Eat The World Tree

Chapter 152: Young Demon, Dowon (1)'

chapter 152: young demon, dowon (1)'

are you ready to depart soon?

it was early dawn. as always, climbing the mountain, the elder spoke to me before i could even start a conversation.

yes.

probably tomorrow, or even immediately, the assault will begin.

time really flies disgustingly fast. all this fuss just to kill one young man.

now that the opponent had shown movement, there wasnt much for us to do.

it was natural for us, at a disadvantage in an organized squeeze, to lose.

any chance of winning?

impossibly none.

according to the elder, there seemed to be one hermit with skills enough to match cheonma.

i cant win, so i die to buy some time.

after all, i was the target of their mission.

if i died, this situation would end, so i would rampage around like a madman, and when my strength was gone, id pretend to be dead.

then, i return to the present day. i would become a dead man without any farewell.

but doesnt this not make sense in terms of cost and benefit?

what do you mean?

to die for the mere delay of annihilation, not even to prevent it.

its not like youre truly dying, is it?

[hit the nail on the head, didnt he?]

shut up.

the world tree of time appeared sporadically to talk to me.

after more than two months, we no longer avoided aggressive speech towards each other.

you think youre making a great sacrifice right now.

the elder mockingly ridiculed my great undertaking.

from the beginning, i was ready to accept my end. it was you who decided to delay it unnecessarily.

think beyond yourself. the kids are too young to lose their father.

haha, is that something for you to say? you still dont know who you are.

the elder emphasized each word with force.

tree spirit king, cheonma. among villains, youre the successor of only the worst.

i knew.

no matter where i shot, i couldnt help but become a bad guy.

i had long accepted and understood this.

too young to lose their father? ridiculous coming from the axis of evil. its laughable. a pointless effort.

the elder, sitting on a rock, turned his back.

the world tree of time commented on such an elder.

[hes not being honest.]

admit it, admit again.

that person does have a bit of that aspect.

tsundere, perhaps?

despite all the harsh words, he took care of things behind the scenes, and when it came to his daughters, he pretended not to care while listening closely.

after spending two months together, i got a rough sense of the elder.

despite all the harsh words poured out, he must be thankful at heart.

so, what do i have to do?

wait until the opponent arrives.

was i on standby then?

time would pass slowly, but it was inevitable.

the moment movement was detected, i must go and offer my neck.

then i wont be able to see the kids anymore.

i will speak to them. to hongyeon as well.

hongyeon.

hearing that name brought a smirk to my lips.

she was one of the people i wouldnt be able to meet after i returned.

different from cheondo. even after i return, cheondo would be alive.

but with hongyeon, i couldnt even share a proper farewell.

i deliberately tried not to get attached.

its impossible to completely ignore someone if they were human.

i thought its better not to leave any room by going to say goodbye.

even knowing was a problem.

if i went now and significantly hinted that i was going to die, what then?

its not like were going to suck and chew on each others feelings.

its better for me to cleanly make my exit.

cheondo is ah, i dont know.

i knew because i had experienced it.

the kid i thought i could meet tomorrow died.

it may sound like a joke now, but it wasnt at the time.

cheondo, too, would have a hard time getting over this experience as usual.

but i still believed.

she was my master, after all; she should be able to overcome this by herself.

it was inevitable to feel heartache.

understood. from now on, ill just wait here. please speak well to the kids who know me.

as my response landed, the elder rose and started descending the mountain.

his slumped posture, more pronounced than usual, left a lasting impression.

despite his decline, he was cheonma.

it could be the first time hes felt powerless, unable to shake off those who have cornered him.

the stories of his once-mighty strength were now a thing of the past.

perhaps i was merely a fleeting presence in someones life story, right at the very end.

i settled down seriously on the rock where the elder had been seated.

the sunrise was truly breathtaking.

this marks the end.

finally, i could embrace the present.

i was not thrilled, but that reality awaited me.

