Chapter 25: The Monster in the Cave (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 25: The Monster in the Cave (3)
“But Senior, how did you end up in a place like this?”
Han Ji-sang’s expression darkened.
However, I wasn't afraid to ask; even if he were to suddenly go mad again, I was no longer in a position to be overpowered by him.
After letting out several sighs, he finally spoke.
“You do not need to know that. It was merely an event born of futile greed.”
He couldn't bring himself to reveal the truth. It seemed he at least knew enough to be ashamed of his past actions.
“...More importantly, there is something I wish to ask of you.”
I frowned at his sudden words. Had he shown me such favor only because he wanted something in return? Still, I had undeniably received his help.
“What kind of request is it?”
“As a successor of the Namcheon Sword Guest, I believe you will walk the path of the righteous. Surely, you possess a sense of honor?”
Hmm.
How should I answer that? I was the successor of the Namcheon Sword Guest, but currently, I was closer to the Black Path or the Evil Faction. Left with no choice, I responded with silence.
At this, he spoke in a bitter voice.
“Is it a difficult question?”
“...It’s not that. I’m simply worried that I might not be able to fulfill your request.”
“You need not worry about that. It is by no means a difficult favor.”
Hearing him say it wasn't difficult only made me more uneasy. After a moment’s hesitation, I eventually nodded.
“If it is within my power, I will do it.”
At my words, Han Ji-sang took a deep breath and exhaled.
“I do not remember how long I have been in this place. But surviving in a cave like this without two legs was an agonizing ordeal.”
Come to think of it, the Namcheon Iron Sword had mentioned that the Golden-Eyed Man cut off Han Ji-sang’s legs, but he hadn’t said anything about an arm. Had he lost the other arm in a different accident?
Then, he revealed it with his own mouth.
“Unable to overcome the hunger, I cut off and ate this arm myself.”
Han Ji-sang gestured with his eyes toward his right elbow. My brow furrowed instinctively. I hadn't expected that he had eaten it himself rather than losing it in an accident.
Even the Lesser Conversation Sword seemed revolted, clicking its tongue. That aside, I didn't understand why he had sacrificed his dominant arm.
“Why the right arm, and not the left...?”
“I am left-handed.”
Ah... so that’s why he ate the right one. That made perfect sense. It would have been the only part of his remaining body he could afford to sacrifice.
Han Ji-sang continued in a heavy voice.
“You will never know the agony of such hunger and loneliness.”
His pupils trembled. The mere thought of it seemed to make his skin crawl.
“It gnaws away at a person’s mind. To a terrifying degree.”
I could feel the misery in his voice. It felt profoundly sincere.
“Is that why you... lost your mind?”
I refrained from using the word 'insane.' it was a small gesture of courtesy toward him.
“I struggled desperately to survive, but the more I did, the more my mind broke. At first, it was only for a moment, but that grew to fifteen minutes, then thirty, and eventually to a day, two days, and five. Now, I have reached a point where I don't even know if the mad version of me is real, or if the current me is.”
He admitted that he was losing his sanity. Since I had already seen it, he probably felt there was no point in denying it.
“I... do not know when I will lose my mind completely.”
He was afraid. Afraid of losing himself entirely.
“...Before that happens, I want to ask this of you.”
“What is the request?”
I decided to listen first. Though he had a grudge against my 'master,' the Namcheon Sword Guest, I had received his help. Without him, I surely would have lost my life.
Han Ji-sang gestured with his eyes toward his chest.
“Search inside my robes.”
Following his instructions, I reached into his robes and pulled out a piece of leather covered in writing.
“!?”
The moment I saw the leather, goosebumps broke out all over my body. No matter how I looked at it, it appeared to be human skin. Was it his own?
Ignoring my visible distress, Han Ji-sang spoke.
“Everything I am is contained within that. Can you deliver this to my son?”
The Namcheon Iron Sword let out a lament. It was a strange coincidence. He was making the exact same request the Namcheon Sword Guest had made of me.
