SERIES: Returning to the Dark Moon
Chapter 10. The Real Flounder
I stared at Hong Cho Sam’s flounder-like face. When I subtracted the fine wrinkles and added a touch of youth, the face of the flounder I’d killed yesterday overlapped with his.
Chills.
That meant the flounder was Hong Cho Sam’s son. No wonder his reaction was so extreme when the kid got hit. So that was the story.
Why would a beggar have a child? One might think that, but it wasn’t really something to point fingers at. As long as you raised them well, it didn't matter.
And it seemed Hong Cho Sam had raised his son just fine with the money he’d earned doing all sorts of dirty work. Which is probably why he grew up to be such a little bastard.
Hong Cho Sam’s bloodshot eyes were fixed on me. I looked at him, smirked, and spoke.
“The first time we met, I think my eyes were the ones that looked like that. Now the tables have turned, haven’t they? How does it feel to have fallen to the very bottom of the barrel, Hong Cho Sam?”
“…Did we meet for the first time two days ago?”
“Shut up. It is if I say it is. Who are you to talk back to the acting ‘Sect Leader’? A mere excommunicated disciple. You pathetic bastard. If you truly wanted to be the Sect Leader, you should have worked a little harder when you were young. Did you think you could buy the position with money in your old age? To Baek Cheon… Ah, that was a slip of the tongue. Forget I said that.”
There were too many people watching for me to talk about Baek Cheon and the Dark Sky Society.
Come to think of it, what happened to the Traceless Divine Beggar? He probably managed just fine. If Baek Cheon had appeared, he would have handled himself well.
Hong Cho Sam’s fingers, gripping his staff with both hands, twitched.
I, too, took a step toward Hong Cho Sam. Our bodies met at the exact midpoint and tangled violently, unleashing the paths of my sword and his staff.
*Whoosh* The metallic scent of blood wafted past. A red line of blood trickled from where my skin was cut.
Hong Cho Sam’s staff swung fiercely, aiming for my neck. I ducked to evade the blow and immediately kicked the charging Hong Cho Sam, sending him flying.
*CRASH!* A loud noise of something breaking echoed for a moment. From the smoke rising where Hong Cho Sam had crashed, a single throwing dagger flew toward my eyes.
I quickly raised my sword to deflect the dagger, then, as soon as I saw Hong Cho Sam’s reflection on the pure white blade, I spun around and swung my sword.
Hong Cho Sam’s crushing staff and my blocking sword collided with a strange, air-rending sound. The moment I felt myself being pushed back, I tripped Hong Cho Sam’s leg to break his balance and slammed my fist into his head.▲
Hong Cho Sam’s flounder-like face, shimmering with a colorless barrier, flew far into the distance. A Protective Aura.
‘It doesn’t seem to be mixed with a mental image yet.’
If it were, it wouldn’t be transparent but would have its own unique color.
I’d put a fair bit of power into it this time, so Hong Cho Sam flew quite a distance, crashing through all sorts of things. My hearing, sharpened by the fight, caught a series of thuds and crunches, followed by the *shhhh* sound of him regaining his balance with his feet.
“Heir… don’t you dare laugh.”
Hong Cho Sam’s voice, raspy as grinding metal, echoed as a crescent-shaped aura blade rushed toward me at an insane speed.
The Sword Aura, a higher form of Sword Qi, wasn’t particularly favored. It was naturally stronger, but it consumed an immense amount of internal energy.
Look at that blue aura blade flying toward me. How much energy did it contain? The aura Hong Cho Sam had fired was practically a pure condensation of energy, and for some reason, it was quite thrilling.
As expected, I was no match for Hong Cho Sam in terms of internal energy. Even after eating Seolsam, it was hard to overcome the old man’s years.
I watched the incoming aura blade and spoke as if chewing my words.
“This is for Seolsam. Hong Cho Sam, you bastard, you’re worse than a flounder. He died because of you. I’ll offer your life in place of a three-year mourning period.”
I met Hong Cho Sam’s aura blade with one of my own, cutting it in two. A massive amount of energy drained from my entire body, so much so that I could feel it in real-time, but I could also feel Seolsam’s noble sacrifice.
‘Ah.’
