Chapter 9: The Gamble
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 9: The Gamble
‘A way to handle internal energy without a Dantian?’
Countless thoughts swirled through my head at Hae Ak-cheon’s words.
First of all, I had no idea why this crazy old man was making such a proposal. Moreover, did it even make sense to handle internal energy without a Dantian? It was something I had never heard of in my entire life.
“Heh-heh, of course it’s hard to believe.”
He was reading my thoughts again.
The Lesser Conversation Sword whispered in a voice that only I could hear.
—Hey. Isn’t that old man up to something?
‘I’m thinking the same thing.’
I had met many people while living a fairly tumultuous life. However, it was impossible to guess what this crazy old man was thinking. Even the things he had forced me to do so far defied common sense.
“It’s not a bad deal for a brat like you. Why the suspicious look?”
It was hard to tell if he was truly insane or not. He saw right through my thoughts with terrifying accuracy. Then again, despite being eccentric enough to be called "Bizarre," he was a man who had roamed the treacherous Martial World for decades. Compared to him, I was nothing more than a fledgling.
—Unhwi. I think it’s better to be careful. You know how much that lunatic has made you suffer.
Sigh.
The sword was right. If so, I needed to know the true intention behind why this old man was offering to teach me that method. After much deliberation, I knelt and spoke.
Thud!
“Venerable One. You told me to stay merely to serve you, so I cannot understand with my foolish mind why you would suddenly offer to teach me your precious skills.”
Hae Ak-cheon smirked at my words. He put his hands behind his back and spoke.
“I didn’t know because I made you keep your mouth shut, but you’ve got quite a silver tongue.”
“...It is merely because I am afraid.”
I spoke honestly. If he got offended by just this much, he wasn’t just eccentric—he was truly insane. However, a deep furrow formed between Hae Ak-cheon’s brows.
“Hmph. After I went through all the trouble of tempering your body.”
‘Tempering my body?’
Thwack!
“Urgh!”
Hae Ak-cheon irritably kicked me in the chest. Fortunately, he didn’t load it with internal energy, but there was no way his heavy foot wouldn’t hurt. As I groaned in pain, Hae Ak-cheon spoke.
“As I thought, you’re the type who doesn’t listen when spoken to nicely.”
With those words, Hae Ak-cheon pulled a flute from his robes. It was the flute used to agitate the Blood Drum. It was useless against me, but I had to act if he played it.
Peeeeeeeeee!
Hae Ak-cheon blew the flute sharply. At that moment, as if I had been waiting, I curled my body and screamed.
“Aaaargh! My chest! My chest!”
I tried my best not to show him my face. It was then.
“Chest, my foot!”
Thwack!
“Gah!”
Suddenly, Hae Ak-cheon kicked me in the back. I ended up rolling several times across the rough stone floor. Looking down at me as I writhed in pain, Hae Ak-cheon shook his head.
“I can’t stand to watch your clumsy acting anymore.”
“Pardon?”
“You’ve worked so hard pretending to have a Blood Drum that isn’t even in your body. Heh-heh.”
“...!!!”
I was so shocked that I momentarily lost my voice. I was surprised by two things. I had been half-certain, but having a master like Hae Ak-cheon confirm that there was no Blood Drum in my body meant my intuition hadn't been wrong. However, this was no time to celebrate; I had no idea how this old man knew.
Flustered, I spoke as if making an excuse.
“I-I don’t know what you mean.”
“Stop it. Did you think This Seat wouldn't examine your physical condition?”
‘Ah...’
Thinking back, I had been in contact with him countless times. From him tucking me under his arm to climb cliffs to the numerous beatings.
‘This is driving me crazy.’
Then I couldn't understand why he had turned a blind eye until now, despite knowing the truth. Every member of the Blood Cult, unless they were an Advanced Warrior or higher, was required to have a Blood Drum.
Hae Ak-cheon spoke to the bewildered me.
“I don’t know how you got rid of the Blood Drum, but you realize that fact alone is enough for me to dispose of you right now, don’t you?”
“.......”
My mind became a mess. I couldn't fathom the inner thoughts of this eccentric old man. But one thing was certain: seeing as he had feigned ignorance until now despite knowing I lacked the Blood Drum, he definitely wouldn't kill me for that reason.
‘...If I keep going like this, I’ll just keep being dragged around.’
It would be no different from my past life. There was no telling if I would be abandoned after being used according to this old man’s whims. If so, I had to seize some level of initiative.
‘Be brave, So Un-hwi. If you want to rise higher than the life of a third-rate spy, you have to know how to gamble with your life.’
—Are you talking to yourself?
I couldn't hear the Lesser Conversation Sword properly. Perhaps sensing that I was undergoing a significant internal shift, it stopped talking. After calming my breathing, I opened my mouth.
“...Then dispose of me.”
“What?”
“Didn’t you say you would dispose of me?”
“Ha!”
Hae Ak-cheon was dumbfounded by my suddenly defiant attitude. He looked ready to swing his fist at any moment, but I didn't stop there.
“It wasn't my intention to not have the Blood Drum in my body. After I accepted the Blood Drum during the initiation ceremony, my stomach suddenly hurt, and it just became like this.”
“........”
“And I only realized it after you blew that flute.”
