ad-fusion Chapter 234 : The Meaning of Existence
Chapter 234 : The Meaning of Existence
Chapter 234: The Meaning of Existence
A shabby detached palace where darkness had thickly settled.
In this remote place—so secluded that even the palace attendants were unaware of its existence and no one ever came looking—figures wrapped entirely in black gathered soundlessly.
A heavy atmosphere pressed down inside the room. Amid the pungent stench of medicinal herbs and the metallic scent of blood that stung the nose—
Gahui-ryeong, clad in golden silk robes, stood at the center of the room, looking down with a sorrowful gaze at her eldest son lying on the bed.
“Summoning people like us—whom the entire world has made enemies of—to even the Imperial Palace… I am deeply moved, as it seems to reflect Your Majesty the Empress’s maternal affection toward the Crown Prince.”
A sinister voice, like a snake slithering across the ground.
The man in black, his face hidden beneath a deeply pulled hood, revealed pale teeth as he faintly smiled.
Though his face and body were concealed in black cloth, his crimson eyes flickered vividly even within the shadows.
“…Hmph.”
The Empress frowned slightly, but she did not openly show her displeasure.
After all, the moment she summoned the Blood Cult, just as that ominous man said, she and her entire family were already standing atop a blade’s edge.
“Go on and perform that Blood Sorcery you boasted about, Narak Gang of the Right Blood Law.”
If the results differed from what he had promised, she would not let him go unpunished.
Those unspoken words were swallowed silently as part of the Empress’s command.
“We shall do our utmost to save the Crown Prince, as you have made such a difficult decision.”
The man in black bowed his head, asking her to trust them.
At his gesture, the Blood Cult followers he had brought began moving swiftly, as if they had been waiting for this moment, surrounding the Crown Prince.
Thus, just as a new treatment—one even the royal physicians had given up on—was about to begin—
“M-Mother… No matter how I think about it, trusting the Blood Cult does not seem right. Even now, perhaps we should reconsider—”
The Second Prince, who had been watching quietly, could no longer hold back and grabbed his mother’s sleeve as he spoke.
However, the Empress coldly brushed him aside and spoke with an indifferent face.
“Be silent, Ju Gachi. Then should I simply watch as the sons and daughters born from that vixen of an Imperial Noble Consort ascend to the throne?”
“….”
It was that same cold, merciless gaze he had often seen when the Crown Prince was still healthy.
Losing his confidence instantly, the Second Prince lowered his head.
“Tsk.”
Seeing his dispirited state, the Empress clicked her tongue in disdain.
Meanwhile, the Blood Cult followers began opening the curtain of the forbidden technique.
“Blood Star Return, blood is the bridge of the soul… Asura Blood Offering, may the boundary between life and death blur…”
Thud! Thud!
They stabbed their blades into the chests of innocent commoners they had captured from outside the palace.
As fresh blood pooled across the floor, they began performing their Blood Sorcery, gathering the blood together.
Toward the body of the Crown Prince, who stood at the boundary between life and death.
“Ah… ah…”
A forbidden technique unfolding right in the heart of the Imperial Palace.
Had they truly crossed the final line? The Second Prince Ju Gachi squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them again.
His elder brother—revived by consuming the blood of slaughtered civilians.
What would become of the future and fate of the Central Plains?
Tssss—
As the crimson blood seeped into his entire body, the Crown Prince’s peeling skin began to regenerate, and color returned to his pale face.
“My son… my son…”
At the same time, the Empress’s trembling voice quietly flowed out with her breath.
She approached the blood-soaked bed and tightly grasped her eldest son’s hand, where new flesh was forming.
Her face was filled with intense relief and joy.
“My son, Ju Ugi. You have no idea how long your mother has waited for this moment.”
Ju Ugi.
Placing her hand gently on his forehead, Empress Gahui-ryeong spoke with warmth and affection the Second Prince had never once heard before.
Watching his brother slowly recover and his mother rejoice, the Second Prince felt his chest tighten for an unknown reason.
He had always believed his mother’s love and attention to be cold and calculated—
But toward his brother, there was an exception.
Realizing this again after several years, he unconsciously bit his lip until it bled.
