Swerrrk.
The Heavenly Demon's head spun through the air as it fell. I watched him close his eyes quietly, a hollow laugh on his lips. And then.
Thud.
With a sound too anticlimactic to be real, everything came to an end.
The vast Demonic Qi that had remained in the Heavenly Demon lost control, burst free, and scattered in every direction. The pressure that had been crushing the surroundings vanished with it.
I let out a long sigh at the sight of the Heavenly Demon, his eyes closed as peacefully as if he were asleep.
"Done."
Tang So-wol, who had just reached the Harmony Realm, was startled by the words that slipped out of my mouth and came running over.
"Young hero Cheon?! Why would you say something so ominous at a moment like this?!"
"No, it's nothing to make a fuss over…"
The Heavenly Demon was clearly dead. His expression, peaceful and free of lingering attachment, was a little irritating, but the severed neck was lying at my feet, after all.
No matter how monstrous the Heavenly Demon was, there was no way he could survive having his head cut off.
…Or so I thought.
"Huh?"
The Heavenly Demon's final gamble, the Heavenly Demon's Heaven-Splitting Strike, unleashed with everything he had left. Its aftermath had clearly scattered.
But the formation laid beneath the Heavenly Demon's tomb, and the Demonic Cultists who had received vast amounts of Demonic Qi through it.
The Demonic Qi remaining in those bastards began to surge threateningly.
"It comes to this?"
Because the Heavenly Demon, an overwhelming presence of Intent, had been their master, the Cultists who had completely lost their reason were able to handle refined Demonic Qi, and in some cases even borrow a fragment of that Intent to draw out Aura.
But now. The Heavenly Demon was dead. And the Demonic Qi that had been bound by the formation and injected into the Cultists' bodies had lost its original owner, and sought the nearest thing.
It was rampaging according to the shattered minds of the Cultists, trying to take on a different form.
What could be dimly seen was a figure resembling the demon of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. Perhaps it was the only memory common among the shattered minds.
Resentment and reverence for the Heavenly Demon combined to produce that form.
Of course, it would be a failure.
Regardless, the Demonic Qi was rampaging, and none of the remaining Demonic Cultists could control it.
Even with a sound mind it would have been impossible, and with their sanity shattered, there was no point in even saying it.
And with everyone battered and broken, if that much Demonic Qi exploded, many people would be in danger.
"Honestly, this is so unfair…"
Letting out a deep sigh, I gauged my remaining internal energy and Intent. Then, just as I activated the Heavenly Eye to somehow pierce through the center of the rampaging Demonic Qi—
Hwoong—
Along with a sound like wind blowing, the Demonic Qi that had been seething restlessly suddenly settled.
And then, a familiar voice reached my ears. A voice that seemed timid yet boastful, but beneath it all, a damp and unpleasant undercurrent writhed—something I had no desire to understand.
Yes. It was the voice of the Illusion Witch.
"Hehe. I've deactivated the formation…!"
"Hah."
I released the Concentration I had built up to its peak and slumped comfortably onto the floor. And then—
"Th-this is enough of a contribution, right…?"
"…"
I hadn't given any answer at all, yet she stared at me intently, as if she knew exactly where I was. I gave a vague wave of my hand in response.
The Illusion Witch collapsed onto the ground with a thud, a satisfied expression on her face. She must have been quite exhausted.
While she and I caught our breath, the Demonic Cultists who had been frozen in place—held rigid by the rampaging Demonic Qi that had lost its master—began to collapse one by one.
Every single one of them was emaciated, or had eyes stained black all the way to the whites, which gave me a rough idea of what had happened.
Fighting not by their own will but at the Demonic Qi's bidding, they must have either burned through their Innate True Qi or been excessively consumed by the Demonic Qi.
And in the midst of that, when the Demonic Qi that had been clinging to their life force departed along with the dissolution of the formation, their lives came to an end as well.
The Demonic Qi that had been trapped throughout the surrounding area scattered in all directions, and bright sunlight began to break through the black-stained sky.
"Ah."
The light warming my face made it all feel real.
We won.
***
What followed was simple.
First, we tended to the wounded, then descended from the Heavenly Demon Hall and rested in the Demonic Cult's now-empty buildings.
After that, we decided who would stay behind.
