Chapter: 471
When Sogeomseong opened his eyes again, the air was filled with a bustling noise.
– Quickly… move!
– …There’s no time…!
The hustle and bustle echoed all around. With that, Sogeomseong hastily opened his eyes and sprang up.
“… Haa… Haa.”
As he caught his breath, a voice came from beside him.
“Are you awake?”
Sogeomseong turned his gaze to the owner of the voice.
The moment their eyes met, the man flinched.
It was because Sogeomseong’s gaze was chillingly cold.
Whether he realized it or not, Sogeomseong quickly tried to manage his expression.
It was partly because the man was someone he recognized.
“… King Geul?”
The man’s nickname was King Geul.
He was the eyes and ears of the Justice Faction that ruled over all the beggars in the Central Plains.
At Sogeomseong’s words, King Geul cleared his throat lightly before speaking further.
“I guess something serious has happened… Your expression isn’t good.”
“…”
Sogeomseong didn’t respond to King Geul’s comment.
King Geul, sensing this, didn’t ask any more questions, as though he expected such behavior from Sogeomseong.
Sogeomseong glanced at the commotion outside and asked another question.
“… What’s going on?”
“Ah, it’s nothing… nothing particularly special…”
“King Geul.”
His somewhat frosty tone struck King Geul directly.
“What’s going on?”
It was a voice demanding a proper explanation. At this, King Geul sighed deeply.
He’s usually not like that, but in this situation, he was astonishingly quick-witted.
One.
“Really… it’s nothing.”
This time, King Geul had no intention of explaining further.
“It’s a situation that Sogeomseong doesn’t need to concern herself with. It would be better if you just stayed put for now.”
To be honest, the situation was considerably problematic, but it was certainly not appropriate to lift the fallen Sogeomseong and send her out.
Of course.
The higher-ups were clamoring for immediate contact with Sogeomseong.
‘You little pests.’
The fatigue-ridden agreement of their factions only felt bitter.
What kind of justice is this when one woman has to bear all the burdens?
He already knew it was rotten, but with time, his affection only diminished.
Would it be better to burn everything down and rebuild?
Or perhaps,
‘Maybe it’s better to let Cheonma win.’
The thought was so outrageous it made him want to cry.
Knowing he couldn’t let things continue this way only deepened his despair.
Here’s the dilemma.
“King Geul.”
Regardless of King Geul’s feelings, Sogeomseong had no intention of backing down.
“Where’s the Heavenly King?”
“…”
“Please respond.”
At Sogeomseong’s question, King Geul averted his gaze for a brief moment, then finally let out a deep sigh before answering.
“The Heavenly King has stepped out… I believe he’s headed towards Sichuan.”
“…”
Sogeomseong bit down on her lip at King Geul’s answer.
That was the state just before fainting.
Thunk-!
The moment she got up and attempted to go outside, King Geul stepped in her way.
“Where do you think you’re going with that body?”
“… Please move aside.”
“I’ll say this again, there’s no need for Sogeomseong to step forward in this situation. Don’t put yourself in unnecessary danger…”
“I have to go.”
Despite King Geul’s warnings, Sogeomseong’s eyes remained steadfast.
As their gazes locked, King Geul finally frowned.
“Since it’s none other than the Heavenly Lord, he’s bound to return safely. I just sent a message to the Heavenly Lord as well…”
“What do you mean, ‘the loser’?”
“…!”
Uh-oh.
King Geul bit down on his own mouth, realizing his slip of the tongue.
“Did you just say you contacted the Heavenly King?”
“… Well…”
“So you’re suggesting it’s nothing serious.”
Just as expected, Sogeomseong instinctively picked up on the implications behind King Geul’s slip.
At this point, Pajeon would have already received another order and was off hunting monsters not far from here.
The request for contact to bring him here meant something different entirely.
“What on earth is going on…?”
Just as Sogeomseong was about to raise her voice in frustration,
Boom-!
“…!!”
The sensation coursing through her body forced Sogeomseong to halfway kneel.
“Little Sword!”
King Geul rushed to support her, but Sogeomseong raised her hand to reject his touch.
“Haah… Hak…”
A gasp escaped involuntarily.
