Chapter 458: Change (Change)

‘…Hmph.’

No matter how much I think about it, I don’t know.

What could be the way to return to my original world?

What could the regret that Tang Jemun spoke of be?

Is it about the things I did in my past life? If not that….

‘Is it about the Demonic Sword Empress?’

I thought, feeling the pulse of the Demonic Sword Empress carried on my back.

It’s about the choice Tang Jemun spoke of.

What on earth should I choose?

I vaguely thought that it would be about the Demonic Sword Empress’s death.

Given the timing, I thought that was the only choice available to me in my current situation.

‘So… is he telling me to at least try to stop it?’

I don’t know.

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

‘If I accomplish that in this world…. Will my regret truly disappear?’

Something I don’t even know if I can stop.

Let alone being unsure if I should even stop it, even if I were to somehow stop it.

What about the events that would unfold afterward?

It’s another world’s affair anyway; stopping this wouldn’t erase the regret from my world.

‘I don’t know.’

No matter how much I thought about it, nothing concrete came to mind.

“Hmph…”

I could feel the Demonic Sword Empress’s breath. Ignoring my ticklish ears, I increased my speed a little more.

My back felt damp.

The Demonic Sword Empress’s blood was soaking my back.

Feeling that, I swallowed a groan.

Although I did my best to stop the bleeding, it seemed to be a much deeper wound than I expected.

Right now, rather than these complicated thoughts, it would be better to return and treat the Demonic Sword Empress….

“…!”

My intuition caught something.

I twisted my body.

Screech-!

A tree behind me was cut and fell.

I performed a breakfall on the ground and rolled once.

I held the Demonic Sword Empress close in my arms, minimizing the impact.

Immediately after, I raised my internal energy to its maximum and simultaneously filled my heart with demonic energy.

After adopting a stance for a split second, I wiped away cold sweat and looked straight ahead.

“Impressive.”

The owner of the sword strike that just flew approaches.

“I intended to cut your leg, yet you sensed this.”

“…Who are you?”

The wind blew.

Following it, the old man’s dark-colored robe fluttered. His presence was faint.

No, faint yet incredibly vast.

Crackling–!

Lightning energy permeated the air.

The lightning energy surrounding the old man’s body resembled the Demonic Sword Empress’s, but I could feel it was more refined.

As I looked at the old man with trembling eyes.

Hoho-

The old man chuckled and said to me.

“It seems I’ve made a mistake.”

“…”

The old man.

Realizing the meaning of the mistake the Heavenly Venerate spoke of, I swallowed dryly.

The strike just now was one I shouldn’t have been able to sense.

If there hadn’t been an anomaly, it would have been normal for my leg to be cut by the old man’s sword.

I was able to avoid it.

The reason is simple.

“…This ‘heart demon’ thing is truly sorrowful.”

Because I felt a potent killing intent before the strike even came.

‘This is driving me crazy.’

Looking at the old man, I licked my lips bitterly.

The last of the Namgung.

One of the Three Venerates of the world, the supreme of Namgung.

Heavenly Venerate (天尊).

An immense killing intent emanated from his body.

My fingertips trembled uncontrollably.

It was the pressure stemming from the difference in our levels.

‘This is genuinely dangerous.’

That killing intent is real. The Heavenly Venerate truly intends to kill me.

‘What are you planning?’

I frowned.

Since this is clearly the territory of Sichuan, if the Heavenly Venerate acts like this, the situation allows the Heavenly Demon to intervene.

The Heavenly Venerate should know that too.

‘Is he going to ignore the Heavenly Demon’s warning?’

Is this the outbreak of war?

It’s not strange.

After all, the Heavenly Venerate started a war by breaking a contract even in his past life.

The problem is.

Why now, of all times?

‘Hmph.’

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

The situation was too sudden; I couldn’t comprehend it.

“…Why are you suddenly acting like this?”

I asked, focusing all my senses on the Heavenly Venerate.

“This is Sichuan… Have you forgotten the Cult Leader’s warning….”

Thwack.

“…!”

I tried to break through the situation by mentioning the Heavenly Demon’s warning.

A sharp sensation pierced my chest.

I lowered my gaze.

A sword blade was deeply embedded in my chest.

“Gack-!”

As soon as I confirmed the situation, blood spurted from my mouth.

Sploosh-!

As the sword was pulled out, the wound stained the ground.

My knees buckled helplessly.

“Kuhuk….”

The internal energy supporting my body vanished, and my vision slowly darkened.

I knew this sensation.

It was death.

Death was approaching.

…So suddenly?

“Huk… huck….”

As my upper body slowly collapsed, the Heavenly Venerate passed me by with hurried steps.

His target seemed to be the Demonic Sword Empress.

I reached out my hand.

Even as my eyes closed, I tried to stop the Heavenly Venerate’s advance.

Thump.

I didn’t reach him.

All I touched was the cold sensation of the dirt floor.

The last thing captured in my darkening vision was the scene of the Heavenly Venerate reaching for the Demonic Sword Empress’s neck.

No. I had to stop that somehow, but…

I couldn’t.

I couldn’t stop the approaching darkness.

In the end, I had to meet a sudden death just like that.

---

The burning, collapsing building.

The blood that soaked the ground.

The day the Namgung family’s lineage, which stood above the world, withered away.

The Heavenly Venerate remembers that day.

How could he forget?

His grandson, called the Family Head, lay rolling on the ground, only his body remaining.

It was the day the Namgung family, which was supposed to reign over the orthodox sects like the heavens, vanished overnight.

The Heavenly Venerate could never forget that day.

“…How tragic.”

A dry voice escaped the old man’s lips.

“Wouldn’t you agree?”

The one he wished to hear a response from had closed eyes and lips.

