Chapter v11c18: Father and Son

**Father and Son**

The Green Forest King, Im Deok Seong, was a man of fiery passion.

While one might charitably call him a man of hot blood and generous spirit, in reality, he was a man sorely lacking in patience. To be frank, he had little self-control. He also lacked the discernment to deliberately restrain his emotions, dismissing such restraint as pretense. When he wanted to laugh, he laughed uproariously; when angry, his rage could overturn mountains.

And right now, he was furiously angry.

Despite their reunion after four years, this ungrateful son showed no respect for his father. Im Deok Seong wasn’t kind enough to forgive such a human failure. His response quickly turned to violence.

“Well then, show me how much you’ve learned from those weak righteous sect bastards over the past four years. If you can last a hundred moves against your father, I’ll forgive you with the boundless mercy of the ocean.”

Im Deok Seong’s eyes burned with anger.

“What about my companions?” Im Seong-jin asked.

“You’re different from them! They must pay for the annihilation of the Black Wolf Stronghold!”

Im Seong-jin shouted back, “We have nothing to do with the Black Wolf Stronghold’s destruction. Why would I lie when I’ve been with them all along? Are you trying to make me a kinslayer? Uncle Im Gae was the leader of the Black Wolf Stronghold. How could I allow his death?”

Im Deok Seong flinched at his son’s logical rebuttal. Not a word of it was wrong.

“Hmph! Those righteous sect bastards might have brainwashed you into doing such a despicable thing!”

Im Seong-jin continued, his tone pitying, “Don’t be stubborn. You already know deep down that’s not true. You just don’t want to admit it. You’ve always been like this. Why can’t you acknowledge what you know is right, just because of your petty pride?”

“Shut up! What do you know, you brat! I still don’t acknowledge you. If you want to convince me, come at me. If you have the skill to defeat me, then I’ll believe you.”

“Fine, if that’s what Father wants, how can a son refuse?”

Im Seong-jin, his emotions running high, gripped his staff tightly.

“Let’s see what that old man taught you with that stick of yours.”

“Don’t insult my master by calling him an old man. And it’s not stick fighting, it’s staff technique. Staff technique!”

Neither father nor son was willing to back down. Their relationship seemed more like mortal enemies than father and son.

“Come!”

“Here I come!”

Im Seong-jin leaped forward, his eyes gleaming with determination.

“Hyaah! Starlight First Strike!”

With a thunderous battle cry, Im Seong-jin’s staff extended towards Im Deok Seong. And so began the fierce battle between father and son, who seemed more like mortal enemies.

“It’s a high-level exchange,” Yeomdo remarked, watching the intense duel.

It was a battle between the Tyrant Saber and the Collapsing Staff. Each move carried tremendous power.

“They’re both the same in that it’s a battle of pure strength,” Binggeom commented briefly.

“He’s holding up well so far.”

Im Seong-jin maintained a solid defense against Im Deok Seong’s attacks, which were like those of a mad wolf. He didn’t give any openings and occasionally counterattacked with powerful strikes that surprised Im Deok Seong.

The Collapsing Technique aims to crush and destroy everything with sheer force. It was the pinnacle of power-based martial arts. While both the Tyrant and Collapsing techniques pursued power, their applications were distinctly different.

Bang! Boom!

The clash of overwhelming forces continued.

The Collapsing Staff was slow, and the Tyrant Saber was fast. Yet, the outcome remained uncertain. Im Seong-jin’s staff, seemingly slow but deceptively quick, managed to defend well against the relentless saber attacks.

“Will he be alright?” Na Yerin asked worriedly.

“Of course. He’s not someone who’ll go down easily. Besides, it’s a father-son duel. No matter how estranged they are, it shouldn’t end too seriously,” Bi Ryu-yeon calmly reassured her.

“The depth of their internal energy might be the key to victory. Since their attack and defense styles differ, the moment one side’s balance crumbles, the match will be decided.”

Im Seong-jin had formed an invisible barrier around his staff, using it to block his father’s saber attacks.

