The Descent of the Heavenly Horse (Part 3)

Half a year later.

A subjugation party was formed to eliminate Soyou.

The thirty-member subjugation party consisted of martial artists renowned by name alone.

‘We just call it Rocky Mountain.’

They gathered in front of a mountain that the residents of a nearby village called Rocky Mountain.

They were not lacking in martial prowess, but for some reason, they didn’t even think about climbing the mountain, just standing blankly in front of it.

-Zzzt, zzzt

A warning that they wouldn’t be left alone if they dared to set foot on the mountain.

The Killing intent emanating from the mountain’s owner was directed at the entire subjugation party.

“Just where is she… to have this much energy.”

Cheong-yeon, at the forefront with Ice Sword, muttered, and Ice Sword replied to his disciple.

“She may already have become a monster.”

Ice Sword’s gaze was fixed on one spot.

“Master? What are you looking at…”

Cheong-yeon couldn’t finish his sentence. He began to see the same thing his Master was seeing.

“Keuk….”

Someone was coming down the mountain, holding Yeomjin by the scruff of the neck.

Like an item bought at the market, Yeomjin was dangling back and forth, slightly off the ground.

“Wh, wh… what is that!”

At a glance, Yeomjin’s condition was not normal.

One arm and one leg were missing, and pus was flowing from her half-burnt head.

Her sunken eyes and the drool dripping from her mouth showed that she was not in her right mind.

Holding her in her hand was Soyou, wearing black martial robes with a white outer garment.

“Soyou….”

Cheong-yeon barely managed to steady his trembling legs.

Cheong-yeon’s long-standing nemesis, who came down the path made by herbalists, scanned the subjugation party indifferently.

“Eup!”

At that gaze, some of the martial artists collapsed to the ground.

“Only thirty?”

Soyou asked them back with a look that said, ‘Is this for real?’

“So, it wasn’t just chaff that came.”

Speaking from above, Soyou pointed at people one by one with her finger.

“Hwangeom, Dokcheol, Geobak….”

Soyou’s finger, which had been pointing out the major forces of the Righteous Sect one by one, stopped at one place.

“Ice Sword… and Bingryungong.”

Soyou’s slender index finger stopped at Cheong-yeon’s face.

“Yomryun Skill… no, Namgung Soyu. The world knows your sins.”

Ice Sword shouted as he drew his sword. Soyou looked at him without a word.

“My sins? What are my sins?”

At the brazen question, someone exclaimed in anger.

“How dare you be so shameless! Isn’t it you who slaughtered innocent martial artists!”

At the words of the man with the large axe, Soyou frowned, waving her hand as if she didn’t want to hear it.

“Ah… to have to talk to such ignorant beings.”

Soyou threw Yeomjin, who she had been holding in one hand, forward.

Yeomjin, whose body was not intact, rolled on the ground as she was.

“Ugh… uh….”

Yeomjin crawled on the ground, making animalistic noises.

She seemed to be struggling to get away from Soyou, covering herself in dirt with her incomplete arms and legs, heading towards the subjugation party.

“So, she wants to live.”

Soyou chuckled as if the sight was pathetic.

Soyou moved and approached Yeomjin, who was crawling diligently on the ground.

Then, she placed her right foot on Yeomjin’s head.

“Uhe…?”

Yeomjin turned her head at the pressure she felt on her head.

Her eyes met the emotionless eyes of the child who had once been her disciple.

“Die like a bug, bug.”

With those words, Soyou put strength into her right leg.

-Crack

With an unpleasant cracking sound, Yeomjin’s head burst open.

-Ugh! Ugh!

Someone in the subjugation party vomited at the sight of blood and brain matter splattering on the floor.

“You!!”

Someone couldn’t contain their anger at Soyou’s cruel act and broke formation.

The man ran in one breath and swung his sword at Soyou, but the sword never reached Soyou.

A huge Black flame soared up in front of Soyou, melting the man along with his sword.

-Sizzle

The man, who had become something sticky and unpleasant, was slammed onto the ground.

“Twenty-nine, was it?”

“Soyou!”

Cheong-yeon shouted. Then, Soyou’s eyes turned to Cheong-yeon.

“Didn’t I say that day, before I went to the Martial Arts Alliance?”

Soyou said, looking at Cheong-yeon.

“That if we met again, one of us would die.”

Soyou’s clear eyes stared at Cheong-yeon.

“Telling you the truth wasn’t meant for you to do this!”

“Do this?”

Tilting her head, Soyou flicked her hand, and presences began to be felt in the quiet surroundings.

“Ambush? I didn’t feel any presence at all?”

The entire subjugation party took out their weapons and took a stance as the presences increased like a river swelling in a flood.

“Cheong-yeon. I’ll ask again. What do you mean by doing this?”

Cheong-yeon said clearly, overcoming Soyou’s pressure.

“Pah ha ha ha ha ha ha!!”

Soyou threw back her head and laughed at Cheong-yeon’s answer.

Someone covered their ears and sat down at the laughter filled with inner energy.

“Ah~ yes, yes. The right path. Justice. That’s what you guys were pursuing.”

Soyou said, wiping away the tears that had formed from laughing so much.

She continued to giggle and continued.

“But what can I do, the justice you speak of is just a collection of nice-sounding actions….”

“Is it justice to suck the blood of the weak, saying there’s nothing you can do?”

Soyou’s head turned to someone in the subjugation party.

“Or is it justice to protect others for a regular fee?”

“Is it justice to conduct unspeakable experiments on the powerless for the sake of the family’s goals?”

“Or… is it justice to take the sacrifice of the few for the sake of the many for granted?”

Black flame began to surge from Soyou’s body.

“If that’s the right path, I won’t walk it. Even if I’m called evil, I won’t pursue it.”

“Perhaps breaking down this rotten justice is evil.”

A thick Killing intent and unbearable pressure covered the subjugation party.

“Everyone, prepare for battle!”

Ice Sword shouted, sensing the impending death.

“Yes, righteous ones, fall to the ground.”

Soyou gave a sad smile, recalling the face of the disciple who had left.

“I am the evil that will burn all the justice in this world.”

“Standing at the pinnacle of all evil and demons in the world….”

“I am the Heavenly Demon.”