Baekanam (白顔巖). The white cliffs that stand out on the slopes of Mt. Wudang. Taoist monks were gathering above it.
“Elder!”
The shaman swordsmen who joined after receiving the prayer shouted as they looked into the air above Baekan Hermitage. The soot all over their uniforms seemed to tell of the hardships they had gone through.
Those who were about to say something to the empty space kept their mouths shut as if they had made a promise. As I climbed up to Baekanam, I could see the burning scenery of Mt. Wudang so clearly.
Is there a separate way of hell?
Black, burnt trees can be seen through the red flames. The sight of the burnt trees shaking in the violent wind created by the fire looked like people burning in hell trembling in pain.
How did Wudang Mountain, the sacred mountain of Taoism, end up like this?
Wow.
The shaman’s swordsmen clenched their fists until they turned pale.
It is not a blow to the extent of simply losing one’s place of residence. It is a home that has been with us throughout our lives. The feeling of just watching a place like that burn down in such a short period of time was so devastating that it cannot be expressed in words.
Perhaps the shaman will remain for several years after the end of this war. No, it won’t be able to regain its original form for several decades. It was clear that the scars of this war would remain unforgettable and haunt them for a long time.
“Come to your senses and get into formation.”
“⋯⋯Yes, Sasuk!”
Those who were gnashing their teeth in frustration nodded their heads with gritted teeth at a word in the air.
What the sky says is right. Now is not the time to give in to anger, but to punish them with cool-headedness.
“What about them?”
“We are moving forward with fire.”
The sky’s eyes darkened.
No matter how much the fire weakens the area where it passes, it is unlikely that there will be any victims following that level of heat.
At first glance, it appears that the Sapa bastards are thoroughly trampling on the shamans, but in reality, it means that only the Sapa bastards are making victims.
‘So you’re saying it doesn’t matter?’
His eyebrows twitched uncomfortably. What on earth do you think about human life?
However, he soon took a short deep breath to calm his boiling stomach. There is no time to even think about the lives of Safa people.
“Then we’ll get there soon. “What about those who haven’t gathered here yet?”
“It looks like there are people who were late to leave and are surrounded. “Sacrifice…”
“Then we have to save it! “What are you doing?”
“If we go to rescue in this situation, there is a risk that even the rescue team will be surrounded. Then the battle becomes bigger.”
This means that their strategy of occupying the upper part of Baekanam may be useless. Heongong immediately understood and bit his lips slightly.
“They are also disciples of a shaman. “I know how you feel, but…”
“i get it.”
It was the moment when the sky was about to slightly nod its head.
“Space!”
A loud voice came from behind me. The empty space responded to the familiar voice and turned around politely. Sanja Heo, who was in the position of Mayor Lim of the shaman, was quickly flying up with his stern face.
“Meeting Jang Mun-in.”
Heo Gong politely bowed, but Heo San did not even accept the courtesy and shouted.
“Are you really camped here? why!”
“⋯⋯Because it was considered an appropriate place to meet and deal with enemies.”
“Because it’s a cliff?”
“yes.”
“Oh my…! Although this is a cliff, isn’t there an open way to return to the rear? “Haven’t you ever thought that if we were to be attacked from behind, we could be attacked with our backs to the cliff?”
“⋯⋯.”
“Beat the camp right now, right now! “Not here!”
However, despite Heosanja’s cries, the empty space just calmly asked.
“It doesn’t matter, right?”
“⋯⋯What?”
Heo Sanja looked blankly into space as if he had just been hit.
“Wouldn’t it be better to be on a cliff than to have a fire burning behind your back? “At least the cliff won’t come towards us.”
At that moment, Heo Sanja’s beard trembled.
“Jeez, that’s sane now…”
“Jangmun-in.”
The sky still stared at the burning Wudang Mountain with a calm face.
“There is no common sense here now.”
“⋯⋯.”
“If you follow the ordinary truth that you should not cut off your own retreat, you will only be defeated without even trying. Even if you are surrounded by enemies and fire on three sides, you can fight as long as you can protect at least one place behind your back.”
Heo Sanja could not bear to refute.
This was because he knew that even if he retreated from here, it would be difficult to find a better strategic location.
“⋯⋯space.”
“Don’t even mention the retreat. If you know what Bae Su-jin means, I believe you will not tarnish the resolve of your disciples with such words.”
There was an indelible sadness in Heo Sanja’s eyes.
We discuss the true nature of drainage and even death.
A proper battle hadn’t even taken place yet, and they had already made their own deaths a fait accompli. Nevertheless, rather than fear, they are seething with a desire for revenge against the scam.
‘How serious was the wound suffered in the Yangtze River?’
This was clearly Heo Sanja’s mistake and Heo Dojin’s mistake.
I only thought about the weight I had to carry as the decision maker, but I could not even imagine the hurt my students would have suffered as a result of that choice. Didn’t he feel fortunate that his life was saved by their bravery?
It broke my heart to think that the mistake that it was now too late to reverse had led to this situation.
