He would not die here.
Those were Sima Ryunju’s last words.
He said would not have to leave a will, solely because he firmly believed today would not be the day of his death.
What was with that look too? Lee Sungmin’s master, Sima Ryunju, looked so happy in front of death. Lee Sungmin couldn’t understand.
He didn’t even understand why his master had to die there on that very day. Didn’t he even get warned by Geniella in advance? If he wanted to avoid it, he could have easily done so.
[He didn’t want to avoid it]
Heoju spoke in a grave voice.
He had a vague understanding of what Sima Ryunju had gone through in his last moments.
He also stood in front of that dark and one-way road. What it meant to walk on that road…… Heoju was well aware of its purpose and destination.
“……Run away.”
Scarlett managed to speak out.
“You have to run away.”
Scarlett had been asked for a favor by Sima Ryunju. Now was the time to fulfill that request.
However, Scarlett looked at Lee Sungmin who just fell to his knees with a blank expression. Scarlett was unsure of what emotions and thoughts must have been running inside of Lee Sungmin’s mind at that moment.
It was impossible for her to imagine what Lee Sungmin was going through and she felt pity and guilt.
Musin looked down at the body of Sima Ryunju lying on the floor. He was dead… ..and Musin was now sure of it.
There was a faint smile on his face as the blood that had been spurting from his now missing left arm had stopped.
Musin grabbed the stump that remained in the place of his left forearm as he recalled what Sima Ryunju had said.
Sima Ryunju had stated he was simply stronger than him, and Musin could not dare to refute it.
In particular, he just could not understand how the last technique that Sima Ryunju had used, was even possible for humans to somehow use.
‘Disciple.’
The idea of Sima Ryunju’s blatant ignorance was crazy for Lee Sungmin.
SIma Ryunju told him that he could have killed Musin if he chose to, but decided not to and just took on arm.
He said he would let his disciple take care of whatever was to happen after that. Musin quickly turned his head. Lee Sungmin was seen on his knees.
“We have to run……!”
Listening to Scarlett’s cry, Lee Sungmin staggered to his feet.
Musin looked at Sima Ryunju’s body, whose arm was cut off, and then stared at Lee Sungmin.
Grit.
Lee Sungmin grated his teeth and grabbed the spear in his hands.
[Stop it now while you can.]
Heoju warned.
[He doesn’t look like it right now since he’s injured, but he’s still much stronger than you.]
He knew. Lee Sungmin circulated his internal energy around his eyes and stared at Musin. The barrier that stood between Musin and Lee Sungmin gradually started to fade and disappear.
Musin raised his remaining arm upwards.
Wuooooong.
The blue internal energy started to coalesce around Musin’s right palm. The barrier which had been used to entrap Sima Ryunju, already had fulfilled its purpose and started to fade.
Scarlett ran from the carriage and sprinted towards Lee Sungmin.
The moment when the power exploded from the hands of Musin….
Crrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
A spear shot at the back of the Musin, creating fluctuations of internal energy in the air. Musin was startled and twisted his posture. Though he was powerful, Lee Sungmin could still see the slowed movements of Musin that had been racked up from several internal injuries and lowered reserves of internal energy,
Musin moved his hand full of internal energy through the air, and blocked the approaching spear shakily.
BOOM!
Behind the loud explosions, Musin’s face contorted and shouted.
“Kang Seok!”
It was the notorious Spear King that had thrown the spear. From a long distance away, Kang Seok could be seen glaring at Musin with cold eyes.
“Why are you stopping me?!”
“I don’t want to follow a coward.”
Kang Seok replied in a low growl to the cry of Musin. He saw the fight and spectated Musin teaming up with Wolhu against Sima Ryunju.
In the end Wolhu, the schemer in Kang Seok’s eyes, had died along with Sima Ryunju
Kang Seok couldn’t possibly understand why Musin would do something so dishonorable. It was a one-on-one fight. It wasn’t just some idiots on the street fighting in a brawl, it was a fight against the strongest man in the world and his rival….or at least it was supposed to be until Wolhu showed up.
It became unfair, and Musin even fought dishonorably by taking such help.
“I will no longer follow you.”
“What kind of madman nonsense is this……!”
[I’ll buy you some time.]
Kang Seok’s voice rang out in Lee Sungmin’s head.
[Go.]
[Ara. Even though Musin appears to have internal injuries, it’s still too much for you to deal with. It’s literally only a matter of time, so run away.]Heoju muttered, agreeing with Kang Seok’s statement.
‘You want me to run away?’
But to where?
