'Hah, how can it be like that?'
Ju Wol-lyang watched the whole situation from below.
Baek Sowol was cutting down the martial artists who were blocking her way one by one and moving forward.
Such a scene was not included in his plan.
A plan to break through the encirclement, turn public opinion to their side, and then use that public opinion to draw out the leader.
There were two things that went against his plan.
The leader, who did not step forward despite having a martial prowess superior to Baek Sowol's.
Although he had a peaceful face, to Ju Wol-lyang, who was well-versed in human psychology, his psychology was read.
'He's just thinking of hiding behind.'
The cowardly actions of the leader, who was ashamed to be called a martial artist who had trained in martial arts, were more wretched than those of a street ruffian who had learned martial arts by looking at a miscellaneous book in the market.
At least there was a countermeasure for this, and he had shared that method with Baek Sowol.
'For a moment, Great Hero Baek stops her steps and stimulates the people a little more to completely turn public opinion to our side. Then the leader will at least pretend to step forward.'
But this countermeasure was blocked by another deviation.
It was Baek Sowol's course of action.
Baek Sowol did not stop.
Literally practicing the metaphor of not looking back.
Even though her whole body was a mess, she was continuously moving forward.
Just now, Baek Sowol had defeated the fifth martial artist by a hair's breadth.
It was truly a miraculous course of action.
However, Baek Sowol's condition, who was showing that miraculous course of action, was not normal.
Her right arm was twisted, and she was holding the sword with her left hand, and she was even limping.
But nevertheless, Baek Sowol did not bend and was moving forward upright.
'Why on earth?'
Ju Wol-lyang was feeling a question in his head.
But because of the emotion he was feeling in his heart, he could not utter that thought.
Awe.
In overwhelming awe of the strong, Ju Wol-lyang could not even blink and was just looking at Baek Sowol's back.
This was not just Ju Wol-lyang.
All the people gathered around Ju Wol-lyang.
Even the martial artists who had surrounded Baek Sowol were staring blankly at her back.
Thump!
Baek Sowol cut down the sixth martial artist who had blocked her.
She wanted to let out a rough breath and collapse right away.
But Baek Sowol still stood upright with her back straight and moved her steps without bending at all.
Blood kept welling up in her mouth.
She couldn't even see with her left eye.
But Baek Sowol continued to move forward.
Thud.
And finally, she reached the end of the stairs.
In her red-dyed vision, the altar and the leader behind it came into her eyes.
Thud.
Baek Sowol moved her steps.
At that, the leader took a step back.
At that, a genuine laugh flowed from Baek Sowol.
The aura she felt was clearly superior to her own.
Nevertheless, the leader was retreating at Baek Sowol's steps.
Spitting out the blood that had pooled in her mouth, Baek Sowol aimed the now red-dyed White Iron Blue Autumn at the leader.
"If you are one who stands at the pinnacle, do not run away, but face me."
A low voice, as if from a dying person, mixed with a metallic sound.
At that voice, the leader's whole body flinched.
But soon, the leader confirmed Baek Sowol's condition, kicked off the ground, and rushed at her.
The leader, who had gathered all the internal energy in his body, stretched his sword towards Baek Sowol.
Although the sword reached Baek Sowol's vicinity.
Swish.
Baek Sowol slightly twisted her body, avoided the leader's sword strike, and stretched out her sword.
Thud.
White Iron Blue Autumn pierced the leader's body so easily that it felt futile.
Although she had fought a life-and-death battle with the martial artists of a similar realm to the previous leader, the leader himself had lost his life in just one exchange.
'How ridiculous.'
Baek Sowol even felt a sense of futility.
"Keok, keoheok."
Tossing aside the body of the leader whose breath was being cut off, she finally looked back.
The bottom of the stairs came into Baek Sowol's view.
The emotions contained in the eyes of the people below were felt by Baek Sowol.
The first was awe.
And the second was fear, and anxiety.
In Baek Sowol's mind, the conversation with Ju Wol-lyang came to mind.
-If you succeed in executing the leader, Great Hero Baek, with the justification of respect for the strong, although not perfectly, you will be able to take control of this place. After that...
Baek Sowol turned her back on them again and moved forward.
In her eyes was a large statue that would never come into view at once.
Baek Sowol approached that statue.
The statue of the absolute demon.
