Chapter 311

Chapter 311

“We won’t be able to stop Sangwi.”

“……?”

After capturing Muhyeong and subjugating him with some technique.

After putting Muhyeong in a gourd and sealing it well, everyone’s gazes turned to Baek Riseon at the story elder brother brought up. Because an issue so serious it was impossible to accept had just flowed from Baek Riseon’s mouth.

“We can’t stop Sangwi?”

“That would be the case.”

“Almost all the martial artists of this continent will gather at Uichang, yet we still can’t stop Sangwi?”

“We can’t.”

“Why…….”

“Because Sangwi isn’t a being that can be stopped by human strength in the first place.”

At Seohwa’s question, elder brother, wearing a bitter smile while shaking his head, continued speaking.

“Now, if we expand the scope to the entire world originally, humans would be honeybees, and monsters would be about hornets.”

“…….”

“Generally, honeybees have no way to counter hornets. However, if they rack their brains, they can gain the power to defeat attacking hornets. Though it’s a bit different, this is the relationship between humans and monsters.”

Can honeybees kill hornets?

There is no honeybee that can face a hornet one-on-one in combat and kill it. The way honeybees eliminate hornets isn’t by biting with their jaws or stingers, but by clinging and raising their body temperature to kill them, so naturally, numerous sacrifices are laid beneath that.

Though this is a bit different, humans are the same. Outstanding humans can kill monsters one-on-one, and there even exist individuals who alone cut down numerous monsters, but the reality is that most humans can’t defeat even a single monster and perish miserably. Monsters are in the position of predators to humans.

“Now, here’s the question. If humans are honeybees and monsters are hornets, what kind of being would Sangwi be?”

“……Uh, a bear?”

“Why would it be a bear?”

“Well, because no matter what bees do, they can’t kill a bear……?”

“That’s not necessarily true. If heavenly luck overlaps with heavenly luck, even bees can kill a bear. Not all parts of a bear are as thick as leather.”

“…….”

“But Sangwi isn’t on the level of a bear. If I had to compare it…… it would be about a rolling boulder the size of one *jang*.”

If a bear disturbs a hornet’s nest, and the hornets become enraged and attack the bear.

Of course, in most cases, the bear will win. Only if miracles overlap with miracles would the bear retreat, and if miracles overlap once more from there, it might even fall.

But what about a rolling boulder? No matter how many hornets there are, does it have any meaning?

“That’s what it means when Sangwi takes action. Once Sangwi acts, no matter what humans do, they cannot stop Sangwi. Heukya is also at ease knowing this.”

“…….”

“However, we can’t just let go and perish together because of that. Isn’t that right?”

“That’s…… true.”

“We can’t stop Sangwi, but there is a way to do something about this situation.”

Along with his words, elder brother pulled out a map from his bosom and tapped Uichang and Beijing with his hand while continuing to speak.

“What is Sangwi’s target?”

“Well…… Beijing, where the Great Seal is located.”

“Yes. Then, what is the reason we’re trying to stop Sangwi?”

“Obviously to prevent the Great Seal from being destroyed……?”

“That’s correct.”

Nothing is eternal.

Even though Heukya is currently showing tremendously powerful influence, ultimately the fear toward Heukya will fade someday. It’s frightening because it’s at its peak now, but it doesn’t mean he’s an opponent that cannot be faced.

However, the story changes after destroying the second Great Seal.

“The moment the Great Seal is destroyed, the ancient great monsters will awaken and spread throughout the entire Central Plains. Then people will be exposed to great monsters’ attacks more frequently.”

Return to the era when humans were livestock? To the era of hiding and trembling, not knowing when monsters would make them toys?

It’s not even that. The monsters sealed in the Great Seal are beings sealed by none other than humans, and aren’t they clearly aware of how dangerous humans as beings can become?

The moment the Great Seal is destroyed and those monsters are released, the monsters will indiscriminately attack and kill humans. Not the movements of controlling population numbers to receive offerings of fear as until now, but this time they’ll move to exterminate the human species itself.

“Ultimately, there is one problem. Whether the Great Seal is destroyed or not.”

“……In the end, won’t it be destroyed? You said there’s no way to stop Sangwi.”

“Good question.”

At Seohwa’s point, elder brother smiled slightly and waved his fan.

“There is no way to stop Sangwi. This is an absolute proposition. In the current situation, even if we kill Heukya, Sangwi will charge straight ahead and break the Great Seal. However.”

“However?”

“What about after that? What if we quickly restore it when the Great Seal is destroyed?”

“……?”

“Would Sangwi still come to break the Great Seal again?”

“That’s obviously…….”

-It wouldn’t come to break it.

“……What?”

At my words, Seohwa, looking at me floating in the air as if puzzled, blinked.

“Why not? If Sangwi became a monster and is going to break the Great Seal because of that, shouldn’t it naturally have to break the Great Seal again?”

-If it’s conventional thinking, yes. But that’s thinking too trapped in factional logic.

“……?”

-I mean that just because it’s a monster doesn’t mean ‘the Great Seal being destroyed’ is beneficial for everyone.

“……Huh? Ah!”

At my words, Seohwa, finally realizing what it meant, opened her eyes wide.

“From Sangwi’s perspective, whether the Great Seal breaks or not isn’t its concern!”

-Right.

Sangwi was originally a Divine Beast but received offerings of fear beyond monsters.

Even now as a monster, if anything, it’s increased rather than decreased. Humans are threatening so it should destroy the Great Seal to exterminate humans? That story doesn’t apply to Sangwi.

