Chapter 37: Adversary-3
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 37: Adversary-3
Sun-woo forced his heavy eyelids open.
Because his body was in such a wretched state, even his eyelids felt like lead.
Though he managed to open them, everything was pitch black. He couldn't see a single thing in his surroundings.
What’s going on?
He tried to push himself up, but he couldn't even move.
Was it because all his strength had left him?
Ever since he opened his eyes, there wasn't a single thing he could do.
He clearly remembered fleeing to the Baekgeom Sect’s secret hideout with Ok-ryeong and then writhing in agony.
He couldn't remember anything after that.
Did I bite my tongue?
Had he been unable to endure the pain and ended his own life by biting his tongue?
Or had he simply fainted from the agony and was still wandering through a dream?
He didn't know.
He couldn't remember at all.
He remained lost in thought for a long time.
Step. Step.
The sound of footsteps echoed from outside the stone chamber.
Sun-woo tensed.
Who did those footsteps belong to?
Ok-ryeong? The Yin-Yang Demon? He didn't care who it was, as long as it wasn't Lee Jae-won. He prayed and prayed for that.
Step.
The owner of the footsteps finally revealed himself.
"Are you awake? You’ve been sleeping your damn head off."
It was the Yin-Yang Demon.
Sun-woo let out a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, the owner of the footsteps wasn't Lee Jae-won.
At the sight of the Yin-Yang Demon, his forgotten memories began to resurface bit by bit.
While he was writhing in pain, he had tried to take his own life, and the Yin-Yang Demon had saved him by injecting Yin-Yang Harmony Qi into his body.
"Thank you for saving my life!"
Sun-woo blurted out his gratitude immediately.
He felt a genuine sense of thankfulness welling up inside him.
If not for the existence of the Yin-Yang Demon, both he and Ok-ryeong would have surely met a gruesome end at the hands of Lee Jae-won.
Ok-ryeong would have been raped and murdered, and he would have been forced to watch it all happen.
Furthermore, the man had even bought them time to escape from Lee Jae-won. How could he not be grateful?
"Forget it. I didn't exactly intend to save you."
Sun-woo felt a sense of doubt at those words.
Was it possible he hadn't saved him because he was a successor of his technique?
When the Yin-Yang Demon's identity was first revealed, Sun-woo had wondered about it, but he had inwardly assumed the man appeared to save him.
Otherwise, there was no reason for the Yin-Yang Demon, who had vanished twenty years ago, to suddenly appear on White Flower Peak.
It wasn't like he was just out for a stroll in the neighborhood and decided to stop by.
"Did you not save me because I am a successor who learned the Yin-Yang Harmony Divine Art?"
"How would I have known you learned that?"
"Perhaps you felt the fluctuations of my Qi..."
"Crazy bastard."
Sun-woo was left speechless by the Yin-Yang Demon's blunt response.
It seemed his reasoning had been entirely wrong.
Embarrassed, Sun-woo clamped his mouth shut, and silence fell between the two.
Surprisingly, it was the Yin-Yang Demon who broke the silence first.
"I should be the one asking. Why did you come to White Flower Peak?"
"That... well..."
Sun-woo was suddenly gripped by hesitation.
Should he tell the truth, or should he lie as he had to Ok-ryeong?
"Just so you know, if you intend to deceive me, you’d better do it well. If I catch you in a clumsy lie, I’ll rip your phallus off."
Sun-woo felt a sudden chill in his groin.
He got the distinct feeling that if he said the wrong thing, his manhood really would be torn away.
He quickly concluded that lying was not an option.
However, another problem arose. He was worried about how much he should actually reveal.
If the Yin-Yang Demon had heard his conversation with Lee Jae-won from beginning to end, he could just tell the truth. But if not, things would be incredibly awkward.
He couldn't exactly blurt out that they were all fictional characters in a novel.
If he did that, the man would probably crack his skull open for talking nonsense.
After agonizing over it for a long time, Sun-woo slowly opened his mouth.
"My name is Jang Sam, the eldest disciple of the Absolute Martial God, Lee Jae-won... Originally, I was falsely accused... by chance... in a hideout of the Murim Alliance... there, I found the Yin-Yang Harmony Divine Art... while being pursued... by chance... I came to White Flower Peak... and that is how I ended up here."
Sun-woo gave a long, detailed explanation of everything he had experienced as Jang Sam.
He explained why he was being hunted, how he had learned the Yin-Yang Harmony Divine Art, and how he had reached White Flower Peak.
