Only Mine.
"It is no longer surprising."
I looked calmly at Baek So-Ah and Heuk So-Ryeong, who had fainted without my permission.
While I had fought and defeated notorious female demons during my time as a madman, I had never beaten weaker women to death indiscriminately.
Moreover, to test my conscience by fainting in such a vulnerable state was quite audacious.
Suddenly, I recalled the expressions of several female demons from the past and compared them to the unconscious faces of the two women.
Evil does not distinguish between genders.
However, a common trait among female demons is that they lack fortune in their faces.
Instead of having a charm that attracts men, it is more due to the martial arts they practice.
Female demons who have mastered techniques like Yangseong Gyojeok often forcibly drain the essence of young boys or youths to maintain their youth.
The problem is that these were formidable opponents I had fought for quite some time during my madman days, so I could not afford to be careless even now.
I scrutinized the fainted Baek So-Ah and Heuk So-Ryeong, wondering if they were somehow connected to the female demons I had known in a past life.
If they were, I had intended to strike them down right here and now.
"You're not them."
I grabbed Baek So-Ah and Heuk So-Ryeong by their collars and sat them up before slapping them both once.
Smack! Smack! "Consider yourself lucky."
The two fainted individuals slowly began to regain their senses.
Outside, people were still shouting "Fire!" as they headed toward the arena, but there was no risk of a large fire spreading.
The arena was an independent structure with a sunken central area.
As soon as they opened their eyes, the two women began to cry once more.
"Stop crying already."
I went to a corner and lightly washed my face while speaking.
"It would be wise to keep your mouths shut before I throw you into the flames."
After washing my face, I placed a chair in front of the bed and glared at the two of them.
Being a naturally kind man, I decided to explain the background of the fire incident.
"The Narak Association has vanished. Dongbang Yeon is dead, Pyeonggun Sa is dead, and Gu Yangbok is dead. Many others have also perished. If you don't want to ascend and join those who have already passed, answer my questions well. Understood?" The two seemed to have regained their composure and replied briefly, "Yes."
"Gu Yangbok and I made a promise as men. If I defeat the entire Narak Association, I would claim everything belonging to them. As you can see, I have won, and Gu Yangbok ascended while shouting for a reckoning. I worry that he should quit gambling in the heavens. You should take a moment to pray for Gu Yangbok's soul." "……."
I fumbled around in my robe for the Flash Dagger and asked, "Do you want me to draw my sword for a prayer?" "We will."
I watched as the two closed their eyes in prayer.
Heuk So-Ryeong's eyes trembled, and Baek So-Ah was crying white snot with her eyes closed.
"Now open your eyes."
I asked the two, maintaining a positive tone.
"They must have gone to a good place, right?" Heuk So-Ryeong and Baek So-Ah answered simultaneously, "Yes."
I replied sternly, "No. That cannot be." "……."
"Only those who have been cheated can go to a good place. They should not go to a good place. Am I right or wrong?" "You are right."
"Since they died in flames, they would have headed straight to the entrance of the fire hell. Tomorrow, my subordinates will bring carts and wagons. You will cooperate by revealing where Gu Yangbok hid his wealth so that my subordinates can neatly recover the funds of the Narak Association. Can you do that?" "Yes. We can."
"Good. Rest now. If you take the opportunity to escape because you feel better… you know what will happen, right? The Rainbow Gambling House."
Baek So-Ah said, "Isn't the fire spreading outside?" "Fire? Right. I will stop the flames."
"Can't you just let us go?" "Shut up. Stopping the flames comes first."
I stood up, pulled aside the curtain of the Phoenix VIP room, and stepped outside.
Naturally, the flames were only raging in the arena.
As I walked, taking in the chaotic streets, I entered the empty Narak Inn.
There was no sign of Jeom So-I, and the Baekju I hadn't touched remained untouched.
Of course, all the martial artists of the Narak Association had vanished.
Just as I had sent Jeom So-I to the Heuk Myo Room, it seemed Jeom So-I had taken Gu Yangbok's letter to the Nam Myeong Association.
