Chapter Text
Teeth clenched hard enough to shatter any moment.
Fists tight enough to draw dark red blood.
Trembling and convulsions that couldn’t be controlled.
Anger enough to turn his hair white
Red. Everything was red. Everything before his eyes was stained scarlet with blood.
The lush green mountain peak was stained blood-red; its very nature was swept away in a single day.
Death. All that was left was death.
What purpose did all this bloodshed served?
Chung Myung clawed at the hilt of the sword embedded in his shoulder, drawing out the broken length of the Plum Blossom Sword.
His left arm was gone—only the torn scraps of his sleeve flapped in the wind. His legs were unwounded, yet he could barely move. His stomach gaped open with a hole the size of an infant’s head.
And yet, Chung Myung couldn’t feel the pain.
The pain of his body was nothing compared to the turmoil in his heart.
“…Sahyung Jang Mun.”
Why was it so unfair? Why were the dead unable to even close their eyes?
“Sajae…”
“Sajils…”
Everything felt desolate. Everyone was dead.
Chung Myung’s gaze locked on to the perpetrator, the one who had roused his unfathomable rage.
The Demon from the skies, the leader of the Heavenly Demon Sect: the Heavenly Demon.
The Heavenly Demon’s pale, empty eyes opened to gaze into the blue sky.
“…Mount Hua Sect.” Three words spilled from his lips.
The words eternally inscribed on Chung Myung’s heart now emerged from the demon’s mouth.
“How unfortunate, disciple of Mount Hua Sect. If only you could get out of here, you could boast of your achievements.”
“…Shut your disgusting mouth.”
Chung Myung gripped the sword he’d pulled out of his shoulder. The sharply forged blade cut his palm.
At the end of a long and terrible war, Chung Myung limped towards the Heavenly Demon.
“Remember this, disciple of Mount Hua Sect.” Chun Ma’s eyes seemed devoid of emotion, even as Chung Myung approached. “This is not the end. The Demons will return. And when that happens, the world will be conquered by the Demons. The Demons can never be stoppe—”
The Heavenly Demon’s head fell to the ground.
Chung Myung crushed the head of the Heavenly Demon, eyes still open.
“It’s…”
The war was over. The world would remember their victory. But Chung Myung knew: there was no victory here. No one won this war.
Finally, Chung Myung no longer had the strength to stand. His inevitable death was coming.
Chung Myung raised his head to the sky. Even after such bloodshed, the sky was still blue, as if indifferent to the happenings of earth.
What will happen to the Mount Hua Sect? Everyone who climbed the mountain was dead. Even if anyone had survived, they were probably on their last breaths. No clan had suffered as much as Mount Hua Sect.
“Sahyung Jang Mun… I told you.”
“Don’t give your all in every task,” he’d said. Now Mount Hua Sect would be buried on this mountain. All the disciples had followed their masters to death. All that was left were the children, who knew nothing about Mount Hua Sect.
And… regret. It was regret.
Was there any meaning to what happened? Did the spilled blood of Mount Hua Sect mean anything?
I’m sorry, Sahyung Jang Mun. Chung Myung’s vision faded.
If he had devoted a little more of his time to training, would he have been able to save at least one person?
If he had listened to his teachers and their scolding…?
If he had truly obtained the Mount Hua Sword instead of the Plum Blossom Sword?
No regrets… But it was all regret. All he had left was regrets.
And worries for the sect.
Plum blossoms are meant to fall, and after the cold winter comes spring.
Mount Hua…
The 13th disciple of the Mount Hua Sect, one of the greatest third generation swordsmen, the Plum Blossom Sword Saint: Chung Myung. After defeating the Heavenly Demon and ending his reign of chaos, Chung Myung breathed his last on the summit of the Heavenly Demon Sect’s mountain.
[Initialization...loading components.. 4%..16%]
[78%..92%..100%ㅡ! Installing graphic format...]
[Downloading Operating System...searching searching. . . ! Downloading L33CH ver 13.2.3 . . . 8%...14%...34%...]
[100%! Opening data packet...Extracting files...Please restart to start the program.]
[YES] [NO]
.
.
.
[You've forcibly closed the program. Restarting in 3...2...1. Please don't turn off the system while we restart the program.]
[Commencing system activation...Scanning for abnormalities... abnormalities not found.]
[Launching L33CH ver 13.2.3...determined to be successful. Searching for suitable host for user.]
"Ughhㅡno more, please be quiet..."
[Compatible host found. Capturing target 3%...4%...5% Please wait, target's resistance is strong, activating firewall.]
"Ah, no! Why disturbing the dead? Is it not enough that Iㅡ"
Chung Myung looks at his left, specifically at his previously severed left arm. It's now attached to his shoulder like it was meant to be there.
"Ah, I know. This must be the afterlife."
Even if the physical bodies were in pieces, the soul have to look somewhat whole before being sent to the diyu.
As a Taoist priest he had to know the bare minimum of the religion and beliefs on the Central Plains.
'Even if that belief got stuck in my head only after Sahyung Jangmun nagged me for 3 weeks straight on the same boring topics over and over again.'
Still, he always thought that if diyu is really exists only he and Tang Bo would go there and the rest of sahyungs, sajaes and sajils would've go to wherever Yuanshi Tianzun lived.
Mount Hua is both a Taoist sect and a sword cultivation sect.
By all means the Plum Blossom Sword Saint produced by such place is 100% pure-breed swordsman and regards Taoist scriptures as a bedtime stories at best, his Jangmun Sahyung's nagging at worst.
'So, what is this then? Why am I still conscious?'
