Chapter 968: Lost Soul.

Upon Yusa’s words, I was momentarily speechless.

‘A General?’

The words that Shin No-ya was a former General.

And that he betrayed Mother and disappeared.

Could those words be true?

If they were true.

‘How on earth?’

How in the world did No-ya become a General? As I listened to Yusa’s words, furrowing my brow repeatedly.

Kkwa-deuk-!

“Kwak!”

No-ya grabbed Yusa’s face with his hand and slammed it into the floor.

“You, as always.”

Kkwang-!

Kkwang-!

Slamming him down three more times, the surroundings vibrated even though it was muffled.

“Your mouth is pointlessly light. That pathetic tongue of yours is always the problem.”

Kkwang-!!

After one final slam, he grabbed Yusa by the hair and lifted him up.

“Keuhk… heok…”

Yusa’s face was contorted in a pained expression.

“Keu-eu…”

Shin No-ya smirked, looking at the groaning Yusa.

Seeing his smile sent a shiver down my spine.

A chilling aura surrounded him, making me wonder if there was killing intent, but…

There was no killing intent felt.

It meant he was exerting pressure purely through his presence.

‘Hah.’

I let out a silent sigh.

I had known he was strong for a long time.

It was obvious, not only because he beat me like a trapped rat, but also because he was playing with Yusa like this.

‘Is that old man really a Taoist master?’

The problem was that he was a high-ranking Taoist.

Even among the great Taoists praised for living with the flow, possessing broad tolerance and virtue.

He was the most respected Taoist and hero, aside from the Plum Blossom Immortal of Mount Hua, yet…

Looking at him now, he was no different from a neighborhood punk.

“You… you bastard…”

Yusa spoke in a weary voice.

I could see blood flowing from the corner of his mouth. He seemed to be in considerable pain.

Just slamming him into the floor shouldn’t cause such injuries. The reason he looked so pained was probably…

‘It wasn’t the ground, but because he infused his Tao energy into the blows.’

I saw Tao energy being infused into the floor when he slammed him down.

It meant he hadn’t just hit him normally, but had struck him with considerable control.

‘Crazy old man.’

Countless realizations were condensed within those brief repetitions.

Compression of energy. Application. Even minute control.

The application was violence, but the neatness and delicacy within it were far from that.

‘I didn’t know before.’

Now, I could vaguely see it.

I wondered why he used such rough energy for a Taoist, but…

‘It’s the opposite.’

Among Taoists, No-ya’s energy was neat and orderly.

Depending on how he used it, it could become a sharp sword, or perhaps just scattering flower petals.

‘…Hah…’

Thinking that far, it was quite funny.

‘What am I realizing while watching something like this?’

It was utterly ridiculous to be realizing such things while witnessing someone being smashed.

Just then.

“Yusa.”

“Keu-heu…”

Shin No-ya spoke, looking at the staggering Yusa.

“What’s important is ultimately one thing. As always. For you, it’s whether to do it or not. Only that matters, so stop this pointless act and let’s talk, shall we?”

“Talk… what talk… there’s nothing to discuss with a traitor…”

“How long will the Master keep you by his side?”

“…”

Yusa, who seemed unbreakable, suddenly fell silent at No-ya’s words.

Then, after a short while, he spoke again.

“What nonsense…”

Yusa’s voice as he spoke was truly strange.

I could feel a tremor, as if he had hit the nail on the head.

Perhaps No-ya sensed it too. Without erasing his smile, No-ya continued speaking to Yusa.

“You know it too, don’t you? You, with your sharp intuition, couldn’t possibly not know this. You’re just pretending not to know. Aren’t you?”

“Don’t spout such nonsense-! What do you know, you who already left…!”

“If that’s not the case, then why did you bother returning to Yawal, leaving Chaos behind?”

“…!”

Yusa’s eyes widened at No-ya’s words.

“…How did you know that…”

“Kkeul-kkeul-kkeul.”

Shin No-ya chuckled at Yusa’s surprised reaction.

“No matter how much of an old man stuck in the back room I’ve become, I too have eyes and ears.”

Seuuk.

As he spoke, No-ya loosened his grip on Yusa.

I thought he would immediately cause a ruckus if released, but Yusa’s reaction was calm.

“With the disappearance of Mujeogaeng, the generals other than Yar-ang should be quite noisy right now. Why are you, who should be the busiest, here?”

“…”

“If you think about it, you know it too, don’t you?”

“…Shut up.”

“That the Master desires some change. And.”

“Shut up…!”

Kkeu-geu-geuk-! The ropes were gradually loosening.

