Heavenly Inquisition Sword Novel - Chapter 215
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C215. “Are You Saying I’m Experiencing One Last Blaze?”
When the Sect Leader of the Jomchang Sect, Golden Sage, confessed the mistakes of the Seven Great Sects and the Four Great Clans (Four Great Families), the survivors calmed down a bit. His words seemed sincere.
At that moment, someone slowly walked towards them.
It was the Sect Leader of the Mount Hua Sect, Mu Geuk, who had escaped, leaving the demonic dragon at Mount Cheonmoon.
He looked around with desolate eyes.
Of the fifty-five survivors, only nine were disciples of the Mount Hua Sect.
He had led fifty people, but forty-one had died. He couldn’t believe it.
Mu Geuk, standing in a daze, bowed to the warriors.
“It was my incompetence that caused the bloodshed of these heroes. Please, forgive me.”
The survivors remained silent.
The distrust towards the Sect Leaders of the Seven Great Sects, the leaders of the Four Great Families, and the high-ranking members of the Justice Alliance wouldn’t be dispelled by a single apology from Mu Geuk.
Mu Geuk also perceived the distrust in the survivors’ eyes towards the high-ranking members of the Justice Alliance.
In addition to the pain of losing his disciples from the Mount Hua Sect, there was the anguish of having lost the trust of the orthodox heroes.
Could the Alliance Leader and the Grand Strategist handle this situation?
While Mu Geuk was deep in thought, Golden Sage approached to console him.
“You did a good job. If it weren’t for you, the losses would have been even greater.”
Tang Seho, the Gaju of the Tang Family, who had been observing, also bowed.
Those who had been venting their anger earlier were now exhausted and returned to their places.
If the Alliance Leader or the Grand Strategist were present, perhaps the situation would be different.
They did not blame Mu Geuk, the leader of the Evil Annihilation Unit, who had barely returned.
Namjikryeseong Province
Buyang City
Lee Cheolsan and the warriors of Taepyeong Commerce were rushing to find their kidnapped leader, Mak Unhan.
However, not only Mak Unhan but also the members of the Wall Tiger Clan and the Great Axe Clan were nowhere to be found.
On the morning of the second day of the search, a merchant from Suwol Commerce came to see Lee Cheolsan.
“Did you want to see me?”
“Yes. I’m Go Seonjung, I work under Jang Hanyeong, the deputy chief.”
“Ah, I don’t know you. What’s this about?”
“I know that the Wall Tiger Clan and the Great Axe Clan have kidnapped the chief of Taepyeong Commerce.”
Lee Cheolsan stared intently at Go Seonjung.
It seemed that the news of Mak Unhan’s kidnapping had leaked despite efforts to keep it secret.
“Although our companies are rivals, I couldn’t just stand by in such a grave situation. I’ve heard you’re looking for the Wall Tiger Clan and the Great Axe Clan.”
“Do you know where they are?”
“Yes, I saw them yesterday at Chogang Lake.”
“Chogang Lake?”
“It seems you’re not familiar with it. It’s a large lake southeast of Buyang, on the border between Buyang and Huinan. I saw them there yesterday. My boss told me to come and inform you personally. That’s why I’m here.”
“Thank you. Please convey our gratitude to your boss.”
“Oh, it’s nothing. We all need to help each other. Just please, don’t mention that I was the one who provided the information. I have to continue doing business in Buyang.”
Go Seonjung seemed fearful that something might go wrong and bring him trouble.
Since the factions involved were related to the Yoomyung Cult, he thought the outcome was uncertain.
“Don’t worry. Only I will know.”
“Thanks for understanding. Then, I’ll take my leave.”
Go Seonjung got up, relieved.
As he left, Lee Cheolsan quickly called Shim Tong, Han Chaeyeon, Ha Sobaek, and the manager of Taepyeong Commerce, Yak Daemong.
“It seems that the Wall Tiger Clan and the Great Axe Clan are at Chogang Lake. Someone informed us that they were seen there.”
“Is the source reliable? The world is so turbulent.”
Yak Daemong stared at Lee Cheolsan.
He was concerned that the young Lee Cheolsan might be falling into a trap set by the Yoomyung Cult.
“You can trust him. They say it takes about three days to reach Chogang Lake. Is that correct?”
“Yes, on foot, it takes approximately that long.”
“Prepare for a long journey, and let’s go.”
Lee Cheolsan’s position as the main master of the Heaven’s Sword Sect gave him authority.
Although Yak Daemong was curious about the source of the information, he didn’t ask further.
Lee Cheolsan turned to Shim Tong.
“Old Shim, the situation is like this. Although it’s in the opposite direction of Kaifeng, will you accompany us?”
“I’ve come this far, I must see the end. The Young Master will also want to know the outcome.”
“Thank you.”
Lee Cheolsan felt relieved, as if he had gained an army.
With Shim Tong by his side, he could handle any plot by the Wall Tiger Clan and the Great Axe Clan.
Jowon Village
At Dusk
Twenty-five warriors entered the village.
They were Lee Cheolsan and the warriors of Taepyeong Commerce, heading to Chogang Lake in search of the Wall Tiger Clan and the Great Axe Clan.
As there was no inn in sight, Chief Yak Daemong had to borrow a house from the village head.