As Baek Sowol arrived in front of that statue, she pulled back her fist.
Then, after gathering all her internal energy in her fist, she stretched it out.
Kwaang!
A large bursting sound echoed throughout the land.
Crack.
Cracks began to form on the statue, centered on the part that Baek Sowol had struck with her fist.
The speed at which the cracks formed became faster and faster, and in the end, the statue tilted.
Kuuung!
It fell.
Baek Sowol climbed on top of the fallen statue.
Then she looked down at the bottom of the stairs. All the people who had no relation to her were looking up at her.
Baek Sowol quietly swallowed her breath.
Then she gathered her internal energy and spat it out.
"I am the pinnacle of the demon!"
Although bloody phlegm boiled up, she continued to speak without minding.
"There is no one above me, and everyone below me is equal!"
All the people below looked up at such a Baek Sowol.
Although she was covered in blood, that appearance looked like a sacred being who had descended from the sky.
'The pinnacle demon who has placed the absolute demon who has descended from the sky under her feet.'
The same thought came to everyone's mind.
'The Heavenly Demon.'
At that, someone quietly muttered.
"The descent of the Heavenly Demon."
That muttering quietly began to spread to the surroundings.
"The descent of the Heavenly Demon!"
It spread into a cheer.
"Ten thousand demons bow in submission!"
They were beings under the absolute demon who reigned above them.
Since they were beings under the absolute demon, they naturally became demons.
That day, the Heavenly Demon descended on the Heavenly Mountains, and ten thousand demons knelt.
* * *
Baek Sowol closed her eyes and ended her recollection.
Then she recalled her own choice.
Although she had come to lead them now, in fact, they were people who had no relation to her.
Among Ju Wol-lyang's advice, there was also a way not to lead the people.
But Baek Sowol had chosen to lead.
'Master told me not to forgive evil.'
The image of her master, who had cut down villains without mercy.
That image was so eerie that it even made the young Baek Sowol feel a sense of fear at the time.
But now, she understood such a master.
'The reason for not showing mercy to evil is perhaps to prevent the good people who are created by that evil from being harmed.'
Leaving aside whether Baek Yoonjun had had such a deep thought, at least Baek Sowol firmly believed so.
"Why are you not speaking?"
At the indifferent voice that came at that moment, Baek Sowol woke up from her thoughts.
'I had a guest.'
Although she had taken her as if kidnapping her, a guest was a guest.
'Whatever we do, we are the ones who are in a disadvantageous position.'
When you think about it, Baek Sowol's side was in an overwhelmingly disadvantageous position.
"Why don't you tell me why you kidnapped me, now?"
Baek Sowol looked at Tang Yuhwa, who had no sign of tension at all despite being blindfolded and surrounded by people whose identities she did not know, with a dumbfounded look.
'I thought I was pretty good at hiding my emotions, but she's even better.'
Although her eyes were covered, thinking that those eyes would also just have an indifferent look, Baek Sowol brought up her business.
"I need a doctor."
"From what I see, you seem to be a high-ranking person, so don't you have a doctor where you are?"
"I do. But an ordinary doctor is not enough."
Tang Yuhwa looked at Baek Sowol.
Although her eyes were covered, it was obvious that she was looking at her as if she were looking at a crazy person.
"Instead of kidnapping, couldn't you have just called?"
It was a natural statement that anyone would hear.
But Baek Sowol also had something to say.
"If I had requested it from a place like a bandit's den, would you have complied?"
"Is it a bandit's den?"
"It's not, but the example is like that."
Although it was not a bandit's den, it was a place where those who were tired of the Central Plains itself had gathered.
Although not everyone was like that, there were also some people with bad pasts.
Baek Sowol naturally thought that Tang Yuhwa would worry or refuse.
But.
"I would."
Tang Yuhwa answered without a moment's hesitation.
It was a completely unexpected answer for Baek Sowol.
"Why?"
"Because a doctor goes anywhere if there is a patient."
Tang Yuhwa answered without hesitation.
No matter how she looked at it, it did not seem like a lie.
After hesitating for a moment, Baek Sowol continued with her business.
"I need not only a doctor but also a medical book."
"For now, I can just sort out what's in my head and write it down, right?"
Although Baek Sowol was at a loss for words, she somehow continued with her business.
"I would like you to directly pass on your medical skills to our doctor."