They were Demonic Cultists, true, but we couldn't just leave this many bodies lying there. The Orthodox-Unorthodox Alliance had lost a fair number of people too.
"Are you certain you wish to remain here, Great Master? Surely there's no shortage of people even without you staying personally. Return with us. Everyone would be glad to see you."
"A disciple of Shaolin must always practice the Buddha's compassion from the lowest place. Though they strayed from the path, these were once people who lived righteously. The least I can do is see to their funerals."
"If that is the Great Master's wish, I will not press the matter further."
I bowed my head and brought my palms together in an awkward half-hearted bow.
In response, the Great Master Jeonghyeon widened his eyes slightly, then smiled warmly and returned the gesture.
After finishing my greetings with the Great Master, I headed toward the treatment area where the healers were bustling about tending to the wounded.
There, I found the Murim Alliance Leader, who had only one broken arm but whose staff had been shattered into nearly a hundred pieces, wearing a perpetually gloomy expression.
…And the Lord of the Black Alliance, wrapped head to toe in bandages yet still bellowing in a thunderous voice for his opponent to yield a move, was playing a game of Go.
Though he had won, he seemed oddly at ease despite his considerable injuries. I let out a small chuckle and asked.
"Everyone who will remain here has been decided. So, what do you plan to do now?"
"What else is there to do… We leave at dawn tomorrow."
Throughout the game of Go, the Murim Alliance Leader had been stealing glances at the bundle containing the remains of the staff, sighing each time. His reply was gruff.
The Lord of the Black Alliance drank his water as if it were fine liquor, in one hearty gulp.
"Pwah! Right. Time to head home. But wouldn't it be a shame to just go back quietly? If we've felled the Heavenly Demon, we ought to do a bit of bragging on the way back."
"You're suggesting a triumphal procession?"
"That fellow called Geum Uiwi, the commander of the Imperial Guard, seems to have gotten quite restless. He went so far as to ask this Lord—a mere Unorthodox Sect thug he wouldn't normally deign to speak with—to put in a good word for him."
"Ah."
The subjugation of the Heavenly Demon had ended before he ever invaded the Central Plains.
In other words, most people living in the Central Plains would never understand just how dangerous and mighty the Heavenly Demon was, nor what a monumental feat the Orthodox-Unorthodox Alliance had achieved in subjugating him.
Still, it would be a waste to quietly let pass the first cooperative organization in the history of the Central Plains—one formed with the Orthodox and Unorthodox Sects joining hands, and even the Imperial Court lending its support.
So, even after everything was over, they would parade the triumphant procession before the people and shore up the Imperial Court's prestige.
"Well, that much isn't difficult at all. However, it seems I won't be able to accompany you all the way to the end."
"Hm? What do you mean by that? Others might drop out of the procession once they reach their own homes, but you—of all people, the White Moon Sword Lord—should go all the way to the Imperial Court and see the Emperor's face at least once."
"Someday, I will. It's just that this time isn't that day."
"…Surely there isn't something more going on?"
"It's nothing like that. It's just…"
After a brief moment of thought, I let out a small laugh and continued.
"I'm thinking of paying a visit to my hometown. It's been a very long time."
"Oh? Is that so. It's about time you went back."
As the Lord of the Black Alliance, he would have done a light background check on me the moment I made a name for myself, so he'd understand right away what I meant.
That's right. Ever since I went through my regression, after I swept away the unorthodox scum that ruled my hometown, I hadn't returned even once.
Even before the regression, I kept putting it off, telling myself there was no urgent need to go back, and in the end, the Heavenly Demon invaded the Central Plains and I could never go again.
Nearly thirty years by my reckoning. Perhaps even longer than that, before I finally returned home.
The Lord of the Black Alliance clapped me on the shoulder and laughed heartily.
"Kuhaha! Of course. If you've accomplished a great undertaking like this, you should go and show off a bit! If needed, I'll even send some of this Alliance Lord's men along. Enough to make the folks back home fall over in shock!"
"That's enough. After all, there's no one in that village worth showing off to."
If I had to name someone, it would be Jang Inam and his family, who had helped me a few times in the past… but Jang Inam currently belongs to the Diancang Sect, and he has no other living family.
The Lord of the Black Alliance scratched the back of his head, looking a bit sheepish.
