Don’t Bow Your Head (2)
The Bishop’s glacial gaze fixed on the empty space where the Law Enforcer’s right hand should have been.
His eyes slid from that blackened, half-dead shoulder to the box the man was carrying.
“Bishop.”
The Law Enforcer looked straight at him with a hard expression and began to speak.
“I failed to carry out your order to recover the Ice Crystals taken by the people of the Central Plains, but I was fortunate enough to find the Ice Crystals Seol Cheon-sang had hidden away and bring them back.”
The Bishop’s brow twitched.
He seemed to think in silence for a moment before finally speaking in a slow voice.
“You lost half of our followers.”
“……”
“And you came back with your life hanging by a thread.”
“……I’m sorry.”
Watching the Law Enforcer bow his head, the Bishop gave a slow nod.
“Excellent.”
At the words he had never expected to hear, the Law Enforcer jerked his head up and stared at him.
“It is clear something unforeseen happened, and yet you still completed the task. You were more than excellent.”
He began to tremble all over. Then, as though swept up in emotion, he shut his eyes tight.
It felt as if that one sentence from the Bishop had repaid everything.
“Give me the Ice Crystals.”
“……”
But even after the order fell, the Law Enforcer did not move a muscle, still clutching the box of Ice Crystals to his chest. He only looked at the Bishop with resolute eyes.
The Bishop’s forehead creased faintly.
“What are you doing?”
“Bishop.”
The Law Enforcer slowly bowed his head. The motion was filled with desperate sincerity.
“Please do not turn away from this small request from the one who risked his life to bring back the Ice Crystals.”
“……”
Realizing what he was asking, the Bishop’s face twisted. He glared at the Law Enforcer for a long moment before speaking in a low voice.
“Do you not understand that nothing can take precedence over His resurrection?”
His voice carried a chilling killing intent. He was clearly ready to sever the man’s head on the spot if the answer displeased him.
Yet the Law Enforcer met that pressure with calm composure, taking it into his entire body.
“That can only be achieved if you are here.”
“……”
“Cheon Ma’s Return, Ten Thousand Followers Rejoice. Bishop, please do not turn away from the small request of those who have upheld and carried that will.”
Looking down at the Law Enforcer with displeasure, the Bishop eventually let out a low sigh.
“You foolish fool.”
He opened the front of his robes.
When the Law Enforcer glanced up and saw his bare chest, he bit his lip.
A strangely beautiful, slightly bluish ice—less pure than eerie—covered his body from the left side of his chest all the way to his right flank.
It was a bizarre sight that would have startled anyone.
“Bring it here.”
“Yes.”
The Law Enforcer took two Ice Crystals from the box and held them out respectfully. But the Bishop took only one of them and pressed it against the mass of ice on his chest.
Crack—crack-crack-crack!
The Ice Crystal drove into the frozen mass. At the same time, the white ice slowly began to take on a blue hue.
“Hngh.”
A low groan slipped from the Bishop’s mouth, whether from pain or cold, it was hard to tell. But in contrast, his once pallid complexion gradually began to flush with color.
“Is it done?”
At the Bishop’s question, the Law Enforcer clenched the remaining Ice Crystal in his hand.
The regret in his eyes did not disappear completely, but he knew better than anyone that he had to stop here.
Kneeling, he put the Crystal back into the box and respectfully handed it over.
“Here it is.”
The Bishop’s fingertips trembled slightly as he accepted it.
As he checked the Ice Crystals, a surge of emotion flooded his eyes.
At last…
His hand tightened around the box.
At last, the final condition for the resurrection ritual had been secured. Soon, the world would behold the resurrection of Cheon Ma with its own eyes.
But…
The Bishop, who looked as if he might rush off to begin the ritual at any moment, remained rooted to the spot and stared at the Law Enforcer.
“Bishop.”
The Law Enforcer smiled faintly with a pale face and spoke in a weak voice.
“Cheon Ma’s Return, Ten Thousand Followers Rejoice. Cheon Ma’s resurrection is the wish and duty of every follower.”
“……”
“But please do not forget that no wish has meaning unless you yourself are safe.”
“You impious wretch…”
Even under the Bishop’s angry rebuke, the Law Enforcer only smiled.
“Cheon… Ma… has returned. Ten thousand… followers…”
His head slowly tipped downward.
“Please… fulfill the great plan…”
Thud.
And then every movement stopped completely. The Bishop quietly watched the man who had fallen still, his breathing gone, and slowly closed his eyes.
It was remarkable enough that he had lasted this long after burning through even his own innate qi. He should have died long ago; he had dragged a body that ought to have collapsed on the spot all the way here, powered only by the will to deliver the Ice Crystals to him.
“You were excellent.”
