Truly, it was a beautiful melody.
But Geom Mugik knew. The sweeter this melody, the closer it drew to death. This was a sound drifting from hell.
When the short performance ended, a man walked out through the open door.
Tall and thin as a stick, his body was so emaciated one might say only skin and bone remained.
His cheekbones jutted sharply, his cheeks were deeply hollowed, and where his eyes should have been sat dead, white pupils. He was blind.
His gaunt frame looked ready to collapse at any moment, yet oddly, a strange cadence could be felt in his movements.
Was he listening to music only he could hear? His two legs stepping forward seemed to beat a steady drum, and the way he swung his long arms looked as though he were dancing to a rhythm. A blind man walked like this? It was a gait—no, a footwork—that made one think so instinctively.
Most eye-catching among all this was the pipa he carried.
The old, worn pipa was peculiar in that it had no strings.
Therefore, the beautiful melody from moments ago was naturally not played by him.
But Geom Mugik alone knew that this man had played it. Because he was someone Geom Mugik knew.
The Tenth King of the Twelve Kings, the Music King, Sinryu.
In the field of sound arts, he was known as a true genius, said to have no equal among martial artists throughout history.
That stringless pipa was his signature weapon, the Ghost Melody Stringless Pipa.
Yet among the Twelve Kings, he was not a particularly noticeable figure. No one knew whom he had killed or what deeds he had done.
Nevertheless, he held his position among the Twelve Kings until the end. With that frail body that seemed on the verge of collapse, with those eyes that could not see.
Before his death, he was said to have completed a terrifying sound art. Rumors circulated of a technique so powerful that no master could stand against it. But what kind of martial art it was never became known to the martial world.
The Music King, who had lived such a life, had revealed himself here today.
Geom Mugik could tell instinctively.
That the reason the Sword King had come here was to protect that Music King.
As if proving that guess correct, the Sword King was the first to move.
The Sword King, who seemed bound to no one, slowly stepped forward and stood beside the Music King.
The Blade King, whose fight had been interrupted, still wore an angry expression. He made no particular effort to hide his fury from the Music King.
Yet he could not insist on continuing the fight. Whether due to orders or to strength, there was an inexplicable tension radiating from the Music King at this moment.
The Blade King glanced coldly at the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, then strode over to stand beside the Music King.
It was the first time since Geom Mugik had begun fighting the forces behind them.
That three of the Twelve Kings had gathered in one place.
It meant that the forces behind them considered this matter extremely important.
Even standing between the Sword King and the Blade King, the Music King did not lose an ounce of presence. Had the Music King always been such a figure? Even Geom Mugik was inwardly surprised by the presence he displayed.
He was undoubtedly the protagonist of today's gathering.
For the Tenth King to take the lead when the First and Second Kings were present?
Geom Mugik's gaze turned toward the Sword King. Their eyes met in the air.
Just what are you plotting today? Why have you come here?
But the Sword King silently accepted Geom Mugik's gaze without sending even a single word via voice transmission. He acted as if he were not there.
Geom Mugik considered this a good sign instead. If the Sword King had started making excuses this way and that, it would truly be the worst situation.
In response, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the One Flower Sword Venerable flanked Geom Mugik in open challenge. Indeed, their very bearing declared, "Come then, let us have a three-on-three."
Especially the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the Blade King glared at each other as though ready to kill. The heat of their earlier battle had not yet cooled. Although the Blade King had been slashed in the waist, their fight had been evenly matched.
The Music King looked directly at where Geom Mugik stood, as though he could see. In his hollow eyes, no emotion could be read, giving him an air that was at once mysterious and chilling.
"You must be tired from the long journey, Young Cult Leader."
Contrary to his appearance, his voice was a pleasant, beautiful timbre.
Though he spoke softly like a whisper, his words flew clearly and embedded themselves in one's ears. From his voice alone, one could tell his internal energy was profoundly deep.
"It was a pleasant journey rather than a tiring one."
Geom Mugik continued, looking back at the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the One Flower Sword Venerable.
"Because it was a journey alongside those I deeply respect and cherish."
The Music King immediately greeted the Blood Heaven Blade Demon. He was exceedingly polite, just as he had been to Geom Mugik.
"I have long heard of the Blood Heaven Blade Demon's fame. It is an honor to meet you."
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon looked at his gray pupils and asked.
"Can those eyes see?"
"These eyes cannot see."
"Then how did you know I was here?"
"I noticed because the one with the fiercest aura in this place stands there."
The Music King's gaze turned toward the One Flower Sword Venerable.
"You possess an elegant and noble aura. I am pleased to make your acquaintance, One Flower Sword Venerable."
Despite the compliment, the One Flower Sword Venerable was not pleased at all. On the contrary, she reacted even more coldly than the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
"You are mistaken. I have nothing but thoughts of killing you; how could that be elegant or noble?"
The Music King was not offended by her blunt words in the slightest.
