Chapter 493: Do You Need it? (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 493: Do You Need it? (5)
On a small hill just outside the Tang Clan’s grounds.
This place was, for all intents and purposes, a habitat for the wolves raised by the Tang Clan—specifically, by Tang Soyeol.
Thud—! Thud, thud—!
But now, because of one man’s presence, not a single wolf was in sight.
A black-haired man, stripped to the waist, was engrossed in his training, lifting a boulder the size of a house with one hand.
Sweat streamed down his drenched body, trickling through the crevices of his muscles.
His dense, well-defined muscles were a sight that would draw admiration from any onlooker.
“Hoo…”
After repeating his exercises with the boulder, the young man finally caught his breath and set it down.
Kooong—! The ground sank under the boulder’s immense weight the moment it touched down.
The young man twisted his body, checking his condition, before finally grabbing a nearby cloth to wipe himself down.
As he was drying himself off, a man who had been watching from a tree descended.
The young man showed no particular reaction, as if he had known he was there all along.
The man who had been watching spoke bluntly.
“You look like hell.”
Hearing this, the Dishonored Venerable let out a smirk.
“What a shitty thing to say the moment you see me.”
“You said you were worried about your disciple, but did you go just to get your ass beaten?”
“Haha!”
The Dishonored Venerable reacted to the Dark King’s words with amusement.
In truth, his left cheek was red and swollen.
It was the aftermath of the life-or-death struggle he’d had with his disciple the previous night.
“I knew he was tenacious, but he’s one hell of a persistent bastard.”
The Dishonored Venerable shuddered, recalling how his disciple had clung to him until the very end, when he had expected him to give up at some point.
At first, he had only gone to see what his disciple was thinking, having heard he’d ingested poison from the Tang Clan.
But the Gu Yangcheon he met after just a few days was completely different.
His rise in skill was one thing, but the change in his physique was immense.
What in the world did he consume to become like that?
He knew Gu Yangcheon had obtained a fortuitous encounter.
He didn’t know if it was an elixir or some kind of enlightenment.
His very physique has changed.
Whatever the encounter was, the result was far too distinct.
His frame had grown larger, his skin tougher.
It was similar to what was commonly called a full-body transformation, but…
For his dantian itself to change… that’s just bizarre.
His lower dantian had vanished, and all his energy had converged in his middle dantian.
Even the Dishonored Venerable couldn’t predict what would happen in such a case.
What on earth had he gone through to change so much in such a short time?
Though he was curious, the Dishonored Venerable didn’t ask Gu Yangcheon.
His disciple’s expression made it clear he wouldn’t answer, and it wasn’t the most important thing to the Dishonored Venerable right now.
As long as Gu Yangcheon could inherit The Fist that Destroys Heaven, nothing else mattered.
Besides.
He doesn’t seem like the type to use this for foolish ends.
Even if he inherited The Fist that Destroys Heaven and his name, the Dishonored Venerable knew Gu Yangcheon wasn’t the kind of person to do anything despicable with it, so he didn’t dwell on the changes.
However.
Still, I’m envious of that body of his.
Whatever it was, the physique Gu Yangcheon had achieved was something the Dishonored Venerable could only envy.
Though he claimed to have let go of such attachments, the reason he couldn’t advance his realm and felt his limits was, in the end, because of his body.
Hmm…
He clenched and unclenched his hand repeatedly.
No matter how much he trained his body and filled it with Qi, his fundamental vessel wasn’t sufficient.
There was no way for him to raise his realm as he was.
How frustrating.
Had he hit a wall?
After undergoing his transformation to eternal youth, around the time he turned sixteen under the name Bi Eejin, the Dishonored Venerable had swallowed an elixir from his secret vault to reach the Peak Realm. From there, he had easily reached the Mature Peak.
But reaching the Fusion Realm was still beyond him.
Tsk.
It might be possible if he forced a full-body transformation using his Qi.
But he didn’t have enough Qi for that.
This inefficient body of his couldn’t properly accumulate Qi, no matter how many elixirs he consumed.
In fact, it was a net loss.
“So, do you regret it?”
At the Dark King’s question, the Dishonored Venerable turned his head.
The man had reverted from his disguise to his original appearance.
An old soul in a young body, his hair now more white than blond.
“No, I don’t regret it. If I had stayed as I was, I never would have reached the place I wanted to go.”
He sometimes wondered. A delusion that perhaps it would have been better if he hadn’t undergone the transformation.
But that was as far as it went.
Even if the situation had changed, this was his choice.
And since the path he wanted to walk hadn’t changed, he just had to keep moving forward.
“Even after letting your young disciple slap you across the face?”
The Dishonored Venerable’s lips twitched at the Dark King’s words.
“…Are you, by any chance, mocking me right now?”
“I have been from the start. You’re slow on the uptake, Bijuu.”
“Ha.”
To think he was joking with such a cold expression was simply absurd.
