Chapter 3
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: Living with the Enemy
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I woke up screaming, and Gwang-u glared at me with furrowed brows.
"While you were gone, I fixed the whole house and cooked all the meals. Shouldn't you at least let me sleep soundly?"
Uh......
My mind was still foggy, but Gwang-u's nagging kept pouring in.
"Sorry. I'll stop sleeping now."
As I barely regained my senses and spoke, Gwang-u got even more irritated.
"Sleep what? It's already dawn."
Ah. Dawn already, huh.
I stumbled out of bed, opened the door, and stepped outside.
I went into the kitchen, washed some rice, then headed to the nearby woods to gather wild greens for side dishes.
Once breakfast was ready, I found a sunny spot, sat down, and began Breath Adjustment and Meditation.
Gwang-u and I had already passed the Lesser Heavenly Cycle and reached the Greater Heavenly Cycle realm.
I didn't know just how impressive that was, but whenever I watched Gwang-u meditate, a faint glow emanated from his body.
Master's poor health stemmed from opening our meridians and sharing his inner energy with us.
If Master were younger, he'd recover quickly, but at over ninety years old, he'd been suffering for years.
After finishing the Greater Heavenly Cycle, I opened my eyes to find Gwang-u staring right at me.
I wanted to smack that big face of his just once.
"What? Something on my face?"
Gwang-u rolled his bull-like eyes and replied.
"Your face looks weird, hyung."
"What's weird about it?"
"One side's bright, the other's a bit dark."
"No way that's true."
I brushed it off casually, but deep down, I was worried.
It was all because of the Great Heavenly Demon appearing in my dreams.
'Is he really going to take over my body?'
Once the suspicion crept in, anxiety flooded me like a tidal wave.
"I'm telling you, it's real."
"Fine...... Don't...... worry Master...... keep it secret."
My voice trembled from worry, and I even stuttered.
"Hyung, you're weird. Really weird. Not like usual you. This won't do. Let's spar."
Was that his real goal all along, you punk?
All my worries vanished in an instant.
Replacing them was rage boiling up through my skull.
"You little shit. You were messing with your hyung, huh?"
Seeing my expression darken, Gwang-u flinched back.
"N-No...... It really is weird."
"Shut up! Fine, let's go one round like you said! Follow me!"
Kuh......
I lay on the ground, groaning.
The boiling rage had flown away on the wings of Gwang-u's iron-hard fists.
"Damn it. Driving me crazy."
I just wanted to knock that guy down once.
"Hyung! I'm hungry! Hurry with the food!"
Gwang-u's voice called from afar.
Sighing heavily, I got up and headed to the thatched hut.
Today was packed with chores.
I had to finish repairing the roof from yesterday and do the backlog of laundry.
"What're you doing, hyung? You dead or something?"
Gwang-u's nonsense rang out again.
"Coming, coming."
Hoo......
Sighing, I dragged myself up and slowly walked toward the hut.
When could I escape this damn place?
Tap tap tap......
The roof repairs were nearly done.
Just weave some bark and dry grass on top, and it'd be finished.
"Whew."
I set down the hammer and flopped onto the roof.
Gwang-u was practicing martial arts in the yard, while his senior brother fixed the roof.
Gazing at the drifting clouds overhead, I suddenly remembered the parchment in my pocket.
I fished it out, unrolled it, and tiny writing jumped into view.
I, Divine Calculator Zhuge Cheon, leave this for a descendant who may find my bones.
If the one who finds me is from the Zhuge Family, that would be ideal, but if not, please return it to the clan.
If you fulfill my wish, I will bless you even from the afterlife.
Alone in the stone chamber, waiting for the Great Heavenly Demon, I gained a sudden insight and hastily wrote this on parchment.
Beneath Divine Calculator's plea were lines about qiankun, the five elements—gibberish I couldn't make sense of.
Looked like incantations for setting up a formation array.
"No one but Zhuge Family descendants could decipher this."
If I happened to pass by the Zhuge Family, I'd return it, but I had no intention of going out of my way.
I rolled up the parchment, tucked it away, and yelled at Gwang-u, who was deep in martial arts practice.
"Hey! Bring up some grass and bark!"
Gwang-u's voice came back.
"Can't you see I'm training? Do it yourself, hyung!"
"You...... rude punk."
In the end, I climbed down, tossed up the grass and bark, finished the job, and headed to the kitchen to prepare dinner.
My hands moved busily, but my heart was heavy.
I just hoped tonight's dream would be free of the Great Heavenly Demon.
'He won't show up again tonight, right?'
"Ah...... damn."
A sigh escaped as I faced the Great Heavenly Demon glaring at me in his usual form.
But unlike yesterday, he wasn't radiating killing intent.
"That big burly young one—is he your junior brother?"
His question startled me.
"How...... did you know?"
"I saw it in your eyes. For now, they are still your eyes."
