Chapter 43
Chapter 43
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: Chui-dal's Tears
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After consuming a spirit elixir, one must immediately circulate and refine one's qi.
That's because an overwhelming amount of energy that's too much to handle can become harmful. Even if it doesn't, without circulating and refining it, you'll lose every last bit of that energy.
It's an ironclad rule of the martial world that never changes, no matter the situation.
But.
'What the hell is going on here?'
He had begun circulating his qi in hopes of salvaging even a tenth of the elixir's energy.
As if mocking that very thought, most of the elixir's energy had settled into his dantian.
Just like it had been his own internal energy from the start.
It defied all common sense... Ah.
Oh, so that's what happened.
'The Immortal Core absorbed all of the elixir's immortal energy.'
The elixir's energy hadn't settled into his dantian.
The Immortal Core had sucked up every bit of the elixir's immortal energy.
The fact that the Immortal Core was now about ten times larger than before was proof of that.
'I probably can't freely use the absorbed energy as my own internal energy just yet.'
Unlike before, the Immortal Core's structure felt as solid as a spirit beast's inner core.
Unless he unsealed the pent-up immortal energy, it seemed he could only tap into a tiny fraction of it.
'Well, still, my internal energy has increased by five or six times.'
A spirit elixir left behind by the world's greatest martial artist, who had reached the transcendent realm hundreds of years ago.
The seed that had taken root in his dantian after turning back time.
What on earth was going on?
He recalled the voice that had spoken from the heavens when he regressed.
⚙ HEAVENLY EDICT ⚙ Heaven-Defying Life Swap (Yeokcheon Hwanmyeong) The flow of defying heaven has changed the yoke. Return to Correct Flow (Gwi Jeong Sun Ryu) It must be set right and flow properly. Return and Fulfill Wish (Hoe Jeom Haeng Won) Return and carry out what you desire. Such thoughts crossed his mind.
There might be some massive undercurrent he hadn't noticed yet.
Perhaps even his regression was all part of some entity's design.
'...I have no idea what's what. But that doesn't change what I need to do. I should keep it in mind and stay vigilant.'
His dream of turning the Baek Clan into the world's greatest house.
Even if his regression was someone else's scheme, nothing changed.
The voice from the heavens had said as much from the beginning.
Return and carry out what you desire.
"Sigh... Hoooo."
Yang-hui let out a long breath and opened his eyes, having finished circulating and refining his qi.
"Little brother. How's your condition? After devouring that elixir and bursting with energy, it wouldn't be strange if you'd suffered internal injuries."
"Don't you get it yet? Talent that's out of the ordinary defies common sense."
Yang-hui shamelessly clicked his tongue and flashed a grin.
Gu-ak thought himself a fool for having worried even briefly.
"Even after consuming a spirit elixir, the feats you showed are utterly incomprehensible. What in the world happened?"
"What do you mean 'what happened'? A once-in-a-millennium prodigy encountered a heavenly opportunity. It's only natural."
"...A kid from a third-rate family butchering a dozen second-rate experts is 'natural'?"
"Hey! Who said third-rate?!"
Yang-hui puffed out his chest proudly.
Only then did Gu-ak realize with shock.
"No way? Come to think of it, your aura...!"
"Heh heh. Call me Yang-hui, the heavenly martial prodigy who reached the second-rate realm at eight years old."
Gu-ak was genuinely stunned. Even he, hailed as the greatest talent in the Black Ghost North Evil Spirit stronghold, hadn't reached second-rate until he was eighteen.
And this kid, ten years younger, had done it already!
Becoming a second-rate expert a full ten years faster than him!
"Does that even make sense? Breaking through mid-battle? Ah, no, it must be the elixir. Yeah, the elixir did it!"
"Hey, don't deny reality. Send some sincere praise for this little brother's talent!"
"......"
Gu-ak felt truly wronged.
"...If only I'd had a spirit elixir."
"You think just anyone levels up by popping an elixir?"
"......"
Gu-ak looked ready to explode. Time to change the subject.
"Anyway, let's interrogate that Valley Lord. There's stuff we need to know."
"...Right."
Yang-hui pointed his sword at the throat of the Nameless Assassins' Valley Lord, who lay paralyzed after having his pressure points sealed.
