She is incredibly peculiar.
Perhaps, or rather, she might have some kind of mental issue.
However, why?
Exactly, why?
‘Mastery of the inner energy…?’
The bashfulness that seeps out with every breath seems to exude an energy that is anything but ordinary.
Certainly, her appearance suggests she’s barely in her late teens. Even accounting for the slower aging process due to extraordinary martial arts, she certainly hasn’t reached her thirties.
…Does that even make sense?
“Hehe… Sir, or rather, Benefactor… Would you recognize me?”
“…”
The Mastery of Inner Energy is a realm attained by only an infinitesimally small number of the most exceptional martial artists among the thousands or tens of thousands in the world.
I reached it after many trials, and even the divine monks or Blood Demons achieved it only when they were fifty or sixty.
Is it possible that a young woman barely out of her teens has attained such an incredible level?
Unless she was born with monstrous strength like the Heavenly Horse or possessed a genderless body like the Invincible East, it is impossible.
“Hey? Benefactor? Can you not hear me?”
Baffled by the woman’s martial abilities, the pink-haired woman kept talking to me.
It is disrespectful to ignore a person standing before you for too long, so I carefully spoke.
“Th… do you know me?”
“O-of course! Who is the Benefactor to me…!”
“Since you’ve called me Benefactor since earlier, maybe we had some connection in the past?”
“Ah… Does the young lady really not remember me?”
“I do not.”
“U-Uuuuh…”
Bewildered by the woman’s strange reaction, I was puzzled as she—
Thud.
Looking up at me with tearful eyes, the woman knelt down.
“Miss, what are you doing?”
“D-don’t you remember me even like this…? Just try to remember a little more…!”
“If I say that, it won’t bring back any memories…”
Kneeling?
Something… something hazy seems to be coming back.
Not only the strangely familiar pink hair and eyes since before.
If there is a connection I don’t remember…
– Boy. No matter it’s been twelve years, how could you not recognize such a beautiful woman?
“Master, where have you been?”
– Thanks to you, I went somewhere nice. But tell me, how can someone who’s uninterested in pleasures still forget such a beauty? Though, expecting anything from a man who hasn’t had a proper relationship for thousands of years is silly.
“Crass.”
The sarcastic muttering of Jin Woo-yong reached me. It was a voice I hadn’t heard since I fell into the Cursed Face Art.
– But you must recognize that girl.
“Tell me, Master. Who is she?”
– That’s… something she’s trying to tell you now, isn’t it?
“…?”
After hearing Jin Woo-yong’s evasive answer, I turned my head forward, and the kneeling young woman slowly reached into her bosom and pulled something out.
“Does this… not ring any bells?”
“That’s…”
“Something the Benefactor gave to me…! I really worked hard on my martial practice…”
The pink-haired woman pulled out a small notebook. Soiled with use, it was evidently grubby just from looking at its cover.
I knew that notebook.
“Could it be…”
A series of memories surfaced, forming a vivid scene.
Snow flurry violently blowing.
I, kneeling down and carrying a little girl on my back.
Then, rising, I handed her the notebook.
So, the identity of this woman is…
“The daughter of Blood Sea Tyrant…?”
“Hehe.”
The girl, now a proper young woman, smiled brightly.
“My name is Hong Ryun.”
I followed suit and smiled as well.
In most of my trials, I had never encountered this girl after completing the mission to assassinate Blood Sea Tyrant.
“How truly lovely you’ve grown.”
Merely teaching one manual could bring up someone to this level of strength.
“Eh, you find me lovely?”
“Of course. The line of men who long to see you will encircle the capital.”
“If that’s the case…!”
How could I not feel joy?
“Please, take care of me from now on!”
“…”
What exactly did I just hear?
*
I learned from Jade Flower about what happened after I fell.
The ghost battle erupted. Poison Flower Tang Sobaek sorted everything out, and all four Demon Lords perished.
Everything fit together perfectly. There’s simply no other way to explain it.
Jade Flower bought time with the ghosts, and Tang Sobaek arrived on cue. When the situation got dire because of the four Demon Lords, Hong Ryun appeared exactly when needed.
Had any of them been absent, I wouldn’t be here now.
“Thank you all.”
“What are you saying? Protecting the Master is our obvious duty.”
“Hehe! I got praised by Sir…”
When I bowed deeply to express my gratitude, Jade Flower waved her hand, signaling me to rise.
Hong Ryun covered her reddened face with her hands.
…Could it be because I just learned the truth about her mother a moment ago that Hong Ryun feels awkward?
On the other hand, Poison Flower Tang Sobaek…
“Well… Since it was a favor I took up, there doesn’t seem to be much point in thanking me.”
She calmly replied, pointing a finger toward a direction.
“Handle that, perhaps? There’s much to discuss.”
Following the direction she pointed, I saw an old man lying with his hands bound behind his back.
The old man’s body was semi-transparent, evidence that he was a ghost.
“Is that?”
“Better meet him first.”
Though I remember meeting him when I was young, Tang Sobaek is not the type to toss around unfounded words.
Following her guidance, I approached the reclining ghost, whose emaciated back quivered heavily.
Even without seeing my face, he seemed to have already been scared stiff.
Strange reaction. Did he have some kind of grudge with me in life?
Even if he did, he’s a ghost that has already left this world. I don’t plan on holding worldly sins against a ghost.
That mindset guided me as I gripped the ghost’s chin to reveal his face.
“…”
Snap.
A terrified face.
