Kunlun Mountain Entrance.
This place is still within human territory.
But unlike the cities I’ve seen so far, this one is surrounded by a wooden wall instead of stone.
However, I can guess that it has a durability similar to stone walls.
Occasionally, there are pillars with inscriptions used by immortals carved into them. According to the memories of the immortals or Taoists, there are spells cast around here.
The security measures increase the further you go inside.
So, it would be best to enter quietly.
First, I went to the entrance and quietly stood in line at a checkpoint-like area.
The gazes of the people passing by the entrance are focused on me. More accurately, they are gathered around the flower in my hand.
It does look a bit strange at first glance.
The nine petals of the flower bud are arms, and the sepal is a wriggling piece of meat with eyeballs attached to it. The long, extended stem resembles a deformed spine.
It looks quite dangerous.
In other words, anyone would think it clearly has nothing to do with humans.
And just as I expected, as soon as I arrived at the entrance, a bunch of nervous people came out holding spears.
“What brings you here?”
See? They politely ask! I was half skeptical, but they don’t just grab a person with purple hair in a place so far from the Cheonma Church.
My hair is purple, you see.
Normally, the outermost boundary would be strict, and as you go further in, it gets duller. Moreover, it’s not like we live in a world where SNS is developed for rapid information sharing; the destruction of the Cheonma Church is someone else’s problem to those far away.
“I came to meet the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign.”
That’s not a lie.
It’s clearly a fact.
But this should suffice. If a strange-looking person says they came to meet the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign, how do you think humans would react?
I’m not sure, but many would make a face like they want nothing to do with it.
People generally want to set aside issues that don’t concern them. Occasionally, diligent folks might try to hold onto strict standards, but…
Most would just try to pass it off to someone in a position to handle it.
“May I ask who you are here to see?”
Hmm.
What will I do? Usually, they would reassure the guards, saying there’s no relation here, but they’ve come nonetheless.
But that approach is only used when you’re slowly blending in.
To meet someone high-ranking quickly like now, it’s much easier to name a high-ranking individual.
I know a high-ranking person.
“Tell them that the one who fought with the Tongcheon leader Daegon has come.”
Though they are my enemy. Still, many must remember a person they’ve fought against at one time. It was a war that ended with a victory for Kunlun, but many immortals lost their lives in that battle.
Given that many of them are long-lived, there are few who can easily disregard the name of the Tongcheon leader.
Moreover, I mentioned the name of the Tongcheon leader, which a normal person wouldn’t know.
Few are likely to know that name.
This will prove that I’m not just someone who picked up myths from nowhere.
I patiently lower the line and wait for a bite.
Almost there.
I’ve already knocked on the glass bottle several times; it’d be a loss to fall to the bottom without even seeing the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign after fighting a person.
The more urgent it gets, the more cautious one should act—that’s common knowledge.
I don’t know how many can follow that principle, but that’s the fate of proverbs, isn’t it? The reason some say it is because it cannot be done?
“Should I wait here?”
“Ah, no. Please wait inside; I will call for you.”
When I politely asked, they responded politely too. Their gazes have completely changed to that of viewing a high-ranking individual from another realm.
It’s the kind of look given to immortals or Taoists.
So, I was guided into a small space near the entrance. It seems to be a resting place or something used for that purpose, but after leaving one guard in front, I was left alone in the room.
Oh, what a pity.
If someone had come in, I would have tried to talk about various matters.
I sat down and organized what I’d seen through the eyes of others on the way here.
First, there’s Taesan’s Cheonbaek.
Things went well for him, but that’s a thing of the past now. The Taesan sect accepted the surviving Cheonbaek. Upon hearing his words, they empathized with his situation and were outraged. But luck ended there.
The Taesan sect demanded a strict investigation of Jeongchiljin from the Murim Alliance.
However, Jeongchiljin, who had returned earlier to the Sungsan sect, moved quicker. He declared that the Taesan sect was an evil faction that had joined forces with the Demonic Sect.
This was right after they were reveling in the destruction of the Cheonma Church.
But then, word spread of not just minions but a traitor appearing.
Since ancient times, people have been more ruthless to traitors than to enemies.
The Taoists and immortals were gone, but the remaining Murim Alliance members attacked the Taesan sect as it was.
It wasn’t even a well-planned operation led by a competent commander. Many just rushed to the Taesan sect out of impulse.
From the perspective of Cheonbaek remaining in the Taesan sect, it must have seemed very fragmented. However, there were also those who merely came to inquire about the truth.
Yet there’s always someone prone to sudden escalation. Someone drew blood, and once the blood was spilled, it quickly spiraled out of control.
