Chapter 162

Disciple, how have you been, Master?

“And the leader?”

When Dan Woo-seong inquired about the whereabouts of the Half-Moon Sect Leader, the black-clad men replied.

“We left ahead of you. He must be searching for the Ten Thousand Horse Palace.”

Dan Woosung looked at this bizarre procession again and then grasped the situation. These were the ones risking their lives to summon the Ten Thousand Horses Palace.

Dan Woosung said.

“The Grand Master of Manmagung resides at Guwhasan. I have made contact, so the Abbot will also come to Guwhasan.”

“Ah, is that so?”

A man waved his hand toward the procession.

“Clear everything away. We’re heading to Guohua Mountain immediately.”

Dan Woo-seong couldn’t help but admire them inwardly. Seeing the grim expressions on all their faces, he realized they were burning with vengeance over their fallen comrades. They weren’t the type to turn back just because he asked.

Dan Wooseong said.

“We shall depart first.”

The men of the Black Path bowed their heads in unison.

“Your Excellency, please proceed with caution. We shall meet at Gu Huashan.”

Danwooseong and Uisin quickly fell behind the Banwolhoe procession. Suddenly, the men of the Black Path exchanged words as they watched the two rapidly disappear into the distance.

“What’s with that speed?”

“Now I see the Mingwang was a formidable master.”

“That old man running alongside him is no pushover either.”

Someone asked,

“Was the Mingwang a white-clad master?”

“Judging by the old man beside him, it seems so.”

“Somehow, he seems like the kind of man who could be on equal footing with our leader, yet he’s a White Path. How remarkable.”

“Heh heh heh, exactly. Let’s go. At least I can die fighting alongside our leader and the others.”

“I said I don’t want to die.”

“Same here. Then let’s go kill them.”

The Black Path brothers said as they turned toward Gu Huashan.

“Let’s go. To meet those bastards from the Ten Thousand Horses Palace.”

Of course, the likelihood of them fighting was slim. After all, the showdown between the absolute top players was still pending.

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“The two distinguished guests may proceed up to Cheondaebong Peak.”

When Dan Wooseong and Uisin arrived at the foot of Guwhasan a few days later, they weren’t startled by the unfamiliar man’s voice. Dan Wooseong looked toward where the voice came from and could barely make out a human figure in the distance. It was the Manmagungju’s subordinate. The moment Dan Wooseong focused his gaze precisely, the figure had vanished.

“Do you know Cheon Daebong?”

Uisin nodded.

“Let’s go.”

Many more were yet to come. Danwooseong and Uisin, the two of them, had climbed Guwhasan and risked being ambushed by the Grand Masters of the Ten Thousand Horse Palace. Yet, for some reason, neither Danwooseong nor Uisin thought that would happen.

They had each faced the Grand Masters before.

They were masters with high self-esteem.

While the situation’s outcome was unpredictable, they weren’t the type to rely on numbers for a coordinated attack.

On the other hand, Dan Wooseong wasn’t the type to panic just because the odds were stacked against him.

and Yi Shin was not one to be afraid.

The two headed straight for Cheon Daebong.

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As Danwooseong and Uisin arrived at the vacant lot destined to become a battlefield, the Lord of the Ten Thousand Horses approached from one side, clapping as if to welcome guests.

“Welcome, honored guests.”

To the right of the open field where Danwooseong arrived, three peaks rose up. There, seated in lotus positions, were three elderly figures he had never seen before.

And atop the bizarre rock formations to the left sat the Heavenly Monk, as Eui-sin had mentioned.

Of course, in the center of the clearing, Cheongmok Maya sat cross-legged.

It was exactly as Dan Woosung had anticipated.

The elders didn’t even blink an eye at Uisin and his own arrival.

They were truly rare old monsters.

The Lady of the Ten Thousand Horses Palace spoke.

“You must have traveled far. Please sit anywhere and rest. It’s a shame we have no chairs, nor tea or wine to offer you.”

Without a word, Uisin plopped down and watched the old men sitting atop the peak.

They were Gyeonja and two other unidentified elders.

Despite the appearance of three masters of the White Path, they paid no heed and simply went about their business.

Uisin watched the Demon Lord with a rare look of unease.

A hint of gentleness could be seen in his expression.

He appeared to be a master who had reached the level of a demonic cultivator, not just an ordinary one. Even though Master Gyeonja had arrived, he didn’t particularly acknowledge him.

Danwoo Seong stood with his hands behind his back, scanning the gathering of martial arts masters.

It was truly absurd.

Even looking at them one by one, none seemed like an easy opponent.

As Danwooseong looked around, the Palace Master of Ten Thousand Demons spoke up.

“Young man, you must be the Sword King. You’re the only youth among the top ten masters; I couldn’t miss you.”

Dan Woo-seong retorted.

“Who are you?”

As usual, Dan Wooseong showed no courtesy in such moments.

The Master of the Ten Thousand Horses Palace smiled and answered.

