Chapter 90

Chapter 90
Baek So-cheon walked away from the combat grounds.

He had just delivered the three hundred thousand nyang acquired from Myeol Ji-ryun. Combined with his remaining hundred thousand, his funds had climbed right back to four hundred thousand nyang.

He had poured nearly every coin amassed over his lifetime—sparing a mere ten thousand—into rare elixirs, only to see a fortune capable of supporting a carefree existence gather once again.

Such an immense treasury had materialized, vanished, and then returned, leaving him feeling somewhat detached from the reality of it all. Still, possessing excessive wealth was infinitely preferable to lacking it, particularly if he intended to wander unburdened in the future.

Entering the grounds of the Murim Alliance, Baek So-cheon paused in his stride. Energetic labor buzzed across the grand training field, where artisans and workers were erecting a sparring arena.

The platform was colossal, occupying nearly the entirety of the vast grounds. The builders openly remarked that it was the grandest structure of its kind they had ever laid their hands on.

Because volatile sword qi and destructive sword gangs could easily erupt during the match, the perimeter was widened drastically, keeping the seating areas at a considerable distance.

In roughly a dozen days, the clash would take place on that very stage.

Yeom Sa-won, incited to the brink by Yeom Hwa-sin, was capable of executing any desperate trick, and there was no telling what other chaos might unfold.

Baek So-cheon directed his steps toward the Cheon-ryong Mil-ji. Accumulating riches was all well and good, but refining his martial strength was far more pressing.

Crossing into the Cheon-ryong Mil-ji after such an absence felt remarkably pleasant.

The greatest pleasure of all, naturally, was the Yong-cheon spring.

Stripping away his garments, Baek So-cheon eased himself into the waters of the Yong-cheon.

“Ah, this is wonderful.”

Submerging into a steaming bath during the bitter chill of winter offered an elemental delight, causing him to ponder what else a person could possibly crave.

Moreover, this was no common pool; it was a mystical spring that accelerated internal power cultivation.

Cheon-geuk held a cherished place in his heart, the alliance leader commanded great respect, and safeguarding harmony was a grand endeavor—yet every man occasionally required his own tranquil sanctuary.

Following a single rotation of his inner breath, the lingering exhaustion weighing on his frame vanished into thin air.

He had deliberately chosen this haven instead of the hidden sparring chamber because his current objective was to condition himself without leaning on internal energy. Besides, the Cheon-ryong Mil-ji already placed restrictions on the careless release of power.

Drifting in the warmth of the Yong-cheon, Baek So-cheon turned his thoughts toward Myeol Ji-ryun.

Applying pressure to her had produced tangible results. He had verified her identity as Myeol Saeng’s flesh and blood while detecting that hidden schemes lurked within her mind. To top it off, he had claimed a staggering three hundred thousand nyang.

Yeom Hwa-sin and Myeol Saeng.

Yeom Sa-won and Myeol Ji-ryun.

Four figures divided into two duos, yet those two duos functioned as a single, coordinated hammer.

They were doing everything within their power to crush the Murim Alliance and shatter the resolve of the righteous sects.

A particular realization had struck Baek So-cheon throughout the recent conflicts:

Righteousness continually finds itself at a disadvantage when confronting malevolence.

Followers of the righteous path were constrained by oaths of honor and duty, occasionally crippled by their own creeds. Actions praised as cunning ploys among the unorthodox were condemned as deceitful hypocrisy whenever the righteous dared to use them.

Baek So-cheon recognized that the righteous path demanded evolution, yet holding fast to their underlying morality remained essential. Step across that boundary, and the distinction between them and their wicked foes would dissolve.

Because of this, the righteous progressed at a crawling, agonizing rate.

Even so, Baek So-cheon had never lamented dedicating himself to the righteous path.

Yeom Hwa-sin had once claimed to him:

“You misaligned your very first button.”

