episode_0109

“Where exactly are we going…?”

Passing through the downtown area, the daughter asked, looking at the practitioner who was guiding them to an increasingly secluded place with an anxious expression.

The daughter also knew how strong the practitioner in front of her was.

For that reason, the thought, ‘Is it really right to keep following the opponent in front of me in a place I don’t know well?’, came to mind, and she asked the practitioner in front of her.

“That’s right… It seems that person often goes into the training hall and trains for a long time. It hasn’t been that long since they recovered from illness…”

“Illness?…”

The daughter increasingly couldn’t understand what was going on.

Someone who wanted to see her, and from the Old Country, who hadn’t been out of bed for long…

To begin with, she didn’t even know a place like this existed, and naturally, she knew no one here.

But why on earth…

“We’ve arrived.”

Along with the practitioner’s words, a booming roar was heard.

A training hall, as the name suggests, is a place where various practitioners train their martial arts individually; a massive presence is felt here.

The presence felt is much stronger than the elites of average families or sects, so if anyone were to cause a disturbance here…

Bang!!!

“!”

At that moment, a loud crash echoed.

At the same time, a very familiar energy was felt. The flow of energy unique to the Tang Sect. Why would that be felt here?

The daughter unknowingly opened the training hall door.

And inside the door, a large number of practitioners were either collapsed or roaring loudly and rushing at a human.

The being that was the practitioner’s target was someone she knew very well.

“Ah, father?…”

Peerless One, the father.

He was dealing with the practitioners using his hidden weapons.

Hidden weapon techniques similar to the Tang Sect’s secret arts, but more refined and with living precision.

At the same time, the father’s energy was so much larger and more powerful than when she had seen him before that it made her doubt if he was truly himself.

【Peerless One’s Secret Arts】

“Poison Dragon Three Strikes”

3 green dragons leaping out from the father’s fingertips.

The 3 dragons, thick with the Tang Sect’s poison energy, severed all the practitioners who rushed at them as if alive.

In the end, the only one standing there was the father.

“Ugh…”

“You did well.”

“You worked hard, Mister Dang.”

“Ah, you can’t be beaten.”

Those who had fallen got up one by one, laughing heartily and praising the father’s skill.

As if this kind of situation was very familiar, they got up one by one and were seen tending to their wounds or recalling their fights.

“Father!!…”

“!… The daughter?… How did you get here?…”

* * *

[Skill: 【Bright Mirror Still Water】]

[Effect: Always maintains a calm mind. Has high resistance to mental interference from the outside and makes it easy to exert a high level of concentration.]

[Skill: 【Unfinished Time Realm】]

[Effect: Elevates one’s mind and body to a higher realm through concentration for a short time. Consumes 5% of magic per second from the moment of activation, and the consumption increases as the duration becomes longer. After activating once, one cannot enter the Time Realm state again for a short time.]

‘5% per second…’

Thanks to 【Two Energies Limitless Divine Art】, my magic recovery has increased quite a bit, but 5% is still burdensome.

Moreover, the longer the duration, the more magic is consumed…

But, does ‘unfinished’ mean my technique isn’t complete yet?

“It is still immature, but you will get used to it as you use it. And when that time comes, the path to completing your sword will be seen.”

That human just knew right away even though I didn’t say anything.

Are they using mind-reading?

“I’m learning something similar.”

“…”

Were you serious?

“But Great Sage Equal to Heaven. I know you are frighteningly strong. If so, couldn’t you just defeat the Demon King?”

“Unfortunately, I cannot do that.”

“Why?”

“It’s a simple principle. Haven’t you also heard from my brother, Great Sage Covering the Sea? That we are trials that those belonging to this world must overcome.”

It seems I heard something similar to that…

“We are trials born out of this world’s necessity. Receiving the rank of Demon King, and beings of this world defeating us. For us to help humans defeat the current Demon King would go against karma.”

“The Flood Dragon Demon King seems to be wandering around as he pleases.”

“That doesn’t matter. The Flood Dragon Demon King didn’t help humans, he merely helped the current Demon King.”

Geez…

If you hang it on your nose, it’s a nose ring, if you hang it on your ear, it’s an earring.

“But then, isn’t teaching me techniques like this helping humans? Isn’t this also something that shouldn’t be done?”

“That is why I summoned you to this Old Country.”

What is this supposed to mean now?

As I couldn’t understand what was going on, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven shrugged his shoulders and said.

“This place, the Old Country, is an outer realm created with my power. Therefore, the original world and this world flow by different laws. That is why, even if I help you, it does not violate karma.”

“…”

You could create an entire world.

I see.

No, seriously, how am I supposed to deal with a monster like this?

…Right, well, it’s fine as long as I don’t have to fight right away.

“Then, do you know what kind of being the current Demon King is?”

“Yes. I know.”

“You won’t tell me, will you?”

“I cannot tell you the details.”

Ugh…

I dislike Zen riddles…

“As I said before… We are necessary evils. Also, regardless of the process, we are beings that must be defeated in the end. But the current Demon King is outside this world. A being that appeared from the outside. Just like you.”

“!”

