novelraw Chapter 140 : Divine Flame (2)
Chapter 140 : Divine Flame (2)
Chapter 140: Divine Flame (2)
At the largest tavern in Gwanhyeon, located northwest of Chengdu in Sichuan Province, Taeho-ru was always packed with customers.
But today, the atmosphere was strangely different.
From the first floor to the third, not a single guest could be found.
There was only one reason.
A single guest on the fourth and top floor had rented the entire tavern for the day.
To rent out Taeho-ru, famous for its outrageously expensive liquor—this alone spoke of his immense financial power.
Inside the lavishly decorated fourth-floor room, a man with a flushed face was guzzling liquor with courtesans at both his sides.
Tak!
“Keuh.”
Chugging down the drink, Ma Geollyun, the Great Disciple of the Qingcheng Sect, slammed his cup down irritably.
His eyes were half-glazed, and his drunkenness was apparent. The other First Disciples who sat with him couldn’t hide the discomfort on their faces.
“To think those decrepit old geezers are clinging to power so desperately, refusing to let go! It’s disgusting, isn’t it?”
“Y-yes, Senior Brother.”
“Ha, I can’t understand why the Elders are always so harsh toward you, Senior Brother.”
“Exactly! That’s what I’m saying! Damn bastards!”
The targets of Ma Geollyun’s unrestrained curses were none other than the upper council of the Qingcheng Sect.
He had secretly descended from the mountain to indulge in drink.
Although the plan he had proposed at the main sect meeting had been approved for execution, the result was only half a success.
‘They tried to steal my entire idea for themselves! If I had known, I wouldn’t have said a word, damn it!’
The role of overseeing and executing that plan had been handed to another Elder’s disciple.
For Ma Geollyun—who had intended to make a grand contribution by striking a major blow to the Sichuan Tang Clan and securing a position in the newly forming White Path Union—it was like being struck by lightning on a clear day.
A vicious gleam flashed in his eyes as he recalled the culprit who had ruined his grand design.
Hiccup. “In my opinion, that bastard Jeok Seongja is the biggest problem!”
“……!!”
“S-Senior Brother!”
“He still looks down on me because of my low birth! Even now, he probably sneers at me behind my back!”
It was an outrageously dangerous statement.
Ma Geollyun’s words had crossed far beyond the line—an act of deceiving and insulting one’s master and ancestors.
The First Disciples could only glance at each other anxiously, not daring to move or speak.
This wasn’t something they could brush off like before.
If caught, the crime of betraying one’s master and destroying one’s sect was punishable by the severing of tendons and meridians and permanent expulsion from the sect.
But Ma Geollyun, completely oblivious to their panic, continued his tirade.
“Peh! I should’ve known when he gave the title of Great Disciple to that brat from the Lee Trading Company! A greedy fox who only cares about money!”
“S-Senior Brother, please, those words about the Sect Leader are too much…”
One disciple cautiously mustered the courage to speak up.
Paak!
“Guhk!”
“Kyaa!”
“How dare you open your mouth before me, you bastard!”
A man’s groan and the courtesans’ screams erupted simultaneously.
The moment the disciple spoke, Ma Geollyun kicked him in the chest, his qi surging with anger.
The struck disciple spat blood, writhing in agony, as if his ribs had been shattered.
But Ma Geollyun only grew more unhinged.
“Heh, fine! I’ll kill you first.”
“S-Senior Brother!”
“Please, calm yourself!”
“You bastards! Get out of my way!”
Just as it seemed a corpse might soon appear—
Creak!
“Well now. I didn’t know there was a guest here.”
The door opened, and a man with a cold, composed demeanor entered.
At the sight of Do Hoemyung, Ma Geollyun’s expression changed instantly.
“Ohh, Strategist Do.”
“Hmm. Master Ma, should I come back another time?”
“N-no! What are you all doing? Get out, all of you!”
“Y-yes, Senior Brother!”
Seizing the chance, the First Disciples hurriedly carried out the injured man and fled the room.
The courtesans, too, scrambled out in a panic.
Watching their retreating backs, Ma Geollyun twisted his lips into a sneer.
“Hmph, worthless vermin.”
“You seem rather displeased.”
“…Wouldn’t you be? I was robbed of the chance to make my mark.”
Do Hoemyung smiled kindly, his tone smooth and reassuring.
“Don’t worry, Master Ma. I’ve already been secretly preparing what you were meant to do.”
“Oh? Truly?”
“Of course. Have I ever disappointed you, Master Ma?”
“Ha! Never—not once!”
Ma Geollyun’s face brightened with childlike delight as he listened to Do Hoemyung’s words.
He truly trusted and followed Do Hoemyung.
The man he had first met by chance at a gambling den had since given him all kinds of help.
That man, who claimed to run a rising trading company, had praised him incessantly—calling him a great figure who would one day lead the Qingcheng Sect.
Then, he had earnestly asked to become his sponsor, his partner in future endeavors.
At first, Ma Geollyun had dismissed him as just another merchant seeking to curry favor with the sect.
But later, the man brought rare spiritual medicines and secret manuals, and even offered extraordinary schemes Ma Geollyun could never have devised himself.
After such exchanges repeated over time, Ma Geollyun had come to believe in Do Hoemyung with all his heart.
‘Every hero has his strategist beside him!’
He believed that by following Do Hoemyung’s advice, not only would he become the next Sect Leader of the Qingcheng Sect, but also easily rise to the top ranks of the White Path Union.
“……You only need to do as I say.”
“Khuhuhu, understood! As expected, Strategist Do’s wisdom is the best under Heaven!”
“I am unworthy of such praise.”
After thoroughly memorizing Do Hoemyung’s plan, Ma Geollyun felt refreshed, as if a weight had been lifted off his chest.
But then, for some reason, he wet his lips and spoke cautiously.
“Ehem. By the way, did you bring ‘that’?”
“But of course.”
A flicker of amusement briefly crossed Do Hoemyung’s eyes before vanishing.
He reached into his robe and drew out a small item.
It was a thin stick of bamboo incense (竹香).
“Ohhh!!”
“I assumed you might be weary from the meetings, so I prepared this in advance.”
Lighting the incense with the flame from the oil lamp on the table, Do Hoemyung placed it into an empty bottle.
Ssssss.
As the incense burned, the smoke spread through the room like a mist.
“Ah… ahhh.”
Without even drinking, Ma Geollyun’s gaze grew hazy, intoxicated by the fragrance. Drool dripped from his slackened lips.
Thud.
“Hee… heeheehee.”
Soon, completely lost in mind and spirit, Ma Geollyun collapsed flat on his back, his body twitching.
Watching the pitiful sight, Do Hoemyung clicked his tongue.
“Tsk, worthless worm.”
No—Gui Yeongja clicked his tongue at him.
Indeed, the room was filled with not ordinary incense, but Dream Soul Incense—a narcotic concoction produced by the Blood Cult.
Far more addictive than opium, this Ghost Dream Incense gradually broke down the user’s reason the more they inhaled, turning them into slaves bound to the one who administered it.
And the man before him, Ma Geollyun, had already reached that very stage.
At that moment, Gui Yeongja spoke.
“Ilhon (One Soul).”
Sss!
From the shadows in the corner of the room, a black-robed figure slowly emerged.
“Yes, Demon Soul Sect Leader.”
Gui Yeongja was none other than the Second Elder of the Blood Cult, and the Sect Leader of the Demon Soul Sect, which handled all forms of twisted and sinister sorcery among the Ten Thousand Demons.
Addressing Ilhon, the Vice Leader of the Demon Soul Sect, Gui Yeongja continued.
“How goes the Grand Plan?”
“Yes, we’ve completely secured the upper stream! Only execution remains!”
“Good. Once we receive the goods from the Black Market, begin immediately.”
“Yes!”
To emphasize the gravity of his command, Gui Yeongja’s tone hardened.
“The one who killed Giryun Yoma and seized the Beast Palace for himself—he’s not to be underestimated. From beginning to end, you will proceed with absolute vigilance and perfection. Understood?”
“By your command!”
Sss!
With that, Ilhon vanished as if he had never been there.
A chilling silence settled over the room.
‘Tang Sewoon.’
Murderous intent flashed in Gui Yeongja’s eyes.
Within the Blood Cult, the man who had risen to become the greatest obstacle to their Grand Plan was none other than Tang Sewoon of the Sichuan Tang Clan.
But that streak of luck would end here.
‘No matter what you try, you won’t escape this time. You’ll never break free from our plan.’
He would make certain to sever Tang Sewoon’s life himself.
The serene moonlight shone through the open window, illuminating the forge.
After Gu Cheonseon-nyeo had nearly collapsed from excessive use of her sorcery power, and Umun Tak had exhausted himself lifting Yahwa’s Flame, both had gone to rest in the guest quarters—leaving the Ten Thousand Iron Hall empty.
“……Is this truly a forge created by human hands?”
“Yes. I have named it the Divine Flame Furnace.”
“Divine Flame Furnace. Indeed, there could be no better name.”
Sewoon and Gu Yongyeon, the Lord of the Ten Thousand Iron Hall, sat before it.
Before their eyes, the Divine Flame Furnace blazed fiercely.
“Will you begin right away, Clan Head?”
“Yes. Let’s begin at once.”
“I’ll assist you.”
At Sewoon’s words, Gu Yongyeon moved swiftly, his seasoned hands preparing the tools with the practiced skill of a veteran blacksmith.
Having long led the Ten Thousand Iron Hall, every movement reflected years of mastery.
Sewoon had summoned Gu Yongyeon for one reason.
‘It’s about time I helped him surpass Heukya Gong.’
He sought to raise Gu Yongyeon’s craftsmanship beyond that of Heukya Gong Dong Cheonrip, who oversaw the forges of the Murim Alliance.
After all, when Sewoon eventually left, Gu Yongyeon would need to fulfill that role in his stead.
Of course, for Sewoon, this was a simple task.
Gu Yongyeon’s innate talent as a blacksmith far exceeded Dong Cheonrip’s, and with just a few pointers from Sewoon—and the help of the Divine Flame Furnace—he could easily break through his current limits.
‘But that’s only a secondary goal.’
Sewoon’s true purpose lay elsewhere.
And that was—
‘To create a new Divine Artifact.’
Now that the Divine Flame Furnace was complete, it was time to forge yet another Divine Artifact, following the Ice Wheel Thread and Extinction Thread.
With the coming battle against the Qingcheng Sect looming, he needed to elevate both his realm and his power as much as possible.
A spark of resolve glimmered in Sewoon’s eyes as he gazed into the heart of the furnace.
‘The next battlefield won’t be single duels—it’ll be a large-scale war. To keep winning, I need to reclaim the power to face many at once.’
And now—
The Divine Artifact he was about to create would possess exactly that kind of power.