[you cant dwell in the past forever.]

i beg to differ. isnt there a future, after all? isnt it just that the era im in is different?

fatalism. a term i abhorred.

her complaints came naturally. young ones didnt understand their troubles.

she had just turned twenty, but it was time to start paying attention to wrinkles.

you sounded just like our older brother just now.

older brother? ah are you talking about the young demon?

having been criticized so much, it stuck in her own speech.

when scolding the juniors, that persons habits would sometimes slip out.

so, why did you come here?

i came because my allowance is a bit short~ but now im more curious about why hongyeon unnie is getting dressed up.

short on allowance?

hwangdo wasnt one to waste much. it must have been baekdo who told her to come get it.

-if you bring it, ill do the cleaning instead.

-really? for real?

-yes, yes.

hongyeon remembered baekdo later pretending not to know anything about it and sighed.

do i need a reason to get dressed up?

well, not really~ but you put a lot of effort into it this time.

hwangdo smirked mischievously as she approached.

despite her youth, her burgeoning chest swayed with each step.

a child with a frightening future.

dont tell me. unnie, have you fallen for someone?

fallen for someone?

the face of a frivolous man popped into her mind instantly.

hongyeon shook her head sternly.

its not like that, i just want to look good.

so theres another one like cheondo.

as if tired of it, hwangdo stuck out her tongue.

hongyeon changed her clothes, puzzled by hwangdos behavior.

still, red undergarments are sexy, unnie. you might get praised tonight.

be quiet! take the allowance yourself, i must go now; cheonma has summoned me.

okay~

presumptuous little thing.

hongyeon sighed deeply as she looked at hwangdo.

whos there to praise, saying such nonsense.

she pouted as she reached cheonmas room.

-knock knock knock.

standing in front of the door, she knocked politely and knelt down.

it was always required when facing cheonma.

-who is it?

its hongyeon, the sect leader.

-come in.

the door swung open.

hongyeon kept her head bowed for a moment.

normally, he would instruct her to raise her head. but for some reason, that directive did not come.

a prolonged silence enveloped the room.

lift your head.

when he finally spoke, hongyeon lifted her head, feeling a sense of unease.

the face of cheonma, her adoptive father, appeared weary.

cheonma?

theres something i must tell you today. close the door and come in. unless you want trouble.

the addition of a curse word hinted that it might not be too serious?

however, the atmosphere felt notably different from the usual.

-click.

she shut the door and knelt in the center.

do you know about dowon?

if you mean the young demon, yes. i have always collaborated closely with him.

yes, that guy you strongly opposed. initially, i planned to inform you after it was all settled, but it seems appropriate to tell you now, given your growing influence.

recalling that incident only brought shame.

opposing the young demons rise was undeniably risky, but it had turned out to be a blessing in disguise. everyone now held him in high regard.

what are your thoughts?

if thats what hes asking.

hongyeon did not hesitate to reply.

he is an extraordinary talent. such a remarkable individual may not emerge again in a lifetime.

it was hongyeon who had opposed such talent.

regardless of the reason, it was ultimately her fault for not trusting cheonma.

under normal circumstances, it could have led to execution.

the fact that she was essentially his adopted daughter was the sole reason she was still here, but she knew it was not something to be taken lightly.

is that so?

cheonma spoke with a grave expression.

it seems my daughter has indeed chosen a worthy disciple.

a voice tinged with bitterness yet a hint of satisfaction.

hongyeon could only widen her eyes, perplexed.

hongyeon.

yes.

but what about that man? what will he say?

hongyeon bowed deeply, curious within.

dowon.

she occasionally thought about that man.

what if i had accepted him from the start?

perhaps their relationship would have been warmer than it was now.

its an impossible thought now.

she smirked inwardly, waiting for cheonmas words.

eventually, the old man spoke.

that bastard will die in a few days.

it was a bolt from the blue.