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Chapter 330: Demonic Gate (4)

The air was thick with the acrid smell of smoke.

The faint rising smoke gave off a terrible odor.

Crackle, crackle.

The sound of smoldering embers tickled my ears.

It was the distinct crackling sound of burning firewood.

I whispered while watching it.

“It’s bland.”

Tap, tap.

As I brushed my hand against my clothes, something black smudged onto them.

How unpleasant.

Since the clothes had no value anyway, I haphazardly wiped them off.

With a little nudge, I kicked something resting on the floor with my toe.

The struggling body grew still over time.

The voice that had screamed desperately was no longer heard.

Breath had completely ceased.

“It’s surprisingly heavier than I thought, but not persistent at all.”

It was a remark meant for someone else.

But no response would come.

I looked at something that had transformed into what once was human.

Then I extinguished the flames.

Puff!

As the flames disappeared, the blackened human shape came into view.

It would crumble if touched.

I stared blankly at such a thing.

Lowering my stance, I gazed at it quietly.

Although I had killed it while giving the extreme agony I desired, it left behind no form at all.

“I feel less than I expected.”

I was far more indifferent than I had anticipated.

This was the very one I had wished to kill so badly.

The objective of my life that I had thought of for the first time after returning.

What I had longed for in my previous life.

I wanted to see it scream, to see it kneel beneath my feet, howling.

But having done it with my own hands—

Instead of the fervor I imagined,

A quiet emptiness took precedence.

Tap.

As I prodded what was once Jang Seonyeon’s foot, it crumbled and fell apart.

It had long since ceased to breathe.

Contrary to my plan to take it slowly in three stages.

By the time I entered the second stage, its breath was already gone.

That was somewhat disappointing.

Standing still, I felt the time passing by. My insides were cooling down slowly.

“Less exciting than I thought. More boring than expected.”

The impact of Jang Seonyeon’s death amounted to this much.

Why was that?

It should have felt refreshing and thrilling.

This was one of the things I had desperately wanted.

‘Could it be because you are not the Yuseong Sword?’

The current Jang Seonyeon was not the Yuseong Sword of that time.

Jang Seonyeon, who had no memories tied to me.

That Jang Seonyeon was someone else altogether.

So, this death was merely—

Like clearing out an obstacle that interfered with what I had to do next.

No thoughts arose.

Only a lingering discomfort remained.

As that thought flickered across my mind, I clicked my tongue lightly.

‘More than anything, I didn’t hear much information.’

I had many things I wanted to hear from Jang Seonyeon.

But I hadn’t gathered as much as I expected.

I had assumed a Golden Binding would naturally be attached, but that couldn’t be helped.

It was far less substantial than I had thought.

Alternatively.

It might have been better to corrupt it into a Demon and make use of it.

‘But that feels a bit disgusting.’

If Nangong Cheonjun found it vexing, then Jang Seonyeon would be even more so.

Regardless of utility or not.

Just the fact that this scum was living in this land made me sick.

‘If there’s something weighing on my mind…’

During the torment that bordered on torture I inflicted upon Jang Seonyeon, something he said stuck with me.

— Kkwaaaah…! Guhuhuhuh!

– How did you plan to ambush me in a situation where all the instructors were laid flat?

— 方 OO | —

As questions kept pouring out.

Starting from my toes, I began to burn him gradually.

It ignored most of the queries I had asked earlier.

And I wasn’t really expecting a response either.

In an era where the Golden Binding was well-developed.

It was a difficult feat to open someone’s mouth.

While the Tang Clan or certain families specialized in unbinding it and extracting information through torture.

Even that was not flawless.

When I was a Demon.

The Golden Binding placed on the opponent could melt away with a mere gesture from the Heavenly Demon.

The meaning was somewhat different.

In the end, to extract something from my opponent now, there were only two paths available.

To dismantle the Golden Binding.

Or to corrupt them into a Demon.

But I wasn’t skilled enough to gently apply my bets to release the Golden Binding.

And I hadn’t learned such techniques.

I certainly didn’t want to create them as Demons.

So this was ultimately close to an excuse for tormenting.

Huhk… Heh… Heh…

While Jang Seonyeon, who was burning and screaming, mixed in a small laugh amidst the cries.

