Chapter 179
Chapter 179
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter Title: The Fire Demon Winds Over So-ho (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Roar!
Once a serene village was now engulfed in flames.
It had been quite a large village, home to some five hundred households.
Just yesterday, children had been playing in the courtyards, cows pulling plows in the leisurely rural setting.
Roar!
The flames soaring to the heavens had turned everything crimson.
"This is how it should have been."
Gazing at the ceaselessly burning inferno, the Eightfold Apostle muttered.
"How reverent this sight is."
The world is pure and beautiful in its very existence.
But there was one blemish: the existence of humans, who dared to consume that great nature.
"Hahaha. I shall purify the world with these flames."
Madness blazed in the Eightfold Apostle's eyes.
"Apostle!"
Whoosh.
A Red Flame Corps member dropped from the sky, prostrating himself as he shouted.
"We have purified the surrounding areas."
All eight villages they had passed through on the way had likewise become seas of fire.
At this horrific report, the Eightfold Apostle laughed instead.
"Haha. The world has grown a bit cleaner."
"Shall we continue the purification?"
"No."
Snap.
Like a madman whose whims shifted abruptly, the Eightfold Apostle, having dropped his glee, waved his hand.
"We've set so many fires that even fools will come searching here."
Purification was fine, but now was the time for something far more important.
"It's time to let those righteous dogs who dare eye the Awakening Stone taste the fires of hell."
"As you command!"
Roar!
Just as when he first appeared, the Red Flame Corps member vanished in an instant, leaving only a small ember behind.
"Heh heh heh."
As the Eightfold Apostle turned to admire the scene still brimming with fiery glow, withdrawing his gaze from that spot.
"My lord."
Swish.
His loyal subordinate appeared like a ghost at his side, tilting his head.
"What is it?"
"The Wind Guest has arrived."
"The Wind Guest?"
As he snorted, a short gust whooshed~ and an elderly man in his eighties rose from the ground.
He was a very short old man, with a herbalist's basket slung on his back and a roughly hewn wooden staff in hand.
"It's been a while."
The Eightfold Apostle scowled at the light, breezy greeting.
"Chi Mu-kyung."
He froze.
The Eightfold Apostle, mid-laughter, furrowed his brow at Chi Mu-kyung.
"It's been quite a while since I last heard that name."
"Why? Doesn't it bring back fond memories? A name is something important that lingers in memory."
"I don't need it."
Chi Mu-kyung turned away curtly.
Roar!
Surrounded by white-hot flames matching his foul mood.
"Wind Guest. What brings you here?"
"I was just wondering how a fellow apostle was faring."
"Hmph. That old weasel's curiosity is as insatiable as ever."
"Also, while the Awakening Stone is important, causing such a massive incident will only worry the other apostles."
"If you're here to nag, save it."
Grind.
With one hand extended, raising flames, Chi Mu-kyung licked his lips.
"We're rivals anyway. Might as well eliminate one right now."
Roar!
The flames evolved from red to white-hot, singeing the tips of the Wind Guest's beard black.
"Still haven't figured it out?"
Swish.
With a tap of his staff, a gentle breeze swirled around the Wind Guest, pushing back the flames.
"That our affinities don't match well at all."
"... That just gives me more reason to erase you now."
"Don't misunderstand. I didn't come just to stop you."
But to help you, rather.
Before his words finished, the Wind Guest pulled a small box from his satchel and tossed it toward Chi Mu-kyung.
"Take it."
"What's this?"
"The item I promised earlier. I meant to deliver it before you started, but it seems I'm too late."
Click.
Opening the box warily, Chi Mu-kyung found a small stone glowing eerily inside.
"An Awakening Stone?"
How so quickly?
The Wind Guest sent an inscrutable smile toward his flustered eyes.
"I found a fine altar."
Chi Mu-kyung wore a puzzled expression as he eyed the Wind Guest's sly grin.
"It's incomplete, but it should allow awakening."
"Why give this to me?"
"I told you. I'm not interested in the cult leader. Only in the descent of the Demon God."
Chi Mu-kyung ground his teeth at the Wind Guest's slippery reply.
'Inscrutable bastard.'
The Wind Guest was always like this.
Appearing out of nowhere with baffling proposals or actions, throwing him off balance.
"Whew. What a massive blaze."
As if oblivious, the Wind Guest whistled at the village burning like giant logs.
"Can't tell you to stop after such a spectacular start."
Since you've begun.
"Burn it all as you please, spectacularly."
Then.
Swish—.
Chi Mu-kyung bared his teeth in a grin as he watched the Wind Guest vanish with the breeze.
"Heh. Damn fox."
'Even without your say, that's exactly what I'll do.'
His blazing eyes swept over the spot where the Wind Guest had disappeared.
Evacuating everyone from a great city like So-ho was no easy feat.
"Hurry! Move! In an orderly fashion!"
The remaining guards shouted themselves hoarse, but the city, counted by its vast population, descended into chaos as people fled.
"Oof!"
"Grandpa!"
An old man, shoved by the hasty crowd rushing out the gates, fell with a cry.
A boy who seemed his grandson reached for him, but was swept away by the throng.
"Sam-dol!"
As the old man desperately called out, reaching through the crowd toward his fleeing grandson.
"Here."
A slender hand suddenly helped the old man up.
"Take care, elder."
"Th-thank you."
Yeo Mae-hong smiled brightly as she watched the old man scramble away, then Moyong Seon-ya approached her side.
"It's total warzone."
