A Modern Man Who Got Transmigrated Into the Murim World

Chapter 79

The Golden Heaven Lord, lying in a wretched state, barely managed to regain consciousness, his mind on the verge of fainting as he stubbornly gazed at the distant clock tower.

Upon observing how the gears had turned, he realized that only two hundred years had passed.

To him, those two hundred years felt like an eternity of twenty thousand years.

Who was he?

A thousand years had passed!

He had existed for over a thousand years, transcending all human suffering and turmoil. He was a true divine being, worthy of being called a deity.

He had mastered almost all martial arts in the central world and his mental strength surpassed even that of the sages from the heavenly realm.

“Gr… grr…”

Yet, a beast-like growl involuntarily escaped him.

When he looked at the transparent space and saw So Geomshin dozing off, all the thousand years of cultivation seemed to vanish, leaving him reduced to nothing more than a wild animal.

8,226 battles.

8,226 defeats.

This was the reason his self-esteem had hit rock bottom, leaving him no choice but to howl in anger like a beast.

The enemy’s unlearned skills were beyond imagination.

Nangong, Tang family, Shaolin, Wudang, Huashan, and the Beggars’ Sect.

Of course, such old sects and martial arts posed no threat to him.

The real problem was that the one wielding them was So Geomshin.

Moreover, the inevitable merging of the Three Gods…

The immense pressure from that mental force had nearly torn his spiritual body to shreds, making him think of destruction countless times.

But one thing was clear.

That person was definitely not a great being like a creator!

If he truly were a creator, someone like him, insignificant as an ant, would never be tormented this much!

Just when he was on the verge of secretly plotting to assassinate him…

“Wait a second, now that I think about it.”

*Gasp!*

The Golden Heaven Lord, who had been preparing to secretly ambush So Geomshin, froze in terror and adjusted his posture.

“What… what is it?”

“Huh? This bastard is making a vicious face? Are you planning to sneak attack me while I’m asleep since you’re obviously out of your depth? Even if you’re a divine being, come on… No, surely not?”

“W-what are you talking about?! This is slander!”

“Whatever.”

So Geomshin lay back down, lazily staring into the empty space outside the rectangular area.

“That… that guy, Tongcheon. His words suddenly came back to me.”

“What…?”

Although they had both been experimental subjects and disciples of the Divine Seat, their interactions were nearly nonexistent.

Occasionally, they would meet once every few decades, but it was nothing more than casual exchanges of information. Even that had stopped since the disappearance of Yuando and Guiam.

“The ‘Seat’ you know, and the one he spoke of, are different. He said that when the time came to choose, he didn’t choose the Seat.”

“What… what did he say?”

“He had a completely different philosophy from you. He said that even if he ascended the Seat and became a cosmic being, all that awaited him would be endless emptiness. All he could do was project his will onto the mortals and observe. He said it was all just a twisted amusement.”

“Blasphemy!”

What exactly was the Seat?

It was the absolute divinity that mere mortals could never hope to touch.

Who could dare belittle the great beings who had shed the shackles of mortality and embraced eternal and absolute power?

“He said that rather than wasting time in such an empty state, he would prefer to stay in the world and treat all humanity as his playthings.”

“How dare you!”

The Golden Heaven Lord seemed truly enraged, his whole body trembling faintly.

However, So Geomshin’s voice continued without regard.

“Even his judgment of your master, Dalma, was different from the rest. He thought Dalma had deceived him.”

“Deceit?”

The Golden Heaven Lord’s expression was one of utter disbelief.

“He said that Dalma had already ascended the Seat before meeting you. All the experiments Dalma conducted on you weren’t to reach the Seat, but to prepare for his descent into the world.”

“That… that’s impossible! Then why… why did he conduct those countless experiments…?”

“He said those experiments were conducted for Dalma’s descent into the Central World.”

“Absurd! That’s nonsense!”

With a horrified expression, the Golden Heaven Lord shook his head frantically, but his dizzy eyes revealed clear signs of agitation.

Had he secretly built a sect and strengthened his own existence by incurring the wrath of that great being?

However, even if the great one had deceived someone as insignificant as him, it could not be considered a flaw.

He had long ago pledged himself to be a servant of that being.

But then, the words of Jo Hwi shattered the Golden Heaven Lord’s mind completely.

“The most curious thing is… why did he choose the disciple who was closest to his secret, and also the one who opposed him the most, as his incarnation?”

