Chapter 179: I Have Never Been Lonely
Chapter 179: I Have Never Been Lonely
I climbed the mountain with my father.
It felt like only yesterday that we had climbed a mountain together immediately following my regression, but so much had happened since then. If I had to pick just one thing that had changed, it was that my relationship with my father was undeniably better than it had been back then.
So, while the same two people were climbing the same mountain, the atmosphere was entirely different.
"What was your reason for suggesting a hunt?"
"I wanted to spend time with you, Father."
Father stopped in his tracks and looked back at me. Because I was being sincere, I could meet his gaze calmly.
Father, when I first returned and saw you sitting in that Grand Tutor’s chair, I was truly overcome with emotion.
Father started walking again and asked another question.
"Why did you bring so much luggage?"
"As you saw last time, it’s all necessary. It might be a bit inconvenient now, but these things will make our bodies comfortable and our palates happy later."
Father took the lead again, and I followed quietly behind him.
When I first suggested we go hunting, I thought I would be as talkative as a chatterbox. But now that I was actually with him, I found I didn't have much to say.
The good thing was that even though we walked in silence, it wasn't awkward at all. In fact, it felt even better—as if we were sharing a wordless conversation.
A thought suddenly occurred to me.
I have no intention of getting married in this life either, but if I were to marry and have a child, would there be a day when I would go hunting with my son like this? Could I become the kind of father to whom a son could comfortably say, "Father, let's go hunting"?
Would my son think these things while walking behind me? And what is Father thinking right now?
After walking for a long while, I broke the silence.
"The Murim Alliance Leader said he wanted to see you."
Since I had already reported my meeting with the Alliance Leader via missive, Father was already aware of it.
"Is that man doing well?"
"He seemed remarkably vigorous for his age. He has a boisterous personality and his martial arts are overbearing. He was very different from the Alliance Leader I had imagined."
"He is a different man from what the rumors suggest."
"The Alliance Leader said he wanted to see you. When I told him you would likely feel the same, he said that wouldn't be the case. He said you would probably want to kill him."
"He knows me well."
"Are you serious?"
"Did you think the Heavenly Demon would actually miss the Murim Alliance Leader?"
"Couldn't there be things like courtesy toward the leader of the opposing camp, or respect as a fellow martial artist?"
"There is no such thing. Respect as a martial artist only comes after you've fought."
"Do you want to fight the Alliance Leader?"
After a brief pause, Father answered.
"He is someone I’d like to clash with at least once."
Victory in that fight would mean the death of the opponent. If the Heavenly Demon and the Murim Alliance Leader clashed, it wouldn't end with them simply brushing dust off their clothes.
The result would change the fate of the entire Murim. That was why this fight could not easily take place.
I knew that Father dreamed of the Unification of the Murim. Since the topic of the Alliance Leader had come up, I decided to test Father's thoughts.
"If the Cult and the Orthodox faction clash, will the Unorthodox Path Alliance take our side?"
"If you think the Unorthodox Path Alliance is closer to us than the Orthodox faction, you are mistaken."
"Is that so?"
"If the Unorthodox Path Alliance had to join hands with either us or the Murim Alliance, they would choose the Orthodox faction."
"Is there a reason you're so certain?"
"The Unorthodox Path Alliance hates us more than they hate the Orthodox faction. They likely want to eliminate us and then split the Murim in half with the Orthodox faction."
I felt that Father was right. Before my regression, I had once spoken with a master from the Unorthodox Faction. He truly hated the Cult, and his reason was simple: because the Demonic Cult came to symbolize "absolute evil," the Unorthodox Path Alliance had been relegated to an organization that pursued "cheap evil."
Why shouldn't the Unorthodox Path Alliance be the masters of the Murim?
It was merely the lament and personal opinion of a single Unorthodox master, but back then, I thought many people in the Unorthodox Faction might share similar sentiments. I realized that the hatred Father mentioned might stem from that very place.
I didn't try to discourage Father's ambition. We would have to fight a war eventually anyway. It was just that the target wouldn't be the Murim Alliance or the Unorthodox Path Alliance, but Hwa Mu-gi.
Father, you must become even stronger too!
*
That evening.
We settled down in a secluded spot where a stream flowed.
I spread a thick hide over a spot where Father could lean back and lie down comfortably. It was the most important item among the luggage I had carried.
After preparing a comfortable sleeping area for Father, I built a campfire and cooked the game we had caught.
I didn't just sprinkle some salt to satisfy our hunger; I applied pre-prepared seasonings and grilled it properly. This time, I had brought not only the secret seasoning made by Cook Im but also various vegetables and other foods.
"How does it taste?"
"It's fine."
