The Legend of Gwangse (1)
The underground chamber reeked of blood.
Not a single living soul remained there. The scattered corpses painted a grim picture of what had transpired. I could almost visualize how Cheon So-seon had taken them down.
The decapitated bodies of the Dark Heaven soldiers lay strewn about. Judging by the state and position of the corpses, it was clear that Cheon So-seon had fought a hard battle.
One of the Heavenly Orbs was shattered. Cheon So-seon had mentioned there were two, newly crafted.
Yet, only one was broken. The other was nowhere to be found.
Did Cheon So-seon take the orb with him?
It was possible. Someone of his caliber could easily carry something that heavy.
Could it be that he approached me just to get his hands on this orb?
I recalled Cheon So-seon’s desperate face. Was it all an act? No, at that moment, he was sincere. Besides, if he had ulterior motives, he wouldn’t have been honest about there being two orbs.
The dust marks indicated where the orb had been. Someone had definitely moved it.
What on earth happened here?
Perhaps Cheon So-seon thought I wouldn’t come down here and tried to deceive me by destroying everything.
In any case, I’ll know his intentions when we meet again.
I leapt up to the surface. The warriors who had kept their distance watched me.
Feeling their gaze filled with goodwill, I soared into the sky with my demonic flight technique.
Whoosh.
In an instant, I became a dot in the sky and vanished from sight.
The news of the Heavenly King’s death brought cheers from Galsaryang and Baekpyo.
“Oh! Did you really defeat the Heavenly King?”
“He’s no longer of this world.”
“Well done. Truly well done.”
Their joy was palpable, more than just the relief of a formidable foe being vanquished.
I could understand their feelings.
The Heavenly King was the only one who posed a real threat to me. His death meant my chances of survival had dramatically increased.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
Baekpyo asked with concern, and I replied with a smile.
“Fortunately, I’m unscathed.”
To have defeated him without a scratch was indeed a stroke of luck. Of course, it was my decision to use the Blood Rain Sword that made it possible.
“How did you manage to defeat him?”
Baekpyo regretted not being there. Watching a battle between those more skilled than oneself can be truly inspiring.
But this time was different. Baekpyo couldn’t use a technique like the Blood Rain Sword. The martial arts of the Demon God surpassed human limits.
If his martial arts level were much lower, it wouldn’t matter.
He would simply be amazed and move on.
But for someone like Baekpyo, who was among the best, it could lead to a sense of inadequacy and hinder his training. He might push himself too hard to surpass his limits and fall into a state of inner turmoil.
Instead, I explained the core of the battle to him.
“I focused a technique that affects a large area into a single point.”
“Ah!”
Baekpyo repeated my words several times, pondering their meaning.
“Thank you for your guidance.”
It was a simple statement, yet Baekpyo was deeply grateful.
They say you see as much as you know.
What might seem trivial to others can become a profound topic of study for someone like Baekpyo, influencing his martial arts journey.
He would apply it in his own way to improve his skills.
“Let’s have a drink, just the three of us, today.”
“Sounds good.”
It wasn’t a celebration to share with my father or others. While everyone would be glad that a formidable enemy was gone, they would also worry. After all, I was facing foes worthy of such a celebration.
After parting ways with the two, the last person I met was Cheonma.
I met him through the Heavenly Spirit Technique. I prepared enough alcohol to last the night and invited him to a scenic spot.
[I brought your favorite drink.]
[Haha. It was worth the wait.]
After the battle, Cheonma had been silent. He knew I would arrange such a meeting. It was the trust that had developed between us.
I drank with Cheonma.
[Concentrating the Blood Rain Sword was a brilliant choice.]
[Thank you.]
[How did you come up with that idea?]
[It started from desperation.]
[Desperation?]
[At first, I was desperate not to use the Blood Rain Sword, fearing it might kill the other warriors. But later, that desperation turned into another concern. If I just left, he might kill all the warriors there in anger. Especially since the underground chamber was breached.]
Cheonma nodded.
[He would have done that.]
[So I decided I had to kill him.]
[It was a victory born from the desire to protect them.]
[No need to dress it up so grandly. Just an old man’s concern.]
[Hahaha.]
Cheonma laughed heartily and raised his glass. We toasted vigorously and drank. The victory drink was as sweet as honey.
[Oh, and I had a strange experience.]
[What kind of experience?]
[The Demon God’s technique tempted me. Throughout the fight, it seemed to say, ‘Kill him. If you’ve mastered my technique, you can kill him. If you do, your achievements will grow.’]
[So, did you achieve mastery of the Demon God’s technique?]
I shook my head.
Killing him alone didn’t lead to mastery.
But there was a difference before and after killing the Heavenly King. I couldn’t quite explain it, but my understanding of the Demon God’s technique felt different.
It felt like I had gained significant experience towards mastery, perhaps more than halfway there. I decided to think of it as a pleasant feeling.
[Hey, Cheongwang.]
[What is it?]
[Meeting you was…]
[Shut up!]
Cheonma’s face turned red.
[What embarrassing thing are you trying to say to my face? Just drink!]
[Hey, I might have been about to insult you.]
[Then you should shut up even more!]
[Hahaha.]
We drank and talked about martial arts. We spoke of past lives, meetings, and farewells. We discussed spring rain and first snow. We talked about betrayal and loyalty.
We just rambled on about whatever came to mind.
As we got drunk, we talked about women. We gossiped about past lovers and shared stories of first loves.
When we were even more inebriated, Cheonma said he missed his grandson.
And so, we drank until dawn.
Cheon So-seon and the man were riding in a carriage.
