The Bonds of Fate
"We've arrived, customer... Son of a bitch."
The coachman's face soured as he slid open the small partition to peer inside. The carriage was thick with the unmistakable stench of semen.
The horse-headed coachman looked back and forth between me and So-wol, his large horse eyes glaring as he demanded an explanation.
"Excuse me, customer, but masturbation inside the carriage is strictly prohibited!"
"Masturbation..." So-wol muttered, clutching my sleeve and lowering her head. Was she shocked at being treated like a mere sex toy? Well, I suppose if someone called me a walking dildo, I'd be pretty flustered too.
"How are you going to settle this? You'll have to pay a cleaning fee on top of the fare we agreed on. It's bad enough dealing with bastards who spill blood and guts while eating snacks in here."
Squeeze. Her grip on my sleeve tightened. I was about to tell her she was getting cum on my sleeve, but I held my tongue. I was a man of tact, after all.
"Pay up, quickly. That'll be five lowest-grade spirit stones."
Oh. A rip-off.
Is that price factoring in emotional damages? For a backwater village, the cost of living is higher than in the city. This is why they say cutting ties and escaping is a matter of intelligence.
"A rip-off?! Are you mocking me?"
The horse-head flew into a rage, cracking his whip against the ground. Crack! The leather whip tore through the air, leaving a deep gash in the dirt. Was that weapon reaching the speed of sound just from a casual flick of his wrist?
"What's your realm?"
"Early Core Condensation! Neighhh!"
"Ah. Figures."
Not just Dokkaebi, but most demons and monsters spend their entire lives floundering in the swamp of Core Condensation before they die.
"Let me show you something neat. Hup."
"...My apologies. Just one lowest-grade spirit stone will do."
I flared my aura of Middle Core Condensation, instantly slashing the price to a fifth of the original. Now this is alchemy. Realizing that stubbornness would get him killed, he suddenly became very polite. It was a beautiful sight. Power really does make people humble.
If I had shown my Late Core Condensation realm, I would have received even more respect and courtesy, but I was partly at fault here anyway, and there was no need to show my full hand. So I kept it hidden.
With that settled, So-wol and I walked through the entrance of the village.
"A human?"
"You idiot, he's a Dokkaebi. But the one next to him... yeah, that's a human."
"Looks delicious."
"Isn't she a sex slave?"
"Man, Dokkaebi have some weird tastes. Fucking livestock... they must have strong stomachs."
Feeling their predatory gazes, So-wol clung even closer to my side. Was this the first time she'd faced such blatant hostility? I suppose it made sense, since she had mostly only seen Dokkaebi her entire life.
Yagwi City, as its name suggested, was a territory dominated by Dokkaebi. However, in the villages on the outskirts of the city, the ratio sometimes flipped, with Dokkaebi being outnumbered by minority outlander demons.
Bull-headed demons, lantern spirits, human-faced spiders, and multi-headed giants whose topknots made them look like walking palm trees. Those pushed out of the mainstream, yet lacking the will or means to leave, usually carved out a living here on the fringes.
Man, it hasn't even been that long, but these ugly bastards haven't changed a bit.
I prided myself on being an open-minded, egalitarian guy, but there were some things I just couldn't stomach biologically. I could tolerate animal-headed furries, long-necked freaks, or even insect demons. But jiangshi? Those hopping corpses smelled so fucking rancid I couldn't stand being near them.
And then, right on cue, I spotted them.
"Oh! Hey!"
"What?"
"That guy! Isn't that Hayun? Hey! Hayun!"
A ghost from my past. A few of the guys watching us from a distance squinted in disbelief before running over, their faces lighting up with shock.
"Hey! Jeon Hayun! You bastard, where the hell have you been? Your old man has been going absolutely wild lately!"
"Oh, right."
"What's with that reaction? Whatever. You always said you'd cut ties once you became an adult, and you actually did it. More importantly, who's the girl next to you?"
"My se—"
I barely stopped myself from saying "servant." I was here on business; there was no need to go around blabbing about her identity. I had no intention of sharing some sob-to-riches story in a place I was going to leave as soon as I finished my business.
"My... my... my ass, you bastard."
"Haha. Still a prick as always, Shityun."
"And you're still a piece of shit."
"...Do you even know my name?"
"Of course I do, Han-su."
"Bullshit! My name is Geon-su, you son of a bitch."
"Just kidding, buddy."
"What's my last name then?"
"Sorry."
I remembered drinking with him, but I'd never bothered to learn his actual name. A casual drinking buddy relationship where we just called each other "hey" and "you bastard" was perfect. Besides, I had zero interest in another guy's name.
Still, the memories of drinking cheap moonshine in his backyard to escape my raging father were actually quite special.
"So, where did you go?"
"You know how someone from the Kang family came to my house?"
