Chapter 255: The Dishonored Venerable
When I think of the Dishonored Venerable, I don’t know much about him. From the outset, the Dishonored Venerable had been someone who had hidden away, showing no intention of revealing himself as a result of the backlash from the Eternal Youth. Even back then, if the Heavenly Demon hadn’t caused a bloodbath, he likely would have remained in the shadows.
It’s only strange that I know this much.
But even so…
I wasn’t completely ignorant of him. I had encountered him a few times during the war and had even faced him in battle. If I had to describe how I felt about him…
A monster…
Reflecting on those times, it became clear to me why the Dishonored Venerable was referred to as the strongest in hand-to-hand combat.
A monster.
If I were to find someone who truly fit that title, it would most definitely be him.
He was absolutely terrifying.
Just looking at him could make anyone flinch. I remember the moment when Demonic Humans and Monsters flooded in, and there stood a lone martial artist, undeterred.
Dressed in torn rags, he held nothing in his hands.
What’s more, he stood there all by himself.
I later learned that he preferred solitude because others would only get in his way. Truly, those words summed up his character perfectly.
The martial artist remained calm even as disasters surged toward him like a tidal wave. I don’t know what thoughts crossed his mind during that moment, but it’s likely I’ll never know.
He simply stared forward, his fists clenched.
It was a very ordinary action.
He just clenched his fists.
Then, he leaned forward a bit and put strength into his lower body.
It was the most basic and straightforward move one could perform.
Without any unnecessary frills, his execution was clean and precise.
His gaze never wavered.
Then, with a gentle recoil, he calmly extended his fist—
—creating a hellish landscape.
What had just happened?
I couldn’t see it clearly in that instant.
What I could comprehend was that, with just that one quick motion, the world had flipped. When I finally checked the scene, amidst the crushed and torn corpses, a pair of pitch-black eyes was staring back at me with clarity.
—Now, come down already.
Thus, a confrontation between me and the Dishonored Venerable began.
Had it not been for the interference of the Demonic Sword Queen, who was busy hunting the members of the Orthodox Sects elsewhere, I would have died right then and there.
The Dishonored Venerable was that strong.
Even with his weakened bloodline and physique due to the backlash from Eternal Youth, somehow, he managed to pull himself together. He truly possessed an strength that made the title of “Venerable” fit him perfectly.
He was completely off his rocker.
What kind of lunatic dashes into the heart of the enemy’s camp solo, intent on wiping them all out?
What’s even more astonishing is that he succeeded, as if it were a child’s play. With just one step, he shattered the earth. With one punch, colossal hills vanished.
In truth, the title “Dishonored Venerable” seemed completely misplaced. He was somebody who hardly belonged to the notion of defeat.
Truly a monster.
That’s how I felt about the Dishonored Venerable.
Even though the Heavenly Demon’s army and my former self no longer existed, on that day, the Dishonored Venerable reaffirmed his might.
And now, here was someone like him—
—is coming to visit me?
To see me directly? On his own two legs?
Haha.
I’m screwed.
No, I’m seriously screwed. How on earth did this happen?
Hah, who am I kidding?
I already knew the reason. It was all because of the one who handed me this letter.
Crack!
I bit down hard on my teeth and moved onward. Originally, I had planned to visit Namgung Bi-ah and then go meet my father, but now wasn’t the time for such concerns.
In the dense forest behind the Gu Clan, I spotted a large house at its center.
This was the first time I was stepping foot here, but in my previous life, I had been dragged through here between my visits.
It was rather small for the residence of an Elder, especially since there were no guards or servants. It truly indicated the nature of its occupant.
Passing through the diminutive garden, I hurriedly approached the house, and upon locating a room that contained a sense of presence, I swung the door open.
Swish!
I knew it was impolite, but I couldn’t hold back this time.
“What kind of letter is this…!”
I began to question as I opened the door, but my words caught in my throat upon seeing another person inside.
Thud.
“Oh, what a surprise, Yangcheon! What brings you here?” The First Elder casually placed a stone on the board as he spoke.
…Ugh.
The groan reminded me of the other person present.
Why is he here again?
