Chapter 565: Why is this old man here? (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 565: Why is this old man here? (2)
I stared up at the sky—a sight I’d grown far too familiar with.
I had been beaten into the dirt hundreds of times by now. This much was nothing to me.
[My disciple.]
I lifted my head at the sound of his voice.
Craning my throbbing neck, I saw the Dishonored Venerable looking down at me with a strange expression. It seemed he wanted to ask me something, though I had no idea what.
[What is it?]
[Something just occurred to me.]
[Yes?]
[What do you plan to do from now on?]
[Excuse me?]
It was a completely random question.
He’d just finished beating the hell out of me, and I was just about to get some rest. Why was he asking something like that now?
[What’s with the sudden question? Are you trying to map out my life for me?]
[Why would I do something so bothersome?]
He looked genuinely annoyed at the mere thought.
How harsh. And he calls himself my master…
[So, what is it then?]
When I asked with a dumbfounded look, the Dishonored Venerable looked at me and sighed.
[Didn’t I tell you before?]
[Tell me what?]
It wasn’t like he’d only told me one or two things. I couldn’t quite remember which specific point he was referring to, so I asked for clarification.
[I told you this was enough. That it was time for you to start moving as you pleased.]
[Ah.]
Only then did I remember.
He had indeed said that. About three months ago, if I recalled correctly.
It was right after I had mastered the Fourth Form of the Heaven Destruction Art. As soon as I succeeded, the Dishonored Venerable had spoken.
[This should be enough.]
He’d had a satisfied look on his face then.
[Now you won’t get beaten up wherever you go.]
It had been two and a half years since I began training under him in earnest. Only then had I finally managed to earn his acknowledgment.
[The preparations are complete.]
[Now go and turn the Central Plains upside down as you wish.]
He had said it with great anticipation. And yet, here we were, three months later.
[I told you that, yet why are you still cooped up here training instead of leaving?] the Dishonored Venerable asked, a look of disbelief on his face.
…Shouldn’t I be the one who’s dumbfounded?
[…Are you giving me grief for training hard?]
He should be cheering me on, but instead, he was asking why I was still here. What kind of situation was this? I was utterly baffled by his attitude.
[Didn’t you tell me to do nothing but train until I mastered it?]
[That was just an expression. How can a person live by only training?]
[…You did.]
[What was that?]
[Nothing. Just clearing my throat.]
Whoosh!
I twisted my head, dodging a sudden fist.
That was close. A second later and it would have smashed into my skull. The funny thing was, my successful evasion only seemed to bring a look of satisfaction to the Dishonored Venerable’s eyes.
[Oh? Look at this punk.]
Normally, I would have been hit squarely, unable to even think of dodging. But now, I had reached a point where I could barely evade a few of his attacks.
However…
[Hey, I told you not to just start swinging out of nowhere!]
While my awakened eyes allowed me to dodge, they also deepened my understanding of just how incredible the Dishonored Venerable truly was.
The Mind’s Eye, awakened by the Heaven Destruction Art.
It was an eye that allowed me to see the flow of an opponent’s Qi, letting me predict how and where they would move the moment they imbued their actions with energy. It didn’t let me see the physical movement itself, but the intent within the Qi.
Because I could know in advance what move my opponent would make, it was an incredible power.
There was just one problem.
[…Ugh…]
I clutched my forehead—which hadn’t even been hit—and let out a groan.
This was the drawback of the Mind’s Eye. Using it for more than a few minutes brought on immense ocular fatigue and a splitting headache.
Qi was like a web of countless threads. Even if I could see where the Qi intended to go, moving my body to match that speed was another story entirely. I had only used it for a few minutes, yet my head was already pounding.
[How in the world do you endure this, Elder?]
The Dishonored Venerable had said he kept his Mind’s Eye active not only during every duel but also for most of his daily life. He’d said he was so used to it now that it felt like nothing.
It wasn’t just the pain that came with using the Heaven Destruction Art. Every martial art this man created was unbelievably crude. Gaining power in exchange for pain—in a way, I felt it was a power more demonic than Demonic Qi itself.
[Stop changing the subject and answer me.]
[Answer what?]
[I’m asking what you’re planning to do, training like this.]
As I struggled to manage my headache, the Dishonored Venerable asked again, his brow slightly furrowed.
[You were the one who was so eager to go out and flip the world on its head. I’m curious why you’re suddenly holed up here.]
[I’m not leaving because training is fun.]
[I’m sure that’s the reason.]
He should be happy his disciple was training so hard. I really had no idea what was wrong with this man.
[And are you colluding with those lackeys of yours recently because training is so fun?]
[…When did you see that?]
[There are only three places in your clan’s estate that my eyes and ears cannot reach. Do you truly think I wouldn’t know?]
