Chapter 453

Chapter 453
### Chapter 453. Seeds of Evil (1)

—

The strange remarks he had uttered up to this point.

[*Jin So-un, you are an uncertainty.*]

The illogical conduct he had displayed up to now.

[*Do not interfere with me, Jin So-un.*]

Every single one of those moments flashed vividly across my consciousness. It was not just the occurrences of this present existence, but the memories of my previous life as well. The countless bizarre acts he had carried out. The sequence of behaviors that defied comprehension and the aftermath they brought began to intertwine chaotically in my mind. Because my thoughts were racing at such a frantic pace, I felt an almost physical heat radiating from my head. On the other hand, my skepticism remained entirely unshakeable.

“…….”

My gaze fixed upon Namgung San.

“Senior…… do you actually credit this?”

“…….”

Namgung San merely observed Yong So-ah in complete silence. It was a wordless inquiry, seeking validation to speak freely.

“…….”

Yong So-ah offered a slight nod of agreement. Namgung San then shifted his attention back to me.

“I did not credit it initially.”

“…….”

“To be absolutely precise, even at this very moment, I cannot be entirely certain.”

Even someone like Namgung San, who possessed a towering reputation for being highly accomplished in both scholarly pursuits and martial prowess, wore an incredibly conflicted expression regarding this issue.

“In the early days…… meaning, right when the endeavors of the Dragon and Phoenix Association were just beginning.”

A convoluted and subtle look settled over his features as he delved into his recollections.

“……Yong So-ah spoke of a Great Task (*Dae-eop*).”

He recounted that during the initial assembly where the comrades of the Dragon and Phoenix Association gathered following their departure from the academy, Yong So-ah brought forward the topic of an imminent conflict. He maintained that they needed to formulate a decade-long strategy to prepare themselves for it.

“To those of us who were utterly confounded, he declared this.”

[*There is not a speck of falsehood.*]

Naturally, Namgung San placed no faith in those assertions. The idea that Yong So-ah, who had only recently associated with the Martial Alliance, possessed exclusive knowledge of a looming war that even the Beggars’ Union—let alone the intelligence networks within the Namgung Clan—had failed to uncover seemed impossible. He assumed it was nothing more than an excuse to establish a personal faction inside the Martial Alliance. It appeared blatantly obvious.

“But…… they actually manifested.”

The movements of the Demonic Cult, which disrupted the peace of the Jianghu while keeping its true form hidden. And the moment the Blood Cult boldly exposed its presence within Sichuan. Namgung San was ultimately forced to concede the truth of it.

“…….”

“Now, I am no longer able to…… utterly reject it.”

Yong So-ah, who claimed to have foreseen not just the arrival of the Demonic Cult but even the emergence of the Blood Cult. It was now time to alter the direction of my inquiries.

“Are there others who are aware of this reality?”

“No. It is a piece of information restricted to a very selective group.”

“For what reason?”

“Because that is the way it must remain.”

“I am demanding to know why!”

Yong So-ah observed me with a serene, piercing gaze that seemed to look right through my soul.

“By revealing such a thing—”

It was astonishing how eyes devoid of any emotional warmth could convey such a profound, heavy quietness.

“What advantage is gained?”

“Advantage?”

“I am asking, who would realistically place faith in such a tale?”

“…….”

In truth, if I had not personally witnessed, scrutinized, and verified Yong So-ah’s otherworldly capabilities, I would never have been convinced of the nature of his power. If someone began discussing the future under normal circumstances, they would simply be dismissed as a lunatic or suspected of suffering from the severe delusions of Qi Deviation. It was a narrative no different from expecting someone to believe that I had traveled backward through time.

“Even if humanity chose to believe it, the knowledge I possess would merely accelerate the turmoil of the Jianghu. In fact, those holding the reins of power would ensure it happened.”

His voice remained completely detached, just as it always was.

“For that exact reason, I keep silent.”

Strangely enough, I detected a hint of profound isolation within those words.

“…….”

My temper flared at the realization that I was feeling a touch of sympathy for his state of mind, causing me to draw a sharp breath.

“The likelihood?”

“What do you mean?”

“The likelihood that the destiny you foresee is accurate.”

“Ten out of ten.”

Yong So-ah answered without a single shred of self-doubt.

“Stop talking absolute nonsense.”

“…….”

I refused to accept his words under any circumstances.

“Did you possess that exact same absolute certainty when you abandoned everyone and fled by yourself at the Demon Spirit Plateau?”

