Heavenly Demon Cultivation Simulation
chapter-365

Swish

The airflow subsided, and Seol-Hwi stopped to show himself. He walked in, drenched in sweat.

Step

Chung Heo waited. When Seol-Hwi sat down next to him, he said,

“I guess it’s really time for me to die. Doing such odd things in the last years…”

His expression was calm. He turned his head and softly spoke to Seol-Hwi,

“You must have had a hard time because your master has been so harsh.”

“No. I just thank you for helping the disciple realize something that was forgotten.”

Seol-Hwi bowed his head to his master. There was not even a speck of falseness in his words.

Even if he lived and learned the arts, was he truly a member of Qingcheng? In the eyes of those who had learned the true spirit of the sect from a young age, he was no different from an alien.

It might have been hard to notice at that age because everyone was obsessed with becoming a strong warrior.

“Master. Your disciple has something to tell you. Actually, about the past I never spoke about…”

“It is done. Do you really need to say it again?”

“…?”

His master ended his words, and Seol-Hwi looked at him with shocked eyes.

Chung Heo spoke calmly as he gazed at the calm and wide lake, which had small ripples around it.

“Didn’t you already speak with your sword? There is this desperate need to rise above, and many stories of anger and sadness. That target is probably the one who turned you like this, right?”

“Master…?!”

Seol-Hwi jumped up from his seat. This was a shock beyond surprise.

Obviously, a swordsman who reached a certain level could read many things from an opponent’s sword movements. From the emotions, thoughts, and attitude one had to their sword.

But now it seemed as if his master had managed to read the emotions of the past. Just what did his master see in his sword dance?

“I now understand the things I didn’t understand before. Your life has reached a level that one cannot judge. To kill with such deep emotions and even accept the path of it. It is amazing. Something which deserves respect.”

“Master, I…”

“I thought for a moment about why you truly followed the path of the sect. Not long back, I thought you just wanted the martial arts of the sect, but now I know that it isn’t the case.”

Chung Heo slowly looked at Seol-Hwi and continued to speak.

“It must have been difficult for you. The reason why you were building a wall in your heart wasn’t because you wanted someone who would talk warmly; you just wanted someone to see you without caring about your complicated past. And yet, since you had to follow this sect’s path, the mistakes done were numerous.”

“…!”

Seol-Hwi’s eyes trembled at that.

Was this the wisdom an elder had? The truth that his master did not know, which he wanted to hide, was revealed. He was moved by the warm words of the master.

“Seol-Hwi. You are my disciple.”

“…”

Seol-Hwi lowered his head, unable to hide his emotions. It was not the cold north wind that made him feel naked, but the warm sunlight.

The soft and warm words, the passion which he had never been able to express before his master, the loneliness and despair he had felt until now, it all melted his heart.

“Qingcheng’s martial arts might not satisfy you. Not only the master, but the dozens ancestors of this sect might not teach you what you want. But even so, do not ever forget. Qingcheng’s martial arts isn’t just about strength, but also about the attitude towards the world.”

The Qingcheng Sect.

A place called the sacred ground of Taoism, where the enlightenment and study of countless Taoists came together was, of course, martial arts, but at the root of it was this unyielding spirit.

Perhaps it was the old-fashioned part of pursuing formality to an excessive extent without forgetting the basics. It could not be denied that things stemmed from there.

Chung Heo pointed it out.

“Go and see Wudang.”

“Master…?!”

Seol-Hwi could not believe what he was hearing.

Wudang. His master, who valued their own sect, mentioned the name of another sect.

Seol-Hwi immediately responded,

“No, master. Although the disciple has shown a desire to grow, the direction in which I wish to learn is from our…”

“I know. But how can you be so unaware? I didn’t mean it like that either.”

Chung Heo looked at the lake.

Splash

The gentle waves shook on the lake’s surface. He closed his eyes and quietly opened his mouth as if gathering his thoughts.

“Although Qingcheng is a sacred place of Taoism, there are parts of it that are so caught up in old glory that they cannot see reality. Since the teachings of the past, numerous Taoists have combined the enlightenment and martial arts of the ancestors to create many sects, and among them, many talented individuals were born. Among them, there are those who attain enlightenment from the basics like us, but there are also those who gradually work their way up, like Shaolin or Wudang.”

“Master…”

“It isn’t a question of yes or no. It’s different. Unfortunately, there is no martial arts here to give you enlightenment. That’s what I am saying. To reach a higher level, other things are needed.”

“…”

Seol-Hwi’s face looked complex.

Well, his master was born in Qingcheng and had lived his entire life there. It was difficult to even guess what kind of state of mind such a proud person had to be in to suggest he try new things in another sect.

Shhh

Chung Heo slowly turned his head to see Seol-Hwi bowing.

Cheung Heo said the last words he could as a master.

“Without a sword, there is no person. But it is the same. What good is a sword without a person? As long as one carries the sword, Qingcheng is with them. Even if you rise to the position of overlooking the world, or even if the moment comes when the sword breaks while you are trying, I will be with you, in times of sadness and happiness.”

“…Master?”