“Incarnation?”

“Yes, incarnation.”

“That bastard is his incarnation?”

Jo Hwi responded bluntly, as if bored.

“Did you live all this time without noticing? I actually spoke with that god-like bastard myself.”

“You… you heard his divine words directly?”

“He only kept babbling names that are hard to even describe in human language, but it was definitely him.”

“Insane! That’s impossible!”

An incarnation was the most perfect way for beings who reached the Seat to manifest their will.

Thus, the position of incarnation should rightfully be his.

It was only he, who had long vowed to be the servant of that great being, who had faithfully carried out the commands of that divine figure manifested in water, fire, and wind.

If what So Geomshin said was true, then what was he to that great being?

Jo Hwi looked at the Golden Heaven Lord with a sense of pity.

“Is it really so hard for you to accept that another disciple became the incarnation of that sinister god? Why are you making such a shocked face? What’s so shocking about that?”

“I… I…”

“What exactly did that god-like bastard promise you? Wealth or honor from the human world wouldn’t mean anything to you… The only thing that matters would be immortality, right? But looking at you, it seems like you’ve already transcended your lifespan, and now that life seems to be running out. Could it be that you were promised a way to reach the Seat?”

The Golden Heaven Lord’s face twisted in a grimace.

That damn ghost!

“Idiot, why not just worship me as a god instead?”

“What’s that?”

Jo Hwi let out a laugh.

“I can feel it.”

Jo Hwi turned his gaze back to the distant clock tower in the void.

“Among the countless disasters like the Great Thunder of the Law, only this ‘Void’s main realm’ holds the ultimate answer.”

“What are you talking about?”

“If the Great Thunder is the true formation, then this is the only life gate.”

Jo Hwi laughed as though he was about to leave.

“Hahaha! Can’t you see that the path to the Seat is right in front of you?”

His finger pointed to the massive stone tablet at the very bottom of the clock tower.

“Don’t you see the names written there?”

The stone tablet, which Jo Hwi pointed to, was covered with the names of countless beings who had achieved the Seat.

But the Golden Heaven Lord couldn’t read the words once again.

Although he could sense their meaning in his mind, the strange names were not readable in human language.

When he had first experienced the Void’s main realm, those names had not been visible, but now that he was here with the Golden Heaven Lord, he could clearly see them.

The names engraved on the stone tablet were countless, and yet each of them carried an overwhelming sense of divine power.

“Still can’t feel anything?” Jo Hwi asked again.

“…No.”

At the Golden Heaven Lord’s response, Jo Hwi finally began to think seriously.

No matter the reason, now that the Golden Heaven Lord had arrived in this Void’s main realm with him, it meant that the same cosmic laws applied to him as well.

But why, then, was the stone tablet, which was visible to him, completely hidden from the Golden Heaven Lord? Did the laws of the universe really have such whims?

“No, it doesn’t make sense, does it? You entered this place with me, meaning you should be subject to the same cause and effect laws. So why is that tower secret to you alone? Can the cosmic laws really be that capricious?”

“It seems to be an issue of choice.”

“Choice?”

The Golden Heaven Lord’s expression appeared calm at first glance, but there was clearly a trace of fear crossing his face.

“As you claim, if this place is the only life gate of the Great Thunder of the Law, the final threshold to ascend to the Seat, then it means that only you have been chosen by this gate. This would explain everything happening right now.”

“Hmm…”

Even as he spoke, his gaze seemed to darken, filled with an inexplicable emptiness.

“It means you are either already on the Seat, or you are a being who only has one final step left before reaching it.”

“I’m already on the Seat?”

If he weren’t on the Seat, how could everything happening right now be explained?

Someone who had honed his existence for over a thousand years, treating him like a mere child, was none other than So Geomshin.

“Damn it!”

Meanwhile, Jo Hwi immediately spat out a curse.

As the elders of the spirit world had told him, once he reached the Seat, facing the divine gods would be much easier, so why did the idea of being called the Seat make him feel so disgusted?

Strangely, hearing the Golden Heaven Lord’s words filled him with a sense of shame and humiliation, almost as if all the filth inside him was about to come out in a wave of nausea.

The one thing he was certain of was that this overwhelming feeling of disgust was proof that he was *not* on the Seat.

Jo Hwi shook his head firmly.

“Cut the crap. No, I’m not going to be on the Seat.”

“…Not going to be?”

