Translator: FenrirTL
Editor/Quality Checker: Saphartlantis
Murim Term Consultant: Kopke
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Chapter 260: Your Names 1
It had been a long time since I had a meal with Father.
I loved these moments. Whether it was playing a game of Go or having a meal, these quiet times where we exchanged wordless conversations were truly special.
Though I often acted lighthearted, the truth was, these moments were what resonated most with my core. After all, I had lived most of my life in silence.
"Has your training been hard?"
"My body wasn’t exhausted, but enduring the monotony was difficult."
"How did you manage?"
"In the end, I emptied my mind. This repetition is likely to be a lifelong task, and once I break free of this tedium, another kind will surely await me. So, I decided to just continue. As time went on, both the repetition and the tedium seemed to become one with me."
Father smiled. It wasn’t a smirk but a genuine smile—one that congratulated me for finding the right path.
I eagerly explained to him how I interpreted the First Technique, the mistakes I made along the way, and how I trained through repetition.
Though I spoke excitedly as if boasting, I was actually offering Father valuable information.
For him to use as a reference.
Father would compare my interpretation with his own and strive to create an even better technique. I hoped he would succeed.
I hadn’t returned to become stronger than Father or to defeat him. I returned to survive together with him, and everyone else.
"Now that we’ve eaten, let’s go for a walk to help with digestion."
I followed Father outside. As he gazed at the peak of the Hundred Thousand Mountains in the distance, he spoke.
"Let’s race to see who reaches the top first."
For some reason, Father suggested a race using lightness techniques.star
"You haven’t forgotten, have you? You said you’d race me again once I had enough practice with the Star Light Step."
"How about it? Do you think you can win?"
"Of course. Just so you know, even the Demon Supremes couldn’t keep up with me."
"Then start ahead!"
"If I do so, you’ll be staring at my back the whole time."
Before I could even finish my sentence, I dashed off ahead. I figured even if I won, Father would have something to say about it, so it was better to get a head start.
I sprinted at a terrifying speed using the Star Light Step.
Now that I had reached Ten Stars Greatness and had plenty of practice, could even Father keep up with this speed? It was so fast that I even began to doubt it.
Just then, I heard a fierce gust of wind behind me.
As I turned my head, I saw Father beside me.
He was flying through the air, standing tall with his clothes fluttering in the wind. Speed wasn’t the issue.
‘That’s so cool!’
I was running for my life, while Father flew with grace and dignity. The Heavenly Demon Flight Technique, which he had mastered, seemed as if it had been created solely for him. It suited him perfectly.
Right, it wouldn't do to lack style and be slow at the same time.
I sprinted with everything I had. I truly felt like I was running as fast as light, but in the end, Father still reached the peak first.
"I’ve lost. Both in style and speed. Even the Wind God can’t beat the Heavenly Demon."
As I hung my head in shame, Father spoke.
"Your Star Light Step is fast."
Though he rarely acknowledged other martial arts, the Wind God's Four Steps was one that even Father respected.
Then, something unexpected came from his mouth.
"If you master the Heavenly Demon Flight Technique, you’ll achieve the same result."
It was an acknowledgment. There was a reason Father had suggested the race and said those words just now.
"I will pass down the Heavenly Demon Flight Technique to you."
I understood. It was because I had shared my insights with the Human Annihilation Form earlier. Since I had given him something, he felt the need to return the favor. Father never takes without giving in return.
"Thank you, Father."
I immediately knelt before him.
"With your current understanding of lightness techniques, you’ll master it easily, and it won’t take long to perfect either. Now, listen carefully."
Right there, Father passed on the secret formula for the Heavenly Demon Flight Technique. Only after confirming several times that I had memorized it perfectly did he finish the transmission.
I bowed deeply to Father.
"I am so happy, Father."
The joy I felt wasn’t just because the Heavenly Demon Flight Technique was the best lightness technique in the martial world. It wasn’t even due to the possibility of combining it with Wind God's Four Steps to create an even faster and cooler technique.
What made me happiest was inheriting all of Father’s unique martial arts. I had now learned the Nine Calamities Demon Art, the Heavenly Demon Body Protection Technique, and finally, the Heavenly Demon Flight Technique. I was filled with emotion at the thought of mastering the core techniques Father had cultivated throughout his life.
"Stand up now."
"Yes."
I stood alongside Father at the cliff on the summit of the Hundred Thousand Mountains.
From there, the entire landscape of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult stretched out before us.
"When I became the Young Cult Leader, I too stood here with my father."
I glanced at Father beside me. I imagined him in his youth, standing next to Grandfather.
"Father’s dream was to unite the martial world under one rule."
That was something I hadn’t known.
After a brief pause, I asked him.
"And what about you, Father?"
Father didn’t respond. I knew. I knew that Father shared the same dream of uniting the martial world under one rule. And Father knew that I was aware of this as well. 2
I brought up something difficult. It was something that had to be said at least once.
