861——————==

True Martial Home

Right after I defeated Musashi, I was out of my mind, but I quickly calmed down and assessed the situation. First, I decided to check my own physical condition.

‘Three fingers are cut off, there’s a big stab wound in my abdomen, and my stamina and energy are almost depleted.’

If I had fought a little longer, I would have definitely died. However, even in this exhausted state, as long as I could regulate my breathing, I could quickly recover at least some inner power, so I was still okay.

I regulated my breath with Qi techniques and recovered my inner power while simultaneously checking on Musashi.

‘His chest was pierced by my sword qi, but it’s not on the side where his heart is. Exhausted, but it’s not a fatal injury. So, he’s currently unconscious.’

It seemed that the last sword technique I unleashed struck his mental strength more than causing physical harm. I have no idea how that works, but anyway, Musashi was severely wounded but not fatally, so I could definitely save him.

I quickly took out a golden needle from my wooden armor, pressed it against Musashi’s acupoint, and used Hua Clan’s medical techniques to stop his bleeding.

Ouch.

My stomach hurt. Naturally, since it almost split open and my innards were about to spill out. Even though I temporarily healed his wound with the Qi treatment, a severe injury is still a severe injury.

“Ugh!”

Even though I was more injured, it was ridiculous that I had to heal Musashi first, but I had no choice.

After finishing the first aid on Musashi, I put him back in the wooden armor and, when I was about to activate the Golden Lamp, it happened.

Oh no!

Golden Lamp wasn’t working…!!

‘There’s a barrier set up!’

Before the fight, there was no barrier interfering with my movement! That means someone is targeting me right now?

I tensed up, slowly raised my sword, and scanned the surroundings. A moment later, I heard a gloomy voice.

“What an interesting show, Divine Thief.”

“Who are you…?”

“Is that your real form right now? I’m curious after seeing you use transformation techniques so versatilely earlier.”

“……”

I almost blurted out his name but barely restrained myself.

‘Zhuge Yulong!’

There he was, a refined scholar with a dozen astrologers in tow, the clan leader of the Zhuge family, and the black mask of the imperial palace—Zhuge Yulong! Not only was he one of the leaders of the top three factions, but he was also an intermediary manager in the Demon Subduing Hall, manipulating the Great Ming Empire from the shadows. His martial arts and techniques had reached a high realm, and I certainly couldn’t easily defeat him in the current state.

Flanking Zhuge Yulong were two others. I recognized their faces, and my expression hardened.

‘…Zhuge Bu. Yong Junil…!!’

This is the worst.

It’s clear that Zhuge Yulong sensed my one-on-one duel with Musashi, secretly followed, and brought his whole crew for encirclement. Zhuge Bu, being Yulong’s closest aide, was definitely along for the ride, and Yong Junil was connected to the astrologer faction through the Wind Spirit Sect, so it wasn’t surprising they were together.

Moreover, hadn’t Yong Junil attached surveillance on me with his techniques in the past? The Shura Sect, which was operating underground, was a subordinate faction of the Wind Spirit Sect as well.

Perhaps because of that, Yong Junil smirked and spoke to me.

“Haha, Divine Thief. For a pickpocket, you sure have some remarkable skills. If you were in top condition, I doubt even I could win against you in a one-on-one duel. You’re one of the closest to the peak among all martial artists in the world.”

He stroked his chin.

“I really don’t get it. With that level of skill, why are you out here pickpocketing?”

“…I don’t understand what you’re saying. Divine Thief? What do you mean by that?”

“No need to play coy. The fact that we’re here means you’re definitely the Divine Thief, right?”

Yong Junil slowly raised his sword to take a stance. It felt like a typical stance from the Wind Spirit Sect, but at the same time, I could sense him pouring the spirit of the Four Divine Sword Form into his sword qi. Indeed, at this point, Yong Junil had also mastered the Four Divine Sword Form to a degree and was no novice, meaning a proper confrontation wouldn’t be easy.

I glanced at Zhuge Bu and Zhuge Yulong. Then I addressed Zhuge Yulong.

“Why didn’t you attack while Musashi and I were fighting? It would have been easier for you guys to do that.”

“To attack mid-fight… Well, with absolute masters like you, you might halt your duel and team up against us. And as you venture deeper into that life-and-death battle, you’d exhaust all your techniques, an opportunity we couldn’t let slip by.”

“Because of that, your intentions became clear. You plan to capture me at all costs.”

As I listened to Zhuge Yulong, I pondered.

‘What to do? Should I die, or should I run away?’

Suicide does seem like the easiest option. After all, I gained the fortuitous encounter of being a Divine Thief, obtained the basic techniques of the Technique of All Things and the Heavenly Palms, even defeated Musashi. It might be better just to off myself rather than get caught up with these guys and mess everything up. Trying to escape would be exceedingly difficult. Yet, I felt an unsettling feeling. Was this situation really a crisis? I wanted to explore another path if there was one.

‘Alright… Since it’s come to this, let’s just go for it.’

I fell silent for a moment, then decided and spoke up.

“Do you know about the apocalypse that will arrive 500 years from now?”

“…….”

“I’m moving to prevent it. Don’t get in my way.”

The astrologers behind me looked at me as if I were out of my mind. And rightfully so; a mysterious Divine Thief who was suddenly dueling Musashi in a remote area talking about the end of the world would sound absurd.

But at that moment, I sensed Zhuge Yulong and Yong Junil’s expressions shift slightly. My words had shaken their hearts. Just as I guessed, both Zhuge Yulong and Yong Junil, as reborn individuals, couldn’t ignore the notion of the world’s apocalypse.