“I am Cheol Hansaeng.”

“That’s news to me.”

It was a name he’d never heard before. The Palace Lord of the Ten Thousand Horses had deliberately avoided introducing herself as the Palace Lord.

The Princess of Ten Thousand Horses nodded.

“Well, I wasn’t as active as you were.”

Manma Palace Lord Cheol Hansaeng was a man who couldn’t stand still for even a moment. He wandered around, peering here and there.

He observed the senior masters, glanced at the Heavenly Master, and occasionally exchanged meaningless smiles with Dan Woosung when their eyes met. His demeanor seemed rather frivolous, making him stand out even to Dan Woosung’s eyes.

‘What a strange fellow.’

The Palace Master of Ten Thousand Horses spoke as if he were about to host the upcoming duel.

“Only two have arrived from Baekdo. We must wait longer. Surely not all the other grandmasters have perished. Lord Kwon, Lord Gwangshin—is there no word from them?”

“They will come.”

The Palace Master of Ten Thousand Horses briefly explained the events that had unfolded.

“They say the First Under Heaven of Fujian is dead. To the Grand Master over there.”

Dan Woo-sung looked at the blue-robed monk seated in the center of the clearing. After glancing around, the Palace Master of Ten Thousand Horses finally noticed the attendant who had come with Kwonwang.

‘Hmm, who is that?’

Yisin gazed at the people with an innocent expression, as if he were just an old man from the neighborhood out for a stroll. Even the Lord of the Ten Thousand Horses Palace felt no presence emanating from him.

Only then did the Horse Palace Lord look at Uisin with a somewhat bewildered expression.

“Who might this old gentleman be, who looks like he’d be more at home eating noodles at an inn or playing a game of Go?”

Of course, the question was directed at Dan Woo-sung.

Danwooseong had no intention of answering, merely glaring back at the Ten Thousand Horses Palace Lord. The Ten Thousand Horses Palace Lord blinked, then sighed.

‘Well, it looks like all the madmen are gathering.’

Yisin, who had been looking around, said to Danwooseong.

“Let’s go see the temple.”

When Uisin spoke as if he were a visitor to Guwhasan, Danwooseong finally relaxed.

“Understood.”

Wishing to excuse himself from the Manma Palace Lord, Uisin brushed off his seat and rose, speaking kindly.

“Now then, Lord Manma Palace, I’ll be off.”

The Ten Thousand Horses Palace Lord snorted. He had introduced himself as Cheol Hansaeng, yet Uisin had deliberately recognized his identity and addressed him. The Palace Lord chuckled like someone with air in their lungs and nodded.

“Ah, yes. Old man, go ahead. There’s not much to see here. Just don’t trip over any rocks. You know, when you’re old, bones don’t heal so well.”

The Divine Physician replied.

“Well, that varies from person to person, doesn’t it?”

The Horse Palace Lord smiled with a peculiar expression at Uisin’s retort. When Uisin suddenly announced he was going up to see the Heavenly Master, the Horse Palace Lord chuckled softly before asking the senior masters,

“Do you know who he is?”

Master Gyeonja replied with his eyes closed.

“That one is Uisin.”

“Ah…”

Only then did the Palace Master of Ten Thousand Horses suppress her laughter and stare intently at Uisin’s back.

‘Truly ordinary.’

The combination of his utter ordinariness and his reputation as one of the Three Sages of the White Path led to the conclusion that he was, in fact, an extraordinary figure.

Suddenly, the Palace Lord of Ten Thousand Demons turned her gaze to the Demon Cultivator. The Demon Cultivator had been like that too.

With a solitary smile, the Demon Palace Princess surveyed the Grand Masters and thought to herself.

‘I wish all these old fools would die here today.’

Yisin, Kwonwang, Gunja, Gyeonja, Hwa Sabu, Mok Sabu, and even Gwangshin. And even if someone unexpected suddenly appeared, it didn’t matter. The Master of the Ten Thousand Horses Palace wished for them all to die right here, gathered in this place.

After Danwooseong, the lone survivor, took his seat, he crossed his arms and looked at the Grand Masters and the Ten Thousand Horses Palace Lord.

The Ten Thousand Horses Palace Lord asked as if he had just blinked.

“Just a thought came to mind—how did the Young Palace Master die?”

Dan Woosung replied.

“The Heavenly Demon, the Sword Demon, and I. We were struck simultaneously by the three’s ultimate techniques and were annihilated.”

The Palace Lord of Ten Thousand Horses gaped.

“Oh, so there was no will after all.”

Dan Woosung looked at the Princess of Manmagu.

How could that be a reaction to his son’s death? His attitude was ambiguous, as if he wasn’t even sure if it was his son.

The Lord of the Ten Thousand Horses asked.

“How did Weizhichuan and Yan Zixin die?”

Only then did Dan Wooseong understand the Manma Palace Lord’s words. The Grand Masters present here were the teachers of the Heavenly Demon and the Sword Demon. It was meant to provoke him.

