Translator: FenrirTL
Editor/Quality Checker: Saphartlantis
Murim Term Consultant: Kopke
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Chapter 277: Can You Handle It?
Jin Hagun withdrew his hand from the figurine he had been about to lift.
Scritch, scritch.
The sound of wood being carved echoed once again.
His master usually didn’t care whether his creations were standing or lying down.
But who was this puppet?
Jin Hagun looked down at the figurine that had fallen once more. For some reason, his gaze kept drifting toward it. In the end, he didn’t dare to lift it, but he stealthily turned over the puppet that was lying face down with its back to him.
In that instant, Jin Hagun was startled.
The wooden puppet was himself. Though it was the size of a finger, he instinctively knew it was him. The clothes, the hair—everything was a match.
“Is this... me?”
The sound of wood carving ceased at his quiet question.
“Yes, it’s you.”
Jin Hagun stared at his master, puzzled.
'He says it's me, but he's left it lying like that?'
Jin Hagun could sense it. His master knew about what had happened in Honam.
'Even if that's the case...'
He would have preferred if his master had just scolded him. This was worse than being reprimanded. What had his master been thinking as he carved this puppet and left it lying there? He felt a deep sense of unfamiliar distance and disappointment, emotions he had never experienced before with him.
'I thought he would understand why I did it.'
Right, he’s only reacting this way because he doesn’t know the full story of that day.
“The Heavenly Flower Sect leader’s son murdered innocent people.”
His master remained silent, engrossed in his carving. He was listening, signaling for him to continue speaking.
Jin Hagun couldn’t say the most important part of his explanation. He couldn’t tell him that abandoning the Heavenly Flower Sect had been part of his grandfather’s test. Because if he did, it would mean admitting that his master hadn’t realized it was his grandfather’s trial from the beginning.
“I had no choice because the Sword Immortal intervened.”
Whether his master already knew, or thought it was an excuse, he said nothing.
In the past, Jin Hagun would have been nervous and immediately begged for forgiveness from his master.
But this time, he simply watched his master.
‘What would Geom Mugeuk have done?’
Had he been thinking about Geom Mugeuk the whole way back? It was strange, but the thought suddenly came to him, as if it was the most natural thing.
He pictured Geom Mugeuk’s face, smiling broadly as he looked at him.
—Let’s have a drink!
One thing was certain: even in a moment like this, Geom Mugeuk would have handled it with a smile. 1
Yes, losing your cool means you lose.
Jin Hagun spoke calmly.
“I’m sorry for disappointing you.”
In that moment, the sound of wood carving stopped.
Baek Cheongyeong slowly lifted his head and looked at Jin Hagun.
In the past, his heart would have pounded as if it were about to burst, but strangely, Jin Hagun wasn’t afraid.
A glint of something different flashed in Baek Cheongyeong’s eyes. He had noticed that his disciple wasn’t behaving as usual.
Baek Cheongyeong put down the puppet he had been holding and stood up from his seat.
Slowly, he began walking toward Jin Hagun.
Jin Hagun calmly watched his master. In the past, his head would have reacted faster than his eyes.
Master must be feeling like this right now. What should I say to ease his anger?
But the current Jin Hagun had different thoughts. The words Geom Mugeuk had planted in his heart lingered.
―Have you ever truly looked at him?
Jin Hagun gazed deeply at his master, who was walking toward him.
His master’s gaze, footsteps, the movement of his hands, even his expression.
'This feels unfamiliar.'
Baek Cheongyeong’s gaze, which had been fixed on his disciple, shifted toward the puppet lying on the stand.
“Were you upset because your puppet had fallen?”
Jin Hagun responded in a calm tone.
“It’s the first puppet you made for me, Master.”
Baek Cheongyeong stood the puppet upright in its place.
“Is this better?”
Jin Hagun looked at the puppet for a moment, then laid it back down.
“No. This time, I lost to Geom Mugeuk. It should remain fallen.”
As if he had been expecting that response, Baek Cheongyeong nodded.
“That’s right. You should have somehow seized the Heavenly Flower Sect and saved them.”