I was searching for this individual, wondering where he had disappeared to, but I didn’t expect him to be playing Go at the First Elder’s place. This old man was the Lord of the Hao Clan, who had been stuck with Gu Huibi in the Black Palace.
Just before I left for the frontline, I had thrown him into the Gu Clan’s prison, so I planned to ask my father about his whereabouts.
…But why was he casually playing Go in the First Elder’s residence?
The old man, with a voice filled with desperation, pleaded to the First Elder.
“…Please… just one more chance.”
His voice quivered with apprehension, as if he had no choice but to plead.
Conversely, a smile played on the First Elder’s lips, as if he was enjoying this.
“Hmm, another chance? I see… but, if you want me to do that, you must first keep the promise we made.”
His tone was surprisingly serious. Did he really need to treat this like a life-or-death matter over a game of Go? Even I, who had come to unleash my frustrations, paused momentarily at this atmosphere.
The old man trembled as he heard this response. What sort of promise could possibly have this effect?
“…I’m… not… good…”
…Huh?
What was that?
I felt like I heard something bizarre.
Before I could even think about it, the First Elder shouted emphatically.
“Louder!”
“I’m… not better than Gu Ryoon… at Go…!”
“Uh-uh! Speak louder! Your voice is too low!”
“Ugh…! I! Am not better than Master Flaming Fist in Go!”
Only after the Lord of the Hao Clan practically yelled those words did the First Elder nod, evidently satisfied.
“Good. I shall grant you a chance thanks to the spirit you showed!”
“…You bastard, you seriously made me say that! Just you wait…!”
“…”
What on earth…?
What the heck are these two doing…?
They didn’t even seem to acknowledge my presence. The two old men resumed their game of Go, and only after I finally snapped back to reality and interrupted them did the heated Go match finally cool down.
After wrapping up the chaotic situation, I found myself seated in the First Elder’s room as he entered with a tray of tea, sitting across from me.
“Unfortunately, I have no snacks.”
“You could’ve asked the servants for some.”
“Why would I do that when the only things I possess are time and my own body?”
The First Elder replied casually. Considering that this dwelling was quite large for someone living alone, it was a tad unreasonable for him to manage alone—
“Oh.”
Just as I was finishing that thought, I noticed someone sweeping the floor fervently.
It was none other than the Lord of the Hao Clan, who had been engaged in a game of Go moments before.
“Hey! Sweep harder! It has to be spotless!”
“You bastard…! At least look at my frame before you speak! Do I look capable of doing that?!”
True to his words, Elder Mook’s waist would likely match an arm, while his arms could pass for fingers if that weren’t an exaggeration. So, I didn’t believe he could sweep any more thoroughly.
‘No, that’s not the issue.’
I quickly spun around and turned to the First Elder.
“Why is Elder Mook in your place, First Elder?”
“Mm? Oh, I guess you haven’t heard yet, Yangcheon.”
“Huh? Was there a particular reason—”
“No, no. I simply told the Lord, ‘Since I’ll be the First Elder now, just hand that guy over.’”
“Pardon?”
“I happened to be a bit bored on my own, and he mentioned he had nowhere to go, so I decided I’d take him in.”
“…You’re treating this like you adopted a puppy or something.”
The Lord of the Hao Clan was the head of a prominent faction known for its exceptional intelligence-gathering prowess. This just added to my bafflement at the First Elder taking him in, my father agreeing nonchalantly to let this happen, and Elder Mook casually sweeping the floors.
‘…This family is genuinely insane.’
The more I dug into it, the more absurd it became.
“I… never mind.”
I resolved to set aside the dozens of complaints screaming inside me. I felt that by pointing out every little inconsistency, I’d only end up pulling my hair out in frustration.
There must be a reason behind the First Elder’s actions. Surely, there must be…
“…More importantly, First Elder, what on earth is this?”
“Oh? What is what? What are you talking about?”
“This letter.”
I inquired, showing him the letter supposedly sent by the Dishonored Venerable.
After all, that was the reason for my visit.
“Hmm, what about it?”
“Huh? What do you mean, ‘what about it’…?” I felt exasperated at his nonchalant demeanor.
