“I’m sorry. I didn’t know she hated men that much.” Noonim apologized to me after Baek So-hwi left.

I didn’t respond to her; the whole incident had left a bitter taste in my mouth. I could tolerate it though, since the whole ordeal stemmed from Baek So-hwi’s wound in her heart not from malice.

Baek So-hwi’s face as she left looked really lonely. It was only natural since she had been excommunicated twice by her beloved and respected Master for the exact same reason. The question is, what would she do afterwards? Is she going to sharpen her blade of revenge according to the obvious cliché, and going to chase after me or Noonim?

Well, to be honest, I was very worried about that. In this world where demons existed, I was certain the demons wouldn’t leave a strong person with weakened emotions alone. They would soon approach Baek So-hwi.

Logically speaking, it would only be right to kill Baek So-hwi right away and leave no room for future trouble. That’s how I’ve survived until now. However, just before she left, I caught a glimpse of Baek So-hwi’s eyes and put those thoughts aside.

Her eyes told me that she held no grudges toward me or Seol Jungyeon noonim and had completely given up. With all agony in her heart, she quietly accepted her fate and went away.

“I should be the one to apologize. Because of me, Noonim had to let your precious disciple go.”

“That was my fault not yours. I was foolish to hastily judge she could be healed even though I knew the depth of that child’s wound…”

In many ways, the end result was not good.

“The long history of the Cheonma Sect will end like this today.” Noonim said with a sad but decisive tone.

The current Cheonma Sect was built around Baek So-hwi’s thoughts and beliefs, so there was no reason for them to exist any longer when their central pillar had gone.

“Th…then what will happen to us?” Those who were still present on the peak said with trembling voices. Even after Baek So-hwi left, it seemed that they still couldn’t accept the reality. In addition, the members of the Cheonma Sect had gathered one after another to see what’s happening since they felt a strong energy clashing against each other. They then grasped the situation and pleaded with a desperate expression on their face.

“Are you…are you becoming our new pillar?”

If Noonim becomes the new lord, many followers would remain and follow her overwhelming presence. But she had no intention of staying here, so she couldn’t answer their plea and only shook her head.

These people were people who were gathered by Baek So-hwi. She had healed their wounds and made them come under her banner. If, in any case, Seol Jungyeon noonim, the Supreme Cheonma, reigns as the lord of the Cheonma Sect once again… will they really follow her? Some of them would, but that alone would completely make the Cheonma Sect weaker than ever.

Noonim was well aware of that fact, so in a soft but resonating voice, she spoke. “As of today, the Cheonma Sect is disbanded. Under the heaven, no one will be able to use the name Cheonma ever again. And no one will be able to talk about the doctrine of Heavenly Demon ever again.”

At those words, all the members of the sect opened their eyes wide.

“So, all of you also go. To the place you want the most.”

As soon as those words were spoken, the Murim people, who were no longer members of the Cheonma Sect, scattered in all directions.

Just what kind of feeling she had after declaring this is the end of her beloved Sect? I wouldn’t dare to fathom.

* * *

“It wasn’t the proper Cheonma Sect In the first place.” Noonim said so as we walked with Mount Baek on our back.

“The beliefs Cheonma Sect needed to pursue were corrupted by that child. In the first place, that child did not even properly learn the doctrine of the Cheonma Sect and she did not even understand what it meant to spread the will of the Cheonma Sect to the world… that’s why all the followers have been women.”

From what I know, the most important thing for the Cheonma Sect is ‘strength’. However, the Cheonma Sect founded by Baek So-hwi pursued ‘to become stronger than men to protect themselves’.

It’s not bad per say, or rather, to be honest, it’s safe to say that such a belief which solidifies one’s position as a woman was very good. Unfortunately, however, that was not the beliefs of those who were from Cheonma Sect. So, the Cheonma Sect was disbanded.

All the things a warrior named Seol Jungyeon grew up with and dreamed of had disappeared.

“The ending was just like what I had expected in the first place. I am rather relieved that I let it end like this.” Noonim smiled as if she was feeling refreshed. It was really contrasting to what had happened but I had no choice but to nod my head. Because she really seemed relieved after saying goodbye.

“By the way, is it okay?”

“Don’t worry, Noonim. It does not matter.”

One of our purposes coming to Xinjiang right away was to use the power of the Cheonma Sect to fight against the Murim Alliance. However, since it had been disbanded, the method was now useless, so I could understand Noonim’s concerns, but it really was okay.

Afterall, even without the help of Cheonma Sect, The Murim Alliance would gradually crumble because of fights happening inside.

Even now, the current status of ‘Battle of Jeongpa’ which stems from Kunlun Sect’s rejection towards Murim Alliance’s demand for them to announce their stance on magic and the Magic Orb was continuously being reported to me by the Shadow Group.

Until now, the resistance of Kunlun Sect was strong and it seemed the battle had reached a stalemate. However, not long ago, news came that the palace of Kunlun Sect had been demolished by the Murim Alliance’s Namgoong Min. In other words, the war has begun in earnest!

“We don’t have to wait until they fight. We could just infiltrate Kunlun Mountain when Experts from both sides were fighting.”

The war itself had become more chaotic than I thought. According to the information coming in one after another, the number of secret arts that were presumed to be the magic of the ‘demons’ were increasing. It was clear that demons’ activity has sharply intensified. The cause is probably the war. It was speculated that the demons, who had been quiet for a while, started to become active because of the intense emotions the war brings out, but the exact cause is still unknown.

“Can we eradicate all demons in Murim?”

“It’s possible. However, we currently don’t have the way aside from annihilating all the clan that possessed the demons’ ‘Sacred Object’. And it would take too long to do that.”