Lee Sungmin couldn’t tell. Where the hell was he supposed to run? Was he supposed to just leave his master’s body here to rot in the snow? Lee Sungmin could not do anything until then. Even though Sima Ryunju had spoke to Lee Sungmin in a repressed tone of voice prior to this and had told him to not try and get revenge… There was no way to quell the raging emotions and wrath Lee Sungmin was feeling at that moment.
[Is there a way to escape?]
Scarlett heard the question inside of her head. The sudden telepathic message came from Jehu.
Scarlett looked at Jehu with surprised eyes. She still couldn’t fully trust Jehu.
Sima Ryunju, before he died, decided to take back the forced Oath from Jehu, and allowed him to have free thought and movement without restriction.
[I know you are doubting me. It’s understandable, but…… I can swear this much : I will help you run away from here, if there is a way.]
“Why?”
[Because I want to help.]
Jehu answered without an ounce of hesitation. Scarlett blinked in surprise at Jehu’s sudden Oath and complete affirmation of wanting to help them unconditionally.
Guuuwwwwwooooongggg .
The internal energy being drawn from Musin’s body made the space tremble. They had no time and Jehu pressed Scarlett urgently for any methods she might know of to escape. Scarlett was forced to explain to Jehu about what Sima Ryunju had asked of Scarlett before the fight.
“I see.”
Jehu nodded slightly. He turned his head to look at the back of Lee Sungmin, who was starting to hyperventilate. Suddenly, Jehu moved.
Flap, flap!
Jehu rushed at Lee Sungmin and nailed him in the pressure points to seal his movement. Lee Sungmin’s face turned pale-white at the sudden actions and inability to move. Jehu did not stop there, but immediately acquired the body of Ye-Hwa as well with the same actions.
Holding their drooping bodies, Jehu looked back at Scarlett.
“Is this all right?”
“That’s enough.”
Lee Sungmin tried to say something, but he couldn’t speak because of the pressure points that had been sealed.
It was partly because Lee Sungmin was not aware of Jehu’s sudden actions or did not expect it, and partly due to the fact Jehu was still slightly stronger than the current level of Lee Sungmin.
“Great!”
Musin cheered at Jehu’s actions as he was thinking Jehu was still going to help him out here. But Jehu did not even react and ignored Musin completely.
Shortly after, Musin frowned as he watched Jehu hand over the immobile Lee Sungmin and Ye-Hwa to Scarlett.
“……What are you doing?”
“It’s too late for me to turn back.”
Murmured Jehu.
“I have already betrayed you. And… I. I don’t think I can trust you or your group anymore.”
“Are you serious?!”Musin suddenly roared with a large wave of internal energy in his voice. The pressure was so high that it caused people’s senses to go numb, but Jehu did not back down.
It was still recent, but the main reason Jehu had completely abandoned any sliver of trust for Beyond the Heaven’s was because of the meeting with Geniella and the words she had spoken about to him.
Kim Jonghyun.
Jehu had only interrupted Kim Jonghyun’s ritual without killing him because he was following the words of the Heavenly Spirit, which actually in turn, had allowed Kim Jonghyun to not be expelled from the world of Eria and roam as a Half-Devil that would cause the First Catastrophe.
But it wasn;t just that specific instance with the Heavenly Spirit that had made Jehu turn his back completely on Beyond the Heavens.
When he was still with them in full swing as the Lord of the Murim Alliance, the Heavenly Spirit had many chances to kill Lee Sungmin as the Ghost Spear, and probably even knew that he had Jehu’s father’s remains. Yet… they didn’t.
There were always plenty of opportunities to do so as well. As a result, even three of the Six Divinities had died because of such actions by only applying moderate pressure.
And just now… Wolhu was dead.
“Musin, do you really believe in the Divine Maiden and the Heavenly Spirit?”
“I do.”
Musin replied as if he had nothing to think about.
“Today’s work has made me more sure of their help for our cause. The power they gifted Wolhu… Didn’t you see it …. ? The Heavenly Spirit is helping us to prevent the End of the world and gifted their powers to Wolhu to prevent the man known as the Demonic Emperor from hindering us even further.”
“Haha…….”
Jehu burst into a dry laughter at Musin’s words and shook his head.
“I can’t believe the suspicious so-called Heavenly Spirit.”
“So you’re going to betray me?”
Jehu did not reply. There was no point in answering. The fact that he was blocking Musin right now, was a testament to the choice he now made.
Jehu recalled the last technique and even Sima Ryunju’s last words.
The overbearing and powerful man known as Sima Ryunju, the Demonic Emperor, was enough to make even Jehu feel complete admiration, which was by no means forced.
Musin laughed. Looking at the Spear King, who was clearly antagonistic now and even showing suspicion at Musin due to Jehu’s words, and Jehu who was standing protectively in front of the path to Lee Sungmin and Ye-Hwa, Musin raised his right hand.
