Book 12 Chapter 21

The Administrator of the First Gate

- Jongkwa, Flying Through Clouds

Peaks like giant spears pierced the plain of white clouds, as if they were sheets of paper.

As one of the Five Great Mountains of the Central Plains, their height was such that even clouds dared not reach them.

They were currently climbing one of these treacherous peaks.

The ridgeline protruded unevenly like a broken saw against the backdrop of a blue sky dotted with white clouds. As expected, the path was arduous. In fact, it was questionable whether it could even be called a path. It seemed that outstanding scenery and rare sights were inevitably accompanied by difficult paths.

However, they had no choice but to ascend or descend. The conclusion had already been decided before the choice was made. They rapidly ascended the steep slope using their internal energy techniques.

It wasn't a particularly pleasant feeling.

After about half an hour of hacking through dense weeds and thick branches, they encountered a sudden obstacle and were forced to stop. It was a massive gateway created by the hand of nature.

"Hey, you there! Ice-block! Did you get lost or something?" Yeomdo asked in an irritated voice.

"No! This is definitely the way!" Binggeom replied with a confident voice.

"Hmph, then you must be directionally challenged." Binggeom's temples twitched at Yeomdo's harsh words.

"This is definitely the right path. I swear on my honor!"

"Then what is that?" Yeomdo pointed with his hand. A cliff about twenty paces high lay before them, and the opposite cliff seemed seven or eight paces higher than this side. However, there was no bridge to cross to the other side, no matter how hard they looked. There was, of course, no bypass.

"Heh heh heh, he is not lost. He is even less directionally challenged. In fact, he found his way perfectly."

At that moment, all eyes of the delegation turned towards the source of the voice. An old man, clad in shabby gray clothes that were no different from rags, was sitting on a black rock. The old man's hair was disheveled, far from neat, and his face was weary, as if he had experienced countless hardships and life's journeys.

"May I ask who you are, elder?" Binggeom stepped forward as the representative and asked.

"I am just an insignificant old man who guards this place. Ho ho ho ho!" The old man replied with a bright smile.

"Are you perhaps an elder from your sect, Nohak?" Nangung Sang, poking him in the side, asked provocatively. Nohak frowned and shook his head.

"I don't think so. I've never heard of anyone looking like that being in the Cheonmu Peak of Hwasan. Besides, if he were a gatekeeper, his reputation would have spread."

"It feels like this place is a location that is probably unknown to the world, and should not be known. It feels like a different martial world exists here, entirely separate from the martial world we know. What will unfold before our eyes?" Nangung Sang clenched his fists, his heart pounding like a boy in love. The blood flowing through his veins gradually quickened. He was strongly dominated by the feeling that what he would see, hear, and experience from now on would be completely different from anything before, filled with new and astonishing wonders and shock.

However, no one could have predicted how much despairing fear it would engrave in their hearts, to the point of being wondrously horrifying.

The old man's body, sitting on a rock that resembled a crouching giant toad, appeared extremely frail. He seemed too small, less than half the height of an average person, looking like he wouldn't even have the strength to lift a pair of chopsticks. Next to the old man, two uniquely shaped wooden sticks were neatly placed on either side.

"Nice to meet you. I am Gwan Cheolsu, leading the delegation from the Hwasan Covenant Branch of the Cheonmu Academy. If you don't mind, could you please tell me your honored name, senior?" Binggeom bowed again and asked respectfully. He must have judged that the person in such a place could never be ordinary.

"Ho ho ho, no need for such a grand name… this old man's name is Jongkwa. In the distant past, I was once called by the empty title of Flying Through Clouds (비공답운)." The old man's words, spoken casually, had an immense ripple effect of shock.

"Bi, Bi Gong Da Un Jongkwa! The number one lightness skill in the world!" Binggeom and the rest of the delegation could not believe it. The title Bi Gong Da Un had made a name for itself in the martial world a hundred years ago, but its fame had not yet been forgotten by people. Everyone heard his name at least once when learning about lightness skills.

Bi Gong Da Un Jongkwa! This man, who bore the title of flying through the sky and treading on clouds, was a legend in terms of lightness skills.