With a low murmur, the Bishop casually waved a hand through the air.
White flames burst from the seated corpse of the Law Enforcer. The fire roared to life and rapidly swallowed the body whole.
After watching it for a moment, the Bishop turned and walked deeper into the cave.
...It seems the rabble from the Central Plains are stronger than I expected.
Even that Law Enforcer had only managed to return alive after burning through his own innate qi.
It was a feat those ice-cave trash never could have accomplished.
Central Plains.
Before he knew it, the Bishop had clenched the ice covering his chest.
His face warped like a demon’s.
Those vile Central Plains vermin...
If not for this wound, he would have left this place himself and butchered every last one of those unbelievers who dared sully the sacred land where Cheon Ma would descend.
This scar, left behind by the vicious war that had taken everything from the sect, had trapped him in the coldest reaches of the North Sea.
Twinge.
The wound ached with a hideous chill.
The Bishop bit down hard on his lip, and on his face surged an uncontrollable hatred and fury, blue and raw.
Even now, whenever he closed his eyes, he could still see that demon-like man—the one who had cut into Cheon Ma’s chest.
I should have died there.
Because he had not died there, he had been forced to watch that demon’s sword reach Cheon Ma.
Even after more than a hundred years, the memory remained seared into his mind like a brand, driving him into vivid, living pain.
But…
“The nightmare ends now.”
Taking firm steps, the Bishop soon reached the deepest part of the cave. A vast hollow and the enormous painting of an Asura hanging there came into view.
A joy too great to describe flooded his face as he gripped the Ice Crystals.
“Cheon Ma’s Return, Ten Thousand Followers Rejoice!”
Soon, the world would know.
What true fear was.
＊ ＊ ＊
“Here it is! We brought all the Snow Pellets left in the Ice Palace!”
“Take them one at a time. These are pretty effective. Oh, there’s even one left for me?”
“Use this on your wounds! It’s the best blood-clotting ointment the Ice Palace has to offer!”
“Oh. This smells great. High-end stuff, huh? Really fancy!”
“Please, just think of this as your own home until you leave and rest as comfortably as you like! We’ll prepare the finest meals as well.”
“But do you have any more alcohol?”
Baek Cheon smiled with warm satisfaction as he watched Chung Myung chime in every time Seol So-baek spoke.
“Chung Myung.”
“Yeah?”
“...Weren’t we in a hurry?”
“We are.”
“...You don’t look like you’re in any hurry at all.”
“Come on. How can you say that? I’m in a huge rush right now. My insides are practically burning up.”
“That’s because you’ve been gulping down hard liquor like it’s water, you bastard!”
When Baek Cheon foamed at the mouth and lunged at Chung Myung, Yoon Jong and Jo Gul naturally grabbed both his arms and held him back.
“Ah, Sasuk, calm down a little. This isn’t the first time, is it? Why do you always react like this?”
“That’s exactly why I’m doing this! Exactly! How many times do I have to say it?”
“But Palace Lord is watching.”
“Grrr…”
Palace Lord?
That was even worse!
Baek Cheon stared at Seol So-baek with a look that said he could not understand a thing.
Ever since the previous night, after Baek Cheon had declared his intention to join the campaign against the Demonic Sect, Seol So-baek had been glued to Chung Myung as though he were a disciple of Mount Hua himself.
Fine. That much, he could perhaps understand. It might happen.
But…
“You said you wanted more alcohol?”
“We’re bringing it right now!”
“Hah. These guys make good liquor. Must be because they live somewhere cold? It’s got such a kick to it, just slides right down—”
“You rotten bastard!”
“Gwahk!”
Unable to stand it any longer, Baek Cheon grabbed Jo Gul and hurled him at Chung Myung. But Chung Myung simply twisted his body aside and dodged him with ease.
Thud!
Jo Gul slammed into the wall and slid down with a groan.
Watching that, Chung Myung clicked his tongue.
“Why are you throwing the kid around? If he did something wrong, just say it with words. You can’t keep insisting on violence, Sasuk.”
“Hnngh… my, my wound…”
“Calm down a little, Sasuk. You’ll tear it open.”
“...I told you to stop drinking, you punk!”
Watching the room descend into utter chaos, Seol So-baek kept wiping the sweat from his brow.
He could not believe these people were the same ones who had been driving the Demonic Sect back.
Mount Hua’s people aren’t all like this, right?
Seol So-baek clung to that useless little hope for no reason at all.
“Amitabha. Benefactor Baek Cheon, please calm yourself a little.”
“...Monk.”
Hye Yeon, who had been silent until now, spoke with a gentle smile.
“I understand your impatience, but this is not something that can be solved by us rushing alone. It will take at least a full day just to treat the wounded, reorganize the survivors, and prepare to fight the Demonic Sect.”
Baek Cheon let out a long, stifled sigh.
“I know that, but…”
He was impatient. No, “impatient” was not enough to describe it.
The resurrection of Cheon Ma.
Who could not understand the weight of those words?
But the meaning of them felt entirely different now than it had a few days ago. Two reasons made all the difference.
First, once he had seen how strong the Demonic Sect was—and, at the same time, how utterly insane—he had begun to understand just how terrifying the existence they worshiped as a god must be.
And second…
If those lunatics are plotting something in Cheon Ma’s name, then it definitely isn’t some empty bluff or delusion.
The dead return to life.
At first, he could not dismiss his doubts about whether such a thing was even possible.
But now he could be certain. Seeing those bastards behave with such madness, there had to be some path they had found.
So how could he stay calm? How could he possibly keep his composure?
“If we drag this out, it might become irreversible! Shouldn’t we hurry?”
When Baek Cheon asked with a grave expression, Chung Myung put down the liquor bottle he had been drinking from and shrugged.
“We should hurry.”
“Right!”
“But that’s not for us to decide.”
“...Huh?”
Chung Myung turned slightly and looked at Seol So-baek.
“Just bringing down one Law Enforcer and repelling a few Demonic Sect bastards cost us this much. And you’re saying there’s a Bishop there too?”
“……”
“Of course that bastard probably isn’t a proper Bishop, but in the Demonic Sect, the title of Bishop means everything. Not just anyone can call himself one. He’s probably a monster in his own right.”
A heavy silence settled over the Mount Hua disciples. Chills ran down their spines as they looked at Chung Myung and held their breath.
Had Chung Myung ever praised anyone so highly before? This was Chung Myung, the one who looked down on almost everyone in the world.
Even the Abbot of Shaolin had never received such an assessment from him.
“If we charge in half-prepared, we’ll really get wiped out. So stay calm, Sasuk. The more urgent the situation, the calmer you have to be.”
The tension slowly left Baek Cheon’s shoulders.
Chung Myung snorted and tossed the Snow Pellets Seol So-baek had brought to the Mount Hua disciples, one by one.
“Eat them and circulate your qi. You’ll have to fight again once you open your eyes.”
“...Understood.”
With their haste finally reined in, they put the Snow Pellets Chung Myung had given them into their mouths and sat cross-legged where they were. Even Hye Yeon began his circulation, and in an instant the room fell quiet.
Chung Myung quietly looked over them.
When had they grown this much? Those tiny little chicks had matured enough now to lead other sects.
So this is what “proud” feels like, huh?
Scratching the back of his head, Chung Myung said to Seol So-baek,
“You should get some sleep too.”
“I’m fine.”
“I know you haven’t slept a wink since yesterday. We’re heading back into battle, so stop being stubborn and get some rest already. Taking care of your body is one of a leader’s duties.”
“...Yes.”
Seol So-baek did not refuse again and settled himself into a corner. Before he had even taken a few breaths, he had fallen asleep instantly.
Listening to Seol So-baek’s quiet breathing, Chung Myung looked at everyone with pity in his eyes.
Just thinking about how the younger generation was suffering because their predecessors had failed to resolve things properly made his stomach ache as though someone were gouging it out with a knife.
If I had just been a little stronger, none of this would have happened.
The Snow Pellets had strengthened his internal energy somewhat. But he still had not fully fused the senses of his past self with this current body.
If not for that sense of mismatch, he would never have let the Law Enforcer slip away.
I need to get stronger.
He had to recover his original strength as quickly as possible. So that no one else would get hurt, and no one else would suffer.
Resurrection?
What a ridiculous load of crap.
Clenching his fist, Chung Myung ground his teeth.
I’ll make sure they never get to spout that nonsense again.
Then he closed his eyes lightly where he sat.
This level of internal injury did not require circulation to manage.
How much time had passed like that?
Knock, knock.
At the sound of someone rapping on the door, Chung Myung slowly opened his eyes.
“Come in.”
Creak.
At his permission, the door opened and Han Yi-myung came in with a hardened expression.
“The departure preparations are complete.”
“Hmm.”
Before replying, Chung Myung looked over his shoulder.
By now the Mount Hua disciples and Hye Yeon had finished circulating their qi and were staring at him with bright, focused eyes.
There was no sign of the earlier impatience or anxiety. Only firm determination remained in their gaze.
Chung Myung smiled slightly and asked,
“And the rest of you?”
“Of course we’re ready.”
At Baek Cheon’s answer, he nodded.
“Good. Then let’s go! Time to smash the Demonic Sect bastards’ heads in.”
A chilling curve twisted the corners of his mouth.
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