Heavenly Inquisition Sword

Chapter 310: The Weight of Words

Yeon Jeokha quickened his pace.

Shim Tong’s breathing, who he was carrying on his back, had weakened to the point of barely being audible.

He seemed to be in worse shape than when Pung Yeoncho was poisoned.

Sweat dripped from Yeon Jeokha’s forehead and nose.

He was so focused that he didn’t notice the cold sweat soaking him.

His entire mind was focused on obtaining the antidote.

Namgung Yeon, the Incomparable Among Ten, approached and matched his pace.

She glanced sideways at Yeon Jeokha.

He usually treated Shim Tong like a trapped mouse, but now his face was pale with worry.

This showed how important Shim Tong was to him.

Namgung Yeon silently kept pace.

When they saw a monastery in the distance, Yeon Jeokha began to run more steadily.

Regaining some composure, Yeon Jeokha spoke.

“Sister, go back.”

The Holy Mother of the Eight Emperors, leader of the Yoomyung Cult, was an expert who played with the best warriors in the world. Yeon Jeokha didn’t trust his ability to protect Namgung Yeon from a great witch like her.

“Could you leave me behind?”

“…”

Yeon Jeokha didn’t respond.

It seemed that Namgung Yeon was determined to share his fate.

As Yeon Jeokha sighed internally, four people rushed to join them.

It was Jang Mudeok, along with the Three Immortals of Kunlun.

Yeon Jeokha entered the monastery of the Fairy Temple.

Suddenly, seven experts appeared like ghosts and surrounded Yeon Jeokha and his group.

They were seven of the Eight Emperors.

The First Emperor Taebaek, completing the formation of the Seven Stars of the Connected Soul, shouted in a powerful voice.

“Daring to ascend the temple without permission! You must wish to die!”

Jang Mudeok kept his gaze on the First Emperor Taebaek but said nothing.

He had nothing to say. It was Yeon Jeokha who had brought them here.

Yeon Jeokha set Shim Tong down and spoke to the First Emperor Taebaek.

“Ugh, how exhausting. How could I ask for permission when no one was below? Tell the leader that Yeon Jeokha of Nokrim has come to ask for the antidote.”

As the First Emperor Taebaek hesitated at Yeon Jeokha’s brazen response, the doors of the sanctuary opened with a bang.

At that moment, the Seven Emperors bowed their heads and shouted in unison.

“Above heaven and earth, only I am honored! The entire universe suffers, and I bring peace! Long live the leader! Long live!”

The Holy Mother of the Eight Emperors smiled and raised her hand.

“It’s fine. It’s true; there was no one below, so he had no choice.”

At her words, the Seven Emperors ceased showing hostility.

The leader showed a slight sympathy towards the intruders.

The Holy Mother of the Eight Emperors looked at the old man lying on the ground.

The blackened face showed signs of poisoning in the Formation of the Eight Celestial and Terrestrial Trigrams.

Still alive, it was remarkable that he had escaped the formation so quickly.

“They are truly skilled.”

Yeon Jeokha, attentive, responded quickly.

“Thank you for the compliment, but could we have the antidote first?”

The Holy Mother of the Eight Emperors looked at Yeon Jeokha.

“Are you Yeon Jeokha?”

“Yes.”

“Do you know who I am?”

“The Leader of the Yoomyung Cult?”

“Yes, the Demon Warriors you killed were all from the Yoomyung Cult. Asking the antidote from their leader is indeed bold.”

“May I explain myself?”

Though the leader seemed skeptical, she didn’t interrupt Yeon Jeokha; instead, she gestured for him to continue.

“The truth is, it was all an accident. One day, the Grand Chaeju proposed to eliminate the Demon Warriors of Nokrim in exchange for helping me with personal revenge. I was entangled in personal matters at the time, so I accepted.”

Yeon Jeokha watched the leader’s face, which remained impassive.

“I went to the Demon Warriors in the mountains of Nokrim and asked them to leave. But they all attacked me, wanting to kill me. In the confusion, some died, and others were killed. It was not my intention to kill people from the Yoomyung Cult.”

The leader remained silent, showing no emotion.

Yeon Jeokha continued with his story.

“After that, the Demon Warriors put a bounty on my head, and I haven’t had a peaceful day since.”

“So, you have no grudge against our cult and were simply caught in the middle?”

“Yes.”

“I heard your family was destroyed by Lunar Fairy. Should I believe you hold no grudge?”

“Are you referring to Waryong Manor? They are my enemies. I would have ended them myself. I hold no grudge; in fact, I am grateful.”

In part, this was true. He couldn’t do it himself, so he let them go.

The Holy Mother of the Eight Emperors looked at Yeon Jeokha gently.

She had heard the story of how Yeon Jeokha had destroyed three families in Zhengzhou.

He seemed more like a young man trying to rid himself of an old enemy.

He showed no sign of hostility toward her.

“I believe you when you say you hold no grudge against our Cult. Why did you come to Five Peaks Mountain?”

