If he knew what kind of person the sect leader of the Heavenly Gate was, then it was the sort of thing one might try only at the very end of the very end, when no answer could possibly be found even then.

"It would be better to do it another way."

"When you say another way...?"

"What about controlling it from the inside?"

"From the inside?"

"Yes."

Seol Unhwi pointed at the Demonic-Path Heavenly-Man's chest.

"What if we implanted a core near the heart?"

"...A core, you say."

"A thing made by condensing twisted heaven-and-earth spiritual qi, then implanting it into the heart."

"...Into the heart... you say."

Seol Unhwi explained.

"The idea is to make the Chaotic-Heaven human's energy circulate around that core."

"Circulate..."

"Jeonbi, in your view, what is the current problem with this Demonic-Path Heavenly-Man?"

"The energy runs berserk."

"Then why does that energy run berserk?"

"...That..."

Jeonbi could not continue. Seol Unhwi, who had been waiting for an answer, spoke quietly.

"Because the twisted heaven-and-earth spiritual qi is flowing in disorder."

Seol Unhwi pointed over the Demonic-Path Heavenly-Man's entire body.

"This energy has no direction. It is only twisted. That is why it cannot be controlled."

"...Then...?"

"But if a core is implanted into the heart, that core becomes the center."

Seol Unhwi clenched his fist.

"Like an energy center. You make all the energy revolve around that place."

"An energy center..."

After thinking it over carefully, Jeonbi's eyes soon widened.

She had realized exactly what Seol Unhwi was saying.

She was flustered, and astonished.

"...We also thought of every sort of method, such as engraving formations into the inside of the Demonic-Path Heavenly-Man and creating sorcery arts, but the depth of your insight, Commander, is far beyond anything we could have dared imagine."

This was it.

"You mean that, just as a martial artist circulates inner power around the energy center, you would create an object to serve as a new false energy center, then use that place to change the twisted energy into its original energy. Is that correct?"

"Correct. Not bad."

"Thank you."

"Since it is twisted energy, the core itself must also be made from twisted heaven-and-earth spiritual qi. And because the energy that comes out of it must become untwisted energy, the internal energy channels will also have to undergo reconstruction."

It was a fundamental question.

"...How do you make something like that?"

"You would have to extract and condense the Chaotic-Heaven human's energy. Of course, even that alone would not be easy."

"As for the materials, have you perhaps thought of anything?"

"A Chaotic-Heaven human's flesh is still, in the end, a human body. Only the energy channels and the thickness, toughness, and density of the body are different. In that case, if you mix and condense blood, bone, and part of the heart, the basic form of the core should emerge."

Seol Unhwi continued explaining.

"But that alone is not enough. Sorcery arts must be engraved into the core."

"Sorcery arts?"

"It is a matter of imprinting a command system."

Seol Unhwi traced letters through the air with his finger.

"For example, if basic commands such as advance, retreat, attack, and stop are engraved into the core through sorcery arts, the Demonic-Path Heavenly-Man would move according to those commands. The system you engraved was probably embedded in the head in the form of a formation."

"...That is... exactly right."

"All of that must be concentrated into the heart. If that is done, then even if the head is pierced through, it will still move, and even if an arm is torn off, it will still move according to command. However."

"If the heart is destroyed, it dies."

"I do not know whether it is right to say something already dead dies, but yes, it dies."

"Hah... Truly... astonishing."

Seol Unhwi shook his head.

"That is not the end. Lastly, a formation must be engraved."

"Even a formation?"

"Yes. A formation that controls the flow of energy."

Seol Unhwi pointed at the Demonic-Path Heavenly-Man's whole body.

"The energy must be made to circulate around the core, but that flow must also be maintained at a constant rate. To do that, small formations must be engraved throughout the entire body. Like energy channels."

"..."

"In other words, it means all the energy channels and formations you previously engraved will have to be torn out and remade from scratch. They must be made to connect to the core in the heart."

"...That is an enormous undertaking."

Seol Unhwi nodded.

"It will not be easy. Obtaining the materials is difficult, making the core is difficult, and engraving the sorcery arts and formations is even more difficult. On top of that, every part of it must be done with precision. If even a little goes wrong, it fails."

"...But."

Jeonbi's eyes shone.

"You mean it is possible?"

"What do you think?"

Jeonbi's eyes shone.

"At the very least, we would be able to establish a direction. More than anything, from hearing your words, Commander, it feels as though you judge the possibility of success to be higher than the probability of failure."

A strange smile appeared on Seol Unhwi's lips.

Perhaps because she was someone directly appointed to the position of branch head by Seo Hyo, she was quite perceptive.

"You are right. I do not know whether what I said is the correct answer, but I do think it is an attempt worth making."

At this point, it was more than enough. It was overflowing.

Jeonbi gave a deep cupped-fist salute.

"I will try obtaining the materials at once."

Just as Seol Unhwi nodded, it happened.

Bang!

The iron door flew open violently, and one of Heavenly Forest's merchants came rushing in, panting.

"B-Branch Head! An urgent report!!"

Jeonbi frowned.

"In front of the Commander, and yet so lacking in decorum..."

"...My apologies, but it truly is urgent!"

The merchant dropped to his knees.

"Song Hak, the Provincial Governor of Heaven-and-Earth Province, has died!"

Jeonbi's face stiffened.

Seol Unhwi narrowed his eyes as well.

Song Hak was already well past ninety this year.

On top of that, his condition had deteriorated so badly from two months ago that he could no longer carry out outside engagements, and lately he had shut himself inside his residence and not come out at all.

And physicians had been going in and out of that residence practically every other day, which meant only one thing.

That Song Hak would soon die.

