Live Well Without Me-Chapter 5

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: cyno
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It was truly an unusual thing.

For thousands of cycles—nearly ten thousand years of regression—what had kept me going was the fact that there were people who still believed in me.

Even as I killed the same enemies over and over again—slaughtering, and slaughtering, and slaughtering—I never lost my resolve.

Because they were there.

Because they believed in me.

Even when I faltered, even when I stumbled under the weight of endless bloodshed—

I endured.

But now, with no one left who believed in me—

Even after achieving the peace I had so desperately longed for—
I found that I could not bear it.

I never realized that peace—when faced alone—was more sorrowful than war—when fought alongside others.

“We’ll be stopping by the Hengshan Sword Sect on our way back to Taewon. Will that be alright?”

And so, after yesterday…

Life felt bearable again.

Even though I had killed hundreds of bandits just the day before.
Because now—

There was someone who liked me.

Someone who made it feel… easier to breathe.

Like I was no longer suffocating under the weight of my own existence.

“Since when do travel plans change based on a servant’s opinion?”

“There’s one right here. If it makes you uncomfortable, let me know, and I’ll change the route.”

Was it because she knew I was a martial master?

Or was it simply her nature?

Throughout the journey, Jin Ga-young had been considerate of me in ways I had long since forgotten others could be.

Thinking about it, even if I weren’t a master, she probably would have treated me kindly all the same.

“Hengshan Sword Sect, huh…”

One of the Nine Great Orthodox Sects.

A place I had… many ties to.

“I don’t mind. However… I would ask for a face mask, or at least a disguise.”

“Is there someone there you can’t face?”

“I… cannot say. I’m sorry.”

“There’s nothing to apologize for. That’s your business.”

I had cut my hair. I had changed my voice.

But she would not be fooled.

Flying Blossom Namgung Soso.

My younger sister, seven years my junior.

The First Disciple of Hengshan Sword Sect.

One of the Seven Blossoms of the martial world.

One of the people I cherished most in all my regressions.

One of the people who had sacrificed herself for me more times than I could count.

And now…

She was one of the people who hated me the most.

I carried a deep guilt toward Namgung Soso.

I had caused the deaths of many.

But Soso had loved me too much.

So much that she had burned herself away in the name of protecting me—far too many times.

“I know I shouldn’t, but… I just love you too much, brother. Even after you leave, please… at least remember my feelings.”

That was what she had said in one of my past cycles.

When we were trapped in the Frozen Abyss of the North Sea Ice Palace.

When she stayed behind, facing hordes of monstrous beasts alone, so that I could escape.

And yet—

The last time she saw me, three years ago—

“Filthy bastard. Someone, please cut off his disgusting dick already. Just looking at him makes me sick.”

…It wasn’t something I wanted to dwell on.

I must have let my emotions show—because Jin Ga-young suddenly poked my cheek, grinning.

“Uncomfortable?”

“…….”

“It’s written all over your face. You’ve got a bad history with Hengshan, don’t you?”

“I have no excuse.”

“It’s fine. I’m just glad I found out now rather than later. I’ll find another resting place for us. Just lie down and relax.”

“……”

Before I could react, Jin Ga-young pulled me down.

Like a falling petal, my head landed softly on her lap.

I let it rest there—but only carefully, so as not to burden her.
“Do you drink, Byeorak?”

“Alcohol?”

“Yeah. You don’t look too great. I drink when I feel like that.”

“…….”

Jin Ga-young had a strange way of making me reflect.

Drinking…

At the mention of alcohol, the memories surfaced.

I used to enjoy drinking.

Not at first.

But after thousands of cycles, whenever my mind began to crumble, alcohol had been a crutch.

After my endless war finally came to a close—after I achieved peace—I had distanced myself from it.

But then the rumors began.

Then the fabricated evidence surfaced.

Then I was branded a monster.

And so, I returned to the bottle.

Looking back…

That might have been the easiest time in my recent years.

Even though my cultivation prevented me from getting drunk—

Even though I had to poison myself just to feel intoxicated—

At least I could still drink.

When was it?
One night, I drank until I blacked out.

With my brother.

I trusted him.

Back then, I didn’t know he was orchestrating my downfall.

I believed him when he said he wanted to drink with me to cheer me up.

And the next morning…

I didn’t remember a thing.

But I did remember my wife’s face.

Tears streaming down her cheeks.

Her voice trembling—

“How… how could love change like this?”

Had I said something in my drunken stupor?

But I wasn’t the kind of drunk to lose control of my words or actions.
Still—

From that day on, I quit drinking.

I never wanted to make her cry again.

And that…

That was when everything became unbearable.

The only person who hadn’t openly cursed me—who had simply treated me with cold indifference—

Had also turned away.

And I no longer had alcohol to numb the pain.

