Chapter 848
Everyone has memories they want to forget. It’s no different for a martial artist.
After all, a martial artist is still a person too.
Whether they’re a grandmaster with outstanding skills or a low-level novice, they probably have memories they wish to erase.
Memories they want to turn back time and eliminate. Or memories that make them shudder even just by thinking about them.
And I was no different.
In fact, if I were to be honest, I would say I suffered even more than anyone else.
I didn’t just want to erase my memories—I wanted to tear them into tiny pieces and burn them away.
So that I could never remember them again.
I wanted to bury those memories forever and let them sink away.
Unfortunately, the more I tried to forget, the tighter those memories wrapped around my throat. My foolish brain could easily forget all sorts of things, yet it never let go of these memories.
If that’s the case, maybe this is a form of karma.
A lesson to remember until the very end and to never forget.
Memories that I couldn’t forget, even if I wanted to, had become a burden for me.
A chain that would bind me for the rest of my life, trapping me eternally. That was the memory I held from that time.
And wouldn’t you know, right in front of me…
“Hey kid. Check out your eyes.”
That damn chain was glaring right back at me. Even looking exactly as it did back then.
*
A tattered black uniform. It was so worn that I wrinkled my nose at the sight of it.
“Ugh. Live a little cleaner, you little punk. The smell of blood is suffocating!”
I could smell the overwhelming stench of blood on those clothes.
It’s been ages since something this rancid hit my nose.
Did I really wear something like that?
Probably not. I mean, no matter how wild I was back then, I must have stayed somewhat clean…
‘… or maybe not.’
Suddenly, I couldn’t help but remember. Was it during the time of the war with the Kunlun sect? There were moments when my hands were so drenched in blood I might as well have created a puddle.
If it was then, maybe this was how it looked.
Considering that, it started to look clearer.
‘What an ugly sight.’
What in the world was I even complaining about? Those wild, crazy eyes were already terrifying enough!
It was as if he had no intention of hiding the magical energy pouring off him, radiating with an aura that screamed, “Step closer, and I’ll take you down!”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at that sight.
“Seriously, looking back at it feels just like before! Are you part beast or something? Why are your eyes so wide? Damn! Is this why rumors spread about things I didn’t even do?”
What a guy!
This intensity surrounding me—this deep-seated pressure pinning down my shoulders—was all that bastard’s murderous aura.
As I mentioned previously, as your skills improve, your killing intent deepens, but the ability to conceal it should also grow.
“Right? You little brat had no intention of hiding it at all.”
I casually strode across the hard ground.
“Why, though? I’ve often wondered.”
His eyes were clearly trained on me.
Those eyes dripped with murderous intent, soaked in insecurity and self-loathing.
I had the sudden urge to pull that gaze out.
“I’ve thought deeply and superficially about it, and I’ve come to one conclusion.”
Kururururu—!!! As I neared the throne, the vibrations intensified.
“It’s simply because you’re an idiot. Just a complete and utter fool.”
Why was that? If you ask me why, that’s the only reply I could give.
Maybe I wanted someone to paint me as the villain.
Or perhaps I just wanted to be acknowledged that I existed.
I’ll toss aside those trivial reasons. They were just too much for me.
Because, ultimately, the guy was just a person, a little punk crawling on the floor, not knowing what else to do.
That’s the only way to put it.
So…
“Oi, you idiot! Say something!”
You are, without a doubt, an idiot. It’s a phrase I’ve longed to say for ages!
Yet at my words, he stood still, as though petrified.
“You’re not mute, are you? You used to talk so well last time, so why are you suddenly zip-lipped?”
It wouldn’t be a case of being scared.
Those glaring eyes were still fixed on me, and the vibrations around us just kept increasing.
Gugugugugu—!!!
The ground shook fiercely, as though the world was about to collapse underfoot.
Tsk! I clicked my tongue and addressed the brat.
“You called me here, and now you’re just standing there? What’s even going on?”
He beckoned. At my words, a flicker of interest sparked in his eyes.
“Why? You want to say you didn’t call? Don’t play dumb. We both know that’s a lie.”
Truly, it appeared I had come here under my own feet, but that wasn’t the case.
This was undeniably an invitation.