"Oh, yeah! That! Rumors spread like wildfire when you and your mom vanished, leaving only your old man behind. What the hell did you do to get a carriage from the Kang family to show up at your house?"
So the rumors had spread. But it seemed they didn't know I'd been scouted by Kang Baek-jin. Well, if I were to translate it to Earth terms, it would be like teaching a blowjob technique to a conglomerate chairman who was currently fucking my mom, and getting adopted as his son because of it.
Fuck, even if I told them the truth, nobody would believe me. Honestly, if I hadn't witnessed Kang Baek-jin beating my biological father to a pulp before walking into our house to fuck my mother, I would have called bullshit too.
Why would the head of a clan ruling the city come all the way to this remote, backwater village? Hmm... Come to think of it, it was rather strange. Was there something I didn't know? Well, I could think about that later.
"What's my old man been up to lately?"
"Man, it's crazy. After you and your mom disappeared, he went wild, howling like a madman, and then he suddenly vanished..."
"Vanished?"
My old Dokkaebi drinking buddy made a gesture of tipping a cup. This cheeky bastard.
"Fine. My treat."
"Holy sex."
"...Where the hell did you learn that phrase?"
Was this guy a reincarnator too? I seriously contemplated whether I should kill him on the spot.
"You used to yell 'Holy sex!' every single time you drank, you idiot."
"Ah. Right."
"But it just rolls off the tongue so well. Especially after downing a shot of cheap moonshine and shouting 'Sex!' It's just so satisfying..."
"Shut the fuck up."
I knew I was a bit of a vulgar guy, but I didn't want to look like a total degenerate in front of So-wol. Of course, So-wol probably didn't even know what the word "sex" meant, but it still made me feel uncomfortable.
"I'm buying, so let's move. Is the White Wolf Tavern still around?"
"The owner got stabbed by a troublesome customer."
"Oh."
"But they harvested the customer's corpse and core, sold them, and used the money to expand the place."
"Nice."
I grabbed So-wol's hand—she had been standing there blankly with her hands clasped, completely lost—and led her along.
Thud!
"Kaaah! Holy sex!!!"
The Dokkaebi roared as the alcohol hit his stomach. I stuffed a side dish into his mouth to tell him to shut the fuck up, which finally quieted him down a bit.
"Now tell me. What's my old man been doing lately?"
"Man, you really just got back today, didn't you? Your old man is famous in the village now."
After spilling everything he knew, the guy slammed his head onto the table.
"Ugh... It was seriously insane. He wiped out the entire hideout of the Jok-kkaebi Gang by himself. I have no idea what that drunkard Jeon Gu-seok ate to suddenly reach Late Core Condensation."
"Hmm."
"Jeon Hayun. I know you hate your old man, but you should go see him. Who knows? You're still his flesh and blood, maybe he'll throw you a bone?"
"He was already a violent bastard when he was only in the Early Core Condensation realm. If I go see him now, he'll probably smash a liquor bottle over my head."
"Ah. Right. That's a problem. At least back then, your mom was there to stop him from actually killing you, but she's gone now. How is your mother doing, by the way?"
"You're drunk, man."
I had heard everything I needed to. I downed the cheap alcohol—which tasted just as awful as I remembered—and stood up.
"What... you leaving already?"
"Don't slur your words like that, you bastard. What are you, gay?"
"What the hell is 'gay', you son of a bitch? Every time you talk like this, it feels like you're from another world."
"Maybe I am."
"Pfft, bullshit. I've known you since you were a snot-nosed brat."
He mumbled with his face pressed against the table. It was a familiar sight. Usually, at this point, he would clutch his forehead with his right hand and then throw up.
"Ughhh... I'm so wasted..."
Ah, he just clutched his forehead.
"Still... I thought you were dead, so it's good to see your face, you bastard. Looks like you picked up a slave somewhere. Did you seduce some rich family's daughter or something?"
Well, I did receive a very generous sponsorship from a daughter of a very wealthy family.
"Wait, seriously? You vanish for a few months and come back with a rich benefactor and a personal cum-bucket... Fuck, you lucky bastard. I hate you."
"Yeah. I'm here to wrap things up. I won't be coming back."
"You always sang about making it big, and you actually did it. Congratulations, man."
"Thanks."
"If we run into each other out there, let's grab a drink. Now that I'm an adult, I'm leaving this shitty village too."
"Sounds good. And once you're done throwing up, eat this. It's good for you."
"Oh, thanks... urgh."
"Let's go. And don't act like you know me if we meet out there."
As I stepped out of the tavern, I heard the sound of retching, followed by the angry owner beating my friend over the head. Well, he was a regular, so the owner wouldn't kill him.
Once we were outside, So-wol tugged tightly on my collar, sending me a silent, disapproving look.
"What?"
"To waste such a precious elixir... You should have given it to your concubine instead."
"It's just a cheap one. Don't worry about it."
