Chapter 17

A lone gatehouse nestled deep in the western mountains.

Once a grand structure, the Red Gate Library was now in ruins. The nameplate was completely destroyed, and weeds grew wildly as if no one had taken care of it.

"... Are you sure there's someone alive here?"

The moment Gion stepped in, Hwaran muttered.

And for a good reason.

"The princess truly saved you, Lord Gion."

An old man was bound by black energy.

Both his arms were severed, and his legs, seemingly tortured, had tendons all cut and were rotting away.

The old man, his beard and hair completely white, just looked up at Gion.

His cataract-clouded crystalline lenses were staring quietly at Gion.

The pupils didn't focus properly, but they were unmistakably looking at Gion.

[Hwaran.]

Hwaran stirred the wind, beginning to use her healing power on the old man.

The old man seemed a bit more at ease breathing.

*Srrk!*

Gion cut the black energy binding the old man and lowered his body.

"I am looking for the historical books you wrote."

"..."

"I know you recorded only the precise truth in them."

Mujun leaned against the door frame. He was surrounding the Red Gate Library with black energy.

The reason for coming to Seosan was ultimately to find the historical books. It was as if there was no need to kill the Fifth Chime or break the barrier.

Gion knew the fastest route to enter the Red Gate Library and also knew which point of the barrier enveloping Seosan to break first.

Thanks to Mujun obscuring the Fifth Chime's view with black energy, Gion could break the barrier without delay and enter the library.

However.

"I did record only the truth, as you say, but those records are not here."

"... What do you mean by that?"

"I've been bound here for fifty years. And searching won't change anything. The historical books are just stories of the past, and currently, the White Flower Kingdom is a land of demon spirits."

"...."

"Will anything change now by searching for the princess' traces?"

A world where severing arms and confining someone in the mountains for recording the truth is trivial.

That's what the White Flower Kingdom had become.

"Knowing history is necessary to move forward."

The people staked everything on those books, recording the truth.

"I will find those books and bring them out into the world."

This was also what the old man wished for.

But the old man, resigned, simply shook his head.

"Don't sacrifice your life for the White Flower Kingdom. There's no hope in this kingdom."

At that moment.

"Gion. We don't have time. The Fourth Chime has noticed."

Mujun was watching the black energy that began to distort.

But Gion did not get up.

"Your sacrifice to write those books is enough. I will take care of the rest."

The old man said there was no hope, but the one who had actually created hope was the old man himself.

Just the existence of a historical book with true facts was a great help to Gion.

"You just need to answer my questions."

Gion gripped the Chunhwa sword firmly and asked.

Those who had done this to the historian were most likely the ones who distorted the truth.

"Who are the ones who did this to you?"

Someone vowing to restore the crumbling White Flower Kingdom stood before the old man.

The old man has devoted his entire life to writing the real history. And here he was, calling this book the hope.

The old man slowly began to speak.

*Whooosh-*

As the old man started speaking, the Chunhwa sword, as if expressing rage, began to stir the wind.

How much time had passed?

"Leave now."

"What?"

Suddenly, Gion stood up and moved behind Mujun.

Whatever he had heard, Gion was biting his lip hard enough to draw blood.

"You're letting me go even though you need to capture the Chimes?"

"Now's not the time to deal with you."

Gion, exuding an aura of murderous intent, spoke to Mujun.

"Do you wish to be killed now?"

Mujun knew. Provoking Gion now would only lead to a certain death.

"... Hardly."

A moment later.

*Creak.*

A crack started to form in the black energy encircling the Red Gate Library.

The sound of the black energy tearing was heard, and shadows spilled onto the ground.

*Bang!*

"..."

A massive shadow flickered as it opened the doors of the Red Gate Library.

"... Where is he?"

Only the historian was keeping vigil in the Red Gate Library.

The historian remained silent, not moving at all.

A demon spirit, trembling, followed the massive shadow, gauging the situation.

"... The Fifth Chime."

Creeeak.

As the massive shadow inflated its body and moved slightly, the wooden floor of the Red Gate Library made a strange sound as it rotted away.

"Bring him to me alive."

***

"Kill him! Kill! Do you know how much I bet on you?"

"Move! Can't you see?"

The demon spirits yelled, watching a human in a cell made of black energy.

"Ugh..."

A young boy, bones starkly visible, held a rusted sword.

And opposite him.

In front of the boy was an old woman coughing up blood.

"What are you doing! A young man can't even kill an old woman!"

Humans who would be next were shivering, barely clothed.

Some pleaded for their lives, some were resigned, but most seemed too drugged to even stand properly.