The expression on the Golden Heaven Lord’s face shifted to one of utter disbelief.

Even the great Emperor Shi Huang, who conquered the Central Plains and had control over the life and death of all the people, had spent his entire life searching for a single sprig of the immortal herb.

The transcendence that allowed one to break free from the cycle of birth, death, illness, and aging, and to receive eternal immortality through the cosmic laws—that was the *Seat*!

The Golden Heaven Lord felt a kind of awe for Jo Hwi, who dared to call such a transcendent state “nothing.”

If this Void’s main realm was indeed the only life gate to reach the Seat, an unimaginable being would surely be watching over it.

“Aren’t you scared?”

“What should I be afraid of?”

With an extremely tense face, the Golden Heaven Lord slowly turned his gaze, scanning his surroundings.

“By your own words, if this is the final threshold to reach the Seat, then there must be someone overseeing it. You don’t care about the gaze of such a transcendent being?”

Jo Hwi responded bluntly, “What does it matter?”

“Ah, no, do you really not understand the meaning of denying the Seat at such a trial? Do you truly…?”

The Golden Heaven Lord trailed off, then suddenly wore a defeated expression.

Thinking it through, Jo Hwi was clearly someone who had no intention of reaching the Seat.

He wasn’t someone who would fear not reaching it in the first place.

The Golden Heaven Lord’s dejected gaze shifted back to the vast universe.

Countless shining stars, burning like flames.

The transcendence of those stars was considered a realm of supreme existence, often referred to as a *constellation*.

This was the name of a goal he had spent his entire life pursuing and a dream he could never let go of.

The only path to reach such a Seat was right before him, yet he felt completely helpless and miserable, unable to do anything.

If the Seat could only be attained through the choice of a great being, then…

Honestly, he wished he had never known about this Void’s main realm, the final threshold to the Seat.

After a long life, over a thousand years of hardships, to have all that denied in an instant felt unbearable.

More than anything, watching Jo Hwi, who seemed to regard the path to the Seat as nothing more than an insignificant stone beneath his feet, filled him with an indescribable sense of misery.

“Hey? What’s with that face? You suddenly look like your mental state just broke down.”

“Shut up…”

At this moment, the Golden Heaven Lord, confronted with the reality of the path to the Seat, felt like he would rather just die right here and now.

No matter how divine the so-called “Divine Lord” Dalma was, he could not foresee or control the immeasurable disasters of the Great Thunder of the Law.

The promise that Dalma would guide him to the Seat had been a deception.

“Yeah, yeah. That’s life. We deceive each other, take revenge, and get deceived again. So tell me, why did you spread the Dalma Sutra?”

The Golden Heaven Lord, who had been silent for a moment, finally let out a bitter laugh, as he thought, *What’s the point of all this?*

After all, in the next two thousand eight hundred years, he would likely be tortured to death, so he couldn’t even promise to keep any secrets for such a long time.

However, when it came to answering Jo Hwi, he realized he knew very little.

“I can only guess it has something to do with the descent of that being, but I don’t know the details.”

“The descent?”

As the worst possible answer slipped from the Golden Heaven Lord’s mouth, Jo Hwi’s face stiffened even more.

“So it wasn’t just a martial arts manual?”

“You’ve misunderstood. The *Dalma Jin-gyeong* is not a book containing knowledge like martial arts or philosophy.”

What was he talking about now?

But it’s a *gyeong* (scripture), right?

Usually, a *gyeong*, which contains noble words, refers to scriptures that compile knowledge on philosophy, principles, secret techniques, and theories, doesn’t it?

“Wait, did you learn the *Dalma Jin-gyeong*?”

“He never allowed me to read the *Jin-gyeong*.”

“What?”

So you’re telling me he made the scripture public to the world even though he never showed it to his disciples?

“Seeing it for yourself would be faster.”

With that, the Golden Heaven Lord rummaged through his robe and pulled out something strange, holding it out to Jo Hwi.

“Wh-what is this?”

Since coming to the martial world, Jo Hwi had never been more shocked than at this moment.

With a bewildered expression, Jo Hwi took the object the Golden Heaven Lord offered.

“This is a semiconductor chip, right?”

“You use strange terms. I don’t know what you’re calling it, but that is the *Dalma Jin-gyeong*.”

“Ah, what the hell are you saying?”

No matter how much he looked at it, it was a semiconductor chip, which was far too familiar to someone from the modern world.

