novelraw Chapter 175 : Chapter 175
Chapter 175 : Chapter 175
Chapter 175 - Something You Must Run Away From
“…………Don't you think the mood is somewhat eerie?”
Big eyes, filled with fear, constantly scanned here and there. Usually, the mountain was a space like his own room to him. However, now, he felt a great sense of disharmony as if it were his first time climbing a mountain.
“Senior Brother. Say something.”
Solbo called Uma, who was beside him, with a voice full of fear. However, Uma did not exist.
“……Senior Brother?”
Solbo turned his head here and there in surprise. Not just Uma, but Biyoung, Jeong-i, and Eung Gajin, who had been close by, had all disappeared.
“What’s going on……?”
To think he was all alone in this bizarre forest. An eerie chill began to cover Solbo’s entire body. Solbo called his colleagues with all his might.
“Senior Brother!”
The bizarre event Eung Gajin had felt also appeared to Solbo. Sunlight whose color changed from moment to moment and the sound of wind that snatched away one's soul. Solbo’s eyebrows flickered violently, and his teeth chattered from fear. It was scary. He couldn't stand it because he was so scared. He felt like he had to do something, so he pulled out his sword, but his hands were trembling so much they couldn't be controlled.
“Uaa……!!”
In the end, Solbo chose what he was best at. Fleeing. He ran through the Phantasmal Confusion Forest with all his strength. Since he had already lost his sense of direction, it was impossible to check where he had come from. He just unhesitatingly performed movement techniques toward whatever was in sight.
Swoosh!
Solbo felt a sense of disharmony once again.
‘My legs……!!’
They weren't listening. They were heavy as if submerged in water and their balance wasn't right either. Although he was the first among the young talents to start the Vast Sky Eagle Body Method, Solbo was now moving his feet as clumsily as a child.
Trip!
Finally, Solbo ended up tripping over his own feet and falling. It was a mistake hard to imagine for the one whose movement techniques were the swiftest among the fellow disciples.
Clatter!
“Kh!”
He felt a stinging pain in his knees and elbows. Solbo, who had reflexively closed his eyes, slowly opened them. However, his vision was still only darkness.
“?”
Had night fallen in the meantime? No. Even if it were night, his vision wouldn't be this dark. There was not much difference between having his eyes closed or open right now. Solbo’s fearful heart reached its peak. It felt like he would be trapped within the Phantasmal Confusion Forest and never be able to escape.
Boom!
“It’s an ambush!”
“Get your weapons!”
At that moment, 'that day' began to be reenacted before Solbo’s eyes. A group of black-clothed people wearing headscarves were mercilessly slaughtering the people of Diancang Mountain. Without exception for adults or children, the sharp blades of the bandits pierced the bodies of everyone in sight.
“U…… uaaa…….”
Solbo sat on the ground and kicked his feet, unable to even think of running away.
“Solbo-ya!”
At that moment, his mother ran over and quickly snatched Solbo up. Then, she ran down the mountain so fast her eyebrows seemed to flutter. Was our mother such a fast person? Even while terrified, he had such a thought.
“Huff…… huff…….”
His mother, who had been racing down the mountain path, put Solbo down before long. His mother, who had big eyes like Solbo, difficultly steadied her breathing and then earnestly requested Solbo.
“Let’s make one promise with this mother.”
“Yes? Suddenly…….”
“In the future, if danger arises, run away no matter what. Do you understand?”
“……!”
“Your father was a man who could not tolerate injustice. Because of that, he became a guest of the afterlife, leaving you and me, who weren't even ten years old, behind. This mother doesn't know how important things like Jianghu's chivalry are. However, one thing is certain. If you were to meet a misfortune now, this mother wouldn't be able to close her eyes even in death.”
“Mother……!”
“Do you understand? You must never stand against dangerous things. Lead a life where you preserve your life even if people point fingers at you, rather than a life where you die young while being praised by people.”