'If you want to know what is faster than the wind, meet Jongkwa!' At that time, such words were circulating as an evaluation of him, so one could easily guess how high the realm of lightness skills he had achieved was. He was also called a speed demon due to his obsession with speed. He had been missing since the Heavenly Calamity Blood Sea, and his whereabouts were unknown. To meet such a legendary figure in this remote mountain valley was astonishing.

However, the astonishment felt by the people when this immensely famous old man stood up holding the two sticks beside him was like a drop in the ocean compared to what followed. People's eyes widened as if they would tear open. He had no legs, which were his pride and symbol that had created his legend. His legs were symbols of speed, swiftness. A hundred years ago, his feet and his two legs were imbued with speed and swiftness. But now, a hundred years later, those symbols were no longer present anywhere on his body.

The old man's height was less than half that of an ordinary person. Both of his legs had been severed, and where his legs should have been, there was only emptiness, with his loose trousers fluttering in the wind. Instead, he held two long wooden staffs in his hands. It was likely that these two thin, long wooden staffs were serving as his legs.

"Th-that, what is that?" Nangung Sang asked in a trembling voice, his gaze fixed on the empty trouser legs.

"Ah, this? It's nothing much. It's a lifelong bitter lesson for a moment of arrogance…" A bitter and sweet smile spread across Bi Gong Da Un Jongkwa's face. However, it was impossible for something like that to be "nothing much."

"Don't look at me with such obvious pity. Even without my legs, I can still perform tricks like this!"

*Swish!* In an instant, Jongkwa disappeared from Nangung Sang's sight.

*Thwack!* Shortly after, a wooden stick was placed on Nangung Sang's shoulder from behind him. Surprisingly, it was Jongkwa's right crutch. Jongkwa, who had suddenly appeared behind Nangung Sang, had placed his right crutch on his shoulder while supporting his entire body with his left crutch.

"You were careless, young man! You are already dead by my sword. You shouldn't underestimate me just because I am disabled. Even though this old man is old and has lost both legs, I can still perform tricks like this." Nangung Sang's back was drenched in cold sweat. The moment the crutch was placed on his shoulder, it felt as if a sharp sword had grazed his neck. In that moment, he experienced his own death. His heart grew cold.

It wasn't just Nangung Sang who was shocked by Jongkwa's movement. The other members of the delegation also looked back and forth at the disabled old man and Nangung Sang, who had let his guard down. Many of them had not been able to fully grasp the old man's movements.

Only after the crutch was removed from his shoulder could Nangung Sang move his frozen body. While the crutch was on his shoulder, he was completely immobile, like a butterfly caught in a spiderweb.

"This old man will tell you an old story. Think of it as entertainment before undertaking this test. Like all old stories, this one will also hold a valuable lesson. And about the origin of this gate."

"Origin?"

"As you have heard, you must pass through three gates. Each gate has its own origin. Of course, you may not want to hear it."

"?" Jongkwa's words, trailing off with gloomy eyes, were strange. However, it didn't take long to realize that his words were true.

"About a hundred years ago, there was a man. He suddenly appeared one day without any warning. No one knew where he came from. Of course, at first, no one paid attention to his existence. Such things always happened. But soon, people had to change their complacent thoughts. Five sects, seven associations (會), and two prestigious academies were destroyed or sealed by his hand. Indifference quickly turned into shock, confusion, and fear. Many people and sects submitted to his boundless power. No one knew why he did such things. However, it was clear that there was no power in the martial world at that time to stop him. The fear he emanated began to spread throughout the martial world. Everyone feared him. Eventually, just hearing his name would send shivers down their spines and make their knees weak. Therefore, even uttering his name became taboo."

People's faces changed strangely. As they continued to listen to Jongkwa's story, it sounded very familiar.

"That fear was so great and terrible that for a while, no one dared to try to stop him. Those who challenged his name became unreturning guests, without exception. Now he had become fear itself. The owner of a name that no one wanted to speak, that they were afraid to even recall. He gathered those who submitted to his fear and pledged obedience, forming a massive force, and sat on its throne. Thus, he became the master of the Heavenly Calamity Spirit (천겁령). People, filled with fear, dread, and despair, called him the Blood God of Heavenly Calamity (천겁혈신)."

