Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: The State of My Manners?!
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- …Doesn’t your conscience bother you?
Watching me decide to take the friend fee from Yin Xia Lian, my master had to say something.
In response, I tossed a thought back at him.
‘…Why does it sound like you’re treating your disciple like a servant, Master?’
- It’s my first time seeing someone get paid to strip, so that’s why.
‘Then should I not take what’s offered?’
- Isn’t it a bit much? The Five Constants teach that the duty between friends lies in trust, yet has “friends have trust” over a hundred years become “friends have money”?
‘Huh? But didn’t you just say it’s fine to use the gratitude token from the Silver Radiance heir just to invite a mere food guest?’
The implication was clearly, “Don’t waste it on something so trivial—save it for when you can squeeze more out of them,” right?
- …Well, that’s true, but! Isn’t the principle different? Her situation was a bit pitiful, and in the end, I got that gratitude token back anyway?!
‘Good grief, with no one else to worry about, you’re fretting over the future heir to Silver Radiance? How did a guy like you even hear the call of the demonic path? If Yin Xia Lian’s pitiful, then no one in the world is except maybe the imperial clan.’
- …Hmmm.
No, those imperial folk might actually be more pitiful. The power struggles in their world(?) are far deeper and crueler than anything in the martial world or among merchants.
‘Anyway, it’s just that you’re too much of an old-timer, Master.’
That’s how people in later generations do it.
Counselors, therapists, all sorts of experts charging a fortune just to listen.
- …The world has truly been turned upside down.
Well, what I mentioned was from far further in the future than now.
‘Didn’t you just say you had a plan for me? I can handle things like this on my own, so no need to worry. Just focus on how to mold your one and only disciple into the world’s greatest junior expert.’
- Good, that’s music to my ears. Now that you’ve got a proper residence with a training ground and private quarters, I’ll drill you until the sweet smell on your breath completely evaporates, and make you remember exactly how I ended up on the demonic path.
…Huh?
…Did I hear that wrong?
In any case, that’s how I became a food guest at Radiant Prosperity Hall and Yin Xia Lian’s companion (limited-time paid product), spending my first day very productively.
Not that “productively” means I accomplished anything grand right away.
I just steadily shook off my travel fatigue in small but sure ways.
“Nom nom nom!”
- …Did a starving ghost from Lake Tai attach itself to you? You didn’t seem to go hungry on the way here…
Silver Radiance lives up to its name. The chef’s skills are no joke.
They call it southern cuisine, but if I’d stayed stuck with the Eon family in northern Hebei, I’d have missed out on half my life.
“Chomp chomp! Slurp slurp!!”
- …That good, huh?
“Yes! Want some, Masther?”
The deliciousness speaks for itself.
- …Want some? You punk! Who’re you mocking?! I’d need a mouth to eat with!
“Gulp. Come on, how could I mock my master, who’s like the heavens? You can’t eat, but maybe you can enjoy some liquor?”
- …What’re you talking about? You think I don’t have a throat?
“I’ll just pour it on.”
- …Huh?!
“Then I’ll take that as permission. Thinking of my sword’s blade as you would make this a grave disrespect from disciple to master, but given the Heaven-Splitting Sword Sect’s unique circumstances, I’ll boldly offer you a drink.”
Glug glug glug—
- ……!!!
“What was it? Earlier, the escort leader said something like the flavor spreads a thousand li?”
- Th-this taste! The aroma and flavor that gave northern Anhui its fame, spreading a thousand li… Just uncorking it gets the whole neighborhood drunk—the famous Kouzi liquor!!
“Oh. I wasn’t sure it’d work, but it does. Can you taste and smell it well?!”
- No, not really,
“Pardon?”
- I need to savor it more to tell!
“?”
- ?
Good grief.
“Before I pour another, let’s make this clear. I’m focusing on training, so no meat or rice for a while—but no liquor either. So we’re even. No complaining about what I eat from now on, got it?!”
- I don’t get half of what you’re saying, but fine! Quit yapping like some ladies’ club and pour already! The aroma’s fading, you fool!
Glug glug glug—
Hmm.
Even so, with my master’s soul residing in this famous sword, it won’t rust or anything, right?
Well, anyway.
Like that, I oiled my belly well over breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
“Siiiip, so refreshiiiing~.”
- It’s just hot—why’s it refreshing?!
I washed away the grime and the fatigue from crossing mountains and rivers in the steaming bath.
Snoooore—
And for the first time in ages, I crashed on a soft bed and slept soundly until the dawn rooster crowed.
Having shaken off all that travel weariness, the next morning I donned fresh clothes and headed straight to the private quarters Yin Xia Lian had prepared.
“You’re here.”
“Yes. Escort Leader Eun, you’ve had it rough on my account.”
Eun Jeong-gil was already waiting outside the private quarters.
He wasn’t there for any special reason—just to stand guard against any potential intruders while I straightened out my tangled channels inside.
“Not at all. You’re a benefactor to me too. It’s an honor to take this duty, and honestly, I’m glad to be away from Radiant Prosperity Hall’s heavy workload, so don’t worry about it.”
“I believe the part about resting more than the ‘honor’ bit.”
“Was it that obvious? Hahaha. Hahahaha.”
Well, Escort Leader Eun was trustworthy enough.
For one, guarding wasn’t a big deal in this case.
