Chapter 467: Nice To Meet You (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 467: Nice To Meet You (2)
Her legs trembled with every step, threatening to give out at any moment. Each movement was a monumental effort, each exhale a heavy, labored gasp. Her dantian was utterly depleted, her body pushed past its limits. Yet, she could not stop.
Crack.
The Demonic Sword walked on, the sound of dried leaves crumbling underfoot marking her progress.
“Hah… Hah…”
She was completely breathless. A single moment of relaxation would send her crashing to her knees. Clenching her jaw against the pain, she forced herself forward. She was almost there. If she was going to collapse, it had to be at her destination. Fueled by sheer determination, she finally arrived.
“…!”
The moment she did, the Demonic Sword instinctively took a step back.
It was an ordinary, empty plain, yet the air was so thick with condensed energy it was difficult to breathe. What was this? What could have happened here to saturate the area with such power? She placed a hand over her dantian. Was it the energy in the air? She felt a faint tremor within.
She scanned her surroundings, searching for the Heavenly Venerable.
…Where…?
She had felt his qi clearly just moments ago, but now he was nowhere to be seen. She considered sharpening her senses to search further, but it was impossible with her reserves completely empty.
Then, suddenly…
“…Ah.”
A gasp escaped her lips as she spotted something in the distance.
A figure was seated on a rock. Its shadowy, indistinct form seemed strange, not quite human, but the Demonic Sword recognized its identity immediately.
She ran.
Walking had been a struggle, but the sight of the figure gave her the strength to run without a second thought. As she drew closer, the figure’s gaze shifted to her.
“Hm.”
The Demonic Sword skidded to a halt directly in front of him.
Something felt different. A change in appearance meant nothing to her; that wasn't what she cared about.
However—
“…Who… are you…?”
The words left her lips in an instant. This was not the man she was looking for.
Noting her reaction, the figure tilted its head slightly.
“Oh?”
It seemed amused. “I wondered who it was. So it’s this brat’s wife.”
“…?”
The Demonic Sword’s pupils shook. Wife…?
Ignoring her shock, the figure’s eyes swept up and down, appraising her.
“…Woah.”
It sounded genuinely impressed. “You are much better.”
“…”
She didn’t understand what he meant.
Clack.
The Demonic Sword drew her sword—the Thunder Fang. Though she lacked the qi to form a blade, she was prepared to burn her life force if necessary.
“…Where is he…?”
“…”
The figure—Shincheol—remained silent for a moment before asking, “Let me ask you one thing. Is Myung inside you?”
“…”
The Demonic Sword’s eyes widened in shock at the name. “How…?” The question slipped out before she could stop it. She never expected to hear that name from anyone else.
“…I see. So he really is in there.” His voice was laden with a deep, profound longing and sadness. “Child. Did that bastard say anything to me?”
“…”
The Demonic Sword tightened her grip on the Thunder Fang.
[…]
She should have heard a voice from the sword, but it remained strangely silent. The quiet was deeply unsettling.
“…Who… are you?” Her hostility had faded. Her intuition, which was never wrong, told her this figure was not an enemy.
“Who am I, you ask…” Shincheol thought for a moment, hand on his chin. “A remnant of the past. That’s all.”
“…”
“Do not worry. This bastard is fine.” He waved a hand dismissively.
Seeing this, the Demonic Sword relaxed her stance. Strangely, she felt relieved by his words.
Watching her, Shincheol smirked inwardly. The bastard is stupidly lucky with girls. He knew this wasn’t the world he or Gu Yangcheon had known. So many things were different, yet this girl still loved that fool. How was that even possible in a completely different world?
Damned bastard.
As always, Shincheol felt no fondness for him. Another surprise was how quickly the girl had recognized this body as Gu Yangcheon’s. Shincheol quietly placed a hand on his chest.
Thump… Thump…
He could still feel vibrations from within. He didn’t know what was happening inside, but it was clearly a monumental struggle.
Overcome it.
That was all Shincheol could wish for in this situation. He didn’t know what change would come after the vibrations ceased, so he could only pray Gu Yangcheon would overcome the challenge.
Moreover,
You can do it.
Shincheol believed it. He might want to curse the man out daily for his nasty personality, but he didn’t believe Gu Yangcheon was the type to die in a place like that.
“Child.”
Shincheol called out to the Demonic Sword. As she lifted her head,
-!
His body faltered and began to fall.
Startled, the Demonic Sword rushed forward to support him. It didn’t matter who this person was; she knew whose body this was, and she acted without hesitation. Thankfully, there was no foul odor. Instead, she caught the faint, fascinating scent of flowers.
As he fell into her arms, Shincheol slowly closed his exhausted eyes. “Excuse me for a moment.”
He had reached his limit. He could no longer endure in this body and had to entrust the rest to her. He had wanted to hold on until Gu Yangcheon awoke,
I’m at my limit.