Perhaps that was accurate. Even so, it did not awaken any longing to dress himself in unorthodox garb. His sorrow stemmed from a lifetime swept along by turbulent currents, not from any craving to adopt their wicked practices.

In truth, he despised them. He loathed those who ridiculed righteous virtue while masquerading their own atrocities under the banner of personal freedom.

Splash.

Baek So-cheon submerged his head deep beneath the water before breaking the surface again.

If he could only unlock the strength to surpass Yeom Hwa-sin, shatter his Geumgang Bul-goe Ji-che, and wipe away the threat, every lingering anxiety would cease to exist.

Stepping out from the waters of the Yong-cheon, Baek So-cheon commenced his physical drills completely devoid of internal power.

Shifting entirely away from the habit of channeling inner energy yielded an astonishingly foreign sensation.

It bore no resemblance to the distant days when he had trained before ever possessing martial strength.

‘Ah!’

Amid the movement, a flash of revelation washed over him.

His martial understanding had climbed an entire tier without his conscious awareness.

This was no simple breakthrough in an isolated technique; it was an overarching expansion of his martial insight, an organic gift borne from mastering the four supreme arts across history.

‘I failed to perceive it.’

Never in his life had such an advancement eluded him. He had always registered every leap in skill instantly, yet this development had slipped past unnoticed. It signaled that his foundation had moved beyond mere spontaneous perception, reaching into a far more profound realm.

It had turned subtler, deeper. Once he grew accustomed to this new stage, he would effortlessly register any internal shift once more.

“Hahaha!”

Baek So-cheon let out a booming laugh. Like any born combatant, nothing ignited greater ecstasy within him than breaking through into higher realms of martial supremacy.

‘Can I attain absolute mastery across all four supreme arts? Just how high can my personal martial summit reach?’

Setting aside his goal of eliminating Yeom Hwa-sin, the question fascinated him purely as a true practitioner of the martial path.

He resumed his training, concentrating intensely on drilling the Beon-cheon Gu-gwon.

His task was to neutralize Yeom Sa-won without relying on inner qi—or at the very least, make it appear that way to the crowd. His adversary would charge him with reckless savagery, demanding a solitary, decisive strike to finish the contest in the blink of an eye.

A blade would not serve this purpose; bare knuckles were far superior, particularly the initial stances of the Beon-cheon Gu-gwon, designed to redirect an enemy’s own momentum back upon them.

He alternated back and forth between deep meditation and vigorous drills of the Beon-cheon Gu-gwon right there by the Yong-cheon. The routine stretched on over the following days.

By the time Baek So-cheon finally emerged from the Cheon-ryong Mil-ji, an urgent note from Je-gal Hyeon was already waiting for him.

Calling upon him directly, he was met with the very intelligence he had been seeking.

He had previously asked for an investigation regarding the internal discord brewing inside the Blood Cult.

“What news did you gather?”

“Myeol Ji-ryun was telling the truth. Severe friction broke out between Myeol Saeng and Jeok Pa-rap.”

“And where do they stand presently?”

“They had an open dispute and their relations have remained fractured ever since.”

“Hm.”

“Does something trouble you?”

“I merely have an instinct that this falling-out might be an elaborate act.”

“What leads you to that conclusion?”

“Nothing tangible, purely an intuition. Forgive me, I ought to keep such idle thoughts to myself.”

“You need not apologize. Lately, your hunches have hit the mark with frightening accuracy.”

“I have blundered plenty of times before.”

“And should your instinct prove true this time?”

“Then sending Myeol Ji-ryun here represents the unified scheme of the entire Blood Cult.”

Je-gal Hyeon’s expression turned somber. That possibility signaled a peril just as lethal as Yeom Hwa-sin dispatching Yeom Sa-won on a murder mission.

“Continue treating her as though we suspect nothing for the time being. Leave the handling of Yeom Sa-won and Myeol Ji-ryun entirely to me. Meanwhile, quietly reinforce the guard surrounding both the alliance leader and your council of tacticians.”

