Chapter 314 – Jin Sochan and Hong Yeonhwa

The world was split in two.

That was the only way to describe the scene.

The clouds in the sky, the various flying techniques, the giant dragon…everything was split in half without exception.

It was as if the field of vision had been vertically sliced, and everyone present held their breath.

A moment of stillness, and then the remnants of the falling dragon slowly descended.

Kuuuuung!

The impact and roar shook the ground, accompanied by a cloud of dust that flew up to this point.

It was quite intense, but it was a little lacking to say that a mountain had fallen.

It was probably the last struggle of the Blood Demon. Even in this situation, he had managed to save his life.

Seeing that there was no movement after the fall, it seemed that he was just barely clinging to life.

What a disgusting guy.

But he did slow down the speed of the fall, so Hong Yeonhwa, who had been raised with the determination to recover her, should not be hurt…but the shock of the fall was something I couldn’t do anything about.

Since he compensated for that, Hong Yeonhwa, who had become weak, should not be hurt.

Now all I have to do is bring Hong Yeonhwa back from there.

Thud.

“Kuuuugh…!”

A surge of pain that rushed in as soon as I took a step.

Was it a post-exertional malaise that drew on more than physical endurance?

Although it had a human form on the outside, the inside had been torn apart for a long time.

Snap!

It wasn’t just me who was pushing too hard. The sword I inherited from my master broke near the hilt.

Well, it had the same strength as a thousand-year-old iron sword.

Even if it was a sword that could withstand anything, it couldn’t withstand this.

For a moment, I looked at the broken sword on the ground with a bitter smile.

“Jin…gaga?”

Paeng Soso, who had received the technique instead of me to protect me, called out to me. Now she lay on the ground, barely conscious, with her eyes open.

“My body…”

“I’m fine. It’s not okay on the Blood Demon’s side.”

“That’s a relief…”

“Yeah. So just rest there for a bit. I’ll be back soon with Yeonhwa.”

“Yes…I’ll wait.”

That was the last thing she said before she lost consciousness again, collapsing.

The other people around me were in a similar state to Paeng Soso.

Either unconscious or barely conscious.

Although my body was a complete mess, my mind was still intact, thanks to the great determination I had raised.

Ironically, I was the only one who could move here.

So I have to go.

Thud.

Just the act of walking was enough to torture my body like this.

Even my body, which could repel steel, creaked. A warning that if I moved any further, I might be completely destroyed.

It doesn’t matter. One step forward.

My inner energy, which seemed endless, had dried up completely. Even if I scraped the bottom of the barrel, it wouldn’t even fill a handful.

It doesn’t matter. One step forward again.

Did the Blood Demon use up his last bit of strength to save himself, or was it just bad luck?

The rotten blood flowing from the severed part of the dragon’s body was spewing out a thick aura on the ground.

To me, who had no means of resistance, it was like poison. Reason and instinct whispered to leave this place.

It doesn’t matter. Keep moving forward.

Since the awakening of the Muryong martial arts, or rather since I fell in love with someone more than myself, I have never stopped once.

Just continuing with ordinary, unremarkable steps.

Even if my body breaks, even if my spirit is crushed, the task at hand remains the same. I won’t stop. I can’t stay down. I can’t give up. Absolutely not.

At least until I hold Hong Yeonhwa in my arms again.

I walked through the blurry vision.

I couldn’t see the blood pooling up to my ankles, the pile of dirt as high as a mountain, or my dying body.

All I could see was the path leading to Hong Yeonhwa.

I held my head up high.

Gripping the broken sword.

And taking one step forward.

Repeating that one step over and over until I reach you.

***

Hong Yeonhwa saw everything.

She was bound tightly in the Blood Demon’s chains, unable to do anything but endure…but she saw everything.

The sight of Jin Sochan’s sword touching the sky.

The sight of the shining sword that split the world in two.

And the sight of him walking towards her, covered in blood.

“Ah….”

It was so dazzling that it hurt her eyes.

Jin Sochan’s name was truly bright and shining, just like the meaning of his name. She couldn’t take her eyes off him.

“I found you.”

Until the moment Jin Sochan found her in the pile of dirt.

“It’s me.”

“You…?”

“Uh-huh. It’s me.”

“You came to save me…?”

“….”

To save her.

Those words were so unfamiliar to Hong Yeonhwa.

