Chapter 118
Chapter 118
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 118
Chapter Title: Even Though They Are My Children
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“What are you looking at me with such a worried gaze over and over?”
Dang Ho-san snapped to attention at the voice coming from behind him as he waited in the kitchen for the fruit and flower porridge to come out.
The Lion Sword King was gazing at him with an intrigued expression.
“…It’s nothing. I’m just worried the kid Hwi might say something unnecessary in front of the Branch Leader.”
“Your son may be young, but isn’t he already someone who’s carved out his own domain to the point where he could lead his own household without issue?”
“That’s not what I’m worried about.”
“Then what are you worried about?”
“I’m concerned he might say something pointless and cause a rift. The two of them have more similarities than you’d expect.”
In all the time Dang Ho-san had observed Un-hwi, the boy’s overconfidence sometimes made those around him feel uneasy.
Of course, contrary to those worries, he always handled things exceptionally well, but it was inevitable to fret over potential clashes between Un-hwi and the Dark Lord, who had an ego just as strong.
“Still, they’ll manage on their own.”
“…….”
A confident reply.
It carried unwavering trust.
Dang Ho-san stared silently at the Lion Sword King for a moment.
The Lion Sword King tilted his head.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“…I’m grateful that you cherish my son so much, Sword King. However.”
Dang Ho-san trailed off and let out a light sigh.
“To be honest, the attitude you’re showing me right now is just making me uncomfortable.”
The Lion Sword King was the supreme figure of the Ghost State martial world.
In terms of seniority, he was an elder of the strong world on par with or only half a generation below the Dark Lord.
Indeed, when he first appeared at the Nine Dragons Branch Family, the Lion Sword King had exuded confidence and even treated the household head Dang Ho-san like a subordinate.
But now, things were different.
He didn’t speak informally.
He used polite speech, courteously.
It wasn’t just his words.
From the drinking gathering to coming all the way to the kitchen, he had stayed by Dang Ho-san’s side, personally assisting in case he felt any discomfort.
He had heard that enlightenment could sometimes change a person’s mindset.
But the Lion Sword King’s change was too drastic.
He seemed more like he came from an orthodox sect than a rogue wanderer.
The Lion Sword King smiled.
“Isn’t the Nine Dragons Branch Leader also the birth father of my sworn younger brother? He may be younger than me, but as my brother’s father, he’s no different from my own to me.”
“…That makes it even more burdensome for me.”
Dang Ho-san sighed.
“I’ve heard your relationship with Hwi is special, so I won’t ask you to treat me as before. However, considering your reputation in the martial world…”
“Why worry about what others think?”
“You don’t have to, Sword King. But I do.”
“Hahaha. The Branch Leader seems to worry too much about trifles.”
Watching the Lion Sword King burst into laughter, Dang Ho-san became convinced.
This guy is enjoying my discomfort.
Just like Un-hwi, his sworn brother—no surprise there, they act exactly the same.
The Lion Sword King read Dang Ho-san’s gaze and seemed to decide it was time to stop joking, curling up the corners of his mouth.
“If it’s such a burden to the Branch Leader, I’ll limit the courtesy to this extent. Will that do?”
“…I still think it’s too much, but you won’t listen anyway. I’ll ask you to keep it to this.”
“Huhu! Understood.”
“Haa…!”
Dang Ho-san couldn’t understand why every time something involving Un-hwi happened, a headache followed.
The Lion Sword King spoke.
“But before that, as the Lion Gate Leader rather than Un-hwi’s sworn brother, may I offer one piece of advice to my Nine Dragons Branch Leader?”
“…What do you want to say?”
“It’s about Un-hwi.”
“……?”
“It might be overstepping, but I wanted to ask one thing.”
In that moment, the Lion Sword King’s eyes deepened.
“You seem to worry about your children far more than necessary, Branch Leader.”
“…Me?”
“Yes. Un-hwi is doing exceptionally well. And it’s not just Un-hwi. Your daughter, Lady Gyu-jin, is the same. Haven’t they each already made their mark in their fields? Even I, who pays little attention to the martial world’s affairs, have heard their names. You’ve succeeded brilliantly in raising your children.”
“…….”
“Yet instead of taking pride in that, you worry excessively about minor things. It’s not the bold, free-spirited Mad Sword Wanderer I knew.”
“!”
“Of course, I understand it’s hard to be bold when they’re your own flesh and blood. But shouldn’t you at least give them deeper trust than that?”
Dang Ho-san felt a ringing in his head.
‘Have I… not given my own children that much trust, even though they’re mine?’
Until now, he had simply stood by and watched his children.
At some point, his attention had been drawn to them constantly.
Yet he hadn’t devised any proper countermeasures.
He had only expressed concern from afar.
‘Meanwhile, an outsider like the Lion Sword King trusts those two kids more than I do… What a maddening situation.’
On one hand, he was surprised by this new side of the Lion Sword King, and on the other, relieved that such a reliable man was Un-hwi’s sworn brother.
Seeing the wavering in Dang Ho-san’s eyes, the Lion Sword King laughed heartily.
“You seem to have had a realization.”
“…Thanks to you, Sword King, I’ve finally come to understand what I’ve been missing all this time. I’ve been remembering the children as they were in their childhood. But they’re all already adults with wings fully spread.”
“What did I do? I just helped you revisit what you already knew deep down. Isn’t that how raising children always is?”
A faint bitterness touched the Lion Sword King’s lips.
