744 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

**Chapter 744: Northern Hare** This is Mount Hua. Uttering those words brought my thoughts to a sudden halt. 'What does that mean?' What in the world does that mean? How could this place possibly be Mount Hua? I look around, but all I see is a world drenched in black. It was like this from the beginning, and nothing has changed. Squelch. Every step I take ripples through the ink-black ground beneath me. An empty world where nothing can be felt. How could this place be Mount Hua? "Your explanation is lacking." I asked the old man, expressing my confusion. "It's not that I've never seen Mount Hua before. How could this be Mount Hua?" Could it be a metaphorical expression? Perhaps that’s the case. After all, isn’t this place not even the real world? With that thought, I looked at the old man’s eyes. I had to squint. It didn’t seem to be a metaphor after all. [This place is indeed Mount Hua. Though the flowers have withered and the sky has crumbled, this is Mount Hua.] "Here, you say...?" [Yes.] "I don't understand." What I couldn't understand was the failure to stop the Blood Demon. That was the problem from the start. "You couldn't seal the Blood Demon?" Who cares about space; are they saying they couldn't stop the Blood Demon? What is this about? "Do you... come from another world?" [Who knows.] The old man laughed bitterly at my words. [Perhaps. At the very least, this is not a place I know.] "...Huh?" This old man is not the Sin Noya that I know. For some reason, I had expected this to be the case. Those thoughts flitted across my mind. ‘Another world?’ I faced an unforeseen truth. Another world. If this old man is indeed Sincheol, but not from this world...? As my thoughts tangled, my mind began to weave a web. ‘Is that even possible?’ If it is, then how? Another world — that could be possible. I’ve experienced it already, haven’t I? '...As long as I reach the desired conclusion, endless worlds diverge.' It’s something despairing to contemplate, but a truth I’ve known for a while now. Despite knowing it, I continued to struggle; but if the old man before me is from another world... Specifically, a world where the Blood Demon could not be stopped. "How did you end up here?" How could he come to be in this place? First and foremost, it was a question of significance. It’s an impossibility, after all. From the start, there being two Sin Noyas doesn’t make sense. Faced with such doubts, the old man spoke. [I had a fleeting dream of hope.] His voice was calm and aged as he continued. [I dreamt that maybe a miracle had occurred. But it was nothing different from a delusion.] "What does that...?" [You asked why I am here.] "Yes." [I don’t know. The last I saw was this place. It was the end of the world.] A world painted black. The ink pooling across the ground and the indistinguishable sights. Is this truly what the old man saw as the end of his world? [There was nothing to be done but wait. To watch as the world slowly reached its end. I stared at it for a long time.] "Here, you say?" [Yes, though the plum blossoms no longer bloom. Even so, my place was here in Mount Hua.] The end. The fate of a world where the Blood Demon could not be stopped. Is this grotesque and dreadful sight what it amounts to? 'There is nothing to see.' It was a space where nothing was perceptible. The squelching ink was just unpleasant, and the endless darkness was filled with unknowable silence. Nothingness. There was truly nothing here. Except for the large rock where the old man sat. [While waiting for the end.] I listened intently to what he said next. [I closed my eyes for a moment. That was all. Yet when I opened them again, I found myself here.] "In this place, you mean." [It wasn't familiar, but for some reason, I knew. This place was the cave of Shanxi.] "..." A world crumbling slowly. Did the old man, who watched it, suddenly move to the cave of Shanxi? It’s an impossibly bizarre tale. Why would such a thing occur out of nowhere? My skepticism deepened with this somewhat absurd claim. [I couldn’t believe it. It was inconceivable.] The old man felt the same, it seemed. Finding it hard to believe would be natural for anyone. But. [Still, I had to believe.] The old man perceived the situation with hope rather than strangeness. "Why? Wouldn’t you have found it odd?" The world ended as the Blood Demon wasn't stopped. If he witnessed all of that to the conclusion, feeling strange over a sudden change is justifiable. Why did he choose to believe instead? In asking this, I already knew the answer. [I thought it was a miracle.] Even as someone who has turned back time, I know. If it’s unbelievable and nonsensical, even then, if it’s a miracle, you want to believe. That’s human nature. [Even if it's impossible. Perhaps the gods took pity on us and gave us a chance. I believed it that way.] In the face of the world’s end, a miracle offered, just for a moment. And so. [Even with the arrival of the end, a miracle appeared, and the Central Plains survived. My soul remained on this land, given a chance as there was work yet to be done.] "…" With a familiar emotion, I clenched my fist. [Imagining such a delusion blinds me. It’s laughable. The great Sincheol having such thoughts, tsk tsk.] He was not so different from me. The only difference would be the conviction he held. If his statements are true. Yes, that’s certainly possible. Just as I thought that— [I wished for time to be turned back instead... but that kind of thing just doesn’t happen…] "Hold on a second." I cut him off quickly as he spoke. The old man showed a puzzled expression, but this needed to be stopped. He said something strange a moment ago. ‘...Reversing time just doesn’t happen?’ That there’s no such thing as reversing time. The old man's words bothered me. It was understandable. Reversing time—that’s something any sane person would find impossible. But still. 'Is he that certain?' The old man should have seen things differently. Because— "May I ask you something?" [Go ahead.] "Are you aware of Yeon Ilcheon’s secret?" [Hmm?] He should know that Yeon Ilcheon is a regressor. If there’s someone who’s already turned back time beside him, one wouldn't be so dismissive about regression. Sure, it seems implausible, so his reaction might make sense, but something about it irked me. So I brought up Yeon Ilcheon to test him. [What are you talking about? What secret?] "..." A chill ran down my spine at the old man's response. 