AR Chapter 51

“Urgh!”

Seo Daeryong raised himself from the bed, making all sorts of grimaces.

“Thirsty, water! Water!”

“Beside you!”

At someone’s words, Seo Daeryong instinctively reached out and drank the water placed on the bedside table.

“Ugh, my head. If I drink again, I’m a dog, a dog.”

Seo Daeryong guzzled water straight from the jug.

Only after quenching his thirst did he realize he had woken up in an unfamiliar place. The bed was large and soft, and the bedding was smooth and luxurious.

‘Come to think of it, who was it that just said “beside you”?’

Seo Daeryong looked around.

Far away, a person was sitting by the window reading a book. Due to the sunlight, he couldn’t make out who it was.

“Who’s there?”

As his eyes gradually adjusted to the light, Seo Daeryong began to make out the figure.

“Ahhh!”

Seo Daeryong screamed. The man reading the book was none other than Blood Heavens Saber Demon.

“Wh-where is this? Why is the Saber Demon here?”

Seo Daeryong was so shocked he even stuttered.

“It’s my room, that’s why.”

“Oh my! Why am I here?”

“Don’t you remember?”

“…No.”

“When we were about to part at the tavern, you suddenly stood up and yelled that I had to carry you on my back. You said how could I leave my disciple behind. You even grabbed onto my trouser leg.”

“Me? No way?”

Good heavens, I ended up clinging to his trouser leg after all, Seo Daeryong thought, flustered and at a loss.

“It’s been decades since I last allowed someone to touch my feet.”

Blood Heavens Saber Demon glanced at Seo Daeryong.

“Do you want to die but lack the courage to jump off a cliff?”

“…”

Then a question arose in Seo Daeryong’s mind.

“But why did you put me in your bed?”

“Of course, you don’t remember that either?”

Seo Daeryong tensed up with a gasp.

“When I brought you here and tried to put you in a guest room, you called me a heartless master for putting a disciple in such a shabby place. Then you sat down on the floor, sobbing that you deserved such treatment, blubbering all sorts of nonsense with tears in your eyes.”

“…”

“Is life hard? It was hard for me too. Trying to restrain myself from killing you.”

Seo Daeryong quickly got off the bed and knelt down.

“I’m sorry, I’ll quit drinking from now on.”

“Why quit that good alcohol? You should quit your drinking habits.”

“Yes, I’ll quit everything. Please forgive me. I drank too much yesterday.”

No matter how much he had shouted and misbehaved, Blood Heavens Saber Demon could have hit his acupoints and thrown him in the stable instead of a guest room. It was unexpected that he let him sleep in his own room, even in his bed. Of course, it must be because of the sword dance, but still, to let him sleep in his own bed. Seo Daeryong saw a new side of Blood Heavens Saber Demon.

“You may go.”

“Yes.”

His outer clothes were neatly folded on the table beside the bed. Of course, a servant must have folded them, but it made him feel like he was being treated properly.

Even amidst all this, Blood Heavens Saber Demon was still reading his book, and the sight seemed unfamiliar.

‘Is he trying to look intellectual in front of me?’

But strangely, the book-reading image suited him. Looking around the room, there were several bookshelves filled with many books.

Then a certain book caught his eye.

“Oh? This book?”

Seo Daeryong unconsciously pulled a book from the shelf. It was an adventure story about a boy meeting a peerless master and growing into a hero, a book he had read several times since childhood.

“This is my favorite book. Have you read it by any chance?”

He turned to Blood Heavens Saber Demon excitedly.

In contrast, Blood Heavens Saber Demon was glaring at him fiercely.

“I hate people who touch my things carelessly the most.”

“Eek!”

Startled, Seo Daeryong dropped the book and tried to stop it with his foot. The book, hit by his foot, bounced and rolled on the floor.

Silence fell.

Seeing the book crumpled and open on the floor, Seo Daeryong felt his world go dark. Soon, he would probably end up like that book.

Seo Daeryong hurriedly ran over, picked up the book, and tried to smooth out the crumpled parts with his hands.

“I’m sorry. Ah, fortunately, it’s just the boring part that got crumpled… I’m sorry!”

Fortunately, instead of cutting off Seo Daeryong’s arm, Blood Heavens Saber Demon turned his gaze back to the book he was reading. Today, he was the embodiment of forgiveness.

“I’ll be going now.”

As he was about to leave the room after timidly bowing, Blood Heavens Saber Demon abruptly asked:

“Why do you like that book?”

