Twist (3)
Rustle rustle…
A leaf slowly falls with the wind.
The woman caught one among the countless falling leaves.
Considering the season, the leaf that should have been beautifully colored was withered and dry.
“…”
Seeing that, the woman furrowed her brows.
The leaf that had lost its vitality and dried up completely; seeking the reason the leaf became like this, the woman turned her gaze.
The reason was right in front.
The land to enter Sichuan. Beyond that boundary, a distant hellscape unfolded.
The forest that originally should have been full of vitality had lost its form long ago.
What was surprising was that it took less than five years for Sichuan’s forest, which held green light, to become like this.
All of this was the influence of demonic qi.
Moreover, this forest was also a warning toward the orthodox faction.
Right after the demons’ forces drove out the Tang Gate and killed the Poison Phoenix, spreading demonic qi to make the forest into this state held no small meaning.
Proclaiming that this land is the demonic cult’s territory.
‘…A warning that orthodox people will not be allowed to cross into this land.’
The woman, knowing that meaning, could only bite her lips even more.
The golden eyes containing light head toward the withered forest and beyond.
The woman was staring at somewhere as if fixated. Or as if trying to find someone, looking only far away.
Was it because of that?
The woman didn’t notice another person appearing behind her.
Crunch.
At the clear presence heard right after, the woman heightens her qi sense and grabs the sword hilt, but.
Tap.
“…!”
She couldn’t draw the sword. Because another person’s hand blocked her from drawing it.
The person who blocked the woman’s sword said to her with a slight smile.
“You seem to have a lot of worries. Little Sword Venerable.”
An old man with unusually white hair stands out.
As soon as the woman confirmed the old man’s identity, she subdued her fighting spirit as if surprised.
And immediately bowed her head to show respect.
Because he was a person deserving of that.
“…I greet the Heavenly Venerable.”
The old man’s identity was none other than one of the Three Venerables, the Heavenly Venerable.
The woman glanced at the clothes the Heavenly Venerable was wearing.
“…”
It’s ink-colored.
The Heavenly Venerable, who originally wore blue martial robes symbolizing the Namgung family, had insisted on such ink-colored clothes right after his family was annihilated.
The last Namgung.
Another alias the Heavenly Venerable had was that.
“You seemed not to sense my presence at all. Is something the matter?”
At his words, the woman smiled bitterly.
“I’m sorry.”
At the words of the woman, the Little Sword Venerable, the Heavenly Venerable stroked his beard and smiled.
“It’s not something for you to apologize to me about. It was just my needless worry. Rather, it might be something for me to apologize for.”
“No… I was just dazed with many thoughts for a moment.”
At the Little Sword Venerable’s words, the Heavenly Venerable nodded slightly.
After the short greeting ended, the Little Sword Venerable asked him with somewhat subsided eyes.
“Is the Heavenly Venerable joining this operation?”
“Yes.”
At his answer, the Little Sword Venerable bit her lips slightly.
It seems the helper the Beggar King mentioned is the Heavenly Venerable.
“I heard from the Beggar King that we depart tomorrow, but is this the intention of the Seonui-nyeo?”
Seonui-nyeo, this is the nickname of the woman currently serving as the strategist of the Murim Alliance.
“I haven’t heard the details, but probably so.”
At the Little Sword Venerable’s answer, the Heavenly Venerable narrowed his eyes.
It didn’t seem to please him much.
However, no rebuttal comes.
Because the Seonui-nyeo had accomplished no small feats, even if not understood, it was hard to express dissatisfaction first.
“…Will you be alright?”
This was the Little Sword Venerable asking the Heavenly Venerable.
Hearing the question, the Heavenly Venerable looks at the Little Sword Venerable with enigmatic eyes.
Then, he let out a scoffing laugh.
Because there’s no way he doesn’t know what she was asking about.
The Heavenly Venerable joining this operation means ignoring the words the Heavenly Demon spat out before.
Perhaps because of that, the Heavenly Venerable’s eyes become somewhat chilling.
“Is your question worrying about me, or worrying about the Heavenly Demon’s movements?”
At his words deeply infused with emotion, the Little Sword Venerable hurriedly spits out words.
“Of course…”
Just as she was about to spit out the words, the Little Sword Venerable bit her lips and stopped.
She tried to say of course worrying about the Heavenly Venerable, but she realized her true feelings weren’t that.
The moment she realized that, the Little Sword Venerable bowed her head deeply to the Heavenly Venerable.
“I have been rude… I’m sorry.”
At those words, the energy felt from the Heavenly Venerable subsides a bit.
And then.
At the Little Sword Venerable’s apology, the Heavenly Venerable keeps silence for a moment, then walks past her with slow steps.
The place he headed to is the boundary line dividing Sichuan and the outside.
Having approached the end of the boundary line, the Heavenly Venerable spat out words with a somewhat heavy voice.
“Raise your head.”
“…”
“I also know what you are worrying about.”
The voice of the Heavenly Venerable heard was full of something bitter rather than anger.
“…It’s truly ridiculous, isn’t it? The old men exalted as the Three Venerables, unable to move a foot because of a single warning spat by just one person.”
“…”
Just one person.
Everyone knew how vicious the being called the Heavenly Demon was to contain in such words.
-I, this seat, will not allow the Three Venerables to set foot in Sichuan land from now on.