The thought of Seolsam being crunched and munched on because of Hong Cho Sam made my heart ache as if it were being torn into a thousand pieces.
I resented the herb gatherer who had awakened Seolsam from its long slumber deep within the earth. In the end, the herb gatherer must have dug up Seolsam just to sell the elixir to someone from the martial world.
“These crazy martial artists… I’ll kill them all.”
With that thought, I slashed the arm of Hong Cho Sam as he charged toward me. A satisfying *slice* echoed.
Sword and staff, fist and fist, clashed, and clashed, and clashed again.
As I danced with my sword, cutting the body of the wretched beggar who believed himself clean, I looked into Hong Cho Sam’s eyes. His pupils were beginning to glaze over.
The State of No-Self. He was gaining the enlightenment needed to advance to the next stage in the Realm of Life and Death.
Which meant.
This old man, Hong Cho Sam, had never once fought with his life on the line. And he dared to blame his own lack of talent?
Instinctively, Hong Cho Sam used his staff to execute a defensive form. Energy flowed from his nose and began to form three flower buds above his head.
“The Three Flowers Converging at the Summit.”
Someone’s whisper brushed against my ear on the wind. In the Orthodox and Unorthodox Factions, it was known as the Stage of Creation; in the Demonic Cult, the Pinnacle of Demonic Arts. The Mythic Realm. Hong Cho Sam was on the verge of entering such a realm.
With the Comet Slash, one of my fast sword techniques, I snipped away Hong Cho Sam’s sliver of hope like a gardener’s indifferent shears.
The three flower buds scattered like ash. Along with the vain dream of the old man named Hong Cho Sam.
His mind now painfully clear, Elder Gyeon—that son of a bitch—began to tremble all over and spew his rage.
“Wangcho! You goddamn bastard… you dare interfere with a martial artist’s enlightenment? Are you even human! I’ll kill you. Don’t you laugh, Elder Un! Your youthful mistake made me this way. Yes, this is all your fault…”
I slowly shook my head and said,
“Elder Un is not here. I don’t mind what happened between you two, but do you still not understand why you’re only now attaining enlightenment? I know, and the beggars here know. The reason you couldn’t advance is simple. You weren’t desperate enough. You tried to take the easy path, relying on others, so of course you were unable to become stronger, Hong Cho Sam. Don’t hide behind the excuse of Qi Deviation to ignore your own faults.”
Hong Cho Sam muttered to himself like a madman. Then he let out a hollow laugh at me and spoke.
“And were you ever desperate, Heir? You say I wasn’t desperate? Then did you gain your current martial skill through desperation? Don’t just laugh, answer me.”
I deferred my answer to his question and looked around. I saw Eung Sam, his fists clenched in tension.
Next to him was Baekhae, a pretty boy who looked like a courtesan, fanning himself with a white fan he’d gotten from somewhere and smiling at me.
There was the Sect Leader, still forcing out the poison invading his body, pretending to be composed as he gave me a thumbs-up.
Far in the distance, Hwapyeong, wearing a human-skin mask, raised both his middle fingers at Hong Cho Sam.
Leaning against a tree with his black robes fluttering, the Traceless Divine Beggar waved at me with a grin.
…And with his characteristically stoic face, the leader of the Dark Sky Society, Baek Cheon, nodded at me.
What was that guy doing here? As I suspected, the incident on the back mountain was indeed related to the Society Leader.
I grinned, turned my head back, and met Hong Cho Sam’s eyes. I looked into those petty eyes and opened my mouth.
“You’re right. I wasn’t desperate. That’s why I’m trying to change. I’ve come to understand a little about connections. It’s funny, it’s only been two days. I’m just that sentimental. Hong Cho Sam, were you a good person? No. Neither of us are people who live by the book. So we have to change. Have you ever had a thought like that?”
Hong Cho Sam didn’t speak. He just took a sharp breath and once again thrust his staff with grim persistence, aiming for my vitals.
I stomped on Hong Cho Sam’s foot and charged into his arms. Immediately, Hong Cho Sam’s headbutt came for my chest.
*Thud.* My mind went blank for a moment before I bit my lip to clear my head. A staff is longer than a sword, making it advantageous for controlling distance. Hong Cho Sam knew that well.
