What Is a Human to Live For? (2)
A brilliant flash erupted.
Using Kim Yeon’s and my abilities, I connected with Goe-gun’s consciousness, and Oh Hye-seo’s power summoned his past memories within it.
Seo Hyoel knew exactly which memories of Goe-gun were the most painful. He locked onto the coordinates and shot through like a bolt of lightning.
After a while, we found ourselves facing a certain **scene**.
“Exactly. There’s more. Let’s wait until then.”
A dark room.
Yes, it felt like the inner east.
Peeking into someone else’s memories wasn’t my first time.
I had caught glimpses of the “one step before the throne” strike while observing others from time to time.
For instance, during the thirteenth loop, when I inserted the All-Heaven Sword into Goe-gun’s mind, I had briefly seen a scene from his memories.
It was also then that Seo Hyoel had discreetly told me about Takhon Mancheon.
Anyway.
When viewing someone else’s memories, criminals’ were usually first-person.
But the memories of **Suda-ja** were completely different.
Because of their consciousness domain, every memory was filtered through everything they could sense inside it, making their recollections overwhelmingly third-person—though a subtle mix of both perspectives remained.
That was why, within Goe-gun’s memories, I could watch what he was doing.
“Must be. Next time, I’ll do it with her.”
In his younger days, Goe-gun—his face adorned with six colors—made that vow while swallowing an unknown pill, eyes closed, and poured his focus into cultivation.
After swallowing the pill and practicing for a while, the two patterns that had been half-merged on his face finally fused completely.
Only five colors remained on his face.
He opened his glowing eyes and whispered.
“Wait… I will definitely meet you… I promised that we would grow old together… so…”
Goe-gun’s vow was breathtakingly beautiful, like a dream.
Then, beside me, Seo Hyoel’s consciousness appeared.
“Huh… Even though I guided it myself, Jo Yeon and the Jo clan have always surprised my expectations.”
“…?”
“Well then. Let’s cover Goe-gun’s most hated memory.”
Splash, gush—
Seo Hyoel’s consciousness transformed into a black liquid that began to fill Goe-gun’s consciousness.
Crack—
His Takhon Mancheon’s black darkness filled in Goe-gun’s memories.
Noticing the surroundings darken, I shielded Kim Yeon and my own consciousness.
That was when—
Flash!
We were violently ejected from Goe-gun’s mind by an overwhelming force.
“W-what is this…!”
I felt a jolt when I identified the sealing array pushing us away.
This was unmistakably a **Gimyoseongsimjeon**.
Paaat!
Upon regaining consciousness, I stood right in front of Goe-gun.
The moment I met his eyes, I knew.
“Goe-gun has awakened.”
At the same time, I realized something was wrong.
“Remove your hand.”
The madness had vanished, yet his eyes were bloodshot, and killing intent poured from every pore.
I loosened my grip and stepped back a pace.
He shot me a glance, then turned to look at Seo Hyoel’s projection behind me.
“Goe-gun senior. The current Gwanghan Realm…”
The next instant, Goe-gun ignored us completely, immediately controlling the Gimyoseong Castle to blow Seo Hyoel’s body apart.
Huk!
He turned his head to me and said,
“You teamed up with Seo Hyoel?”
“…For now, let’s form a temporary alliance…”
“Then die.”
The next instant, [Her] and the current-year puppet rushed at me.
Kwadudeudeuk!
‘Damn it…’
My mind was clear, yet I felt even more furious and drenched in killing intent.
I glanced at Goe-gun.
The consciousness that had once mixed every color now burned purely with bright red and deep crimson.
This was a Goe-gun filled with hatred and resentment toward the world.
‘I’ve never seen this kind of Goe-gun before.’
The Goe-gun who regained consciousness was always calm, possessing the will of Laozi and Zhuangzi.
That was why I had vaguely expected the same this time.
But this time it was a completely different entity.
“You didn’t tell me about Takhon Mancheon when you kidnapped my disciples and used the strike. And now you teamed up with Seo Hyoel. Have you already been infiltrated by that bastard?”
“There is no way, Goe-gun-nim.”
“Then why…!”
Kwoong—
I blocked the current-year puppet and [Her] with a heavy step and closed in on Goe-gun.
“Look.”
I revealed my own consciousness without reservation to Goe-gun.
“…!”
Seeing that, Goe-gun looked startled.
Through the Gimyoseongsimjeon, the sight of my blazing hell must have been terrifying.
“Senior’s rage and pain…”
Plop, plop…
The moment I recalled that time, black tears welled in my eyes.
“I understand it all too well. No matter how strong Takhon Mancheon is, we who have already been broken cannot be invaded. Isn’t that right, Goe-gun senior?”
Goe-gun stared into my eyes for a moment, then touched his temple and flicked his hand.
His Gimyoseongsimjeon stirred, and [Her] and [Black Margrave] flew off my body.
“…It seems Seo Hyoel made me forget one of the memories I cherish most. Thanks to the lack of information, I regained consciousness… but the emotions that came with that memory are gone too. I… can’t control this boiling rage. I will listen to your sincerity and your disciples’ words, but do not provoke my heart. I am a pressure bomb that can explode at any moment.”
