A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 481

481. Those From Above

Mount Tai’s summit. A small shrine stood at the Jade Emperor Peak. It was there, where emperors had performed the Fengshan ceremony [an ancient ritual where emperors offered sacrifices to Heaven and Earth], that Bi Geom, Gongsun Guk, stood. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing at the shrine, seemingly unconcerned that his back was exposed. Bi Geom, Gongsun Guk, turned his head to look at Son Bin.

From the iron incense burner erected in front of the small shrine, wisps of incense rose, remnants of the last worshiper’s offering. But it was not enough to mask the stench of blood that clung to Bi Geom, Gongsun Guk. “That child was quite clever,” Gongsun Guk said suddenly. He turned his head, his gaze fixed on the incense burner where the incense curled upward. “She knew instinctively from a young age how to charm people.”

Son Bin knew Gongsun Guk was referring to Gongsun Ji, the Gongsun Family’s precious daughter and the Demonic Cult’s Divine Maiden, known as ‘Single Heart Flower’.

“It wouldn’t have been difficult for that child to understand her advantages. She knew that what she could gain through the family’s name and her innate beauty far outweighed what she could achieve through her own efforts.”

Gongsun Guk continued slowly, his eyes still on the incense burner where a thin trail of incense smoke rose. “But that’s precisely why she was foolish. She never admitted that her judgment could be flawed. Even after becoming the Divine Maiden of the Demonic Cult, she remained convinced she could defeat me.”

*Swish*. Gongsun Guk turned his head to look at Son Bin. His gaze held no hint of respect for the man who had defeated his granddaughter.

“How did it feel to kill that child? The sensation of cutting down the Divine Maiden of the Demonic Cult—was it exhilarating?”

Gongsun Guk’s bloodshot eyes gleamed in the mist. Son Bin remained silent. Gongsun Guk chuckled at his lack of response.

“Well, it’s irrelevant now. With the Divine Maiden dead and the Demonic energy scattered, the remaining Demonic Cult members will retreat even further into the shadows.”

Gongsun Guk turned his head again, looking at the shrine beyond the incense burner. “More importantly, what do you think? What did the emperors who conquered the world confess to the heavens? Aren’t you curious?”

Gongsun Guk’s eyes shone with an unsettling brightness as he spoke. He seemed more animated than when discussing Gongsun Ji, his late granddaughter, or the Demonic Cult.

“Perhaps,” Son Bin replied quietly. “It wouldn’t have been anything profound.”

“Hah.”

Gongsun Guk let out a short laugh. “That’s right. It wouldn’t have been anything profound.”

*Rustle*. Gongsun Guk turned his body, finally facing Son Bin with a smile on his face. “Now that I think about it, you’re quite arrogant yourself. To dismiss the words an emperor offered to the heavens as insignificant.”

“A great emperor is judged not by what he confesses to the heavens,” Son Bin replied calmly, “but by how he cared for his people. No amount of gold and silver used to engrave words on a jade tablet can compare to a single drop of sweat shed to ease the suffering of the populace.”

“Indeed.”

Gongsun Guk laughed, as if amused. “That’s precisely the answer I’d expect from you. But I’ve seen many who preach such ideals become more craven than any dog once they take office. And I’ve also seen them exploit the blood of others without hesitation for their own wealth and glory. So your answer is…”

*Swish*. Gongsun Guk, who had been clasping his hands behind his back, lightly waved one hand. Instantly, an enormous force swept through the shrine. *Whoong*. Gongsun Guk and Son Bin’s clothes billowed.

That wasn’t all. The heavy iron incense burner in front of the shrine floated slightly, then hurtled towards the shrine with incredible force.

*Crash*. The iron incense burner shattered the door of the small shrine in one blow and crashed inside. The historic shrine dedicated to the Jade Emperor was reduced to rubble with a single gesture from Gongsun Guk.

“It’s meaningless. Just like this shrine.”

Gongsun Guk said with a sneer. However, Son Bin showed no reaction. After a moment of silence, Son Bin slowly raised his head and looked at the surrounding mist. Although Gongsun Guk’s force had swept through like a storm moments ago, the mist continued to swirl thickly from all directions.

“The mist is thick.”

Gongsun Guk’s eyebrows twitched at Son Bin’s unexpected words. Son Bin looked at Gongsun Guk and asked, “Did you cause this?”

