Chapter 151
Chapter 151
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 151
Chapter Title: Guanxian Villa
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Han Ibi said,
"Hey. If you keep acting so rudely, I'll tie you up again. I'm trying to help you out of the goodness of my heart..."
The boy grinned and replied,
"Heh heh heh. What's the difference if I've been tied up for over a decade? Quit your nonsense and get lost. You think that's gonna change my mind?"
Han Ibi was taken aback.
"What? Tied up for over a decade? You, a kid like you? That's ridiculous."
Crazy...
No way it's really been ten years...
This poor guy's mind must've snapped from being locked up and tortured here.
The boy said,
"Did Tak-gong tell you to act like this? Heh heh heh. Pathetic."
Han Ibi frowned.
"Fine, I'll buy that your mind's been gone for about two hundred years... but can you drop that old geezer way of talking?"
The boy closed his eyes without a word.
This didn't feel like the atmosphere right after rescuing someone in peril.
A moment of silence passed.
For some reason, Han Ibi felt like he was the one left hanging.
Han Ibi said,
"Tak Bu-yong... right?"
The boy's eyes snapped open.
"You know that bastard Tak?"
The corners of his mouth twisted upward sharply.
"Know him? Even if I went to hell, how could I forget that name."
Han Ibi perked up his ears, waiting for more.
But the boy clamped his mouth shut again.
Han Ibi tried probing once more.
"Well, of course you'd know him. Who doesn't know the Wudang Sect Leader these days? Not only does he possess the supreme martial arts under heaven, but his character is renowned as well."
"Hmph!"
It was working.
"What bullshit. Excellent character? Yeah, excellent alright. So excellent even a worm like me has to bow down."
Han Ibi muttered while eyeing a mysterious black bug crawling across the bed.
"Tsk tsk. Must be some deep grudge."
The boy turned to glare at Han Ibi.
His eyes brimmed with resentment and killing intent.
"Heh heh heh. Listen up, punk. Go tell Tak-gong this loud and clear: it'd be best if he kills me as soon as possible. If Feng Qiaokun here doesn't get his revenge in this lifetime, he'll repay this debt even from the depths of the underworld."
His voice was so chilling it sent shivers down Han Ibi's spine.
Han Ibi thought,
'This kid's been through hell and turned vicious... Makes sense after treatment like this.'
Then something caught Han Ibi's eye.
The boy's neck.
Unlike the rest of his body, the boy's neck was wrinkled and deeply creased, like that of a hoary old man with snow-white hair.
With suspicion in his eyes, Han Ibi pointed at the boy's neck.
"Wait... you're not actually a kid, are you?"
The boy who called himself Feng Qiaokun replied,
"Heh heh heh. At least I'm not some young punk who can mouth off without manners."
'Come to think of it, that old fogey speech doesn't sound off at all from him. Multiple personalities or something?'
After pondering briefly, Han Ibi waved his hand dismissively.
"Ah, whatever. You're not cooperating, so I can't help it. Don't blame me later. I warned you."
With that, he left the room.
To find the exit.
'Hmm. Is this it... Nah, that's nothing... Oh, a storeroom. Stacks of emergency rations everywhere. Wow, enough for one person to eat for centuries.'
Curiosity piqued and hunger kicking in, Han Ibi grabbed a handful of the rations and popped them in his mouth.
'Ugh! Tastes like crap.'
Indeed.
The common description in wuxia novels was spot on.
Emergency rations tasted utterly vile.
But he needed to recover his stamina.
Munching away, he wandered the closed-door training chamber.
Until at last.
'Ah. This must be it.'
A massive stone door.
Easily over two hundred geun—a gigantic slab.
A long groove ran along the bottom.
Han Ibi bent down and wedged his fingers into it.
Then...
'Nngh!'
He heaved with all his might.
It didn't budge.
Han Ibi unleashed a burst of energy from his dantian, pushing harder.
He could see his Finger Bone Claw Technique glowing brightly.
"Raaagh! Open up!"
The stone door lifted slightly.
Han Ibi strained his legs and arms even more.
"Grrraaah!"
Thud.
The stone slab crashed back down.
The boom echoed through the chamber.
Then laughter rang out.
"Heh heh heh heh."
From the room with that boy, Feng Qiaokun.
Why does even his laugh sound so sinister...?
Feng Qiaokun called out,
"Did you come here just to amuse me?"
Han Ibi stormed over, fuming.
"What? You said you don't need help. What do you care what I do?"
Feng Qiaokun chuckled.
"Good, good. I like your fiery temper."
"Believe whatever you want."
"Heh heh heh. What's your connection to Tak Bu-yong? Lie to me and..."