I rolled up my sleeves and muttered, "Let's see what the gambling king's dwelling looks like."
I entered deeper, passing through a narrow corridor, checking the kitchen, Jeom So-I's room, and the storage area in succession until I reached the end of the corridor.
A thick iron door, which seemed out of place for an inn, stood boldly.
Since I hadn't taken the key from the corpse, I pulled out the Flash Dagger and heated it with my internal energy.
Slowly inserting the glowing red dagger into the keyhole, I stepped back and kicked the iron door open.
Bang!
A large room, comparable in size to the entire inn, appeared.
Looking around, I realized that the gambling king's dwelling was nothing more than a large prison.
The owner had not left the house, guarding the money he had desperately gathered.
"The gambling king has lived a futile life."
The interior was filled with all sorts of expensive furnishings and collectibles.
Such luxuries could not possibly be gathered by an innkeeper.
I had no interest in antiques or aesthetically valuable items, so I merely glanced around.
On Gu Yangbok's desk, I found a letter that had been abruptly cut off.
"The Narak Association has been attacked by a madman. The level of martial arts cannot be gauged, and various techniques have proven ineffective. They also know much about the Narak Association. Although I have supported the Nam Myeong Association in both material and spiritual ways, I have never asked for help."
The letter ended there, with a black line drawn through the center.
Suddenly, I glanced at the right wall of the desk and saw six portraits hanging.
The first to the fifth were unfamiliar faces, but the last portrait was easily recognizable.
Nam Garak, the head of the Nam Myeong Association.
It seemed the Narak Association had supported six heads of the Nam Myeong Association throughout history.
I stared at Nam Garak's portrait for a moment.
Naturally, I knew his name and face, but since I had never fought him directly, I had to rely on information and memory.
"He was a man who suddenly died at the hands of a master, but who was that master? It wasn't Gwangseung, ah, it was the nameless assassin."
The one who killed Nam Garak had remained hidden, and the incident had been buried for a long time.
After losing their leader, the Nam Myeong Association revealed the assassin group known as Ilwi Dogang and declared an all-out war.
After that, the Nam Myeong Association fell.
However, there were more stories about the defeated Nam Myeong Association in the martial world.
This was partly because the victorious Ilwi Dogang had suffered significant losses, and partly because the Nam Myeong Association had waged a brutal war against the quite powerful Ilwi Dogang.
They were madmen who fought until their organization was destroyed, so it was necessary to consider how to deal with the Nam Myeong Association.
The incident of Ilwi Dogang killing the head of the Nam Myeong Association would also take years to unfold, making it useless for the time being.
Suddenly, I took down Nam Garak's portrait from the wall.
I removed all the other portraits and threw them to the floor before looking at the wall.
In the central area, concealed by the six portraits, was an iron door that resembled a secret vault.
There were no visible keyholes or locks on this peculiar iron door.
I looked at the wall and ceiling, then back at the desk, following an imaginary line.
No matter how I looked at it, it was a structure that could only be opened by a mechanism connected to the desk.
I opened each drawer of the desk, closing them again, and when I grabbed the inkstone on the desk to lift it, it wouldn't budge.
Pressing down gently on the inkstone, I felt a strong resistance.
I combined an appropriate amount of external energy and tension to press down on the inkstone.
Suddenly, a clanking sound echoed from somewhere.
As I approached the wall and pushed the iron door, it clicked open, and another mechanism sound followed.
"……!" As soon as I heard a whoosh of wind, I quickly stepped aside.
A strong needle shot from inside the iron door and embedded itself in the opposite wall.
Thud! What on earth was hidden here that warranted such a setup? As I stepped back to look inside, I was astonished to see a neatly cut thin piece of metal.
I couldn't just reach out blindly, so I took a lamp from the desk and shone it inside.
"Hmm…" I thought it was gold, but it was black.
The surface looked rough and solid.
I pulled out the Flash Dagger and inserted it, then took out one of the unidentified metal pieces to bring back to the desk.
