Chapter 237
Chapter 237
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 237
Chapter Title: Lord of the Fortress, Bukgung Baek (5)
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A month had passed since he became the Lord of the Fortress.
“…”
Having drunk every last drop of liquor in the Great Dragon Hall, Bukgung Baek was bored.
Bored of spending his days seated in the Great Dragon Hall, the deepest part of the Lord’s quarters.
Bored of facing the Grand Chancellor, who spoke of things he couldn’t understand.
In truth, the reason for his boredom was not far to seek.
Freedom.
It was because he could no longer act as he pleased.
As the Lord of the Fortress, he could neither visit courtesan houses nor drink through the night at taverns.
Moreover, with no close friends, his boredom deepened with each passing day.
*Chirp, chirp. Chirp.*
“My lord, it is time for your breakfast.”
As he was spacing out with his eyes open, a maid brought in his morning meal.
“Leave it and go.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Leaving the breakfast table untouched, he lay back down on his bed and thought.
How could he overcome this boredom?
After a moment of contemplation, Bukgung Baek thought of a few things to do.
The first was to train.
He had gained some insight from his previous fight with Baek Sang-ji, so it wouldn't be a bad idea to move his body for the first time in a while and organize his enlightenment.
“…It’s hot.”
However, the thought of the scorching sun beating down on all of Sichuan made him reluctant.
It seemed better to wait until the heat subsided a little.
The second thing that came to mind was work.
In fact, after its victory in the war against the Ten Demon Alliance, the Nine Dragons Fortress was buried under a mountain of tasks.
Xinjiang, where few people lived, could be dealt with later, but Qinghai and Gansu needed to be stabilized as soon as possible.
And that wasn't all.
As if unwilling to give the Nine Dragons Fortress any time, the Lion Alliance began to run rampant as soon as the Ten Demon Alliance was gone.
Furthermore, now that he, Bukgung Baek, was the Lord, there was no telling what kind of checks the Namgung clan might impose. He had to prepare thoroughly for that as well.
But.
“They’ll handle it well enough on their own…”
A lord, after all, was someone who watched over what the members of his organization did.
With deep faith in his Grand Chancellor, Bukgung Baek decided to skip work.
The last option remaining was to visit the disciple he considered a son born of his heart.
“Hah.”
Bukgung Baek let out a small laugh as he recalled a recent conversation with his disciple.
‘Master! I’ve recovered the family’s legacy!’
‘…?’
‘I’m talking about the cotton business the Baek clan dogs stole when our family was struggling. I scraped it all back. I even took the wealth they accumulated, so you could say I collected interest as well.’
‘I, I see. You’ve done well.’
‘You think that’s all? I spread a rumor that they have a fortune of two million nyang, sending them straight to hell. If you wait just a little, you’ll hear news that the Baek clan has been wiped from existence. Heh heh.’
‘…’
It had been a lie meant to motivate him, yet the boy had remembered and acted upon it.
His martial talent, having reached the pinnacle of supremacy at his age, was already heaven-shaking, but was his perseverance not also astounding?
Moreover, his ruthlessness in leaving no loose ends was truly befitting of a successor to the Bukgung family.
‘That kid.’
Although he hadn't shown it at the time, Bukgung Baek was inwardly very impressed.
“I should go and get some breakfast from him.”
He pushed aside the breakfast laden with extravagant dishes and set off.
* * *
“…So, you came here for breakfast?”
“I did.”
The reason for his visit at the crack of dawn was strange.
No, to be precise, it wasn't that strange.
Master and disciple… they say a ruler, a teacher, and a father are one and the same, so there was nothing odd about a master coming to his disciple’s house for a meal.
The problem was…
*Murmur, murmur.*
He had come with his face proudly displayed for all in the Nine Dragons Fortress to see.
Thanks to that, the common folk, eager to catch a glimpse of the Lord’s face, had flocked to the main gate of the Battle Dragon Hall, and the warriors of the Black Dragon Corps were too busy controlling them to even eat their own breakfast.
“Don’t they feed you at the Lord’s Hall?”
“They do.”
“Are the side dishes lacking, perhaps…?”
“They give me so much it’s burdensome.”
“Then why?”
“Why what?”
“Why come all the way here for breakfast, is what I mean. If the food is good there, you could just eat there.”
“Does a master need a reason to visit his disciple’s home?”
“Well, no, but…”
*It would have been nice if you’d come without anyone knowing.*
*I saw you flying through the sky before, with your feet on fire like Astro Boy.*
However, I didn't voice these complaints.
It wasn't that I didn't want to, but Myo Hyang appeared with the breakfast table before I could complain.
“Oh my, Lord of the Fortress?!”
“Lady Myo. Or should I call you Chief Myo of the Hanzhong Merchant Guild?”
“To think you’d remember such a trivial detail… I am honored.”
“So, have you come all this way to take care of my rascal of a disciple?”
“I don’t know about him being a rascal, but I did come to take care of him.”
“As his master, I am truly grateful.”
“Not at all. I do it simply because I enjoy it.”
“What do you mean, not at all… Huh?”
My master pointed at my bed with a surprised expression.
“But why are there two pillows?”
“Ah…”
In the modern world, there is a saying.
When alcohol is involved between a man and a woman, you never know when an accident might happen.
It was the same for Myo Hyang and me.
A moment later.
A red-faced Myo Hyang, a pleased-looking master, and a flustered me gathered at one table and began our breakfast.
The menu was simple.
Mapo tofu, rice, and a soup boiled with meat and herbs. That was it.
Usually, there would have been more dishes, but well… I guess she made it simple because something happened this morning.
Anyway, what am I going to do about this atmosphere?
“So you had a lover, and it was a woman I knew.”
“Why don’t you just hurry up and eat so you can go?”