"What? What're you gonna do in that state? Haunt me after death? Oh man, that's scary. Real scary. Life's hard enough without worrying about the afterlife. And out of concern, I'll say it again: I'm not on great terms with Tak Bu-yong right now."
The boy stared at Han Ibi for a moment before speaking.
"Looks like I should be the one helping you."
"You keep saying weird crap like..."
"It's not about brute force."
"...What?"
"It's designed not to open with strength alone."
"What does that mean?"
"It's a mechanism based on the principles of Taiji and Wuji. A product of the Sunrise Gate."
Han Ibi gasped.
A kid babbling about Taiji and Wuji is one thing... but how does he know about the Sunrise Gate?
Feeling an eerie vibe, Han Ibi approached the boy.
"You... you're really not a kid, are you?"
The boy's eyes flew wide open.
"You insolent cur! If you've truly mastered Daoist martial arts, how dare you be so rude to a senior of the murim world!"
Han Ibi removed his outer robe and draped it over the boy's naked body.
The boy claimed he was Feng Qiaokun, master of Guanxian Villa.
He'd been imprisoned here so long he couldn't pinpoint his age exactly, but at least ninety...
Hard to take at face value, but...
His stories flowed like clear spring water, and his speech was so convincing that Han Ibi decided to play along for now.
Time would reveal the truth.
Han Ibi asked,
"Master Feng. You're quite old, so why do you have a child's body?"
Feng Qiaokun let out a shallow sigh.
"It's all because I took the wrong elixir."
"Elixir?"
"Yes. A mushroom called lingzhi grass."
"Huh... sounds like a herb, but it's a mushroom."
'Huh? Why's this popping up here? Curious though, so yes.'
'Skip the rest of the details.'
Han Ibi said,
"So basically, you ate the elixir of immortality too young."
Feng Qiaokun looked mildly surprised.
"How did you know that?"
"Tsk tsk tsk. The name fits perfectly then. It really stops aging. If there was an elixir that prevented death too, it'd be called the Undying Herb."
Feng Qiaokun fell silent.
Han Ibi continued,
"So why the grudge against Tak Bu-yong?"
Feng Qiaokun replied,
"It's a long story... I didn't marry until I was nearly fifty."
"Ah ha. Turns out you took your sweet time with marriage."
"After getting this child's body, I never even thought about it. I poured everything into running the villa. Then one day, a village girl joined as a new maid..."
"Hold on. I think I get it without more details."
This story feels familiar.
"You fell for the bright, innocent young maid. And she saw you as a peer and fell for you too."
Wealthy villa master—her family would've approved.
"Something like that."
"Heh heh heh. Love strikes in mysterious ways. Wait, hold up. Even if you looked young, that age gap... you'd be a total cradle-robber..."
Han Ibi noticed Feng Qiaokun glaring at him.
"Whoops. Sorry, slipped out. Keep going. I'm jealous, that's all. Jealous."
According to Feng Qiaokun's account:
Over a decade passed since his late marriage.
But his wife, Lady Hong, aged alone.
Like a full-grown woman married to a boy.
Lady Hong lamented her solitary aging.
The growing disparity eventually cracked their bond.
Fights increased, affection cooled.
Then one stormy night...
A handsome middle-aged traveler crossing Guanxian Mountain slipped on the slope and sought shelter at the villa.
Kind-hearted Lady Hong welcomed him warmly...
"Hold on."
"What now?"
"I can guess what happened. No need to dredge up painful memories. The Tak Bu-yong I know is exactly the type."
'Damn, and by then he was already married to Elder Bok for years.'
"Hmph. Lucky you know that much."
Feng Qiaokun's mood seemed lifted.
This old kid loves trash-talking Tak Bu-yong more than anything.
Feng Qiaokun continued glumly,
"Then one day, the two of them..."
"Erupted into an affair and eloped, right?"
"Yes... She stole our villa's secret martial arts manual and fled with that scum."
"A tale that brings tears without the waterworks."
"I'd sensed something off between them... The moment they ran, I chased after."
"Oof! Let me guess—you got wrecked by the Wudang Sect Leader... Er, sorry. You were captured, right?"
Turning to Feng Qiaokun, Han Ibi found him staring intently.
"The opposite. I captured him and, fearing future trouble, tore the manual to shreds on the spot."
Han Ibi's eyes widened.
"You demolished the Wudang Sect Leader?"
Feng Qiaokun snorted.
"Of course. Guanxian Villa's martial arts are the supreme under heaven."
"Really? For real?"
From what I know, it's some no-name faction.
"Believe it or not, your choice."
After calming his shock, Han Ibi asked,
"Then... why were you captured?"
(To be continued)