Chapter 415: That Bastard is Here (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 415: That Bastard is Here (1)
Flash.
My eyes snapped open and I was on my feet in an instant. I immediately sent my Qi coursing through my body to check my condition.
As the energy left my Dantian and completed a full circuit, I finally released the breath I’d been holding.
Whew.
Thankfully, everything seemed fine.
I couldn't detect anything wrong with me. If I had to nitpick, there was a faint throbbing in my head, but I was no stranger to headaches. It was nothing.
Once I confirmed I was unharmed, I clicked my tongue, the events of the previous night flooding back.
Tsk…
All I’d managed to do was barely illuminate my immediate surroundings.
I was thinking about when I’d used Red Heaven in a desperate attempt to counter the Dark King’s secret art—a technique that manifested as a territorial field. Since Red Heaven also affects the area around the user, I’d hoped it might work, but in the end, I failed to push back his domain.
It felt like the Dark King’s field had simply vibrated to defend against my technique. That was it.
Pathetic.
A smirk twisted my lips as I recalled the futility of it all.
Pathetic, my ass.
I never stood a chance from the beginning, so what was there to be disappointed about? What had possessed me to even try something so reckless? What if I’d accidentally pissed off the Dark King? I must have lost my mind back then.
This damned personality of mine. The reason I couldn’t act my age was probably because of it.
Just as I was about to stand up, amused by my own thoughts, a voice cut through the air.
“What’s so funny?”
I turned towards the sound.
The Dark King stood to the side, arms crossed. It was the Dishonored Venerable who had spoken, staring at me with an expression of utter disbelief.
Seeing the two of them, I replied calmly, “Of course I’m smiling. I accomplished the task you gave me.”
“Sigh…” The Dishonored Venerable frowned at my response.
His reaction sent a flicker of fear through me, but I had to stand my ground. “I made contact with the Dark King. What’s the problem?”
His tone was one of shock. “…I put you in there to find creative ways to survive, but you only became more reckless.”
“Creative ways?” I was speechless. I’d been thrown into a life-or-death situation every single night. How was I supposed to get ‘creative’?
“I told you to observe everything around you, not just what was right in front of you.”
“But isn’t it a bit strange for you to teach me that way?”
“I didn’t think you would overcome the challenge like this.”
I’d struggled against the Dark King for an entire month. What ‘creative solution’ was I supposed to conjure? The Dishonored Venerable obviously wanted me to gain something from the training, and it wasn’t like I’d learned nothing, but it hardly felt useful.
“…I’d hoped you would curb your recklessness, but you’ve only gotten worse.”
“Who cares, as long as I passed?”
“…Yes. You’re not wrong. It seems I was mistaken.”
I was just about to be surprised that the old man was agreeing with me for once when he added, “Child, you are far more insane than I realized. That was my error.”
“…”
Who was he calling insane? That was the craziest thing I’d heard all year. For him, of all people, to call me crazy? How absurd.
Masking my thoughts, I asked, “…So what do you want me to do? Should I repeat the training since I didn’t pass it the way you wanted?”
“No, that won’t be necessary. At this point, it’s best if I just give up.”
Give up? Hearing the Dishonored Venerable use that word, especially in matters of martial arts, felt strangely significant.
“…Are you sure?”
“It’s obvious now. You have your own way of doing things.”
“…Hmm.”
“I won’t try to change that anymore. Do as you wish.”
With those final words, the Dishonored Venerable fell silent.
Should I be happy about this? The fact that he was giving up on me? I didn’t necessarily think it was a bad thing. He’d likely decided it wasn’t worth trying to ‘fix’ this part of me. In a way, that meant I had free rein, right?
Just as I was about to nod in agreement, the Dishonored Venerable suddenly asked, “But how did you know?”
“Know what?”
“That the bat bastard’s technique was different from reality.”
“…Oh.”
He was referring to the nature of the Dark King’s power. It had seemed like a territorial field conjured by his Qi, but the reality was different. Every night I’d fought the Dark King, my physical body had actually been asleep the entire time. I couldn’t explain it, but every sensation was essentially a dream—though I had no idea how a dream could feel so painfully real.
In my view, it was the closest thing to a vivid dream. That was how I’d been able to ‘revive’ every time I died. He was asking me how I’d figured it out.
“…It’s been a whole month. I figured it out naturally.”
Dying hundreds of times will do that to you. After all, it’s impossible for a person to truly come back to life.
Well, except for going back in time after dying.
But that’s… an exception. Dying dozens, even hundreds of times in real life? Impossible.
Moreover, I never felt physically exhausted afterwards. Every time I woke up after the training, I was only mentally drained. That explained everything. At first, I’d thought I’d gone insane from dying so many times each night. At least it meant my body was getting rest.
But this line of thinking only led to more confusion. How does this power even work? It was strange to call it a martial art, and it felt different from a Formation. The biggest mystery was how and when the Dark King’s power had put me to sleep. He must have done something, but I had no memory of it. It was so seamless I never even noticed.