After checking that the surface was not coated with poison, I scratched the metal surface with the tip of the Flash Dagger.
It left a faint mark, but the dagger's tip did not penetrate at all.
"This is Hyeoncheol."
Gu Yangbok, who had already paid a hefty tribute, would not have been willing to offer Hyeoncheol to the Nam Myeong Association.
I was curious about where he had obtained this, but the one to ask was already dead.
I moved the flat Hyeoncheol from inside the iron door onto the desk.
Beyond it, I saw a small booklet and a black ring, but I first examined the Hyeoncheol.
As I pondered, I used the Flash Dagger to shape it, and it transformed into a long black sword.
Truly astonishing.
I was not surprised that this was a long sword made of Hyeoncheol; I was more curious about how it had been split in this manner.
What kind of master in the world could break a sword made of Hyeoncheol like this? Even during my madman days, and even among the top masters who were stronger than me, none could have shattered Hyeoncheol to this extent.
Gu Yangbok must have intended to melt it down to create new weapons.
But why it was merely stored here, I could no longer ascertain.
Though I was not a blacksmith, this appeared to be an item from at least several hundred years ago.
There is a common belief that weapons made of Hyeoncheol never break, but seeing this result made me rethink that notion.
There is no such thing as an item in the world that cannot be broken.
The owner of that long sword must have been an extraordinary master.
However, when that sturdy sword broke, its owner must have died alongside it.
The conviction they held in their heart must have shattered as well.
Only then did I begin to understand to some extent what Gwangseung had told me.
"When your conviction breaks, you are a dead soul, so there is no need to worry."
"What do you mean?" "It is as it is."
It sounded as if being overly bound by weapons made it harder to elevate one's martial arts.
Only then did I realize that Gwangseung's words should be interpreted differently based on my experiences and skills.
I probably did not understand half of what Gwangseung said in my past life.
I took out the booklet and ring from inside the iron door and placed them on the desk, starting with the thin booklet.
"The One Generation Sword Master, Gu Yangmug."
"The Ultimate Heavy Sword."
As soon as I read the next line, I smiled.
"Gu Yangmug has fought me, who had no reputation, seven times and lost every time. He was a man with immense pride, but in the end, the strong always win in the martial world. I already knew I would win before we faced off, so I was indifferent to the outcome.
However, Gu Yangmug could not accept this. He did not even ask me the reason for his defeat. I understand the hearts of martial artists, but how can I explain that this very heart is what prevents Gu Yangmug from advancing to the next stage?
Eventually, when I pointed out his shortcomings, his response was that it was too late to learn again. I think differently. Is there a right or wrong time to learn?
But I also know that human affairs do not always go as one wishes. When I honestly told him that I had only faced off against the martial artists in the world a few times, he was even more shocked.
I did not intend to push him into a corner, but Gu Yangmug had only trained his sword for a long time, while his mental training did not reach the level of his swordsmanship. Such cases are common among martial artists.
Unable to overcome the wounds of the heart, Gu Yangmug, who was dying, asked me to summarize the Mugeuk Sword Technique I had faced. Those who obtain this sword technique must use it for righteous deeds. If used for unrighteous deeds, I predict that their end will be miserable.
Giseongja."
The tone was identical to that written in the secret manual of the Golden Valley So-Yo.
I had already guessed that this was a booklet written by Giseongja while reading.
The reason Gu Yangbok had hidden this was simple.
Giseongja's martial arts were far too advanced for Gu Yangbok to dare to covet.
Even if he read it, he would not have understood its meaning.
Moreover, the prophecy that if used for unrighteous deeds, their end would be miserable, would surely weigh on his mind.
However, there was no one in the martial world who understood Giseongja better than I did.
Therefore, Gu Yangmug's sword technique would be a technique that only I could fully comprehend in the world.
Suddenly, I thought about how Gu Yangmug had challenged Giseongja seven times, who had created the Golden Valley So-Yo… Gu Yangmug, just how strong were you?