Ihwagak was located in the three crowns of White Lotus Gate. The top floor of a building that is as splendid as Baekryeongak used by Munju. Sitting in the drinking room, Chen Tien looked down at the old scroll on the desk.
“…” A map showing the situation inside White Lotus Gate could be seen from a glance. It was like a kind of CCTV control room, but through this map, Chen Tien was able to inspect the entire White Lotus Gate in real-time.
However, there was one exception to this, and that place was Musaengwon, where the vacuum incense burner was sealed.
‘Something… Something must have changed…’ A blank space that showed nothing on the map. Chen Tien, who looked at the place where the inanimate garden was, frowned.
That was a few days ago. Sensing a strange wave in the Garden of Life, Chen Tian sensed that something was wrong and immediately looked around. However, contrary to expectations, no one other than himself felt the change, and Musaengwon did not change much either.
‘Was that an illusion?' Something had been caught, but there was no evidence to support it. “Lord Ihwadan. Cadet Kang Yoo-sik has arrived.” The voice of a servant coming from outside.
Upon the visitor's visit, Chen Tien covered the map and answered. “Tell them to come.”
After a while. The door opened and Yoo-sik stepped inside, and Tien Chen, who sat down, smiled. “I thought you would come first… You have filled three full days.”
“I thought about it because it was so important.”
“Do you think you came up with the right answer?”
“I think so.”
Kang Yoo-sik's relaxed answer gave Chen Tien a slightly unexpected look. He wasn't too nervous last time, but today proved to be different.
‘Has something happened in the meantime?’
In the unusual atmosphere, Chen Tien calmly looked at Kang Yoo-sik, deciding not to relax. “So, what are you going to do about the proposal?”
“I will accept it.”
“…Really?”
At Chen Tien's slightly surprised question, Kang Yoo-sik calmly nodded. "Yes. It's not like I'm going to lose anything by accepting it. I will accept it.”
“…Right. Good judgment.”
“Then, let’s write the oath right away.”
Seeing Kang Yoo-sik pushing ahead with his work coolly and coolly, Chen Tien felt strangely uncomfortable, but he didn't see any problems, so he brought the pledge right away. Kang Yoo-sik, who received the pledge, reviewed what was written inside, and clearly pointed out some ambiguous parts, and corrected them.
‘You're good at this….’
At that skillful point, Chen Tien stuck out his tongue and revised all the pledges in the direction he wanted. If it was aimed at a private part, it would have been pressed, but since it was a part related to safety, there would be nothing to refute.
"Well. This is perfect. Thank you for your patience.”
“…”
Chen Tien's eyes narrowed slightly at Kang Yoo-sik’s satisfied expression. Everything went smoothly and there were no issues.
However, seeing Kang Yoo-sik's appearance was strangely disturbing. An indescribable feeling as if this side were being pulled in. Chen Tien pondered for a while at that unknown sensation, then shook his head.
‘It must be an illusion.’
Just because one felt that way didn’t mean they could go wrong with things that had been solved. Having made up his mind, Chen Tien reviewed the oath one last time, reviewed the whole situation, and ended his contract.
As soon as the oath took effect, the two bodies were filled with energy, and Kang Yoo-sik took a copy of the oath and looked at it. “Ah, come to think of it, I have a question for you.”
“Tell me.”
“What are you going to do with the sealed item you mentioned earlier?”
At Kang Yoo-sik's question, Chen Tien frowned. “Why are you asking that?”
“Now we are also collaborating… … No, this is not an employment relationship. I want to know if I can reliably receive the promised reward.”
When Kang Yoo-sik brought out the sealed item and vacuum incense burner, the reward that Kang Yoo-sik was supposed to receive was one S-class skill book and two S-class elixirs. It was a reward that even White Lotus Guild couldn't easily pay, so he wanted to hear if the person behind the reward was clear.
“Do you really need to know that now?”
"Is that so?"
“Anyway, you bringing things will be for later….”
Before Chen Tien could finish speaking, something from him was thrown onto his desk, and his eyes moved to follow the sound. And the moment he read the look and title of the old book, Chen Tien's thoughts stopped for a moment.
“…That, that?!”
Quaang! Chen Tien, stunned by him, kicked his seat and stood up, and Kang Yoo-sik looked up at him calmly. “Does this mean you deserve to be told?”
“Oh, that can’t be… This… This is impossible. How can this thing….” Chen Tien, denying the reality, thinking it was impossible, looked at the vacuum incense burner on his desk again. Although he already remembered it decades ago, the moment he mastered the vacuum incense burner was clear in his mind. And the level of her vacuum incense burner placed in front of him matched every detail in his memory!
