Chapter: 445
Pasusss…
The leaves fall slowly in the wind.
The woman picked up one of the countless falling leaves.
The leaves, which should have been beautifully colored for the season, were withered and dried.
“…”
The woman frowned at that.
The leaves, completely drained of vitality, were withered up. The woman turned her gaze to find the reason why the leaves had become like this.
The reason was right in front of her.
The land to enter Sacheon. Beyond that boundary, a vast hell unfolded.
The forest that had once been full of life had long since lost all its allure.
What was surprising was that it took less than five years for the Sacheon forest, which once glimmered with green light, to become this way.
All of this was the influence of the demonic aura.
Furthermore, this forest served as a warning to the Justice Faction.
The fact that the forces of the Demonic Entities spread their magic and turned this forest into its current state immediately after driving out the Tang family and killing Dokbi carried significant meaning.
It proclaimed that this land was the territory of the Demonic Cult.
‘…a warning that the Justice Faction is not allowed to cross over into this land.’
Understanding the meaning behind it only made the woman bite her lips even more.
Her golden eyes filled with light gazed towards the dried forest behind her.
The woman was staring off into the distance, as if looking for someone or something.
Was that why?
The woman didn’t notice that someone else had appeared behind her.
Crisp.
Immediately, at the distinct sound of footsteps, the woman heightened her senses and grasped the hilt of her sword.
Thud.
“…!”
She couldn’t draw her sword. Someone else’s hand had stopped her from doing so.
The figure who blocked her sword smiled slightly and spoke to her.
“I see you have a lot on your mind, Sogeomseong.”
He was an old man whose exceptionally white hair stood out.
As soon as the woman recognized the identity of the old man, she seemed startled and suppressed her curiosity.
Then, she immediately bowed her head and adopted a respectful posture.
Because the old man warranted such respect.
“…I see the Heavenly Being.”
The old man’s true identity was none other than the Heavenly Deity, one of the Three Divine Beings.
The woman inspected the clothes the Heavenly Deity was wearing.
“…”
They were somber in color.
The Heavenly Deity, who originally wore the blue robes symbolizing the Namgung family, insisted on wearing such dark clothes immediately after his clan was annihilated.
The last of the Namgung.
Another title he possessed was thus.
“I didn’t sense any movement at all. What’s going on?”
She let out a bitter laugh at his words.
“Sorry.”
At Lady Sogeomseong’s words, the Heavenly Deity smiled and stroked his beard.
“You don’t need to apologize to me. I merely spoke out of concern. I should be the one apologizing here.”
“No… I was just lost in thought for a moment.”
At Sogeomseong’s response, the Heavenly Deity gave a slight nod.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Sogeomseong asked him with somewhat dimmed eyes.
“Are you participating in this operation, Heavenly Deity?”
“Yes.”
At his answer, Sogeomseong bit her lip slightly.
It seemed that the ally the King Geul-wang mentioned was none other than the Heavenly Deity.
“I heard from King Geul that we would be departing tomorrow. Is this based on Lady Seon-ui’s intentions?”
Lady Seon-ui was the woman in charge of the Murim Alliance’s strategies.
“I haven’t heard the details, but I think that’s how it is.”
The Heavenly Deity narrowed his eyes at Sogeomseong’s answer.
It didn’t seem like something he was thrilled about.
Yet, he offered no objections.
Given that Lady Seon-ui had accomplished quite a bit, it would be hard to express dissatisfaction, even if one didn’t fully understand it.
“…Are you okay?”
This was the question Sogeomseong directed at the Heavenly Deity.
Upon hearing her question, he looked at her with a strange gaze.
Then, he chuckled.
Because he certainly knew what Sogeomseong was truly concerned about.
The fact that the Heavenly Deity was participating in this operation meant he was disregarding the words spoken by Cheonma earlier.
Perhaps due to that, the Heavenly Deity’s eyes grew somewhat cold.
“Your question is whether you’re worried about me or the movements of Cheonma, right?”
At his emotionally loaded words, Sogeomseong quickly blurted out.
“Of course…”
Just as she was about to voice her concern, Sogeomseong bit her lip and cut herself off.
She had intended to express worry for the Heavenly Deity, but realized that wasn’t her real feeling.
Immediately, she bowed her head deeply.
“I’ve overstepped my bounds… I apologize.”
At her words, the energy radiating from the Heavenly Deity felt diminished.
And then.
After a moment of silence following Sogeomseong’s apology, the Heavenly Deity walked slowly past her.
He headed towards the boundary line between Sacheon and the outside world.
Once at the border’s edge, he spoke in a rather grave tone.
“Lift your head.”
“…”
“I know what you’re worried about.”
His voice carried a hint of bitterness rather than anger.
“…It’s quite absurd that the old figures once revered as the Three Lords can’t even move an inch due to just a single warning from one person.”
“…”
Just one person.
Everyone understood the viciousness of Cheonma well enough to make those words relevant.
—I will not permit the Three Lords to set foot in Sacheon from now on.
Such light words had bound the feet of the Three Lords who once reigned over the Central Plains.
The helplessness exhibited by the being known as Cheonma.
The image of him not yielding at all while facing the Three Lords and creating disaster with a mere gesture was enough to instill fear among many.