“I shall see to it. What will your move be?”

Baek So-cheon offered a faint smirk, uttering a rather cryptic remark.

“The stench of an onion lingers on my skin—it makes me crave the scent of a rose.”

“Why did you drag me out to this place once more? You truly are shameless.”

“Shameless? How so?”

“You know perfectly well. You are plotting something again.”

Her cheeks burned a brilliant crimson.

Naturally, Baek So-cheon understood completely. That very fact was why he took such delight in teasing her.

“Come closer.”

“Whatever for?”

He closed the distance between them. Cheon-geuk gently lowered her eyelids.

With his lips hovering just before hers as though preparing to share a kiss, he leaned toward her ear instead, whispering softly.

“I need to ask a favor of you.”

Cheon-geuk opened her eyes, letting her lips form an annoyed pout.

“What kind of favor?”

“Instruct me in your arts of stealth.”

“Excuse me?”

Cheon-geuk blinked in pure disbelief at his sudden request.

“When it comes to covert movement, yours stands unmatched, does it not?”

Just as Baek So-cheon declared, her Jam-yeong Shin-bo was widely considered one of the three greatest covert movement methods in all of the martial world.

“Hardly. You manage to hunt me down like an apparition whenever you please.”

“That is solely because I happen to be an apparition myself. You would be hard-pressed to encounter another soul like me.”

“Still as conceited as ever—yes, you are certainly my Baek So-cheon.”

“Pass the technique on to me.”

Cheon-geuk blinked, studying him closely before responding.

“Where does this boldness come from? Do you imagine people are simply lining up outside my door to receive my hidden art?”

“I did share the Pung-sin Haeng-gong with you, after all.”

“I never once begged you for it!”

“The need has found me now.”

“You will absorb it far too rapidly.”

“A brilliant pupil learning from an even greater teacher—of course I will master it swiftly.”

“Your flattery toward your instructor passes the test!”

“Haha.”

“Very well, I will instruct you. However, you must pay the lesson fee beforehand.”

Baek So-cheon closed the space between them and pressed his lips firmly against hers this time. Their breath and tongues intertwined, unearthing an intense longing from the depths of their chests.

“Do you believe that settles the debt?”

“Not in the slightest.”

Gathering her up in his arms, he bounded straight into the sky. That familiar, velvety cushion of qi wrapped around them with gentle tenderness, just as it had previously.

The protective energy not only kept them suspended in comfort, but it also fashioned an invisible perimeter that shut out the howling air entirely.

Within that private, floating sanctuary, they surrendered to their desires.

The experience was entirely different from their initial embrace.

The sensations that had slipped past them amidst their previous tension and nervous trembling now drew them into an overwhelming, profound ecstasy.

Once their passionate frenzy subsided, they plunged into the cool waters of a neighboring lake and rinsed beneath a plunging waterfall.

They roasted a wild hare to satisfy their appetite, wandering through the wilderness hand in hand. The idyllic stretch of hours made him reflect that spending eternity in such a manner would be paradise.

Only after receiving that thorough compensation did Cheon-geuk finally begin guiding him through the Jam-yeong Shin-bo.

Baek So-cheon committed the complete mnemonic verse to memory upon hearing it a single time, leaving her thoroughly shocked yet again. Then again, he had managed to memorize the entirety of the Beon-cheon Gu-gwon during a simple carriage journey, startling her in the past.

His photographic recall was hardly his only asset. Having elevated his martial realm another step, he dissected the core principles of the stealth art in a mere breath.

She even shook her head and remarked:

“You have been secretly familiar with my Jam-yeong Shin-bo all along, haven’t you?”

“Call it nothing more than the devotion of your master.”

Cheon-geuk marveled inwardly:

‘He is swallowing my martial skill whole without leaving a trace.’

Sharing an art without retaining the slightest secret made an enormous impact. She withheld nothing, pointing out hidden intricacies and delicate details she would never disclose to an outsider, unraveling the technique’s absolute foundation for him.

