Chapter 530: The Primordial Artifact.
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 530: The Primordial Artifact.
What did this crazy old man just say?
Touch me?
A wave of pure disgust washed over me, and I had to clean out my ears on the spot. I desperately wanted to believe I’d misheard him.
But it seemed I wasn’t the only one. The Monster of Wudang’s expression was completely wrecked. Just one look at his face told me everything. He was thinking the exact same thing I was.
And then, just as I expected.
“Old man… have you lost your mind?”
He blurted out the very words on the tip of my tongue. It was somewhat satisfying.
Of course, that didn’t make this entire situation any less incomprehensible.
Asking to be touched? Has he truly gone insane?
I’d heard he was a lingering thought, an obsession left behind by Namgung Myung. Had centuries of isolation finally driven him mad?
[…Myung… My Myung….]
Meanwhile, Elder Shin’s pathetic muttering was starting to grate on my nerves.
…Elder Shin, your friend isn’t dead yet, he’s right over… no, wait, he is dead. But his remnant is right there.
He spoke as if he missed him, so I tried to point out the obvious.
[Heh heh, what are you talking about, youngster? Where on earth do you see Myung?]
He’s right there…
[Did you mistake that pervert for Myung? Hahaha. That can't be right.]
...
I see.
Elder Shin was now in full-blown denial. This remnant might not be the true Namgung Myung, but as the personification of his lingering obsession, he was, in a way, a part of him. It seemed Elder Shin had started to believe he wasn't even that.
…Hmph.
Honestly, I didn't want to believe it either, but what could I do? The words had already been seared into my brain.
[…Please….]
Namgung Myung continued to speak to me in that pitiful tone. What the hell was his problem?
Fuck… What am I even supposed to say to this?
I didn't know how to describe the boiling emotion inside me. One thing was for sure: it was profoundly unpleasant. To think I'd have to endure this kind of behavior from a dead man, of all people.
Barely suppressing a shiver, I addressed the remnant. “…Why are you acting like this? Are you perhaps…”
Have you lost your mind? I swallowed the words and said something else. “Are you in pain somewhere…?”
Can a lingering thought contained within a treasure even feel pain? I didn't know, but I could tell Namgung Myung was in a strange state. How could anyone see this and think it was normal?
[My child…! Please…!]
What is wrong with him? It was getting genuinely terrifying. I'd be flustered if a woman did this, but here was a shriveled-up old ghost wailing for me to touch him.
“Ah, seriously, what’s wrong with you?” I found myself backing away unconsciously. What was his deal?
As I put distance between us with a look of utter disgust, Namgung Bi-ah, standing beside me, gave me a strange look. “…What's… wrong…?”
“What's wrong? This old geezer is…?” But as I started to explain, I noticed her expression and felt something was off. “You…”
“…?”
“Can you, by any chance, not hear anything?”
In response to my question, Namgung Bi-ah tilted her head in confusion. She couldn't hear Namgung Myung's voice?
…Even after she held and used the Thunder Fang?
Not only had she just wielded the Thunder Fang, she'd even managed to properly draw its blade. And yet she was deaf to his pleas?
What is this situation?
As I was momentarily stunned by this development, Namgung Myung spoke to me in an utterly exhausted voice. […That descendant may have been acknowledged by the Thunder Fang, but she has not been acknowledged by me.]
“What is that supposed to mean…?” Acknowledged by the sword, but not by its creator? Weren't they one and the same?
[Even if the Thunder Fang has taken a liking to that child, she cannot hear me unless I allow my voice to be heard by her.]
So she could use the sword's power even without Namgung Myung's personal acknowledgment?
Then isn't that actually a good thing? Considering this old geezer's current personality, it seemed far better for Namgung Bi-ah to be spared his voice. And yet…
…Hmph.
Ultimately, for her to grow truly strong, she needed Namgung Myung's direct power and guidance. Even if the Monster of Wudang learned the sword techniques and passed them on… it wouldn't be as effective as the original master bestowing them himself.