But for now, he had to close his eyes.
Just before his consciousness faded completely, he called out in an exhausted whisper, “…Myung.”
[…]
Then, the Thunder Fang in the Demonic Sword’s hand quivered slightly.
“Are you there, Myung?”
[…]
The vibration from the sword continued. The Demonic Sword sensed something was wrong. She should have been hearing its voice by now, but it was silent.
“If you are in there, listen very carefully.” Shincheol spoke with a faint smile, whether Myung was listening or not. “It was a joke seeing your descendants swinging their swords.”
[…!]
The Thunder Fang began to vibrate wildly.
Feeling its agitation, Shincheol continued, “I would’ve stuck my head in somewhere in embarrassment if I were you.”
[You piece of—]
“Serves you right. Hehe. It serves you right, you bastard.” After hurling a few more insults, Shincheol finally closed his eyes.
Immediately, a voice roared from the sword, so loud the Demonic Sword considered throwing the Thunder Fang away.
[…Pull it out.] The voice was seething with rage. […Pull your sword out immediately and cut him in half…!]
“…”
It was the angriest she had ever heard it. But she ignored the command, busy gently rubbing the young man’s back.
“…”
The figure was shrouded in so much darkness she couldn’t even see his face. How had he ended up like this? As she watched him with pity,
Crack—
“…!”
Something fell from his body. A black, flaky substance that vanished without a trace upon hitting the ground. The Demonic Sword quickly checked the body.
“…”
It wasn’t a one-time occurrence. The black aura clinging to him began to flake off piece by piece. Cracks spread across his form. Fearful he would shatter completely, the Demonic Sword hurriedly wrapped her arms around him.
As she held him tight,
Shiver—
The body began to vibrate violently.
That wasn’t the end of it.
Blaze—!!
Flames erupted from the cracks. A normal person would have recoiled, but she only held on tighter. The fire was astonishingly large, yet it gave off no heat. Clutching him desperately, the Demonic Sword prayed that nothing would happen to him.
* * *
Limp—
It was a slow, hobbling walk to leave the territory of Sichuan.
The old man trudged past dried, dead trees, his pace agonizingly slow. His face was utterly lifeless as he limped along. Though he was tall and once possessed a well-trained body, no one would now recognize him as one of the almighty Three Venerables, the Heavenly Venerable. He seemed to have shrunk.
Where was he going? He didn’t know. He walked without direction, his only thought being that he had to leave this place. But which way was out?
…Where was it again?
He had no idea. His feet moved, but his mind was blank. The sight from earlier was burned into his mind: the Three Swords of Mind towering in the air, radiating a power that had obliterated everything the Heavenly Venerable possessed.
What did he live his life for?
To avenge his destroyed clan. To save the world from the Heavenly Demon. That was his purpose. Where had it all gone wrong? The Heavenly Venerable knew nothing. His world had turned completely white, then crumbled into nothing.
Limp—
He lost his balance. With a final shred of effort, the Heavenly Venerable prevented himself from falling. The last vestige of his pride wouldn’t allow it. Recognizing this, he smirked at himself. Even in this wretched state, he was still clinging to his pride. How ironic.
“…It was pointless.” The life he had lived. The goal he had desired to achieve. All of it was meaningless. At least, that was what he thought now. “It was all pointless…”
“Is that so?”
Pause.
The Heavenly Venerable’s voice froze in his throat at the sudden, unexpected question. As he began to turn,
Clasp—
“Ugh…!”
A cold hand grasped his neck.
Squeeze—
The Heavenly Venerable was lifted into the air with ease, despite his nearly seven-foot frame. The arm holding him aloft was slender and soft.
“Ugh… Ugh…!”
The truly shocking part was his utter inability to resist. He could only gag and groan as the breath was choked from him.
“I ask you a question, shade of the Namgung Clan.” The mysterious speaker’s voice was calm.
Wave—
Long, black hair swayed in the wind. She had soft, white skin, and her eyes held a violet light that glinted like precious gems. Her beauty was shocking, but the Heavenly Venerable felt only pure, unadulterated fear.
Why.
Why was this monster here? No one could answer, not even himself. For the moment she appeared, this land naturally became hers domain. He felt the very space around him change. The energy, the pressure in the air—everything shifted, with her at the center.
“I clearly warned you not to enter the land of Sichuan. How come you are here right now?” The lady’s eyes curved into seductive crescent moons.
Rumble—
But the qi emanating from her body was overwhelmingly oppressive. Even the Heavenly Venerable found it hard to breathe.
“Perhaps, you took my words too lightly? That might be a problem.” She smiled, watching him slowly lose consciousness. “I’m not very fond of insects trying to climb up to my shoes.”
Finishing her sentence, the lady locked her gaze with the Heavenly Venerable’s.
In that moment,
Snap—
All light vanished from the world, leaving only darkness.