Three places… In that case, one would be my father’s office. Another would be the residence where the Heavenly Venerable was staying. And the last one would be…
Probably the Gu Clan’s underground prison.
Realizing this, I swallowed dryly. I deliberately changed the subject.
[Didn’t you say I could do whatever I wanted, whether I turned things upside down or not?]
He had said that once he gave his permission, I was free to do as I pleased. As long as I didn’t neglect my training in the Heaven Destruction Art, I could do anything.
[I did. I certainly said that.] The Dishonored Venerable sighed and continued. [But seeing what you’re up to, I’m getting worried.]
[About me?]
[No. I’m worried for the Central Plains, wondering what kind of massive trouble you’re planning to stir up after holding back for so long.]
[…]
What in the world was that supposed to mean? I couldn’t help but scowl.
[What have I done to deserve that?]
[Not yet, but you’re planning something, aren’t you?]
[…Hmph.]
I couldn’t deny it. Because I was, in fact, planning something.
That was why I was focusing so hard on my training and building a separate foundation. The Dishonored Venerable said I could make my move now, but in my view, it still wasn't enough.
I was still a long way from achieving my goal. To even make a pretense of it, I needed more. Just a little more. I needed to build myself up until I met the conditions I had set for myself.
[…It’s nothing that grand. It’s just…] I looked the Dishonored Venerable in the eye. [There are two bastards I need to screw over.]
There were two people I had to stop, no matter what.
[And I’ve thought of a way to screw them both over at the same time.]
A way to stop the disaster the Heavenly Demon would cause, and to deal with the Blood Demon at the same time. It was something only I could do. Something perfectly suited for me.
When I thought about it, the logic was simple. I would steal the position and power the Heavenly Demon was meant to obtain, thereby preventing the Blood Disaster he would unleash.
Even if I couldn’t prevent the Blood Disaster entirely, I could at least disrupt his plans while simultaneously reminding the Central Plains of the danger, laying the groundwork for them to prepare for the future.
Furthermore…
‘I will buy myself the power to face both the Heavenly Demon and the Blood Demon.’
That was the plan. It sounded absurd on the surface—a plan that seemed to have more drawbacks than benefits—but I judged it was worth a try.
The only problem was that to remind the Alliance of the future danger of the Blood Disaster, an incident was necessary.
I had discreetly spread information on how to deal with Red-Grade Demons through my intelligence network, but changing their perception of a Blood Disaster that hadn’t even happened yet was impossible with information alone.
Humans are creatures of apathy. They tend to think foolishly and simply about the future.
Therefore, I had to find a way. And I found the easiest one.
It was a simple principle: if they were so indifferent to something that hadn’t happened yet… then all I had to do was create a crisis to remind them.
An entity hostile to the Murim Alliance that sought its destruction. An entity possessing overwhelming martial might and influence, drawing the vigilance of the entire Central Plains.
The master of the Demonic Cult, the Heavenly Demon.
His existence alone had forced the Murim Alliance—which was rotting and collapsing from within—to unite, if only for a time. He had made them gather unprecedented military strength and wage a war. That was the phenomenon created by the crisis known as the Heavenly Demon.
[…And so.]
If a crisis could serve such a useful role… then I would gladly create that crisis myself. I could do that much, easily.
Which meant, in this world where the ‘crisis’ had not yet appeared…
[I’m thinking of putting on a little play.]
I had decided to become the crisis first.
* * *
My body was shaking.
“…pa.”
I could hear a voice in my ear. My eyelids were heavy, making it hard to open my eyes.
“Wake up…!”
It was an urgent voice. Gu Ryunghwa?
Confirming this, I cracked my eyes open slightly.
‘My wrists.’
At the same time, I tried to move my arms.
Clank.
I felt something bound to my wrists. Thankfully, it seemed the shackles were securely fastened again.
Right after coughing up a lungful of blood, I had wrapped my clothes around myself, tended to my body, and returned to the prison. I had created a disturbance to buy time, preventing people from coming to the prison right away. During that time, I had slipped back inside and quietly returned to my cell.
I left no traces. Even if I had, I trusted Nahee would have cleaned them up. After returning to my original state, I sat in the cell.
And then…
‘Did I fall asleep?’
It seemed I had briefly lost consciousness. That was a mistake.
‘The fatigue was much worse than I thought.’
I should have avoided losing consciousness at all costs. To think I’d passed out, unable to withstand the strain on my body.
Woooong.
I circulated the Qi in my body slightly to check my condition. I could feel that my insides were still a mess.
‘Tsk…’
On the other hand, I could also feel myself slowly regenerating, but an internal injury was an internal injury. It looked like I would be suffering for at least a couple of months.
