CLS-Chapter 656

Chapter 656:

Do you know how martial artists appear in the eyes of ordinary people?

Outlaws?

No. That’s merely an impression about the nature of martial artists.

Ruffians?

Ah, of course there might be such cases.

Chivalrous warriors?

Well, are there still those who discuss chivalry in this day and age? That’s an overly romantic assessment.

Let me tell you.

The impression ordinary people have of martial artists is quite simple. They’re not human.

No, this isn’t some metaphor.

I mean it literally. Ordinary common folk don’t see martial artists as the same kind of people. They just see them as something different from another world.

Don’t understand what I mean?

How do you think of ghosts?

Ghosts originated from humans, but no one thinks of ghosts as human. Because they’re dead? No, that’s not it. The reason humans don’t consider ghosts as people is because they’re different from themselves and incomprehensible.

They fly around, pass through walls. An existence that casually commits acts I cannot do is something I can only fear.

That’s exactly how common folk view martial artists.

They look like people, but they crush rocks with bare hands and leap over mountains, don’t they? No matter how much they started from the same human origin, how could they consider martial artists the same kind of people as themselves?

They couldn’t.

Because it’s incomprehensible.

Fear begins from lack of understanding. People fear existences they cannot understand and think of them as different from themselves.

Hmm?

Why am I saying this?

You probably can’t understand what I’m saying right now. That’s a story you can’t possibly empathize with unless you experience it directly.

No matter how much people say they can understand others’ positions, that’s just trying to understand. In the end, perfect understanding is impossible unless you become that person.

But…

I came to understand it.

Because I saw it.

An existence I couldn’t understand no matter how much I wracked my brain.

That shock will probably never be forgotten until the moment I die.

The Heavenly Demon. Yes, it was the Heavenly Demon.

He was truly an existence worthy of being called Heavenly Demon.

In many ways.

***

Baek Gongdo quietly massaged his brow.

‘How tedious.’

Before him now were filled with figures from the Righteous Alliance. Countless sect leaders had packed the hall for a meeting.

From Baek Gongdo’s position, it couldn’t help but be an uncomfortable situation.

Until recently, the White Sword Castle had been driving these people back and killing them. No matter how much it was said to be for a greater cause, it couldn’t be easy for those who had been growling and fighting until yesterday to suddenly change their expressions and exchange pleasantries overnight.

Nevertheless, the reason he had to endure such an unnatural situation was because the White Sword Castle also needed time for maintenance and recovery. No matter how superior martial artists’ recovery abilities were compared to ordinary soldiers, everyone was exhausted from the consecutive fierce battles.

If they were to conduct excessive marches with those whose stamina had declined just because the situation was urgent, they would be unable to fight properly when they met the Demonic Cult. So a few days were absolutely necessary.

And it was characteristic of leaders not to be able to devote those few days entirely to rest.

A tedious meeting with nothing more to come out was being repeated.

Even though he knew this meeting was worthless, he couldn’t leave his seat. The White Sword Castle and Righteous Alliance still didn’t completely trust each other. So even the White Sword Castle Lord had to actively show a cooperative attitude.

“We cannot divide the formations that way!”

“The White Sword Castle is far too bloated to begin with. To coordinate with other sects, the White Sword Castle must be broken into smaller pieces.”

“But if we divide the White Sword Castle, who will give the commands!”

“It would be better to have the Radiant Sword Hero control the White Sword Castle instead.”

“Can you trust Young Hero Wi’s leadership abilities?”

“It would be better than yours!”

“What?”

Baek Gongdo closed his eyes.

‘What a mess.’

Humans are always like this.

When a blade is at their throat, they proclaim they’ll join forces, but if there’s even the slightest opening, they’ll fight like demons to gain even a handful more benefit.

‘It must have been the same in the past.’

It was because they were such people that they could calmly massacre the Hundred Sword Families.

Thinking that far made it hard to endure any longer.

Baek Gongdo quietly rose from his seat. Gazes focused on him.

“I know the meeting is important, but my internal injuries haven’t completely healed, so I intend to withdraw. Please inform me if any important matters are decided.”

“Ahem.”

“Recovering from internal injuries takes priority. Please take care of yourself, Castle Lord.”

“That’s right. Indeed.”

Though Baek Gongdo had risen, there was no particular movement to stop him. From their position too, it couldn’t be particularly welcome to have Baek Gongdo keeping his seat.

Because it was uncomfortable either way.

Baek Gongdo glanced once at those in the hall and turned around.

‘Pathetic.’

There was no one who properly knew who they were trying to face now, what situation they were in. Well, even if told, they wouldn’t understand. Not with those inferior minds.

It was strange.

No matter how much Wei Yan-ho had inherited the Ten Thousand Swords, it was undoubtedly the Central Plains that had raised that Wei Yan-ho into the current Wei Yan-ho. But how could someone like Wei Yan-ho have emerged from such a terrible environment?

‘They say lotus flowers bloom from mud, but…’

Baek Gongdo quietly shook his head.

“Do you have the leisure to leave your seat?”

Then a voice spoke quietly.

A hearty laugh came from behind him.

“Hehe, they’ll be like that all day anyway, so what would change if I’m missing?”