What is it, I wonder?
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t find an answer. I still didn’t understand the Dark King’s power.
I guess that just makes it even scarier.
Experiencing it firsthand made one thing clear: the Dark King’s current level was so far above mine that I couldn’t even dare to look up at it from where I stood.
I glanced at the Dark King. If this man was so powerful, how formidable must the Three Venerables be? Or the Heavenly Demon, who was responsible for killing all three of them? And what about the Celestial Sword, who managed to slay the Heavenly Demon?
…Haha.
The world was a vast and terrifying place. It was a stark reminder of how far I still had to go, and how perilous my path would be.
I carefully moved my body. The sun was about to rise, so I prepared myself for the day’s training. Physically, I was fine. I may have died countless times in the illusion crafted by the Dark King, but my real body had been asleep the whole time.
…Of course, there’s nothing I can do about the mental exhaustion.
My mental state was another matter, but at least my body felt refreshed.
Moreover, had the Dishonored Venerable been stretching my body at night? Every time I woke up, I could feel slight changes in my muscles. It seemed he’d been giving me a proper massage each night. It had to be him. I’d felt his hidden kindness during our spars, too. Even though he worked me to the bone, as if taking out his anger on me, I never complained because he always carefully controlled his Qi, aiming his attacks precisely to avoid damaging my muscles.
Judging by that, the Dishonored Venerable had probably gotten less sleep than I had. Because of that, I listened to everything he said, even if I cursed him in my mind. The old man was seriously committed to raising his disciple.
It must be a lot of work for him, doing it every day.
Massaging isn’t easy. It requires precise control of Qi to avoid damaging blood vessels. It must have been especially difficult for him, a Peak Realm expert, to handle a Fusion Realm body like mine. Yet, he tended to me daily without showing any sign of fatigue.
How could I complain when he was going to such lengths? I just had to work hard until the very end.
When I stood up, the Dishonored Venerable rose with me.
“I don’t like the look in your eyes. Have you been cursing me out in your head again?”
“It was a compliment this time.”
“So you have been cursing me out before.”
“…”
Oops. I’d walked right into his trap. A cold sweat broke out on my face. I braced myself, wondering where his fist would land. His habits were terrifying. After being beaten by him so many times, I—
Pow-!
“Shit…!”
I tilted my head and dodged the blow.
The Dishonored Venerable stared at me, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. “Oh… you dodged it. You’ve improved.”
“…What are you doing?”
“It looked like you were expecting an attack, so I obliged.”
“…”
I had nothing to say to that. He wasn’t wrong.
“Anyway.”
“How can you just say ‘anyway’ after trying to hit someone?”
“Do you want me to continue?”
“Just finish what you were going to say. I’m listening.”
“Haha, you damned bastard…” The Dishonored Venerable chuckled, then his expression turned serious. Every shift in his demeanor was unsettling. I could never tell if he was being genuine or not.
“Anyway… you completed the task, though not in the way I’d hoped. But since you did your homework, I’ll keep my promise.” As he spoke, he lightly tapped my chest with his fist. “I will teach you the One Fist technique.”
Finally.
I let out a sigh of relief. I could finally learn that damned technique.
“When do we start?” This afternoon, perhaps? It felt refreshing to learn a new technique from someone else. In my past life, I’d only been taught the Gu Flame Wheel Art and its corresponding Mind Art. Beyond that, I’d trained alone, with the First Elder occasionally checking in to scold me.
The Dishonored Venerable tilted his head, looking confused. “What do you mean, ‘when’?”
“Huh?”
“We start now, obviously. When else did you think?”
“Now?” We were starting right now? Wasn’t that a bit sudden? As I floundered at his abruptness, I saw a faint smile touch his lips.
“Don’t worry. It won’t be difficult. This is just the first technique you’ll be learning.”
“…I see.” I wasn’t really worried about the difficulty; I just disliked the early start. Besides, the Dark King had vanished. Wasn’t he here just a moment ago?
“You don’t seem satisfied. Should we save it for next time? I can do that.”
I briefly considered starting in the afternoon, but decided it was better not to waste time. “No, I’ll start now.”
“That’s the right answer.” The Dishonored Venerable nodded in approval.
So, he was going to teach me the new technique now? But… why wasn’t he moving? He said he would teach me, but he was still standing right in front of me, his fist still resting on my chest.
Confused, I asked, “Elder?”
“It’s not a hard technique to learn. I assure you, this will be the easiest thing you learn in all the Central Plains.”
“…Is that so?” That sounded strange. Others would kill to learn the Heaven Destruction Art after seeing it. Even I, who had nearly been killed by it, recognized its unbelievable power. Yet the Dishonored Venerable claimed the first technique was simple.
As I pondered this, he spoke again. “It’s straightforward. You’ll understand once you experience it for yourself.”
“Pardon?”
“You’ll do a good job learning it.”
