novelraw Chapter 191 : The Continuing Connection
Chapter 191 : The Continuing Connection
Chapter 191: The Continuing Connection
“Gwansudo? Was there such a place? Never heard of it in my life.”
“Gwansudo? I don’t know of any such place.”
“Are you sure you heard correctly? There’s nothing like that around here.”
“Where is Gwansudo supposed to be? Gwak Ga-ya! Have you ever heard of a place called Gwansudo?”
For two days, Jang Woo-hyun traveled across the cities and villages of the Gyeonyang Continent, gathering information, but not a single person knew of a floating island by the name of Gwansudo.
‘Was I given the wrong information?’
There wasn’t even a similar name. To begin with, there were very few floating islands around the Gyeonyang Continent, so there was little room for confusion.
‘Maybe Senior Kim’s projection didn’t have accurate memories.’
A projection couldn’t contain all of one’s power—naturally, it didn’t hold every memory either.
Even though Kim Min-soo had made extensive preparations, the projection left on the Dawn Continent could only recall two places. That was proof enough that it didn’t retain everything.
‘It could have been a misunderstanding.’
Sorting through his thoughts, Jang Woo-hyun decided to return to the Floating Stronghold. Perhaps the others had found something in their own investigations.
However, when the rest of the party returned from other regions, their results were no different.
“Everyone says they’ve never heard of it.”
“Same here. They all said it’s the first time they’ve heard that name.”
“Captain, are you sure this is right? It feels like no one knows this place.”
None of the others had managed to learn anything either.
They had found the Gyeonyang Continent easily enough, but couldn’t make any progress beyond that.
‘Since he mentioned Gyeonyangdo, it’s not completely wrong information. Maybe it’s known by another name? Or perhaps it’s not a floating island, but an area instead?’
As he considered the possibilities, Jang Woo-hyun spoke again.
“Did anyone discover anything unusual, even if you couldn’t find Gwansudo?”
“Ah, there was something. A floating island supposedly broke apart a few years ago.”
Maeng Ye-ju shared a peculiar piece of information.
“What was it called?”
“They said it was called Unhakdo.”
It was an entirely unrelated name.
“But apparently, it didn’t have an official name. Some people just called it that because there was a small mountain shaped like a crane spreading its wings, but others called it differently.”
“It could be the place we’re looking for.”
“But the name doesn’t match.”
“Maybe the name was passed down incorrectly. Let’s head there first. Cho-su, we’ll need to move the fortress.”
“Which direction should we go?”
After hearing Maeng Ye-ju’s explanation, Cho-su guided the Floating Stronghold toward where the island called Unhakdo had once been.
But before they could get far, the Floating Stronghold was surrounded by hundreds of people.
Martial artists of the Five Wheel Five Elements Cult had mounted their flying apparatuses, blocking every direction. Centered around their Middle Dantian, they manipulated the energies of the Five Elements.
Though Jang Woo-hyun’s group had tried to move discreetly, they hadn’t concealed their traces completely—inevitably, they were found.
“Oh, it’s finally my turn!”
Seo Ryeom, who hadn’t been able to fight against the Heavenly Demon, stepped forward, but Jang Woo-hyun stopped him. He had no intention of fighting recklessly.
“Lower your weapon. We’re not here to fight.”
Seo Ryeom’s face twisted in displeasure.
“Why not? Captain, this isn’t fair. The others fought the Heavenly Demon, so why can’t I?”
His body itched for battle, and he couldn’t accept Jang Woo-hyun’s restraint.
Seeing him, Jang Woo-hyun replied curtly.
“Then get off here.”
Grumbling, Seo Ryeom shut his mouth. The Wind-Passing Great Sage snickered and kicked him lightly on the rear.
“Yeah, rat. If you’ve got a problem, get off.”
“Great Sage, that’s not fair! I haven’t fought anyone yet!”
“If you’ve got complaints, get off. Otherwise, stay quiet.”
The Wind-Passing Great Sage had been thoroughly satisfied with the fights he’d had while traveling with Jang Woo-hyun.
“Right, Ryeom. If you’re going to do as you please, get off. The Annihilation Squad already has a captain—you shouldn’t act on your own.”