Then I just had to end it without letting him create distance.
I quickly raised my sword and deflected Hong Cho Sam’s staff as it came in a wide arc.
In that instant, I kicked the ground, flinging dirt and sand into Hong Cho Sam’s eyes, and immediately began to bring my sword down.
Hong Cho Sam, his eyes squeezed shut, opened his mouth blankly. As if sensing his end.
The scattered Starlight Sword Qi once again condensed into my sword.
Sunlight Over Moonlight Sword Style: Falling Star Sword Dance.
A cluster of stars fell upon the bright, faded night sky that was Hong Cho Sam.
Looking at the bisected Hong Cho Sam, I let out an inadvertent grin.
“Ah. Cho Sam told me not to laugh. It can’t be helped. This fucking idiot. Who did he think he was picking a fight with?”
My entire body was filled with a sense of exhaustion. It was the aftereffect of taking Cho Sam’s aura blade earlier. I had pushed myself harder because I was trying to win without getting injured in the first place.
The spent internal energy and fatigue could be resolved with meditation and sleep.
‘I got cut a little here and there, but these are barely scratches.’
At least I didn’t lose an arm, right? That’s a blessing.
I briefly watched the beggars gathering around me, then once again, I collapsed right where I stood.
***
“Society Leader, Tamrang has arrived.”
The Traceless Divine Beggar’s elderly voice echoed through the grand hall.
A moment of silence followed.
Then, seeing Baek Cheon nod, the Traceless Divine Beggar spoke again.
“Great Gate, Stored Prosperity, Scholar’s Melody, Upright Integrity, Martial Song, Army Breaker… all have arrived.”
With his words, the leaders of the Dark Sky Society entered the hall, paid their respects to Baek Cheon on the high seat, and sat in their respective chairs.
The impatient Stored Prosperity, Royal Son-in-Law of the Green Forest, spoke first. He was one of the leaders mentioned when Wangcho was afflicted by his inner demon. He was also a master of the previous generation, belonging to the Green Forest of the Evil Alliance, the alliance of the Unorthodox Factions.
“Assembly Leader, is it really true? Wangcho has become a regressor? I mean, it's true that we wished for it, but…....”
“That's right. He showed a distinct change even without my intervention. It's certain that the Azure Sky intervened.”
Next to chime in was an innocent, childlike voice.
“What should we do, Assembly Leader? The Peach Blossom Land won't just stand by and watch the beggar grow.”
The master of the Heaven-Shattering Sect, a sect passed down to a single successor, Tamrang Ilgyeokmujeok. He became young after experiencing the fortuitous event of 'Returning from Old Age to Childhood'. He was also a master of the previous generation.
Baek Cheon, who had let out a deep sigh, tapped the table irritably and spoke.
“What can we do? We'll have to protect the beggar. Though I don't know if he'll follow our will. The day after he fought the Celestial Officer, he saw right through me, even though I was far away. The damn bastard. He's gotten too big for his britches.”
“Assembly Leader, please calm down. Why do you get so worked up whenever Wangcho is mentioned?”
“Perhaps I should.”
Sighing several more times, Baek Cheon leaned back fully in his chair.
They say 'a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,' but even though he hadn't taken that first step, the path ahead already felt daunting.
Hong Cho Sam, his eyes squeezed shut, stared blankly, his mouth agape. As if sensing his end.
The scattered Star-Moon Sword Qi condensed back into a sword once more.
Sunlight Over Moonlight Sword Style: Falling Star Sword Dance.
A cluster of stars fell upon the bright yet faded night sky that was Hong Cho Sam.
Looking at Hong Cho Sam, who was split in two, I let out an inadvertent grin.
“Ah. Cho Sam told me not to smile. Can't be helped. You fucking idiot. Who do you think you're trying to fight?”
My entire body was filled with exhaustion. It was the aftereffect of taking Cho Sam's Strong Qi earlier. I had pushed myself harder because I was trying to win without getting injured in the first place.
The depleted internal energy and fatigue were things I could resolve through meditation and sleep.
‘I got a few cuts, but these barely count as injuries.’
At least I didn't lose an arm. That's a blessing in itself.
0 Comments