Chapter 92: Master (1)

"Disciple?"

Il-mok, realizing he was still alive even after the kowtow, cautiously raised his head to see that the old man's sword had stopped just inches from his face.

Sword Qi is still swirling around it.

Hic.

Il-mok couldn't help but hiccup, but he desperately pulled himself together and shouted, "Yes, Master! Do you truly not recognize me?"

"......."

The old man squinted his eyes, examining Il-mok for a moment as if he were appraising an item.

Then, with eyes full of longing, he asked, "Could it be... Yeong-jin?"

Sensing an opportunity, Il-mok immediately exclaimed.

"Yes, Master! I am Yeong-jin, your disciple!"

"Well, well. To think that little rascal has grown up so much already.”

The old man looked down at Il-mok with a face full of emotion, then tilted his head questioningly.

"But, my disciple, why are you naked?"

Il-mok himself wanted to ask why the old man wasn't wearing pants, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

'If I bring that up, who knows where the conversation might go.'

In the worst-case scenario, that sword might come flying at his neck again.

Instead, Il-mok gave a somewhat honest answer, one that the old man, who had mastered the same martial arts, would likely understand.

"The dust and sweat on my clothes felt too sticky. I couldn't bear to wear them, Master."

"Hoho. To think your realm has already reached such heights, truly admirable."

Judging by how the old man admired his obsession with hygiene, it seemed he suffered from the same compulsion.

“Hmm. But still, you can’t just be walking around naked like this. Let's go back together.”

At the old man's invitation, Il-mok flinched involuntarily.

"Together... you say?"

"That's right. Didn't you come here looking for your Master?"

"Y-Yes, Master."

In the end, Il-mok began walking after the old man, feeling like an ox being led to the slaughterhouse.

‘But, does he even know the way back to his house?’

As Il-mok followed behind wondering this, the old man suddenly stopped.

'Damn. So he doesn't know after all?'

But Il-mok's judgment was wrong.

The old man suddenly turned around and asked Il-mok with murderous intent pouring out.

“Who are you to approach me from behind without a sound?”

"!?"

Il-mok's mind went blank for a moment, but having prior experience dealing with an elderly person with dementia, he quickly pulled himself together.

“Master! Have you forgotten already? It’s me, your disciple, Yeong-jin!”

The old man cast a doubtful gaze for a moment at Il-mok’s confident answer.

"Hmm. You seem younger than when I last saw you. Did you succeed in achieving Overhaul Body Transformation?"

"......."

Didn't you just say I've grown so much a minute ago?

But getting serious wouldn't do him any good. When dealing with someone with dementia, extreme patience is necessary.

"O- Overhaul Body Transformation? That's beyond my level, Master. It's just that my skin looks better thanks to some elixir I happened to take. Hahaha."

"Oh? An elixir? You   had a stroke of good fortune."

"Y-Yes, Master."

The old man nodded in understanding at Il-mok's answer and said, "So that's why you're naked. The impurities must have dirtied your clothes."

“T-that’s right, Master. My obsessive symptoms have gotten worse since I ate the elixir."

“Hahaha. So that’s why you came looking for this old man again.”

"Yes, Master."

"Then let's hurry back home."

The old man smiled brightly as if happy to see his long-lost disciple and began walking ahead again.

After walking for quite a while, the old man tilted his head and once again asked Il-mok with killing intent.

"Who are you?"

"......."

Il-mok squeezed his eyes shut.

***

After repeating similar but slightly different conversations with the old man several times, Il-mok finally arrived at the old man's house.

The old man walked easily on the path leading to a house despite his mind being in an endless loop.

Naturally, Il-mok wondered if this was really the old man's house, but that doubt quickly vanished.

For good reason.

“They say the young are resilient, but walking around naked is bad for your health. Wear this, at least.”

The old man, as if familiar with the house, took out martial garb and underwear and handed them to Il-mok.

What’s more, the martial garb and underwear were in very pristine condition, and the entire house was tidied up in an orderly, angular fashion.

It was evident this was the home of someone suffering from obsessive-compulsive tendencies.

Having walked naked for quite some time, Il-mok put on the underwear and martial clothes the old man gave him while lost in thought.

One might wonder how an old man with jumbled memories could remember the way back home, but Il-mok was pondering a more important issue.

'This is horrifying. Does this mean I could end up like that when my mastery of the Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword increases and I get older?'

For Il-mok, the old man was like a mirror reflecting his future.

'I must not gain any more enlightenment.'

Il-mok made a resolution.

If he managed to escape this Oblivion Ridge alive, he would work hard to play and eat well from then on.

As Il-mok put on all the clothes with a determined expression, the old man who had been watching said with a pleased look. "Hahaha. Truly magnificent, Yeong-jin. Ah? Was it Taesu?”

"It's Yeong-jin, Master."

“Hahaha. Yes, Yeong-jin. I'm glad you came all the way here to see your old man. Hahaha."

"Ahem. You said that the master is like another parent, so isn't this a natural thing to do?"

“Hahaha. Truly commendable. But this incompetent old man has nothing to give to his disciple. What should I do?”

"N-Nothing to give? You don’t need to give me anything, Master.”

Il-mok waved his hands in refusal, but the old man wouldn't listen.

"No, no. How could I send away a disciple I haven't seen in so long empty-handed? Actually, this is perfect. Since you've come after so long, let this old man examine your swordsmanship."

Il-mok almost made a face as if he’d eaten shit, but he barely managed to control his expression and asked back.

