Chapter 169
Chapter 169
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 169
Chapter Title: Wake My Grandson
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Bu Eun-seol stared at the furious Pung Yeo-ryang and answered calmly.
"I'm making them because they're necessary."
"Necessary?"
"There will come a day when they'll be used, won't there?"
"Are you trying to jest with me?"
A dark mist began to roil from Pung Yeo-ryang's entire body.
Though he had reached the pinnacle of demonic arts, his uncontrollable rage caused his Black Demonic True Qi to merge with his killing intent.
"If you utter one more piece of nonsense, I'll smash your head in this instant."
Letting out a deep sigh, Bu Eun-seol, instead of replying, picked up a saw and hammer and began to work the wood.
*Shhhhk. Ssshk.*
With each delicate touch of his hands, the shape of the wood changed.
The way each movement produced a plank of uniform thickness seemed like magic.
*Tap, tap, tap.*
As he joined the various pieces of wood, a curved coffin slowly began to take shape.
The intense focus in his eyes as he worked made him look like a master carpenter who had spent his entire life building coffins.
"This is..."
The eyes of Hyeokgongbaek, who had been silently watching him build the coffin, gradually narrowed.
He had sensed something in Bu Eun-seol's gaze and touch.
"Are you just going to stand by and watch that whelp?"
Hyeokgongbaek raised a hand to stop Pung Yeo-ryang and spoke in a low voice.
"Just wait a moment."
For a quarter of an hour, Hyeokgongbaek stood still, observing Bu Eun-seol intently.
*'So that's it.'*
Bu Eun-seol wasn't 'just' making a coffin.
He was building it with care and precision. He was truly pouring his heart and soul into the work.
"This coffin..."
Taking a deep breath, Hyeokgongbaek approached Bu Eun-seol and spoke in a low voice.
"...It doesn't seem like it would fit me."
Hyeokgongbaek was nearly as tall as Bu Eun-seol, who stood well over six feet.
But without even glancing at him, Bu Eun-seol continued to shape the wood and answered calmly.
"I'll make the coffins for those over six feet later."
"I see. Very well."
Nodding in satisfaction, Hyeokgongbaek turned and went back to Pung Yeo-ryang.
"Let's go back now."
"What?"
Pung Yeo-ryang pointed at Bu Eun-seol, his expression one of disbelief.
"You... you're going to let him be after seeing what he's doing?"
"Can't you feel it?"
"Feel what?"
Hyeokgongbaek said with a bitter expression.
"Then shut your mouth and watch that boy build his coffins for two hours. You'll understand then."
"What?"
"I'm heading back first."
He then spoke warmly to Bu Eun-seol.
"Keep up the good work."
Bu Eun-seol was so focused he couldn't even reply, continuing to work the wood.
Watching him, Hyeokgongbaek gave a faint smile and turned without delay.
Pung Yeo-ryang could only stare blankly at Hyeokgongbaek's back, utterly dumbfounded.
***
Stories about Bu Eun-seol began to circulate through Dowon-hyang once more.
—That young fellow from Nang-ya-gak. I heard he worked as a mortician before entering the martial world.
—They say he not only builds coffins masterfully but is also amazing at preparing bodies for burial.
These rumors came from the mouth of Pung Yeo-ryang, who had been constantly visiting Bu Eun-seol's hut.
—That kid. He understands the honor of the dead.
Pung Yeo-ryang, who had been watching Bu Eun-seol build the coffins, finally understood.
They were old men who had once shaken the world but were now quietly retired.
They simply lived day by day, reminiscing about the past.
They weren't quite at the level to reside in the Demonic Cult's Hall of Elders, nor did they have children or relatives to handle their final affairs.
In truth, they were at an age where even if young servants came to care for them, it would just be a bother.
—He's saying he'll take responsibility. That he won't turn his back on us even after we're dead.
The Demonic Path does not honor its dead.
As always, when their time came, they too would be abandoned coldly on some nameless mountain.
No one in this world would remember them, who had striven for the supremacy of the Demonic Path.