Jin Hagun silently stared at Baek Cheongyeong. Again, something about this felt unfamiliar. Come to think of it, he had never looked closely at his master’s face like this before, nor at his grandfather’s. He had always just glanced at them, living his life merely observing people superficially.
“One day, when war breaks out, hundreds of orthodox sect members will be killed by the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. Can you bear the weight of that responsibility?” 2
In the past, Jin Hagun would have immediately bowed his head and begged for forgiveness, feeling the weight of his master’s words. Even if the words hadn’t fully resonated with him, he would have believed them to be true just because they came from his master.
But now, he didn’t feel that way. Instead, he found himself thinking:
'Why is he giving such an extreme example of something that hasn’t even happened?'
Suddenly, Geom Mugeuk’s words echoed in his mind.
―The person who connected you and the Heavenly Flower Sect leader does not want you to become the next Martial Alliance Leader.
At the time, he had dismissed it as nonsense, but now a small seed of doubt had begun to sprout and grow in his heart.
“I was short-sighted.”
At those words, Baek Cheongyeong’s expression softened somewhat.
“Good. As long as you understand. You need to start figuring out a way to reclaim the Heavenly Flower Sect.”
“I’ll think it over.”
Baek Cheongyeong returned to his seat. Before resuming his carving, he spoke a single sentence.
“The Alliance Leader would have wanted that as well.” 3
Scritch, scritch.
Once again, Jin Hagun’s thoughts clashed with his master’s words.
‘Would he really?’
His grandfather had been genuinely pleased that he had abandoned the Heavenly Flower Sect. Jin Hagun had made an effort to truly understand his grandfather, and he could clearly read that emotion. Otherwise, he would have bowed his head and accepted his master’s words without question. That was how he used to be—unable to truly see his grandfather.
Only today did Jin Hagun fully realize how important Geom Mugeuk’s advice to ‘look clearly’ had been.
‘Leaving everything else aside, shouldn’t we be incapable of forgiving someone like Seo Cheong? We are from the orthodox sect. And I’m meant to become the leader of the Martial Alliance, while you are the master of that leader.’
After meeting Geom Mugeuk, Jin Hagun began to see his master differently.
No, perhaps today was the first time he realized that his master might be a completely different person from the one he thought he knew.
* * *
That night, Jin Hagun had a nightmare.
He was being chased throughout the night by a shadowy figure whose face he couldn’t make out. No matter how far he ran, the figure always seemed to know exactly where he was and relentlessly tracked him down.
Even now, the figure was following him from far behind.
He was so exhausted that running became difficult.
As he trudged along, resigned to his fate, he noticed people on the roadside staring at him.
Among them were familiar faces—some were people he had trained with in martial arts as a child, and others were simple acquaintances, with whom he had never been particularly close. Why were these people appearing in his dream? Nightmares always seem to dredge up those you had long forgotten. 4
He passed them and continued walking. Meanwhile, the shadow that was chasing him crept ever closer.
He felt certain he was about to die when suddenly, someone called out to him.
―Yo, Leader Jin!
He looked up and saw Geom Mugeuk leaning on the second-floor railing of a tavern, looking down at him.
―Come up here and have a drink with me.
Just like the last time they had parted ways, Geom Mugeuk was smiling brightly.
As if entranced, Jin Hagun ascended to the tavern’s second floor. He was glad to see him.
Standing together on the balcony, the dark shadow that had been chasing him stopped at the entrance of the tavern, glaring up at him. But it couldn’t come in. Jin Hagun could sense that the terrifying shadow was afraid.
At that moment, Geom Mugeuk, standing beside him, suddenly spoke. It was the same thing he had said during their gathering at the banquet.
―Isn’t that why we exist? If not us, then who else would stop someone like that?
The moment Jin Hagun turned to look at him again, he woke from his dream. 5
“Hoo...” he exhaled deeply.
Jin Hagun let out a sigh, drenched in sweat.
It wasn’t surprising that Geom Mugeuk appeared in his dream. Ever since their encounter, the man had consumed his thoughts.
