Chapter 97

Ji Seung-ju’s eyes were twitching.

His expression might not have changed, but that didn’t mean his emotions were absent.

“Why do you say that? If you liked the illusion of the formation so much, the end result will just be starvation and dying in vain. Are you okay with such a useless death?”

“What are you talking about? When did I say I wanted to die?”

“Just now!”

“Aren’t you going to dismantle the formation? Why should I do it when there are experts around? It’s a hassle, and our little one can handle it. She’ll do whatever she wants.”

Ji Seung-ju just gaped.

What a shameless thing to say!

“There’s a limit to being thick-skinned. You’re not going to help but still want to reap the benefits?”

“Yep. I’m not the one in a rush, right?”

“Well, that’s true.”

“Plus, even if I wanted to help the little one, I can’t do it. I genuinely can’t help it.”

“And why is that?”

“I don’t listen to the commands of anyone weaker than myself.”

Ji Seung-ju’s expression soured significantly.

“Damn it. What kind of person even says this?”

“Right here. I’m thinking I might just stay here forever. But the floor is kinda cold to lie down on.”

Qing chuckled, teasing him.

Ji Seung-ju’s face flushed red.

Suddenly, Qing became serious.

“Hey. I might be ignorant, but I know how things work, alright? What can you do with someone who doesn’t know a damn thing about formations?”

“That’s true.”

“At best, I can lend you some strength, but that’s it, right? If we move separately, it might be better not to interfere at all. If we move together, isn’t it pretty much the same as you doing it alone?”

Ji Seung-ju clamped his mouth shut.

It’s always those who have nothing to say that keep their mouths shut.

Qing had some experience in the field.

That just meant he’d been through countless new recruits.

Taking along someone who knows nothing is basically useless.

It’s not like he’d just set them aside for separate tasks.

That would just ruin the yield of that day.

Just like that, Qing himself knew nothing about formations, so what was the point of taking someone along?

It seemed more like he wanted to keep an eye on them out of fear they’d break a cultist’s head while he wasn’t looking.

Qing was simply ignorant, not stupid.

He knew how to differentiate those who would try to suck up from those who wouldn’t, and he’d change his face accordingly.

He didn’t act particularly smart on purpose.

More often than not, he ended up doing foolish things just because he acted according to his mood.

Yet somehow, he became a proud swordswoman who survived in the martial world!

Of course, being ignorant and uncurious unless it was necessary can be called a failure in humanity…

“Will you go dismantle the formation for me? I’ll just rest here. Ugh, my legs feel kinda numb,” Qing said with a sly grin.

Ji Seung-ju took a deep breath and finally let out a long sigh.

“…Alright. But you’d better not touch any of the Divine Sect members.”

“Well. I might just.”

“You don’t want to build up unnecessary grudges, do you? Especially if you want to walk out of here in one piece after it’s all over.”

Qing thought to himself, wouldn’t it be better to just wipe them all out beforehand?

“The depth of the formation varies from person to person. If you mess with it carelessly and someone wakes up, there might be several peak warriors who can’t handle it.”

“Lady, that makes sense.”

After all, looking at the little one, she seemed to be wandering around in her right mind.

There was no guarantee other cultists wouldn’t be in the same situation, right?

Also, if they broke a demon’s head, they’d need to destroy everything at once to eliminate the threat, failing which would lead to significant issues.

If they didn’t do it, at least if they missed the Heavenly Demon Soul, they could still attempt to return.

That meant there was no real reason to choose the former.

Qing scratched his head.

He then habitually unraveled his messy hair and tied it back up again, acknowledging his situation.

“Fine. I’ll just watch for now. So, how long will this take? Isn’t it all sorted out if an expert comes in?”

“Well, if we’re lucky, it might get done within a day, but if we’re unlucky, we might all starve to death here.”

“If you don’t want to tell me, just say so. Typical smart guy talk.”

Qing muttered, turning his body around.

“Where are you going?”

“Going to check things out. Why?”

Actually, he was going to search for the Heavenly Demon Soul.

Seeing it didn’t seem like a job that would wrap up quickly.

“Getting caught in a formation could be dangerous.”

“What, you worried about me?”

“Not at all. I’m just clearly warning you, so do as you please.”

Ji Seung-ju said that and turn away, leaving first.

Looks like he’s sulking.

Qing shook his head and scanned the arena.

There were seven remaining doors, aside from the one they entered and the one the little one left through.

He decided to use the left-hand rule.

It was a simple logical deduction that one could navigate any maze by keeping their left hand on the wall and walking through.

Qing headed for the far left door.

—-

Had it been around half a day in physical sensation?

All Qing had managed to discover was a tiny knowledge about others’ illusions.

Illusions eventually divided into two categories.

Those with stronger desires seemed to enjoy the futures they hadn’t yet attained.

And there were those who lingered in search of what they had lost in the past.

Even if it was just something to eat, Qing belonged to the latter category.

In that sense, sneaking a peek into the illusions of others wasn’t as entertaining as he thought.

Describing it as seeing future hopes might sound great, but in the end, it was just a childish fantasy hidden within.

