18Volume - Chapter 1
“If there is a beginning, there is an end.”
Murim lord, Taegeuk sword Ungwang said.
“And the end is now.”
Apostle Heaven said.
“Fellow disciples of Gangho, for the past few years, even decades, the Amcheonhoe has despised the martial arts, including Sima Jeong..
Starting from the Seven Swords War, he has been hiding in the invisible darkness and promoting and causing various conflicts such as the War of True Blood, the Four Gate Rebellion, the War of the True Demons, and the Three Evil Swords Sect..”
“In Amcheonhoe, they talk about revolution, reform, etc., but the goal is, of course, conquest..
The government will never forgive this, and in order to stop Amcheonhoe's ambitions, they decided to put aside their long-standing feud and join forces..”
“It's not just midfielders. Seojang, South Sea, and recently even North Sea powers gave their hands for peace..”
“In the past, they were invaders and enemies. And it might be like that in the future too. No, it definitely will..”
“However, not now.”
“at least not now.”
Moorim focused on the words of the leaders of the two forces..
“We were enemies, and we will continue to be enemies, but at this moment we are not enemies..”
“We cannot understand each other and we have no intention of understanding each other..
Also, we can't call them brothers..”
If I could, I would have done so a long time ago..
people are different.
The opinions can never differ.
If that were possible, it would have happened a long time ago..
“We may be comrades who have your back, but we are not sworn brothers who share a drink!”
“We may be friends, but the death penalty is not a punishment for faith and will.!”
Instead of drinking glasses, we raised weapons high..
“we are!”
Wow!
“It's a martial arts person!”
Although the martial arts faction wanted to clash immediately, the two forces had suffered a lot of damage due to the fierce fighting so far, so they had time to regroup for a while..
War doesn't end overnight.
Movement was necessary, and supply also took time..
Of course, it didn't stay still at all..
In the case of the Murim Alliance, they had driven the Amcheonhoe all the way to Hebi, but they did not want to make a retreat, so they built a siege network..
Approximately 9,000 people from the government and government alliance, as well as about 10,000 people, including the North Sea Ice Palace and the South Sea Alliance, surrounded He Fei..
Afterwards, there were small and large clashes to break through the siege or create a retreat, but the damage was minimal..
And as time passed, the tenth month passed into the eleventh month. When winter had just begun, the two sides finished preparing and faced each other with tension in the air near Hefei..
Murim Allied Forces, Command Barracks.
The people inside the barracks were all big shots..
The five people seated in front of the rectangular table particularly stood out..
In the front, the Murim Lord, Taegeuk Sword Woon-kwang, and Sado Cheon-ju were each seated side by side as representatives of the government..
Naengakbi and Mugok sat on the left and right, respectively..
Lastly, there was Ju Seocheon across from the Murim Lord and Sado Heavenly Lord..
The Seven Seas of Heaven!
It's hard to see one person in your entire life, but it's a sight to see five people sitting in one place face to face..
“……That's it..”
Mugok ended the long story..
“What……”
“Huh.”
Apostle Heaven reacted as if there was such a thing..
Even Woon-kwang could not hide his sighs..
I was not surprised because I had heard of Joo Seocheon and Naengakbi before..
“Yeokcheon, yes, literally Yeokcheon..”
The Apostle Heavenly Lord nodded his head as if in agreement..
“The story ends here. The reason I called the Lord and Lord of Heaven is because I need strength for the decisive battle..”
This time, I felt that the decisive battle was imminent, so the Murim Lord and Sado Heavenly Lord decided to join together..
As if to show that they had risked everything in the decisive battle against the Amcheonhoe, they mobilized everything they could to participate in the battle..
They collected all the skilled workers, masters, and secret people. At Geumui Geommun, they even hired and sent out additional people..
The only people left at the opening of Hanam, which was set up as a temporary headquarters, were minimal escorts and the injured..
The situation was no different for Sado Cheon..
In addition, North Sea Ice Palace, South Sea Union, and Hwain Clinic were also included..
Lastly, the head of the political union and the absolute master of the Seven Seas of Heaven were also included in the force..
However, in the case of the Murim Lord and Sado Heavenly Lord, it was decided to lead the center rather than the front line for the sake of morale and command..