Surprise appeared on everyone's faces. They were listening to the most taboo story in the martial world. Their hearts pounded as if they would burst. Their throats felt parched, as if they had swallowed red-hot coals from a furnace, and their blood flowed through their bodies like a river in the rainy season. They could instinctively feel it. Even though the old man was speaking calmly, as if nothing was wrong, his words held tremors of fear that could never be erased by the radiance of tens of thousands of suns and moons or the winds of a hundred years.

"The man who was close to invincible even when alone, and who had gathered a vast demonic force, could not be stopped by the already depleted martial world. He wanted everyone, whether righteous or evil, to submit to his power. At that time, the first Joint Alliance of Righteous and Evil Martial Arts Conference was held. Amidst continuous defeats and deaths, people thought, 'This won't do! We must find another way!' However, no one came up with a clear solution. Then an old man stepped forward and said, 'I have a good idea!' The ears of those who were desperate for any hope turned towards the old man. The old man said again, 'Our forces are scattered, making us disadvantaged! We must gather our scattered strength to confront that demon! Without doing so, there is no hope of victory!' 'How?' someone asked. 'We will set a trap. We will lure him to a place of our choosing!' the old man replied. 'A trap? Would that work on him?' another person asked. Given the formidable power and immense fear he possessed at the time, even demons would be intimidated, so it was not unreasonable to raise such doubts. Then the old man said again, 'We will use an attractive bait that he absolutely cannot ignore!'"

When people learned what the bait proposed by the old man was, a storm of protest and accusations erupted from all sides. It was too dangerous a thought.

"Have you considered the consequences if your plan fails? If it goes wrong, we will be completely ruined! It will be irreversible!" people exclaimed incredulously. It was understandable. To suggest using such a thing as bait…

"What on earth was that bait?" Yeomdo asked, unable to suppress his curiosity. Jongkwa looked up and met his eyes. Yeomdo flinched as he looked into those eyes, as clear as glass. Jongkwa shook his head and said, "I'm sorry, but you don't have the right to know what it is yet. So don't blame me for not telling you."

Saying so only made him more anxious to know the identity of the bait. However, no matter how much they cajoled or flattered him, Jongkwa never revealed what it was.

Jongkwa continued his story.

"As if anticipating the strong opposition from the people, the old man, who had been watching silently, said once the confusion subsided, 'Then, is there any other effective way to stop him? If there is such a way, I will follow that opinion without hesitation. Even if this body turns to dust. So, if you have any other measures, speak up now!' No one could answer him. After that, there was deliberation on the opinion proposed by the old man. The conference continued for seven days and six nights. And finally, on the seventh day, a decision was made. After a long conference, the old man's opinion was finally passed. In the entire history of the martial world, there was probably no strategy that risked such a tremendous sacrifice. It was a gamble for the fate of the entire martial world, transcending righteous and evil, black and white. And the place to execute that strategy was decided."

"You don't mean that place is…?" Binggeom asked in a trembling voice. Some premonition pierced his heart. Jongkwa nodded.

"Your guess is correct. That place is this Cheonmu Peak of Hwasan. And it is precisely where you are all sitting right now."

A tidal wave of shock swept over them for a moment. A heavy silence followed the debris left behind by the surging tide. No one spoke. The story Jongkwa told was something they had never heard in their martial arts studies. They were hearing for the first time today that Cheonmu Peak had such a history.

Suddenly, their bottoms tingled as if there were iron needles stuck in the ground. People looked around with new eyes. Everything seemed different.

"Cheonwoo, have you ever heard this story before?" To Yeomdo's question, Jo Cheonwoo, a promising disciple of the Hwasan Sect and a member of the Suzaku Brigade, shook his head vigorously.

"I have been taught at the Hwasan Sect for over ten years, but I have never heard such a story until today." It was surprising that a Hwasan Sect disciple had no memory of it, even though it happened in their own backyard. Yeomdo's gaze turned to Yoon Junho, but he was equally ignorant.