“I must look like some kind of fool.”
Kugunung!
A large surge of energy swirled from Musin’s hand.
Although it was weaker than Sima Ryunju, it was enough to still say that Musin had reached the apex of human beings.
Even if the Spear King or Jehu were quite strong for Transcendent Realm Martial Artists, it was not even right to compare their combined strengths to Musin’s.Feeling the intensity of the situation, Kang Seok swallowed a deep breath and Jehu’s expression hardened.
“……What should I do?
“Leave immediately.”
Jehu replied and continued.
“I’m not going.”
“But….”
“With Kang Seok here, I will be able to live and run away if needed. Do not worry about me.”
Scarlett no longer tried to persuade Jehu. She grabbed Lee Sungmin and Ye-Hwa who were both immobile, and put her hand in her robe sleeves.
What she pulled out was a scroll. A short while ago, inside the carriage. Sima Ryunju left Scarlett this particular scroll.
Even though Sima Ryunju did not think it would happen, if he somehow died or…… If the whole party was in a dangerous situation, he requested her to use this scroll with Ye-Hwa and Lee Sungmin.
‘A teleportation scroll.’
Long-distance teleportation was a magic that was not possible for human Wizards. But very occasionally… Magic scrolls that enabled long-distance teleportation were found in dungeons.
This scroll was also found in a dungeon, and the arrival coordinates that Sima Ryunju had entered were to the Forest of Fairies.
‘No matter how monstrous Musin might be, he can’t possibly chase us to the Forest of Fairies……!’
Boom!
When the scroll was torn, the magic inside was unfolded and the mana started to swirl around Scarlett. Musin was startled and burst into laughter.
Brrrrrrrrr.
A storm of blue internal energy started to swirl from Musin’s palm and was aimed at Scarlett and company. Kang Seok lifted his spear and swung violently at the internal energy that was aimed at the party.
Jehu also started to rouse his internal energy and started to transform into his Draconic Human form as scales erupted from his skin and prepared to face the attack that was coming.
All they needed to do was buy time for their escape.
Whooooooosh!
The light of the mana from the scroll burst and disappeared immediately.
The teleportation succeeded. In his groggy state, Lee Sungmin saw his surroundings start to distort and the space start to shift.
It was the same sense he felt when he rode the Pegasus lent by the Queen of Fairies. Lee Sungmin now realized what was happening to him.
He saw the bodies of the distant Musin and Jehu, The Spear King… and his master’s body lying in the snow.
‘Ah, I…..I couldn’t do anything.’
Splash!
Falling from the sky, Scarlett failed to regain her blance.
Falling on her butt, Scarlett groaned and rose to her feet.
Rubbing her butt with both hands, she turned to look around and find Lee Sungmin and Ye-Hwa.
Just like Scarlett, who couldn’t find her balance, Ye-Hwa and Lee Sungmin were forcefully immobilized and fell on the ground with a thud.
It was fortunate for the two that they fell from a place that was not that high.
“Are you okay?”
Scarlett approached them both, asking in a worried voice…. Then Scarlett realized.
‘How do I undo their pressure points?’
Scarlett was a wizard. She didn’t know any acupuncture or martial arts to do so.
There was a giggle of laughter that was suddenly heard in the surroundings, and Scarlett furrowed her brows.
It was the sound of children laughing and she didn’t know where it was coming from. Scarlett squinted her eyes and looked around.
“Huh, fair-fairies……?!”
Looking at all the fairies that started to gather, Scarlett’s mouth opened in disbelief. It was the first time she had actually seen a fairy. When Scarlett was about to speak again, a voice interrupted her.
“Your master is dead.”
With the pressure points still blocked. Lee Sungmin only was able to move his eyes and spotted Oslo.
She was looking down at Lee Sungmin, her colorful butterfly wings drooping over in a sad state. She was always smiling mischievously when he had met her in the past, but now she looked like she was about to cry.
“I’m glad, though.”
Oslo reached out, as she spoke the mysterious words. A particle of light fluttered from her extended hand, covering Lee Sungmin and Ye-Hwa’s body.
“Ryunju-ssi did not regret his death.”
The pressure point seals were released and Lee Sungmin quickly rose to his feet. He looked at Scarlett once with resentful eyes, and then at Oslo. Oslo stood there with her hair drooping over her face in a tired and sorry state.
“……Miss Oslo.”
“It’s all right.”
Oslo replied, shaking her head.
“That’s what he wanted.”
Oslo, then raised both hands. Beautiful flowers bloomed from the ground magically where she pointed towards.
And on top of the earthen ground, the body of his master, Sima Ryunju, who lost one arm, appeared.