Chapter 95
Chapter 95
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 95
>Chapter Title: Master (4)
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He stared blankly at the bizarre scene for a moment.
“Hahaha. Young-jin, your talent is truly exceptional!”
The moment the familiar name slipped from the familiar old man’s lips, the Heavenly Demon grasped the situation, more or less.
‘So that’s how it was.’
Nodding, the Heavenly Demon approached the building, making his presence known.
“Who goes there!?”
“Master?”
The old man drew his sword in an instant and glared at the Heavenly Demon, while Il-mok reacted as if he’d seen a ghost.
“Master? What nonsense is that?”
The old man gave Il-mok a strange look at his form of address.
Amid the confusion, the Heavenly Demon let out a sigh and summoned the demonic qi of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
!!
Overwhelmed by the horrifying demonic qi that pressed down from all sides, the old man finally recognized him and prostrated himself.
“I pay my respects to the Lord of Ten Thousand Demons!”
At the old man’s utmost courtesy, the Heavenly Demon sighed lightly and said,
“Rise, Elder Kang.”
“As you command.”
The old man rose with neat movements, and the Heavenly Demon addressed him.
“I have business to discuss with your disciple Young-jin. Wait here.”
“I shall obey.”
Having finished speaking with the old man, the Heavenly Demon turned to Il-mok.
“Follow me.”
Il-mok watched the Heavenly Demon’s back as he turned and headed into the brush, questions multiplying in his mind.
‘...Why is Master here? Did he come to rescue me?’
Il-mok followed the Heavenly Demon into the brush and didn’t hide his curiosity.
“Master! What brings you here?”
“Obviously, it’s because of you.”
“You came in person, Master?”
“This is a place others can’t easily enter or leave, so I came myself.”
“Ah....”
Having spent two days here, Il-mok couldn’t help but nod.
The old monsters’ relentless attacks weren’t something just anyone could withstand.
‘For the Cult Leader to come all this way just to save me.’
Il-mok felt a slight surge of emotion.
Not that there was much reason for it.
‘Is this Stockholm syndrome?’
He’d been dragged into this crazy cult because of that master in the first place. Feeling grateful toward the culprit of it all was the weird part.
For a brief moment, he felt a speck of gratitude toward his kidnapper and jailer. Then, noticing the Heavenly Demon’s odd gaze, Il-mok snapped to attention.
‘I’m screwed.’
In this world, serving two fathers was filial impiety, like how Lü Bu was reviled as a total scumbag.
It applied to switching lords too, and masters were no different. There was a reason for the saying “soldier and father are one.”
The zealots could call him a traitor and have their leader personally lop off his head, and no one would bat an eye.
‘Baek-cheon almost got his limbs hacked off just for calling me a bastard!’
Il-mok’s neck prickled, cold sweat trickling down his back.
But he couldn’t just wait for the axe to fall.
“Master. And calling that old man my master is a bit of a misunderstanding....”
Il-mok hurriedly tried to defend himself, but the Heavenly Demon cut him off.
“I know. You were acting as Young-jin for Elder Kang’s sake, weren’t you?”
!?
He’d done it to survive, but the Heavenly Demon interpreted it as for the old man’s benefit.
Come to think of it, the Heavenly Demon had willingly played along with the role-play between him and the old man.
Hadn’t he deliberately called him Young-jin to draw him out?
Il-mok didn’t know why, but seeing it as his chance to live, he quickly replied.
“Y-Yes, Master!”
At Il-mok’s firm response, the Heavenly Demon turned his gaze beyond the brush, stroking his beard with a wistful expression.
“How admirable.”
Il-mok ventured a question at the Heavenly Demon’s bittersweet attitude toward Elder Kang.
“Did you know that old man?”
“Hahaha. Haven’t you heard from Ha-yeon what this Peach Blossom Ridge is?”
“Ah!”
Only then did Il-mok realize he’d asked a stupid question.
This was the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult elders’ retreat.
It made no sense for his master, who’d reigned as Heavenly Demon for decades, not to know who stayed here.
They’d led the Cult together for decades, until they ended up like this.
Il-mok, embarrassed, asked the Heavenly Demon,
“What kind of man was this Elder Kang?”
“He was capable. Meticulous to a fault, perhaps due to the side effects of the Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword, and his sword talent was so great that everyone expected him to reach Transcending Demon. Until that incident.”
“What incident was it?”
“After hearing of his disciple’s death on a mission, he began to waste away bit by bit.”
“......”
“Then one day, rumors spread that he was wandering in search of his already dead disciple, and soon after, he started losing his memories.”
“...He must have cherished his disciple greatly.”
To Il-mok’s response, the Heavenly Demon unexpectedly shook his head.
“Quite the opposite. Because he couldn’t cherish him, it became an eternal regret.”
???
Seeing Il-mok’s confused expression, the Heavenly Demon elaborated.
“Elder Kang was so focused on his Cult duties and mastering the Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword that he didn’t give his all to teaching his disciple. So after Young-jin died, he regretted it every day. ‘If I’d taught him more, he’d have come back alive from that mission.’”
“Ah....”
Only then did Il-mok understand.