The fruits of their effort became undeniable three days later.

Three days had elapsed.

Cheon-geuk stood alone in a clearing, her gaze sweeping carefully across her surroundings as she shifted her stance. Baek So-cheon was cloaked somewhere in the immediate vicinity.

‘Is he over there? Or hidden behind that spot?’

Her senses identified several questionable locations, yet she could not fixate on a single one.

Channeling the entirety of her focus, she reached out for any ripple of his presence—yet she caught only faint, scattered impressions without any distinct origin.

Whoosh!

Her dagger cut through the air with absolute conviction.

It met nothing but empty wind.

Baek So-cheon manifested quietly from the exact opposite direction.

“You held back your strike on purpose, didn’t you? Simply to spare my pride.”

Of course she hadn’t. She was well aware he was simply teasing her.

“Naturally. No martial expert manages to slip past my sight.”

“Here I thought I had perfected it—you raised my expectations for nothing.”

“Quiet down!”

Cheon-geuk barked in exasperation.

“I am genuinely developing an inferiority complex because of you!”

To equal her lifetime of stealth mastery in a meager three days was utterly preposterous.

“Whenever that happens, avoid blaming yourself—place all the blame on your opponent instead.”

She shouted right back at him.

“You are completely out of your mind!”

It was no insult; it was the ultimate compliment she could ever pay to Baek So-cheon.

Even a genius of his caliber could never have absorbed the skill so rapidly had it not been for his recent martial breakthrough.

“Good heavens… does that mean you still possess room to climb even higher?”

“A tremendous amount.”

“That certainly clarifies why your floating energy barrier felt far more seamless this time. It makes me envious. Truly envious.”

“There is no reason to be. You are entirely capable of advancing as well.”

“What?”

“You are younger than I am and currently occupy a lower realm. Why would you assume you cannot reach it simply because I have?”

“Good heavens… you truly believe I can achieve that as well?”

Baek So-cheon fully understood her bewilderment. Her beginnings were those of an assassin rather than an orthodox martial artist; she had always pursued the craft of slaughter rather than the pursuit of pure martial enlightenment.

“Never place artificial limits on your own potential.”

“Understood.”

If there was a path to growing stronger, she was willing to embrace anything. Particularly when the objective tasted so sweet.

“The Murim Seol-yeol-log: I claim the first rank, and you take the second. How does that sound?”

“The mere thought of it sends a shiver of excitement through me.”

The two exchanged a warm smile.

“Setting that aside, why the sudden urge to master stealth?”

“I have plenty of reasons. Finding an opportunity to learn the absolute best method was simply too good to pass up.”

“Aside from reasons that make me feel swindled—what is the real purpose?”

“It is time to peel the layers of the onion.”

“What?”

Her eyes widened in confusion, prompting a low chuckle from him.

“I plan to uncover Myeol Ji-ryun’s true motives.”

Understanding struck her at last—the meaning behind his onion comparison.

“By what means?”

“By infiltrating her quarters.”

“I will keep watch over her instead.”

“No. This is an undertaking I must carry out personally.”

“Are you fretting that I might end up slaughtering your stunning fiancée?”

“Not at all.”

“What then?”

“That cunning vixen from the Blood Cult might end up dead—she cannot match your beauty, of course, but even so.”

“You certainly know the right words to say!”

The reality was that the situation was fraught with peril. If her machinations were indeed tied to the grand design of the entire Blood Cult, exceptionally treacherous storms were approaching.

Baek So-cheon offered a respectful bow of gratitude.

“I am genuinely indebted to you for the Jam-yeong Shin-bo.”

Cheon-geuk inclined her head slightly, letting out a soft, playful murmur.

“However… the payment feels rather inadequate.”

“In that case, I will simply offer more.”

Sweeping her into his arms once more, he leaped back into the endless sky.

On that afternoon, Baek So-cheon paid the lesson fee three times over.