The Illusion Shatters

‘They called me a guide, but they haven’t once asked me to find the way.’

It was a constant pattern: Baek Geon-ha and Mu Il-young strode forward with purpose, while Seol Ah-heon panted along behind them. Seol Ah-heon was exhausted, but it must have been a nuisance for the other two as well; yet, for some reason, they didn’t abandon him.

He wondered if they were guarding him to prevent an escape, but he quickly shook the thought away. The Gu worm was nestled in his dantian. The moment he defied Baek Geon-ha’s will, agonizing pain would crawl through him. He’d have to be insane to run. Even if he succeeded in fleeing, the Gu would go berserk and end his life anyway.

“A powerful illusion array encompasses the entire valley,” Mu Il-young reported upon his return.

“You found it sooner than expected.”

“I haven’t fully deciphered it yet. We must deactivate the illusion first to find the entrance to the secret chamber.”

“What do you need?”

“Nothing else.”

“Good. Then disable it at once.”

“It’s not something that can be rushed, however…….”

Despite his words, Mu Il-young scanned the valley with sharp eyes. He began inspecting the bizarre rock formations one by one. To Seol Ah-heon, they were just strangely shaped stones, but the expert’s eyes clearly saw something different.

One particular rock was thick with moss. It had been settled there for so long that vines coiled around it, making it look like a giant ball of green yarn. Mu Il-young observed it intently.

Pop!

Suddenly, a crisp sound rang out. What is this, an item acquisition sound effect? Seol Ah-heon turned his head to see Baek Geon-ha holding a white porcelain gourd. At some point, he had released his disguise and Bone-Squeezing Art, returning to his original, striking appearance.

“Why? Do you want a drink too, you mouse?”

“……Alcohol? More importantly, did that sound come from you, Young Leader?”

“Yes.”

Baek Geon-ha shook the bottle pointedly. It was the Geumnamchun left over from yesterday. The stopper was tied to the neck with a string; the “pop” had likely been the sound of him uncorking it.

“Are you drinking right now?”

While your subordinate is running around trying to dismantle a formation? Seol Ah-heon swallowed the rest of that thought. Still, his incredulous gaze likely got the message across.

“On a good day, one must naturally drink.”

He tilted the gourd. Swish, swish. Because the surroundings were so silent, the sound of the swaying liquor was audible, followed by the sound of him swallowing. And then—

“……Huh?”

Lurch. The world tilted.

No, perhaps it was he who tilted.

As if something had gone wrong with his inner ear, it became impossible to maintain his balance. His body swayed, but he couldn’t tell in which direction.

“Whoa, woah…….”

Seol Ah-heon collapsed limply like a paper doll. Unfortunately, he fell toward Baek Geon-ha and ended up grabbing the man’s shoulder.

“I-I-I’m so sorry!”

Despite his fuzzy head, he snapped to attention. He tried to scramble up, but since his sense of balance hadn’t returned, he toppled over again. This time, he ended up practically hugging Baek Geon-ha.

His face was buried in the man’s chest. The sensation of pectoral muscles that were not just firm but rock-hard made his logic slip away for a moment.

“S-sorry, I’m s-so sorry…….”

“If you’re sorry, then get off.”

Despite the words, Baek Geon-ha didn’t push him away. In fact, didn’t he just wrap an arm around his waist?

A large palm swept down his back. There was no way Baek Geon-ha would do such a thing to a man, yet it felt strangely like he was being toyed with. The movement of the fingers, like tapping piano keys, was extremely peculiar. Eventually, the hand slipped beneath the hem of his clothes. This couldn’t be an accident. It was definitely intentional.

“Uh…….”

Seol Ah-heon was stuck. One moment the man told him to get lost, the next he was holding him and meddling. He didn’t know which beat to dance to.

‘What on earth are you thinking?’

He stole a glance up at Baek Geon-ha. Surprisingly, the man had a serious expression. Why the solemn atmosphere while shamelessly pawing at someone else’s body?

“……Now that I look at you,” Baek Geon-ha finally spoke. Seol Ah-heon, who had been staring at the man’s lips, swallowed hard. “For a brat with a cock, you’ve managed to master ice arts remarkably well.”

“Pardon? Ah, yes…….”

He wasn’t sure what that meant. Regardless, he was a brat with a cock and he had mastered ice arts, so he just nodded.

“Is this extreme cold energy because of the Soul-Freezing Pill?”

Baek Geon-ha traced the tip of his finger over Seol Ah-heon’s skin, as if exploring an unknown object. The touch made Seol Ah-heon increasingly uncomfortable.