“Therefore, perhaps the Goddess also judged that she needed to borrow the power of an external being to defeat the current Demon King.”

The Great Sage Equal to Heaven looked up at the sky.

A deep personal feeling seemed to peek out on his face.

“As I said before, I also have expectations of you. After the current Demon King appeared, the confrontation between the Demon King and the Goddess has continued for a truly long time. After the first Hero divided the current Demon King into 4 fragments, no Hero has been able to reach the point of defeating the Demon King’s fragments. At most, they merely sealed them.”

But I am one of the Demon King’s fragments.

I killed the Heavenly Demon.

Is that why they are placing expectations on me? Because I directly killed a fragment of the Demon King?

“If all the Demon King’s fragments are killed, will it end?”

“It could end, or perhaps it could be the beginning.”

“…”

Stop talking in Zen riddles…

“Ah… Come to think of it, there was someone I still needed to introduce to you.”

“?”

Someone I need to introduce? Who is it?

“The Flood Dragon Demon King, a man my brother brought. He came in a state close to death, but he survived well. He is a man with strong tenacity.”

“…What? Surely not?”

Before I could ask again, he flicked his finger.

Then, as if forcibly brought over to this wide plain, the surroundings instantly changed.

And there, the daughter’s form was seen, held in the arms of a man.

“As expected… I thought my daughter coming here would be related to you… As expected, it was you.”

The man patting the daughter’s back, the father’s gaze moved to me.

Seeing him look energetic, an empty laugh escaped me unknowingly.

“You somehow managed to survive.”

“I also think so.”

“You were alive, hiding out in a place like this and just training?”

“A newly reached realm is visible, so isn’t it natural for a martial artist to strive to reach that realm?”

How carefree!

Do you even know how much I suffered because you suddenly died!

Argh, damn it!

And I can’t even hit you hard…

“The daughter’s horn… I see. It is something you have reached.”

“No… it was a realm I could never have reached if it wasn’t for her sister…”

“Although you had help, it was you who ultimately reached it. Do not belittle that.”

While patting the back of the daughter who was speaking tearfully, the father saw the Great Sage Equal to Heaven standing next to me and bowed his head slightly.

“Great Sage Equal to Heaven, no matter how many times I express my gratitude to you, it would not be enough. Not only did you treat me, but you also helped me with training like this.”

“Human growth is also something that pleases me. Don’t feel too burdened by it.”

“Father, then are you returning to the Tang Sect?”

“…”

Regarding that, as if he had something to say, the father was silent for a moment before opening his mouth.

“No, I do not plan to return to the Tang family.”

“Why?…”

“I was able to realize on this occasion. That the world is still wide, and the realm I need to advance to is high. Therefore, I intend to travel the world on this occasion. When I was the head of the Tang Sect, I had to prioritize family matters, so I lacked time to devote to my own training. So, I leave the rear to your sister and the daughter. To you two.”

“…”

At the father’s words, the daughter nodded her head unwillingly.

Although she didn’t want to accept it, if that was the path chosen by the previous head of the family, and at the same time her father, it seemed she was determined to accept it in the end.

“Then let me ask one thing I’m curious about.”

“What is it?”

“Why did you take that fellow to the state physician? If it wasn’t for that, you wouldn’t have almost died there.”

“…”

At my question, the father closed his mouth, then quietly opened his mouth.

“There was no special reason. I merely judged that keeping him by my side and monitoring him was better.”

“…Is that so.”

“…That fellow, what happened to that child?”

“That fellow, for now, his dantian was crippled and he was imprisoned.”

It was the daughter who answered the father’s question.

And the father, having heard the daughter’s answer, somehow just muttered ‘Is that so.’ in a slightly dispirited voice.

* * *

“It is done. If you pass through this door, you will be able to return to where you came from.”

I stood in front of the door that led back to the original world.

The father said he would stay here a little longer before leaving, so only I, White Lotus, White Tiger, and the daughter and Lucy, 5 people in total, will cross this door.

“Then I’m going.”

“Jang Cheon-woo.”

Ah, I haven’t heard that name in a very long time.

“It’s Leon. My original name.”

“Is that so… Then, Leon. I entrust my daughter to you.”

“Don’t worry. The safest place in this world is by my side.”

After finishing the greetings, we returned to the original world through the door.

“Haa… I’m tired…”

“Hmm… I still think it was a good experience.”

“What good experience…”

At White Lotus’s words, I shook my head, recalling being severely beaten by the Great Sage Equal to Heaven.

“But where do you plan to go next?”

“Ah, that’s right. You said there was a place we had to stop by before going to the Holy Kingdom.”

Lucy clapped her hands and said at White Tiger’s question.

Come to think of it, we were talking about that back then before being taken to the Old Country…

“It’s nothing special. We’re going to the 『Gold Road』.”

The desert between the Central Continent of Pilgrea and the Eastern Continent.

That desert is called the Gold Road.

And what I’m aiming for is the casino in ‘Cairero’, the largest city-state within that Gold Road.

“I’m going to bring back the Black Rabbit from there.”

Because the Black Rabbit, which brings good luck to the journey ahead, seems like it will be essential.