Chapter 45
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: Severing the Chains
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A child who loses their parents is an orphan.
A wife who loses her husband is a widow.
A husband who loses his wife is a widower.
But there is no special word for a parent who has lost a child.
This is because no word could possibly express the unimaginable pain of such a loss.
Such was the case for Sa Mu-sim.
On the day he lost his infant son so meaninglessly.
Floundering in endless agony, Sa Mu-sim thought and thought again.
Why did this happen to me?
He had lived an impeccably virtuous life, fearing that any sin he committed might be passed on to his child as karmic debt. So why did a man like him have to suffer such pain?
He resented the heavens, asking again and again.
Why me?
He arrived at a single conclusion.
Money.
He couldn't call a physician because he had no money, and he couldn't buy medicine because he had no money.
As he held his child whose flame of life had been extinguished, rubbing his cheek against the cooling one, the light in Sa Mu-sim’s heart died too.
From that day on, he began to live ruthlessly to earn money.
People pointed fingers, calling him a cold-blooded man with no blood or tears. It was perhaps only natural that the sordid title of Money-Grubbing Ghost Lord followed him.
But it didn't matter.
On the day he lost his child, he had realized that things like morality and compassion were utterly useless.
After about two decades had passed, while he wasn't a tycoon, he had amassed a considerable fortune.
Yet, the emptiness was never filled.
Instead, like a traveler who drinks seawater, unable to bear the thirst, he was tormented by an even greater craving.
Then, by chance, he offered food to a nameless orphan on the verge of starvation. In the dying child's empty eyes, he saw the flame of life begin to rekindle.
It was a moment he could, for a short while, forget the emptiness that had plagued him for so long.
From that day on, Sa Mu-sim donated all his money to children cast outside the protective fence of parents, as if atoning to the child he had lost.
The money soon ran out, and a terrible emptiness washed over him again like hunger.
Sa Mu-sim once again began to earn money like a ravenous ghoul, using any means necessary.
And he repeated the life of spending that money on orphans.
It was what Buddhists called almsgiving.
It was an act born from the vague hope that through this, he might be able to build virtue for the child he had sent on ahead.
Then, when the first signs of Qi Deviation appeared, Sa Mu-sim immediately guessed the reason.
A rift between his body and mind.
His already unstable demonic arts could not withstand the distorted balance between his physical and mental states.
While his martial arts grew stronger, the spirit that sustained them was always bound to the past. From the moment his son died, his own time had been frozen on that day.
So he was able to accept the consequences calmly.
‘This life has been enough…’
As he drifted in the distant sea of his thoughts, Sa Mu-sim suddenly felt an intense chill pricking his skin.
This was not just a feeling, but a tangible danger accompanied by physical force.
He felt as if the blood in his entire body was turning to ice.
Sa Mu-sim shivered once and opened his eyes.
It was then that he saw three pairs of eyes looking down at him.
“...!”
Startled, Sa Mu-sim leaped from the bed as if thrown.
But he immediately froze where he stood.
A terrifying vortex of killing intent raging within the room pressed down on his entire body like a barrier.
“Are you… going to kill me?”
At Sa Mu-sim’s words, the killing intent radiating from Cho Ak-ryang, Beom Gye-wi, and Han Seol-hwa grew even thicker.
“Kill the man we fed the Azure Jade Elixir?”
“Is he mocking us?”
“...”
Sa Mu-sim was bewildered by the reactions of the three. Then, a sudden doubt struck him.
“Azure Jade Elixir? Isn’t that a legendary elixir? I’ve never even seen such a thing.”
“Of course you haven’t. It’s already in your stomach.”
At Cho Ak-ryang's words, Beom Gye-wi approached Sa Mu-sim with a menacing glare.
“Why? You want to see it? I can show you if you want.”
Sa Mu-sim backed away to the wall, unnerved by Beom Gye-wi’s murderous gaze fixed on his stomach.
He looked as if he would split his belly open at any moment.
Coming from Beom Gye-wi, known as Mang Mountain's Thistle, it was a very real possibility.
Just then, the door opened and Dan Ak-seon entered. The three, excluding Sa Mu-sim, suppressed their killing intent.