“Though I never married and have no children of my own, I’ve raised many disciples similarly. I just didn’t want you to repeat my mistakes, Branch Leader.”
Dang Ho-san nodded heavily.
In that moment, he felt a slight connection of hearts with this man, whose first impression had been the worst.
It was then.
“!”
“!!”
The Lion Sword King and Dang Ho-san both straightened their backs and turned their heads in the same direction.
“Branch Leader, it seems—”
“You felt it too, Sword King.”
Their conversation couldn’t continue at length.
Flash—
As if by prior agreement, they launched themselves in that direction.
* * *
After fully grasping the Dark Lord’s Myriad Heaven Technique, I left the arena and headed to where my companions were.
But my mind was far more tangled than when I had arrived.
‘Master and… the Dark Lord had a connection.’
The final conversation with the Dark Lord flashed through my mind.
‘Why? Surprised that the Demonic Cult’s supreme leader and this old man have a connection?’
‘…To be honest, yes. I couldn’t guess what kind of connection you might have.’
“That’s understandable. I don’t go around talking about it much myself. I’m not hiding it, but what’s the point? People either dismiss it as an old man’s nonsense or, even if they believe it, it just breeds needless misunderstandings.”
‘…….’
‘And truthfully, it’s a rather thin connection at that.’
The Dark Lord called it thin, but there had clearly been a smile on his lips.
A fond memory.
‘Was it sixteen years ago, or seventeen? I was wandering the Blue Sea Province incognito at the time. I wanted to see the famously beautiful Blue Sea Lake atop the Blue Ocean Highlands with my own eyes.’
Seventeen years ago.
Before Un-hwi was taken in by Master, and before Master ascended to Cult Leader.
‘That’s where I met a child. A boy with very pure eyes. And yet, the nine swords of various sizes strapped to his back and waist were quite striking.’
‘…….’
‘I asked about it, and he was in the midst of clashing with a band of mountain bandits. Nasty fellows who targeted only the slash-and-burn villages nearby, apparently. He said he’d started the subjugation at the plea of a girl who barely survived among them. But those bandits weren’t ordinary thieves. He was badly injured.’
‘…So you treated him.’
‘Yes. We met by fate in such a place—what was there not to help with? Above all, his talent seemed such a waste. So I taught him this and that to pass the time. But his aptitude surpassed his talent. Before I knew it, he’d taken everything from the very bottom of my arsenal…’
What started as lightly tending his wounds stretched over a month. And then the two parted ways.
‘Later, I heard through the grapevine. A demonic expert wielding nine swords had crushed the Evil God Society, the rebel faction in the Heavenly Mountains at the time, and for that merit became a new Protector of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. And before long, the Cult Leader.’
‘…….’
‘The Myriad Heaven Technique was what I taught him then. I thought I’d see him on battlefields everywhere after that, but suddenly there was a rebellion in the Heavenly Mountains.’
The Dark Lord didn’t elaborate further on those events.
I didn’t pry deeper, lest I arouse needless suspicion.
Still, there were a few pieces of information I could infer.
Master was among the youngest of the Ten Great Masters of the world.
Barely in his forties now.
So back then, as a young expert in his twenties, it was no wonder the talent-hunting Dark Lord had taken an interest.
But after realizing he was a demonic expert, he must have considered their connection ended.
Master had casually mentioned a similar story to me once.
‘Before I met you, I stopped by Blue Sea Lake. I thought it was vast then too, but I couldn’t enjoy it properly. The salt on the wind only made my anger rise.’
‘Why?’
‘I was badly hurt.’
‘Ah.’
‘How could a near-dead body go sightseeing? Everything irritated me. But thanks to that, I met an unforgettable benefactor there. That’s when the beautiful scenery of Blue Sea Lake finally entered my eyes. He helped with my treatment.’
‘…….’
‘That’s how the human heart is. When I was suffering as if dying, I couldn’t feel a thing. Only when body and mind are at ease can you finally look around.’
At the time, Master hadn’t revealed his benefactor’s identity.
He only said it was a hidden expert passing by.
But there was no way Master didn’t know his benefactor was the Dark Lord.
Still, he never mentioned it, likely because of the positions they held in their respective camps.
It remained a cherished memory buried deep in their hearts, known only to them.
“No matter how wondrous human connections are—”
“To think there was such a link between the Cult Leader and the Dark Lord.”
“And now the Young Cult Leader has ties to both sides—it’s hard to put into words.”
I nodded.
As the spirits said, human connections form in unknowable ways.
Heaven’s net is vast and seemingly loose, yet nothing escapes it.
But I hesitated to draw firm conclusions because of the look in the Dark Lord’s eyes at the end.
Eyes full of unspoken words.
Yet forcibly holding back.
What could that meaning be?
“…….”
I didn’t know.
No matter how much I thought about it.
My head felt strangely cluttered, so I scratched the back of it vigorously.
But one thing was certain.
Even in reincarnation, Master’s connection reaching me was no mere coincidence.
It was all within the web of karma.
To me, it felt like some kind of revelation urging me to find him somehow.
The North Sea Sect Leader would arrive soon.
So first, I needed to finalize the plan to crush him.
Capturing him would open the path to the headquarters, and from there, clues about Master would naturally follow.
“Gu Min-chae. Come out.”
I reached into the air and yanked the Golden Lock Chain.
With the sound of pulleys turning, the bottomless pit opened wide.
The iron chains grew taut and rose swiftly.
Rattle!