A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 366

366. The Meaning of a Master

The ghastly wails and bursts of demonic energy erupting from the Great Demon Crucible instantly engulfed the underground chamber. A chilling dread, as if stepping into hell itself, burrowed into everyone’s hearts.

However, instead of covering his ears or closing his eyes, Noh Gun immediately lunged toward the demon.

“Taha!”

Thwoom.

Noh Gun’s sword, Soryeong, emitted a tremendous light, tearing through the air and descending upon the demon in an instant.

Whoosh.

In that moment, Noh Gun knew. His sword, Soryeong, had slashed through empty air.

“Damn it!”

Noh Gun bit his lip. The demon had already evaded to the other side. Noh Gun hadn’t even seen the movement.

Swish.

Noh Gun thought he saw the demon’s hand, though he couldn’t even be sure it was a hand, move slightly in the darkness. And then, destructive forces surged toward Noh Gun from all directions.

“Haa!”

Noh Gun roared, wielding Soryeong without hesitation.

Clang, clang, clang.

Soryeong danced, and sonic booms erupted in the air. The trajectory of the sword’s aura was like a beautiful painting, but everyone knew it was a moment that separated life and death.

“Noh Gun!”

“Grandfather!”

Sa Soo-yeon and Seo Rin immediately charged toward the demon, trying to divert its attacks.

Dang Wol-ah didn’t stand still either. The iron pellets flying from her slender hand cut through the darkness and tore through the air.

Kwa-ga-gwang.

Dang Wol-ah’s iron pellets collided with the forces surging toward Noh Gun. Thanks to that, Noh Gun, having escaped the immediate crisis, immediately shouted at Sa Soo-yeon.

“Watch out above!”

Sa Soo-yeon, who was charging toward the demon, saw the demon disappear before her eyes. And she realized that a tremendous number of destructive forces were waiting for her above, shrouded in darkness.

Clang, clang, clang.

Sa Soo-yeon’s Myeongmyeong split the darkness. At that place where the sounds of impact echoed one after another, Seo Rin’s Hongjinmanri, following behind, immediately joined in.

“Soo-yeon!”

Whoong, kwa-ga-gwang.

The force created by Hongjinmanri swept away the demon’s aura. The demon’s aura, which had been pouring down from the darkness, vanished in vain before the combined attack of Myeongmyeong and Hongjinmanri.

“That bastard……”

Noh Gun gritted his teeth as he looked at the demon.

The demon had already reappeared in another place. As if nothing had happened, the demon’s gaze wasn’t even looking this way.

It was at that moment.

“……Sanghyo.”

“Ugh, what are you doing!”

As soon as he heard Geomhee’s chilling voice, Noh Gun turned around and shouted. But it was already too late.

“Iljeol.”

Whoo-oosh.

Geomhee’s ice sword emitted light, creating a giant sword spirit. And in that instant, Son Bin saw a giant Buddha image floating on one wall of the underground chamber.

The figure of the Buddha, slightly protruding as if it were a decoration along the high wall. The magnificent Buddha, reaching up to the ceiling, was looking down at Son Bin with indifferent, large eyes.

Kwa-ga-gwak.

The Buddha’s face soon disappeared into the darkness. It was because Geomhee’s Sanghyo Iljeol had fallen toward the demon.

“Everyone, get out of the way!”

With Noh Gun’s shout, Sa Soo-yeon and Seo Rin leaped backward. Dang Wol-ah, who was standing nearby, pulled Son Bin into her arms as if snatching him away, and dodged backward.

Kwarurung.

In an instant, the giant sword spirit of Sanghyo Iljeol struck the demon and the Great Demon Crucible directly.

It seemed reckless at first glance, but in fact, Geomhee had accurately gauged the size of the chamber that had been revealed for a moment. The size of Sanghyo Iljeol, which barely grazed the walls, was proof of that.

Koo-oooong.

The underground chamber rumbled. As if unable to withstand the impact caused by Sanghyo Iljeol, stones and dirt crumbled and fell from here and there.

“Hey, you……. You should think before you use something like that!”

Noh Gun shouted, bursting into anger.

“It’s fine to kill that damn thing, but if this place collapses, we’ll all be buried alive!”

This place was under the peak of Hwangto Mountain. It meant that it was inherently a very unstable structure.

There was no guarantee that this place could withstand a technique with such tremendous destructive power as Sanghyo Iljeol.

“……It’s not dead.”

Geomhee said quietly. At those words, Noh Gun frowned and turned around.

The demon was there. The demon, which had momentarily scattered like mist from Geomhee’s giant ice sword, was now regaining its original form.

No, to be precise, it wasn’t its original form.

“That thing, it’s bigger than before?”

It was as Noh Gun had muttered.

The demon’s appearance was distinctly larger. Its height, which had been less than half of the Great Demon Crucible, was now about the same, so it had grown at least twice as large.

“Besides, that……”

The change wasn’t just in size.

