Chapter 508: Just Let Me Hold It Once. (15)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 508: Just Let Me Hold It Once. (15)
I demanded that the Immortal Healer show me the process and result of using the White Demonic Stone on Zhuge Hyuk.
To be honest, I was curious. For me, the White Demonic Stone was no different from a miraculous elixir, but that was only because I possessed the Demonic Absorption Art. To anyone else, it was just a white stone.
And yet… the fact that he could do something else with it piqued my interest greatly.
Of course, that’s not to say this was how I had planned to find out. I hadn’t intended to learn about it so forcefully.
As I mentioned before, this was less my own idea and more at the behest of Elder Shin.
What was it he had said again? Before I went to see the Immortal Healer, the Elder had personally instructed me to make this specific demand. It was strange. The Elder had often found my actions absurd, but he had never given me a direct order like this before.
He’d said it felt wrong for a dead man to interfere with the living. That must mean this is important.
For the Elder to go this far, it had to be significant. So, I decided to carry out his instruction without question.
As for the result… I suppose you could call it a partial success.
The reason I say ‘partial’ is because the Immortal Healer’s first response to my demand was a flat refusal. His reasoning was that even if he obtained the White Demonic Stone, he couldn’t perform the procedure immediately. On top of that, I could sense his underlying distrust of me and his reluctance to show me the process.
I considered letting it go, but remembering the Elder’s personal insistence, I pressed him more firmly. When I dangled the White Demonic Stone as leverage, the Immortal Healer sighed deeply and fell into thought. He didn’t ponder for long—just about the time it took me to take a sip of tea.
After that brief moment, he presented his conditions.
First, he required a safe place to work. Second, it would take time to procure the remaining ingredients after acquiring the White Demonic Stone. And the third condition was… a forbidden formation.
A forbidden formation to enforce my silence. He said he would plant it directly within my body. A forbidden formation cast by a healer… would it be any different? A small spark of curiosity ignited within me.
The problem was, when it got to that point, Elder Shin was the one who tried to stop me.
[This is far enough. It's not something you need to know at the cost of having a forbidden formation placed on you.]
The Elder told me to stop, but having come this far, I had no intention of backing down.
“I'll do it,” I replied to the Immortal Healer, ignoring Elder Shin's words.
At that, the Immortal Healer finally nodded wearily, as if surrendering. That concluded our negotiation.
As for a safe place, the Gu Clan estate would have to suffice. My own home didn’t seem particularly safe either, but it was the better option, relatively speaking.
As soon as our talk was over, I handed the White Demonic Stone over to him. It might have been risky to give it to him before he fulfilled his end of the bargain, but I trusted that the Immortal Healer wasn’t the type to just take it and run—unlike me.
Perhaps because it was something he had struggled so hard to obtain, the Immortal Healer gazed at the stone with eyes full of relief. Was it really that important? Important enough for him to endure all this from me just to get it.
Will that thing really restore Zhuge Hyuk's voice?
And if it does, what then? The memory of the Young Prodigies from my past life brought a bitter feeling to my gut.
Really… Could I have spared him?
Zhuge Hyuk represented a crossroads for me. He was a milestone, a point where I could choose to move past the memories of my previous life and accept that this was a different time. He was also the starting point of my desire to live a different life, to accept the people around me. That’s what choosing not to kill Zhuge Hyuk meant to me.
And yet… Will it really be okay?
I can’t help but worry. Whether it’s truly alright, whether Zhuge Hyuk won’t become a danger in the future. If there’s even a small chance, wouldn’t it be better to eliminate him now?
As these thoughts churned, a coldness began to spread through my core.
“…You.” The Immortal Healer’s voice came quietly.
“You may seem exceptionally hopeless, with a nasty and foul temper.”
“…Why are you suddenly insulting me?” His words stabbed at me like daggers, and my brow furrowed. Was he calling me out for strong-arming him with the White Demonic Stone? Just as I was about to scrunch up my nose in indignation…
“I do not see you as a bad person.”
“...”
My body tensed slightly at his calm, firm words. It was a complete departure from the insults he'd just thrown at me.
“The way you can't even take care of your own body, yet you tenaciously look after the children around you.”
That's not true. On the contrary, I've been pushing them, again and again. That's the only way they'll survive later.
“The way you act nasty to others, yet harbor foolish guilt and hesitation within.”
I've never done that. I beat those who deserved it and folded against those I had to. With my foul temper, I don't recall ever holding back. What in the world has he seen to say such things?
I wanted to retort immediately, but the words wouldn't come out. Why?
“Because I know this about you, I believe you must have a reason for acting this way.”
He was saying he believed there was a reason for the nasty way I'd acted toward him over the White Demonic Stone.