I began explaining to Goe-gun, who looked as furious as Jeon Myeong-hoon.
“…First, a catastrophe has struck the Gwanghan Realm. Thanks to that… the human race had to be driven out of their own territories.”
I began with the humans losing their foothold and gave a brief overview of the situation.
Goe-gun listened, eyes bloodshot, and asked me,
“So you’re going to drive the Void Refinement monsters out of the world. Seo Hyoel will pull, you will push, and for now I’ll hold them back?”
“Correct.”
“…!”
Goe-gun glared at me with disgust and asked,
“Why should I?”
“That is…”
That was when—
Tschuchut—
Kim Yeon, connected to me through the Gimyoseongsimjeon, appeared beside me.
She created a Ganghwan clone and overlaid a projection on top of it.
She had once struggled at the Five Qi Consorting with the Origin, but now, after obtaining the Jade Garden of the Nine Zones, she quickly reached Deungbongjogeuk by linking the Naedan with her own.
[The reason is that there is something I must receive from you.]
Kim Yeon’s projection looked Goe-gun straight in the eye and said,
Upon hearing that, Goe-gun smirked and replied,
“Oh? You solved the homework I gave you well.”
[Yes. Everything has been interpreted. Therefore, please help the disciple who has inherited your teachings.]
However, Goe-gun snorted and said,
“You’re talking nonsense, disciple. If you had fully interpreted the technique I created for you, you should have already reached great mastery of the Gimyoseongsimjeon. But you didn’t. The reason is obvious. You received help from someone, didn’t you?”
Kim Yeon nodded.
[Correct. I received help from a fellow Gate Dharma Refiner like you.]
Goe-gun’s eyes bulged.
“Help from a Gate Dharma Refiner… So the dirty bloodline of the Jo clan is still spreading?”
Paaat—
He ground his teeth and whispered.
“Shivering… It’s truly vexing. The grudge with the family…”
I narrowed my brows while watching Goe-gun.
His emotions were boiling violently, and it seemed he might be going to kill Buk Hyang-hwa.
But the next instant.
[Then what will you do?]
Kim Yeon asked Goe-gun instead.
[Do you really think you can do anything to the person I protect?]
“…!”
Goe-gun glared at Kim Yeon for a moment.
Then he closed his eyes.
“…Fine. Whether I received help from a Gate Dharma Refiner or not, I’ve already received my command. You already know what I want.”
[Yes. I also know that the only one who can fulfill your unfulfilled wish is me.]
“Exactly. But… to fulfill my wish, you need more than this level of Gimyoseongsimjeon. You were too sloppy in interpreting my homework and failed to reach the proper realm. I’m sorry about that.”
Goe-gun’s bloodshot eyes stabbed into Kim Yeon.
“…I’ll help you this time. But next time, you must grow strong enough to fulfill my wish!”
[…Understood.]
Kim Yeon nodded, and the killing intent on Goe-gun’s face eased a little.
“Well then. I understand. Take me to that Soha or whatever. But do not bring Seo Hyoel in front of me. I will definitely lose my sanity.”
Tuk—
Goe-gun fired a condensed Gimyoseongsimjeon sphere at Kim Yeon’s projection.
It was clearly a realization Gimyoseongsimjeon.
Kim Yeon absorbed the sphere.
From a distance, I sent a voice transmission to Seo Hyoel, who was watching the Gimyoseong Castle.
“You stay back and follow. Goe-gun doesn’t seem to want to see you.”
Sending him my consciousness, he nodded.
[Understood. Then I’ll lead Goe-gun. I’ll prepare to pull him from the Star Realm with my wife.]
Tschutschut!
After saying that, Seo Hyoel vanished completely from the spot and disappeared without a trace.
Kugugugu!
The Gimyoseong Castle lifted into the air.
“Where to?”
“First, head toward the Qianyuan Inner Domain. That’s where the Biseondae was when we first lost.”
“I understand.”
Guiding the somewhat conscious Goe-gun through his rage and pain, I told Kim Yeon,
“Kim Yeon, since Goe-gun has regained consciousness, withdraw your consciousness.”
However, Kim Yeon looked troubled and spoke through the Gimyoseongsimjeon.
I heard her words and furrowed my brows, head aching.
“…Ignore it for now. There’s no time to argue…”
And that was when—
Pak, pakjjik!
[Wait a second, senior. If you do that, it won’t… Eeet!]
Kwachijjik!
Lightning flashed through Kim Yeon’s consciousness body, and her projection transformed into something familiar to me.
It was Yeon Wi’s projection.
She had clearly learned a secret technique to interfere with the opponent’s consciousness and project body, as befitting someone who had lived over forty thousand years.
“Seo Eun-hyun!”
Kwak!
As soon as Yeon Wi’s projection appeared, she grabbed me by the collar.
“You… What the hell did you do! Where did the four disciples of the Geumsincheonroemun go?! How much more are you going to take from me! Haaah!!”
She clung to me, teeth grinding, tears streaming.
“How long! Are you only going to keep taking from us!”
---