Chapter 62
Chapter 62
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: Fate is Truly Ironic
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Fate is truly ironic.
Ak Muyoo gathered up the Heavenly God Sun Bow and headed to the forge with Zabujong. It had been two days since he came down from the mountain. As expected, Arak Haru was already at the forge.
"Take off your robe."
Cheol Mok said.
"My robe?"
"I've made a separate house for the Dark Current Arrows. We need to attach the frame for mounting the house to your robe first."
"How do you attach it?"
"The Dark Current Arrow house is oval-shaped. It spirals from your left shoulder down to your right thigh."
"What do you mean by spirals?"
"When you draw a Dark Current Arrow, it pulls on the house, and the house shifts one slot."
"So you're drawing an arrow from the same spot?"
"Of course, it takes consistent practice."
"Practice is one thing I can definitely do."
Ak Muyoo took off his robe and handed it over. Then he turned to Arak Haru and asked,
"Don't you have any friends?"
"Nope."
Arak Haru nodded.
"Why not?"
"They don't understand me."
"What's not to understand?"
"They're all too immature."
"Are your guy friends immature, or your girl friends?"
"All of them."
"Hmm! Then that's a problem."
"What problem?"
"No friends means you're a loner, and for a loner, this world is really no fun."
"Do you have friends, mister?"
"I used to, but now I have none."
"Aren't you lonely?"
"I'm too busy surviving to feel lonely."
"But now that you're the family head, survival's taken care of."
"......How old are you again?"
"Eight."
"Your mom definitely needs a spanking."
"Why?"
"You can't raise a daughter like you."
"How should she raise me then?"
"At eight, you should giggle just watching leaves fall in autumn."
"Trees drop their leaves in autumn to prepare for the harsh winter. That's what fallen leaves are. In other words, leaves falling isn't some romantic sight—it's the product of desperate efforts for survival."
"Not one spanking, but three... no, ten."
"What happened to that one friend you had?"
"He died."
"How?"
"Right in front of me, his head got cut off. The severed head floated up lightly and stared at me. When our eyes met, we exchanged goodbyes."
"Isn't that too harsh for an eight-year-old?"
"That's how the world is."
"What about Uncle Cha Jiwoong?"
"How do you know Cha Jiwoong?"
"I secretly overheard Mom and the elders talking."
"What did they say?"
"That he went to take out Aunt Luha and Uncle."
"If we survived, what do you think would've happened to that guy?"
"I don't know."
"He'd have gotten his head cut off and died."
"Did you do it, mister?"
"With this."
Ak Muyoo tapped Geom Ma.
"But they said you don't have internal energy..."
"Even without internal energy, there's a way to win."
"What's that?"
"Only one of us lives."
"......"
"If he dies, I live. If I die, he lives. So what should I do?"
"Kill him..."
"Right. To live, I have to kill him. It can't end with just injury. I have to render him completely helpless to sleep easy."
"You really say anything to a kid."
Arak Haru glared at Ak Muyoo.
"You don't want to live like me, right?"
"Is 'only one lives' how you've survived until now?"
"That's why I'm still alive."
"How do I avoid living like you?"
"Get so strong no one dares challenge you. Rabbits freeze up before a tiger, muscles stiff, unable to even flee. That's what strength is. If you become a tiger, no one will dare meet your eyes."
"You could get strong too."
"I can't, no matter how hard I try."
"Because of your dantian?"
"Yeah. But you can."
"Getting strong isn't just about will and effort. You need powerful martial arts too."
"I have them."
"You do?"
"Yeah. Hard to write them down, but I can teach orally."
"You're going to teach me?"
"Yeah."
"......Call me master first."
"Listen carefully."
Ak Muyoo slowly recited the martial arts of Silver Secret Heaven.
As he prepared to recite it a second time, Arak Haru shook her head.
"I've memorized it all."
"You're smart, huh?"
"Not just smart. I can perform some right now."
"Which ones?"
"Sword techniques."
"Can you show me?"
"Yeah."
Arak Haru went inside and came back with two swords. She tossed one to Ak Muyoo.
"What am I supposed to do with this?"
"You have to demonstrate too."
"Don't you know a sword is no different from a stick to me?"
"I need a master."
"......Fine."
Ak Muyoo nodded. Then he began explaining the martial art.
"Illusion Demon Twelve Forms must be executed with sword force from the first stance, Returning Fog. It's an incredible art I could never master, even till death."
"But you can do the first stance of the sixth form, Returning Fog, right?"
Arak Haru's speech had turned formal.
"Right. That's possible. But even that's only half power."
"Please teach me."
"I'll show you the stance. Returning Fog is an explosion."
"What does that mean?"
"Internal energy explosion. Condense all your energy in the sword and arm, then explode it inward."
"Inward, not outward?"
"Outward makes sword force, inward makes flash-quick strike."
Flash!