Was it because I heard that? The thorns that had sprouted in my heart felt especially sharp, piercing me. Swallowing the searing pain, I spoke to the Immortal Healer.
“…You're gravely mistaken. It's simply because I'm a bad person. You're attaching strange reasons to it.”
Whatever my reasons for acting as I did, he shouldn't attach his own meaning to them. Whatever the reason, the responsibility for my actions lies with me. I shouldn't have acted in a way that made him seek to understand me. I bear it all myself. That was the right way. At least, for me.
For some reason, I could see pity in the Immortal Healer's eyes as he looked at me. The thorns inside me grew larger. I ignored them and swallowed them down.
A few seconds passed as I met his gaze. As soon as that short time was up, the Immortal Healer turned his head and spoke.
“If you say so, then so be it. If our business is done, you may leave.”
At his words, I carefully rose to my feet. Our immediate business was finished; whether or not to bring the Immortal Healer to the Gu estate was a matter for another time. The sun had set and evening had arrived, so I needed to hurry back to my room.
…Because Father will be waiting.
Ah, I don't want to go. The thought suddenly crossed my mind.
I was about to leave the Immortal Healer's residence with a grim face when…
“This is a warning for a nasty fellow like you.”
Just before I left, the Immortal Healer tossed a comment my way.
“…Pardon? A warning?”
“The Heavenly Venerable. That old man is here. Be careful.”
“...”
The Heavenly Venerable is here? For a moment, I was inwardly surprised by his rather random mention.
After that, I barely managed to suppress a laugh at the Immortal Healer's words.
“Immortal Healer, wouldn't you normally call that 'concern' instead of a 'warning'?”
“Get the hell out!”
“Yes, sir.”
I let out a small smirk at his roar and opened the door. Before leaving, I gave the Immortal Healer a slight bow of respect and departed.
Creeak, thud.
As soon as the door closed, I started on the path back to my residence. The sun had set, and lanterns were lit along the path. Was it because of our last conversation? I felt as if a stone had been placed in my gut.
…Tsk.
Should I say the Immortal Healer had forcibly dragged up the emotions I was so quick to suppress? The feelings from when I was debating whether to kill Zhuge Hyuk. The aftereffects lingered, leaving a foul, unpleasant taste.
Smack!
I slapped myself hard across the cheek. I must have hit it a little too hard, because I tasted blood. I wiped it away carelessly with the back of my hand.
“Get a grip, you idiot.”
Ever since my body changed, I'd felt that something had shifted mentally. I suspected this was the biggest influence. All the more reason I had to keep my wits about me. I couldn't let my mind be devoured.
Think about who I am.
This wasn't some philosophical concept or some trivial thought about finding the meaning of my existence.
The Scoundrel of the Gu Clan.
Don't forget that simple, clear moniker. I focused on that one thing.
[…Kid.]
Don't call me that. I'm perfectly fine. I could feel the worry laced in Elder Shin's voice. I asked him not to. Because I wouldn't crumble over something like this. It's not because I'm strong. I simply won't collapse because I can't collapse.
I walked along the lantern-lit path. I schooled my expression and even circulated my internal energy to calm my mind and body. This should be enough.
By the time I thought that, I had arrived at the residence where I was staying.
“...”
I froze. The moment I stepped into the residence, my feet stopped. I could feel it.
It's hot.
For some reason, I could feel that the temperature inside the residence alone had risen. Sensing that hot energy, I entered cautiously.
The servants outside bowed respectfully when they saw me, but their faces were filled with tension. Where had the Tang Clan guards who were protecting the residence gone? I had no idea. But this was no time to worry about that.
I climbed the creaking stairs, grabbed the doorknob, and opened the door.
The room was dark, yet I had the illusion that it was distinctly bright. I could see teacups. Two of them, placed on the table. And someone sitting perfectly still in a neat posture.
Just from the red eyes visible in the dim shadows, I knew it was my father.
“...”
Sensing this, I slowly took a step forward.
And then… Fwoosh-!
The room instantly brightened. A small flame ignited in mid-air. It was small in size, but incredibly bright—bright enough to make me squint.
Enduring it, I looked toward my father. He wasn't looking at me; instead, he suddenly took something out from his robes.
“…!”
I had to gasp at the sight. The object my father had taken out was none other than a moonlight marble. Why does Father have that…? My eyes trembled as if an earthquake had struck them at its bewildering appearance.
Just then, my father turned his head and looked at me. Meeting his crimson eyes, I felt my body freeze on its own. As I swallowed dryly in my forcibly silenced mouth, my father spoke.
“Sit.”
“...”
At his command, my frozen body moved on its own, and I slid into a sitting position before the table. My knees were bent without me realizing it, my hands gathered meekly.