“How could I possibly ignore the chaos you’re causing on the inside?”
He wanted me to hurry up and show my face. To confront him. The feeling I experienced as a child—the fact that I couldn’t use my flames as I wished…
All of that was courtesy of this punk.
But.
“Now that I’m here, let’s talk. What the hell is this racket about?”
What was the point of going through all this just to see me? And also…
“How on earth did you manage to come to Dokcheondan? Do you not think the price of admission is outrageous?”
Of all things, why was it Dokcheondan? It seemed odd to even call it that. Eating it only bestows the resilience of pyrotechnics. Technically, shouldn’t it be called Hwacheondan or Yeomcheondan?
Anyhow, my initial assumption that I needed to consume this pricey dish was like hitting the bullseye.
Here I was, standing face to face with him to prove my point.
“Hey kid. Do you know how much all this costs…?”
[You talk too much.]
“What?”
I grimaced at the guy’s words just as I was about to hurl my complaints.
“What?”
Talkative? What a little shit!
I was ready to release the pent-up frustration I’d been holding back and launch into how I was clearly the one with the most talent.
[You used to keep quiet, saying you didn’t want to hear your own voice, but now you’ve found the audacity to speak?]
“…”
I was left with hundreds of curses trapped in my throat, unable to voice any of them.
That wasn’t all.
[Do you still indulge in the habit of biting your tongue when forced into uncomfortable situations?]
That was my unconscious action whenever I did something I didn’t want to.
[Is the inner persona that struggled to conceal itself still the same? Or is it not?]
Those violet eyes gleamed unmistakably bright. I wanted to avert my gaze from that repugnant stare.
[Did you keep those fangs bared just to keep anyone from nearing?]
His mouth, which had been silently closed, finally opened and began hurling words at me.
The weight of those words was so heavy I could barely bear it.
Squeeak.
The guy lifted his body.
[No. You are nothing now.]
The figure that rose from the throne was small.
Having molted and transformed into a dragon, I was now a handspan taller than before.
That should’ve made me significantly taller compared to him.
Yet, for some reason, I felt he towered over me.
Despite looking down at me, why do I feel so small?
Furrowing my brow, I glared at him, and he kept speaking.
[Why on earth are you still alive?]
I had heard that question before.
After the words lingered, I managed to reply.
“Why does this jerk keep cursing at me? Is it really so wrong that I’m alive?”
[That was an opportunity you’ve been waiting for.]
“What opportunity?”
[An opportunity to punish yourself when nothing else was happening. That was your chance.]
There was a clear tone of confusion in this jerk’s voice.
[So why didn’t you act on it?]
“…”
I didn’t answer the question. No, I couldn’t.
Was it because I didn’t have an answer? Not at all. I already knew it. I simply didn’t want to think about it.
It felt as though he sensed that and rattled off the answer I feared.
[Nobody remembered, so you became greedy.]
My heart sank.
[No one knew. Couldn’t you just pretend nothing happened? Did you hold out such a glimmer of hope?]
The words that had been perched at the tip of my tongue began to ebb away.
What I could have said flickered like a dying light inside me.
[And thus, you dreamt of happiness? How utterly pathetic.]
The bitter disdain in his expression crept closer to my heart as it grew heavier.
[You don’t deserve it.]
That was something I told myself daily, yet hearing it from him hit especially hard.
[Do you recall all those you’ve killed, making excuses for why you had no choice?]
I didn’t remember.
There were far too many to keep track of. If I did, I wouldn’t be able to endure it.
That was simply the life I had led.
[Then, having lived that way, what did you gain? At the end of a life that saw you kill your father with your own hands, what awaited you? Nothing. That’s how your life was always meant to be.]
Nausea surged within me. I struggled to swallow my saliva and suppress it, but it wasn’t easy.
[So let me ask again.]
Even as the veins in my neck began to throb with tension, I restrained myself.
[Why are you still alive?]
Still, there was no answer.
“…”
I tried to move my lips, but they were stubbornly sealed shut.
No sound came forth.
Then I realized.
It was me, inadvertently chewing on my thick tongue within my mouth.
The heavy silence lingered. After a few seconds, the guy nodded and remarked,
[You can’t answer, can you?]
