The sound of clashing swords echoed through the air.
Chaos reigned on the battlefield where demonic spirits and soldiers were entangled.
Vice General Jeong Seo Tae who had been riding a horse widened his eyes only to realize that several arrows were already lodged in his back.
A cold sensation spread across his back, which made it clear that the arrows had been coated with poison. It was likely the same deadly poison used to hunt wild animals like boars when they advanced through the mountains. As he began to feel numbness spreading to his arms, it became almost certain.
In the midst of the chaotic battlefield, Vice General Jeong Seo Tae turned his trembling gaze behind him.
There stood Peace Stone General Hwa Wol Yong staring back at the Vice General with equally trembling pupils.
The short bow in his hand was unmistakably aimed at the Vice General.
In the blood-soaked center of the battlefield, it wasn’t entirely unusual to be struck by an arrow fired by one’s own side.
In such a chaotic situation, it wasn’t even that strange.
However, not just one arrow, but several… and arrows coated with poison at that.
Considering that the poison used on humans had little effect on demonic spirits, the meaning of the arrows lodged in the Vice General’s back was all too clear.
Swoosh.
Waaaahhh!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Amidst the heat of battle, in the heart of this chaotic battlefield, where everyone was too absorbed in their life-and-death struggles with the demonic spirits to notice.
There, as if time had stopped, he felt himself slipping into a strange stillness.
Peace Stone General Hwa Wol Yong.
He was a person who followed the vice general since his days as an apprentice warrior and worked as his aide. He was a more cool-headed and tough officer than anyone else, and he was always a loyal man who was the vice general’s drinking partner.
He never flattered, nor was he swayed by power, which made him someone the vice general truly favored.
Because of this, even in the moment he fell from his horse, the vice general felt as though time itself slowed to a crawl.
He was a man who had no reason to betray the vice general.
He followed the vice general like a father and was not someone who stood to gain any political advantage from the vice general’s death. In fact, with his benefactor gone, his own position would likely become precarious.
So why would he shoot the vice general?
Fwoosh.
At that moment, the energy of a demonic spirit surged up behind the Peace Stone General before shooting up toward the sky.
Laughter echoed a few times, then the energy vanished into the sky toward the higher demonic spirit that had covered the heavens.
The Peace Stone General who was still holding the bow seemed to realize what he had done… and his eyes widened in horror.
Demonic Spirit of Suspicion.
A demonic spirit that devours minds and feeds on doubt and distrust.
It grows by exploiting the weakened gaps in a person’s heart and prying open any lingering doubts to spread its confusion.
Once a demonic spirit crosses a certain threshold, it reaches the realm of an intelligent being.
The most efficient way to overpower an army is to kill its leader.
And the most certain way to kill the leader is to capture their closest aide.
The Higher Demonic Spirit had concealed its mind-manipulating powers until the perfect moment.
Swoosh.
Thud.
In the midst of the battlefield that was filled with the clashing sounds of swords, the sound of the vice general falling to the muddy ground was heard.
Though the sound was quickly drowned out by the noise of the battlefield, it echoed vividly in the Peace Stone General’s ears as if it had happened right in front of him.
However, the sound of swords clashing continued to spread… with no end in sight.
***
Claang!
Clang!
Claang!
The Sun Demonic Spirit’s and Seol Tae Pyeong’s swords collided repeatedly.
Seol Tae Pyeong gritted his teeth. He pushed back the Sun Demonic Spirit’s stance with his half-broken Cold Iron Heavy Sword.
Blood gushed out from Seol Tae Pyeong’s shoulder, but the Sun Demonic Spirit’s condition wasn’t normal either.
Seol Tae Pyeong clenched his teeth so hard they seemed ready to shatter, and he pushed his sword forward with all his strength. Finally, the exhausted Sun Demonic Spirit began to be pushed back little by little.
In a contest of strength, Seol Tae Pyeong was certain to lose.
That seemingly unshakeable truth, which had defined this battle, was slowly beginning to be overturned.
Seol Tae Pyeong’s eyes glowed fiercely as he unleashed monstrous power. He forced the monster’s stance to gradually give way.
Even in the pouring rain, Seol Tae Pyeong never blinked those steely eyes.
With a great shout, Seol Tae Pyeong struck again, sending the Sun Demonic Spirit’s sword flying into the air.
The Sun Demonic Spirit had lost its grip on the sword.
The sight was unbelievable.
The Sun Demonic Spirit who could uproot a building’s pillar with its bare hands had lost its sword.
Seol Tae Pyeong’s next strike once again cut into the Sun Demonic Spirit’s body.
