Chapter 212: A Tale From Long Ago
This is a tale from long ago.
It is a story that many have forgotten, a legend very few remember as a fairytale from a distant past.
In the ancient Central Plains, where the existence of demon gates was unknown and only martial arts and alliances were pursued, there was a time when the phrase “the strong survive” felt all too fitting.
During such an era, there lived a man who longed for another world.
A man who originally did not belong to this land yearned to return to the place he once called home.
He prayed to be able to return to the land where he had lived.
For a long time, the man held onto this longing, and eventually, unable to endure the passage of time, he wanted to burn his own flames to open the door—a door leading back to where he came from.
After a long, long time had passed, the man finally found a way to open the door.
It was a method similar, yet different, from how he had arrived in this land.
Filled with joy, the man shouted.
He did not hide his hope, believing that he could finally return.
In the end, he succeeded in opening the door to the void, but the man had to plunge into despair upon seeing what lay before it.
The door that tore through dimensions was not the path he had hoped for.
Moreover, that very door brought disaster.
As he collapsed to the ground, watching calamity spill from the fissure he had created, he realized he could not return to the world he had longed for. His selfishness had left a massive scar on the world.
Future generations named that breach, from which monsters poured forth, the Gate of Demons.
This would become a distortion that brought forth the greatest change to the world and remained an calamity left unresolved for centuries.
The sins of the man known as Fire Dokkaebi were passed down, binding his descendants in the legacy of his wrongdoing.
A few hours after the incident took place, I found myself on the path leading to the Gu Clan, having passed through the Misty Mountains.
The aftermath of the events at the Black Palace was not yet properly addressed, but since the Gu Clan was affiliated with the Orthodox faction, the remaining matters needed to be handled once the Murim Alliance reached the mountains.
Prioritizing the safe return of Gu Huibi to the clan, we left behind key personnel to deal with the mess, while the rest headed back to the clan.
And now, I was facing an utterly embarrassing situation.
As I groaned and struggled, Namgung Bi-ah asked me, “…Are you struggling?”
“Yeah, a lot,” I replied.
“Then… should I carry you?” she suggested.
“No, please don’t do that. I’m already quite embarrassed as it is,” I urged.
With a throbbing head, I rubbed my face.
The gazes I felt around me were also contributing significantly to my red ears.
…Damn.
The reason I felt so embarrassed was that I was currently being carried on Namgung Bi-ah’s back.
It was soft, and every time the wind blew, her hair would tickle my nose.
…Why does it smell so good?
Amidst that, I could also sense a floral scent that bothered me.
Did she spray something?
As my instincts made my nose twitch, Elder Shin spoke in a sour tone in my mind.
[Looks like you’re enjoying yourself, huh.]
…Does it really appear that way?
[Of course it does! Isn’t it weird to hope it doesn’t?]
Having heard his grumbling, I coughed falsely and averted my gaze.
There was nothing but fog to see in the other direction, and looking ahead felt impossible at that moment.
Hmm?
As I cautiously scanned my surroundings, I felt a strong gaze from a bit behind.
The source of that intense gaze was none other than Gu Huibi, who was also being carried, much like me.
The difference? While I was on Namgung Bi-ah’s back, Gu Huibi was being carried on her father’s.
It was a pretty awkward sight, certainly.
For, witnessing my father carrying someone—especially Gu Huibi—was quite unexpected.
Why is she glaring at me like that?
To make the situation more awkward, Gu Huibi was staring me down with a fierce glare.
With her already intimidating eyes, her glances were terrifying.
[Now do you realize how it feels? That’s exactly how you look when you’re glaring at someone.]
…Why the sudden insult?
Ignoring Elder Shin’s opportunistic jab, I pondered why Gu Huibi was looking at me like that.
Why is she acting like this after saying she didn’t want to?
She had insisted that she would rather die than be carried by Namgung Bi-ah, which is why her father chose to carry her.
So why was she judging me like that?
Does she think I wanted to be carried?
Gu Huibi was currently unable to move freely due to the Demonic Qi wrapping her.
In my case, I was struggling to use my Qi at the moment because of the backlash it was causing.
Based on how I felt, this situation would likely last for a few more hours.
And because of that, Namgung Bi-ah had naturally carried me, thinking I might need support.
Being a peak martial artist, carrying me was nothing but a light burden for her, yet the sight in front of me was incredibly uncomfortable.
[If that’s the case, you could have just asked someone else to carry you.]
…That’s true.
Why did I only realize that now?
Maybe my mind was too consumed with other thoughts to register it properly.
[You just want to make excuses, huh!]