“Tsk…”
But he had nothing to say to that. It was, after all, the result.
Sigh.
He didn’t know what he was doing with his life in his later years.
…Damn bastard.
Thinking of his disciple made him curse instinctively. What an infuriating brat.
He had only wanted to help him release the frustration he seemed to be feeling from the disconnect with his body and the stagnation after his rise in realm.
Furthermore, his disciple’s Qi seemed a bit tangled, so he had used the beating as an excuse to perform Acupoint Manipulation on him.
It was damn hard to even attempt, with how strong his muscles had become and how swift his movements were.
And yet. That bastard…
The Dishonored Venerable ground his teeth, recalling Gu Yangcheon running wild with glee.
Gu Yangcheon was no fool when it came to martial arts, so he must have known he was attempting Acupoint Manipulation on him.
He used that as a pretext to attack me?
The Dishonored Venerable recalled how the attacks had intensified the moment Gu Yangcheon realized what was happening.
It was absurd. How could a disciple do such a thing?
…I’ve taken a madman as my disciple.
The Dishonored Venerable had finally realized this, but it was far too late.
And for good reason.
Damn it, if he didn’t have talent, I would have kicked him out long ago.
Even in the Dishonored Venerable’s eyes, Gu Yangcheon was an exceptionally brilliant talent.
He seemed to have some sort of inferiority complex, which the Dishonored Venerable couldn’t understand.
Putting aside the fact that he was his chosen disciple.
The realm and martial prowess Gu Yangcheon had reached were already at a level unattainable for his age.
The current Three Venerables, himself included, had reached the Fusion Realm only after they had passed the age of thirty.
Considering how the Central Plains had buzzed with talk of them being geniuses of the century, the moment the rumor of Gu Yangcheon’s Fusion Realm—currently treated as nonsense—was confirmed as true…
The world will be turned upside down.
Every clan and sect would be wringing their hands.
For a young man not yet of age to have reached the Fusion Realm meant he was certain to become the Strongest Under the Heavens one day.
Even if he was engaged to someone from the Namgung Clan, any clan with a reasonably pretty daughter would likely throw shame to the wind and make a move on him.
Why Gu Yangcheon, who had that much of an impact, was so lacking in confidence was a mystery to the Dishonored Venerable.
He would probably figure it out on his own, but if necessary, the Dishonored Venerable could intervene.
That is, if that pathetic inferiority complex started causing problems in his martial arts training.
Having thought that far, the Dishonored Venerable remembered something he’d wanted to ask the Dark King.
“Come to think of it, did you finish what you had to do?”
For the past two days, the Dark King had been away, saying he had something to check in Sichuan.
The Dark King gave a slight nod.
“Yes.”
“Did it go well?”
“No.”
“So it went poorly?”
“No.”
“Do you want to die…?”
“No.”
“…”
The Dishonored Venerable gripped the bridge of his nose at the Dark King’s answers.
Talking to this man felt like he would die of frustration.
As the Dishonored Venerable let out a string of sighs, the Dark King finally spoke slowly.
“I just became certain.”
“Certain of what?”
“…”
For the past two days.
The Dark King had gone to the location of the Golden Nature Clan’s secret vault that Gu Yangcheon had mentioned.
There were traces.
Traces of some kind of formation or special power that had been placed there.
But beyond that, nothing remained.
Seeing that, the Dark King was once again certain.
“That my ancestors… had not a single thought for their descendants.”
“…”
The Dishonored Venerable could offer no reply.
The only one who could curse the man who had made the Central Plains what it was today…
Was the Dark King standing before him.
“He left nothing behind. The man who knew his own bloodline would suffer so terribly.”
His words, spoken calmly with a blank face, were steeped in a cold, profound fury.
“What’s more, to learn of the vault’s existence only now, through another person… it’s enough to make one want to die.”
“Yeon…”
The Dishonored Venerable almost spoke the Dark King’s real name without thinking, but he barely managed to stop himself.
The Dark King hated his name with a passion.
“Even though I can’t die even if I want to. Isn’t it funny, Bijuu?”
“…”
The Dishonored Venerable bit his lip at the Dark King’s dry voice.
There was little he could say to his friend right now, and even if there was, it wasn’t his place to say it.
“…When are you thinking of going back?”
Forcing himself to change the subject, the Dishonored Venerable asked something else.
The Dark King had to return eventually. The head of an organization couldn’t be away for so long.
“Hmm.”
The Dark King turned his head, his gaze shifting elsewhere.
To a place where a strong energy could be felt.
It wasn’t the pressure of a martial artist’s aura he was sensing.
It was a sensation felt by the Dark King’s fundamental instincts.
“A little longer.”
Should he call it his last hope?
Probably not. All the Dark King had left was time.
“Just a little longer. I still have things to do.”
“Alright.”
The Dishonored Venerable simply nodded, saying nothing more.