But with a half-broken sword, it was impossible to cut it in half or even to properly drive the blade in.
The Sun Demonic Spirit’s chest was slashed, but the wound wasn’t deep.
A shallow cut ran from its shoulder down to its chest. The wound that was frozen by the cold of the Cold Iron Heavy Sword burst open almost instantly.
However, the Sun Demonic Spirit quickly regained its composure and swung its arm.
Even while suffering from painful wounds, the monster fiercely tried to grab Seol Tae Pyeong by the collar.
At the moment it attempted to crush his bones, Seol Tae Pyeong kicked its arm away, then propelled himself off the wall and landed on the tiled roof.
Despite its severe injury, the Sun Demonic Spirit didn’t stop chasing him.
Seol Tae Pyeong was just as badly wounded. If not now, the Sun Demonic Spirit would never be able to kill this monstrous swordsman.
Knowing this all too well, the Sun Demonic Spirit pursued Seol Tae Pyeong with its life on the line.
“Graaaahhh!”
As it roared and followed Seol Tae Pyeong onto the roof, a fresh wave of pain surged through its body.
The lingering energy of the spell still provided some minor healing to its wounds, but it couldn’t stop the blood from pouring out.
To make matters worse, the driving rain battered its wounds and caused them to throb.
Both Seol Tae Pyeong and the Sun Demonic Spirit were at their limits with their bodies screaming in agony. From this point on, it was a battle of willpower.
Seol Tae Pyeong was seen leaping onto the adjacent six-story wooden building.
The Sun Demonic Spirit who was bleeding profusely looked up at the swordsman through the rain.
***
Ssshhh
When Jeong Seo Tae lay on the muddy ground and looked up, he saw Peace Stone General Hwa Wol Yong staring down at him with trembling eyes.
It was unclear how powerful a Higher Demonic Spirits Taoist magic truly was, but he never imagined it could erode a person’s mind to this extent.
Perhaps it had been hiding its abilities all along and waiting for a moment like this.
But… even that would have its limits.
Unlike the Moon Demonic Spirit Yoran, who was a demonic spirit specialized in devouring the human heart, it wouldn’t have been able to capture someone’s mind so completely without any opening.
There must have been doubt in Peace Stone General Hwa Wol Yong’s heart.
Vice General Jeong Seo Tae trembled in fear. Even if they advanced, there was no guarantee they could win.
He knew this all too well. He served closely alongside Jeong Seo Tae more than anyone else after all.
It might be better to retreat now and evacuate as many people as possible from the Anyang region.
Perhaps they were marching into a battle they couldn’t win.
Perhaps they were merely getting caught up in the general’s reckless bravado.
At the root of all these doubts were the eyes of someone who had seen through Vice General Jeong Seo Tae’s fear.
Could it be that a Higher Demonic Spirit had seized upon those doubts and fanned them?
General Jeong… General Jeong… I’m sorry… How could this happen… How could it come to this… I’m truly… truly sorry…
Those words seemed to echo from beyond his consciousness.
When he forced himself to focus, as if his senses were being pulled out of the water, he began to hear the sounds of the battlefield again.
Vice General Jeong Seo Tae gritted his teeth and raised his hand. He gripped the Peace Stone General’s arm tightly.
And then he spoke.
“The situation on the battlefield is dire, so there’s no point in announcing my death. Don’t make such a fuss.”
When he heard this, the Peace Stone General’s pupils trembled violently.
Vice General Jeong Seo Tae had sensed his own death.
“General… General Jeong…”
“Peace Stone General, you doubted me, didn’t you?”
“General Jeong… General Jeong… I… I’m truly… truly sorry… I have committed… an unforgivable sin…”
“No, it is you who embodies the ideal of a soldier.”
With those words, the Peace Stone General’s eyes trembled once more.
“Peace Stone General… Even though you saw my fear… even though you were greatly disturbed and opposed my advance… in the end, you followed my will and came to the battlefield.”
“Gen… General…”
“No matter how fearful or doubtful you were, in the end, you followed me as my adjutant… A soldier is someone who obeys orders, and no matter how scared you are, you carry out orders… Even when you thought something was wrong, you still took up your sword and followed me into battle.”
“……..”
“Even though you were manipulated by a higher demonic spirit, I was able to confirm that you believed in my orders and followed them. You are truly an ideal soldier.”
Laying in the middle of the battlefield, looking up at the gloomy sky as rain poured down… Jeong Seo Tae slowly closed his eyes and spoke those words.
“It is largely my fault that in the face of death, I could not shake off my fear and caused my subordinate to be consumed by doubt. A leader should be able to hide his fear, even when he feels it…”.
