Chronicles of the Mad Demon - Chapter 31

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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 31. Winds of Change (1)

 

“Bi, you found the Secret Place?”

 

“That’s right.”

 

“Are you saying that place actually existed?”

 

Seok Woong seemed as shocked as Moyong Su Jeong.

 

Caution settled in Moyong Bi’s eyes as he watched the two of them.

 

‘Certainly.’

 

Su Jeong was one thing, but judging from Seok Woong’s reaction, even he didn’t believe in the Secret Place’s existence.

 

‘Seok Woong and Guo Lao would have been like family to Dae Ho. Yet he didn’t tell them either.’

 

There must have been a good reason for it, but no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t imagine such a situation.

 

Unless it was one particular case.

 

‘If what I’m thinking is correct…’

 

The Secret Place aside, not only had he failed to pass down martial arts to his blood relatives, but even the martial arts manuals they did possess were a mess.

 

Guo Lao’s case could be attributed to personal circumstances, but the martial arts situation was incomprehensible. Elder Brother’s case could be dismissed as an unexpected accident, but Dae Ho and Sister-in-law had safely come to Hubei and even had Su Hyang.

 

Yet they didn’t properly pass down martial arts, let alone inform them about the Secret Place’s existence?

 

There could only be one reason.

 

‘To know if my prediction is correct, I need to confirm a few more things.’

 

At first, he had planned to ask Su Jeong about it. If that didn’t work, then Seok Woong.

 

But he changed his mind.

 

‘There’s a possibility they don’t know at all. In that case, I’d only invite unnecessary suspicion.’

 

Of course, the possibility of those two suspecting him was almost zero.

 

Who could imagine such a thing – the soul of a dead Great Grand Uncle entering his Great Grand Nephew’s body – a story so absurd that even bookstores in Market Street wouldn’t sell it?

 

‘If my prediction is correct, it would only be a question that drains their energy. They might even try to investigate recklessly.’

 

That absolutely couldn’t happen.

 

Su Jeong was one thing, but Seok Woong especially wouldn’t be able to bear it. Considering how great his disappointment and self-blame would be, it was better to investigate this part alone.

 

‘Let’s be cautious.’

 

He had come here in great excitement, but after conversing with the two of them, he had become calm to the point of being cold.

 

Moyong Bi steeled his resolve anew.

 

‘This is my home, but at the same time, it’s a battlefield. Making sure the family members don’t get hurt over trivial matters is as important as reviving the Family Clan.’

 

In Su Jeong’s case, her body hadn’t even recovered yet. It would be terrible if she fell ill from unnecessary worry.

 

“Then could it be?”

 

Moyong Su Jeong, who had been staring blankly into space, swallowed hard and asked.

 

“The reason you became strong is because… you found the Secret Place?”

 

“That’s right.”

 

The time had come.

 

Though it wasn’t the truth, how much had he longed for this moment when he could speak with confidence over the past two days?

 

“I learned the Main Family House’s true Supreme Arts.”

 

Seok Woong made a gasping sound and collapsed to the ground.

 

Moyong Su Jeong, who had been looking at Moyong Bi with trembling eyes, took a deep breath.

 

It was a statement shocking enough to make someone fall backward in surprise, but she tried to maintain her composure somehow.

 

“If they’re really Supreme Arts… then the martial arts that were once stored in the Main Family House existed in that Secret Place?”

 

“To be precise, they were there.”

 

“What do you mean by that?”

 

“I burned them all.”

 

Seok Woong looked ready to foam at the mouth.

 

Moyong Bi said with a bitter smile.

 

“Don’t worry. I didn’t suddenly go crazy and burn them.”

 

“Then, then?”

 

“They’re all in my head. I memorized every single character without error.”

 

Moyong Su Jeong swallowed dryly once more. She tried to stay calm somehow, but she simply couldn’t.

 

“Why?”

 

It was a good question.

 

“Because we don’t know what will happen to the Main Family House.”

 

“What do you mean we don’t know what will happen?”

 

“What if we’re invaded by enemies? Do we have the power to protect the Main Family’s Supreme Arts right now?”

 

“…!”

