BRDM 197

chapter 197

At this moment, Lee Hyun had only two thoughts.

One: an angel’s blood is white.
The other: “Ah… that feels good.”

It was as if ten years of built-up frustration had finally drained away.

And that feeling was met with:

“…This human, again.”
“Kak kak kak! As expected of our Big Brother! He just keeps doing absurd things!”

Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing weren’t any different.

Especially Zhu Bajie, who covered his face with one hand, looking troubled, yet his mouth twitched strangely. That meant he had quietly been accumulating grievances over time.

But… Sun Wukong just stood with his arms crossed, coldly staring down Raphael.

“So, this is the choice you’ve made, huh?”

At that moment, Raphael’s head froze midair.

His face contorted in pain. His aura seemed slightly diminished, suggesting he’d taken serious damage. But then he returned to his emotionless stare, looking down at Sun Wukong.

“The ones who claimed to uphold balance and cast me aside are now trying to use me again?”

“So you’d choose pride over practicality? How disappointing.”

“Practicality? What if that balance tips again? You’ll stab me in the back again then?”

“The balance of the scales is for the sake of the world’s order,”

“Don’t speak so lightly of the cause you pretend to defend.”

In that instant, Sun Wukong slammed the ground, cutting Raphael’s words short.

Boom…!

At the same time, a golden wind, charged with immense magical energy and martial power, spread like a tsunami.

[■■Great Sun Wukong reveals his martial aura!]

Whoooosh!!

The storm of his aura immediately obliterated what was left of Raphael’s body.

The other angelic troops spread their wings and soared into the sky, covering Huaguo Mountain like a divine army sent to exterminate the mountain’s demons, as if under God’s command.

“You call this forced balance? That’s order? You rats outside the world can’t even utter a word to those beyond your reach and yet you dare to bluster.”

Raphael scowled at Sun Wukong’s mockery.

“You cannot even maintain internal order; how can you speak of the outside? This too is merely a path toward some cause.”

“So quit spouting nonsense.”

Sun Wukong twisted one corner of his mouth.

“Fine. If that’s truly the scales and order you speak of,”

His golden eyes swept across Raphael and the angelic army.

“I’ll destroy one side so completely it can never be restored again.”

The weight of the Great Heavenly Sage, once enough to break the scales alone, was now to be made far heavier. Sun Wukong declared he would make it impossible for them to ever casually speak of peace or hypocrisy again.

“So, everyone, get lost.”

[The master of the sanctuary has ordered the outsiders to be expelled.]
[The Myth of <Malakh> is forcibly returned to the Celestial Realm.]

“You are…”

The gates of heaven opened wide again. Light poured through the cracks, enveloping the angelic army.

“You’ve improved. Even though you’ve only regained about half your aura, you’ve surpassed all of us. No wonder the scales tipped.”

Raphael’s final words came after his broken body had fully regenerated.

Flare!

[The descent event has ended.]

“…”
“…”
“…”

Silence fell. It was hard to believe a chaotic battle had just occurred here.

“Phew! Finally, I feel relieved. Honestly, these guys are just incompatible with me.”

Sun Wukong casually brushed his hair back; the storm of aura had already faded.

“Kak kak! Honestly, they were constantly acting like they were in charge even though I had to ask for help! Big Brother really is dependable in times like this!”

“Right? Man, you should show respect to this Big Brother now—”
“If only it were always this reassuring.”
“Is he doing that again?”

Sun Wukong raised his fist slightly, and Sha Wujing stepped back a bit, frowning.

“But… is this really okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“<Malakh>. Big Brother knows better than anyone that they’re petty, right?”

“Right?”

“But if they try to retaliate because of this—”

“Ah, don’t worry about that. Right?”

Lee Hyun had been secretly worried about that too. But Sun Wukong waved it off and gave Zhu Bajie a subtle glance.

Zhu Bajie chuckled wryly.

“You want me to clean up after you?”
“So first you rip the head off and think later?”
“…Seriously. There’s the one who causes the trouble, and the one who cleans it up.”

Zhu Bajie scratched the back of his head, muttering.

“As Big Brother said, <Malakh> won’t try to retaliate against us immediately. They’ll probably show more willingness to work with us than before.”

“Why is that?”

“They have no choice.”

Zhu Bajie twisted his lips.

“Maybe back when Metatron or the Four Great Angels’ fame mattered, but now, in this era of survival-of-the-fittest heaven, few societies will follow <Malakh>’s so-called cause.”

“So some of those places that were manipulated by <Malakh> will eventually…”

“Exactly. They reap what they sow.”

Sha Wujing nodded in understanding.

“So, having Gehenna as an enemy, <Malakh> alone can’t handle it… They’ll have no choice but to improve relations with us. Big Brother calculated this.”

Heh.

Sun Wukong chuckled.

“A real mess always requires thinking ahead. Now you see how great this Big Brother is?”

“I understand. Experience really matters. You caused chaos for 500 years and gained this wisdom, didn’t you?”

“…This guy? Seriously… you better come over here.”
“Kak kak kak! If you want to come, come to Big Brother Wukong! Kak kak kak kak!!”

The chase between Sun Wukong and Sha Wujing resumed.

Zhu Bajie, unfazed, turned to Lee Hyun.

“As you can see, the celestial situation is just as complex as the mortal world.”
“Yes. It seems so.”