Aside from being framed, most of it had been intentional choices made by Sun-woo as a reader, but he lied and dismissed them all as mere coincidences.
But from Jang Sam's perspective, it had all been the product of chance, so it wasn't entirely a lie, was it?
The Yin-Yang Demon stroked his chin as he listened silently to Sun-woo's story.
Thump. Thump.
Sun-woo could feel his heart pounding.
Since he couldn't tell the whole truth but couldn't lie either, he had mixed truth and falsehood in just the right proportions.
As a result, it had become a preposterous tale where everything was a coincidental result of a coincidence upon another coincidence.
A deep sense of regret washed over Sun-woo.
He hadn't realized it while he was talking, but now that he’d said it, it sounded like total bullshit.
At this rate, his phallus might actually get ripped off.
With a nervous heart, Sun-woo stole a glance at the Yin-Yang Demon's face.
The Yin-Yang Demon wore an incredibly serious expression.
"So, you're saying it was all 'coincidence'?"
"That is correct."
A very satisfied smile spread across the Yin-Yang Demon's face.
"Just as I thought."
"Pardon?"
"You are the only being with the potential to kill Lee Jae-won."
"What!?"
Sun-woo's eyes widened at the Yin-Yang Demon's words.
He was the one to kill Lee Jae-won? What kind of nonsense was that?
It was impossible.
Lee Jae-won was the protagonist of this novel.
That meant he was a being loved by the world itself.
Furthermore, he was the World's Greatest Martial Artist and a master who had reached the Profound Realm, often referred to as a Half-Immortal.
How was he supposed to kill such a near-inhuman entity?
Sun-woo looked at the Yin-Yang Demon with skeptical eyes.
"Don't look at me like that. Do you want me to gouge those eyes out?"
At the Yin-Yang Demon's savage remark, Sun-woo quickly lowered his gaze.
"Well, I suppose it's only natural for a fellow like you to be skeptical, but my words have a basis."
The Yin-Yang Demon caught his breath and continued.
"Between that bastard and me, who do you think possesses the more powerful martial arts?"
"Pardon?"
Sun-woo fell into deep thought at the question.
According to the setting, Lee Jae-won, the World's Greatest Martial Artist, was clearly stronger. However, the martial arts the Yin-Yang Demon had displayed in person were beyond imagination. Hadn't he dispersed Lee Jae-won's attack with a single flick of his hand?
After some deliberation, Sun-woo spoke.
"I believe Lee Jae-won is stronger."
"Wrong. I am stronger."
"Then why haven't you killed him?"
Sun-woo was puzzled.
If the Yin-Yang Demon's martial arts were indeed superior, why hadn't he killed Lee Jae-won long ago?
Wasn't Lee Jae-won his sworn enemy who had nearly killed him?
Sun-woo simply couldn't understand.
"But I couldn't win."
"What!?"
Sun-woo asked back in bewilderment.
His martial arts were superior, yet he couldn't win? What kind of novel nonsense was this?
"When I fight that bastard, I have the advantage at first because my martial arts are superior. But as the fight progresses, that brat grows! To the point where he becomes my equal!"
The Yin-Yang Demon raised his voice, sounding as if he were about to burst with frustration.
"Of course, they say there is no greater teacher than actual combat, but even taking that into account, he grows at an absurd speed. A brat who had just barely entered the Profound Realm managed to match me, who has reached the very end of it!"
From the Yin-Yang Demon's perspective, it was enough to make his blood boil.
It felt as if the enlightenment he had accumulated over years or even decades was being snatched away in an instant.
"After my first defeat at the Sage's dwelling, I fought him several times. And I came to a certain hypothesis. I wondered if some unknown, transcendental being was tuning the world so that he wouldn't lose—so that he would always win. Otherwise, such nonsensical achievements and luck that can only be called divine favor could never have happened."
Sun-woo was profoundly shocked by the Yin-Yang Demon's words.
The Yin-Yang Demon had noticed the existence of what is commonly known as Plot Armor.
Plot Armor is a narrative device for the protagonist.
It provides clues to defeat powerful enemies or triggers divine luck to ensure survival even in situations where death is certain. It encompasses countless clichés.
As a narrative device favored for the author's convenience, it serves to advance the story or resolve dramatic tension.
Since High School Senior Goes to Murim was a work plastered with this Plot Armor, Lee Jae-won never suffered a defeat.
The Yin-Yang Demon had perceived that unfairness.
Sun-woo could not hide his amazement.
"In the end, I gave up on ambushing that bastard. It's infuriating, but there's nothing more galling than him using me as a stepping stone to grow even further."
