Chronicles of the Mad Demon - Chapter 143

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 143. Who is the Slave (3)

“Ugh.”

Moyong Su Hyang scratched her head.

“Why isn’t he coming?”

“He’ll come soon.”

Moyong Su Jeong was very calm.

“Elder Sister saw it too earlier, right? Something we don’t know about definitely happened again. I’m sure of it.”

“It could be, or it might not be.”

“Elder Sister, aren’t you worried?”

“No.”

“Why, why?”

“Why would I worry about your Elder Brother? I should worry about his opponent instead.”

“…That’s true.”

Of course, it was a lie.

Moyong Su Jeong was worried about Moyong Bi. In fact, there was nothing about her younger siblings that didn’t worry her.

But worrying wouldn’t make impossible things possible.

Furthermore, as much as she worried, her trust in her younger brother was equally strong.

“That’s certainly correct.”

Namgung Gwan, who had quietly joined in, had a rather serious expression.

“Elder Brother’s martial arts are overwhelming. I’m not saying this because I lost to him, but there aren’t many people who could do anything against someone of his skill level.”

Moyong Su Jeong spoke with an awkward expression.

“Young Master Namgung. I asked earlier too, but do you really serve Bi Ah as your Elder Brother?”

“Of course.”

How grateful.

I’m grateful, but it’s strangely burdensome. It’s not even me he’s taking as his Elder Brother.

“Anyway, to continue what I was saying, Elder Brother clearly had the air of going to meet someone.”

“I see.”

“If it had been an opponent too difficult to handle, he never would have gone alone. So don’t worry and just wait comfortably.”

Moyong Su Jeong smiled.

“Somehow you seem to know Bi Ah better than we do.”

“How could that be? I simply felt firsthand how tremendous his power is from the standpoint of having fought Elder Brother.”

“Ah.”

“I dare to guarantee that unless it’s someone at the level of the Nine Sects’ sect leaders, it would be difficult to do anything to Elder Brother as he is now.”

Though they’re called Nine Sects’ sect leaders, if they’re the heads of the Nine Great Sects called the strongest of the Orthodox Faction martial world, how tremendous must their martial arts be.

Depending on circumstances, some people rise to sect leader positions through character rather than martial arts, but usually it was customary for the current strongest to rise to the sect leader position.

And that custom was still being observed by many sects even now.

“Perhaps we might need to prepare one more seat among Sa Ryong Sam Bong.”

“Was he at that level?”

“At least that’s how I see it.”

Since it was skill that had overwhelmed a Late-Stage Expert of the Namgung Clan, it was natural if you thought about it, but somehow the Moyong sisters couldn’t hear those words as realistic. That’s how distant the name Sa Ryong Sam Bong felt to them.

“Perhaps…”

Namgung Gwan turned his gaze toward the window.

“He might be even beyond that.”

* * *

No matter how agitated his emotions became, Neung Hyeong was someone who had been called a Demon Immortal. Someone who had been the Sacred Blood Palace Master, even if it was a position he didn’t want to sit in, couldn’t be that soft.

Even such a frightening and prideful person had gaps.

To Neung Hyeong, Moyong Cheon was, in a sense, someone he could open his heart to more than even the Sacred Blood Palace members.

It was only one meeting, only one fight, but he truly thought of him as his destined rival.

“…Hmm?”

Moyong Bi stroked his chin.

“So you’re saying it wasn’t a war you wanted to start?”

“That’s what I’m telling you.”

A deflated voice.

On Neung Hyeong’s face lingered the refreshing feeling and bitterness characteristic of someone who had let everything go.

“How could that be? Aren’t you guys demonic path? The demonic path follows the law of the strong.”

“You guys were the ones who called us demonic path, weren’t you?”

“But you practiced Demonic Arts.”

“This is a bit awkward for me to say, but does practicing Demonic Arts make everyone a bastard and scoundrel?”

“Isn’t that usually the case?”

“There are many cases where it’s not!”

“But you guys were like that.”

Honestly, he had nothing to say about that part.

