Chapter 17: This Master Said It Would Hurt a Bit

Although it looked like he was easily accepted into the Baek Family Escort’s mission because he had proven his skill before departure, there were still those within the escort group who did not like Yeon Cheong-un.

Was it not said that if one dislikes the monk, one also dislikes the merciful Buddha?

If one dislikes one thing, everything else also looks bad. Changing even the opponent’s strengths into weaknesses is the dark side of humans.

Those who slandered him with assessments that his skills would be lacking caught him on the point of being an inexperienced beginner once his skills were proven.

An escort mission is not resolved just because one has martial skills. Since leaving home means suffering, rotating outside for a long period requires various experiences.

Thinking of looking after a gently raised person who is unskilled at sleeping, cooking, organizing, and the trivial things that happen on the road during a long journey is terrible.

The problem is the fragment of emotion laid out as a premise.

Excluding emotional things, they were quite biased evaluations.

Although they would be too ashamed to lift their faces if they could step back and reflect on themselves, they were people who did not even have such leeway due to pouring out one-sided emotions.

They simply believed they were doing the right thing.

On one side, it was not that the thought that it might not be so was completely absent, but the moment they acknowledged it, their shameful level would be revealed, so they ignored it by force.

What broke it was the sight of Yeon Cheong-un, who beat down the martial artist of Hongwu Gate until he lost consciousness and fainted.

Those who held hostility and a twisted perspective toward Yeon Cheong-un felt their stereotypes breaking upon seeing Yeon Cheong-un’s sublime(?) fight.

As the misaligned sight began to be seen properly, they clutched their heads, realizing how ugly the thoughts they previously had were.

Although it was not that there were absolutely no people who could not acknowledge it to the end, people that ugly were almost non-existent.

Yeon Cheong-un was almost completely accepted by the Baek Family Escort.

In other words, he became ‘my kid’.

It would rather be strange if it did not work out when he threw his body and fought that much.

[This is good. It has become much easier to look at. Every time I saw those guys glaring uncomfortably, I wanted to rip their eyes wide open to the left and right.]

[How can all people live with just one mind. There are these kinds of people and those kinds of people. It is not as if Cheong-un suffered any loss in particular.]

[That may be so, but. Even if there was no damage, it felt bad, right?]

[Haha. Isn’t enduring that also a form of training?]

[Oh my, a Bodhisattva has appeared. Let us see how long you can act dignified.]

The two who watched from a distance shared good(?) words while talking about their respective thoughts, as if they were quite pleased with this change.

***

When my severed consciousness was connected again, the first thing that welcomed me, rather than the fact that it was a time when the moon was floating in the sky, was the pain piercing my entire body.

How should I put it, not a pain like being hacked with a knife, but a bothersome pain like being poked with needles.

It might seem like no big deal, but if the target is the entire body, the story is different.

If there is a person who says that having the entire body poked with needles is no big deal, I would like to see that fellow’s face once.

So I can drive his forehead straight into the ground.

“Ugh.”

“What, are you up? Are you conscious?”

[You finally woke up.]

[It seems there is no major problem. That much is a relief.]

As soon as I became conscious, three voices reached me.

One is in the ear, and two are voices heard directly in my head.

If I were a person who adheres to a proper life, I should naturally care about the masters, my elders, first, but the conditions are somewhat not good…… Master Bodhidharma? A relief? Just how far were you thinking?

“What’s with your eyes?”

I tried to become a proper disciple who concentrates more on the masters’ voices for a moment, overcoming the conditions, but he immediately nitpicks from the side.

I guess I should talk with the masters later.

“I think these eyes are only natural if the thing I see as soon as I open my eyes is you.”

“How harsh. Should I even cut off my lower parts and come?”

“If you are coming after cutting even that off, wouldn’t it be the proper way to hang yourself first?”

Honestly, looking at it objectively, it was true that this fellow was handsome. Considering the beauty of Sister Seol-ah, who shared the same blood, it was only natural.

However, from a psychological perspective, this fellow at times like this was a hazardous substance. An extremely harmful guy.

“Wow, how harsh. I protected and nursed you all the way since you collapsed, and what you say is so sharp.”

Having spoken honestly without hiding anything like a childhood friend, Baek Mu-ho put forward that he had nursed me all along, saying he was disappointed.

Since he spoke like that, it weighed on my mind a little.

“You didn’t do anything strange, did you?”

“Strange? What kind of thing?”

“Exactly the kind of thing you would do.”

“Oh my. What do you take me for? Fearing that I, taking advantage of you being unconscious, huh? Stripped your pants and scribbled some doodles down there between your legs that I can’t even speak of?”

Yes, this kind of thing!

Exactly that kind of thing, you crazy bastard!!

Speaking of it from his own mouth, he knows very well what kind of thing is exactly what he would do.

So, holy masters in heaven. Please tell me right now that it is not. Tell me that there are no scandalous words or anything on my body.

Right now!

Right now!!

[It would have been fun if he did.]

[He did not do anything strange, so do not worry.]

Reading my thoughts upon seeing my rolling eyes, Master Zhang Sanfeng and Master Bodhidharma guaranteed it.

What a relief.

Indeed, even that guy wouldn’t openly commit crazy acts in an open area outdoors where there are also many adults.

“Anyway, if the conversation has reached this point, it should be about time for you to drive me into the ground over there.”

But suddenly, this fellow began to act sly.

For some reason, a bad smile filled his face.

