Chapter 144

Chapter 144: The Key

You forgot something important?

What was that supposed to mean?

I looked at Goeong, who was staring at me with wide, innocent eyes.

“Goeong, what do you mean?”

“What important thing did I forget?”

Goeong tilted his head at my question.

Then his eyes widened as though he couldn't believe I seriously didn't know.

“What? You really don't know?”

He pursed his lips for a moment...

then grinned mischievously.

“Mujin is an idiot! An idiot who leaves the most important thing behind!”

His words left me confused.

I left the most important thing behind?

What the hell was he talking about?

Maybe Goeong had just blurted it out without thinking.

But Goeong's true identity was Heavenly Demon Dokgo Jinak.

He was also the very person who had extinguished the Sacred Flame himself.

That meant I couldn't simply dismiss what he said.

What's wrong here?

Last time, the moment my hand touched the Sacred Flame Altar...

the blue flame had definitely appeared.

So why was there no reaction now?

Something had changed.

There had to be some important difference between then and now.

I closed my eyes and replayed everything that had happened since I entered the Heavenly Demon Hall.

Approaching the Sacred Flame Altar.

Yeom Yuhwa's ritual prayer.

The brazier itself.

And then—

...Don't tell me?

A thought flashed through my mind like lightning.

I instinctively snapped my head to the side.

One object lying on the floor of the Heavenly Demon Hall entered my vision.

My heart thumped hard.

But a moment later...

I shook my head.

No.

That's ridiculous.

There was no way the Sacred Flame of the Demonic Cult could have anything to do with that.

The thought made no sense whatsoever.

And yet...

I couldn't get it out of my head.

Fine.

Even if I try it and fail, I lose nothing.

I immediately turned around.

Leaving the Sacred Flame Altar behind, I began walking away.

Yeom Yuhwa called out in alarm.

“H-Heavenly Demon's Kindred Spirit! Where are you going?”

She sounded panicked.

She probably thought I was giving up on restoring the Sacred Flame.

But I had no intention of doing that.

Quite the opposite.

I was going to revive the Sacred Flame somehow, no matter what it took.

I soon stopped walking.

Then bent down and picked up the object I'd been staring at.

Clink.

A familiar weight settled into my hand.

The sword left behind by True Immortal Cheongun was back in my grasp.

Holding the sword in my right hand...

I turned toward the Sacred Flame Altar again.

Yeom Yuhwa hurried over and blocked my path.

“W-What are you doing?”

Her expression was horrified.

“You cannot bring something carrying impure qi into the sacred ritual for restoring the Sacred Flame—”

“Move.”

I cut her off immediately.

“I'm doing this because of the Sacred Flame.”

“W-What?”

I passed by the bewildered Yeom Yuhwa and stood before the Sacred Flame Altar once again.

This might be completely ridiculous....

Still...

I had to try.

“Hoo.”

I took one deep breath.

Keeping the sword in my right hand at my side...

I slowly reached toward the Sacred Flame Altar with my left.

The moment my fingertips touched the cold metal—

WHOOSH!

A blue flame burst from the brazier.

"...!"

My eyes widened.

What the hell?

It actually worked?

I'd only tried it because I had nothing else to grasp onto.

I hadn't truly expected it to succeed.

But the flame had really appeared.

Just like before...

the blue fire carried a strange, mysterious energy.

Muk Jincheol and Yeom Yuhwa couldn't hide their shock either.

“What is happening?”

Muk Jincheol stared at the altar.

“Why did the Sacred Flame only appear now?”

Yeom Yuhwa's eyes widened.

“H-Heavenly Demon's Kindred Spirit...!”

While the two of them stood frozen in shock...

only one person cried out in delight.

“The flame came back!”

Goeong threw both arms into the air and started running circles around the altar.

“The flame likes the sword!”

He laughed brightly.

“It says the sword is good!”

Yeom Yuhwa turned toward me in disbelief.

“Heavenly Demon's Kindred Spirit.”

Her eyes settled on the weapon in my hand.

“What exactly is that sword?”

"..."

I couldn't answer.

No.

I genuinely couldn't.

Because I had absolutely no idea what was happening either.

Why is the Sacred Flame of the Demonic Cult reacting to Cheongun's sword?

All I could do was stare at the sword in my hand while confusion filled my head.

After some time...

I finally collected myself.

Is the Sacred Flame Altar really reacting to Cheongun's sword?

I decided to confirm it immediately.

This time...

I kept my left hand touching the Sacred Flame Altar while slowly lowering the sword in my right hand to the floor.

Clink.

The instant the sword completely left my hand—

the blue flame above the brazier flickered.

Like a lamp struck by a cold wind...

it trembled thinly and rapidly began shrinking.

“...As expected.”

I immediately bent down and grabbed the sword again.

The flame returned to its original size almost at once.

Once again...

it burned blue above the brazier.

So it's definite.

The Sacred Flame Altar was reacting to the sword.

But that alone wasn't enough.

There was something else I needed to test.

Still holding the sword...

I removed my left hand from the Sacred Flame Altar.

Once again...

the blue flame weakened.

It dwindled to a tiny ember.

Then completely vanished.

“N-No....”

A helpless sigh escaped Yeom Yuhwa.

Muk Jincheol couldn't hide his disappointment either.

“The Sacred Flame went out again....”

I stared down at the altar while holding the sword.