However, the electrodes attached to the bottom were not the typical design he knew.

The underside of the semiconductor chip was densely covered with microscopic spikes, too small to even see with the naked eye.

But this kind of connecting semiconductor chip didn’t exist in the modern world he came from.

“Wait a minute…?”

Is this really a scripture?

A scripture is a tool for conveying knowledge.

There’s no way knowledge would be transmitted with such an advanced semiconductor chip in a world without any IT infrastructure like the Central Plains.

The only possibility would be something like Neuralink.

Neuralink is a cutting-edge technology that connects devices directly to the vast network of neural synapses in the human brain to exchange massive amounts of information.

But such incredible technology wasn’t even implemented in the modern world where Jo Hwi came from.

It was still the early days of wearable tech, but Neuralink, a concept far beyond that, was beyond anything he could imagine!

This was truly an advanced technology that he, as a modern human, couldn’t even begin to fathom, which was why he was so stunned.

To confirm his suspicions, Jo Hwi asked the Golden Heaven Lord again.

“This… is it supposed to be attached somewhere on the head?”

The Golden Heaven Lord looked as shocked as Jo Hwi.

“How do you know…?”

“Whoa, what?”

Once he was certain in his mind, Jo Hwi couldn’t help but become even more curious about who this Dalma person was.

This was outrageous!

To think that Dalma was planning to distribute such advanced future technology, like Neuralink, to the entire martial world!

He had only implemented trivial things like soda, hamburgers, bicycles, suspension systems, delivery, and apartments back in his time, yet this was a bold endeavor beyond comparison.

Was he someone who could freely move across time and space, jumping to the future?

“How many of these did you distribute in the Martial Alliance?”

“The number doesn’t matter.”

“What?”

“I gave them a *Buddhist scriptures* (法寶), the law treasure, which can produce the *Dalma Jin-gyeong*.”

“What? What did you say?”

Once again, Jo Hwi was utterly stunned.

The *Buddhist scriptures* (law treasure) was something that couldn’t be explained with the knowledge of the Central Plains. It was definitely a type of 3D printer for advanced technology, or perhaps a kind of nanomachine capable of splitting like cells.

“Wow…”

For the first time, Jo Hwi felt a deep respect for Dalma.

Even aside from the ability to move freely across time and space, just the meticulousness of this plan was impressive enough to earn his admiration.

As Jo Hwi was marveling at this, he suddenly brought the semiconductor chip closer to his head.

“So, can I try putting it on? Where do I attach it?”

In that moment, the Golden Heaven Lord’s face turned pale with intense fear.

“Then die if you wish!”

“Die?”

Jo Hwi tilted his head in confusion.

“If it were possible, I would have tried the *Jin-gyeong* countless times by now!”

“Wait, you never even tried it?”

What was going on here?

Why would he need permission to attach a Neuralink semiconductor to his head?

“Are you calling my six disciples fools? The attempt to unlock the *Dalma Jin-gyeong* was something Tongcheon was obsessed with. But none of his test subjects survived.”

“So, what happens if I attach it to my head?”

The Golden Heaven Lord shouted firmly.

“Death!”

At those words, Jo Hwi’s expression became utterly dumbfounded.

*Soul loss* meant losing one’s soul.

Since it was a semiconductor or something of the sort, there was no way it could make his soul disappear. So it must mean he would become an idiot.

“What do you mean, Dalma’s will has to allow it?”

“No one knows that!”

Jo Hwi was nearly driven mad by the curiosity.

“What is this nonsense?”

“Where should I attach it?”

The crazy little swordsman was once again trying to place the *Dalma Jin-gyeong* on his head, despite hearing the immense warning.

“Anyone who tried became a *lost soul* without exception! Do you think I’m lying?”

“Shut up and just tell me where to place it.”

“On your… forehead.”

Without hesitation, Jo Hwi pressed the semiconductor chip to his forehead.

For a moment, there was a sticky sensation, and then the chip attached to his forehead, almost like skin.

He could clearly feel the countless fine needles digging into his head.

At that moment—

*Whaaaaaa—*

Something… a different kind of vision opened up.

Slowly, a transparent, colorless screen began to appear in front of Jo Hwi’s vision.

Jo Hwi froze in panic.

As the transparent screen appeared in his sight, a message suddenly popped up asking him to input a password, causing Jo Hwi’s mind to break down.

“Wait, what…?”