‘The subtle energy flowing on the surface of the rain… This must be the white lotus dreamy energy workplace.’
It was quite hard to believe, but the level of the vacuum incense burner in front of him was certain to be real. Realizing that, Chen Tian glared at the leisurely Kang Yoo-sik. “Explain now how this object is here!”
“I worked hard to get it, but it’s a bit harsh… … Shall we just take it back?”
“Does it look like I’m joking?!”
At the same time as Chen Tien's exasperated cry, a thick fog exploded inside his danju room.
Whoops! The state of Chen Tian who had reached the third stage had begun to break up. In addition to this, borrowing the power of the clothes he received from the first White Lotus master, he unfolded a white lotus fantasy dream, albeit imperfectly.
Kang Yoo-sik did not react greatly to the appearance of Chen Tien, who seemed to attack him at any moment, and lightly tapped the desk with his index finger.
At that moment, a black lotus flower bloomed on the desk, and the surrounding fog disappeared in the blink of an eye. “What….”
As the dream of white lotus unfolded with all his might it was shattered with a gesture of his hand, Chen Tien stared at the black lotus with a shocked expression. It was different from what he knew, but this was definitely a technique derived from the White Lotus Phantom Dream. In addition to this, the level of perfection went way beyond what he had been practicing for decades!
‘No way… Did I completely master the White Lotus Hwanmong in less than a week?’
If that was true, the strange wave that happened in Musaengwon a few days ago also explained it. Kang Yoo-sik, who had completely mastered the white lotus dream, joined forces with Munju to unseal the vacuum incense burner and take it out. Only then did Chen Tien realize the difference he was feeling, biting his lip tightly and looking at Kang Yoo-sik.
‘How can this guy….’
It wouldn’t have been such a surprise even if the first Baekryeonmunju came back to life. Looking at Kang Yoo-sik, Chen Tien pondered alternately on how to solve this situation, and then slowly opened his mouth. “Have you talked to Munju?”
"No. I don't think it's necessary.”
“…” Seeing Kang Yoo-sik not being restrained, Chen Tien pondered for a long time before opening his mouth with a sigh. “Aiming for a vacuum incense burner… It is an organization called ‘Heaven’s Army’.”
“Cheonggun?”
“Yes. As a group researching immortality… … It is an organization unofficially supported by the Chinese government and the Chinese Hunter Association.”
Kang Yoo-sik's eyes widened at Chen Tien's explanation. He thought it would be a big deal to some extent as it was aiming for something this big, but was it really a group run by the Chinese government and the Chinese Hunter Association?
‘This is why it has to go unnoticed.’
It was a headache just for the government to run it, but even the Hunter Association would step out? There was no way that it would be known unless a person at the level of a key executive were to reveal it. And unless they were fools, they wouldn’t make such a revelation happen.
Kang Yoo-sik, who clearly understood why the White Lotus Guild collapsed before returning, looked at Chen Tien. “Then can I get the reward right away?”
“At that level, you will be able to receive the item as soon as you hand it over, so you don’t have to worry.”
One S-class skill book and two elixirs were about that much. Others would be dumbfounded if they heard it, but Kang Yoo-sik, who heard who was behind it, immediately understood. And finally, there came the most important thing.
“But there won’t be any sorting or anything like that as soon as you hand it over, right?”
If it was a group that the Chinese government had decided on, it could use any number of ways to kill and silence it.
"That….” Chen Tien also knew that fact, so he couldn't give a definite answer.
"If you can't guarantee that level of safety, it'll be hard for me to hand you over."
“So you don’t have any other options?”
"I do not know. I'm not really interested, so I didn't look at the contents… There must be quite a few groups looking for immortality.”
The Chinese government was strong here, but it was meaningless if one were to go abroad, and groups who wanted to buy secrets related to immortality had been widespread. Realizing that Kang Yoo-sik’s story was not a bluff, Chen Tien was about to use force to press but quickly gave up.
‘I have to stimulate it here, that’s the only way I can get it.' Due to the issue, all the guild members waiting around were also passed on, and even if a battle were to take place, they would be defeated in the blink of an eye. There was no way to subdue Kang Yoo-sik because he couldn't get help from Ihwa Danju.
‘I can't believe I've been hiding this… … ’ Seeing Kang Yoo-sik’s endless figure, Chen Tien sighed after thinking for a while. "I get it. I will definitely keep quiet about your existence.”
“Then you should write another pledge.” Kang Yoo-sik smiled and took out the pledge from his bosom, and Chen Tien's eyes trembled at the content that had already been written.
“You are meticulous.”
“It’s the best way for survival.”
