WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ SSS-Class Revival Hunter ◈
Chapter 79: The Scent of Snow (2)
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3.
The Heavenly Demon and I were able to return to our companions after a long while.
"......."
"......."
Both of us were solemn.
While walking through the cave, the Heavenly Demon said, “...It's very dark in front of us, be careful where you step.” That was her only remark. I simply replied, “Yes.” That concluded our conversation. The face of the woman I glimpsed beside me was steeped in worry.
The Heavenly Demon, no.
What could Master be thinking?
‘Character Window.’
There's a saying that a disciple should not even step on the shadow of their master, but my curiosity was too strong to resist. Could it be that my Master has become cautious because I showed weakness? That was not what I wanted.
+
Name: So BaekHyang
Favorability: 85
Preferred Genres: [Martial Arts]
Disliked Genres: [Classics], [Mythology], [History], [Fairy Tales]
Preferred Characters: [Commoners], [Rivals], [Disciples]
Disliked Characters: [Oppressors], [Deceivers], [Playboys]
Preferred Plots: [Full-strength Battles]
Disliked Plots: [Escape], [Forgetfulness], [Meaningless Death]
Psychological State: ‘Let's see. Judging by the remaining Ki... if I use it sparingly, I can live for another year and a half. One and a half years! Oh, it's tough! Within a year and a half, I have to pass on everything I know to my disciple...’
+
Hmm….
Hmm.
My face felt hot. I felt guilty for intruding on my Master’s thoughts... but that wasn’t all. Shame. A touch of emotion. I wasn't sure why, but my face was burning.
Ah. Am I really so weak to people's kindness?
-Khh. Zombie! Today really is my day! What incredible luck!
Of course, the emotion didn't last long.
A non-human ghost had shattered all tranquility.
-Well! Even in a different world, the way martial artists think is much the same, so it was not terribly different from our own martial world. Still, reading martial arts manuals again after so long feels great. Kyaa! Oh, right. Did the Nine Bows go well?
"......."
-What's with that glum face? Even your already unattractive face looks worse, zombie. You really need to work on your appearance.
If I had a favorability score, it would have just dropped by -10 points.
Ghosts really don’t understand the human heart.
[Shiny has stopped sobbing and looks up at the Hero.]
Shiny, who had been trembling all this while, finally stopped.
Indeed, it’s the Constellation that knows the human heart.
My favorability towards Shiny increased by 30.
“Oh, you're back?”
Viper spoke to us. His one eye immediately turned to look at me.
“Is the Nine Bows ceremony over?”
“Yes. I am now officially a disciple of the Demonic Cult.”
“Good. Congratulations.”
“So, how did you, Viper, come to form a master-disciple relationship with the Head of the Martial Alliance?”
Viper smirked and crossed his arms.
“Well, it just happened.”
“That’s what you said before.”
“What, you want to hear the whole story?”
“If that's possible.”
Viper crossed his arms, showing a sly smile that seemed to hold many secrets, then shook his head.
“Sorry, but it's impossible.”
Viper continued calmly.
“I just asked for his teachings. There wasn’t really anything special about it.”
Hmm.
Since the duel was over, I decided to look at Viper's psychological window.
『Tch. An old man nearing death... No, he’s now my master.
How could I refuse him, or tell anyone about it, when he came and bowed deeply to me despite having little life left, saying he wanted to give the Heavenly Demon a reason to live?
And that's from someone whose skills are far superior to mine...』
I looked at Viper feeling like I’d been hit on the head.
Viper.
He was a ‘real man.’
『Ah~, maybe because I lied, but the memories are flooding back.
The Head of the Martial Alliance and the Heavenly Demon occasionally spar, right? I've always thought those guys were something special.
So, while the two of them were seated, I talked with them about martial arts.
Suddenly, the Head of the Martial Alliance goes, ‘Wow! Really? To think there’s such a talent in the outside land! How lucky can it be!’ and he was shocked.
I was just scratching the back of my head, thinking, well, it's not much---
Then the Medicine King butts in as if wondering what all the fuss is about and says, ‘Ah, the Celestial Martial Clan Master may not look it, but he is a precious [comrade]. It is only natural that he should possess such skill, character, and looks.’
