Chronicles of the Mad Demon - Chapter 77

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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 77. Owner of the Treasure (2)

Guo Lao regained consciousness after one hour had passed.

The awakened Guo Lao appeared calmer than expected. It seemed like he had released all his pent-up emotions through that one outburst of tears.

Thanks to this, Moyong Bi, no, Moyong Cheon also found it easier to converse.

“I see.”

“Yes.”

“What kind of strange twist of fate is this…?”

“I don’t know. I have some strange memories that might be dreams, but I can’t recall them clearly. And when I came to my senses, I had awakened in my great grand nephew’s body that day.”

Guo Lao, who had been listening quietly, stood up from his seat and bowed deeply.

“I was too flustered to greet you properly until now. Ho Gyun pays his respects to Immortal Master Yi Moyong Cheon.”

Moyong Cheon did not stop him.

Though he was trying to maintain a calm expression, he knew how confused the man’s heart must be.

Rather, in times like this, it would be more comfortable to treat him as usual.

“You shouldn’t go into business anywhere.”

“Pardon?”

“How can you so easily believe such an absurd story about a dead person’s soul returning? You’d be perfect prey for swindlers.”

A comfortable smile spread across Guo Lao’s weary face.

“That’s probably why I’ve lived my whole life only as an escort warrior.”

“Can you really believe that I am Moyong Cheon?”

“Of course.”

Regardless of possibility or impossibility, considering what had happened so far, he had no choice but to believe.

The place they entered calling it a secret place had no martial arts of the Moyong Noble Family, not even history books. Yet the Young Master had taught the young misses secret martial arts.

Not only that? He knew not only the Dragon Fighting Form but also the Blunt Method Arc Form, and he knew all the trivial details of their past together.

For a brief, very brief moment, he wondered if some descendant of the fallen demons was controlling the Young Master with mystical arts similar to soul manipulation, but even soul manipulation couldn’t make someone know what they didn’t know.

Most decisively, those eyes and that way of speaking were impossible to imitate unless you were the person himself.

This person was definitely Immortal Master Yi, Moyong Cheon.

“Now that you’ve greeted me, that’s enough. I’ll continue calling you Guo Lao as before, so let’s forget our past relationship.”

“Then I too will continue calling you Young Master as I have been.”

“Of course you should.”

“However, please allow me to address you as Immortal Master Yi, at least in this place.”

“Very well.”

Guo Lao let out a sigh.

“Then… what really happened to the Young Master?”

He must be referring to the real Moyong Bi, who had been the original owner of this body.

Moyong Cheon’s face also darkened.

“I can’t sense any spiritual energy either. He must have truly passed away.”

The corners of Guo Lao’s tightly pressed lips began to tremble.

He had suspected it, but it was as he feared.

Though his vision blurred with surging emotions, he ultimately did not shed tears.

“Rather, I want to ask you. Why was that boy’s body in such a state?”

“Pardon?”

Moyong Cheon told him about the condition of his great grand nephew’s body when he first entered it.

Guo Lao was shocked.

“He drew upon the power of True Energy to create a dantian?!”

“Yes.”

“That is…”

He couldn’t bring himself to say it might be mystical arts that go against heaven.

“Though similar to demonic arts, from my knowledge it seemed closer to mystical arts of the immortal way. It had aspects that connected with Taoist alchemy methods.”

“My goodness…”

“Whatever it was, it wasn’t a practice worth attempting at that age.”

There was a reason why his body had become not just weak but completely emaciated.

“Then did you personally manage that energy, Immortal Master Yi?”

“There was nothing I could do about his shortened lifespan. But thanks to the Honyuan Heart Method, he should be able to live healthily for his remaining time.”

Guo Lao’s heart ached.

‘Young Master.’

He recalled the twisted smile of the Young Master who was presumed to have passed away.

The Young Master who had been losing his former brilliant self ever since the Eldest Miss left the family estate.

‘What on earth were you doing without our knowledge?’

His heart ached.

He had failed to properly look after the Young Master because he was constantly suppressing the surging madness. If he had been just a little more diligent, he might have known what was happening to the Young Master.

