Chapter 245

Chapter 245

The Great Seal’s release.

At first hearing, it sounds no different from saying let’s all die together, but it’s actually not that story. Because if it’s ‘releasing’ rather than ‘destroying’ the Great Seal, some degree of compromise is possible.

“Do you know how the current Central Plains was formed?”

“That’s…… I don’t know in detail.”

“That would be so. Because it’s a story that’s not even in the history books.”

At Seohwa’s cautious voice, Jeokyeol, who nodded her head, continued the explanation.

“The current Central Plains is a branch that split off from the Divine Cult.”

The ancient era beyond counting.

Humans who were being raised by Yokai found the lamp called martial arts and began organizing and confronting the Yokai. That first organization was precisely the Divine Cult.

“The humans who confronted Yokai based on martial arts surmised that if this situation continued, it would ultimately end with humanity’s defeat. No matter how much humans learned martial arts, confronting Yokai in the pervasive demonic power wasn’t an easy story.”

We can’t win.

No matter what they do, they’ll just become prey for numerous Yokai. By the time one master emerges after overcoming hardships and adversity and becomes able to oppose Yokai, dozens of Great Yokai have been born.

Even if the Yokai didn’t try to band together organizationally, the difference in power was clear. An opponent they absolutely couldn’t beat.

“Everyone was immersed in despair. At that time, just one person stepped forward and presented a solution.”

“Could it be?”

“Yes.”

If Yokai are born so frequently that they can’t be opposed, wouldn’t it be fine to create an environment where Yokai aren’t born?

“That was precisely the Great Seal.”

Selecting the land wasn’t difficult.

Western Tibet, the Western Regions, the Far East—all those who sent exploration teams while producing numerous casualties realized that the place called the Central Plains had the most fertile environment and best conditions for humans to live. And they began installing a Great Seal encompassing the entire Central Plains.

“The Great Seal installed that way scattered the demonic power throughout the Central Plains.”

“Then…….”

“The current Central Plains people are descendants of those who undertook the Central Plains’ cleanup at that time. Descendants of the hunters who wandered the Central Plains killing Yokai.”

At first, the Divine Cult and Central Plains weren’t on such bad terms. And naturally so, because they were one family split from one root.

However, as the work of subjugating the Central Plains’ Yokai lengthened and they maintained living in an environment without demonic power for a long period, the Central Plains people’s bodies gradually began evolving in a direction rejecting demonic power. Just entering Xinjiang caused rejection reactions, incapacitation, and even death.

“The Divine Maiden looked at the future.”

“Those whose bodies were sick when the Yokai were half-subjugated. Young children. Those who would become the future. And…… those who weren’t strong. She sent such people into the Central Plains. And with the remaining Divine Cult members’ consent, she made it so they couldn’t set foot in the Central Plains without the Divine Maiden’s permission.”

Because she believed the Central Plains would become a paradise without Yokai in the future.

Because she knew those who went to the Central Plains would have rejection reactions to demonic power and couldn’t oppose Yokai, she made that decision. Believing a method would emerge in the distant future.

“What’s important is that even now, thousands of years later, no solution has emerged.”

“It must have been fear for the Central Plains people. Since they were being asked for what they couldn’t do, there was no choice. For the Central Plains people, the main sect is an absolutely necessary group. But the main sect has something to say too.”

We’ve silently performed our duty for thousands of years. Can’t we rest by now?

How long must we alone fight Yokai? You live peacefully, but why only us?

“Even if we split from the same root, we’ve now come too far a distance.”

Since there’s no fundamental solution, there’s no solution for either side. The war faction gaining power is only a stopgap measure at best.

“Then, releasing the Great Seal means…… burning that grudge?”

“No.”

At Seohwa’s worried voice, Jeokyeol, who smiled bitterly and shook her head, lightly denied Seohwa’s words.

“As I said earlier, there’s a huge difference between destroying and releasing the Great Seal.”

“……What do you mean?”

“What’s the Great Seal’s role?”

“To seal the Central Plains’ demonic power.”

“Then, what happens if we release the Great Seal?”

“Well…… the Central Plains would fill with demonic power again.”

“That’s right. What was the problem situation now?”

“That Central Plains people don’t have resistance to demonic power…… Ah……?”

Seohwa, who was answering blankly at Jeokyeol’s words, realized something and opened her eyes wide. Because thinking about it, it was a simple story.

“Demonic power is something one can adapt to.”

“Of course, that adaptation is never easy. For an ordinary person, it could take over ten years, and even skilled martial artists must devote several years to adaptation. In the process, those who die appear frequently. But anyway, the point is that. That demonic power can be adapted to.”

Even Central Plains people who lost resistance to demonic power, if continuously exposed to demonic power, will regain resistance. Then what if they forcibly expose all Central Plains people to demonic power?

“Releasing the Great Seal and then reinstalling it. That’s what Ilryun desires. The moment Central Plains people regain immunity to demonic power, the situation where the main sect and Central Plains are running parallel will finally break.”

“……Wouldn’t that create many casualties? If demonic power covers the Central Plains, many Yokai will be born, and many people who can’t adapt to demonic power will die.”

“Well.”

“Yes?”

“Fewer will die than you think.”

Even if they release the Great Seal, excluding Sinseon Valley, there aren’t many Demon Realms remaining in the Central Plains.

Even if demonic power spreads, it won’t spread at the same concentration as ancient times. At best, it would be about half of half the demonic power concentration spread throughout Xinjiang.

“At that level, even those with weak bodies could survive after experiencing a few minor illnesses. Well, tens of deaths might occur throughout all of the Central Plains, but people die from anything.”

“But what’s more important is that. If they release the seal, it strains the Great Seal.”

“They release the seal, but it strains the Great Seal, what on earth does that…….”