Seol-Hwi was taken aback by the sudden words of his master. His master’s face, which had been yellow until now, had turned to a reddish blush.

He is losing it!

Seol-Hwi’s face went pale.

The wind of the sword he had demonstrated a while back had blown like a refreshing breeze.

Naturally, the internal energy of Qingcheng within his master’s body had assimilated with it. There was strong resistance, but it was not always good.

Overwhelming energy that could not be controlled can only end the life of the elderly.

“Master, master! Oh no. What did I…!”

Chung Heo smiled and waved his hand to Seol-Hwi, who was in shock.

“Haha. Do not make a mess now. After all, people don’t live forever. The martial arts of our sect that you demonstrated have relieved the worries deep in my heart.”

That was true. With a body that had long since lost its strength and energy, he was waiting for the day for all this to end.

And he had come to know the deadline a few days back. On the contrary, he had personally witnessed his disciple rise to the highest limit of the sect, and this brought him joy.

“Master…”

“Do not give up. I will always be with you. I truly cared for and loved you, my disciple… Seok-Hwi.”

Not a hint of a lie existed in Chung Heo’s face, which had changed to a benevolent one.

Only the warmth from when he taught me remained.

“I too… loved you a lot.”

Seol-Hwi bowed his head, sobbing.

He revealed his inner thoughts, which he had wanted to say while coming to his master but could not easily express.

For the first time in his life.

A master who treated him as a human. If the affection of those who shared blood was not deep, then this person who gave him warmth for the first time was now losing his own warmth.

For Seol-Hwi, who had always lived on his own, this pain was too much.

Shh

His master was smoothing Seol-Hwi’s hair. And his hand fell slowly.

“Huk. Euk…”

For a long while, Seol-Hwi could not see his master’s face. All he could do was rub the old, calloused palm.

The winter in Qingcheng was cold.

Elder Chung Heo, a pillar of the sect, his death had saddened all the Taoists. Chung Heo’s ashes were being carried by Seok-Hwi.

As wished, he gently dropped them into the lake.

Master…

Seol-Hwi also underwent many changes in his thoughts after leaving his master.

The hundreds of lives he had felt nothing for. In the end, what mattered was not the lives lost.

Even if he lived only once, the attitude with which you lived was more important. If one thought about it, the most valuable life among Seol-Hwi’s past lives was when he gave his all, thinking that was the end and not even caring about what came next.

As his experience was fading away, he realized it all thanks to his master. It was not about how much or how long you live. Even just once, live life by giving it importance.

Normally, Seol-Hwi planned to visit all the places in the Nine Great Sects. He tried to learn their techniques, the enlightenments to be gained.

But now it all felt fleeting. Just once.

Other than stopping by Wudang, which his master spoke of, he gave up thinking about going anywhere else.

This was because he judged that if he achieved the best in this sect, then he could definitely reach the Profound state by accepting the nature of Wudang.

Jin Gu, one of the current elders in Wudang.

As a child, he was considered a genius who mastered all the martial arts of Wudang, and it was said that before the age of 15, he did not know any martial arts of Wudang.

But when he became an adult, this serious thing happened.

During the evaluation test, for some reason, this colleague had thrown a dagger and, unable to block it, he ended up falling.

In that incident, he suffered serious injuries which left his arm paralyzed, and it was said that he could not practice martial arts often so he was rarely seen.

Years later, he often appeared in places where local people gathered or did odd jobs like providing rooms for Wudang’s guests. And as time passed, he became the owner of a proper shrine.

“Phew…”

One day, he was raking leaves on the stairs. Normally, he could not stand that well, but since his arms were strong and he had great balance, this did not feel difficult.

After roughly cleaning, he lay down at the nearby pavilion and closed his eyes for a moment.

When he woke up again due to the cold breeze, he saw an old man of similar age smiling.

“Who are you?”

He asked.

First, because of the obvious age, he asked openly, but he also felt like the aged robe could not be ignored.

“Just passing by. I think the carriage broke down, and I wanted to look for Heavenly Lord’s Peak.”

Heavenly Lord.

The other person’s robe caught his eye. This old-style uniform with a picture of a mountain and a noble crane around the shoulder.

He immediately adjusted his posture.

“You are a member of the Qingcheng Sect?”

“…A member? No, but yes.”

“It cannot be. How did you come here?”

Jin Gu hurriedly bowed. This was because he remembered what he had recently heard about at a meeting at the sect.

And if someone came here, he must be someone who held an important position in Qingcheng.

“The place is too shabby to serve you. If it is not rude, may I formally welcome you here at the Five Dragon Shrine?”

“Haha. Is that really needed?”

“Ah…”

Jin Gu realized what it meant. The older man in front of him had come to see him, not the surroundings.

“Do not feel burdened. I just wanted to meet you. Who will I serve within the Wudang in the next life?”

“…?”

“And now it has been decided. If you are a good colleague, it doesn’t matter if you are a master or not.”

“Just what are…”

Jingu looked at him, shocked. Seol-Hwi’s eyes were filled with joy.

He had found the person who would be the target of his next life.