Mak Ya-wol chimed in to support the Great Sage.
Both of them enjoyed the battles they’d experienced alongside Jang Woo-hyun—facing True Immortals and even fighting the Heavenly Demon of the Demon Gathering Hall. They were perfectly content with their current life.
Of course, they wouldn’t mind more fighting, but being separated from Jang Woo-hyun? That would be a huge loss.
Following him guaranteed one thrilling battle after another. Acting on their own and getting separated would be like throwing away a goose that laid not gold but gem-studded eggs.
While the two bullied Seo Ryeom together—
A woman stepped out from among the martial artists of the Five Elements Cult and approached the Floating Stronghold.
Without any visible movement, she floated through the air, surrounded by winds that gently carried her toward Jang Woo-hyun’s group.
Seeing her, the Wind-Passing Great Sage grinned, teasing Seo Ryeom again.
“Oh? Rat, if there’s going to be a fight, this one’s mine.”
“No, this one’s mine. Why are you cutting in, Great Sage?”
“She’s manipulating wind. I’ve got to spar with her.”
The Wind-Passing Great Sage glanced toward Jang Woo-hyun, but the response he got was no different from what Seo Ryeom had heard earlier.
“Monkey, do you want to get off too?”
“Khuhuhu.”
At Jang Woo-hyun’s rebuke, Seo Ryeom stifled a laugh beside him, covering his mouth with his hand.
Perhaps because some Beastkin revered the Wind-Passing Great Sage as a god, Seo Ryeom treated him with deep respect—more like one would an elder or a noble figure, unlike Mak Ya-wol’s casual manner.
While the three chatted, the floating woman drew closer to Jang Woo-hyun.
The woman was a sharp-looking middle-aged lady with slightly upturned eyes.
Her neatly pinned-up hair, secured by a jade hairpin, and her pristine white robes reflected a personality that tolerated no disorder.
Wrapped in wind, she finally descended onto the Floating Stronghold.
She had shown no sign of hostility, yet the surrounding martial artists tensed instinctively.
“For the Five Elements Lawkeeper herself to appear... this is unexpected.”
Mak Ya-wol recognized her identity.
It was the Five Elements Cult’s Wu Hobup—the Lawkeeper of the Five Elements.
She was the second-in-command of the vast power that was the Five Elements Cult—a figure of great significance.
Wu Hobup’s gaze swept over Jang Woo-hyun and his companions.
From the Great Monster, Wind-Passing Great Sage, past Mak Ya-wol and Seo Ryeom of the Baekmu Society, her eyes finally met Jang Woo-hyun’s.
“So you are the ones they call the Annihilation Squad? This is our Cult’s territory. What business do you have here without permission?”
Though her words carried no warmth, Jang Woo-hyun didn’t take offense.
The Five Elements Cult was, for all intents and purposes, at war.
Given that, it was understandable for them to be wary of uninvited guests intruding on their land.
But that was only Jang Woo-hyun’s way of thinking—others didn’t see it so gently.
“Watch your tone. You think our Captain is someone to look down on? We saved your people when you couldn’t even defend your own base properly.”
This time, Seo Ryeom spoke with a swagger. Unlike before, when he had been joking around with the Wind-Passing Great Sage, his tone carried clear defiance.
He stepped forward, one step ahead of Jang Woo-hyun. Three swords were already drawn—two in his hands and one in his tail.
“I wasn’t speaking to you.”
Despite Seo Ryeom’s casual challenge, Wu Hobup replied calmly.
“Even if you weren’t, I’ll answer anyway. Maybe start by managing your house pro—”
“We were searching for something.”
Jang Woo-hyun interrupted Seo Ryeom’s words and answered instead.
“Searching, you say. And what might that be?”
“Perhaps you’ve heard of a place called Gwansudo around here—”
Before he could finish, Wu Hobup’s aura shifted violently.
Wind burst outward from her, spreading in all directions.
The force was so sudden that even Jang Woo-hyun and Seo Ryeom were nearly blown back.
As killing intent surged forth, Jang Woo-hyun prepared to respond—
“You wretch. So you’re the one seeking traces of the Gyoma.”