A smile spread across Gongsun Guk’s face. “The mist, you mean? Who knows?”

*Rustle*. Gongsun Guk clasped his hands behind his back. Looking at the mist, he said, “I honestly don’t know. Perhaps it’s due to ‘our’ power…”

Gongsun Guk said with a smile. The ‘we’ he mentioned likely didn’t refer to himself and Son Bin.

“Or perhaps it’s this world’s pathetic attempt to conceal ‘us’.”

*Swish*. Gongsun Guk’s red eyes turned to Son Bin again. “What do you think, Son Bin?”

Son Bin silently met his gaze, which was tinged with mockery. He opened his mouth quietly. “You, who call yourself ‘we’.”

Son Bin said, looking directly at Gongsun Guk, “Who are you, and where did you come from?”

Gongsun Guk frowned, as if surprised by the question. “Did I call myself ‘we’?”

“Yes. And until now, you haven’t revealed your own name.”

“Hmm.”

Gongsun Guk pondered, as if he hadn’t noticed it before. But the moment of reflection was brief. “Is that so? But it’s of no consequence.”

Gongsun Guk looked at Son Bin with his red eyes. There was not a trace of hesitation in those gleaming eyes. “I am superior to the Heavenly Outer Four [powerful entities from beyond the human realm] and higher than the human emperor. Even the Martial Emperor [a legendary figure of immense power] cannot compare to me.”

Gongsun Guk said with a smirk. “It is only natural that there is no name to define me.”

***

“Tsk.”

Nogun clicked his tongue in the mist. He frowned at Gongsun Guk’s voice, which echoed around them. “Do those who have never faced the Heavenly Outer Four always spout such nonsense? A guy who couldn’t even utter a word in front of the real Heavenly Outer Four—what drivel is he spewing?”

The group was gathered on the roof of the shrine closest to the Jade Emperor Peak. Although it was the closest vantage point, it was still so far away that people looked like fingernails. The shrine buildings were built in a row, providing good cover. The problem was that it was difficult to discern the situation inside the Jade Emperor Peak, but Gongsun Guk’s voice, amplified by his inner strength, could be heard clearly even from their position.

“Really, I wish Raja-nim [a respectful title] would say something.”

Sarasvati said with an uneasy expression. Son Bin’s responses were inaudible.

“To think that a Blood Demon [a powerful demonic entity] would have such an impudent attitude towards Raja-nim… There’s nothing right here—neither the Divine Maiden nor the Blood Demon. If only I hadn’t quit being a Demon God…”

“If you hadn’t quit, you wouldn’t be here.”

Dang Wola said quietly. Sarasvati shrugged lightly. Even that gesture was elegant. Seo Rin, who was listening, interjected with an anxious expression. “Um, shouldn’t we be quiet? If we’re discovered…”

“Discovered doing what?”

Nogun said dismissively. “They probably already know.”

“Yes?”

Ignoring the surprised Seo Rin, Nogun said, looking at the Jade Emperor Peak in the mist, “And even if you were a Demon God, it wouldn’t matter. It seems that Bi Geom is a little different from that Blood Demon or whatever.”

“Yes?”

Sarasvati looked at Nogun with a puzzled expression. Nogun continued to speak, still gazing into the mist. “I don’t know much about Demon Gods or Blood Demons, but I know Bin. If the opponent was simply a monster from the Demonic Cult, there’s no way Bin would have insisted on going alone.”

Sarasvati’s expression hardened at those words. She rested her chin on her hand and thought deeply.

“Could it be… or maybe…”

“What is it?”

Seo Rin asked. But Sarasvati only bit her lip slightly and didn’t answer.

“Don’t ask. You’ll be put in a difficult position. How many secrets would a former Demon God have? Anyway…”

Nogun turned his head and looked at the group, continuing, “If Bi Geom attacks us, you guys run without looking back.”

The ‘you’ that Nogun was referring to were Princess Gyeonghui and Sarasvati. The two were already mounted on the pure white snow leopard.

“We’ll hold off Bi Geom. Ah, before that, Black Leopard and Red Leopard will attack Bi Geom first.”

Nogun said, looking at Sa Suyeon, Dang Wola, and Geomhui. “Keep in mind—the goal is not to fight, but to retreat so that you don’t interfere with Bin. Bin will take care of that guy.”

