Chapter 90
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 90
Chapter Title: Growth (5)
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“Oh my?! What is all this?”
“……”
“For you to come to such a humble place, I simply can’t contain my surprise.”
“Are you busy?”
“My work is always like this. But what does being busy matter? It’s none other than the Great Protector who has come to visit!”
Ho Yoseong greeted Mu Dam with a great fuss.
“Please, have a seat here. It’s a nice, plush chair.”
“Then I’ll take you up on that.”
“What kind of tea would you like? I’ve recently acquired some fine Biluochun. Shall I serve that? Or perhaps some wine?”
“……”
“Hahaha! I seem to have forgotten the Great Protector’s disposition for a moment! I’ll bring you whatever you’d like!”
*Still such a frantic man.*
Making a mental note, Mu Dam looked around.
Ho Yoseong’s office was buried under all sorts of documents, bamboo slips, and old books.
One would think the Grand Marshal of the Divine Cult would decorate his office to some extent, but there was no sign of it.
Mu Dam thought that aspect of the Grand Marshal wasn't so bad. A personality that valued efficiency over getting bogged down in formalities was truly not a bad thing.
Although, not observing those formalities at all could also be a problem.
“The aroma is nice, isn’t it? I’ve developed a tremor in my hands lately. I’m not sure if I brewed it well.”
“Thank you.”
“Gah! To even hear a ‘thank you’ from the Great Protector, my luck is through the roof today! Absolutely through the roof!
I should wander around a lot today. Who knows? I might even find a piece of a gold ingot on the ground!”
He was the very picture of frivolity.
Left to his own devices, he seemed ready to chatter on until dawn. Mu Dam spoke up immediately.
“Is your work going well?”
“Haha! It’s always about the same.”
“I see.”
“Indeed.”
“……”
“Hm? What is it?”
Mu Dam couldn’t bring himself to speak easily.
Ho Yoseong snapped his fingers.
“Ah, so you had something to say, but you were going to open with some small talk because this devious Grand Marshal is so incredibly frivolous that it’s hard to get straight to the point, is that it?”
“……”
“Am I right?”
Being too good at reading people’s minds was also a problem.
After calmly sipping his tea, Mu Dam opened his mouth.
“I heard you met with the Third Young Master a while ago.”
“Ah? So that rumor has reached the Great Protector’s ears.”
“How was he?”
“Eh? What do you mean all of a sudden? ‘How was he?’”
“I mean exactly what I said. How was the Third Young Master?”
Hearing Mu Dam’s question, Ho Yoseong recalled the old saying that what goes around comes around.
*To think I’d be asked the very same question I asked the Lord of the Garden of Joy.*
What was even funnier was that he had no choice but to give a similar answer to the one the Lord of the Garden of Joy had given.
“What is there to say one way or another? It is difficult to grasp everything about a person after just one meeting.”
“You speak the truth. That is why I am asking the Grand Marshal, who is said to have the best eye in the Cult.”
*You really know how to leave a man speechless.*
Quietly observing Mu Dam’s expression, Ho Yoseong asked back.
“Why are you suddenly asking about the Third Young Master?”
Mu Dam’s eyes deepened.
“Two days ago, the Third Young Master was summoned by the Cult Leader and entered the Palace of the Demonic God.”
“And?”
“The Cult Leader bestowed his teachings upon the Third Young Master for a full half-day.”
“……!”
This, he had truly not expected.
Ho Yoseong’s gaze deepened in turn.
“For a full half-day?”
“That is correct. And that is…”
“A special favor that no successor has ever received before.”
“Indeed.”
After a moment of silence, Ho Yoseong shook his head.
“It is a surprising turn of events, but is that a problem?”
“The succession battle is not our place to interfere. Everything will be done according to the Cult Leader’s will.”
“And?”
Mu Dam’s face hardened.
“While who the successor is may not be our concern, I cannot stand by and watch the balance of our internal politics be shattered.”
“……”
“I heard you opened the Heavenly Demon’s Armory to the Third Young Master.”
“That is correct.”
“I will be blunt. Grand Marshal, you went too far.”
Ho Yoseong smiled.
“It may seem that way.”
“Are you saying the Grand Marshal doesn’t think so?”
“Yes.”
“Why is that?”
“I see now. You came here not to worry about the balance of internal politics, but to reprimand me.”
“I have neither the authority, the experience, nor the wisdom to reprimand the Grand Marshal. I have merely come as the head of the Hall of Protectors to express my concern to the Grand Marshal, who stands at the apex of the Cult’s political sphere.”
“In other words, your question about what kind of person the Third Young Master is was an extension of the question of whether he was worth opening the Heavenly Demon’s Armory for, even if it meant overstepping.”
