Chapter 301: Only Those with Ties |
Editor/Quality Checker: Saphartlantis
Murim Term Consultant: Kopke
========================
The journey with Pyeon-jung had been immensely enjoyable.
While he skillfully drove the carriage, I trained in the Heavenly Demon Body Protection Technique and we stopped by inns with delicious food. Just like on the way here, we halted the carriage to enjoy scenic spots together whenever we came across one. We saw a rainbow appearing over a waterfall, and over drinks, I listened to the life story of a carriage driver.
After arriving at Maga Village, I even paid for his return trip.
“There are many dangerous demonic people around here, so it’s too risky to take passengers on your way back. This money isn’t for you, but rather for buying clothes for your children. Please don’t refuse my sincerity.”
Though Pyeon-jung had much he wanted to say, he settled for a simple reply.
“I look forward to the day when I can serve you again.”
“Travel safely.”
After seeing him off, I entered Maga Village.
“Ah, this is great! This smell!”
The familiar scent of Maga Village welcomed me. I finally felt like I was home.
“Young Cult Leader!”
The person running towards me was Jo Chun-bae from the Flowing Wind Tavern. He was so happy, I worried he might trip.
“Owner, how have you been?”
“When did you get back?”
“Right now. Seeing you as soon as I got here makes me feel today’s going to be a lucky day.”
“Oh, please don’t say that! I’m not worth such words.”
Even as he waved his hands, Jo Chun-bae was grinning from ear to ear. Seeing him made it really sink in that I had returned home.
He had been on his way to the Flowing Wind Tavern, loading food supplies onto a cart.
“You buy the ingredients yourself?”
“Of course! I personally pick the freshest ingredients. Come on, let’s go.”
As Jo Chun-bae tried to push the cart, I sat him down on it.
“Let’s ride together.”
I sat beside him at the front of the cart.
Blinking in surprise, Jo Chun-bae asked, “If we both sit, who will pull the cart?”
“We’ll pull it with our hearts.”
I teased him, and Jo Chun-bae laughed as he spoke.
“I’ll push the cart for you. You should try riding it for once!”
Just as he was about to step off the cart, it started moving on its own.
“Oh my! It’s moving by itself!”
Of course, I was using Void Telekinesis to move the cart. Jo Chun-bae was fascinated and couldn’t stop exclaiming in amazement.
“I’ve been working in the tavern since I was young, and I’ve experienced all sorts of things, but this is a first.”
“It’s my first time, too.”
“Is it really alright to use your precious internal energy for something like this?”
“That ‘precious’ internal energy is always being used to deal with scum. Right now, it’s being used for something far more valuable.”
Jo Chun-bae looked at me and said, “If I were a martial artist, I would’ve served under you without a doubt.”
“I’d hate that.”
He stiffened, worried he might have misspoken, so I smiled and reassured him.
“If that were the case, there would be no Flowing Wind Tavern, right? Even if you aren’t a martial artist, there are already plenty of others under me. You, on the other hand, are unique.”
A deep smile spread across Jo Chun-bae’s face.
Soon, we arrived at the Flowing Wind Tavern.
I headed up to the second-floor seat where I always sat to drink.
“Do you still keep this spot reserved?”
“Yes, it’s always reserved for you and special guests, Young Cult Leader.”
“Isn’t that a loss for you, though?”
“I’ve spent my whole life struggling not to lose out. At this point, I need to find some enjoyment in life.”
Jo Chun-bae looked at the signatures of the Demon Supremes carved into the wall with a satisfied expression.
As I glanced over at the spot, I was suddenly taken aback.
“Oh, my father left his mark here too!”
“He came about a month after you left the cult.”
“Did he come alone?”
“Yes, he came twice, and both times he was alone.”
I tried to imagine my father sitting there, drinking by himself.
Leaving his signature there must not have been easy. How could I not like him? After all, my father was still my father.
“Would you like a drink?”
“I need to greet my father first. I’ll come back later.”
“Then I’ll see you later.”
After leaving the Flowing Wind Tavern, my steps quickened. Seeing my father’s signature made me long to see him even more.
* * *
In front of the Heavenly Demon Pavilion, the head of my guards, Jeokyeon, was waiting.
It seemed news of my return had already reached him.
He quickly scanned me from head to toe, checking if I was injured.
"I’m relieved you made it back safely."
Though he was likely angry that I had dismissed them and gone to Jiangxi alone, his eye showed relief that I had returned unharmed.
“You’ll have to get used to things like this. There’s still a long way to go.”
“No matter how many times, it’s not something I’ll easily grow accustomed to.”
He was right. If I were to die, they would bear all the responsibility.