As if knowing Guo Lao’s heart, Moyong Cheon spoke firmly.

“It’s already past. The regret is unavoidable, but don’t blame yourself too much. Weren’t you having a hard time too?”

“…Yes.”

“Honestly, my heart wasn’t good either. Seeing the family in this state, I thought it was fortunate I returned even now, but it turned out I had essentially stolen the body of my great grand nephew in his prime.”

Moyong Cheon let out a sigh.

Emotions he couldn’t share with anyone until now. Though he didn’t show it, he had even more accumulated feelings than Guo Lao.

“I have no face to meet my dead great grand nephew.”

“Please don’t think that way. It’s not like this happened because you wanted it, Immortal Master Yi.”

“Yes, that’s the thought I’ve been holding onto. If I only blame myself in guilt, I won’t be able to do what I need to do. Now I’m trying to think only of the present and future.”

“You did well.”

“So you shouldn’t blame yourself either.”

Guo Lao bowed his head deeply.

Revealing his true feelings while comforting the other person. He was grateful and sorry.

“Let’s first address the most important matter.”

Moyong Cheon’s face became serious again.

“The Soul-Shaking Demonic Nature, have you completely shaken it off?”

“…Honestly, I don’t know.”

Guo Lao couldn’t bring himself to meet Moyong Cheon’s eyes.

“For the past twenty-odd years, I’ve concentrated all my internal energy into my upper dantian, working to purify and evaporate the demonic energy. I thought I had finally eliminated it all about two years ago… but the traces of the demonic nature still remain.”

“So that’s what it was.”

“Pardon?”

“I sensed something from your head. It wasn’t demonic, but something strangely ominous.”

Guo Lao’s eyes wavered.

“You saw it?”

“I sensed it. Honestly, I couldn’t see it clearly. My achievement in the Brain Gate Heart Technique is too low.”

“What?!”

Guo Lao was shocked.

“Su-surely you didn’t learn the Brain Gate Heart Technique?”

Moyong Cheon let out a bitter laugh.

“This guy’s dantian was crushed, so I learned it to create a new dantian as quickly as possible. Turns out it was a vessel made of Innate Qi. You can imagine how dumbfounded I was.”

“By any chance, are you managing the madness well?”

Even in those days, not many people knew about the Brain Gate Heart Technique.

Guo Lao was one of them.

“It’s quiet for now. Back then, I learned it as a child who knew nothing, which made it worse. Now my mind is trained enough not to be overcome by divine energy.”

“That’s fortunate. Truly fortunate.”

“Still, I can’t be at ease. The higher the achievement, the greater the danger will become.”

In the past, there were rarely cases of suffering from madness after achieving higher levels.

But now it was different. Since his mental and spiritual levels were much higher than before, conversely, the deeper his achievement became, the more the density of Brain Gate True Energy would increase compared to those days.

He would have to wait and see what would happen in the future.

“Do you remember earlier when I performed the White Deer Forest Wind technique?”

“Yes.”

“At that time, I sensed something ominous near your Yintang acupoint.”

“….”

“It doesn’t interfere with daily life, but it seems the traces couldn’t be completely erased after all.”

“I’m ashamed.”

“What are you talking about? I’m sorry for not taking better care of you.”

“Wh-what do you mean by that?”

“Even though I was busy with the war, I could have had the Divine Physician examine your body. But I just brushed it off with the excuse of being busy.”

Moyong Cheon sighed.

“If only you had been fine, would the Main Family House have ended up in this state? Your sudden death in your prime, my failure to take care of your health – it’s all my responsibility. The family’s current state is largely due to my mistakes.”

Guo Lao’s eyes filled with intensity.

“You mustn’t say such things. How much endless effort has Immortal Master Yi put forth for the world? The number of people saved thanks to Immortal Master Yi is beyond counting.”

“I should have taken care of the family first. Before saving strangers I’d never met, I should have naturally focused on my own family first.”

Guo Lao felt heartbroken.

