Chapter 458: Change (2)

…Hmm.

I couldn’t think of a solution, no matter how much I thought about it.

How was I supposed to return to the world I lived in?

What was the regret that Tang Jaemoon referred to?

Was it the things I did in my past life? If that wasn’t it…

Perhaps it’s about the Demonic Sword.

I thought to myself, with the Demonic Sword on my back.

Tang Jaemoon told me that I had to make a decision, but I didn’t know what she was talking about.

However, I expected it was going to be about the Demonic Sword’s death.

This point in time was around when she died, and I believed that this was the only thing I had to make a decision for.

Am I… supposed to prevent it?

I didn’t know.

It was certain that the Demonic Sword’s death was one of my regrets.

But even if I change the outcome in this world… would my regret go away?

Perhaps it was possible for me to prevent her death.

I didn’t even know if I had the right to do that. Even if I end up preventing her death, what would happen after?

This was a different world to begin with. My regret of the past wasn’t going to be erased just because I changed the outcome of an alternate world.

I don’t know.

I wasn’t able to come up with a clear answer.

“Hgh…”

I felt the Demonic Sword’s breath. It tickled my ears, but I ignored it and increased my pace.

My back felt drenched.

It was the Demonic Sword’s blood.

I was shocked.

I used my Qi to stop the blood, but it seemed like her injury was more severe than I thought.

I immediately had to return to the headquarters and treat the Demonic Sword rather than being distracted by miscellaneous-

“…!”

I suddenly felt something through my senses.

I tilted my body.

Swish-!

The tree behind me fell to the ground after being cut in half.

I rolled on the ground once while safely landing.

I did my best to reduce the impact of my landing by holding the Demonic Sword tight in my arms.

Immediately after, I charged my Qi to the max and filled my heart with Demonic Qi.

After preparing myself in an instant, I looked forward as cold sweat ran down my face.

“Impressive.”

The one responsible for the attack came closer.

“It was aimed for your leg, yet you caught it.”

“…What are you?”

Wind blew.

The old man’s cape waved along with it. His presence felt faint.

No, it was faint but also gigantic at the same time.

Zaaap-!

Lightning Qi rampaged.

The Qi around the old man looked similar to the Demonic Sword’s, but it looked more refined and controlled.

I stared at the old man with my pupils shaking.

Haha-

Then, the old man spoke after a chuckle.

“It seems like I’ve made a mistake.”

“…”

This old man.

I gulped nervously after I realized what the Heavenly Venerable meant by his mistake.

His attack just now wasn’t something I should’ve been after to noticed.

Normally, my leg would’ve been cut clean, but I was able to dodge it.

The reason for that was simple.

“…Inner demons are rather terrifying huh.”

I felt a dense killing intent before that attack came at me.

I’m going to go insane.

I bit my lips as I stared at the old man.

He was the last remaining Namgung, one of the Three Venerables, and the absolute of Namgung Clan.

It was the Heavenly Venerable.

Unbelievable amount of killing intent poured out from the old man’s body.

My hands started to shake.

I felt overwhelmed due to our difference in level.

This is seriously dangerous.

That killing intent was real. The Heavenly Venerable was seriously going to kill me here.

But can you deal with the consequences?

I frowned.

This was the Sichuan territory. The Heavenly Venerable doing this would surely bring out the Heavenly Demon.

I’m sure he knew that as well.

So he’s going to ignore the Heavenly Demon’s warning?

Was he going to start a war?

It wasn’t the strangest thing. Truthfully, it was the Heavenly Venerable who broke the deal first and started a war in my past life.

But of course, it had to be now of all times.

Sigh.

I carefully placed down the Demonic Sword on the ground and stood back up.

I couldn’t understand because of how sudden this was.

“…Why are you doing this all of a sudden?”

I focused all my senses into the Heavenly Venerable and asked him a question.

“This is Sichuan… have you forgotten about our Leader’s- “

Stab-

“…!”

I wanted to learn his motive by taking advantage of the Heavenly Demon’s warning, but I felt a sharp sensation digging through my chest.

I looked down.

A blade was stabbed deeply into my chest.

“Cough-!”

Blood splattered out of my mouth as soon as I checked what happened.

Spatter-!

The blade left my body and spattered blood on the ground.

My knees fell to the ground effortlessly.

“Cgh…”

Qi supporting my body gradually disappeared and my sight darkened.

I knew this sensation.

This was death.

I was dying.

…But all of a sudden like this?

“Huff… Hgh…”

As my body was collapsing, the Heavenly Venerable walked past me.

His goal seemed to be the Demonic Sword.

I reached my hand out.

Even while my eyes were closing, I reached for the Heavenly Venerable’s foot.

Tap.

It didn’t reach.

The only sensation I felt in my fingertips was the cold dirt on the ground.

As my vision became black, the last thing I saw was the Heavenly Venerable reaching for the Demonic Sword’s neck.

No. I had to stop this, but I couldn’t bring myself up.

I couldn’t stop this darkness from filling my sight, and I had to embrace sudden death without being able to do anything.

A building collapsing as fire burned it passionately.

The blood puddles that filled the ground.

It was the day that completely erased Namgung Clan from the world.

The Heavenly Venerable remembered that day.

How could he not?

After all, his son, the Lord of Namgung Clan was lying lifelessly on the ground, and the clan that was expected to rise above the sky had disappeared in just one night.

The Heavenly Venerable could not forget that day no matter how hard he tried.

“…How unfortunate.”

Dried voice started to come out from the old man’s lips.