‘Never thought I would sit in this position……’
Joo Seocheon looked around and was filled with emotion..
Before returning, in my previous life, I had never attended a proper meeting, let alone been present when everything was over..
As one of the Four Great Disciples of the Huashan Sect, I simply followed orders and had no knowledge of the circumstances or the truth..
What I learned after becoming a Hwasan Five Elders.
That was only part of it, not everything..
But not now.
At an important time in history, he was present at the meeting of the government and the ruler of the Beihai Ice Palace..
‘It's a strange feeling.’
I was called the hero I had dreamed of for so long, but I wasn't very happy..
It was a feeling that I couldn't put into words..
“One person seems to be away, does it matter??”
Naengakbi asked curiously..
Joo Seocheon swallowed his discomfort when the loser army was mentioned..
“Mr. Paesin is currently carrying out his mission..”
Commander Cheon, Zhuge Sang stepped forward and answered on his behalf..
I was able to receive help thanks to knowing that Geomshin and Paesingun were the same person..
“Something bad has happened so far, so please kindly understand that I am keeping it confidential..”
All of the leaders of the government were hit hard by betrayal and spies..
It would be even weirder if you weren't careful.
“I understand.”
In the past, this may have been an issue that would have made people angry, asking if they would not believe it until the end, but it is different now..
Since experience is experience, I couldn't say anything even if it was a little uncomfortable..
The damage caused by the disclosure of information was extensive..
“Then, we would like to start the general meeting. If we have finished talking about the realization of the image, is it okay if I invite other people??”
Zhuge Sang showed the wooden board where the map was posted and asked:.
“Of course.”
Zhuge Shang summoned a messenger and summoned key figures..
After about a minute, the strategy meeting began again as the barracks were filled with key figures..
“Currently, the Allied forces are surrounding the former headquarters of the Murim Alliance and the enemy's stronghold..
Jeoknim Sixteen, which was a problem, lost a lot of its head lender Hong Harang and its power due to a crushing defeat two months ago and returned to its den..
Still, just in case, the South Sea forces were deployed to the Yangtze River to prepare for an emergency..”
There is nothing worse than being caught in the middle of a decisive battle..
We knew the fear of the Yangtze River and thoroughly blocked it..
“A bumbling thief, no. If the bandits have been destroyed, there is no need to go to that length.?”
“Even if you lose your strength, you never know. Be aware of who your enemy is.”
Joo Seocheon, not Zhuge Sang, answered..
Even if you lose your strength, you never know.
The enemy is the Dark Heaven Society..
Even if it was an excessive response, we prepared to prevent an ‘what if’ situation..
“The ground supply route is?”
“Don't worry, we're in charge of this..”
Lee Uichae, the only merchant and king of the commercial world, answered.
“For nearly two months, we used our personal connections and commercial circles to monitor and block areas that would be used as supply routes. In addition, he personally managed the food and drinking water of his troops in case there were poisons in them, and also received inspections from Dangga and Sadokmun. Just in case, I asked my counselor to triple check..”
It proved that reorganization did not take time for no reason..
“hmm!”
Lee Uichae is a king of merchants and a war merchant..
This field is more than just confident, it has talent..
“If you look at the details of the operation, it's perfect and good, but I feel uneasy..”
Shin Do-gyun must have remembered something that happened to him not long ago, so he frowned and voiced concern..
“That's good. Don't shake that anxiety.”
Joo Seocheon warned.
The audience's gaze turned to one person, Joo Seo-cheon..
Joo Seocheon closed his eyes for a moment..
In the black field of vision, a distant image of being alone on the battlefield flashed past me..
And the moment I opened my eyes again, there were countless people in front of me..
“If you're winning, think about losing.
If it's perfect, question perfection. Never let down your guard. Amcheonhoe comes in looking for that moment..”
gulp.
“There is no opponent as easy as the moment when you are stuck with common sense and have decided that you will win..
If you have a strong enemy, cut off their head and stab their heart..
If you lack strength, it's okay to be cowardly, so hide, outmaneuver, and borrow the strength of others..”
Joo Seocheon’s eyes shone coldly..
‘Come prepared... … I've prepared it.’
I have been hiding from the Amcheonhoe since I was young..
Even though I had the power, I hid myself as much as possible..
Realizing that I couldn't do it alone, I borrowed the power of others..