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon continued after her.
"Now, enough with the honeyed words. Tell us why you summoned us here."
The appearance of three such experts could only mean they had been waiting for them. One needed only look at the puppets that had earlier attacked Geom Mugik together. This place had clearly been prepared.
The Music King answered calmly.
"Of course, I too have a reason. Just as all of you do."
The Music King's dead pupils turned toward the One Flower Sword Venerable, posing a question.
"Why have you come here?"
It was a question that seemed to presume she had a reason for coming.
The Music King posed the same question to the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, to Dansojin, and to the martial artists of the Sado League.
No one answered, but looking at it, everyone here had a reason. Even Jihan, who had become a subordinate, had a reason for following them here, and Taesu likewise had his.
Finally, the Music King asked Geom Mugik the same thing.
"Why have you come here?"
Geom Mugik turned the reason back on the Music King.
"I was drawn here by a most beautiful melody. Even if I were to die, I could not turn away from such a beautiful piece."
"The Young Cult Leader is a lover of music."
"I am merely a man who knows how to kill people, so take this opportunity to teach me about music."
The Music King's gray pupils turned silently toward Geom Mugik, then he turned his body.
"Everyone, please step inside this room for a moment."
He walked back into the place he had come from.
The Sword King, the Blade King, the Dark Blood Heretic, and the Iron-Masked Man followed him inside.
Geom Mugik looked at the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the One Flower Sword Venerable. For now, the initiative lay with the other side; it was a situation in which they absolutely could not let their guard down.
The two demon venerables nodded. They knew what Geom Mugik's gaze meant. It meant to be careful, and then doubly careful.
Geom Mugik's group, Dansojin, and even the martial artists of the Sado League followed the Music King into the room.
In the massive space resembling a plaza, broken blades and weapons lay strewn about, and more than ten skeletons were scattered around.
Traces of a fierce battle.
Some skeletons had collapsed on the floor; others were tangled together, swords still embedded in each other's bodies; and one skeleton leaned alone against the wall.
In the center lay a coffin.
Passions flashed across Taesu's face.
'This is it!'
He now knew they had finally reached the Sword Tomb. To come here, he had risked his life diving into the scramble for the treasure map.
It was a place he had only been able to reach after meeting the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Cult and the demon venerables.
The others might not know, but he, a thief, had come to obtain the treasures here. He wanted to examine the swords those corpses held right this instant, and he wanted to run and open that coffin to see what was inside.
Of course, those people had probably already opened it. Even knowing it would likely be empty, he still wanted to open it.
The Music King spoke to Geom Mugik.
"This is the Sword Tomb written of on the treasure map."
"The atmosphere is different from what I expected. I had imagined a far more lavish and grandiose place."
"We have touched nothing in this room."
Whether that was a trustworthy statement remained to be seen.
"Aren't you curious what lies inside that coffin?"
"Even so, one cannot desecrate the dead."
The Music King answered as though he truly had not opened anything.
Just then, Geom Mugik saw the One Flower Sword Venerable staring intently at one of the skeletons. It was a skeleton kneeling with one hand propped on a sword, and the One Flower Sword Venerable's gaze upon it was unusual.
Geom Mugik went to her and asked.
"Do you know this person?"
The One Flower Sword Venerable slowly nodded.
"The sword in his hand is Silence. He was my maternal uncle. He used to visit and play with me when I was young. The last time I saw him before he disappeared, he spoke of the treasure map."
Now he understood. Why the One Flower Sword Venerable had wanted to come to the Sword Tomb. She had wondered if her uncle might have come here.
"I came half-hoping, and indeed, he was here."
Geom Mugik could see.
That the forces behind all this had used this Sword Tomb to draw him in.
If he had not left the cult with the One Flower Sword Venerable, they would have captured her when she came here alone and then contacted him. Either way, they had intended for him to end up in this place.
Then Dansojin sent a voice transmission to Geom Mugik.
—A venomous insect is hidden inside that corpse.
They had even arranged poison on a corpse that held special meaning for the One Flower Sword Venerable.
Having poisoned them with Purple Cloud True Qi Poison while they passed through the gate earlier, they had set a scheme to poison the One Flower Sword Venerable with this skeleton.
Perhaps the Blade King had intended to kill the Blood Heaven Blade Demon in their earlier fight. It had failed because they had not known the Blood Heaven Blade Demon was this strong.
Geom Mugik immediately sent a voice transmission to Jihan.
Jihan answered as instructed.
"Something smells from that corpse."
"What kind of smell?"
"It smells like bugs."
It was a way to use Jihan's sense of smell to reveal what Dansojin had discovered without exposing her.
Geom Mugik fumbled at his waist and produced a small container and chopsticks.
"May I be so bold as to inspect for a moment?"
Geom Mugik asked the One Flower Sword Venerable for permission. Sensing that something was afoot from the exchange and Geom Mugik's gaze upon her, she readily nodded.
