Published at 18th of March 2026 6:27 am

Chapter 405

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

Cold gazes poured down upon me. The startled faces from a moment ago were nowhere to be seen, replaced by sharply raised eyes and chilling stares.

"You... You've been here before, haven't you?"

"......"

Damn.

'She caught me.'

A cold sweat trickled down my back.

I had broken through the mechanism far too nonchalantly.

'I was in a hurry; there was no other way.'

The situation had been too urgent to play dumb.

'That crazy old man.'

What on earth kind of tricks did he leave?! Just for touching one thing, the walls started to close in; what kind of bullshit is that?

'I was so surprised, I threw open the door first.'

I should have pretended not to know, but I had to open the door first. Otherwise, I would have been crushed to death.

Both Chun Hye-in and I.

"... I don't know what you're talking about."

Feigning ignorance for now, Chun Hye-in's eyes narrowed.

"That's your excuse?"

"It's the truth. I just swung my sword in a rush and, what do you know, the door opened?"

"Do you think I'm an idiot? Do you really think that'll work?"

It wouldn't work, obviously. I knew better than anyone that it wouldn't.

'... Shit.'

This just got complicated. I was hoping not to get found out.

'Why?'

How did the trap activate? I'd never even heard of such a mechanism.

'What's the principle behind it?'

When I came in with the Conqueror, nothing like this happened. The only difference from back then is

'...the item.'

It only happened when Chun Hye-in touched the item in the second room.

'Is that the reason?'

Does it make sense for the wall to move just because she touched something? When I touched it, nothing happened. No, wait...

'Could it be reacting to ki?'

Yu Chun-gil's modified Blue Moon Mind Technique. Since I carry it, when I touched the item, the mechanism might not have activated.

But Chun Hye-in's technique wasn't Yu Chun-gil's.

If that's the case, then it makes sense the mechanism was triggered because of it.

Which means

'This item in the secret chamber...'

Only Yu Chun-gil and I can touch it.

'The old man just called it his snack stash.'

He must have prepared it thoroughly in his own way. Maybe he's just good at protecting his own stuff.

'... Though calling it his own is questionable.'

It's hard to say. Most of his things were stolen or snatched from others.

Anyway.

"... Ha."

Chun Hye-in sighed. She had that look in her eyes that said she wouldn't believe a thing I said, no matter what sort of excuse I made.

No.

'She's certain of it.'

Not believing is just another way of being convinced.

She must have already had her suspicions.

That's why she's acting like this.

"I thought it was strange. It never made any sense that you didn't know."

"I'll say it again, I really have no ide"

"If that's what you want to say, go ahead."

"......"

We both knew neither of us would believe the other. Her attitude was basically telling me to do as I pleased if I was going to keep up this act.

"... Feels like I did something unnecessary. I was too hasty."

A sudden bout of self-reflection. In other words, she regretted her choice.

"When did you know? Since when have you been aware?"

She frowned, asking me. I scratched the back of my head, unsure how to answer.

"Well..."

After a brief pause, I finally spoke.

"At the very least, before Lady Chun found out, wouldn't you say?"

"......"

"I'm not sure if it was before the Elder found out, though."

Probably not. Baek Yeon probably knew about the secret chamber before I did.

That'd be why, back when we came here, Yu Chun-gil mentioned traces in the first room.

The problem is...

'That means the first room doesn't have any trapped mechanisms.'

From the second room onward, he set up traps like that.

Which means

'This room too...'

The danger isn't any less here.

I thought about warning Chun Hye-in, but...

"We probably shouldn't touch anything."

She already understood the problem. She realized touching anything would trigger another trap.

"The mechanism... it's not about what we do so much as whose ki is present, right?"

She'd already figured it out? She's fast.

"I wouldn't know about that."

Maintaining my ignorance, Chun Hye-in's brow furrowed.

"So you want to play hardball?"

"No, I really have no idea."

"... Ha."

As expected, she didn't believe me. But what was I supposed to do? I said I didn't know.

"... Fine. Talking to you longer is just going to give me a headache."

She was moving in the direction I wanted. Chun Hye-in moved on.

"... Is this the third room?"

She looked around as she said it, searching for something in the dark.

"What are you looking for?"

Chun Hye-in looked my way at my question.

"Who knows? I don't know, either."

"...."

She used the same excuse I'd given her earlier. This woman, really?

'Sure, there's the matter of the secret chamber itself, but maybe she's here after something specific.'

I wondered what she was after, coming to this place. Chun Hye-in clearly had a specific goal.

Maybe...

'Is it the Divine Pill?'

Just as Baek Yeon saidthe Blue Moon Sect's Divine Pill. To be specific, the one only the Sect Leader can consume. Is that what she's here for?

'If that's the case...'

There's no way it's still here; I already took it long ago.

But...

'Doesn't seem like that's what she's looking for.'

From Chun Hye-in's reaction, she didn't seem to be after the Divine Pill.

Then, what is it?

"What are you looking for? If it comes to it, I can help you look."