Of course, death is the end of everything... but in old age, one can't help but develop a desire to be cherished and remembered by someone.
—...And that he will pass down the stories of our lives to future generations.
But Bu Eun-seol is different.
He is building the coffins with his own hands, so he will soon make memorial tablets as well. And when their last breath fades, he will honor their achievements and bury them in a sunny place.
Bu Eun-seol wasn't making coffins to mock the demonic practitioners, but to show his will to remember their lives and take responsibility for them.
Through actions, not words.
As this realization spread, the demonic practitioners residing in Jeolcheonmyeolji began to open up.
—After all, how much longer do we have to live?
—We came here because we couldn't bring ourselves to die... but in reality, there was only one thing we wanted.
The life of a martial artist, forgotten by all after death.
But now, someone had appeared who would honor them and pass their legacy on to future generations.
A person named Bu Eun-seol, who was pouring his heart and soul into building each and every coffin.
Finally understanding everything, the anger of the demonic practitioners in Dowon-hyang subsided.
Not only that, but some even began to visit Bu Eun-seol's hut to chat with him as he built their coffins.
***
"Are you always this quiet?"
In the front yard of a hut at the foot of a mountain in Dowon-hyang.
Gwi-pyeon-ma-ong, the Ghost Whip Elder, smacked his lips as he squatted and watched Bu Eun-seol build a coffin.
"I suppose it's your hands doing the work, not your mouth, eh?"
But Bu Eun-seol's mouth remained tightly shut.
"Have you eaten?"
*Scrape, scrape.*
"What's the news in the martial world these days? Young folks hardly ever come here to share the latest happenings."
*Shave, shave.*
"Aish! Can't you at least be company for an old man?"
It was always like this.
The demonic practitioners of Dowon-hyang came to his hut in a steady stream, but Bu Eun-seol rarely spoke.
If you managed to get a word or two out of him after sitting there for hours, you could consider yourself lucky for the day.
"Oh? Wait, that coffin. Isn't that for the Golden-Faced Blood Fiend, Yi Gyeom?"
Gwi-pyeon-ma-ong blinked.
The coffin Bu Eun-seol was making was three times wider than a normal one.
And in Dowon-hyang, the only one with such a massive build was the Golden-Faced Blood Fiend, Yi Gyeom.
"Make a normal-sized one instead. This one's no good for him."
"..."
"That fellow Yi Gyeom might have a hulking frame now, but that's all because of his Black Poison Demonic Art."
*Scccrrrape.*
At that, the ceaseless motion of Bu Eun-seol's hands, which had been carving the wood, stopped.
"Does his frame shrink if the Black Poison Demonic Art is broken?"
Hearing Bu Eun-seol's reply, Gwi-pyeon-ma-ong's mouth fell open in a wide grin.
"You didn't know? The Black Poison Demonic Art isn't a body-tempering art; it uses true qi to alter muscles and physique, much like the Arhat's Adamantine Qi."
"I see. I was not aware."
But that was it.
Bu Eun-seol fell silent again, as if he had become a mute.
"Oh, right, speaking of which, the martial art of the Thousand Hands Poison Lord..."
Once again, Bu Eun-seol's voice was heard.
"You mean the Thousand Hands Blood Poison Art?"
"Huh? Yes. That's the one."
*'Wait. This kid...'*
Only then did Gwi-pyeon-ma-ong seem to realize something, and he began to talk animatedly.
He started rattling off stories he hadn't even been asked about.
"Aren't you curious about the first move of my Blood Shadow Ghost Whip technique?"
From that day on.
Dowon-hyang was once again abuzz with talk of Bu Eun-seol.
—That block of wood. Turns out he's crazy about stories of martial arts.
—Don't tell me he wants us to teach him?
—No, not that. He just seems to like any story related to martial arts.
Bu Eun-seol, who had been silent no matter what anyone said.
But then Gwi-pyeon-ma-ong had happened to ramble on about martial arts.
And didn't that block of wood's eyes suddenly sparkle like a grandson listening to old stories?
—I can chat with that eccentric all day long! Mwahaha!