But the choices he made in today’s dream were foolish. He had done nothing but run helplessly. He should have either fought directly, led the Demon-Slaying Brigade into battle, or sought his grandfather's help. He should have made active decisions, yet all he did was run.
What angered him the most was that, in the end, he gave up everything. He vividly recalled the moment he trudged forward in despair.
Shaking off the nightmare, he abruptly rose from his bed.
* * *
Jin Haryeong was startled by Jin Hagun’s visit.
"You’re doing something unusual, aren’t you, brother?"
It had been a while since Jin Hagun had come to her quarters.
"People change."
"Just don’t change too much. It’s scary."
Jin Hagun sat down after glancing around the room. Knowing that her brother wouldn’t come to see her without a reason, Jin Haryeong asked, feeling slightly tense.
"How did it go?"
"I failed."
"You look too fine for that."
"It was half failure, half success."
Jin Haryeong looked at him with a puzzled expression, but Jin Hagun didn’t elaborate. Despite his words, he wasn’t even sure himself. What was right, and what was wrong? 6
"Geom Mugeuk, what was he like?"
"I don’t know."
"Come on, tell me."
"I said I don’t know. I just don’t know him."
Jin Haryeong nodded.
"Seems like you saw him clearly then."
If anyone asked her what kind of person Geom Mugeuk was, that was the only answer she could give too.
At that moment, Jin Hagun said something she hadn’t expected.
"Haryeong, have you ever experienced something you couldn’t understand in life?"
Jin Haryeong looked at him, surprised.
"Yeah, this moment."
Jin Hagun smiled faintly.
"I’m asking seriously."
Had she ever experienced something like that? Ah, yes.
"When I met Geom Mugeuk, I couldn’t understand anything at the time."
"How did you get through it?"
"I didn’t get through it. I was swept along by Geom Mugeuk."
Now, even Jin Hagun understood exactly what she meant.
Jin Haryeong could tell. A wave of change had arrived in her brother’s life. She didn’t ask if it was because of Geom Mugeuk. His pride wouldn’t let him admit it even if it was.
Then Jin Hagun asked another unexpected question.
"Will you hold the Posthumous Will Gathering?"
"Yes."
"I bet a lot of people come."
"Are you coming here for me? Or are you just trying to make a good impression on Grandfather?"
Jin Haryeong had been rotating through inviting the Posthumous Will Geniuses of the orthodox factions. It was less of a personal gathering and more akin to managing the heirs on behalf of the Alliance. She had taken on that responsibility.
"There’s someone I want you to invite."
"Who?"
The person Jin Hagun mentioned was completely unexpected.
"Someone you need to meet without preconceived notions."
Jin Haryeong was taken aback. He was talking about Geom Mugeuk.
"Why him?"
Jin Hagun responded.
"I need his help. Invite him as your guest and arrange for us to meet by chance."
He couldn’t call Geom Mugeuk directly. A future leader of the Martial Alliance could not openly seek the aid of the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
"Are you serious?"
Jin Hagun nodded. It made sense that his sister was this shocked. Even to him, it felt like madness.
But instinctively, he could feel it. The strange sense he’d gotten from his master had been relentlessly triggering his survival instincts. If he had remained ignorant, that would be one thing, but the doubts blooming in his heart were becoming stronger by the day, their roots burying deeper and deeper.
This wasn’t something that could be delayed, nor was it a time for pride. He needed someone’s help, someone from the outside who could view the situation objectively, not someone entangled in internal conflicts and vested interests. He couldn’t afford to be as helpless as he had been in his dream.
"Why exactly?"
"You don’t need to know."
"Let me ask you again. Right now, the Leader of the Demon-Slaying Brigade needs the help of the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult?"
Jin Hagun answered.
"Let’s just say your brother needs the help of your friend."
Even to him, this whole situation was absurd. But his instincts, now even appearing in his dreams, were desperately urging him. He needed Geom Mugeuk.
Jin Haryeong hesitated. Despite it being the first favor her brother had asked of her since they’d grown up, she hesitated.
For her, Geom Mugeuk was also a good memory. A part of her wanted to use this as an excuse to see him again.
But involving her brother was a different matter altogether. After all, he was a future leader of the Martial Alliance, and Geom Mugeuk was a future leader of the Demonic Cult.