So the *Dalma’s will* was just a password lock?

And to make matters worse, the last message appeared.

What? It said it would close the user’s consciousness?

The kind words were just a façade; in reality, it seemed like the intention was to turn him into an idiot and kill him.

He could feel Dalma’s true nature through this!

*Crunch!*

Jo Hwi clenched his teeth, grinding them in frustration.

“What kind of *Dalma Jin-gyeong* is this?”

Just then, the transparent screen in his vision turned red and started emitting a strange warning sound.

*Spiritual Power?*
*Rebuild Program?*

Finally, Jo Hwi understood what the program in the Neuralink chip was doing.

Soul modification, or reconstruction!

It was a simple phrase, but the eerie nature of it made Jo Hwi shudder all over.

Seeing Jo Hwi react strangely, the Golden Heaven Lord became curious.

“What’s going on?”

Jo Hwi was covered in cold sweat, struggling to speak.

“This isn’t some *Dalma Jin-gyeong*!”

“What do you mean?”

The other party’s intentions were so obvious and direct that there was no need to think too deeply.

Soul or spiritual power reconstruction?

It sounded impressive, but it was essentially about transforming the soul into the most desirable form for consumption!

The goal was either to remove all impurities and base human emotions from a person’s soul and absorb only pure spiritual energy, or to enhance the soul by intensifying human emotions like joy, anger, and sadness.

Either way, the intention was to convert the souls of countless humans into a form that would benefit Dalma!

Upon hearing Jo Hwi’s explanation, even the Golden Heaven Lord was taken aback.

“No, that can’t be true! The great one is trying to descend and save the fallen world…”

“Don’t attach any kind of noble ideals or beliefs to this. I’ll wipe you out if you keep talking like that.”

The Golden Heaven Lord was still human.

Even though his humanity had faded, the idea of someone intending to consume the souls of countless lives was a shock that was hard for him to accept, despite having served such a being for over a thousand years.

Dalma had undoubtedly spun some grand tale about saving the fallen world with lofty ideals.

The Golden Heaven Lord’s teeth ground in frustration.

The promise that Dalma would open the path to the divine for him, his belief that they needed to awaken the common people from their confusion and despair to challenge the other Lords—was all a lie!

To think he had been deceived for over a thousand years by such false beliefs!

*Crunch!*

As the Golden Heaven Lord seethed in anger, Jo Hwi, observing him, taunted him further.

“After all that effort, you’re no longer useful to him, are you? Didn’t you hand over the *Buddhist scriptures* (law treasure) that produces these *Dalma Jin-gyeong* chips to the Martial Alliance?”

“…”

“I’d say the appearance of that *Buddhist scriptures* is like a fireworks display marking the end of his long-term plan. And the role you played in lighting that fuse is already done. Now, the fire has begun to blaze, and in his mind, you no longer exist.”

“Shut up!”

“Want to make a bet?”

Jo Hwi’s taunts finally broke the Golden Heaven Lord’s resolve, and he lowered his head in defeat.

Looking at him with a derisive expression, Jo Hwi suddenly shouted toward the transparent screen in his vision.

“Hey, according to you, if I don’t want to continue, shouldn’t you get rid of this weird password screen first?”

At once, the transparent screen in Jo Hwi’s vision blacked out.

The Neuralink chip, which had been connected to his brain’s nearly infinite neural synapses, was deactivated all at once, leaving only a sticky feeling as the chip fell to the ground.

“Ugh, this feels like crap.”

*Crunch—*

Stepping on and crushing the Neuralink chip, Jo Hwi started mocking the Golden Heaven Lord even more, who was now sulking in defeat.

“Why make everything so mysterious when you were just going to fall apart so quickly? If you had just cooperated, you’d never have had to come back to this dreadful place!”

“Enough…!”

The desire to rip Jo Hwi apart for constantly provoking him surged from deep within, but what could he do? It was beyond his power.

As his anger flared, at the same time, a craving to lean on the little swordsman, who might have already ascended to the throne, and seek the eternal, unbreakable secret, rose terrifyingly high.

Once these thoughts reached him, the Golden Heaven Lord was overcome with an even deeper feeling of despair.

This subjugation, even to an enemy!

Could it be that this feeling of subjugation, which shows no shame in weakness, was a brand, a mark that had been burned into the depths of his soul?

In the end, this shame helped him recover the self-esteem of the Golden Heaven Lord that he had long forgotten.

