Chapter 246

Chapter 246

Ungyeong, a disciple of the Hainan Sect, was currently having a deadly time.

“……Why are you scratching your ear like that?”

“It seems someone’s talking about me. My ear is itchy.”

“I see…….”

Watching the white-robed man, Baek Riseon, who casually replied while digging in his ear with his pinky finger, Ungyeong trailed off and looked ahead. The desert scenery endlessly spreading before his eyes.

‘I heard from my senior martial brothers that there’s this kind of terrain in the Central Plains, but…….’

It’s all sand and stones. The water that appeared sickeningly often in Hainan doesn’t enter his eyes even by a single drop here.

Ungyeong, who let out a sigh, shook his head and quietly looked at Baek Riseon. Because it was all things he couldn’t understand.

—Central Plains person……? Why here?

—Yo, you, who are you!

—Die.

When he first fell into this Great Desert.

Ungyeong, who was exhausted from the surging demonic power and heat, encountered Blood Cult members wrapping their entire bodies in red blood-wind robes. Normally, some resistance would have been possible, but due to Xinjiang’s environment, even proper resistance was impossible.

He resisted as much as possible, but due to the demonic power continuously gnawing at his body and the Blood Cult members pressuring with numbers, he faced a desperate situation. He had faced a crisis of death right before his eyes as if he would die at any moment. 

At that time, the man before his eyes appeared.

—You’ve accumulated much karma. It’ll take some time to clean up.

While fanning a folding fan like an immortal.

“Young Hero Baek Riseon.”

“What is it?”

“I have something to ask.”

“Something to ask?”

At Baek Riseon’s appearance replying casually, Ungyeong, who cautiously read the mood and spoke, stroked his sword hilt. Ungyeong recalling the story he heard earlier in his head.

“Young Hero said a Blood Cult scheme is unfolding here.”

“I did.”

“If that’s the case, shouldn’t we also lend a hand? With Young Hero’s abilities, you could be of great help.”

“What help could I be?”

“……Didn’t you swing your folding fan once and erase five Blood Cult members from the world just like that? Though it’s not martial arts, you seem to have reached a realm in magic arts…… isn’t that so?”

“Haha.”

Even though he hasn’t reached the elder level, Ungyeong is a very promising disciple even in the Hainan Sect. To the degree of hearing stories that he could become the next Hainan’s First Sword.

Being such an Ungyeong, he knew very well what level the Blood Cult members he was facing were. Each one was at a level slightly lower than himself, but if five banded together, weren’t they at a level where they could compete with even a great sect’s elder?

“If you can handle five outstanding martial artists in an instant, you’ll be of great help in the fight against the Blood Cult. And even if not that, isn’t lending a hand in the fight against the Blood Cult a natural thing as a martial artist? Who knows what they’re committing.”

“That’s not wrong, but.”

At Ungyeong’s question, Baek Riseon, who smiled bitterly, shook his head and looked at the sky. Perhaps because it’s a desert, the blue sky without even a speck of cloud.

“Do you know what heavenly energy is?”

“Heavenly energy……you mean fate?”

“It’s similar. Not individual fate, but the flow that shows how the world will flow. You should think of it as that kind of thing.”

Heavenly energy is like a river originating on a mountain gradually flowing to the sea. Should I say an unstoppable flow?

Natural principles like water flowing from top to bottom, air flowing from hot to cold. Natural providence. Such things gather one by one to form heavenly energy.

“Heavenly energy is another name for the world. Those with the ability to read heavenly energy are no different from reading the world’s flow.”

“Hmm.”

“Then, I’ll ask one question here. Young Hero. Do you think it’s possible for an individual to change the world’s flow?”

“Well…….”

How could an individual change the world?

While swallowing such words inside, Ungyeong shook his head. Isn’t living only as fate is determined a story with too little romance?

“I want…… to believe it’s possible to change it.”

“Hahaha, I agree. It wouldn’t be fun to live only as determined, would it? And.”

In reality too, it’s not impossible for an individual to change the world. Even if the world’s flow is determined, not all individual fates are completely determined.

“However, heavenly energy has the property of trying to return to its original flow through something called regression action the more you twist it. That’s why if you try to change determined fate, people face two choices.”

“……What do you mean by two choices?”

“It’s simple.”

Either steadily work to change fate.

Or, twist the flow at a truly decisive moment.

“Now is not the time.”

“The twist in heavenly energy isn’t great yet. Even the world—only small streams so small that it can’t perceive its own flow have deviated. However.”

If that stream opens the water gate, gradually pioneers a path, and then some giant blocks the main current.

If fate is changed by doing so.

“Heavenly energy won’t be able to find even its original form. Because that’s too far a road to return.”

“……I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Hahaha. I spoke at length, but the conclusion is one. It means I have no power to use in confronting the Blood Cult right now. And I shouldn’t.”

Baek Riseon, who bore a bitter smile, fanned his folding fan.

“Others will stop the Blood Cult. So what I must do is save even one more person caught up in this teleportation.”

“There’s no time to delay. Even in this situation, aren’t people dying of thirst?”

Sacrifice of the few for the many. He doesn’t want such things. Because he wasn’t causing this fuss for such things.

“Let’s move.”

“……Haah.”

Ungyeong, who let out a deep sigh, followed behind Baek Riseon, who moved his steps as if not tired.

‘The more he fans, the hotter it should get, but I don’t understand why he keeps fanning.’

Thinking Baek Riseon is truly a strange person.

Demonic Cult outskirts. A remote place.

“Jeokyeol.”

At the sight of Seohwa, who kept looking around and then narrowed her eyes and called her, Jeokyeol tilted her head.

