Chapter 143: The Reason You Appeared Before Me
Chapter 143: The Reason You Appeared Before Me
"If I knew the answer, do you think I’d be in this pathetic state?!" Chu Saeng roared.
His hot-tempered nature was certainly consistent. There weren't many people who could scream like that at a demonic practitioner—especially one they knew was far stronger than themselves.
"I’m sorry. My patience has been wearing thin lately. Even the smallest pebble makes the cup overflow."
"I understand."
"What do you understand?!"
He barked again, but quickly followed it with a weary apology.
"I’m sorry. I shouldn't be taking my anger out on you."
"It’s fine. It would be stranger if you could maintain your composure in a situation like this."
Chu Saeng’s tone softened slightly. "What should I do now?"
"Do as you usually do. Proceed with whatever you were planning, and just act as if I’m not here."
"How can I act like you're not here when you clearly are?"
"Focus only on yourself. In a life-or-death situation like this, what is there that you can't do?"
I pulled out the paper containing the information about him and handed it over.
"Keep this with you. Whenever you feel confused or lose your confidence, open it and read. Above all, don't forget the part about being brilliant. You are a clever man. Use that smart head of yours to make the right judgments."
Chu Saeng tightly gripped the paper. It seemed even this small sheet was threatening to make his patience overflow. He couldn't bring himself to tear it up, so he stuffed the crumpled paper into his robe instead.
"How do you intend to move now? If I hadn't come, would you have sent word to the Murim Alliance?"
At my question, Chu Saeng pondered for a moment before shaking his head.
"I would have sooner joined hands with the Unorthodox Path Alliance than call for the Murim Alliance."
"Then will you join hands with them?"
"No, not them either."
He was answering honestly. Even before my regression, he had never sided with either the Murim Alliance or the Unorthodox Path Alliance.
"Then how did you plan to resolve this?"
"I don't know either."
In that moment, I saw it—the slight tremor in his pupils. To deceive me, one must be capable of deceiving oneself, but he was still too young for that.
He’s hiding something.
However, I didn't pressure him. It was only natural not to trust someone he had just met. When someone tries to hide something, pushing them only yields lies or excuses. In times like this, one must handle the situation calmly.
"Let’s rest for today."
*
Seok Hyeong guided me to a guest room.
Good food and wine were served. I checked each dish with a silver needle for poison before finishing my meal.
Then, I practiced the Wind God Four Steps in the room. Whether the space was narrow or wide didn't matter. Training in the room was an extension of the sparring I had done with my father at the inn, and it was highly effective.
Now that I had a goal to reach Great Achievement before being initiated into the Nine Calamities Demonic Art, my training would not stop.
*
When the moon was high and bright, I went to see Chu Saeng.
Despite the late hour, he was unable to sleep, lost in thought in his room.
"Did you rest well?" I asked.
"I rested well enough, but it seems Sect Leader Chu hasn't slept a wink."
"I haven't been able to sleep properly lately."
Indeed, Chu Saeng’s eyes were bloodshot.
"If you don't sleep, you cannot make proper decisions."
"What can I do if sleep won't come even when I want it to?"
"Try to get at least one night of proper sleep. Shall I help you?"
"How? Are you going to strike my acupoints?"
"I have a secret technique for falling asleep when you can't, learned from the Demon Doctor of our Cult."
Chu Saeng looked intrigued at the mention of the Demon Doctor.
"Well, you have nothing to lose, so try lying down on the bed."
"This is a bit embarrassing for a grown man," he muttered.
Despite his words, the agony of insomnia must have been too much, as he obediently lay down on the bed like a bashful bride.
"Do as I say. First, relax your facial muscles. Next, let the strength drain from your shoulders and arms. More relaxed. Now, let the strength out of your thighs and your entire legs. Imagine you are lying on a sandy beach with warm sunlight shining down. Now, stir a single thread of qi from your dantian and move it slowly as I direct. From the Subun acupoint to the Zhongwan... from the Jungjeong to the Yutang... move it slowly. And again..."
*
When Chu Saeng opened his eyes, it was morning.
Waking up in his bed, he felt dazed. He hadn't slept properly in ages, but now his throbbing headache was gone, and his body felt light as a feather. He had slept incredibly well—to a surprising degree.
"Ah! That technique!"