As for the illusions of those viewing the past?

Qing didn’t care about the stories of strangers.

Moreover, there had been no successful searches.

After all, how could one find something that they didn’t even know what it looked like?

If it looked like a random rock, then it would be impossible to find it even if Qing scoured for decades.

Ugh, nothing is working out.

Qing grumbled as he crossed the vast plains where waterfalls flowed, and herds of beasts grazed.

Then at some point, the sound of rain began to overpower his ears, and when he came to his senses, he found himself standing in the midst of a dark downpour.

For Qing, who had already broken the illusion, it was just a mere mirage to pass through, but it was still an overwhelming deluge that drowned out sight and hearing.

And right in the middle sat a person.

Holding someone in their arms.

As Qing approached, he recognized the familiar face.

Choi Riyong was seated, staring blankly at the corpse of his daughter in his embrace.

Standing there in the pouring rain, he simply watched as the old man was battered by the rain.

It was like watching a still picture frozen in time, aside from the occasional blinking of the drooping eyelids hiding the filled-with-regret gaze of the old man.

Qing realized that he had spent considerable time enjoying the meal and the sweets, and even felt like he had wandered for half a day afterward.

He could easily understand that Choi Riyong had simply clung to the cold body of his daughter for that long.

Qing frowned.

Since it was such a rare opportunity to be in the illusion, shouldn’t he be able to see something more hopeful and heal his mind?

Geez, this old man is being such a downer.

“Hey, Grandpa.”

Choi Riyong looked up at Qing with a dazed expression.

“Can’t you see a brighter, more joyful, and happier scene? If you’re finally going to see your daughter’s face, you should at least recall some good memories.”

Suddenly, the scenery changed.

A magnificent flower field opened up, where a little girl chased butterflies, giggling with that pure laughter only children have.

Yet at the same time, she kept shooting glances towards this direction, likely checking if her father was going anywhere.

“Yeah. Much better to look at. You don’t have much time left, so pick a good one and go enjoy it. Don’t make yourself look miserable.”

Choi Riyong was entranced by the scene.

Then suddenly, he uttered a word.

“No.”

And just like that, it returned to the previous scene.

The rain fell, the old man was soaked, and his daughter was dead.

Qing expressed his frustration.

“What’s the problem, really?”

“The child took her own life.”

“I know. I heard it last time too.”

“Isn’t anyone’s life the most important? Even if it’s a hard and difficult life. But if someone is willing to cast away their life, it means just surviving must have been tormenting.”

“So, does that mean the old man is suffering too?”

Choi Riyong burst into laughter.

“The child wished to leave for the Central Plain. I don’t know who whispered that into her ear, but she believed her happiness would be there.”

“And?”

“At that time, the old man was a member of the Divine Sect. Would the old man have a chance to go outside the sect? To me, the Central Plain was nothing but a pit of demons that devoured parents and children alike.”

Who wouldn’t want to stop their child from heading to a living hell?

Especially since Choi Baek-chan was the daughter of the grandmaster, a leading figure in the Divine Sect, who was hated by all the Central Plain.

“She was a good girl. Never said a harsh word to anyone; she ended up being the one who suffered.”

The girl changed day by day.

Qing observed her growth in the changing world.

The daughter, who used to tear up merely from seeing someone being hurt, was now hurling harsh words at everyone with eyes full of venom.

But her true nature hadn’t disappeared.

All that ruckus only inflicted pain on her heart.

And so, Choi Baek-chan ultimately took her own life.

“Only after she died did I step down and claim my position in the outer sect. The foolish girl wanted to see the Central Plain with her own eyes. She didn’t understand how fortunate she was just by being born, nor did she know how happy she could have been. I wanted to mock her for that.”

Only after stepping into the Central Plain did he realize.

The child had been right.

He should have let her go.

At the very least, the place that would suit his daughter was not this lonely abyss where they devour each other, breeding malice.

If it wasn’t this abyss, perhaps anywhere could have made her happy.

Choi Riyong looked back at the face of his deceased daughter.

Finally, Qing understood this scene.

Choi Riyong was already long dead.

He was still holding on, only to live in agony.

The old man saw himself as guilty for his daughter’s death, and the punishment he was inflicting on himself was hiding behind that burden.

So his desired wish manifested itself in this form.

A desire forever trapped within the most painful, torturous moments of life.

He simply craved for his heart to be continuously torn apart.

Can such a life truly be called living?

Qing ruffled his hair.

He quickly gathered it back up again, though it was meaningless, as it was just an action stemming from feeling uncomfortable.

“Ugh, I totally detest melodrama.”

But can we blame the old man?

Is it such a great sin to suffer this much in his lifetime?

I can understand those feelings, but…

Qing caught sight of the malice of the Demon Sect.

And then saw the gaze pinned on the daughter.

Whatever the outcome, it’s the old man’s fate.

But I just can’t let such an unpleasant sight be left as it is.

I may not be able to offer psychological counseling given my limited knowledge.

But I excel in physical therapy, don’t I?

Qing lifted the Magic Flute high in his hand.

---