“Mother, there is something I wish to say…”
Summoning his courage, he barely managed to speak, but the Empress—her attention fixed on the Crown Prince—glanced at him briefly before issuing a cold command.
“Why are you still here? Go and observe the movements of the Imperial Noble Consort.”
Though she meant that things here were proceeding well and he should attend to his duties—
To Ju Gachi, it sounded like: Now that your brother is recovering, you—who are useless—should go act like a tool.
“…Yes, I understand.”
Bowing his head, he walked out of that place where the twisted, defiant forbidden technique was being performed.
And the moment he turned back and closed the door—
Within the swirling blood mist, the Crown Prince’s eyes flashed crimson.
The Empress did not notice.
Hwang Geolgae—who called himself the Divine Wind Daoist—was like a stray alley cat.
Whenever Beggars’ Union operatives approached too closely, my master would vanish in an instant with footwork so uncanny even ghosts would be astonished.
No matter how they tried to chase him, no matter how tightly they spread their encirclement, they had no way to counter his mysterious Whirlwind Steps, driving them mad.
Only those he permitted could approach him.
And among them, one was me—his primary subject of interest (and surveillance), and the disciple he acknowledged.
“Sss… you brat, why did you drag Beggars’ Union people in front of this old man?”
Grumbling, he stroked his half-grown beard, which he had awkwardly grown in imitation of Ilwol.
It seemed he had slept on the stone ground again—clear pressure marks were visible on his cheek, and empty liquor gourds and snacks lay scattered around him.
For someone who was supposedly the Dragon Head Sect Leader, this appearance made the Beggars’ Union’s sighs understandable.
“Well… that’s because you’re the Dragon Head Sect Leader, Master.”
I shot him an incredulous look as I replied.
Hearing my answer, Hwang Geolgae alternated his gaze between me and Pak Chil with a suspicious expression, as if asking, What are you plotting?
“Master, please at least listen to Uncle Pak Chil.”
I let out a deep sigh and continued.
“As you know, it seems the Blood Cult has infiltrated the Imperial Capital, and over in the Ten-Thousand Great Mountains, the Demon Cult is sharpening its blade for revenge.”
The news I heard from Pak Chil on the way here was more serious than expected.
If left unchecked, just as there had been a major incident in the Shaanxi Murim Alliance, another blood calamity might sweep across the entire Central Plains.
It was an ominous warning that the great war between the Orthodox and Demonic factions might unfold again.
“Tsk tsk. You should be telling that to the head of the Beggars’ Union. What use is telling a wandering Divine Wind Daoist like me?”
I stared silently at the absurd nonsense coming from the leader of the Beggars’ Union.
Pak Chil also let out an awkward groan and looked at me, asking me to do something.
“Elder Ilhogae asked for your help. He said the world is in chaos and asked you to point out the direction the Beggars’ Union should take.”
He wasn’t asking him to return—just to lend his insight as the Dragon Head Sect Leader.
At that, Hwang Geolgae raised his brows and let out a hollow laugh.
“Ilhogae? Hah, don’t tell me you still haven’t chosen a new Dragon Head Sect Leader?”
Hearing that an elder was temporarily acting as the head, he shook his head and kicked aside an empty liquor bottle.
At those words, Pak Chil and I exchanged glances, speechless.
Why wouldn’t the Beggars’ Union elders appoint a new leader?
Because the rightful Dragon Head Sect Leader—possessing unparalleled martial arts and the full respect of the Beggars’ Union—was still alive and walking around.
With his whereabouts known, how could they dare appoint a new leader in front of him?
I shot Hwang Geolgae a meaningful look—laden with just a hint of profanity.
“Don’t curse me with your eyes, you unfilial disciple.”
“…You misunderstand.”
At times like this, it almost felt like he had some mystical ability.
“Hm, the Blood Cult and the Demon Cult…”
Hwang Geolgae scratched his chin, where bits of dried jerky clung.
His gaze deepened for a moment, but then he shook his head.
“All I see right now is the moment of breaking through the wall. If I involve myself in worldly matters, I might lose this fragile thread forever.”
The usual lightness in his voice had vanished, replaced with deep contemplation.
