Chapter 77
Chapter 77
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 77
Chapter Title: Owner of the Treasure (2)
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Old Man Gwak came to his senses two hours later.
The newly awakened Old Man Gwak seemed far more composed than expected. It was as if that one cathartic burst of tears had washed away all the emotions he'd bottled up inside.
Thanks to that, even Murong Bi—no, Murong Cheon—found it easier to talk.
"I see."
"Yes."
"What in the world could have happened..."
"I don't know. There's some hazy memory, like a dream I can't quite grasp. But when I came to, I found myself awakening in Young Master's body that day."
Old Man Gwak, who had been listening silently, rose to his feet and offered a deep bow.
"I was in no state to greet you properly until now. Gwak Hogun pays his respects to Vice Patriarch Murong Cheon."
Murong Cheon didn't stop him.
He knew how tumultuous the man's heart must be, even if he was forcing a calm expression.
In times like these, treating him as usual would probably be more comforting.
"You shouldn't go into business anywhere."
"Pardon?"
"Falling for such a tall tale about a dead man's soul returning? You'd get scammed in a heartbeat."
A relaxed smile spread across Old Man Gwak's weary face.
"That's why I've spent my whole life as a mere bodyguard."
"Do you really believe I'm Murong Cheon?"
"Of course."
Regardless of possibility, considering everything that had transpired, he had no choice but to believe.
There wasn't a single martial arts manual from the Murong Clan—not even a history book—in the place he'd been dragged into. Yet the Young Master had taught the young ladies the clan's secret techniques.
And that was just the start. He knew not only the Dragon-Tiger Posture and the Tiger Subduing Technique but even the trivial details of their shared past.
For a fleeting moment, he wondered if some descendant of the fallen demons was manipulating the Young Master with soul-seizing sorcery. But even if it was sorcery, it couldn't implant knowledge of things unknown.
Above all, those eyes and that way of speaking couldn't be imitated by anyone but the man himself.
This was undoubtedly Vice Patriarch Murong Cheon.
"Enough with the formalities. From now on, just call me Gwak No like before. Let's brush off the old ties."
"Then I'll call you Young Master as I always have."
"That's only natural."
"But here, at least, allow me to address you as Vice Patriarch."
"Fair enough."
Old Man Gwak let out a sigh.
"Then... what about the real Young Master?"
He meant the original owner of this body, the true Murong Bi.
A shadow fell over Murong Cheon's face.
"I couldn't sense any spiritual energy left. He's passed on for good."
Old Man Gwak's tightly pressed lips trembled.
He'd suspected as much, but hearing it confirmed still hurt.
His vision blurred with surging emotions, but he held back his tears to the end.
"Rather, I want to ask you. Why was that boy's body in such a state?"
"Pardon?"
Murong Cheon explained the condition of the ancestral grandson's body when he first entered it.
Old Man Gwak was stunned.
"He drew on his True Essence to forge a new dantian?!"
"Yes."
"That's..."
He couldn't bring himself to call it a demonic ploy.
"It resembles demonic arts, but from my knowledge, it seemed closer to immortal path techniques. There were even elements akin to Daoist alchemy methods."
"Good heavens..."
"Whatever it was, it wasn't something a boy his age should attempt."
That explained why his frail body had withered away so severely.
"So the Vice Patriarch personally tamed that energy?"
"His lifespan was shortened beyond repair. But thanks to the Mixed Origin Heart Method, he should live out his remaining days in health."
Old Man Gwak's heart ached.
'Young Master.'
He recalled the twisted smile of the Young Master, presumed dead.
Ever since the eldest young lady left the clan, the once brilliant Young Master had been fading away.
'What in the world were you doing without us knowing?'
His heart ached.
He hadn't watched over the Young Master properly, too busy suppressing his own bouts of madness. If he'd been a little more diligent, he might have noticed what was happening.
As if sensing Old Man Gwak's thoughts, Murong Cheon spoke firmly.
"That's all in the past. Regret is inevitable, but don't blame yourself too much. You had it hard too."
"...Yes."
"Honestly, I don't feel great about it either. I thought it fortunate to return now and see the clan in this state, but it ended up seizing the body of a promising young heir."
Murong Cheon sighed deeply.
Emotions he'd never shared with anyone. Though he hadn't shown it, he harbored even more pent-up feelings than Old Man Gwak.
"I can't face the dead boy."
"Don't think that way. It wasn't something you wanted."
"True. That's how I've endured this far. If I just wallowed in guilt, I couldn't do what needs doing. Now, I focus only on the present and future."
"Well said."
"So stop blaming yourself."
Old Man Gwak bowed his head deeply.
He bared his true feelings and offered comfort in return. Gratitude and apology welled up within him.
"Let's address the most important matter first."
Murong Cheon's face grew serious once more.
"The Soul Demon Fortress—have you completely shaken it off?"
"...Honestly, I don't know."
Old Man Gwak couldn't meet Murong Cheon's eyes.
"Over the past twenty years, I poured all my inner energy into my upper dantian to purify and evaporate the demonic energy. Only two years ago did I think I'd eradicated it all... but traces of the demonic nature remain."
"So that's what it was."
"Pardon?"
"I sensed something from your head. Not demonic, but an oddly ominous presence."