Geom Mugik formally greeted the skeletonized corpse with courtesy.
"I am Geom Mugik, Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Cult. I hold the One Flower Sword Venerable, your blood kin, in higher esteem than anyone."
Geom Mugik bowed respectfully to the skeletonized corpse.
"For the Sword Venerable's safety, I wish to examine briefly."
Just as Geom Mugik was carefully examining the corpse.
Swish.
Something sprang toward Geom Mugik. It was so fast as to be invisible to the eye.
Snatch.
Of course, Geom Mugik, who had prepared in advance, snatched it in one swift motion.
What writhed between the chopsticks was a venomous insect with many legs like a centipede. Geom Mugik recognized it as a creature close to a spirit beast.
"It's a Corpse Blood Poison Centipede. Wherever did you catch such a precious venomous insect?"
The Corpse Blood Poison Centipede was a venomous insect that mainly parasitized corpses, possessing a lethal venom that could instantly kill even a considerable master.
A master like the One Flower Sword Venerable would avoid instant death. Instead, she would have to fight while forcing the poison into one part of her body, unable to exert her full strength.
If one were not invulnerable to all poisons, the Purple Cloud True Qi Poison would have taken effect unnoticed, and this Corpse Blood Poison Centipede would have looked like an accident; they would have seized control of the situation without drawing attention.
Geom Mugik placed the Corpse Blood Poison Centipede into the container he had taken from his waist and sealed the lid tightly.
"Our Poison King would be delighted if I brought this to him."
Geom Mugik had indeed prepared the chopsticks and container specifically to give the Poison King. If it was a venomous insect meant for the One Flower Sword Venerable, it would surely be a precious specimen. He had obtained an insect even more valuable than he had expected.
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon sneered at the Music King.
"You said you didn't touch anything in this room?"
The Ilhwa Sword Venerable stared at the Sound King with cold eyes. Her anger was only natural. He had targeted her, and he had desecrated her maternal uncle’s corpse.
The Sound King’s expression stiffened slightly, and his gaze turned toward the iron-masked man.
The iron-masked man answered calmly.
“I merely did the work entrusted to me.”
At the very least, it was clear the Sound King had not ordered him to do it.
Geom Mugeuk’s expression hardened slightly.
This was even worse. In other words, it meant that the Sound King was confident he could win even without using poison.
The Ilhwa Sword Venerable walked over slowly, bowed, and then stared at the white bones for a moment. When she had left the cult, she had not thought much of it, but now that she had actually found the remains of her uncle from long ago, her heart ached faintly.
“Uncle, I will take you back with me now.”
Geom Mugeuk took a leather pouch for the remains out of his leather satchel and brought it over. It truly was a satchel that seemed to contain every odd thing imaginable.
“I will help.”
Geom Mugeuk began gathering the bones with her.
At the sight, the Blade King was about to step forward, as if to ask what they thought they were doing at such an important moment.
Just then, the Blade King felt someone’s gaze. The one looking at him was the Bloodsky Blade Demon.
The Bloodsky Blade Demon shook his head with an expression telling him not to interfere in this matter. His eyes held no emotion whatsoever, yet the Blade King felt as if his heart had frozen over. It was colder than any gaze he had received during their earlier battle.
The Sound King had found him because he possessed the hottest aura? He had misread the man terribly.
In that instant, the Blade King felt it.
‘This man’s darkness is even deeper than mine.’
The Sound King silently watched the two of them gather the corpse. Beside him, the Sword King silently looked at Geom Mugeuk.
Meanwhile, Geom Mugeuk finished collecting the remains and hung the leather pouch beside his satchel.
“Please bear with the discomfort for a little while.”
He had gathered the bones in advance because there was no knowing what might happen later. If a great battle broke out, the cave might collapse.
The Bloodsky Blade Demon, who had been watching, suddenly spoke.
“You did well to bring that leather satchel.”
Geom Mugeuk said with a smile,
“You finally acknowledge it!”
The Sound King, who had waited until the two of them finished gathering the corpse, asked Geom Mugeuk,
“Do you know where this place is?”
Geom Mugeuk had heard from Taesu a fact almost unknown to the world.
“Isn’t it the tomb of Ju Gasin, the greatest master of the Evil Faction three hundred years ago and the leader of the Sado Alliance?”
At that, the Sound King shook his head. A truly astonishing fact flowed from him.
“All the Sado Alliance leaders of past generations are buried in one place.”
Everyone listening was startled. Not only Geom Mugeuk, but even the Demon Venerables had never heard this before.
“No one in the martial world knows its location. Even the Sado Alliance Leader himself does not know where he will be buried. Only the family called the Baekchong Family, which has guarded and managed the tombs for generations, knows the precise location.”
The Sound King’s dead eyes turned toward Dan Sojin.
“Is that not so? Head of the Baekchong Family, Dan Sojin.”