Chapter: 474
Knock knock knock.
Immediately after the Demonic Scripture that had swallowed Gu Yangcheon gradually disappeared, even the traces of the cracks vanished.
Cheonma stared blankly into the air.
Silence lingered and swirled around.
“Haa… haa….”
Suddenly, Gu Yangcheon disappeared, and one could feel eyes searching for him here and there.
In response, Cheonma shifted his gaze to the Demon Sword Master.
“Demon Sword Master.”
At Cheonma’s call, the kneeling Demon Sword Master lifted her head.
From that gaze, Cheonma sensed it.
The unmistakable regret visible in the eyes of the Demon Sword Master.
So he asked.
“Are you feeling regretful?”
“…No….”
It’s a lie. The Demon Sword Master was undoubtedly feeling regret.
However, Cheonma did not blame her for the dishonesty.
In the countless lives she had lived, the Demon Sword Master had always acted this way.
Furthermore.
There was a mix of remorse for not having saved the Demon Sword Master’s life when he could have.
Even for necessity, one cannot help but feel subtly uncomfortable about it.
So this time, Cheonma decided to show mercy.
“If you want, just say it.”
As Cheonma spoke, he pointed into the void.
At that moment.
Crackle crackle!
“…!”
From Cheonma’s outstretched fingertips, the air began to tear open.
“If you wish, I can send you there as well.”
“…”
A crack enlarging as his hand moved.
Unlike the white crack that had swallowed Gu Yangcheon, the one created by Cheonma was filled with purple light.
“…”
Still, the Demon Sword Master understood.
If she goes there, she can see Gu Yangcheon again.
Because the leader was not one to lie.
If she really ventured there, would she be able to see him again?
A similar thought flicked through the mind of the Demon Sword Master.
There were still many things she wished to ask.
Moreover, recalling the look on Gu Yangcheon’s face that he had given her just before, the Demon Sword Master felt a myriad of emotions.
She wanted to see more of those eyes.
She wished to know why he looked at her in such a way.
As the cracks widened, she remembered the hand that had taken care of her first.
Though it was a fleeting moment, everything had lingered in the Demon Sword Master’s mind like an imprint.
But.
“…I won’t go.”
The Demon Sword Master had no intention of going to find him.
Cheonma nodded thoughtfully, prompting his question in response to such a firm answer.
“Why?”
“Because ‘my’ person is here….”
“Hmm.”
Cheonma tilted his head, the corners of his lips twitching at the Demon Sword Master’s response.
What an utterly ridiculous answer.
The eyes of the Demon Sword Master sparkled brightly. Seeing that, Cheonma thought to himself.
‘My… huh.’
Her subtle words lingered in the air.
The Gu Yangcheon that has now vanished was still Gu Yangcheon.
But the Gu Yangcheon that remains in this era is far more important.
At least, that’s how it seemed at first glance.
Considering she insisted on calling him ‘my,’ it could be viewed as a term for the other half of her who was gasping in front of her, or perhaps.
As if it were something she exclaimed for Cheonma to overhear.
‘That’s a little irritating.’
A sudden surge of murderous intent arose.
Cheonma, experiencing a return of such long-dormant emotions, barely managed to suppress a smile.
He wanted to rip the heart out of the Demon Sword Master right then and there.
But he knew he shouldn’t.
The Demon Sword Master still had tasks to accomplish in this life.
It was a satisfactory answer, enough to spark his murderous intent.
Snatch!
He withdrew his fingertip that had been causing the crack.
As Cheonma retracted his hand, the crack closed itself, disappearing without a trace.
“Since you said something I liked, I’ll let this slide this time.”
The Demon Sword Master lowered her head at his casually spoken words.
Seeing that, Cheonma chuckled softly.
It seemed the remark he made toward himself was indeed accurate.
Normally, he would have punished her, but since it aligned with his own intentions, he chose to let it slide.
Also.
“Now that I know where to go….”
After countless attempts, likely thousands of times, he had finally figured it out.
Or perhaps, he had known all along.
It was just a foolish desire to linger a little longer that delayed it.
He had been lost for a long while, unable to let go of that obsession.
‘In the end…’
It truly felt inevitable.
He had tried every method possible and put in every effort.
But ultimately.
‘I have to let you go.’
He realized there was no other way.
Only after witnessing it with his own eyes could he be certain.
Is he relieved?
No, what remains is only regret.
“Demon Sword Master.”
“… Yes. Leader.”
“Return to where you belong.”
“…!”
Upon hearing Cheonma’s words, the Demon Sword Master looked up in surprise but couldn’t muster a response.
Because the eyes of Cheonma fixed on her had settled far too coldly.
A thud.
Cheonma moved.
He headed toward the direction of Sogeomseong.
Immediately after Gu Yangcheon vanished, Sogeomseong remained staring vacantly at the void.
“I would love to conclude this moment and commence the next.”
With a swift motion.
“Ugh….”
Cheonma approached Sogeomseong, grabbing her hair.
Her once resplendent white hair had now turned blonde.
“Now, a reason has emerged for me to suppress my impulse.”
“…”
“I loathe you so much I want to shred you to bits right now.”
Is it because she resembles him? Or because his heart is drawn toward this other half?
All of those could be valid reasons.
Yet, the essence differed slightly.
It simply resurfaced in memory.
With eyes akin to that of a swordsman.
He recalled an unknown woman, chasing hope while bearing this likeness.
Someone foolish who hoped that a little more effort would allow her to walk alongside her loved one.
That must be why it stirred such fury.
“Just kill me….”
“Shut it. That’s something you should never dare to say.”
At the very least, she shouldn’t plead for her death in front of him.
Gripping Sogeomseong’s hair tightly, Cheonma cast a glance at the Demon Sword Master.
“Return to the headquarters and convey this to the Lord. I shall come visit in a few days. Prepare to show your face.”
“…”
He didn’t wait for the Demon Sword Master’s reply.
“And you.”
Cheonma quietly focused on his own duties.
“Take me to that damned father of ours. I have something I must personally convey.”
At her words, Sogeomseong’s eyes widened.
Cheonma suppressed his emotions as he noted her reaction.
“How many times will I have to repeat this?”
Or perhaps, he would need to do this dozens of times.
Having made up his mind, he could have gotten it over with right then.
But not now.
Cheonma needed to endure just a little longer.
A bit more.
Paving the road just a little further.
So many times he had endured up to this point.
Gazing at the end he had set, it suddenly felt so heavy.
If there’s one wish this woman had.
‘At the end of this phase…’
When she had completed all she needed to do.
She wished to embrace him just once, saying how hard it had been for him, just as back then.
Though she grasped such fantasies, sadly.
She was all too aware that such a moment would never come.
It’s hazy.
I felt as though my body was floating somewhere.
Should I describe it as comfortable?
It’s somehow a not-so-bad feeling.
‘Where is this?’
Is it due to my exhausted body, or is my mind starting to feel fuzzy as well?
I clung tightly to my head, trying to regain my senses.
I recalled the moments before losing consciousness.
‘…!’
At that moment, my mind, which was about to scatter, was unexpectedly held together as if it were a lie.
I remembered being killed by the Heavenly Lord.
I recalled the bloodshed and fights.
Including the moment I shattered a vessel and became non-human.
‘…Cheonma.’
Even the incident where I met Cheonma came to mind.
The instant I remembered that, my eyes shot wide open.
“Gah…!”
I opened my eyes and bolted upright.
Because I remembered even the memories right before all this.
‘…Magic Scripture….’
Specifically, the moment when the white magic scripture appeared and engulfed me.
I immediately scanned my surroundings.
‘No way.’
Did we really return to the original world as Cheonma had stated?
I hadn’t accomplished anything that could be categorized as a test in that realm yet.
There’s no way I could return this ineptly.
‘…Huh?’
As I pondered this, scanning my surroundings, something felt off.
The dry plains of Sichuan.
Or I thought it referred to incidents prior to dimension traveling.
But it was neither.
“What is this place…?”
Contrary to what Cheonma had claimed, the location I found myself in was not the original world.
It was white.
A bizarre world enveloped entirely in pure white.
As a result, it was a space where distinguishing walls from ceilings was impossible.
“Here.”
It felt as though something was on the tip of my tongue.
It was as if I had been here before.
What had happened?
Just as I tried to rise and check the situation.
“Hmm?”
I instantly detected something odd.
Because something that hadn’t been there while I was sitting materialized before me.
“…”
I could tell exactly what it was the moment I saw it.
Far off in front, there was someone.
Frowning, I strained my eyes to focus on it.
Only then did I see.
A woman sitting serenely.
She had placed three teacups on a table, which felt out of place in this odd space.
Her green hair flowed down to her waist.
The woman had her hands delicately clasped, her eyes half-closed.
Seeing that lady, I cautiously called out.
“Ma’am… No, Senior.”
The woman, upon hearing my call, lifted her head to gaze at me.
As I saw her face clearly, my certainty solidified.
Yes, the woman’s identity was the Tang Jaemoon who sent me here.
“Long time no see.”
Though her voice came across gently, my brow furrowed upon hearing it.
As soon as I laid eyes on her, my anger began to boil.
At the same time, I had an overwhelming array of questions battling to escape.
“What exactly do you want from me…?”
“I awaited our reunion with anticipation… It took much longer than I had expected for us.”
“No. Not now….”
I tried to voice my question in a confrontational tone.
However, I had to restrain myself, for I realized that her gaze was not directed towards me.
Where was she looking?
I turned to follow her gaze.
There, I found….
“…Huh?”
Just like before, when I looked around, there was now a figure standing there who hadn’t been present before.
A tall, slender old man dressed in white robes.
An individual with bushy white eyebrows stood there, arms crossed behind him.
Accompanied by a flower petal pattern drawn on his chest.
Given his appearance was exactly as I recalled from my visions, I couldn’t mistake him.
“…Noya…?”
The old man was indeed the divine Noya.
“…”
I stared at Noya with surprise, yet Noya was also fixated on Tang Jaemoon, not on me.
Was it because this was a sudden meeting after so long?
Noya bore an entirely surprised expression.
Upon hearing what Noya said, I couldn’t help but be taken aback.
“…Who are you?”
“Yes?”
What…?
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