Chapter 174
Chapter 174
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 174
Chapter Title: Atonement's Legacy
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Rubbing my swollen cheek, torn at the gum from the ronin’s punch, a distant memory suddenly surfaced.
- That’s not how you use strength, child!
The voice of the dean auntie, who slapped my cheek and wept on the day I first tried to kill someone...
‘I should have done the same to Tureina.’
Right up to the brink of death, I should have told her exactly what she did wrong and how.
Even though she’s already dead...
In the cool night breeze rustling the reeds along the water’s edge, I tilted my head back to gaze at the starry sky.
The serene outskirts of <Aurelinople>.
Stroking the hair of Aki, who lay asleep with her head in my lap, Valensidis approached without a sound.
“What do you make of this incident?”
“For Zernix, the attack felt far too sloppy. No, it didn’t even seem like an attack to begin with.”
“A trap, then.”
“On the surface, it looks like they were trying to provoke you into crossing the continent... but to me, it seemed more like they were keeping you from coming.”
“By talking up all the traps to scare you off?”
“That’s right. Our opponent’s a thousand-year-old serpent. Think too simply, and you’ll be the one spilling blood. Why come at us with forces that weak? What’s their angle?”
A thousand-year-old serpent... yeah, there’s more than one or two things that don’t sit right.
The yellow city, <Raphtas>.
One of the seven great cities at the southwestern extremity of the Adrian Continent—and to put it simply, it’s quite close to [Flame Myriad].
‘Swinging by on the way... Do they even know where I’m headed?’
Could the massive threat Karenden mentioned on the Adrian Continent be Zernix?
If so, the part that doesn’t add up is why he hasn’t come straight for me. No clue why he’s letting me grow stronger.
‘Or maybe he’s scheming something in <Raphtas> and can’t move?’
Do I need to cross the continent fast to stop it? Nah, scratch that.
Karenden said to cross as slowly as possible. Otherwise, I’d die—no matter if it’s Zernix or someone else.
“Let’s revisit this later. How’s she holding up?”
“Her Manaheart and countless acupoints fell into qi deviation. She barely overcame multiple crises. Without the great witch’s aid, she’d be a cripple.”
“Zernix set her up like that. Stuck some weird mana to her Manaheart.”
“So it was.”
The newly appointed great witch at the <Aurelinople> Witch Association was a survivor of the Red Mountains incident, so we got plenty of help.
Any other witch, and there’d have been chaos until Juliana stepped in to mediate.
Our involvement—and Valensidis’s—in the Red Mountains incident was classified top secret.
“Her body’s healing, but the scars on her mind... no spell can mend those. She went from everything to alone overnight.”
The conversation lapsed.
Something stung deep inside my skull. I worked my stiffening tongue relentlessly.
“About Cheonhwa Sect... that really Tureina’s doing?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re certain?”
“Dead certain. I was there. I’m the one who let that woman live.”
“Yeah?”
“Tureina had me throw up a barrier over the whole area and orchestrated every slaughter. Couldn’t let the witches sense her power.”
“...”
“When I dropped the barrier and climbed up, she was the only one left breathing. Tureina said kill them all, but I let her go. Seems that turned into something even crueler.”
Valensidis spoke with a self-mocking sneer tinged with quiet sorrow.
“Orders or not, I’m still a conspirator. This blood... nothing washes it clean.”
“Hey, Valensidis...”
“The great witch’s herbs—I boiled them into porridge. You take it to her. I’m not worthy.”
I’m no more worthy. That’s what I wanted to say. I’m the master of the bastard who led that massacre.
I knew Tureina had done unspeakable atrocities behind her saintly mask. Knew it in words, but my head couldn’t accept it.
Karma, though—the fruits of those deeds taking such vivid shape? Never saw it coming.
‘Damn it...’
Valensidis’s nourishing porridge was barley boiled with the great witch’s deer antler, ginseng, and such.
Pipi flipped out and scarfed a few spoonfuls, then I hoisted Aki onto my back and stepped into the cabin. She was awake.
Barely propped against the bed’s headboard, but her eyes—steeped in profound grief and rage—burned fierce enough to cow anyone.
Her name was Celine.
“Kill me?”
Sharp features, thick lashes—even barefaced, her striking presence hit like full makeup. Celine cut straight to it.
“What?”
“The great witch said you’re the one who took down that fake Tureina. Guess I should thank you.”
Didn’t take her down.
Too late. Had to let it happen.
“That bamboo hat... war trophy, huh? Confidential, so my lips are sealed. No worries.”
Not a trophy.
Was mine to begin with. My disciple treasured it three hundred years.
Celine exhaled hollowly and threw her head back.
“She’s gone now. No reason left for me to keep going.”
“...”
“Empty apologies mean squat, I get it. No coin or goods to offer as penance. Just this body that won’t die.”
So do what you want.
Kill me. Harvest limbs or organs. Sell me slave in the Southern Republic’s markets.
With that, Celine stared out the wide-open window at the moon trembling on the water.
“One thing I want to ask first.”
I set the porridge bowl on the bedside table.
“The guy who came with you—remember what he was like?”
“Not precisely. Promised power to kill Tureina. Said accepting it would reveal her location too.”
That thing parasitizing her Manaheart?
Zernix... creepier by the minute. Magic at his whim like that?
That spell even hallucinated me into seeing Tureina. Meaning she got played too.