They had gathered all sorts of Demonic Arts claiming they would create battle weapons, analyzed and dismantled them, then newly modified them and spread them to the palace members.

Among them were quite a few that dyed human minds and emotions with madness.

“Anyway, we are not the demonic path.”

“The distinction between orthodox, unorthodox, and demonic isn’t classified by affiliation. It’s judged by looking at what you’ve done and what you’re doing now.”

“Are you one to talk? Weren’t there any scumbags among you Orthodox Faction guys?”

“I incinerated those scumbags every time I saw them.”

“Even so, things don’t change.”

“Well said, you senile old fool. If you give up trying to change because things don’t change, is that human? That’s being a beast.”

Neung Hyeong twitched his cheek.

“I don’t know about other things, but couldn’t you do something about that way of speaking? I’ve lived at least twenty years longer than you.”

“I have no courtesy to show to an enemy I’ve crossed spear and sword with.”

“You were the Martial Alliance Leader!”

“I still don’t understand why they made me Alliance Leader.”

“Anyway, is it okay for someone who was the head of the Orthodox Faction martial world to act like this!”

“I’m not anymore.”

He really left him speechless.

He didn’t know about other things, but in verbal sparring, he was someone who couldn’t be beaten even if you died and came back to life. His martial arts were sharp, but his eloquence seemed fifteen times stronger than that.

“I don’t want to discuss human nature with someone like you. What’s important is that you didn’t return to this world because you wanted to, and in the meantime, you’re someone who doesn’t know what you’ll do.”

Neung Hyeong wanted to say it. That what he wanted was to live as he pleased.

But those words couldn’t quite come out.

The reason was simple.

‘It’s embarrassing.’

Moyong Bi’s eyes lit up.

“Lord Neung.”

“…What.”

“Do you want to live again?”

“Forget it, if I die, I die.”

“That’s why I asked if you want to live.”

He wanted to firmly say no, but after talking this much, it was hard to do so.

Neung Hyeong spoke hesitantly.

“If I live, I’ll live refreshingly. If I die, I die. What’s there to life?”

“Where do you get off discussing life when you haven’t even lived properly?”

“You crazy bastard, then why did you ask?”

“Because depending on the circumstances, I might let you live.”

For a moment, my face almost brightened without me realizing it.

Neung Hyeong, hiding his inner turmoil, deliberately examined Moyong Bi’s face with cold composure.

After a moment.

“As if that could be true.”

Neung Hyeong’s eyes turned cold.

“You’re absolutely not the type to spare my life.”

Moyong Bi smiled.

“Is it that obvious?”

“I’ve also been through all sorts of trials and tribulations in the Sacred Blood Palace. At the very least, I can tell whether this bastard will spare me or kill me.”

“If you had such perception, why didn’t you just give up everything and flee instead of starting a war?”

Neung Hyeong sighed.

“You’re right about that.”

Though he said that, Moyong Bi understood. For someone educated that way since childhood, changing paths midway was more difficult than moving Tai Shan.

Even if one learned the world’s greatest martial arts, a person who had lived in a confined room for decades couldn’t think to open the door even after realizing it existed.

Because they were afraid.

Having never left the room their entire life, they couldn’t imagine the world outside. They had no idea what meaning the world beyond the door would hold for them.

‘When I think about it that way, this bastard is pitiful too, but aren’t there plenty of such people in the world.’

Honestly, he didn’t believe everything Neung Hyeong said. While listening under the premise that it was true for now, he didn’t abandon his suspicion that all of this might be lies.

His opponent was Demon Immortal Neung Hyeong. Though he looked like a senile old man, he was a monster who had led countless demons and waged war for over twenty years.

‘However.’

The Brain Gate Heart Technique, his intuition, was telling him.

That Neung Hyeong was speaking sincerely right now.

Moyong Bi, who had been staring at Neung Hyeong intently, asked casually.

“Is that the end?”

“Of what.”

“Don’t you have anything more to tell me? About the Sacred Blood Palace or about demons.”

Neung Hyeong chuckled.