“Even if you manage to achieve the great feat of uniting the martial world and win the praise and respect of all people... you won’t have mine.”
It was the kind of statement that could have sparked his anger, but Father remained silent. He already knew well what was in his son’s heart.
We stood in silence, staring out at the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult in the distance, and beyond that, the horizon and the sky.
To lighten the heavy mood, I spoke in a more cheerful tone.
“Father, please name my friends. I’ve been thinking about it myself, trying to come up with something cool. I thought about going with a ghost theme and calling them Night Ghost, Blood Ghost, White Ghost, and Sky Ghost, but it felt a bit too dark. Then I thought maybe something more refined, using the moon: Bright Moon, Fading Moon, Hidden Moon, Radiant Moon. Or maybe something based on colors...”
Right then, Father abruptly spoke.
“East, West, South, North.” 3
I froze for a moment.
“You’re joking, right?”
Father looked at me with a completely serious expression.
“Not even something like the Plum, Orchid, Bamboo, and Chrysanthemum, or even Clear Breeze and Bright Moon, but just plain East, West, South, and North?”
I couldn’t tell whether he meant not to bother naming ghosts, whether it was because of what I had said earlier about uniting the martial world, or if he genuinely thought those names were fitting.
“East, West, South, North!”
He repeated it once more, as if finalizing his decision.
What could I do when Father had made up his mind?
Ah, I’m so sorry, my poor Four Demonic Ghosts!
“Oh, now that I think about it, they’re great names. East Ghost, West Ghost, South Ghost, North Ghost. Easy to remember and perfect! If anyone asks, I’ll proudly tell them that my father named them! I'll brag about it, too.”
I’ll make sure everyone knows these were your creations, Father! Yet despite my words, Father didn’t even flinch.
In the end, the names of the Four Demonic Ghosts were finalized as East, West, South, and North! 4
* * *
After descending from the Hundred Thousand Mountains, I immediately headed to the Heavenly Communication Pavilion.
I needed to meet Sima Myung, the Strategist Advisor, to receive my next orders.
As I entered the pavilion, the soldiers I passed greeted me politely.
Their gazes were friendly. Since they knew me better than anyone, given the nature of their work, it was important to pay attention to how their attitudes had shifted.
After passing through several layers of security, I finally entered the Heavenly Communication Pavilion's operations room, where Sima Myung was holding a meeting with other military officers.
The military officer who greeted me offered to inform Sima Myung, but I told him not to bother and waited patiently for the meeting to end in the operations room.
The place was bustling with activity.
Dozens of communication scrolls were constantly arriving through the small holes in the wall, each divided by region, and the officers were sorting them based on the matter at hand.
Some officers were running around with documents in hand, while others were scribbling furiously. Another officer was moving various colored flags from one spot to another on a large map of the Central Plains. There wasn’t a single idle person.
The martial world may have been peaceful, but here, it was an endless battlefield. No, perhaps it was because this place was a battlefield that the martial world could remain peaceful.
After a while, Sima Myung finished his meeting and, upon seeing me, was startled.
"Young Cult Leader, when did you arrive?"
"I’ve been here for a little while. I told them not to disturb you and that I’d wait until the meeting was over."
"Shall we head to my office?"
"Let’s talk here. Watching the officers work is inspiring. It makes me want to work even harder."
"You’re not one to say that after just finishing a closed-door training session. You should rest for a bit."
"And you’re not one to talk, given how you’ve been piling up tasks for me."
We exchanged smiles.
"How was your training?"
"As soon as I came out, without even shaving, I ran to boast to my father." 5
That single word, "boast," carried the weight of all my accomplishments.
"Congratulations."
"It’s thanks to you, Strategist Advisor, for managing all the external schedules. I must have a backlog of tasks to get through. What’s the first thing I should handle?"
"First, you need to visit the Hunan and Jiangxi Branches. Hunan will be the first to engage if a conflict arises with the Martial Alliance, and Jiangxi is a strategic point in our dealings with the Unorthodox Alliance. So, meeting with the branch leaders of those two locations will be your first official duty."
"Understood."
"I’ll send the official mission orders to you by tomorrow morning."
"Alright, I’ll see you after I return."
As I was about to leave, Sima Myung spoke.
"Going forward, your influence will significantly shape the fate of this Cult."
I smiled and responded.
"That’s why I plan on visiting you very often."
* * *
As I was walking back to my quarters after leaving the Heavenly Communication Pavilion, a man wearing a mask appeared in front of me on the quiet path. It was Hui, the captain of the Heavenly Demon Pavilion's guard and my father's trusted bodyguard, who had revealed himself by breaking his concealment.
"Uncle!"
"Young Cult Leader."
"Please, just call me Geuk-ah, like you used to when I was young."
"I can’t do that anymore."
Seeing him again after so long filled me with emotion.