Since facing the Jade Emperor’s will, heaven no longer felt distant—it now felt close enough to touch.

“Never let your guard down. Even if <Malakh>’s fame isn’t what it used to be, Metatron is still Metatron.”

Sun Wukong and Sha Wujing stopped their chase, silently watching the conversation.

“Our brothers will do what we can. The Seven Great Stars will do what they can. So,”
“I’ll do what I can.”
“Yes.”

Zhu Bajie nodded deeply, drawing on his pipe. Smoke drifted widely, like his thoughts.

“I’ll help with anything I can, whether in Tenjin or the Palmyra Desert.”
“What preparations should I make?”
“Start with what’s already in your mind. I assume you’ve already made some plans.”

Zhu Bajie’s gaze was expectant. Lee Hyun smiled lightly, glad to be recognized by someone of such stature.

“This Near Eastern front involves many things. And at its center is the King of Sata.”

A tangled situation, on earth and in heaven.

“Then I must raise my strength as much as possible.”

[The disciple contract with the Righteous Lion Zhu Bajie is ready.]
[The disciple contract with the Great Demon King Boke Daeseong is pending.]

Lee Hyun checked the newly appeared messages and turned to Zhu Bajie.

“I’ll settle all pending disciple contracts. Form a contract with me, Bajie.”
“Correct.”

A smile formed on Zhu Bajie’s lips.

“Damn it. I have to watch some other thief drool over my disciple.”
“Kak kak! You should be used to it by now, no?”
“Used to it? Never! I’ll never get used to it!”

Sun Wukong muttered in frustration. Meanwhile, the Great Demon King watched Lee Hyun quietly, supported by the Red Demon King.

He had drunk the sacred water Raphael brought, diluting his madness. This allowed him to come outside to oversee Lee Hyun’s disciple trial.

Of course, the root cause of his madness hadn’t been fully removed, so this contract carried great importance.

“Just like when I revived the Ancient Spirit… I’ll infiltrate the unconscious to remove the demon… Right? Is this really okay?”

While the Great Demon King looked at Lee Hyun with a mix of concern and expectation, Lee Hyun sat cross-legged as instructed by Zhu Bajie.

Ding!

[Event: Disciple Contract has been created!]
[The spirits of Righteous Lion Zhu Bajie and Great Demon King Boke Daeseong are ready to form a contract with you.]
[Complete both contracts consecutively to restore part of the collapsed Myth of Journey to the West.]

‘It’s up.’

Lee Hyun’s eyes shone. The reward for success would be immense.

Fragments of myth… getting closer to the full Journey to the West.

Clack!

Zhu Bajie revealed his sacred relic: a farming rake with eight teeth on a long handle—Sangbo Simgeumpa, his holy artifact.

“My sacred relic in this form might not help someone who already wields a great weapon. Let’s change its shape.”

Flash!

The handle vanished, leaving only eight teeth on the ground.

“Catch it.”

As Lee Hyun reached out,

Flash!

All eight teeth sank into his skin.

[Sacred Relic: Sangbo Simgeumpa has found a new host.]
[The sacred relic is absorbed into the body!]

Simultaneously, his skeleton began to harden.

It felt as if iron reinforcements were drilled into every bone joint, wires threading through his muscles.

“…!!”

Lee Hyun had experienced awakening before, but this exceeded any prior transformation.

If awakening enhances physical talent, this relic’s purpose was to perfect the body.

[Righteous Lion’s Bone Armor]
Once a great general representing the Celestial Sect, now immortalized in relic form. Eight iron cores embedded in the body by the Sangbo Simgeumpa grant invincibility and indestructibility.

• Type: Sacred Relic, Armor

• Origin: Myth ‘Journey to the West’

“When Big Brother attacked and I assisted, I mostly protected my master. My Sangbo Simgeumpa will now make your body fearless.”
“Thank you,” Lee Hyun replied.
“But.”

The appearance of the Two-Headed God’s Teeth had made armor desirable, and fate provided it. Lee Hyun tried to bow, but Zhu Bajie’s menacing smile froze him.

A demon.

Despite his friendly face, Zhu Bajie was no human.

“You have not yet fully formed a contract with me. Especially a disciple contract requires utmost care.”

[Disciple contract with Righteous Lion Zhu Bajie begins.]
[Fully control the iron cores of the Bone Armor.]

Before Lee Hyun could speak,

Whoooosh!

Iron cores shot through his left forearm.

“……!!!”

Then his right shin, ribs, even spine erupted with iron spikes, twisting his skeleton painfully. His skin and muscles tore, bones crushed, agony like rolling on hellfire.

“Master, Xuan Zhang gave me the name Bajie himself.”

Zhu Bajie’s voice was like a sweet demonic temptation or Buddha’s stern reprimand.

“Bajie, the Eight Precepts, represents honest mind and pure action in a Buddhist’s life. Killing, stealing, lust, lying, drunkenness, wastefulness, desire for power, greed—these eight must be avoided. The teeth of this rake represent these desires.”

Lee Hyun’s eyes blazed red. He could not anticipate from where the eight iron spikes would appear next, making concentration difficult.

“Control all your desires. Then your body, blood, and mind will become indestructible.”

Zhu Bajie’s gaze fixed on him, fierce and commanding.