So the sword alone isn't enough.

The sword was necessary.

But so was my hand.

If either one was missing...

the Sacred Flame couldn't remain lit.

There was still one more thing to confirm.

I turned toward Yeom Yuhwa.

“Could you come here for a moment?”

She immediately stepped forward.

“What is it?”

I handed her the sword.

She looked at it in confusion.

“...What are you asking me to do?”

“Hold the sword.”

I pointed toward the altar.

“Then touch the Sacred Flame Altar with your other hand.”

She seemed to understand what I was testing.

“Ah... understood.”

Yeom Yuhwa carefully accepted the sword.

Then, just as I had done...

she held it in one hand and placed the other against the Sacred Flame Altar.

But—

Hmm....

Nothing happened.

No flame appeared above the brazier.

It remained completely empty.

So it isn't just the sword.

Next...

I had Muk Jincheol try the same thing.

The result was identical.

Nothing.

Neither of them could revive the Sacred Flame.

Then the only person left is....

I looked toward Goeong.

“Goeong. You try—”

Before I could finish...

he violently shook his head.

“No! Goeong doesn't want to!”

I blinked.

“Huh? Why?”

“Because I don't want to!”

He crossed both arms over his chest and shook his head stubbornly.

“Goeong won't do it!”

His expression became completely resolute.

“Never!”

I tried coaxing him one more time...

but it was useless.

Goeong stuck out his lips and even backed away.

It was disappointing...

but there was nothing I could do.

There was no way I was going to force the man who'd beaten two Ten Demons into bloody wrecks.

In any case...

putting everything we'd learned together—

The Sacred Flame Altar only reacts when I'm holding the sword.

Why?

At the moment...

I had no idea.

After that, I tried several other things in front of the altar.

I circulated internal energy into the sword before touching the Sacred Flame Altar.

I brought the sword close to the brazier.

I even touched the tip of the blade to the edge of the altar.

But the result never changed much.

The blue flame only appeared briefly when I held the sword and personally touched the Sacred Flame Altar.

Nothing else kept it alive.

The sword alone wasn't enough.

I alone wasn't enough either.

It was almost as if the Sacred Flame needed both me and the sword at the same time.

Haa....

After trying one thing after another for so long...

I only became more frustrated.

Yeom Yuhwa cautiously spoke.

“Heavenly Demon's Kindred Spirit.”

She looked worried.

“Perhaps we should stop here for today.”

Muk Jincheol nodded with a grave expression.

“Simply confirming that the Sacred Flame can burn again is already a great achievement.”

He looked toward the altar.

“Rather than forcing the matter, I think we need more time to prepare.”

I stared at the Sacred Flame Altar for a long moment.

Then finally removed my hand.

The blue flame quickly shrank...

and disappeared.

Silence settled over the Heavenly Demon Hall once again.

“All right.”

I let out a long breath.

“Let's stop here for today.”

My eyes remained on the empty brazier.

“If we're going to restore the Sacred Flame completely...”

“we'll have to find another way.”

Yeom Yuhwa bowed with a heavy expression.

“Understood.”

“I will make sure nothing that happened today leaks outside.”

Muk Jincheol also stared at the brazier with a firm expression.

“It is enough that we now know the Sacred Flame can burn again.”

His voice was filled with conviction.

“Next time, we will surely see it through to the end.”

I didn't answer.

I simply looked down once more at the sword in my hand.

The blade remained cold and silent...

as though nothing unusual had happened.

That night.

Even after returning to my quarters in the Heavenly Demon Palace...

I couldn't fall asleep easily.

I sat staring at Cheongun's sword resting on the table.

My fingertips slowly traced the hilt.

Why did the Sacred Flame Altar react to this sword?

And why did nothing happen when someone else held it?

Could it be because I inherited Cheongun's Flow?

But I quickly shook my head.

That didn't make sense.

The martial Flow left by True Immortal Cheongun...

and the Sacred Flame of the Demonic Cult.

There shouldn't have been any connection between them.

Then...

the answer has to lie somewhere else.

I stared at the hilt again.

Its surface was covered in dark stains.

And amid them...

one character alone remained clearly visible.

火

Fire.

Could that character somehow be connected to the Sacred Flame?

But that too...

was only speculation.

I had nothing certain.

Damn it....

When I held the sword and touched the Sacred Flame Altar...

the flame appeared.

But only briefly.

It couldn't be completely restored.

What else is missing?

I thought and thought...

but no answer came.

Time continued passing inside the room.

By the time the oil in the lamp on the table had nearly burned away...

the Heavenly Demon Palace had already sunk into the silence of deep night.

I had been sitting there for a long time...

holding the sword and lost in thought.

Then suddenly...

I sensed someone behind me.

I turned my head.

Goeong stood alone inside the room.

Without making a sound...

he was simply standing near the open doorway and staring blankly at me.

Did I forget to lock the door?

Maybe the sleepless Goeong had come to ask me to play again.

“Goeong. It's late tonight, so let's play next—”

“It's the key.”

Goeong suddenly spoke.

My body froze.

That wasn't the voice I knew.

Nor was it his usual expression.

There was no mischievous smile.

No childish whining.

It sounded like an entirely different person.

“...What?”

I asked without thinking.

“Goeong, what did you just—”

Then—

Wooooom!

The sword left behind by True Immortal Cheongun suddenly began trembling in my hand.