Chapter 57: The Footsteps of the Victor Are Light
‘I thought she would show some leniency, but she held back much more than I expected.’
The hair of Aunt Han San-wol, who said she used only forty percent of her power, was emitting a white light only at the very tips.
Although she was not Aunt Han San-wol, I had seen what happened when that hair turned completely snow-white.
Fortunately, I was able to conclude the situation without seeing that true appearance.
Moreover, since I won a decision win, it could be called the best result.
“Do you know where the origin of the martial art Mu-ho obtained is?”
The white color was fading from Aunt Han San-wol’s hair as she asked about the origin of the martial art Baek Mu-ho had learned.
It meant she was withdrawing her power.
I also answered seriously and without lies.
“I understand it is a martial art from the West. We found traces in a cave on Mount Song.”
“The West……. The place Great Master Bodhidharma came from. It was certainly not Buddhist martial arts. However, if it is a martial art from the West left in a cave on Mount Song, it must be Great Master Bodhidharma’s bequest. In that case, it might be the prototype of the martial arts the Great Master learned in the Western Regions before settling in the Central Plains.”
Listening to her words as she muttered and organized her thoughts, she seemed to trust what I said for now.
Aunt Han San-wol’s deduction was extremely common-sensical. The problem was that the truth lay in a place beyond that common sense.
Even so, I could not tell the truth that defied common sense.
‘If I did that, it felt like my head would really be smashed.’
If I blurted out, ‘Actually, what Mu-ho learned is the Heavenly Demon’s martial art! Amazing, right?’, it would probably be one of two things.
Either she would ask if I had gone mad from the shock received during the clash just now, or she would disbelieve and distrust me, and then ask how I knew that.
In my opinion, Aunt Han San-wol would be the latter.
Then it would go back to the beginning, saying ‘You taught Mu-ho what?’, and this time I would surely see Aunt Han San-wol with her entire hair turned white.
Because the background of Aunt Han San-wol that I guessed was certainly not on the Orthodox side, but it did not seem to be on the Demonic Cult side either.
“I do not fully trust you yet, but if you really did not join hands with those who were behind Ximen Dacheng…… then, it must be true that I have caused you trouble.”
Seeing the expression of Aunt Han San-wol making a bitter smile, I swallowed the words that tried to burst out unconsciously.
‘Indeed, they look alike.’
It seemed the maternal bloodline of this family was strong. Looking at the bitter smile on a face that was a spitting image of Sister Seol-ah, even my energy to be angry disappeared.
‘Strictly speaking, I gained something too.’
Even inside my head, excuses defending her came up first rather than complaints about Aunt Han San-wol.
“It is fine. Because I understand.”
“I see.”
At my reply that accepted and understood, Aunt Han San-wol erased the bitter smile that had hung around her mouth.
But that did not last long.
What came up this time was embarrassment.
The reason was not hard to guess.
‘It was quite loud, after all.’
I combined the strength gathered through the Three Talents One Qi Art with the power of the Third Stage of the Heavy Earth Divine Art and loaded it into the Extreme Might Strike. The aftermath was large enough to vibrate the earth.
Most of the people in the escort agency would probably know where the source of this vibration was.
It meant that people would burst in soon.
Judging by the signs of presence caught by my senses, several people were already here.
“Can you pass the word nicely to Seol-ah and Mu-ho?”
“I do not want to.”
“……Huh?”
Perhaps because she did not expect to be flatly rejected, Aunt Han San-wol’s face stiffened.
“Since you are an adult, you should take care of your own affairs like an adult.”
‘It is troublesome if you try to get a free ride too much.’
“Well then, goodbye.”
After smiling brightly toward the flustered Aunt Han San-wol, I quickly fled.
‘If I dawdled here, I would be caught in a pincer attack.’
If Sister Seol-ah fought with Aunt Han San-wol, I would be dragged in ten out of ten times. And I would struggle, unable to take either side.
Do not fight multiple opponents at the same time. This is also stated in the art of war. So, let us call this a strategic retreat.
It was also a minor spite.
***
“The fellow who used to be young……”
Yeon Cheong-un was a child who grew up hanging out with Seol-ah and Mu-ho. Han San-wol also knew about Yeon Cheong-un.
“……has grown into a cheeky rascal.”
Though Han San-wol herself could not view Yeon Cheong-un favorably.
When they were young, there was a time when a disaster struck the village.
Seol-ah, who had avoided people because of a deep grudge in her heart due to her family’s heavenly curse, willingly risked her life for Yeon Cheong-un, with whom she had shared warm human exchanges.