With the Heavenly Orb loaded in the back, the two sat on the driver’s seat.
Cheon So-seon drove the carriage in silence. He was in shock. Although the man beside him had predicted it, he hadn’t expected such an outcome.
“Is the Heavenly King really dead?”
“He’s dead.”
It wasn’t something that could be hidden. News of this magnitude would spread, and the man wouldn’t lie about something that would soon be revealed.
“Where are we going?”
“Why? Afraid I’ll take you somewhere and eat you?”
“You’ll regret treating me like a coward.”
“You’ll regret making idle threats.”
“Hmph!”
Cheon So-seon turned his head away.
“Damn! I left the money behind.”
He had left thirty million nyang hidden in his lodging.
Just then, as if reading his mind, the man spoke up.
“Don’t worry, I took care of the money.”
Cheon So-seon was startled.
“How did you know?”
The man looked into Cheon So-seon’s eyes and said,
“Don’t leave any regrets behind.”
No regrets? Then what should I hold onto?
“Keep driving north.”
The man crossed his arms, leaned back against the driver’s seat, and closed his eyes. He was trying to sleep.
Watching him, Cheon So-seon’s heart raced. He thought he might be able to kill the man right now.
‘If I kill him and go back to eliminate Byeok Lidan… I could become the master of this martial world.’
A desire mixed with murderous intent began to rise.
Then the man spoke abruptly.
“I told you to let go of regrets.”
Once again, Cheon So-seon, whose thoughts had been read, burst out in anger.
“Damn it! Damn you! I wish you had died at his hands.”
After venting his frustration, Cheon So-seon stopped the carriage.
The man, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them.
“Tell me everything, or kill me.”
Of course, Cheon So-seon had no desire to die. But given that he had been brought here, it was clear the man needed him.
“The more you know, the more responsibility you bear.”
“Better than being used without knowing anything.”
A smile appeared on the man’s lips as he looked at Cheon So-seon.
“Alright, I’ll tell you everything. But first, get the carriage moving.”
“You should have said so earlier!”
Cheon So-seon, inwardly pleased, set the carriage in motion.
As they rode, the man asked,
“So, what do you want to know?”
“First, how did you know? That the Heavenly King would die.”
“Because Byeok Lidan was incredibly strong. I knew both their personalities and skills precisely.”
“Byeok Lidan? Is that his name?”
“You and the Heavenly King both deserved to die a hundred times over. Facing such a strong enemy without even knowing his identity. He was Byeok Lidan, heir to the Byeok family sword school of Shandong.”
“Byeok Lidan of the Byeok family sword school!”
“Though it doesn’t matter now.”
“What do you mean?”
Then the man revealed a shocking truth.
“He was Cheonhajin.”
“What?”
“It means the soul of the former leader, Cheonhajin, resides in his body.”
Cheon So-seon was too stunned to speak.
The man, with an inscrutable intent, revealed everything to Cheon So-seon.
“Before his soul entered, I tried to achieve the grand feat of the Blood God’s Descent using Byeoklidan.”
The mention of the Blood God’s Descent startled Cheon So-seon. He knew it wasn’t just an empty boast. He had already witnessed martial arts and beings that defied human understanding.
“Why Byeoklidan?”
“Because his body is the legendary Gwangse Shinhwa Jiche, said to be born once every three hundred years.”
“Gwangse Shinhwa Jiche!”
“The most suitable vessel to become a god, whether a celestial god, a demon god, or a blood god. His body is the perfect bridge between humans and deities.”
“My goodness!”
Cheon So-seon was genuinely shocked. He had never imagined such a hidden truth. As the carriage raced on, more astonishing secrets were unveiled.
“I invested a great deal of effort over a long time. But at the critical moment, I failed in the grand ritual of the Blood God’s Descent. That failure left me with severe injuries, unable to move for years.”
“Why did it fail?”
“At first, I thought I had made a mistake. But later, I realized the failure wasn’t due to any error on my part.”
He paused, looking up at the sky with a frustrated expression, leaving Cheon So-seon waiting for an explanation.
After a moment, the man spoke again.
“Your grandfather’s ritual was destined to fail from the start.”
The success rate was never more than a fraction. Yet, astonishingly, the ritual succeeded, and your grandfather emerged from Cheonran looking youthful.
“But wasn’t the result a failure?”
“That’s your perspective. For them, it was a success.”
“Them?”
“They intervened while I was recovering from my injuries after my failure.”
“Who are they?”
“The ones who created the Heavenly Army, the ones who ordered the creation of the Dark Celestial Weapon.”
“Wasn’t it you?”
“Me? Oh, you’ve misunderstood. I’m not allied with them. If they follow the Dark Great God, I serve the Blood God.”
“The Dark Great God? The Blood God?”
At least it was clear that the Heavenly Army followed the Dark Great God. The ominous aura they exuded was truly terrifying.
“How did you end up underground? Why was the Dark Celestial Weapon guarding you?”
“The Dark Celestial Weapon wasn’t guarding me; it was guarding Cheonran.”
“Ah, right. You were inside Cheonran. But how did you get in there in the first place?”
“That wasn’t difficult for me.”
Indeed, from the first moment Cheon So-seon met him, he had been unable to move against the man’s overwhelming presence. It inspired a belief that he could accomplish anything.
“Do you have any more questions?”
“Just one last thing.”
“What is it?”
“Why are you taking me with you?”
“One should have at least one curiosity to make the journey interesting, don’t you think? We have quite a long way to go.”
The man closed his eyes again, this time truly falling asleep, even snoring softly.
And so, with Cheonran in tow, the two of them continued their journey northward.