“Ah, I thought the protagonist was similar to me. Born poor, with a gloomy personality, not fitting in well with people around him. It’s a story of such a guy becoming a hero… I must have read it at least twenty times. It’s a book I keep by my side and read when I can’t sleep.”

After staring at Seo Daeryong for a moment, Blood Heavens Saber Demon said nothing and turned his gaze back to the book he was reading.

“Then I’ll be going now. Thank you very much for letting me sleep here.”

At that moment, Blood Heavens Saber Demon asked again.

“Do you think the Second Young Master will become the successor?”

There was no need to hesitate with this question.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“He’s an excellent person. More than anyone else I’ve seen. I believe he’ll change our cult. For the better, of course.”

“Would you be willing to lay down your life for him?”

Seo Daeryong thought for a moment and answered honestly.

“No.”

“Didn’t you say the Second Young Master is an excellent person?”

“I’m not. I’m not the type to sacrifice myself for others.”

Though his gaze was still on the book, the corners of Blood Heavens Saber Demon’s mouth lifted slightly.

“Wait in the courtyard.”

“Yes!”

Seo Daeryong stood waiting for Blood Heavens Saber Demon in the courtyard.

‘Is he going to beat me up using the excuse that I said I’m not willing to die for Pavilion Master? Should I have said I could die for him?’

As he was anxiously thinking this, Blood Heavens Saber Demon finally came out and threw a large blade.

Thud!

The lightly thrown blade stuck into the ground in front of Seo Daeryong’s feet. Though not as big as the Heaven-Destroying Great Saber, it was a large sword with a wider blade and longer length than ordinary blades.

“Pick it up.”

“Yes.”

Seo Daeryong picked up the sword. As the martial arts he had learned before were sword techniques, he had never practiced swordsmanship with a large blade like this. He had barely even held one before.

“How is it?”

Though unsure of the question’s intent, Seo Daeryong said the first thing that came to mind.

“It’s heavy.”

Blood Heavens Saber Demon nodded and said:

“That’s all there is to it.”

“Pardon?”

“Understanding that heaviness is the beginning and end, is the blade technique that I intend to pass on.”

“!”

At that moment, something resonated within Seo Daeryong.

“My heart just tingled.”

Seo Daeryong, who had been looking down at the sword, raised his head with an excited face.

“That’s because you drank too much yesterday. Or you might have a heart condition.”

“Ah! Yes.”

Blood Heavens Saber Demon turned around.

“Don’t be late for training later.”

“Yes! I won’t be late!”

Seo Daeryong put the sword down in a corner of the courtyard, left, then came back to retrieve it before leaving.

As he walked away from there, he wondered if he had really just conversed with Blood Heavens Saber Demon, if he had really slept there.

‘Maybe I’m still dreaming…’

And so he walked away, feeling the hangover weighing him down as heavily as the blade in his hand.

***

Seo Daeryong entered my office.

He still looked disheveled, not fully recovered from the alcohol, but he was wearing a large blade I had never seen before at his waist. Just seeing that blade, I could tell things had gone well with Blood Heavens Saber Demon.

“The right arm is here?”

“The right arm you sent to the gallows, I suppose.”

“Fortunately, you came back without being cut off.”

“How could you send me off with Blood Heavens Saber Demon? You should have taken care of me!”

“It seems you don’t remember anything from yesterday.”

At those words, Seo Daeryong flinched.

“You insisted on going with Blood Heavens Saber Demon even if it killed you. Do you know what you even said to me?”

“What did I say?”

“You asked why I was trying to separate master and disciple! I really thought you two had been in a master-disciple relationship for fifty years.”

“…Don’t lie.”

“I wish it were a lie. Until you fell asleep, you said you’d never learn martial arts, but suddenly you woke up claiming to be the head disciple. If you don’t believe me, ask Commander Jang. He was shaking his head looking at you.”

“Urgh. Is there really such a crazy drunkard living inside me?”

Seo Daeryong clutched his head.

“It’s a pity.”

“What is?”

“You’re more unique and interesting when you’re gloomy and dark, but lately you’ve been getting too bright. You were even funny yesterday.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be dark again by tomorrow.”

“What do you mean?”

“My first training starts after work today. He’ll probably half kill me. Ah! I wish work would never end.”

“That’s a shame. I won’t be able to see it.”

“Pardon?”

“I’m leaving the cult today. It’ll take about two months, so take good care of the Underworld Pavilion while I’m gone.”

The playfulness disappeared from Seo Daeryong’s face.

“Are you leaving because of that matter?”