– Are you insane? Why are you laughing all of a sudden?

— Hu… Hehe… What’s up with that…?

– Oh, want to talk?

– Yes… Even if you escape this place with some luck… It’s already too late. You won’t be able to do anything… Grrrk!

As Jang Seonyeon spat out his curse, my eyes narrowed slightly.

It seemed even thoughtless actions were not in vain.

He must have set something in motion.

– What have you set up?

– Do you think… do you think I’ll just die in a place like this…?

– What did you set up, I said?

As he kept spouting nonsense, I gripped the most burning part tightly.

Squeeze.

– Guh…!

His eyes widened as he let out another scream he had been holding back.

Hearing that, I spat back.

– If you keep this up, the last thing you’ll say will be to beg me to kill you. If you don’t want that, let’s move quickly.

With those words, I reignited the flames, but unfortunately, I couldn’t keep my word.

He merely screamed until the moment his breath left him, without uttering any such plea to be killed.

Much less a plea to be spared; I didn’t know if it was the Golden Binding sealing his lips.

Now it seemed that despite dying, he wouldn’t open his mouth to me.

Recalling that, I stood up again.

‘It seems he really did set something in motion.’

Disappointingly, he was unaware of something.

I would return.

And no matter what happens, I wouldn’t be late.

Once I disappeared, how long could it possibly be? A few days at most?

It was the same in my previous life.

Even during the incident where hundreds vanished into the Demonic Gate.

Though the Martial Alliance was thrown into chaos, and many were dragged into it.

Hundreds returned like a lie just days later.

Back appearing exactly where they had disappeared.

Even at that time I said,

Within the Demonic Gate, there was no one alive other than me.

But all who returned were those who had been missing back then.

Everyone had died, yet they all came back.

The time I spent there—

Surely, at least several years must have passed.

Yet not a single one showed signs of aging.

Moreover, not one had retained the memories of that time.

If you were to ask how that could be.

It was linked to the name I had constructed in this world.

False world.

Fake world.

That summed up all explanations.

For reasons I couldn’t fathom, the timeline here was twisted from the place I originally came from.

Not precisely but…

I could surmise that a few years here equated to about a day in the Central Plains.

No, it could have been even more.

How many years had passed?

Roughly since around the seventh year.

I had stopped marking the days spent in this place.

Nothing seemed significant about keeping track.

Even though there were many stories, accidents, and things that dared to be called memories.

No memory felt as lonely or pitiful as mine, so I wished to forget this place.

The memories shackled like chains.

Now they kept everyone from losing them.

Under a sky stained red.

A breeze began to blow.

A faint scent of blood carried in the wind.

This was the characteristic of this world.

Nothing was normal.

What could be seen.

What could be heard.

Even the scent captured by my nose.

None was a single bit normal in this world.

As I inhaled this ghastly scent, I turned around.

“Well, I’ve come this far. I need to get to work.”

There was a reason for coming into this world, even using Jang Seonyeon and Cheol Jiseon.

While I did want to obtain information and kill Jang Seonyeon.

That wasn’t the crux of the matter.

That was merely part of the process.

My purpose in coming here was—

To meet the damned tree that had caught the eyes of the Heavenly Demon in my previous life.

‘I suppose you’re watching me, yet you still chose not to appear.’

As I understood it, this was the world he created.

That was what he had explicitly told me—though it might not have been the case.

It was certain that the tree was watching me right now.

But seeing it remain obscured,

‘Is it a hint to come find you directly?’

Such had been the case before.

As I watched countless late-stage talents fall prey to the beast of this realm, dying in the process.

Finally, when I was about to be devoured, used as a pawn discarded by them.

It revealed itself, pulling me close.

“It doesn’t seem like you’ll show yourself easily, huh?”

Well, let’s see who comes out on top.

Time wasn’t a scarcity for either of us.

Brushing off the remaining ashes, I adjusted my direction and moved forward.

Then suddenly, I glanced towards Jang Seonyeon.

That figure lay still on the ground, not moving a muscle.

Naturally.

I had burned it down to a blackened crisp.

That was for the sake of control.

Even if I put in effort to not burn it too easily.