“There was undeniably an error in the execution. Nevertheless……”

Yong So-ah’s demeanor remained rooted in an unyielding conviction.

“In terms of the ultimate outcome, it was the specific measure that preserved the highest number of lives.”

*Ppadeudeuk.*

Just how much immense disruption had been unleashed due to this bastard’s unpredictable departure?

“Do not make me laugh! Because of your actions in that place……!”

“Have you approached me now to debate the morality of my historical conduct?”

“…….”

*Kung—*
*Kung—*

The Black Coffins persisted in battering against the defensive barrier.

*Udeudeuk—*

The sound of structural failure and fracturing within the defensive array echoed out one after another. It reached a point where I began to deeply doubt whether the barrier could truly endure for a span of two days as Yu Ji-ryang had promised.

“If you truly perceive the future, if you are aware of the existence of the Demonic Cult, then how can you fail to grasp the immense significance of the Mosan Sect?”

“My position remains unaltered. So long as they align themselves with the Demonic Cult, eradicating them is the correct course of action.”

“I am demanding to know what evidence supports this!”

“The eye.”

“The eye?”

Yong So-ah gestured toward his left hand.

“Gu Song-baek, among the ranks of the Demonic Cult, was devoid of his left eye.”

“…….”

Gu Song-baek’s injury was an event that had occurred well before Yong So-ah ever arrived on the scene. If Yong So-ah had truly envisioned the future of Gu Song-baek and the disciples of the Demonic Cult prior to that moment, then perhaps, just as he claimed, the Mosan Sect was destined to operate alongside the Demonic Cult.

“…….”

I found myself entirely unable to sort through my heavily tangled thoughts. All at once, an overwhelming avalanche of information had come crashing down upon me, and I could not even begin to assemble the fragments piece by piece.

“Do not mock me. You intend to wipe out an entire martial sect based on nothing more than such an unverified tale?”

“Jin So-un. What power do you have to change this?”

It was an open pronouncement that he possessed no intention of halting the allegations of forbidden sorcery or stopping the activation of the Black Coffins.

“You absolute bastard……”

The man added another remark as though it were of no consequence whatsoever.

“Remove yourself from this affair.”

“……What are your true intentions?”

“Did the information not reach you? Should they capitulate, the youths under the age of fifteen shall be spared, but if they refuse to submit……”

There was not a single hint of doubt within Yong So-ah’s speech.

“No living soul shall remain within the borders of the Mosan Sect.”

Exchanging further words was entirely pointless. I turned my back on him and walked away.

“You as well.”

From behind my retreating figure, his emotionless voice drifted over.

“Are precisely the same, Jin So-un.”

The clearing where Jin So-un had just departed. A scenario where only the two of them remained. Namgung San shattered the quiet and spoke up.

“What possessed you to reveal it to him of your own accord?”

Yong So-ah never openly shared the secret of his foresight with anyone under normal circumstances. Even if it were a comrade with whom he intended to fulfill the Great Task, he never spoke of it plainly through his own lips. Because exposing one’s own miraculous abilities ultimately served as nothing more than a method to manipulate the opposing party.

Yong So-ah, whose gaze remained fixed on the path where Jin So-un had vanished, provided his answer.

“Because he perceived the existence of the Dragon Eyes (*Yong-an*) before anyone else.”

“…….”

“What is more, he even entertained suspicions regarding the perception of future events.”

Upon Yong So-ah’s lips, contrasting sharply with his detached tone of voice, a faint amusement was visible.

“As though he genuinely ‘comprehends’ my nature.”

Namgung San, for the very first time in their acquaintance, witnessed Yong So-ah display a smile.

“……Do you truly believe he possesses the potential to be an ally?”

However, that trace of amusement vanished in an instant. The detached voice of the man standing solitary resonated with a coldness more profound than ever before.

“He represents a definitive uncertainty. Even analyzing the matter at hand, it is clearly so. Jin So-un will refuse to abandon the Mosan Sect. And if he represents such an unpredictable variable.”

“…….”

There was not a tremor of doubt within Yong So-ah’s eyes.

“The proper path is to eliminate him without delay.”

Namgung San felt his throat go dry. Up until this point, there had never been a single individual who managed to survive once this man determined they must be removed. Precisely at that moment.

“Just…… what do you think you are doing?”

