Chronicles of the Mad Demon - Chapter 182

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 182. Two Principles , and Two Intentions (2)

Heo Joong Jin In, who had brought Neung Hyeong to a hermitage quite far away, inwardly let out a sigh.

‘As expected of my senior brother. He immediately recognized the Three Pure Infinite True Formula dwelling in that young man’s body.’

Of course, he had recognized it too, but he couldn’t be certain.

However, his senior brother was completely confident about the identity of that aura without a moment’s doubt. That must be why he mentioned the Alliance Leader without even seeing him.

‘Yes, perhaps.’

His senior brother’s body, which had fought against a great illness, had become incomparably weaker than it was twenty years ago.

However, his senior brother’s insight, having trained his mind and soul through the Original Void True Word Scripture, had become far more remarkable.

And it probably wasn’t solely due to such abilities that he recognized the Alliance Leader’s martial arts.

‘What my senior brother went through was all because of us inadequate junior brothers’ mistakes.’

After the Alliance Leader’s death, his senior brother had never forgotten Moyong Cheon for even a single moment.

Whatever the world might say, to his senior brother, the former Alliance Leader was a friend. Though they were similar in age, it was more because they were so different from each other that they could coldly evaluate each other from opposite sides.

Though there were many conflicts to call it a meeting of kindred spirits, they shared a friendship that went beyond kindred spirits.

Having thought of and mourned the Alliance Leader for over twenty years, he could immediately think of his departed friend as soon as he sensed Moyong Bi’s aura.

“Damn it.”

At the voice that suddenly reached him, Heo Joong Jin In turned his head.

In front of the hermitage, a young man sitting on a fairly large tree stump grumbled with his arms crossed.

“The mountain’s energy isn’t bad.”

His blunt voice was full of reluctance to acknowledge it.

Well, from Neung Hyeong’s perspective, having glimpsed the pinnacle of demonic arts, he would naturally dislike Moodang Mountain, a famous Taoist mountain. But for him now, having learned the Heavenly Dragon Demon Subduing Technique, the clear and pure air of Moodang Mountain wasn’t too bad.

To be honest, it wasn’t just not bad – his mind felt at peace.

Heo Joong Jin In opened his mouth.

“Since things have come to this, shall we at least introduce ourselves?”

Heo Joong Jin In was nearly seventy years old. For such a person to show this kind of courtesy to a young man in his mid-twenties wasn’t easy.

Neung Hyeong, who was about to ignore him, suddenly had a thought and said with a sneer.

“My surname is Neung.”

If Moyong Bi had been beside him, he might have openly used informal speech and even cursed.

Heo Joong Jin In smiled.

“You have a very firm mind, young master. Well, if such a divine art chose you as its master, that would be natural.”

It didn’t choose me as its master, I had no choice but to learn it, you old fool.

Unable to voice the words he muttered inwardly, Neung Hyeong controlled himself with silence. But Heo Joong Jin In had no intention of leaving him alone.

“May I ask which sect you belong to?”

“None.”

“Hmm?”

“I don’t belong to any sect.”

Even as he spoke, Neung Hyeong showed a sour expression.

‘Damn it, how old am I?’

Moyong Bi suddenly seemed impressive. Thinking of how that bastard, who had the manners of shit that couldn’t even be used as fertilizer, had been polite to various people so far, his character definitely seemed better than mine.

‘Crazy, then am I worse than someone who’s worse than shit?’

Heo Joong Jin In smiled broadly.

“Then you truly are the master of that divine art. Living my life, I’ve come to realize that martial arts also have their destined connections. The greater the martial art, the more so. Having formed a connection with such an amazing Buddhist divine art proves that Young Master Neung’s fate is extraordinary.”

Living your life?!

‘I’m really hearing all kinds of nonsense.’

While grumbling, Neung Hyeong partially agreed with Heo Joong Jin In’s words.