It seemed he had fallen asleep without realizing it while following the method taught by that man from the Demonic Cult.
Chu Saeng got out of bed and hurried out of the room.
Geom Mu-geuk was in the main hall where they had first met yesterday, staring at a mark on the wall.
"You're awake?"
"I slept well thanks to you. I don't know how long it's been since I've had such a deep sleep."
"Sect Leader Chu, you seem like someone who belongs in the Orthodox Faction."
"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
"I think the reason you couldn't sleep was because of the guilt you felt for not being able to protect your subordinates."
"What nonsense are you saying? I was just angry at that man. I couldn't sleep because I was so frustrated I couldn't control my temper."
Chu Saeng hated being treated as part of the Orthodox Faction. This was largely due to his father's influence; from a young age, his father had taught him that being kind only leads to being taken advantage of.
"Do you think I could have survived in this Jianghu until now with such a half-hearted mindset? Not a chance. Don't irritate me with such pointless talk."
"I understand."
When Mu-geuk agreed so readily, it made Chu Saeng angry in a different way. He had come to say thank you for the good sleep, but he ended up raising his voice for no reason.
Then, Geom Mu-geuk turned and pointed to the wall.
"This hole here."
"Ah, I punched a few holes because I was angry. I'm on the verge of punching another one right now."
"Not that, this one."
There was a small hole where Geom Mu-geuk was pointing.
"Is that the hole made by the finger wind that man fired?"
Chu Saeng’s expression stiffened.
"That's right. It pierced through my subordinate and went right into that wall. I intentionally told them not to fix it. So I can look at it and remember that day."
Geom Mu-geuk’s expression was serious as he stared at the hole.
"What is it?"
"It looks exactly like the Blood Calamity Finger."
"Are you talking about the martial art of the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon?"
"Yes. I have seen his martial arts before."
Chu Saeng became excited. "See! Didn't I tell you? It really was the Smiling Demon!"
"It wasn't the Smiling Demon."
"What are you saying now? Didn't you just say it was the Blood Calamity Finger?"
"I meant the technique was that high-level. It wasn't the work of the Smiling Demon."
"You seem to trust the Smiling Demon too much."
"I do."
"This is why I can't trust you. How can I trust someone who believes in the Smiling Demon so much?"
"Whether you trust me or not is your choice, but trust me on this one thing."
Chu Saeng stared at Geom Mu-geuk in silence. He was a strange man. He said he came from the Demonic Cult, but he didn't feel like a demonic practitioner. He lacked that characteristic coarse, cruel, and sinister aura. Rather, despite only knowing him for a few days, there was a strange power about him that made one want to trust him.
If this man is a villain, he will be a truly great villain.
Hiding that thought, Chu Saeng asked, "But why did you tell me this, knowing I would be suspicious?"
"I had to tell you. There is nothing more foolish than hiding one's true intentions while agreeing to work together. If that was the plan, we shouldn't have joined hands in the first place."
The words poked right at Chu Saeng’s heart, which was indeed hiding something.
"If you can't sleep tonight, use the method I taught you. Your face looks much better."
*
The next morning, Chu Saeng came to find me again.
"I slept well again last night. Perhaps you were right. The better I sleep, the more I feel sorry for those who died."
"Think of the other disciples you have to protect. What else can you do? The living must live on."
It was a cliché comfort, but it seemed to work, as he stood up with a slightly more relaxed expression.
"Let me know if you need anything."
"I will."
Like someone who had something to say, Chu Saeng looked around the room.
"How long are you going to stay here? It doesn't look like anything will change by just staying like this."
"I will stay until you tell me the truth."
Chu Saeng flinched and turned toward me.
"Now that my head is clear from sleeping well, my thoughts about you have changed. I realized there must be a reason you are by my side. An extraordinary person like you wouldn't just be here for no reason."
I spoke to him calmly. "You're right. I noticed you were hiding something from me."
When we first met, he would have flatly denied my words. But the current Chu Saeng did not.
"Then why don't you force it? With your martial arts, you could have found out even through torture."
"This might sound strange to you, but I'll say it anyway. My Demonic Path is one that eliminates the absolute evil of the world. My Demonic Path does not break tables, and my Demonic Path does not torture those who are not villains."
"What a truly strange thing to say."
But his expression said otherwise. He was beginning to understand a little bit of what kind of person I was.
