“Big deal?”
Soo-oh looks at me with a puzzled expression.
I pointed north. But instead of pointing at the forest like Soo-oh did, I pointed a bit farther. Very far away.
“People trying to kill the monster are coming here.”
“Monster? Does that mean they’re targeting Choseol?”
It’s been months since I mentioned the monster, and she understands right away. I nodded while looking at Soo-oh.
“Then shouldn’t we just tell the Master? He can easily take care of it.”
Soo-oh talks as if it’s a matter of course for the Cheonma to handle it. Come to think of it, Soo-oh is someone who lived under the influence of the Cheonma Church. It’s not strange to think that the Cheonma can handle any enemy.
In reality, the Cheonma is strong.
I don’t know much about martial arts compared to Eunjai, but assuming they’re similar, there’s a high possibility one could conquer the Murim alone.
Even if they developed something to counter such a Cheonma over there, Oh Myeong-seong is also here.
The problem is that the well-sealed Cheonma Church seems to be splitting apart.
Is this really okay?
“Do you know about the Nine Factions?”
“Yeah. I learned from the Master. Talking about those who act like guardians, right?”
Faded memories flicker with certain words. It feels like a complaint about why it’s called the Nine Factions and not the Nine Houses. Checking the memories of the one who came here, the Nine Factions consists of nine martial groups.
Although it started with nine factions, as larger factions integrated, it has grown quite numerous, including even the smaller groups.
Above all, a beggar can’t join a gangster group, right?
The Nine Factions earn absurd amounts of money from taxes on their territories and collections from the groups under them.
It’s obvious how a wealthy person would despise a poor person, so it’s actually strange that this is thought possible.
So when the word “bastard” flickers…
“They’re not guardians but a violent group. As I briefly explained before, they protect the people by force in places where governmental authority doesn’t reach. Of course, since they’re people, they eventually become exploiters.”
The same goes for the Cheonma Church.
Since you can’t lead people solely by ideology, it’s even more concerning that they control people by inserting bugs into their bodies.
This means there isn’t a clear blueprint for people to follow.
And I know why.
There is no specific deity here. The strong, Cheonma, is what they believe in.
And behind that is the truth that an Immortal is raising offerings and subordinates for themselves.
To the point where they don’t realize they are the ones being raised.
The origin is twisted.
And that Immortal behind it shattered not long ago. This means someone who could protect this place has died.
Now the owner of the breeding ground is dead, and the door has opened.
What’s going to happen is obvious.
Even if they win right now, the future is bleak.
This precariously maintained group will eventually collapse as they can’t suppress everyone. Because the supporting Immortal has vanished.
“They suffered greatly from the martial gods. Some factions completely disappeared. What will they choose when they realize that the second martial god may emerge?”
“Wouldn’t it be fine to surrender without hostility?”
Soo-oh sounds just like someone from the Cheonma Church.
Submitting to the strong.
“What if that martial god isn’t just one genius but spreads like a plague? What should the Nine Factions do then?”
“So, they’re trying to kill Choseol.”
Before I finished explaining, Soo-oh figured out why the Nine Factions were targeting us.
I didn’t mention that the Nine Factions had become a larger group known as the Murim Alliance.
Or that those presumed to be government troops are watching this war.
In fact, even explaining the Nine Factions is out of my league.
Because the information is something I can’t grasp.
But because I predict that the Cheonma Church will fall apart to the point of not being able to figure that out, I told Soo-oh that there are things I shouldn’t know.
If the upper echelons of the Cheonma Church were functioning properly, I wouldn’t even think to say this…
They’re actually willing to abandon one of the strongest people?
Though I don’t possess the Cheonma Martial Art, I do know techniques like the Heupsung Grand Law and the Barrier Sword Technique.
For someone in this world’s Murim, it’s an incredibly powerful martial art, powerful enough that anyone could do anything if they could acquire it.
No.
In terms of being usable, that means he can also use Cheonma Martial Art.
Because right now, people associated with Cheonma still believe that the Cheonma Martial Art used by the martial gods is the true Cheonma Martial Art.
Eunjai believes that the Cheonma Martial Art he originally used was an incomplete technique from before. That could be called the real Cheonma Martial Art.
Anyway.
More than that, I decided to give Soo-oh one piece of action guidance.
“If it’s dangerous, running away is also a method.”
I subtly offered one choice to Soo-oh about how to proceed.
“What about Choseol?”
I shrugged my shoulders.
“Is there anything I can do? I can only share my existence, like I did with you.”
In the conference room, the jiyang leader is forcing a choice on the Cheonma. However, the issue is that he invoked the time when Jeonyang was present.
He brought up how the Cheonma had entrusted all authority to Jeonyang and condemned them, asking if they would ruin the church again like they did back then.
Of all things, he uttered harsh words that insulted Jeonyang, filled with emotion.
Emotions run deep.
The Cheonma immediately raised a hand.
And the right arm of the jiyang leader was torn away.
It wasn’t just cut off. The Cheonma simply stretched out his hand, but it crushed like a giant hand holding and twisting in the air, tearing it away like a child pulling off an insect’s limbs.