Still, they didn’t forget to throw a word at Sa Mu-sim.
“Look forward to what’s coming.”
“We’ll work you as much as that Azure Jade Elixir is worth.”
“...”
Belatedly, Sa Mu-sim realized something.
“Is it… true? Did I really consume the Azure Jade Elixir?”
Dan Ak-seon smiled and said to Han Seol-hwa and Beom Gye-wi.
“Alright, let’s begin right away.”
In that instant, Sa Mu-sim lost consciousness.
Cho Ak-ryang had approached unnoticed and struck one of his acupoints.
Sa Mu-sim had a dream.
Before him was an infant, wailing hysterically.
But heavy chains were coiled tightly around the baby’s body, crushing him.
At a glance, it was clear they were far too thick for a baby to bear.
‘Huh?’
But the baby’s face looked familiar.
‘Gyeol!’
Sa Mu-sim urgently called out his name and rushed toward the baby. The infant before him was none other than the son he had lost.
He grabbed the chains and tried to pull them off, but for some reason, they wouldn't budge.
In the end, Sa Mu-sim had to follow the chains.
After tracing them for a long time, he reached their end and was struck with despair. All the evil deeds he had ever committed were the roots of the chains, binding his child.
The actions he had taken to soothe his child's spirit, to build virtue, had become karmic debt that was tormenting his son instead.
‘Ah!’
Sa Mu-sim sobbed. And he understood.
‘My baby! My child!’
I will let you go now.
How could I ever forget your face, your every move, but I will stop here.
I cannot help this endless longing, but I will lay down this father’s resentment and obsession that have tormented you.
So go in peace.
Let us meet again in the distant future.
Wherever that may be, this father will surely find you.
‘I will.’
Snap.
Sa Mu-sim heard something break.
One by one, the chains that had bound his baby were snapping before his eyes.
And at some point.
The baby's cries that had tormented him for so long were no longer heard.
* * *
Sa Mu-sim slowly opened his eyes.
As he sat up, he belatedly realized his pillow was soaked with tears.
‘Farewell.’
Bidding one last goodbye, Sa Mu-sim got out of bed.
But something was strange.
Despite having had an incredibly unsettling dream last night, his body felt refreshed. He couldn't remember the last time he had slept so soundly.
Come to think of it, it was the first time since he had started learning martial arts.
To master martial arts in a short period, he had chosen the path of demonic arts.
The problem was that demonic arts, focused on speed of mastery, came with severe side effects.
Insomnia and fatigue, in particular, and the sharp temper that resulted from them.
Waking up without feeling rested, he could never be in a good mood. When such a routine repeated for decades, it was inevitable that his personality would become cantankerous.
But today was different.
Could a person feel this refreshed just from a full night's sleep?
“I have received a great grace.”
All of this was thanks to Dan Ak-seon and the other esteemed martial seniors.
A debt, once incurred, must be repaid.
Having decided to return what he received with interest, Sa Mu-sim left the room. As he took a deep breath, the crisp, cool air filled his lungs.
‘The air is sweet!’
It was a satisfaction he had long forgotten.
He felt as if the good energies contained in the air were melting into his body, one by one.
But that coolness gradually began to turn into a chill.
Feeling a strange sensation, he turned his head and met the gazes of three people staring intently at him.
‘This is… grace, right?’
For some reason, Sa Mu-sim could picture his future unfolding before him.
* * *
That afternoon.
Dan Ak-seon informed Pung Jin-seong that he would be returning to the Divine Demon Valley. Pung Jin-seong could not hide his disappointment.
“Won’t you stay a little longer?”
“For the time being, I want to focus on treating these three.”
Pung Jin-seong could not insist further.
“Then I shall visit you often.”
“Yes, anytime.”
Pung Jin-seong offered a carriage, but Dan Ak-seon declined.
“A carriage can’t go up the mountain path. Besides, the others said they wanted to walk. We’ll take our time and enjoy the scenery on our way back, so please don’t worry.”
“I understand. Then, please travel safel—”
Pung Jin-seong, in the middle of his farewell, trailed off.
