Chapter 383

Chapter 383

Eat The World Tree.

Episode 383: Sansuyu Tree (2)

“Grandfather… I don’t understand.”

At Korea’s National Tree, Kim Soo-yeon’s words, Mugung, reacted.

The newspaper Kim Soo-yeon held was filled with malicious articles from reporters about Lee Shiheon’s excommunication.

Her hands trembled.

“Why was this man excommunicated? What on earth are the World Trees thinking—”

“There was a reason.”

“Don’t be ridiculous!”

Kim Soo-yeon, who knew both Sansuyu and Lee Shiheon, understood the current situation very well.

“Neither of them… are the kind of people you think they are, grandfather.”

“Soo-yeon.”

At Mugung’s words, Soo-yeon, who had become depressed, lowered her head.

Even though the authority of the World Trees was at its peak and they were treated like gods, there were still countless people who questioned their choices.

Especially now, when their authority was on the verge of collapse.

Before being excommunicated, Sansuyu and Lee Shiheon’s reputations had long surpassed the level of academy students.

Talents who would bring a bright future to the world.

Two people who saved victims caught in disasters and left good influences everywhere.

“How many people did that person save?”

“He must have killed just as many.”

“…The National Trees must know everything.”

“Perhaps you don’t know. It could all be a distorted aspect.”

“Are you doubting my eyes, grandfather?”

At least the man Kim Soo-yeon saw was like that.

Perhaps his defending Sansuyu this time was also understandable for him.

He had gathered the National Trees directly from the cradle to minimize casualties, risking death to save many people.

“……”

At Kim Soo-yeon’s sharp words, Mugung closed his mouth.

The old man, who had groped the sofa surface with his wrinkled hand, sat there and coughed dryly outside his parched throat.

“What do you think is the cause? Yes. Tell me the reason why that Lee Shiheon, the disciple of Cheonma, was excommunicated. Tell me.”

Kim Soo-yeon closed her mouth.

She didn’t know.

The thoughts of the World Trees were not something to be read.

“Is it because he’s Baekdo’s disciple?”

“Well, that could be a reason.”

“Are you saying there’s something else?”

Mugung’s lips curved.

Kim Soo-yeon’s face hardened at the beast-like thick smile.

It was a smile that felt eerie even for family.

“Even if it’s a ridiculous situation, all the foundations are collapsing.”

“……What do you mean?”

“Soo-yeon.”

Mugung’s head fell down.

“The decisive reason Lee Shiheon was excommunicated is not just because he is Cheonma’s disciple.”

“Then what is it?”

“Your eyes, which try to divide the world into good and evil, are beautiful, but they are useless as a standard for big matters. Almost all matters have political factors.”

“……”

“Lee Shiheon’s excommunication?”

No matter how popular he was, it didn’t matter to them.

“They just needed an excuse.”

The World Tree’s movements were getting rougher day by day.

Their recent actions were so extreme that it was hard to tell who was Flower and who was the World Tree.

She needed to have a broad perspective.

“Sansuyu of the Cornus family? It doesn’t matter if that failure lives.”

Unless a miracle happened, there was no way for Sansuyu to live.

The other thing Lee Shiheon was hiding, which was shared in secret. The oracle?

They were in a chaotic situation where they couldn’t care about the oracle, but this method could deal with both of them easily.

“The World Tree is trying to kill Cheonma again. With his disciple. This time, perfectly.”

By dragging in a man named Lee Shiheon. With Lee Shiheon.

“The fact that he stole Sansuyu from the Cornus family was one of the good excuses.”

Since reaching that state, Baekdo and Cheondo have been the target of all kinds of pressure.

The fact that they can lift the stigma at any time.

Even though Cheonma was following the World Tree right now, Cheonma was one of the biggest internal enemies as well as the growing power of Flower.

Cancer cells must be removed. They were a bigger risk factor than Lee Shiheon.