The Heavenly Deity was aware of it.
The reason the current Justice Faction and Murim Alliance remained steadfast in the Central Plains was that Cheonma had chosen not to act.
Even if their pride had been bruised and they were internally conflicted because of it.
That was the reality.
Reality does not change.
Although it was unclear why Cheonma had chosen not to act over the past few years.
All figures central to the Justice Faction were aware.
If the Heavenly Demon truly began to act, this war would have already concluded.
The Heavenly Deity pondered the overwhelming presence.
‘What could he be waiting for?’
A monster of indeterminate identity.
No one understood its motives as it remained inactive even when it could have resolved matters long ago.
This was a dire circumstance indeed.
It evoked thoughts about Sogeomseong’s concerns.
The fact he felt a surge of anger from that realization was due to knowing that even if he acted, he would not be able to defeat Cheonma.
Even if he was to assist, the Heavenly Deity would never cross into Sacheon. That was the directive from above.
Tsk, tsk.
He chuckled at the thought.
‘Not crossing over.’
How absurd the words he had conjured seemed.
It wasn’t that he wouldn’t—he simply couldn’t.
It was genuinely ridiculous that he was still holding onto his pride after coming this far.
The Heavenly Deity closed his eyes.
He could see nothing.
It was as if he was peering into the future.
Inside, a faint glimmer of light could be discerned.
A light so small and fragile it seemed it would shatter upon touch.
Observing it, the Heavenly Deity opened his eyes slightly.
Then he turned around.
There stood a woman with blond hair and golden eyes, just like the sword master had in his youth.
A woman gazing at the forest of Sacheon as if something still bothered her.
Though her age was nearing thirty, her figure was exceptionally slender.
In the eyes of the Heavenly Deity, she appeared too frail to bear the hopes of the Central Plains.
Yet, she was now the hope of the Central Plains.
“…”
He forcibly swallowed the sigh rising within him.
The world had hopes for that little woman too.
Even he wasn’t immune to the expectation.
The escalating desire for vengeance and everything felt bitter.
The Heavenly Deity walked, deliberately clearing the layers of thought piling up within him.
“…Let’s return together.”
“Yes.”
At the Heavenly Deity’s words, Sogeomseong also stepped forward.
The great hall trembled upon the words uttered by Muk-kwon.
The forces of the Alliance began to gather in villages outside of Sacheon.
The weight of these words was anything but light.
The Demon King seated on the throne peered at Muk-kwon with uniquely scented eyes.
“Is that true?”
“Yes, my lord.”
All gazes shifted toward Muk-kwon’s firm response.
Their faces portrayed a mix of questions.
I felt the same way.
‘What’s happening all of a sudden at this time?’
The Murim Alliance had suddenly begun mobilizing its strength.
This was a situation I had no memory of.
‘Let alone…’
Muk-kwon’s words echoed repeatedly in my mind.
– They say Sogeomseong has been captured.
‘…Why?’
The New Sword.
No, Wi Seol-ah, who was still known as Sogeomseong, shouldn’t be in Sacheon at this time.
If Sacheon became the territory for the Demonic entities, her job was to hunt them down in other territories and secure their position.
Sacheon was a location explicitly designated by Cheonma, so her appearance here was unexpected.
‘I don’t understand.’
The Murim Alliance would likely be even more aware of these realities.
They knew she shouldn’t recklessly step onto the battlefield like this.
In the current situation, she was the sole hope of the Murim Alliance.
Losing her would be akin to losing the war.
‘In such a situation, are they sending Wi Seol-ah here?’
The emergence of the New Sword amidst unknown circumstances of the operation was astounding.
My head felt ready to explode.
I had thought she wouldn’t show herself in a battle involving Sacheon.
But here we were, with forces gathering unexpectedly and everything turning topsy-turvy.
‘Where do I even begin…?’
Where on earth did this world start to unravel?
If I were to seek the root cause.
‘Could it be that I appeared?’
Of course, that seemed like a feasible explanation, yet it puzzled me.
Is it really possible that my mere presence could cause such a tangle?
Sure, minor actions could turn the tide, but this situation was utterly absurd.
It felt like…
‘Someone has noticed my arrival…’
It seemed like a situation born from some else’s awareness of the anomaly.
With a furrowed brow, I clenched my fists.
Regardless of the circumstances, Sogeomseong should not have been here.
She was the hope of this world.
Phew…
I thought of the woman whose small back was turned against the world.
This was truly a ghastly fate.
Since no one else could carry the burden, she, in her smallness, took it on herself.
‘…Damn it.’
Every thought brought forth an instinctual curse.
The trio who were once hailed as the heavens of the Central Plains.
The Four Great Sects, acknowledged as the pillars of the faction.
The guhap residents who had been guarding their regions and growing in strength.
With all these mighty figures in abundance, how could a single woman become the embodiment of hope?
Why, oh why, should she not emerge in this situation?
I gnawed at my tongue, pondering the reasons for that necessity.
That only made sense.
The reason Sogeomseong had become the hope of the Central Plains was due to the power she possessed.
‘…Break the Devil.’
Because she was specialized in battling demonic entities.
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