Suddenly, the Yin-Yang Demon grabbed Sun-woo's shoulder.
"But then I saw you today. With a weak body that has only reached the Super-Peak Realm, you are the only being that Lee Jae-won—who is blessed by the entire world—cannot have his way with!"
His voice grew agitated, and his tone rose even higher.
"And then I realized. If it's you, you might just be the only Adversary capable of breaking Lee Jae-won."
Sun-woo fell into a state of confusion.
To be honest, it wasn't so much coincidence as it was the result of him utilizing the MacGuffins in the novel that he knew as a reader.
But looking at it from another angle, the Yin-Yang Demon wasn't wrong in saying that he was the only person the world's protagonist, Lee Jae-won, couldn't control.
He, too, was a being from a higher dimension like Lee Jae-won, and it was true that absurd luck had played a part, such as the Yin-Yang Demon appearing at his moment of crisis.
"Therefore, I intend to train you and set you against Lee Jae-won."
"......"
Sun-woo felt a sense of doubt.
Of course, he understood everything the man had said.
The fact that Lee Jae-won possessed Plot Armor, and that he, as the only being unaffected by it, was the only Adversary who could oppose him.
But even so, there was no reason for the Yin-Yang Demon to train him.
He had learned the man's martial arts, and the man had saved his and Ok-ryeong's lives, but he was still a notorious Great Demon who was called the World's Greatest Demon and had slaughtered countless people.
He wondered what ulterior motive the man was harboring.
Why go through the trouble of raising a disciple for revenge when he could just avoid the man?
Wasn't Lee Jae-won a disaster-like existence that an ordinary human couldn't possibly handle?
No matter how much he thought about it, it lacked probability.
"Why are you going this far?"
"Because he's my enemy."
The answer came instantly, without a moment's hesitation.
".........."
At the Yin-Yang Demon's answer, Sun-woo realized that he had been looking at the Murim through the perspective of a modern person until now.
That was right.
These people were martial artists.
They hated being disgraced more than death, they made sure to repay their grudges even if generations passed, they spoke with their swords rather than words, and they were a breed that hated losing more than anyone else.
When a trial beyond their capacity struck ordinary people, they would usually collapse and fall into despair.
But these martial artists were the type who, even when faced with an insurmountable trial, chose to move forward rather than give up.
The Yin-Yang Demon had chosen to stand tall and face the disaster-like man named Lee Jae-won rather than submit and hide.
"Just so you know, I don't need your consent. I will train you, and you must become strong. Until you can defeat Lee Jae-won. This is not a suggestion, but a notification."
"........."
His arrogant attitude was also thoroughly characteristic of a martial artist.
"I look forward to your guidance, Master."
Sun-woo immediately pressed his forehead to the ground and began to perform the nine kowtows.
He didn't have a choice anyway.
He had to become strong, and he had to kill Lee Jae-won.
He would use whatever he could.
Except for Ok-ryeong, of course.
Suddenly thinking of Ok-ryeong, Sun-woo hurriedly finished his kowtows and stood up.
"Master, what about Ok-ryeong?"
"You're asking only now."
Sun-woo felt embarrassed by the Yin-Yang Demon's remark.
He felt ashamed that he had only just remembered her after claiming to cherish her more than his own life.
"That girl is unconscious in the stone chamber on the other side."
Upon hearing the answer, Sun-woo immediately ran to where she was.
He should have checked on her first.
It was his mistake.
Ok-ryeong was sleeping, her breath ragged, on the flat rock where Sun-woo had laid her.
But her condition looked very strange.
Her complexion was noticeably flushed, and her breathing was so labored that the sound of her gasps echoed.
What!?
Seeing this, Sun-woo hurriedly placed his hand on her forehead.
She was burning up.
Sun-woo pulled his hand away and placed it on her palm, beginning to channel Yin-Yang Harmony Qi into her.
He intended to use the Qi to forcibly circulate her acupoints and activate her recovery, but it was no use.
Her breathing grew even more labored, and Sun-woo's heart burned with anxiety.
"Ok-ryeong!"
He called her name urgently, but there was no sign of her waking up.
"It's no use."
Tramp. Tramp.
The Yin-Yang Demon walked into the stone chamber.
"What do you mean by that?"
"I mean it's no use, no matter how much Yin-Yang Harmony Qi you pour into her."
"What do you mean!?"
"She is going to die."
At the Yin-Yang Demon's words, Sun-woo's eyes widened in shock.