I couldn’t feel it, but Oh Myeong-seong and Inshimwon present felt immense pressure and were likely suffering.
From my perspective, it seemed like they were having difficulty breathing due to psychological reasons, but perhaps inside, Qi was swirling violently.
Suddenly, Soo-oh approached me, grabbing my waist and pointing to a high place in the Cheonma Church Main Hall.
“Choseol. Right now, the Master is incredibly angry.”
It seems they can feel it even here.
I agreed with Soo-oh.
“It looks like someone touched a sore spot of the Cheonma.”
In other words, the meeting shattered into pieces. Moreover, Oh Myeong-seong was about to draw his sword towards the Cheonma with Gumi Mil beside him.
Unexpectedly, the Cheonma Church might disappear like this.
“No, what could provoke the Master? The Master is an extremely calm person, so what could have possibly happened?”
“Next time you come, ask him directly.”
I’m curious about how he views his past.
Anyway, the meeting ended due to the emotional issue of the Cheonma.
A faded memory man laments that he has failed. If you waste the early part without doing anything, flipping things around becomes very difficult.
All I’ve experienced is a flicker of a strategy simulation game; how do I know to say something like that?
Such sentiments arise, but they’re not entirely wrong.
Even someone who can truly use strategy and tactics has reached a similar conclusion.
“The Master hasn’t been visiting lately. I feel like he’s busy with the church leader business and can’t come. Hmm…”
Soo-oh steps away a few paces. Then, he looks directly at me.
“I’m strong enough to earn praise from the Master, so if bad people come, I’ll protect Choseol!”
And boldly declares it.
“Keep it up.”
“Why are you talking as if it’s someone else’s problem!”
Soo-oh jumps at me, playfully slapping my hands.
“But Soo-oh is weak, right?”
Ah.
Soo-oh’s expression twisted. Then he dashed to grab the iron sword lying on the porch.
“I’m strong! At least stronger than Choseol!”
A purple mist flows from the sword.
Compared to the perfectly sharpened Cheonma or Oh Myeong-seong, it seems quite small. Unless I can’t see the rest of it.
“First, Soo-oh, since I can’t see the Qi, it won’t show even if you do that.”
Oh. His expression turned into one of realization. He seemed to get it and slowly sheathes the sword again.
Then, when he gently puts it back down on the porch, I realize it’s hard to call him a proper martial artist. A martial artist should never drop their sword like that, memories from martial artists flicker.
Now, not only is the faded memory of the man flickering, but other people’s memories are flickering too.
“And what good is it being stronger than me? You need to be stronger than the enemy.”
But many memories agree with this statement.
Soo-oh, in a furious face, sits on the porch.
“You’re right! It’s true, but hearing it from Choseol makes me annoyed!”
In terms of strength, yes.
Of course, I could drain the warmth from living beings and turn them into monsters, but I won’t do that again.
“It’s annoying because it’s the truth, right?”
Ah, he’s sulking.
I must have teased him too much. Wondering how to comfort him, I discreetly glanced at the group of harvesters.
They resemble sharpshooters using spears.
They are well hunting martial artists.
A mediocre fighter would be riddled with holes from their coordinated firing, while those who manage to get through would face the stronger harvesters behind them.
However, the problem is that they’ve gone too far.
The territory of the Cheonma Church. The border.
Normally, there should be other orders, but the command structure that should give orders is currently on pause.
It feels tragic to see the future so clearly.
If possible, I’d like to see something special prepared by the Murim Alliance using them as bait. Reflecting on that, I approached Soo-oh.
“Soo-oh.”
He quickly turns his head away.
So I held both of his cheeks, making him look at me.
“Ugh!”
In sheer muscle strength, I’m strong. My physique grants me great power.
“The danger is about to get real. If misfortune occurs, live only for yourself at that time. I’ve said this many times, right?”
I often told Soo-oh to do what he wants. When there’s a choice to be made, I wait for him to deliberate before choosing.
Sometimes I’d simply go without waiting.
To use me properly, it’s best for him to do what he wants. When he moves for his ideals, and if it’s a good thing, he can go the farthest.
Just like Tisah did.
“Why do you talk as if you’re going to die soon?”
Soo-oh whines, still having his cheeks in my grip.
That was genuinely a funny remark.
“Hehe, about dying… Soo-oh, do you know?”
I lowered my hands from his cheeks.
“Even if this flesh disappears, I won’t die. I can’t die.”
Once, even a being called a god in one world found it impossible to kill me, not even Dae-gon could do so.
“Don’t worry about me. Just move for yourself. Until the moment you die…”
How do I explain this?
It’s okay to say I’ll come to die just like I did in the first world, but that way, Soo-oh might easily give up his life in times of trouble, so I said it like this.
“I’m here with you. In fact, if I die, I’ll leave, so just know that.”
An opportunity to take that gritting.
Once.
Thinking this, I placed my hand on Soo-oh’s head and then lowered it.
Since I’m not this kid’s parent, such actions would be disrespectful. Instead, I pinched his cheek gently and sat nearby.
Time passes.
From behind flows the sound of a peaceful life being disrupted.
Hehe.
The harvesters are moving violently.