Although the houses were almost abandoned, it was much better than sleeping outdoors.
Shim Tong and Lee Cheolsan shared a room.
After dinner, Shim Tong went to bed early but couldn’t sleep.
Something was bothering him, keeping him awake.
Maybe he wasn’t tired enough yet.
Ever since he reached the pinnacle of his skill, sleeping had always been a difficult task.
Before, he would fall asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow, but now that rarely happened.
Finally, after tossing and turning for a while, Shim Tong got up.
“Snoring…”
Lee Cheolsan was snoring so loudly that it hurt his ears.
“Damn it. I’m not tired, and on top of that, I have to endure this snoring. How am I supposed to sleep?”
Muttering to himself, Shim Tong opened the door and stepped outside.
Although it was early, the village was completely dark.
Shim Tong, restless, walked out through the main gate.
‘Could this be a side effect of rejuvenation?’
Although he wasn’t sure if he was really rejuvenating, Shim Tong worried nonetheless.
Had he almost made a full circle around the village?
Shim Tong’s steady steps suddenly slowed.
In the distance, in a corner, he saw something that bothered him.
‘What is that?’
At first, he thought it was a pile of discarded blankets.
As he got closer, he realized it was a crouched figure.
It was an old man dressed in tattered clothes. He didn’t look like an ordinary person.
An old wanderer sleeping on the street on a winter night?
‘Could he be a wandering elder?’
As he was about to walk past, Shim Tong stopped.
In the past, he probably would have ignored him.
But after studying the Nine Heavens Energy and reflecting on the emptiness of life, Shim Tong had changed.
He approached the old man and nudged him with his foot.
“Hey! Hey!”
With a light nudge, the old man collapsed to the side.
In the moonlight, the old man’s face became visible.
Shim Tong felt a chill in his chest.
The old man with a goatee and a stern expression looked uncannily like him.
‘What the hell? I scared myself. Why does his face look so much like mine?’
Unconsciously, Shim Tong bent down and placed the back of his hand in front of the old man’s nose.
He wanted to see if the old man was still breathing.
He felt a faint stream of air.
Apparently, the old man hadn’t frozen to death.
Shim Tong squatted in front of the old man and shook him roughly.
“Hey, old man! Why are you sleeping in the street? Do you want to freeze to death? Where is your home?”
Then, Shim Tong noticed the smell of alcohol on the old man.
It seemed he had drunk and collapsed on the street.
“Who are you? What do you want?”
The old man opened his eyes with difficulty, speaking in a half-asleep state.
“Who am I? I’m the one asking you. Where is your home?”
“Home?”
“Yes, your home. Where is it?”
“Hehe. Why do you want to know where someone else’s home is?”
Curiously, even the old man’s laughter sounded like Shim Tong’s.
Driven by curiosity, Shim Tong couldn’t let him go easily.
“Don’t you have common sense? Do you want to freeze to death in the street? Where is your home?”
Finally, the old man seemed to regain some consciousness and tried to get up.
Seeing his slow movements, Shim Tong helped him up.
The old man pointed outside the village, mumbling.
“Over there.”
Shim Tong hesitated.
But, since he had already come this far, he decided to accompany the old man out of the village.
As they ventured a little into the forest, an old shrine appeared.
Seeing this, Shim Tong frowned.
He had thought the old man was a wanderer, but it turned out he was a shaman.
Although he didn’t feel comfortable, he couldn’t abandon him now.
He brought the old man to the shrine.
The place was filled with coldness, with no signs of a fire being lit.
It seemed the shrine had seen better days.
The old man pointed to a cushion between two statues, one of a demon and the other of a general.
Shim Tong helped him sit on the cushion.
As he was about to leave, the old man let out a strange laugh.
Annoyed, Shim Tong looked at the old man and shouted at him.
“Damn old man! If I saved you, you should be grateful, not laughing.”
Then, the old man said something incredible.
“Do you feel rejuvenated because your hair is turning black? Don’t fool yourself, you’re not rejuvenating. Do you know the term ‘last blaze’?”
The ‘last blaze’ is a term used to describe the last burst of vitality before death.
“Are you saying I’m experiencing one last blaze?”
But the old man continued speaking.
“I should have died today. Or maybe I’m already dead. It seems I came back for this, so it must be yours. Take it.”
The old man took a bronze vajra a foot long from the hand of the demon statue.
It was rusted with age.
Expecting a treasure, Shim Tong felt disappointed.
“No, thanks. I don’t accept things from shamans. And stop talking nonsense about the last blaze.”
But the old man remained silent, holding the vajra.
After waiting for a moment, Shim Tong approached the old man.
“Damn it…”
The old man, holding the vajra, was dead with his eyes wide open.
He had brought the old man home only to find him dead.
Shim Tong touched the old man’s neck, ensuring he had no pulse and was as cold as a corpse.
He felt as if the old man’s spirit had left his body.
“Damn old man. He didn’t even explain the last blaze before dying.”
Muttering, Shim Tong turned to leave.
Then, he stopped.
He remembered the vajra and the last blaze.
“Why the hell should I take this? A shaman trying to give me something?”
Although there was no one around, Shim Tong got angry and raised his voice.
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