The energy resonated from her danjeon, reaching her heart.
Veins pulsed throughout her body, and the thundering of her heart was deafening.
She could feel the vibrations within her weary frame, threatening to send her back into unconsciousness, yet Sogeomseong bit her tongue hard, struggling to stay conscious.
‘So…’
The sensation was maddening.
With that realization, Sogeomseong understood why everything around her was in such chaos.
Moreover, she recognized why King Geul was reluctant to speak to her.
This resonance was felt for only one reason.
“Cheonma…”
“…!”
“Has she arrived?”
Sogeomseong’s question made King Geul’s expression twist.
The certainty she needed shone through King Geul’s face.
Sogeomseong immediately rose to her feet.
Whooosh-!!
She channeled energy throughout her body.
“Little Sword…! Wait…!”
King Geul tried to stop her, but the transformation had already begun.
The first noticeable change was her hair.
Brilliant blonde locks turned pure white at the ends.
This wasn’t just a color change; the light she originally possessed became even more powerful.
The resulting light condensed behind her back, one by one.
Chorrr-rrr!
Soon, several pure white blades began to take shape.
Swords spread wide behind her back, giving the illusion of pure white wings.
“Just wait… even if you wait!”
King Geul shouted urgently.
Whoosh-!
Ignoring him, Sogeomseong flew upward with all her might.
So, she directed herself to the place where the resonance was felt.
When she arrived at her destination,
Sogeomseong had to swallow hard upon seeing a figure gazing up at her from the ground.
With dark clothing and black hair,
the sight of those purple eyes sent a cold sweat trickling down her back.
What’s more,
Boom! Boom!
The continuous sensation of resonance echoed relentlessly.
Trying to brush off the jarring feelings, Sogeomseong scanned her surroundings.
Then she found what she was looking for.
“… Ah.”
She saw the Heavenly King’s head rolling on the ground and a young man staring at her with wide, startled eyes beside it.
The moment her eyes fell upon the young man, Sogeomseong’s heart dropped.
‘Why?’
It was as if his very existence had been inverted compared to what she had seen moments ago.
What had happened?
Her fists clenched tightly as she processed the sight.
“… Cheonma.”
Suppressing her rage, she quietly breathed his name.
Whoosh-!
“…!”
Sogeomseong’s body was yanked upwards against her will.
She was dragged straight to the ground, unable to react properly.
Crash-!
With a desperate effort, she managed to regain her footing.
She tried to respond by raising her energy instantly.
“If you came here, you should have greeted me first. Why are you just staring?”
Sogeomseong raised her head, suddenly hearing a voice right before her.
Before her stood a familiar face, as though her reflection hovered in the water.
“You still have your ugly face.”
At Cheonma’s words, Sogeomseong frowned deeply.
“… Why are you here, Cheonma?”
Cheonma responded with a strange expression at her inquiry.
“That’s an odd question.”
His expression held a hint of subtle arrogance.
“There’s not a single place in this world that I cannot go. Such a trivial question.”
“… ”
“What’s more.”
Crack-!
“…!”
The tips of Sogeomseong’s feet began to jiggle, her body being pulled toward Cheonma.
Whoosh-! She raised her energy to amplify her repulsion.
Even so, it was insufficient.
“The one who should be asking the questions is me. Why have you flipped the script?”
Despite the atmosphere growing heavier, Cheonma merely smiled.
“The land of Sichuan has become mine, so the three Lords should not dare to step foot here.”
At that moment, Cheonma’s foot brushed against something on the ground.
“I am certain I said that.”
It was the severed head of the Heavenly King.
“Seeing these bugs crawl around makes it seem my words were perhaps amusing.”
The mingling of words and laughter created an uncanny blend.
From Cheonma’s feet emanated a thick, swirling darkness, consuming everything around them.
“Abominable creatures.”
Sogeomseong understood that Cheonma’s smile was indicative of his anger.
Whoosh-! She adjusted the scattered swords around her, angling their tips at Cheonma.
“I’ve been capricious before and shown mercy, yet you still fail to grasp your place.”
Oblivious to Sogeomseong’s rising energy, Cheonma only continued to amplify his own.
“Well…”
Energies seeped from Cheonma’s fingertips.