'Damn it. This...' It seemed that the old man didn't know about Yeon Ilcheon’s regression. Or maybe he was pretending not to know. But if the old man truly didn't know Yeon Ilcheon had regressed? 'To take it further—' What if it wasn’t just ignorance, but it had never happened? Considering that— 'If what he says about failing to stop the Blood Demon is true.' It might be because Yeon Ilcheon hadn't regressed yet. "..." My hand trembled as I ran it over my face. My breathing grew uneven. I tried to steady it, but that was easier said than done. [Child, what's wrong with you?] “…Give me a moment, just a moment.” My head throbbed. Ignoring the persistent headache, I tried to organize my thoughts. '...A world where Yeon Ilcheon didn’t regress.' It’s said that the world creates and destroys endlessly, aiming for a desired conclusion. And supposedly, this came from the past event of stopping the Blood Demon. '...Could remnants of such a world still exist?' The worldview before Yeon Ilcheon’s regression. If it persisted, would that mean the world where the Blood Demon wasn't stopped still exists? Which suggests— 'If regression isn't turning back time but rather moving to another world...' If that’s true, then— 'What about the world I originally came from?' The world where the divine sword stopped the Heavenly Demon and maintained peace? What happened to it? 'You said it repeats endlessly until the desired conclusion is reached.' If I’ve come to a new world, what’s become of that other world? And what about the divine sword? Cold sweat trickled down my back. I gripped my chest tightly. '...Then, who was the divine sword I met?' The one I encountered through the body of Wi Seol-Ah. I absorbed her soul with the martial art for fear of losing her. Back then, Mother told me to do so. All because I wanted to learn about the absorbed divine sword. 'I can't let things turn out like this.' If I left the world where peace was achieved to meet the divine sword, what does it mean for that world? [Child, are you alright?] “…Yes… I’m fine.” As the world fluctuates, my original world fades. So does that mean all those who existed there are likewise gone? Truthfully, that didn’t matter much to me. Whether hundreds or even thousands died, it wasn’t my concern. Only one thing mattered. 'The divine sword.' The possibility that she, whom I sought to protect at all costs, ultimately met her end. She was more important to me than countless others. [What do you mean by Yeon Ilcheon’s secret?] "...It was nothing. Just wanted to test you with something. Don’t mind it." […Hmm?] The old man seemed unconvinced, but I couldn't help it. Because another question had arisen from our conversation. 'Let’s say the world where that old man came from is one where Yeon Ilcheon hadn’t regressed.' Assume such a world existed and met its end. But then— 'How did the old man remain here?' Why had this old man remained in the Shanxi cave? How long has he been there? From when? This creates an issue. 'Something that was never discovered in the past.' In the past, there were no records of spotting such a remnant of the Mountain Sword Manual. And I never heard that Yeongpung inherited that will. While it may seem plausible that Mount Hua found it and never spoke of it, I thought the differences arose from actions I had taken. But now it felt different. 'Is it merely a difference caused by my interference?' Like having two Sincheols. The spirit being here in the current era’s manual. Could that all be attributed solely to me? But that’s not what’s important here. What matters is— 'Who... ‘why’ was that old man brought here?' Could there really be a miraculous reason the old man appeared in this world as a spirit? Is such a thing possible? I know there isn’t. 'There are no miracles in this world.' Even my once-cherished regression. Everything happening now wasn’t just a miracle to be brushed off. Yeon Ilcheon’s words come to mind. -Does your regression really look like a miracle to you? "..." I dismissed it as nonsense back then, but living on made the truth clear. In this damn world, there are no miracles. Everything is orchestrated by someone’s hand and will. So it dawns on me, and I suspect— 'This old man isn’t just a coincidence.' This is someone’s intention. Who could it be? And with what purpose? 'Who on earth is orchestrating this messed-up situation?' Gritting my teeth, I frowned. 'I don’t know.' Nothing comes to mind. So what should be done? Thankfully, the answer was clear. 'I’ll have to find someone who might know and ask.' The simplest and most accurate answer. Someone who might have knowledge about this situation. I’ve thought of two people to start with. One is Mun Gyeong-myeong, the Receding Heaven Sword who’s hiding with Woo Hyuk. The person who had told me to seek him out in Xinjiang might have some information on the current situation. While he seemed a reasonable option, finding him presented its uncertainties, thus he wasn't the ideal person to rely on. Then there was the second possibility... 'I have a feeling this lead might be more accurate...' If there’s a will to find him, there is surely a way. Someone who would likely have more precise information. A figure undoubtedly involved in these matters. That figure is none other than— '...The Blood Demon.' A being known as a calamity. I figured that to unravel this mystery, I would need to meet him directly. --- A pervasive chill lingered in the underground chamber. "Mmm." The figure seated within slowly opened his eyes. As his crimson eyes lit up the surroundings, he felt the cold seeping through and let out a slow sigh. "Hoo..." A person exhaling cold air with their breath. His condition was far from good. His left arm bore not only mangled wounds but was also covered in burn marks. The burns extended across the left side of his face, massive in scale. His lower body was completely scorched, leaving only his upper body intact. Even in a state where survival seemed impossible, the figure opened his eyes and managed a faint smile. "I can sense it." It was a familiar sensation. He chuckled, pleased with the feeling. It seemed that within a short time, a welcome visitor would arrive. With that distinct sense, he murmured to himself. "I should prepare some tea." It has to be an expensive and fine tea. Muttering to himself, the Blood Demon, Dokgo Jun, closed his eyes once more. Right now, the drowsiness was overwhelming and irresistible.