Something like a black aura was surging around the demon. It was a gruesome sight, as if several arms had sprouted from the demon’s back.

“……Is that the power of Macheon [Demonic Heaven] you were talking about?”

At Noh Gun’s words, the demon’s eyes flickered with a red light. No, it didn’t even look like a human’s anymore.

With eerie eyes like ghostly flames floating in the darkness, the demon spoke.

―What is it you speak of?

The demon’s eerie voice echoed through the underground chamber. Noh Gun frowned at the hollow voice, as if it were coming from somewhere far away.

“That it got so big. And what are those arms? Did you suddenly want to become a spider after living in the darkness?”

At Noh Gun’s seemingly sarcastic words, the demon was silent for a moment. But it wasn’t long.

―I see. So that’s how it looks to you?

“What?”

The demon raised its arm. The sight of a dozen arms waving in the darkness was eerie and bizarre just to look at.

―I am everywhere here now. And nowhere at the same time. Truly, this is a…….

The demon stopped speaking and closed its eyes as if savoring the moment.

―An ecstatic feeling.

No one opened their mouth. Noh Gun bit his lip. It was clear that defeating the demon in its transformed state wouldn’t be easy.

Swish.

The silent demon suddenly raised its head and looked up. The demon, staring into the darkness where nothing could be seen, muttered quietly.

―Has it already reached this place? Good. It would be good to add the blood of ten thousand Potala monks to this place now.

The demon, speaking to the air, suddenly said.

―Go. Tear their flesh and let their blood flow on this land.

“What are you talking about? What did you just do?”

Noh Gun shouted nervously.

Swish.

The demon lowered its head and looked down at Noh Gun. And slowly, it uttered the words.

―Your ten thousand monks have reached this place. With a valiant struggle that does not fear even death.

The demon’s eyes, looking at Noh Gun, were flickering with red ghostly flames. The demon continued, like a cold-blooded judge.

―But what they will face are immortal demons and the tens of thousands of monsters they lead. No matter how brave they are, they cannot escape death.

Suddenly, the demon’s red eyes sneered. There was no sound, but Noh Gun could clearly feel the malice.

―Now, Aenyeonmyeong is shouting like this. ‘The Great General is waiting for us there!’

The demon’s ghostly flames turned toward Son Bin. Those red eyes floating in the darkness were staring straight at Son Bin.

―Aren’t you curious? When your corpse is hung outside the ruins, and her own flesh is torn by the teeth of monsters, what will she cry out?

The demon’s voice echoed eerily through the underground chamber. It was like a curse that could never be escaped.

―Perhaps she will call your name. Very sorrowfully, and desperately.

“She……”

Son Bin’s voice, about to say something, stopped. Son Bin looked back at Dang Wol-ah with a troubled expression.

“Um, Miss Wol-ah. Could you…….”

The small, slender arms of Dang Wol-ah were still tightly wrapped around Son Bin. But the strength of those arms was stronger than he thought, and Son Bin, who was about to step forward, was suddenly caught.

In fact, it was only natural to think about it. No matter how small and slender Dang Wol-ah was, if she was determined and used her inner strength, Son Bin couldn’t handle it. She was also a master of the Outer World.

Dang Wol-ah hesitated. But when Son Bin gave her a reassuring smile, she slowly released her arms.

Sarak.

Son Bin, freed from her, straightened his clothes once and stood facing the demon.

“You don’t know Aenyeonmyeong. Even if such a moment comes, she will probably smile and say this.”

He omitted the word ‘seductively’ because it felt awkward. Looking straight at the demon’s red ghostly flames looking down at him, Son Bin continued.

“‘It was fun. See you in the next life.’”

For some reason, he could hear her voice, so Son Bin smiled. Aenyeonmyeong, who led the Western Army, would surely say that, as Son Bin had seen her.

After a moment of silence, the demon muttered quietly.

―Amazing. You don’t have even a shred of concern for her. Are her life and the lives of ten thousand Potala monks truly nothing to you?

“That’s not true.”

Son Bin replied, still smiling.

“How could their lives not be precious? But the reason I can not worry is.”

With a gentle yet firm gaze, Son Bin continued.

“Because I will never let that happen.”

―Hehehe.

A dry laugh, devoid of any emotion, echoed through the underground chamber.

―Yes, you have the right to say that. You, who fell from the highest position.

The demon looked down at Son Bin with interest, or perhaps with amusement.

―But it’s already too late.

The demon said with red eyes, flickering like ghostly flames.

―You cannot save them. Neither Aenyeonmyeong, nor the ten thousand Potala monks, nor this land that will be covered with demons and monsters…….

“Yeah, well. It’s all good.”

Noh Gun’s blunt voice, popping out suddenly, interrupted the demon’s words. As if not caring about the demon’s red eyes, Noh Gun picked his ear and continued.

“Anyway, everyone has their hopes. You can dream whatever you want. Okay, it’s all good. But, you know.”

Noh Gun’s eyebrows twitched.