"I believe the reason they chose you is because of whatever it is you are hiding right now. If my guess is correct, you will eventually be killed by them because of it. It may be hard to believe, but I want to save you."
"It is hard to believe... but I find myself believing your words. I have no reason to trust you, but I keep wanting to, which makes me hesitate more. I wonder if I'm being deceived by you. My father told me never to trust the words of others. Those were his last words."
Chu Saeng looked up at the sky. What answer would his father be giving him now?
He had done well so far, but this trial that had befallen him before he even reached thirty was too much for him to overcome on his own.
Tell your son to open his heart a little. I will definitely save your son.
Did my heart reach him?
After agonizing for a long time, Chu Saeng finally opened up.
"After everything happened, there was one method I kept thinking of. I kept debating whether or not to tell you. My head told me never to reveal the secret, but my gut told me to speak. It told me to trust you."
"I’ll have to contact the Hunan Branch of Tongcheon Pavilion and tell them to update your records. 'Good instincts, but lacks brilliance.' Like that."
Chu Saeng laughed. It was the laugh of someone who had finally made a decision.
"I was planning to ask one person for help."
"Who is that?"
"I don't know who it is either."
Chu Saeng pulled out something he had been keeping precious on a necklace string and showed it to me. It was a coin cut in half.
"It’s a Gratitude and Grudge Token."
A Gratitude and Grudge Token was a kind of pledge where a coin was cut in half and given to a benefactor; if that coin was brought back later, even by a descendant, the debt of gratitude would be repaid.
"My father said he saved the owner of this token when they were hovering between life and death from an injury. When he passed this down to me, he gave me strict instructions: to use it only when the life and death of myself and the family were at stake."
"Do you know who the owner of this coin is?"
Chu Saeng shook his head.
"He didn't tell me. I don't even know if that person is still alive."
"How do you use this token?"
"He said if I go to any Yellow River Inn in the Central Plains and show the coin to the innkeeper, someone will come looking for me."
Using an inn to make contact was a method used by our Cult or the Murim Alliance. I suspected the owner of the coin was someone who had once belonged to a large organization.
"Can anyone take it?"
"No. He said only our direct family can use it. I'm not saying this because I'm worried you'll steal it. He truly told me that."
"I believe you. If it weren't so, they would have already killed you and taken the token."
"Do you really think they did all this because of this?"
"I can't be certain, but my gut says so."
If what they were after was indeed this, then they were looking for the owner of this coin. Just who could it be?
"Why didn't you use it as soon as things went wrong?"
Chu Saeng let out a long sigh.
"I agonized over it. I thought until my head felt like it would explode. I was afraid. I was afraid that if I used this, I would get entangled with that person again. I was afraid that if the revenge failed, they would find us and annihilate the sect. I just wanted everything to pass by like this."
Chu Saeng raised his head and looked at me.
"I believe my father sent you to me to scold me for my cowardice. I will bet my fate and the fate of my sect on you."
*
Four days later.
We were sitting in a Yellow River Inn in Hunan. When we showed the coin to the innkeeper, he simply told us to wait there.
We waited aimlessly.
Chu Saeng sat in the inn all day, fearing that someone might come and leave if he wasn't there.
I stayed in my room practicing the Wind God Four Steps, and when it was time for meals, I ate with Chu Saeng and talked over tea.
I told him about the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. I told him stories about famous martial artists, sects, and ronin from various regions, and spoke of the beautiful scenery and delicious cuisine throughout the Central Plains. I also taught him about hunting and camping.
He was amazed by my vast knowledge. No matter what he asked, I had an answer.
It got to the point where Chu Saeng said this:
"How can someone so young...? Are you perhaps... someone who has achieved Rejuvenation?"
"Even if I had the chance, I wouldn't do it. I want to grow old and die alongside my people."
"I'm curious what kind of people they are. I want to see the people who surround someone like you."
"You'll regret it if you do."
"Why is that?"
I answered with a smile instead of words. He wouldn't say such things if he had to experience being poked in the ribs by the Blood Heaven Blade Demon until he was bruised.
On the tenth day of waiting, someone finally came looking for us.
The moment he saw the newcomer, Chu Saeng jumped to his feet in shock.
I was surprised as well.
A man wearing a white mask was walking steadily toward us.