What idle old men love most is to spin all sorts of tales.
As this rumor spread, the demonic practitioners began to visit Bu Eun-seol whenever they were bored and regale him with stories about martial arts.
"Do you know? It's something I learned when I fought that fellow called the Divine Lute Sword in the past."
Eum-san-ma-hyo, the Yin Mountain Demonic Owl, described in detail the techniques the Divine Lute Sword had used,
"Back in my day, when we met those Orthodox Sect bastards, we'd start with a battle of internal energy. You. Do you know how to properly push a wine cup?"
Yeol-hwa-dae-gwi, the Raging Fire Great Ghost, mumbled the secret to sending Scorching Yang True Qi simultaneously while performing Telekinesis.
That wasn't all.
"In my younger days, my title was Flying Shadow of Ten Thousand Li. I used to steal secret manuals whenever I had the chance. When I went to Mount Hua, beneath the waterfall..."
The old men poured out not only their tales of valor but also secrets they should have taken to their graves.
"You know that senile old hag called Sa-hwa-nang-nang in the past? She was actually kicked out of the Sword Pavilion..."
Furthermore, they began to reveal secret histories of the martial world that were otherwise unknown.
Eventually, when they ran out of stories, they started reciting martial art formulas or the insights they had gained while roaming the martial world.
"In the past, when I killed that fellow called the Flawless Sword, I created the first move of the Blood Whisker Blade Thread on the spot! It's a slightly different method from the usual fanning techniques of the Demonic Path..."
As Cheon-goeng-hyeol-su, the Heaven-Shaking Blood Hand, chattered away while perched on a wooden chair stacked in the hut,
*Shhk.*
Bu Eun-seol, who had been hammering, stopped his hand.
"May I see it?"
"Huh? Oh? Should I?"
Cheon-goeng-hyeol-su shot up to his feet, excited.
"Wait just a moment. I left my fan back at my place."
Bu Eun-seol's hut was now as boisterous as a marketplace.
Idle old men even began demonstrating their martial arts in the front yard of Bu Eun-seol, the coffin maker.
*'This is truly a treasure trove of martial arts.'*
Watching the demonic practitioners who visited his hut ceaselessly, Bu Eun-seol wore a faint smile.
They seemed to be chattering away mindlessly, but within their words were their life experiences and insights.
In his hut, Bu Eun-seol was indirectly acquiring the insights the demonic practitioners had spent their entire lives gaining.
*'But I still haven't heard the most important thing.'*
The Phantom Demon, Hyeokgongbaek.
Hyeokgongbaek, who earned the title of Phantom Demon for using martial arts that were both fantastical and overwhelming.
He had wanted to experience, even indirectly, the martial arts of that great demonic practitioner.
But even among the most formidable demonic practitioners here, none had dared to cross hands with Hyeokgongbaek or even witness his martial arts.
"You hardly ever seem to eat."
While Cheon-goeng-hyeol-su was gone to fetch his fan, Jeok-san-eun-ma, the Red Mountain Hidden Demon, and Il-un-gwi-ma, the One Cloud Ghost Demon, entered the hut, chuckling.
"What on earth do you eat?"
"I eat things like chestnuts and pine nuts I gather from the mountains."
"You eat them raw?"
"Even eating is a bother."
Jeok-san-eun-ma clicked his tongue at that.
"Tsk, tsk. You must have no appetite. A young man shouldn't eat like that."
Then, as if remembering something, he clapped his hands.
"Alcohol is the best thing for whetting the appetite. I have some good liquor. Care for a drink?"
"Liquor, you say?"
Seeing Bu Eun-seol react to a topic other than martial arts, Jeok-san-eun-ma's mouth split into a wide grin.
"Hahaha. What else is there for a bunch of old men huddled together to do? We just pick fruit and brew liquor."
Jeok-san-eun-ma hurried back from his quarters, a jar exuding a rich, fragrant aroma in his hands.
Bu Eun-seol then went inside his hut and came back out. He was holding a paper-wrapped bundle.
"What's that?"