“No, if you mastered ice arts, you would have built up extreme internal energy long before that……. Your master had the Nine Yin Meridians; is the disciple of the same constitution?”

“…….”

He seemed to be talking to himself. Seol Ah-heon didn’t know what thoughts were flowing through that head, but he just wanted to be let go. He gave Baek Geon-ha’s chest a timid push.

“Um, if I could just…….”

“You want me to let go?”

“I-I would appreciate it.”

“Fine.”

Baek Geon-ha released him instantly. As a result, Seol Ah-heon tumbled harshly onto the rocks.

‘Hey, you could have given me a second to find my balance!’

He grumbled while rubbing his sore knees. Regardless, he was glad to be out of those arms. His sense of balance seemed to have returned.

“……Wait?”

Something was bizarre. When he looked up, the surroundings had completely changed.

What kind of sorcery was this? It had been a lush, green forest, but now the trees were all withered and dry. The green leaves and the vines coiling up the trunks had vanished as if they had never existed. The only things that remained the same were the bizarre rock formations.

It felt like dreaming with his eyes wide open—an uncertain dream that sat somewhere between a nightmare and a vision.

“……It’s strange.”

“What is strange?” Baek Geon-ha asked at the accidental murmur. Seol Ah-heon turned to look at him.

“The scenery. Doesn’t it look strange to you, Young Leader? All those lush leaves are gone, and the trees are parched. The change is too drastic.”

“It hasn’t changed. It has revealed its true form,” Baek Geon-ha said casually. But Seol Ah-heon couldn’t shake the eerie feeling.

“……Then it was an illusion? Every tree we saw since entering this valley?”

“Yes. Isn’t it refreshing? The stagnant air has finally dispersed.”

“To be honest…… I’m not so sure.”

“That’s because you’re a mouse. You naturally live in dark and damp environments.”

“…….”

For a man from the Demonic Cult—the darkest place of all—to say that. To Seol Ah-heon, the valley felt far more desolate now. It felt as if early summer had suddenly turned into the dead of winter.

“Is the lack of life in this valley due to the influence of the Mad-Blood Demonic Sword?”

Baek Geon-ha didn’t answer, instead walking toward Mu Il-young. Seol Ah-heon followed him quickly. This time, it wasn’t because he was worried about falling behind.

‘I’m scared to be alone……!’

The atmosphere was so ghostly that it wouldn’t be strange if a spirit popped out. Originally, Seol Ah-heon didn’t believe in ghosts. But now, he couldn’t be sure. In a world where one could possess another body, manipulate internal energy, and use Sword Qi, why wouldn’t ghosts exist?

Baek Geon-ha was scary, but at least he was a living human. Besides, he felt like even a ghost wouldn’t dare approach the man.

‘Since he uses Extreme Yang martial arts.’

Not all Demonic Cult arts were the same. The arts learned varied by rank and constitution, and the Young Leader, as the Heavenly Demon’s disciple, could learn the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. In Baek Geon-ha’s case, he was known to have mastered the Lightning Demonic Art—an Extreme Yang style—alongside it. That was information from the mid-to-late parts of The Legend of Mount Hua, so he wasn’t sure of the man’s current progress, but…

‘They say ghosts hate Yang energy.’

Given his martial arts, Baek Geon-ha’s body would be packed with Yang energy, enough to drive away any spirit. He might even be better at exorcism than those Qingcheng Taoists he met yesterday.

Thinking such things that would have offended the Taoists, Seol Ah-heon scurried after Baek Geon-ha. Suddenly, Baek Geon-ha drew his sword.

“I-I’m sorry, Young Leader!”

Seol Ah-heon reflexively took a defensive stance. It would be useless if Baek Geon-ha actually intended to strike, but his body moved on instinct.

Swish!

But Baek Geon-ha didn’t attack him. His sword was aimed at a rock.

‘……Eh?’

Baek Geon-ha slashed through the vines as if clearing away a nuisance. A golden energy flickered on his blade; he had even used Sword Qi. Why use precious Sword Qi for weeding? Seol Ah-heon relaxed and watched the man’s eccentric behavior.

Before long, the vines were all cleared away. Even the moss on the rock’s surface was scorched black by the Sword Qi and crumbled away. Finally, the rock’s true form was revealed.

“This is…… a Buddha statue,” Seol Ah-heon said.

He had thought it was just a common boulder on the mountain, but now he saw it was a statue. It looked as though it had been carved by a skilled stonemason. Seol Ah-heon scanned the statue slowly. Perhaps due to years of weathering, the features and the hands were blunt, but they must have been delicate once.