If Cheonma turned her back, the balance of power would completely collapse.

The same went for other nobles.

Many families were fleeing to Flower because they didn’t know when they would become the second Cornus.

For that reason, many noble families were being excommunicated.

“That’s…”

“Do you think it’s a self-destructive move?”

When Kim Soo-yeon stammered, Mugung nodded.

Excommunication was clearly effective in breaking the silence, but the resulting backlash and side effects were by no means small.

While cutting off their own flesh and blood, faith was also collapsing.

What did they want by going that far?

“The World Tree is trying to reform.”

To abandon the past failure and system of harmony with humans and create a completely authoritarian system.

On the other hand, Flower was advocating for human rights.

“I led this country to this point. You will succeed me next.”

“……”

“It’s up to you to choose which side to support.”

Mugung tapped Kim Soo-yeon’s head.

A kind smile, which he would never show to others, appeared on his face.

“For the country. For the people.”

“……”

“Mugunghwa should only honor this country.”

Kim Soo-yeon’s face, who had only pursued justice, became complicated.

“Think carefully.”

Mugung, who was watching Soo-yeon’s back as she left her seat without saying a word, stroked his white beard.

‘By the way.’

Why was that disaster in the Cornus family guarding that place?

‘I thought it was a pet raised by Suwang. But it had nothing to do with Cornus.’

Anyway, he cut out the heart of the beast that he couldn’t have easily dealt with if it had grown a little more.

Even if he didn’t die, he wouldn’t be able to return to the battlefield because his dantian collapsed.

A brilliant idea came to Mugung’s mind.

If that monster was related to Lee Shiheon.

“Ho ho…”

His face hardened coldly.

“Then… I know why the oracle came down. I was wrong.”

Mugung changed his mind.

“The point is Lee Shiheon.”

Cheonma and the King.

The World Tree may know this fact.

However… judging from the fact that they excommunicated him very urgently, there was a high possibility that they knew to some extent.

Mugung raised the corners of his mouth at the cold touch of his spine rising sharply.

“Don’t play such pranks again. You almost made me drop the baby.”

Taeyang, pushing the wheelchair, tapped Aori’s crown several times.

He probably did it to lighten the mood, but it was too reckless.

If breaking limbs and rolling down the stairs is for lightening the mood, then Aori’s common sense was clearly off.

“But is it really okay not to help our King?”

“……I would have forced it if it were anyone else, but my brother’s eyes are quite gone.”

He was trying to clean up around him.

People who were suicidal or facing their death often show that kind of behavior.

Well, he didn’t really intend to die, but he was considering it to some extent.

As someone who had to save the King at all costs, Taeyang had to stop him.

However….

‘Why couldn’t I stop hyung back then?’

-Squeak.

Looking at Aori in front of the rolling wheelchair, Taeyang fell into deep thought.

Losing Aori.

He thought about it many times. It was inevitable.

If they were to find a monster equal to Lee Shiheon right now, Aori would be the only one in the White Ants.

He even thought about exchanging Aori if his brother were in danger.

Aori had fulfilled her role sufficiently.

“What about the King’s women?”

“…Well, that won’t be a big problem.”

Jin Dallae, who was a decent noble, although pale in comparison to Cornus.

Lee Seyeong, Byeol, and Spring Peach Blossom were in positions that the World Tree cannot easily touch.

“The Cornus family’s destruction drew too much aggro.”

“Aggro?”

“Excommunicating and suppressing heretics… that’s the limit for hyung. Any more than that, the order will collapse. All the things the World Tree has built could fall into Flower’s hands.”

Lee Shiheon must have made that judgment, but it was a calculation that’s falling apart.

According to the White Ants’ intelligence network, the power struggle between the World Trees had recently intensified.

“It’s the same as Flower.”

Just like Flower’s hardliners forcibly attacked the Cradle.

The destruction of the Cornus family this time was also the result of some World Trees pushing it through.

