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Chapter 314: Listening to the Howl of the Ghost

Splash.

It’s a dark path where not a single light shines.

The only sound that can be heard is the squelching of wet ground beneath my feet.

I try to ignite a flame with my fingertips, but the fire won’t light up ahead even a little.

It seems something special is blocking the light.

“What the hell is this?”

“Can’t see anything, huh?”

It seems the Sleeping Dragon can’t see either.

How long have I been walking?

Is this really the right path to Biwaegun?

I keep moving forward, but the irritation bubbling up inside me is unavoidable.

‘Why does everything I encounter, whether it be Biwaegun or Golden Binding, end up like this?’

Even the Biwaegun of the Geumcheon Clan is weird.

They’re all so strange.

I was able to break through because there was a strange formation at Shinryong Temple.

It’s hard to be certain this is really Biwaegun.

“I haven’t asked yet, but what are we looking for?” the Sleeping Dragon finally asks.

“Us? I’m the one who’s looking for something.”

“Isn’t drawing the line a bit harsh now?”

The Sleeping Dragon chuckles while saying that.

Wondering how I knew about this, why we’re on this path.

What my objective is.

He doesn’t ask anything. He’s always been like that.

If something piques his interest, he’ll just go ahead and try it out.

If not, he often appears half-dead.

Sleepy.

Lazy, or something to that effect.

‘The problem is, there’s a distinct lack of interesting things.’

Is that why he’s called the Sleeping Dragon?

To be honest, I’m more accustomed to how he is now than to any other state.

Splash.

‘Ugh’

O •

With each step I take, I feel like the ground is getting wetter.

What’s this all about?

‘Is this water?’

I bend down and touch the liquid.

It seems to be water.

Colorless and odorless.

Since I had no intention of tasting it, I decided to think of it that way.

Why is water flowing? Where is it coming from?

I was only slightly curious about that.

As I walked for a while longer.

“Mmm.”

“I can see the end.”

At the end of the long corridor.

A faint light appears.

It seems that’s the destination.

Thank goodness, it doesn’t look too deep underground.

I shift my gaze around as I take another step.

How far have I come down?

I can’t really tell, but it feels longer than expected.

‘Spatial distortion, maybe?’

It’s likely due to the formation.

Even when I was going down via the Biwaegun of the Geumcheon Clan, the path leading to the underground felt unusually long.

That must be the same phenomenon at play here.

‘…I can’t believe a formation can do this…’

I’m left wondering.

Who the hell can execute such a formation, and who set it up?

‘By the way… what about him?’

I’m getting anxious about the Sleeping Dragon trailing behind me.

If this path we’re on really leads to Biwaegun.

Can I even bring the Sleeping Dragon along?

That could be a bit of a hassle.

Or not.

I could just give him something and hush him up.

Thinking along those lines, I shake my head.

‘Why should I give him something?’

If I find it, it’s mine. Why should I share that?

‘It seems better to just knock him out and go.’

!

..

If it looks like he’s going to say anything later, I might as well set a Golden Binding on him.

‘What’s the point of being friendly right now?’

Though that’s not a phrase to use in such a situation.

He’d probably let it slide.

‘Speaking of…’

That guy did something similar in his previous life too.

– You bastard…! Didn’t I tell you not to set a Golden Binding?

– If you’re upset, you can just break it and come out.

Anytime he tried to go to a moderately dangerous place, he’d bind me and restrict my movements.

I understood his intentions, but since it was forced upon me, I was pretty annoyed by it.

Furthermore, the Golden Binding I was using was created by the Sleeping Dragon.

It only came out long after the current timeline.

‘He’ll probably release the Golden Binding later, even if it’s modified.’

Since he made it, the Sleeping Dragon will eventually undo it.

Still, he’ll probably fumble around for a while.

‘So I should at least knock him out in the meantime….’

Just as I’m considering that, I look back.

Thud.

“Huh?”

Thud thud!

The Sleeping Dragon is standing behind me, punching the air.

It seems like he’s making noise too.

“What are you doing?”

As I question him in this odd situation.

[Ah, I messed up.]

The Sleeping Dragon says with a grin and an exasperated tone.

Seeing that makes me widen my eyes slightly.

I roughly figure out what’s going on.

‘Is this a double formation?’

Did he mix a formation within a formation?

‘In that case.’

How the hell did I get out here?

It seems designed so that only one could pass through.

It’s likely some sort of special mechanism.

I had no chance of knowing about such a thing.

‘…I really don’t get formations at all.’

In the end, I had to ask the Sleeping Dragon behind me.

[Can you break through? Try opening it a bit like before.]

It seems I have to read his lips since it looks like the sound is blocked.

Of course, sound transmission doesn’t work.

The Sleeping Dragon looks at me incredulously at my question.

[You think it’s that easy?]

[With how you make it look, I thought it was pretty simple.]

[Then you should give it a shot yourself.]

