Chapter 1413: If You Truly Desired It, You Should Have Seized It (Part 2)

The mountain named "Qingcheng," symbolized by its vibrant greenery. However, the mountain was now tainted with an unsuitable hue.

The blue grass and elegant pavilions were engulfed in red flames, and ground untouched by the flames was covered in dark blood more scarlet than the flames themselves.

It seemed as if the entire world had been turned upside down by burning red malice.

Amidst this, Sect Leader Byeok Sage [forgot his name lmao] of Qingcheng gasped for breath.

"Hu..."

Qingcheng was his homeland, his everything. Yet, at this moment, Qincheng was crumbling under a sudden attack.

"Cough!"

Dark, crimson blood spewed from his mouth. From the deep cuts on his body and the holes in his stomach, one could easily predict his fate.

But surprisingly, Sect Leader Byeok Sage felt no pain. Compared to the burning agony of Qingcheng, which was more important to him than his own life, the pain in his body was insignificant.

"Cough! Cough!"

Spitting out crimson blood once again, he forced his heavy head to look forward.

'Byeok Yi...'

A martial brother who had been with him his whole life now lay dead, a brutally mutilated corpse. Watching the pitifully brutalized body, Byeok Sage's chest trembled with indescribable grief and anger.

"Aaaaaaagh!"

"Ah! Save me...Aaaaaaagh!"

In the distance, someone's agonizing scream echoed. The scream clawed at the chest. His disciples, who wouldn't flinch even if iron were to enter their eyes, were now running for their lives under the cold blades of the enemy.

However, Sect Leader Byeok Sage had no strength left to run and save his disciples.

No one could escape this tragedy. Even though Byeok Hyun managed to lead a few young disciples to a desperate escape, there was no guarantee they could escape the clutches of those evildoers.

It was over.

Yes, it was all over.

Qingcheng, a prestigious sect in Sichuan with a long and proud history, was meeting its demise today. Not at the hands of Demonic Sects or the Imperial Palace, but at the hands of those despicable Evil Sect scoundrels.

'How did this happen...'

How did it come to this?

Why was Qingcheng burning?

Why had they appeared here?

He thought they'd watch a war unfold on the Yangtze River, but why did the blades of the Evil Sect fallen here?

"Huff...huff"

Baek Sage groaned, seemingly laughing or crying, and looked bewilderedly at something.

The Sichuan Gate, a symbol of Qingcheng, was on fire. It was no longer a gate leading to a pure Taoist realm, but one opening towards hell.

And through that burning gate, a man slowly revealed himself.

The man wore a fluttering robe, red as the blood-soaked, flame-covered Qingcheng.

He was adorned with flashy accessories that were completely out of place with this dreadful scene.

Step.

A twisted smile adorned the man's lips.

The sight of this man, flamboyantly dressed, entering through the burning gate, was so overwhelming that even the almost lifeless gaze of Byeok Sage, clouded with despair and anger, was captivated.

"Jang..."

Suddenly, Byeok Sang thought that all of this was like a play.

All these scenes, the man moving within them, and even himself kneeling in front of him, seemed like a scene from a surreal play. It felt like an incredibly solemn yet comical scene.

"Jang...Ilso..."

Perhaps it was really nothing more than just a play.

Because only in the places where Jang Ilso set foot did such things happen. Breaking the reality that ordinary people envisioned, only scenes like those from a play occurred.

"Jang...Ilsooooo!"

A beastly roar erupted from Byeok Sage's mouth. Grief for the dying, despair for the unbearable reality, and hatred for the one who created this scene. 

However, even after hearing the guttural screams that seemed to tear through his entire being, Jang Ilso showed no particular reaction. He simply smiled a bit more.

"Now, Jang Ilso..."

Byeok Sage's hand trembled. The imminent disaster overflowed before his eyes.

Flames burning everything behind, the crimson cape of calamity, dazzling accessories, and even the blood-red lips.

Byeok Sage stared into the eyes of the disaster, Jang Ilso.

Surprisingly, Jang Ilso's gaze was calm and serene. There was no sign of the madness or ecstasy commonly seen when criminals commit murder. Instead, it looked strangely gloomy.

How should one interpret the calmness in the eyes of the man who orchestrated this heinous slaughter?

"Huuuu... Huu..."

Anger, sadness, fear, and pain intertwined as a sob-like whimper continuously escaped.

Jang Ilso looked down at Byeok Sage, who had collapsed with wounds all over.

He was certain that sarcastic laughter and mockery would pour down. There was no other option between that.

However, surprisingly, Jang Ilso's reaction was different from Byeok Sage's expectations.

He... smiled brightly.

There was no malice. No, perhaps it's better to say there was no hostility. With a harmless smile devoid of any mockery, Jang Ilso spoke amiably.

"Come to think of it... We are acquaintances, Sect Leader, right? We've had some interactions. Yes. How have you been all this time?"

With a gentle and soft greeting, Byeok Sage's fingertips scraped the ground.