The three women nodded, and Seo Rin asked from the side, “What about me? And what if Hyung [term of endearment for an older brother or respected male figure] becomes endangered?”

“You help Black Leopard and Red Leopard. And if Bin truly becomes endangered, then do whatever you deem necessary.”

Nogun said with a serious look. “But don’t forget to trust Bin until the end. Got it?”

Seo Rin, Sa Suyeon, Dang Wola, and Geomhui all nodded slightly. Nogun turned his head and looked at the Jade Emperor Peak. The group’s gaze followed his, but nothing could be seen clearly in the thick mist. It must have been long after sunrise, but the mist surrounding Mount Tai seemed to be growing denser.

***

Son Bin said to Gongsun Guk, who was looking at him with red eyes, “You claim there is no ‘name’ to define yourself?”

“That’s correct.”

Gongsun Guk said with an arrogant expression. “The name Gongsun Guk, which once referred to me, has already been discarded along with his foolish plans. So now I am nameless.”

All the plans that the old self, the previous Gongsun Guk, had conceived were meaningless to him now. Inciting the Four Great Sects [major martial arts factions] to take control of the outer affairs, and then driving out the Four Great Sects and establishing the Demonic Cult instead after seizing power in the world with the Zhuge Family, were now just ridiculous schemes.

What need was there for such schemes when he possessed the power to subjugate the world? And when that time came, the world would already be irrevocably changed.

“Is that so? But perhaps you have simply forgotten,” Son Bin said quietly to Gongsun Guk. “Or perhaps it is because you were consumed by something else, some force you could not resist.”

The emotion that flickered in Son Bin’s eyes for a moment was compassion. Gongsun Guk’s eyebrows twitched. After a moment of silence, he opened his mouth. “As I suspected, you are…”

Hostility began to surge in his eyes. At the same time, red energy like heat haze rose from Gongsun Guk’s entire body. *Whoosh*. As his ornate clothes slowly fluttered, Gongsun Guk said to Son Bin, “An enemy of ‘us’.”

“Yes.”

Son Bin replied, looking straight at Gongsun Guk. There was not a hint of hesitation in those shining eyes. The light of compassion that had flashed a moment ago was now gone.

“I am your enemy.”

*Swish*. Son Bin’s hand gripped Baekro [Son Bin’s sword]. He slowly drew Baekro. *Sreung*. With a quiet sound, Baekro revealed itself. The beautiful blade, which captivated all who beheld it, shone like a star even in the thick mist.

“Beautiful.”

Even he, who denied being called Gongsun Guk, exclaimed in admiration. But his eyes were soon tainted with greed. “I’m very much looking forward to the screams that sword will make when it breaks.”

*Sreuk*. Gongsun Guk, who had been clasping his hands behind his back, stretched one hand forward. He slowly spread his palm. *Crackle*. With a strange sound, a blood-red blade materialized in his palm. The sight of the blade appearing as if tearing through his hand was truly unsettling.

“Did you ask if I had forgotten who I am?”

*Rustle*. Gongsun Guk said, holding the sword of blood. The red and rough blade emitted a stronger stench of blood than what the Blood Demon had previously manifested.

“Yes. Perhaps I have simply forgotten. Or perhaps I have not yet remembered. But…”

*Swoosh*. Gongsun Guk raised the sword of blood diagonally upwards. He still kept one hand clasped behind his back.

“If I kill you and drink your blood, I might remember.”

*Whoosh*. The blade of blood tore through the air and fell. It was not a distance that Son Bin could hope to cross, but Gongsun Guk didn’t care.

*Crrrrck*. The blade of blood that Gongsun Guk swung instantly increased in length. It was no longer a blade, but a giant monster’s whip, striking towards Son Bin.

That wasn’t all. *Chwaaa*. At that very moment, countless blades of blood appeared from behind Gongsun Guk’s back. The blood-red blades, which resembled the legs of a giant spider, simultaneously lunged at Son Bin.

*Sack*. Son Bin lightly took a step back as he watched the blades of blood rushing towards him. He drew Baekro from bottom to top. *Hoong, swoosh*. A blue line was drawn in the air. It looked like an afterimage left by Baekro’s blade, but the blades of blood that touched that line were severed as if they were illusions.