[If I knew how to do that, would I have brought you all the way here?]

[…]

Huff.

I couldn’t hear sound, but I could sense the Sleeping Dragon’s resigned smile.

Thump thump.

I tapped on the wall that’s preventing the Sleeping Dragon from coming through with my hand.

It looks like it isn’t very thin.

Then….

[Step back a bit.]

[Huh?]

After letting those words slip.

Whoosh-!

[Wha-!]

I clenched my fist.

The Sleeping Dragon steps back in shock, seemingly realizing what I’m up to.

Using the recoil from my waist, I throw my punch towards the barrier.

Bam-!

As soon as my fist made contact with the barrier, a loud crash echoed, spreading vibrations everywhere.

Rumble….

Dust shook in the corridor, indicating that the impact had made its mark.

[It didn’t break.]

The barrier remained intact.

It seems this can’t be destroyed by brute force easily.

[What the hell. Are you really hitting this?]

The Sleeping Dragon, looking at my actions, surprisingly expresses a huge reaction.

What’s with him?

[Just must try and find out if it breaks.]

[If you knew even a bit about formations, you wouldn’t have used such a crazy method, especially not against a formation this strong.]

[Like I said before, if I knew, I wouldn’t have brought you here.]

Thud thud.

I struck the barrier once more with my hand, and it didn’t show a scratch.

‘What a letdown.’

The reason I tried hitting this wasn’t to actually break it and drag the Sleeping Dragon out.

‘I figured if it was hard to break, he wouldn’t be able to get through either.’

It was a way to see if the Sleeping Dragon could pass through this barrier.

[Can’t you solve it like last time?]

Just as the Sleeping Dragon had figured something out before entering the formation.

Couldn’t he invade it and dismantle it?

In response, the Sleeping Dragon shakes his head.

[Can’t do it. I can’t hear anything. This is a different formation from before.]

I wondered who the crazy guy was that solved a formation through sound.

But I couldn’t say much, since the Sleeping Dragon was actually doing that.

[So you mean you can’t solve it?]

He nods.

Then, it seems I can just leave it be.

Maybe the Sleeping Dragon realized that as well.

Suddenly, he just plops down on the ground.

Wasn’t there water on the floor…?

[What are you doing?]

[This is better than getting knocked out. I’ll wait here.]

I was quite surprised to see the Sleeping Dragon saying that.

That guy… he figured I’d knock him out and leave.

He’s quick-witted, that’s for sure.

From my perspective, it was a relief he’s just voluntarily waiting.

[Can’t you just wait outside instead?]

I suggest that since it seems logical, but the Sleeping Dragon glances at where we entered and looks back at me.

[Can’t leave.]

[What?]

[It’s blocked right now.]

When the Sleeping Dragon said that, I tilted my head.

He said the entrance was blocked? My surprise causes him to continue explaining.

[Something needs to be resolved inside before it can open. That’s how these formations generally operate.]

Even after hearing his explanation.

Something feels off about the situation.

‘How much time do we have left?’

The Sword Demoness is currently entangled with the Cheonghae Ilgeom.

It’s already urgent, and now they say I have to resolve something inside.

This situation’s going all kinds of wrong.

‘…Since when have I been lucky?’

It feels like I’ve consistently messed everything up.

I have to try something regardless, so I decided to leave the Sleeping Dragon behind and head toward the exit.

Though I’m uneasy about leaving the Sleeping Dragon alone.

He said he can’t get out, so I have no choice.

I’ll have to go in and figure things out.

If that’s the only path ahead, then I’ll take it.

Splash.

The sound of water still persists.

As I approach the door, the sound intensifies.

It’s as if the water level has risen.

‘I think it’s up to my thighs now.’ The water, which had been at my ankles to begin with, is now up to my thighs.

I need to figure out what this liquid is.

As far as I know, there shouldn’t be a lake near Shinryong Temple.

Could it be subterranean water?

Pondering that thought, I moved closer to the entrance.

‘Inside…’ The environment beyond the doorway isn’t clearly visible.

Is it also the influence of the formation?

I reach out.

Whoosh.

As my fingertips touch it, ripples spread like a wave.

There’s no sensation of anything obstructing.

My hand smoothly crosses over to the other side.

It seems there isn’t another formation like when I blocked the Sleeping Dragon behind me.

The only slight oddity is.

‘It’s like I’m entering water.’

The sensation of crossing the entrance feels akin to submerging in water, and it’s mildly unsettling.

Bzzz.

As I push my body through the entrance.

Fortunately, the uncomfortable feeling I just experienced dissipates.

Whoosh.

As I enter through the doorway, I have to squint at the sudden burst of light.

In terms of time, it feels like no more than a few seconds.

Squinting, I force my eyes to adjust to the light, making myself open my eyes even wider.

“…!”

The environment within the formation I behold makes me involuntarily gasp.

‘What is this?’

Roots.

The roots of a tree cover the room.