If a single cheap pill could sever my last remaining bond to this village, it was a bargain.
"With that, I've completely wiped my slate clean. Do you have any idea how tedious and difficult it is to launder your identity?"
"Your concubine often finds your words difficult to comprehend, Master."
"Don't worry about it."
We left the tavern's vicinity. I turned down two alleys, walked straight until I saw a bull-headed demon's restaurant, then made two lefts and three rights. All to sever my final remaining bond.
And there it was.
"It's a house."
"Indeed."
"It is so dilapidated. The door is broken, and it has been completely neglected. It does not even seem fit for habitation. It is in a worse state than the servants' quarters where your concubine used to sleep."
"Sorry for bringing you to a ruin."
"Ah."
I led So-wol inside. The door my new father had kicked down hadn't even been repaired. It was practically an open invitation for thieves and bandits. Oh, right. I forgot he reached Late Core Condensation. A Late Core Condensation cultivator was a miraculous mathematician who could divide any number of bandits into halves with his bare hands. In a backwater village like this, they reigned supreme.
Of course, while some Dokkaebi managed to reach Late Core Condensation right before they died of old age, that was only true for those who actually trained. Those who lived without hope or effort returned to the earth without ever taking a single step past Middle or even Early Core Condensation.
"Ah. This pillar is still the same."
At least some familiar things remained.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
I banged the cheap liquor bottle I'd brought from the tavern against the pillar, calling out to the old man holed up inside.
"Hey, Dad! Come on out. Let's have a drink for old times' sake!"
"Master?"
"Yeah, it's fine. Just watch."
Clang! Clang! Clang! Smash! The bottle, repeatedly slammed against the pillar, finally shattered, spilling its sour contents. Cheap liquor really did come in cheap bottles.
But perhaps it was more effective this way. Drawn by the sour scent of alcohol, a figure stumbled out from the shadows.
"...Hayun?"
"Hey, Dad. Long time no see. You look like absolute shit, by the way."
It was true. The wounds inflicted by my current father, Kang Baek-jin, who had beaten him to a pulp, hadn't healed even after he reached Late Core Condensation. His face was horribly disfigured. If not for his voice, I wouldn't have recognized him. His entire body was swollen and red, and his eyes were hollow, completely devoid of life.
"It has been... a long time."
"Yeah."
"The alcohol. Give it to me."
"Here."
I tossed him another bottle. Jeon Gu-seok deftly snapped the neck of the bottle and poured the liquid down his throat.
"Kaaah."
Wiping his swollen mouth with his arm, he glanced at me, his eyes suddenly widening in shock.
"...You are not in the Early Core Condensation realm."
"Wow. How did you tell?"
"My eyes are good. You have grown... over these past few months."
"Seems so. You've become quite famous yourself."
Still, to easily recognize that I was at least in the Middle Core Condensation realm... My old man had a surprisingly keen eye. Well, I suppose that was how he managed to snag a wife who stayed with him despite all his abuse.
"How is Sun-i doing... Do you know where she is?"
"Yeah. You know Mom went with me to follow Kang Baek-jin."
"She is... alive?"
"Did you think she was dead?"
"Who in their right mind... adopts a boy just because he taught him how to get a blowjob... I thought he was the type to give false hope before killing you... Why would the head of such a great family... take someone like you as his son?"
"Uh..."
Why was he being so logical? Did achieving a higher realm clear the cobwebs from his brain?
"How did you get so smart? Did you hit your head?"
"I did... Can you not see this?"
He bowed his head, showing me a gaping wound in his skull. Uh, was that white thing inside his head actual bone? To think he was still functioning with his head split open like that... Was this the power of a Late Core Condensation body? I had no desire to experience it firsthand.
"Doesn't it hurt?"
"Of course it hurts... Why do you think I am drinking?"
"And why are you speaking so politely all of a sudden?"
"It is just... my whim."
"Fair enough."
He really didn't seem like the man I used to know, but at least he was better than the abusive piece of shit from my childhood. I unclipped another bottle of liquor from my waist and tossed it to him.
Catch. Jeon Gu-seok caught it and chugged it down.
"Since I gave you alcohol, let me ask you something."
"...What is it?"
"How on earth did you end up like this?"
"...You know I stole Kang Baek-jin's belongings, right?"
"Yeah."
"I consumed it, and I became like this."
"Oh."
Why didn't he kill him? My current father really was a generous man. Some beggar stole his precious elixir and ate it, yet he let him live, only taking his wife and son.
"Is there any left?"
"None. Of course... I ate it all."
"Tsk. My former father should be grateful to my current father. You got power, and you didn't even die."
".....Indeed, my former son."
Smash! Jeon Gu-seok drained the last drop and shattered the bottle. He stared at me intently, his lips parting slowly.
"So... did you come to kill me?"
How the hell did he know?