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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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“Train until you can cut someone with the wind pressure from your sword alone.”
“…!”
“You need to rethink how you use your energy. Your rigid approach is holding you back.”
I listened intently to Heavenly Slaughterer’s teachings.
His advice was invaluable.
I couldn’t even begin to fathom the depths of his mastery, so I had to seize this opportunity.
He continued, with arms crossed,
“Swift swordsmanship isn’t the be-all and end-all of swordplay… You have a rudimentary understanding of heavier, slower sword techniques, but you need to hone them further.”
“…Thank you for your guidance.”
“If you can cut with the wind generated by your sword alone, you might find the answer to reaching the next level.”
He looked at me intently.
I decided to ask a question that had been on my mind.
“By the way, why are you spending your time in a place like this?”
“…That’s a secret.”
“Hmm, I see.”
As expected, he wouldn’t tell me.
I scratched my head awkwardly and stood up.
Heavenly Slaughterer smiled faintly.
“If we ever meet again… perhaps we can have a proper match.”
“…! It would be an honor.”
“Well, that depends on whether we meet again.”
He looked at me for a moment, then turned and walked away.
I let out a sigh of relief.
“It’s over…”
I wanted to collapse on the spot, but I knew I couldn’t afford to.
I had to return to the others.
I had no further business with the Hao Clan, and while Heavenly Slaughterer seemed to have taken a liking to me, I didn’t know how long that would last.
‘Come to think of it… Heavenly Slaughterer’s techniques are less like martial arts and more like…’
I replayed the earlier events in my mind.
His techniques were almost supernatural.
Like last night, when he crushed the Shadowless Swordsman.
It felt like he controlled the very space around him.
‘No, perhaps it’s just my imagination…’
I smiled wryly.
I hadn’t even reached the peak master level, let alone the transcendent realm.
Trying to understand Heavenly Slaughterer’s techniques was beyond my current comprehension.
I looked over at Elder Dokgo, who was watching Hwa-ryeong play with a warm smile.
Both he and Heavenly Slaughterer were doting on her like she was their own granddaughter.
It was surprising.
I walked towards them.
Elder Dokgo noticed me and spoke,
“Hmm, is it over?”
“…Yes, thanks to the Elder’s leniency.”
“Heh. You’re the first person I’ve seen get a ‘let’s do this again sometime’ from that monster.”
Elder Dokgo chuckled.
I smiled back.
“…By the way, it seemed like Elder Heavenly Slaughterer was quite familiar with instructional sparring.”
“Hmm… he did teach a few disciples a long time ago.”
Elder Dokgo hesitated, then closed his mouth.
He probably didn’t want to reveal too much about Heavenly Slaughterer’s past.
I decided to change the subject.
“You both seem quite fond of Hwa-ryeong.”
“…Indeed.”
“She seemed to be suffering from some sort of illness… is something wrong?”
“Hmm.”
I finished my question carefully.
It had been on my mind.
The rewards both Elder Dokgo and Heavenly Slaughterer had given me were excessive.
I didn’t know how close they were to Hwa-ryeong, but it seemed unusual.
Elder Dokgo stroked his beard thoughtfully.
“…She suffers from Blocked Meridians Syndrome.”
“…!”
“It’s also known as the Nine Yin Blocked Meridians.”
‘Nine Yin Blocked Meridians…!’
I was stunned.
Hwa-ryeong wasn’t entirely absent from the original story.
Given the nature of the smut-fest novel, the protagonist inevitably became involved with the Hao Clan.
It was an event that would happen about three years from now.
‘By that time, the Hao Clan Leader had already lost his daughter and gone mad.’
The protagonist, seeking to exploit the Hao Clan’s information network, would somehow end up taking the clan leader’s place.
It was a typical example of the protagonist-centric plot.
Even if the Hao Clan Leader had gone insane, it still seemed far-fetched that a complete outsider could take over the entire clan.
‘The novel simply stated that he’d lost his daughter and gone mad…’
I hummed thoughtfully.
Now that I knew the truth about Hwa-ryeong, the Hao Clan’s future involvement with the protagonist could be avoided.
But it was surprising to learn that this girl, barely mentioned in the original, was so important.
‘Even though the novel was poorly written, the relationships and connections between characters were more intricate than I thought…’
It was a stark reminder that the people in this damned Deer Brand murim world were now real.
Hwa-ryeong, who had been playing nearby, ran over to me.
“I didn’t ask yesterday, but… what’s your name, Oppa?”
“…Huh?”
“I heard you saved me. Tell me your name so I can repay you later!”
“…”
I was speechless.
She spoke as if such things were commonplace, as if she understood the complexities of debts and favors.
I looked at her, then gently stroked her hair.
“You don’t need to repay me.”
“…Huh?”
“The elders here have already rewarded me.”
I smiled faintly.
She tilted her head.
“B-But…!”
“…?”
“Daddy told me that if someone helps me, I have to repay them myself…!”
“Your father did?”
“Yes!”
Her eyes, bright and pure, shone like jade.
I knelt down to meet her gaze.
“It’s alright. Sometimes it’s okay to rely on others for these things.”
“…?”
“If the person you owe a favor to says it’s okay, then you don’t have to worry about it. That’s enough.”
“Hmm… really?”
She stared at me, with her eyes wide with curiosity.
I smiled.
“I’ll see you again someday.”
“Where are you going, Oppa? We haven’t finished playing yet…”
“I have some business to attend to. Similar to your father’s work.”
“Oh… I see!”
She nodded seriously.
We’d spent the previous night playing together, and she seemed to have taken a liking to me.
I patted her head again and stood up.
She smiled brightly.
“Then play with me again later!”
“Yes, of course. We’ll meet again someday.”
“And you can’t use the excuse of having to go somewhere else to avoid me!”
“Alright, I’ll remember that.”
As I said that, Hwa-ryeong slapped her palm against mine—almost like sealing a promise.
Then, with a triumphant voice, she declared:
“Then it’s a promise!”
“…Yeah.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle.
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The next morning, the convoy set off again.
It didn’t take long to reach Mount Yunhaeng.
I looked at the mountain in the distance.
‘We’ve finally arrived…’
I felt a surge of emotion.
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So damn short 😭
Thanks Chaos!