Chapter 674: It's been a while! (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 674: It's been a while! (2)
Seven days and nights had passed.
Henan remained as bustling as ever. Before I knew it, summer had arrived, bringing with it the sweltering peak of the season’s heat.
Of course, even with the streets teeming with people, I had no idea how the world was changing. I spent the vast majority of my time confined to my lodgings, and even when I did venture out, it was only under the cover of night.
I did nothing but focus on my training, waiting for time to slip by.
Clang—! Clang, clang—!
A heavy iron bar crashed to the floor with a dull, resonant thud. My body was drenched in sweat, and my breathing was ragged and heavy.
“Hoo… hah…”
I steadied my breath and stretched my aching limbs. With the weight finally gone, I felt incredibly light—almost weightless.
At the same time…
Swoosh—!
The iron bar on the ground instantly dissolved into a fine mist and vanished into thin air. Surprisingly, the bar was a construct I had created using my own power.
‘The duration has increased a bit.’
Over the past few days, I had made considerable progress by practicing with this ability. I could now maintain a simple shape, like an iron bar, for about an hour. However, for objects involving multiple colors or complex geometries, the duration was exponentially shorter.
‘Still, this alone is a massive improvement.’
Objects manifested through my power were virtually indistinguishable from the real thing. That fact alone made the ability incredibly valuable.
‘The condition for manifestation is… I have to understand the object in detail.’
I couldn't create things I didn't know or was uncertain about. The more information I possessed regarding an object’s composition and structure, the more precisely I could replicate it.
‘It’s a decent power.’
Even though I had lost Regeneration, I was glad I’d gained this at the very least. If I hadn’t even gotten this much, I would have been livid.
“Hoo.”
I caught my breath and began to wipe myself down. It had been a while since I’d pushed myself this hard, and the summer heat was no joke. As I wiped away the sweat, I gave a casual wave of my hand.
Shiiii—!
A faint, chilling energy spread from my fingertips, filling the room. It was Ice Qi—the lingering energy I had obtained from the ice crystals. It flooded the space, rapidly dropping the temperature.
“That’s much better.”
It was a difficult energy to weaponize in actual combat, but for utility like this, it was quite handy. As I basked in the artificial chill, I turned my gaze toward the others.
“Hooo…”
I wasn't the only one resting in exhaustion. Woo Hyuk and Seong Yul were there as well. Seong Yul was staggering, looking as if he might drop dead at any moment. Woo Hyuk was panting just as hard, though he didn't look quite as close to a total collapse.
Looking at the two of them, I asked, “Should we call it a day for the morning session?”
“…Un…derstood.”
“Morning? Does that mean there’s an afternoon session, too?”
Seong Yul replied as if he were used to the torture, but Woo Hyuk stared at me with wide, disbelieving eyes.
“What, you thought we were done for the day?”
“…Your training regimen has become even more monstrous.”
“Of course it has. My realm is higher now.”
“...”
I didn’t understand his shocked expression. Wasn't it only natural to increase your training volume as your cultivation progressed?
“Ah, you’re a Taoist, so you might not know.”
Come to think of it, I’d heard that Taoists, unlike simple martial artists, were more obsessed with enlightenment. Once they reached a certain level, they pursued spiritual clarity rather than physical conditioning.
‘I suppose that’s not a bad path.’
I understood that everyone had their own way of doing things, though I wasn't sure if that truly applied to Woo Hyuk.
“I only dragged you out here because I was annoyed seeing you cooped up in your room. From tomorrow, you’re on your own.”
“...”
“Follow along or don’t. It’s up to you.”
Woo Hyuk didn’t answer; he simply gave a small, stiff nod. Would he show up tomorrow? I had a feeling he would.
“And…”
I was about to say something else to Woo Hyuk, but I stopped myself.
“Hm?”
“Never mind. Let’s talk about it later.”
It didn’t feel like the right time, so I held back. I could just tell him what was on my mind before the tournament began.
It had been about ten days since I returned to Henan. Woo Hyuk had barely shown his face since entering his residence. He hadn’t returned to Wudang; he just stayed holed up in his quarters, almost as if he were in seclusion.
The reason for this was none other than the Monster of Wudang.
‘Or rather, not because of the Monster of Wudang himself, but because of his power.’
The power I had stripped from Mang and bestowed upon Woo Hyuk: Regeneration.
Woo Hyuk was attempting to use that Regeneration to heal the Monster of Wudang. This was because of a subtle hint I’d dropped—the fact that Regeneration could be used to heal the bodies of others, not just one’s own.
Upon hearing this, Woo Hyuk had immediately sought out the Monster of Wudang and had been trying to restore his arm ever since. Of course, it didn’t seem to be going as smoothly as he’d hoped. Just looking at Woo Hyuk’s haggard expression told me it was an uphill battle. Nevertheless, he seemed to be constantly experimenting.
‘It would be for the best if it works out.’
This wasn’t out of some altruistic wish for the Monster of Wudang’s recovery. It was because if Woo Hyuk succeeded, I would gain invaluable information.
‘If he succeeds… it proves that powers can evolve the more they are used.’
Just as I was gradually becoming more proficient with ‘Wind,’ if Woo Hyuk could force Regeneration to grow, it would prove that these abilities strengthened through use.
Furthermore…
‘I need to see if there are any side effects to transferring a power.’
I had turned Woo Hyuk into a Demonic Human and granted him Regeneration. He wasn't showing any adverse reactions to the Demonic Qi yet, so nothing seemed amiss. But since this was an untested method, I needed to monitor his condition closely.
‘If there are no problems with this method…’
Perhaps, just as the Heavenly Demon once did, I might be able to distribute powers to my own Demonic Humans.
‘No, seeing Woo Hyuk, it seems I already can.’