I had nothing left.

I had endured each day with nothing but the thought:

“I fought too hard for this peace to throw it away now.”

Looking back…

It had all been foolish.

I should have given up sooner.

I should have left that wretched clan earlier and started anew.

“Mmm… If you don’t like drinking, I’ll drop the subject. Sorry for bringing it up.”

“…No.”

“Hm?”

“I do like drinking.”

The past was over.

Yoo So-eun and I were nothing to each other now.

There was no reason to hold myself back.

“R-Really? I’ll be right back! Just wait here for a moment!”

Jin Ga-young practically flew out of the carriage, her excitement clear in her every movement.

The sight of it made me chuckle.

And then—

I realized something strange.

I was… smiling.

It felt foreign.

How long has it been since I smiled without forcing it?

It wasn’t so bad—having someone accept me, even if I was no longer the Sword Star Namgung Cheolbin but simply an anonymous master called Byeorak.

Clatter—!

“Hahh…! Hahh…! Here! I got it! It’s bamboo leaf liquor!”

“You certainly returned quickly. But bamboo leaf liquor? In this region? That must have been difficult to find.”

“You’re underestimating Taewon Jin Clan. We could buy thousands of bottles without a problem, so don’t hold back.”

Thunk.

Catching her breath, Jin Ga-young set the bottle down and uncorked it.

The familiar fragrance of alcohol wafted through the air.

I hadn’t smelled it in years.

Clink—

I took the offered cup and reached for the bottle, intending to pour for her first.

But—

She turned the bottle, insisting that my cup be filled first.

Only after my cup was full did she extend hers toward me.

Though she was my master, she treated me with the deference of a superior.

“Alright, let’s toast first.”

Her hand, holding the cup—

Was trembling slightly.

Why?

Was she nervous?

“Understood.”

Clink.

Sluurp.

As I swallowed, a familiar bitterness tingled on my tongue.

I glanced at her.

Jin Ga-young was grinning like a fool, mumbling something under her breath.

“Hehe… I did it. I finally got to drink with him…”

“Master? What was that?”

“N-Nothing! Just pour me another!”

“Very well.”

Pour—

And so—

I spent the night drinking with Jin Ga-young.

It was a good night.

Martial Alliance

Main Office, Leader’s Chamber

Knock, knock.

A polite knock echoed through the room.

The Martial Alliance Leader, Sword Sovereign, ignored it.

Then—

BANG BANG BANG!

The door rattled as someone pounded on it furiously.

With a sigh, the Sword Sovereign slowly got up and opened it—

Only to find a massive man grinning at him.

A giant of a man with fiery-red hair, carrying a blade as large as his own body.

The infamous Flame Sky Blade Emperor.

“Leader, we have a problem.”

“Sigh… I told you to control that temper of yours.”

“Don’t joke around! This is serious!”

Something in his tone made the Sword Sovereign straighten.

He removed his elbow from where it had been propped on the desk and sat up properly.

“What’s going on? For you to rush in like this, it must be quite the issue.”

“It was yesterday,” the Blade Emperor began, expression grave. “I was passing through Xi’an when—”

BANG!

The door slammed open again.

A blue-haired middle-aged man stormed in, panting.

“Leader! Are you here!?”

His voice—

Was even more agitated than the Blade Emperor’s.

The Sword Sovereign frowned at the sight.

The Blade Emperor scowled, looking furious at being interrupted.

Standing before him was Water Dragon King.

The Two Emperors of the martial world.

Flame Sky Blade Emperor and Water Dragon King.

Both of them among the Twelve Lords, the supreme warriors of the martial world.

One was the Lord of the Pang Clan of Hebei.

The other was the Master of the Water Dragon Long River Sect, an elusive yet powerful faction.

And now—

Both of these absolute powerhouses were in front of him, looking completely shaken.

As if they had lost their minds.

“Alright, alright, let’s all calm down first. You both clearly have urgent matters to discuss, but since Lord Do arrived first, we’ll hear him out before turning to Lord Su.”

Sensing the gravity of the situation, Sword Sovereign kept her composure as she arranged the order of discussion.

Lord Su, clearly displeased, protested, “No! This must be dealt with immediately! Every second counts!”

But Sword Sovereign ignored him, turning instead to Lord Do.

He wasted no time and began speaking.

“I was in Xi’an when it happened. While crossing the mountains, I entered a cave and…”

“And?”

“I found three women inside. Their heads were completely bald, their bodies gaunt and pale… They looked like corpses.”

“Oh? Jiangshi, you say? Have you been reading too many novels? I heard the new volume of Plum Blossom Heroes just came out.”

“This is not a joke! I saw them with my own two eyes!”

BANG!

Do slammed his fist down on the desk, splitting it in two.