“Ah, but don’t look for me for the next seven days and nights.”
“Hmm?”
The Dark King tilted his head at the Dishonored Venerable’s words.
Why seven days and nights, specifically?
Not understanding, the Dark King narrowed his eyes and glared.
“…Something came up.”
The Dishonored Venerable had no intention of explaining.
* * *
Ow, it stings.
I thought to myself as I examined my swollen cheek. It hurt like hell.
Damn it…
It wasn’t just my face; my whole body was in this state.
My battered body was swollen all over, throbbing with pain. To be honest, even walking was a challenge.
He really let out all his pent-up frustration on me.
I had to grit my teeth as I thought of the Dishonored Venerable, who had beaten me to a pulp.
That old man must have had a lot of issues with me. He really didn’t let up for a second.
Ha…
Still, though.
The Dishonored Venerable was still at the Mature Peak, while I had just fully reached the Fusion Realm.
It was absurd that there was still such a gap between us.
I can’t reach him.
I had even used all the power I could.
Of course, I didn’t use my secret arts, since that could cause problems for the surroundings.
But the same would be true for the Dishonored Venerable, so that was a moot point.
I’m definitely faster.
My speed was overwhelming.
I tried to get the upper hand using my superior Qi capacity and higher realm.
But it was as if he read my every move, dismantling them with ease.
I couldn’t land a hit.
No matter how fast I was.
[The level of enlightenment you have obtained is different.]
…
[It’s partly because his eyes are exceptional, but it’s possible because the realm he has achieved is extraordinary, and he understands his own body perfectly.]
I knew that, but still.
To think he dodged all of that…
What’s more, I knew he was attempting Acupoint Manipulation on me even in that situation, which only made me feel the gap more keenly.
My realm was definitely higher, yet the Dishonored Venerable stood before me like an overwhelming, unbreachable wall.
If I continued to train in The Fist that Destroys Heaven, would I be able to reach the Transcendent Realm and defeat him, as he wished?
I didn’t know. Thinking of the Dishonored Venerable from my past life, I could only describe him as a monster.
And if the Dishonored Venerable before his transformation was even stronger than the one from that time…
The Dishonored Venerable in his prime… might have actually been the Strongest Under the Heavens.
I couldn’t be sure since I hadn’t properly witnessed the might of the Three Venerables, but it was enough to make me wonder.
Still, I landed one hit, so I won. That’s what matters.
Even if my whole body ached from the beating.
I won in the end, so I was the winner.
[Says the one who sucker-punched a man trying to help him up after he feigned unconsciousness.]
That’s what you call improvisation.
[No matter how cool you try to make it sound, you can’t erase the fact that you have no shame.]
I never had a conscience to begin with, so it doesn’t matter, does it?
[I’m going to lose my mind.]
Just as Elder Shin was exuding an aura of ‘what in the world do I do with this kid?’, I clutched my throbbing cheek and looked ahead.
There was another old man there, staring at me strangely.
“I trust you’ve been well.”
“You enunciate surprisingly well for someone in your state…”
“Well… I’m used to it. Haha…”
I’d been beaten black and blue many times before.
This was nothing.
After my duel with the Dishonored Venerable ended, I immediately went to find the Immortal Healer.
I hadn’t planned on visiting so early in the morning, but I wanted to get this nagging issue over with quickly.
“So, what is it?”
The Immortal Healer seemed to be desperately holding back his desire to ask about my battered face.
It was better for me if he didn’t ask annoying questions, so I decided to move on.
“Yesterday, I visited the White Flower Merchant Association and heard a few things.”
“Hah…?”
At my words, the Immortal Healer’s face crumpled into a frown.
He seemed to have realized what I’d heard. Well, we had run into each other in front of the merchant association, and I had gone inside right after. It wouldn’t be hard to guess.
“That fool seems to have forgotten a merchant’s duty. I’ll have to give her a stern scolding.”
“I got it out of her by making something of a threat, so don’t be too angry.”
I had already sent a letter to Lady Mi, so it would be a bit troublesome for me if she got in trouble.
Perhaps that was why. Hearing my words, the Immortal Healer’s anger changed direction.
“Then, I suppose I should be angry with you. How dare you…!”
Just as the Immortal Healer was about to unleash his fury upon me in a genuine rage,
Ssk.
Seizing the opportunity, I took out the item I had brought from my room and showed it to him.
“…!”
The moment he saw the object, still radiating a brilliant white light, the Immortal Healer froze as if turned to stone.
“I heard that you need this.”
Hearing my words, the look of surprise at my battered face vanished, replaced by an expression of utter shock as he looked up at me.
Seeing that, it seemed what the branch manager had said was true.
Furthermore.
“Do you need this?”
Looking at the Immortal Healer’s face.
It seemed he wanted the White Demonic Stone far more than I had anticipated.
Confirming this, I smiled faintly.
Good.
Because great desperation…
meant he would be easy to use.