Across from me, my father lifted his teacup and took a sip. Just as an atmosphere so tense it could make one choke began to form, with the moonlight marble sitting between us…
Clink.
Father, having taken a light sip of tea, set down his cup and spoke.
“Explain.”
“...”
Hearing that, I thought to myself. No matter how I looked at it, I should have bolted long ago.
* * *
Explain.
In response to my father's command, I didn't say much. I spoke as slowly as possible. I had to mix various thoughts into my words as I spoke. I had prepared my excuses beforehand, but I couldn't make any mistakes while delivering them.
Though it's still just an excuse.
Dammit. Of all things, I never imagined he would bring the very moonlight marble I had handed over to the White Flower Merchant Association merchant association. When on earth did he go there? Because of that, I had to reorganize my story as I was telling it.
And so, the explanation—or rather, excuse—I gave my father was this:
First, I had accidentally fallen into the lake and discovered the Tang Clan's secret vault there. There, I obtained a large amount of moonlight marbles and Heavenly Poison Orbs. I ate one of the Heavenly Poison Orbs and underwent a full-body transformation. I brought the moonlight marbles out and handed them over to the White Flower Merchant Association merchant association to be sold.
But then a problem arose. In the secret vault, I found information that the Tang Clan was up to something strange. It seemed my comrades were in danger of being caught up in it, so I told the Poison King to try and stop it.
“...”
Even as I haltingly continued my story, piece by piece, I knew deep down that I was screwed. The story was full of contradictions and holes. The fact that one doesn't simply undergo a full-body transformation by eating a Heavenly Poison Orb. And why on earth I would go all the way to the Lake of Poison and fall in. Furthermore, how I managed to discover a secret vault after falling into a lake. And how I discovered evidence that the Tang Clan was up to something in a secret vault whose existence was unknown.
The more I spoke, the more I felt how fucked I was. If I were in my father's shoes, I probably would have beaten me up, wondering what kind of bullshit I was spouting. Besides, saying I sold the moonlight marbles from the Tang Clan's secret vault was no different from admitting I'd stolen their property.
…Goddammit.
I'd made my move not expecting my father to show up. If I'd known things would turn out like this, I would have used a different method, even if it took more time.
What do I do?
After barely finishing my story, I watched my father's reaction. Throughout my story, my father listened silently without interrupting me once. Only when my story was completely finished did he take a sip of his tea.
After moistening his lips, my father's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at me, his lips parting to speak. In that moment, my entire body tensed up.
I'm going to get scolded. I haven't been hit by my father since our last spar. I guess I'll be adding another one to the count in this life. Hoping to at least get hit less painfully, I shifted my gaze around, when…
“How is your body?”
“…Pardon?”
The words that came from my father's mouth were rather unexpected. How is my body?
“I heard you underwent a full-body transformation. What is your condition?”
“…Well.” It was a completely unexpected question, and I was momentarily flustered. “…The Immortal Healer… checked my pulse. He said my body is in good condition….” It wasn't a lie. I had, in fact, just been examined by the Immortal Healer.
“I see.” As if satisfied with my answer, my father nodded, his narrowed eyes widening.
The problem was, it only lasted for a moment.
Squeeze.
I felt a tightening sensation around my heart. The air shifted. As my eyes widened at the unfamiliar sensation, he spoke.
“Then it is also true that someone fed you poison.” My father said, “Third child.”
“Ugh… yes.”
“It was a good thing to handle the matter differently by giving the Poison King a justification, but…”
K-k-k-k.
My shoulders were crushed. The pressure emanating from my father was pressing down on my body.
…Dammit.
I thought I'd gotten much stronger, but to think I still have to bite my lip, unable to withstand his pressure alone.
“The fact that you tried to swallow poison yourself for that purpose deserves a scolding.”
“…I'm… sorry.”
Ah, so I'm still getting scolded. Just as I thought that and gulped…
Shhhk.
My father suddenly rose to his feet. Thinking he was getting up to beat me, I raised my head to follow his movement.
“However.” My father's gaze was not on me, but on the door. “It seems there is someone else who must be punished first.”
“…My lord…?” Sensing something was off, I called out to him, but my father didn't answer and quietly walked to the door.
Whoosh-! The door opened on its own, untouched by his hand.
Creeak.
The moment my father took a step outside the door.
FWOOOOSH-!
“…What?”
Light poured in. I could see it clearly. The dark, moonlit sky was instantly replaced by a blue one.
The sun. The very thing that should have been asleep at this hour, had appeared in the empty sky.
I was speechless at the impossible sight.
“Wait here,” my father said, looking at me with his usual expressionless face.
Whoosh.
My father's black hair slowly began to change color. It turned red, the same color as his eyes. It was my father's combat stance, something I had never seen before, not even in my past life.
“I will return before the tea gets cold.”