As Jeokyeon turned to leave, I asked him, “How’s your eye?”
“It’s fine.”
“Let me take a look.”
This time, he didn’t resist and removed the eye patch without any fuss. The reddish hue in his eye indicated that his training had made progress during that time.
“If you can just get through this hurdle, you’ll reach the stage where the pain starts to lessen.”
I placed my palm over his eye and gently infused my energy into it.
“I’m the one who knows best when your martial arts level changes, Young Cult Leader.”
“Does it feel different?”
“Yes, it feels different from the last time you checked.”
He could sense subtle changes that even I couldn’t perceive.
“When do you even find time to train?”
“I might look like I’m slacking off, but I’m surprisingly diligent. I even trained the whole way here in the carriage.”
Though I said that, I didn’t think the changes came from practicing the Heavenly Demon Body Protection Technique while riding the carriage.
Maybe it changed when Pyeon-jung and I were watching the sunset. Or when I handed a coin to Joo Yang. Or perhaps when I was listening to the concerns of Ho Kyung, the district leader.
I still believe it.
That martial arts changes when life changes, and people change.
* * *
Finally, the father I had longed to see was sitting in the distance.
I strode along the Path of Blood until I stood beneath the Celestial Zenith’s Throne. My father was still there, steadfastly guarding the Cult.
“I’ve returned. Have you been well?”
I greeted him with proper respect.
Every time I went out and returned, I would always come to see my father first. It had happened countless times by now, and though I said the same greeting each time, I always felt something different. Each time, my heart grew fonder and more grateful to see him.
“The only thing you bring back when you leave is blood on your hands.”
In Honam, and in Jiangxi, there was no denying it.
“Isn’t it because I take after you, Father?”
A slight smirk touched my father’s lips. It had been a while since I’d seen that smirk, and I couldn’t help but feel how much I had missed it.
My father had changed a lot over the years. He used to watch everything from the Celestial Zenith’s Throne, but now...
"Let’s go for a walk."
These days, he enjoyed walking with me like this.
I followed him out of the Heavenly Demon Pavilion, and we walked together along a small path through the garden.
“I met a good coachman and discovered some excellent inns along the way. There are some hidden gems you wouldn’t expect. I’ll take you to all of them later.”
I didn’t mention the people who had died at my hands. He must have already been briefed on everything that had happened through the Heavenly Communication Pavilion. What I wanted to talk to him about were these small things.
Where the most scenic spots were, where to find the best inns with great atmospheres, and how people were living their lives. Just as he had left the Celestial Zenith’s Throne to step outside to the garden, I wanted to take him out into the world, beyond the confines of our Cult.
“Do you know what interest rates they’re charging at Underworld Debt these days? They’re completely out of their minds.”
I talked about Underworld Debt and shared stories from my conversations with the Demonic Sword Brigade warriors.
“If you send them a gift personally, their morale will skyrocket.”
“Alright.”
When my father agreed so easily, I couldn’t resist making a playful comment.
“That’s favoritism.”
“What favoritism?”
“You treat me so differently now compared to when I was just the Second Young Master and not the Young Cult Leader.”
“It should be different. Only then will you realize how precious your position is. Why? Should I treat you the same as before?”
“You mean those times when your Fist Demon King nearly put holes in my handsome face? No, thank you!” 1
I truly enjoyed this new dynamic between us.
My father paused for a moment, gazing at the distant Ten Thousand Mountains.
And then, I said the one thing I’d been wanting to say most.
“Next time, come with me on a trip.”
“If I make a move, the entire martial world will be shaken.”
“Let them be. Leave the Heavenly Demon Pavilion behind and... start living your own life.”
I sensed a slight flinch in his back at my words.
I didn’t want my father’s venture into Murim to be another war. I wanted it to be a joyful journey.
“I just want to spend time with you, Father.”
He didn’t respond, only continued to stare silently at the distant Ten Thousand Mountains.
Yes, wouldn’t even he want to get away from it all? You can never know the immense pressure that position brings unless you’ve sat on the Throne yourself.
“The Fist Demon King has a daughter now, I hear.”
“I was surprised as well. I never expected Master to make that kind of decision.”
“You had no part in it?”
“I love meddling in all sorts of things, but this time, I stayed out of it. It’s a matter between a parent and child, how could I dare interfere?”
"It was unexpected."
Who wouldn’t be surprised? My father certainly wasn’t the only one.
"He seemed like someone who would do just fine alone in the world, but he must have been lonely. How about you? Would you like to have a daughter?"
For some reason, my father nodded his head without hesitation.
"And what if a daughter appears only after I’m gone?"
This time, he nodded even more decisively.
"That’s too much!"
