Episode 1690. Even if it fades into ridicule. (5)
It comes into view soaked in blood and stained red.
The darkness of the night seems to blacken even the blades threatening to kill, the enemy’s face filled with malice and death, and even the screams of the dead.
Beyond that, beyond that despair, was the figure of a tall young man wearing a black military uniform.
“ah… … .”
A sound as if he was in pain escaped from Mujin’s mouth without his knowledge. It was a groan that could have been a deep sigh, or perhaps even supreme joy.
Baekcheon and the volcano have finally reached the top of Baekanam.
How should I express this feeling?
Emotions so intense that they could not be fully explained in human words swept through the hearts of the shaman’s disciples as they held on.
But Baekcheon, seeing them like that, felt something completely different.
The enemy has filled the narrow cliff, and the shaman’s swordsmen are surrounded between them.
‘Are you saying these are all?’
Baekcheon bit his lip tightly.
Shaman is a sect that competed with Shaolin for the North Head of the world. However, the number of shaman swordsmen visible now was too shabby to match their status.
Where is everyone else?
Baekcheon’s gaze turned slightly downward.
I could see blood soaking the top of the cliff. The blood was crushed and stained black by the earthen feet of Sapaeryeon.
The tip of the drawn sword trembled slightly.
There was a hand sticking out at the feet of the evildoers who were glaring at him viciously. The palm, tightly covered with calluses, was bloodless and pale, clearly showing the fate of the owner of that hand.
How many people were sacrificed under their blades?
Of course, it is not too late to turn back. Because there are still people alive.
And Cheonwoo-maeng, including Hwasan, also did the best he could.
But this… … This is so… … .
It was at that moment that a hateful voice was heard in Baekcheon’s ears as he tried to suppress his feelings of self-destruction.
“How is it?”
Baekcheon turned his head.
Master Cheonmyeon escaped from Tanggunak’s dagger and pulled himself out far away from the edge of the summit and was staring at Baekcheon.
“Is it quite different from what you expected?”
… … Baekcheon could not bear to deny it.
I wanted you to stay alive a little longer. It was hoped that their efforts would save more people.
But the reality I faced was simply cruel.
“Sometimes foolishness fortunately produces good results. But the ending that most fools meet is obvious.”
Brother Cheonmyeon cast a sarcastic glance to the side. The shaman’s disciples were standing, leaning on each other’s shoulders.
“If they had run away without saving face, most of them would have survived. “If we had chosen practicality instead of talking nonsense about justification and all, we might have been able to rebuild the palace at any time.”
“… … .”
“This is the result of petty pride and ridiculous ignorance. “Your suffering is in vain.”
The shaman’s disciples’ eyes slightly wavered at those harsh words.
Half of what remains. No, less than a third. Falling for the enemy’s tricks, more people died under their blades than the living.
Of course, the summit of Baekanam, the sacred mountain of the Taoist shaman, was filled with the corpses of enemies. But that doesn’t mean the number of people lost by shamans decreases.
Perhaps they themselves have cut off the shaman’s legacy that they had tried so hard to protect.
The fact, the reality, was so terrible that the shaman’s disciples could not cheer enthusiastically even after seeing Baekcheon finally come to save them.
And Baekcheon could guess their thoughts.
Everyone’s pursed lips and trembling eyes told us. Baekcheon also gritted his teeth as he faced a face full of self-destruction and sadness.
“Delusions are sweet, aren’t they?”
“… … .”
“It might be better to live in a dream than in the harsh reality. However, those who do not wake up from their dream in time end up facing an even worse reality. “Like them now, and like you from now on.”
Sreung.
At that time, Baekcheon suddenly put the sword back into its sheath. Everyone was taken aback at the sight of him looking at the shaman’s disciples with both hands empty.
“hmm?”
Brother Cheonmyeon also looked at Baekcheon as if he were puzzled.
Baekcheon politely addressed the shaman’s disciples who were surrounded by enemies.
It was a simple and concise gesture of courtesy without any words.
But no one could take their eyes off it. Even Sapaeryeon, who was threatening the shaman at this moment, and monk Cheonmyeon, who was laughing at Baekcheon.
Brother Cheonmyeon sarcastically said.
“What meaningless… … .”
“Close your mouth.”
When Baekcheon stopped speaking, the face of Brother Cheonmyeon wiggled with anger. Even though he was a member of the Sapa and the author was a later exponent of the political faction, it was not something that should be heard from a young person who would not have lived half his life.
However, Baekcheon only stared seriously at the shaman without even looking at monk Cheonmyeon.
“You won’t understand. No, you don’t want to understand. but… … “Listen carefully.”
Baekcheon looked straight at the shaman’s disciples and said.
“There is no such thing as a worthless will in the world.”
At that moment, the shaman disciples’ shoulders trembled slightly.
“Whether it is a belief, a duty, or an agreement held in one’s heart. Whatever the reason, we fight. Even if you make sacrifices, even if you lose something you shouldn’t lose. Although!”
Baekcheon gently bit his lip and opened his mouth again.
“Even if it fades into ridicule.”
In the silence that did not fit the battlefield, Baekcheon confirmed.
The eyes of the shaman’s disciples, who were shaken by despair and self-destruction, calmly calm down and are soon filled with strong will.
