Chapter: 420
Knock knock! Knock knock!
“Ugh…!”
Lying face down, I endured the pain. The Tuapacheonggong that had manifested in my body was diligently working to restore the broken energy.
The twisted flow resumed smoothly, and the ki began to flow gently through my veins once again.
Although my body, battered from the battle and the backlash of energy, had not completely recovered, at least I was able to breathe properly. I could finally exhale the breath I had been holding.
“Hah… Hah….”
As I lay on the floor, panting heavily, the person touching my back kept clucking their tongue.
“Tsk tsk… Look at this mess! Isn’t this the result of doing the very things you were told not to do?”
“… Phew…”
Normally, it would take a significant amount of time for my body to return to its original state, but perhaps because someone was assisting my recovery, it felt at least twice as fast.
Knock knock.
As I tried to rise, my muscles screamed as if to say, “The recoil isn’t over yet!”
With some effort to hide my discomfort, I lifted my head.
And promptly looked at the person who had been helping me.
The first thing that caught my eye was the unmistakable look of pity in their gaze.
“You really look wonderful.”
“… How on earth did you get here?”
I wiped the traces of blood from my hand and asked the respected elder. How did this person even arrive here?
‘I’m sure they concealed their presence when they came out, right?’
It was surprising that someone was lending me support, but I was even more shocked to find out that it was the venerable Paejon.
While I was grateful, I still had to ask him why.
Clearly, he had slipped away while being fully aware of his surroundings and the situation.
There was someone who accompanied him, but he wasn’t a mere warrior with a run-of-the-mill White Lotus Sword, so how could he have made such a mistake?
In that case, it would be more correct to say that Paejon had secretly followed me with all his might.
Then…
‘… Just when did this human start following me?’
Before I noticed them tailing me, their aura seemed quite distant.
No matter how much Paejon is considered a master, being at the peak level, he still had its limitations.
It would be hard for him to pinpoint my presence.
‘Rather, did he not feel that I was following him?’
Only questions arose.
Was it possible that my doubts were confirmed? Paejon chuckled and spoke to me.
“Oh, come on! Even if you try to run away, you’re still in the palm of my hand.”
“…”
“I sensed you might cause trouble… and look at that! Here you are, sneaking around in the middle of the night for a skirmish. Couldn’t you just contain your excitement?”
Chuckle…! I had to swallow dryly at the words of the elder who was speaking with a grin.
I could hear all his jabs and sarcastic remarks, but that wasn’t what was important right now.
‘How much did he see?’
I was utterly worried about just how well Paejon had been observing.
He knew I had some unknown power, yet he didn’t understand the specifics.
The battle with Dangdeok, however, was a much more detailed matter.
Not only had I cast the demon transformation from the start, but I had also demonstrated enhanced martial arts by applying magical energy.
I declared my dominion as a corrupted foe, and my appearance as I faced Dangdeok, engulfed in black flames, left no need for further excuses.
It looked so out of place that it couldn’t possibly be classified as normal for an ordinary martial artist.
If Paejon were to ask for a detailed explanation on this, it would be somewhat tricky.
“….”
I couldn’t really explain any of this.
While I was lost in worry about that, Paejon suddenly spoke up.
“Oh, come on.”
“… Yes?”
“We have something to discuss, don’t we?”
“…”
Crap.
A cold sweat trickled down my back at Paejon’s words.
“What exactly happened back there?”
“…”
As expected, he wanted to know. How should I answer?
“That is…”
Should I reveal how I obtained magic? Or perhaps explain why I came looking for him in the dead of night?
So many random thoughts swirled in my mind.
Then another troubling thought hit me: should I mention the whole regression thing?
Paejon was looking seriously into my eyes as if saying he wouldn’t let it go easily if I didn’t tell him.
At that moment, I felt that I had to say something.
“That is….”
“How did you mix the energies together?”
“Actually… um…?”
Just when I was trying to carefully start explaining a bit at a time, I had to widen my eyes after hearing Paejon’s question.
What a strange inquiry!
“How did you mix the energies?”
“… What do you mean?”
“When you were using Il-sik (一式), you certainly mixed the heat from your fire technique into the Tuamu Kwon. Am I correct?”
“Right.”
In the final battle against Dangdeok, I had altered the atmosphere a bit with the demon transformation, yet I did use the flames from the Nine Flames Lun Gong simultaneously with the Tuapa Tianwu.
