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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Cyno
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“……!”
“You bastard! If you’ve come to your senses, get your hands off her right now!”
Before I could even grasp the situation, I hastily yanked my hands away from Jin Gayoung’s throat.
It wasn’t easy—my grip had been too tight, and my body had been stiff until just moments ago. But I forced myself to loosen my fingers, determined to tear my hands away if they wouldn’t budge.
“Kgh! Kehek! Ugh……!”
As soon as I let go, Jin Gayoung collapsed, clutching her bruised throat and letting out pained groans.
“Haah… To think we’d have to entrust our descendant to a wretch like you. How lamentable. I was so pleased by your foolishly kind nature, but I never expected such side effects.”
Even Jin Wooyong’s muttering reached my ears, and my frozen mind quickly pieced together what had happened.
“Ugh… Ah, Uncle…….”
“…….”
Whether it was misfortune or a blessing, understanding the situation wasn’t hard.
It was just that I didn’t want to accept it.
‘I…’
“What, do you have something to say? Go on, let’s hear it. What kind of excuse will you make?”
‘What have you done?’
The next moment, Jin Wooyong’s scornful words confirmed the uncomfortable truth I had vaguely suspected.
“You acted like a madman. Laughing like a lunatic in your sleep was absurd enough, but tears—utterly unbefitting of you—were streaming down your face.”
‘Ha…….’
“And the worst part? When our descendant noticed something was wrong and tried to place her hand on your forehead to check on you, you lunged at her and choked her. Startled, I rushed into your dream—only to witness that ridiculous spectacle.”
Why had I dreamed such a thing? Why had I done such a thing?
Those thoughts didn’t even cross my mind.
The only thing that mattered now was that I—a mere subordinate—had dared to lay hands on my liege’s throat.
Something that should never have happened had occurred without my knowledge.
THUD!
Without even a moment to gather my thoughts, I slammed my forehead against the wooden floor.
Whether it was from the impact or the lingering heat, the once-warm floor felt icy against my skin, sending a sharp sting through my head.
No thoughts came to me. The only thing in my mind was that I had to beg for forgiveness.
Forgiveness for the crime of a subordinate daring to strangle his liege.
“…….”
“Haah… What can I even say to such a pitiful wretch?”
Ridiculously, my actions weren’t purely driven by remorse.
Deep down—in a place I shouldn’t have allowed to exist—there was fear.
“…….”
“Pathetic wretch. Truly, disgustingly pathetic.”
The fear that Jin Gayoung might cast me out.
The fear that I might be abandoned again.
The fear of being left alone.
For someone who had reached the level of Hyeongyeong, my mental state was embarrassingly fragile—but that was the reality.
“Sniff, sob, huuu…!”
Though I couldn’t see Jin Gayoung’s face from my prostrate position, her choked sobs painted a clear enough picture.
She was crying.
Because of me.
“Huuu… Sniff, sob, waaah……!”
What would she say to me now?
Would she ask why I choked her? Would she tell me to leave immediately?
Too afraid to speak, I remained motionless, forehead pressed to the floor, waiting in silence.
Waiting for her judgment.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry……!”
But Jin Gayoung’s judgment was nothing like what I had expected.
It wasn’t just different—it was fundamentally wrong.
Why was she the one apologizing?
I was the one who should be begging for forgiveness. I was the one who had sinned.
So why was she saying sorry?
“It’s my fault… My stupid greed kept me from reaching you sooner…….”
“…….”
“While you were breaking down like this… I forgot about you because of my selfish desires…….”
Ah.
“If I’d known you’d fall apart like this… I would’ve gone to find you and brought you back immediately……. But I was so caught up in wanting to stand on equal footing with you before seeking you out……!”
Jin Gayoung was far purer than I had ever imagined.
“Because of me… Because I was lazy and greedy, you ended up like this……!”
She had grown a little cunning to survive in this ruthless martial world, but at her core, she was kinder than anyone.
And I—I had been ensnared by some bizarre dream and strangled that kind liege of mine.
Swish—
A warm, damp sensation enveloped the top of my head.
It was Jin Gayoung’s face.
Drenched in tears, it felt unbearably wet.
Thud—
Beneath her face, something soft and cushiony pressed against me.
Jin Gayoung’s thighs.
Muscles either too relaxed or too tense from being strangled just moments ago.
“I’m sorry…! Really, really sorry……! Sniff….”
“…….”
I couldn’t bring myself to say a single word to her as she kept apologizing.
“Poor son-in-law.”
Watching us, Jin Wooyong finally spoke up.
“Do you know why you harbored such fear?”
I didn’t—but I didn’t need to voice it. He could hear my thoughts anyway.
“When you first met our descendant, do you know why you accepted her offer to become her subordinate?”
…What?
“After feeling such disgust for this rotten martial world, why are you still helping her—the descendant of a martial family’s founder?”
I did it because my heart told me to. Was there some deeper reason?
“For ten thousand years… No, longer than that—you’ve lived for others.”
‘…….’
“When you were suddenly told to live for yourself, you let go of your lifeline and tried to die. Because you lost your reason for existing.”
‘…….’
“Of course, that damned self-destructive mentality you had also played a part. Call it a complex emotional outcome. Whatever the case, that’s not the point right now.”
“Sniff… Sob… I’m sorryyy… Uncle… I’ll do better from now on…….”
Ancestor and descendant—both were shaking my mind into chaos.
“That’s why you’re a pitiful wretch. Having lived your whole life for others, even that thought—the one you consider impure—’What if Jin Gayoyal casts me out?’ stems from fear. Fear that the ‘descendant child,’ the one you must protect, might disappear.”
“I’ll… fix your broken heart… I’ll take responsibility and heal you…….”
