Published at 14th of November 2020 11:07:06 AM
Chapter 80
Chapter 80 .
Translator: thursdays Editor: Sasha PR: LightBrin
5 .
Master did not undergo the surgery right away .
“I’m sorry . I, I just have to take a break…”
It was just after the Murim Lord’s procedure ended . Both the Alchemist and the Medicine King were tired from performing the surgery . The Alchemist collapsed and fell asleep, and the Medicine King went to the hot springs with his jaw hanging loose, clearly out of it .
“……”
Master frowned and looked down at the Murim Lord .
“Old man . I heard you lost your lower abdomen, so I came to see it myself . ”
“My first visitor since I’ve become a patient is incredible . Fine, come and feast your eyes . ”
“How do you feel?”
The Murim Lord, who was lying down on the mat, and cackled .
“I feel light . I feel like I just might ascend . ”
“You’re full of shit . You can’t even turn over a new leaf, let alone ascend…”
The Murim Lord smirked .
“Well, your mug looks lighter, too . Madu . Have you also decided to get the surgery?”
“…Yes . ”
Master sighed .
“I just spent a year’s worth of energy while swinging my sword . It was the last time in my life that I could play with my chi like that . ”
“Hoho!”
The Murim Lord’s eyes sparkled .
“It must have been a magnificent sight . How regrettable that I couldn’t see it while I was lying in bed . So? What did you do?”
“I tried to cut the winter, but I could not . That stage of deathly desperation is far away for me . ”
“Oh, that’s a shame . Well . Cheer up . Isn’t that an unprecedented stage? If it were as easy as that, the world’s history would have been upset at least six times . ”
The Murim Lord cackled again .
Looking down at the old man’s laughter, Master opened her lips .
“Namgung Un . You are…”
“I don’t regret it at all . ”
The Murim Master flatly cut her off .
“The world fell to pieces a long time ago, but we lasted for three years by a strange fate . It was a strange fate that the outside world’s doctors could treat us . That I could have a final disciple, that the Righteous Sect that I thought would end would continue—all of that is some strange act of fate! If all these strange coincidences overlap, isn’t this what you call a miracle? I am merely feeling grateful for this miracle . ”
“······ . ”
“Hmm . The only thing that I regret is this . We’ve never been able to conclude our War of Good and Evil, Madu . Well, there is no such thing as a perfect life . Our disciples will take care of it . ”
“Yes . They will . ”
Master smiled a little . It was a lonely smile . However, Master’s eyes as she looked at me held a strong faith in them .
“If this is the end of my life, I shall accept it . ”
It wasn’t a happy acceptance . But it was close to it .
No matter how sweet candy is, it must melt in your mouth before you can swallow it .
Maybe Master was carefully thinking about the end of her life .
“Hmm . ”
I nodded .
“Master . I have to go somewhere for a moment . ”
“Hmm? Where in the world can you go with the outside in that state?”
“Think about it as your disciple going out for some air . Don’t worry . ”
“…I feel more worried because you said that . ”
Master quietly lowered her eyebrows .
“You’re not trying to get involved in something perilous, are you?”
“I will definitely be back before Master’s procedure is over . ”
I covered my fist with a hand in front of me and bowed .
The way my hands were probably looked quite awkward, but I put my heart into the action .
“Please get treated comfortably, Master . When you open your eyes again, your unworthy disciple will be waiting . ”
Master accepted this .
Now, it was time for me to give Master her life back .
6 .
I exited the cave and crossed the snowy field .
As I crossed the snowfield, I pictured how this world looked before it was destroyed . The Murim . A martial arts forest . Was there a thick forest over there? Gangho . Rivers and lakes . Did water flow over there?
“Milord . ”
It was the other side of the snowfield .
“I have executed the order . ”
In the middle of the snowfield, the place where the trees had grown and the river flowed, the demon was kneeling on one knee .
“Did you find them all?”
“Yes,” the demon said, her head bowed . White snow was like dirt on her hair . The snowflakes proved how long she had been kneeling .
“As our lord ordered . ”
I had ordered the demon to do something the other day .
「There will be Jiangshi that can use martial arts in the vicinity who are alone . 」
「Find them . 」
「Find the Demonic Cult members in their black uniforms . Find the chivalrous fighters in their white uniforms . 」
During the last three years of the great battle of good and evil, many Jiangshi have ‘gone missing . ’
The corpses of the warriors were swept away by the blizzard and the snow in the wind .
“There were 439 Jiangshi from the Demonic Cult that were lost . From the Righteous Sect, 478 Jiangshi . In total, 917 people were missing . ”
That wasn’t all .
“560 members of the Demonic Cult were not lost, but are in the vicinity . Members of the Righteous Sect that are in the vicinity, 521 . In total, 1998 . All of them . ”
The demon bowed a little deeper .
Over her thin shoulder .
“I have gathered them here for you . ”
Jiangshi were lined up in the snowfield .
My regiment of skeletons held the Jiangshi captive on both sides . It was morning . There was no way that the weak Jiangshi could move in the sunlight, but even if the clouds covered the sun, their battle formation would not fall apart .