Old Man Gwak's eyes wavered.
"You saw it?"
"Felt it. Couldn't see it clearly, though. My Brain Gate Heart Technique mastery is too low."
"Pardon?!"
Old Man Gwak was shocked.
"Y-you've cultivated the Brain Gate Heart Technique?"
Murong Cheon gave a wry smile.
"This kid's dantian was crushed, so I practiced it to form a new one quickly. Turns out it was a vessel made of innate essence. You can imagine my frustration."
"Does it... control the madness well?"
Few knew of the Brain Gate Heart Technique, even back then.
Old Man Gwak was one of them.
"It's quiet for now. Back then, I was just a clueless kid when I learned it, so it was worse. Now my mind is tempered enough to withstand divine energy."
"That's a relief. Truly."
"Still, I can't let my guard down. The higher the mastery, the greater the risk."
In the past, higher mastery meant less madness.
But now was different. With his mind and soul far stronger, deeper mastery would only increase the density of the Brain Gate True Energy.
Only time would tell what lay ahead.
"Do you remember earlier, when you unleashed White Deer Hidden Wind?"
"Yes."
"I sensed something sinister near your Yintang acupoint then."
"..."
"It doesn't interfere with daily life, but it seems the traces weren't fully erased."
"My apologies."
"What are you sorry for? If anything, I'm sorry for not looking after you."
"H-how can you say that?"
"Even amid war, I could have had the Divine Physician check you. But I brushed it off as being too busy."
Murong Cheon sighed.
"If you'd been fine, would the main house have ended up like this? Your sudden death at the peak of your life, your neglected health—it's all on me. The clan's state is largely my fault."
Old Man Gwak's eyes hardened with resolve.
"You mustn't say that. How tirelessly did you labor for the world, Vice Patriarch? The lives you saved are beyond counting."
"I should have cared for the clan first. Attending to strangers before my own family was wrong."
Old Man Gwak felt a pang of sorrow.
He knew that mindset all too well—a sense of responsibility for everything, impervious to comfort.
"But."
Flames reignited in Murong Cheon's eyes.
"Regret is regret, and the present is the present."
One reason Old Man Gwak respected Martial Alliance Leader Murong Cheon.
He always rose again, no matter how many times he fell.
"We'll finish our talk first, then I'll examine your body. Demonic energy clings stubbornly. We need to erase even the traces for peace of mind."
Old Man Gwak didn't ask if it was possible.
This was the supreme powerhouse of his era, one of the world's top ten, the sun of the righteous sects—a giant among men.
Power or inner energy didn't matter.
If he said it was possible, it was. Old Man Gwak believed that utterly.
"Thank you."
"Let's wrap up these heavy matters. Answer my questions one by one."
"Of course."
Murong Cheon swallowed and asked.
"What happened to your brother?"
A shadow crossed Old Man Gwak's face.
"He fell ill."
"Ill? What kind?"
"A relapse of the Nine Yin Absolute Meridian."
"What?!"
Murong Cheon's face flushed red.
"Your brother achieved great success with the Mixed Origin One Qi Technique. He'd fully escaped the meridian blockage—how could it relapse?"
"It's true. It recurred shortly after your last visit to the clan."
"...?!"
"He insisted we not tell you, out of concern for your worries."
"No..."
Murong Cheon was dumbfounded.
"Does that even make sense?"
The Nine Yin Absolute Meridian wasn't some common cold.
Once cured, it never tormented the host again. It granted perfect immunity, at least to that ailment.
"Don't be shocked. Listen."
"...?"
"The young lady contracted it too."
"What nonsense is that?!"
His rising fury imbued his voice with inner energy.
The entire annex reverberated. Ripples spread across the pond, and the clear air grew stiflingly hot.
Murong Cheon didn't even notice.
"The Nine Yin Absolute Meridian manifests in childhood and kills before twenty! Your brother and father extended their lives with the clan secret, but every day was precarious!"
His father had lasted into his mid-forties by sheer luck. Martial manifestation was impaired, and most days were spent in sleep, but he'd clung to life.
His brother was the same. Fortunately, after completing the Mixed Origin Martial Arts, the condition vanished without further treatment.
All three—father, brother, and Murong Sujing—had suffered it from childhood. That was the norm.
But manifesting after thirty?
"The symptoms were identical. Even while purging demonic energy, I checked the young lady as best I could... It was definitely the Nine Yin Absolute Meridian."
Murong Cheon was at a loss for words.
"It doesn't add up."
Old Man Gwak didn't seem to be lying. There was no reason for it.
Which meant both had truly suffered from it.
"Then your brother... right after I left?"
"He passed shortly after you departed. Neither the clan secret, the Mixed Origin One Qi Technique, nor any medicine helped."
"...The secret."
Murong Cheon's eyes flashed.
"Couldn't the clan secret treat Daeho's illness? Cure might be impossible, but he knew the method himself."
"It requires the petals of the Morning Sun Flower from the Yao Ning Thousand Mountains. We couldn't obtain it."
"Why not?"
"We were being pursued by various sects, led by House Hoyeon."
Murong Cheon's characteristically impassive face turned to ice, his clear gaze like a carved glacier.
"Tell me everything that happened after my death."