Jongkwa, taking a breath, spoke again. "It's natural that you don't know. All that happened back then was kept a secret and buried in deep darkness. Now, there are very few people left in the current martial world who know about it, and even those who do are struggling to forget it. You probably thought this was simply the venue for the Hwasan Covenant Branch meeting!" Everyone nodded at the old man's question. That was indeed the case.

"Actually, the story was kept secret for two reasons. One is the content that must never be revealed, and the other is fear!"

"Fear…?" Nangung Sang asked with a bewildered expression.

"You will experience that directly from now on, rather than me telling you. Perhaps until now, 'he' was just a legend, a heroic tale, or a character in a story. You only heard about his power and fear through spoken words, but you never directly confronted him. Perhaps some may even doubt if such a demon truly existed. You might have thought his stories were exaggerated and embellished, like any other tale. If there is anyone like that, they will have a rare experience today. You will be able to meet him and see how wrong you were."

At that moment, a chilling glint, like a red lightning bolt, flashed in Jongkwa's eyes.

"!!!" A lightning bolt of mad shock struck them mercilessly. The delegation, with faces as white as blank paper, stared with their eyes wide open, their mouths agape like goldfish. Suddenly, a vast, curtain-like shadow appeared in the clear blue sky, as if it had swallowed the shining sun into darkness. The air grew cold, piercing like the biting winter wind, and people trembled in fear like children afraid of the night. Even though he did not exist in reality, the fear he cast was immense. It was a soul-shattering shock.

It was then.

"Hey, Gyeongsang! What are you doing? Are you playing around?" A word of pity. And then, divine retribution descended!

*Tap!*

"Ow!" Nangung Sang, tears welling up, clutched the back of his head. In that moment, Nangung Sang felt that the web of darkness that had enveloped him had disappeared. Starting with Nangung Sang, others also broke free from the darkness surrounding them. The sky became dazzlingly bright again, the sunlight was sharp, and the cool autumn breeze and the fresh scent of green were still present.

'What was that just now?' The delegation members could not understand what they had just experienced. They only knew that they had fallen into an unknown illusion and trembled uncontrollably like small animals paralyzed by poison. Biryu Yeon looked at Jongkwa, smiled, and said, "That's an interesting story and an interesting skill. But what happens next?" Jongkwa looked at Biryu Yeon with slightly surprised eyes. He looked as if he had been struck on the back of the head by an unexpected attack.

'He didn't fall under my mass hypnosis and even broke it… What an amazing fellow!' Although not known in the martial world, besides his fast legs, he had another special skill. It was the ability to instantly put the person listening to his story before his eyes into some kind of hypnosis. It could be considered a type of hypnotism. And today, he had met someone who had perfectly broken that hypnosis.

"Heh heh heh, you are an amazing young man. It was just a light test. I didn't mean any harm, so please understand. Tsk tsk tsk, if you succumb to such simple hypnosis, how can you possibly stand before the real one! That, that…" Suddenly, Jongkwa's voice began to tremble like a quivering aspen. His pupils also shook. Jongkwa could not continue. It was as if his whole body was eloquently demonstrating that it was indescribable by words… After a moment of silence, Jongkwa changed the subject and began to speak again.

"Don't worry. Seeing your still pale faces, you seem to be afraid of my words. How could you possibly fight 'him' here? What you will fight will be a part of the traces he left behind. They are also the last remaining vivid traces in this martial world." He did not bother to add that in other places, all the sects had united and exerted their full strength to erase the residual traces of that overwhelming fear.

"However, it is too early to feel at ease. Please do not underestimate those residual traces. If you are careless, you could be consumed by the remaining afterimage!" Everyone swallowed hard.

"The first trace, and your first test, is that place." Jongkwa pointed to the cliffs of different heights separated by a dizzying precipice right in front of them.

"We call that place 'Cheon-geopgan' (Heavenly Calamity Space) or 'Hyeolsin-ilbo' (Blood God's Single Step)."