Even as Sword Sovereign shot him an irritated look, he continued, voice rising with frantic urgency.

“They attacked me! I cut them down in an instant, but—”

He paused, voice unsteady.

“Their bodies regenerated.”

“…What?”

“I severed their limbs, sliced their flesh to ribbons—and yet, within seconds, they healed! As if I had never cut them at all!”

“Tch, nonsense. That’s impossible.”

“They were fast and strong—far beyond the capabilities of normal warriors! If I had fought them without using internal energy or fire techniques, even I would not have been certain of victory!”

Sword Sovereign sighed and gestured toward Lord Su.

“Enough of that for now. Lord Su, what did you come to report?”

“Wait, I wasn’t finished, damn it!”

“Ugh, has he finally lost his mind? And this fool calls himself the Blade Emperor…”

As Sword Sovereign and Lord Do bickered, Lord Su stood frozen, face pale.

Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, he said:

“I… I saw them too.”

The room fell silent.

Do and Sword Sovereign both stopped arguing and turned to face him.

Su’s eyes were filled with terror.

“It was in Sichuan, in an underground cavern. Jiangshi—men, not women. Their movements were unnatural. Inhuman. They had no technique, yet every strike of theirs could have been lethal.”

Sword Sovereign’s expression darkened.

What had once seemed like the ramblings of a fool…

Had just become undeniable reality.

“And… and…”

“Speak. We’re listening.”

“There were markings on the walls.”

“Markings?”

“Blood-red inscriptions. The character for Blood—血—painted everywhere.”

Do stiffened.

“I saw the same thing! The entire cave was covered in it! Along with strange talismans—runes I’ve never seen before!”

Blood. Talismans. Jiangshi.

There was only one possibility.

“Th-This can’t be happening…”

Sword Sovereign’s fingers trembled.

A rare sight.

She, the great leader of the Martial Alliance, was succumbing to panic.

“The Blood Cult was eradicated! The Sword Star wiped them from existence!”

“Believe me, I wish this was all a lie, but the signs are all there.”

“…The war. It lasted ten years.”

“The Blood Demon’s death should have marked their end—so why are they appearing now?”

“We have to start an investigation. We need to know how many there are, how deep their roots go.”

“And how do you propose we do that? We don’t even know where to begin!”

“The caves! We need to go back to those caves!”

“It’s pointless!”

Do’s voice was grim.

“When I returned to the cave, it was gone. Burned to ash, leaving not a single trace. I doubt Su’s cave is any different.”

“Just like the Blood Cult. Always operating in the shadows…”

“…Then what do we do?”

“…”

“…”

For the first time, no one had an answer.

“We have no information.”

“This is… bad.”

“Now there’s an understatement.”

A long silence.

Then—

“…At least we have him.”

“…”

“He’ll know what to do.”

“…The Sword Star.”

A deep breath.

“The last time the Blood Cult emerged, he was the first to uncover them. He was the one who single-handedly slaughtered over half of their forces.”

Sword Sovereign, leader of the Martial Alliance—

Had just admitted dependency.

But it was true.

To them—

To all the absolute warriors of the martial world—

The Sword Star had always been in a realm of his own.

“We still have the Sword Star. There’s nothing to worry about!”

“Why didn’t I think of that? Leader! That was a brilliant suggestion!”

“Just like eight years ago, he’ll handle it. We should go to Namgung Manor immediately and inform them!”

Because they had always relied on him.

And now—

They were about to make their worst mistake yet.

I wasn’t drunk.

But my breath felt light.

Was it because I hadn’t had a drink in so long?

“Hehe… Mister…”

Jin Ga-young mumbled, her head resting against my shoulder as she dozed off, nodding slightly.

It had been a long time since I’d seen someone dreaming about me.

“Master, I will go.”

Perhaps it was the alcohol, but courage welled up within me.

A courage that normally wouldn’t have surfaced.

Maybe it was reckless.

But in this moment, I wanted to indulge in my own foolish bravado.

“Mm… Mister… go where…?”

Jin Ga-young slurred, her words tumbling over each other.

Had she woken up already?

Feeling a little guilty for disturbing her sleep, I placed my rough, calloused palm gently over her cheek, urging her to rest.

And then, I answered.

“I will go to Hangsang Sword Sect.”

“R-Really…? Are you sure…?”

“I am Byeorak now. There is no reason for me to hesitate.”

‘Those who abandoned me—I have resolved not to care about them. The entire world has forsaken me. Why, then, should I care about the world?’

“Hee~… Good… decision… Our Mister should… do whatever he wants…… You deserve that much……”

Drowsiness weighed heavy on her voice, and soon enough, she drifted back into sleep, her head resting against my shoulder once more.

I leaned my head gently against hers and closed my eyes.

It was a peaceful night.

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