“That’s… not true… General… General Jeong…”
And then he forced a smile.
“The fortunate thing is that in the chaos of battle, it’s not uncommon for allies to be struck by arrows.”
Killing a general like Jeong Seo Tae with a poisoned arrow was a crime among crimes. Especially when it’s your own superior.
Even if it’s proven that the act was committed under the influence of a higher demonic spirit, it would be impossible to avoid any responsibility.
After the rebellion of Seol Lee Moon, and now the advent of a Higher Demonic Spirit,
Cheongdo Palace was already in dire need of high-ranking military officers. Losing Peace Stone General in this way would be an unbearable loss.
Therefore, General Jeong Seo Tae used the last of his strength to stand.
Even as his mind grew hazy, and he coughed up blood… he steeled his resolve.
“From now on, Peace Stone General, you are the commander. Take responsibility and lead the entire army in retreat.”
“General Jeong… Rather than that, we should call for a physician immediately…!”
“I will stay behind and block the remaining demonic spirits so they can’t pursue our forces.”
What does it mean to be left alone on the battlefield while being poisoned?
There was no need to think too deeply about it.
“General Jeong! There’s no need for you to do this for me! No matter what sins I must pay for, please act in a way that allows us to survive even a little longer!”
“Peace Stone General.”
Amidst it all, the Vice General pulled out a gourd-shaped bottle from his chest and drank it down in one gulp.
After taking a hearty drink, he lifted the corners of his mouth in a bold smile.
His expression wasn’t that of a noble man facing sacrifice, nor was it the face of a brave general about to meet death.
It was simply the look of someone who found the taste of alcohol so good that he laughed heartily and indulgently.
“A general who dies betrayed by his subordinate, or a general who dies fighting demonic spirits to the end. Which one do you think would be less shameful and more honorable in the history books?”
“……..”
“Can you protect my honor?”
Peace Stone General’s arm trembled uncontrollably at Vice General Jeong Seo Tae’s words,
After trembling for what felt like an eternity….the Peace Stone General eventually shouted with tears in his eyes.
“Retreat! Retreat!”
His shout spread among the soldiers.
The soldiers who had been locked in battle against the surging demonic spirit horde began to slowly pull back.
As the front lines began to recede, the massive army of demonic spirits came into view just ahead.
When Jeong Seo Tae closed his eyes for a moment, he suddenly thought of the young man he had left behind in the imperial capital.
He was a young man who had been entrusted with a fief and was good at managing it, and he was also skilled in swordsmanship, so he thought he should give him the position of vice general once he gained some experience.
He had considered bringing that young man along on this expedition to give him more experience, but now, seeing how things turned out, he was relieved that he hadn’t.
“Kuhaha.”
And so, Vice General Jeong Seo Tae laughed heartily as he gulped down his drink.
“The alcohol tastes great.”
The sword he drew with overflowing vigor gleamed in the moonlight that broke through the clouds.
***
The huge sword danced in the air.
Once again, the Sun Demonic Spirit took a stance and flew towards Seol Tae Pyeong through the rain.
They exchanged blows as they leaped across rooftops. The clash of their swords echoed through the entire district.
As it ran toward the central street and gained some distance, gunpowder exploded inside several buildings and the debris covered the Sun Demonic Spirit.
Each time this happened, Seol Tae Pyeong seized the opportunity to regain his stance and press the monster further.
Even amidst the booming explosions, their swords clashed repeatedly.
While they fought back and forth through the streets of the district, the sky in the east slowly began to brighten.
But the mist emitted by the demonic energy prevented the light from spreading. And as if in anticipation of this, a familiar figure appeared on the distant roof of the government building.
It was Ah Hyun, the Heavenly Maiden.
She reached out toward the sky amidst the storm.
Her body had almost completely lost the energy of the Heavenly Dragon, leaving her utterly weakened.
With the determination to release every last bit of the Heavenly Dragon’s energy, she stretched her hand toward the sky and unleashed her power.
As if declaring that she no longer needed the Heavenly Dragon’s energy, she summoned all that remained to dispel the mist of demonic energy that shrouded the sky.
The brilliant blue light burst forth, illuminating the darkened heavens.
The light pierced through the clouds, driving away the ominous darkness.
The sunlight rising from the eastern sky illuminated the area, wrapping around the rain-soaked Hwalseong District.
That bright yang energy engulfed the Sun Demonic Spirit’s body. It felt as if a heavy weight was dragging it down.
Nevertheless, the Sun Demonic Spirit moved its body and charged toward Seol Tae Pyeong.
