Chapter 295

Chapter 295

Dali. Spear Window Sect’s temporary residence.

“Sect Leader sajae. Sasukjo sent a letter saying he’ll tidy up the yokai horde in the upper region and return.”

“There must be quite a lot of yokai.”

“Yes. I heard he’s already punished over a hundred yokai…”

“My word. How is the situation in the south?”

“The south is.”

At Sobaek’s question—the Spear Window Sect Leader who was listening to the story while walking through the grounds—Elder Sojin, who was giving the report, continued.

“We’re trying to maintain the front lines here and there, but yokai are flooding in like a tide.”

“Can’t our sect’s disciples alone block them?”

“No. Requests for reinforcements keep coming endlessly. Even though we’re drawing martial artists from each sect and started coordinating with the military, we’re overwhelmed.”

“I see.”

“It’s a guess, but I think we’ll probably be pushed back to Linchang within the near future. We need to devise countermeasures…”

“Phew.”

Nothing’s working.

At the successive bad news, Sobaek pressed between his brows firmly, shook his head, and let out a deep sigh while waving his hand. Then Sojin asked carefully while watching him.

“The situation seems very bad. Sect Leader sajae.”

“Is there a need to say it?”

At Sojin’s question, Sobaek, who unconsciously touched his sword hilt, turned his gaze with a worried face. Just as Sojin said, the current situation was turning out horribly bad.

Yunnan, where Spear Window is located, is vast.

Although it can’t compare to an incomparably vast region like Qinghai, Yunnan’s land, thick with mountains and jungles, is not easy for people to traverse. Venomous creatures crawl on the ground, and you could say Yunnan is an environment where you can encounter beasts if you’re even slightly careless.

Yunnan is a region so backward compared to the Central Plains that it was once called Nanman by Central Plains people. Conversely, because they survived in that extreme environment, Yunnan’s local residents have quite strong attachment to their land. Because they’re people who have lived passing down that land generation after generation.

“If we tell them to evacuate, how many would evacuate?”

“I don’t know, but wouldn’t more than half want to meet their death on their ancestral land?”

“I see…”

Briefly abandoning the village and evacuating.

That much is possible. Making them move their steps within Yunnan’s land to places like Dali or Kunming wouldn’t be difficult to do.

But beyond that, the story changes. Moving over to Sichuan or Guizhou would be no different from abandoning the entire foundation of life they’ve lived.

It’s the same as relocating all the citizens of one country to another country. Probably even if yokai swarm in, there won’t be few who declare they’ll fight and die here.

“We need to face reality.”

“What you mean is…”

“We evacuate even those who say they’ll leave. We don’t have the capacity to save everyone who’s here.”

“…Will you be alright?”

“Five Swords died, and many other children died besides them.”

The sect leader and first-generation disciples are the masters, sasuk, and sabaek of the second-generation disciples fighting outside now. What does that mean?

It means most of those going out to fight and dying are like children to the sect leader and elders. They say lord-teacher-father are one—isn’t it common to view the master-disciple relationship as the same as parent-child?

“At this point, wanting to save everyone is nothing but arrogance. Our sect isn’t leisurely enough to indulge in arrogance.”

“…Sect Leader sajae.”

“Prepare. As soon as Sabaekjo returns, we’ll start evacuation limited to volunteers.”

“…”

Sojin, who glanced at Sobaek’s expression that seemed to show mixed feelings, shut his mouth firmly. Because he didn’t not understand Sobaek’s heart in making such a decision.

‘Sect Leader sajae is probably suffering the most.’

Unlike himself who was born and raised elsewhere, Sobaek is Yunnan-born. He must feel it that much more.

“…Sect Leader sajae. Come to think of it, did you hear that story?”

Sojin, who forcibly suppressed his surging thoughts, shook his head vigorously and attempted to switch to a different topic.

“About the west. Where Dokgolmun and Youxue Sect headed.”

“…You mean where the Five Swords children died.”

“Yes. It seems reinforcements went that way.”

“Reinforcements? As far as I know, I didn’t send reinforcements.”

“Yes. We haven’t sent reinforcements from our side, but a report came up.”

“A report?”

“The child we sent to request aid from the Murim Alliance sent a messenger pigeon. I mean Jonghyeop.”

“Jonghyeop…”

With his words, Sojin fluttered the letter in his hand and continued.

“According to what’s written here, it says Uicheonmunju Baek Riyun and his party separately went as reinforcements to rescue the area near Baoshan in the west. It says they encountered Uicheonmunju, showed him the letter’s contents, and conveyed the news that Changcheon 3rd Squad was annihilated.”

“I see… Wait, who did you say?”

“I mean Uicheonmunju. Don’t you know? The previous Changcheon Corps Commander.”

He had only met him a few times before, but his martial power definitely remained in memory. If such a person helps them, it would certainly be a great help.

“That’s fortunate.”

It will certainly be one less worry.

At Sojin’s figure saying words containing that meaning, Sobaek furrowed his eyebrows.

“There’s no way Jonghyeop met Uicheonmunju.”

“…Pardon?”

“You wouldn’t have heard. But I heard.”