“That twisted sense of duty was forged through endless regressions. And in the end, through those regressions, you achieved the ‘salvation’ you never even dared to hope for. What can I even say to that?”
“Just… entrust your body and heart to me… Don’t push yourself too hard… Just lean on me, please…….”
I had never once thought of myself as pitiable.
I had always thought of myself as cursed. Well, I’d stopped thinking that way after meeting Jin Gayoung.
I had believed that Heaven had punished me for some sin—creating a family I couldn’t bear to abandon, then shackling me with the noose of regression.
That was how I had always seen it.
“Speaking of which, in this life cycle, the people who know about your regression… That includes the Divine Monk, doesn’t it?”
‘…Don’t speak carelessly of him. He is a revered figure.’
“That’s not the point. After this Seven Flowers Tournament, go see him. Listen to the Buddha’s teachings. When your mind is in turmoil, the best remedy is rest and reflection in a place with clean air and water.”
‘…….’
But Shaolin Temple…
“Come to think of it, your son is there too, isn’t he? The one you haven’t seen since he was five? Perfect timing. Go see him. Just a few days there will heal your mind greatly. Your senior—that Sword Immortal—said he improved a lot after doing the same.”
‘But my household register was erased from the Namgung family. How can I still call myself his father?’
“Didn’t that boy renounce the world? The virtuous child who left at five to study the Buddha’s teachings. Given the lack of news all these years, he must’ve been in seclusion. If his father comes, he’ll show himself.”
‘…Do I have the right to face him?’
“Have some confidence. Why are you cowering like this? Where’s that reckless bravado you showed in your dream as Lü Bu from Romance of the Three Kingdoms?”
‘…….’
Every word Jin Wooyong spoke burrowed deep into my heart.
As he said—I hadn’t done anything wrong. So why was I acting so weak?
“A-Ah, Uncle? Why are you getting up? You can stay like this a little longer…….”
I was… annoyed.
At myself.
At the version of me who had fled under the guise of indifference, afraid of the insults and scorn I’d face for false accusations and slander.
“For the duration of the Seven Flowers Tournament, try taking off your mask.”
‘…Is there a special reason?’
“You already know. You need to learn to stand tall.”
‘Some people will recognize me.’
“Let them. The Heavenly Venerable? Okhwa? Your ex-wife? Or that daughter of yours? The more they misunderstand and insult you, the more karma they accumulate. All you have to do is stand proudly by Gayoung’s side. You’re only making things worse by hiding too much.”
‘…….’
It was an offer I couldn’t help but agonize over.
But no matter how much I thought about it, the conclusion was already set.
Because I had committed no crime.
There was no reason for me to cower at their misunderstandings and insults. Just as Jin Wooyong said.
‘…For the first time.’
“Hm? What are you muttering?”
‘For the first time, you called her Gayoung.’
“…Don’t spout nonsense. How I address my descendant is none of your concern.”
‘Haha.’
Very well. I would step back into the world that had abandoned me.
Not as a hero—but as an observer.
‘I’ve been sensitive lately.’
“I know. Who wouldn’t notice how moody you’ve become, like some pubescent brat?”
‘If someone insults me, I might explode.’
“Then explode. You did it just fine in your dream. Sooner or later, you’ll burst. Might as well let it out now.”
‘You said there would be bloodshed.’
“I don’t want to see the innocent monks of Shaolin suffer for it. But if you ever choke our Gayoung again, know that I won’t stay silent as her ancestor.”
Though my heart leaned toward accepting his proposal, I couldn’t bring myself to answer immediately.
It seemed I’d have to think deeply about it tonight.
The days remaining until the Seven Flowers Tournament… Only two left.
I’d already napped today, so it should be fine.
—
Knock knock—
At the light rapping on the door, the Heavenly Venerable, who had been reading scriptures, faintly extended his senses.
The delicate scent of plum blossoms tickled his nose.
Creak—
When he opened the door, White Flower stood outside, performing a cupped-fist salute.
It was late at night—hardly an appropriate hour for a woman to visit, even for martial artists.
“White Flower? What brings you here? Come in.”
“Have you been well? It’s been days since I arrived at Mount Wudang, yet I haven’t properly greeted you.”
Though puzzled by her visit, the Heavenly Venerable courteously guided her inside.
“Hoho, but why come at such an hour? You could’ve visited tomorrow.”
Despite his aged appearance, his sharp gaze remained undimmed.
“To avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.”
“Misunderstandings… you say?”
“Yes, misunderstandings.”
White Flower, now seated across from him, slid forward a small chest.
Swish—
But when the Heavenly Venerable made no move to open it, she lifted the lid herself.
Click—
Inside, gleaming gold ingots were piled high.
“This is…?”
Seeing this, the Heavenly Venerable’s eyes filled with suspicion. White Flower responded with an innocent smile.
“A humble token of my respect. I wished to present it to a great hero and senior of the martial world.”
“Hoho, your kindness is appreciated… But it would be better donated to our sect. It would be put to more meaningful use.”
“No, I brought this specifically for you, Heavenly Venerable.”
“This old monk has no need for such wealth.”
“Who knows? You might yet.”
Leaning subtly closer, White Flower’s décolletage became unmistakably visible.
Yet the Heavenly Venerable’s gaze never wavered from her face.
“White Flower, this is improper.”
“While I’m here… I’d also like to know the matchups for the Seven Flowers Tournament.”
Ignoring his refusal, she slowly nestled into his arms.
“How about… just a little?”
The next moment—
Just as White Flower flashed a rabbit-like smile—
As if succumbing to her charms, the Heavenly Venerable’s right hand rose high—
CRACK!
“……!”
His fist smashed squarely into her forehead.
“Hoh… What kind of young woman dares to…?”
Her fatal mistake had been assuming the Heavenly Venerable was like any other martial artist she had encountered.
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