‘An extraordinary fate… In some sense, that’s quite accurate.’

He felt even more bitter.

Heo Joong Jin In made a groaning sound as he sat down heavily on the ground. Then Ja Dam also sat down respectfully.

Neung Hyeong felt strangely uncomfortable.

Though he was certainly older, sitting on the tree stump looking down at Heo Joong Jin In felt strangely like wearing ill-fitting clothes.

It was as if some ill-mannered young punk was treating an elderly man rudely.

‘Damn it! Don’t think useless thoughts! I was already being called the next Palace Master before that bastard was even born!’

Neung Hyeong stubbornly maintained his position.

But half an hour later.

With a deep sigh, he quietly came down from the stump and sat on the ground.

Heo Joong Jin In burst into hearty laughter.

“If it’s uncomfortable, you can just sit there. My disciple and I are fine with bare ground.”

“I like bare ground too.”

“Hehe, is that so?”

Heo Joong Jin In didn’t view Neung Hyeong negatively.

Though he seemed gruff and impolite on the outside, he thought of him as a young man with a surprisingly deep heart.

Perhaps that appearance of not caring about worldly etiquette while having a deep inner nature was actually closer to the Way.

This was why Heo Joong Jin In viewed Neung Hyeong favorably, and why Neung Hyeong was increasingly feeling burdened.

“Since we’re talking, let me ask one thing. What’s your relationship with Moyong Sohyeop?”

“We’re mortal enemies.”

Heo Joong Jin In took those words as the embarrassed answer of someone being gruff.

“Hehehe! A good friend is also a good enemy.”

That’s not it, old man.

‘We’re really enemies.’

Neung Hyeong didn’t bother explaining. The moment he revealed the truth, this place filled with gentle laughter would transform into a battlefield stained with blood and screams.

“I wanted to say this since yesterday – you can’t imagine how surprised I was when I first saw you, young master.”

Does my identity as Palace Master show?

“While it makes sense for Moyong Sohyeop, being the former Alliance Leader’s blood and having learned the Alliance Leader’s martial arts, you’ve reached an amazing level despite your young age after learning Buddhist divine arts. That’s truly difficult.”

It was common knowledge in the martial world that Buddhist martial arts generally progressed slower than Taoist martial arts.

But that was half right and half wrong.

The enlightenment that comes with time is a treasure that cannot be exchanged for anything. Naturally, such treasure isn’t easily given just through effort, and it’s nearly impossible for hot-blooded young people to skip several stages and obtain the enlightenment that only time can give.

However, young Buddhist masters occasionally emerge, and there are two reasons for this.

First, those with overwhelming talent who instantly master martial principles regardless of the nature of the martial art.

Second, those who interpret martial arts through enlightenment gained from Buddhist scriptures and various scholarly interpretations, adapting them to themselves.

Heo Joong Jin In couldn’t tell which case this young man belonged to. But either way, he remained an amazing young man.

Neung Hyeong shook his head.

“Training martial arts isn’t as difficult as you’d think.”

“Hehe, you must have been born with great talent.”

“If you think it’s difficult, martial arts become endlessly difficult. In that sense, martial arts resemble war.”

Heo Joong Jin In’s eyes widened.

“You know about war?”

“You give up when you must give up, and win when you must win. Martial arts are the same.”

Even Heo Joong Jin In, who had learned Mu Dang’s true martial arts, wouldn’t know how much enlightenment gained through harsh times was melted into these words.

Heo Joong Jin In nodded silently.

He had the breadth of mind not to dismiss it as mere words from a young person. If you can learn from a three-year-old child in this world, there’s no reason to carelessly ignore words from such a master.

“So, is giving up easy for you, Young Master Neung?”

“Why do you ask such a question?”

“Because you somehow give the impression of having abandoned something.”

Normally, those would be words that would make him flare up, but strangely, today they didn’t.

Neung Hyeong sighed and said.

“I haven’t decided yet whether to give up or not.”

