Chapter v10c11

Father and Son Affection (父子有親)

-There should be affection between a father and son!

“Can anyone tell where this is…?”

Im Seong Jin walked forward cautiously, paying attention to his surroundings. With all light cut off, there was a risk of stumbling over stones or tripping over rocky outcrops.

Moreover, there could be traps hidden anywhere. There is no greater fear than the unknown. The lack of information spawned endless imaginations in his mind. The more grisly and tremor-inducing the imaginings grew, the heavier his steps became. Each step taken by Im Seong Jin was a struggle.

A unique fragrance hung in the air, making his mind hazy. He heard a sound resembling the chanting of many people, which seemed like some form of an enchantment. However, given the circumstances, it was hard to tell if it was just an hallucination or reality.

“Why is this happening?”

There was a feeling as if tension was being released. His whole body was enveloped in a lethargic sensation similar to stepping out from a warm spring after a day-long soak. His limbs felt weak; every step he took was laborious.

‘I should stop and rest for a while…’

Such a thought deeply invaded Im Seong Jin’s mind.

None of the participants truly understood the effects of what was called ‘Monghwan Sohun Hyang’ (Dreaming Soul Vanishing Fragrance).

“Im Seong Jin, what are you doing here?”

Suddenly appearing before him, a robust figure stood with a body so massive it cast shadows around, and enveloped in fur.

“Father!”

Im Seong Jin exclaimed in shock.

“It seems you still remember your father’s face. That’s good!”

His dad had thick, bushy eyebrows and a bristling beard on a burly face. Scars covered his body, with several on his face, signifying the glorious wounds of his diligent work.

“How did you get here?”

Im Seong Jin was still unable to calm his pounding heart. The occurrence transcended normalcy—it was cheating.

“Weren’t we supposed to have severed our ties?”

Instinctively, Im Seong Jin extended his iron staff and took a defensive stance.

“Who’d stop a father from wanting to see his son’s face? That’s my own desire. I do what I want!”

That was definitely his father’s cursed and unrestrained, boiling-pot-like temperament. Yet, the reality still didn’t feel tangible because it was supposed to be impossible. Aside from anyone else, he was painfully aware of his family’s business.

“You haven’t been captured, have you?”

He hoped that wasn’t the case.

“Hmph! Who dares to catch me? There’s no one in this world who can capture me!”

‘Actually, there are many. It’s just too much hassle for you.’

His father’s profession was that of a notorious outlaw. Moreover, he was a bigshot who disdained menial tasks like waylaying travelers.

“No matter how much you deny it, you’re my son!”

“Hmph! I’m now a man of the righteous path, not an outlaw. Don’t unilaterally decide my fate. Don’t ruin my marriage prospects.”

Im Seong Jin shouted. His father’s profession was a yoke that he could not shake off.

“What a habit, this kid! Daring to defy your dad? Once an outlaw, always an outlaw! You can’t change where you come from! You can’t deny the blood of Greenforest flowing through you. You’re the son of Greenforest King (Greenforest Lord) ‘Storm Wolf’ Im Deokseong, no matter what anyone says!”

The term ‘Chief of the Green’ referred to the leader of the Seventy-two gangs of Greenforest. It was another name for the chief bandit.

‘Dammit, I hate recalling these things!’

Master of the gusty winds! Leader of the seventy-two gangs!

The god of Greenforest, the king of the outlaws!

No matter how he struggled, he couldn’t deny the truth that he was his son. The past, which he loathed to recall, suddenly invaded his thoughts, forcing his face into a grimace.

‘Prideful offspring of a mountain bandit.’

‘A crow could bathe in the river a hundred, a thousand times, and it would remain a crow — never turning into a swan.’

‘No! No! I will be righteous!’

‘You, born of the outlaw’s blood, will remain an outlaw forever! You, a man of the dark path, can never become righteous.’

He didn’t want to relive those memories. It was all because of his cursed father. But Im Seong Jin’s sharp gaze didn’t seem to concern him at all.

There had been a conflict when he left the quarters. Im Seong Jin still vividly remembered those days.

“Where are you going, betraying your own father? You’re supposed to succeed me!”

“I refuse. I’m entering Cheonmu Academy to pursue the pinnacle of martial arts.”

“You won’t fit in with them! Succeed me here! You are the son of the Greenforest King. Where do you think you’re going?”

“Do as you please with the family registry. I must follow my own path.”

Im Seong Jin countered unyieldingly.

“You wretched kid! Daring to defy your own father?”

A bloody blade, which had drawn the blood of countless people, glinted with a ferocious blue hue. But Im Seong Jin did not back down.

“No matter if you’re my father, I must leave this place, even if it means fighting you.”

He grasped his staff, taking a stance.

“Huh? Why a staff? When have you ever learned such lowly martial arts like staff techniques?”

His father, the leading bandit ‘Storm Wolf’ Im Deokseong, was a master of rogue techniques. Clumsy weapons like a staff, too cumbersome for killing, were never his interest. The question must have surprised him.

Im Seong Jin didn’t answer, but instead stated his position.

“Don’t stop me. I will go my way. I’m sick of the thief’s life robbing others of their possessions.”