In the distance, a huge pile of luggage was approaching, swaying precariously. The pile of baggage looked to be at least ten feet high, and surprisingly, it was being carried by a single person.
Pung Jin-seong’s expression made Dan Ak-seon turn his head as well.
“Huh?”
Dan Ak-seon also looked at Sa Mu-sim with a surprised expression.
Various medicinal herbs and medical tools, blankets and clothes, household goods, and food supplies. He was carrying all the luggage that had been loaded onto the carriage, stacked up like a tower.
“Are you really planning to move all that by yourself?”
At Dan Ak-seon’s concerned expression, Sa Mu-sim forced a smile.
“I’ve been taking it easy these past few days, so my body feels stiff. I’m just doing this as exercise, so you don’t need to worry.”
“Aren’t you overdoing it…?”
“He’s fine. This is nothing for a body that’s consumed the great Azure Jade Elixir.”
Beom Gye-wi, who had appeared out of nowhere, said with a sullen expression. Cho Ak-ryang, who followed, nodded in agreement.
“Of course. If he struggles with something like this, then the Azure Jade Elixir must be a fake.”
Even Han Seol-hwa added a word.
“He should change his moniker. To Azure Jade Sa Mu-sim.”
And so, Sa Mu-sim’s second life was beginning.
* * *
A month had already passed since he entered the Divine Demon Valley, but Sa Mu-sim was still busy as ever.
Doing laundry, cleaning the outhouse, sweeping the yard, and pulling weeds were his daily tasks.
Of course, procuring food and supplies was also his responsibility.
Not only that, but once a week he had to clean the main building and the cottages, and the task of fetching lumber for Cho Ak-ryang had naturally fallen to him as well.
He had been a man of some renown in the martial world, but here in the Divine Demon Valley, he was no different from a handyman. Yet, Sa Mu-sim did not complain one bit.
He simply did his best at every given task with a smile on his face.
Just this morning was a case in point.
The dining table was covered with a wide variety of herbs.
Cho Ak-ryang, who was staring at the table with a half-resigned expression, suddenly noticed something.
“Physician Dan, is that a new plant today?”
“Your conditions have improved, so I changed the herbs a bit. It’s called Houttuynia cordata, and it’s excellent for relieving blood stasis.”
With a sliver of hope, Cho Ak-ryang picked up the herb and brought it to his mouth. He screamed internally at the new, horrifying taste.
‘I knew the name sounded ominous!’
Thanks to the new herb, the already tasteless meal became even more difficult.
He couldn't understand why an herb would have a fishy smell.
He glanced over and saw Beom Gye-wi also looking like death, stuffing the herbs into his mouth. He, too, wanted to escape this dreadful time as quickly as possible.
In contrast, Han Seol-hwa’s expression was perfectly serene.
Beom Gye-wi kept glancing at Han Seol-hwa.
At this moment, he was incredibly envious of her inability to taste.
Having finished his meal, Cho Ak-ryang shot up from his seat.
“That was a good meal.”
Then he vanished like the wind.
Beom Gye-wi, who had been watching Cho Ak-ryang with envious eyes, was startled when he looked down at his own basket. He was sure he had eaten about half of it, but it was full again.
It was obvious who was responsible.
‘That bastard?’
The man had offloaded his portion while he wasn't looking.
In the past, Cho Ak-ryang’s ghostly sleight of hand was considered the best in the world. If he had been prepared, it would be a different story, but when caught off guard like this, he was an easy target.
“So this is how you act after I went through the trouble of restoring your martial arts?”
Beom Gye-wi glared in the direction Cho Ak-ryang had disappeared, but he was already long gone.
“If you’re having trouble, shall I eat some more?”
At the unexpected offer of help, Beom Gye-wi looked at Sa Mu-sim with surprised eyes.
“You find this edible?”
“It is a kindness bestowed by the Valley Lord. Though it is difficult, one must accept it with a joyful heart.”
“Is this a side effect of the Azure Jade Elixir? Why have you changed so much?”
Despite the jab, Sa Mu-sim simply smiled benignly and brought the herbs to his mouth.