Chapter 59
Chapter 59
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: A Person with a Soul as Clear as Glass
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Swish!
The Fear Demon sliced through the air.
“Kraaack!”
With a gut-wrenching scream, Cha Jiwoong’s head floated up. Moments later, it thudded to the floor.
Ak Muyoo shook the blood off the Fear Demon’s blade and sheathed it back in its original spot.
“Where’s the gold mine?”
He turned to Luha and asked.
“You go up another two shichen from here, and you’ll reach the Western Pure Land Plain. At the western edge of the Western Pure Land Plain, there’s a thousand-zhang cliff, and at the eastern edge, a thousand-zhang sheer drop. The gold mine is below the western cliff.”
“Who’s guarding it right now?”
“I don’t know.”
Luha shook her head.
“Men from the wastelands are guarding it.”
Mok Woo answered.
Ak Muyoo looked at Mok Woo.
“The four great clans of the Chacha Kingdom put out a commission to protect it.”
“At first, that’s true. They paid the wastelanders to guard it. But not long after, some incredible masters showed up and turned the place into a forbidden zone.”
“Who are these incredible masters?”
“The Ten Heavens, Latent Demon Heaven, Boundless Heaven, Imperial Dragon Heaven, and Hidden Hermit Heaven—all their experts have appeared.”
“It’s been a while since I’ve heard those names.”
Ak Muyoo grinned.
The Ten Heavens, Latent Demon Heaven, Boundless Heaven, Imperial Dragon Heaven, and Hidden Hermit Heaven—these five were the supreme powers dominating the Central Plains martial world.
The Ten Heavens referred to the ten great sects: Buddha Heaven Shaolin, Dao Heaven Wudang, Beggar Heaven Beggars’ Sect, Sword Heaven Mount Hua, Bodhi Heaven Emei, Southern Heaven Spear, Blue Heaven Qingcheng, Secular Heaven Zhongnan, Dharma Heaven Kongtong, and Western Heaven Kunlun.
These ten sects had traditionally upheld justice, deeply involving themselves in the lives of the common folk as their spiritual pillars. After ups and downs over the past millennium, three hundred years ago, they united under the name Ten Heavens, becoming the martial world’s strongest force. This was truly the golden age of the Nine Great Sects and One Beggar Clan.
Even combining the demonic alliance of Latent Demon Heaven, the merchant-protecting Boundless Heaven that had become a martial force, the official martial world of Imperial Dragon Heaven, and the Hidden Hermit Heaven formed by hermits—they still couldn’t match the Ten Heavens.
He didn’t know the situation now, ten years later, but that’s how it was when Ak Muyoo left the Central Plains.
“The Central Plains is still ruled by the Ten Heavens?”
Ak Muyoo asked, thumbs-up in admiration.
“Yes.”
Mok Woo nodded.
“The strongest sects in the Central Plains wouldn’t come all the way to the border just for a gold mine… Do you know something?”
Ak Muyoo turned to Luha.
“The Western Pure Land Plain we found wasn’t just a gold mine—it was ruins.”
“Ruins…?”
“It’s a place where gold was mined a very long time ago. The scale was huge; we couldn’t even explore it all.”
“Only gold mines?”
“No. The Western Pure Land Plain is littered with the rubble of collapsed buildings and towers. By size, it’s even bigger than the Chacha Kingdom.”
“So it wasn’t just a mine—it was a place where people lived?”
“That’s what I think. Though it’s from so long ago that even stone buildings have crumbled.”
“Alright, old man, your turn to talk.”
Ak Muyoo turned to Mok Woo.
“Talk about what?”
“What you’ve found out so far… Actually, forget it. Let’s head back to the ranch first.”
“Very well.”
The group headed to the ranch.
As soon as they arrived at the herders’ quarters, Ak Muyoo and Luha went to where the herders bathed.
A stream ran through the center of the ranch, which the herders dammed up for drinking and daily use. The bathing area was inside a small log hut.