“I can’t do that. It’s been a while since I last visited my disciple’s home.”
He wore a look of someone who had discovered an amusing toy.
“Especially with my daughter-in-law here.”
Myo Hyang’s face turned from crimson to something that looked like it might explode.
“Ahem, have I perhaps misunderstood?”
“…N-No, you haven’t.”
“There is no need to be embarrassed. Have you not looked after Mujeon for a long time?”
“We-Well, I have, but…”
“Yes, how many years has it been?”
“Thirteen years, as of this year.”
“You’ve been together longer than most legitimate wives, so it’s no flaw. Besides, neither of you can be called young, so there’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
“Ye-es…”
“No.”
What in the…
As I remained silent at this absurd situation, my master looked at me with eyes full of interest.
“Have you set a date?”
“Not yet.”
“I’ll set one for you myself.”
“Don’t bother. You’ll just tell us to hold the wedding tomorrow or the day after, won’t you?”
“…You are indeed perceptive. Just like my disciple.”
“Let’s just finish our meal. It’s getting cold.”
“Alright.”
*Clink. Clink.*
The dining table, which was usually filled with chatter, was unusually quiet today.
* * *
A short while later.
After finishing our meal, I ended up sparring with my master.
The common folk who had yet to leave the front gate became our gallery, courtesy of my master’s consideration.
“To think I would witness the martial arts of the Lord of the Fortress! What an honor!”
“From this day until the day I die, I shall not wash my eyes!”
“I shall not bathe at all!”
“I will not look at my wife. With eyes that have witnessed the Lord, I cannot look upon something so foul.”
“…”
Are these people insane?
In any case, once the gallery had all entered, my master waved his hand.
*Fwoosh.*
A ball of fire appeared and drew a circular scorch mark on the training ground.
‘The more I see it, the more amazing it is.’
How does he create fire when it’s not like he has gasoline stored in his body?
If car or oil companies saw this, they would foam at the mouth and rush to begin research.
“The common folk might get hurt, so let’s limit the range from here to there.”
“Very well.”
I faced my master within a circle about sixty meters in diameter.
The atmosphere was tense.
*Whoosh.*
A timely gust of wind blew away the acrid, burnt smell.
“!”
My master, who had been standing before me, vanished.
It was a phantom step.
‘Behind!’
I immediately spun around and unleashed the War King Thirteen Strikes.
*Paang!*
According to cliché theory, in situations like this, they fly behind you nine times out of ten.
*Pow! Pow!*
As expected, my master was behind me.
When his hand and my fist met, a chilling sound echoed.
*Crack.*
My master’s Black Dragon Hand slipped through a gap in the Thirteen Strikes and flew toward me.
My eyes widened at the technique that exploited a gap of less than 0.1 seconds.
“Hup!”
If I block here, I’ll be pushed back endlessly.
It’s better to risk getting hit and counterattack.
*Ping.*
I fired a Battle Lord Arrow toward my master’s brow.
*Kwang!*
“An artifact is an artifact, after all.”
My master said as he changed the direction of his Black Dragon Hand to block the Battle Lord Arrow.
“They say from ancient times that expensive things are worth their price.”
“You didn’t buy it with money, did you?”
“I went through hell for it, so I obtained it at a high cost! Hup!”
His hand flew at me again.
*Pow! Thwack. Thwack. Pow! Crack. Kwang!*
In a fleeting moment, five attacks came in, and I unleashed two.
*Throb.*
“Keuk.”
I felt a pain in my shoulder from a solid hit.
Of course, I wasn't the only one who got hit.
“You’ve improved a lot.”
The moment the Black Dragon Hand struck, I had unleashed the fist of the Thirteen Strikes.
“Then let’s go again.”
“Alright.”
Filled with confidence, I used a phantom step and lunged toward my master.
* * *
“…”
I got my ass handed to me.
Thanks to my master holding back, I could keep up at first, but as the sparring continued, the difference in our fundamental abilities began to show.
Power for power, speed for speed, not to mention the gap in experience.
Of course, it wasn't all bad.
Thanks to the stark difference, I was able to bring out everything I had.
I used not only the Explosive Death Force and Ultimate Death Force but also the Explosive Moon and Flash Moon.
And this was a considerable help to me.
On the long path of martial arts, knowing where you stand was always an important matter.
The problem was…
“Sniffle.”
It hurt like hell since it had been a long time since I’d been hit.
But it was okay.
“Let me see.”
Because I had Myo Hyang.
“Ow, ow. Ouch, it stings…”
“Stop being a baby.”
“Now that you’re applying the medicine, it feels a little less painful…”
After all, the delicate touch of a woman is better than the thick hands of a man, isn't it?
And if that woman was Myo Hyang, there was nothing more to say.
As if my thoughts had reached her, Myo Hyang’s face instantly turned red.
*Flush.*
Seeing her reddened face reminded me of last night.
That’s right.
I, a virgin for nearly fifty years across two lives, was like an ox from the Fire Ox Formation of Jeon Dan.
What do I mean?
It means I charged forward without looking back, like an ox with its tail on fire.
A veritable raging bull.
And I wasn't just charging blindly.
The countless theories I learned in my past life.
Although I had no practical experience, those theories showed me the right path.
“Ahem, um… Sister. If you have time later…”
“O-Okay.”
Just as a rosy atmosphere began to envelop us.
“Ahem.”
An intruder appeared.
“…You haven’t gone home yet?”
“Isn’t it lunchtime?”
“Can’t you just go eat at the Lord’s Hall?”
“I plan to stay for dinner as well.”
“…”
Myo Hyang quickly excused herself.
“I-I’ll go prepare lunch, so please wait a moment.”
At this point, I think I understood.
This man was nothing but a hindrance to me right now.
“Bring it on.”