Additionally, during the Tuapacheonmu solar eclipse, I had also incorporated the heat in the manner that Paejon had instructed me.
As evidence of that, behind where Dangdeok lay fallen, the massive footprint of a monster that had swept through suggested that the heat from the Nine Flames Lun Gong was still left behind.
“How is that possible?”
“…”
Paejon kept querying, looking serious, but I had to first grasp what the situation even was.
So you came all this way only to ask about this?
“Is this truly what piques your curiosity?”
“Hmm? Then, what else should I be curious about?”
I had to rethink the seemingly obvious words flowing from Paejon’s lips.
Could it be that he hadn’t witnessed everything? That’s possible.
I had initially thought he had been tailing me from the beginning, but it seemed like he arrived here late and missed the majority of what I had been doing.
As this thought crossed my mind, Paejon spoke again.
“As I mentioned last time, I don’t care what you’re hiding or what sort of power you possess.”
“…”
I bit my lip slightly at Paejon’s words.
What he implied was quite clear: he had most likely seen everything I was doing.
Regarding the magical arts, Paejon must have realized what was happening when I faced off against the demonic spirit.
If I had chosen to remain silent, he would have cursored over it as if he were uninterested.
Nonetheless, reaching this particular point, it warranted some inquiry.
Was it merely to ask about how I managed to channel all that energy simultaneously?
“What matters to me is whether or not you can reach the pinnacle of the Tuapacheonmu. That’s all that matters. Nothing else attracts my attention.”
“That….”
He was severely fixated on his martial arts.
I couldn’t shake the feeling from Paejon’s response.
Even in this instance, that seemed to be foremost in his thoughts.
How ridiculous, really.
“So how is it? Is it easier to maintain?”
“It isn’t exactly easier.”
This was the truth.
If I tried to utilize it alongside the Guyeonhwaryun Gong, it was more likely to be tougher rather than easier.
‘About the results too.’
Glancing, I observed the devastation caused by the Tuamu Kwon.
It was true that the casting action was short and that the martial art itself had strength, but the drawback was that I couldn’t use it twice.
Naturally, it made sense that my body would end up like this after just one use.
Upon hearing this, Paejon wore a slightly regretful expression.
“Hm…”
Why does he look disappointed? In the end, I could only use it once.
Not only that, but he also withdrew the hand he had been extending towards me and stood up.
“I didn’t think it was bad, but it’s meaningless if you can’t use more than two.”
“Do you want to give it a try?”
“Stop talking nonsense. Do you think everyone in the world is as odd as you?”
“…”
What kind of nonsense is that? This makes the listener feel bad. I couldn’t help but frown, but suddenly, Paejon pivoted away as if he didn’t care.
As if preparing to leave again.
Seeing this, I asked in confusion.
“Elder, where are you going…?”
“I’ll be heading back. Where else would I possibly go? What can one do at such an hour?”
“Is this really how you plan to leave?”
What is this guy thinking?
Are you really saying that you’re just going to clean up after yourself? While I’m relieved he isn’t staying, I can’t shake off the uneasy feeling about him just leaving.
I wondered if Paejon sensed my discomfort. He looked at me and said.
“Why act feigned when it’s clear you don’t want me here?”
“When did I ever give you that impression?”
“The White Lotus Sword behind you says otherwise. And don’t you have business with that big guy, too?”
“…”
His remarks left me speechless; I truly lacked a rebuttal.
How much does this old man know, anyway?
“You’re obviously trying to handle things alone because you don’t want to reveal your true self to me. Because I understand that, I’m not taking any interest in your affairs either,” he added.
This statement left me with a slight contradiction.
“If that’s how it is… then why did you follow me just now?”
I asked with perplexity, and Paejon merely chuckled in a resigned manner.
“I explicitly warned you not to apply it in real combat, but feeling ominous, I followed. I had high hopes it was nothing, but—oh my! I wonder if you know that the point of saying these things is for you to listen?”
“…”
I got additional scolding for asking a simple question.
As I avoided his gaze, Paejon kept clicking his tongue.
“Tsk tsk… Had I not been following, you could have died right here. Didn’t you realize that?”
“… I am thankful.”
“Ahh, I guess so. I won’t do it again; this is it.”