“Just me…”

That’s problematic coming from someone who shouldn’t say such things.

Baek Gongdo turned around to look at the one who had followed him. Divine Strategist was smiling as he looked at him.

“And no matter how important the meeting is, it couldn’t be more important than the White Sword Castle Lord.”

“For the renowned Divine Strategist Jo Hyeon to say such things makes it hard to hide my laughter.”

Obvious pleasantries were exchanged.

Though they were both smiling, the subtle atmosphere didn’t easily disappear. How could it not be so? Though they had joined hands due to urgent circumstances, until yesterday they had been aiming for each other’s throats.

What was fortunate was that Baek Gongdo hadn’t stepped forward until now. If it had been Baek Hoemyeong here instead of Baek Gongdo, the atmosphere would have gone to a point of no return.

“Is your body alright?”

“Do I look alright?”

“On the surface.”

Baek Gongdo wore a bitter smile.

“Standing is about all I can manage.”

“…Aren’t you exaggerating quite a bit?”

“I wish it were an exaggeration, but it’s the truth. Actually, I think it’s miraculous that I’m alive. If that fellow hadn’t shown mercy at the last moment, I’d probably be powder right now.”

“You said mercy?”

Divine Strategist tilted his head.

Wei Yan-ho wasn’t someone who showed mercy. Despite his lazy and dull personality, once he began using his sword, he absolutely never showed mercy.

It would be easier to count the people who had faced him and lived.

But that Wei Yan-ho had shown mercy?

As if understanding what Divine Strategist’s expression meant, Baek Gongdo smiled bitterly.

“What can I do when that’s the truth? Wei Yan-ho definitely held back his strength at the last moment.”

“Hmm.”

Divine Strategist nodded.

‘That fellow.’

He wouldn’t know the reason until Wei Yan-ho spoke directly. But Divine Strategist had a guess.

If Baek Gongdo had lost his life to Wei Yan-ho’s hand, the current atmosphere would never have emerged. Though Baek Gongdo had first concluded to follow the victor, who would want to obey the commands of one who had killed their leader and family head?

‘To be able to think that far…’

He had known Wei Yan-ho was more clever than expected, but to think of the aftermath in the midst of that frantic battle.

Divine Strategist sighed quietly.

‘We’re relying too much on one child.’

His head shook involuntarily.

“Castle Lord.”

As Divine Strategist’s voice lowered, Baek Gongdo narrowed his eyes and looked at him.

“There’s something I want to ask.”

“Please speak.”

“You’ve already encountered the Demonic Cult, haven’t you?”

“…”

“Can we face them?”

Baek Gongdo quietly looked at Divine Strategist and opened his mouth.

“What’s your intention in asking me such a thing?”

Divine Strategist also hardened his expression.

“Objectively speaking, we’ve already gained the strength to face the Demonic Cult. We’ve obtained power that doesn’t require us to even consider defeat. This is all thanks to your decisive action, Castle Lord.”

“…”

“But one thing I don’t understand is…”

Divine Strategist’s face became serious.

“Why did the Castle Lord, who completed the White Sword Castle, join hands with the Demonic Cult? No matter how much I think about it, I can’t understand.”

“Strategist.”

Baek Gongdo’s voice lowered.

“Have you forgotten what the Central Plains did to the Hundred Sword Families?”

“That’s precisely why I understand even less.”

“…Why?”

“The Castle Lord I know isn’t someone who would seek revenge by borrowing others’ power.”

“…”

Divine Strategist shook his head.

“If you wanted to bring down the Central Plains, there were many ways. During the past Demonic Cult’s rampage, just stabbing them in the back appropriately would have made the Central Plains collapse helplessly. But I can’t find a reason why you need to join hands with the Demonic Cult now. Why, Castle Lord?”

Baek Gongdo quietly raised his head to look at the sky.

“Strategist.”

“Yes, Castle Lord.”

“In this world, there are countless things where ignorance is medicine.”

“…”

“This matter is the same. Since you’ll know soon anyway, knowing beforehand won’t help.”

“But…”

“I’m sorry.”

Baek Gongdo shook his head.

The words he wanted to say were overflowing. The things to say were overflowing too.

But any words he could say now would be meaningless. Because it was something that couldn’t be understood without experiencing it directly. It was something that couldn’t be expressed with humans’ crude words.

“Strategist, the only thing I can tell you is this. What happens from now on doesn’t depend on us.”

Divine Strategist hardened his face.

Divine Strategist also knew that what happened from now on depended on Wei Yan-ho. But the White Sword Castle Lord wasn’t someone who would say such obvious things.

It meant there was something enormous enough to make all the power they had gathered meaningless.

‘Is the Heavenly Demon that strong?’

“How does he compare to the Great Demon Emperor?”

Baek Gongdo shook his head.

“If it were the past Great Demon Emperor, the current me could bring victory within a thousand seconds.”

“…Then?”

“Before the Heavenly Demon, everything is useless.”

“…”

“Just useless.”

The White Sword Castle Lord turned and slowly walked away.

Divine Strategist’s eyes slowly sank as he watched his retreating figure.

‘Can Wei Yan-ho face him?’

Even with his mind that was said to contain the world, it was something he couldn’t dare guess.