“You seem to be looking down on the masters of the Outer World too much since a while ago, don’t you think?”

The demon was silent for a moment. But it wasn’t long.

―How dare you.

He said, waving with complete anger. It was a completely different reaction from when he was talking to Son Bin.

―How dare you, with your petty martial arts, in front of me…….

“There’s a woman named Cheonsugeom [Thousand Hand Sword] in the Outer World, you know.”

Noh Gun said, interrupting the demon’s words once again.

“Her technique is called Cheonyeoilgeom [Thousand Hands, One Sword], like a thousand hands stabbing with swords. If they all come at once, what would you do? The intervals are very artistic. Even though you know you just have to endure it, you can’t help but reach out your hand when you see the swords flying.”

Noh Gun shrugged.

“Well, then you just get screwed. It feels very dirty when you’re unilaterally beaten without being able to move your hands or feet. The one over there does something similar, but she still can’t match Cheonsugeom’s experienced senses.”

The ‘one over there’ he was talking about was Geomhee. He was referring to her Sanghyo Iljeol.

“Now that we’re on the subject, the truth is, a master isn’t just someone with strong martial arts and plenty of inner strength. If you don’t have the subtlety, precision, and the knack for relentlessly exploiting the opponent’s weaknesses, you’re no different from a strong child.”

Noh Gun suddenly looked back at his companions.

“That’s why the other masters of the Outer World don’t fear you, the practical successors of the Heavenly Outer Four Stars. You don’t have enough experience in the Jianghu [Martial World]. In other words…….”

Noh Gun said in a scathing voice.

“You don’t know people. A true master is someone who knows people.”

Those words pierced everyone’s hearts.

Sa Soo-yeon, Dang Wol-ah, Seo Rin, and even Geomhee, each had different reasons, but they had all lived in extremely limited situations.

“And you know what? You should have done something a long time ago if I’m stalling for time like this. What are you doing just standing there blankly? How can I trust you and send you alone?”

It was inevitable that everyone looked taken aback. It was as Noh Gun said.

“Ah, and Bin is an exception. You just do what you want, just stay as you are.”

“Yes?”

Son Bin asked back at the unexpected words. Noh Gun frowned and replied.

“If you act experienced, it’s somehow disgusting.”

Son Bin had a blank expression at the sudden insult, but for some reason, Seo Rin nodded in agreement.

“And…….”

―It’s useless.

Urrurung.

The underground chamber vibrated quietly. Tension dropped in an instant, and the demon’s blazing eyes glared at Noh Gun.

―Neither your petty schemes nor your paltry martial arts are of any use to me. What do you dare to try to provoke me for…….

“Hmph.”

Noh Gun chuckled.

“Don’t you know what I mean? I mean, compared to Cheonsugeom, you’re an easy opponent.”

Noh Gun said after glancing at the arms that had sprouted from the demon’s back.

“I can handle you alone.”

“Elder!”

The person who was surprised by that blatant provocation was Son Bin.

“Don’t worry.”

Noh Gun replied, lightly twirling his sword, Soryeong, once.

“Do you think I’ll be defeated by a guy like this? More than that, you.”

Noh Gun, who was speaking, glanced at the Great Demon Crucible.

“Destroy that.”

In an instant, everyone’s gaze turned to the Great Demon Crucible. The demon’s red eyes also looked at the Great Demon Crucible.

“I told you? This matter will only end if you cut off the roots. That black incense burner is the source of the demons and monsters. If you destroy that, the monsters and demons will lose their power rapidly. This is the only way to save everyone.”

It was as Noh Gun said.

Even at this moment, the Potala monks would be torn apart by the monsters. And as time passed, the threat of the monsters would grow even greater, eventually swallowing this land.

So, the only way was to destroy that Great Demon Crucible.

“Look. That demon can’t say anything, right?”

Noh Gun said in a teasing voice.

“Those guys are always like that. They never tell the truth. So, there’s no need to listen to a guy like that at all.”

―Hehehe.

The demon laughed.

―Is that really so? You…….

“It really is.”

Noh Gun cut off the demon’s words without fail.

“So now, shut your mouth and prepare to be hit by Soryeong. You black spider bastard.”

“Elder!”

Son Bin called out, but Noh Gun didn’t even flinch. He looked at Sa Soo-yeon, Dang Wol-ah, Geomhee, and Seo Rin and said.

“You guys help Bin.”

Sa Soo-yeon, who had been hesitating for a moment, nodded. Dang Wol-ah, Seo Rin, and Geomhee did the same.

“Okay, then now.”

Noh Gun turned his head with a satisfied expression. To the demon, who was waving with eyes blazing with complete anger.

“Let’s play, Soryeong.”

Woo-woo-woong.

As if answering those words, Soryeong’s blade cried out. It was a joyful cry, as if looking forward to a long-awaited game.

(Author’s words)

Noh Gun: (Turning off the lights) I’ll slice the rice cake, no, the hydralisk, so you destroy the hatchery.