Thus, despite having torn apart the heart of one man in a thousand pieces, Jo Hwi was already lost in worries about the outside world.

“So it was the Martial Alliance.”

Of course, the cult of the Supreme One, believing in the absolute deity, would have been a good choice.

With a single command from the leader, inserting chips into the foreheads of all the followers would be simple.

But if the roles were reversed, he would have chosen the Martial Alliance as well.

No matter how thoroughly the cult believed in the Supreme One, their power was nothing compared to the orthodox sects of the Central Plains, who controlled the northern regions of the continent.

True, they had an enormous following of one hundred thousand disciples, but on the other hand, that number also meant they were confined within that framework.

The limitations of their position, entrenched in the barren lands of Xinjiang.

Meanwhile, the Martial Alliance boasted an astounding number of eighty thousand members.

And if you included the various factions under the Nine Great Families, the countless martial officers, the ever-increasing number of guest disciples, and the numerous businesses entangled with their interests—like the *Pyo-guk* (secret organizations)—the influence of the Martial Alliance would extend into the millions, even tens of millions.

With such enormous power and influence, if they promised their members access to the most precious treasure in the Martial World, the *Dalma Jin-gyeong*, what would happen?

There was no need to think far ahead—within a year, the number of disciples would multiply by tens.

And what if the *spiritual power* system in the Neuralink chips awakened some extraordinary abilities in the disciples when fully activated?

The more the disciples revealed such powers, the more the people north of the Yangtze River would rise up in excitement, and the number of people flocking to the Martial Alliance would skyrocket uncontrollably.

Once Jo Hwi’s thoughts reached that point, a profound sense of unease shook him.

It was only a matter of time before the collective movements from the northern Central Plains would head south of the Yangtze River.

That immense ripple would even affect the reputation of his *Jo Ga Dae Sang Hoe* (rival martial arts organization).

The orthodox sect’s power, now just starting to rise, would overwhelm the reputation that had just begun to gain strength in his group!

The *Dalma Jin-gyeong* was truly revealing itself as a game-changer, capable of overturning all the flows and balances of the Martial World in an instant.

“Wow… this is really hopeless.”

The thought that in just a few months, the tens of millions of people with vastly amplified spiritual power from the Neuralink chips would become prey to the Divine Lord made Jo Hwi feel like everything was closing in, and he was losing his mind.

He had no idea how to deal with it.

*Sigh…* “Isn’t there any weakness in the Divine Lord?”

The Golden Heaven Lord lowered his head with an even darker expression.

“There can’t be anything like that with a god…”

In his frustration, he tried to consult the venerable elders of the spiritual realm, but strangely, every time he tried to contact them through the Void’s main channel, he was cut off completely.

“…What if you compare me to the Divine Lord? You should know, right?”

Given that Dalma’s full power would be most familiar to his disciple, Jo Hwi.

Without a second thought, the Golden Heaven Lord answered decisively.

“A comparison is meaningless.”

“Is it that much?”

“If he simply raises his will, you’ll be obliterated. The phrase ‘one strike enemy’ becomes meaningless in his presence.”

“Ha…”

Even his disciples, like the Six Lords, could easily be taken out, but still, they wouldn’t even come close to being his one-strike enemies?

“I can’t understand.”

“What do you mean?”

The Golden Heaven Lord looked at Jo Hwi with a bewildered expression.

“If this is the final trial for the position, wouldn’t passing the trial of that tower and reaching the same level as him solve everything?”

“Damn it, I’d rather die than do that!”

The Golden Heaven Lord complained with even more frustration.

“Why? It is the most perfect transcendence attainable by a human. It’s the completion of the mortal path, where one becomes an eternal and immortal being. Don’t you understand the immense power contained in that simple word ‘immortality’?”

“…”

“It means that no transcendent power can touch you.”

“You’re gravely mistaken.”

Suddenly, Jo Hwi’s face twisted into something as terrifying as a demon from hell.

“We are all immortals to begin with! The so-called ‘mortal beings’ are just a constraint imposed by those damned laws!”

“W-what do you mean by that?”

“You fool! The human soul never truly disappears! It only goes through the cycle of reincarnation! The so-called ‘law of forgetting’ and the disruption of memory were merely a game played by them!”

“What—what did you say!”

It was an entirely new and unexpected idea.

He had never once doubted that the great beings called humans “mortals,” simply because they were told so.

