he was actually a skilled warrior. The guy ended up trying to land a kick at my head right away.

I caught the foot as if snatching an object and bent it.

Crack!

“Euk!”

And with his legs broken he was about to scream, so I punched right at the philtrum with the fist.

‘Ugh’

Not being able to stand with the broken leg, the guy fell down.

He was glaring at me with wide eyes.

‘It will be the same, right?’

-He seems more involved.

I didn’t think he would speak anymore than the guy before. But still, I checked to see if there was a key.

Again, nothing. The people running this place were so thorough. If they were training like this, then to open their mouths I would have to weaken their mind… Ah!

That was when a good thought popped into my brain.

What?

I didn’t know if it would work, but it was the last resort. I opened my upper dantian and memorized the illusion eye technique.

I kept making eye contact with the guy who was glaring at me. And that moment his eyes opened in shock.

In response I opened his blood points.

-What are you doing? Why release the blood points!

Just watch.

As the points were opened up, he got down on one knee and bowed.

“L-Lord. Thank you for helping me.”

-Eh? Lord?

I wasn’t sure but this actually worked.

-What are you doing?

I did nothing.

I showed him the illusion he wanted.

-Illusion?

I remembered the image of Chun Mu-seong suddenly appearing to defeat me, and it worked.

I could tell from how he acted. In the eyes of this guy I look like Chun Mu-seong, and without time I immediately urged him.

“You fool!”

“I apologize.”

“Where is that Mu-hyuk brat?”

Earlier when I was hanging by the ceiling, the guy entrusted this to his disciple, Kang Mu-hyuk. Then it must be Kang Mu-hyuk who ordered them to come.

And my thoughts had to be right. As the guy looked a bit shocked and like he was going to defend Kang Mu-hyuk.

“That is not what happened, he was about to come, but I told the young lord that the two of us would be fine for a passed out guy.”

And this made it clear that it was just these 2 who came in. There were no others. The illusion wouldn’t last long so I need to move out right away.

If I asked him to lead he might wake up from the illusion halfway through.

“Go and bring in Mu-hyuk right now.”

“Uh?”

“I said to bring him!”

“Y-yes!”

The guy was flustered and went out in a hurry. Even if the illusion failed, the guy would only say that he saw Chun Mu-seong inside.

I killed my presence and followed the limping guy. Following the passage I could see a cave like place.

‘Prison?’

There were prisons with iron bars on either side of the wall and it seemed like it was made to trap people.

-Wow. He told us to rest. So he must be planning to lock you up in such a place too.

Seems to be it. The prison bars were also made of black iron, it was like the entire place was created to make sure that a person could never escape. But one side of it was bulging.

If it was bulging out like this then it meant there must have been numerous shocks from within. Suddenly he remembered the conversation between the two men.

[Like him, we have no choice but to keep the guy locked in till he loses his mind.]

Could there be someone else trapped?

‘It isn’t important.’

First, I should be the one getting out and I wasn’t in a situation to care for others. So I followed the guy ahead for a long time and the guy stopped right at the entrance.

He fumbled around and pressed something on the wall. Then the place which seemed to be the entrance, opened up with the sound of something like a machine moving.

Drrrr!

At that moment, I moved right ahead and sealed his blood points.

‘Phew!’

It would be difficult if he ran to Kang Mu-hyuk right away. The guy was down at the entrance and I saw the stone chamber.

In the middle of it was the staircase that went up. I killed my presence once again and climbed the stairs of stone, but I heard metal.

-…

The sound of a sword.

-So many swords.

-Seems to be about 50 of them.

This was bad.

Everytime I climbed up, I felt it more and more. I wasn’t sure if an alternative existed from here, so I should at least know how many swords were up there.

At the end of the stairs was another door. There was a handle so it could be opened up normally from the inside. The light was shining through the cracks and there were whispers too.

-Wonhwi… The top is probably the tower of the Martial Heavenly Order.

Damn it!

I was hearing the swords but I didn’t think he would connect a prison to his tower! There were 50 above me and if I decided to escape then all the people in the tower would pounce on me and then that monster would come again.

‘I am going insane.’

It would be the same if I stayed here. And someone would come to fetch those two guys.

‘What do I do?’

I couldn’t think of anything until Short Sword said.

-Wonhwi! I have a plan!

‘Uh?’

I came down to the prison again, because I decided to move with Short Sword’s plan.

I didn’t know who was trapped inside, but the guy who bulged the black iron wall must be something good.

‘Amazing!’

There was a high chance he was skilled if he had messed up the prison like this.

These were Short Sword’s words.

-All you need to do is leave the door open and the guy will try to escape. He will run out right away.

I wasn’t sure if it would work but it wasn’t a bad plan and if the guy was going on a rampage after escaping, he would draw all the attention.

I felt bad for those who were imprisoned but shouldn’t I escape from here first? I put my ear against the iron wall.

Someone was inside, either passed out or asleep.

Grrr!

I turned the round knob on the door.

As the handle turned, the thick iron door opened up little by little. The door opened up revealing the prison cell.

-It is so thick.

When it opened, I could see the iron door that had the thickness of the elbow. It seemed that the internal energy of the person was what made the dent in the wall.

And then–

Pat!

Someone exited the prison. And reached for me with great speed.

‘Tch!’

I thought the person was asleep but it didn’t seem like it.

I moved my hand and noticed that the hand of the opponent grabbed my wrist before pushing me back.

‘Uh?’

With this alone I knew that this guy was reaching for something higher than me.

Papapk!

In an instant, I was pushed back to give more faces but the moment the face lightened from the light around, I called the name.

“Baek Hye-hyang?”

This person was none other than Baek Hye-hyang. She had black hair and eyes, but I would never forget her face.

With tears in her eyes, she stared at me and mumbled.

“So Wonhwi”