Although the result was good, it was a highly dangerous matter.
The reason she became emotional upon seeing the traces of the mysterious martial art Baek Mu-ho brought back this time, which suspected the undercurrent that had grudges and gratitude with her family, was largely due to the influence of the long-standing accumulated feelings planted back then flowing out.
The undercurrent entangled with the heavenly curse of Han San-wol’s family.
That was a story that had to go back to Han San-wol’s ancient ancestor.
Han San-wol’s ancestor had talent in martial arts, but had no foundation.
To such an ancestor, someone came and implanted a single martial art and an ancient technique, whose name could not even be known now, into their body.
That martial art was the Cold Sky Demonic Manual.
Han San-wol’s ancestor obtained powerful strength, but the hard-to-bear Yin Cold Qi gnawed away at their lifespan.
That ancient technique was passed down from generation to generation.
The first child of the family was always a female, and the Yin Cold Qi melted into the bloodline and was passed down.
Although they had to learn the Cold Sky Demonic Manual from birth to fight against the rampaging Yin Cold Qi and to survive, it was not a fundamental solution.
Among the ancestors who could not overcome the short lifespan and the torture-like pain caused by the Yin Cold Qi since childhood, some eventually fell into Qi deviation and caused bloodbaths in the Martial World.
Because of that, they were established as terror in the Martial World, called by aliases such as the White-haired Demoness or the Pale-handed Divine Demon.
Fortunately, through the efforts of several generations of ancestors who clung to it by dedicating their lifespans based on innate talent and wisdom, they partially modified the Cold Sky Demonic Manual to find a way to suppress the Yin Cold Qi, so they no longer caused bloodbaths, but the grudge accumulated over a long time was deep.
Afterwards, Han San-wol’s ancestor tracked down the family’s enemy, and at the end of that long pursuit, they learned a shocking fact.
The Martial World had been maintained for a long time within the balance of three forces: the Orthodox, the Unorthodox, and the Demonic Cult.
Yet among them existed another force that did not reveal itself to the outside world.
Although they did not reveal their power to the forefront for some reason, it was found out that a strand of such an undercurrent flowed secretly.
They obsessed over talented people and approached them secretly.
That was also the reason why Han San-wol had approached Ximen Dacheng under the guise of coincidence.
In that process, she met Baek Jin-seong, who courted her saying he loved her enough to throw away even the position of the next sect leader disciple of the Mount Hua Sect.
Whether on his own accord or due to external factors, Ximen Dacheng suddenly vanished, leading Han San-wol to start a family with Baek Jin-seong.
This was the real reason Han San-wol revealed her emotions.
Seol-ah and Mu-ho were outstanding even excluding the bonus points of being their mother. They were talents that the existences of the undercurrent would surely covet if they knew.
That was why she could not let it pass when she saw traces of a martial art of unknown origin in Mu-ho.
“Although it has been resolved…… to some extent.”
Han San-wol still did not fully trust Yeon Cheong-un.
The depth of the undercurrent was deep. Even now, she was still tracking it by mobilizing all the power of her family, but she could not catch a clue.
“If it is not that…… they might contact him.”
Yeon Cheong-un showed that he possessed talent no less than Seol-ah or Mu-ho. Considering the traces shown by the undercurrent, they would not overlook a child of that level.
Either way, Han San-wol resolved that she must watch Yeon Cheong-un with interest.
Fortunately, Yeon Cheong-un proved that he was not an easy target.
The behavior of an immature brat who runs wild without knowing his place is unsightly. However, if it is a person who has proven himself, the story changes. Here lies the difference between arrogance and confidence.
“By the way, what should I do with this immature foal?”
Having organized her thoughts on Yeon Cheong-un, Han San-wol pondered her next worry and waited for her daughter who would visit (invade) in a little while.
“……Huh?”
However, the person who visited Han San-wol was an unexpected person she had not thought of.
“Why is Husband here……?”
“It is better not to have any shouting among family members. As for Seol-ah and Mu-ho, I stilled them well.”
The person approaching Han San-wol with a broad smile was Baek Jin-seong.
Han San-wol looked at such a Baek Jin-seong with cold, cooled eyes.
“Are you still sulking?”
“…….”
She did not answer, but it was a reaction no different from agreeing.
“Husband was reckless.”
It was about sending Yeon Cheong-un, whom she thought was Ximen Dacheng’s disciple, and Mu-ho on a journey together.
“Dae-seong was my closest friend. If he was a fellow who would harm us, there were plenty of opportunities.”
“…….”
“And there is no proof that my friend Ximen Dacheng is connected with a certain faction that even our cutie does not know about.”