The Apothecary, her face turning red, chimed in,
‘Y-yes... Celestial Martial Clan Master, big broth... er... N-no! I did not say anything! Anyway, the Celestial Martial Clan Master is a top ranker in our world... You might say he is an idol whom the people of our world look up to... Ahaha, ha, hagyuu, I-I said something so embarrassing!’ she says, covering both cheeks.
I could only stare into the distance amidst this sudden downpour of facts.
Then the Head of the Martial Alliance, as if everything made sense, nodded,
‘Hey, hey, I am asking you! You unparalleled genius, please become my final direct disciple!’
Ah~ this is troublesome.
I just wanted to live quietly, but why is my life never peaceful...』
Yeah.
That's enough.
Viper.
He was, after all, a ‘true man.’
A man of culture.
“King of Death. And the leader of the Demonic Cult.”
The greatest ‘true man’ of this era shrugged his shoulders and spoke.
“I have one piece of good news and one piece of sad news to tell you.”
“What is it?”
“We succeeded.”
The answer to my question didn’t come from Viper. It was a much fainter, more delicate voice. The Apothecary's voice. Wearing thick-rimmed glasses, the Apothecary was walking towards us.
“The cure. We’ve successfully developed it. King of Death.”
"......."
The reason I didn't respond immediately wasn't because I was moved by the announcement of the development's completion.
The Apothecary is a genius. I had no doubt she would eventually develop a cure; it was just a matter of how long it would take.
I had spent a lot of time learning Divine Art of the Demonic Heaven. With the Medicine King's help, it was about time for the Apothecary to develop the cure.
“What? A cure has been developed?”
Master looked surprised.
“Is that true? If you’re lying, confess now. I am forgiving of one lie.”
“...Yes. It’s true.”
The Apothecary said.
“In fact, it was developed yesterday. We observed it for one more day because we needed to observe the clinical trial.”
“Clinical trial? What’s that?”
“It's to see whether the cure works properly or not. We used a corpse donated by the Heavenly Demon and the Head of the Martial Alliance for a day... Sorry. It was the body of the former Wudang sect leader.”
The Apothecary seemed to be forcing a blank expression.
“It had been dead for far too long for revival to be possible, but... the zombie virus... the infectious disease was cured, and it returned to being an ordinary corpse. Yes. There is nothing wrong with the cure.”
“If that's true, it’s a huge cause for celebration!”
Master was overjoyed.
“Amazing! The doctors and taoists of the martial realm tried everything, but they gave up. To think that just two people found a solution, it's no ordinary feat!”
“No. It's thanks to the material you provided, King of Death..."
"Enough with the modesty. Immediately treat that old man, the Great Axe Sage!”
Master grabbed the Apothecary’s hands.
Master’s joy was palpable in her gestures and body language.
“That old man acts tough and proud, but he doesn’t have many days left. He must know that, which is why he took a child of the outside land as his disciple. It is truly the providence of the Lord Above that the cure was developed before the old man passed away!”
“Yes... Of course, I’ll treat him. That’s why I came here...”
Then I spoke up.
“There's a problem with the cure.”
"......."
“Is that not the case, Boss?”
The Apothecary bowed her head. Her complexion was as faint as her voice. From the moment she said, ‘We’ve successfully developed the cure,’ the Apothecary avoided meeting my eyes. I had been feeling uneasy since then.
“No, there's nothing wrong with the cure... I made it myself. It's perfect. But…”
But…
“But what?”
“The Dantian must be destroyed.”
Thud.
A light footstep sounded.
“Demonic fiend. I too witnessed that long-nosed Taoist’s corpse return to normal. Just to be certain, I brought two or three more victims of the gangsi disease and tested them, with the same result. There is no doubting the efficacy of this young woman’s medicine.”
The Head of the Martial Alliance, the Great Axe Sage.
The elderly man in white martial robes slowly walked toward us.
“But you know as well. The two of us are already half-dead. Our bodies turned into corpses a long time ago and were forcibly kept alive.”
"......."
Master's face had hardened.
The Head of the Martial Alliance chuckled and stroked his beard.