But Baekro’s movement was not yet complete. Son Bin took a step forward and slashed Baekro down. Baekro’s blade, which had soared into the sky, fell towards the earth. *Swish*. A blue line appeared, aimed at Gongsun Guk. Even in the face of the shocking sight of space itself being cleaved, Gongsun Guk did not waver.

*Stomp*. Gongsun Guk took a step back. At the same time, the crimson blades that stretched out from his entire body densely blocked his front like the shell of an insect. *Charrr*. As it had done in the Zhuge Family, and as it had done a moment ago, Son Bin’s flash seemed poised to cut through the blades of blood. But the result was different.

*Clang*. Sparks flew with a sharp sound. The dense blades of blood that appeared in front of Gongsun Guk had blocked Son Bin’s flash. Although a long scar remained, the crimson blade still guarded Gongsun Guk’s front.

“Hehehe.”

The blades of blood slowly opened, revealing Gongsun Guk. “Indeed, you are worthy of being called the ‘we’s’ adversary.”

The blades that had guarded Gongsun Guk’s front were gleaming with a crimson color. The black energy swirling on their surface was definitely something new.

“But even you can’t overcome this ‘power’.”

*Sreuk*. Slowly taking a step back, Son Bin assumed a stance. Son Bin’s eyes, with Baekro held straight in front of him, did not waver in the slightest.

“It’s truly strange. You are a fearsome being who even cut down the Divine Maiden of the Demonic Cult.”

*Pasusu*. With Gongsun Guk’s laughter, the crimson blade scattered like mist and disappeared. But it had only concealed itself.

“Why am I not afraid of you at all? No, why am I now…”

*Sreuk, Sreuk*. Crimson blood flowed from Gongsun Guk’s hands and feet. But it was not blood.

*Crack, crack*. When the crimson blood touched the ground, it broke the stone floor and burrowed down. Like greedy roots, the crimson blood vessels spread in all directions.

“Do you desire you so earnestly!”

*Crack*. The stone floor around Gongsun Guk rose up as if being torn off whole. It was not just a part of the stone floor being overturned. Incredibly, the entire site of the shrine built on the summit of Mount Tai was rising from all directions as if a chessboard was being flipped.

*Krrr*. No building could withstand such violent upheaval. Not only the shrine where the incense burner had crashed, but also the surrounding buildings began to collapse all at once.

‘Ugh.’

Son Bin quickly regained his balance. The ground beneath Son Bin was no exception. Although the crimson roots had not yet invaded his immediate vicinity, it was already irrelevant amidst the complete destruction of the shrine’s foundation.

*Kwaaa*. The shrine was destroyed, and tiles and debris rained down. As if trying to seize Son Bin, the stone floor rose from all directions, forming a massive wall around him. The sight resembled the bud of a bizarre man-eating plant attempting to swallow Son Bin.

“No matter what happens now…”

Gongsun Guk said, baring his teeth. Crimson blood vessels had sprung up like spiderwebs all over his face and body, but his eyes flashed with unbearable joy.

“I will never let you go.”

*Crack*. The massive bud surrounding Son Bin closed its mouth. But Gongsun Guk knew that there was nothing inside.

*Swish*. Gongsun Guk raised his head. Looking at the sky with red eyes gleaming with desire, he asked, “Is it there? Son Bin.”

*Kwaaa*. Dozens of blades of blood soared from Gongsun Guk’s shoulders. They simultaneously blocked the beautiful blade falling through the mist.

*Crack*. The crimson blades shattered before Baekro’s blade. But not all of them.

“Hehehe.”

Gongsun Guk, who had been pushed back, let out a laugh. The crimson blades that had protected him were in tatters, but it didn’t matter. Because even with Baekro’s blade, Son Bin couldn’t reach him.

“Now I understand.”

*Tudook, tuk*. Gongsun Guk said, retracting the crimson blades. Gongsun Guk’s eerie face, with blood vessels bulging, was still smiling.

“Did you ask who I am? And did you ask where I came from?”

That was no longer a human voice. As if emanating from the abyss, Gongsun Guk’s voice echoed from all directions.

―’We’ are many.

The terrible sound was enough to make anyone want to cover their ears. But the eerie sound continued to resonate.

―And we came from above.

Gongsun Guk laughed. His eyes, which had turned pitch black, reflected nothing—like an endless abyss.

(Author’s words) The ‘above’ that Gongsun Guk spoke of is neither the Arctic Pole, nor the North Star, nor the Celestial Canopy Realm.