“Whether great monsters are released or not, they can’t covet Sangwi’s fortress anyway, and moreover, Sangwi doesn’t even have a proper personality. It’s a being that acts as the world’s will, so to speak, like nature.”

“But right now it’s moving to destroy the Great Seal?”

“Yes. That’s because of the will Heukya instilled when Sangwi became a monster. If not for that, there would have been no reason for Heukya to hold onto Sangwi for weeks while putting in effort.”

No matter how much Heukya, he cannot handle Sangwi like his own limbs. Because that would be no different from shaking the world in his grip.

And if Heukya cannot handle Sangwi like his own limbs, then ultimately what can be done is clear.

Kill Heukya and restore the Great Seal.

“I’ll say this first, but Heukya’s goal isn’t the liberation of monsters sealed in the Great Seal.”

“……What? But just until a moment ago.”

“I’m saying that’s the process. What Heukya is aiming for is probably one thing. Devouring the great monsters weakened by the seal and absorbing their monster energy. Thereby reigning at the world’s pinnacle.”

Desire for conquest?

He doesn’t move for such things. Heukya simply wants to become tremendously strong and through that, exterminate all humans and monsters alike.

“We must use that situation to our advantage.”

“Use it to our advantage, how…….”

“It’s not only us who can use the monster energy of the sealed monsters.”

Unless you’re a monster, you cannot handle monster energy.

However, right now in Baek Riseon’s hands is a monster. Moreover, a great monster that looked down upon the world.

“We’ll use magic techniques.”

“Magic techniques?”

“The moment the Great Seal is released, I’m thinking of using the monsters’ energy to repel Heukya and re-establish the Great Seal.”

“……But then, it’s too late! The martial artists at Uichang…….”

“If they succeed, our turn won’t come. If they don’t succeed, it can’t be helped.”

Ultimately, it’s like creating a last bastion. Installing a safety line so that everything doesn’t collapse from one misstep.

“We must do whatever we can.”

First, what’s needed are two things.

“Let’s make ceremonial robes.”

***

And it comes to now.

“You want to take over Hwangryongjang because we need to make ceremonial robes?”

“Yes.”

“……To use good fabric?”

“Yes!”

“Seohwa, did you perhaps hit your head?”

Does that make sense?

Gawol, who involuntarily let out an empty laugh, glanced at Seohwa’s head and shook her head. Because it was nonsense.

“Seohwa, you don’t seem to know well, but Hwangryongjang isn’t a place where you can simply become the workshop master by saying ‘I want to be the workshop master.'”

“I know that too. But you’re different, Sister. If you say you’ll be the successor workshop master, Hwangryongjangju will make you do it right away.”

“That’s…… not wrong, but.”

Why did Gawol leave Hwangryongjang and make a contract with Uicheonmun?

It’s precisely to become independent from the shadow called Hwangryongjang and create her own value. She burst out of Hwangryongjang because she wanted not Gawol preceded by the name Hwangryongjangju, but just the name ‘Gawol’ to resound among all the tailors of the Central Plains.

But now she’s going back into Hwangryongjang?

“I don’t want to do that.”

“…….”

“Of course, as you say, it’s foolish to cling to such desires when the Central Plains is collapsing. I know that too.”

But she doesn’t want to carry the name of Hwangryongjangju if possible. It means it’s a method worth trying only as a last resort if there’s really no other method after searching and searching.

“So let’s find a slightly different method…….”

“Aw, Sister, you’re so naive.”

“……Huh?”

“We can just deceive them, can’t we?”

“What?”

“Say ‘I’ll become the successor!’ receive just the materials, make just one outfit and run away—what could the workshop master do?”

Seohwa, showing a *grin*, alternately pointed at Gawol and herself.

“One is a renowned fabric creator in the Central Plains. And one is a tailor of exceptional talent.”

“……You’re not really exceptional talent though…….”

“I’m not, but there are tricks. Anyway, the point is all preparations are complete. If only we have the materials!”

If only they have materials, they can make ceremonial robes. And if they succeed in making the ceremonial robes, it’s fair to say they’ve achieved half the success.

“We go to Hwangryongjang, deceive the workshop master, and steal the Heavenly Silkworm Thread . If the world collapses, there’s no need for cleanup, and if the world doesn’t collapse, we’ve achieved the tremendous feat of saving the world, so Sister’s fame will be above the workshop master’s, right?”

“…….”

“Then you can say ‘Actually, becoming Hwangryongjangju was a joke~’ and the workshop master can’t do anything. Other than getting red-faced and angry, there’s nothing they can do, right?”

“You’re a really scary child, Seohwa…….”

“I’ve been scary since long ago. How can the First Disciple be funny? So.”

Will you do it or won’t you?

Looking at Seohwa’s sparkling eyes, Gawol briefly envisioned the furiously angry Hwangryongjangju.

The image of Hwangryongjangju who, though not related by blood, raised her like a real granddaughter…….

“You know what?”

“What?”

“They say forgiveness is easier than permission.”

Heavenly Silkworm Thread. Would they give it if asked?

They won’t. Because there’s no one as stubborn as Hwangryongjangju. If you must make ceremonial robes with Heavenly Silkworm Thread, they’ll say to place an order with them.

That won’t do.

“They’ll kill me for sure.”

Didn’t the old saying go, don’t raise black-haired beasts?

But sometimes you get bitten by yellow-haired beasts too.