Chapter 7
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: The World is Full of Suffering 2
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The children had ears, too, and they had heard everything.
They knew that the man who desired her that day had made a demand, which was refused, leading to a clash of swords. And that the martial artist uncle, who had always been kind and left a good impression on the children, had been gravely wounded by his blade and now lay bedridden.
Seonwoyong turned his head to look at the children.
They had all stood up, gazing at Laeheon with frightened eyes.
The children, who just moments ago had been chattering happily as if they owned the world, now trembled like animals led into a slaughterhouse.
For the first time in a very long while, Seonwoyong felt a surge of anger.
“Kids, your master needs to have a little talk with this uncle here, so go over to that candy shop you see there, pick out some sweets, and order some honey tea. I’ll join you soon.”
Even at Seonwoyong’s words, their master’s, the children couldn’t move their feet right away. They stole glances at Laeheon, who was watching them.
The killing intent he exuded had them bound in place.
Then Seonwoyong turned his head and stared straight at Laeheon.
In an instant, the killing intent that had bound the children vanished.
Instead, Laeheon’s previously lax expression sharpened fiercely.
He could feel again, from the young man before him, the same energy he had sensed that day through the golden sound.
Laeheon began subtly drawing up his Iron Demon Art, ready to unleash it at any moment.
“Send the kids away, and we’ll talk alone. What good would come of them hearing and seeing this?”
At Seonwoyong’s words, Laeheon nodded.
He no longer had the leisure to concern himself with the children.
By now, Seonwoyong’s energy was taking tangible form.
In the meantime, the children began hesitantly moving their feet.
Just five paces away stood the candy shop, plain as day.
The moment the children started moving, Seonwoyong took a step toward Laeheon.
It was neither hurried nor slow—a relaxed true step.
But Laeheon immediately sensed something off about Seonwoyong’s approaching footsteps.
Each step Seonwoyong took felt like it was directly trampling his heart.
The moment he felt that Seonwoyong, staring straight at him as he advanced, resembled a gleaming blade, a massive blade materialized before him.
Its blade, seemingly forged from the air itself, was transparent, but its edge gleamed blue.
Laeheon felt chills run through him, his eight extraordinary meridians locking up.
The enormous blade advanced slowly toward him in time with Seonwoyong’s steps. Yet he could do nothing.
Like a frog before a venomous snake, he couldn’t twitch a finger; he couldn’t even breathe.
He desperately tried to draw up his Iron Demon Art, but his meridians struggled just to circulate blood, let alone inner energy.
His heart pounded wildly, as if it might burst.
Color drained from his face, leaving it ghostly pale.
Before long, the blade—now vast enough to blot out the sky—touched Laeheon’s forehead.
Seonwoyong, who had been approaching, halted his steps.
The blade stopped as well, its tip pressed to the center of Laeheon’s forehead.
Laeheon already knew.
This blade was no mere illusion or sorcery.
If Seonwoyong so much as willed it, his body would be cleaved in two that instant.
[Hey now. Don’t be too startled. I’m not going to kill you right away.]
Seonwoyong’s voice rang in his ears.
It was a mental transmission.
No, not just any transmission—it felt like the profound Shaolin technique, Mercy Light Mind Speech.
Seonwoyong’s voice wasn’t heard through the ears; it embedded directly into Laeheon’s mind.
[Can you hear me? If you can, nod a little.]
Laeheon desperately nodded slightly.
He felt the blade scrape the center of his forehead.
It was chilling, but it hadn’t yet split the skin.
[Now, I’ll ask questions, and you answer. We’ll do it via transmission. You can manage that much, right? There are plenty of people watching and listening. Wouldn’t want to embarrass you? In front of a crowd like this.]
[Who... who are you exactly...?]
[Tsk, you. Already ignoring my words? Did I say I’d ask questions or not?]
[Gah! Understood. Ask away.]
[First off, fix that tone of yours. Your master’s name—wasn’t it... well, I don’t remember the name, but his nickname. Something about a mad colt, right? Face all long and droopy like a colt. Quite the womanizer, if I recall.]
It was true.
The master who had passed down his martial arts to Gold Soul Demon Blade Laeheon was named Mae Gwang (魅宏), with the moniker Slaughter Tiger Mad Horse (屠虎狂馬).
Once a demon who dominated Hunan Province with a single sword. But his lust for women led him to abduct countless village girls, forcing him to flee from the hands of numerous righteous sect masters.
[Yes. My honored master used the characters Mae and Gwang.]
[That’s right, Mae Gwang. Peering into your energy, it’s exactly that guy’s power. But didn’t he have no left hand?]
[What! How did you—?]
[How? Idiot. Your master offered it to me. Something I didn’t even need. Though, since he traded it for his life, you could say he came out ahead.]
[But who exactly are you...?]
[Eh, no need for that. So, what are you going to do?]
[About what?]