“You realized it thanks to This Seat?”
“That is correct. If you ask why I didn't report it, it's because I am a human being who treasures his life. I joined the Blood Cult of my own accord, but wouldn't anyone be afraid of having such a thing inside them forever?”
“Hmph! You could have just worked hard to accumulate merit and remove it...”
“The purpose of the Blood Drum is to control cultists who lack loyalty. Since I carry the blood of the cult and joined voluntarily, is there any reason I must possess it?”
“Ha........”
Hae Ak-cheon’s expression became strange at my rapid-fire words. Rather than the previous feeling of being appalled, it was closer to a feeling of seeing me in a new light. Suddenly, Hae Ak-cheon began to laugh like a madman.
“Khahahaha! Hahahaha!”
Then, his face suddenly went cold, and he grabbed me by the throat.
Grip!
“Ack!”
It seemed the gamble had failed. As I struggled, gasping for air, Hae Ak-cheon spoke in a voice filled with killing intent.
“Do you not value your life?”
“Cough, wheeze.”
“Do you think anyone would blame This Seat if I got rid of one wretch like you?”
“Wheeze... haa...”
“This is the privilege of those with power. You, whose Dantian is shattered and who will never escape a third-rate life, what nerve do you have to spout such nonsense?”
It was hard to even speak because I was being choked so hard. Yet, strangely, my mind was clear. It seemed that experiencing the fear of death for two months while hanging from cliffs had truly bolstered my courage. I looked Hae Ak-cheon straight in the eye and spoke.
“Haa... haa... I am afraid. But... if I live like this, as you said... I will spend my whole life... as a third-rate... being used... until I die. I would rather... die now... than live like that.”
“You little...!”
Squeeze!
“Gasp... K-Kill me!”
My vision was gradually turning white, but I didn't look away from him. Hae Ak-cheon stared at me with unreadable eyes. Then, he suddenly loosened his grip.
“Cough, hack, cough!”
As my breath returned, I coughed violently. Looking down at the suffering me, Hae Ak-cheon’s lips twitched as he spoke.
“I suppose you aren't just empty chaff.”
“Cough... Pardon?”
“You’d better not pull such a stunt again. When someone with no power or authority shows reckless bravado, the end is always predictable.”
Though his words were harsh, Hae Ak-cheon’s expression wasn't too bad. While I couldn't be certain of his inner thoughts, it seemed he evaluated my life-risking bravado favorably.
“Haa...”
A sigh of relief escaped me involuntarily. It was nothing short of a gamble, but I felt like I had broken further away from my old self. However, this incident made me realize for certain that I needed power. Recklessness without power was a shortcut to death.
—You really almost died! Why did you take such a risk? If you die, I...
The Lesser Conversation Sword couldn't finish its sentence.
‘Don’t worry. I won’t die.’
—You almost did.
‘No. If he had intended to kill me from the start, he would have done something the moment he realized I didn't have the Blood Drum.’
I had bet on that. He clearly wanted something from me, which is why he turned a blind eye to the missing Blood Drum. I was certain there was something beyond just teaching me how to handle internal energy without a Dantian.
Once my coughing subsided to some extent, Hae Ak-cheon spoke.
“Fine. I’ll make you an offer that might interest you.”
“An interest?”
“If you follow my orders well, I will continue to turn a blind eye to the fact that you don't have a Blood Drum. How about it? Not a bad deal, right? Heh-heh.”
It was certainly not a bad deal for me. He could have forced another Blood Drum into me, but he was offering to overlook it.
“In exchange, after you learn ‘that,’ you will have a martial arts duel with the twins I’ve trained.”
“What?”
I was momentarily stunned by the completely unexpected proposal. I never imagined the reason he was teaching me how to learn internal energy without a Dantian was to have me duel those twins.
“...Why, exactly?”
“Hmph! Don't go questioning unnecessary things just because I’ve shown you some leniency!”
He warned me with a fierce scowl. I was curious, but I felt like I shouldn't ask. It seemed there was some circumstance behind that reason that made him uncomfortable.
“You just need to duel them as ordered. Do you understand?”
“Can I ask one more thing?”
“What is it?”
“From the way you speak... is ‘that’... perhaps not your own skill, Venerable One?”
Hae Ak-cheon fell silent for a moment at that question. It seemed I had hit the mark. After a moment, he spoke with a hardened expression.
“That is correct.”
This was enough. Although I didn't know the exact reason, it was clear he wanted me to learn ‘that’ and then check the results through a duel with the twin brothers.
“If you ask any more questions, I’ll break your legs.”
“.......Understood.”
“Then I’ll take it that you’ll follow my will. Let’s go!”
Whoosh!
“Whoa!”
Hae Ak-cheon suddenly picked me up and tucked me under his arm again. Then, he moved quickly somewhere. After crossing to the opposite side of the mountain peak, he climbed down a cliff and entered a cave.
Thud!
“It’s here.”
Since it was positioned where the sunlight hit, the interior of the shallow cave was clearly visible. Inside the cave, however, were broken pieces of skeletons and a single rusted iron sword thrust into the ground.
‘What is this place?’
As I wondered in confusion, the voice of the Lesser Conversation Sword echoed in my head.
—Unhwi. That sword... it’s strong.