"Yeah. Their eyes are full of fear."
The kind-hearted Yeo Mae-hong's face darkened at the sight of people snarling and fighting to survive.
"First time for something like this, right?"
"... And you, sister? You seem used to it."
"This kind of mess is new for me too. But whenever an incident happens, big or small, chaos ensues."
She muttered glumly, her gaze turning beyond the gates.
"The problem is that."
Yeo Mae-hong, looking at the same spot, swallowed dryly.
"I thought we'd at least have time to evacuate gradually."
"The flames have already reached there."
Far in the distance, a massive blaze shot into the sky.
That was why So-ho had become a pandemonium.
"The fire's approaching incredibly fast."
It was a blaze large enough to see over the walls.
Honestly, it was at the point where one might suspect a natural disaster.
"The flames are closing in, making people even more terrified."
It was incomparable to the recent demon sighting.
"Because they can see it with their own eyes and smell the smoke."
The fire seemed to tighten its grip on people's hearts, narrowing the distance just as slowly suffocating breath.
As Moyong Seon-ya swallowed her unease, a grim thought struck her.
'If the fire consumes everything here.'
Could this place ever be rebuilt?
'Even if rebuilt, how long would it take...'
The fire wouldn't just devour wooden structures.
Crops ready for harvest would burn, bringing famine to the region, and hunger would breed more bandits.
"No."
As she tried to shake off the ominous thought.
"Ah, life. Seriously."
A voice, lazily slothful yet oddly calming, pierced through the clamor.
'Instructor Chu Un-hwi.'
His usual indolent expression unchanged, his shambling gait had a strange power to dispel the gloom.
"Why do I have to deal with these snot-nosed brats."
Seo Ok-rang, following behind, yelled back at his grumbling.
"Why am I a snot-nosed brat?!"
"You! Stay away from the instructor!"
The two glamorous girls glared at each other, shouting.
"Here they go again."
"Sigh. Do they even know this is an emergency?"
"Good thing we packed our bags ready to leave anytime."
Following the familiar trio, more students poured out in a group.
"Instructor! If we leave like this, we'll fail!"
"Yeah. Is failing the issue in this mess?"
"Accept it. Accept it."
Chu Un-hwi sighed heavily, trailed by the noisy students, then his gaze turned their way.
"Hm?"
"Instructor Chu."
Yeo Mae-hong spoke first.
"Are we moving out now?"
"Yes. They said temporary instructors go first, but..."
Eyeing Yeo Mae-hong up and down, Chu Un-hwi asked.
"What are you doing here?"
"Well... We were directing the evacuation."
"Dump that annoying chore on someone else and let's bounce."
"Annoying chore...?"
"The students will get anxious without their instructor."
"Got it. We'll join up soon."
Yeo Mae-hong seemed to rethink at "students," then hurried off to one side.
"Ah, hot. Noisy. Seriously."
Moyong Seon-ya watched Chu Un-hwi grumble on, ignoring the massive wall of fire approaching So-ho.
"What about the senior instructors?"
"They were blustering about leaving last, heroically."
"Fitting for senior instructors."
"Instructor Moyong, not leaving?"
We'll burn to death if we space out.
She nodded glumly at the addition.
"We have to. Higher-ranking instructors are to stay till the end."
Seemed they ordered by skill level.
"Jeez. Such a hassle. Even in this chaos, they pull rank?"
"It's the rules."
Moyong Seon-ya smiled faintly and turned.
'Amazing. A short talk eased my worries.'
Truly a mysterious person.
She murmured firmly.
"Father's there, so no big issues."
"That's a relief."
"Safe travels."
The instructors' orders were simple.
Evacuate via the safest route, away from the fire, then assemble at a safe point.
'But it's not simple.'
Breaking through this horde of refugees would strain rookies.
'They might even turn into a mob.'
The experienced Moyong Seon-ya knew well how terrifying hungry people could become.
'Should I warn them?'
As she opened her mouth.
"It'll be fine."
At the steady, unwavering voice, Moyong Seon-ya realized anew.
"I've seen enough of the world's filth."
And was certain.
'He already anticipated this.'
Her eyes curved prettily as she realized her worries were unfounded.
"Take care of Mae-hong."
"She'll be safe. Worry about yourself, Instructor Moyong."
'Such a reliable guy.'
Moyong Seon-ya chuckled softly, turning to hide her warming cheeks.
Now it was her turn to hurry.
"Such heaven-defying scum."
Nangong Chan gnashed his teeth at the flames shooting skyward.
Roar!
Even for him, bearer of the Sword Saint's name, subduing those soaring flames was no simple task.
"Should I extinguish it?"
If he stepped up and rallied the people, he could buy time to contain it somewhat.
But he dismissed the thought immediately.
No matter how much he contained it, if it spread elsewhere, he'd be helpless.
Above all, something else grated on his nerves.
"Patriarch Emeritus."
The leader of the Heaven-Piercing Hundred Swords Brigade rushed up, shouting.
"Over there?"
Thud!
But before he could finish, Nangong Chan's form was already soaring through the air.
Boom! Thud!
With a single leap covering over twenty jang, Nangong Chan spotted the blood-robed fiends who had noticed him and recoiled in shock.
'Finally found you.'
A chilling smile curled on Nangong Chan's lips at his first encounter with the enemy.
Swoosh.
His single sword strike, descending like a bird of prey from the sky.
Shing!
Cleaved through the blood-robed assassins fleeing amid the acrid smoke.