For the Heavenly Venerate, it was the face he longed to see.

The enemy who annihilated the Namgung family, which was his everything.

And his last remaining bloodline in this world.

Furthermore, this was also the reason the Heavenly Venerate lived.

“I wanted to ask.”

Why did you do that?

The Heavenly Venerate wanted to ask her this. Why did you burn down the Namgung family with your own hands?

Did you harbor enough resentment to sever your own father’s head?

What turned you into such a monster?

These were questions he was immensely curious about, but they no longer mattered to him.

“…”

The Heavenly Venerate’s gaze turned towards the hilt held in the Demonic Sword Empress’s hand.

The sword she gripped as if unwilling to let go, even in unconsciousness.

It was the symbol of the Namgung family.

And a product imbued with the decree of ancient ancestors.

The one recognized by the Brain Core.

He is the master of Namgung.

These were the words left by the Nine Heavens Sword.

Grind.

The Heavenly Venerate’s teeth ground together.

“…Such ridiculous words.”

They are merely the empty boasts of ancient ancestors.

The Heavenly Venerate thought so.

Otherwise, such a thing couldn’t possibly happen, could it?

The Heavenly Venerate could not use the Brain Core.

Yet, he fulfilled the role of Family Head.

Because he was the strongest.

The same was true for the subsequent Family Heads.

His grandson, known as the Sword King, could not draw the Brain Core, yet he became the Family Head.

The matter of the Brain Core was no longer an important factor in deciding the Family Head.

And yet.

‘How could you….’

The great-granddaughter before him could use the Brain Core so effortlessly.

And how could such a person annihilate all of her own bloodline?

It was something the Heavenly Venerate could never understand.

This remained as a profound regret, tormenting the Heavenly Venerate.

That night.

If only he hadn’t listened to the Alliance Leader’s words and headed to the Murim Alliance.

Or perhaps.

“If only I had killed you the moment I saw you.”

Would such a thing have never happened?

The Heavenly Venerate recalled.

When this child held the recovered Brain Core.

The true form of the Brain Core erupting with light.

The Family Head’s yearning upon seeing it, and the jealousy he felt.

“…”

Where did it all go wrong?

No, it probably doesn’t matter anymore.

The Heavenly Venerate slowly reached out to the Demonic Sword Empress.

Her slender, pale neck was easily grasped.

One must not set foot into the territory of Sichuan.

This was a warning the past Heavenly Demon had issued to the Three Venerates.

Consequently, the Three Venerates truly avoided setting foot in Sichuan for several years.

There was the reason of despair and fear towards the power the Heavenly Demon displayed, but

The most crucial reason was that Mu Hui personally told him not to go.

She said it wasn’t the time yet.

She said the opportunity would surely come.

The Heavenly Venerate, who followed no one’s command, amusingly listened to her words and truly did not go to Sichuan.

He knew.

He had been subtly hoping for a justifiable reason.

He must have needed a justification not to fight the Heavenly Demon, for himself who gave up the fight out of fear.

It was truly pathetic.

It was even shameful enough to bear the Namgung surname.

Perhaps it was fortunate, then.

Since the current Namgung had all disappeared, leaving only him and the child before his eyes.

“…Tsk tsk….”

The Heavenly Venerate laughed bitterly.

This is ultimately all I am.

The embodiment of contradiction.

Overflowing with vengeance after his entire clan burned down.

Yet, a coward who restrained his steps out of fear of the Heavenly Demon.

A person bound by conceit, arrogance, and the inferiority complex that covered him.

That is who I am.

The heart demon deepens.

The Heavenly Venerate wanted to end it now.

Ending the vengeance that had kept him alive, he wanted to finish it now…

“….”

The Heavenly Venerate, about to snap the Demonic Sword Empress’s neck, paused his hand upon feeling a sudden strangeness.

“…Something….”

Something was wrong.

Just moments ago, he was hesitating out of fear of the Heavenly Demon’s power, so why was he now inside Sichuan?

And also…

‘…Why now….’

Rather than the clan’s revenge.

Where did the old man’s desire to die on Namgung territory right after all wars ended go?

It surely would have been like that, so why was he here now, holding the Demonic Sword Empress’s neck?

This subtle strangeness made the Heavenly Venerate feel a momentary dizziness.

Why?

How did it come to this?

The Heavenly Venerate tried to recall why he had come here.

He didn’t know.

The Heavenly Venerate felt as if his mind had been blackened.

The only clear thing amidst the haze was.

-I permit it.

It was only the sensation that someone had given permission.

The moment he recalled that, the Heavenly Venerate’s eyes cleared, and his grip tightened again.

Just as he was about to carry out his revenge again, as if possessed,

Crack.

“…!”

The Heavenly Venerate felt something and quickly turned his head back.

However, there was nothing behind him.

Was it a mistake?

Just as he thought that.

“Huh?”

The Heavenly Venerate immediately realized it wasn’t a mistake.

The reason was simple: there absolutely should have been ‘something’ there.

A corpse should have been lying there.

He had stabbed and killed him with his own hands, so it should have been there.

In the direction the Heavenly Venerate was looking, nothing remained.

Not the spilled blood.

Nor the trace of him falling.

Nothing at all.

Just as the Heavenly Venerate confirmed the absurd situation and tried to assess it.

Woowooong.

A vibration was felt.

The direction was to the left.

The Heavenly Venerate’s head turned.

“…!”

The place where the unknown vibration originated.

Astonishment filled the Heavenly Venerate’s face as he looked there.

Something was there.

Judging by its posture, the blankly standing doll seemed to be looking directly at the Heavenly Venerate.

The reason for not being sure about its gaze was simple.

Fwoooosh….

Because the blue flames wrapped around its body were burning the doll entirely.