Adjusting so finely remained a challenge.

As I continued to observe it, I turned back again.

‘It was tough and dirty. I shouldn’t look back again.’

Encountering that thing was sufficient for two lifetimes.

Now, I hope it’s truly over.

I walked with that wish in mind.

Thud.

I took a step forward and surveyed my surroundings.

To reconsider where to head next.

I took another step.

Wrapping around the odds.

I was thinking about leaping swiftly into the air.

Though the seething demons of the Demonic Gate were troublesome, I had little fear.

Now, as I was going to take my last stride to leap,

Thud.

Voom….

“•••!”

An unshakeable sense of unease overwhelmed me.

I quickly turned back, feeling the need to look.

What lay in sight was merely the burnt remains of Jang Seonyeon.

Why was that?

Voom.

I heard a sound in my ears.

A peculiar resonance.

Should this be called a sound? It felt somewhat off to be labeled as such.

I sensed the vibrations.

I knew where it was originating from.

The lower dantian.

Even deeper in.

‘•••Blood Qi?’

It was a place where my Blood Qi was anchored. The Blood Qi seemed to begin boiling, almost responding.

The energy I thought I couldn’t use since crossing into this world.

Began to resonate of its own accord.

At that moment.

Swoosh…

“•••What?”

The body of Jang Seonyeon, already charred and indistinguishable.

Gradually began moving.

With each motion, black ashes trickled down.

Yet it continued to move without hesitation.

Sss… sss…

The body rose.

No longer merely moving, the body that had absorbed flames to the point of losing life began to rise.

How could it move?

What is this strange sensation swirling around it?

Just as I contemplated whether to destroy it at once,

Jang Seonyeon raised its upper body.

Tilting its head side to side.

Its face was charred beyond recognition, rendering it impossible to see ahead.

It looked like it was merely surveying its surroundings.

With each slight movement, it emitted an unpleasant creaking sound that appeared far from normal.

At that moment.

As Jang Seonyeon’s face scanned its surroundings—

It turned to face me.

My body reacted instinctively.

There was no expression left on that form.

Yet, I felt somehow.

It was smiling.

[Ah….]

A sound echoed.

It was more akin to a resonant tone than a voice.

[So this is how the connection has been severed. This was the problem.]

It was a voice I had heard before.

Where had I heard it?

A fleeting question crossed my mind, but the answer came rushing back soon enough.

On the final day of the Friendship Martial Arts Tournament.

When I was about to smash Jang Seonyeon to bits.

That was when it had spoken through that body.

Jang Seonyeon nodded at me.

No, that could hardly be called Jang Seonyeon.

It clearly had another name.

[It’s been a while. Do you remember me?]

Upon the inquiry of whether I recognized it,

I whispered its identity softly.

“Blood Demon.”

[Hehehe.]

It seemed it delighted in my response.

！..

!

..

The Sword Master of the Five Great Realms.

Cheonghae Ilgeom, the leader of the clan known as Gu Paibang,

Now stood quietly, gazing into the thicket before the head house of Shinryong Temple.

“Hmmm….

Letting out a sound resembling a sigh, Cheonghae Ilgeom gazed into the void, yet his expression was still full of doubt.

This was the place where Gu Yangcheong claimed to have discovered the Biwaegun yesterday.

Yet through Cheonghae Ilgeom’s eyes, there were no traces or aura to be felt.

When the Sleeping Dragon mentioned that solving the formation had opened a door in the void.

How could it be that no signs were left behind at all?

“I can’t make sense of this.”

If a level was reached where no matter how much he spread his aura, nothing could be found.

Then either the words of the Sleeping Dragon and Gu Yangcheong were false, or—

It had been entirely erased, as if it had never existed.

The former hypothesis seemed more credible,

Yet Cheonghae Ilgeom didn’t believe those children would lie.

“Biwaegun… How in the world was it here…”

It was something only the Martial Alliance could clarify thoroughly.

He didn’t think they would acquire proper information to explain it either.

“If there was, how could it be that child who discovered it?”

Gu Yangcheong was a child of recent concern for Cheonghae Ilgeom.

The child clearly showed remarkable talents.

Yet that wasn’t the reason.