"Since I can't stay for long, if you're going to have them learn from me, send them to the Tang Family Clinic in Sichuan."
This time too, it was without hesitation.
Baek Sowol could not believe it at all.
Although she understood up to the treatment of a patient, a medical book was like a secret manual of martial arts.
Although Baek Sowol had not traveled much in the Central Plains, she knew that medical books were not shared recklessly.
Because of that, there were even cases where an incurable disease in the next town was a disease that could be easily treated in this town.
Thinking it must be a lie, she looked at Tang Yuhwa, but no matter how she looked, it seemed she was sincere.
'There are people like this.'
As far as Baek Sowol knew, there was only one person who would comply with a request for help without minding either side and would generously bestow their teachings.
'Master.'
For some reason, the Tang Yuhwa in front of her and her own master seemed to overlap.
"I like you."
"If you like me, why don't you take off the blindfold?"
"I can't help that. Even if it's uncomfortable, please bear with it for a little while."
"I don't like you."
At Tang Yuhwa's sharp words, Baek Sowol chuckled.
'The number one doctor in Sichuan... I really like her.'
Although the thought that it would have been fine to approach her more gently crossed Baek Sowol's mind, she immediately shook it off.
'Not now. I don't know what will happen if I catch the eye of the martial world or the government.'
The group in the Heavenly Mountains was not all good people.
At least from the perspective of the Central Plains.
'On top of that, we are in a clearly weak position.'
And the Heavenly Mountains were in a clearly weak position compared to the Central Plains.
'I thought I had reached it, but the path was off, and I don't even know my own realm.'
The fact that Baek Sowol, who led them, could not know her own clear realm was also a problem.
The day Baek Sowol had become the Heavenly Demon.
She had been able to take a step on the path of martial arts.
But that path was not the path she had been walking until now.
A path of martial arts that no one had clearly walked, not a path where countless footprints were left.
Since even her master, who was high above, had not set foot on that path, it was difficult for Baek Sowol to even guess her own realm.
And so, in Baek Sowol's senses, who was lost in thought, something was caught.
Although there were traces of a battle, since it was already over, only one collapsed person was caught in her senses.
Baek Sowol immediately kicked off the ground.
With the dignified steps of a hegemon, with no trace of her previous immaturity, she moved with an aura that would make anyone kneel, and in that place.
"Ugh..."
An old man was collapsed.
It was not the person of the Baek family clan that Baek Sowol was looking for.
'But I can't pretend not to see him when there's a doctor.'
Baek Sowol carefully lifted the old man and moved him into the carriage.
As she laid the old man inside the carriage.
"A patient?"
Tang Yuhwa noticed immediately.
Although Baek Sowol was slightly surprised that Tang Yuhwa had immediately noticed that she had brought a patient, now was not the time to question such things.
"It's a patient. Can you treat him? I'll take off your blindfold right away."
"I took it off."
But Tang Yuhwa had already taken off her blindfold and was looking at the patient.
As expected, there was no hesitation to be found.
Tang Yuhwa immediately took the patient's pulse and made a diagnosis.
"Sword wounds and internal injuries, and he's in a weakened state due to starvation. Fortunately, it's not to the extent that his life is in danger, but long-term treatment will be necessary."
"That's a relief."
At Tang Yuhwa's words, Baek Sowol was relieved.
Although he was a person she had never met, it was not a very good thing to see a person die in front of her eyes.
Having made her diagnosis, Tang Yuhwa immediately began treatment.
Baek Sowol looked at such a Tang Yuhwa intently.
It was because a subtle change in expression had appeared on Tang Yuhwa.
"Is there something that's bothering you?"
"He seems like someone I know."
Tang Yuhwa pondered and pondered.
In that process, her hands of treatment did not stop.
Then, as if she had thought of something, Tang Yuhwa immediately spat it out.
"Elder Gung-gwi?"
The moment Tang Yuhwa uttered those words.
Bolt upright!
The old man who was receiving treatment sat up bolt upright.
"It's not Gung-gwi, it's Geom-shin!!"
Then he collapsed again.
No matter how one looked at it, it didn't seem he was conscious.
Baek Sowol stared blankly at the old man, and Tang Yuhwa also stared blankly at the old man.
"What's with this old man?"
"Uh..."
Tang Yuhwa, rarely flustered, trailed off.
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