“Good . You did well . ”
I nodded .
“Now, bring the Jiangshi to me one by one . ”
“Yes . As you command . ”
The skeletons dragged over the cold corpses . By the time the first one reached me, I was already holding the Holy Sword . Winter was cold . But my blade that sliced through the winter air was colder .
…Baraya…
The wind blew . Just as the rain was collected in a lake, the wind blew into the valley in a rage . As it was collected in the valley, the sound of the winds seemed to resemble human voices .
…Baraya…
Far away . The wind shouted the sutra .
The sound, as it dropped down, resembled the sound of all humans .
I heard the sound of the wind that was rolling down and swung my sword .
…Agabaraya…
And cut decisively .
The Jiangshi’s head split .
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“Huff . ”
I cut and cut the corpses .
Without any rest .
As the Jiangshi’s heads burst, fragments and debris splattered all over .
“Next!”
“Yes!”
The skeletons quickly brought over the next corpse . The demon orchestrated the army of bones into moving in the way that was needed . As I fell into a steady pace, the demon quickly presented the corpses to me, and when I felt tired, she slowed down a bit .
“Faster! I’ll finish them all before sunset today!”
“Yes, milord!”
Like the flowing wind, we continued our executions .
A total of 1998 corpses .
No matter how immobile or subordinate they were, it wasn’t easy to cut them with a single strike .
“Huff, huff… hoo…!”
I had been thinking about it all along .
‘How can I reach the perfect ending?’
What kind of ending will ensure that Master is completely satisfied?
‘How can a person’s life become complete?’
I wanted to achieve it without a single lie .
So, I came to a conclusion .
‘It isn’t enough for me to be her disciple . ’
When Master goes crazy, that’s the bad ending . Definitely a poor result . But, was it really a happy ending with just the [introduction of a disciple]?
Would Master be happy and satisfied with this ending?
‘No . ’
Normal ending .
[Introduction of a disciple] is by no means a complete ending . It barely satisfied the criterion of an ending .
Even if I declared that it was over with this, the Librarian, the constellation, would probably accept it, and the 22nd floor would be cleared as it is…
“Huff! Hoo…!”
But I would never be satisfied .
“Milord, please stay strong! There’s only half of them left now!”
[Shiny cheers for the warrior’s struggle at full power!]
The sun went down .
The sky turned red, and the snowfield was dyed violet .
“Hoo… huff! Hoo…!”
I don’t know how long it took . Seven hours? Eight hours? It should have been about that much . Anyway, I swung my sword without stopping . My clothes were drenched with sweat and bits of corpses that I had cut down .
“The last ten are coming! Milord!”
10 people .
I looked in front of me . As expected, only 5 members each from the Demonic Cult and the Righteous Sect remained . I took a deep breath and clenched the hilt tightly .
A little more .
“There are five!”
A little bit more .
“Last! This is the last one!”
I smashed the head of a Demonic Cult member in a black uniform . The Jiangshi’s frozen brain shattered like ice . Finally, after cutting down the 1998th Jiangshi, I gave way and my knees fell into the snow .
“Huff, huff…! Huff, hooo…”
“You’ve worked hard, milord! You have done a great amount of work!”
The demon looked like she was ready to jump with joy . It was expected since she had also suffered alongside me for over half the day .
Ever since I collected her as a part of my shadow, the demon had always been brusque . It was the first time I had seen such honest joy coming from her .
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“What are you so happy about?”
I asked after my breathing had stabilized . Then, the demon realized that her face had been showing her emotions for a while and quickly returned to her normal cold expression .
“…When I thought of the scene that milord would show, my heart naturally felt full . I haven’t been able to see milord’s master in person, but . I think she will be happy . And not just a simple joy, but… really, greatly . ”
“I guess . ”
I smiled, stretching out in the snow .
“I hope she’ll be pleased . ”
The cure was developed .
I was recognized as Master’s disciple .
Finally, I even obtained permission from Bae Hu-ryeong .
It wasn’t easy getting all the way here .
Finally… I was ready to see the ending of this world .
7 .
A week had passed .
“Hmm . I feel somewhat empty without the lower abdomen energy . ”
For a week, Master and the Murim Lord recuperated . Fortunately, there was no need to find a separate spot for that . The cave here with its open-air bath served as the best vacation resort for recovering .
“Even if I regulate my breath, my energy isn’t piling up . It’s quite uncomfortable not to have chi . Uh-huh, this is the pain of the desperate people who can’t do martial arts…”
“Personally, I’m more comfortable now . Honestly, I didn’t feel like I was alive even though I was living! I had to block the takgi every day, make sure my heart was still beating . Oh my, oh my . ”
The Murim Lord sighed, sinking further into the hot spring .
“Because I can breathe without thinking, I feel like I’m living a little now! And all this is thanks to the children of the outside world . ”
“Y, you did well hanging in there for so long…”
The Alchemist hesitantly ended Master’s examination .
