Chapter 1810. If It Must Be Carried (10)

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He exhaled sharply, forcing out breaths that had risen to the edge of his throat. 

The heat that surged out of him was almost too intense to believe it came from within his body. It signified that his internal temperature had long since spiraled out of his control.

'Amitabha.'

How many times had he chanted the Buddha's name now?

He couldn't tell. But he clearly understood what it meant that his muttered chants had grown more frequent.

"Hah!"

Once more, he poured out his power with everything he had.

But even his strength, which could sweep away mountains and sever rivers, could not shatter that blazing sun. All he could do was push it back slightly and twist its direction. 

Kwaaaang!

The sun, plunging into the ground, exploded, unleashing a searing heat that seemed to cook flesh from all directions.

His vision blurred. He felt as though the blood coursing through his veins was evaporating. The relentless thirst that overtook him brought a sense of peril greater than the pain.

Even though he circulated his energy throughout his body to block the heat, he was in this state. Without it, he would have long since been reduced to charred ashes.

'Amitabha…'

A battle of internal strength was like peering into the depths of a lake. You could only guess at its true depth, enduring until your opponent's reserves ran dry.

It was grueling, yet it was a familiar type of fight. Hye Yeon had never once lost a battle like this.

But now… he sensed an unfamiliar defeat. His inner energy, once vast like a full lake, had long since dried up. Yet his opponent, who had unleashed at least twice as much energy as he had, showed no signs of exhaustion.

How could he describe this feeling?

Yes, it was like someone who had prided themselves on the vastness of their lake witnessing the ocean for the first time and feeling overwhelmed.

But the price for this realization of the world's enormity was far too steep to find solace in.

"Aaaahhh!"

Lee Songbaek stepped forward, striking away the fragments of tension hurtling toward them. White smoke billowed from his scorched hand. As Hye Yeon watched Songbaek's burnt hand, a thought crossed his mind.

How is he still holding a sword with hands like that?

Even in the midst of this fierce battle, such a thought surfaced.

Kwaa!

Soon, Namgung Dowi's sword energy poured out.

Yes, 'poured out' was the perfect term. It wasn't a torrent of sword energy rushing forward like a mountain-breaking stream. It was sword energy imbued with inner power yet lacked stability. Such an attack could never force the Sun Palace Lord to retreat.

"Hmph."

Sure enough, the Sun Palace Lord lightly swept his hand downward. With a simple motion, he effortlessly twisted the oncoming sword energy.

Kwaaaang!

The diverted sword energy exploded in a grand display. No matter how strong the attack, it meant nothing if it failed to strike the opponent. This scene illustrated that truth vividly.

"Huff… huff…"

Namgung Dowi's shoulders heaved as he panted heavily.

His attack had lost its edge. But he couldn't be blamed. Covered in burns, it was a miracle he was even standing.

If he fell, everyone else would die. That single fact was likely the only thing keeping him upright.

"How pitiful."

The Sun Palace Lord clicked his tongue. His gaze pierced through the three of them as if looking down at something groveling in the dirt.

In that moment, Lee Songbaek realized something anew. The same words and actions could hold entirely different meanings depending on who spoke them. Moreover, the same person's words and actions could change meaning depending on the situation.

The Sun Palace Lord's gaze now seemed reasonable. It no longer seemed like mere arrogance, as it had at the start.

No… it wasn't reasonable, but maybe Lee Songbaek had lost the strength to resist his arrogance.

Suddenly, something surged within him.

"Ridic… ulous…"

As Lee Songbaek strained to force out a voice that wouldn't come, the Sun Palace Lord appeared right before him.

Lee Songbaek's eyes widened as he instinctively swung his sword in a blur, reacting faster than he could comprehend the situation. It was a testament to how disciplined a swordsman he was.

But that was all. The Sun Palace Lord was not an opponent who could be overcome with just that.

Thud!

The Sun Palace Lord's knuckles lightly tapped the flat of Lee Songbaek's blade. His sword shot upward as though it had struck an iron wall.

In the next instant, the Sun Palace Lord's open palm slammed into Lee Songbaek's chest.

Thud!

The impact didn't sound loud, but Songbaek felt as though he had been struck by a mountain. He heard the sound of something shattering—not outside, but deep within his own body.

A scorching pain engulfed his entire being.

"Songbaek siju!"

Hye Yeon screamed involuntarily, his voice almost a shriek.

Songbaek's body flew back, coughing up blood as he did, the crimson droplets evaporating before they even hit the ground. Every detail of the scene etched itself into Hye Yeon's vision.

Before the sight could even fully disappear, the Sun Palace Lord appeared like a ghost in front of the doubled-over Namgung Dowi, delivering a crushing blow to his chin.

Namgung Dowi flew back without even a single scream, his body crumpling upon landing.