Unlike the dark path I just traversed, this place isn’t shrouded in shadow.

Due to that, everything is visible, and it feels bizarre.

‘…There are no torches.’

There’s nothing to illuminate the room, yet it’s so bright down here.

Furthermore.

‘Is that water…?’

The negligible amount of water on the floor doesn’t seem to pass beyond the entrance I came through.

Something.

Something feels off.

‘This.’

I feel an inexplicable unease and splash the water on the ground with my foot.

Just then.

For a moment, it seems like a droplet is bouncing before freezing in mid-air.

‘Could it be.’

I recall a sensation I had before.

In a distant place, in a similar context, near Hanam.

When I met Shin Noya, a comrade in the past called a hero.

I felt the same sensation of time freezing, like in that previous encounter.

Does that mean.

‘This space is also related to their daily lives?’

I wasn’t entirely certain.

But given this unusual experience, it wasn’t unfathomable to make such predictions.

The range that could emit this distortion is likely limited to this room after crossing the entrance.

‘What’s the state of the room?’

Unlike the path where water reached my thighs, the water here only barely moistens my feet.

Among the roots that cover the room, an unknown cloth conceals several items.

This appears to be.

‘It’s definitely Biwaegun.’

If it doesn’t look like Biwaegun, then what else could it be?

Even more so, there weren’t even any items in the Geumcheon Clan.

There was just a large serpent claiming to be Biwaegun.

Moreover, inspecting the cloth reveals it’s clean, with a sense of not having existed there long.

Perhaps it’s due to the formation, giving the appearance that time has stopped.

‘Good.’

This isn’t bad at all.

This suggests that the condition of the stored items may be relatively good.

I swallowed my saliva briefly.

Then approached the piled-up items.

I wouldn’t be able to take everything, so I needed to collect what I required.

‘Necessary items.’

Most likely, it would lean toward elixirs.

But since I didn’t know what might be available, I had to search carefully.

‘…If time is halted, perhaps I have a bit of leeway?’

While that’s a possible way to think, I didn’t know the situation outside, so I couldn’t dawdle.

‘Was it like this back then?’

When the Heavenly Demon discovered this place, it didn’t seem like it felt this way back then.

After I found this place, what might have transpired during the time the Heavenly Demon eventually stumbled upon it?

Even I had no clue about that.

‘I also need to look for what the Sword Demoness asked for.’

What did she say again?

Plum Blossom Stone, wasn’t it?

I didn’t quite catch the details of its appearance, so I’m not certain.

But she said it was Hwasan’s Treasure.

I can’t fathom why the Sword Demoness believed such a thing would be here.

So her objective is likely to retrieve Hwasan’s treasure that may lie buried here.

‘Thinking of it that way, there’s some logic to it, but…’

It seems pretty troublesome to say that.

The existence of the Sword Demoness doesn’t feel like one who’d go through this much trouble for it.

‘What even is a treasure?’

Though they’re often said to be symbolic, in the end, they’re still just objects.

‘Thinking of something like Thunder Fang, it’s not all straightforward….’

While some treasures offer substantial help to martial artists, others are generally irrelevant.

Those are typically called symbolic treasures.

The treasures I’ve brought back to Hwasan, too.

The treasures stored in the Geumcheon Clan are usually like that.

‘Searching for treasures like this feels a tad unsettling.’

It makes me feel like a grave robber, to be honest.

Well, it’s not just that. It’s that I actually feel that way.

‘With no owner, it’s technically mine to take, isn’t it?’

I decided to think about it like that.

It’s better for me to take it than for the Heavenly Demon to discover it later.

‘For now, I need to check what’s here.’

I reached my hand out to the nearest pile.

Since I ought to be able to learn something by unwrapping the cloth.

Just then, as I was about to grab the cloth covering the item.

– Halt.

Stop.

A voice emerged behind me.

It was a low yet deep voice.

Immediately, I channeled my energy and turned around.

The sound came from behind me.

There stood a figure I wasn’t aware of.

No.

‘…Should I even call that a person?’

More accurately, it’s correct to say it’s a human figure.

Because the entity before me seemed somewhat translucent.

‘…What the hell is this? Is it a ghost?’

While I involuntarily shivered in fear, the unknown entity in front of me opened its mouth toward me.

– Who are you…?

It appeared to be slightly over the age of youth.

With golden hair reminiscent of a shorn sword.

Looking at its well-built physique, it seemed like a martial artist like me.

At the very least, it meant he wasn’t an ordinary person.

That golden-haired man looked at me with a somewhat puzzled expression.

Who are you?

“…That’s what I’d like to ask.”

That’s the very question I wanted to pose.

What is its true identity?

Should I prepare for combat, wondering if it could be an enemy, as I pondered that.

The man looked at me, glancing up and down before finally saying with a somewhat cold gaze.

– You’re not Shin Cheol.

The name felt oddly familiar.

 

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