It had to be. I had found out through Cook Im what kind of flavors Father liked and prepared the seasonings accordingly.
After finishing the meal, I served him tea. It was also a tea that Father enjoyed. Seeing Father look satisfied as he sipped the tea made me glad I had prepared it.
"Has your Wind God Four Steps reached the Ninth-Star Stage?"
As expected, Father saw through my achievement at once.
"Yes. I felt something while fighting the Heavenly Mandate Society this time, but unfortunately, it didn't lead to Great Achievement."
It felt like I was almost there, yet it remained distant—truly a feeling of being both far and near.
"If you grow impatient, it will only take longer."
"I will keep that in mind. Would you like another cup of tea?"
Father nodded, and I poured him another cup of warm tea.
"Do you enjoy spending time with me?"
We really had made progress. To think Father would ask such a question. In moments like this, I remembered one principle: never try to deceive Father.
"To be honest, would it be 'fun'? I'm naturally cautious and feel a bit of pressure."
"Then why did you ask to come?"
"Because I feel secure."
Father looked at me with an expression of surprise. I calmly conveyed my feelings.
"I feel so secure when I'm with you, Father. No matter who tries to block our path, you'll stop them all, won't you? Even if a monster, not a human, appears, you would stop it, wouldn't you? I just feel at peace when I'm with you. I don't have to protect anyone, I don't feel the pressure of having to make someone 'my person,' and I don't feel the responsibility of having to make someone who sacrificed themselves for me happy. No matter what happens, I can just stay still, and this moment is so comfortable. I feel secure because you are here."
It was my truly honest heart. Perhaps because it was unexpected, Father looked at me with eyes that seemed a bit deeper.
"Father, do you ever feel lonely?"
At my question, Father snorted. It was a question difficult to get an answer to, but when else would I ever ask such a thing?
Father lay down on the ground as if to say we should sleep. After staring up at the night sky for a moment, Father spoke abruptly.
"I have never been lonely."
To me, it sounded like this:
I am always lonely.
And so, the first day of hunting with Father passed.
*
On the second day, we moved around more comfortably than the first. We hardly spoke, but neither Father nor I felt awkward at all.
We just climbed the mountain together, walked along the trails, and rested by the valleys. Hunting wasn't the main focus; we just wandered and rested together.
That evening, as I was about to grill the meat we had hunted, Father came to my side.
"I will do it."
"Do what? Surely you don't mean you're going to cook?"
"And why not?"
"You, Father? Cooking?"
To my utter astonishment, Father asked calmly.
"Why are you so surprised?"
"Have you ever cooked before?"
"Occasionally."
I was stunned by this unbelievable statement.
"Is there perhaps a martial art named 'Cooking' among the Demonic Arts? Is that what you mean?"
"Nonsense!"
How could I not talk nonsense when Father said he was going to cook?
"When a dish doesn't suit your palate, you kill the cook, don't you? Are you cooking today out of a sense of atonement?"
"Is my cook's skill not too excellent for me to kill him for that?"
"You're really going to cook?"
Father began to cook as if to show me himself. And he was truly proficient. He didn't grill the meat whole; he cut only the delicious parts and stir-fried them with vegetables and mushrooms. And as if to prove he cooked regularly, he even boiled a soup.
What was even more surprising was that the taste was excellent.
"What is this? Why is it delicious? Did you secretly pour Sky Blue Stone Oil instead of seasoning?"
A smile flickered across Father's lips. It was the first smile since we started climbing the mountain.
It was a moment when I discovered a side of Father I had never known.
The Heavenly Demon of this era is a cooking Heavenly Demon.
That night, lying with the campfire between us, Father and I talked about this and that. I mostly brought up the topics and Father responded, and the stories of the Demon Lords couldn't be left out.
"As you probably know, Father, on my side are the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon, the One Flower Sword Venerable, and the Drunken Demon. On my brother's side are the Demon Buddha, the Poison King, and the Fist Demon. I've excluded the young Soul-Seizing Demon Lord for now. What do you think? My side looks more advantageous, doesn't it?"
"It is balanced."
"Even though we have one more person, it's balanced?"
"Yes."
The fact that it was balanced despite one side having fewer people meant that either the Demon Buddha, the Fist Demon, or the Poison King was worth two people. Who was he holding in such high regard?
"Is it time to kick out the slacker on our side?"
Even at my joke, Father didn't say anything more about it. He was telling me to experience it myself and struggle a bit. Just who did he have in mind?
"Why do you want to become the Cult Leader?"
Because it is my mission. Because it is the mission I struggled for a lifetime and even regressed for. I will protect it even if it kills me.
"Because I want to learn the Nine Calamities Demonic Art."