Although there would be other polite expressions to call his wife, Baek Jin-seong insisted on calling Han San-wol “darling.”
Whether because her thoughts were denied, or because of embarrassment from being called by an embarrassing expression, a light blush tinted Han San-wol’s face.
“Let us trust him. If it is hard to trust Ximen Dacheng, trust my eyes, and the eyes of Seol-ah and Mu-ho. Cheong-un is absolutely not a child who will harm our family.”
“……Hmph!”
At Baek Jin-seong’s words talking about trust, Han San-wol turned her head and snorted.
Baek Jin-seong quietly approached Han San-wol and held her two hands tightly.
“Do you remember? The words I said when we first shared our hearts.”
“…….”
“Until the day this life ends, I, Baek Jin-seong, will always love you, Han San-wol.”
Han San-wol, whose hands were caught, could not even run away and turned her head further.
Baek Jin-seong promptly lifted such a Han San-wol in a princess carry.
“Although it is a bit of a classic method, shall we go with the method we used to resolve it when you sulked before?”
Although it was unknown what method he was talking about, upon hearing those words, Han San-wol’s face instantly turned like a maple leaf fully colored in autumn.
“M-my Lord husband. It is broad daylight now!”
“It is fine. If there is only love, such minor parts are not a problem.”
“I-I said no…….”
The redly dyed Han San-wol’s voice lost power and subsided low as it continued.
***
Although the masters of the celestial realm, including Zhang Sanfeng, were said to take turns in shifts between tasks, they did not watch Yeon Cheong-un all day long.
For example, at the time Yeon Cheong-un went to bed, the masters also left.
Because it was not interesting.
Aiming for that time, there was someone who approached the Meridian Mirror.
A celestial Great Deity in the form of a boy.
That existence, who had suffered from boredom for a long time, approached the Meridian Mirror with shining eyes.
“The law of causality is not such an easy thing. The fact that something ridiculous like this exists must mean that some tremendous distortion exists on earth.”
The Great Deity in the form of a boy knew very well how scary the law of causality was.
This was because he was an existence who once sat on a throne of heaven, in a position of leading the immortal realm.
There were many expressions referring to the Great Deity in the form of a boy.
He, who was also called the incarnation of Taiji and the owner of the black sky, was also the existence who was the owner of Polaris and the Big Dipper, which the Jade Emperor currently oversees.
The owner of the Seven Stars Sword that governs all life and death.
Polaris Emperor.
Great Emperor of Purple Tenuity Polaris.
The supreme deity worshiped by the Wudang Sect, Perfected Warrior Great Emperor, was precisely this existence.
An ultimate existence who does not bow his head to anyone in the immortal realm unless they are the Three Pure Ones.
Mysterious Heavenly Supreme Emperor.
Such an existence revealed a strong interest in the Meridian Mirror and Yeon Cheong-un reflected in it.
“There is no way the heavens do not know this level of causality……. They must be standing by and watching even while knowing. That means there is a separate entity that bears the law of causality through this artifact……”
Mysterious Heavenly Supreme Emperor raised his hand. Just by raising and moving his hand, a part of the heavens was dyed black, wavering like the surface of a dark-clouded sea.
Just by revealing his power, the form of the heavens changed.
“Then I can enjoy it a bit.”
A twisted smile was drawn on the mouth of him who showed that although he had lost his authority long ago, his power and influence were intact.
“A heartwarming story of a master-disciple relationship is not bad, but my taste is for something hotter.”
A power that shakes the celestial immortal realm. A power that even ordinary Immortals would find shocking was gathered in Mysterious Heavenly Supreme Emperor’s hand.
If there is an existence to bear the causality in his stead, it does not matter what he does.
Probably, the Meridian Mirror was connected to Yeon Cheong-un. Along that passage, this power would be transmitted beyond the Divine-Sealing Great Barrier that protects the earth from celestial interference.
Then he would be able to see something hotter and more interesting than now.
The reckless action committed under such calculation reached the Meridian Mirror.
Bleep!
“……?”
However.
“……What? Why is this turning off?”
The Meridian Mirror, which had been reflecting Yeon Cheong-un until a moment ago, snapped off as if it had lost its function.
When the dumbfounded Mysterious Heavenly Supreme Emperor took his hand off the Meridian Mirror.
“……Look at this?”
As if teasing Mysterious Heavenly Supreme Emperor, who would not bow his head to anyone unless they were the Three Pure Ones, the incarnation of the Three Primes, the image of Yeon Cheong-un talking in his sleep began to be reflected in the Meridian Mirror again.