Isn’t this dangerous? As I swallowed nervously and observed the situation.

“If there is a change. That you might be the first to change. You know all of that-“

“Shut your mouth!”

Kwah-deu-deuk-!!

Yusa roared.

At that moment, the ropes snapped, freeing him.

Gu-bong saw it and quickly reached for his sword.

I also tensed my heart in response.

However.

“Yusa.”

The situation I was worried about didn’t happen.

Even though Yusa got up after the ropes were cut, he didn’t charge at No-ya.

“You were originally the ruler of the moonlit night, meant to be the most brilliant.”

Though hostility and killing intent were evident in his eyes.

He merely glared.

In such a situation, No-ya, as if anticipating this, continuously spoke to Yusa.

“How did you become so shabby? Forgetting what you desired, even the color of your fur has faded–“

“Stop your tricks and speak plainly. Hwayeon (華演). What do you want to say?”

Yusa interrupted Shin No-ya and spoke.

Hearing those words, I perked up my ears.

Hwayeon. The way Yusa addressed No-ya was peculiar.

“You should have stayed hidden like a dead mouse. Why appear now and act so ridiculously?”

Yusa approached with a furious expression. The tail attached to him grew larger and larger.

His light green hair began to grow longer.

Seeing that, No-ya said.

“Yusa.”

No-ya’s eyes, as he spoke, showed no fear towards Yusa.

“I have a proposal for you.”

“You? For me?”

“I will grant you the dream you desired.”

What Yusa desired? Mentioning that changed Yusa’s expression.

He seemed to realize what No-ya was trying to say.

“…You.”

“Yusa, don’t you want to become the master of this land?”

“…!”

As Shin No-ya spoke.

“I… will make it happen.”

It might be my imagination, but the surrounding air felt momentarily still.

**********************

After some time, at the same place as before.

As dusk began to settle, I sat perched on a building, gazing at the sky for a moment.

Glancing behind me, I saw the ground damaged and fragments scattered in various places from the earlier incident.

I let out a quiet sigh amidst the ruined space.

Hearing the sound, someone sat next to me. It was No-ya.

“Why the long face?”

This fellow was holding something in his hand amidst all this.

I looked, and it was a skewer. What is this now?

I wondered why he was suddenly holding a skewer, and looked beside him.

Gu-bong was also inexplicably holding a skewer.

Judging by his expression, it didn’t seem like he got it because he wanted to eat it.

It looked like No-ya had forced it into his hand.

“Eat up. It’s delicious.”

“…You can still eat this at a time like this?”

“We do everything to live, after all. So we must eat.”

“This is absurd, really.”

His confident words were preposterous.

What was funnier was that I accepted it amidst all this.

Then, I naturally took a bite.

Annoyingly, it was also delicious.

Chewing it slowly, I looked at No-ya and asked.

“No-ya.”

“Yes.”

“What happened?”

The sunset continued.

Keeping my gaze there, I spoke to No-ya.

“What are you talking about?”

“I mean Yusa.”

That I mentioned the Master to him.

When I said that, No-ya made a short ‘Ah’ sound with his mouth.

“That?”

Although his attitude seemed nonchalant.

“Oh, that. It’s because Yusa was the one who was originally supposed to become the Master.”

“…”

The meaning behind his casually spoken words was far from light.

“…What does that mean?”

“Didn’t I tell you? Yusa was the most outstanding among the Yawal clan.”

The way he nonchalantly picked his nose and spoke was subtly infuriating.

“So he must have wished to become the Master himself, but… something happened.”

“What happened?”

“I don’t know the details myself, but I know it was something that would likely cause dissatisfaction.”

“…”

Yusa should have become the Master, but…

He couldn’t, and consequently, Mother became the Master?

‘What exactly is a Master in the first place?’

Wasn’t it something that existed alongside the world?

When I heard it from Mu-ah…

‘I heard that when the Master changes, all life is erased and recreated?’

The statement that Yusa couldn’t become the Master created a contradiction. It further suggested there were circumstances.

Furthermore.

“…Then…what about the words saying you were a General?”

The idea that Shin No-ya was originally a General but betrayed the current Master was also strange.

Honestly, this was more of a question for me than the earlier talk about the Master.

So I asked No-ya about it.

“That…”

This time, unlike before, No-ya’s eyes held a slightly more serious look as he shifted his gaze towards me.

And then.

“It was your mother’s request.”

Calmly, yet deeply.

“Not the Master of Man-gye, but… your mother.”

Then he uttered something rather peculiar.