That made it even more puzzling. “…Why won't you acknowledge her?” Wasn't someone like Namgung Bi-ah more than qualified? She had talent. She hadn't abandoned the clan. She was in the perfect condition to learn. Why the refusal?
When I pressed him, Namgung Myung replied with a hint of pride. […Why… should I have to tell you that?]
Heh.
Look at this old geezer. Trying to act proud even now? People who acted like this after I had leverage over them were always a thrill. “It seems you need something from me. Are you sure you want to act this way?”
[...]
If they gave me a weakness to exploit, they were easy to handle. His begging to be held was messed up, but if he wanted it that badly, he shouldn't be acting so prideful. Besides, I also need to know why he wants it. I had to find out the cause, and whether holding him would bring me harm.
[…You bastard….] As if he'd just realized I had him cornered, Namgung Myung reacted, but it was too late.
“If you don't want to tell me, you don't have to.” My words clearly implied that without an explanation, I had no reason to comply.
[… Gnash.] I could hear him grinding his teeth. That reaction told me one thing: He must be really desperate. For him to endure this humiliation, he must be in quite a hurry. Why was he so out of his mind?
Did I do something? I couldn't remember. All I did was use the Thunder Fang briefly earlier. The recoil had wrecked my body, and the aftereffects still lingered. In my current state, grabbing that sword again seemed like a very bad idea.
Which meant I had no reason to cooperate with Namgung Myung. In other words, Give me a reason to. That was the gist of it.
Just as I wondered if that prideful old ghost would bend…
[…That child's sword is not for herself.] Surprisingly, Namgung Myung began to explain, as if he intended to cooperate.
“What do you mean by that?” Her sword isn't for herself?
[The moment that child held the Thunder Fang, I could feel it. The path she intends to walk.] He was talking about when Namgung Bi-ah had wielded the sword. [Her conviction was so righteous that the Thunder Fang responded to it. But I did not.]
Namgung Myung's voice, which had sounded exhausted moments before, was now filled with a strange heat. A whirlwind of emotions swirled within it. [Because I know what lies at the end of a path of a sword wielded for others, I do not wish to give my power to a child who seeks to walk it.]
[You bastard…!] …Elder Shin. Hold on. As Elder Shin was about to snap back, I stopped him mentally.
A sword for others. What Namgung Myung was describing was, ultimately, a lament for his own life—a life spent for the sake of the world. Or perhaps it was the lament of the lingering obsession he had left behind. I doubted there was much difference.
Putting aside why the real Namgung Myung would leave behind such an obsession, I thought I understood his reluctance. A sword not for oneself, but for another. If Namgung Bi-ah intended to cultivate such a sword… for whom was it?
I already knew the answer.
Me.
She'd said she would go to the North to protect me. Even an idiot like me couldn't miss the meaning. If Namgung Myung saw that as a problem…
“So what about it?” I asked.
[…What?]
It wasn't really my business. I wanted to stop Namgung Bi-ah from trying to protect me, but… if this was the result, it was just fucking annoying from my perspective.
“So you're saying this kid has a good heart, but you're throwing a tantrum because you don't like it, is that it?”
[How can you speak in such a….]
“What the fuck, it's true, isn't it?” My words were coarse, but they weren't wrong. I got a little heated and pressed him, and Namgung Bi-ah's eyes widened beside me. I was trying to hold back since she was there, but he was getting on my last nerve. “An ancestor, acting worse than a snot-nosed brat.”
[You bastard…!]
Seeing Elder Shin constantly sighing at Namgung Myung's pathetic state… it seemed the real Namgung Myung hadn't been like this. I didn't know why this remnant was. Is it because he's just a lingering obsession? He himself said he was a cast-off piece. Maybe he was just a bundle of the original's ugliest emotions. If that was what it took to endure the years, I could accept it.
Of course, I have no intention of dealing with that shit. There were already enough senile old men around. My head was aching enough. It was a pain to deal with another one. I just wanted to find out what was wrong and leave. It seemed better to just go.
I spoke to Namgung Myung, who was trembling with anger. “You said you needed me.”
[…Yes….]
