Book 12 Chapter 21

Administrator of the first gateway

- Unexpected Ending

Spear-like peaks that pierce the plain of white clouds like a sheet of paper.

As one of the Great Five Evils, its height was so high that even the clouds dared not reach it.

They were climbing one of those steep peaks.

The ridge jutted out like a missing tooth against a blue sky of white clouds. As expected, the road was rough. In fact, I'm not sure it should be called a road at all. Apparently, the word "spectacular" is synonymous with the word "difficult" when it comes to scenery.

But they had no choice but to go up or down, and the outcome had been decided before they made the choice. They climbed the steep slope at high speed, using the Divine Law.

It wasn't a good feeling.

They had climbed half a mile through overgrown weeds and dense branches when they were stopped in their tracks by a sudden obstacle: a giant gateway created by the hand of nature.

"Hey, hey, ice bucket, are you sure you're not on the wrong track?"

Yeomdo asked in a nervous voice.

"No, it must be this way!"

Binggum replied, his voice full of conviction.

"Hmm, so you must be a gilch."

Binggum's temples twitched for a moment at the verbal assault.

"Surely this is the way. I swear on my honor!"

"So what's that?"

Yaldo raised his hand and pointed to one side of the cliff, which was at least twenty stories high, and the cliff on the other side was seven or eight stories higher than this one. But there was no bridge to the other side, no matter how hard he looked. There was no detour, of course.

"Blah, blah, blah, he's not lost. Not even by a signpost, and not only that, but he found the right place."

Suddenly, the eyes of all the delegates turned in unison to the source of the voice. An old man, dressed in ragged gray clothes that could have been rags, sat on a black rock. The old man's hair was unkempt and disheveled, and his face was tired, as if he had seen many hardships and life's ups and downs.

"Is the old man old?"

Bingum asked, stepping forward to speak.

"I'm just a cranky old man guarding this place. Heh, heh, heh!"

The old man smiled and replied.

"Are you not, by any chance, a master of the old school?"

At the blunt question from Namgung Sang, who poked him in the side, Luo Hak grimaced and shook his head.

"I don't think so. I've never heard of anyone looking like that living on the volcanic Tianmu Peak, and if you're the gatekeeper, it's not like word hasn't gotten around."

"I have a feeling that this is a place that is perhaps unknown to the world, and shouldn't be. I have a feeling there's a different kind of powerhouse here than the one we know, and I wonder what's in store for us?"

Namgungsang clenched his fists over his pounding chest like a boy in love for the first time. The speed of the blood coursing through his veins was gradually increasing. The feeling that what he was about to see, hear, and experience was going to be filled with new and wonderful wonders and awe, completely unlike anything he had ever experienced before, dominated him.

But what no one had yet anticipated was the degree of despairing horror that it would imprint on their minds.

Sitting on a rock like a giant toad crouching down, the old man looked very dwarfed. Barely able to lift a pair of chopsticks, the old man seemed to be very small, less than half the height of an average person. Next to the old man were two peculiarly shaped wooden sticks lying on either side of him.

"This is my name, Kwan Cheol-soo, and I'm leading the delegation to the Volcano Covenant Branch of the Heavenly Academy. If you don't mind, could you please inform me of Senior Noh's respect?"

Taking up the reigns once more, Binggum asked politely, judging that a person in a place like this could not possibly be ordinary.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh… This old man's name is Zhong Qian. Once upon a time, he was also known by the false name of the Flying Cloud."

The old man's words were casual, but their impact was profound.

"Rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain!"

Bing'er and the rest of the delegation couldn't believe it. It had been over a hundred years since the name Bi Gong Daiyun had risen to prominence, but his fame had not yet faded from people's memories. Whenever one learns about Jinggong, one is bound to hear the name at least once.

An unceremonious end!

This man, whose title was Flying in the Sky and Treading on Clouds, was a legend when it came to light engineering.

'If you want to know what's faster than the wind, meet Jong-Hyeon!'