"No need for complications. Spill everything, and I'll send you off painlessly."
"...Understood."
The Valley Lord confessed everything he knew and chose a painless death.
Practicing the Heartless Art made rational decisions convenient in times like this.
During the fight, its lack of vulnerability to psychological tactics had been a pain, though.
'The Nameless Assassins' Valley is essentially wiped out. No loyalists left for revenge, so no worries there.'
He'd even learned the crucial truth about the elixir's origins.
"A spirit elixir left by the Sword Immortal? Damn, little brother, you ate something huge."
"Reporting to Father's esteemed heir that you called it 'something huge'? Should I?"
"...My apologies. Jealousy got the better of me."
"Watch it. Yeah, the Sword Immortal. I did eat something impressive."
"......"
Sword Immortal. The title was fairly common, actually.
All nine of the Nine Great Sects used swords, and skilled, high-ranking swordsmen among them often earned the moniker.
'Even among the Ten Heavenly Martial Lords right now, there's the Azure Sword Immortal.'
But only one person throughout history was simply called "Sword Immortal" without qualifiers.
Because there was truly only one Sword Immortal.
'The founding patriarch of the Zhengyi Order, root of all Daoist sects. Pure Yang Child, one of the Eight Daoist Immortals.'
Yeo Dong-bin, the greatest swordsman of all time, who ascended to immortality through the sword—that was the true Sword Immortal.
"First I've heard of the Sword Immortal leaving a legacy like that. Not sure if we can trust an assassin's word."
Gu-ak wore a doubtful expression. Yang-hui nodded in agreement, but inwardly, he felt differently.
'Immortal Core. Immortal energy. High chance it's really the Sword Immortal's legacy.'
Maybe the legend of Yeo Dong-bin's ascension was true after all.
Well, no point dwelling on it now. Too few clues.
'The Sword Immortal is tied to my regression. That's as certain as it gets for now.'
Situation sorted.
Time to do what needed doing.
"Brother Gu. No point sticking around here. Let's head out."
He picked up Chui-dal, who lay unconscious by the wall.
Yang-hui tucked away the iron orb that had expelled the elixir, then climbed onto Gu-ak's back with Chui-dal.
"...What are you doing, little brother?"
"Can't just wake a passed-out kid and make him walk."
"Not the kid. I meant you."
Yang-hui groaned dramatically.
"While I was captured by one guy, my young body took on over a dozen... Ow, I'm dying! Let me hitch a ride."
"......"
Gu-ak just sighed.
And so, their long journey through Gu-gang came to an end.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A slowly rocking body. Judging by the rhythm, he was on someone's back as they walked.
"Brother Gu, I'm hungry. Can't you catch a rabbit?"
"Catch it yourself."
"Come on, for a rabbit like me begging you?"
"Rabbit, my ass. It's your enemy, more like."
"Should I tell Sister Rang-rang?"
"......"
The voices. He didn't recognize the adult's, but the kid's was familiar.
The beggar brat who kept pestering him familiarly.
'What happened?'
His last memory was atop the mountain behind the Yu Clan Manor, resolved to kill the Yu Clan Lord.
After regaining consciousness, he hadn't opened his eyes.
To assess the situation.
"Awake? Stop playing dead and open your eyes."
As soon as he did, he sprang away to create distance.
But.
Snap!
Grabbed by the scruff, he dangled helplessly.
"Brat wakes up and tries to run without even greeting?"
"Two kids, quit squirming on my back."
Ignoring the words, he attacked immediately.
But.
"Yah! Yah! Yah! Yah!"
No matter how he struck at openings, he couldn't land a hit.
Finally, Chui-dal wore a defeated expression and spoke.
"You were hiding your martial arts."
"Not hiding. You just couldn't tell, Chui-dal."
"Chui-dal? Who's that? I'm not Chui-dal."
"Nah, you're Chui-dal. I decided so."
"......"
After a pause, Chui-dal looked at Yang-hui.
"Mind explaining the situation?"
Yang-hui pondered briefly.
Spill everything honestly, or test the waters first?
"Roughly? We picked you up after you collapsed."
"Just collapsed? No one tried to kill me?"
