Chapter 757
“We have to find a way right away.”
While the raid was in full swing, a complicated conversation was also unfolding in the palace.
The surrounding area was still shrouded in a barrier. Though they were just as anxious about not being able to break through, staying still wasn’t an option.
They frantically brainstormed to devise a plan to break through this situation.
“… Ubongchui-gae, have you discovered anything?”
Mu Oh Geom, the leader of the Ta Baek Moon clan, called out to Woo Bong-chui, who had been scanning the barrier for a while.
He asked with the hope that perhaps some weakness had been found.
“… I did find something.”
“Really?”
“Really!?”
Woo Bong-chui’s expression perked up immediately in response.
To think he actually found something!
Just when hope began to blossom, he added, “I found something, but…”
Woo Bong-chui wore a somewhat troubled expression as he continued, “Unfortunately, as I mentioned before, I’m not an expert in this area… so it might take a while.”
“Well, at least you’ve found a solution. That’s fortunate…”
“How much time are we talking about?”
Since he mentioned it would take a long time, everyone assumed it would be about half a day.
However…
“…two days.”
“What?”
“…Wha… What did you say?”
The time that came from Ubongchui was much longer than expected.
Two days? Two days?! What kind of nonsense was that?
Everyone stared at Woo Bong-chui with perplexed expressions.
“I told you, I’m not confident here. Don’t you see my eyes? They’re about to drop dead from your stares.”
The old man shouted with a twisted expression.
“The rules keeping this barrier are far too intricate. It may look like a formation, but if you mishandle it, everything could end up in ruins.”
Openness in the pursuit of information rather than force.
Since he was the highest-ranking figure among them, he had some understanding of formations.
Fortunately, the barrier visible before them was simple enough to be deactivated with a bit of knowledge.
But…
“It’s just downright impossible….”
It only appeared that way.
To put it plainly, it was a tangled and twisted thread.
So complicated and tightly knotted that trying to untangle it felt like an impossible feat.
“Oof.”
As a result, while someone skilled in formations might get it, for Woo Bong-chui, armed only with shallow knowledge, this was his limit.
“Two days… Two days? That’s way too long.” “Why don’t we look for another method?”
Right now, time was of the essence.
There was no telling what chaos might ensue outside, and this place wasn’t exactly safe. They had to find a way to escape.
“Even if the barrier absorbs the wager… Isn’t that limited? Why not try to keep striking?”
“That’s an excessively dangerous idea. What happens if the barrier changes and the absorbed wager explodes out of nowhere?”
“No, Iron Man. What kind of baseless speculation is this? Where in the world would you find such a technique…!”
“Is the barrier you see something you originally knew? You must be pretty ignorant. To think some casual destruction might work here—at least say something sensible!”
“What? Ignorant? Are you calling me—!?”
As they debated, the atmosphere grew heated.
Opinions clashed and cracks began to emerge.
Given the sensitive circumstances, it was the perfect situation for things to escalate.
The room filled with murmurs of warriors, each one looking as if they would draw swords at any moment.
At that moment…
“GAH!”
“…!”
A rough shout swept through the area.
Everyone’s eyes widened. The one who shouted was surprisingly the Sword Emperor, who had remained silent until this point.
After his fierce proclamation subdued the surroundings, he closed his eyes again, as if nothing had happened. Then, in the calm that followed, someone else finally spoke up.
It was Geomseon.
“Master… Please give it a shot first.”
“… You mean, disband the formation?”
The request sent murmurs rippling through the crowd.
“However, your majesty… according to our master, it will take two days to release it…”
“Isn’t there no other option?”
“…”
The person speaking flinched.
It was true; he was expressing a valid point. However, the cold look in the swordsman’s eyes cut through the chatter.
“We have to explore methods, but we also need to attempt something right now. Whether it takes two days or three days… we need to try something first.”
“… You’re right, you’re right.”
Let’s do something while we think.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
“… Please.”
“…”
Seeing the reactions, the leader addressed Woo Bong-chui, who also nodded in recognition.
“I say again, I don’t know what will happen.”
The weight of the request felt heavy.
It felt frustrating to be in a position where he had to take action, but there was no refusing.
Woo Bong-chui suppressed a sigh and extended his hand toward the barrier.
But then…
Thud.
Suddenly, Woo Bong-chui’s hand came to a halt just before reaching it.
The distance felt like it could have been touched at any moment.
Despite being so close, Woo Bong-chui found himself frozen in place.
The same applied to everyone else.
Everyone turned away, their bodies tense.
Eyes turned toward a location somewhere away, right in the middle of Hanam.
Though they couldn’t see anything, they all sensed it.
“… Something is coming…”
“… This is…!”
Something approached.
Thump—! Thump—!
The thumping heartbeats and instincts informed them of danger.