In reality, had Paejon not shown up, I might have been killed by Dangdeok regaining consciousness.
I was truly thankful, but it appeared he didn’t believe me.
“There won’t be another opportunity.”
This time, his tone was colder than usual.
“This is the last time I will save you if you disregard my warning and suffer grave consequences. I may have great expectations of you, but I have no intention of keeping an idiot who can’t even discern such trivial matters as my disciple.”
His words struck me harshly, as if they were entirely sincere.
Yet, there was nothing incorrect about what he said, so I forcefully nodded in agreement.
“Understood.”
After receiving my answer, Paejon immediately took off without a word, vanishing from sight.
He appeared to be holding himself accountable to his promise of avoiding interference in what came next.
You might think you could ask what happened, but how could he leave without a trace of hesitation?
He was a person I could hardly understand.
Are you really saying you have no interest in anything but martial arts?
To that extent, it felt madness incarnate.
I quietly watched the direction in which he vanished before finally turning my gaze toward where Dangdeok lay.
Taking a step forward.
I must not forget my original objective, regardless of what happens.
With each step, the pain escalated.
Even though Paejon had done his utmost to recover my state, the recoil from my martial arts had not yet fully subsided.
I pushed through the pain and approached Dangdeok’s position.
He lay unconscious, and I bent down, reaching for him.
As I extended my hand, worries flooded my mind.
‘Will this even work?’
Even though Dangdeok had fainted just before potentially dying…
I was also in a state of struggle, so I wondered if I could manage to corrupt Dangdeok, who seemed resistant to the magic.
Though anxiety loomed heavily, I figured that if this failed, I could simply kill him afterward.
‘If it fails, I’ll just kill him and be done.’
With that mindset, I kept my hand outstretched.
Eventually, my hand met Dangdeok’s back, and I released magical energy directly into his heart.
Crackle. I walked through the grass.
The grasshopper, which had been chirping loudly, fell silent the moment I approached.
Perhaps it was because the malice or the lingering energy in my body hadn’t faded properly?
Or maybe it was due to the aura I felt from ahead?
It was likely the latter.
Though I wasn’t that far away, as I neared my destination, a strong, pungent smell pierced my nostrils.
I crinkled my nose at the stench.
‘What is this?’
It’s the smell of blood.
The bitter scent of blood wafted from a distance.
I pushed through the darkness that obscured my view, heading toward the source of the bloody odor.
When I finally reached the destination, I understood why the smell of blood was so intense.
It was only natural since everything was drenched in blood.
“Oh. You made it!”
Someone stood on a deliberately created pool of blood and greeted me.
It was the White Lotus Sword.
“…”
I was at a loss for words upon seeing her.
Contrary to her cheerful demeanor, her appearance was quite terrifying.
There were corpses strewn about, looking as if they had been brutally beaten, and the blood had soaked the surrounding area.
Blood dripped from the tip of the White Lotus Sword, and her once pure white attire was stained.
The White Lotus Sword, with a hint of crimson on her cheeks, smiled like someone possessed, leaving an unsettling feeling in the air.
Maybe it was because she was smiling at me like that that it made it feel even more ominous.
When I had asked her to take care of the bandits, the White Lotus Sword had readily accepted without any hesitation.
The bandits hailed from the Sapa region, so she had more than enough justification.
It seemed apparent that she had dealt with all of the bandits around as I had requested.
Was it because my expression didn’t seem right? The White Lotus Sword looked at me, smiling awkwardly.
“It looks a bit scary, doesn’t it? Not very pleasant?”
It’s not about being unpleasant; that wasn’t the reason I found it disturbing.
“Not particularly. I just thought it would take a long time to get rid of the blood smell.”
“Aha…?”
If only she had killed them neatly, it would have been better; what was I supposed to do now with this messy cleanup?
With the White Lotus Sword’s capabilities, she definitely could have handled things much cleaner.
I wondered why she chose such a brutal route.
Responding to my unspoken curiosity, the White Lotus Sword answered.
“Maybe they got on my nerves and I lost control a bit, you know?”
“… Hmm.”
So the bandits were just unfortunate enough to cross the White Lotus Sword’s path and say something foolish? That initially led me to bring her along for this sort of task, yet the result turned out to be more gruesome than anticipated.
‘Regardless…’
Should I be thankful that it turned out as I wished?
“But Yangcheon.”