"Hey! I'll increase the bet, so throw another weapon to that guy!"

"He's sluggish because he's drugged! Give him some stimulants!"

The demon spirits who placed bets began to pay the demon spirits managing the arena.

"Looks like good earnings today, huh?"

A demon spirit, giggling, recorded in the ledger and threw weapons and stimulants into the cell.

The boy, panting, crawled on the ground to get the drugs thrown by the demon spirit.

As the old woman tried to get up, the boy mercilessly stabbed her with the sword, and the demon spirits began to frenzy.

"Put the next one in right away. It gets hard to collect money if the momentum breaks."

At that moment.

"Enjoying this?"

The demon spirits managing the iron bars turned their heads at the voice coming from behind.

Gion quietly observed the iron bars made of black energy.

"What? It's a human. Aren't you managing this place properly?!"

"What are you talking about? My livelihood depends on it. Of course, I keep a tight grip. There was definitely no one like him before..."

The demon spirit grabbed Gion's shoulder.

"Good timing, then. Next, you'll be the one-"

Srrk!

"Aaagh!"

The demon spirit couldn't finish its sentence before screaming.

The hand that had grabbed Gion's shoulder was floating in the air before crashing to the ground.

"My, my arm! My arm!"

"What are you!"

Swish.

A chilling sound whizzed past the demon spirit's head.

Thud!

The demon spirit's head burst like a balloon, and its headless torso rolled on the ground.

Having stepped on the waist of the demon spirit writhing on the ground, Gion drew his sword.

Crash!

As Gion swung his sword, the demon spirits rushing towards him were all decapitated in unison.

The iron bars made of black energy lifelessly sliced away and vanished.

The demon spirits that had surrounded the iron bars all began to charge at Gion.

"What, what's this!"

"Get out of the way!"

Finally realizing something was off, the demon spirits tried to scatter.

Sssss.

The White Qi fluttered and then grabbed the demon spirits.

"Aaaaah!"

"Ugh..."

The White Qi mercilessly bound the demon spirits' torsos, beginning to compress their bodies.

The demon spirit under Gion's foot could only look on helplessly at the situation.

Desperately, the demon spirit cried out.

"Why... why are you doing this suddenly! Who are you-"

Around, people covered in wounds were huddled together, trembling.

Far from receiving treatment for their wounds, many people's flesh was rotting due to repeatedly inflicted injuries.

"..."

Without saying a word, Gion grabbed the demon spirit's back skin.

Rip.

"Aaagh!"

Like paper, the demon spirit's skin tore away in Gion's hand. With the demon spirit's blood on his hand, Gion picked up the ledger that had fallen to the ground.

"Where is the money you've made being sent?"

"... The money?"

The demon spirit looked up at Gion, petrified with fear.

In Gion's black eyes, an unyielding murderous intent surged forth as they bore down upon the demon spirit.

The demon spirit started to beg as if pleading.

"Money, if it's money you need, I'll give it to you! Just spare my life-"

Gion diverted his gaze from the demon spirit and looked somewhere.

"When those people begged for their lives, did you do the same for them?"

A pile of human corpses carelessly stacked entered the demon spirit's view.

Srrk!

The remaining arm of the demon spirit was also severed by Gion's blade.

Overwhelmed by consecutive waves of pain, the demon spirit couldn't even scream, its eyes rolling back.

Gion slowly exhaled and relaxed his body.

"I asked where the money you've made is being sent."

***

Chrrrk!

A man began to sweep gold and treasures into a bundle.

"Hurry up!"

Despite trembling hands, the man ensured not even the smallest jewel was left behind.

Those accompanying the man were also bustling about, moving quickly.

Even in such circumstances, the man looked around as if regretting having to leave this building.

Luxurious silk, beautifully embroidered wallpapers, lanterns emitting splendid light...

'All mine.'

The man gritted his teeth.

"If everything's packed, let's go!"

As he flung the door open.

"Ah..."

A warm sensation seeped into the man's feet.

The hallway was splattered with blood, shockingly crimson.

Gion, covered in blood, approached the man without a word.

"Uh..."

The man, clutching the bundle, drew his sword.

"Kill him!"

Those around also drew their swords and charged at Gion.

"Aaaah!"

Srrk!

The head of a man standing beside the bundle holder fell to the ground.

In just a blink of an eye. Gion had merely swung his sword, but a man's head was effortlessly severed like a stalk of grass.

"..."

Those inside the room watching the scene were frozen in place.

Unable to step outside or retreat inside.