Dan Woosung deliberately replied this way.

“Their deaths were not particularly memorable.”

The Palace Master of Ten Thousand Horses asked as if genuinely curious.

“How were they killed?”

Dan Woo-sung glared at the Lord of the Ten Thousand Horses and retorted.

“I beat the Heavenly Demon to death, and the Sword Demon stabbed himself in the stomach with his own sword.”

“Hah…!”

The Lady of the Ten Thousand Horses spread her arms wide and spoke as if addressing the Grand Masters.

“Did you hear? Those so-called brilliant disciples have died like this. The young master of the White Path, Kwon Wang. The Grand Masters poured so much effort into teaching him, yet not only did he fail to avenge the Five Tombs War, one even committed suicide. We forged him an invincible sword, and he ended up stabbing himself in the belly with it. What a worthless fool. A worthless fool indeed.”

As the Ten Thousand Horses Palace Lord snorted derisively, the Azure-Eyed Maya retorted.

“Lady Palace Master, you’re being noisy.”

Suddenly, the Palace Master of Ten Thousand Horses turned her head. A lone swordsman clad entirely in black robes was ascending the mountain path.

The Palace Mistress of Ten Thousand Horses asked.

“Who might this youngster be?”

The black-robed figure replied curtly.

“I am Go Cheon-hwi, leader of the Banwol Society.”

The Lady of the Ten Thousand Horses Palace pointed at Gocheonhui and said.

“So you’re the man who killed Master Su. Welcome. Take a seat beside the King of Power.”

Ignoring the order to sit, Gocheonhui stood with his hands behind his back, surveying the senior masters. Unconsciously, he clenched his teeth so hard they felt like they might shatter. For a moment, his vision spun.

Old masters like Su Yue Zhenren, who had barely managed to cut their own throats alongside their subordinates, didn’t even glance at Go Cheon-hwi.

Gocheonhwi let out a short sigh before plopping down beside Danwooseong.

Dan Woosung greeted him with a brief word.

“Master, you’ve arrived.”

Gocheonhwi looked at Danwooseong and nodded.

“I was grateful for your help the other day.”

Dan Woo-seong chuckled and nodded. Among those gathered, Go Cheon-hwi’s expression was the most complex. He was seething with rage, yet he couldn’t see any masters skilled enough to kill immediately. That was because the martial arts of the Grand Masters were not something even the Half-Moon Sect Leader could casually confront.

Yet, true to his black-clad ways, Go Cheon-hwi simply sat there, glaring at the Grand Masters as if he intended to kill them.

He was a man who kept his word, regardless of the level of skill involved. Go Cheon-hwi knew nothing of duels, life-or-death challenges, or sword debates. He simply waited for an opportunity to kill the Grand Masters.

However, the other Grand Masters, including the Palace Lord of the Ten Thousand Horses, were well aware that this black-clad man, Gocheonhwi, would act this way at any moment.

Therefore, the grandmasters did not drive Go Cheon-hwi away.

After all, the only thing left to happen here was death and killing.

The Lord of the Ten Thousand Horses Palace clicked his tongue.

“Only three? That’s not enough. Not nearly enough.”

The usually talkative Manmagungju stopped mid-sentence. As soon as he saw the man approaching, Kwonwang rose from his seat.

Gwangshin, hands behind his back, was ascending from the open space below, followed by Cheolmyeongho and Gwangma.

Gwangshin leapt up and stepped onto the open ground, standing motionless as he surveyed the faces of those gathered.

The Horse Palace Lord opened his mouth to ask Gwangshin his identity, but closed it again.

Just by looking at his expression and the gleam in his eyes, she knew who he was.

He was the god of the mad.

When Danwooseong silently paid his respects, Kwangshin looked at him and nodded.

As the fanatic appeared…

The Demon Sage, the Demon Disciple, Master Hua, and Qingmu Maya all opened their eyes simultaneously.

As the area fell silent, Kwangshin walked alone into the open space. He passed by the Palace of Ten Thousand Horses, walked past Cheongmokmaya sitting cross-legged in the center, and looked up at the Gentleman’s Peak where the Magician Gentleman sat.

The Magician and the Zealot locked eyes, and the Magician offered a quiet smile.

The moment Gwangshin recognized the Magician’s face, he smiled with a rare, bright expression, just like the Magician.

Gwangshin looked up at the Demon Lord and asked.

“Master, have you been well? Seeing you alive and well fills this disciple’s heart with boundless joy.”

The eyes of the Ten Thousand Horses Palace Lord, Master Gyeonja, Master Hwa, Cheongmok Maya, Go Cheonhwi, Cheolmyeongho, and Gwangma widened simultaneously. It was a shocking statement to them as well.

The Demon Sage laughed aloud, a rare occurrence, then nodded toward Gwangshin and replied.

“My young disciple has grown old too, hasn’t he? Welcome.”

The master and disciple reunited after a long time apart, gazing at each other with truly joyful expressions.