Full of wrinkles, it hinted at a life filled with suffering.
A sight that would naturally invoke pity, but as soon as I saw his face, the emotion that came to mind before compassion was…
“A, son of mine…”
A surge of passion.
And anger.
All that fury over the one who tormented me for years while I was under the Cursed Face Art.
“Father… Celestial Sword King.”
I dared not address him with that title.
For he is far too unworthy of being called a father. The sacred title of ‘father’ must never be attached to him.
For he is a demon, even worse than any beast.
“It’s been a while.”
“Y-Yes… It has been a while.”
“Were you well during this time?”
“…”
“F-Fallen into hell, I have.”
Celestial Sword King, Namgung Danhyuk.
Though much older, his face remains unchanged.
Stubborn and obstinate as ever.
“Good to hear.”
“H-Huh?”
“If you hadn’t fallen into hell, I would have made sure to repay your unfulfilled debts myself.”
Growling, I spoke, which made his eyes quiver violently.
“You, what kind of speech is that?”
Finally, his unchanged tone of voice emerged from his lips.
A tone that never views others as peers.
Arrogant and dogmatic.
“How disgraceful you are…! To dare challenge someone as great as your own father…!!”
Truly a man who knows no shame.
A man who doesn’t acknowledge his mistakes and who holds onto his petty pride even as a ghost.
A man who instead lashes out at me.
That’s why it oddly felt relieving.
Because he hadn’t changed one bit.
Because I don’t need to succumb to the bonds of fatherhood and show him leniency.
I felt a sudden sense of relief.
“I’ll excuse myself for a moment.”
I extended my hand.
He resisted, but I easily ignored it.
“You, how dare you lay a hand on your revered father!”
Ignoring his protests, I cupped his forehead with both my palms.
“Look me directly in the eyes…”
Just like when I neutralized the two beasts from Mount Hua during the Seven Flowers Battle.
I stripped him of his ability to speak.
Wooom!
“…”
Before my eyes, the life of the man unfolded in rapid succession.
Though it passed incredibly fast, my perception didn’t skip a single detail.
“Ah.”
A life filled with unspeakable loathsomeness.
There was no hesitation in committing repugnant acts.
A life where treating someone’s private life with respect feels unnecessarily generous.
“When my mother was carrying me…”
What I saw was just the tip of the iceberg.
“You were holed up in a brothel, weren’t you?”
He was much filthier than I realized.
One fortunate thing:
“To be honest, I’ve recently become aware of something.”
“…”
“The righteous factions need not tolerate villains.”
The Seven Flowers Battle brought about some changes in my mindset and philosophy.
“Whether the villain comes from the righteous factions or the Blood Cult, they should be treated on equal footing.”
Fear crept into his shaking eyes.
The killing intent in my voice must have reached him directly.
Even though you’ve lost your physical form.
“And even if you’re family, I believe villains should be punished equally.”
“…”
“Of course, I don’t intend to become a blood demon. So it’s what? Like when you walk through the market and clean up visible trash, even if it requires some effort.”
As I spoke, I released the pressure in my gaze.
And he erupted in curses.
“Boy!”
“…”
“How dare you, how dare a son speak such nonsense to his father!”
I coldly looked down at him.
“Defend yourself then.”
“What defense do you speak of!”
“Truly, do you have nothing to say at all? Do you feel no shame under heaven?”
“Y-you! Do as you please!”
He screamed.
His spiritual spit landed on my face.
“Because of you, I couldn’t rest peacefully even at the moment of my death, do you know that! You who accomplished nothing, who I raised with love, teaching you to become a man, and now you’re committing filial impiety!”
“…”
“Because of you, I couldn’t close my eyes in peace until death. What? Were you holding back your strength? There’s no monster like you in this world!”
“Tch.”
I spat lightly. There’s no need to listen further.
“Why do you wish to kill me?”
“Yes.”
“Kill a father who has already died and become a soul?”
“Do not dare call yourself a father. When have you ever been one?”
“Haha! Let’s see you try! How high of a level did you reach to think you can cut something that has no physical form?”
He outstretched both arms.
Even though he seemed to have felt some sense of guilt when he first saw me,
Here he is having a fit again just because his pride was touched.
“Yes, I’ll split it.”
“…Huh?”
“I’ve never cut a soul before, but is there anything I can’t cut if I wish?”
The Heavenly Horse I fought numerous times was a warrior who split the very sky.
What’s a mere soul to me?
“If I let you go right now, you will receive your due punishment in hell.”
Woooom!
“Upon that, once the punishment ends, you will enter the cycle of rebirth.”
I formed a blade with my hand and gathered energy at its edge.
A sharp sword energy formed on the edge of my hand.
Though it won’t match the cutting power of the Qing Guang Bao Jian I used to wield, it doesn’t matter.
What’s important is the heart.
Not the trivial tool of a sword.
“Wait…!”
Realizing the impending danger, he raised his hand, trying to stop me.
I brushed his resistance aside and raised my hand freely.
“You are a demon unworthy of rebirth.”
Then, I swung down the sword energy.
Just like lightning striking.
“Imperial Sword Formation. Righteous Imperial Sword.”
With the sword, I set things right under heaven.
With blood, I punish evil.
Whether it’s from the righteous factions, the villainous factions, or the demonic factions.
Or even family connected by heavenly bonds.
I allow no exceptions.
Swish…
Deciding this, I casually swung my arm.
The spiritual essence stuck to the blade scattered in all directions.