The sword in Ak Muyoo's hand shot toward Arak Haru's neck at terrifying speed.
"Eek!"
Arak Haru squeezed her eyes shut.
"You can open them now."
Arak Haru opened her eyes. She let out a sigh of relief. Ak Muyoo's extended sword had stopped two feet away.
"Was that Returning Fog?"
"Yeah."
"Then Flash Thunder is..."
"Flash Thunder strikes like lightning. It embodies heaviness and lightness at once. Combining opposing heaviness and speed creates thunder-like power and swiftness."
"How?"
"Build energy in the sword. Stack it and stack it until it's mountain-heavy. Then hurl it like in Returning Fog."
"Anyone hit by Flash Thunder would turn to dust in an instant."
"Right. That's Heavy Sword Flash-Quick. The energy stance is this."
Ak Muyoo raised his sword.
"Hah!"
With a shout, the sword in his hand cleaved the air.
Screeech!
In an instant, a sword trail appeared in the air and vanished.
"No internal energy, so that's all. With proper energy, it rips the air with sound. Everything in the way turns to dust. What's next?"
"Thunderbolt."
"Right, Thunderbolt. It's performed lightly. Overcome heaviness with speed. The method is..."
Ak Muyoo's explanation continued without pause.
After each explanation, he demonstrated. His versions lacked energy, so power was lacking, but he gave his all.
Arak Haru sweated profusely, mimicking Ak Muyoo.
Someone watched them silently: blacksmith Cheol Mok and Queen Arak Siru.
Arak Siru had arrived just moments ago.
"She comes to the forge every day, and finally gets a fateful encounter. Not with you, old man, but someone else."
"Were you trying to learn martial arts from me?"
Cheol Mok asked, astonished.
"You're the strongest in Chacha Kingdom."
"Haha! I had no idea."
"You're a bit oblivious, old man."
"Uh! Hahaha!"
Cheol Mok burst into hearty laughter.
"But it's so natural."
"What's natural?"
"That martial art he's demonstrating. No real power, but the forms flow like water. To move like that takes endless practice... Why teach such an amazing art to Haru?"
"Same reason he told me before."
"About feeling sorry to the one who left Geom Ma, and to Geom Ma itself?"
"Yes."
"He can't master it no matter how hard he tries."
"So he's passing it to someone else."
"I see. Anything I can do to help?"
"You want to help?"
"I'm getting Radiant World Divine Art, but offering nothing. Have to help the old man at least."
"Then hold this."
"Anything."
"Shall we take a break?"
Ak Muyoo lowered his sword and said.
"Sure."
"You switched to formal speech just now. Why?"
"I decided you're not friend material."
"I think friends would be great."
"Maybe as a dad, but not a friend."
"Dad?"
"No ideas?"
"You like me?"
"If you agree, I'll convince Mom."
"I can't be your father."
"Why?"
"A father never teaches his daughter killing techniques. Anyone who does isn't a dad. No qualification."
"Hmph! Just say no if you don't want to. Though yeah, Mom's kinda cold. Bad luck too. Forget I said anything. Mister, let's start again."
"Fine."
The two resumed practice.
"What does she take me for?"
Arak Siru's face flushed red then pale in the forge.
"Hahaha! She got you good, princess."
Cheol Mok laughed.
"But what art is that? Seems incredible..."
"Probably Silver Secret Heaven's supreme martial art."
"Silver Secret Heaven—one of Absolute Six Heavens, the Silver Heaven?"
Arak Siru looked at Cheol Mok in shock.
"As far as I know, Fear Heaven's lord Ma Cheon the progenitor and Silver Secret Heaven's lord Mil Un were married and went to the desert together."
"Why the desert?"
"Don't know details, but probably to eliminate Sun Heaven's lord."
"Why go to the desert specifically for that?"
"Not their own will."
"Why think that?"
"Mil Un, I don't know, but Ma Cheon left no lord arts or divine treasures."
"If voluntary, he'd have left them."
"Right. Anyway, those two never returned from the desert."
"And that man has their arts and weapons."
"Yes."
"Fate really torments people."
"Can't let go?"
"No such experience, old man? You think 'no more,' try to drop everything, but something new grabs your ankle."
"Of course. No end to it. Otherwise, I never would've become a blacksmith."
Cheol Mok smiled faintly.
"Everyone's like that."
"Now we attach this."
Cheol Mok glanced at the table. Ak Muyoo's robe lay there.
"Huh?"
Arak Siru's eyes widened as she looked at the robe.
"What's wrong?"
"There's writing inside."
"Writing?"
Cheol Mok looked puzzled at the robe.
"Yes."
"Open it."
Arak Siru unfolded the robe.
The tiny writing was ancient Central Plains script. Fortunately, Arak Siru knew it.
She read slowly from the top.
"This is..."
Arak Siru's eyes widened in surprise.