“Stranger fools you, something happens—what about Cheonhwa Sect? You know you nearly died?”
Her bitter smile mocked the question’s folly.
“What answer you after? Rebuild Cheonhwa myself? Solo?”
Why’d I even ask that?
Why then, of all times?
“Next year’s Supreme Martial Arts Grand Tournament—we lose great sect status day one. Mid-tier? Forget it, not even small fry.”
“...”
“Can’t raise later disciples in those crumbling dojo ruins. Who’d join? Sect butchered by a fake shrine maiden—the whole world’s laughingstock.”
Mockery from the masses raining down, or so it seemed—Celine forced a laugh through her wrecked body, then hacked up bloody phlegm in fits.
“Ha... sorry. Not right in the head... Should apologize to you, not lash out...”
“It’s fine.”
“Alone... left utterly alone... in one day... I’m no survivor... You’ll never get it...”
Hands to her face, bearing tears’ weight—I replied without thinking.
“I get it.”
That vast loneliness crashing down...
Thought I’d clawed free of the ice, only to end up sole survivor in a world of severed bonds. No way I can’t grasp that powerlessness.
Friends all gone. Old disciple waited endlessly, got swallowed by darkness—I burned and buried her myself.
Nothing left but their living traces. That hazy, endless solitude.
I know it better than anyone.
So yeah, I get it.
“You get it?”
Celine’s glare held a sliver of resentment, but seconds of locked eyes later, her head slumped to the headboard.
“Not me—Piana or Zenma should’ve made it. Piana sharpest mind among us. Zenma’s grit unmatched—would’ve rebuilt for sure...”
Her choked sobs carried a fragile dream of hope.
“Why me... they should’ve lived...”
Chewing that torment, that grief a thousand times over—that’s how I knew right away.
This ronin, Celine—she wants to revive Cheonhwa Sect.
But the despair of survival’s too crushing, reality’s weight too choking, to shoulder solo.
- I’m sorry. Truly sorry.
This far-flung memory bubbling up—unconscious whim? Or what the dean auntie would’ve wanted?
- I’ll educate him properly. Mercy, please...
Day of my first rank exam. Snagging 1 through 4-star ranks at once.
- Osarius Academy?
Smashed flat a Serman family young master (one of Blado Marquess’s ten clans—lifelong smug bastard).
- What’s that? Trash academy with nameless dean? Must be bottom-rung mage.
Him looking down on me? Whatever.
But he trashed the academy that took me in from nothing, my classmates, the dean auntie.
Full blast it was.
No damage-mitigation and repair barrier over the exam hall? He’d have been torn apart, died ugly.
- Ken Serman, saw you mocking this child’s academy earlier...
Luck struck huge—Ulan Page, Magic Alliance leader, observing that day. Heavenly luck maybe.
- Osarius was lifelong friend to the five great archmages’ Ryuken Ludwig. Ken, that’s Ludwig Marquess house you insulted.
Era’s top mage opened mediation; Sermans had no play but accept auntie’s waist-bowing apologies.
Matter wrapped, I trailed auntie from the hall innocent-faced—first slap ever.
- I told you, strength isn’t for reckless use!
Never struck before. Magic flop or work fail... first from auntie.
He insulted you and the academy... Head up defiant, words ready—then jammed.
- Lin, strength like that’s no good. Addictive as hell. Start violent once, excuses flow, abuse follows...
Last sunbeams gleamed tender in auntie’s tears. Sudden tight hug.
- Your power, that gifted power—never for harming. Gods gave it to protect, to cherish...
Exact details fuzzy, but... Rista meeting maybe dean’s setup?
From her academy arrival till I begged to follow—always that worried look.
“Aki, wake up.”
This. Like auntie then—atoning for the disciple.
Should’ve slapped Tureina, passed those words exact. Grow up. No reckless strength.
Old disciple’s gone now. Dragon egg holds soul, not memories.
“Aki. Wake. Up.”
No teachings left to give—but atonement? Unlimited.
“She’s my late-bloomer little sis... Heavenly Martial Body at birth, some old ronin said once.”
Heavenly Martial Body—heaven-granted martial flesh.
Transcendent mana, dharma power, spirit force, supernatural might. Masters any art, wields all dozens-fold stronger.
Ronin legend—prime example: Ryuminik, “Dance Heaven,” war god three centuries back.
Strictly? Aki tops that lech.
Mortal frame with immortal powers.
“Heavenly Martial Body? Ridiculous drivel... Fire blessing, sure.”
Cutting in, hand to Aki’s drowsy-swaying head—Celine’s eyes flew wide next instant.
“What... this? Unreal power? Sect leader level—no, beyond maybe...”
Read it once.
Supreme Martial Arts Grand Tournament: juvenile, youth, adult, elder divisions. Records dictate Six Great Sects slots.
Unlike One Star Seven Swords, yearly shakeups possible.
Talent pool massive—rarely shifts, though.
“Teach Aki Cheonhwa arts till next April. Tournament-ready.”
“What...?”
“Got places to be, leaving soon—but juvenile division? She’ll sweep it.”
Atonement skimpy as hell, but sect revival her last dream?
Help—even a smidge.
Not duty.
Master’s job to right beloved disciple’s wrongs... auntie’s words then.
“Your skill takes adult win, Aki juveniles—Cheonhwa prestige rebounds big. Thoughts?”