…What did he just say?
“What do you—“
Before I could finish, a familiar energy surged from the tip of his fist.
Woong-!
“…!”
It was the chilling Qi of the Dishonored Venerable’s Heaven Destruction Art. I stared at him, feeling the cold sensation seep into me.
“Oh, I’ll warn you now,” he said. “Make sure you don’t lose consciousness. Unlike your training with the bat bastard—“
I instinctively twisted my body, wrapping myself in a protective layer of Qi before he could finish.
“—you might actually die in this training.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, the Dishonored Venerable’s fist struck with a devastating impact, sending vibrations rippling through the surrounding air.
And in that moment, I realized: after waking from a nightmare, hell was waiting for me.
Elsewhere, as Gu Yangcheon tumbled through the dirt of a forest, a white-haired woman practiced her sword forms in a silent field.
Swish-! Swish!
Her movements were harsh, causing sweat to plaster strands of hair to her face. Yet she continued to swing her blade relentlessly.
Swish-!
Her sword, enhanced with Lightning Qi, left a trail of light in the air. Under the midnight sky, it was a beautiful sight, but her emotions were far from beautiful, clashing with the grace of her movements.
Zap-!
While others might be impressed by her speed, the woman herself felt only dissatisfaction.
…No.
It was slow. That was her judgment of her own sword.
Moreover, it’s weak.
She believed it was feeble. There was no flaw in her technique or footwork, but she was not satisfied.
…This isn’t enough…
I can’t stay by his side like this.
With that thought, Namgung Bi-ah bit her lip and stopped swinging her sword.
“Hah… Hah…”
Heavy breaths escaped her soft lips. How long had she been training? She had spent the entire night practicing, forgetting sleep. Despite her efforts, she couldn’t shake the frustration in her heart. The woman who had always loved honing her sword skills was now wrestling with inner demons.
…
Namgung Bi-ah frowned and looked down at her hand, which suddenly ached. Had she been gripping her sword too tightly? The skin was slightly torn.
What did she need to do? What could she do?
…How can I… protect him…?
She frowned, thinking of Gu Yangcheon. He was the reason for her inner turmoil. Lately, he seemed unstable, precarious. The Gu Yangcheon who always acted with confidence now appeared to be suppressed by some unknown force. She had noticed, but she was powerless to help. That realization pained her deeply.
I can’t protect anyone…
When the Lord of the Black Palace had ambushed the Heavenly Dragon Academy, Namgung Bi-ah had confronted her own weakness. She had been unable to do anything. She had only escaped thanks to Tang Soyeol’s sacrifice, and had to be rescued by him.
She wondered, I… What was she?
She had trained her sword endlessly, hoping to escape the stench of the world, and she had found freedom when she found him. So what was she swinging her sword for now?
…I just want to be by his side…
That was the answer she gave herself, though it felt incomplete. But even if she couldn’t fully convince herself, it was enough for now.
I have to… protect him…
She wanted to protect him from whatever was weighing him down. Others might see him as almighty and powerful, but she saw a different Gu Yangcheon—one who seemed on the verge of collapse, holding on only because he had so many people to protect.
With that thought, Namgung Bi-ah picked up her sword again, her injured hand tightening around the hilt.
…I…
How could she protect him? In her current state, it was impossible. She couldn’t even touch the robes of the White Ripple Sword, let alone the Black Palace Lord. She had even lost to the swordsman known as the Sleeping Dragon. How could she protect anyone like this?
Dribble.
Blood trickled from her bitten lip. She couldn’t accept her own uselessness.
“…I can’t… let this go on…”
She had to find a way. A way to become stronger. Then she could stand by his side and protect him. She was determined to find it.
Zap.
She began swinging her sword again. Exhausted as she was, Namgung Bi-ah did not stop.
Her thoughts drifted to a conversation with her father a few days before her trip to Sichuan.
[Your grandfather wants to see you.]
Namgung Jin had said this to her before returning to Anhui. The greatest of the Namgung Clan, one of the Three Venerables, the Heavenly Venerable himself, wished to see Namgung Bi-ah.
[He said the timing is good, since you’re going to Sichuan.]
[…Why…?]
When she asked why the Heavenly Venerable was pleased, Namgung Jin had replied, [He said he has business in Sichuan as well. Be sure to visit him when you arrive.]
[…]
As she recalled this, Namgung Bi-ah pondered. She understood her brother’s relationship with their grandfather, but she herself had little connection to the Heavenly Venerable. They had seen each other from a distance a few times, but had barely interacted directly.
Nevertheless, Namgung Bi-ah was resolved to meet him.
I have to become stronger.
As the sky of the Namgung Clan and one of the Three Venerables, she believed the Heavenly Venerable could show her a path forward. She was determined to grow more powerful. She had to become strong enough to protect him. She couldn’t afford to remain at her current level.
Fueled by this resolve, Namgung Bi-ah continued to swing her sword.