In response to Kang Yoo-sik's leisurely reply, Chen Tien took the pledge and looked at the contents. In exchange for handing over the cost of the vacuum incense burner, the content did not bear any responsibility in the future. He wrote it down thoroughly so as not to get caught in any case, but his tongue was about to give up.
‘Still, since it is stated that the genuine product would be handed over, is there any problem….?’
It was a pity that the useful shield is gone, but he chose to take the risk anyway when he signed a contract with the Heaven’s Army. After making his decision, Chen Tien signed the oath without hesitation.
“Ugh….” A strong deterrent that could be felt throughout the body washed over him as he signed. Chen Tien glanced at Kang Yoo-sik. "You're good at having stuff like this."
“Sometimes there are people who are prepared for restrictions and break promises. This is what makes me feel safe.”
“…Tsk. Now scram." When Chen Tian, who read his thoughts clearly, issued an order, Kang Yoo-sik nodded and stood up from his seat.
He then looked at Tien as if thinking of something. “By the way, I have a question for you.”
“What now?”
“That level. Are you really okay?”
At Kang Yoo-sik's question, Chen Tian made a puzzled expression. “What do you mean?”
“Actually, I tried to read what you had there… I quit because it gave me goosebumps. I wondered if it was something bad.”
Seeing Kang Yoo-sik talking awkwardly, Chen Tien looked at the level of the vacuum incense burner. ‘Come to think of it… Didn't I hear anything other than that it must be sealed?'
At that time, he thought that the power of immortality was dangerous and sealed it, but when he thought about it again, nothing had been revealed about the reason in the end. “…No need to worry. I’m sure the research about it would do some good.”
"Well. If that is the case, I’ll see you next time." Yoo-sik nodded, smiled inwardly, and went outside, leaving Chen Tien alone to look at the vacuum incense burner in front of him.
He had no big lingering attachments to the White Lotus dream, but he also wanted to see it at least once. The fact that it was in front of his eyes stretched his hand forward, but eventually stopped.
“…No. No way." If it was really dangerous, why didn't the first master of White Lotus say a word? Biting his lip, Chen Tien used his magic to place the item inside a storage box. ‘I’ll have to look at it later when I have time.’
And after that, Chen Tien never once opened the vacuum incense burner.
* * *
Somewhere deep underground in China.
The research center of the unofficial group ‘Heaven’s Army’ had become more lively than usual. The situation is busier than when the experimental subjects escaped as a group in the past. That was because the research data they'd been waiting for for a long time was finally in their hands.
“Set up the protective technique quickly!”
"All right!" Researchers moved busily according to the direction of the research director, and the man who was looking down at the scene muttered calmly. “It’s going smoothly.”
“It's something I've been waiting for a long time. We have hypothesized several situations, so there will be no setbacks in our analysis.”
“Of course it should. Otherwise, you will be in trouble.”
The head of the research institute, Rongcheng, slightly frowned at the man's calm story. ‘Damn it.’
It was nice that he supported his research, but whenever he became condescending like this, he couldn’t help but get angry. However, there was no way to disobey him on this continent, so Rongcheng suppressed his emotions.
‘If the research is completed, there will be an opportunity for me too….’
It was not enough to vent this resentment at that time. Rongcheng, who had suppressed his anger, nodded as he looked at the situation, where the preparations were coming to an end. “Then let’s go. Mr. Geom Hu.”
“I will stay here to watch.”
Leaving behind the man with his hands behind his back, Rongcheng came down to the laboratory and approached the vacuum incense burner placed on top of all kinds of protective magic techniques. Then, with a trembling hand, he reached out and opened the cover and read the contents written on it one by one.
“Hmm…”
Unlike the mysterious energy overflowing, there was no big change. At this level, it was not strange that powerful phenomena such as distorting time and space occur during the teaching process, but why was it so quiet? Rongcheng made a puzzled expression when…
[────]
A cold whisper echoed in his head. Thinking that the signal had finally come, Rongcheng continued to read the bi-level with his eyes shining, and something began to form in his head. And the moment it fully formed…
[Receive the stigma]
An ugly, shiny finger pointed at him.
“Huh?!” Rongcheng fell backward due to the sudden burst of waves, and the protective magic circle installed around him activated and closed the area. However, nothing happened immediately after that, and Rongcheng, who had fallen on his buttock, did not move as if his body had frozen.
Seeing what happened to him, Geom Hu, who was looking outside the lab, frowned and grabbed the microphone.
– Rongcheng. What's going on? Explain.
“…It’s dead.”
-What?
At Geom Hu's question, Rongcheng cried out while tearing his hair. “My S-class skills are dead!!”
Cooong!
And at the end of that cry, Rongcheng, the director of Heaven's Army, lost consciousness.
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