Why the old man suffering from dementia clung so desperately to teaching him the Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword, while forgetting everything else.
Il-mok asked out of pity,
“...What was this disciple Young-jin like? He must have resembled me, since he mistakes me for him.”
The Heavenly Demon shook his head.
“Not at all. Unlike you, Il-mok, he had sharp, sturdy features, and he was already over thirty when he went on that mission and died.”
It felt strange. To mistake him for a disciple he didn’t resemble at all.
Sure, Il-mok had insisted he was the disciple, but with no resemblance, even dementia shouldn’t fool him.
‘...He missed him that much.’
The massive, immeasurable grudge must have clouded his eyes.
Feeling bittersweet, Il-mok asked the Heavenly Demon,
“Master. Do you plan to leave this place right now?”
“We could force our way out, but since you’re safe, there’s no need. The entrance opens in five days, so we’ll leave then.”
Il-mok, having made up his mind, spoke carefully.
“Then, if I may be so bold, could I stay with Elder Kang for the remaining five days?”
“...You mean continue acting as Young-jin until then?”
“If you permit it, Master, that’s what I’d like.”
The Heavenly Demon stroked his beard, gazing at Il-mok for a moment, then nodded.
“If you truly saw Elder Kang as your master, punishment would be in order, but I know it’s compassion for him. I permit it.”
* * *
With the Heavenly Demon’s permission, Il-mok returned to Elder Kang’s side.
Not much had changed.
The old man, who hadn’t finished teaching his disciple, continued instructing Il-mok in the Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword.
“Qingchu erlan, was it? Your progress is so swift—I couldn’t be more pleased. Hahaha.”
He’d rejoice like a child whenever Il-mok showed results.
During breaks from training.
“Master. I’ve prepared your meal.”
“Master. It’s time to wash up.”
Il-mok would bring trays and feed him bit by bit, or carefully pour water over his body with a ladle, rubbing him down to wash him.
And occasionally.
“Who are you, you bastard!”
“Master. It’s your disciple Young-jin.”
Even when Elder Kang’s memory failed again and he shouted, Il-mok, now used to it, replied innocently.
Perhaps because he’d heard the Heavenly Demon’s explanation, Il-mok noticed something peculiar.
‘His memory only holds when he’s training me as Young-jin.’
How deep must that regret be?
And so, Il-mok trained with Elder Kang and tended to him. As Young-jin.
The Heavenly Demon, perhaps out of consideration for Elder Kang, merely watched from a distance.
In a way, it was a vacation for the Heavenly Demon too. This place, called Peach Blossom Ridge, boasted beautiful scenery.
Three days after the Heavenly Demon entered Mang-a Ridge. On the fifth night of Il-mok living as Young-jin, late at night.
Rustle.
Confirming Elder Kang was asleep, Il-mok quietly slipped out of the building and headed toward the Heavenly Demon in the brush.
The Heavenly Demon had instructed him to come at night.
And in the room Il-mok had left.
“Young-jin... Young-jin....”
Deep in sleep, Elder Kang mumbled like sleep-talk and flailed his arms at the air.
In truth, he was meeting his disciple in his dream.
- Master. You can forget me now.
No, the disciple was bidding farewell and leaving.
‘What nonsense is that! How could I forget you!’
- It was only because your foolish disciple’s talent was lacking. It wasn’t your fault, Master. So forget me now.
‘No. It’s all my fault. Come back, Young-jin!’
- I never once resented you, Master. So don’t blame yourself.
‘!!!’
As Young-jin turned and walked away after his final words, Elder Kang hurriedly tried to follow.
But no matter how hard he moved his legs, the disciple’s back only receded further.
‘Young-jin! Young-jin!’
Elder Kang reached out, trying to grab his shoulder, but the disciple’s back kept drifting endlessly away.
“Young-jin!!”
Elder Kang, pleading to hold onto his disciple, shouted and snapped his eyes open.
In the surrounding darkness.
“Young-jin?”
Elder Kang sat up and whipped his head around.
Searching for the disciple he’d fallen asleep with moments ago.
‘Disciple?’
It was eerie.
The face of the disciple in his dream was completely different from the one he’d slept beside.
The moment he realized the contradiction.
Memories flooded in like a tide.
The memory of hearing his disciple Young-jin had died. The memory of himself gradually going mad. The memory of entering this Mang-a Ridge. And.
The memory of a boy he’d never seen claiming to be Young-jin.
Foggy, fragmented memories filled his mind one by one.
Elder Kang hurriedly assumed a meditative posture and began regulating the surging demonic qi of the Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword.
‘How dare he impersonate my disciple!’
If his first emotion was shock, the second was rage. But.
- Don’t blame yourself, Master.
His disciple’s words from the dream soothed his heart.
And the memories of the boy who’d called himself Young-jin soothed it further.
Memories of him bringing food and feeding it to him. Memories of him carefully washing his body. Memories of receiving the training he hadn’t given Young-jin.
‘Ahh... It was thanks to that boy.’
From the old man’s weathered eyes, sunken like a sand dune from the storms of time, a single tear trickled down.
Flash.
The old man’s eyes, now open, held neither grudge nor anger.