“Don’t you agree?”

The person he wanted to hear a response from, had their eyes and lips closed.

It was a face the Heavenly Venerable wanted to see for a very long time.

They were the archenemy who took down Namgung Clan that was everything to him, and the last remaining blood relative of his.

It was also the reason why the Heavenly Venerable continued to live on with his life.

“I wanted to ask you.”

Why did you do it?

He wanted to ask her so badly. Why did she burn down Namgung Clan with her own hands?

Did she resent her father so much for her to behead him?

What turned her into such a monster?

The Heavenly Venerable was very curious, but it didn’t matter anymore.

“…”

He gazed at the Demonic Sword’s hand that was placed on her sword hilt.

Even after losing consciousness, she had her hand on her weapon.

It was the symbol of Namgung Clan, and a treasure used by her ancestors.

The one recognized by the Thunder Fang, they would be the ruler of Namgung Clan.

At least those were the words the Thunderous Sword left behind.

Crack.

The Heavenly Venerable grinded his teeth.

“…How foolish.”

It was just a bunch of old wives’ tale, the Heavenly Venerable thought to himself.

If that wasn’t the case, then how could anyone explain this?

The Heavenly Venerable couldn’t use the Thunder Fang, yet he had to become the Lord.

After all, he was the most powerful in his clan.

It was the same for the next Lord.

His son known as the Sword King couldn’t pull the Thunder Fang out, but he became a Lord as well.

The Thunder Fang no longer was an important factor in deciding the Lord of the clan.

Yet.

How come.

Why was his granddaughter able to use the Thunder Fang so easily, and why did she slaughter every one of her bloodlines?

The Heavenly Venerable couldn’t fathom to understand.

This became a haunting regret of his.

That night, if he didn’t go to the Murim Alliance after receiving their order.

Or perhaps,

“If I killed you the first time I saw you.”

Maybe none of these things would’ve happened.

The Heavenly Venerable recalled this memory.

When this girl wielded the Thunder Fang that returned to the clan, it unleashed an explosive light and showed its true nature.

He also saw the jealousy that his son, the Lord of the clan showed.

“…”

Where did it go wrong?

No, that does not matter anymore.

The Heavenly Venerable slowly reached his hand out toward the Demonic Sword.

His hand was easily able to wrap around her thin white neck.

He wasn’t allowed to step foot into the Sichuan territory.

This was the warning the Heavenly Demon gave to the Three Venerables in the past.

Because of that, the Three Venerables didn’t enter Sichuan for a few years.

The Heavenly Demon’s power and the despair they felt from it was one of the reasons, but the biggest reason was the fact that the Dancer told them not to.

Now wasn’t the time.

The opportunity would soon come.

The Heavenly Venerable who took orders from no one, listened to her and didn’t enter Sichuan for a few years.

He knew it himself.

He just wanted an excuse.

He gave up fighting after being scared of the Heavenly Venerable, so he needed an excuse to not fight her.

It was pathetic.

He felt too embarrassed to even possess the Namgung surname.

Perhaps it was fine.

After all, besides himself and the child in front of him, there weren’t any remaining Namgung anymore.

“…Haha…”

The Heavenly Venerable let out a bitter chuckle.

This was the kind of person he was.

An embodiment of contradictions. Despite being full of vengeance after his clan burned down, he didn’t do anything as he feared the Heavenly Demon.

A man of pride, arrogance, and a sense of entitlement that overshadows him.

That was who he was.

His inner demons haunted him further.

The Heavenly Venerable wanted to end it all now.

His vengeance was the last thing that kept him going, but now he was able to-

“…”

Right as he was about to snap the Demonic Sword’s neck, he stopped after feeling a strange sensation.

“…This…”

Something felt strange.

He had been afraid of the Heavenly Demon’s power, so how was he in Sichuan right now?

Moreover…

…How come I am…

It wasn’t just the revenge he wanted.

After the war is over, he desired to die on the land of Namgung Clan, but what happened to that goal of his?

That was his goal, so why was he here grabbing the Demonic Sword’s neck?

This strange sudden thought made him feel like he lost himself for an instant.

Why? Why did it end up this way?

The Heavenly Venerable tried to think of why he was currently in this place.

He didn’t know. It felt like his mind was filled with black.

The only thing that felt clear in his faint mind was-

-You are given the permission.

The fact that someone gave him the approval.

Right as he was reminded of it, the Heavenly Venerable’s eyes became clear once more and his grip started to tighten again.

He was about to execute his revenge as if he was charmed by something.

Crack.

“…!”

Then, the Heavenly Venerable felt something and turned his head around.

However, there wasn’t anything there.

Was he mistaken? As soon as he asked himself the question,

“Huh?”

He realized that he wasn’t mistaken after all.

There shouldn’t have been ‘nothing’ behind him.

A dead body should’ve been lying on the ground.

He killed him by stabbing him in the heart, yet there wasn’t anything behind his sight.

Whether it was the blood puddle, or the trace of him collapsing on the ground.

There was nothing.

Because of the strange situation, the Heavenly Venerable started to observe the surroundings.

Woong-

Then, he felt a vibration.

It was coming from his left side. The Heavenly Venerable gazed towards it.

“…!!”

When the Heavenly Venerable looked into the direction the strange vibration came from, his face was filled with great shock.

There was something there.

It seemed like a doll was standing still, staring at the Heavenly Venerable.

However, there was a reason why he was uncertain about what that thing was.

Blaze…

The doll was completely covered in blue flames.