“Why do you call?”

“We’re going to meet the Divine Maiden’s Deputy now, right?”

“Well, you could say that.”

“Then, I have one question.”

“What?”

“……Does the Divine Maiden’s Deputy really live here?”

“Why do you think not?”

“Well…… here.”

Isn’t it too shabby a place to think a high-ranking person would live?

“I think I know what you’re thinking.”

Watching Seohwa who couldn’t bring herself to say everything, Jeokyeol, who chuckled, nodded her head. Because it wasn’t a strange thing.

“Do you know why the emperor builds the imperial palace large and splendid?”

“Well…… because he has a lot of money?”

“……I can’t deny that. But there’s a more intuitive reason than that. It’s to secure something called authority.”

“Authority…… you mean?”

“Yes.”

Those who stand above a group need authority. And people feel pressure from large and splendid buildings.

Ancient temples so gigantic that people look like ants. Imperial palaces so vast that once you lose your way, it’s hard to even find the way out. Such things overwhelm and press down on people. It’s similar to when someone who just came up from the countryside to the capital sees the city’s scenery and drops their jaw. Should I say they hold fantasies?

“Have you heard of emperors who ruined their countries by excessively expanding their palaces?”

“Well…… there are some.”

“The more lacking a person’s authority, the more they worry about how they’ll appear to other people. That doesn’t distinguish between young and old or high and low status.”

“You mean the more authority is needed and the person doesn’t match that authority, the larger and more splendid they build buildings?”

“So to speak.”

“But…… isn’t that judging too hastily?”

“Why do you think so?”

“Because I’ve seen a counterexample.”

The Sado Alliance Leader. Manwang Mumyeong.

Though not someone she has favorable feelings toward, the person Seohwa saw was definitely not someone lacking authority. Nevertheless, isn’t the Sado Alliance’s headquarters enormously large?

“It’s no different.”

“Are you saying the Sado Alliance Leader’s authority is lacking?”

“He’d have enough now, but when the Sado Alliance was just being established, Manwang’s authority wasn’t very great. Moreover, it was a time when the Sado Alliance’s authority was very much needed.”

Generally, an individual’s authority has limits. If you say it’s where a retired grand scholar resides, even a small and shabby house seems to have some quiet pressure, but even so, it doesn’t reach the dignity when an active grand scholar wields the teaching staff in the imperial palace.

“If it’s just enough to impress a few people, individual authority is sufficient. However, to naturally instill authority in thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, such background is indispensable. The Sado Alliance Leader is such a case.”

“……Wait. But according to that story, shouldn’t the place serving the Divine Maiden also be large? It’s a position that needs authority most of all.”

“That would be so.”

“Generally speaking.”

Who is the Divine Maiden? The founder of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult? If not that, the creator of martial arts?

Neither. To those who knew the Divine Maiden, the Divine Maiden was a lamp. The only lamp for humans who were raised as livestock and lived their lives chased by Yokai.

“The Divine Maiden’s authority was abnormal. No one looked down on her. No matter how twisted a person’s disposition, they treated the Divine Maiden politely. Because she was humanity’s only hope.”

“The Divine Maiden’s residence isn’t large for that reason. The Divine Maiden didn’t want her residence to become large. She just wanted to gradually erase her own colors from the place where she first settled. So that her descendants could extend their branches into the world while escaping from her influence.”

But that wish was fulfilled in a completely different way. The place where the Divine Maiden first settled in the Demonic Cult remained shabbily maintained as it was, but that place became the Demonic Cult’s sacred ground. Because everyone came to feel authority, pressure, and history seeing that sacred ground.

“She must have been…… an amazing person.”

“Did you forget why the main sect is a ‘cult’? For the main sect, the Heavenly Demon and Divine Maiden are faith. Though those two themselves didn’t consider themselves gods.”

“Well, even so, your words aren’t completely wrong. It doesn’t matter while the Divine Maiden’s bloodline continues, but now that the Divine Maiden’s bloodline has been cut off, we of Jema Hall led by the Divine Maiden have lost much authority.”

The Divine Maiden’s Deputy couldn’t replace the Divine Maiden.

Jeokyeol, who let out a small sigh, slowly walked through the pasture and pointed to a small wooden building standing on a low hill.

“There. Fortunately, the Divine Maiden’s Deputy is also outside.”

“Is that so?”

Finally, can she see the Divine Maiden’s Deputy?

At Jeokyeol’s story, Seohwa, who held curiosity and raised her eyesight, suddenly felt doubt. Because she couldn’t see the Divine Maiden’s Deputy.

“……I, I don’t see anyone?”

“Isn’t she right there?”

“What I see now is only an ox plowing a field and a man…….”

“If that’s all you see, then the Divine Maiden’s Deputy must be among them.”

“……By any chance, is the ox female?”

“How could an ox be the Divine Maiden’s Deputy?”

At Seohwa’s absurd idea, Jeokyeol, who chuckled, stepped forward. And the words that followed.

“Elder Brother. I’ve come.”

The burly-built man who was plowing the field and quietly turned his gaze looked at Jeokyeol and let out a sigh. And Jeokyeol introducing such a man.

“Now, this person is my elder brother and the current Divine Maiden’s Deputy, Gongsun Gung.”

“Ah, nice to meet…… wait a moment. Gongsun Gung? Elder Brother?”

“Yes.”

“……By any chance, Jeokyeol. Your real name is……?”

“Gongsun Rang.”

“Didn’t I say?”

Jeokyeol, who chuckled, scratched her head.

“I’m a Gongsun. The same as your sect master’s birth mother.”