 

“When I discovered the Secret Place…”

 

Moyong Bi, who was about to speak, suddenly remembered the soul of the Great Grand Nephew who had left this body behind.

 

‘Alright, I’ll protect your honor.’

 

Moyong Bi bought time with a cough and continued speaking.

 

“It was not long after Elder Sister left for Myeongjin Hall.”

 

He was newly grateful to Jin Gwang. Thanks to him volunteering information without being asked, couldn’t he whitewash his lies?

 

Of course, he didn’t know exactly what kind of Medical Hall Myeongjin Hall was, but that wasn’t important right now.

 

“Then… Gasp!”

 

Seok Woong’s face turned pale.

 

“Don’t tell me you started learning the Main Family’s Supreme Arts from that time?”

 

“That’s right.”

 

“But, but at that time, Young Master was…”

 

The lies flowed out as if he were possessed by a cutting board.

 

“Even a genius of the ages will be slow to achieve results if they train martial arts by looking at Secret Manuals alone without a master. In the worst case, they could even suffer Qi Deviation.”

 

“…!!”

 

“Unfortunately, I wasn’t even a genius.”

 

Moyong Su Jeong let out an exclamation.

 

“Your body ended up in that state because you were learning the Main Family’s martial arts?”

 

Moyong Bi didn’t bother to answer yes or no. He had to block any possibility of problems arising from today’s answers in the future.

 

But from the listener’s perspective, silence meant affirmation.

 

“I see.”

 

Moyong Su Jeong’s face was full of distress as she nodded as if finally understanding.

 

“I’ve done Pulse Diagnosis on you when you were sleeping or drunk and unconscious. Your Vital Energy was damaged due to poor physical condition from excessive drinking, and even your dantian was strangely distorted.”

 

Moyong Bi’s eyes flashed.

 

‘Pulse diagnosis.’

 

Internal energy masters handle their internal energy delicately, so they can read people’s bodies as well as any decent physician.

 

However, Moyong Su Jeong’s skills were still insufficient to be called an internal energy master.

 

‘So she was learning medical arts after all.’

 

I had suspected it while listening to her conversation with Yang Hyo Myeong, and I was right. She must have learned it at a place called Myeongjin Hall.

 

Moyong Su Jeong let out a deep sigh.

 

“How frustrated must you have been to drink like that. I knew nothing at all.”

 

Wrong.

 

‘Your younger brother drank alcohol to prevent others from discovering his mystical arts that utilize innate qi.’

 

This was something I had figured out while returning to the family estate after finishing the fight with Choi Ho.

 

No matter what, it would be difficult to drink enough alcohol for it to penetrate into one’s vital energy. At that level, the liver, stomach, blood vessels, and even the brain should have been severely damaged.

 

But Moyong Bi’s body wasn’t like that.

 

‘It must have been a precautionary measure for the worst case scenario. He deliberately drank so that if someone performed pulse diagnosis, they would mistake the alcohol energy for damaged vital energy.’

 

Even so, drinking alcohol to this extent would have been torture in itself.

 

Even if he became addicted at some point, it must have been painful to drink unfamiliar alcohol at such a young age.

 

Thinking about it, the dead great grand nephew’s circumstances were truly pitiful. I couldn’t understand why he would go as far as drinking alcohol while manipulating vital energy.

 

“Huu.”

 

The earth-shaking sigh seemed to make even the air feel stuffy.

 

Moyong Su Jeong’s eyes wavered again.

 

“I tried not to say this if possible… but I really have no face to show you.”

 

Moyong Bi shook his head.

 

“We each just did our best in our respective positions. If anyone should be sorry, it’s me. I was the one drinking and causing trouble.”

 

“No. Don’t say that. It’s because I was inadequate and hasty.”

 

Finally, tears flowed down from Moyong Su Jeong’s eyes.

 

I was flustered again, but this time even Moyong Bi didn’t tell her not to cry.

 

I felt even more sorry for making her feel unnecessarily guilty. However, this was a necessary process for the family’s revival.

 

Moreover, those tears didn’t contain only simple emotions like regret or self-reproach.

 

“…Is it really true?”

 

Trembling eyes, and voice.