“Something like that.”
Ho Yoseong stated flatly.
“He is a person who had no need for it to be opened.”
Mu Dam’s eyebrow twitched.
“Then that is all the more problematic. Why would you open the Heavenly Demon’s Armory for someone who is not qualified…”
“A person who is already at the forefront has no need for a divine weapon. That is why the Third Young Master did not need the Heavenly Demon’s Armory.”
“……!”
Mu Dam’s face hardened noticeably. He hadn't imagined the Grand Marshal would hold the Third Young Master in such high regard.
“He himself said he had no particular need to enter the Heavenly Demon’s Armory. Nevertheless, I placed the Armory on the scales as a bargaining chip.”
“May I hear the reason?”
“In exchange for giving him an item he didn’t need, I was able to have a private conversation with him and learn a great deal.”
“……!”
“I do not know the Third Young Master inside and out. However, through our conversation that day, I came to understand him to a certain degree.”
“……”
“Did you say I am the one who has reached the apex of the Cult’s political sphere? No.
I am not a man of such caliber. I am merely a person who prepares the large counterweights on the scales by assessing the personnel within the Cult, just as I played at scales with the Third Young Master.
All so that the Cult Leader can weigh things properly.”
Ho Yoseong bowed his head.
“I am working to ensure that what the Great Protector fears does not come to pass, so please do not worry too much.”
Mu Dam looked at Ho Yoseong with somewhat surprised eyes.
Ho Yoseong’s face was earnest. And sincere.
This was not the man who usually showed only a frivolous side. Seeing a senior who was genuinely concerned for the Divine Cult, he too was engaging in the conversation with the serious attitude of a Grand Marshal.
It was because he knew that Mu Dam hadn’t come just to find fault, but that he was truly here out of concern for the Divine Cult.
After gazing at Ho Yoseong for a moment, Mu Dam cupped his fist.
“I have misjudged the Grand Marshal. I offer my apologies.”
Startled, Ho Yoseong stood up and waved his hands in dismissal. He looked genuinely flustered.
“Why are you doing this? Please, don’t. This is difficult for me to handle.”
“No. I had a preconceived notion of the Grand Marshal. I saw you as nothing but frivolous without ever having a proper conversation with you.”
Mu Dam bowed his head again.
“I sincerely apologize.”
Ho Yoseong wore an expression that said he couldn’t be helped.
*I have a soft spot for honest and good-hearted people, you old senior.*
“I’m sorry for only serving you tea when you took your precious time to come here. I will pay you a visit one of these days.”
“There is no need for that.”
Mu Dam gave a slight smile. His face was somewhat awkward, as if he had never made such an expression in his life.
“I will stop by from time to time, so I would be grateful if you would treat me to a cup of tea like this.”
“Oh my?! Are you planning to deplete my precious tea leaves?”
“...I would appreciate it if you would refrain from such grotesque jokes.”
With that one last remark, Mu Dam left the office.
Slumping into his chair, Ho Yoseong pressed his temples.
“My, my, life in the Cult has been quite thrilling lately.”
The sharp conversation with So Yeonsim, and the sweet yet deadly private meeting with the Third Young Master.
And now, he had just discussed the future of the Divine Cult with Mu Dam, with whom he had barely spoken in a private setting before.
*But well…*
Ho Yoseong smiled.
“This is fun too.”
* * *
Seo Ryang, who had been cooped up in his room, finally opened the door and came out after three days.
Having not eaten, washed, or relieved himself in all that time, he was truly a sight to behold. It seemed he hadn’t slept a wink either, as the area under his eyes had turned dark.
Considering his powerful internal energy and a body honed to near perfection, it was a testament to how fiercely he had been agonizing over his thoughts for those three days.
“Ughhh!”
As Seo Ryang stretched with all his might, Ma Dongpil hurried over.
“Young Master!”
“Hmm? Oh, Dongpil.”
“How are you feeling, sir? Are you alright?”
“Well, I’m on the verge of death. It’s been a while since I’ve been this tired just from wracking my brain.”
“Please have a simple meal and then get some sleep.”
“Yeah, I was planning to. By the way, where’s the crazy Commander?”
“Are you referring to Commander Wi?”
“Who else would I mean by crazy Commander? Is she gone?”
“Ah, yes. She hasn’t visited once since you shut yourself in.”
“Really? That’s great… no, wait. She’s not pissed off, is she? What if she gets mad and throws a fit later?”
Ma Dongpil shook his head.
“She’s not clever enough for that.”
*This guy seems to have had enough of her too.*
“Anyway, that’s good. No one to bother me. I’ll just ask Aeng-hwa to whip something up, eat, and then go to sleep… huh?”
Seo Ryang’s eyes suddenly gleamed.