I just didn't have any spare powers to give.
‘…Then how on earth was the Heavenly Demon able to do it?’
If the special abilities she bestowed upon the Demonic Humans were truly powers… and if she gave them in the same way I did…
‘The number of powers the Heavenly Demon possessed must have been well over a hundred.’
Setting aside how she managed to contain all that energy in her small frame… how did she collect them all? And why did she share them?
Doubts about the Heavenly Demon’s actions and her true identity began to swirl.
‘The Heavenly Demon…’
I grit my teeth at the thought of that woman. I remembered what had happened seven days and nights ago. Since then, I hadn’t gone to see Gu Huibi, let alone the Heavenly Demon. I had my people watch her around the clock, but I hadn’t approached her myself.
From what I heard, the Heavenly Demon had already noticed the surveillance. But she was deliberately ignoring them, paying them no mind at all. They said all she did were ordinary things—housework and hunting for food.
‘Damn it.’
The Heavenly Demon doing housework. The very thought was absurd. What the hell was she doing? What was her intention?
Why was Gu Huibi… no.
‘That man, her grandfather, just dumped the Heavenly Demon on her and vanished, didn’t he?’
Gu Huibi had said the previous Lord of the Gu Clan had entrusted the Heavenly Demon to her before he left. Was that really true? I couldn’t be sure.
The fact that a man presumed dead was alive and well. The fact that a member of the Gu Clan had suddenly been entrusted with the Heavenly Demon. These were things I had intended to ask my father about after meeting Gu Huibi, but…
‘…Father still hasn’t arrived in Henan.’
Even though the Gu Clan members who had set out with him had already arrived.
‘Where did he go?’
Just as I was wondering if he had gone missing, Lady Mi handed me a letter, saying she had received it from him. It was a single, neatly folded sheet. Inside, my father’s rough yet disciplined handwriting was visible.
[Will be late.]
“Ha.”
I couldn't believe the absurdity of it. Anyone could tell it was a message from my father.
‘He was the one who told me to hurry here.’
And yet he was the one lagging behind. I wondered if something had happened to him, but… I wasn't particularly worried. Thinking of my father’s martial prowess, there wasn't much in this world that could truly threaten him.
“Hoo…”
I sighed and shook my head.
‘Things were already complicated enough. Now there’s even more to deal with.’
There was the matter of the Heavenly Demon and the grandfather. But the problem right in front of me was more pressing.
‘There are only… a few days left.’
The reason I came to Henan. There were only a few days left until the martial arts tournament hosted by the Murim Alliance.
‘Nahi mentioned it.’
News had arrived that the construction of the tournament stage within the Alliance grounds had finished yesterday. It was time to start preparing.
However…
“...”
Even though the moment I had planned for had arrived, for some reason, I felt perfectly calm. No, it would be more accurate to say I felt empty. It was a stark contrast to the extreme tension I had felt just a few days ago.
Why was this? Why was I feeling this way?
I questioned it, but I already knew the answer.
‘It’s because of the Heavenly Demon.’
The Heavenly Demon I met a few days ago. No, it was a situation where she might not even be the Heavenly Demon anymore. If—just if—the Heavenly Demon could change, like Zhuge Hyuk or Namgung Bi-ah…
‘Then what purpose am I fighting for?’
At that thought, my mind momentarily went blank. This must be the source of this hollow emptiness.
“Ha… I’m such a fool.”
At the realization I had finally grasped, I let out a sigh mixed with a lament. I should be happy if the one destined to cause a bloodbath disappeared, yet was I actually disappointed?
‘It’s not disappointment… just emptiness.’
It was a feeling that was hard to describe. Perhaps this is what a total lack of a sense of crisis feels like.
Smack—!
I immediately slapped my own cheek. Woo Hyuk and Seong Yul were startled by the sudden sound, but I paid them no mind.
‘Get a grip.’
Whatever happened, my job wouldn’t change. No, it couldn't change.
‘It’s not over just because the Heavenly Demon is gone.’
I might have thought so in the past, but not anymore.
‘The Blood Demon still remains.’
The being called the Dragon Emperor, presumed to be one of the pure-blooded dragons. The bastard who had orchestrated the bloodbath known as the Great War of the Blood Demon centuries ago was still out there. I still hadn’t even figured out what he was plotting. Even if the Heavenly Demon changed, my mission remained the same.
However, even knowing that, the emptiness inside me wasn’t easily filled.
“…Tsk.”
I clicked my tongue and pulled on the uniform I had discarded.
“I’m heading out first,” I told Woo Hyuk and Seong Yul before walking away.
It was about time for a meal anyway. I had plans to have lunch with Namgung Bi-ah and Wi Seol-Ah today, so I needed to get moving.
‘Tang Soyeol said she had something to do.’
Moyong Hi-ah was always busy and never joined us for lunch, but Tang Soyeol's absence was a bit surprising. I’d heard she’d been going out often lately. What on earth was she doing by herself?
‘She always comes back by dinner. She can take care of herself.’
She wasn’t a child. It was ridiculous to worry about a grown woman—especially since Tang Soyeol was a martial artist in the Fusion Realm.
I was about to head to Wi Seol-Ah’s residence when I paused.
“Hm?”
As I reached for the door, I sensed a presence on the other side.
“Greetings, Master.”
When I cracked open the training hall door, I saw Nahi waiting outside.
“What is it?”
“A guest has arrived looking for you, Master. I came to inform you.”
Hearing her words, I frowned. A guest? At a time like this? Why do things always have to happen right before a meal? How annoying.
“…Who is it?” I asked, suppressing my irritation.
Then, an even more annoying name fell from Nahi’s lips.
“It is Beomdong, the Captain of the Sky Dragon Army.”