I hadn’t played around like this in front of him for a long time, and it felt good.
"Follow me."
My father led me deeper into the back garden of the Heavenly Demon Pavilion, passing through countless barriers designed to prevent any intrusion. Only after we crossed several hidden formations did our destination come into view. It was a place I had never been before, and when I read the plaque hanging above, I was taken aback.
The Heavenly Demon Treasure Vault.
He had brought me to the treasure vault of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
"Ah! I’ve never been here before."
I followed him inside.
Rows upon rows of weapons gleamed brightly, while elixirs and spiritual herbs filled the air with their enticing aromas. There were countless dazzling jewels like Night Pearls and Detoxifying Beads.
Being a martial artist, my eyes were immediately drawn to the weapons and elixirs.
There were swords, sabers, spears, and axes, but also less common weapons like wheels, sickles, measuring rods, fans, brushes, needles… Truly, every type of mystical weapon imaginable was on display. Each one was powerful enough to create a storm of blood if unleashed in the martial world. 2
And it didn’t stop there. The elixirs were of such high quality that even Millennium Snow Ginseng was barely worth mentioning. They had the finest top-tier elixirs and spiritual herbs, classified according to their yin and yang properties.
In addition, there were eight special elixirs set aside separately.
"These are the elixirs that will be immediately distributed to the Demon Supremes if war breaks out."
There were also poisons and hidden weapons for war. These specific hidden weapons were forbidden in the martial world, while the poisons were lethal enough to kill hundreds or thousands at once. Just seeing so many bottles of Formless Poison sent a chill down my spine. If war erupted, these poisons would undoubtedly be handed over to the Poison King.
And that wasn’t all. One side of the room was piled high with defensive armor. At first glance, it looked like cheap gear you’d find in a marketplace, but each piece was a rare, hard-to-find item in the martial world. These, too, would be distributed to the Demon Supremes and the heads of each faction in the event of war.
My father had been thoroughly preparing for war.
Father, I respect you more than anyone, but a war must not happen.
My father knew how I felt about war. Yet, by showing me all this, he was trying to persuade me. This was the path we had to walk, the path he and I were destined to follow.
At that moment, my father said something unexpected.
"Choose one of these."
His next words were even more surprising.
"It’s my gift to you, Young Cult Leader."
The fact that it was an unexpected gift made it all the more touching.
Since becoming the Young Cult Leader, I had been called by that title countless times. But now, for the first time, I truly felt like the real Young Cult Leader.
“Can I really choose anything from here?”
"When you eventually become the Heavenly Demon, everything here will be yours anyway. For now, just one."
The idea of picking just one treasure from all of these precious items made my heart race. What would benefit me the most?
I passed by the rows of weapons and elixirs, heading toward a different section.
"Where are you going? There are no elixirs over there."
My father clearly expected me to choose one of the elixirs. After all, I already had the Black Demon Sword, the second-best sword after the Heavenly Demon Sword, so I didn’t need another weapon.
“Somehow, I feel like you’re showing me that section first because something even better is over there.”
I continued walking through the treasure vault, examining all the various items. There were pillows that replenished yin energy, incense burners that boosted yang energy, steel puppets that could execute martial arts, and even dancing figurines of beautiful women. The steel puppets seemed capable of performing supreme techniques, and the figurines looked like they could execute flawless footwork as they danced.
But I passed by all of them.
Though everything was rare, grand, and fascinating, none of them truly drew me in.
Just as I was about to turn back, something caught my eye.
It was a small, square block of metal, about the size of a palm.
“What is this?”
“It’s called a Secret Box”
Since it had the name "box," it must be some kind of container, but I couldn’t see any lid.
“What’s it used for?”
“I don’t know.”
I looked back at my father, and he shook his head with a genuinely clueless expression.
"It’s an item that has been passed down in our cult for ages. No one has figured out what it does, but it’s said that it will only open for someone it’s destined for." 3
“How about you?”
My father nodded.
"To me, it’s just a block of metal."
It only opens for someone it has a connection with.
Could this strange pull I felt toward it be a sign of that connection?
I wanted to choose this. Of all the brilliant treasures here, this dull block of metal was what attracted me the most.
Even though I knew there was a high chance that I wasn’t the one destined for it, the feeling that I wanted this among all the treasures was undeniable. My decision didn’t take long.
“I’ll take this one.”
1 : Lol, I can’t even remember that part XDXDXD He became a dancing whale too long ago ^^
2 : Measuring roads is definitely a reference to the Ruyi Bang, the mythical staff of Sun Wukong ^^ And the Palm Leaf Fan, weapon of his sworn brother, the Bull Demon King ^^
3 : Ohoho, a ne-old shiny !!!