As Gion approached, they staggered backward, retreating step by step.

In fear, they dropped the bundle. Sparkling jewels rolled on the floor, soaking in the blood.

Crunch.

Gion crushed the jewels with the White Qi and approached a man trembling in fear.

The man, choked by terror, began to scream.

"W...We had no choice! To survive in a kingdom without a king-"

Srrk!

"I didn't ask."

Blood splattered on Gion's cheek.

The others, witnessing his pale and worn appearance, remained silent.

Gion approached a woman who was covering her head and weeping.

"Where are the books?"

"W, What books!"

"..."

Clearly, she was pretending not to know, her veins bulging in feigned ignorance.

Thunk.

The sword pierced the center of the woman's throat.

Gion, who had inserted the sword without a word, seemed as indifferent as if cutting through wood, not a human.

Gion, holding a dagger in his hand, approached a groaning individual.

With no change in expression, Gion swung his sword, and everyone, frozen in fear, could only tremble.

The person next to the woman knelt down and began to beg.

"Please, just spare my life! It's all my fault. I'll leave all this behind and go...!"

"..."

Gion bent down in front of the man who was spewing anything to save his life.

"Does doing so bring back the lives of those you killed?"

"...That, that's..."

Thunk.

"Aah!"

Gion pierced the thigh of the man who was kneeling with his sword.

The deeply thrust blade passed through the man's shin and stuck into the ground.

"Who ordered you to hide the books and distort history?"

"...I, I don't know-"

Thunk! Thwack!

"Aaah!"

The man's screams were unending, but Gion silently kept stabbing with the blade.

The man, being pierced repeatedly, began to foam at the mouth.

From the thigh to the flank.

He only stabbed the most painful parts that wouldn't cause immediate death.

It's unlikely that such scum could distort a hundred years of history.

There must be someone in absolute power.

"Ugh, ugh!"

As Gion was stabbing the man, another person aimed at Gion from behind.

Srrk!

"..."

Gion instantly severed the neck of the attacker.

The man, writhing in pain, gradually began to die.

Just before the man's breath was about to fade, Gion brightened the emerald light on the Chunhwa sword, used its healing power, and then stabbed the man again with the sword.

How much time had passed?

The man's eyes lost vitality, and no sound could be heard.

"..."

Gion, without wiping off the blood, looked at the man.

The last man left was gasping for air, his eyes clouded with tears.

"Where are the books?"

"...Please, please."

For the man, it no longer mattered who the person before him was or why this was happening.

The man was only desperate not to end up like the one who had just died.

"I am also a citizen of the White Flower Kingdom! And yet you want to kill me?!"

"Citizen..."

Crunch.

"..."

Gion gripped the man's throat.

"If you call yourself a citizen, even after selling the country to demon spirits and preying on the lives of people, then yes, you might be a citizen."

"Chk..."

"But if I spare you, won't more citizens die?"

The veins in the man's neck bulged purple.

"I asked where the books are."

The man could instinctively tell.

If he pretended not to know here, he would suffer even more pain than the one who had just been butchered and died.

The man, shivering, barely managed to speak.

"... Si-hwan."

Familiar with the name, Gion's expression hardened.

"The chieftain of the Black Tortoise tribe... he's the one who ordered it. He joined forces with... the Fourth Chime..."

"..."

"The books are in his possession too. So..."

Hwaran was seemingly perturbed, making the Chunhwa sword shake violently.

However, Gion, without any reaction, simply loosened the grip on the man's neck.

At that moment.

Srrk.

"...ah."

Plop.

Blood spurted from the man's throat.

Under Gion's blade, the man's eyes rolled back as he collapsed.

"...got it."

Gion's calm demeanor was so pronounced that even Hwaran could feel it.

[You're not even surprised?]

"It's a hundred years of history. Those who distort it must be capable of at least that much."

Gion muttered, staring into the void.

With a chilling tone, Hwaran couldn't find words to respond.

*Ziiing-*

The Chunhwa sword flickered with light, making a strange sound at that moment.

The ground rumbled, echoing as if an earthquake had struck.

Something was approaching.

[Gion!]

Crash!

As Hwaran called out to Gion, the wall shattered.

Dust swirled in the sudden gust of wind.

Gion must capture the Chimes.

But should he spend time chasing after them?

If he must confront them, then he would make them come to him.

As the wind died down, a demon spirit revealed itself.

"...You... because of you, the Fourth Chime..."

The Fifth Chime stood there, appearing utterly terrified and having lost its sanity.

Gion looked at the Fifth Chime indifferently.

"I've been waiting."