I didn't know why he needed me, but if he was that desperate… “Then promise you'll teach her properly. If you do, I'll hold it for you.” I needed to get something out of this, too.
[You bastard…!] My threat made his voice deepen. Did he not expect me to use this against him? Well, he knows now.
[Are you threatening me? Is that what you're saying?]
Haha. I burst out laughing. “This old man is amusing.” Then again, he hasn't known me for long, so I guess he could say something like that.
[What's so funny….]
“If this isn't a threat, what do you think it is?”
[...]
“To be more precise, it's closer to a deal than a threat. It's good for both of us if we give and take.” I'll do what you want, so you do what I want. Is that so difficult? It seemed straightforward to me.
Barely smoothing out my furrowing brow, I said, “So, just tell me if you'll do it or not. I'm sleepy and I want to go to bed.”
[… Gnash.] Namgung Myung kept grinding his teeth. But watching his reaction, I could already predict his answer.
The only thing that bothered me was… …I got a little heated and came on a bit strong. This was something I felt sorry for, not to Namgung Myung, but to Elder Shin. To have tormented his friend like this…
[Friend? Who are you talking about?]
Ah, he's already a stranger to him. Seeing Elder Shin react as if he genuinely didn't know him, even my guilt vanished. What a relief.
The Monster of Wudang was staring at the Thunder Fang with an indescribable expression. Namgung Bi-ah, oblivious, was just darting her eyes around. In the midst of it all, I waited for Namgung Myung's answer.
A few seconds passed.
[…I will teach her….] Namgung Myung's answer came.
“What was that? Sir. I can't hear you very well.”
[…I said I will teach the sword to that child, so hold it now.]
“I said I can't hear you.”
[I'm speaking this clearly, how can you not hear me!] He yelled, but the point remained.
“ She can't hear you.” It wasn't me; Namgung Bi-ah was still deaf to his voice. I had to be clear.
[ Groan ….] Understanding my meaning, he let out a short groan before speaking again, his voice now carrying to her. […Can you hear me?]
“…!” Only then did Namgung Bi-ah finally react, her startled eyes looking rather cute.
[Now, is that enough….]
The moment I heard his words, I took the Thunder Fang from the Monster of Wudang. If I was going to do it, I wanted to get it over with quickly.
And then.
Vwooom—!
I could feel my Qi being rapidly absorbed into the sword in my hand.
[Hah…!] Instantly, Namgung Myung let out a breath of admiration—a sound so grotesque I wanted to drop the sword immediately. But I had to endure it.
…So he asked me to hold him to feed on my Qi? A considerable amount was being drained. He was gobbling it up.
[Haaaah!] “…Ugh. Fuck.” The sound of a shriveled old ghost moaning. It was utterly disgusting.
As the draining gradually subsided, I asked, not bothering to hide my contempt. “Seriously, what is wrong with you?” I was demanding to know what the hell had happened.
Perhaps because he'd tasted my Qi, his voice sounded a bit more like his old self, as if he'd regained his senses. […It is because you infused your Qi into the Thunder Fang.]
I nodded slightly. It really was because I had used the sword earlier.
Why? What was the connection between my Qi and his bizarre reaction? I couldn't find a link.
“Do you know the cause for your behavior?”
[…I do. I just never thought I would experience it myself.] Fortunately, he seemed to know the reason.
I handed the Thunder Fang, which I was holding like something filthy, back to the Monster of Wudang. His expression as he took it back wasn't pleased either. He'd probably seen too much of his ancestor's unseemly side. If I were him, my respect would have plummeted.
Namgung Myung, who had been panting heavily, finally seemed calm. […I have a guess as to why I reacted this way.]
“It's a little late to be putting on that cool voice now.”
[There is one thing I wish to ask you, child.] He was using the same cool, taciturn voice as our first meeting, so I took a jab. He seemed intent on ignoring it.
That was fine by me, and I was about to laugh it off, when his next question struck like a thunderclap.
[You… what is your relationship with the Blood Demon?]
At Namgung Myung's words, I felt my brow furrow deeply.