"Why are you so obsessed with the Nine Calamities Demonic Art?"
"I'm not obsessed with the Nine Calamities Demonic Art; I'm obsessed with becoming stronger."
"You are already strong enough. What do you plan to do by becoming even stronger?"
"Because only by becoming stronger can I protect everyone."
Father, my brother, and all the members of the Heavenly Demon Hall.
And perhaps a few more people would be added to that list now. Though they hadn't stepped forward in the past, some of the Demon Lords would now step forward for true revenge.
But Father's thoughts were firm.
"The Nine Calamities Demonic Art will only be passed down to the one who will become the Heavenly Demon."
"Then I will become the Heavenly Demon."
Just like Father, my thoughts were also firm.
Father looked at me for a moment, then turned his back and went to sleep.
And even if I become the Heavenly Demon, I will be a different kind of Heavenly Demon than you, Father. A Heavenly Demon who freely roams the world. Though I'll have to work much harder for that.
*
On the third day, Father headed toward the summit of Daecheon Mountain.
On the way up, I felt the presence of a tiger twice. But I pretended not to notice. It was to leave an excuse to come hunting again next time.
If I felt it, Father surely must have as well, yet he didn't say anything about catching the tiger. Perhaps Father was also looking forward to the next hunt?
"Ah, was the summit always this magnificent?"
The view from the top of Daecheon Mountain was like something out of a painting.
"When I was your age, I used to come up here whenever my martial arts training became difficult."
It felt strange to imagine a young Father standing here.
"I should come up here once in a while too, whenever I feel frustrated with my training."
"Come here for a moment."
"Yes."
Father sat on a flat rock at the summit and gave a lecture on the Flying Heaven Sword Technique.
It was a martial art I had already reached Twelve-Star Great Achievement in, and the learning I needed right now was the Wind God Four Steps, but even knowing that, Father spoke about the Flying Heaven Sword Technique.
It was as if he were saying that all martial arts eventually lead to one, and by clearly understanding what you know best, you can find the clue to understanding other things.
It was a very special moment where one who had reached Twelve-Star Great Achievement listened to a lecture on the Flying Heaven Sword Technique from another who had reached Twelve-Star Great Achievement.
And I had a new experience. I naturally thought I would understand everything he said, but there were many parts that differed from my thoughts. I realized that even for the same Great Achievement, the paths to the destination were very different.
Whenever a part I couldn't understand came up, I asked Father without hesitation. I didn't pretend to know what I didn't. I didn't intentionally pretend to be ignorant either. I exchanged conversation just as water flows, following the flow of my thoughts.
This discussion on martial arts, which I thought would only last a short while, continued for three hours, then four. It continued for a day, then two, and into the third day.
We talked while eating the food we had cooked, we talked while drinking tea, and we talked while drinking the wine I had brought to drink on the last day. We talked while hunting because we ran out of food, and we talked about martial arts while grilling meat over the campfire. Both Father and I were completely absorbed in this conversation.
It started as a discussion on the Flying Heaven Sword Technique, but we shared all sorts of debates regarding martial arts in general. It was a profound discussion between Father, the Heavenly Demon, and a regressed possessor of the Heavenly Martial Physique.
When that long three-day discussion finally ended, I sprang up and performed the Wind God Four Steps. And I knew. I could finally properly take the four steps walked by the God of Wind.
I spoke to Father with a surprised face.
"I have reached Great Achievement in the Wind God Four Steps."
As if he had expected this situation, Father wasn't surprised. He had grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and thrown me into Great Achievement.
I performed a deep bow to Father.
"It is thanks to your great teachings. Thank you truly, Father."
"Get up. Let's head down."
"Yes."
I was overcome by an intense desire to run. I was curious about how fast the Rapid Speed Step at Great Achievement would be, whether it was a speed I could handle, and how much smaller the Central Plains had become.
"Father. Let's have a race. From here to the Main Cult. What do you think?"
I was finally qualified to challenge Father's Heavenly Demon Flight Technique.
Father looked at me with a look of ridicule. Why did I like that expression so much?
"What will you wager?"
"We should wager our pride."
"Fine."
Since it didn't matter if I lost, the conditions were absolutely in my favor, but Father accepted readily nonetheless. He intended to win and tease me.
Father and I stood side by side. I realized I hadn't seen his profile while standing side by side like this very often. Father's face felt new to me again. I was so happy in this moment, having a race side by side with him.
"Now, we start on the count of three. One, two..."
I counted "three" after I had already started. That way, Father would have something to say when I won.
As the two peak lightness skills began to cleave through space, a sound of wind like nothing I had ever heard in my life began to roar.