He understood what kind of heart that was. The feeling that everything in the world was his responsibility – no one’s comfort would reach him.

“However.”

Moyong Cheon’s eyes began to burn again.

“Regrets are regrets, but the present is the present.”

One of the reasons Guo Lao respected Martial Alliance Leader Moyong Cheon.

No matter how many times he fell, he would always rise again.

“Let’s finish our conversation first, then I’ll examine your body. Demonic Energy has a strong tendency to accumulate, making it incredibly persistent. I need to erase even the traces to feel at ease.”

Guo Lao didn’t ask if that was possible.

This person was an absolute master who ranked among the top ten in Jianghu during the age of madness, a great figure revered as the sun of the Orthodox Martial World.

Even without strength, even lacking Internal Energy, it didn’t matter.

If this person said it was possible, then it was possible. Guo Lao believed that.

“Thank you.”

“Let’s wrap up the melancholy talk here. Answer my curiosities one by one.”

“Of course.”

Moyong Cheon swallowed and asked.

“How did Elder Brother…?”

A shadow fell across Guo Lao’s face.

“He suffered from an illness.”

“Illness? What illness?”

“It was a relapse of Nine Yin Severed Meridians.”

“What?!”

Moyong Cheon’s face turned bright red.

“Elder Brother had mastered the Honyuan Unity Qi Art. He had already completely escaped from the severed meridians condition, so how could he contract severed meridians again?”

“It’s true. Not long after Immortal Master Yi last visited the family estate, the severed meridians condition relapsed.”

“…?!”

“He told us absolutely not to inform you because Immortal Master Yi would worry.”

“No way….”

Moyong Cheon was dumbfounded.

“Does that make sense?”

Nine Yin Severed Meridians wasn’t a common cold.

Once completely cured, it could never torment the host again. At least regarding that disease, one would gain perfect immunity.

“Listen without being shocked.”

“…?”

“The severed meridians condition also manifested in Young Master.”

“What kind of nonsense is that!”

The surging rage carried Internal Energy into his voice.

The entire safe house resonated thunderously. Gentle ripples formed in the pool and the clear air heated up intensely.

Moyong Cheon didn’t even notice this.

“Nine Yin Severed Meridians is an incurable disease that manifests in childhood and kills before one reaches twenty! Elder Brother and Father extended their lives with the family’s Secret Transmission, but every day was precarious!”

In Father’s case, he lived until his mid-forties through heavenly fortune. Though he had obstacles in martial arts implementation and had to spend most of each day sleeping, he at least preserved his life for a long time.

Elder Brother was the same. Fortunately, after completing the Honyuan martial arts, his severed meridians condition was cured without any special measures.

Both of them, and Moyong Su Jeong too, had suffered greatly from the severed meridians condition manifesting from childhood. That was normal.

But the severed meridians condition manifesting at an age past thirty?

“The symptoms were exactly the same as severed meridians condition. Even while eliminating the Demonic Energy, I somehow examined Young Master’s body… it was definitely Nine Yin Severed Meridians.”

Moyong Cheon was stunned.

“That doesn’t make sense.”

Guo Lao didn’t seem to be lying. There was no reason for him to lie either.

Then it meant it was true that both of them had suffered from severed meridians condition.

“Then Elder Brother immediately?”

“He passed away not long after Immortal Master Yi died. The family’s Secret Transmission, the Honyuan Unity Qi Art, and any other medicine were all useless.”

“…Secret Transmission.”

Moyong Cheon’s eyes flashed.

“Couldn’t you treat Dae Ho’s illness with the family’s Secret Transmission? Complete cure might be impossible, but Dae Ho himself would have known that method too.”

“To use that Secret Transmission, we needed petals of the Morning Sun Flower that grows in Liaoning Thousand Mountains. We couldn’t obtain it.”

“Why not?”

“Because we were being pursued by various sects in Jianghu, led by the Ho Yeon Family.”

Above his characteristically expressionless face, Moyong Cheon’s appearance with transparent eyes was like an ice sculpture carved from ice.

“Tell me everything that happened after I died.”

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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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