Chapter 723
One day, two days, and then three.
The rain—christened Holy Rain—continued to soak the entirety of the Southern Barbarian lands. Under the benevolent grace of Great Mother Earth, nothing could stand against the united Southern Barbarians.
Thump, crack!
A single swing of the middle-aged man’s axe felled a massive tree, and a lean-framed woman effortlessly lifted a mountain of firewood.
Watching the scene from the window, I muttered,
“Wow, they got a serious buff.”
“Buff, what?”
The question came back immediately. Already aware of the uninvited guest, I turned and replied.
“It’s nothing. But what’s up? I thought you’d be swamped right now.”
“Just passing by. And I’m not as busy as I was. Everything’s being taken care of in the blink of an eye.”
“Is that so?”
He was a welcome sight for an uninvited guest. I looked at Yal Mok, the Young Palace Lord of the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace, and continued.
“That’s good news. Who’s responsible?”
Yal Mok shrugged at my question.
“Father heard it was thanks to some Han. He must be mistaken.”
“I don’t know. From what I know, I don’t think it’s a mistake.”
“No, it is a mistake. There’s no way a despicable Han would help us.”
“Well, that’s how those guys from the Central Plains are. You can’t trust them.”
“Now you’re talking.”
A brief silence fell, and we both chuckled at the same time as if we’d planned it.
“It’s all thanks to you, Jin Taekyung.”
“We all worked hard, but yeah, I guess I did play a big part.”
The smile on Yal Mok’s face deepened at my brazen reply.
“Are all Han as lacking in humility as you?”
“Nope. Just me.”
“That’s a relief.”
“Why?”
“I think I might be able to like the Han people even more than I do now.”
“Oh…”
I looked at Yal Mok with new eyes.
I never thought he’d say something like that.
I’d been feeling it little by little, but the animosity toward the Central Plains that used to fill him was nowhere to be found.
“Don’t like them too much. There are a lot of crazy bastards once you actually go there.”
“You’re treating me like a child. I know people are pretty much the same everywhere. Southern Barbarian, Central Plains, everywhere.”
“Really? I didn’t think you knew that when we first met.”
“…That’s because you turned the fields into a sea of fire.”
Yal Mok answered with a slightly embarrassed look, as if reminded of his past self, then stepped up beside the window where I stood.
Staring at the scenery through the half-open window, he suddenly spoke.
“I still can’t believe it. That this kind of thing happened in the place where I was born and raised.”
“A disaster? Or a miracle?”
“Both.”
Yal Mok answered briefly, then added,
“But this too must be Heaven’s Will.”
“…Do you believe in Great Mother Earth too?”
“I don’t know. At least I believe gods exist. Because I’ve experienced things that can’t be explained otherwise.”
Humans who brush against the incomprehensible always turn to gods.
They guess there must be someone great up there, in that distant sky.
‘That goes for me too.’
Swallowing the afterthought, I naturally changed the subject.
“So, is the cleanup going well?”
“If you’re talking about the restoration work, it’s already in the final stages. The final results will be out in a few days at the latest.”
Considering the Inner Palace was devastated and hundreds of houses and buildings were destroyed in the Outer Palace alone, it was an astonishing pace. But instead of being surprised, I nodded.
‘Well, the buff is insane.’
The rain falling even now contained the power of life and purification.
It was a range-type buff that constantly injected vitality and even increased physical abilities.
‘Of course, the effect will end when the rain stops, but a few days is more than enough.’
There’s an old saying that even a piece of paper is easier to lift together, and this time, tens of thousands of Southern Barbarians were continuing the restoration work day and night.
To rebuild their home, their homeland.
And their efforts were bearing fruit at an incredible rate.
“What about the other side?”
Yal Mok understood what I meant and answered.
“We abolished the system of great chiefs to eliminate superiority and boundaries between the remaining tribes. We have the consent of our Miao Tribe as well as the other four major tribes.”
“Good job. Ah, so Yohee too?”
Yal Mok nodded.
“She was the first to advocate abolishing the great chief system.”
The tribal chiefs who had joined hands with Baek Sang were executed before many people, but Yohee was the only one granted an exemption.
She regretted her past mistakes too late. And decisively, she played a crucial role in leading the beasts and evacuating the Outer Palace tribesmen, so there was no strong objection to her pardon.
“She said she couldn’t leave a precedent like Baek Sang or Heukung, or herself.”
“That’s right. The power of the great chiefs was too great before.”
“Other tribal chiefs, including my father, agreed. With this incident, our Southern Barbarian Beast Palace will operate under a single Palace Lord system, and the Grand Assembly will remain in place to prepare for any emergencies. And…”
Listening to Yal Mok, I realized again that the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace had been reborn.
The authority of the Beast Miao King—who served as Palace Lord and high priest—became incomparably stronger than before, the uneasy public sentiment stabilized with the appearance of Great Mother Earth, and people united beyond tribe and belief. Since the founding of the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace, this land—divided into thirty-two pieces for hundreds of years—had finally become one.
‘At this point, you can really call it a small kingdom.’
Considering the tens of thousands of tribesmen, ten thousand warriors, and the beasts they commanded, it wasn’t an exaggeration.
Even factoring in that Southern Barbarian warriors were generally less skilled than the Central Plains Martial Arts Alliance, it was still a tremendous force. I looked at Yal Mok with a renewed gaze.
“…Why are you looking at me like that?”
“No, now that I look at you, you seem kind of noble. Turns out you’re a prince or something.”
“…Prince?”
Yal Mok muttered in a reluctant voice, then suddenly chuckled.
“Why are you laughing? It’s not wrong, considering the situation.”
