Chapter 1807. If It Must Be Carried (7)

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The outcome of the duel was practically decided. So even if the sword that was used to end it was simple and without any technique, it was Cheong Myeong who held that sword. It couldn't have been without power.

For that reason, Baek Cheon's arm… no, his entire body was trembling miserably. It would've been difficult to block with a sword barely gripped by his bony hand.

Yet, he managed to endure. Giving it everything he had.

Strangely enough, Cheong Myeong found this sight of Baek Cheon oddly natural.

Well, it made sense. This man had always fought with everything he had.

Cheong Myeong quietly observed the man before him.

His sweat-drenched face was a mess, as if he'd been beaten. Scars were etched across his body, and his arm—shriveled like an old, withered tree.

Though he hated to admit it, the word 'miserable' came to mind.

Even so, Baek Cheon stood blocking his path.

Cheong Myeong's lips parted slightly. The warmth in his breath turned icy in an instant, and a cold voice followed.

"....Move."

"You...."

"It's not the end of time yet. People are dying even now."

Baek Cheon clamped his mouth shut. Even his tightly pressed lips seemed to reveal the deep torment within. Cheong Myeong spoke with deliberate weight.

"If you don't move, even as my Sasuk... I'll cut you down."

Baek Cheon knew. He knew this was no idle threat.

But instead of fear, Baek Cheon let out a faint chuckle.

"You still call me 'Sasuk'."

Cheong Myeong's brow twitched slightly.

"But what can I do, Cheong Myeong? Sorry, but… I can't move aside."

Baek Cheon's eyes shone without the slightest tremor.

Cheong Myeong suddenly recalled their time together. Yes, even in the past, it had been like this.

Baek Cheon never hesitated. He always overestimated himself. Even after realizing his inadequacies and learning humility, in crucial moments, he reverted to his old self—forgetting everything, as if lost in time.

Just like now, wielding his sword against Cheong Myeong despite being outmatched.

Back then, what drove Baek Cheon forward was recklessness. But what was it now? Could it still be the same naive bravado?

"Sasuk."

"I know.

Grinding his teeth, Baek Cheon finally shouted.

"You probably want to call me a fool. You'll say if it's something that can't be undone, it should be ended quickly. I know. I know that!"

Cheong Myeong's jaw tensed.

"But… I can't accept it, Cheong Myeong."

No matter the reason, no matter the tremors in his heart, Baek Cheon's gaze always regained its clarity.

"Even if it's right, even if it's justified, I can't accept it. I refuse to accept your brilliant logic!"

Cheong Myeong was at a loss for words. He was glad he didn't laugh in that moment.

It wasn't that Baek Cheon didn't understand the world. He'd seen enough, perhaps more of its cruelty than most.

And yet, even now, as a victim of that very cruelty, he repeated the same words as before.

"Stop this, now."

"...And if I can't?"

"Do you even need to ask?"

Baek Cheon bared his teeth in a grin.

"Then I'll stop you, you damned brat."

And Baek Cheon still charged at Cheong Myeong, with a face that hadn't changed at all from his younger, naive self.

Cheong Myeong could only stare, as if entranced. So much had changed, and yet nothing had.

A bitter smirk tugged at Cheong Myeong's lips.

"Stop me? And how exactly will you do that, Sasuk?"

It was a blatant mockery, but Baek Cheon wasn't offended. He knew it wasn't genuine scorn but an attempt not to hurt him.

"Underestimating me…"

Whoosh!

Suddenly, a swift slash of sword energy grazed Baek Cheon's cheek.

Cheong Myeong quickly raised his head and leaned back.

Clang! Clang!

The assault didn't stop. The sword energy flew in rapid succession, determined not to miss the opportunity.

Cheong Myeong deflected the strikes with a cold expression.

"Sect Leader!"

Baek Cheon gritted his teeth and shouted. Behind him, Jin Songwon was using Baek Cheon as a shield to fire sword energy at Cheong Myeong.

"Stop, Sect Leader!"

Cheong Myeong wasn't one to take it lying down.

Whoosh!

The tip of Cheong Myeong's sword trembled violently, sharp petals blooming into existence as they flew toward Jin Songwon.

Between Baek Cheon, the two forces clashed—a chaotic storm of opposing energies.

It was a dazzling, almost beautiful sight at a glance. But anyone who had studied martial arts would know: this was a terrifying and deadly battle.

Fwoosh!

The energy waves collided, spreading murderous intent. Nothing made of flesh and blood could possibly survive this battlefield.

"I said stop!"

Cheong Myeong's sword tore through flesh, spilling blood, while Jin Songwon's sword struck, carving flesh.

Even Baek Cheon could feel it—the intense hatred flowing between the two. It was something that would never disappear.

The strangest thing was that, despite the brutal clash of swords and energies, Baek Cheon, standing between them, remained unscathed.

"This…!"

Baek Cheon gritted his teeth.

In the past, he might've been able to stop them. During his prime, his sword would've posed a genuine threat.

But not now.

Now, the idea of stopping their battle seemed absurd, even in dreams. 

'So what?'

Despite everything, Baek Cheon did not hesitate. He had no reason to. He wasn't here to do what he could. He was here to do what he must. 

Wham!