Luha lit the lamp hanging on the wall as soon as they entered. There was no separate tub.
They had dug a rectangular pit in the streambed to form a pool, lining the bottom and walls with flat stones to prevent mud from washing in, using it like a tub.
The pool walls weren’t high, so water overflowed them and flowed downstream. On one side of the pool sat a large, flat rock, half-submerged.
It seemed to be the herders’ washboard.
Along the lower wall lay a long log bench. Various cleansing agents were placed in one corner.
“Are all these handmade?”
Ak Muyoo asked.
“Some are from Central Plains soapberries, others from Western Region cleansers.”
“Quite a variety.”
“They deal with livestock manure all day. If you don’t wash properly, the stench lingers, so they have to be careful.”
“Makes sense.”
“Take off your clothes so I can wash them.”
“Alright.”
Ak Muyoo stripped and stepped into the water. He’d grown used to Luha’s gaze, so it no longer felt awkward. The water, from the high mountains, was ice-cold.
‘Even this will make me stronger.’
Ak Muyoo sat cross-legged in the water.
Luha stripped too, went to the washboard, squatted, and scrubbed Ak Muyoo’s and her own clothes.
‘Why put the washboard right there…?’
The sight of naked Luha washing clothes was fully in view.
‘Well, only men around, so no need to worry about prying eyes.’
Whether she knew Ak Muyoo was watching or not, Luha kept scrubbing. After rinsing out the blood, she dried the clothes with the Threefold Flame technique and slipped into the water.
“Want me to wash your hair?”
“My hair?”
“It’s covered in blood.”
“Uh, sure.”
Ak Muyoo moved in front of Luha, turned his back, sat, and tilted his head back.
Luha wetted his hair first, applied cleanser, and lathered it up. When the foam turned red, she rinsed it immediately. The red suds overflowed the tub and flowed away.
“Smells nice.”
“It’s from the Western Regions.”
“They must like fragrant stuff over there.”
“Seems so. Do you have family?”
She asked while applying more cleanser to his hair.
“……”
Ak Muyoo was momentarily speechless. No one had ever asked him about family before.
“I didn’t mean anything by it. Was that too personal?”
“No. I was just caught off guard—it’s the first time anyone’s asked. I have a father.”
“And your mother…?”
“My mother?”
“Yes.”
“Well…… I don’t know.”
“……”
“When I started understanding things, only my father was there. At eight, he abandoned me.”
“Abandoned you?”
“He left me with someone else.”
“And after that…?”
“Haven’t seen him since.”
“……”
“I’ve been too busy surviving to think about parents.”
“Poor thing.”
Luha hugged Ak Muyoo’s head to her chest.
His head sank into her bosom.
“See? I must look pathetic.”
“You shouldn’t resent your father.”
“Every time I kill an enemy, picturing his face gives me extra strength.”
“No mother would leave her child with strangers unless it was desperate.”
“Is that so?”
“All parents are like that.”
“But he never came back once.”
“There must have been circumstances preventing it.”
“Logically, I get it, but emotionally, I can’t forgive. Still, there’s one good thing.”
“What’s that?”
“Thanks to it, I gained the tenacity to survive anywhere.”
“Pfft! That positive attitude is great.”
Luha tightened her embrace.
“It’s not positive—it’s resignation.”
“Positive or resigned, the result’s the same: you can thrive anywhere.”
“That’s what they call ‘better interpretation than the dream.’”
“Second question now.”
“Are you interrogating me?”
“Can’t I?”
“No other family besides my father.”
“A lover?”
“I told you I was in the army for ten years.”
“Armies have women too. General Ara’s one.”
“Comrades can never be lovers.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Before the army?”
“There was one.”
“What kind of woman?”
“The daughter of the shop owner where I worked.”
“Pretty?”
“Beyond words.”
“Did you sleep together?”
“Sleep? What’s that?”