This was a common comment about him at the time, so you can imagine the level of mastery he achieved. He was even called a speed freak for his obsession with speed.

He hadn't been seen since the Ten Thousand Blood Tax, and I was dumbfounded to see such a legendary figure in such a remote mountain valley.

But that was nothing compared to the horror they felt when the old man of great stature rose from the rock with the two sticks he had laid beside him. Everyone's eyes widened as if they were about to tear out of their sockets.

He didn't have the two legs that had made him a legend, a symbol of his pride.

His legs were like a symbol of speed and swiftness. A hundred years ago, his feet and both his legs had been engraved with the symbols of speed and swiftness, but now, a hundred years later, those symbols no longer existed anywhere on his body.

The old man was less than half the height of any other normal man, and both of his legs had been cut off, and where they should have been, they were now empty, his baggy pants flapping in the wind.

Instead, he holds a long wooden staff in each hand. Presumably, those two thin, long wooden sticks were replacing his two legs.

"That…, what is that?"

Namgungsang asked in a shaky voice, his gaze never leaving the hem of his two empty pants.

"Oh, you mean this? No big deal. A lifetime's worth of bitter lessons in one moment's complacency……."

A bitter look of resentment crossed Zhongqing's face, but there was no way it could be anything more than that.

"Don't give me that pitiful look, because even without two legs, I can still do these tricks!"

With a snap, Zongqing's figure disappeared from the view of the Southern Palace.

Chin!

Next, a wooden stick was placed on his shoulder from behind the Namgung Sang's back. Surprisingly, it was Zongqing's right crutch. Suddenly, Zongqing, who had gotten behind Namgungsang, had placed his right crutch on his shoulder while supporting his entire body with his left crutch.

"You let your guard down, young man! You're already dead to my sword. A cripple is not to be underestimated. This old man may be old and bereft of two legs, but he can still do this."

His back was drenched in a cold sweat. The moment the crutches were placed on him, he felt as if a sharp sword had slashed through his throat. He could taste his own death in that moment. A chill ran down his spine.

He wasn't the only one who was stunned by this gesture. The rest of the delegation looked back and forth between the crippled old man and the man who gave way to him with astonishment. Many of them were completely unaware of the old man's movements.

Once the crutches were removed from his shoulders, Namgung-sang was able to move his frozen body. When the crutches were on his shoulders, he was like a butterfly caught in a spider's web, unable to flutter.

"Let me tell you an old wives' tale. Think of it as entertainment before you take this test, and listen to it, for like any old tale, it will teach you a valuable lesson. And the origin of this gateway."

"What do you mean, origin?"

"As you have heard, there are three gates to pass through. Each gate has its own origin story, though you may not want to hear it."

"? "

It was strange to see Zongqing's dark eyes clouding his words, but it didn't take long to realize that he was telling the truth.

"About a hundred years ago, there was a man. He appeared out of nowhere one day without warning. No one knew where he came from, and at first, of course, no one cared. But they were soon forced to shake off their complacency, for at his hands, five schools, seven assemblies, and two prestigious orders had been destroyed or sealed. Indifference was quickly replaced by astonishment, confusion, and terror. Many people and factions succumbed to his boundless power, and no one knew why he did what he did. It was clear that the powers of the day were powerless to stop him, and the terror he exuded began to seep into every corner of the land. Everyone feared him, and soon the mere mention of his name gave them goosebumps and chills. It became taboo for everyone to even utter his name."

The faces of the people changed strangely. They had been listening to Zongqing's story for so long that it was all too familiar.

"The horror was so great and terrible that for a time no one was able to stop it. Anyone who challenged his name became an unholy object, like you, and now he is the terror itself. He gathered those who succumbed to his terror and swore obedience, formed one great power, and sat upon its throne, and thus he became the Lord of the Heavens. People called him the Fearful Blood God out of fear, terror, and despair."