The distance at which fists and feet could reach—just moments ago, the three of them had stood together to hold back the Sun Palace Lord at this range. Now, that very distance was threatening their lives.

"You…!"

Overwhelmed by surging rage, Hye Yeon lunged toward the Sun Palace Lord.

Kuuung!

Suddenly, an invisible pressure crushed down on him.

"Guh…"

A groan escaped Hye Yeon's lips as he struggled under the weight. It felt as though he were carrying a mountain on his back.

Oppression through inner power. Under normal circumstances, Hye Yeon would never have succumbed to such a technique.

But now, he didn't even have a shred of energy left to resist.

"Kuh…"

His knees threatened to buckle, and the hand he placed on the ground trembled violently. Even raising his head to look forward was a monumental effort.

"Answer me, young monk."

The Sun Palace Lord's leisurely voice reached Hye Yeon's ears as he struggled desperately.

"Did I seem arrogant to you?"

Hye Yeon couldn't answer. Not because he didn't want to, but because he simply couldn't. 

Arrogance, if it means an excessively confident attitude, who truly was arrogant? Was it the Sun Palace Lord, who looked down on them, or these three who dared to stand against him?

The answer was evident in the outcome.

No matter the attitude, once victory is claimed, the Sun Palace Lord's arrogance can no longer be considered arrogance. Conversely, no matter the intent, once defeat is accepted, all the actions of the three amounted to arrogance.

This undeniable truth pierced Hye Yeon like a dagger, sinking into his skin.

Step.

A pair of shoes entered Hye Yeon's line of sight. Finely crafted and luxurious, they were the silk shoes of the Sun Palace Lord. To Hye Yeon, they seemed to mock him silently.

"When you meet Buddha in the afterlife, tell him that your sin was not knowing your place."

Hye Yeon clenched his eyes shut.

'What should I have done…?'

He had longed to be stronger. To remain unshaken. To grow resilient enough to overcome all the pains of life.

But such desires were mere wishes—unfulfilled in this lifetime. That lack would take away what he sought to protect. That loss would become another torment, binding him in agony.

'Everything…'

"Stop… what?"

At that moment, Hye Yeon felt his body suddenly lighten as though it were floating.

Of course, he quickly realized it was an illusion. The liberation he felt came from the oppressive force that had been crushing him abruptly dissipating.

But why?

Hye Yeon urgently raised his gaze and saw it—a massive tiger [daeho, 대호(大虎)] engulfing the Sun Palace Lord.

It was a sight so unbelievable that he doubted his eyes. It seemed utterly unreal. In his shattered state, he might have thought it a hallucination conjured by his mind before death.

Roaarrr!

Yet, the tiger's thunderous roar shook Hye Yeon's ears, proving this was no mere illusion. The great beast clamped its jaws onto the Sun Palace Lord's raised arm, refusing to let go.

"What… what is this?"

For a brief moment, the Sun Palace Lord seemed more bewildered than enraged.

He swung the arm trapped in the tiger's jaws a few times, regaining his composure too late before striking the tiger's flank with a powerful blow.

Kwaang!

The tiger was sent flying in an instant.

"…What is…."

The Sun Palace Lord stared blankly at his arm. Between the tattered remains of his garment, the puncture wounds left by the beast's fangs were clearly visible.

A deep sense of disbelief flickered across his face as he murmured.

"I didn't even sense it approaching."

"It's not that strange, is it?"

A voice interjected. The Sun Palace Lord turned toward it sharply. There, approaching him, was a man.

"After all, it's common knowledge that beasts are better at concealing their presence than humans."

The man was large—taller by a head than the Sun Palace Lord, who was no small figure. His shoulders were broad as mountains, radiating an imposing aura.

The Sun Palace Lord's expression hardened.

"...Namman Beast Palace Lord?"

"Call me Maeng So."

Thud.

Maeng So's footsteps halted in front of Hye Yeon, as though forming a barrier to protect him.

"L-Lord of the Palace?"

"You've been through enough."

Maeng So briefly glanced at Hye Yeon, meeting his gaze with a casual grin.

"The beasts got spooked by the sheer number of troops. Took a bit of time to calm them down. Hope you'll forgive the delay."

"Forgive… What does that…?"

"Why so timid? Take it as my apology."

Thud.

Maeng So chuckled heartily and lightly tapped Hye Yeon's shoulder. However, with hands like iron lids, the sudden impact caused Hye Yeon to collapse onto the ground with a loud thud.

"Huh?"

"….."

Maeng So scratched his head awkwardly as he looked down at the fallen Hye Yeon, his face pressed into the dirt.

"Well… uh, sorry about that. Didn't realize you were that exhausted."

"….."

"Ahem. Anyway, don't worry about a thing. I'll handle this."

