Chapter 495: Side Story 15 Baek Sang-ah’s Melancholy
Sangcheong Qi.
The name of the new Resonance Qi technique that Baek Sang-ah and So Cheon would perform.
“Take it.”
She threw one of her twin swords to So Cheon.
“This is...”
A sword tinged faintly with a bluish hue.
It was at the level of a treasured sword, but not enough to be called one of the finest swords under heaven.
“Southern Lotus Sword. It’s my beloved sword I’ve used since I was a child.”
“......”
“I’m giving it to you. Use it.”
Fundamentally, Resonance Qi techniques were executed by crossing each other's swords and launching the force.
In truth, for the two of them, it didn't matter much whether they used weapons or not when merging their qi, but it was still preferable to use weapons of the same kind when possible.
Of her twin swords, the other was none other than the Jade Heavenly Divine Sword, a sacred object of the Alliance Leader. No matter what, she couldn't hand over the Jade Sword, so she gave her beloved sword to So Cheon.
“Hmm...”
Yet for some reason, So Cheon wore a slightly dissatisfied expression.
“...You don’t like it?”
So Cheon’s main weapons were the Gucheon Fan and a dagger. Still, it wasn’t as if she lacked knowledge in swordsmanship, so he should be able to use it in sync.
‘I thought he’d like it...’
Noticing her downcast expression, So Cheon quickly shook his head.
“Ah, no, that’s not it...”
“Then what is it?”
“Well, rather than a sword… hmm…”
So Cheon confessed what he had in mind.
“I was thinking more along the lines of us holding hands and releasing the force through the power of love, and—ugh!”
Receiving punishment to his shin, So Cheon couldn’t finish his words.
“That’s enough nonsense for today.”
“......Yes.”
Though it wasn’t his usual nonsense but genuine feelings this time, sadly, it seemed it would take more time for So Cheon’s sincerity to be conveyed.
“Stand beside me. We’re starting now.”
Far in the distance, with the inner fortress right before their eyes.
Baek Sang-ah slowly regulated her breathing and recalled the chant for Resonance Qi.
In truth, both reason and instinct had been endlessly sounding alarms for quite some time.
That entering there would surely not end well.
‘Would retreating even now be the right choice?’
Truthfully, from the moment they got caught before even entering the inner fortress, it would have been the correct decision for an assassin to retreat rather than speak of duty or righteousness.
The prevailing notion in the Murim was that an assassin whose presence had been exposed was no better than a third-rate martial artist.
And yet now, they were planning to directly charge into the enemy’s main camp, who held the advantage in power.
It might have been wiser to retreat now and engage in a prolonged covert war in the future to preserve their lives.
However.
That simply wasn’t the kind of choice she was capable of making.
‘Indeed, I’m not suited to be a supreme assassin.’
To begin with, the position of Murim Alliance Leader required one to shoulder the lives of countless others.
If, during the battle with Gunggi, she had thoroughly followed the logic of an assassin and disregarded the losses of her own side, perhaps she could have killed Gunggi.
But in truth, she only adopted the assassin’s tactics in form, while stubbornly insisting on a head-on confrontation that fully exposed her own existence.
To So Cheon, who had followed her stubbornness to the very end, she said:
“We knew from the beginning that this place was a death ground. Even Young Master Jin wouldn’t have predicted we’d throw our lives on the line and charge in like this.”
“......”
Indeed, Jin Yeomyung had merely judged that under the current circumstances, they were the best possible choice. Even if they were to retreat, he would never blame them.
Nevertheless.
This charge too was, in the end, merely her own stubbornness.
“Thank you, So Cheon.”
“…All of a sudden?”
“If we survive this and return, let’s not stop by the Alliance. Let’s head straight to the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.”
“……?”
“…Through Young Master Jin, I asked Lady Cheon to officiate the wedding.”
So Cheon’s mouth opened wide in astonishment.
There was no way he didn’t understand the meaning behind those words.
“So we...”
“Hold it. That’s enough.”
So Cheon suddenly cut her off.
“That alone was more than enough for me to understand.”
So Cheon’s eyes blazed with a determination they never had before.
“From long ago, Myeong always said something.”
“……?”
“That getting too sentimental before the decisive battle brings bad luck.”
For a moment, Baek Sang-ah didn’t understand the meaning behind those words.
And honestly, she never would. So Cheon hadn’t exactly understood what he was saying either when he said it.
“So the next thing you want to say—tell me after we survive.”
Indeed, So Cheon, right now, was more mature than ever.
And it was surprisingly manly.
“Alright.”
Baek Sang-ah grinned and extended the Jade Sword forward.
So Cheon also extended the Southern Lotus Sword she had given him, crossing the blades in an ‘X’ formation.
‘I feel at ease.’
Though they had yet to reach the Transcendent Demon Realm, the immense internal energy consumption of Resonance Qi was certainly a heavy burden.
And since this was their first time activating it, minor mistakes were bound to occur.
But somehow, she felt like everything would go just fine.
Gu-gu-gu-goong!
As Sword Intent overlapped and qi amplified, the Ten Thousand Phase Tai Chi dissolved naturally.
“W-what’s happening all of a sudden?!”
“South wall of the fortress, sir!”
“Send soldiers there immediately to capture the intrud—huh?”
A dark energy rose over the fortress wall, strong enough to swallow even the moonlight.
Originally, Resonance Qi was a technique where two qi of the same root continuously clashed, resisted, and amplified one another, eventually surpassing a singularity.
But the moment So Cheon and Baek Sang-ah’s qi intertwined, an outcome no one, not even Jin Yeomyung, who had structured the chant of the Resonance Qi, could have predicted, began to unfold.
All soldiers and generals inside and outside the fortress could only blankly stare at that energy the moment they encountered it.