But now that he thought about it, it actually made sense.

Just because the body’s lifespan expires, can it really be called “death”?

The cycle of reincarnation that humans go through endlessly could, in a sense, be considered immortality.

“The destruction of the body is actually a blessing that they will never possess! Humans are capable of training their souls over countless lives! We hold far stronger weapons than those foolish beings!”

“Ah!”

“If we humans have one great wish, it’s to kill the one who cursed us with the ‘law of forgetting’ and to reclaim our true essence!”

In that moment…

Fwwwwwwoooosh!

A tremendous radiance, like the sun itself, enveloped Jo Hwi’s entire body.

Jo Hwi, with the blazing light radiating from him, tilted his head nonchalantly.

Wait…?

How do I know about this cosmic countermeasure?

The Golden Heaven Lord stared at Jo Hwi in a daze and then collapsed to the ground.

“A… Ah…!”

A presence so familiar to him emanated from Jo Hwi.

It was the ideal, the dream, and the sorrowful wish that he had never been able to reach in his entire life.

Then, a moaning sound escaped from his teeth.

“Throne…”

The indescribable, radiant light that enveloped Jo Hwi’s entire body surged outward and headed toward the distant tower.

As the light seeped into the stone slab at the base of the tower…

A noble name was revealed.

It was a name that could not be read with the human phonetic system, only interpreted through Jo Hwi’s consciousness.

* * *

“Hmmm…”

Hong Ye, the Red Moon, was staring silently at the red bead of fruit that the little swordsman had given him.

In the current martial world, it was no longer possible to survive by normal means before the great catastrophe struck.

He had witnessed unimaginable martial experts in action and had even been used by their power on several occasions.

Jo Hwi’s unimaginable god-like presence, which he had seen in the Black King’s mansion, was truly shocking, but at the same time, it offered a new hope for Hong Ye.

Rather than simply being protected by the little swordsman in times of crisis, he believed that it would be much wiser to become part of the lower organization of the Jo Ga Dae Sang Hoe to ensure survival.

Of course, no one could predict whether this decision would lead him into the jaws of hell or serve as the lifeline that would save him during the impending disaster.

“Well… I guess I don’t need to fix the roof anymore.”

Realizing the absurdity of the situation, Hong Ye couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.

Even while feeling a petty satisfaction that I won’t have to pay for the roof repairs, I can’t help but wonder if I’m really just a businessman at heart.

“Hey, what’s up with you?”

“Oh, you’re here.”

Baek Hwa Rin and Jin Ga Hee approached casually.

Hong Ye, who had brought all the intelligence assets of the Yajeop to the Jo Ga Dae Sang Hoe, was warmly welcomed by Vice President Jeo Gal Un, but unfortunately, the women of the Jo Ga Dae Sang Hoe were not as welcoming.

Jin Ga Hee, with a pale face, pointed to the red bead of fruit that Hong Ye was holding tightly.

“No matter how I look at it, that looks like the fruit that was hanging from Jo Hwi’s sleeve. What’s going on?”

Hong Ye, with a warm smile, greeted Jin Ga Hee politely while looking suspiciously at her as she drew closer.

“I’ve heard that there’s a great female martial artist in the Black Heaven League. You must be her. Honestly, the nickname ‘Poisonous Plum’ always struck me as odd. I would have thought ‘Magnolia’ suits you better.”

“What… what are you saying?”

She had insulted her first, but now, she was smiling warmly and addressing her as if she were complimenting her pale face by calling her ‘Magnolia’?

“Can I call you ‘sister’?”

This is how women’s hierarchies are established so decisively.

Only then did Jin Ga Hee smile contentedly, her face lighting up.

“Hehe, fine. You can.”

“Your sister!”

Watching the exchange, Baek Hwa Rin clicked her tongue in exasperation as she stared at Jin Ga Hee.

“Tsk tsk, such an innocent girl. How could you be smiling so foolishly like that after seeing his token right in front of you?”

“‘Sister’?”

“Ugh, how frustrating. Can’t you see? The great So Geom Shin wouldn’t just give a token to any random girl. What do you think it means when a man gives a woman a token?”

“Ahh! Damn it!”

Jin Ga Hee’s mind filled with an image she didn’t want to see.

Between the woman’s pale thighs, a bright red line of blood stained the bed.

A man, smiling softly, embraces the woman’s head and promises a future together.

