Chapter 445: A Twist (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 445: A Twist (3)
Rustle…
Leaves drifted down from the trees, carried on a sighing wind.
A woman bent down and picked up one of the fallen leaves from the ground.
Though it should have been vibrant with the colors of the season, the leaf was utterly dead and brittle.
“…”
The woman frowned slightly at the sight.
After staring at the lifeless leaf in her palm, she lifted her gaze, searching for the cause.
The reason lay directly before her.
The border of Sichuan stood like a wound upon the land. Beyond it, a forest was choked by a dark, miasmic aura, transforming what was once verdant into a desolate, hellish landscape devoid of all life.
The most shocking part was the speed of the decay. In just five short years, a thriving, green forest had been reduced to this state.
This was the influence of Demonic Qi.
The blighted forest also served as a stark warning to the Orthodox Faction.
After the Demonic Cult had annihilated the Tang Clan and slain the Poison Queen, they had poured their corrupting energy into this land. It was not merely a claim of territory,
…but a clear message that the Orthodox Faction must not cross this border.
Knowing this, the woman could do nothing but bite her lip in frustration.
Her golden pupils, usually bright with light, stared intently into the distance, as if searching for something—or someone.
So absorbed was she that she failed to notice the presence approaching from behind.
Rustle.
At the clear sound, her senses flared and her hand darted for her sword hilt.
Tap.
“…!”
But she was too slow. Another hand gently rested on hers, preventing her from drawing the blade.
The newcomer spoke with a light, knowing smile. “You seem to have much on your mind, Celestial Sword.”
It was an old man with strikingly white hair.
Recognizing him, the woman, the Celestial Sword, calmed the Combat Qi that had surged within her in shock. She immediately bowed her head in a gesture of deep respect. The old man held a position of immense authority.
“…I greet the Heavenly Venerable.”
He was one of the legendary Three Venerables.
The Celestial Sword’s eyes briefly took in his attire.
“…”
It was a somber gray.
The Heavenly Venerable had always worn the blue robes symbolic of his clan. But ever since the fall of the Namgung Clan, he had insisted on wearing only these dark, mournful colors.
The Last Scion of Namgung—that was another name by which he was known.
“You were so lost in thought you didn't notice me at all. Is something troubling you?” he asked.
The Celestial Sword offered a bitter smile. “My apologies.”
The Heavenly Venerable stroked his beard, his smile gentle. “There is no need for apology. I was merely concerned. If anyone should apologize, it is I, for startling you.”
“Not at all… I was simply spacing out. My mind was elsewhere.”
The Heavenly Venerable gave a light nod. After this brief exchange, the Celestial Sword asked a question, her expression tinged with exhaustion.
“Are you… joining us on this mission?”
“I am.”
The Celestial Sword’s lips tightened slightly. It seemed the reinforcement the Beggar King had mentioned was none other than the Heavenly Venerable himself.
“I heard from the Beggar King that we depart tomorrow. Is that the decision of the Lady of Resolution?”
The Lady of Resolution was the current chief strategist of the Murim Alliance.
“I have not received official word, but that does seem to be the case.”
The Heavenly Venerable’s gaze drifted to the side, a subtle hint that he was not entirely pleased with the decision. Yet, he voiced no complaint. Given the Lady of Resolution’s impeccable record, it was difficult to question her judgment, even when it was difficult to understand.
“…Will you be alright?” the Celestial Sword ventured.
The Heavenly Venerable gave her a strange look, then let out a soft, knowing chuckle. He understood precisely what she was asking. His participation in this mission meant disregarding the warning issued by the Heavenly Demon. A cold glint entered his eyes.
“Are you asking because you worry for my safety? Or because you fear how the Heavenly Demon will react?”
The Celestial Sword opened her mouth to reply immediately. “That’s obviously—”
She cut herself off, biting her lip. She had been about to say she was worried for him, but she realized that wasn't the whole truth. Understanding her own hesitation, she bowed her head low.
“I apologize for my rudeness…”
The sharpness in the Heavenly Venerable’s Qi softened. After a moment of silence, he slowly walked past her, stopping directly before the border that separated the outside world from the corrupted land of Sichuan.
“Raise your head,” he commanded, his voice deep and heavy.
“…”
“I know what concerns you.”
His voice held not anger, but a profound bitterness.
“…How ironic. That the mighty Three Venerables are held in place, unable to take a single step, by a warning from one person.”
“…”
Just one person.
Yet everyone knew the sheer terror that the Heavenly Demon represented.
-I will not permit the Three Venerables to enter this land from now on.
A single sentence from her had shackled their feet.