"There was one corpse."
With a mind sharp beyond his years, Chui-dal pieced it together.
"Someone saved me. Are you... my benefactor, great hero?"
Gu-ak snorted.
"Not me, kid. But does it matter who saved you?"
"It does. I need to know to repay the favor."
Finding his benefactor right away upon waking.
Damn, the kid had a good heart after all.
For now, Yang-hui decided not to reveal he'd saved Chui-dal.
'To live like in my past life, I need to lay low for a bit.'
He and Chui-dal had called each other brothers as equals.
At least, he didn't want to hear "benefactor" from Chui-dal.
They'd never cared about such trivialities anyway.
'Can't recreate the exact same bond from my past life, but...'
Still, he wanted something reminiscent of that past-life Chui-dal.
"No benefactor here, Chui-dal. We just found you."
"Beggar. Why keep calling me Chui-dal?"
"......"
Yang-hui bristled instantly.
This punk still talking down to me?
Flick!
"Yow!"
A flick laced with a bit of qi. Chui-dal clutched his forehead and writhed.
Dangling by the scruff, he looked like a fish on a line.
"Hey. Big brother."
"......"
Flick!
"Yow! Yowww!"
"Big brother. Till you say it right?"
"B-big... brother."
"Good. You're Chui-dal, I'm big brother. Got it?"
"...Got it."
"Short tongue, little bro."
As he raised his hand again, Chui-dal yelled hastily.
"Y-yes, big brother!"
"That's right. Obey your big brother, Chui-dal. Got it?"
"Yes......"
Gu-ak inwardly fumed at having a little brother who barely listened.
Then Chui-dal continued.
"So, where are we headed?"
"Baek Clan Manor. My family's place."
"I see."
"Don't wanna go?"
"Doesn't matter. I'm an orphan anyway. Well, I'd like to find my benefactor, but no leads right now."
Yang-hui eyed Chui-dal for a moment.
Unlike his past life, an emotionless, stoic demeanor.
...Not to his liking.
"Chui-dal, tell me your story. How'd you end up captured by the Nameless Assassins' Valley?"
"Not much worth sharing, but fine."
Chui-dal's tale unfolded.
Assassin father. Mother killed due to accumulated grudges.
Father, wandering in limbo after vengeance.
His final plea.
'Don't live like me, son.'
Yet fate led to abduction by an assassin group.
A past far too harsh for a child.
'And he tells it all without flinching.'
Yeah. Can't leave him like this.
This Chui-dal was too boring.
No fun to tease.
Time to intervene.
"Hey. Cry."
"Out of nowhere? I can't cry."
"Just do it."
"...?"
Yang-hui drew immortal energy from his Immortal Core.
Before killing the Valley Lord, he'd memorized the Heartless Art's incantation.
According to it, the Heartless Art crudely tampered with the upper dantian.
Utterly inferior to the Jeon Family's Mysterious Origin Pure Soul Art.
Of course, refined over centuries, it could become a proper divine art.
'But right now, its limits are clear.'
"Cry."
"Told you I can't."
Flick!
"Gah!"
Yang-hui grinned and flicked again, infused with energy.
Flick!
"Gah! Gah!"
"Cry already. I'll keep hitting till you do."
Flick!
"Ow! I can't cry!"
Flick!
"Gaaaaah!"
That was the moment. Yang-hui noticed tears welling in Chui-dal's eyes.
The immortal energy-laced flicks had shattered the Heartless Art.
"Chui-dal."
"Uh, wha...?"
-Don't live like me, son.
Chui-dal felt his father's last words echoing like a bell in his mind.
Simultaneously, Yang-hui's voice rang in his ears.
"Cry. Crying is a child's privilege."
"Uh...?"
He'd fled to survive, only to be kidnapped by the Nameless Assassins' Valley.
Raised as a killing tool amid brutal treatment and constant threats unfit for a child.
"Hic... sob, hngh..."
'Kid. The Heartless Art just blocked it. You've been hurting all this time.'
Yang-hui smiled at Chui-dal's contorted face.
Then he said,
"It's okay. You can cry now, Chui-dal."
"Hic, sob, hngh...!"
Like a dam bursting, the child finally wept.