Chapter 365
Wei Jeong-han quietly watched the falling rain.
Once, he too had loved the rain. But now Wei Jeong-han no longer particularly liked rain.
Because it brought back memories.
Of him.
And of that day.
For him, rain had become nothing more than a medium that brought back a past he didn't want to think about. From the moment he realized that sometimes there are things even rain cannot wash away, rain could no longer be a welcome presence.
"...Jeokan-u."
Wei Jeong-han quietly murmured that name.
Even now, he didn't fully understand Jeokan-u. He couldn't comprehend why he had said those words, why he had made such a request of him.
However, at that time, he had no choice but to agree.
He too had felt it.
That day would be the last time he would see Jeokan-u. That his friend had already resolved himself to death.
And...
Not long after, news of the Great Demon Emperor's death echoed throughout the realm.
With his death, the Demonic Cult retreated from the martial world like a receding tide, as if all their fierce momentum had been nothing but a lie.
No one knew where such rumors started, but word spread that Quan Ji had defeated the Great Demon Emperor at the end of their duel. Quan Ji neither denied nor confirmed this fact. There was no need to deny it and plunge the Great Demon Emperor's death into mystery.
People believed the Great Demon Emperor's death was a signal to end this chaotic era, and they wanted to confirm that end more clearly. The Divine Beggar knew this fact and stopped Quan Ji from trying to deny it.
And...
Wei Jeong-han, who knew the truth that wasn't revealed to the world, also kept his mouth shut. Sometimes there are truths that are better left unrevealed.
"The boys..."
Wei Jeong-han thought of his two sons who would already be far away. He worried whether the rain would make their journey difficult.
Especially San-ho, who had the traumatic experience of losing his younger sibling on a rainy day, pathologically hated rainy days.
Wei Jeong-han hoped these rain clouds wouldn't head toward where those boys were.
Knock knock.
At the sound of someone knocking on the door, Wei Jeong-han turned his head.
"Come in."
With a creak, the door opened and a man entered.
"What's the matter?"
Gong Mu-jin held out what he had in his hand with a hardened face.
The moment he saw the red dispatch in Gong Mu-jin's hand, Wei Jeong-han unconsciously let out a sigh.
"That's not something that should come so frequently."
"...Indeed."
Someone of the Divine Beggar's stature couldn't be unaware that if red dispatches were sent too often, those receiving them would inevitably become dulled to them. That meant this dispatch also contained an extremely urgent matter.
"I should catch a rabbit for Red Eagle. He's quite remarkable at finding his way here."
Making light conversation, Wei Jeong-han took the red dispatch.
He didn't want Gong Mu-jin to notice his current gloomy mood. Wei Jeong-han opened the dispatch with a slightly hardened face and stiffened upon seeing what was written inside.
The contents of the red message were very simple.
A High Priest of the Demonic Cult has been discovered nearby. Currently moving north toward Beijing, so get away from there immediately.
Wei Jeong-han's hand holding the dispatch trembled.
Just from the hastily scrawled handwriting, one could understand how much urgency it contained. That meant a High Priest of the Demonic Cult was nearby.
"Senior?"
At Wei Jeong-han's unusual reaction, Gong Mu-jin looked puzzled. When Wei Jeong-han silently handed him the dispatch, Gong Mu-jin's eyes widened too.
"Th-this!"
The shock that the name High Priest brought was tremendous. Even Gong Mu-jin, who rarely lost his composure, couldn't hide his confusion.
"A-A High Priest! Why on earth would a High Priest of the Demonic Cult appear here!"
"..."
"Th-this is Henan!"
Gong Mu-jin's surprise was natural.
Of course, a High Priest of the Demonic Cult entering the Central Plains was surprising. But what was truly shocking was that he dared to enter Henan.
Where was Henan?
If the centers of the Great Ming were Beijing and Nanjing, then the centers of the martial world were Henan and Shaanxi. Particularly, Henan housed Shaolin and the Namgung Family.
Henan was the heart of the martial world, where Shaolin, the head of the Nine Sects, and Namgung, the head of the Great Families, resided. While barbarians rampaging on the frontier wasn't particularly surprising, barbarians rampaging in Beijing was unacceptable.
No matter how much he was a High Priest of the Demonic Cult, boldly entering Henan territory was no different from saying he would stake his life on it.
"This is no small matter!"
It was a statement without context. But Wei Jeong-han understood what Gong Mu-jin was saying.
Even if he was a High Priest of the Demonic Cult, if he was discovered alone in Henan territory, returning alive wouldn't be easy. Shaolin and the Namgung Family would immediately swarm him like a pack of dogs.
No matter how strong a High Priest of the Demonic Cult might be, the foundation of Shaolin and Namgung was also formidable. Moreover, if it became a fight between an individual and organizations, the result was all too obvious.
The problem was that the High Priest would also know this fact.
If they were just powerful fools, they wouldn't have been able to sweep through the Central Plains in past wars. They were people who would stop at nothing in the name of Sacred Fire. Naturally, schemes and conspiracies were rampant. Sometimes even the Divine Beggar was helplessly caught in their schemes.