Surprise flashed across everyone's faces: they were about to hear one of the most taboo topics in the game. My heart began to pound in my chest. His throat burned as if he had inhaled red-hot coals from the brazier, and blood rushed through his body as fast as a river in the rainy season.

They could feel it instinctively. That even though the old man now spoke with an air of calmness, there was a residual tremor of terror in his words that could never be erased by the brilliance of the moon and sun, which had changed more than thirty-six thousand five hundred times, nor by the winds of a hundred years.

"He was invincible even when alone, and when he united the forces of the great demons, there was nothing left to stop him, even for those whose strength had already waned. He wanted them all to fall under his power, regardless of party affiliation, and it was then that the first-ever joint party conference was held. In the face of continued defeat and death, the people thought.

'This isn't working! We must find another way!

But no one could come up with a cool solution, until an old man spoke up.

"I have an idea!

The ears of everyone who wanted to grasp at straws at the time turned toward the old man. The old man spoke again.

'We are at a disadvantage as it is, with our scattered powers, and we must unite against this demon, and until we do, we will never win!'

"How?

Someone asked.

'We're setting a trap, luring him to where we want him!'

The old man replied.

"A trap? You think that's going to work on him?

Another man asked. In those days, the immense power and terror that 'he' possessed could make even the devil cower, so it was not unreasonable for such a suspicion to be raised. Then the old man spoke again.

'It's about using enticing bait that he can't resist!'

When people realized what the old man's lure was, there was a huge backlash and a storm of voices criticizing him. It was too dangerous an idea.

'Have you ever thought about the ramifications of your plan if it fails? If it goes wrong, we're doomed, and it's irreversible!'

People exclaimed in disbelief. I suggested we use something like that as bait, so it's not unreasonable……."

"What the heck was that bait?"

Unable to contain his curiosity, he asked. Zhongqing raised his head and looked into his eyes. Looking into those glassy eyes, he was stunned for a moment. Zhongqing shook his head and said.

"I'm sorry, but you don't deserve to know what it is yet. So don't blame me for not being able to teach you."

This made me even more impatient and curious about the identity of the bait. But no amount of cajoling and flattery would get him to tell me what it was.

Jonghyun continued.

"I'm sorry," the old man said when the chaos had settled down a bit, as if he'd already anticipated the backlash.

'Then is there any other pointed way of stopping him? If there is, I shall not hesitate to agree to it, even if it means that this one body will be reduced to a handful of dust. So if you have any other measures, tell me here and now!

No one answered him, and then the old man's ideas were considered. The meeting lasted seven days and six nights, and finally, on the seventh day, a decision was made. The old man's idea was finally approved. Perhaps no other strategy in the history of the Martial Arts has ever risked such a great sacrifice. It was a gamble with the fate of all the mighty, leaving Zheng, Shao, and the Black and White Islands. And the place to execute it has been decided."

"You mean that place is……?"

Binggum asked in a trembling voice, a premonition piercing his heart. Zhong Xuan shook his head.

"You guessed right. It is this volcano, Tianmubong. And this is where you're sitting right now."

A tidal wave of horror swept over them in an instant. After the tidal wave swept away the debris, there was a heavy silence. No one spoke a word.

Zhong Qian's story was one they had never heard before in their studies of the mighty Martial Arts. This was the first time they had heard that the Heavenly Martial Peak had such a history.

Suddenly, my ass tingled as if there was an iron bar stuck in the floor. People looked around with new eyes. Somehow, everything looked different.

"Chun Woo, have you ever heard this story before? "

In response to Yidou's question, Zhao Tianwu, a promising disciple of the Volcano Sect and a member of the Zhu Jia Clan, shook his head vigorously.

"I've been teaching in the Volcano School for over a decade, and to this day, I've never heard of anything like that."

It was surprising that this disciple of the Volcano Sect had never heard of it, even though it had happened right in the volcano's backyard. Yun Che's gaze turned to Yun Jun this time, but he didn't know either.

After a pause, Zhongqing spoke again.