Those light words bound the feet of the Three Venerables who ruled the Central Plains.
The martial prowess shown along with the Heavenly Demon revealing her presence.
The appearance not being pushed back at all against the Three Venerables and creating calamity with a single gesture must have been enough to create fear in many.
The Heavenly Venerable knew himself.
The reason the current orthodox faction, the Murim Alliance, is holding out in the Central Plains is because the Heavenly Demon isn’t moving.
Even if pride is shattered and demonic heart takes root because of it.
That was the reality.
Reality doesn’t change.
I don’t know why the Heavenly Demon hasn’t moved for the past few years.
Not only the Three Venerables but also the key figures of the orthodox faction all knew.
If the Heavenly Demon truly moves properly, this war would have ended long ago.
The Heavenly Venerable thought while recalling that overwhelming existence.
‘What on earth are you waiting for.’
A monster whose identity is unknown.
No one knows the intention of that thing that doesn’t move deliberately despite being able to end it long ago.
It’s truly a vicious situation.
He recalls the Little Sword Venerable’s worry.
The reason he unknowingly got angry about it is because he knows that even so, he can’t defeat the Heavenly Demon in the situation.
Even as a helper, the Heavenly Venerable won’t cross Sichuan land. The plan from the Alliance was like that.
‘Tsk tsk.’
Recalling it, he harbors a sneer.
‘Not crossing, huh.’
How ridiculous the words he thought himself.
It’s not not crossing, but can’t.
Even coming this far, the situation of trying to save face was truly pathetic.
The Heavenly Venerable closed his eyes.
Nothing is visible.
It seems to reflect the future ahead.
In it, a very small light is seen.
A minuscule light so small and delicate that it seems it would crumble if touched.
Seeing that, the Heavenly Venerable gently opened his eyes.
And then turned back.
There stood a woman with golden hair and golden eyes, just like the Sword Venerable in his youth.
The woman still looking at Sichuan’s forest as if something is bothering her.
Her age approaching thirty, with a truly slender body.
In the Heavenly Venerable’s view, a body that looks far too frail to contain the hope of the Central Plains.
But she was the current hope of the Central Plains.
“…”
The Heavenly Venerable forcibly swallowed the sigh rising up.
The world that places hope on that small woman.
Himself who anticipates that.
The gradually encroaching vengeful heart, everything is painful.
The Heavenly Venerable erased the thoughts piling up layer by layer inside and moved his steps.
“…Let’s go back together now.”
“Yes.”
At the Heavenly Venerable’s words, the Little Sword Venerable also lifted her steps.
At the words Mukgwon spat out, the main hall stirs.
The Alliance’s forces are starting to gather in the villages outside Sichuan.
The meaning contained in these words was by no means shallow.
The Black Flame Demon Emperor sitting on the jade throne asked Mukgwon with eyes containing interest.
“Is that true?”
“Yes. Leader.”
At Mukgwon’s firm answer, gazes turn.
Expressions full of doubt.
This was the same for me.
‘What is this suddenly at this time?’
The Murim Alliance suddenly starting to gather forces.
This was a situation not in my memory at least.
‘Moreover…’
The words Mukgwon spat keep swirling in my mind.
-The Little Sword Venerable has been spotted.
‘…Why?’
The Divine Sword.
No, Wi Seol-Ah, who would still be called the Little Sword Venerable at this time, shouldn’t be in Sichuan at this point.
If Sichuan became the demons’ territory, her job was to hunt demons in other territories and secure positions.
Sichuan is clearly the position set by the Heavenly Demon, so the current her shouldn’t appear.
‘It doesn’t make sense.’
The Murim Alliance would know this fact even better.
That she shouldn’t recklessly enter such battlefields.
In the current situation, the only hope of the Murim Alliance is her.
Losing her is the same as defeat in the war.
‘Putting Wi Seol-Ah here in this situation?’
The appearance of the Divine Sword in a situation where I don’t even know what operation it is.
My head hurts.
At least in the battles involving Sichuan, I thought she wouldn’t appear.
But suddenly forces gathering, and things turning out like this.
‘From where…?’
Where on earth did this world start twisting?
If seeking the cause for that.
‘Could it be because I appeared?’
Naturally, that would be the only thing, but I still couldn’t understand.
Is it possible for things to get twisted like this just because I appeared?
Even small actions can change situations, but.
This is too nonsensical a situation.
This is as if…
‘As if someone knows that a human like me appeared.’
It was to the point that it fits to say someone noticed the anomaly and forcibly created the situation.
Furrowing my brows, I clenched my fist.
Whatever it is, the Little Sword Venerable shouldn’t appear in the current situation.
She is the hope of this world.
‘Hoo….’
I recalled the woman who would be carrying the world on her small back.
What a damned karma.
The woman who would have grasped the karma with her own hands because no one can replace her would be small even in this time.
‘…Damned.’
Recalling that, curses come out naturally.
The Three Venerables called the heaven of the Central Plains.
The Four Great Families called the pillars of the orthodox.
The Nine Sects and One Union that guarded each region and built strength.
Such existences overflow, yet how did one woman become the hope.
Moreover, why must she not appear in the current situation.
Recalling the reason it must be so, I chewed my tongue roughly.
And for good reason.
The reason the Little Sword Venerable became the hope of the Central Plains is the power she possesses.
‘…Anti-Demon.’
Because it was specialized in opposing demons.