Her voice, now low and calm, was brimming with murderous intent.
The sudden change stunned everyone—but no one more than Jang Woo-hyun.
“What…?”
He hadn’t expected to hear that word.
The moment he heard “Gyoma,” his mind faltered.
Normally, even a surprise attack wouldn’t have caught him off guard—but hearing such an unexpected word delayed his reaction for a heartbeat.
Kaaang!
But he wasn’t alone. Seo Ryeom’s swords clashed against the blast meant for Jang Woo-hyun.
Kiiiiiik—
The wind roaring from Wu Hobup’s hand met Seo Ryeom’s blades with a piercing shriek.
“Captain, I’ll teach her some manners.”
Seo Ryeom grinned, his tail whipping.
He had been itching for a real fight since the battle at the Demon Gathering Hall, where he’d had no chance to join in—and now, he thought, was finally his turn.
But once again, it wasn’t.
Jang Woo-hyun grabbed Seo Ryeom’s tail and yanked him back.
“Urk!”
“Step aside.”
Despite the tense air, Jang Woo-hyun smiled faintly as he looked at Wu Hobup.
Her excitement came from anger, but his came from recognition.
She knew about the island he sought.
And more importantly—she had spoken the word Gyoma.
She knew the Gyoma Divine Alliance’s Kim Min-soo.
“Do you know Senior Kim?”
“…Senior Kim?”
“When you said ‘Gyoma,’ didn’t you mean the man once called Gyoma Divine Alliance?”
For a brief moment, Wu Hobup faltered—the winds swirling around her flickered like ripples on water.
Gradually, her fierce aura subsided. The raging gales quieted.
“You… know the Gyoma?”
Jang Woo-hyun smiled broadly and nodded.
“Gyoma Divine Alliance, Kim Min-soo. I followed Senior Kim’s path and ascended.”
Wu Hobup’s eyes widened as if they would split apart.
“He used to call himself the Gyoma… not exactly the most pleasant title.”
After realizing they both knew Kim Min-soo, Jang Woo-hyun and Wu Hobup began to talk at ease.
“He was a man of many talents. Among everyone I’ve ever met, he was the most exceptional.”
The Gyoma had been gifted in everything.
Even his martial arts surpassed hers—and beyond that, he had mastered both spellcraft and formations.
In Wu Hobup’s eyes, Kim Min-soo’s talent could have ranked among the greatest even within Central Heavens Martial Realm.
“But he always said he wasn’t enough.”
He seemed constantly pursued by something, always making or preparing something new, even when there was no apparent danger.
“Were you close to Senior Kim?”
“Close, huh… I’m not sure. I thought so, but he didn’t. He always kept a wall up, as if warning me not to come any closer.”
Her expression grew wistful as she spoke, but Jang Woo-hyun thought differently.
‘They weren’t just acquaintances.’
He couldn’t say they were lovers, but they certainly weren’t ordinary friends either.
‘That must be why he named the floating island that way.’
The name Kim Min-soo had given him for the floating island was Gwansudo.
And the woman before him—the Lawkeeper of the Five Elements Cult—was Im Gwan-hwa.
The name Gwansudo had been formed from one character each of their names.
There had originally been another name, but since the Kim Min-soo on the Dawn Continent had been only a projection, his memories weren’t complete.
So he had described the place he remembered using the name that existed in his remaining memory.
‘He wouldn’t have named it like that if they were just acquaintances.’
As they spoke further, Wu Hobup—Im Gwan-hwa—explained her relationship with Kim Min-soo as merely that of “acquaintances.”
“Yes, we were just acquaintances. It’s easier if you think of it that way.”
Though she spoke as if indifferent, Jang Woo-hyun could read the emotion behind her eyes. He felt compelled to correct her.
“He probably did that to protect you. Senior Kim must have cared deeply for you, Lawkeeper.”
At that, Im Gwan-hwa’s expression changed once more.
Her gaze turned sharp as she stared at Jang Woo-hyun, so intense that he involuntarily flinched.
‘Did I say something wrong?’
Jang Woo-hyun had no idea what mistake he had made.