His tone made it clear he had expected this outcome. Even in his misfortune, such bad luck seemed unbelievable.
At that very moment.
[Fine. That’s sufficient.]
Wooo—!!!
“…!!”
As he finished his sentence, the vibrations shot up higher. At the same time…
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—!!!!
Dark flames erupted phantasmagorically from his forehead.
[If you can’t provide an answer…]
Upon witnessing that, I moved my legs.
[You might as well die like this.]
The blazing night descended upon me.
“… What a mess.”
It had been roughly half a century since Gu Yangcheon swallowed the spirit tablet. Not a long time, really. Yet in that interval, the Poison King kept drawing shallow breaths, his face marred with worry.
‘… Is it really okay to leave him like this?’
The reason lay in Gu Yangcheon’s condition.
The moment Gu Yangcheon swallowed the spirit, he froze, his eyes sliding shut.
After that, there was absolutely no movement as time flowed on.
What’s more, he wasn’t even breathing.
If he had stayed still, I wouldn’t have noticed, but the cessation of his breath made it all the more apparent.
‘I found myself doing this last time too.’
When he first succeeded in creating Dokcheondan, it mirrored the moment he swallowed Yeongdan.
Back then, Gu Yangcheon was also stiff, just like he was now.
Fortunately, he regained consciousness shortly after, albeit much more time had elapsed since.
Why was this happening now?
‘Could there have been something wrong with the spirit pill?’
He had consumed the same thing and crossed over a little without issues—so that clearly wasn’t the case. Why then was Gu Yangcheon suffering this particular outcome?
The Poison King churned through these questions, yet he could do nothing.
It was because the last words Gu Yangcheon left echoed in his mind.
– No matter what happens, don’t touch me.
Gu Yangcheon had made that request earnestly to the Poison King, who intended to honor it.
But then…
“What in the world is going on?”
Upon reaching this point, one could hardly avoid intervening.
Especially with the energy swirling around…
‘What kind of energy is this…?’
Gu Yangcheon stood there frozen, but energy burst forth from his body, writhing energetically.
This hadn’t happened the last time.
‘And this quantity…’
The overflow was abnormal.
Just by observing, it equaled the entirety held by the Poison King himself.
This signified that Gu Yangcheon’s capacity was several times greater.
‘What on Earth…?’
I had never witnessed such an overwhelming presence. It might even surpass the combined might of all three of us. That thought kept lingering.
Thus, it only emphasized my determination.
“Why is such an abundance of energy fluctuating wildly like that?”
What could he possibly be doing that causes that chaotic energy to tremble?
It resembled a storm. There he stood, motionless, yet it looked as if he were locked in a fierce battle.
With every brief flinch, it felt as if he were under attack. Such was the aura of a martial artist engaged in combat.
If he was fighting, what exactly was he battling in this scenario?
The Poison King couldn’t comprehend it no matter how he tried. He had to keep pondering the matter.
‘Really… should I leave this as is?’
Should I genuinely restrain myself simply because he asked me not to touch anything?
If the Poison King perceived Gu Yangcheon, he was a man committed to keeping his promises.
Thus, it seemed reasonable to trust in him for the time being.
– Daddy.
The image of my daughter’s face, suffocated under that tyrant’s existence, flashed through my mind.
If anything went awry now, that child would crumble. Just as that certainty hit, the Poison King stirred.
He couldn’t let it remain this way.
Moving closer, he knew that the energy’s unpredictable nature could lead to significant disaster if he touched it carelessly.
Instead, he needed to examine the energy more closely.
With that thought firm in his mind, the Poison King moved toward Gu Yangcheon…
Then, in that instant.
Flash-!
“… Huh!”
Gu Yangcheon opened his eyes, which had been shut tight.
Thank goodness. He finally regained his senses. Relief washed over me, albeit briefly.
“Gu Master! Are you okay…?”
“Ugh.”
Suddenly, Gu Yangcheon fell to his knees, clutching his chest, and began to convulse.
“Kuhuhuh…!”
He violently expelled mouthfuls of blood.
“Gu Master!”
The Poison King shouted, wide-eyed.
He bled so profusely that the floor was soaked.
And it was black.
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