“But I guess blood is thicker than water after all. They’re fighting as if they want to kill each other, yet they’re both smiling. They probably don’t even realize they’re smiling!”

Bi Ryu-yeon’s observation was accurate.

Im Deok Seong was astonished by his son’s improved skills over the past four years. He couldn’t believe it. Four years ago, he had been caught off guard once, but that was just luck. Now, his son was demonstrating skills that could rival his own. Few fathers would dislike seeing their son grow stronger, barring a few exceptions.

Im Deok Seong didn’t know whether to be happy or sad about this fact. But for the sake of fatherly authority, he couldn’t lose.

He began to intensify his attacks.

“To launch even stronger attacks from there… he truly is a monster,” Bi Ryu-yeon remarked.

It was a wonder Im Seong-jin wasn’t torn to shreds. Of course, it helped that Im Seong-jin was familiar with his father’s Mad Wind Demon Wolf Saber Technique.

The Mad Wind Demon Wolf Saber Technique was something Im Seong-jin had been forced to learn for about eight years since childhood, making it unforgettable even if he wanted to forget. He had once wielded a small wolf saber himself. However, he had a fateful encounter that changed his destiny.

He met a true master who led him down a different path. He had always disliked being a bandit. His dissatisfaction grew after meeting his master, eventually leading to his rebellion.

“You shouldn’t wield your staff like that. This isn’t a friendly match. It’s real combat. The moment you get complacent, you die! Understand?”

Im Deok Seong found himself giving advice to his son in the midst of their intense battle.

‘Why did I say that? Am I really going crazy?’

Im Deok Seong dismissed the thought, considering it ridiculous. As the father and son exchanged attacks and defenses, they failed to notice the smiles forming on their faces amidst their sweat. It seemed they were bonding through their fight.

“They’re both fools!” Bi Ryu-yeon concluded, observing quietly.

The frozen relationship between father and son was slowly thawing with the sweat, fighting spirit, and heat flowing from their bodies. Yet these foolish father and son didn’t even realize it.

“It looks like these foolish father and son are going to settle this in one go,” Binggeom said.

“That’s why they’re called muscle-headed fools,” Yeomdo shook his head disapprovingly.

“You’re quite similar in that aspect,” Binggeom remarked.

“What?”

“Huff, huff, huff, not bad, you brat. Has your head grown enough to rebel? I thought you were still a tadpole, but it seems you’ve grown some hind legs!”

“Huff, huff, huff, you too, Father. I thought you’d become an old man in the few years we haven’t seen each other, but you’re still quite spry for an elderly person.”

The Green Forest King, Im Deok Seong, spoke with barely contained laughter.

“Boy! I’m still in my prime! How many moves do you have left? Huff, huff, huff.”

Im Seong-jin, equally exhausted, replied with a refreshed voice, as if something pent-up had finally been released.

“Huff, huff, huff, I have one left. How about you, Father?”

“I’ve got one left too.”

After dozens of exchanges, they had used up all their techniques. Now, they each had only their final, secret move left.

“What do you say? Want to see this through to the end?”

“Of course. We’ve come this far, we can’t stop now.”

“Good! That’s my son. Let’s settle this once and for all today.”

“Agreed. That’s what I’ve been waiting for.”

“Foolish father and son!”

Bi Ryu-yeon commented from afar, but his words didn’t reach their ears. The two facing each other prepared for their final moves. A terrifying aura formed between them. The surrounding energy began to be frantically drawn into the space between them.

The climax of the father-son duel was approaching.

Boom!

An explosive sound that shook heaven and earth erupted. The deafening roar mercilessly assaulted their eardrums. True to their hot-blooded, foolish nature, even their finale was loud and flashy. Only after the thick dust settled could the situation be properly assessed. Both were still standing, neither having fallen. Despite unleashing their final moves, they couldn’t determine a winner. Of course, neither had fought with the intention to kill. Perhaps Im Deok Seong had held back, but it was hard to tell.

“Cough, cough, you ungrateful brat! You hit the same spot as four years ago? And it hurts even more this time. Tch, you little devil!”