A sharp, striking voice pierced the air. The attention of both Yong So-ah and Namgung San shifted simultaneously. Standing there was Heo Gwan-jung, who had barely managed to apply basic medical treatment to his damaged fingers and appeared in a state of utter disarray, staring fiercely at the pair.

“Ah, I was wondering where you had wandered off to. So the Captain has finally graced us with his presence.”

At Namgung San’s remark, Heo Gwan-jung ground his teeth in fury.

“Just how could you fail to execute a single designated assignment correctly? What were you doing?”

“We were occupied with our own pressing matters. An unexpected variable presented itself.”

“The Tae-eul Sect…… is that what you mean?”

“You are well aware of it, are you not?”

“You failed to clear a single Tae-eul Sect!! Are you suggesting you permitted matters to deteriorate to this degree?”

Namgung San’s expression grew intensely stern.

“Your choice of words is quite severe, is it not? Are you not occupying an entirely identical position? Why were you incapable of properly suppressing them from within?”

A wave of murderous intent erupted from Heo Gwan-jung’s form.

“The reputation of the Dragon and Phoenix Association is an absolute joke. Was that prowess you were so proudly displaying nothing more than an empty bluff after all?”

Namgung San’s features became rigid upon hearing Heo Gwan-jung’s mocking words. Namgung San stepped forward immediately, closing the distance to Heo Gwan-jung, and glared down at him as he whispered.

“Listen closely, Captain. We are exerting our utmost efforts in our duties. Furthermore, we do not answer to you as subordinates. Rather, we are entities placed here for mutual oversight. And.”

Namgung San’s eyes gleamed dangerously.

“Under the present circumstances, I am beginning to harbor serious doubts regarding the validity of the claim that the Mosan Sect engaged in forbidden sorcery. Do you possess definitive proof?”

Heo Gwan-jung’s venomous gaze, which had been locked onto Namgung San, shifted over toward Yong So-ah.

“……Do you intend to merely stand by and observe this?”

He was demanding that he take charge of the current mess and address Namgung San’s insolent attitude. Unlike Namgung San, who was visibly gnashing his teeth, Yong So-ah remained entirely devoid of any emotional fluctuation.

“The Mosan Sect is destined to vanish. Is there any remaining complication that requires a resolution?”

He simply delivered his declaration with absolute finality. In response to Yong So-ah’s words, Heo Gwan-jung shot him a glare that could kill before offering a reply.

“There is not.”

“Then let us commit ourselves fully to the objective.”

“……I trust you will not permit a failure on this occasion.”

“Such an outcome will not come to pass.”

Yong So-ah uttered the words as if stating an absolute certainty.

The moment I navigated through the defensive barrier and stepped into the inner grounds of the Mosan Sect, Gu Song-baek let out a heavy sigh of relief upon spotting me. Overlapping with the sound of that exhalation, a chilling voice echoed in my memory.

[*Gu Song-baek, among the ranks of the Demonic Cult, was devoid of his left eye.*]

The injury marking his left eye drew my attention with even greater intensity than before.

“Your eye…… is it functional?”

“Ah, I have been informed that I shall never regain its sight. Even so, when compared to the fates of others……”

“…….”

Was Gu Song-baek truly destined to throw in his lot with the Demonic Cult? Was he truly the origin of calamity who would drive hundreds and thousands of orthodox practitioners of the White Path into utter madness? To be sure, the illusionary arts of the Mosan Sect represent an incredibly daunting and potent form of sorcery. It was not without reason that the Mosan Sect had straddled the boundary between Justice and Evil for such an extended period. It was because in bygone eras, they wielded a terrifying grandeur sufficient to plunge the entire Jianghu into absolute chaos by their own hand.

Reflecting on the magnitude of their past strength, perhaps the assertions made by Yong So-ah were accurate. Furthermore, if the Mosan Sect managed to endure this crisis while nurturing an eternal animosity toward the Martial Alliance……. While I remained trapped in the spiral of these cascading thoughts, Gu Song-baek’s voice broke through.

“By any chance…… what manner of declaration did you receive?”

He was locked in a state of profound trepidation, as though the ultimate verdict of life or death resided entirely within my hands.

*Kung—*
*Kung—*

The literal foundation of Mount Mosan was trembling. The resulting reverberations served as a continuous warning heralding the imminent fall of Mosan. I delivered the truth without sugarcoating it.

“They demand the complete eradication of Mosan.”

“Without any path for compromise, you mean?”

“A single condition exists.”