“What matter?”

Then Seo Daeryong pointed to his own eyes with his finger. Only then did I understand what he was talking about.

Before we went drinking yesterday, Seo Daeryong had said in front of Soul-Seizing Demon’s residence that it was the look I had shown before accomplishing the impossible.

“That’s right, it’s for that matter.”

“It must be dangerous.”

“Fortunately, this task shouldn’t be too dangerous. I plan to use the danger I’ve saved up from before.”

“Pardon?”

Though Seo Daeryong didn’t understand what I meant, I didn’t explain further.

Seo Daeryong bowed his head politely, his playful expression gone.

“Please be careful! I’m sorry I can only worry with words.”

“If you want to be of help later, learn diligently from Saber Demon.”

As I was about to leave, Seo Daeryong called out to me.

“Pavilion Master.”

“What?”

“If it weren’t for you, I would never have had the chance to learn martial arts from a Demon Supreme in my lifetime.”

“You never know about life. If it weren’t for me, you might have had the chance to learn from our father. Well then, take care.”

“Yes! Don’t worry about this place and come back safely.”

After that, I went to find Lee Ahn to tell her about the training she should do for the next two months, then I quietly left the cult.

***

I kept running northwest.

As my mastery of the Wind God’s Four Strides improved, the speed of my Swift Stride technique also increased.

Unless it was a master specialized in lightness skills, even considerable masters couldn’t match my speed now.

I would run like mad, and when my inner energy was depleted, I would rest and cultivate in secluded forest areas. When my energy was replenished, I would run again, and when it was depleted, I would cultivate again.

If I got hungry while running, I would hunt using the Qi Externalization technique my father had taught me.

Now I could sense wild boars far away in the forest.

After catching a wild boar and roasting it over a campfire, sometimes passing hunters or herb gatherers would join me for a drink. I had met and become close with many of them in my previous life, so I found their company comfortable and pleasant.

From about halfway to my destination, I started to control my speed.

Since arriving too early would be pointless, I enjoyed this journey itself.

If there was a mountain worth climbing, I would climb it. Of course, not by simply walking up, but by scaling the cliffs. I would climb using only my physical abilities without inner energy, checking my body condition. I’d see if there were any aching spots or areas where muscles were lacking.

When you mainly use inner energy, it’s easy to neglect your inherent physical body, and that’s where the difference between a true master and a mediocre one becomes apparent. The true masters don’t miss even the smallest details. Knowing that the difference in small things ultimately becomes everything, they don’t overlook any part of their body.

While climbing a cliff, if the sunset happened to appear in the distance, I would sit on a protruding rock or tree halfway up and admire the scenery.

As I gazed at the beauty of nature like this, I felt as if something blocked in my chest was bursting open.

I had promised Lee Ahn to go on a tour of the Central Plains, but sitting on the edge of a cliff watching the sunset like this, I think of my father before Lee Ahn.

I wanted to travel with my father. I wanted to share conversations while looking at scenery like this together. I wanted to know what kind of person he was, what thoughts he lived with.

Will I ever have such an opportunity? Will such a moment ever come for us?

Before my regression, I never dreamed I would develop such intimate feelings for my father. Perhaps I… missed the father with whom I had never even had a proper conversation.

Even while enjoying the journey like this, when it was time to run, I ran until I was out of breath.

By the time I reached my destination, my Swift Stride technique had advanced to a new level. My running speed had increased, and the inner energy required had decreased.

“Hahahahahaha!”

I ran down the road, laughing like a madman.

As my mastery of the Wind God’s Four Strides improved, I realized that Swift Stride was a martial art that touched on human nature. It was a technique that maximized the thrill of running, making it addictive to keep running.

Now I passed by people on the road at a speed where they couldn’t even notice my presence. I literally zoomed past them.

I actually overheard such conversations several times:

“Didn’t someone just pass by?”

“What? I didn’t see anything?”

I had reached a level where people might not even notice me passing by if they were lost in thought while walking.

One level higher, and they wouldn’t be able to see me even if they were staring intently. They wouldn’t know if it was a person or a bird that passed by.

What would it be like at the grand mastery level of Swift Stride?

I thought that perhaps people might not even feel me passing by.

The place I arrived at was somewhere no one in our cult would have imagined as my destination.

This place was Hongshan^[1], where the main altar of the Heavenly Wind Cult outside the borders was located.

The place where I had obtained the Sound Thunder Bell, the first ingredient for the Great Regression Technique.

I had returned here once again.

1. 紅山[↩]