“The Grand Strategist of the Heaven and Earth Alliance sent me. He wanted to know why you were here instead of at the White Horse Temple. It was like a suicide mission since my relationship with him is terrible.”

Yeon Jeokha quickly changed the subject.

“Could we get the antidote first? This man’s breathing is concerning…”

The Holy Mother of the Eight Emperors, staring at Yeon Jeokha intently, spoke calmly.

“I can’t give it to you just like that. I have a proposal for you. Will you listen?”

“What kind of proposal?”

“Promise to withdraw Nokrim from the Heaven and Earth Alliance. If you do, I’ll give you the antidote.”

The unexpected proposal left Yeon Jeokha perplexed.

“Just a promise? Is this a joke?”

It was something simple.

Just as he was about to accept, Namgung Yeon’s voice echoed in his mind.

-You can’t promise that. It depends on the Grand Chaeju.

Not fully understanding, Yeon Jeokha followed her advice.

“I can’t promise that. It depends on the Grand Chaeju. Is that still acceptable?”

The Holy Mother of the Eight Emperors burst into laughter.

“Hahaha! You’re right. You are aware of the weight of your words. Let’s make another deal. Bring me Red Moon Gong Chwisan of the Yoomyung Cult, alive. Can you do that?”

“Just that person?”

“It won’t be easy. Do you promise?”

“Yes, I will.”

Finally, the Holy Mother of the Eight Emperors pulled out a talisman from her pocket.

She recited an incantation, and the talisman burst into flames.

The paper burned in an instant.

The Holy Mother of the Eight Emperors lightly blew on the ashes, which fell into a teacup.

“Coming to me was the right choice. If you had gone to a doctor, he would have died on the way. No one else can cure this poison.”

The leader poured water into the cup and stirred it with her pinky, mixing the ashes.

She sniffed the mixture slightly with narrowed eyes.

“Yes, it’s well done.”

Smiling in satisfaction, she tossed the cup to Yeon Jeokha.

Yeon Jeokha caught the cup that floated in the air.

He felt a pressure in his hand that then disappeared.

He looked at the Holy Mother of the Eight Emperors with suspicion.

A remedy made with ashes?

But there was no other choice.

Yeon Jeokha knelt beside Shim Tong and lifted his head.

He poured the dark contents of the cup into Shim Tong’s mouth.

Incredibly, Shim Tong’s breathing returned to normal.

His color slowly returned.

After a moment, Shim Tong opened his eyes as if waking from a dream.

Yeon Jeokha, who had been watching anxiously, relaxed and stood up.

Shim Tong, bumping his head on the ground, cried out and slowly got up.

“Why do you throw me like that?!”

“Shut up and look where we are.”

Shim Tong looked around and fell silent.

The Holy Mother of the Eight Emperors looked at Jang Mudeok.

“Oh! You’ve escaped the influence of my incantation. It seems your title of Apprentice of the Supreme Tao is well deserved.”

“Thanks to you, my people have suffered greatly. If I had known that the Holy Mother of the Eight Emperors was also skilled in spells…”

“Do you think you could have avoided it?”

“Who knows.”

Jang Mudeok responded briefly and looked away, avoiding any trickery from the Holy Mother of the Eight Emperors.

“Hahaha.”

She laughed and changed the subject.

“The Eight Celestial and Terrestrial Trigrams are imbued with the energy of the Six Spirits and the Six Gods, also known as Six Armors, Six Choices, as you wish to call it. Not even the ten best warriors in the world can break it. What are the sages called?”

This time, the Holy Mother of the Eight Emperors was respectful.

To her, the one who broke the formation was above the ten best warriors in the world.

The Three Immortals of Kunlun hesitated for a moment.

It seemed the leader believed they had broken the formation.

They exchanged glances, and the Immortal Taiyi responded.

“We are the Three Immortals of Kunlun. It is an honor to meet the famous Holy Mother of the Eight Emperors.”

“Famous is not the right word. Now I see you are the sages beyond the known world. I would like to speak with you. Is that alright?”

For someone with dreams of immortality, the Three Immortals of Kunlun were the most valuable guests.

The Immortal Taiyi, still wary, looked at Namgung Yeon, who gave him a slight nod of approval.

Finally, the Immortal Taiyi lowered his guard.

“If there are no other intentions, we accept.”

“Thank you. I recently received a special tea. You will like it.”

The Holy Mother of the Eight Emperors opened the sanctuary doors.

The Three Immortals of Kunlun, after a brief pause, removed their shoes and entered.

After they settled, the Holy Mother of the Eight Emperors spoke to Jang Mudeok, Yeon Jeokha, and Namgung Yeon.

“This is a conversation among cultivators. You wait outside.”

With that, she closed the door.

Yeon Jeokha shook his head in amazement.

It was hard to understand how someone who used monks and Taoists as sacrifices treated the Three Immortals of Kunlun with such courtesy.

Something inexplicable.