Chapter 115: Suspicious Traces
Sect Leader Cheon Gwangcheon welcomed us with both arms spread wide.
Standing beside him was Elder Na Gwangdo of the Finance Hall.
He was the man responsible for managing the sect's affairs despite its constantly strained finances.
Normally, his brow was always furrowed as he calculated expenses.
Even among Kunlun's disciples, it was rare to see Elder Na Gwangdo smiling brightly.
But today...
he looked completely different.
Simply saying that he was smiling wasn't enough.
Even his eyes were different.
His voice was filled with excitement, and every gesture overflowed with energy.
It was enough to make me wonder whether this man had always been capable of showing his emotions so openly.
“Elder Jin Gwangung! You've come at the perfect time!”
Na Gwangdo shouted excitedly.
Jin Gwangung still wore an expression mixed with irritation and exhaustion.
It wasn't surprising.
The mountain gate had been completely deserted, and all of us, including me, Hyeongwon, and Myeongjeon, had rushed inside thinking something had happened.
He tilted his head and looked around.
“...What is all this?”
“What the hell happened that you even emptied the mountain gate and caused this much chaos?”
As though he'd been waiting for that question, Na Gwangdo answered immediately.
“All of these supplies were sent by the Myeong Family Merchant Group!”
Jin Gwangung frowned.
“What? Supplies?”
“Wagons loaded with goods just kept pouring in.”
Na Gwangdo spoke rapidly, unable to hide his excitement.
“Medicinal herbs, cloth, silver... at this rate, they're going to fill every storehouse in the sect!”
Myeongjeon looked around at the numerous boxes in bewilderment.
“All of this...?”
“Yes! Every last bit!”
Na Gwangdo continued enthusiastically.
“There's so much that we're temporarily piling everything around the Sect Leader's Palace while we sort it.”
“We were so short on hands that we even called over the disciples who were guarding the mountain gate.”
Only then did everything make sense.
The mountain gate hadn't been abandoned because of an attack or some disaster.
There were simply so many supplies that everyone had been dragged here to help.
“...You scared the hell out of us.”
Jin Gwangung shook his head.
He seemed even more drained now that the tension had disappeared.
Sect Leader Cheon Gwangcheon laughed.
“Haha. I'm just as surprised myself.”
Then his gaze shifted toward me.
“Mujin.”
“What exactly happened at the Myeong Family Merchant Group?”
“Merchant Group Head Myeong Chiwon sent a letter thanking you.”
I smiled modestly.
“I merely did what a Taoist should.”
But inwardly...
I clicked my tongue.
They said they would repay me, but I didn't expect this much.
Merchant Group Head Myeong Chiwon and Madam Qin Yueshu.
I'd expected them to reward me generously...
but even I hadn't imagined this.
“Tch. It's just money....”
I heard Hyeongwon mutter behind me.
Apparently, he wasn't too happy that my presence inside Kunlun had just grown even greater.
Of course...
I didn't care about his reaction in the slightest.
Sect Leader Cheon Gwangcheon had been smiling warmly at me.
Then his eyebrows suddenly twitched.
“Mujin.”
“Yes, Sect Leader.”
“You've changed again since I last saw you.”
I silently raised my gaze.
Cheon Gwangcheon smiled faintly.
“They say one should renew oneself day after day.”
“It seems you've reached another realm in the short time you were away at Mount Hua.”
Jin Gwangung snorted.
“That brat is strange even by normal standards.”
He looked at me suspiciously.
“I'm starting to wonder if he's secretly swallowing hidden elixirs whenever no one's watching.”
Hyeongwon and Myeongjeon tilted their heads, clearly confused.
I smiled along with them...
but inwardly, I flinched.
As expected. They noticed.
Sect Leader Cheon Gwangcheon and Jin Gwangung.
Both had already realized that my martial realm had changed.
The Sect Leader spoke in a pleased voice.
“Excellent.”
“Truly, this is good fortune.”
Then he raised his voice.
“Everyone has returned safely, and good things have happened one after another.”
“Tonight, let us hold a banquet to celebrate.”
The moment he finished...
cheers erupted from the people gathered around the Sect Leader's Palace.
The enormous shipment from the Myeong Family Merchant Group had already put everyone in high spirits.
Now we'd also brought back Mount Hua's gifts and copies of the True Five-Step Sword Art.
Naturally, the excitement grew even stronger.
Even the notoriously strict Elder Na Gwangdo enthusiastically agreed.
Normally, he would've started calculating the banquet expenses first.
But today, with the storehouses about to overflow...
even worrying about that seemed unnecessary.
And so...
the chaotic situation surrounding our return was resolved in a warm atmosphere.
Before the banquet began...
Jin Gwangung and I met privately with the Sect Leader.
Only the three of us sat inside a secret room within the Sect Leader's Palace.
Cheon Gwangcheon looked directly at me.
“You said there was something you wished to report privately.”
“Yes.”
I took a short breath before continuing.
“There is something I need to tell only you, Sect Leader.”
Then I explained only the essential points.
The final messages left by True Immortal Cheongun and Immortal Yeonha.
The Flowing Flower Kunlun Sword.
The sword I had found inside the Righteous Alliance treasury.
The collapse of the Seclusion Cave.
And the final record about Immortal Yeonha that Elder Hyeoneom had discovered.
Whenever the Sect Leader had a question, he interrupted and asked.
I answered everything I knew without hiding anything.
“...That's what happened.”
“I see....”
At last...
the long exchange of questions and answers came to an end.
A heavy silence settled over the room.
After a while, the Sect Leader let out a sigh.
“Haa... a great evil.”
Jin Gwangung immediately spoke.
“Sect Leader.”
“We don't even know whether this so-called great evil truly exists.”
“There's no need to worry about it beforehand.”
Cheon Gwangcheon nodded slightly.
“You have a point, Gwangung.”
Then his expression remained serious.
“Still... I cannot help worrying.”
“I cannot imagine True Immortal Cheongun leaving behind meaningless words as his final message.”
The Sect Leader fell into deep thought.
After some time...
he spoke again.
“Mujin.”
“For now, I think it would be best to keep this matter secret.”
He looked at me seriously.
“Once I've had more time to organize my thoughts...”
“I'll call for you again.”
I lowered my head.
“Understood.”
Then the Sect Leader suddenly looked as though he'd remembered something.
“Come to think of it...”
“there was something I intended to tell the two of you once you returned.”
Jin Gwangung and I both looked puzzled.
“Something to tell us?”
What he said next was completely unexpected.
“It's about the Abandoned Martial Hall.”
“The Abandoned Martial Hall?”
My voice came out before I could stop it.
Cheon Gwangcheon tilted his head in surprise.
“Why are you so startled?”
“Ah... it's nothing.”
I gave an awkward smile.
“I was simply wondering what happened.”
In truth...
I couldn't help reacting.
I had personally witnessed the Seclusion Cave, where Immortal Yeonha's final message had been hidden, suddenly collapse.
Ever since then...
I'd kept wondering whether something similar might happen to the Abandoned Martial Hall.
That was why I had overreacted.
Fortunately, the Sect Leader immediately waved a hand.
“It isn't anything serious.”