Her face flushed as she accepted the man’s token. She’d kill her—she’d tear her apart!

“This damn b*tch! Did you sleep with my brother?”

“O-Oh, that’s a misunderstanding!”

Baek Hwa Rin scoffed and chuckled.

“A misunderstanding? What misunderstanding? You must have at least been promised as his second wife. Otherwise, why would you give up everything for the great Yajeop?”

“No, that’s not it!”

“Shut up, you b*tch. How dare you speak like that? Haven’t even eaten yet, but you’re already talking trash in the middle? You really are a sly fox.”

“What? Eat? I didn’t…”

“This isn’t going to work. Let’s start with a beating. Hey, grab her.”

“Your sister!”

As Jin Ga Hee approached to tie Hong Ye’s limbs with a whip, her bodyguard, Yeowolhon, hidden in the shadows beneath the eaves, quietly revealed her figure.

“No more disrespect will be tolerated.”

“Ah, damn! You startled me!”

A grim figure wielding a crescent-shaped weapon appeared suddenly, causing Baek Hwa Rin to freeze in tension.

“I felt something strange at the back of my head, and it was you.”

The fact that someone could hide their presence even within her sensory field meant their level of cultivation surpassed hers.

Moreover, the sheer intensity of the killing intent she was feeling was unlike anything she’d ever experienced since leaving the sect.

“Remove your hands from the body of the Sovereign.”

Jin Ga Hee also seemed to sense the unusual nature of her opponent and slowly backed off, loosening her whip.

“You really found yourself a hell of a bodyguard, huh? Honestly, women like you, filled with all that seduction, always have to travel with a man. Even though I’m a woman, I can’t trust other women for this reason.”

“What… what kind of logic is that?”

Why would having a bodyguard be considered an act of seduction? And why would it break trust between women? Hong Ye had no idea, but there was no reasoning with this person’s illogical thinking.

“Ha? Look at that. Do you think I’m pretty?”

The dangerous villainess on the page glared at them with burning eyes, giving a threatening look.

Who could say she was ugly in front of her?

In fact, she was quite a beautiful woman.

“…You are beautiful.”

“See? I’ve gone my whole life without a bodyguard. But what about you? Why is it that you’re getting protection from such a handsome man? Is it because you smell like a fox?”

“I… I don’t smell like a fox…”

Suddenly, a sound of someone clicking their tongue came from above.

“Tsk tsk, how can you speak such nonsense with such a bold face?”

Jin Ga Hee’s face flushed with excitement.

She spotted Jo Hwi, standing with his arms crossed on top of a sword.

“Jo Hwi oppa!”

But that joy was short-lived as her expression turned grim.

She then pointed at Hong Ye and shouted.

“Oppa! Did you sleep with this woman? Yes or no?”

“Why do you always jump to that conclusion?” Jo Hwi replied, his face showing no reaction.

Baek Hwa Rin nodded knowingly.

“He slept with her. Definitely.”

Jo Hwi, seemingly uninterested in engaging, averted his gaze from Baek Hwa Rin and instead alternated his attention between Hong Ye and Yeowolhon.

“What does this mean?”

Yeowolhon, who was guarding Il Yamanyarakhwa, would never reveal herself for trivial matters.

In most organizations, the martial arts prowess of the bodyguards assigned to protect the sovereign were kept secret and managed with the utmost care.

The bodyguard of the sovereign was the final trump card, meant for dire situations.

For such a final weapon to reveal itself in the midst of a trivial squabble between women meant that the Jo Ga Dae Sang Hoe no longer regarded this situation as ordinary.

Jo Hwi’s curiosity stemmed from Yeowolhon’s actions.

“I’ve entrusted all the intelligence assets of the Yajeop to Vice President Jeo Gal Un.”

“To Un?”

“Yes.”

Jo Hwi, who had been deep in thought, now wore an even more complex expression.

“I can understand why you made that decision. Serving under one faction certainly brings benefits, but you must also be aware of what you could lose. You’ve thought this through, haven’t you?”

“Is there any greater gain than survival?”

Jo Hwi let out a soft laugh.

“Well, with that kind of determination, I guess so.”

He then spread his arms wide and smiled broadly.

“Welcome.”

At Jo Hwi’s warm response, Baek Hwa Rin whispered into Jin Ga Hee’s ear.

“Look, look. I told you they slept together.”

“Eh, sister!”

What are these ghosts all about?

Why aren’t they getting caught?