“Cough, cough, Father, was it necessary to aim for your son’s neck? Why swing your saber so recklessly? You should have been more careful. Your only son hasn’t even gotten married yet. Do you want to turn your only son into a bachelor ghost?”

Im Seong-jin retorted, panting.

“You brat! Still talking back to your father? And who would marry a fool like you? Wake up and smell the coffee!”

“Don’t curse me. I will get married.”

“Oh ho, this brat. If you keep rebelling, I’ll tell everyone about how you wet the bed until you were seven!”

“That’s… that’s playing dirty!”

The dust that had just settled rose again like a cloud. Within it, the two bickered for quite some time, spitting as they argued.

“Fools!” Bi Ryu-yeon’s commentary was short and clear.

“This matter is important not only for the Seventy-Two Strongholds but also for us. I believe this is a terrible plot orchestrated by someone to frame us. We can’t fully prove our innocence now due to our urgent journey, but from now on, Cheonmu Academy and the Righteous Alliance will investigate this incident with all our might. Please wait and trust us.”

“Very well! I’ll wait and believe. And…”

Im Deok Seong transmitted a few more words via sound transmission. Binggeom nodded.

“Don’t worry!”

“Thank you.”

Im Deok Seong cupped his fists in salute, and Binggeom returned the gesture.

“Tch! Go live wherever you want, however you please!”

Im Deok Seong said to Im Seong-jin, turning his back.

“Father…”

“Just don’t embarrass me out there! And if you fight, make sure you win!”

As he spoke, a strange light flickered in the Green Forest King’s eyes. Im Seong-jin had to grit his teeth to suppress something indescribable rising from his chest to his throat.

“Of… course…”

“Now get going!”

Im Deok Seong waved his hand dismissively, not even looking back.

“Open the path! And… everyone, sword salute!”

Mo Gyeong, the Storm Wolf Ghost Saber, shouted with his internal energy-infused voice.

Like the parting of the sea, the surrounding warriors split into two lines, forming a path. The formation continued all the way to the end of Mount Dahong’s mountain path. This level of coordination from a single command was what had led the Mad Wolf Stronghold to its current position. Their synchronized movement and repositioning resembled that of an army.

It was a rare and awe-inspiring sight to see 3,000 warriors lined up on both sides, holding their weapons to their chests in a sword salute. It sent chills down one’s spine.

If they had clashed head-on, neither side would have escaped unscathed. The procession stretching to the foot of the mountain seemed to be wishing them good fortune in their martial pursuits.

“He’s a good father.”

Im Seong-jin, who had been mesmerized by the spectacle before him, was startled by Binggeom’s words.

“Pardon?”

“He said that in pursuing the ultimate in martial arts, one’s background doesn’t matter.”

It seemed that was the content of the final sound transmission between Binggeom and Im Deok Seong. He must have been worried that his son’s background might have a negative impact. For Im Deok Seong to be so considerate was almost miraculous. Binggeom had no intention of holding Im Seong-jin’s background against him. Im Seong-jin felt as if all the resentment that had built up in his heart over the years was suddenly dissolving.

“I’ll… I’ll be right back!”

Binggeom nodded his permission. Im Seong-jin ran towards Im Deok Seong, who was still standing with his back turned. He called out, almost wailing.

“Father!”

Im Deok Seong flinched at the sound but didn’t turn around.

“What? I’m not deaf.”

He spoke in the same gruff tone, still facing away.

“Then I’ll be going now. Take care of yourself.”

Im Seong-jin bowed deeply. This time, his greeting was sincere. It was rough but warm.

“Noisy. Go quickly!”

Whether embarrassed or shy, Im Deok Seong still didn’t turn around. He heard his son’s footsteps fading away, merging with other footsteps. They seemed to be descending the mountain together with his companions.

The sound of dozens of footsteps shaking the ground gradually faded from his ears until finally, they could no longer be heard.

“Foolish son!”

His tone was tinged with loneliness as he muttered these words.