"...."

"If, as Lady Chun said, I might know about it, it only makes sense for you to ask."

At my words, Chun Hye-in looked at me. It made sense; whatever she was looking for, I might know about it.

Her brow furrowed slightly. She was thinking deeplyabout whether to tell me. After a brief silence, she finally spoke.

"... I'm looking for a sword."

"A sword?"

A sword, suddenly? That caught me off guard. A sword? In here?

"What sword are you looking for...?"

From Yu Chun-gil's secret chamber? Could there possibly be a sword here?

'I don't think I've seen one.'

At least, I don't recall seeing a sword.

"It's a thin, double-edged sword. Have you seen it before?"

"I really haven't seen a sword here."

"You say 'really'are you implying you've seen something fake, then?"

"... Could you not try to trip me up right now?"

She was still trying to test me, even in this situation. So persistent.

"A double-edged sword, huh. Why do you think it would be here?"

"... If it's Elder Sword Saint's place, you never know."

"So what is it? Is it an important sword?"

"Of course."

Chun Hye-in answered with eyes as cold as ice.

"It was a memento that my mother left behind."

"......"

That was much heavier than I expected. I scratched my cheek when I heard it.

'A memento, huh.'

Why it's a sword, I have no idea, but she didn't seem to be lying at least.

'Double-edged sword...'

I racked my memories. Of all the things I'd seen in the chamber, I'd never seen a sword.

Strangely enough.

'That's right. There wasn't a sword.'

There was a bracer or something like that, but no sword.

"Have you seen it before?"

Chun Hye-in asked me. I shook my head.

"No, I haven't seen one."

"... I see."

She bit her lip and stood up after hearing my answer.

"... Is there another room after this one?"

"......"

She asked outright. I scratched my head.

"There should be."

"That's not very reassuring."

"I haven't actually been to the next room myself."

"...."

Chun Hye-in gave me a curious look after hearing my answer.

"Why are you telling the truth?"

Look at that? Chun Hye-in knew I was telling the truth.

How odd. Not that a lie would've convinced her anyway.

"Is that a problem?"

"It's just strange."

"Now that you know, I should at least be honest. No point in you having false hope."

"... Hope, huh...."

"We can't go to the next room yet. I don't know how."

I actually did know. The completion of the Great Moon. Completing the seven-fold sword path.

That's the method to get to the next room.

But the problem is that I can't do it right now.

"I see..."

Chun Hye-in nodded as she looked around.

Then

"Bang Sung-Yun."

"Yes?"

"Let's make a deal."

She suggested a deal. A deal?

"What kind of deal?"

"I won't tell anyone about today."

"... Excuse me?"

"I'll keep the fact that you know about this chamber a secret."

Speechless, I let out a hollow laugh at her words.

"And if you didn't, what would change? What would it matter?"

Now, Chun Hye-in knew nearly as much as I did about this place. Even if she spread the word, what would change?

"It wouldn't change much. But at least Elder Baek wouldn't hear about it."

"Huh?"

Did she mean even Baek Yeon would be kept in the dark?

'If he found out...'

That would get pretty annoying. Baek Yeon's already a thorn in my side.

"But how am I supposed to believe that?"

Baek Yeon is on Chun Hye-in's side. Who's to say she won't tell her? Instead of worrying about that

"It'd be easier just to kill you here."

"......"

The air instantly became frigid. Was that a threat? No, it wasn't really a threat.

'If I think rationally, that makes sense.'

A locked chamber. A place you could never find if you didn't already know. If I killed Chun Hye-in here, no one would ever know.

That I knew about the secret chamber.

Or anything about Chun Hye-in.

At that, Chun Hye-in's eyes darkened slightly.

"That's terrifying."

"I'm saying it's a viable option."

"You're right. That is an option. But."

Clang. Chun Hye-in drew her sword. Moon Eye, activated since earlier, caught the sword path.

The sword's trajectory

"...!"

Clang!!

Sparks flew as her sword bounced away. I'd blocked Chun Hye-in's sword as she thrust itnot at me, but at her own neck.

"... Are you insane?"

"I'm feeling a bit desperate right now."

It was genuine. Chun Hye-in had tried to cut her own throat.

"If you don't accept my deal, I'll kill myself here."

"You really are crazy. Are you threatening me with your own life? Why would that work on me?"

"I mean nothing to you. But this is the only way I can prove it."

"Prove what?"

"Whether it's Elder Baek or youright now, the deal is more important to me."

"... What do you even want?"

What are you after? Chun Hye-in repeated what she'd said earlier.

"Find the sword for me."

"... The one that's your mother's keepsake?"

"That's right."

"That's really so important to you?"

Instead of just being a sword, it was a keepsake, so it must be importantbut is it worth all this?

I didn't understand, so I asked.

"It is important."

Chun Hye-in answered, her expression turning rather stiff.

"Someday, it's the sword I'll use to kill my father."

"...?"

My mind went blank at her words.

A declaration of patricide, proclaimed without a hint of shame.

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