"Is that so. Well, I'll make sure to relay everything to Deputy Captain Dae myself."
"Yes. I'll leave it to you."
"Ah… I can't wait to get home and give my wife's backside a good smack."
It wasn't something I particularly wanted to know, but ever since I'd applied the demonic seal, the bond between the Lord of the Black Alliance and Sama Yuryeon had only grown stronger.
I really didn't want to know.
After roughly finishing the greetings with the Lord of the Black Alliance, I returned to the room assigned to me.
It was the largest and most lavish building remaining in the Demonic Cult.
This was partly to honor me for defeating the Heavenly Demon, but also because everyone had learned that it wasn't a room for me alone.
As always, there were women lounging in my room as if it were their own. But this time, there were others as well.
Tang So-wol, quietly sipping poison tea that was far more potent than before.
It looked quite elegant, but in truth, it was said to be training to control the poison energy she unconsciously released along with her thoughts, not long after reaching the Harmony Realm.
Next was Seol Ri-hyang, rolling around surrounded by a host of female martial artists from the North Sea Ice Palace, including Bing Yerin.
Surrounded by women on all sides, she truly had the bearing of a heroic figure.
What exactly was Seol Ri-hyang trying to become… Well, it was probably to heal the internal injuries suffered in this battle by weaving their internal energies together into a single circulation.
Last was Seomun Hwa-rin, who exuded an air of strictness, solemnity, and seriousness… but perhaps because of the candy in her mouth, she wasn't intimidating at all—just utterly adorable.
Her cheeks, which had been thinning a little lately to her regret, wiggled as she slowly melted the candy.
It must have been hard to find sweet treats in this area—how on earth did she manage to buy candy?
Surely she hadn't been keeping it stored since the Central Plains and only now eating it.
Thinking of Seomun Hwa-rin packing the well-wrapped candy into her luggage, saying something like, "Once this matter is over, I shall eat this candy…" brought an involuntary smile to my face.
And finally…
"Illusion Witch. Why are you here?"
"You, you're so mean… We haven't even greeted each other yet and you're already asking why I'm here…"
"Ah, right. Good morning. So why are you here?"
"…"
The Illusion Witch pouted her lips and glared at me, but the moment our eyes met, her lips tucked back in.
Still, she didn't drop her gaze from me, and with a smile that was oddly awkward—and therefore slightly servile—she continued.
"Hehe. Why else? You promised, didn't you… That if I performed well this time, you'd consider it."
"…"
I didn't say "What." In truth, I already knew what I'd agreed to consider.
And because I knew, I couldn't easily open my mouth.
The Illusion Witch had fulfilled her role up until entering the Heavenly Demon Hall, and her timely deactivation of the formation that was about to run wild could be called a performance beyond expectations.
Yes. The Illusion Witch had truly satisfied the minimum conditions that Tang So-wol and I had set.
…But is this really right?
It wasn't a matter of disliking the Illusion Witch or anything of that sort. It was just that the insane obsession from the previous regression kept surfacing in my mind, making me flinch.
After deliberating for a long while, I subtly glanced toward Tang So-wol.
Noticing my gaze, she looked back and forth between me and the Illusion Witch, who was grinning and rubbing her hands together at my feet, before offering a gentle smile.
"Well. Isn't that fine?"
"Tang So-wol?"
"A promise is a promise, after all. Unless young hero Cheon would rather die than agree, you should grant me the right I was promised."
"…I suppose so."
I let out a long, deep sigh before speaking.
"Illusion Witch. On this return journey, I plan to head to my hometown rather than the Tang Clan, to hold a memorial rite at my parents' tomb. …Will you come with me?"
"Hic…!"
As if she truly never imagined such a day would come, the Illusion Witch covered her mouth, her eyes welling up with tears.
But because I had known the Illusion Witch for quite some time, I could feel the sense of dissonance.
"Illusion Witch."
"Y-yes?!"
"Take your hand off."
"…"
"Now."
"Tch."
Hesitating, the Illusion Witch removed her hand. On her face hung a sinister smile, one corner of her mouth curled up.
Anyone watching would believe it had all gone exactly according to the Illusion Witch's plan.
"Ugh…"
At this point, I'm not even surprised anymore.