The position of High Priest in the Demonic Cult was the core of cores within the Demonic Cult. Someone in such an exalted position couldn't have failed to consider such things. Then ultimately it was one of two things.
First, he had built up martial prowess to the extent that he could confidently escape even if all the sects surrounding Henan came running.
'But that's impossible.'
Human strength had its limits. Even the Great Demon Emperor, who was so strong, couldn't guarantee such a thing – a mere High Priest of the Demonic Cult couldn't accomplish it.
Then?
"Something worth risking danger for..."
"Is in Henan."
Gong Mu-jin and Wei Jeong-han's opinions matched.
And the moment their opinions matched, something flashed through Wei Jeong-han's mind.
Guang Wu-liang, who had suddenly withdrawn...
And the High Priest of the Demonic Cult who appeared in Henan territory.
Then?
"This..."
Wei Jeong-han gritted his teeth. Suddenly, a storm-like aura began to rise from his body.
"S-Senior!"
"How dare he target!"
Bloodshot eyes appeared in Wei Jeong-han's eyes.
He didn't want to believe it, but everything was pointing to one single situation. Even the Divine Beggar couldn't grasp why such things were happening... but Wei Jeong-han alone could understand exactly why this was occurring.
From their perspective, there was something in Henan that they had to secure at any cost.
That was...
"I'm going after the children!"
"Senior?"
"Right now! I'll depart first. You lead the others and follow."
"Senior! What do you mean so suddenly! At least give me a reason!"
"They're targeting the children!"
"...What?"
"There's no time for long explanations! Immediately request support from Shaolin and Namgung! I'm going ahead!"
"Senior!"
"Didn't I say there's no time!"
At the shout that seemed about to burst through the room, Gong Mu-jin flinched and stepped back.
And at that moment, Wei Jeong-han also realized his mistake. This wasn't something that could be solved by getting excited. Now was the time when he needed to be the most calm in his entire life.
"Sorry for shouting. It's such an urgent matter. The children didn't head toward Luoyang, so they'll be taking the official road going south. Send reinforcements in that direction. Do you understand what I mean?"
Gong Mu-jin nodded with an extremely stern face.
He didn't know what was happening, but Wei Jeong-han's urgent attitude alone was enough to understand how critical the current situation was.
"I trust you!"
"Take care of yourself!"
When Gong Mu-jin cupped his fists, Wei Jeong-han smiled lightly.
"See you again."
Wei Jeong-han left with those words and threw himself out the window. As soon as he cleared the window, Gong Mu-jin's body shot forward like a cannonball. The rain couldn't even touch his body; it bounced away.
Rumble!
As if representing his inner feelings, thunder and lightning began to strike from the sky.
Blood trickled down from Wei Jeong-han's tightly bitten lips.
'This foolish bastard.'
There are no eternal secrets in this world.
Even while thinking that it might be revealed someday, he hadn't thought it would be now. From the moment Guang Wu-liang appeared and the Demonic Cult showed itself to the world again, he should have prepared for such a moment. Yet he failed to do so.
Because he thought it wouldn't happen?
No, because he hoped it wouldn't happen. Now, due to his misjudgment, something he might regret forever could occur.
'Please!'
Wei Jeong-han spurred his lightness skill.
It wasn't the children.
If his thoughts were correct, the High Priest of the Demonic Cult had come all this way targeting only one person. And if that child learned all the truth?
'No!'
Such a thing must never happen.
If someone was trying to shake his children, even if that person was a High Priest of the Demonic Cult, it was unforgivable.
He wouldn't tolerate it either.
"Aaaahhhhh!"
Behind Wei Jeong-han, who was executing his lightness skill with his energy core about to burst, a forlorn curtain of rain streamed down.
* * *
"Did you say the truth?"
"That's right."
"...The truth."
The Historian hardened his face. He thought he knew most of history. But he knew virtually nothing about any truth that would be revealed at this moment.
"Is it in the martial world records?"
"How could it be recorded?"
"As expected."
He wanted to ask right now what that truth was. But the Historian couldn't dare to ask.
Because Guang Qu-shen had a face as if he was about to cry. Who could ask anything of someone with such an expression?
But he had to ask. Wasn't he someone who conveyed history? If there was history that hadn't been revealed, it was his mission to somehow drag that history into the light and pass it on to future generations.
Perhaps noticing the Historian's subtle pressure, Guang Qu-shen nodded as if he understood everything.
"Don't be so impatient. If I intended to hide this story, I wouldn't have brought it up in the first place."
"...Yes."
"I thought it was something to take to the grave, but in the end, I'm telling this story with my own mouth."
Regret appeared on Guang Qu-shen's face.
"Maybe so. Perhaps I was looking for someone to tell this story to. It's too heavy a burden to carry to the grave. Maybe it wasn't that you found me, but that I was looking for you."
The Historian looked at Guang Qu-shen with trembling eyes.
"Let me begin. Yes, it was raining that day."
Guang Qu-shen looked outside the hut.
Quietly gazing at the dark sky, Guang Qu-shen murmured lowly.
"It was very gloomy rain. Very much so..."