No mockery or curse could inflict such excruciating pain on a person. No, not even a poisoned dagger plunging into the lungs would be as painful. At least the dagger couldn't dissect the soul.

"Why...?"

Byeok Sage released the lower lip he had been biting. Blood flowed from the torn lip.

"Why... Why are you here? Why?"

"Hmm?"

"Why are you, who should be at the Yangtze River, here? Why Qingcheng of all places? Why! Why us? Why! Whyyyyyyyyyy! Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!"

A beast-like howl echoed through Qingcheng. Jang Ilso watched the suffering Byeok Sage with an almost amused expression.

"Why..."

After murmuring for a moment, Jang Ilso chuckled softly.

"Well, why indeed?"

"..."

"It's a bit difficult to answer now. Because there's no specific reason. I just wanted to, would that be a sufficient answer?"

"Kkuuugh..."

Tears of blood flowed from Byeok Sage's eyes.

Could there be a more polite and affectionate mockery? Even to someone gasping for breath, the demon showed no mercy, only pure mockery.

"Now, Jang Ilso... Jang Ilsooooooooo!"

"Oh, oh. Seems like you're quite angry. But honestly, there's no particular reason."

Jang Ilso approached Byeok Sage a bit more.

"But if I must give a reason, there might be one."

"What... what is it?"

Jang Ilso's voice infiltrated Byeok Sage's ears like a whisper.

"Because you're weak."

"..."

"Because you're the weakest. I don't have to take risks; I can trample on as much as I want. Just like crushing the tender throat of a lamb, I can easily cut off the breath just by biting. Because you're the weakest."

"You, you..."

"Besides that, do you need any other reason?"

Tears of blood poured from Byeok Sage's eyes. With flames flickering and even his shadow snarling, Jang Ilso's face resembled that of a demon.

The teachings of Tang that Byeok Sage had followed all his life were now meaningless at this moment. [um, ackshually...]

All that remained was overwhelming hatred and anger.

"Aaaahhhhh!"

Byeok Sage swung the sword he held with all his might. Towards the pure white neck of that demon.

Thunk!

However, before that, Jang Ilso's hand pierced through Byeok Sage's chest. Byeok Sage, with eyes wide open, slowly looked down at his own chest. Through the pierced chest, thick red blood flowed along the white wrist that was embedded.

Jang Ilso spoke.

"You should've known..."

"..."

"Now, there's no safe place in Kangho."

Byeok Sage's body trembled like a reed.

"Of course, I like them. People like you, cowardly ones. Those who enjoy the bloodshed from behind when others fight, and later appear to mourn and take away achievements created by someone's blood, those are the real humans, aren't they?"

It shattered. Not only his physical body, but his mind was thoroughly shattered at this moment.

"It's just disgusting."

"..."

"The complacency of believing the flames won't harm me even when the world is burning disgusts me. When I see such people, I want to set them on fire myself."

Jang Ilso laughed brightly.

"That's the only reason. How about that? Isn't that enough?"

Byeok Sage, with trembling hands, desperately grabbed Jang Ilso's hand embedded in his chest.

"W-Won-Ghost..." [idk]

"Hmm?"

"W-Won-Ghost, even if... you become a demon... I will... curse you... vengeance... of Qingcheng..."

To the words filled with blood that he uttered with all his strength, Jang Ilso's lips curved slightly.

"Ha... Hahaha! Hahahaha!"

And soon, he erupted into insane laughter.

"Why is it that those who can't achieve anything always spew similar words! Everything ends once you die."

Thud!

Jang Ilso's remaining hand twisted Byeok Sage's hair.

"If you had the power to curse as a demon, you should have done it when you were alive! If you wanted something, you shouldn't have waited but fought for it! If you truly desired it, you should have seized it!"

Looking at Byeok Sage's eyes dimming, Jang Ilso twisted his face grotesquely and laughed.

"But now, you don't have that chance."

Thud!

Jang Ilso's hand was abruptly pulled out from his chest. Along with that hand, the blood drawn created a rough line, turning the world into a canvas of flames.

Byeok Sage's body slowly crumbled.

Thump.

Even though his breath had stopped, he couldn't bring himself to close his eyes.

Qingcheng, one of the Ten Great Sects of prestigious sects of Sichuan. It was an exceedingly pathetic death for such a sect leader.

Thunk!

Jang Ilso, who had completely crushed Byeok Sage's head with his foot, casually brushed off the blood on his hand.

"Hmm."

He looked around slowly.

Everything was burning.

The mountains, the temples, and the people.

The mountains that were once verdant when he ascended were now gone. The temple lost its former glory and collapsed, turning into a pile of ashes. The burning mountain would never recover its original appearance.

A satisfying smile bloomed on Jang Ilso's lips.

"How about this? Quite splendid, isn't it? Huh?"

His crimson robes fluttered madly. It looked like undulating flames.

"Hahahaha! Hahahahaha!"

The flames that would burn the world flickered.

It was a fiery flame as red as blood, named Jang Ilso.