‘Amcheonhoe Lord, are you ready??’
The time has come for the decisive battle.
Amcheonhoe is not the only one who has planted snails in the forest..
After their existence was revealed, the Political Alliance also heard a report on the situation thanks to planting a spy..
“It is said that no special movements have been confirmed within the headquarters, so we plan to advance as planned around tomorrow morning. I would like to keep an eye on the situation a little longer, but according to intelligence sources, the security is so severe that it is impossible to confirm..”
The leaders of the Amcheonhoe were wiped out except for Cheongi, but the organs of the Seven Stars were not paralyzed..
The remaining two, especially Cheon-gi, were the brains of Amcheon and somehow managed to manage it even though it was difficult..
In particular, as it was a time as important as the decisive battle, internal security and surveillance were tight, so it was difficult to find out more information than this..
After reviewing the organization and operations of each commander and military, the Murim Alliance completed all preparations..
Zhuge Sang and Zhuge Suran did not announce the date and time of the clash for fear that information might leak to Tian Qi..
The martial people of the Jungwon, North Sea, and South Sea did their own thing and waited for the order to go to war..
Maehwageombong Nakso-wol also spent time chatting with Ohryongsambong and the executioner or cleaning his sword, but suddenly he was curious about the executioner, whom he had not seen recently due to a meeting, so he visited..
“Phew……”
“The death penalty is still the same..”
“huh?”
Joo Seocheon took a deep breath and turned his head..
Even though she hadn't washed properly recently, Nak So-wol, who was as beautiful as a fairy, was smiling softly..
“It's still the same?”
When Joo Seo-cheon asked, Nak So-wol sat next to him and answered..
“Water lily. Even after achieving enlightenment, or rather enlightenment, you are always training diligently..”
Dawn or morning could have been like that..
This is because a martial artist’s day is faster than that of an ordinary person..
As the atmosphere was full of energy around the time the sun rose, I had no choice but to wake up at dawn because the energy efficiency of the morning energy was excellent..
On the other hand, if you don't wake up early, you can't dream of becoming a master even if you have great talent..
To the Murim people, sloth was a sin..
However, even if you are a martial artist, it doesn't matter if you are not that diligent once you reach a certain level..
At the peak, that is, at the level where one begins to be called an expert, training is put aside and enlightenment becomes more important..
On the contrary, if you become obsessed to the point of overexerting your body, you may not be able to attain enlightenment and your heart may be hurt..
Of course, no matter how expert you are, it is not good to not do anything at all, but it was still a rare sight to see it done this way..
“There are still some shortcomings, and there are limits to my abilities and talents..”
“Are you kidding??”
Luo Sowol looked at me as if I was dumbfounded..
In less than 30 years, he achieved not only the worldview but also the worldview..
It wasn't at a level where I could talk about talent or anything..
Joo Seo-cheon only smiled bitterly at Nak So-wol’s question..
‘You can't say it's a second life..’
Hwagyeongya was well over 70 years old at the time, and he felt that his life was short, so he was able to climb with the help of a hoiguangbanjo..
After that, I started over from when I was young, so it wasn't difficult to achieve it again..
In the case of Hyeon-gyeong, it was not only achieved by heavenly luck but also the special experience of returning..
“Death penalty, is this really the end??”
“what?”
“It's a war.”
Luo Xiaoyue looked at He Fei from afar and pursed his lips..
“Over the past few years, several historic fights have taken place. Died, killed, and lost.”
“……okay.”
“I know what I'm saying is foolish..
But, still, I hope this tragedy ends as soon as possible. Because if we don't end the war, the war will end us..”
Luo Sowol looked down sadly..
Through the grass, I could see flower petals that had been trampled by someone..
“Thanks to those who have sacrificed so far, the Jeongsa, or rather the Murim Allied Forces, achieved a great victory..
People say the winner is the Allies, but I think differently..
Even if you call it that, I think there are no winners and only losers. Yeah, we've all lost someone.”
‘Samae……’
Joo Seo-cheon quietly pondered Nak So-wol’s words..
I didn't know much about her in my past life..
I only saw his back from afar, but I didn't know what his personality was like..
But now I think I know.
As always, Nak So-wol is a person who can feel sad for someone's pain and rejoice in their happiness..