The look he was giving him was so unusual that Ma Dongpil flinched in spite of himself.
“Well, look at you.”
“...Pardon?”
“How many days has it been since I locked myself in my room?”
“Three days have passed, Young Master.”
“Three days…”
*Not as long as I thought.*
“It’s only been three days, and you’re already at that level?”
“Pardon?”
Seo Ryang glanced at Ma Dongpil’s belt. To be precise, he was looking at the Mukwang Sword hanging there.
The Mukwang Sword looked the same as when he first brought it. When sheathed in that scabbard of unknown make, it didn’t leak a single trace of demonic energy.
“Draw the sword.”
“You mean the Mukwang Sword?”
“What other sword is there besides the Mukwang? Draw it, quickly.”
Though bewildered by the sudden request, Ma Dongpil obediently drew the sword.
*Wooooong.*
A powerful demonic energy emanated from it the moment it was drawn.
But there was nothing particularly unusual. The Mukwang Sword looked almost identical to how it had when he first saw it.
However, Seo Ryang’s gaze as he looked at the sword was serious. The intense atmosphere made Ma Dongpil feel tense without realizing it.
A moment later.
“It’s not called a divine weapon for nothing, is it?”
“……?”
“No, it’s not a divine weapon, it’s a demonic weapon. In any case, it’s a marvelous item. Or if not that…”
Seo Ryang glanced at Ma Dongpil.
“Your efforts were just that intense. Or perhaps it’s both.”
“...I’m sorry. I don’t quite understand what you’re saying, Young Master.”
“Follow me.”
Without any explanation, Seo Ryang started walking towards the training grounds.
Ma Dongpil found himself following behind. He was worried about the Young Master’s condition, but the atmosphere he exuded was so serious that it was difficult to suggest he rest.
Soon, the two stood facing each other in the center of the training grounds.
“……”
A moment of silence.
Seo Ryang, who had been silently looking up at the sky, finally nodded.
“Well, I can’t just keep letting it be, knowing what I know.”
Seo Ryang’s gaze returned to Ma Dongpil.
Ma Dongpil swallowed involuntarily. It was the first time he had seen such a look in Seo Ryang’s eyes, a look that shifted between seriousness and pride.
“You’re strong enough, but you’re still not enough to protect me. It’d be a pain to watch you die first under the pretext of protecting me.”
“……?”
“Since I’m already benefiting from the Cult Leader, you might as well benefit from me.”
“Pardon?”
“Half a day. I’ll raise your level within half a day.”
Ma Dongpil was startled.
It wasn’t because of the claim that he would raise his level in half a day.
While surprising, if Seo Ryang said so, it would be so. Not because he was the Third Young Master, but because he trusted his abilities.
The real reason for his bewilderment was different.
“Will you be alright, sir?”
“Don’t tell me you’re worried about my physical condition? Even in this state, I can take down someone like you in five moves, man.”
“That may be true, but… I was just…”
“What’s the problem?”
Ma Dongpil cleared his throat slightly.
“You told me not to agonize, but to press forward until I hit my limit.”
“So what?”
“Pardon?”
“You keep moving forward. I’ll just help you out from the side.”
“That is…”
“Don’t tell me you’re about to say that strength gained with someone else’s help isn’t truly your own?”
Seo Ryang snorted.
“Not just me, you also have a long way to climb. If your eyes are focused on the word ‘growth,’ you shouldn’t be saying something so arrogant.”
“Ah…”
“A master’s teaching, the experience of battle, a friend’s advice. All of these are driving forces for growth.
In the world of masters, enlightenment can be found even while eating a meal or taking a crap, so what are you hesitating for? You’re about a million years too early to be having such worries.”
Ma Dongpil lowered his head.
“Then, shamelessly, I will…”
“Even saying that is arrogant. Approach this with that in mind.”
*Shhhng.*
Seo Ryang drew the Chilyado.
“Like I said, I’m just helping. If you can’t draw out the power dormant within you in half a day, I’ll take it to mean that’s all your will amounts to.”
A look of tension crossed Ma Dongpil’s face.
“I will begin immediately.”
“I was planning to, even if you didn’t say it.”
*Shhhng.*
As Ma Dongpil drew the Mukwang Sword and took his stance, a question suddenly occurred to him.
*‘The power dormant within me?’ What does he mean by that?*
It sounded as if he had been suppressing his own potential to grow far more than he already had.
*Whoosh.*
“I forgot to mention something.”
Ma Dongpil’s eyes widened as if they would tear.
Seo Ryang, who had suddenly moved to his left, was raising the Chilyado high.
“If you don’t focus, you could die.”
Seo Ryang swung his blade down.
*Claaaaang!*