Prologue
"This…"
He clenched his teeth, seemingly about to break.
Probably because of how much strength was inserted into his clenched fist, nails burrowed into his palm, dark red blood trickling down.
Unable to control his trembling body.
Rage that seemingly made his head turn white surged through him.
Red.
Everything was red.
Everything in sight was dyed in dark, blood red.
This mountain peak, enveloped green with trees just a day ago, was carpeted in human blood, its color changing in just a single day.
Death.
The only thing left in this place was death. For what was all this bloodshed for?
Chungmyung lifted his hand, clutching the sword plunged into his shoulder. The broken blade of a plum blossom sword was pulled out.
His body wasn't normal either.
His left arm was torn off, just the sleeve fluttering, and neither of his legs were cut in half, yet unable to fulfill their role. But what was even more serious was the thing on his stomach— a large hole the size of a child's head.
But Chungmyung didn't feel even a bit of pain.
The pain in his body was nothing compared to the pain of his heart as it tore to pieces.
"…Senior brother Sect Leader."
The tragic corpse of Mount Hua's Sect Leader, Chungmun, entered his sights.
Why was it so unfair?
Why was it so unfair, that even in death, he couldn't close his eyes?
It wasn't just the Sect Leader.
"Junior brother…"
The sight of Chunggong, his dead body split in two at the waist, painfully sealed in his eyes.
"Martial nephews and nieces."
Everyone died.
His martial family, who he climbed this mountain together with as they vowed to protect the kangho and have Mount Hua's name celebrated throughout the world, all departed to a place from where they could not return.
Everyone, even his martial nephews and nieces who followed them up this mountain.
Chungmyung clenched his teeth.
It was a noble sacrifice. Death overflowing with great chivalry and righteousness.
But, who dares praise these deaths?
Who dares!
Chungmyung raised his head.
He stared at the most hateful culprit who created this.
A demon that descended from Heaven.
The demonic group that dyes the world in blood, the Demonic Cult's Sect Leader.
He, who the world calls the Heavenly Demon.
Even amidst this hell, the Heavenly Demon looked deathly calm. The sight of him quietly sitting in a lotus position among the strewn corpses and spilled blood even aroused strange feelings for Chungmyung, who loathed him the most in the world.
No, the word 'calm' didn't suit him right this moment.
Was it correct to say he was calm, with dozens of swords plunged into his entire body and two spears piercing his stomach?
Everyone sacrificed their lives to turn that demon into this.
The ultimate death squad consisting of the best of the best from twenty sects, including the Nine Great Schools. Everyone's clash with the Heavenly Demon, in the end, resulted in codestruction.
Were they satisfied?
Were all the people who died here satisfied, able to close their eyes?
Of course not.
Even if they were satisfied and happy, Chungmyung couldn't. The only thing he could do was subdue the hatred and rage blazing through his body.
At that moment.
The Heavenly Demon silently opened his eyes.
His transparent, empty eyes gazed at Chungmyung.
And then, his mouth slowly opened.
"…Mount Hua."
The first thing that popped out of his mouth were two words, Mount Hua.
Mount Hua.
The two words that were tattoed on Chungmyung's heart trickled out of the demon's mouth.
"How unfortunate, disciple of Mount Hua. If only you were able to return from this place alive, you could relish honor for killing me throughout your whole life."
"…Shut your mouth."
"Quite proud, I see. Despite the help from numerous people, it was your sword that eventually reached me. On my name as the Heavenly Demon, I acknowledge your sword, Mount Hua's sword, as unrivaled."
"I said, shut it!"
It was even more hateful to hear the words 'Mount Hua' from that cursed mouth.
"How unfortunate."
The Heavenly Demon was dying.
No matter how peerless a demon is, with enough might to touch the heavens, he could not survive when his dantian is pierced and his internal organs all cut up.
The last light of the setting sun.
The mere sight of the Heavenly Demon's last struggle before his life cuts off.
But, why? How could a dying man be so calm?
The Heavenly Demon was a baffling existence he couldn't understand.
"If I had merely been given one more day, I could have truly become worthy of the name Heavenly Demon. However, this may also be my given fate."
Chungmyung gripped the blade he'd extracted from his shoulders as hard as he could. The sharply-forged blade dug into his palm, but he didn't care.
One step.
Another step.
Chungmyung limped towards the Heavenly Demon, towards the end of this long, horrific war.
Despite seeing Chungmyung approach, the Heavenly Demon's eyes were still clear.
"Remember, disciple of Mount Hua. This is not the end. The demonic practitioners shall return again. Only then will the demonic world truly rise up. The demonic world no one can stop…"
Shiiiing!
The sound of sword cutting through the air echoed through the still mountaintop.
Thud.
The Heavenly Demon's severed head rolled on the ground. Chungmyung trampled the Heavenly Demon's head, whose clear eyes still stared at him.
"This…"
The war was over.
The world shall remember the death squad's victory over this war. But Chungmyung knew. There was no such thing as victory here. No one won anything.
Legs finally losing strength, Chungmyung collapsed. Inevitable death also came to him.
Chungmyung raised his head, staring at the sky.
Despite how much blood was spilled and how many people died, the sky was still indifferent and blue.
'What's gonna happen to Mount Hua now?'
Everyone who climbed the Great Mountain to kill the Heavenly Demon died. If there were others left, even they would groan at this damage that was close to destruction.
But none of the sects were as badly damaged as Mount Hua.
"Senior brother Sect Leader… I told you, didn't I?"
I told you not to dedicate everything to righteousness and chivalry.
All those named Chung had their bones buried here.
And those named Baek that followed after the Chungs died.
All that's left are the powerless children.
And…
Regret. And also regret.
Was there meaning?
Was there meaning in the blood Mount Hua spilled here?
"I don't quite know either. Senior brother Sect Leader…"
Chungmyung's body slowly fell sidewards.
As he fell, the white uniforms and the five-leafed plum blossom emblazoned on those uniforms entered his eyes.
The death of a martial artist.
A lonely death, closing his eyes on the place where no one watched him. The death of Mount Hua, using the plum blossom sword they've held their whole lives as a tombstone, life thrown away as if it was worthless.
"…But, you're all still better than me."
Because he was crying.
Because Chungmyung was crying for them.
Chungmyung's blurring gaze fell on the Sect Leader.
'Sorry, senior brother Sect Leader.'
Wouldn't he have been able to save a single person if he'd put just a bit more effort into martial arts?
If only he didn't turn a blind ear to his teacher and senior brother's words, and didn't live a stupid life outside the sect.
Rather than the extremely useless and empty title of Plum Blossom Sword Master, wouldn't the result be somewhat different if he'd truly acquired Mount Hua's sword?
It's useless.
There was no point to this as well.
All that remained was regret.
And all he had to worry about were the gates of death.
'Plum blossoms eventually fall.'
When cold winter comes and goes once more, they shall bloom again.
'Mount Hua.'
Chungmyung's consciousness gradually faded.
The 13th disciple of the Great Mount Hua Sect.
One of the Greatest Third-Generation Swordsmen.
Plum Blossom Sword Master, Chungmyung.
After slicing the head of the peerless demon Heavenly Demon, who threw the world into chaos, he slept an eternal sleep on the peak of the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains.
These were the few words he left in this world.