“I guess it’s an honor.”
“What?”
“The apostle of the great Great Mother Earth calls me a prince, so what else could it be but an honor?”
‘What is this all about?’
Yal Mok pulled something from his robes and handed it to me as I blinked, unable to follow.
“Take it.”
“This is…”
“We decided to call it the Mother God Scripture. Father told me to give it to you.”
The moment I received the bundle of bamboo slips with a dazed heart—
Ting.
[- You have acquired [Mother God Scripture]]
[- [Mother God Scripture] is a scripture dealing with the records of [Great Mother Earth].]
[- A god can only exist when someone has faith.]
[- [Great Mother Earth] is known as the only god of [Southern Barbarian]!]
[- Numerous followers of [Great Mother Earth] are enthusiastic.]
[- According to the records of [Mother God Scripture], your name is newly known!]
[- You have achieved the achievement [Religious Reformation], which makes you wonder if anyone would do this!]
[- Title,]
[You have acquired [Apostle of the Great Mother Earth]!]
Hologram windows filled the air along with the system notifications.
Staring blankly at the spectacle, I hurriedly unfolded the bamboo slips in my hand.
After reading the tiny, sesame-seed-like writing, I burst out laughing in disbelief.
“What is this?”
Yal Mok shrugged at my reaction.
“It’s as written. Great Mother Earth is the mother goddess who has been with this land since ancient times, and whenever the Southern Barbarian faces a crisis, she personally sends her apostles to save them…”
“That’s me?”
“That’s right. Three hundred years ago, it was my ancestor who was the first Palace Lord, and two hundred years ago, it was the Sect Leader of the Blazing Fire Sect you belong to.”
‘I can’t believe they stitched it together like this.’
Sure, I’d given them a few hints, but I never expected my name would be plastered all over it.
No—more precisely, our names.
Rustle.
When I skimmed through the back, familiar names jumped out.
Jeok Cheon-Gang, of course. The Fire Dragon Pavilion members. Even Nam Ho.
This was supposed to be like a Bible—was this really okay?
“I know it was made in a hurry, but it’s absurd. Who wrote this setting?”
“Father.”
“No wonder it’s so great. How did he come up with something this detailed?”
I avoided Yal Mok’s gaze and tucked the bamboo slips under my arm.
‘[Apostle of the Great Mother Earth].’
Becoming an apostle of God wasn’t exactly part of my destiny, but I didn’t feel bad about it.
No—given the current situation, it was a huge win.
‘It’ll dilute the Southern Barbarians’ hostility toward the Central Plains.’
At that moment, Yal Mok suddenly asked,
“So, is the preparation all done?”
“Huh?”
“I mean, are you ready to leave the Southern Barbarian lands?”
Uh.
After a brief silence, I licked my lips.
“You’re quick to notice.”
“It would be strange if I didn’t.”
“How did you know?”
“Forget everyone else—ever since yesterday, that big guy’s been packing food like crazy. Like someone leaving on a long journey.”
If he meant a big guy, there was only one candidate. I sighed as I guessed the culprit.
‘Taesan, that crazy bastard. I told him to keep it quiet.’
“Your teacher, Fire King Jeok Cheon-Gang, stole five jars of fruit wine.”
‘Ah, please. Old man.’
As I squeezed my eyes shut, Yal Mok’s voice pierced my ears.
“You should say goodbye before you leave. Everyone is waiting.”
—
I realized Yal Mok hadn’t exaggerated even a little when he said “everyone”—not once we neared the North Gate.
‘This is…’
Thousands, maybe tens of thousands.
Countless crowds filled the fields outside the North Gate, now covered in fresh grass and flowers thanks to the life-filled showers. Among them were familiar faces.
Jeok Cheon-Gang, pretending not to notice beside a cart piled with fruit wine jars.
Taesan, holding meat in both hands with a solemn expression, and the Fire Dragon Pavilion members riding beasts.
And—
“You’ve finally come.”
Beast Miao King Yal Chok. The master of the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace, representing all Southern Barbarians of this land, spoke with a stern face.
“Why were you trying to leave without saying a word?”
I scratched the back of my head.
“I was going to tell you.”
“Going to?”
“Well, with a letter…”
“With just a letter?”
“No, you seemed so busy…”
“Do you think that makes sense?”
‘Is he the question mark killer or what?’
Beast Miao King—who stood a head taller than me—stared down as I hesitated, unable to find the words.
“Blazing Fire Dragon Jin Taekyung.”
He continued in a low voice.
“You had a purpose. A reason to come to this land, our homeland. Isn’t that right?”
“But today, you’re trying to leave without a word, even though you haven’t achieved your purpose. You overcame countless life-threatening crises in a strange land and saved the lives of so many people, yet you never demanded a fair price.”
His powerful gaze and voice were aimed at me, but everyone here was listening. Everyone was watching.
“What is the reason?”
At Beast Miao King’s question, I answered without thinking.
“I was just trying to save people.”
…
“I didn’t do it to get something in return, so I can’t ask for someone’s sacrifice again. That’s why I was going to leave.”
Silence fell.
A long silence where not even a breath could be heard, despite tens of thousands gathered.
That was why the raindrops above my head sounded so loud. Then the towering figure of Beast Miao King moved.
Swish.
The pillar-like waist—the waist of the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace Lord, which should bow to no one—leaned toward me. And soon, before everyone watching, Beast Miao King gave a deep, formal bow and spoke.
“Beast Miao King Yal Chok. On behalf of everyone in this land, I accept the invitation of the Fire Dragon Pavilion Lord Jin Taekyung to join the Martial Arts Alliance.”
It was a day when the rain was slowly coming to an end.