Even that yang energy, which was like a nemesis to a demonic spirit, couldn’t completely stop the Sun Demonic Spirit’s movements.
On the opposite building’s roof, Seol Tae Pyeong intercepted the Sun Demonic Spirit’s attack with his sword before swinging his body wide to strike the Sun Demonic Spirit once more.
Slash!
However, the broken sword could not deal a fatal blow.
Although it left a deep wound and searing pain, the Sun Demonic Spirit still did not die.
The monster kicked Seol Tae Pyeong in the abdomen, wiped away the blood pouring from its wounds, and steadied itself.
It was breathing heavily, and it seemed like it was on the verge of losing consciousness at any moment… but the Sun Demonic Spirit regained its composure and glared at Seol Tae Pyeong.
After all, Seol Tae Pyeong’s sword was broken. If they continued clashing swords, it believed it could surely cut him down.
It was at that moment when the monster charged forward again.
– Tae Pyeong-ah!
Just when the two swords clashed once more, a voice calling Seol Tae Pyeong’s name rang out from the opposite building’s rooftop.
Somehow, she had managed to climb up there. It was Seol Ran; she was standing atop the large commercial building as she called out to Seol Tae Pyeong.
Her body was covered in bruises and she was holding the White Immortal’s heirloom, the “Jade Leaf Sword”, close to her chest.
She had sensed it instinctively. The Cold Iron Heavy Sword alone wouldn’t be enough to defeat that monster.
That’s why she had rushed to Seol Tae Pyeong’s mansion, grabbed the Jade Leaf Sword that was proudly displayed in the living room, and brought it back with her.
She had only looked at a map in the government office, had no idea where the Jade Leaf Sword was kept in Seol Tae Pyeong’s house, and didn’t even know if she would end up using it.
But despite all that, she acted without hesitation.
Even if it might prove pointless, she would move first and think later. That was who Seol Ran was.
Clang!
Clash!
Seol Tae Pyeong’s reflexes had already far surpassed human limits.
The moment he saw Seol Ran throw the Jade Leaf Sword, he had already assessed the entire situation.
As the Cold Iron Heavy Sword clashed with the Sun Demonic Spirit’s own sword, Seol Tae Pyeong let go of his sword’s hilt.
The Sun Demonic Spirit who had expected a strong impact found its balance thrown forward instead.
Seol Tae Pyeong twisted his body to the side, kicked off the Sun Demonic Spirit’s back, and leaped into the air to grab the sheath of the Jade Leaf Sword.
It was just as the Sun Demonic Spirit, who had stumbled forward, was about to twist its body around to recover.
Slaaash!
This was not the sound of a thrust, but a slash.
A strike so fast it defied even the eyes’ ability to follow.
By the time it realized it, it had already been cut.
Clinck.
When the Sun Demonic Spirit turned around again, the Jade Leaf Sword which had completed its task was already back in its sheath at Seol Tae Pyeong’s waist.
Seol Tae Pyeong no longer moved, and his head was lowered. After all, the battle had already been decided.
The dawn sky was breaking. The once vibrant battlefield lay in ruins.
The rain had stopped at some point, and as always, the early morning air softly enveloped the world.
On the rooftop of the large building in the center of the battlefield, the Sun Demonic Spirit’s final moments were etched clearly in everyone’s memory.
Fwoosh.
Blood spurted as a large sword wound, which stretched from one shoulder to the opposite waist, marked the body of the Sun Demonic Spirit.
Shhhk!
With its body nearly cleaved in two, the Sun Demonic Spirit’s life finally came to an end.
The Sun Demonic Spirit who was gazing up at the high blue sky, recalled the memories that had been buried deep inside it at the very last moment.
Bright Moon General Seol Tae Pyeong.
Indeed, his swordsmanship was unmatched by anyone.
A man who was more than worthy of sitting in the general’s seat.
Perhaps, as if feeling a strange satisfaction, as though a burden had been lifted from its shoulder, it might have even smiled.
As if it was offering a final soliloquy…. the Sun Demonic Spirit’s body slowly fell backward.
***
The dawn was breaking over the Anhyang region.
Light began to spread over the plain that had been a battlefield throughout the night.
When the bright sunlight gradually chased away the darkness, it illuminated a corpse sitting on a flat rock and clutching a sword. The scene looked like a gravestone.
The area around the corpse was filled with hundreds of dead demonic spirits.
The body that was drenched in blood bore a rather satisfied expression.
The reason he could smile in the face of the death he had so feared was clear.
Even if he left some of his worries behind, there were plenty of successors who would take responsibility for him.
***
TN: RIP
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