It was difficult work for me, the Guild Master of Another League, Seol Jungyeon, the Lord of New Murim Alliance, and an SS rank hunter Taylor Nine who recently enjoyed an amiable relationship with the Hunter Association, as all of us were living a busy life on Earth.

“Is that so?” Noonim said with a regretful tone.

Because I felt sorry towards her, I tried to reassure her. “But, maybe, it doesn’t have to be me or Noonim or Taylor who fight the demon but somebody else.”

When the Vivienda Empire—which was a splendid magical civilization—was helplessly ravaged by demons, a girl named Aracelli Rinekal appeared as a ray of hope.

Maybe even in Murim, someone like that would also come out?

* * *

Seol Jungyeon, a former lord of Cheonma Sect and the only Supreme being in Murim in the past was Baek So-hwi’s love, hope and at the same time her goal in life.

Before she met Seol Jungyeon, she always filled her stomach with herbs found on the floor of the marketplace. She had no place to sleep and had to stay up all night when rain hit. She gathered shreds of paper just to warm herself in the cold winters, and had to live in fear of getting caught by thugs.

She thought all the struggles were natural in order to live. Happiness was far away from her, the only joy she felt was when she found some food leftovers which was very rare.

‘Follow me.’

With those words from Seol Jungyeon, her life completely changed. She no longer had to spend nights alone wailing in loneliness. She was able to wear brand new, warm and cozy clothes, sleep comfortably in a room rather than a wet alley, eat food every day, and even become strong enough to defend herself.

After not knowing the meaning of happiness, she finally became happy. When she first learned about it, So-hwi cried all day long. She was so upset because she had spent her whole life living as someone unhappy. Though, that happiness didn’t last long.

Baek So-hwi was afraid of men. Regardless of their age, men had always been stronger than her. And in order to defend herself from them, they had to be poisoned. She had to keep her nerves sharp all the time to the point she couldn’t even sleep well. Maybe that’s why, when she saw a man, the trauma she had since childhood acted up.

In the end, Baek So-hwi lost herself and was kicked out by Seol Jungyeon whom she loved the most in the whole world.

She still couldn’t fix herself even after all the passing time.

And now she was kicked out once again. Seol Jungyeon, who returned alive like a miracle, had fallen in love with a certain man, and Baek So-hwi thought it was wrong.

And when she looked at Seol Jungyeon’s unwavering gaze. She realized her idol had become wiser than before and understood her own heart better than anyone else. At that, understanding dawned into Baek So-hwi. She had found ‘something’ she didn’t have before.

Was it really okay for her to tell someone like Seol Jungyeon, who had reached the supreme realm of Hyunkyung, that she was wrong?? Was it right to force someone else to do something just because it was painful for herself? Seol Jungyeon was always right. Her words were always the truth, the law, and soon-to-be law.

However, Baek So-hwi had refused to believe her words just because she had reached the realm of Hwakyung, and was trying to wield her Master at will.

Baek So-hwi bit her lips till it bled. She was embarrassed and felt pathetic for fighting against her Master’s love.

‘Should I just die?’ In Murim such mistakes could only be repaid in one way ― by sacrificing one’s life. However, Baek So-hwi shook her head. Afterall, her current life was something that had been given to her by Seol Jungyeon. So, wouldn’t it be more valuable to dedicate the rest of her life in atonement? With that thought in mind, Baek So-hwi continued to walk.

With rain pouring from the sky, Baek So-hwi walked through the thick forest to avoid the rain. She gathered her inner strength countless times and wrapped it around his skin to warm her body, but suddenly, a commotion was heard from somewhere.

She turned her attention towards it because of her curiosity and soon discovered something.

“Go away!”

It was a common sight in Murim, dozens of bandits attacked a certain party. Upon closer inspection, the one being attacked was a family of four. The wife and the two young daughters were embracing each other, terrified, and the head of the family, who seemed to be an ordinary person, held a thick branch and scowled towards the assailant.

‘It’s pointless.’ Baek So-Hwi murmured. All the bandits were well-built and although not sharp, they had rough swords. On the other hand, the man had a dwarf physique, and his level of armament was also shabby. If they fight, he would lose 100 times out of 100.

Seemingly aware of Baek So-hwi’s thoughts, the man desperately opened his mouth and spoke. “Honey, run away! I’ll take care of everything here!”

Nevertheless, he still tried to protect his family.

Baek So-hwi laughed at them as a new wave of emotions crept into her heart. The wound she suffered had been always lodged deep inside her chest and couldn’t be seen nor healed. However, it felt different now because she had realized ‘something’. The wound was still there, but it had become visible to her.

“Bo…boss! There’s a crazy bitch coming here!”

“What? That’s a Murim uniform?”

“Calm down, we are going to be okay! We have also received the power of the divine object that the Chong Pyo-nim of Nokrim Sect have! This power can be used even against a warrior of Murim.”

When Baek So-hwi inched closer to the bandits, they didn’t show any sign of fear against her. Instead, they were clearly challenging her.

“Go away you bitch! No matter how strong you are, if you’re a human, you will feel despair, right?”

The mysterious magic they received from the divine object was a magic to draw a certain ‘negative emotion’ from their opponent.

Anger, confusion, despair, fear, pain…

That was the identity of the power that the ‘demon’ was dealing with.

However, when the vicious purple energy shot by the bandit hits Baek So-hwi, it doesn’t do any damage to her.

“This is…” She looked at the magic with twinkling eyes for a moment before continuing her words with a grin. “…a magic trick used by the stupid people of Murim.”

“I’m sorry, but that doesn’t work for me.”

Because,

“I’ve always lived in despair.”

And then she unsheathed her sword.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep