It turns out, killing the self-proclaimed ‘Demon of Despair’ wasn’t a difficult thing to do. Baek So-hwi flicked her sword and immediately checked the technique book and the elixir which was included in the same box as the Soul-cleaving Sword.
[Demon Killing Swordsmanship]
Just by reading the title written on the cover, Baek So-hwi could know what was written on the book. It was a book which teaches swordsmanship specialized in exterminating demons. Maybe that’s why the techniques of the swordsmanship itself were completely focused on how to effectively and powerfully strike the target while removing all unnecessary movements such as the 4 basic techniques of martial arts used for dealing with humans.
[Dragon Elixir]
The name of the brown elixir was Dragon Elixir. And although it wouldn’t improve the internal strength, it was written that it had the effect of strengthening the user’s soul. Baek So-hwi did not know what it meant, but she knew that it had a very great effect in ‘demon hunting’.
‘An elixir, huh?’
Since elixirs were an exclusive property of the Shaolin Temple, Baek So-hwi was not familiar with it. As someone from the Cheonma Sect, it had little to no effect for her, therefore, she had never come into contact with it. And the fact that it had no effect on the internal strength only made Baek So-hwi completely lose interest in it.
-Nuuu uuhhh don’t be like that! Hurry up, eat the elixir and learn the swordsmanship!
“Who’s there!?!?”
-It’s me~ Look at your hand!
“You are the one who just talked? A sword?”
-Eung! My name is Liang Hon! Please take care of me!
Baek So-hwi looked at the sword in her hand with incredulous eyes. A talking sword…something she had never heard before.
-Although I am cold (with a warm heart), it would still be good to have one cute mascot like me next to the protagonist!
“What a load of bullcrap.”
-Bullcrap? That’s too much! [Come on, just open the technique book and let me give you a special swordsmanship instruction!]”
At those words, Baek So-hwi almost unknowingly opened the technique book. But she successfully endured this unknown urge with her superhuman mental strength. She didn’t know who was helping her, and it was nice of them. But at the same time, it was very unpleasant to be forced into taking action.
-Are you just going to leave like this?
“…”
Without answering Liang Hon’s words. Baek So-hwi left the collapsed cave. The sky above was blue. And because all the clouds had been burned by her technique, there was not a speck of cloud hanging in the sky.
“I heard that there are many ‘spirits’ like that one in this world.”
-Are you talking about the demon? That’s right. And there will be many more in the future. There’s no way they’re going to leave humans in this world alone when they know the humans here are vulnerable to their power. And… There is only one person in this world who can stop it. That is you.
Baek So-hwi had never felt this kind of sense of duty in her entire life. However, for some reason, she was able to vaguely realize that this path was the path she had to follow. It was not something the unknown ‘fate’ had forced her to do. Rather, she decided on her own because she was aware that she was the only one who could do it.
“Can you tell me where the other demons are?”
-Uh… For now, I can feel that there’s a lot of them in the east.
Baek So-hwi nodded. If it’s the east, it should be in the Kunlun mountain range.
“I’m going to go check it out.”
-Wa..wait! Didn’t I tell you there’s a lot of them there? Your current strength is not enough!
“Does not matter.”
-Ugh… Why is my current owner so selfish? (Ughhhhhhhh.)
Baek So-hwi ignored Liang Hon’s grumble and started to move.
That was how the journey of a strange companionship between a sword, who possessed a soul and a Murim warrior, who was once a Cheonma Lord, began.
* * *
Since Kunlun Mountain Range of the Kunlun Sect was in direct contact with the Tianshan Mountain Range of the Cheonma Sect, the two had no choice but to bump into each other quite often.
Even when the position of the Lord of the Cheonma Sect had changed from Seol Jungyeon to Baek So-hwi, the Kunlun Sect was still one-sidedly arguing with them.
Baek So-hwi never had any good feelings for them. However, since Kunlun Sect was a huge sect with tremendous power, she couldn’t do anything to them. Even more so when the Kunlun Sect Lord was someone who was stronger than her even though they’re the same rank.
However, when Baek So-hwi finally arrived at the Kunlun Mountain range, she had no choice but to frown at the horrific sight she saw.
“What the hell is this?”
Corpses of countless members of the Murim Alliance and Kunlun Sect were scattered throughout the mountain. The topography itself had become a complete mess as if a natural disaster had occurred.
All of their pavilions, which normally wouldn’t be accessible for outsiders, were also destroyed. There were no troops on patrol either, making Baek So-hwi’s journey to Kunlun Mountain an easy one.
And when she finally climbed to the peak of Jade Mountain, Baek So-hwi saw a corpse of a giant creature made of bones crushed to death by an octagonal structure.
-That’s a demon corpse. But because they can’t be killed easily, it is still not completely dead. It seems that whoever faced this demon didn’t have the power to kill a soul.
-However, to have driven a demon to this extent… Just who is it?
At the moment Liang Hon let those words out, a man appeared next to the demon’s head.
“Yoo Seodam!” Baek So-hwi frowned as soon as she saw him.
“Oh? You are not drawing your sword right away like last time?”
“….”
Of course, she wouldn’t do it. After all, even though her hatred towards men was still there, she was currently regretting her past actions towards him. However, she would not ask him for forgiveness, because at this point, it didn’t actually mean anything.
“I was waiting for you. I knew you would come.” Yoo Seodam said.
“What?”
“You have come across an ‘elixir’, haven’t you? You probably got it while fighting against a very powerful enemy such as a large snake which turned out to be a nine hundred-year-old snake with a very powerful inner strength. Or you came across it in a secluded place hidden deep inside a forest….” Yoo Seodam kept going. He listed out every possible ‘Cliché’ used in Martial Arts novels.
“How did you know?” Baek So-hwi asked.
“You see, I’m a very smart man.” Yoo Seodam said. One corner of his lips was curved upwards. “And you will come across a lot more ‘elixirs’ in the future.”
At his words, Baek So-hwi recalled something which had happened on her way here. A girl she had accidentally saved turns out to be the daughter of the head of the strongest intelligence group in Murim. And when they stopped by Shaolin Temple, she suddenly said to Baek So-hwi ‘You, I like your eyes!’ and promised her that she would help her without any reason and handed her an elixir.
“But you have to reject them all. I can’t explain the reason in detail, but for now…”
“Is it because the ‘world’ is helping me?”
When she said that, it was now Yoo Seodam’s turn to be baffled. After all, amongst all the protagonists he had met so far, none had ever realized they were a protagonist. Even the sexy guy from the destroyed world was only able to understand because Aracelli had explained it to him.
“That’s right. So, please, don’t you ever accept it. It is a straight route to world’s destruction. It is true, the elixirs would be a great help for hunting demons… But after you destroy all the demons, and when your story reaches its end, the world will end with you.”
If Baek So-hwi was still Baek So-hwi from before, she would never believe his words. However, she indeed could feel the energy of fate surrounding her body, so she had no choice but to believe in his words.
“Then… what should I do?” Baek So-hwi asked. If she kills the demons, the world will be destroyed. If she does not kill the demons, they would destroy the world. It’s so complicated.
“That’s why you should reject the elixirs. Every time you take them, the world will move little by little towards destruction.”
Of course, simply refusing wouldn’t completely prevent the world from heading towards destruction. However, she would be able to minimize the use of ‘probability’ as the protagonist.
“You should only use the elixirs you cherish so much once you finally leave this world.” As Yoo Seodam said as he threw a dark red marble at Baek So-hwi.
“If you go straight west about 1,700 li from here, you will see a cave. Later, when you have destroyed all the demons, you can use that marble in that cave.”
Baek So-hwi’s case was slightly different from Lee Yeon-jun, who was the protagonist of a certain world inside a dungeon which appeared in modern Earth. No probability was consumed for entering and exiting the dungeon, therefore, even if he returns to Earth, he would be able to maintain his power as the protagonist. (N: Reminder, Lee Yeon-jun is the guy that gets stronger the more attention he has from others)
However, Earth and Murim were connected in an unnatural way. It was impossible to cross between the two as easily as crossing through a dungeon gate.
In order to go to one of the two, Yoo Seodam had to use his ‘life force’ which was harnessed from probability, and because Baek So-hwi also had the power of probability, she would be able to go to Earth by using the probability.