“You’ll kill me once you’ve extracted all the information and feel satisfied?”

“You’re quite perceptive about such things.”

“Forget it, just kill me.”

A sense of futility settled on Neung Hyeong’s face as he leaned his head against the wall.

“No matter how much I wanted to escape, the Sacred Blood Palace was my hometown. There might still be people living there who follow me as their former Palace Master.”

“….”

“I don’t want to betray at least those people.”

“Did you say betray?”

“Yes.”

“Stop spouting nonsense, you crazy bastard.”

“What did you say?!”

Instantly, the air inside the cave became ten times colder.

Terrifying killing intent poured from Moyong Bi’s eyes.

“Believing in the god of some fake cult that doesn’t even work is already a misfortune. Hometown? Even if it were your real hometown, if there’s something wrong, you should think about fixing it. You’re going to leave it alone just because there are people who revere and believe in you?”

“You bastard! That’s…!”

“You yourself already don’t believe in the god. Even after death, you tried to drag my soul into hell while talking about the seeds of the god you distrust.”

“….”

“If you truly care about the palace disciples, you should think about reforming them by telling them not to cling to doctrines that even you didn’t believe in, instead of just leaving them behind. You son of a bitch, is this betrayal? Do you even know what betrayal means?”

Neung Hyeong bit his lips.

“Don’t pretend to be responsible. You’re just afraid to face them.”

“No!”

“Or maybe it’s just awkward. Whatever it is, don’t use the nonsense about betrayal as an excuse to defend your stupidity and laziness.”

“…Vicious bastard.”

“Yes, I was always this kind of person, and you’re that kind of person too.”

I felt a surge of anger.

I wanted to shout that I wasn’t that kind of person, that my true feelings weren’t like that.

But seeing the murderous eyes of my mortal enemy, that thought disappeared.

At least to this bastard… I didn’t want to show him my final pathetic appearance.

Moyong Bi stood up and picked up his spear.

Neung Hyeong, who had been quietly looking up at him, smiled bitterly and said.

“Have you extracted everything?”

“There seems to be quite a bit of flesh left to pick clean, but I think it would be better to just catch and boil a different chicken.”

A shadow fell across Neung Hyeong’s face.

Though his words about killing him weren’t lies, when he actually thought about really dying, his feelings were complicated.

“Hey, Alliance Leader junior.”

“Who’s your junior, you bastard?”

“If you’re going to kill me, won’t you at least kill me somewhere the sun shines?”

“Even this dark and gloomy cave is too good for you.”

“I’ve never seen the sun even once.”

“Your last words, well heard.”

“Really. I’ve never seen the sun with a peaceful heart.”

“….”

“I know how much of a bastard deserving death I am in your eyes. Last wishes, dying words—honestly, it’s embarrassing bullshit.”

“….”

“It’s just a request. Let me at least see the sun.”

Moyong Bi, who had been quietly looking down at him, suddenly grabbed his collar and walked out of the cave.

Neung Hyeong felt his eyes dazzled.

There were many trees, but since it was winter, they were bare and sunlight came through well.

Kneeling and looking up at the sky, Neung Hyeong felt another surge of emotion.

‘My eyes sting.’

It was truly the first time he had properly seen the sun.

Now that he actually saw it, his eyes sparkled and even stung.

The tears coming out were probably because of that.

“It’s warm.”

A sigh escaped naturally.

Was it because it was before death? That warmth felt truly cozy and comfortable.

And he felt regret.

“Why did I….”

Neung Hyeong closed his eyes.

Even with his eyes closed, in the pitch-black world, the afterimage left by the sun flickered here and there.

‘I never want to live this kind of life again.’

But if one more life were given to me.

‘…I wouldn’t live like this.’

The cold spear blade touched his shoulder.

Neung Hyeong muttered quietly.

“Life is a series of regrets.”

“Neung Hyeong.”

“….”

“Farewell.”

Neung Hyeong smiled with his eyes closed.

“I was glad to meet you too, you mortal enemy bastard.”

Thwack!

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————