Chung Myung observed his surroundings with curiosity. He was in some sort of small room, one that is too bright to look at because of the glowing pure plum blossoms petals that sways slowly in the air even if there's no wind blowing them.
In the middle of the room there's a small familiar table with a bundle of bedding that held nostalgic scent. All of this made him feel weirdly sentimental.
"Is this some sort of after death illusions?"
[34%..36%...38%... Breach detected, applying encryption...]
Startled, Chung Myung's hand immediately fly to his scabbardㅡ
Only to find that he's missing his sword.
Eyes sparkles with rage, he roars," I knew there's no such good things in this world! Do you think you can deceive me?Show yourselves!"
Is this some new plot from the magyo? Forcing their greatest enemy into a false dream so that they will never wake up?
'Naive.'
[..Cache poisoning detected..ERROR ERROR..Removing threat..42%...43%...]
"Show yourself first!"
"Pause..Command received, activating graphic format. . . ding!~♪Please wait until system inserting it's host for the user...44%..45%"
In front of him, a flat glowing rectangle appeared out of nowhere. No presence can be felt either.
'This thing is not a living being'
Gazing straight ahead, his mouth sets into a firm line. Never in his life had he ever encountered something like this.
Chung Myung decided to wait to see if the strange entity will do anything.
'It said 'command received' when I ask to show itself.'
Then it should respond to my voice.
"You..What are you?"
[48%..49%...Pause. Responding to user's question, this system is a self-raising system especially created to help the Chosen One throughout their journey.]
A deep monotone voice that sounds neither men or woman make an appearance inside his mind.
"User this, user that! Yah! Who do you think you are, calling me a user huuuhhhh?"
[Answering to user's question: User can change the way this system address the user anytime. Please select the option bar on the bottom left to proceed.]
"Why are you telling me to do something! Just stop calling me a user! Is this thing stupid or just broken??"
[Answering user: this system is the perfect assistant. Scanning system for: stupid and broken. . . Search result: stupid and broken, not found... [Requesting user to proceed.]
"..."
'Is it just me, or is this thing being sassy with me just now?'
"I shall let this slide for now. By 'created specifically for chosen one,' what do you mean by that? Who is this chosen one you mention? And created? Are you saying that someone made you?"
It appears that this inexplicable thing is a creation of man! Who the hell could be crazy enough to make something like this? That thing can levitate in the air and respond to enquiries without the need for qi. The material is not known to even him, the sword saint!
[Responding, this system was designed exclusively with the user in mind. The user is the one selected by the heavens, who are so beloved to them that they craft a system that is tailored to the user's very soul. This system was made as a gift to celebrate the one who had come as the winner thorough the calamity.]
Did it just said beloved?
By the heavens?
Is this some sort of joke?
Because if it is, he certainly didn't find it hilarious.
'The heaven had forsaken us ever since the demon cult arrived at the Central Plains and began their massacres.'
No mercy for families, no mercy for the little kids.
And certainly not to the sects and the noble families.
Not one shred of mercy for the Mount Hua Sect either.
Chung Myung felt indescribable rage and despair trickling inside him, filling him up till he explode from within. Yet not a shred of emotions left on his face to be seen.
His Sahyung Jangmun, Sajaes and Sajils are all unable to closed their eyes even after death. Not even one could escape. And no one had tried to.
Their deaths was a selfless one. Their demise was honourable and splendid.
Who would dare to celebrate their demise? Who would dare!?
The winner?
The winner!?
Is what happened on earth is just a game in the eyes of the divine? Are their selfless and noble deaths is just for entertainment? His Sahyung's? Sajaes' and sajils'? The one who had sacrificed themselves for the sake of saving one more person?
Resentment clouded his mind. His broken heart full of frost so cold it nearly engulfed him. Wounds within him that had yet and never would heal stings him back to reality.
"GET LOST! I don't want to receive anything from the one who do this to us. Tell your bastard creator to get fucked! Eat shit! HOW DARE YOU? HOW DARE YOU!? THE FUCKING NERVㅡUgh!"
A soft force binds Chung Myung in place. He tried to shout but there's no sound coming out from his mouth.
[Contract cannot be terminated.]
'Fuck the contract! Fuck! ' I can't move at all!'
[Continuing capturing suitable host. . .! 50%...Host had raised their collision. Activating defense-in-depth. . . Successfully blocking host's attacks. . .55%...56%..]
After struggling long enough to calm his temper, Chung Myung angrily glared at the so called system.
'Beloved? Since when did someone treat the thing they oh so cherish this way? Just lies they told to manipulate someone to do their bindiㅡ'
[62%...Pause. Receiving a message from the creator! Ring ding ding〜♪]
'wat'
[Opening message: Chung Myung... My dearest child...]
Whose child?? Him? Chung Myung?
I have no such absentee father, you bastard!
'Alright Chung Myung, whatever that shitty fucking shameless God sprouted, don't listen to them.'
[Ho ho! It does seem that you are hearing from me! What a good fortune this is!]
'What? This shitty God read my mind? What the hell This is an invasion of privacy you fucㅡ'
[Ho ho! Let's cease the loving nicknames shall we? What a spirited one I choose.]
'No, that's a curse you shitty God! A fucking curse from the bottom of my heart! Release me now!'
[I'll release you if you promise to let me explain this system I made for you, child. I'd even send you highest quality alcohol! What you say?]
"..."
It seems whatever the 'God' had in mind, won't hurt him in any way. Chung Myung won't mind knowing more about that weird xysthem(?).
Definitely not because of the alcohol!
Definitely not!
'You better do what you promise.'
And with that, the soft force that holding him disappear slowly.