Bluntly speaking, it would not have been strange if he had died yesterday or today, but for them to be this urgent meant there was another reason.

"How did Song Hak die?"

At Seol Unhwi's question, the merchant answered as if he had been waiting for it.

"It is said he was murdered."

"...Murdered?"

"Yes."

"They murdered an old man already on the verge of death?"

"...They say there is currently a suspect being held, but something is strange."

"What is?"

"They say that suspect is a man from the Enemy State."

The expressions of both Seol Unhwi and Jeonbi hardened.

***

The carriage was racing toward Heaven-and-Earth Province.

Namgung Wonyang, who had been looking out the window, suddenly asked,

"My lord."

Seol Unhwi, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them.

"It may be presumptuous, but may I ask one thing?"

"Go ahead."

"Where did Chief Seong go?"

Inside the carriage, there were only Seol Unhwi and Namgung Wonyang.

And the coachman handling the horses was not Chief Seong either.

Seol Unhwi said,

"He went to the Sacheon League."

"...The Sacheon League?"

Namgung Wonyang tilted her head.

To the Sacheon League, of all places...?

But she asked no more.

Whatever Seol Unhwi did, there was always a reason for it.

"Are you not curious?"

"...I am curious, but."

Namgung Wonyang scratched her head.

"If my lord wishes to tell me, then you will."

Seol Unhwi let out a faint laugh.

"I sent him because I need to make contact with Kang Cheonwoo."

"With the leader of the Sacheon League?"

"Yes."

"...May I ask what it is about?"

"You will know soon enough."

Seol Unhwi looked out the window.

"Now is not the time."

"...Understood."

All this time, he had been secretly exchanging many messages through the Supreme Epistolary Channel.

Everything had been for the sake of crushing the ambitions of the Murim League, including those of Gun Mugyeol.

To do that, he needed Kang Cheonwoo.

Since many things had already changed from the previous life, there was a possibility Kang Cheonwoo's current condition had changed as well.

So through the Supreme Epistolary Channel, he had continuously confirmed the degree of Kang Cheonwoo's enlightenment, but there was a problem.

At this rate, Kang Cheonwoo might waste nearly half a year or more before reaching Sole Primordial Mastery.

That was not in Seol Unhwi's calculations.

The moment Gun Mugyeol reached Sole Primordial Mastery, Kang Cheonwoo also had to be at Sole Primordial Mastery.

If not, Gun Mugyeol might immediately kill Kang Cheonwoo and start a war between the righteous and evil factions.

He was that kind of man.

That was why he had sent Chief Seong.

With everything Kang Cheonwoo needed to rise to Sole Primordial Mastery in his current state.

If even that failed, then nothing could be done.

The Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Palace would truly have no choice but to step out into the Central Plains.

Namgung Wonyang truly asked nothing further.

Absolute trust.

That was what existed between them.

And so the carriage continued on for two days before arriving at Heaven-and-Earth Province.

The carriage stopped in front of the city gate, and from the coachman's seat came the driver's voice.

"Commander. They are conducting inspections right now."

Seol Unhwi, sunk deep into the seat, spoke softly.

"Do not rush. Go slowly."

"Yes."

Someone's death, and especially the death of Song Hak, the lord of Heaven-and-Earth Province, could not become a happy occasion.

He was a man with that much public esteem.

Waiting was the right thing here, and conducting inspections was the right thing too.

Namgung Wonyang, looking outside the carriage, murmured # Nоvеlight # quietly,

"...There are a lot of people."

A crowd had gathered in front of the city gate.

Their expressions were anxious.

"I heard the city lord was assassinated."

"...Good heavens."

"I heard he was killed by a former official of the Enemy State."

"Wasn't he not an official, but the queen's guard captain of the Enemy State?"

"I heard not the queen, but a prince's guard."

"Whatever it is, isn't this going to mean war with the Enemy State?"

"...Ah..."

The murmuring was loud enough that even Seol Unhwi could hear it.

"Do not concern yourself with it."

"...Yes."

The coachman was not a fool, so he would have shown the guards the plaque symbolizing the Commander of Yangnyeong City.

At that point, the first inspection should naturally have been passed without difficulty.

Naturally, the carriage began moving again.

The inspections were strict.

Just from the presences he could sense, it seemed there were at least three rounds of inspection.

It was then.

"Halt!!"

With that shout, the door was flung open.

There stood a middle-aged man.

He wore a sword at his waist, and exhaustion was plain on his face.

Seol Unhwi quietly looked at that familiar face.

Mak Sohong.

The squad leader of the Heaven-and-Earth Sword Unit.

A man who had been Song Hak's right hand, and who had spoken with Seol Unhwi as Song Hak's messenger during the process of creating Yangnyeong City.

At that time, Mak Sohong had been the deputy leader, but in half a year he had been promoted to squad leader, and Seol Unhwi gave him a cupped-fist salute.

"Squad Leader Mak. It has been a long time."

To Mak Sohong, it was slightly puzzling. Before, whether he was a messenger or not, Seol Unhwi had spoken informally, so it was a little strange that he was now speaking respectfully, but he could understand it.

The situation was what it was, and Mak Sohong had served Song Hak.

If Seol Unhwi respected Song Hak, then showing respect to Mak Sohong in a place like this was entirely in character for Seol Unhwi.

"...It has been a long time, Young Master Seol."

Mak Sohong returned a deep cupped-fist salute.

"Thank you for coming like this."

"It is only natural. Elder Song Hak..."

Seol Unhwi let the words trail off.

Mak Sohong's face darkened.

"...Yes. He has passed away."

"That is regrettable."

"...I regret it as well, and I still cannot believe it."

Mak Sohong let out a sigh.