Chapter 140
Chapter 140
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 140
Chapter Title: Resolution
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Mu-heun enveloped the villagers in the Myriad Fragrance and activated the formation. This formation would show them the dreams they most longed to see.
However, this was a different kind of illusion from the one the monster had cast. It was a formation designed to help them let go of the past, to gently and gradually accept their farewells.
To the Myriad Fragrance Grand Restoration Formation, he added Dragon's Blood Resin, Motherwort, and St. John's Wort to soothe their minds, finishing with Phantom Grass.
The residents were all asleep, but they would meet those they were spiritually connected to in a single, shared world.
Ga-seol stood on a hill where a cold wind blew. It was an utterly empty space. But there was someone else there with her. Ga-seol could feel tears welling up in her eyes.
What did it matter if a cold wind blew, if she stood in an empty space?
Her son was right before her eyes…
The person before Ga-seol was her son, Ha-pyeong, whom she had searched for so desperately. Outwardly, Ha-pyeong resembled his father, Ha-gak, in many ways, but inwardly, he was a much more fragile child. That was why she had always worried. She had hoped this child would never leave her side.
But Ga-seol had been unexpectedly separated from her son. She didn't know where he had gone, or even if he was alive. It was after her husband had disappeared, so she was even more worried.
Though she couldn't see it, she knew. Ha-pyeong must be suffering something terrible somewhere. And that she had to save him. But there was nothing she could do.
From a distance, Ha-pyeong ran toward Ga-seol. And like diving into a lake, he leaped into Ga-seol's arms and hugged her.
Ga-seol held Ha-pyeong tightly. They were finally reunited. Ha-pyeong wept endlessly. Seeing his ceaseless tears, it seemed he had endured incredible hardship.
Ga-seol wanted to open her mouth and say something.
She wanted to soothe him, to say, 'It's okay. It's okay,' but she didn't know if her son was okay. No, it was obvious he wasn't.
She wanted to ask, 'Are you okay? My son… are you okay?' But looking at her crying son, no words came out. She herself was shedding tears, and her throat was so choked up that she couldn't speak.
Just then, her son spoke.
Though sobbing, he spoke clearly.
"Mother, are you all right? Are you hurt? Did those bastards do anything to you?"
Ga-seol felt as if she had been struck by lightning. How many days had she wept while enduring the sorrow of losing her husband and searching for her missing son?
Even her emotions and thoughts had been controlled, but whenever she realized it was all a lie, an immeasurable sense of self-loathing would wash over her.
But that was nothing compared to what her son had suffered. Her son had lost his father, been captured by monsters, and subjected to horrific experiments.
The child's mind could not possibly be intact.
And yet…
Her son worried about her first. That fact was so sad, and yet she was grateful that her son seemed to have endured it well.
Ga-seol drew strength from her son's courageous words, wiped away her tears, and replied.
"I'm okay, what about you? How are you, are you okay?"
Ga-seol forced a smile,
and finally asked after her son.
To Ga-seol's question, Ha-pyeong answered without hesitation.
"I'm okay! I'm okay! I'm okay now."
Her son, who had overcome death, said he was okay. Even after suffering such terrible things, he had become a child who thought of his family before himself.
Ga-seol embraced Ha-pyeong, and for a while, they wept in silence.
*'If only… if only Ha-gak were here with us now.'*
Ga-seol was overcome with sadness that Ha-gak was not there at this moment. The greater her joy at finding her child, the sadder she became at the fact that Ha-gak was not there to share it.
Just then, the empty space turned pure white, and green vegetation began to surround them.
Then, they saw a weeping willow tree before their eyes. Next to the tree was a gravestone.
The name Ha-gak was carved on it.
Ga-seol looked at the gravestone and fell to her knees.
Then she spoke to Ha-pyeong.
"Your father... has passed away."
Ha-pyeong hugged Ga-seol from behind as she knelt before the gravestone and said.
"So Father is gone…?"
"Ha-gak was a sincere and inwardly strong man. He was also gentle, a man with whom one could spend a lifetime without regret…"
Ga-seol couldn't bring herself to look Ha-pyeong in the eye as she spoke. It was too hard to show him her eyes, so full of sorrow.
There, only the weeping willow, swaying in the wind, offered a gentle shade. The willow seemed to understand their emotions, quietly enveloping them.
Just then, Ha-pyeong spoke cautiously.
"So Father really is gone."
Ga-seol's heart ached. The sorrow of losing her husband and the joy of finding her son warred within her.
Finally, Ga-seol managed to speak.
"Your father is always with us."
At that moment, the wind began to blow fiercely. The branches of the weeping willow swayed, its leaves rustling against each other, making a sound like flowing water.
Swoooosh—
The sound, which seemed like random rustling, changed into something that seemed to be trying to convey a message. No, this was definitely a voice.
"Ga-seol. Ha-pyeong."
Startled by the sudden voice, Ga-seol and Ha-pyeong turned their heads to see the figure of Ha-gak slowly materializing before them.
Enveloped in a faint light, Ha-gak stood before them like a phantom. His form was hazy, yet distinct.
Ga-seol and Ha-pyeong stared at Ha-gak, mesmerized by the unbelievable sight. Just then, Ha-gak called to Ha-pyeong…
"My son."