Whatever karma I’d built up, it wasn’t enough for anyone to hire assassins against me while I was recuperating at Silver Radiance’s main estate.
So his role boiled down to just turning away any estate folk who wandered too close by accident.
‘And the man himself is reliable.’
His worldview was a bit small-minded, but he’d staked his life without fleeing in that do-or-die moment with the Northern Deer Bandits.
“Anyway, I’ll leave it to you.”
“Not even an ant will get near—worry not.”
Leaving Eun Jeong-gil standing tall like a stone guardian at the entrance, I stepped inside the private quarters.
- The world’s really improved. Back in my day, we couldn’t even dream of private quarters like this.
“Yeah. The facilities are better than I expected.”
- ……?
“?”
- Better than expected? What kind of hellhole did you imagine a training ground to be…? Some immortals’ gym?
Ah.
That’s because my standards are from way further ahead.
Compared to far-future training facilities, calling it an immortals’ gym isn’t entirely wrong.
In any case.
This artificial stone cave Yin Xia Lian provided was outstanding, considering the era.
Not counting the double—no, triple doors including where Eun Jeong-gil stood, which sealed off external disturbances like iron walls. There was a spring with steadily flowing mineral water, a storage room stocked with dried grains and jerky, and even a privy using running water for hygiene.
“Now I just need to train here until the sweet smell on my breath evaporates, like you said, Master.”
- Oh ho. Yesterday you pretended you misheard and tucked tail?
“That was just me buttering you up since you’re the one drilling me.”
- Hmph. We’ll see if you say the same later.
“Yes, sir. By the way, no one who’s ever said ‘we’ll see’ to me has gotten the answer they wanted.”
- Heh heh heh. All the more reason to see!
“So, how about I start by swallowing the Manbak Heart-Protecting Pill?”
- First, I have a question.
“Ask away.”
- What’s the circulation path of the Eon family’s heart method?
Uh, I don’t know?
That was previous Yong-un’s domain, so I really had no clue.
I was stumped for a moment.
But thinking it over, knowing the Eon family’s heart method probably wasn’t crucial.
I answered honestly.
“I don’t know.”
- Huh? You don’t know?
“Yes.”
- Afraid I’ll steal your family secrets?
“No. Why would I harbor such thoughts toward my master, who’s reached the pinnacle of the sword? I just truly don’t know.”
- …Ha! Look at this fool! So you got kicked out of the family and conveniently forgot all their martial arts? Is that the story?!
Huh?
Not at all?
- Well, stubbornness like that isn’t always a flaw for a swordsman—especially since it aligns with our Heaven-Splitting Sword Sect’s spirit.
Well, it’s not entirely accurate, but the mood’s good, so I’ll let it slide.
- I didn’t ask because the Eon heart method is essential for the Heaven-Splitting Heart Method, so it’s no big deal.
“Really?”
- Yes. If you’d told me it, I was about to say forget it from now on anyway, so it’s irrelevant. Thus, my question was foolish, and your “I don’t know” is the wise answer.
With that preamble, my master’s voice continued.
- Heaven-Splitting is Heaven-Reversing. It’s a truth reached by questioning and defying what others call the natural order. So if you sink your body and mind deep into those hypocrites’ or monks’ heart methods, doubts and suspicions will naturally arise. The moment those thoughts take root, heart demons can come calling.
I’d read plenty of wuxia, so I knew the basics of the jianghu’s ways, but when it came to martial principles, I was basically clueless.
Still, I got the gist of what he meant.
‘The original work describes demonic arts as reversing qi and blood flow.’
Since its root is our sect’s Heaven-Splitting Divine Art, that one conflicts with orthodox arts in various ways too.
So, summing up Master’s words:
If the truth I know clashes with his truth, don’t doubt—just follow his.
‘He’s saying that assuming I’ve trained in orthodox heart methods. But since I don’t know the old one, no issue there.’
One thing bugged me, though.
“Um, Master, can I ask something?”
- Go ahead.
“Those people claiming to be your descendants I mentioned before.”
- What, the demonic rabble?
“Yes. Among those who trained their arts and rose high, quite a few went mad. Why’s that?”
- Do you think defying the natural order is easy?
Hmm.
True enough.
- Even with trust, you can fall to heart demons—but oral formulas can be understood differently by speaker and listener. Misstep there, and heart demons strike.
“I see.”
- Basically, without accompanying mental fortitude, trying to learn Heaven-Splitting arts can backfire and consume you. That’s why I never took a disciple.
Then I’m fine.
I’m immune to mental attacks anyway, and with my master’s soul directly guiding me, he’ll set me straight.
“Disciple understands your words fully, Master. Shall we begin?”
- Yes. Now swallow the Manbak Heart-Protecting Pill.
At his words, I popped the pill into my mouth, chewed, and swallowed.
Then, with a whoosh of fragrance, hot and cold energies swirled in my mouth, slid down my throat, and plunged toward my dantian—where they broke free and rampaged wildly.
“!”
Along with excruciating pain that forced my teeth to grind.
- Pull yourself together and gather the energy as best you can—follow me.
His clear voice rang out amid it all.
Even as the agony spread to my limbs, a smile crept onto my lips.
Those bastards are really going wild, huh?!
Fine, rampage all you want.
But not a drop of you is escaping?!
You can come in and thrash as you please—but getting out? No way.