To drive the nail in further, I spilled more information.

“Don’t attack me. If you do, I will commit suicide. Then you’ll have no idea why Chi You suddenly disappeared, and the Eight Parts of the Divine roam the world.”

“……?”

“It’d be better to join hands with me before the Earth Star Eight Trigrams Diagram ends up in the wrong hands… The Eight Parts of the Divine can no longer be controlled by her.”

Zhuge Bu seemed perplexed, giving orders to the astrologers in the back.

“What nonsense is this? What a madman. Everyone set up the Five Elements Barrier and capture him…”

Stop.

“Enough.”

The moment Zhuge Yulong raised his hand to silence Zhuge Bu, it seemed like the techniques were sealed instantly, and Zhuge Bu stuttered, unable to say a word. It looked like he had been silenced with a ban technique.

Zhuge Yulong stared at me with a serious expression and said.

“That spirit, it doesn’t seem to be false. Let’s have a more serious conversation.”

“Cough! Cough!!”

I tried to speak but grimaced as blood and bits of my innards spluttered out.

“Damn it… First, dissolve the encirclement and barrier.”

“That’s impossible. You possess a demon artifact that allows for time and space travel, making it difficult to track you. However, I might give you a breath-enhancing potion.”

Swish.

Zhuge Yulong tossed me a pendant, and I caught it in mid-air. Upon closer inspection, it was a high-grade spiritual pill known as Bae Hwan Dan. But I wasn’t sure what kind of trick Zhuge Yulong had played on it, so I decided against eating it and instead smirked.

“Hehe… Desperate times, huh? After cutting ties with Chi You, you now think of seeking another path as you’ll become a puppet to the Demon Subduing Hall.”

“Who are you? How much do you know?”

“As I said, someone worried about the world’s destruction. Just like you, I want to avoid the apocalypse…”

“…….”

“I have a proposition for you. What I want is to subdue the King of the Life Sea and enter it. If you cooperate with this, I will provide you with all the information I have, including the whereabouts of Chi You and the circumstances of his disappearance.”

Choosing between dying or escaping doesn’t suit my temperament.

After 27 lifetimes, can I really leave only cowardly options? If I can, I might as well use Zhuge Yulong for my goals. If I get his help, it might make it easier to take down the King of the Life Sea.

“Hmm… Are you talking about Aokigahara Life Sea?”

“Exactly.”

Zhuge Yulong seemed to contemplate for a while. Then he said.

“Alright.”

Whoosh.

At that moment, the barrier dissolved. I slightly placed my hand on the Golden Lamp, and seeing that it responded this time indicated that the mobility barrier was indeed lifted. I could have fled right there, but while standing, I maintained my Qi techniques and held my ground as I said.

“See you in ten nights. Let’s meet at the peak of Guangling Peak in the 24 Peaks of Huangshan.”

“Understood.”

“Let it be known that I absolutely despise human sacrifice or demon arts. Don’t cross me.”

“Noted.”

Whoosh!!

As soon as I finished speaking, I activated the Golden Lamp to head to a deserted area and used the Fire Eye Golden Spirit to check whether any tracking techniques or suspicious clairvoyance were following me. Once I confirmed there was nothing, I then headed to find Hwa Seong-myeong, who was in Goryeo.

Damn it… I meant to go straight to Zhuge Sa, but in this state, that’s not an option. I can’t endure much longer.

My injuries are too severe.

At this point, even if I’m a master of Qi techniques, I would die.

I could go to Zhuge Sa, but it would be some bizarre technique involving body transplants with demon arts or soul exchange techniques, so it’d be better to visit Hwa Seong-myeong.

I presented a significant treasure to Hwa Seong-myeong, requesting healing for both me and Musashi. Hwa Seong-myeong accepted the proposal.

“That works.”

“And please investigate the ingredients of this Bae Hwan Dan. I need to ensure there’s nothing suspicious…”

“Sure.”

“Since my fingers are here, if possible, could you reattach them?”

“They’re neatly severed, so it should be doable.”

Soon, I consumed the Demon Waste Potion and slipped into a state of unconsciousness. Not just anyone, but Hwa Seong-myeong is a true physician who wouldn’t do anything shady while putting a patient to sleep, so I could trust him.

After being in a coma for a while, I awoke to a morning shrouded in a thin mist, lying in a chamber.

My body was densely covered with golden needles, and the stab wounds in my abdomen had all healed. He must have used a technique from the Hua Clan that pulls human energy to enhance natural recovery. I calmly extracted the needles one by one, based on the sequence I remembered from the Hua Clan’s acupuncture methods, then got up.

As I walked outside, I found Musashi standing at the pond with his back turned.

“You’ve finally woken up after three days.”

“Musashi.”

“Hwa Seong-myeong went out for other business. He’ll be back in two moments.”

“I see.”

Musashi appeared to have recovered much quicker as he was less injured than I. He glanced over at me and said.

“Promises are promises. I’ll tell you about the Lunar Kill Technique and the King of the Life Sea.”

“…You’re not asking what kind of person I am?”

“That’s none of my concern. I’m just here to fulfill a promise as a martial artist.”

“……”

It was a simple statement, but oddly, I felt a sense of trust building from those words. I thought such a personality truly fit a martial artist. After a moment, Musashi began to speak.

“To talk about the Lunar Kill Technique, it can’t be summed up in just a few words.”

“Really?”

“It was my life and soul. I can discuss the King of the Life Sea briefly, but the Lunar Kill Technique isn’t something that can be explained so simply.”

“……”

Miyamoto Musashi shifted his gaze to the sky.

“First, I should start with my past story….”