“The Great Seal isn’t just one.”

The Great Seal in Xinjiang is for driving out the demonic power in the Central Plains.

However, the Great Seal doesn’t exist only in Xinjiang. In ancient times, when Yokai dominated much more greatly than now and demonic power was strong, not only the spreading demonic power but also tremendously powerful Great Yokai were problems.

“Under the Imperial Capital where your imperial family is, there’s a Great Seal. Did you know?”

“……I didn’t.”

“That would be so. In that Great Seal remain Great Yokai that Central Plains people couldn’t finish dealing with. If those Yokai are released, forget Xinjiang—you’d have to consider even the Central Plains completely destroyed.”

The Ten Heavens? The Chilryun?

Even gathering all the current generation’s strongest, they can’t gain an advantage against dozens of ancient Great Yokai. Weren’t they Yokai that the Divine Maiden, who showed divine authority that even now can’t be imitated, judged as ‘these cannot be killed’ and stopped at sealing?

“If they release Xinjiang’s Great Seal, the Imperial Capital’s Great Seal becomes unstable. Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean it will be released, but if the probability increases by even ten percent, the Central Plains people will have no choice but to tremble in anxiety.”

“Ilryun doesn’t yet know that the Divine Maiden’s bloodline has entered this Xinjiang. That’s why she’ll try to negotiate with the Central Plains people.”

She won’t immediately lay out the story of releasing the Great Seal. Because Ilryun knows too well that the Central Plains people won’t accept that.

However, Ilryun will continue trying to lay groundwork. For the day when the Divine Cult can set foot in the Central Plains and the Central Plains can shoulder the duty together.

“This negotiation must be stopped.”

They can’t put the lives of tens of millions on the scales just to save a mere few hundred lives.

“But, how…….”

“There’s no choice but to visit the Divine Maiden’s Deputy.”

Three days remain until the negotiation.

“We must do it somehow.”

Jeokyeol, who calculated the time, clenched her fist and turned her gaze toward the direction where Qinghai lies. The sight of the Kunlun mountain range visible far away.

“Somehow stop that negotiation.”

It’s hard.

“……Huuu.”

Baek Risan, who let out a deep sigh, struck her blood-stained sword through the air to shake off the blood and looked around. The appearance of the settlement Oyeon, completely covered in blood.

“We somehow managed to block it.”

Baek Risan, who drooped her shoulders in fatigue, bore a bitter smile and let out a sigh of relief at the sight of Songbyeok Jinin approaching from far away in a similar state to herself. Because Songbyeok Jinin was coming together with the man she’d seen before being imprisoned.

“I’m grateful for the help.”

“Not at all. In a situation where the Blood Cult attacked, not helping would be stranger. More than that, who are you?”

“I’m Gang Jin, in charge as the hunter vice-captain.”

“Not the captain?”

“Didn’t I say? The captain is busy.”

The man, who let out a deep sigh and lowered the crescent blade slung on his shoulder, slowly continued speaking.

“While on patrol, I confirmed an abnormality occurred in the formation and detained you, but…….”

“Seeing the Blood Cult attack, it seems this was the Blood Cult’s doing. If you were people who received orders from the Blood Cult, you wouldn’t have fought against the Blood Cult. I’m sorry for suspecting you.”

“Have the charges against us been cleared?”

“That’s right.”

“Why were there charges in the first place? We just looked for teleported people.”

“That was the problem.”

“What?”

“Because the one who caused problems with the formation was also a teleported person.”

At Gang Jin’s appearance grimacing for a moment, Baek Risan, who exchanged glances with Songbyeok Jinin, threw a question toward Gang Jin again.

“Could you tell us that story in more detail?”

“Hm? It’s already a finished story.”

“We’re looking for the whereabouts of other teleported people. Because it’s a situation where having even one more piece of information is good.”

“Ah, is that so?”

Gang Jin, who seemed to ponder for a moment at Baek Risan’s words, nodded his head. The words that followed.

“The first to appear was a man wearing white crane scholar robes.”

“White crane scholar robes……?”

“That’s right. A man holding a folding fan and going around with a strange smile. His height was…… about this much?”

At the description Gang Jin was explaining, Baek Risan and Songbyeok Jinin, who recalled someone, closed their mouths. However, Gang Jin’s explanation didn’t end.

“That fellow first came and explained he was a teleported person. That he flew here from the Sado Alliance for some reason.”

“Yes. And then?”

“And that fellow swung his folding fan and twisted the formation.”

“……What?”

“Then he ran away.”

A truly absurd attack.

At that too ridiculous situation, Gang Jin couldn’t chase the man, and as a natural measure, he dealt with it by capturing the teleported people who came next and imprisoning them. Because he already didn’t know where that man had gone.

“The formation’s twisting wasn’t large, but that man was a skilled expert at a level where he could twist the formation covering this settlement with one gesture. If such a person tried to tamper with the settlement’s formation, it couldn’t be stopped.”

“So I detained you thinking there might be accomplices. Though now I know it was the Blood Cult’s scheme.”

“Is this enough?”

“Ah, yes. Well…….”

“I hope it was helpful. Then, I’ll go handle the situation now.”

Watching the man who finished speaking, turned around, and ran away, Baek Risan, who unconsciously pressed her brow, turned her gaze toward Songbyeok Jinin. And the question that flowed out loosely.

“……It seems to be right, doesn’t it?”

“If the person you’re thinking of is the person I’m thinking of, probably.”

Description. Height. And actions. Abilities.

When synthesizing such things, the person who twisted this formation narrows down to one person. Someone who knows about the teleportation facts and is somehow suspicious.

“Baek Riseon.”

He must be the culprit who twisted the formation.

“What on earth is his scheme?”

Baek Risan, who sighed, pressed her throbbing head.