“If you could move your body.”

It was the eyes of a snake looking at a magpie with a broken leg.

A mean smile was drawn on Baek Mu-ho’s lips.

“I see. I understand well.”

“What do you understand, you crazy bastard!”

“Responding to your provocation, I shall fully do something like myself!”

This crazy bastard?

I could feel the surrounding gazes focusing instantly at his boldly shouting voice.

Is he serious? Is this real?

[Looking closely, that bastard is also a big shot.]

[It is youth.]

Master? Masters?

How is this youth? It is restricted for minors!

You there! Do not just stand and watch, stop this crazy bastard!!

Although I could not just scream because my body condition was not good enough to even raise my voice loudly, fortunately, someone seemed to have heard my earnest wish.

*Smack!*

Suddenly, along with a solid sound, Baek Mu-ho collapsed forward like a doll with its strings cut.

Behind him, Uncle Baek Jin-seong clicking his tongue was visible.

“Get plenty of rest. I will clear this thing far away.”

“Uncle Baek.”

It felt as if a halo was shining behind Uncle Baek Jin-seong’s head.

If I were a woman, I would have fallen for him right away.

And if we luckily ended up together, we would have given birth to a fellow like Baek Mu-ho over there.

……Crazy.

Fortunately, I am a man.

***

When the annoying Baek Mu-ho parted like that and the surroundings were filled with snoring and soft breathing sounds, I opened my mouth to the extent of slightly moving my lips.

“You can hear me, right?”

[Of course I can hear. I am too young for my ears to be so deaf as to not hear that much.]

“……Ah, I see.”

Master Zhang Sanfeng replied, clearing his throat with an *ahem*.

Hearing a person from hundreds of years ago speak like that was somewhat strange.

Well, by the standards of immortals, it might be fine to call it a young age.

Anyway, it was a relief that they could hear well.

“How long will this last?”

[The pain?]

“Yes.”

[Well. About two days? What do you think?]

[I also think moving about will be difficult for about two days.]

“Sigh…… two days…… as long as two days?”

[You should say ‘only’ two days. It is two days because it is you who built the foundation with the Earth Essence Art; if it were someone else, they would have been bedridden for a full half-year.]

“A half-year…….”

Two days and half a year.

Although the condition of the Earth Essence Art was attached, assessing that difference made me think once again that the two masters had indeed prepared many things inside my body.

However, to me, it was still ‘as long as’ two days.

Although it was a very pleasing and surprising thing to grasp how sturdy a foundation my body condition had built,

“It is troublesome.”

[What is troublesome? Just because of two days. You have grown soft, kid.]

[Didn’t I tell you? That you would be bedridden for a few days.]

The two masters scolded me.

Honestly, when I was running wild, I thought enduring being bedridden for about two days was manageable, but now that the situation hit me, there was one major problem.

“Because I think the fellow who will step up to take care of my eating and evacuating during those two days will be Baek Mu-ho.”

[Ah…….]

[Mmm…….]

They understood at once. There was no need to add detailed explanations.

Amazing, Baek Mu-ho. The two legends of the Martial World gathered their intentions into one because of you now. This is a great thing, you know?

[Although recovering naturally is best…… well, if we push it a bit, it seems we might be able to make moving about possible by tomorrow morning.]

Whether he realized the disciple’s sorrow, Master Bodhidharma spoke with difficulty.

That much was more than enough to be grateful for.

[It will hurt a bit.]

“Rather than just watching a lifetime dark history be created, I would rather just die in pain.”

[If it is that level of resolve, I understand.]

He understood easily.

I asked Master Bodhidharma one more thing I was curious about.

“By the way, Master Bodhidharma.”

[Hmm?]

“How much time would I need to master the Heavy Earth Divine Art?”

Not the Heavy Earth Divine Art drawn up through expediency, but to deploy the Heavy Earth Divine Art of my own will, without enduring side effects like now, how much more did I have to train?

Perhaps because the sense of omnipotence when deploying the Heavy Earth Divine Art remained in my body, I became very curious.

At my question, Master Bodhidharma let out a shallow groan as if calculating the days for a moment before speaking.

[To put it tightly, about twenty years?]

Suddenly, a terribly distant period of time came out.

“Really?”

[Because it is a martial art created right before ascending to heaven, its level is quite high. Even twenty years is a conclusion reached with a quite hopeful observation, though?]

“No, I thought maybe around next year would do.”

[Next year?]

A counter-question came out, perhaps because it was absurd talk to someone thinking of twenty years.

[Aha! Looking at it now, it seems there was a communication problem between us. I thought you meant grand achievement when you said mastering the Heavy Earth Divine Art. What you are talking about is probably that level you deployed in the afternoon, right?]

“Ah, yes.”

[Haha, kid. Since you talk about mastering with a level that does not even amount to a taste, I could only mistake it as well, couldn’t I?]

“Not even a taste?”

It felt like my brain suddenly came to a halt.

[If it is that level, wouldn’t it be possible within a month?]

“Ah, yes…….”

He said that was a level that did not even amount to a taste.

Then what in the world is the real Heavy Earth Divine Art?

No matter how I looked at it, their standards were too high.

Wait. What is this, what is the identity of this chill rising suddenly?

[Ah, so I am asking once again.]

This was that.

Something like a huge terror rushing in?

[This master said it would hurt a bit?]

“……Yes.”

Surely I won’t die?

Surely.