"It's some beef jerky that Elder Cheong-ma-gwi-geom gave me the other day. It should be good as a side dish."
—To be treated to beef jerky by this gruff fellow!
At Bu Eun-seol's words, Jeok-san-eun-ma and Il-un-gwi-ma looked at each other and beamed.
For a while, they would have something to boast about to the other demonic practitioners in Dowon-hyang.
***
Sancheonjae (Studio of Mountains and Rivers)
The residence of the Phantom Demon, Hyeokgongbaek, the master of Jeolcheonmyeolji.
On the table sat a teacup from which hot steam was gently rising.
Looking down at the teacup, Bu Eun-seol was slightly nervous.
*'He's not going to ask me what it tastes like again, is he?'*
Just as Bu Eun-seol was having this odd thought, the door opened, and an old man with a fine, white beard entered.
It was none other than the master of Jeolcheonmyeolji, the Phantom Demon, Hyeokgongbaek.
"That was quite impressive."
Taking a seat, Hyeokgongbaek smiled warmly at Bu Eun-seol.
"To capture the hearts of all the demonic practitioners here without spending a single coin. Hahaha."
As the kind-faced Hyeokgongbaek let out a hearty laugh, Bu Eun-seol's eyes glazed over for a moment.
He was reminded of his grandfather, Bu Jan-yang, who had always cherished him.
"I heard that you really worked as a mortician before becoming one of the Ten Demonic Disciples. Is that true?"
"Yes, it is."
"So that's how you came up with such a clever idea."
Hyeokgongbaek let out a deep sigh and said.
"In truth, the people here shouldn't be receiving such treatment."
He took a sip of tea before speaking again.
"Those who stay here are the meritorious subjects who made the Demonic Cult, and indeed the Demonic Path, what it is today. But are they not treated as has-beens and left to stay here simply because they are old and sick?"
They are all warriors who dedicated their bodies to fighting for the Demonic Path.
Although they may be infirm due to injury or their internal energy may have waned...
They may not be able to display their former glory, but they deserve respect for having survived such fierce battles alone.
*Click.*
Hyeokgongbaek set down his teacup and spoke again.
"And yet, the Demonic Cult never gives them a second glance, only to suddenly pay attention when it's time to choose a successor."
"..."
"The people here are well aware of that, which is why they can't help but despise any candidate for the Demonic Cult's succession."
"I apologize."
Bu Eun-seol felt a sense of guilt.
After all, he too fell into the category of a successor candidate who had come to win the support of Jeolcheonmyeolji.
"You have no need to apologize. This situation is a deep-rooted problem created by the generations before us."
He sighed and continued.
"What faction in the Demonic Path would care for the old and sick? Looking at it from another perspective, it's only because the alliance known as the Demonic Cult was formed that this place can even exist."
"To call them old and sick... they are far too strong for that."
"Of course, to your eyes, they may seem like incredible demonic practitioners who have reached the pinnacle. But in the eyes of top-tier masters, they are simply injured."
Hyeokgongbaek said with a bitter smile.
"From their perspective, their internal energy has been greatly reduced due to their injuries, and their bodies are not what they used to be. Had they been whole, they would be in the Demonic Cult's Hall of Elders... but since that's not possible, they are left with only the shame of staying here."
Hyeokgongbaek shook his head.
"Do you know why I am telling you these useless things?"
He didn't wait for Bu Eun-seol's answer and continued.
"I'm telling you this because if you truly intend to become the successor of the Demonic Cult, you must understand the situation here perfectly."
His bitter smile fading, Hyeokgongbaek smiled again and said.
"In any case, you have tackled and solved the very problem that our people feared and agonized over the most. Because they believe you will protect the honor of the dead, they will be able to live with greater peace of mind than before."
Hyeokgongbaek nodded, a benevolent smile on his face.
"For that, I am truly grateful."
"Thank you."
"Now, then. Since you have fulfilled the first condition, I will tell you my second."
Staring intently at Bu Eun-seol, Hyeokgongbaek said with a solemn and serious expression.
"Wake my grandson."