“You son! Are you going to abandon the post of king of the hundred thousand Greenforest? You’re the son of Greenforest King Im Deokseong!”

“I never imagined hating my own lineage so much. Well, let’s do that.”

“Fine! Let’s sever a connection today then! No way those stiff and proper righteous folks will accept the child of an outlaw. Do your best!”

“No! I will be righteous! Aaaaaah!”

Enraged, Im Seong Jin swung his iron staff fiercely and charged at his father.

‘I thought that day was the end of our connection…’

But now, he was confronting his father again.

“Whatever you say, I won’t go back. It’s not a place for me. My place is here at Cheonmu Academy. Whatever you say, I choose to stay here.”

Im Seong Jin declared his unwavering resolution. This was one matter where there was no room for compromise.

“Ha! You talk too much. An outlaw’s son resolves everything with a blade! If you want to prove your point, beat me. You may have been lucky that day, but not today. I’ll prove you’re an undeniable son of an outlaw. Come on! A crow can never become a swan!”

“No! I’m already righteous! I’m not the same kind of thief as you! No! Aaaaaaah!”

Once again, enraged, Im Seong Jin wielded his Jinsung Gon with even greater might than before and rushed towards Im Deokseong.

The day’s encounter had finished.

Hyo Ryong! A Nightmare of Blood

“This… this can’t be…”

Hyo Ryong stood frozen in place, as if paralyzed, like a statue. Someone with disheveled hair, wearing tattered clothes stained dark red with blood, and extending a bloodied hand towards him was there.

Suddenly, he felt suffocated, as if his breath was caught in his throat. His heart pounded intensely, as if it might burst from his chest—a sensation like blood was flowing in reverse!

It was torturous. Above all, his heart ached.

Tears streamed down his cheeks, a relentless surge of emotions that he couldn’t hold back. Is it said that men shouldn’t cry no matter the circumstances? Isn’t that a sexist notion? Tears flowed endlessly, uncontrollably down his face.

“Bro… Bro… Brother…!”

He cried out as if dislodging a thorn stuck in his throat; his voice was harsh and broken. Nevertheless, he called out to his brother. The person before him was his beloved older brother, Gal Hyo Bong, whom he had, with his own hands, delivered the final blow that sent him to heaven. Gal Hyo Bong appeared as he had on that fateful day at Mt. Wudang.

“Oh Ryong… Oh Ryong!”

His brother’s voice sounded incredibly mournful as he called out for Hyo Ryong. Covering his ears with his hands, Hyo Ryong screamed.

“No, you’re not my brother! You can’t possibly be here! That day, my brother… my brother…”

Hyo Ryong couldn’t finish his sentence. “My brother definitely died by my hands!” – these words he simply couldn’t utter. It was too painful and horrifying an event. He denied the presence before him with all his might, fearing that he would lose his sanity otherwise.

Gal Hyo Bong’s eyes turned grief-stricken as he looked at Hyo Ryong, causing another sharp pang in Hyo Ryong’s heart, like hundreds of nails piercing it.

When Gal Hyo Bong spoke again, a ghostly aura shimmered in his words.

“Hehehehe! Is that so? I’m not your brother, you say? Then what is this? Can you still deny I’m him after seeing this?”

As Gal Hyo Bong opened the front of his robe, revealing his chest, Hyo Ryong’s eyes bulged as if about to split open. His mind went blank as if bleached white, followed by a desperate, despairing cry.

“Aaack! Aaaack! Aaaaaaaak!”

It was a cry laced with madness. At that moment, Hyo Ryong’s spirit was too fragile, precarious like a piece of brittle glass ready to shatter. Suddenly, he was engulfed in a deep, inky darkness.

Hyo Ryong had been consumed by the illusion.

“Will they all be able to overcome themselves?”

Majinga asked in a grave tone.

“The kids will certainly manage.”

Ice Sword responded.

“The fragrance wafting through the Phantom Demon Cave is known as ‘Monghwan Sohun Hyang’ (Dreaming Soul Vanishing Fragrance). None of the participants are fully aware of its effects.”

“Monghwan Sohun Hyang, you say…”

“That’s right. It’s a special scent that shows those who smell it the deepest, hidden parts of their subconscious as illusions. It’s essentially a kind of hypnotic fragrance. This special hypnotic fragrance, combined with the Phantom Demon Illusion Magic Formation spread throughout the cave, creates a fearsomely potent effect. It shows the kids the fears hidden deep within themselves—the most private fears they wish to ignore. There’s almost nothing more terrifying and dreadful in this world than that. However, one thing must be carefully noted.”

“What’s that?”

Majinga’s own daughter and Kwan Seol Ji, was among the participants. Naturally, as Ice Sword, the thought of intervening hadn’t crossed his mind. But after hearing Majinga’s tale, it was only natural as a father to feel concerned.

Majinga continued, “If they are careless, their spirits might never return to their bodies. They could end up as imbeciles. Some even went mad and took their own lives after that. That’s why it was sealed for 18 years… The key is the need to confront their own fears. If avoided, they could be consumed by the illusion. Nobody can guarantee that they’ll return to their senses.”