They didn’t know why, but it felt like looking away from it would be a grave mistake.
“Hoo… that’s quite…”
From a short distance away, Gunggi, who had been observing their synchronization, let out a small murmur of admiration.
And not long after—
Sangcheon Resonance Qi
Sun and Moon Soul Union
Not over the wall, but over the inner fortress of Seungdeok Fortress, a massive black sphere with a radius of dozens of jang descended.
In truth, the inner fortress had already been remodeled to the point of being no different from a demonic realm, thanks to the craftsmanship of Eungnyong and Yeonggwi.
A place where ordinary humans could not even breathe properly.
If Jin Yeomyung had seen this place, he would have instantly thought of the Heaven of Sacred Spirits.
Due to such an environment, no humans had resided within the inner fortress for quite some time.
Soldiers, eunuchs, maidservants—everyone except the imperial family had long since been replaced by their subordinates disguised as humans.
So, most intruders would be killed before even crossing the threshold of the inner fortress.
However—
“T-the sun? No, is it the moon?”
That which contained neither cold nor heat, but something strange, suddenly descended from the sky upon the inner fortress.
A moon of darkness, devoid of light, that swallowed even moonlight.
For some reason, while it slowly engulfed the inner fortress, it showed no particularly destructive power.
One of the spirit beasts in human disguise, curious about the sight, reached toward the darkness.
Puh-seok!
“……!!!”
Human flesh and blood vanished, revealing only bone.
And even the bone, before long, scattered like dust.
“W-what?!”
It was already too late to pull back the arm.
The most primal fear of any living being—‘death’—took tangible form and manifested in reality.
“W-what in the world is this…?!”
The subordinates of the Commander guarding the inner fortress could not flee due to orders and were consumed by the black moon.
Just one second.
In just one second, hundreds of lives vanished.
No, if there had been thousands inside, then thousands would have disappeared; if tens of thousands, then those tens of thousands would have vanished too.
“…….”
“…….”
Even Baek Sang-ah and So Cheon were left momentarily dazed by the surreal spectacle before them.
More than half of their true qi had been drained, and an overwhelming fatigue rushed over them, yet they had no time to feel it.
This technique must never be used lightly.
Both of them realized that truth with chilling clarity as they witnessed the scene before them.
It was then—
“Too early to be pleased.”
At Gunggi’s words, Baek Sang-ah frowned.
“…When did I say I was pleased!”
“Look.”
Gunggi gestured with his chin toward the inner fortress.
Where the topmost floor of the inner fortress had been.
Where the black moon had vanished, a massive door, seemingly made of mist, remained.
“Spatial distortion. Beyond that door lies the enemy’s true stronghold.”
“……!”
“I don’t know how much damage was dealt deeper inside… but on the surface, it looks like all you did was kill a few underlings. So pull yourselves together.”
Just as he said, the Resonance Qi was merely a preemptive strike. The true battle was about to begin.
Gunggi stepped forward.
“I’ll go ahead. Follow me closely.”
Gunggi leapt forward without hesitation and threw himself into the door of mist.
Soon, his figure vanished, and after briefly exchanging glances, So Cheon and Baek Sang-ah also rushed straight into the door.
After passing through the door of mist—
Baek Sang-ah resolved that no matter what appeared before her eyes, she would not be shaken.
However—
She immediately broke that resolution.
“…So Cheon?”
So Cheon, who had entered with her, was nowhere to be seen.
In fact, having previously dealt with the Six Paths Veil, So Cheon had speculated just before crossing the door that they might be separated.
That was why the two of them had held each other's hands while crossing the door, trying to prevent that outcome.
Physical contact, if firm enough, usually disrupted attempts to isolate people.
‘Is this a trap…?’
After pondering briefly, she concluded that it was not.
‘There is the possibility of a trap that imprisons indefinitely… but this place is too peaceful for that.’
She looked around at the scenery.
A garden in full bloom, covered in crimson flowers on all sides.
However, unlike ordinary flowers like oleanders or poppies, every bloom here had petals shaped as if they were ablaze.
‘There’s no poison… rather...’
A faint stream of Spiritual Energy flowed from the flowers, revitalizing her.
She could clearly feel her stamina and qi, depleted from the Resonance Qi, recovering.
“Where is this place...?”
“This is the garden prepared for my resurrection, dear benefactor.”
“…!”
At the sudden voice from behind, Baek Sang-ah straightened her posture.
Turning around slowly without dropping her guard, she saw a woman with long, flowing red hair that stood out.
However, where human ears should be, there were wing-like appendages, indicating clearly that the figure was not human.
“You are...”
It wasn’t hard to deduce her identity.
She had already seen Yeonggwi, Eungnyong, and Girin.
Using the process of elimination, it was only logical that the woman before her was...
“Your guess is correct.”
The woman unexpectedly placed one hand over her chest and bowed politely.
“I am the second of the Rinbonggwi-yong, the Phoenix.”
“…!”
“I had no choice but to invite you into my Conceptual Domain to ask a favor of you, benefactor.”
Conceptual Domain.
A semi-divine realm no longer accessible to the sorcerers of the present age.
Yet for something called a Conceptual Domain, aside from the burning flowers, there was no apparent danger.
Perhaps sensing Baek Sang-ah’s thoughts, the Phoenix smiled faintly.
“Originally, the Conceptual Domain was created by those walking the path of immortality to overcome the limits of lifespan. It was only misused for combat purposes by later generations. That was never its true purpose.”
Baek Sang-ah, still on guard, asked,
“That aside… you said you have a favor to ask?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
The Phoenix bowed once again and earnestly requested Baek Sang-ah,
“Please… grant Eungnyong peace.”