“execution.”
Luo So-wol raised his head and looked at Joo Seo-cheon..
There was worry in those eyes..
“I don't know if it's because of what happened before, but sometimes I dream of losing my death sentence. Every time that happens, I'm afraid I'll lose my death sentence again..”
The first time was when Joo Seo-cheon was chosen as a strongman..
It was lost to Surimdo, including the swordsman Yook Daerang..
The next time was before the Great War..
At the time, I was greatly shocked to hear only sorry words or news of Joo Seo-cheon's death from Master Hyeman, the leader of the Shaolin clan and a Shin monk..
Whether it's the former or the latter, an indelible wound remains..
From then on, Nak So-wol was afraid of losing Ju Seo-cheon again..
“I'm not going to the point where I'm telling you not to come forward, but I hope you'll be careful..”
Luo So-wol stretched out his hand and swam near the brother's arm..
However, he soon covered the back of his hand as if he had made a promise..
“Death penalty, I don't want to lose any more death penalty.
That's right, I value and like the death penalty more than anyone else..”
His voice was slightly trembling, and his cheeks were red..
“I don't even know when this love started..
However, at some point I realized that I was chasing the death penalty..
When I couldn't see the death penalty, I was always anxious and worried that something might happen..
When I lost it, I regretted why I didn't tell you how I felt sooner..”
Joo Seocheon didn't say anything..
I just waited for the next words.
“Death penalty, death penalty is truly a great person..
I'm not just talking about the unofficial side..”
Nak So-wol covered the back of Joo Seo-cheon's hand, then clasped her hands and gently grabbed him..
“I like that even though he has reached the position of absolute expert, he is always humble rather than arrogant..
I like the way you work harder than anyone else.
I think it's amazing that they try to help someone and save the martial arts world even though others didn't force them to do so..
It's a shame that he tries to carry the burden alone because he's afraid of harming those around him, but that's also great and I like him because he's very kind..”
It was especially true when I first heard about Amcheonhoe..
It wasn't a matter of faith.
It was good, but also sad, that he had been trying to save Moorim without anyone knowing, and that he was careful not to put people around him in danger..
“Sister, I… … He's not as great a man as Samae thinks..”
A bitter smile spread across Joo Seocheon’s lips..
“I took away the opportunity to return to someone just because I had to save Murim. Not only that.
There have been times when I have turned a blind eye to something that wasn't right out of necessity, and there have been times when I have used people as tools, saying I had no choice but to despise them for using people as tools..”
Ju Seo-cheon shortened a war that would last for decades..
After much effort, numerous sacrifices were minimized..
However, that did not justify the actions taken so far..
Aside from Amcheonhoe, you can tell just by looking at Suryulsingua..
The opportunity was taken away from someone who was not a villain..
As the future changed, people who should not have died died..
Like Heukyeongbu, he knew that the darkness of the martial arts world was wrong, but he turned a blind eye to it, saying it was a necessary evil and could not be helped..
Above all, I thought that Ghost Song was being used all along to save the martial arts..
“I like that about the death penalty..”
Nak So-wol smiled as always..
It was a smile that was softer and more beautiful than ever..
“I like you, death penalty.
No, that Nak So-wol is in love with you, Joo Seo-cheon..”
Joo Seo-cheon could not easily answer Nak So-wol's words..
I'd be lying if I said I didn't notice.
I've been vaguely aware of it for some time..
However, I was in doubt because it didn't feel real to be loved by someone I had admired since my previous life..
Besides that, I was wondering if I was worthy of this..
The thoughts in my head were woven like tangled threads..
It was as difficult as reading the numbers in heaven..
When Nak So-wol looked at Joo Seo-cheon and looked worried, she leaned her head on his shoulder and spoke first..
“I'm sorry for disturbing your mind when the final battle is right around the corner..
But still, I didn't want to regret it again like before..
So, you can answer me later..
Thank you for listening to my foolishness, death brother..”
“I am... … Thank you, Samae.”
Joo Seo-cheon spent some time sitting with Nak So-wol..
And there were people watching the scene from afar..
“are you okay?”
Dan Lihwa asked.
There was no playfulness like usual..
“not really.”
Danghye turned around as if nothing had happened..
I couldn't see what kind of expression he was making..
* * *
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