Ha-pyeong immediately ran to Ha-gak and embraced him. He could feel a distinct warmth.
Ha-gak spoke to the son in his arms.
"You endured well. You did a good job."
Ha-pyeong could only cling to Ha-gak and cry.
"Son, you are the head of the family now. Be strong, and take good care of your mother."
Ha-pyeong quickly stood up straight, wiped his tears, and said.
"Yes…"
"Good. I can rest easy knowing you're here."
Ha-gak ruffled Ha-pyeong's hair, then approached Ga-seol, who was watching them. He placed a hand on her shoulder and spoke.
"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you until the end."
Feeling her tears would never dry, Ga-seol hugged Ha-gak tightly. Ha-gak held Ga-seol in his arms and said.
"Don't come to me too soon. Make sure you see the grandchildren Ha-pyeong will give you before you come."
Ga-seol looked at Ha-gak, wiped her tears, and said.
"Yes. I promise I will."
Hearing Ga-seol's answer, Ha-gak smiled peacefully, as if all his worries were gone.
"Then, farewell. Ha-pyeong, you listen to your mother."
With those final words, Ha-gak's body began to dissipate like scattering light, soon turning into dust that drifted into the air. It flew and flew, finally flowing into the weeping willow beside the gravestone.
The appearance of that weeping willow was identical to the one in front of Jade Flower Village, so Ga-seol and Ha-pyeong could feel it.
The dead had seeped into the willow, and would remain with the villagers forever.
And so, the villagers all awoke from the daydream Mu-heun had prepared.
When they awoke, the dawn was breaking, as if heralding a new beginning.
No longer were there people screaming or attempting to take their own lives. The people who had trembled with rage and sorrow, ready to give up on life, had become... people who simply covered their faces with their arms and wept.
The first and second-generation disciples of Kunlun could not hide their astonishment.
"What in the world…"
Leaving the astonished disciples behind, Mu-heun simply gathered all the fragrances he had shown them into his hand and had them absorbed by the weeping willow standing before the village.
***
That dawn.
Pae-seon and the elders relayed to Mu-heun what they had discovered while investigating Chipyeong Temple, and Mu-heun was lost in thought. Seeing Mu-heun's expression, Pae-seon thought he must have some idea.
"Well? Does anything come to mind?"
"Well... it's not that I don't have my suspicions, but nothing is certain yet…"
However, Mu-heun was hesitant to speak, so he paused for a moment before continuing.
"First, I will go to Chipyeong Temple and see for myself. Let us leave the village and head for Hubei. I will explain everything on the way. Also, as you will understand once you hear my story, the matter is of such gravity that I must request an audience with the Martial Alliance Leader."
Pae-seon and the elders considered this for a moment.
They were desperate to resolve their questions and find answers immediately. But they realized something. The events they were encountering, starting with their visit to Chipyeong Temple, might shatter their common sense and limitations.
The possibility that the truth lying before them was immense and shocking—that fear made them more cautious.
"Understood. Our first priority will be to sort things out in the village and depart for Hubei, but you must tell us the truth."
"I understand. Even if I discover nothing at Chipyeong Temple, I will tell you everything I suspect."
Mu-heun postponed his answer and headed for Chipyeong Temple.
The ruins of Chipyeong Temple were a tragic sight.
*'This much, I had already expected.'*
Mu-heun soon took the ashes of Changyeon and the other Yangtze River warriors and scattered them evenly around the temple grounds. These fine bone ashes had returned to their home.
*'I hope this eases some of your lingering regrets.'*
After scattering all the ashes, Mu-heun sought out the underground cavern that Pae-seon and the elders had mentioned.
Upon entering the cavern, Mu-heun immediately sensed the same scent he had detected from the monsters of Jade Flower County.
Behind the broken Buddha and Arhat statues, he could also see the word they had mentioned: Extinguish Wisdom.
*'Who wrote this?'*
Mu-heun immediately released the Myriad Fragrance to track the lingering scent.
Demonic energy… and a scent even more vile than that remained. He couldn't identify who it was yet, but if his memory of the Three Books on the Advent of the Chaotic Heavens' Inhuman Beings was correct, it had to be the Ghost Spirit and the Evil God.
*'So it is…'*
Just then, a curious thought occurred to Mu-heun.
If the Arhats knew about the beings his master, the Heavenly Demon, had fought over 300 years ago, wasn't this all part of a connected destiny?
In the end, Mu-heun released the Myriad Fragrance to survey his surroundings while using his Heavenly Demonic Ki to create a violet flame, heating the area.
The broken Buddha and Arhat statues, the burnt-out candles, and the damaged walls grew hot.
"…!?"
Just then, white smoke began to pour from the broken Arhat statues! The white smoke floated into the air and drifted about, seeming to resonate with his Heavenly Demonic Ki.
Then, the smoke, which had been moving erratically, began to flow in a regular pattern, forming something. They were characters, different from the ones Pae-seon and the elders had seen, and they floated in the air. The floating characters soon formed sentences.
[The highest good is like water.
Water is good; it benefits all things and does not compete.
It dwells in lowly places that people disdain.]
"The highest good is like water. Water benefits all things and does not compete, and it dwells in lowly places?"
'…'
Seeing those words, Mu-heun was certain.
There is another space beneath this cavern!
And the Arhats prepared it for me