Cheong Myeong's sword energy deflected Jin Songwon's attack. Before Jin Songwon could even react, Cheong Myeong launched another ferocious strike, his sword radiating an intent that could split Jin Songwon in two.

Baek Cheon leapt in front of the attack without a moment's hesitation.

This time, however, Cheong Myeong didn't stop. His sword bore down even more forcefully, as if prepared to cut Baek Cheon in two along with Jin Songwon.

Baek Cheon exhaled sharply and raised his head.

Could he block it? Not a chance.

Even as he came to this conclusion, Baek Cheon raised his sword. Victory wasn't everything. Crushing someone with overwhelming strength wasn't the only way to assert one's will.

The trials he had endured after losing his inner energy had taught him this truth.

Clang!

At the moment their swords collided, something unexpected happened.

Baek Cheon's sword didn't clash against Cheong Myeong's. Instead, it traced a soft, circular arc, as if cradling the descending sword like a child. It was a motion so fluid and natural that it seemed almost unreal.

Guided by the curve Baek Cheon had drawn, Cheong Myeong's sword twisted unnaturally.

Cheong Myeong's eyes widened in shock.

"What... is this..."

His sword, now redirected, plunged into the ground.

Baek Cheon stepped forward and drove his shoulder into Cheong Myeong's chest.

Bugh!

Cheong Myeong was flung backward. A single thought flashed through his mind.

'This...?'

Thud.

Cheong Myeong, having been thrown off balance, quickly regained his footing. But instead of charging again, he stood still, staring at Baek Cheon in bewilderment.

'How....'

A profound sense of confusion overwhelmed him.

It was pure technique. Nothing more, nothing less. And yet that technique had struck Cheong Myeong's chest with an undeniable impact.

Flowing like water to overcome strength (能柔制强).

Blossoms merging with trees? [The art of opposites, 이화접목]. No, it's even greater than that. This is able to subdue steel with softness [Neungyujegang, 능유제강(能柔制强)].

The flowing technique that deflected his powerful sword was unmistakably Neungyujegang. And this was undoubtedly....

"Wudang?"

How could Baek Cheon's sword technique embody the essence of Wudang?

And it wasn't some crude imitation. It was undeniably the real thing—the technique of overcoming strength with softness, growing stronger the harder the opponent pressed.

"I told you not to underestimate me, didn't I?"

Cheong Myeong couldn't hide his astonishment.

Baek Cheon's sword trembled slightly. It was the aftermath of his overexerted energy. His flaws remained glaringly evident—his ruined state unchanged.

Indeed, there was no need to investigate further. The strange devices strapped to his arms made his condition glaringly obvious.

"What have you been doing...."

What have you been doing to yourself?

That was the question Cheong Myeong wanted to ask.

But before he could finish, Jin Songwon made his move again from behind Baek Cheon.

Baek Cheon turned to face him and shouted.

"Sect Leader!"

Jin Songwon didn't spare Baek Cheon so much as a glance. It was a deliberate dismissal—perhaps he didn't even see Baek Cheon as worth engaging.

As Jin Songwon bypassed him to charge at Cheong Myeong, Baek Cheon raised his sword once more to block his path.

"Stand aside!"

Jin Songwon swung his sword forcefully, aiming to push Baek Cheon away. But Baek Cheon's sword clung tenaciously, refusing to let go.

Jin Songwon's face twisted in frustration.

How is this possible?

It wasn't much of a sword—barely imbued with any strength. Yet, inexplicably, it was difficult to shake off.

Like a butterfly flitting about, it evaded with grace yet clung stubbornly to him.

"Stop this at once!"

"Be silent!"

Jin Songwon, his patience fraying, finally erupted in rage. But Baek Cheon refused to relent.

"Please, Sect Leader, stop! What changes by doing this?"

"And if I stop?"

Clang!

With a powerful strike, Jin Songwon flung Baek Cheon's sword aside and glared coldly at him.

"What changes if I stop?"

"Sect Leader!"

"Spare me your lectures! There's no reason not to cut you down where you stand. Or are you so eager to lose your head that you keep getting in my way?"

Jin Songwon's voice trembled with rage, filled with deep-seated resentment.

Baek Cheon understood. He knew all too well where this misplaced anger and bitterness stemmed from. And because he understood, he had to speak.

"It's the opposite, isn't it?"

Jin Songwon froze in place.

"....What did you just say?"

Baek Cheon looked him squarely in the eyes, his gaze filled with both pity and reproach.

"The one desperate to lose their head is you, isn't it, Sect Leader?"

Jin Songwon bit his lip.

"Perhaps the answers are hard to find. But giving up is never the answer. Surely you understand this, Sect Leader!"

Jin Songwon tilted his head back and gazed at the sky.

Baek Cheon did not press him further, instead waiting patiently.

Amid the chaos of the battlefield, it was as if time had come to a standstill for Jin Songwon alone.

In truth, his time had indeed stopped. He had been dead inside ever since he knelt before Jang Ilso and uttered those fateful words.

"....How suffocating."

Jin Songwon muttered quietly. Then, suddenly, he reached up, grasped the mask covering his face, and tore it off in one motion.

Thud.

The bloodstained mask fell to the ground, revealing Jin Songwon's face, aged with silver-white hair.

From his hollow, empty eyes, a single tear of sorrow fell.