Ep470 - I Became a Drunkard in a Martial Arts Novel.

Baek Woo-jin spoke to his team members, conveying the insights he had gained from his conversation with Seol Soo-yeon. The upcoming solar eclipse. He mentioned that the day when darkness befalls the earth might be the moment when the Demonic Cult makes its move. At this, Yong Seol-ran raised her hand. "There is a passage in 'Je Su-cheon-ryu' that delves into the origins of the Suhaeng Divine Beads." 'Je Su-cheon-ryu.' At the beginning of the manual, filled with methods to master martial arts designed for handling the Suhaeng Divine Beads, there is a section dedicated to discussing these beads. "Indeed, it said that the Suhaeng Divine Beads and the five Elemental Divine Beads were celestial artifacts acquired through prayers offered at an altar on the closest ground to the world of immortals, on the day when the sun is devoured." "...Such information is included in 'Je Su-cheon-ryu'?" "Yes." Baek Woo-jin sat contemplatively in silence. The day the sun is devoured surely refers to a solar eclipse. But what could be the closest ground to the world of immortals where this altar is said to be prepared? "If we speak of the world of immortals, it must refer to the celestial realm." As everyone pondered deeply, Jang-sam spoke up. "If it’s the closest ground to the celestial realm, isn’t it predetermined?" Suddenly, it hit them. The location on earth closest to the celestial realm. "Kunlun." The base of the Kunlun Sect near Qinghai Lake. A towering range of mountains connected to the celestial realm, chosen by countless practitioners as a place to train in order to become immortals. "Then the altar must be…" "It would mean it's somewhere in the Kunlun Mountains, whether hidden or out in the open." Their destination was decided. "At dawn tomorrow, we head to Kunlun." Southern Wudang, Northern Shaolin. Following these, the Kunlun Sect has established itself as a formidable power, and within the sacred grounds of the Kunlun Mountains lies a secret perhaps linked to the Elemental Divine Beads. * * * Several days after Baek Woo-jin and his team quietly set out at dawn. News of their departure eventually reached the far distant Ten Thousand Great Mountains. "The Heavenly Light Sword God is heading to Kunlun." Upon receiving the report from the man bowing before him, the leader of the Demonic Cult chuckled bitterly. "So they found out after all." Despite all his efforts. He had tried every possible means to steer their attention away from Kunlun, to distract them elsewhere. But ultimately, it all came to nothing. Perhaps failure was inevitable from the start. "Can destiny truly not be twisted?" He pondered it dozens, even hundreds of times. Yet the answer remained unchanged. 'I… do not wish to cross swords with him.' Sometimes, recalling that day's memories made him so hateful that he wanted to kill. And yet, living with him confined within the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, he realized. That as much as he hated him, he also loved him dearly. For the first time, his determination wavered. If he could continue to hold him captive in this way, even forcefully. 'Would you have accepted me?' Perhaps he might have. "Huhu." He was someone weak to me. Resolute in all other matters, but never when standing before me. It was as if experiencing love for the first time, always shy and sincere regardless of the moment. Indeed. He was such a person. The greatest regret in her life was that moment. The moment she realized, far too late, what kind of person he was. 'Why did I not trust him?' She should have. Despite being consumed by betrayal and rage, she should have at least listened patiently. That he hadn't deceived her but was too scared to speak. 'She should have understood…!' But she failed to do so. She too was young. Despite having all the qualities a knight should have, she was foolish in the face of love. Had she heard him out, had she understood his heart then. 'This moment wouldn't have come.' Neither his futile wish to return home, nor shedding tears of longing only to end up crossing over to this world driven by hatred, none of it would have happened. All tragic endings would have disappeared, replaced by days filled with happiness. United in marriage with the blessings of all, they would have lived devoted to each other. Through frequent exchanges of love, new life would have been conceived, and their journey as parents would have begun. They would have supported each other's shortcomings as parents, nurturing their child, further deepening their love. Day by day, sharing an unchanging love even against the tide of time. Until death, they would have closed their eyes, hand in hand. While she thrashed about in the depth of impossible fantasies now irretrievable. "...Leader." The voice of the man, still bowing, drew her back to reality. For a moment, anger surged. Towards the one who shattered the happiness she had experienced, if only in her dreams. But soon, the anger subsided. ‘I’ve had my fill of happiness through fantasies.’ Ever since he left, fantasies became her refuge. Imagining his return. Imagining him kneeling and swearing his love all over again. Imagining rekindling her cold heart with a passionate kiss from him. Every possible fantasy had already played itself out in her mind. What remained for her was the harsh reality. And she, the Heavenly Demon, intended to shatter that harsh reality. To break it ruthlessly, leaving nothing behind. “…It can’t be helped.” Once he had caught the scent, there was no other option. The only path left was to thoroughly obstruct his journey. Conveniently, there was someone sharpening the blade of revenge against him. “Inform Jin So-jang that he is to use any means necessary to stop Baek Woo-jin.” “Yes, Master.” The man, having received the Heavenly Demon’s order, moved swiftly towards a secluded building deep within the Ten Thousand Great Mountains. It was Jin Mi-yeon’s research lab, now half in ruins, where she studied demonic creatures. He entered the dimly lit place, where the silence seemed to echo with the sound of pained screams. There, he found her. A woman muttering endlessly to herself, seated in the thick darkness. “The leader has issued an order.” “……!” Jin Mi-yeon’s head snapped towards him. The sight of her ink-black eyes, distant from anything human, made the man feel uneasy, causing him to furrow his brow further as he spoke. “You are to stop Baek Woo-jin from reaching Kunlun.” She responded with a question. “I can… kill him, right? Isn’t that so? Yes?” With each question, her growing excitement was palpable. He delivered news that would please her further. “He said you can do whatever it takes to stop him.” “Aah…!” Overwhelmed by gratitude for the generosity given by the Heavenly Demon, Jin Mi-yeon sank down, tears streaming. That night. She set out from the Ten Thousand Great Mountains. Her target: the Kunlun Mountains. She was determined to tear Baek Woo-jin to shreds, the man who dared thwart the Cult's plans and who ultimately took the life of her child. * * * On the road to their first destination, Qinghai Province. Baek Woo-jin asked Yong Seol-ran for permission. He wanted to examine the book containing the martial codes from ‘Je Su-cheon-ryu.’ Her response was quite memorable. “Hehe, you say strange things, husband.” “…Strange?” “As I am yours, shouldn’t what I have naturally belong to you too? Yet you seek my permission…” She reached out. Pinching his cheek gently as if to say he was cute, she smiled brightly. “Truly adorable.” “……” And in front of the other women no less. Her action had definitely succeeded in stirring his heart deeply. Yet, bold actions often come with consequences. Soon enough, Seol Soo-yeon and Geum Yeo-ul, who had been nearby, placed a hand on her shoulder. “Hoho, our youngest… Shall we go over there and chat for a bit with your big sisters?” “Huh? W-wait?” “That’s fine, right?” Three pairs of eyes turned to him. Avoiding Yong Seol-ran's silent plea for a reprieve, he quietly nodded. “Y-yeah. Just…try not to be too harsh.” “H-husband…?” With a dumbfounded expression, Yong Seol-ran was dragged away. He had no choice. To maintain peace, he couldn’t simply take one side. Besides, how harsh could they really be, given how they usually treated each other like sisters? “Eeeek!” “Ah, well.” Perhaps he had miscalculated. As the screams echoing through the forest began to quiet down, Baek Woo-jin settled against a tree and opened the first page of ‘Je Su-cheon-ryu.’ It contained a succinct account of the origin of the Suhaeng Divine Beads. "These divine artifacts were granted by the heavens in response to human prayers..." The five Elemental Divine Beads were certainly not something humans could have created. How could mere humans forge objects imbued so deeply with the essence of nature? “With devoted prayers offered over several days at the altar closest to the heavens, these treasures were bestowed by the gods…” Reflecting on this knowledge, Baek Woo-jin had sent a letter to the Kunlun Sect before their departure. Inquiring whether there was an altar at Kunlun Mountain dedicated to prayers to the heavens. And whether they had any knowledge regarding the Elemental Divine Beads. The response from the Kunlun Sect was that they knew nothing. “Hm…” He was curious. Could it be that they truly don't know, or are they deliberately withholding what they know? He hoped for the latter. Perhaps with the upcoming solar eclipse and the looming threat of the Demonic Cult, coupled with the tale of the Elemental Divine Beads, he might sway their minds. “Is this the extent of the info regarding the Elemental Divine Beads?” Hoping for more, Baek Woo-jin searched through the entirety of the Je Su-cheon-ryu text, yet that was all there was. With a sigh of disappointment, he closed the book and looked towards the sky. It was at that moment. “Master!” A man’s urgent voice broke the silence. Turning his head, he saw a masked figure sprinting up from the foot of the mountain. Not a dangerous character. Just an agent from the Hao Mun, who occasionally brought intelligence from the martial arts world. But why the urgency today? The man reached him, breathless and exclaimed: “Sir, Qinghai Province... Qinghai Province is on the brink of falling!” “……!” The shock of the news made Baek Woo-jin’s eyes widen. Author's Note: First of all, I apologize for not being able to post an update yesterday. I was writing into the early morning and fell asleep without realizing it. When I woke up later in the day, intending to write again, I found that my entire family had come over to celebrate Chuseok, as everyone was busy otherwise. My family knows I write, but their usual stance is that writing can be postponed to another day~@@! It's hard to argue with them when they're in high spirits, so I ended up hosting and cleaning up until late at night, which led to this delayed post... I should have posted a notice, but I didn’t think it would take this long. I kept thinking I’d post after writing out an explanation, and that brought me here. In any case, the fault lies with me. As the story nears its climax, I'm trying to be more meticulous, which admittedly has slowed my writing pace. Next week, I’ll try to manage my time better and increase the updates to make up for the lack. I'll see you in the next chapter. Thank you always for reading. Wishing you all a peaceful night. (_ _)