Hwang Geolgae—who once said he survived the moment of inner demons by letting go of everything—
Now claimed that only after practicing non-possession did he begin to see beyond the wall, and that he could not let go of this thread.
“Dragon Head Sect Leader, we are not asking you to return to the Beggars’ Union.”
Pak Chil stepped forward cautiously, his voice earnest.
“We are only asking you to show us the direction we should take.”
With the Demon Cult looming like dark clouds, should the Beggars’ Union stake its fate and confront it?
That was the question.
“Exactly. As they say, the wisdom of an old horse. Whether to avoid the great war or face it—we’re asking for the wisdom of someone experienced.”
I added from the side, supporting Pak Chil.
“Please, at least listen to the information we’ve gathered about the Murim of the Central Plains, Dragon Head Sect Leader.”
“Right, right. Is it so hard just to listen? Didn’t think you were this stingy.”
As I kept piling on, a thick vein bulged on Hwang Geolgae’s forehead. His sharp gaze pierced through me.
“Enough. This is not your place to interfere, you brat who hasn’t even become a proper successor.”
That was also because he hadn’t officially returned and declared it.
The more I thought about it, the more it seemed he should return to the Beggars’ Union.
If that happened, I could work peacefully in Beijing—get interfered with less, get beaten less—it would benefit everyone.
Though my sworn sister might be a bit sad since her reliable guest, Hwang Noya, would disappear.
“You, a disciple, constantly scratching at your master’s nerves—how can I calmly shed this human shell?”
He told me not to disturb his tranquil mind like still water.
“Are you saying just seeing my face disturbs you?”
“Yes, very much so. The kind of face that causes trouble the moment I take my eyes off it.”
He pointed out that even bringing Pak Chil here was proof enough, saying I was hindering his training toward the Profound Realm.
“Uncle Pak Chil says he feels reassured every time he sees my face.”
“But I feel disturbed, so stop interfering with my training and leave.”
Waving me off, he pulled out another liquor gourd.
It was a scene that showed his stubborn belief that only by cutting off worldly ties and achieving true freedom could he reach the next realm.
In one sense, it was a very beggar-like life.
In another, it looked like he was running away from responsibility.
“We both see the same face, yet one finds peace while you feel disturbed. Isn’t it your heart that’s chaotic, not my face?”
“….”
At my words, Hwang Geolgae’s hand froze mid-motion.
“I believe that those who are meant to break through will do so anywhere. What matters in enlightenment is not the environment, but one’s mindset.”
Avoiding the secular world while ignoring the guilt that arises—
Wasn’t that itself disturbing the mind?
As I pointed this out, his eyes narrowed like needles.
“You brat… you’ve started spouting some convincing nonsense.”
“Who do you think I learned from?”
Spend three years in a village school, and even a dog learns poetry.
After being rolled around under a madman who calls himself a Daoist, I’d naturally pick up a thing or two.
“So at least hear us out. It might even calm the disturbance in your heart that you’ve been trying to ignore.”
After a moment of thought, he put away the liquor gourd and nodded.
“Fine. I can at least listen.”
“Glad you understand, Master.”
As I grinned—
Thwack!
He suddenly smacked the back of my head.
“Ow! What the hell was that for?!”
“Hmph. Even when you’re right, something about you is irritating. That’s exactly what you are.”
This damned old man.
“Ah! Dragon Head Sect Leader, there is so much to report!”
Pak Chil jumped up excitedly.
“Sigh, keep it brief. My ears hurt.”
Though Hwang Geolgae grumbled, his expression had already turned serious.
Anyway, it seemed this mediation request had been successfully completed.
I quietly watched their conversation.
After listening to the discussion between Hwang Geolgae and Pak Chil—
It seemed the Central Plains was entering a very chaotic era.
A time when both the Blood Cult and the Demon Cult were stirring simultaneously—something rare.
“Why is the world so chaotic these days?”
It felt as if evil was running rampant across the land.
And then, Jo Harang, who had been listening quietly, suddenly spoke.
“This is all because the Heaven-Slaying Star hasn’t appeared.”
The agent of Heavenly punishment said to descend when the world is dyed in evil—
It was the Purple Tenuity Star speaking of the Heaven-Slaying Star.