‘I heard from the Beggar Clan, so does that mean they’re connected?’

That aspect felt terribly hard to believe.

Especially knowing Cheonghae Ilgeom was well aware of the specifics of the Beggar Clan.

‘Then… what about the circumstances around the event?’

While he had an inkling that the child was full of secrets,

The people involved were certainly not ordinary.

The child’s father and son, indeed.

“…I decided to call them again later, so I’ll have to confirm then.”

Cheonghae Ilgeom let out a deep sigh and stroked his beard.

The sighs that had never ceased back in his youth seemed to have increased as he aged.

Now, during a time when the Gwandosaeng were out practicing,

It felt appropriate to take a leisurely stroll through the now-quiet grounds.

Just as he thought to take a walk to ease his tumultuous heart,

Creeeak—!

“What was that…?”

Cheonghae Ilgeom sensed something through his Qi that rippled across Shinryong Temple.

Immediately, Cheonghae Ilgeom unleashed his aura and drew his sword.

That energy alone made his stomach churn.

The unique rancid odor of Demonic Faction lingered.

Feeling it, Cheonghae Ilgeom let out a hollow laugh.

“I must be growing old.”

Here he was, guarding Shinryong Temple.

And pitiful Demonic Faction brats dared to show up.

Such thoughts were beyond imagination when he was young.

With that in mind, just as Cheonghae Ilgeom was about to leap toward the direction of the energy—

“Excuse me.”

A voice rang out around Cheonghae Ilgeom.

“Are you, by chance, Cheonghae Ilgeom?”

At the casual question,

The sharp aura emitted by Cheonghae Ilgeom spread outwards.

It was energy I hadn’t even felt approaching from directly behind.

‘How in the world?’

The aura of Cheonghae Ilgeom had spread across the entirety of Shinryong Temple.

How could that energy have penetrated that and reached right behind him?

Channeling my power to the fullest, Cheonghae Ilgeom turned to the owner of the voice and asked.

“Who are you?”

Cheonghae Ilgeom scrutinized the figure.

It was an imposing giant.

Clad in blackened martial robes.

Draped in a beast skin I couldn’t figure out.

A thick, long scar appeared on its neck.

Just looking at it sent chills down my spine.

Cheonghae Ilgeom instantly knew.

This was an unknown opponent with uncertain odds.

‘Who exactly is this guy?’

With such imposing stature, how could I not know their identity?

Sweat trickled down Cheonghae Ilgeom’s back.

There was a tension filling the air.

“Looks like I have the right person. Nice to meet you.”

As the man laughed while looking at Cheonghae Ilgeom,

His enormous mouth opened, revealing his yellowing teeth.

Cheonghae Ilgeom gripped tighter on his weapon, staring resolutely at the man.

All that occupied my mind was escape.

The fact that such a individual had infiltrated meant.

‘The kids are in danger.’

This also implied danger for the other students of Shinryong Temple.

Cheonghae Ilgeom needed to find a way out, irrespective of victory or defeat.

He had to protect the other kids.

While pondering that—

“Do you have many concerns, Cheonghae Ilgeom? Your gaze is wavering.”

“•••!”

“That’s relieving. I can interpret that as meaning I still pose a threat to you. I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Once again, I ask… who are you?”

“Me, you ask?”

The giant seemed delighted by Cheonghae Ilgeom’s question.

“Oh, it’s thrilling to utter my name after so long!”

Hooooo—!

Using his own body like a pole,

Harsh energy burst forth in all directions.

“I sincerely hope you remember me.”

As that energy began swallowing the surroundings,

The giant brandished a massive sword and slammed it brutally onto the ground.

“I am known as the Black Dragon Sword.”

“•••!”

“By your expression, it seems you remember me after all.”

Seeing the title of the giant draw such surprise from the eyes of Cheonghae Ilgeom.

It was a name he was indeed familiar with.

But one he believed had long since perished.

The giant laughed heartily at Cheonghae Ilgeom’s astonishment.

Then, brandishing the sword, he pointed it towards Cheonghae Ilgeom and declared.

“Shall we dance a sword dance together?”

The Black Dragon Sword appeared delighted at the thought of engaging in a sword dance after such a long time.

 

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