As if he couldn’t comprehend the gravity of the situation, the First Elder tilted his head. Witnessing his reaction caused a flicker of doubt in me—maybe it wasn’t that big of a deal after all.
“Isn’t this… a letter from the Dishonored Venerable?”
Taking the letter from my hands, the First Elder nodded.
“Oh, this?”
“Is it not?”
“No, it is.”
Hahaha…
So it really is, huh? How amusing!
Noticing my tense demeanor, the First Elder added, “Haha! Why are you so worried? He’s just coming to see your face.”
“…Isn’t it weird not to be worried?”
“What’s there to worry about?”
“Do you truly believe that nothing will happen if the Dishonored Venerable comes to see me?”
“What could possibly happen if he does visit—” The First Elder began to respond but abruptly halted, avoiding my gaze instead.
“Elder, why are you avoiding my eyes?”
“Khm! Some dust probably got in my eyes!”
“What’s with the change of subject?”
This old man…!
As I maintained my pressure, the Elder backed away slightly, hesitantly continuing.
“Anyway, Yangcheon, you worry too much. Many would jump at the chance to meet him or receive even a single lesson.”
Like the First Elder said, the Dishonored Venerable held a commanding status as one of the three Heavenly Venerables.
They embodied the peak of martial prowess achievable through the human body and talent. The three Venerables represented martial arts themselves.
Each possessed enough strength to obliterate entire armies.
But that only further added to my concerns.
“How did you even end up knowing such a person, Elder?”
“I’ve just expanded my circle over the years.”
Starting with the Lord of Mount Hua, the Master Healer, and then onto the head of the Hao Clan, even including the Dishonored Venerable.
I couldn’t comprehend how the First Elder built such extensive networks.
“Was he really being serious when he joked about his popularity from back in the day?”
What could one possibly do in the past to end up with a network like that?
“Seriously, stop worrying. He probably didn’t mean that he would come right away. It was likely just an offhand remark. Hehe!”
Indeed, it seemed improbable that the Dishonored Venerable would appear by my side imminently. He likely didn’t wish to reveal his current condition to the world.
However, according to what I knew, the Dishonored Venerable was a man who always upheld his words.
There was only one instance I knew of where he failed to keep a promise.
“When he vowed to kill the Heavenly Demon.”
Aside from that, he had always followed through on his commitments.
If he mentioned that he would come to see my face…
“…He truly is going to come someday.”
A part of me already felt that it wouldn’t merely be a quick visit.
Every time I had a bad feeling, it turned out to be right, and that was truly annoying.
“Nothing good ever comes from being involved with you.”
“You ungrateful brat! I cleaned your shit, dressed you up, and raised you, yet you dare speak that way to your grandpa!”
“Since when did you clean my shit! More like you beat me until I shat myself.”
Swish!
In an instant, something flew toward my face. Swiftly dodging it, I barely avoided a repeat of my earlier mishap that had nearly knocked me over.
“You…! Again! Resorting to violence first? Always leading with your fists is a truly lamentable habit, you know?!”
“Instead of maturing, you only seem to be getting quicker!”
The First Elder grumbled as he rose to his feet, attempting to move towards me. Sensing danger, I instinctively created some distance.
I had no intention of getting bashed while expressing my complaints.
“Hmph! I brought you a letter in good faith, and yet here you are, showing no gratitude.”
“If this was the case, you might as well have kept it to yourself!”
“Oh? Judging by your reaction, it seems you haven’t even read the other one.”
“Huh?”
“Ah~ I went out of my way to provide that one too.”
“The other one?”
What other letter was he referring to…?
Wait…! Now that I think about it, there might’ve been two letters!
Yes, the First Elder had given me not just one, but two letters! I was so caught up in my feelings that I didn’t even consider reading the second one.
What did the other letter say anyway…?
Carefully, I folded the Dishonored Venerable’s letter in half and tucked it into my pocket. Honestly, I just wanted to burn it, but if I actually did that, there’d be no going back.
With a mixture of curiosity and apprehension, I pulled out the other letter.
“…Huh?”
As soon as I opened it, a breath escaped my lips.
—To the Young Master.
The sender was none other than Wi.
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