“It can’t flow efficiently. These damn huge forces, I mean.”

If the World Tree’s organization were completely united and could move ideally.

Not only the human relationships centered around Lee Shiheon, but also the person of the oracle, as well as Taeyang and Aori, would be thoroughly crushed.

Whether it’s Flower or the World Tree.

Absolutely.

In the current situation, they could not use more than a certain amount of force no matter what happened.

Even if it was Lee Shiheon, Cheonma, or Mugung.

With the opposing forces fully charged now… anyone could become the fuse.

Under the brutal political scene, huge dynamite was attached to all the influential people around the world.

Those who had a relationship with Lee Shiheon have enough potential to become that fuse.

“At best, it would be surveillance, like Guseul did. Well, that would be difficult too.”

“……”

“If the King’s women are in danger.”

That would probably be when Lee Seyeong or Jin Dallae directly provided a reason to betray the World Tree.

You had to look at it broadly with a wider perspective.

If the World Tree had leeway, and if Flower’s momentum was a little weaker, Spring Peach Blossom probably wouldn’t have been founded a few years ago.

Taeyang wouldn’t have been able to build such a force by taking advantage of the gap.

“The timing of when my brother came to this world was crucial.”

“Timing?”

“This spring. If there was a World Tree who adjusted for my brother to come to this world… I honestly want to praise them. They provided the perfect foundation and room for growth.”

It was a precise timing that the World Tree couldn’t check.

Aori’s wheelchair stopped in the middle.

Taeyang turned his head and checked the many buildings with his eyes.

Even at this moment, there were attacks against the World Tree. Terrorist acts were breaking out.

The seeds of rebellion had grown and were about to burst.

‘Even the five World Trees wouldn’t be able to handle increasing the enemy any more than this.’

Even if they stepped up themselves.

‘Then why don’t they try to recruit hyung at all?’

Well, that didn’t matter anymore.

Lee Shiheon had already become a heretic and was being chased.

Since he wasn’t a family, a subjugation team wasn’t prepared, but it would be difficult to return to normal life.

-Boom!!!

Suddenly, a surge of mana was felt in the sky.

A white-haired woman was descending from a high-rise building.

Taeyang knew that face-

“Oh, shit.”

-Baekdo.

“Aori.”

“Yes!”

-Squeak!

Aori started rolling the wheelchair wheels like crazy.

Taeyang, with a dumbfounded face, ran after Aori.

“No, shit, can you escape with that?”

“Then how… Ah!”

Aori’s eyes sparkled again.

That’s the look she gets when she had weird ideas.

Taeyang urgently spread his arms with a shocked face. The wheelchair overturned, and Aori’s limbs were disassembled again.

“Aori limb escape!”

Aori, who had bent and broken her arms and legs, jumped out of the wheelchair and hugged Taeyang.

She was very light because she was small and had no limbs.

“Run away!”

-Thump, thump.

Squeak!

With zombie-like steps, Lee Shiheon, who had entered the house, knelt down and collapsed on the bed where Sansuyu was lying.

He bandaged the various cuts and wounds.

After injecting divine power into Sansuyu’s body, he changed his clothes and rummaged through the cupboard.

The rice was gone.

“Should I just… starve?”

He sat down next to the bed as if collapsing from exhaustion. He turned his head and looked at Sansuyu.

An indefinite wait.

Her body was back to normal, and her organs were fine.

Lee Shiheon stared blankly at Sansuyu.

When would she open her eyes? How long did he have to wait?

At that moment, Sansuyu’s eyelids twitched.

Come to think of it, Sansuyu’s eyes were closed. Usually, when he came home, her eyes would open automatically, and she would look at him like a machine.

“Sansuyu…?”

At Lee Shiheon’s call, Sansuyu’s eyelids slowly opened.

“……”

She couldn’t speak yet, but there was a faint light back in her eyes.

Sansuyu mumbled something.

“…eon?”