Chapter 378
"Resurrection?"
Wei Yan-ho's eyes widened.
Resurrection, resurrection…
Wei Yan-ho looked at Baek Mu-han with a dumbfounded expression.
"Haven't you been reading too many popular novels? You should at least say something that makes sense."
Of course, Baek Mu-han was another manifestation of Wei Yan-ho. Unconsciously, Wei Yan-ho was thinking that the Mad Blood Demon might be capable of such a thing. But Wei Yan-ho couldn't easily accept that fact.
"How can a dead person be resurrected?"
"I died too, didn't I?"
"That's…"
Baek Mu-han said nonchalantly.
"Common sense would say it's impossible. But I too succeeded in leaving my thoughts behind three hundred years after my death, so there's nothing he couldn't do."
"Well, that may be true, but…"
"And if thoughts and internal energy remain, it would be possible to force them into a suitable body."
"What?"
Wei Yan-ho clutched his stomach.
"Don't tell me?"
"Hey, you fool!"
Thwack!
Baek Mu-han's fist struck Wei Yan-ho's head. Wei Yan-ho fell to the ground clutching his head.
"Aaaaah!"
"You have no respect for your master!"
"Hey! Can't I even speak in this situation?"
"Want to get hit more?"
"I think I was being disrespectful to my junior disciple, Master."
Wei Yan-ho felt wronged.
'It's my dream!'
To think that even in dreams he couldn't resist—just how intensely had Baek Mu-han remained in his mind?
"Hey, you fool! I could have lived another hundred years if I wanted to. I gave up my life to ascend on my own, so what regrets would I have left to steal your worthless body and maintain my life?"
"It's not worthless! It's a precious body to me!"
"Tch, you're not even worth begging for."
Baek Mu-han clicked his tongue and continued.
"Besides, I don't know how to take over your body. The realm of the mind isn't my specialty."
"Oh, so there are things Master can't do?"
"It's not that I couldn't, but there was no need to delve into it. There was no one who wouldn't listen after being beaten."
"…"
Wei Yan-ho looked at Baek Mu-han with eyes that said 'Of course.'
Perhaps it was fortunate that he met Baek Mu-han without a physical body. Otherwise, Wei Yan-ho might have had a much harder time than he does now.
"Anyway, it's entirely possible for the Mad Blood Demon. Do you know what that means?"
"Since I don't know anyway, just explain it directly."
"…"
Usually when someone looks at you with such pitying eyes, the person receiving that gaze would shrink back. But Wei Yan-ho knew very well that he was a pathetic human being, so he had nothing to be embarrassed about.
Seeing Wei Yan-ho confidently puffing out his chest, Baek Mu-han sighed.
How did the greatest master of all time, who received both praise and fear from the world, end up accepting such a fellow as a disciple and suffering this pain?
"It means the Mad Blood Demon could be resurrected in your generation."
"…That's quite a magnificent statement. The Mad Blood Demon…"
Wei Yan-ho chuckled.
"What kind of nonsense is that!"
"It's the truth."
"Why all of a sudden when things have been fine until now!"
"Because things have been fine until now, it's possible now."
"…"
Wei Yan-ho's body trembled.
"Didn't you say the Mad Blood Demon was similar in level to Master?"
"I could completely destroy him within a hundred seconds."
"A hundred seconds for Master?"
"Yes."
Let's see then…
"At that level, wouldn't he be able to crush the Ten Great Masters of the martial world with his toes while eating?"
"Probably?"
"…"
There's no answer to this.
Looking at it coldly, those he had seen so far who were considered skilled would not even be able to draw their swords in front of Baek Mu-han.
Wei Yan-ho, too, would not be able to move a finger in front of a serious Baek Mu-han. To be able to compete with such a master for a hundred seconds meant that he too had reached the realm of transcendence.
"Moreover, um…"
"Yes?"
"It's been three hundred years since I analyzed that bastard's martial arts. And at that time, the Mad Blood Demon was already a figure from three hundred years prior. That means his thoughts have continued for six hundred years."
"Why is that?"
"Do you think he was idle for six hundred years?"
"…"
"Even a snake becomes a lesser dragon if it lives for six hundred years, so if the Mad Blood Demon lived another six hundred years, then probably…"
"Can't you tell me something hopeful?"
"Don't worry. You're still my disciple, aren't you?"
"I wish I wasn't at times like this."
Wei Yan-ho sighed deeply.
That meant the person who would lead this Demonic Cult invasion might not be some minor figure like the Great Demon Lord, but the Mad Blood Demon himself. Then…
'Everyone will be swept away.'
If Baek Mu-han's analysis was correct, there would be no one in the martial world who could stop the Mad Blood Demon. In the end, the age of demonic rule would come…
"Should I convert to the Demonic Cult even now?"
"Hey! You damn fool!"
Thwack!
Wei Yan-ho clutched his head and protested.
"Then what should I do when I can't win! I lost not even to the Mad Blood Demon, but to some minor cult leader!"
"Would this have happened if you had properly learned my martial arts!"
"If it were easy to learn, who would go through this hardship!"
"What about enlightenment!"
"…"
Wei Yan-ho's mouth closed shut.
"Didn't I tell you to observe and feel the world, gain your own enlightenment, and expand your martial arts!"
"…Yes."
Wei Yan-ho unconsciously knelt down.
Before his master's stern rebuke, his usual playful demeanor had long since disappeared.