Turning away from Hye Yeon, Maeng So faced the Sun Palace Lord, standing firm.

The Sun Palace Lord, who had been silently watching the scene, furrowed his brow.

"Namman Beast Palace Lord."

"Come to think of it, have we met before?"

"Not in this generation."

"Then it must have been the previous palace lord. You people all look the same with your flashy garments. Doesn't it bother you to lug those around all the time?"

As Maeng So scratched his rough jawline, the Sun Palace Lord gritted his teeth.

"Why does the Beast Palace stand in my way?"

Maeng So tilted his head, puzzled by the question.

"What do you mean?"

"Have you forgotten the persecution your kind has endured, being labeled as barbarians beyond civilization's borders?"

"….."

"No matter how much the Central Plains changes its face, the deep-rooted disdain they harbor for you won't vanish. You of all people should know this better than anyone."

"Hmm."

Maeng So seemed amused, locking eyes with the Sun Palace Lord before smirking.

"Even if that's true, isn't it a bit rich coming from you—someone taking orders from Jang Ilso?"

"Don't misunderstand me. I'm merely using him."

The Sun Palace Lord's voice wavered slightly as though struck at his core.

"What I want is for the Central Plains to never again look down on us. I'll etch fear and awe of us deeply into their bones. Jang Ilso is just a tool for that purpose."

"Hmm."

"You know it too, don't you? Now is the perfect chance to repay all the disdain we've suffered."

Maeng So nodded vigorously.

"Indeed. I understand what you mean. We have certainly suffered a lot. There have been many times when we have felt wronged." 

"Right. Then even now..."

"But that's it."

"...What did you say?"

Maeng So laughed heartily, in a way that almost made him look foolish.

"Isn't it absurd? To repay disdain with blood. We don't calculate things that way."

"....."

"Blood for blood, death for death. And disdain? We repay that with disdain."

The Sun Palace Lord clenched his teeth, frustrated by the lack of reason.

"Even so, that doesn't justify the Beast Palace standing in my way."

"Turns out you're dumber than I thought."

"What?"

"I said you're dumb. Are you deaf too?"

Maeng So mimicked cleaning his ear with a thick finger.

"You insolent..."

Fury ignited in the Sun Palace Lord as he bellowed, his face on the verge of exploding.

"How dare you, with the audacity of a bear, spout such nonsense!"

"Bears are smarter than you. At least a bear wouldn't think that everything in the world needs a reason."

"....."

"I stand here simply because I want to stand here. What more reason do I need?"

"...You want to stand here?"

"Exactly."

Maeng So nodded vigorously and grinned.

"It's quite fun here, after all."

Finally, the Sun Palace Lord abandoned all attempts at persuasion. He realized that this was not someone with whom reason would prevail.

"Since you and I share the same outsider status, I considered showing you mercy. But it seems you're nothing more than a lowly barbarian after all."

At the Sun Palace Lord's words, Maeng So shook his head.

"You're the one who's hopeless."

There are times when it happens. People who don't resent discrimination itself but instead resent not being in a position to discriminate.

To Maeng So, the Sun Palace Lord was precisely such a person.

"I'll commend your courage in blocking my path as a lowly barbarian. But the price for that courage will be your death."

"Huft."

Maeng So exhaled briefly, about to reply.

"Die!"

But the Sun Palace Lord gave him no chance, releasing a torrent of power in an instant. The blazing white Solar Palm Force shot straight toward Maeng So in a single, swift motion.

The Sun Palace Lord was convinced. That single strike would incinerate this absurd man to ashes.

Yet at that moment—

"Hmph!"

With a short intake of breath, Maeng So's upper arm swelled to nearly twice its size. The grotesque transformation made the Sun Palace Lord's eyes widen in shock.

"Hiyaaaahhhh!"

Maeng So's fist collided with the oncoming surge of energy.

Kwaaaaang!

A tremendous explosion erupted just in front of Maeng So. A storm of searing heat swept across the battlefield. No mortal being of flesh and bone could withstand such an inferno. They shouldn't have been able to.

But—

"Whew. That's pretty hot."

Thud.

Maeng So stepped forward into the blazing storm of heat. 

Thud. Thud.

Not only did he endure the firestorm, but he began walking through it with utter composure.

"You..."

The Sun Palace Lord's eyes widened to the point of tearing.

"How... how is this possible?"

"Looks like your predecessor didn't teach you much."

"....."

"Well, now's as good a time as any for you to learn. Why the Sun Palace, despite its overwhelming power, has never managed to advance into the Central Plains."

Crack.

The sound of Maeng So's joints cracking echoed from his entire body.

"Then again, I suppose it doesn't matter. You won't be able to pass this knowledge on to anyone."

Maeng So's long hair began to flutter in the heat, like the mane of a lion roaring at its prey.