She had always been the one saving others, not the one being saved.

Until now, she had taken it for granted.

After all, she was a heavenly demon.

But…

“…With this, you’ve taken both my first and second time.”

“Huh? Why are you suddenly talking dirty…?”

Jin Sochan, who was muttering while tapping the chains that held Hong Yeonhwa with his broken sword, looked at her with a puzzled expression.

Hong Yeonhwa’s lips parted slightly, not understanding what he meant.

“It’s a secret to you.”

When I lost all my strength and fell into another world naked, I was saved once by Cheokan Geumgwi and now by the Blood Demon.

It’s a bit embarrassing to say that I fell in love with him again after being saved twice.

“How tasteless.”

Jin Sochan started to swing the chains again with a smirk.

Clang! Clang!

The chains weakened a lot due to the Blood Demon’s injuries…and Jin Sochan was in the same state, with his broken sword.

He had even crossed the swamp of vitality and dug through the pile of dirt.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The unbreakable chains were frustrating, and Jin Sochan frowned.

Hong Yeonhwa silently watched the wrinkles on his forehead as she thought.

The Blood Demon was contained in these chains. And it was a demon who resented Hong Yeonhwa.

What she wanted to protect was the shape of the demon that wanted to destroy her.

That’s why Hong Yeonhwa couldn’t escape from these restraints on her own.

But she didn’t like just watching Jin Sochan suffer like this.

“Huh? Wait a minute. Do I have to be a heavenly demon?”

Of course, Hong Yeonhwa is still a heavenly demon. She doesn’t deny that.

But if someone asks if she has to be a heavenly demon, she can only shake her head.

She had already seen it.

Although Jin Sochan was at the forefront…the other siblings, Myeongwoljinin, and the leaders of the Shin-gyo risked their lives to save her.

The sight of those who she wanted to protect throwing themselves into danger to protect her.

If they only thought of Hong Yeonhwa as a simple heavenly demon, they wouldn’t even have thought of helping her.

But to them, Hong Yeonhwa was not just a simple heavenly demon.

She was a beloved wife, a dear sister, and a child who wouldn’t even hurt her eyes if she put her in them.

“Is that so?”

“Huh? What?”

“I’m a heavenly demon, but at the same time, I’m Hong Yeonhwa.”

“…Why are you saying something obvious with a look of realization? Did you hit your head or something, Yeonhwa?”

Feeling Jin Sochan’s hand on her forehead, Hong Yeonhwa smiled silently.

It wasn’t a great realization or anything like that. It was just a change in perspective.

Hong Yeonhwa is still a heavenly demon. She called herself a heavenly demon and everyone called her that.

But at the same time, Hong Yeonhwa was also a woman.

Hong Yeonhwa stopped using her heavenly demon martial arts. She temporarily put aside her obsession with demon martial arts and being a heavenly demon.

Instead, she established herself as Hong Yeonhwa as an individual in the world.

A person who carries the weight of ten thousand demons.

Then, what would be left if she removed all the demons she had been carrying for others?

Swoosh-

The nature of the magic that filled the Danjeon was changing.

The resentment and hatred towards the world quietly fell asleep, and Hong Yeonhwa’s unique temperament rose.

***

Clang!

“Huh?”

The iron chains that didn’t even leave a scratch when I hit them broke on their own.

What’s going on?

As I stood there stunned, a floral scent, unique to Hong Yeonhwa, explosively emanated from her as she calmly smiled.

“What is this…?”

But the real surprise came next.

The blood that touched Hong Yeonhwa gradually began to fade and turned into clear water.

Hong Yeonhwa, who was covered in blood just a moment ago, now looked as if she had just washed her face and regained her freshness.

Then, she slowly stepped on the ground where the rotten blood had accumulated.

Squelch.

“Ugh…”

As Hong Yeonhwa’s foot touched the ground, the dark red blood began to purify.

The only place where clear water flowed in the dirty blood. Hong Yeonhwa smiled at me from the center of it all.

Her appearance…yes. It was as if a red lotus flower was blooming in a muddy pond, making it impossible to look away.

But even in a moment that seemed eternal, the end always finds its way.

Was it because she had been bound for so long that she lost her strength? Or was it just a simple mistake?

“Kyaang!”

Suddenly, Hong Yeonhwa slipped and fell on her butt.

“Yeonhwa?!”

Hey, be careful.