“Whatever it is, I hope you’ll deliberate thoroughly but not hesitate when the moment comes to make a decision.”

Those words deeply resonated with Neung Hyeong too.

So he asked directly.

“Why did you do it?”

“Hmm?”

“Now that I see you, I understand. The ‘true’ martial arts and spirit of Mu Dang are not dead. But why have you left the Mu Dang Faction alone all this time?”

“….”

“Why didn’t you stop that foolish man’s family from reaching such a state? From what I can see, it doesn’t seem like you did it on purpose.”

A shadow fell across Heo Joong Jin In’s face.

He was now in a situation similar to Neung Hyeong and Bi.

Normally, he would turn away saying this wasn’t something to answer easily no matter who asked, but strangely, he couldn’t do that in front of this extraordinary young man.

“Young Master Neung said you know about war.”

“That’s right.”

“Then you must also know that the shadow of war torments countless people even after the war ends.”

“…?”

“The same was true for our Heo Clan.”

“What do you mean?”

Heo Joong Jin In sighed deeply enough to make the ground sink and looked up at the sky.

He had thought that having aged to his limit, he would have no more tears to shed, but he realized anew the truth that nothing in this world is certain.

“…Some members of the Heo Clan who participated in the war, our disciples, and the students who were young at the time all went mad.”

* * *

It was a full two hours before Heo Do Jin In calmed down.

Having poured out twenty years of anguish, guilt, confusion, and joy all at once, Heo Do Jin In’s face looked much more haggard.

However, only his eyes were clear.

His gaze, which had been much cloudier than before, seemed to have been cleanly washed by the tears he had shed.

The two men sat on the ground and looked at each other silently.

Moyong Bi was the first to speak.

“I want to ask if you’ve been well, but it seems you haven’t.”

“….”

“What’s with that face?”

“….”

“Are you still avoiding that damn cooked food? I must have told you repeatedly, right? That you need to eat more meat as you get older.”

A faint smile crossed Heo Do Jin In’s face.

“I eat with my disciple sometimes.”

“If your face is in that state even after eating, you must be suffering from some illness.”

“….”

“It seems that illness hasn’t just gnawed at your body.”

“I’ve thought more than once that I’d rather it just gnawed at my throat.”

“If it had, we couldn’t have met again.”

“…That’s true.”

Heo Do Jin In thought he should resolve his own curiosity first.

“How did this happen?”

Moyong Bi let out a bitter smile and calmly revealed the events of the past.

His words lacked coherence, but were filled with surprising vividness. Rather than explaining to someone, it was like rambling about how he had lived at a drinking session with a friend he hadn’t seen in a very long time.

That’s why Heo Do Jin In could understand it all.

“So you’re saying that young man who learned Bul Moon’s martial arts is the Sacred Blood Palace Master?”

“That’s right.”

Unexpectedly, Heo Do Jin In didn’t become urgent, didn’t flare up, and didn’t kindle fierce hatred in his eyes.

He was surprised, but at the same time calm.

“It wasn’t a war he started because he wanted to… In the end, he too was a pitiful person who couldn’t overcome the waves of the times and was swept away.”

“Those aren’t words that should come from the mouth of someone who fought to the death.”

“When the Alliance Leader, who has fought more fiercely than anyone, travels with him, how could I hate him?”

Much had been lost in that hollow voice.

Moyong Bi found this sad. But he wasn’t only sad.

Losing something meant that something could also be filled.

And that depended entirely on one’s own will.

Heo Do Jin In, who had been looking at Moyong Bi with trembling eyes, seemed to choke up again as he distorted his expression and lowered his head.

“Alliance Leader. This fool is truly….”

“Don’t talk about the Moyong Family.”

“Alliance Leader?”

“Let’s hear about your situation first before talking about the main family.”

Moyong Bi asked seriously.

“What on earth happened to the Mu Dang Faction?”

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