“In exchange, I do not mind if you learn the techniques within... and if you wish, I will give you this as well. It is a treasure made from the silk of a Human-Faced Spider. It is a reward of sufficient value.”
He gestured toward a brown guard he was wearing on his right elbow. It was the device that had retracted those thin, elastic silver threads. Looking into Han Ji-sang’s trembling eyes, I could see a swirl of complex emotions.
'Me?'
I thought this occasionally, but the Lesser Conversation Sword was quite sharp. Not just its blade, but its perspective was remarkably different from a human's.
I looked into Han Ji-sang’s eyes. His pupils reflected me like a mirror of his own longing. Did he want to justify his own greed through me?
I sighed at the Lesser Conversation Sword’s words. Of course, it was right. If it was something that would help me, there was no need to overthink whether it was a test.
However, I didn't want to justify his actions. I wanted to protect the honor of the Namcheon Sword Guest, whom I considered my master.
Shhh!
I performed a fist-and-palm salute and spoke to him.
“I have already received much from you. If you simply tell me his location, I will deliver the items you requested to your son.”
“Ha...”
Han Ji-sang let out a long breath at my words. Unlike before, this sigh was laced with a sense of emptiness. Was it disappointment that I had made a different choice than him?
He began to chuckle. As I watched him with confusion, he spoke.
“You make things uncomfortable for me until the very end.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I have no son. I simply wanted to confirm one last thing.”
'Don't compare me to him like that.'
As I scolded the Lesser Conversation Sword, Han Ji-sang gave a small smirk and said to me, “Since they no longer have an owner, you may take them all. Whether you learn the arts or not is up to you. If the lineage ends, then that is simply my karma.”
With those final words, Han Ji-sang clamped his mouth shut. I heard the sound of something being crushed, followed by a groan as blood spilled from his lips.
“Senior!”
I hurriedly tried to pry his mouth open. He had bitten off his tongue and swallowed it.
'Damn it!'
His pale face turned a bursting red, as if his airway was blocked. I tried to force his mouth open to take immediate action, but his eyes were darting left and right.
“!?”
It was a clear sign: Do not stop me from dying.
But if I left him like this, he would die.
“........”
I grew solemn at the Namcheon Iron Sword’s words. It was forgiving him on behalf of the Namcheon Sword Guest.
Tap, tap, tap!
After releasing the pressure points on the dying Han Ji-sang, I propped him up against the cave wall and bowed deeply to him. Regardless of our past grievances, I wanted to show my gratitude for what I had received.
When I stood up, his head had slumped slightly to the side. Though blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, his face, with the corners of his lips slightly upturned, looked strangely peaceful.
The night passed, and morning came.
I spent the entire night reading what was written on the skin left behind by the Dagger-Killing King, Han Ji-sang. It contained detailed instructions on his signature martial arts and how to use the Silver Smoke Thread, the treasure made from the silk of the Human-Faced Spider.
'Flash Shadow Throwing Dagger Technique.'
His signature art, the Flash Shadow Throwing Dagger Technique, utilized this Silver Smoke Thread. It was quite unique compared to the martial arts I already knew, and it seemed like it would take a considerable amount of time to master.
Unfortunately, I didn't have much time to linger here.
Click!
I fastened the Silver Smoke Thread to my right wrist. True to its reputation as a treasure, the guard that had been on his elbow shrunk to fit my wrist perfectly.
As I walked toward the cave entrance, the rapids below were surging terrifyingly.
'Phew.'
I didn't know if it would work, but I had to try. I drew the Lesser Conversation Sword and tied the Silver Smoke Thread firmly to its hilt.
'He said to use it with throwing daggers or short swords.'
Knowing what I was about to do, the Lesser Conversation Sword was terrified. It seemed afraid of being lost.
'Don't worry.'
The thread was wrapped around my wrist so tightly it felt like it would never come off. It wouldn't be severed easily.