[I clearly told you that night not to show up before me again. Did you not understand?]
There was a bit of exaggeration, of course.
From Laeheon’s perspective, having only heard the golden sound, it felt downright unfair.
[You said... withdraw...]
[Same difference, you fool. Anyway, I’ve never let anyone who dares exude killing intent before me or disobey my words go unpunished. I’ll offer you two choices—pick one. Surely I wouldn’t just kill you like this?]
[What are they? I’ll follow whatever.]
[Good, good. At least you catch on. First: I cripple your inner energy completely. Second: You offer me one arm and one leg.]
Laeheon knew his words were no bluff.
The massive blade could drop right now, and it wouldn’t be the least bit strange.
But crippling his inner energy? That would be a fate worse than death.
Cutting off one arm and leg was marginally better, but still unthinkable.
[Please, please spare me. I failed to recognize your seniority and committed a mortal sin.]
[Tsk. You... Did I say to kill you? I just said to cut off a limb or cripple your energy, didn’t I? It’ll be inconvenient, sure, but no impediment to living out your days. You can choose left or right arm. Probably the opposite leg—that seems more balanced.]
Laeheon was desperate.
He didn’t want to lose his limbs like this.
[Please spare me. I’ll serve you as my lifelong benefactor. Whatever you desire, I’ll follow your will. Please...]
Laeheon was on the verge of tears.
Beneath the massive blade touching his forehead, his soul had already fled halfway, leaving him trembling. But to those around, nothing was visible.
They just saw a young man silently facing Laeheon.
His subordinates found it suspicious that Laeheon stood pale, drenched in cold sweat like rain, but that was all.
[What use would I have as your benefactor? Fine, whatever. Since you’re begging like this, it’s only right to show some mercy.]
[Then...?]
[Good thing I need some gold right now. So, buy your arms and legs back from me. Best for both of us, right? Now, how much do you think one of your arms is worth in gold? And one leg?]
Quick on the uptake, Laeheon breathed a sigh of relief at his words.
It could be settled with money.
But he soon fell into contemplation.
How much to offer? How much gold to part with to escape this predicament?
After some back-and-forth haggling and chit-chat, they settled on 2,500 taels of gold for both limbs combined.
That sum equaled at least five years’ profit for the Gold Soul Money House—a fortune—but knocking off 500 taels was a relief.
The blade at Laeheon’s forehead vanished the moment he agreed to 2,500 taels.
The energy binding his eight extraordinary meridians disappeared like a lie.
Seonwoyong had already turned away, gazing at the ducks splashing in the stream.
[Now go. Prepare 100 taels in cash for immediate use, and divide the rest into bills. Not your Gold Soul Money House scrip—use Central Plains Bank notes. Got it?]
Laeheon realized he’d picked the wrong opponent.
In fact, he’d planned to hand over the bills and then close the money house and flee.
[Before sunset tonight. Before dinner, I’ll drop by your place. Don’t even think about running, or you’ll die soon enough. Now go.]
Seonwoyong, who had been watching the ducks play, turned as if nothing had happened and walked toward the candy shop where the children waited.
“It worked, barely... but was it done right? Tsk.”
Unleashing the Sword Heart was no easy feat.
Even in his prime, when he had ascended to the Profound Realm and roamed the martial world unchecked, the Sword Heart had been impossible.
It was a technique only possible after fully opening the upper dantian.
Now, having far surpassed the Profound Realm, he wondered if this wasn’t the Nature Realm of legends.
Of course, even he couldn’t be sure. It was undoubtedly a supreme realm no one—past or present—had ever trod.
The children hadn’t touched their honey tea. They each held a sweet, sucking on it while watching for their master’s return.
“Why aren’t you drinking the honey tea? It’s best when it’s cool. Hey, shopkeep! Another cup of honey tea here. My throat’s dry. Haha...”
“Master, is the talk over? It looked like you barely said anything.”
Choyeoun, who knew a bit about the world and had been anxiously watching her master, asked cautiously.
“Haha... There are grown-up matters you kids wouldn’t understand.”
Seonwoyong drank the fresh honey tea as if nothing had happened.
Only then did the children regain their usual cheer, laughing and chattering.
That day, their master bought them sweets, honey tea, a black puppy, and a white kitten, entrusting them to the children.
On the way back to the Lotus Flower Pavilion, he repeatedly impressed upon them.
“Take good care of them. Taking a life means promising to be responsible for it. You must never abandon a life you’ve taken on.”
That day’s outing to the market became one of the happiest memories of the children’s lives.
* * *
“Very well. You’ve done well.”
Late that afternoon.
Seonwoyong sat in the inner chamber of the Gold Soul Money House, gathering up the gold and bills spread before him as he spoke.
Laeheon watched with a sullen expression, then lifted a cup of cold tea from the table to his lips.
“What in the world is your true identity, elder...?”