“So, it’s likely you touched something you shouldn’t have.”
Soon, darkness unfurled under her fingertips.
It poured forth.
Crackle!
The waves of darkness began overwhelming Sogeomseong.
Realizing this, she too prepared to move.
As her fingertips swung, the sword imbued with her power shot through the abyss.
Bang!
As the blade struck, the darkness melted at its point of contact.
Boom!
But that alone wasn’t enough to halt the energy.
In this brief exchange, Sogeomseong could clearly sense the disparity.
‘Still…!’
She felt the vast gap between herself and Cheonma.
It loomed high and mighty.
Even as she channeled her life force to draw strength, she could never match his power.
How could this be?
How much higher must she ascend before she could even reach him?
“Still as ever.”
“… Ugh!”
The force swept Sogeomseong backward.
“Still lacking fun.”
Even amid the turmoil, Cheonma didn’t move an inch from his original stance.
Was it a matter of fatigue or was she simply lacking strength?
Noticing the resonance invigorating her, she grew desperate to seek an answer.
Many placed their hopes on Sogeomseong, believing in her power.
Yet, in the face of this all-consuming darkness, such strength proved useless.
Unlike the others’ hopes for her,
with each encounter with Cheonma, Sogeomseong only faced deeper despair.
But still, she had to wield her sword; it was her hell.
She swung her blade to clear away the darkness, only for an even greater shadow to converge.
Genuinely, there seemed to be no end to it.
“I despise you,”
a voice echoed as darkness was chopped away.
“If you were going to flail about, you should at least do it sincerely; yet, you still seek a place to die.”
Dumbly stated words made Sogeomseong frown immediately.
“… What do you know…!”
The moment she snapped back, the extending shadows stabbed into her shoulder.
Instinctively, she moved three swords to stack in defense.
Thud!
Even so, her defenses shattered, the hilt splintering into pieces.
The recoil sent Sogeomseong skidding backward.
“Do you think I’m unaware?”
Despite it all, Cheonma kept speaking.
“No one in this world knows you better than I.”
“Stop talking nonsense…”
“Don’t be so despicable. If you’re leftovers, just remain as leftovers.”
Crrr-!
With a flick of Cheonma’s fingers, the ground beneath Sogeomseong shattered, rising into the air.
“It means you should know your place.”
Crash-
The lifted shards clustered roughly, as if to crush the swordsman.
Seamlessly being packed tighter, they formed into a single sphere.
Looking at it, she could easily see it leading to death.
Crack-
A bright flash burst from the sphere now floating in midair, slicing it in half, enabling Sogeomseong to escape.
Almost immediately, she swung her blade, launching a storm of swords towards Cheonma from all sides.
With brilliant sword energy, they fell like pure white rain.
Cheonma merely observed the onslaught, lightly waving one hand through the air.
That alone sufficed.
The darkness laid on the ground surged forth, serving as a shield, while the falling sword energies were obstructed by it, failing to accomplish their purpose.
The skill disparity was stark.
Even in perfect health, she wouldn’t prevail here, and right now, hope seemed nonexistent.
It was a situation everyone could clearly see,
but the one who understood it best was Sogeomseong herself.
Yet, she did not halt.
The light had not yet faded.
She had to continue swinging her sword until every last flicker of her light was extinguished.
Even if it meant dying right here and now.
And the expression on Cheonma’s face as he witnessed her resolve?
“I’m bored.”
He was swiftly overtaken by indifference.
Seeing this, Sogeomseong charged in with renewed determination.
Fast.
The speed was such that it couldn’t be perceived by the naked eye.
Swish-!
Next, Sogeomseong’s twin swords swiftly aimed for Cheonma’s neck.
At this rate, Cheonma’s head might be severed in two.
Yet, without hesitation, Sogeomseong swung her sword.
Clang-!
Despite her savage attack, it failed utterly, without even a jolt.
“…!”
Witnessing the unfolding scene, Sogeomseong was left astounded.
It was inevitable.
One sword shattered like glass without resistance.
The other blade was seized and blocked by Cheonma’s hand.
In that horrific moment, Sogeomseong’s heart sank, unable to mask her despair.
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