But in the end, doing so would mean giving up everything she had accomplished in Murim. Because of that Baek So-hwi frowned because of the conflicting thoughts in her mind. It was also the same for Yoo Seodam.
Leaving all the prizes they should’ve got after the hunt ended?
Who would do that?
At least Yoo Seodam was certain it wouldn’t be him.
However, Yoo Seodam was not a protagonist but just a selfish hunter, and Baek So-hwi, who was the real ‘protagonist’, had a different mindset than him.
“I understand. I’ll listen to your advice for now. Once I experience it myself, I will be able to judge whether what you say is true or not. At least, someone who was chosen by my Master wouldn’t say any nonsense.”
Saying that, Baek So-hwi drew her sword. The demon’s corpse still remained, but Baek So-hwi knew Yoo Seodam was forcibly holding it.
“Why did you wait for me by the way? Do you want me to give a ‘complete death’ to that demon?”
“That’s right.”
“That’s a rather cheap price for all the advice you gave me.” Baek So-hwi said as she swung her sword towards the head of the already powerless demon. Moments later, the corpse burned and scattered into the air.
Yoo Seodam, who watched it silently, said to her one last time. “Keep in mind, never take any elixir which comes your way! Only believe in your own strength and the bonds you have created by yourself.”
After saying that, Yoo Seodam disappeared from the place he stood as Baek So-hwi silently watched the traces he left for a while before turning around.
‘Believe in my own strength and bonds I have created, huh?’
Bonds? Do I have something like that? Baek So-hwi scoffed. His last advice was very useless for Baek So-hwi.
Thinking so, she turned her head before finding a certain cat.
“Huh?”
It was a familiar cat
“Heuk Joo-hee?”
As she unknowingly called the familiar name, the forest split open and an expressionless woman with black hair took the cat into her arms. She was Heuk Joo-hee, a loyal follower who had been following Baek So-hwi ever since she re-established the Cheonma Sect, and her cat pet.
“What are you doing here?” Baek So-hwi asked.
Then, as if she failed to comprehend her question, Haek Joo-hee raised her eyebrows. “Of course, I came here to find you. Do I need any other reason?”
“However, I am not the Lord anymore.”
“You’re right. You are no longer the Cheonma Sect’s Lord. You have taken off that red uniform which didn’t suit you, haven’t you?”
At those words, Baek So-hwi felt a certain emotion swelling in her heart. However, she swiftly brushed those feelings aside as felt she didn’t deserve to feel that way when she had tried to rob someone else’s source of happiness.
However, without minding Baek So-hwi’s conflicting mind, Heuk Joo-hee walked closer towards her.
“The person I swore my allegiance to was you, Baek So-hwi, not the Cheonma. That’s why I came all the way here.”
As Heuk Joo-hee said those words while walking closer towards her, Baek So-hwi’s lips trembled.
She was aware she shouldn’t welcome her. If she welcomed her, she would betray Seol Jungyeon’s last consideration towards her. She must pay for her sins by abandoning everything she knows and roam the world to hunt demons.
“Cheonma Sect has been disbanded, and we have to go our own separate way.”
“Didn’t we already go our separate ways?”
“!!!”
Baek So-hwi heard another voice from behind.
“Lena, Cheong-ryang….”
“Yes, my lord. It’s us. Do you think it would be better for you to throw us away? So, are we doing a meaningless thing by coming to this… Ugh… hellish place?”
Sensing the presence, she felt from afar, it’s not just one or two people who had come to her but at least hundreds. They seemed to be here because they had predicted Baek So-hwi would appear in the midst of the chaos on Kunlun Mountain Range.
Baek So-hwi stared at the ground. She was trying hard to hide her trembling heart and not to show them her embarrassed expression.
“What is the reason for the former lord to disband the sect and set us free?”
“My lord, no matter how much we think about it, we could only conclude this is her reason.”
At their words, Baek So-hwi finally bit her lips and smiled. It was only then she could understand Yoo Seodam’s last words.
She believed those words were not Yoo Seodam’s but Seol Jungyeon’s. Even though she had decided she didn’t want Baek So-hwi to appear in front of her ever again, she still generously forgave her and gave her some advice.
So. If it was her master’s will…
“I see. If that is so, please take care of me again in the future.”
Baek So-hwi promised. For the rest of her life, she would desperately live with them.