Only then did Baekcheon’s eyes turn to Brother Cheonmyeon. Unlike before, it was as ruthless and sharp as a forged blade.
“Just know, Sapa.”
“… … .”
“We are not just fighting to survive. Fight to protect, fight to remain. The death of someone who fights only to survive may be worthless, but the death of someone who fights to survive never loses its value. “He protected what he had to protect with his life.”
Brother Cheonmyeon twitched the corner of his mouth and sneered.
“What should I protect?”
“okay.”
“if… … “If you trample on even that thing that needs to be protected, then will it really be a dog’s death?”
“no. “You don’t have that opportunity.”
Slurp.
Baekcheon pulled out the lead sword again and aimed it at Brother Cheonmyeon.
“Because we arrived.”
As soon as those words were finished, a person soared from the cliff like a bird.
Percussion.
The person who had jumped high onto the cliff landed next to Baekcheon as lightly as a feather.
“late.”
“Yes, Samae.”
Then, the shadows of two more people soared up the cliff, and then two more people climbed the cliff and filled in behind Baekcheon.
“Damn it! Shaman people… … !”
“There are still survivors. “Calm down your excitement.”
“this… … .”
While Jo Geol bit her lip until it bled to suppress her rising anger, Yoon Jong also quietly pondered his anger.
Hyeyeon, who walked behind him, chanted a prayer with a heavy face, and Tanggunak, standing behind Baekcheon, glared at Master Cheonmyeon with serious, sunken eyes.
Baekcheon spoke in a straight voice without any wavering.
“Because we won’t let that happen.”
The gaze of monk Cheonmyeon, who was silently glaring at Baekcheon, slowly returns to the shaman’s disciples. Even Brother Cheonmyeon felt that the eyes of those who had lost their will had revived.
‘Damn it. They were all dying.’
Those guys who had barely opened their eyes and waited for their time to die were now preparing to fight until the end.
‘Ban Shi-jin… … . no.’
If we had stopped them just half more times, we would have been able to eliminate all the exhausted shamans. If that were the case, we would have been able to slowly trample on the people hanging on the cliff and the people struggling at the top.
But regretting it for a long time was a waste.
When Master Cheonmyeon lightly squeezed his hand and then opened it, blood flowed from the wound inflicted by Tang Gunak. The throbbing pain made him more and more angry.
What brought them up to this point should definitely be called a failure. It was foolish to get injured in a hasty attempt to stop them.
However, we have not lost our advantageous position yet.
‘rather… … . ‘Okay, that’s great.’
Since they have come this far, there will be no escape for them. If we were to annihilate everything from here to the volcano, we would be able to achieve more than just eliminating the shamans.
And at that moment, Hwasan’s disciples who had broken through the cliff were seen rising to the top one by one. We must not allow them to remain in place any longer.
“You can only talk so well in such numbers. “This is why they are political faction bastards.”
The panicked eyes of the Sapae students regained their composure at the word ‘Su’.
Yes. Even if the situation changed a little, the fact that they had an absolute advantage did not change.
“Kill them all!”
Uncharacteristically, Brother Cheonmyeon shouted with full force.
“Tear them to pieces so they can clearly see that they have fallen into the jaws of a tiger! “Turn this place into their grave today!”
“Oooooh!”
“Aaaahhh!”
The excited Sapae students rushed towards the Hwasan disciples standing at the edge of the cliff.
“Coming, Sasuk!”
At Yunjong’s shout, Baekcheon pointed his sword forward.
There are countless enemies in front of you, and the shaman’s disciples are still surrounded.
Can you save them?
‘No need to think.’
Doing what is possible is not earnestness.
What’s important is that I ran all the way here for them. And there are none other than the death penalty behind his back.
“volcano!”
“yes!”
The swordsmen of the volcano who climbed up the cliff answered loudly at the top of their lungs.
“Break through the enemies and save the shaman!”
“Taaaaaaaap!”
As soon as Baekcheon finished speaking, Yoonjong and Jo Geol shot forward like beams of light. Other Hwasan disciples followed right behind him.
A flash fire spreads out towards the rushing turbulent waters.
The hem of the long cloth of the Tanggunak climbing up the ground flutters, and the demon-like faces of the charging Sapae-ryeon are getting closer and closer. As each other’s energy swirls, the twisted air rushes out as if it will explode.
Beyond that intense space, Baekcheon’s gaze met Mujin’s gaze in the air.
In a world where time seems to flow slowly and distorted, Mujin’s remaining eye draws a line that does not fit this terrible situation.
The meaning of that smile is probably good.
Baekcheon, who took the form of a glance in his heart, struck the ground with his sword pointed.
‘okay.’
Why do we have to fight?
Why do we have to make sacrifices?
Why can’t I back down even though I clearly know it’s foolish?
The answer is here.
It’s not about surviving. Even if it is helpless, even if it is insufficient.
‘It’s protecting it.’
If you can get through it, you can definitely leave it behind. His will, his life. He can convey this to those who will follow him and those who are moving forward.
“The Baekcheon of the volcano is here! “Everyone, come!”
His booming voice, his sword, and his expression radiated with one will.
As if it will never go out.