If you’re at the level of a sect leader of the Nine Sects and One Gang, you inevitably become well-versed in outside news.

Sobaek, the sect leader of Spear Window, was no exception to that either. Because only Sobaek here had heard everything about what happened at the Great Seal in Xinjiang.

“Uicheonmunju Baek Riyun met his death in Xinjiang. By none other than the great yokai Heukya.”

“…What? But then the Uicheonmunju that Jonghyeop met in Kunming is.”

“Well, there’s no way a dead person came back to life, so I’d have to think it’s an impostor, but…”

Would there be a reason to impersonate a dead person? In this situation at that?

Clang!

“Sect Leader sajae?”

“I need to confirm.”

Sobaek, who had been thinking for a moment, gripped the sword hanging at his waist and turned to look at Sojin. The words that followed.

“As it happens, we still haven’t recovered the Five Swords children’s bodies. I’ll go.”

“…Then what about the evacuation preparations to Kunming?”

“You take charge and carry it out. Since most of the work is already done, you should be able to finish it without difficulty.”

“…”

“Jongseo died. As his master, shouldn’t I recover my disciple’s remains?”

Can’t stop him?

Sojin, who had been looking at Sobaek’s firm eyes for a moment, nodded as if understanding. And the words that followed.

“Go and return safely.”

“Alright.”

Whoosh!

Watching Sobaek disappear with his words, Sojin let out a deep sigh.

“Please return safely. Sect Leader sajae.”

Praying that nothing happens.

***

Originally, people often ostracize what’s different from themselves, calling it different.

Whether their eye and hair color is different, skin color is different, or they have bizarrely good hearing—people tend to shun such things, calling them the work of yokai.

Actually, that’s close to fear from the unknown. Rather than bothering to try to understand incomprehensible subjects, it’s better for mental health to just reject them as beings different from us, so they just do that.

In that sense, the boy called Gakpyeong belonged to humans who had a harder time blending into society than any other human.

And for good reason, because Gakpyeong’s eyes could see what other people couldn’t see.

Because he could see through people’s ‘essence’ that ordinary people couldn’t see.

“…”

I’m hungry.

Grumble!

Gakpyeong, who had been sitting still hugging his knees, blankly raised his head at the sound of his stomach shrinking, looked around, put the dry rations scattered on the floor in his mouth, and chewed. The smell of grain filling his mouth dryly.

“Tastes bad.”

Gakpyeong, who complained about the taste of food he would have happily eaten before, roughly filled his hunger and lay down on the floor again, closing his eyes. Soon after, flames flickering before his eyes.

—I’m your uncle. Pyeong-ah.

—Liar. Mister doesn’t look like my mom at all.

—…Hm? Haha. You have the ability to see through lies. But it’s not a lie.

—Liar.

—Because I’m going to become your uncle from now on. Then it won’t be a lie, will it?

When they first met.

The martial artist called Sugak, who introduced himself as a squad leader of a place called Changcheon Corps, evaluated his eyes that way. The ability to instinctively see through people who lie.

Since it was true that he could see through whether people were lying or not, he just thought it was so. He thought the reason he was ostracized from the village and teased as a creepy yokai child was all because he was lying. But.

—Oh my, Lord Sugak. Have you come?

—…Uncle. Uncle. What about that mister?

After confirming that the ‘essence’ of someone he always saw in the village had changed, Gakpyeong suddenly realized.

—I can’t see his face.

—…What did you say?

His eyes don’t see through lies, but see through the opponent’s essence.

“Uncle, when will you come…”

Those words saying he’d go somewhere briefly and come back.

He thought it wasn’t a lie. Because he could glimpse determination that if possible, he would certainly do so. Because he thought if he hid in the secret base, he would surely come rescue him someday.

However, even after several nights passed, Sugak didn’t return. He can guess what he went to do.

Probably he went to fight that mister whose face can’t be seen.

‘I’m scared.’

The people visible to Gakpyeong’s eyes were people whose actions could be predicted either way. Because Gakpyeong could see their essence well.

As long as he knows what the opponent will do, there’s no reason to fear. Even if despised and ostracized, it’s just everyday behavior—as long as they don’t directly raise their fists, there’s no reason to fear.

But what on earth is that guy?

‘It’s like… someone with no self.’

The ego doesn’t exist. Not fixed form but formless existence.

One by one.

Watching people’s essence change to ‘faceless,’ Gakpyeong suddenly realized. That he’s the only one seeing this scene now. That he’s the only one who can clearly see through the disguise of that existence devouring the villagers one by one.

‘If found out, he’ll come to kill me.’

He’ll definitely come to kill. Because that faceless man seemed to not want his identity discovered. Then what should he do?

Should he hide here endlessly?

‘Uncle isn’t coming.’

Several days have already passed since Sugak was supposed to come. At this point, it was fair to say Sugak isn’t coming.

Perhaps.

Even Sugak might have been devoured by that man. Then someone needs to rescue Sugak.

‘I need to ask for help.’

There’s no time to be like this here.

Creak!

Gakpyeong, who firmed his resolve, gathered some dry rations, carefully opened the door, and came outside.

On his own two feet, to request reinforcements.