“Yes?”
As I tried to think positively, the White Lotus Sword, with a puzzled look, asked me a question.
“Who’s that friend of yours?”
Pointing toward the figure behind me.
Where she gestured stood a bulky man, biting down on his lip as he stared at the blood-soaked chaos.
The leader of this bandit group, later to be known as the Green King.
That was Dangdeok.
He was trembling with his shoulders, unable to voice his anger as he beheld the death of all his men.
Although he surely felt furious, even so…
“Let’s introduce.”
“…”
At my command, Dangdeok could barely suppress his rage as he begrudgingly bowed to the White Lotus Sword.
Seeing this, she tilted her head in confusion.
No matter how I looked at it, she couldn’t grasp the situation.
Setting aside the inquiries surrounding the White Lotus Sword, I finally introduced the brute with a satisfying smirk.
“This is my new escort.”
Upon hearing my words, Dangdeok trembled further, but he couldn’t utter a single objection.
I had ensured he couldn’t speak until given permission.
From this, I understood one glaring truth.
Dangdeok had become a demon.
And I had successfully achieved my intended plan.
By the time we reached the campsite, the sun was just beginning to rise. I had picked up the pace a little to avoid being late.
Perhaps because of that, I was fortunate enough to arrive on time.
Upon arrival, I pretended to be nonchalant and had breakfast.
Of course, it was simply a façade; my internal condition was quite poor.
‘Yeah, I’m dying….’
The aftereffects of the recoil had not fully dissipated yet; after all, I had just turned Hwagyeong’s unmanned body into a mind.
So my physical state was far from favorable.
In truth, it would be fair to say it was in a bad condition.
Of course, I couldn’t show any of this, so I just endured it.
As I sat there, Namgung Bi-ah looked at me with a curious expression but didn’t ask any questions whatsoever.
It was quite unexpected; I had thought she might inquire about something.
While Namgung Bi-ah maintained her silence, it was someone else who asked me a question.
“Lord, who is that person?”
Just past noon, Dang So-yeol approached the area where I was with a curious look, glancing at Dangdeok standing behind me.
Dangdeok was obscured by the blood windbreaker I’d prepared for him.
“An escort.”
“An escort?”
“Yes. Lady Mi sent one more to tag along.”
“Oh, I see! Lady Mi.”
Dang So-yeol nodded repeatedly, not suspecting a thing.
Given the situation regarding the White Lotus Sword, promoting Lady Mi was undoubtedly the best approach.
If there was one thing to be cautious about, it would be the reactions of Dangdeok behind me.
-Stay still.
I felt a surge of caution from the emotion behind me.
Dangdeok was trembling with clenched fists.
It must have been due to the connection he felt.
Dang So-yeol was a blood relative of the clan that Dangdeok most wanted to annihilate.
While looking at him, I couldn’t help but wonder.
‘Did the Poison King really not know this?’
Although the plan to create Cheonmujiche ended with the line of Dokgun Dangbi Seong, I found it hard to believe that the descendants today wouldn’t be aware of anything.
Sure, Dangbi Seong’s ambition to elevate the party to the summit was his personal goal, but there was no guarantee that his descendants shared the same mindset.
As I contemplated this deeply, questions about Dang So-yeol surfaced too.
This pertains to the future of Dang So-yeol, especially toward Dokbi.
Currently, Dang So-yeol was a young man of decent talent, though he was still in the later index.
His future renown was vastly different, however.
The Poison that is incurable for all.
A level of invulnerability that even the mighty general, Dang Bi-seong, could not reach.
It was the future Dang So-yeol who accomplished this, yet here I was, a bit puzzled.
In my opinion, Dang So-yeol didn’t seem to possess the caliber to ascend to that stature.
He wasn’t bad, but compared to the others around him, he appeared somewhat inadequate.
To put it more clearly, it would be unrealistic to call him a genius.
For him to reach that position solely through effort… it was far too elevated.
Thus, the question arose.
Reflecting on the absurd test called the Cheonmujiche Birth Plan.
Could it be that the individual before me really achieved it solely through effort?
Such grim thoughts plagued my mind.
I noticed Dang So-yeol tilting his head, wondering why I was looking at him like that.
I quickly shook my head.
No matter how rotten the Tang family had become, surely it couldn’t be as rotten as I pictured.
No.
It had to be that way.
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