"How long has it been? You’ve got more gray hairs now, Uncle."
"I’m getting older too."
"It’s because taking care of my father wears you out, right? He’s incredibly demanding, isn’t he? He must make your life difficult." 6
"Serving him is the greatest joy of my life."
That was exactly the Hui I knew. A man whose entire life revolved around his duty to guard, and whose entire world was my father.
"I still remember the snowy day when you carried me on your back."
When Hui smiled, his eyes crinkled like crescent moons beneath the mask.
"You remember that?"
"Of course. I loved it so much back then."
After exchanging pleasantries, Hui finally revealed the reason he had come to find me.
"Please take the guards with you when you leave the Cult this time."
I couldn’t answer right away. I had originally planned to travel alone. Knowing this, Hui had come in order to convince me.
"To be honest, I’m not asking this for your sake, Young Cult Leader. I know very well that our skills would only be a burden to you."
He clearly didn’t mince his words.
"I’m asking this for my juniors. If they accompany you, they’ll grow into excellent guards. I’ve been watching your recent activities closely. From what I’ve seen, you are like the ocean. Vast enough to embrace all my juniors."
Coming from him, I knew how difficult it must have been to say these things. Hui cared deeply for the Heavenly Demon Guard and his juniors.
These men had died alongside us on that fateful day.
If it was a request from Hui, who had devoted his life to my father, then yes, I should bring not just twelve, but twelve hundred guards if need be.
"I’ll take them with me."
Hui bowed his head respectfully.
"Thank you."
"No, thank you, Uncle."
I, too, bowed my head to him.
When I looked up again, Hui had already vanished. He wasn’t the kind of man to repay favors with words. Someday, he would try to repay today’s debt.
Uncle Hui, there’s no need. You and your juniors have already paid it in full with your lives. It was my turn to pay you all back.
* * *
My guards were training diligently in their training grounds.
I paused for a moment to watch them train before stepping inside.
They immediately stopped their training and, in unison, greeted me with clenched fists.
"Greetings, Young Cult Leader!"
Their greeting was loud and full of energy.
"Have you been training continuously for the past 100 days?"
Jeokyeon stepped forward and answered.
"Yes, we’ve trained every day without missing a single one."
"Then why are there only six of you?"
"Since we never know when we might be called for guard duty, we’ve split into day and night shifts. We rotate every month."
In other words, the night shift trained from evening until morning. I was impressed by their dedication.
Since it had been a while, I decided to inspect Jeokyeon's eyes.
Knowing that refusing would be futile, Jeokyeon obediently removed his eye patch.
As I gazed into his crimson eyes, I said, "Your mastery of the Demon Eye Technique has advanced a level."
Jeokyeon was taken aback.
"That’s correct. But did you really discern that just from the color of my eyes?"
"The color is different from before."
"I look into the mirror every day and didn’t even notice."
I had detected the difference thanks to my New Eye Technique.
The reason I kept focusing on his eyes was partially due to this technique. I had learned the New Eye Technique for my own benefit, while Jeokyeon had mastered the Demon Eye Technique for the sake of others—those "others" ultimately being me.
Although he claimed it was his choice and destiny, sacrificing one's vision for the sake of another is no easy feat. 7
I channeled my energy into his eyes to soothe them.
"How does that feel?"
"The pain has decreased significantly."
If that was true, it was likely due to the changes in my internal energy. It had become much more refined and powerful.
"Tomorrow, you’ll be leaving the Cult with me. The official mission orders will arrive early in the morning from the Heavenly Communication Pavilion."
Jeokyeon and the other guards’ faces lit up. They were finally being sent on their first mission.
Their excitement and joy were palpable. If I had left them behind, it would have been a mistake.
"Thank you for trusting us."
"From tomorrow on, make sure you guard me well. I’ll be relying entirely on you."
With a resounding reply, Jeokyeon and the other guards bowed their heads. Alright, since we’re heading out, let’s all return even stronger.
The next morning, two carriages departed from the Cult.
It was my first official mission as the Young Cult Leader, accompanied by my guards.
1 : *Heavy feelings ensue* That anime was great but damn what an emotional rollercoaster. Make sure you all watch it, alright ? *Fully intending of nagging you if you don’t* XDXDXD
2 : Hmmm, how much of that is his own dream, and how much came from his own father ? It’s difficult to know the true origin of our motivations.
3 : *Holy music stops meme*
4 : Poor guys XDXDXD And yeah, let’s make sure everyone knows that it’s from Geom Woojin. I swear, this guy have MC level of naming sense XDXDXD
5 : An accurate description of his antics ^ ^
6 : Sneaky stabs in revenge for the poor Demonic Fiends XDXDXD
7 : Considering how important vision is for us, powerless IRLs addicted to novels/movies/video games/etc, it’s impossible to imagine how important it can be for martial artists fighting life and death battles.