I harbored deep doubts as to whether this could truly be categorized as a condition.

“Should you commit every single one of Mosan’s esoteric techniques to the flames, the youths under fifteen who have not yet undertaken the study of these manuals shall be permitted to survive their remaining years under the strict oversight of the Inspection Hall……”

In reality, it was a proposal for terms that carried no practical difference from an execution order. It was a brutal sentence that no self-respecting Sect Leader would ever entertain. They would far sooner embrace death than agree to it; there was simply no leader who would willingly accept such terms. And yet, for what reason.

“Is that…… the truth?”

“…….”

“Truly…… if we genuinely comply with those terms, they claim they will preserve the youths?”

“Those were the explicit terms delivered by Yong So-ah.”

“Ah!”

Why?

“I understand, I understand……”

Did Gu Song-baek’s expression mirror that of a man who had detected a solitary glimmer of salvation in the depths of total hopelessness? Why? Why would a man who commanded immense authority and possessed vast luxury and renown prioritize the survival of his young pupils over his own earthly possessions?

“For a brief period, I must consult with the disciples of the sect……”

I reached out and firmly gripped Gu Song-baek’s garment.

“*Mun-ju-nim*.”

“Yes?”

“For what reason do you intend to submit to this condition?”

“…….”

“Is this not a crisis where the Mosan Sect, with its centuries of heritage, is on the verge of being wiped out in a heartbeat due to a malicious fabrication? The terms they offer are beyond merciless. Why are you preparing to yield to such a demand?”

His lips, which remained fixed upon me for a heartbeat, parted with great care.

“Naturally……”

Moments later, tears began to trace paths down from Gu Song-baek’s eyes.

“Naturally, I am consumed by bitterness and rage. In a scenario this absurd, my spirit desires nothing more than to perish this very second. Still, as the course of existence dictates, not every matter unfolds in accordance with the ideal order, does it?”

“…….”

“If the fall of Mosan is an inevitable chapter within the grand design of history, then at the absolute minimum, preserving the lives of those blameless children stands as my sacred obligation.”

The fabric of his sleeve, which I still held tightly, began to vibrate with an uncontrollable tremor.

“That is the Justice (*Jeong-ui*) I am duty-bound to uphold myself before my breath leaves me.”

My choice had been made.

“I must depart swiftly to confer with the others. For there may be individuals who oppose this path.”

What I needed to place my faith in.

“I shall return shortly……”

“No.”

I maintained my hold on his garment.

“Pardon? *Jin So-hyeop*……”

“Let us take up arms and fight.”

“What is the meaning of those words……”

I held him steady.

“No, you merely need to hold the line. The numbers and strength may favor their side, but the passage of time works to our advantage.”

“…….”

“My *Sa-je* and I are prepared to wager our very existences alongside you.”

Gu Song-baek’s brow furrowed in deep distress.

“*Jin So-hyeop*! You must not utter such dangerous words so casually! Merely by venturing into this place, we have already accumulated a debt of gratitude to you that can never be repaid. You are individuals who have no business dying in a desolate location such as this.”

I resolved to place my faith entirely in what my eyes witnessed. In what my heart experienced.

“Banish your anxieties. There is absolutely no scenario in which we shall perish. Neither ourselves nor the Mosan Sect.”

The Mosan Sect will preserve the lives of countless orthodox martial artists just as they did in my previous life, guiding the campaign against the Demonic Cult toward ultimate triumph. No, I will personally ensure it manifests that way.

“…….”

The pupil within Gu Song-baek’s sole remaining eye vibrated with intense emotion. I locked my gaze directly with that eye.

“Let us endure without fail and shatter the bastards responsible for orchestrating this nightmare together.”

Shortly thereafter. Tears spilled from his gaze as he stared into my face. Clear moisture descended from one side, while a crimson streak of blood wept from the other.

“However……”

A deep-seated dread resonated through his words.

“Yong So-ah stands with the opposition.”

The single greatest obstacle of our current crisis. Yong So-ah. Even if we successfully neutralize the Black Coffins, if we prove incapable of halting the Execution Squad and Yong So-ah, we will ultimately succumb to the catastrophe of total sectarian annihilation. Nevertheless, I am incapable of retreating from this point.

“Yong So-ah—”

I am utterly certain.

“I shall handle him personally.”

“…….”

I am completely certain that if I fail to obstruct that individual, the horrific tragedy of my former existence will play out all over again.