Solbo’s eyes filled with moisture. It wasn't because of the content his mother was saying. Why are you speaking…… like a person I will never see again?
“Over there!”
“!”
His mother put Solbo down below the mountain slope. Rather than putting him down, it was a movement that could be described as throwing him. Was it because she sensed it was the last time? His mother’s expression as she looked down at Solbo contained infinite affection and sadness.
“Mothe……!”
Slash!
Even while rolling down, Solbo could clearly see. His mother’s body being pierced by the swords of the bandits.
“Aaaaaaaah!”
Solbo’s sorrowful cry covers Diancang Mountain, no, the Phantasmal Confusion Forest.
Flash!
In front of Solbo, whose face was covered in tears, the Diancang Sect martial artists appeared. And behind them, the bandits who had attacked Diancang Mountain were seen. It had been a long time since Biyoung and the other senior brothers had already suppressed the Ghost Face Gang. However, the bandits still remained in Solbo’s mind, threatening the Diancang Sect.
“S…… Stop it!”
The swords of the bandits began to massacre the young talents. One of Jeong-i’s legs flew off, and red blood gushed from Danseol’s chest.
“I told you to stop!”
However, the only thing Solbo could do was scream. Was it because of the Phantasmal Confusion Forest that his body wouldn't move? No. He himself was not moving his body. Because he was scared and fearful. Because he was a person who had no choice but to flee.
Slash!
Blood poured like a fountain from Eung Gajin’s neck, and the Absolute Protector, with his limbs severed, wriggled on the ground.
“Aaaaaaaah!”
If he could, he wanted to gouge out his own eyes. He didn't have the confidence to watch his colleagues being struck down by the bandits, nor himself staying still while watching such colleagues.
Thud…… thud thud!
At that moment, a round object rolled in front of Solbo’s feet. After checking the object, Solbo had a convulsion like a person struck by lightning. It was, precisely, Biyoung’s severed head.
-Senior Brother…… why aren't you helping me?
Biyoung, with only his head remaining, calls Solbo with a resentful voice. In his wide-open eyes that looked like a living person's, terrible tears of blood were flowing down.
-Solbo…….
-Solbo-ya…….
-You are too much…….
The rest of the young talents, who had been mercilessly struck down by the bandits, all looked at Solbo with faces mixed with resentment. Solbo rather wanted to lose his consciousness. However, cruelly, the Phantasmal Confusion Forest did not let him escape.
Step. Step…….
The bandits, who had suppressed his colleagues, formed a group and approached Solbo. Like the dusk that expands its territory as the sun sets, they were encroaching on Solbo’s body and mind.
‘Move……!’
Step…… step…….
‘I said move……!!’
Run away when there is something dangerous. Never clash with someone strong. It was his mother’s request, and it was her last words before death, and unfortunately, it became a spell for Solbo.
The reason he stubbornly remained in the Diancang Sect and took the path of a Murim person despite fleeing being his specialty. Solbo also naturally had an admiration for the Jianghu and a desire to become a strong martial artist. However, his mother’s 'spell', which was rooted to the bone, made him choose fleeing rather than fighting.
“I said move!”
Solbo’s sorrowful cry echoes through the Phantasmal Confusion Forest. At that moment, a familiar voice was heard from behind his back.
“Hohoho.”
Solbo hurriedly turned his head. The Sect Leader of the Diancang Sect, Jeokseo, was standing there.
“S-Sect Leader. You must avoid this place.”
“Hohoho. Solbo-ya.”
As if the approaching bandits weren't visible at all, Jeokseo casually spoke to him.
“You have always run away when you should have fought. But I have never scolded you even once. Do you remember?”
Solbo nodded his head reflexively. Actually, the Sect Leader had never punished Solbo for only fleeing. It was something unimaginable for a Sect Leader of another sect.
“The reason I didn't scold you is that you resemble me.”
“Resemble…… you?”