"You gained a tiny bit of ability and arrogance took root in your mind. Since you didn't train yourself, defeat naturally followed."
Wei Yan-ho bowed his head deeply.
It was true that he had been arrogant. Even knowing that there is always a sky above the sky, he believed that no one except his master could match him.
"Martial arts must always be a battle with oneself. Since you stopped fighting with yourself, what use is gaining internal energy? It's natural to regress."
"Then what should I do?"
At Wei Yan-ho's question, Baek Mu-han smiled gently.
"You asked what you should do?"
"Yes."
"You know that better than anyone."
"…Master?"
Baek Mu-han slowly drew his sword.
"Life is like that. Hardship always comes."
Slowly.
Baek Mu-han's sword moved slowly.
Even with the sword moving only slightly, he couldn't take his eyes off its tip.
It was an enchantingly beautiful movement.
The sword that moved slowly as if it would suck in his very soul gradually increased its speed.
"You can avoid it, or you can sit down and give up. Someone will try to climb, and someone will try to break through."
Riding the blowing wind, Baek Mu-han's sword flowed and flowed.
He couldn't tell whether Baek Mu-han's sword was creating the wind, or whether Baek Mu-han's sword was dancing in the wind. Perhaps it was both, or perhaps neither was the answer.
It just flows.
Just.
Baek Mu-han's swordplay had now become a dance.
Sword dance.
But it was different from ordinary sword dance.
When the sword tip trembles, the world trembles. When the world trembles, the sword tip trembles.
As if everything was one, his master's sword movements were moving the world.
"There are countless people and countless choices, so how can only one answer be correct? Don't seek answers. What you want, what you choose—that is the answer. Because you are my disciple."
The wind blows.
A warm breeze covered Wei Yan-ho.
Wei Yan-ho became more and more absorbed in Baek Mu-han's sword dance that shook the world.
"Mmm…"
Jin Ye-ran lifted her head abruptly.
Wei Yan-ho was writhing.
"Young Master Wei! Young Master Wei!"
Jin Ye-ran grabbed Wei Yan-ho's shoulders and shook him.
"Young Master Wei, are you alright?"
"Uuumm…"
Wei Yan-ho slowly opened his eyes.
Then he sat up abruptly.
"Ah…"
Wei Yan-ho looked around with vacant eyes.
"Are you conscious?"
"…"
Understanding the situation, Wei Yan-ho looked into the distance with somewhat empty eyes.
A tear rolled down from the corner of his eye.
Jin Ye-ran closed her mouth.
She didn't know why, but she felt that she shouldn't disturb Wei Yan-ho right now.
"…Master."
Wei Yan-ho muttered quietly and closed his eyes.
Even knowing it was a dream, even knowing that what he saw wasn't his real master but a master created from his memories, he couldn't help his longing.
Wei Yan-ho brought his hand to his solar plexus.
He could feel Baek Mu-han's inner core still residing in his stomach.
"Phew…"
Wei Yan-ho, who had sighed deeply, turned his head to look at Jin Ye-ran.
"How long was I unconscious?"
"…It's the third day."
"Three days…"
Wei Yan-ho nodded quietly. He must have been properly shocked. To think he was unconscious for as long as three days.
"What about the others?"
"Everyone… everyone is safe."
Wei Yan-ho's face stiffened slightly.
He detected something ominous in Jin Ye-ran's tone. Sure enough, she couldn't meet Wei Yan-ho's eyes.
"Please tell me."
"Young Master Wei…"
"Hurry."
When Wei Yan-ho bit his lip and spoke, Jin Ye-ran sighed.
Bang!
Jang-il couldn't help but be startled by the door that opened so violently it seemed like it would fall off.
And seeing Wei Yan-ho's face as he entered with an expression like a demon, he squeezed his eyes shut.
"What do you mean?"
"…"
"What is this supposed to mean!"
"F-first, calm down."
"Do I look like I'm in a state to calm down?"
Wei Yan-ho clenched his fists tightly. Jang-il could see his lips, which he had bitten hard. Knowing what Wei Yan-ho must be feeling right now, Jang-il couldn't say anything.
"Explain it to me. I can't understand a single word of what this is supposed to mean."
"Well…"
Jang-il sighed.
He couldn't avoid telling him. What would change by hiding something he would eventually find out anyway? Having given up on everything, Jang-il explained what had happened in the meantime.
After finishing all his explanations, Jang-il quietly waited for Wei Yan-ho's reaction.
But unexpectedly, Wei Yan-ho didn't get angry. Though he thought Wei Yan-ho would immediately rage about bringing that damn bastard back, he sat down on the spot with an utterly dejected expression.
"This is insane…"
"…"
"So you're saying my brother went to confirm who he is because my brother isn't my brother?"
"…"
"And you want me to believe that right now?"
Wei Yan-ho's voice was trembling slightly.
"I don't believe it either yet. It's not content that can be easily believed…"
Wei Yan-ho shot up from his seat.
"W-where are you going?"
"To someone who knows the truth."
As Wei Yan-ho turned and went outside, Jang-il sighed deeply.
Someone who knows the truth?
There's only one such person here.
Watching Wei Yan-ho heading toward Wei Jeong-han, Jang-il smacked his lips bitterly.
'Troubled times must be coming.'
Everything in the world was getting mixed up.
Shaking and shaking again.
Jang-il prayed that Wei Yan-ho wouldn't also get caught up in this great trembling.