"...My swordsmanship?"

"Yes. Let's go outside."

As the old man promptly headed out the door, Il-mok tried to come up with a trick.

"Why aren't you coming out?"

"Master, weren't we just about to go in rather than out? Didn't you say we should enjoy some tea inside?"

Despite Il-mok's natural-sounding lie...

"Are you trying to belittle your master right now? Though I've grown old, do you think I can't remember what happened just moments ago?"

It didn't work on the old man.

Under the old man's stern gaze and imposing aura, Il-mok swallowed his curses.

'Why are you so clear-headed at times like this!?'

Eventually, Il-mok gave in to the old man's pressure and went outside.

"Show me the Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword to the best of your ability. After checking your level, I'll give some teachings."

Following the old man's instruction, Il-mok began performing a sword dance, deliberately being sloppy to avoid enlightenment.

But after just a brief moment...

"You rascal!! Are you trying to deceive your Master's eyes?!"

The old man’s thunderous voice fell once again.

Thinking he might actually be killed by the old man at this rate, Il-mok finally demonstrated the Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword to the best of his ability.

The old man, carefully observing Il-mok’s sword dance, nodded with understanding and said, "To think you've already reached such a level, truly admirable. However, you didn't show the later forms at all. Did I forget to teach you that part?"

Il-mok couldn't help but flinch.

'Damn. The latter forms are absolutely out of the question....'

Il-mok had done his best to avoid practicing the later forms, fearing that the side effects would worsen.

"I-I simply haven't mastered the latter forms due to my insufficient skill level."

“Hahaha. Isn’t this training a perfect chance? Only by correcting your shortcomings in training can you further refine your sword and be able to use it in actual combat.”

The old man stroked his beard with a teacher-like expression at Il-mok's excuse, then drew his sword and performed a sword dance.

It was very similar to the sword dance that the Heavenly Demon had performed when teaching Il-mok the later forms just before entering the Hall of the Demonic Way.

'...Even while suffering from dementia, he hasn’t forgotten the Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword.'

Il-mok wondered if it was because this Demonic Art was something the old man had devoted his entire life to or something else.

After explaining all the key points and true meanings of the techniques along with the sword dance, the old man stopped and looked at Il-mok.

"Now you try it."

As his vision darkened, Il-mok offered a silent prayer and readied his sword.

'Right, he'll probably forget again if I do it for a while.'

Il-mok began performing the sword dance while trying to maintain positive thinking, but...

"Oh my. There. You need to tilt your sword more diagonally."

"Your internal energy flow isn't keeping up with the speed of your sword!"

Far from having fluctuating memory, the old man seemed to have his memory restored as he meticulously explained to Il-mok the later forms of the Soul-Stealing Heartless         Sword.

It was truly a heaven-sent opportunity.

'Damn it!! Why now of all times!?'

One that Il-mok didn’t want.

***

Around the time Il-mok was "thoroughly enjoying" the fortuitous encounter that came with his newfound master, at a place some distance away from Oblivion Ridge.

The Hall of the Demonic Way's disciples, instructors, and teaching assistants were gathered there.

That place was the destination for the third test that had been conducted.

And now, as the test time was coming to an end, a strange atmosphere hung in the air.

"Why isn't the Young Master here yet...?"

Everyone had expected Il-mok to come in first, but he not only wasn't in first place—he hadn't shown up at all.

Even Bang Mi-hwa and Ha Young, who had won first and second place in this test due to Il-mok's absence and were initially pleased to have beaten Il-mok, now wore an uneasy expression.

A restless atmosphere began to spread among the disciples, and Head Instructor Chu Il-hwan, who had to lead them, made a decision.

"Instructor Eun Ryeo. Take the disciples back to the Hall of the Demonic Way. The rest of us will search the test area to find Disciple Il-mok."

Mobilizing all the disciples to search the mountain would be faster, but there was a risk that other disciples might get into trouble during the process.

Soon after, Instructor Eun Ryeo left with the nineteen disciples for the Hall of the Demonic Way.

Instructor Chu Il-hwan along with the other began combing through the three mountains that had served as the test site.

"Disciple Il-mok!"

"The test is over, come out now!"

"Disciple Il-mok!! Come to your senses!!"

Concerned that Il-mok might be seriously injured and collapse somewhere, they shouted at the top of their lungs while searching for him. There was a slim chance that Il-mok, if unconscious, might wake up upon hearing their voices.

But no matter how loudly they called for Il-mok, there was no answer, nor was there any signal sent by whistle or stick.

Moreover, because the test had taken place over such a vast area, and there were only seven people, including the instructors and assistants, it would inevitably take a long time to search the entire mountain.

Tracking Il-mok's trail wasn't easy either due to traces left by other people during the test. Finding traces was easy for them, but distinguishing whose traces they were proved to be not so simple.

Eventually, the sky began to turn crimson as they failed to find Il-mok, and Head Instructor Chu Il-hwan, who was in charge of the new disciples, had to make a decision.

He lit a stick to send a signal, calling back the assistants and instructors who had spread throughout the mountains.

"Enough time has passed; we've now reached the point where we can no longer handle this on our own."

After saying this to the gathered assistants and instructors, Chu Il-hwan led them back to the Hall of the Demonic Way.

Upon returning, Chu Il-hwan immediately went to the Hall Master's residence to report Il-mok's disappearance.

And by the time the sun had completely set and darkness had fallen upon the sky...

"...What did you just say?"

The news of Il-mok's disappearance reached the Heavenly Demon's ears.