Terror gripped me; every hair stood on end.
Could he really take over my body, just like he said?
Kekeke......
Eyeing my pale face, the Great Heavenly Demon let out a sinister chuckle.
"Your junior brother caught my eye. If he'd found me instead of you, that would've been better."
His words grated subtly.
Master always praised Gwang-u highly, and now even this dream-dwelling Great Heavenly Demon valued him more than me.
"How long will you haunt my dreams?"
My curt tone irked him; his thick brows twitched.
"Tired of living?"
Who in the world wanted to die?
But to wake from this cursed dream, that might be the only way.
"Might as well."
He seemed pleased with my answer, his expression softening.
"You've got some guts. Good. Fun days ahead."
"Fun days? What the hell does that mean?"
Kekeke......
"Your body will be mine anyway. Might as well train it in advance."
Train? Who the hell gave him permission?
I just wanted to wake from this damn dream.
"Quit joking and kill me already."
The moment I finished, his figure vanished before my eyes.
Startled, I ducked low, searching for him.
But his fist was already burrowing into my gut.
Thud!
Pain like my guts ripping apart made me scream involuntarily.
Kuheok!
Then a brutal impact hit my jaw.
Ughhh...... Huhk...... Heuk.
As I rolled on the ground, gasping, the Great Heavenly Demon loomed over me.
Keke......
"How's that? Fun, isn't it?"
Gwang-u, deep in sleep, grumbled at his senior brother's screams and rolled over.
"Please, just sleep, hyung. Keep this up, and we'll spar again tomorrow."
He tried subtle intimidation to get back to sleep, but his senior brother didn't get the hint.
Crack!
Instead, he smashed through the door and leaped into the yard.
"You're really doing this!"
Furious, Gwang-u jumped up and, under the bright moonlight, saw his senior brother flailing wildly before getting hit by something invisible and tumbling across the ground.
As Gwang-u watched the absurd scene and stepped outside, Master, woken by the midnight commotion, opened his door to observe.
"What's wrong with that fool?"
"Looks like senior brother's lost his mind, Master. He was at it last night too, and now this."
Gwang-u piled on, dragging yesterday into it to trash his brother.
Tsk tsk......
"Sigh...... Useless fool."
Master watched with disapproval, then shut the door.
His senior brother, rolling on the dirt, suddenly sprang up and swung at the empty air.
A pale energy wrapped his hands—he was channeling inner power.
"Going nuts under the moonlight. Senior brother's clearly snapped."
After watching for a while, Gwang-u shut the door and flopped onto the bed.
Uwaaak! Uak!
But the screams from outside kept him from sleeping.
"Gotta kick him out of the house tomorrow morning. Can't live like this."
Tap tap tap......
The cheerful hammer strikes contrasted with my heavy heart.
Over breakfast, I was told to leave the house.
Not just told—Master and Gwang-u demanded it in unison.
More like a one-sided eviction notice.
"Your antics keep us from sleeping. Find a new place nearby."
I had nothing to say.
I'd woken up in the yard, not my bed.
"Ah...... my fate."
By the time I'd propped up pillars, added rafters, and topped it with bark, the sun had set.
Heading home to cook dinner and entering the room, Gwang-u grumbled.
"Setting up your own place doesn't mean you slack on the main house, hyung."
"What're you talking about?"
"Dinner's late, dinner."
I wanted to punch that huge face pointing fingers at me, just once.
How could he be so brazen and annoying?
But Master topped him.
"Gwang-u's right. Sleep elsewhere if you must, but don't miss meals or training."
"Hear that, hyung? Miss the time again, and we spar."
Looking at Gwang-u's smirking face, my fists trembled.
I really wanted to deck him.
"How can I beat Gwang-u in a spar?"
That was the first thing I blurted when the Great Heavenly Demon appeared.
Keke......
"How could a worm like you beat him?"
Facing his mockery, I clenched my fists.
"Even if you take my body, you'll just get beaten by him nonstop. Hell, beaten to death."
"Guts spilling out, eh? Daring to mouth off to me."
His eyes flashed murderously, and his figure vanished again.
I hurriedly stepped into footwork and swung at the Great Heavenly Demon charging in.
Whoosh......
Keuk!
Air whistled as my body flew back and crashed.
One hit to the chest left me struggling to breathe.
"Pathetic. What were you thinking when you threw that punch? If you'd meant to kill me with one blow, it'd have been far faster and stronger. Put everything into every fist, every kick, every sword strike. Stake your life. There's no next time."
I lay on the ground, staring at the gray sky.
Come to think of it, Master had always said the same long ago.
Whether forms or footwork, always go all out.
That was the path to becoming an absolute master of the martial world.
I slowly rose.
Keke......
"Finally pulling yourself together. Come on. Let's have fun again today."
The Great Heavenly Demon grinned, beckoning with a finger.
"Come at me. I'll let you strike first."