…Could you be quiet for a moment?
[Hmph.]
Elder Shin seemed to be in a grumpier mood than usual today.
It wasn’t just the teasing from before; something else was bothering him.
What a nasty disposition he had. Shouldn’t someone like him, being a Taoist, have a broader mind?
Anyway, disregarding Elder Shin’s comments and my current predicament of being carried by Namgung Bi-ah, I genuinely didn’t have time to concern myself with trivial things now.
Because my thoughts were packed with other significant matters.
The Black Palace Lord and the Heavenly Demon…
Even thinking about those two was overwhelming.
Why did the Palace Lord have the Heavenly Demon by his side?
What was the reason behind the Heavenly Demon appearing like that with the Palace Lord?
I needed to ponder on these issues.
As the Heavenly Demon had claimed, it originated from the Gate of Demons, but it had already been present in the world in a childlike form.
Moreover, what were their intentions?
Everything seemed different from what I had heard in my past life, making the situation all the more convoluted.
…The Black Palace is destroyed a few years later by the Murim Alliance.
In what was surely a predetermined future, that was what was meant to happen.
But after witnessing the current situation, I couldn’t help but think differently.
…Perhaps…
It wasn’t that they had been annihilated by the Murim Alliance.
Maybe they had pretended to be destroyed instead?
Then, what became of the Palace Lord?
If that were the case, did the Black Palace Lord truly die as I had recalled in my past life?
If the Black Palace had not been taken down by the Murim Alliance but instead faked their destruction, then where did the Palace Lord vanish to in my past life?
It is certain that the Black Palace is the root of the Demonic Cult.
Having seen that important figures from the Black Palace eventually became members of the Demonic Cult, I could affirm that the cult formed and led by the Heavenly Demon originated from the Black Palace.
What on earth do they want?
I couldn’t quite grasp it.
The Heavenly Demon had stated its reasons for attacking the world, claiming it was to demonstrate its supremacy and purify the tainted realm.
Did those words hide a different meaning?
At this point, everything seemed questionable.
If the Heavenly Demon wasn’t an ambiguous entity but rather one that had always existed in the world, understanding it became increasingly difficult.
Moreover…
With a visage almost identical to Wi Seol-Ah’s…
Back then, the resemblance wasn’t exact.
Due to different atmospheres and energies, they had felt entirely dissimilar, but now it was beyond mere similarity.
Beyond a shared facial resemblance, their physiques were nearly indistinguishable, bearing a striking resemblance to each other.
How could this mere happenstance be called coincidence?
…Does it mean the Heavenly Demon is connected to Wi Seol-Ah?
Or conversely, could it be that Wi Seol-Ah is connected to the Heavenly Demon?
If that were the case, I would also need to consider the Sword Venerable.
Although the Sword Venerable viewed Wi Seol-Ah as his granddaughter and took care of her, there could have been more to that tale.
No, deep down, I was increasingly certain that the Sword Venerable harbored some secret.
Damn it.
Everything I knew became a tangled mess.
I did not even know where to start unravelling it all.
If there was at least one thing I could be sure of amid this chaos, it was that
There’s something wrong with the current Heavenly Demon.
That much I could ascertain.
The reason for my certainty lay in the information passed along by Gu Huibi, as well as the time I encountered the Heavenly Demon.
Gu Huibi had mentioned that the Black Palace Lord captured her to allow the Heavenly Demon to absorb something from her, yet she also stated that the Heavenly Demon was unable to do so.
She said it was impossible anymore.
To be more precise, it was said that it couldn’t feast on it anymore.
Then, during my encounter with the Heavenly Demon, I recalled its murmured words directed toward me.
-Mine.
The Heavenly Demon had said that definitely, while gazing at me.
It could have meant it was referring to the Demonic Qi within my body.
But that probably isn’t the case.
That belief stemmed from my intuition.
I thought it over while patting my stomach.
About the Demonic Art attached to me.
This was the art the Heavenly Demon had bestowed upon me in my past life and a curse-like power that clung stubbornly even through my rebirth.
Demonic Absorption.
Previously, I merely understood this power as a simple absorption of Demonic Qi from Demonic Stones to utilize for my own strength, but now it encompassed absorbing various energies—not just limited to Qi.
It even ensured that the energies flowed harmoniously together within my body instead of clashing.
I had thought perhaps my Demonic Art underwent a transformation during my rebirth…
But clearly, that was not the entire story.
For reasons beyond my understanding, the Heavenly Demon was now incapable of doing what it had once mastered.
And I could only deduce that was due to the transfer of its power to me.
Reaching that conclusion made me regret even more for letting them slip away.