“Today’s treatment is over . Both of you are fine . We could even say that you’re cured . E, even If the Jiangshi were to bite you again, you won’t become infected…”
“Thank you . ”
Master raised her hand and stroked the Alchemist’s head . Flinch . The Alchemist briefly cowered back .
“That old man and I are obliged to you for saving our lives . It’s not easy to help a stranger . ”
“Oh, not at all… I only did what was natural…”
“It’s amazing that you think that was something natural . It is even more amazing that you went through and saw it till the end, what you thought was natural . Child . Even at your young age, you are great . ”
“Ah . I mean, no, that is…”
The Alchemist couldn’t move as Master continued to pat her head . Although she was very embarrassed, the Alchemist didn’t seem to hate it . They looked like close sisters, and watching them made me feel happy .
“Hmm . ”
But I couldn’t be content with just this .
“Boss . Does this mean it’s all right for both of them to move around now?”
“Ah . Y, yes! Just in case, I had them recuperate for a longer period . Even if they move around and exercise, there won’t be a problem . ”
Okay .
“Master . Murim Lord-nim . Will you walk with me for a little while?”
“A walk?”
Master tilted her head .
“I’m delighted that I can get some fresh air with my student… But why would you bring around this old coot? Gongja . Even a pleasant walkway becomes a filthy road if you go with that old man . ”
“Well . If it’s a walk with the old demon and the young demon, it’s me who would rather refuse . You dumb cultists can go by yourselves . ”
Their reaction was to be expected .
“No . ”
I shook my head quietly .
“Both of you have to come . ”
“Huh…?”
Master and the Murim Lord looked at each other . They seemed to have noticed that I wasn’t suggesting a normal walk . Their expression showed that they didn’t know what it was about but were interested .
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“I understand . My disciple must have some secret plans . I don’t want to walk with this old fool, but I’m willing to be tricked by my dull-witted disciple . ”
“Well . Since a baby demon plotted it, it’s probably no big deal . I don’t expect much at all . ”
We left the cave .
It was cold . Just like it was on the first day we fell into the [Chronicles of the Heavenly Demon], it was still winter .
What was different from that day was that neither Master nor the Murim Lord could use their chi . They wouldn’t be able to use it forever .
With my right hand, I held Master’s hand . With my left, I held the hand of the Murim Lord . That way, I could use Aura to warm them both .
“Master . ”
“Yes . ”
“Murim Lord-nim . ”
“Yeah . ”
“The two of you had said this . The only regret you have is that you were unable to conclude your battle of good and evil . That it’s unfortunate, but it’s a problem that we who have become the disciples will have to resolve…”
The two leaned against my warmth and crossed the cold winter road .
“But I thought of something else . ”
Was it because it was the first time they were going out in a week? Or was it their bodies, which they had to use without their inner energy, that was unfamiliar? The steps of Master and the Murim Lord were a little clumsy .
“The Great Battle of Good and Evil is the ritual between you two . Even if I and Chen Mu-mun master fight, it is just a normal spar; it can never be a great battle . Only a spar between the two of you can be the great battle . It is because it was you two who have held up the Demonic Sect and the Righteous Sect up to now . ”
“Disciple…?”
“Thank you . ”
We got to the snowfield .
“Thank you for not giving up for 3 years . ”
The place where corpses were once spread like a forest . The forest of silhouettes . Now, this place was nothing more than a clear snowfield .
“Thank you for coming to gather the Jiangshi again every morning . If you had given up, if they had been treated as mere corpses and left to disappear, I would never have been able to recover them . ”
The life that you both lost .
The scenery you should enjoy .
To return them, I slowly opened my mouth .
“Hundred Ghosts Reincarnation . ”
My shadow spread over the snow .
[Your skill is being activated . ]
In the shade, figures rose like snowmen . One, two, many . Some shadows wore black robes . Some shadows had their white sleeves fluttering . They gradually took shape in human forms and looked down at their hands, amazed .
“Disciple, just what…”
However, none of them would be as surprised as Master and the Murim Lord .
“You can think of it as a dream . It’s okay to just look over it, saying that it’s an aftereffect of losing the energy in your lower abdomen . It’s all right to assume that I learned a strange martial art to recall the memories and bodies of the dead for a while and make them the same as before . ”
“Master . Murim Lord-nim . ”
The Hundred Ghosts Reincarnation was complete .
“The Demonic Cult is not over yet . ”
Elite members of the Demonic Cult . 1,000 people .
“War has not yet forgotten chivalry, and chivalry has not forgotten war . ”
Elites of the Righteous Sect . 1,000 people .
“The Demonic Cult will not end because of the Jiangshi, and the Righteous Sect too will not be eaten by mere corpses . ”
The true Great Battle of Good and Evil .
That was what the two hoped for .
“If the Demonic Cult disappears from the world, it is only by the blade of the Righteous Sect . If the sect is to be destroyed, it must be because of the wicked fingertips of the Demonic Sect . ”
“…… . ”
“As the master of the Demonic Cult said and as the leader of the Righteous Sect desires . ”
I smiled .
Then, I covered my fist with a hand and bowed .
“Fight to be the final master of this world . ”