“I thought it would work here?”
“The road up to Baekanam is steep. Even if you don’t climb the cliff.”
Heogong looked down at the cliff with cool eyes.
“Because it is so steep, fire cannot easily penetrate it. Then at least you can deal with your enemies without worrying about anything else.”
“Space.”
“And for the shaman’s inspectors, that is enough.”
The air lightly grabbed the sword hanging at my waist.
One of the things that pained him the most was that he could not even properly demonstrate the sword skills he had honed his entire life on the cliff of the Yangtze River.
You can easily accept defeat due to lack of skill. Death due to lack of strength is understandable.
However, it was difficult to accept that I had to be defeated or die without even being able to fight. Probably the other shaman swordsmen standing shoulder to shoulder here would have the same thought.
“Space. “I…”
“I know. Long story… Heo Do-jin also never said such things because he was ignoring us. Rather, he says this because he cares for us.”
Heogong said calmly.
“But, it’s a long story. All of the shamans are practitioners of shamanism before they are your disciples, and are also one of the swordsmen. I don’t want to find value in life as a long-term partner implementing someone else’s strategy. Please allow them to think for themselves and decide for themselves.”
After hearing these words, Heo Sanja had no way to stop him any further.
I couldn’t even say the words I had prepared to persuade the empty space just one last time before I really couldn’t take it back. Because I sensed the fact that anything I said would only be an insult to the current empty space.
“I don’t think you’re wrong, empty space. So… that makes me feel even more upset.”
At the voice full of sincerity, the empty space just shook its head.
There is a lot I want to say. But now is not the time to leisurely exchange pleasantries. Even as this was happening, the fire burning the mountain was approaching towards the pure white Baekan Rock.
“Sasuk! “We are ready.”
The sky nodded at the voice coming from it.
Although Heo Sanja is here, the subject of the report also naturally sought out the empty space and naturally received the empty space as well. All of these scenes intuitively showed the flow of the current shaman.
“Be prepared. “It will come soon.”
“yes!”
A sharp tension flowed over the cliff.
The situation was completely opposite. But that’s why the shaman’s disciples had to feel it desperately. The fact is that preparing and waiting for the enemy is not very comfortable.
My whole body kept twitching as it felt like my stomach was being scratched by a needle.
“Death penalty…”
“Shh.”
When someone could not overcome their anxiety and opened their mouth, a voice was immediately heard dissuading them. I was afraid that my trembling voice might shake the resolve of others.
The sky, noticing the slight yet strange fluctuation, opened its mouth softly.
“The river remembers the Yangtze River.”
The unexpected words pierced everyone’s ears.
“Even if we all die, before the names Sapaeryun and Jang Il-so completely disappear from the world… No, perhaps it will not disappear until the name shaman disappears. “Once something happens, it cannot be undone, so we can never erase the record.”
It is a history of shame. It will tarnish the shining name of a shaman, and plunge all of its disciples into an abyss of shame forever.
“But Kangho will also remember today.”
The voice in the air gained strength and spread wider and wider.
“Just as we remember the Yangtze River of the past, we will also remember the Burning Shaman of today. An inspection proves its worth not with life but with death. I ask you, what kind of death do you want?”
The eyes that had been shaking with agitation became calm and serene again.
And among them were Mujin and Jinhyeon. Their minds were also not that different from the current empty space.
Chaeng.
The sky pulled out a sword.
“I am not fighting today. It will leave a memory. A memory that the shaman was not a coward. A reminder that I wasn’t a coward. “With that memory, we will prove that our mistakes were not evidence of cowardice and weakness!”
Cheaeng!
The swords of the shaman swordsmen were pulled out all at once.
Right at that moment.
As if in response, the flames that seemed to devour the shaman finally reached Baekan-am.
Grumbling.
The rising flames shook the towering Baekan Rock before it could get over it. Like a ferocious beast roaring with hunger at the sight of its prey just beyond the reach of its claws.
Even the shaman inspectors who had composed themselves were momentarily shocked by the sight.
But there was something else they really had to fear.
Wooooow!
The sound of the burning mountain echoed like the roar of a devil. Another sound began to overlap the magnificent yet eerie sound.
It’s like a scream, on the one hand, like a cry, and on the other hand, something that looks like a cry.
The rising flames are unable to overcome the cliff and die out. And then the red light flickered and something else appeared from the blurred area.
What seemed at first glance to be nothing more than soot or a shadow left behind by the fire gradually took shape.
Those black shadows… were constantly moving and burning up the white cliff face.
“It’s coming!”
Shockingly, the identity of the huge black wave climbing the cliff was a person clinging to the cliff like a swarm of ants.
“Aaaaaaaaa!”
In half-tanned military uniforms, warriors from the Sapaeryeon clan climbed up the cliff, screaming. Their eyes were shining white with fear and madness.
“Just ride up! “Catch and kill all those above!”
The venomous warriors rushing in with the rising flames below.
The fierce battle that would stain the shaman with blood began with the white cliffs in the background.