A fierce sense of alertness spread like wildfire.
As everyone began to feel the tension, each person grew increasingly on edge.
Boom—!
Whoooosh—!!!
A powerful gust and a massive beam of light rained down from afar.
Light bursting forth from the words written in the sky.
That intense, brilliant light struck the ground.
Though it appeared to be quite a distance away, it was an eventful sight visible even from here.
“… What is that? What on earth is happening—!”
“What’s going on…?!”
They couldn’t comprehend it. They had no way of knowing, but one thing was clear.
“… We must leave this place right now.”
It was imperative to escape immediately.
They had to find a way out—whether sneak away towards that light or run away in the opposite direction.
Either option was preferable to staying put.
It was an instinctive thought echoed among everyone present.
“… Damn it…!”
“We have to figure something out…! How on earth…!”
In a moment of panic, as everyone flailed around in anxiety…
“Wait!”
Someone pointed beyond the barrier, perhaps revealing something they had spotted.
Distracted by the pillar of light, only a few glanced that way.
“Uh?”
“Who’s that…?”
The reaction was jarring.
And with good reason.
Someone was staggering forth from the barrier, their condition bizarrely alarming.
Crawling unsteadily, they approached slowly, blood trickling down from their limbs. Despite the apparent pain, they continued to advance silently.
The issue was…
“… What is happening with that person?”
Most of those present recognized the newcomer.
An elder woman with fragile bones and gray hair.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say she managed the entire formation for the Meng clan.
Bimapa, the head of Pungryongdae.
A master of formations was stumbling toward the barrier, looking startlingly worse for wear.
—
Kuuuuuuuuuu—!!!
The descending beams were a grand sight.
Never had they seen such an overwhelming amount of light; even trying to unleash all their strength would pale in comparison.
It was a vision both astonishing and terrifying.
“Th-that’s…”
“Run! Run away!”
The absurdity escalated.
Whether the rest realized what was happening or not, some began to dash away in a hurry.
Mostly civilians, but among them were martial artists as well. After witnessing the spectacle, what difference did it make whether they were warriors or everyday people?
Had it been in the past, might I not have been terrified enough to flee as well?
‘The direction is fine, so no need to go and get caught.’
The route they were fleeing wasn’t bad, so I remained unconcerned.
Boom—!!
But now was the time to focus on what lay ahead, not the past.
I squinted at the pillar.
‘… That’s odd.’
Something about it sparked curiosity.
The fact that such intensity fell from the sky was puzzling.
‘That massive light pours down, and yet there’s almost no damage.’
Despite bombardment, not a crack or shard broke apart around them.
How could that be possible?
Was it unable to penetrate?
I doubted that.
‘But it’s too precise to be random.’
Even without watching, it was clear how tremendous pressure was being unleashed on the ground.
Then, was it going straight through?
I doubted that too.
‘…Hmm.’
This was beyond my understanding; I couldn’t determine its flow.
Even using spiritual vision gave me no clearer answer.
What I could sense clearly was:
‘It’s dangerous.’
The light exuded an aura of threat.
Just observing it was enough to raise my guard.
As I empathized with those scrambling to flee, I felt it too.
Escape now; otherwise, it may all end terribly.
The instincts of my body screamed these warnings.
‘… Where am I supposed to flee to now?’
It made no sense to abandon now.
The situation had piled up to the point of overwhelming chaos, so didn’t I need to resolve it?
And….
‘If I can’t grasp what’s here, my future plans go up in smoke.’
This was the crux of the plan.
Everything else could have been adapted, repaired, or altered.
But not this.
It was something I had to achieve; this was one of those essential tasks.
“… Confucius….”
A voice drew my attention from the side.
It was one of the Hwangbo Se-ga’s martial artists.
“I just received word that Lady Nahi has completed her preparations.”
I nodded.
‘Good.’
Fortunately, it seemed there were no hiccups on that end.
Checking in, the man added something else.
“And… they said they observed the Wind Dragon Lord moving from the direction of the pavilion… this is…”
“Leave it alone. Tell them it’s irrelevant and instruct them not to interfere.”
“Understood.”
It appeared the Wind Dragon Lord was beginning to stir.
Piece by piece, I gathered information while regulating my breath.
The situation itself hadn’t strayed far from the plan.
No, rather, things were unfolding favorably.
Yet…
‘When the hell is that Green King brat going to show up?’
Where on earth was that kid? What was he up to?
He should have made an appearance by now, yet Dangdeok’s whereabouts were as invisible as the wind.
Tsk.
Could it be that I hadn’t detailed the orders enough?
That was a bit of a problem.
‘It’ll be fine… I guess.’
This hardly warranted worry, so I figured I’d believe that for now.
Phew—!
I expanded my senses.
This was to check if there were any other presences nearby.
In an instant, my perception broadened, capturing several figures.