It was something hard for Solbo to understand. How much of a harsh time had he spent after having their main mountain snatched away and being kicked out to Simao? His face, which looked young for his age, had aged suddenly, and a person who was like a scholar had changed into a drunkard who always smelled like wine. To think the Sect Leader, who looked after the remaining people while crossing the threat of life and death every time, resembled him?
“Because I also ran away.”
Jeokseo wore his characteristic kind smile. But for some reason, at this moment, it felt so sad it made his heart ache.
“Fleeing…… when did you ever flee, Sect Leader?”
“The Great Heavenly Demon War.”
“……!”
“My martial arts skills were not outstanding. But if I wanted to, anyone could have jumped into the Great Heavenly Demon War as part of the rearguard. I was just scared. The strength of the person called the Heavenly Demon…… and the fear of death…… in the end, I only watched from afar as my colleagues died on the battlefield.”
To think such a thing had happened to Jeokseo. Solbo could not say anything with his mouth wide open.
“I, who fled at the most important moment, how could I scold you? Hoho.”
“Sect Leader…….”
“But Solbo-ya. After living about this much, one thing that I must definitely run away from appeared. Can you guess what that is?”
“Something I must…… definitely run away from?”
Something painful. Something scary and fearful. Dying. Were those not the things to flee from? However, none of the words that came out of Jeokseo’s mouth were applicable.
“Regret.”
“!”
“Since the Great Heavenly Demon War ended, I have lived my whole life with regret. If I had rather fought and died in the Great Heavenly Demon War then, there wouldn't have been such a painful remainder of my life.”
The face of Jeokseo as he lowly reflected looked as pained as a person stabbed by a knife.
“So Solbo-ya. Do not walk the same path as me. The subject you must run away from is not fear, but regret.”
“Regret…….”
“Hoho. Run away from regret with all your heart and soul. Then…… you will be able to walk a future different from mine.”
With those words, Jeokseo closed his mouth. Solbo lowly muttered to himself.
“Fleeing and…… regret…….”
What should he do to run away from the regret that would be etched for a lifetime?
Clang!
A chilling sound of a sword blade being drawn hit Solbo’s ears. When Solbo looked ahead in surprise, a bandit wearing a mask was raising a sword behind Jeokseo.
“Sect Leader!”
He shouted so loud his Adam's apple almost popped out, but Jeokseo seemed not to hear his voice. The Sect Leader, who was giving an innocent smile unlike his age with his characteristic droopy eyes. Soon, a sharp blade was swung behind him.
-The subject you must run away from is not fear, but…….
What Jeokseo said struck thunder and lightning in Solbo’s heart.
Crash!
And that lightning cut off the string of the spell that originated from the heart that loved her child.
Snap.
“Iyaaaaaaaa!”
A battle cry he had never let out burst from Solbo’s mouth. His legs, which had been heavy as if submerged in water, were freed, and the balls of his feet, the core of the Vast Sky Eagle Body Method, touched the ground. In a more than swift surge, the atmosphere was startled and formed a wind.
Whistle!
A strike of a wild wind that is said to be shown finally only when one is about to die. For the first time in his life, it was the moment Solbo unfolded the Gale Sword through only his own will.
Kabaam!
“…………?!”
Along with a roar that hit his eardrums, a heavy sensation was transmitted from his shoulder.
Before he knew it, Solbo had returned to the initial state he was in when he stepped into the Phantasmal Confusion Forest. Dazzling sunlight and a pleasant sound of wind.
And the reliable senior brother who was beside him.
“You crazy bastard. Are you trying to kill someone?”
“Uma Senior Brother……?”
Uma spat out a 'ptui' and then slowly lowered Solbo’s sword.
The single sword strike that had reached out toward the bandit a moment ago was actually aimed at Uma.
Normally, he might have scolded him while foaming at the mouth.
However, unbelievably, Uma was wearing a warm(!) expression.
“You did it, Solbo.”