I really should have never let them go…
Had I recognized this sooner, or been more prepared, the results might have differed.
“What’s wrong?”
Namgung Bi-ah seemed to have caught wind of my grinding teeth.
She inquired worriedly, tilting towards me.
Looking into her blue eyes, I forcefully shook my head.
“It’s nothing.”
While I concealed my feelings from her,
there was nothing I could do at this moment.
Returning to the Gu Clan was now my utmost priority.
Days later, we finally arrived in Shanxi after delving out of the Misty Mountains.
That was partly due to the distance not being exceedingly far and the fact that we’d rushed our return.
Anyhow, we made it back to Shanxi safely, so that much was fortunate.
As I stepped into the bustling streets of Shanxi, I heard someone behind me calling out.
“Brother.”
I turned my head a tad after hearing Gu Huibi’s voice.
Upon turning, I saw her face.
It was only natural, given that Gu Huibi was still on my back.
As expected, after just a few hours, I could move my body again.
Since I could walk perfectly fine, I really didn’t need to be carried by Namgung Bi-ah anymore.
When she let me down, Namgung Bi-ah looked a bit disappointed, but I didn’t want to endure the shame even a moment longer.
The real problem came after that.
—Now that you’re fine, you should carry me, right?
Gu Huibi, who had previously been comfortably carried by Father, promptly ordered me to carry her.
Of course, I planned on denying her with a sour face, but
—Carry her.
Father’s firm command forced me to comply and carry Gu Huibi.
…This damned household.
I thought I had become somewhat strong, but I was still far too weak to defy Father.
[It’ll be ages until you can properly stand up to your father.]
I nodded along with Elder Shin’s statement.
I was well aware of Father’s strength.
Moreover, I also realized he concealed his strength while residing in the clan.
But seeing it firsthand, he remains as strong as ever.
With a crimson sky painted by heat, the energy surged into his palm, showcasing his overwhelming presence.
It was a power far too absurd to be classified merely as that of a hundred masters from the world.
I still have a long way to go.
Simultaneously, it made me acutely aware of how much farther I needed to progress.
Thus, while I frowned, Gu Huibi, who had called me, continued speaking.
“Isn’t it weird?”
“What is?”
After the incident involving the Marble of Celestial Captivation, Gu Huibi hadn’t made any remarks about my informal speech towards her.
Instead, she acted as if she was trying to change the subject, worried that I might bring up the marble incident.
Of course, I wasn’t going to let it pass unnoticed, planning to address it as soon as we reached the clan.
“The people, their atmosphere seems strange.”
“Atmosphere?”
After hearing her, I glanced around the market.
This place was where I had seen just after my reincarnation, the very spot where I first met Wi Seol-Ah.
“Strange, you say?”
To call the atmosphere strange, it felt quite similar to the usual vibe.
“In what way is it strange?”
“Hmm… Could it be me overthinking?”
Seemingly unconcerned, Gu Huibi leaned her chin on my shoulder to feel more at ease.
“You could walk yourself now that we’ve come this far, you know?”
“Brother, your sister is unwell; how can I possibly trudge up that terrifying uphill path?”
When I regarded Gu Huibi with disbelief, Namgung Bi-ah, strolling beside me, suddenly chimed in.
“Should I carry you instead?”
Gu Huibi frowned as if disapproving of Namgung Bi-ah’s offer.
“Hey, how dare you butt into our family discussion?”
Hearing her sharp tone, I quickly retorted to Gu Huibi.
“Why are you getting mad at someone trying to help you?”
“Onii? Who’s side are you taking? Are you already playing favorites just because you’re betrothed?”
Observing Gu Huibi’s shocked expression, I thought to myself.
Seriously, what is wrong with her?!
I wanted to throw her to the ground right then, but I restrained myself since Father’s presence loomed.
Calming my thoughts, I continued to look around.
It was because Gu Huibi’s words had stirred something in my mind.
…A strange atmosphere, huh?
Evidently, she was right; there was a hint of something different in the marketplace compared to usual.
But why was that so?
However,
I soon learned the reason behind it.
“…Huh?”
Upon our return to the clan, the one awaiting us wasn’t Wi Seol-Ah, Tang Soyeol, or even the Second Elder.
“Greetings, Young Master Gu.”
She had long, dark hair, fair skin, and ice-blue eyes that gave off a chilling vibe.
With slightly lifted eyes and enticing crimson lips, she exuded an alluring aura.
“Once again, we meet.”
The Snow Phoenix, Moyong Hi-ah.
For some reason, she was staying with the Gu Clan.
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