Standing at the mouth of the cave, I aimed the Lesser Conversation Sword at the cliffside. Then, I threw it.
Swish!
Propelled by internal power, the Lesser Conversation Sword flew rapidly and embedded itself into the cliff wall. I didn't know exactly how long the Silver Smoke Thread was, but it stretched as far as needed.
Now, if I utilized my Innate True Qi...
Whirrrrr!
Thud!
As the Silver Smoke Thread retracted, my body was pulled up toward the cliff.
“Haha!”
A laugh escaped me at the success. The Silver Smoke Thread could be used in various ways; I could move myself using its elastic retraction like this, or I could pull objects attached to the line.
'This is good.'
Thwack!
I grabbed onto the cliff where the Lesser Conversation Sword was embedded. If the Dagger-Killing King Han Ji-sang had possessed his legs and both arms, he could have escaped this cliff whenever he wanted.
'Why?'
Hmm.
That made sense. Despite suffering so much from hunger and loneliness, he had never left the cave. Whether it was because of the Golden-Eyed Man or some other reason, he clearly harbored a deep fear of the outside world.
'True, but... it doesn't seem like I need to go that way.'
'There’s a better path over here.'
I grinned and pulled the Lesser Conversation Sword out, then threw it toward the cliff on the opposite side of the valley.
The sword’s cursing scream echoed in my mind. It didn't complain when I threw it at people; why was it so scared of this?
Flash!
I secured the Silver Smoke Thread and launched my body forward. As soon as I swung forward like a pendulum, I let the thread retract and threw the Lesser Conversation Sword to the other side again.
Thud!
This is fantastic. Moving like this... it almost feels like flying.
I wasn't fully used to it yet, but if I moved downstream like this, swinging from side to side, I felt I could master the usage and escape the valley in no time.
The only downside was that the Lesser Conversation Sword was suffering.
Downstream, where the valley widened.
There, a handsome youth in a yellow turban, carrying a bundle and wearing a scabbard horizontally across his lower back, was surrounded by a group of people.
Judging by the weapons they held and their combat stances, they were martial artists.
A bearded man, who appeared to be the leader of the group surrounding the youth, shouted.
“What? You’re heading into the mountains to join the Blood Cult? Have you lost your mind? You must be one of those Evil Faction scoundrels yourself!”
At his words, the youth pouted and replied.
“No, what does it matter to you whether I join the Blood Cult or not? And it’s not like I have a grudge against you people, so is it right to persecute a person like this?”
The youth, whose voice sounded like it hadn't quite finished changing yet, spoke with such nonchalance that the bearded man was flabbergasted.
“What do you mean it doesn't matter? Do you not know that the Blood Cult and those associated with them are public enemies of the martial world?”
“And who decided that?”
“The Martial Alliance!”
“The Martial Alliance is just a gathering of Orthodox people, isn't it? Is that an imperial decree from the Emperor? I thought it was something serious.”
“Why, you... You’re not some greenhorn just starting out, are you? Are you playing word games with me right now...?”
“I am a greenhorn, but I’m not someone you can afford to look down on.”
Grind!
Infuriated by the exchange, the bearded man roared.
“You’re the type who won't learn until you taste pain! Seize him at once!”
“You should have just started with that.”
The youth grinned and gripped the hilt of the sword he wore horizontally. Even though he was surrounded by ten people, he looked brimming with confidence.
Just then, a swordsman in the group pointed somewhere and shouted.
“Young Master! L-Look over there!”
“What?”
Everyone, including the bearded man, turned to look. The youth in the yellow turban did the same.
'!!!'
Everyone’s eyes widened in shock.
It was the cliffside where the valley led into the mountain range. There, a dark figure could be seen flying through the air, traversing the empty space between the cliffs.
“He’s flying!”
“N-No, could that be the Void Walk?”
“The Void Step?”
The names of legendary, transcendent lightness skills tumbled from their mouths.