‘…If nothing else, that Fire Wheel Star is an unusable technique.’
When I tried to create a sun in the empty air, half the Qi in my heart was drained away instantly. Because I had tried to forcefully use a power that didn’t match my realm, my Qi pathways had taken the brunt of the burden.
‘This isn’t easy.’
I thought I had met all the conditions, yet I was in this state after just one use. If I was going to do this again, I would have to find a more efficient way. I couldn't keep doing it like this.
I was trying to think of another method when…
“…Oppa… please wake up.”
I turned my gaze toward the voice. Ah, right, Gu Ryunghwa was calling me. I immediately spoke.
“Ah, I just dozed off for a bit. I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
I used my Qi to hide my internal injuries. As long as it wasn’t visible on the outside, it would be fine. Just as Gu Ryunghwa was about to say something…
“You must have been very tired.”
Another voice cut in.
I turned my head and saw the Sword Queen standing there. She also looked quite exhausted, likely because of the recent chaos. I feigned ignorance and smiled.
“For the Sword Queen to be here, does that mean everything is over?”
Slide.
I subtly showed her my tightly bound wrists.
“This is getting a bit stuffy… I hope the misunderstanding has been cleared up. I really didn’t steal anything.”
I had to act as if I knew nothing about what had just happened. My face was hidden by a mask, and I had changed my body and even my voice, so there shouldn’t be any signs. Nevertheless, I had to be extremely careful.
Hearing my words, the Sword Queen wore a grim expression and spoke in a calm voice.
“I’d like to release you if I could, but for now…”
“It’s alright.”
Another voice cut in, interrupting the Sword Queen. Someone appeared from behind her. Seeing him, I clicked my tongue inwardly.
‘I didn’t sense his presence.’
Perhaps because of my internal injuries, my senses weren’t working properly. That must be why I couldn’t feel a presence this close. Otherwise, there was no way I would have missed someone with such a massive presence.
The figure who had suddenly appeared smiled at the Sword Queen and said, “On the contrary, we should be the ones apologizing for our sect’s rudeness, shouldn’t we, Sword Queen?”
Flutter.
A breeze from somewhere rustled the old man’s robes. As the pure white fabric fluttered, a large character embroidered on them shifted.
正 (Righteousness).
That was the character written on the robe. Its meaning was a steadfast declaration that he himself was justice, and at the same time, it signified that he was the highest authority in the Murim Alliance—the heart of the Orthodox Faction.
The Alliance Leader.
That was the old man’s identity.
He had sharp features and stark white hair, a well-groomed beard, and a physique that felt incredibly toned for a man of his age. Moreover, the sharp aura emanating from the old man’s body made my own body tense up involuntarily. His presence was on a completely different level from Woobaek, the man called the Flying Star Sword.
‘…He really came.’
The first sect leader to come from a clan, and a figure belonging to the Ten Masters of the Central Plains—the Seven Steel and Three Fists.
The Sect Leader of Wudang. The Sword Immortal of Wudang.
He had come here to oversee the incident that had broken out in his own sect…
“Huh?”
A strange sound escaped my lips. Because of it, everyone turned to look at me. It was by no means a situation where such a sound should have been made. Even I had to swallow dryly after letting it out. It wasn't intentional; it just slipped out without me realizing.
‘No.’
But I couldn’t help it.
‘Why is that old geezer here?’
Discovering another old man standing quietly next to the Sword Immortal was what had shocked me. How could I not be surprised?
As everyone’s eyes gathered on me, I heard a chuckle.
“Ho-ho.”
I felt a gaze filled with interest land on me.
“How curious. Very curious indeed.”
It was an old man, hunched over so much that he looked like a hunchback. He seemed to have trouble walking, leaning heavily on a staff. His untrimmed eyebrows were so long they covered his eyes.
Tap.
He approached me. He must not have washed often, because a faint, foul odor emanated from him. However, no one around the old man wrinkled their nose. The same went for me.
If you knew the old man’s identity, you wouldn't dare.
The old man came close and looked at me. “A pleasure to meet you, child.”
Yes, I knew who this old man was. I had just thought of him a short while ago. How could I forget?
“Do you know who I am?” the old man asked, sounding amused.
“…I do,” I answered.
“Ho-ho. In that case, why don’t you take a guess?”
“...”
At the old man’s second question, I hesitated for a moment before opening my mouth.
“…I greet the Leader of the Beggar’s Sect.”
At my words, the old man’s eyebrows lowered slightly.
The old man’s identity was none other than the head of the Beggar’s Sect, known as the ears of the Murim Alliance.
Drunken Beggar, Woo Bong.
And also…
‘The Wind Cloud Ghost Thief.’
The real Wind Cloud Ghost Thief that Wudang had tried to use as a scapegoat.