"No wonder you don't know. Everything that happened back then has been shrouded in secrecy and buried in the depths of darkness, and now there are only a handful of people in the current powerhouse who know about it, and even those who do are trying to forget it. You must have thought this was just a place to hold a Volcano Covenant meeting!"

Everyone nodded at the old man's question. And indeed, they did.

"Actually, I kept this story a secret for two reasons. One, because of its contents, which must never be revealed, and two, out of fear!"

"Fear…, what do you mean?"

Namgungsang asked, puzzled.

"You will experience it for yourself without me telling you. Until now, perhaps, 'he' has been nothing more than a legend, a tale, or a character in a story. You've heard of its power and terror through the words of its tongue, but you've never come face to face with it. Some may have even questioned whether such a demon ever existed, his tales inflated with exaggeration and hyperbole like all stories. If so, they are in for a rare treat today. For here they will meet 'him' in person and see how wrong they were."

Suddenly, an eerie lightning bolt of red flashed from Zhong Xuan's eyes.

"!!! "

Lightning bolts of maddened consternation raced through them. The members of the delegation stood there, their faces bleached white as a sheet of paper, their eyes gaping, their mouths gaping like gaping goldfish.

Suddenly, a great shadow appeared in the clear blue sky, swallowing the shining sun into darkness. The air grew chilly, cutting through the flesh like a midwinter gale, and everyone trembled in fear, like children afraid of the night. Despite his current lack of physical presence, the fear he sowed was immense. It was a soul-shattering impact.

It was then.

"Hey, Gongsang, what are you doing, are you kidding me?"

One word: pathetic. And then the descending punishment!

Voila!

"Yuck!"

Blinking back tears, Namgung Sang clutched the back of his head. In that moment, he could feel the web of darkness that had enveloped him disappear. Starting with Namgungsang, others followed suit, pulling themselves out of the darkness that surrounded them.

The sky was brilliantly bright again, the sun was warm, and there was still a cool fall breeze and the lush smell of fresh greenery.

"What was that?

The delegates couldn't comprehend what they had just experienced. All they knew was that they had been caught up in an unidentifiable vision and were shivering like small animals under a paralyzing poison. Bi Ryuyeon looked at Zhongqing and smiled.

"You're a funny guy with a funny story, but what's the backstory?"

Zhong Xuan looked at Bi Ryuyeon with slightly surprised eyes. He looked as if he'd been caught off guard by an unexpected attack.

'How you managed to break my group hint without getting caught!

He had another talent besides his quick feet, though it wasn't well known, and that was his ability to lull anyone who listened to him into a false sense of security in front of his eyes. It was a kind of hypnotism, and today he met someone who broke it in spectacular fashion.

"Heh, heh, heh, amazing young man, it was just a little test. I didn't mean any offense, you understand. Tsk, tsk, tsk, how can I really stand in front of him after giving in to such insinuations! It's, it's……."

Suddenly, Zhong Xuan's voice began to tremble like the trembling of an aspen tree, and his eyes shook with it. Zhong Xuan couldn't finish his sentence. It was as if he was trying to eloquently say with his whole body that words could not describe…….

After a moment of silence, Jong-Hyeon soon changed the subject and began to speak.

"Don't worry. Your complexion is still dark, and I can tell you've been frightened by Nobu's words, but how can you possibly fight him directly here? What you'll be fighting is part of the mark he left behind. It's a vivid remnant of what's left of this mighty beast."

Elsewhere, the fact that all the factions had worked together to erase the vestiges of that overwhelming horror with all their might was unnecessary.

"But it's too soon to rest easy. Do not ignore the aftermath, for if you let your guard down, you may be consumed by the residue!"

Dried saliva rolled down their throats.

"The first sign of that, and your first test, is right there."

Jonghyun pointed to the cliffs, which were of different heights, separated from each other by a jagged cliff face.

"We call it the 'Heaven and Earth Interval' or 'Blood God's First Step'."

<Continued on page 13 of "Reliability"