 

“Is it really true that the main family has such a great history?”

 

It was an expression where various emotions like excitement, agitation, thrill, and joy intersected.

 

It couldn’t be helped. She had grown up hearing tens of thousands of times about how great the Moyong Noble Family was, but she had never actually seen such history.

 

She believed it, but couldn’t truly feel it. Sometimes she even thought it didn’t matter.

 

But now, in front of her younger brother who spoke of the existence of the secret place and the ‘real martial arts’ of the Moyong Noble Family, she could feel the family history built by their ancestors for the first time.

 

Moyong Bi, who had been quietly watching Moyong Su Jeong, spoke as if throwing out words.

 

“That’s enough.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“It’s good that you’re happy, but stop there for now.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“The Main Family’s history is real. But it’s enough that only we know that fact. At least for now.”

 

“…?”

 

“Having pride is good, but getting excited and forgetting the current situation is not. To speak honestly, just because the Main Family was strong back then doesn’t mean we’re strong now.”

 

“…!”

 

“Learning the truth means we’ve gained a signpost for the path we must take, not that we’ve already reached our destination. If you cling to past glory, you won’t even be able to pick the fruit that’s within reach.”

 

“…I see.”

 

“Remember this. A warrior who has lost his pride is nothing but a sword without a sheath. But if you become intoxicated with pride, you become a fool who can’t draw when you need to.”

 

Seok Woong’s eyes shook with turbulent emotion.

 

Those words were similar to what he had once said to Moyong Su Hyang.

 

And the original owner of those words was an elder he had respected most in the old days.

 

‘A warrior without pride is a sword without a sheath. A sword is double-edged. There will always come a moment when you’re cut by your own blade.’

 

‘I am not a warrior.’

 

‘You’re the same. Anyone can make mistakes. Instead of making that long face, pick up your brush again. But you’ll need to always carry your brush case so you don’t splatter ink everywhere, won’t you?’

 

‘…!’

 

‘Don’t become intoxicated with pride, but don’t lose it either. True growth starts from there.’

 

These were the words Moyong Cheon had said when he visited the Family Estate during his days of success at the General Administration Office, when an important document had gone missing and they faced losses of hundreds of thousands of nyang.

 

Words that awakened a scholar who had been not just confident but arrogant, yet fragile enough to crumble from a single mistake.

 

Moyong Bi turned his gaze toward Seok Woong.

 

“Does that answer your question?”

 

He was referring to the comment about not knowing the Young Master had learned such remarkable martial arts.

 

Seok Woong’s eyes widened in that instant.

 

‘Elder?!’

 

Why was it?

 

Over Moyong Bi’s grinning face, he could see the overlapping image of that elder who had been mischievous beyond his years.

 

“…It’s sufficient.”

 

Seok Woong’s voice trembled involuntarily.

 

“It’s more than sufficient an answer, Young Master.”

 

Moyong Bi smiled and rose from his seat.

 

“I’ll bring the items from that place soon. For now, just know that the Main Family’s history was real.”

 

“….”

 

“I’ll keep the location of the secret place to myself for the time being. Let’s take our time with writing the martial arts manual. Leave that part to me.”

 

Moyong Su Jeong nodded silently.

 

She wanted to ask more. How he had found it, what other amazing things were inside.

 

But the words wouldn’t come. For her, the fact that the Main Family was ‘real’ resonated far more deeply than such trivial details.

 

Moyong Bi turned around.

 

“Savor that feeling until today. Don’t overdo it and take care of your health.”

 

Because this is just the beginning.

 

With those final words, Moyong Bi left the Family Head’s Office.

 

The Family Head’s Office was enveloped in silence.

 

The silence was broken after half an hour had passed.

 

“Family Head Deputy.”

 

Tears welled up in her wrinkled eyes.

 

“I don’t understand what on earth is happening right now.”

 

“Neither do I.”

 

Moyong Su Jeong raised her head to look at the ceiling.

 

‘It was real? Really?’

 

Her father’s face, now barely a fading memory, came to mind.

 

That kind face that had suffered from hallucinations and delusions while dying, yet still worried about his children even in that state.

 

“…Father.”

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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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