‘They’re not civilians. Looks like there are a good number of martial artists.’
In a rush, I couldn’t precisely count how many, but a considerable number were indeed approaching.
They seemed to be converging towards the pillar after observing it.
As I scanned them, hoping to spot someone special…
‘… Not yet.’
It seemed the individual I was awaiting had not shown up.
‘Tsk.’
What was taking that person so long this time?
I was hardly pleased with the current state of affairs.
‘Somebody ought to deal with this all at once.’
Noncompliant pieces on the board were simply unnecessary.
I had to keep making moves.
Phew.
I exhaled and swept my hair back.
The sense of tension was palpable.
As my emotions wavered, my body stiffened, and discomfort seeped through my muscles.
I swung my hand hard.
Whack—!!
“Y-you, Confucius!?”
One of the others, standing nearby, jumped back, startled.
I had slapped my own cheek with full force.
Drip…!
My lip split, bleeding, and my cheek swelled slightly.
That felt just right.
Spit.
I spat out blood and relaxed my body.
“Alright.”
This is the best approach to release tension.
If I made a mistake, then I’d just struck a little too hard and set my own teeth rattling.
Using that shock to free myself, I pulled out a pouch hidden inside my robe.
I retrieved a pill from within and swallowed it.
Emerging from the pouch was no ordinary pill; it was Dokcheondan.
Swish—!!
Immediately, the energy from the pill surged into my heart.
The energy that had scattered while spewing sparks began to replenish.
This Dokcheondan was renowned among the best in the central plains. Who would have thought it would be used for recharging my energy?
Strange but necessary.
This was simply the fastest option.
“Hmm.”
Having clenched and unclenched my fists a few times, I confirmed it truly worked.
Thanks to that, I could recoup some of my lost energy.
What a luxury this was.
Just then, as I steadied my energy…
“Teacher…! Confucius!”
A hearty shout reached me from afar.
Finally, they’d arrived.
I glanced back, frowning.
“This damned girl. I explicitly told you to come straight here…!”
Just as I was about to unleash my annoyance.
The awaited person arrived, sporting short black hair.
Bong-soon appeared, swinging a stick.
“Sorry-!! But this older sister insisted on coming with me… so I’m a bit late!”
Bong-soon approached, all smiles and sunshine.
She’d been the one I’d been waiting for moments before, but my gaze shifted past her to the figure behind.
“You…”
“…Hi…”
Beneath a waving hand, the long, flowing white-and-blue hair shimmered.
There stood a woman, wearing my uniform for some odd reason.
In the past, she might have been just that—a stranger. But now, she was one of my crucial lives.
I widened my eyes at the sudden situation.
This wasn’t a place where she should be at all.
I was sure I had told her to stay away.
“Why are you here…!”
Just as I was about to shout in anger…
Thud—!
“…!”
To my utter disbelief, I couldn’t even voice my disappointment.
My head whipped around.
I glanced back at where the beam had erupted.
“Oh dear.”
Upon seeing that, my brow immediately furrowed.
The incredible flow of energy that had been gushing down had vanished without a trace.
In a spot where a deep pit was expected, astonishingly, there was only a clean surface.
Now, where in the world had all that light gone?
If it hadn’t burrowed into the ground, then where the heck did it disappear to?
I was left with questions, but they didn’t remain unanswered for long.
There was something resting on the pristine ground.
Focusing my gaze, I could make it out more clearly.
“That’s…”
A white lump.
An unidentifiable white mass rested there.
It couldn’t have been much larger than an adult male, and its shape resembled that of an egg.
What could that possibly be?
Could this be the dragon sealed in Hanam that Pilseong had mentioned?
Yet, didn’t it seem a bit too small for that?
As such thoughts wandered through my mind…
Hiss…
A gradual transformation began to unfold in the lump.
‘Thread…?’
A thin, delicate thread emerged.
Slowly, the object began to seep threads that shaped themselves gradually.
The contours being captured were vastly larger than the mass.
What might happen if left unexamined?
This thought echoed through everyone’s mind as they all witnessed the scene.
Zeeeww—!!!
Boom—! Kuaaaaaa—!!!
A powerful strike ripped through the mass, igniting a fiery explosion.
The burst wasn’t where it ended.
Shhh—! Shhh—!!!
As if one explosion wasn’t enough, flashes erupted repeatedly.
Fwoooom! Kuaaaah—!!
The series of explosions were fierce enough to alter the surrounding temperature.
Everyone looked at me in shock.
“…What?”
Why the curious looks?
Perceiving this, I yelled at them instantly.
“Can’t you see it’s clearly transforming? Why are you just staring? Are you insane?”
Perhaps someone would romanticize the moment.
What romance, in this God-forsaken heat?
If I lingered about, it was unquestionable my head would be blown off.
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