If it had only gone to that extent.
If a person had come forth to mediate like a senior figure, there might have been a chance to settle the situation somehow. But at that moment, Cheonbaek was caught while secretly observing the situation in the Taesan sect.
In a place heavily scented with blood, undeniable evidence came to light.
The society of Murim is too direct for distinguishing right from wrong.
A Taesan sect member was wounded, and to defend himself, a Taesan sect member drew their sword.
How would a Murim person judge such an event?
They’d think the Taesan sect colluded with the Demonic Sect and exposed themselves by drawing weapons. And if Jeongchiljin’s influence was involved, lies would transform into truths.
A massacre occurred in the Taesan sect.
A nationwide massacre targeting anyone even remotely associated with them.
Cheonbaek fought back. Whether it was the help of the Cheonma Martial Art that the Cheonma condensed into a single blow, he fought on while dispersing a violet energy for a long time.
He fought long enough for many to feel warmth.
The funny thing is, the more he fought to protect the Taesan sect, the more the Taesan sect fell into despair.
He fought for days.
But still, he’s human.
Even if I had unlimited energy, exhaustion must eventually catch up. And time passed while I heard that a master from afar was struggling in the Taesan sect.
For various reasons, Cheonbaek died while fighting on the mountainside engulfed in blood.
When Cheonbaek died, seeing Jeongchiljin appear makes me feel quite rewarded for having trusted a person.
Cheonbaek screamed at Jeongchiljin with a face full of resentment and hatred, before getting his head chopped off.
Jeongchiljin likely appeared to confirm whether he had properly dealt with someone who could threaten him.
I observe Jeongchiljin through the hazy eyes of Cheonbaek.
His expression is mixed with unease but seems relieved as well. He probably thinks it’s almost over.
But now, the one being hunted will be Jeongchiljin. After somehow escaping from the Sungsan sect, this isn’t just about talking about wildflowers in a cave with no people.
The rumors must have spread far by now.
Jeongchiljin possesses the Makya Sword.
Human greed has no bounds, right? Just look at Jeongchiljin as an example.
No matter how hard one tries to suppress the truth with power, even if they succeed…
The truth doesn’t disappear.
Moreover, since it’s a rumor soaked in blood, it’ll be even harder to erase. Observing Jeongchiljin’s actions, he’ll likely be pointed out by an adversary someday.
And that will likely happen the moment Jeongchiljin relaxes.
As I organized the events that transpired in my mind, two people entered as the conversation above came to an end.
One was the person who had been here earlier, and the other wore a different outfit. It looked cloud-like.
The man in that attire approached me and introduced himself.
He, representing the Kunlun faction, politely asked me to follow him, saying an immortal wishes to meet me.
Seeing them not immediately shouting about the Demonic Sect upon seeing my purple hair, it seems truly removing the Cheonma Church was only a concern for those who were far removed.
Or perhaps they see me, the flower, and believe I’m not human.
Daegon, when he first came to this world, gathered many locals referred to as Yokai. Some of the kinds I made were there, along with beasts and objects gaining power and intelligence, becoming Yokai.
Yokai immortals.
Given their existence, it’s easier to mistake me for a Yokai than someone from the Demonic Sect.
It’s easy to make such assumptions since I mentioned the name of the Tongcheon leader. The effect is quite good.
Of course, they could take me away, believing I’ve come into their territory without realizing it, and I could end up trapped.
But I’m not in a position to leisurely choose another path, thinking of that worst-case scenario.
Sometimes, risks must be taken.
I followed the Taoist, passing through a human village into the area where the Taoists reside. Of course, entering didn’t mean I could meet them right away.
I had to walk up the mountain for quite a while.
The higher I climbed, the thicker the mist became. But I know this was done on purpose.
Within the memories of the immortals I gained, I’ve learned that this is a defense mechanism.
Though it doesn’t mention how to decipher it, I only remember the right path. Well, in such cases, it’s enough to just remember how to use it.
Come to think of it, Daegon seemed to know a similar technique. Is it entirely the same or just a different technique with a similar result?
As I pondered these thoughts while following the path up the mountain, suddenly the fog lifted, revealing a wide village. Taoists could be seen moving here and there, and in the distance, several islands floated in the sky.
Kunlun.
The Kunlun where the immortals reside is not just that island. The Kunlun where the Cheon Church can enter is a completely different space through that island.
It’s the most difficult place to enter.
I saw the Taoist.
He led me to where those islands are located. It seems I might be able to go up safely.
The Taoist seemed to have roughly passed the checkpoints.
Finally, it is time to enter the nest of the immortals.