That’s why she was anxious. Could she really involve a demonic figure in her brother’s affairs?
"Can you handle it?"
After a brief pause, Jin Hagun shook his head.
"Geom Mugeuk? No, I can’t handle him. That’s why I need his help."
He had grasped the situation so clearly that Jin Haryeong actually felt relieved.
"Then it’s settled."
* * *
I was cultivating the Heavenly Time Secret Art within the Temporal and Spatial Transference Technique.
Even though I had encountered countless people and dealt with numerous matters since my regression, I never forgot that martial training was the most important task. Whenever I had time to myself, I deeply immersed myself in training.
The Heavenly Time Secret Art was progressing bit by bit. It was painfully slow, like a tortoise. But I didn’t give up. I kept training, hoping that one day, my level might suddenly skyrocket. Of course, that day hadn’t come yet. 7
When I needed to be around others, I would close my eyes for a moment and practice the Heavenly Demon Body Protection Technique. Since I was only one step away from mastering it, I focused my efforts on that.
Whenever I found an opening, I repeatedly practiced the First Technique of the Nine Calamities Demon Art. There were few enemies I couldn’t kill with the Soaring Sword Art, which I had mastered to the level of Twelve Star Greatness. But if one did appear, I planned to kill them with the First Technique. That’s why I practiced it over and over. I had become so familiar with the Four Demonic Ghosts that I felt a strange sense of camaraderie with them. Their lingering time was also gradually increasing.
After finishing my training, I was taking a brief rest when I noticed the Fist Demon King strolling outside the window.
He stood at the edge of the courtyard, gazing at the distant mountains beyond the wall.
"Master."
I stood beside him.
"Should I guess what you were just thinking?"
Dan Woo-gang seemed intrigued.
"What do you think I was thinking?"
"You were thinking about a cliff, weren’t you?"
"If someone heard you, they’d think I was obsessed with destroying cliffs. Why would you think that?"
"Your back was telling me."
He looked at me with a puzzled expression, as if asking what I meant.
There are people whose backs reveal who they are. My father is like that, and so was the Fist Demon King.
I could sense the loneliness in his back because I knew how steadfast it was. It was a back that, if commanded by my father, would march alone toward thousands, even tens of thousands, of enemies without a moment’s hesitation.
"Master, I don’t think you should destroy the cliff."
"Why?"
"Who’s going to clean it all up afterward? And besides, it looks cool with the cliff there, doesn’t it?"
Dan Woo-gang looked at me and smiled. I liked this man’s smile—something I didn’t get to see often.
Just then, a martial artist from the Honam branch arrived to deliver a letter. To my surprise, it was from Jin Haryeong.
The letter read:
—You once told me to let you know if something strange and incomprehensible happened. Well, that moment is now.
1 : Treating others with a smile shows which kind of person you are, and a good master should show his disciple more kindness over such a little disappointment.
2 : Guilting him to gaslight him into more aggressive recruitment ? Also, why so sure that war will happen against the Divine Cult ?
3 : That sentence was one too many. The rest might have been frustration or a narrow world view, but this ? This is clearly a lie. Siiiigh, sometimes I hate being right.
4 : Either this is a meaningless dream, or he subconsciously noticed a hint about those people. When a puppet starts to gain self awareness, it’s hard to escape the threads of the puppetmaster, since he has complete hold over your environment. Applies in fictions and sadly, IRL with toxic, abusive relationships. For those who live such situations, prepare well for your escape and don’t hesitate to ask random passersby on the street for help. Hiding in a store and begging the employees should also work. Good luck.*
5 : They really are brother and sister, Jin Haryeong also had a nightmare where she was saved by Mugeuk when she met him the first time ^^
6 : Isn’t that the great question ? One we might never know, for all eternity.
7 : Painfully slow progress is still progress, better than being stuck at a bottleneck without knowing where to look like before.
* : I know I might sound redundant with all my warnings, but hey, if I can save someone's life it’s all worth it. Too many don’t talk about those problems before it’s too late, the more ways of transmitting hope the better !!!