The power she had displayed since her emergence—fighting the Three Venerables to a standstill, unleashing calamities with a mere gesture—was enough to instill a deep-seated fear in all.
The Heavenly Venerable knew the truth, painful as it was to his pride: the Orthodox Faction and the Murim Alliance endured in the Central Plains only because the Heavenly Demon had chosen not to make her move.
No one understood why she had remained inactive these past years, but every martial artist of the Orthodox Faction, the Three Venerables included, knew this war would end the moment she grew serious.
What are you waiting for? the Heavenly Venerable thought, his mind fixed on that monstrous existence.
He could not comprehend her. She possessed more than enough power to end this conflict, yet she did nothing. The frustration was maddening.
He reflected on the Celestial Sword's concern. His earlier flash of anger had sprung from the bitter knowledge of his own powerlessness against the Heavenly Demon.
While he was here to assist, the plan devised by the Murim Alliance was for him not to set foot into Sichuan itself.
Haha.
He chuckled inwardly at the thought.
Not going to step in, huh?
How ironic the phrasing was. It was not a choice to stay out, but an inability to enter. The fact that he still clung to such pride in this situation angered him further.
The Heavenly Venerable closed his eyes.
He saw nothing. It felt like he was gazing into his own future.
Yet, within that void, he glimpsed a tiny, fragile light. It seemed so feeble that the slightest touch might shatter it.
Seeing this, the Heavenly Venerable opened his eyes and turned around.
There she stood, a woman with golden hair and golden pupils, much like the Sword Emperor in his youth. She was still staring into the blighted forest, clearly troubled. She appeared to be in her thirties, with a physique that seemed delicate, almost fragile.
To the Heavenly Venerable, she looked far too small and vulnerable to bear the weight she carried. And yet, she was the greatest hope of the Central Plains.
“…”
The Heavenly Venerable suppressed a sigh.
The fact that she was the world's hope, that he had to rely on her, that his own quest for vengeance had slowed to a crawl—it all pained him deeply.
He pushed the accumulating thoughts from his mind and began to walk. “…Let us go back.”
“Yes.”
The Celestial Sword fell into step behind him.
The words of the Silent Fist sent a tremor through the headquarters.
Forces of the Murim Alliance had begun gathering in a village just outside Sichuan. This action carried immense significance.
The Demon Emperor turned to the Silent Fist, his eyes alight with intrigue. “Is this true?”
“Yes, Captain.”
His gaze shifted away, pondering the report. He seemed full of questions.
I felt the same way.
What’s happening now?
The Murim Alliance was mobilizing its forces, and suddenly.
I had no memory of this occurring in the timeline I knew.
Moreover…
The Silent Fist’s earlier words echoed in my mind.
-The Celestial Sword is there as well.
…Why?
The Celestial Sword.
Wi Seol-Ah should not be in Sichuan at this point in time. Her role was to hunt Demonic Humans outside the province. Sichuan was the Heavenly Demon's domain; it was no place for her.
I don’t understand.
The Murim Alliance knew the stakes better than I did. They couldn't afford to recklessly throw her into a war zone. She was their last, best hope. Losing her would mean certain defeat.
Yet they are deploying Wi Seol-Ah?
To commit the Celestial Sword when their own plans seemed uncertain… the very thought made my head hurt.
I had been certain she would not appear in the coming conflict in Sichuan. But now, not only was the Murim Alliance massing its forces, but this had happened too.
Where did things start to go wrong…?
When did the story of this world begin to twist?
If I had to pinpoint a reason,
Is it because of me?
That was the most obvious answer, yet I still couldn't grasp it. Was it really possible for my presence to alter events to this degree? I understood the butterfly effect, but this was absurd.
This feels as if…
Someone has noticed that I’ve descended into this world.
It almost felt as if a conscious force was warping events because it had detected my presence.
I clenched my fist, a frown etching my face.
Whatever the cause, the Celestial Sword could not be allowed to participate in the upcoming events. She was this world's final hope.
Sigh…
I thought of the woman with the slight figure. What a terrible burden she carried. A burden no one else could bear, forced onto her shoulders alone.
…Damn it.
The thought made me want to curse aloud.
The so-called sky of the Central Plains was the Three Venerables. The Four Noble Clans were called its pillars. The Ten Sect Alliance grew powerful guarding their territories. All these powers existed, so why was a single young woman their only hope?
And I bit my tongue as I remembered the specific reason she couldn't afford to appear here now.
It was understandable why I reacted this way.
There was a very specific reason the Celestial Sword had become the hope of the Central Plains.
…Destruction of the Demon.
The unique power she possessed, specialized for one purpose: to fight against Demonic Humans.