“Then……”
“She called me ‘fish breath,’ so I ended it.”
“Fish breath?”
“I handled fish all day; of course I stank.”
“……Hahaha! So pitiful.”
Luha burst out laughing and pulled his head back into her chest.
“Back then, I was heartbroken. Even quit the fish shop. Haven’t touched fish much since.”
“Stop, enough already.”
Luha shook her head.
“All done?”
“Yes. Now wash my hair too. Scrub my back.”
Luha stood, moved in front of him, and said.
“Got it.”
Ak Muyoo poured water over Luha’s hair first, lathered cleanser, and massaged her scalp.
“You’re good at this.”
“I’m good at everything except martial arts.”
“That’s something. Plenty of people lack talent in martial arts and can’t even wash hair properly.”
“Really?”
“Yes. So have confidence.”
“Thanks.”
They scrubbed each other’s backs.
After bathing, they dried off and dressed.
Ageukta, Mok Woo, and the others were drinking tea.
“Didn’t that take awfully long?”
Seo Haran eyed Ak Muyoo and Luha meaningfully.
“We’re married, aren’t we?”
Luha smiled brightly.
“You didn’t sneak off for some husband-wife intimacy, did you?”
“Use your imagination.”
“Ugh! Maybe I should break my vows and get married.”
“Gold Diamond Monks don’t need to break vows, do they?”
Ara said. Gold Diamond Monks came from the Demon Temple, the head temple of Left-Path Esotericism. Esotericism divided into Right-Path and Left-Path: Right-Path held that spells and mantras led to enlightenment, while Left-Path sought truth in human instincts.
Left-Path deemed male-female union a natural instinct, incorporating sexual ecstasy into practice. Rooted in Tianzhu views of female functions as cosmic elements, the doctrine of enlightenment through sexual rites drew much criticism. Thus, many refused to recognize Gold Diamond Monks as true monks and attacked them.
Orthodox Buddhists were especially relentless.
That’s why Gold Diamond Monks were absent from the Central Plains. To protect themselves, they learned martial arts, and their head temple bore the ominous name Demon Temple.
“It’s not about grabbing anyone for sexual rites to gain enlightenment. Conditions must align.”
“What conditions?”
“Their soul must be pure as glass.”
“This guy won’t do, then?”
Ara pointed at Ak Muyoo.
“My soul’s clear as glass—you didn’t know?”
“Someone with a soul pure as glass doesn’t slaughter like that.”
“Extremes connect.”
“Make sense. Go wash up already.”
Ara shot to her feet.
“Fine. Monks should stick together.”
Seo Haran smiled and rose.
Soon, the two headed out.
“By the way! General Ara’s a monk, so her soul must be pure, right?”
Seo Haran’s voice carried from outside.
“M-Me? Not pure at all? I’ve killed tons of people. Beat some to death too.”
A flustered voice followed.
“Why’s she like that?”
Ak Muyoo asked Gong Heo.
“Why ask me?”
Gong Heo countered.
“You shaved your head like a monk.”
“Even shaved……”
Gong Heo stroked his head.
“‘Demon Absolute Mok Woo, Righteous Absolute Yeom Jeong, Buddha Absolute Gong Heo, Dao Absolute Gwang Ja, Evil Absolute Jeok Son—the Heavenly Five Absolutes. Buddha Absolute Gong Heo hails from Buddha Heaven Shaolin. People shun them as a mix of righteous and demonic wandering together, but they speak without knowing the five are fellow disciples. They’re the descendants of the Phoenix.’ That’s what our grandmaster said, right?”
Ak Muyoo stared at Mok Woo.
Mok Woo’s group’s eyes widened impossibly. Staring at Ak Muyoo with bulging eyes, killing intent began leaking from the five. Their combined aura thickened, filling the room.
“Fun group.”
Ak Muyoo chuckled.
Then he drew the Fear Demon and placed it on the table.