“Surviving against Heaven's will all this time was an achievement. But it's time to pay the price.”
“…It’s been too long since both of you were infected with the zombie disease.”
The Apothecary spoke, opening her lips.
“If someone is not yet infected or was recently infected, a single vaccine dose could cure and prevent the disease. But for you two..."
The Apothecary bowed her head deeply and spoke quickly.
“There's no abnormality above the cervical Ki points. After taking the medicine, you'll return to normal, as you were before the infection. But below the cervical Ki points, your internal energy, what you call vital energy, is indistinguishable from the pathogen... in other words, from the Corrupt Energy.”
The condition of the lower Dantian is especially severe, the Apothecary explained.
“The channels through which your vital energy flows coincide with the paths spread by Corrupt Energy. Simply put, it's like needing to clean a corridor. But the cure is not a delicate tweezer but a blunt broom. You can't separate the dust and sand while sweeping the corridor with a broom. Your corridors are too clogged with dust, especially the lower Dantian is in a terrible state..."
The Dantian is where vital energy and Ki accumulate.
For a martial artist, it’s as important as life itself.
“We need to remove all of it.”
“…To remove means.”
Master spoke.
“What do you mean by 'remove'?”
“It has to be eliminated."
The Apothecary’s voice was strained.
“We will perform surgery.”
“...To remove a tumor from the Dantian? That’s manageable. There will be a loss of energy, but at our level, it can be quickly restored.”
“No. We are going to excise the entire area.”
"......."
“You don't have to doubt the success of the surgery. We've already conducted clinical surgeries. I am not a surgical specialist, but the Medicine King is skilled, and I am capable of assisting. So..."
“Their skill in performing the procedure is remarkable.”
The Head of the Martial Alliance interjected.
“I realized that for medical treatment, we should look beyond the martial world to the outside world. Watching from the side, it was miraculous. Demonic fiend, you should watch it yourself if you get the chance.”
“Namgung Woon.”
“As for me...”
The Head of the Martial Alliance coughed.
“I will undergo the procedure.”
"......."
“Anyway, what I'd lose in terms of Ki is just a handful. There’s nothing to regret or lament. It’s fortunate that I took a disciple in my old age. Even if my Dantian is removed, I’ll have the mental clarity to teach my disciple, and the disciple is a genius who understands ten things from one word.”
The Head of the Martial Alliance looked at his long-time rival.
“We are martial artists. The Martial Way is about the heart. As long as the heart remains, the martial way continues. Isn't that right, BaekHyang?”
Master did not respond.
Throughout the night, the Head of the Martial Alliance underwent the procedure. By dawn, the Apothecary and Medicine King informed us that the surgery was completed.
The surgery was successful.
4.
At dawn, the snowfield took on the color of shadow.
"Master."
"......."
Master stood alone at the entrance of the cave, looking down at the world turned into shadows. Her long black sleeves fluttered in the wind.
The scenery was distant.
Master’s back seemed even more distant than the landscape.
“Master.”
“...Has the result of the procedure been revealed?”
“Yes."
“How did it go?”
“It was successful.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes."
“That’s how it is.”
Master's gaze was fixed on the void.
“My disciple.”
“Yes."
“In my youth, I wanted to cut down all the cold of the world.”
Master spoke.
“Ever since I was young, I detested winter. The snow falling in winter was lamentable. Why should there be seasons in the world, and in each season, a winter that takes lives with its passing, I wondered.”
A world forever frozen in winter.
A woman born with a Glacial Body and Extreme Yin Body hated the season most similar to her.
“I was confident that I could execute those who freeze the world, even if I couldn't cut down the cold of the world with a single sword. I remember when I first emerged in the martial world. It was also in the heart of winter.”
I noticed something different about Master.
A Sword.
Master held a sword in her right hand. There was no crossguard, just the hilt and the blade. Unlike the other transparent swords, Master's sword was a dark ink color.
A sword that refused to become transparent.
I had never seen it before, but I guessed what it was.
“Lethal Demon Blood Sword......"
“Yes.”
Master murmured softly.
“When I first emerged into the martial world, I put something to the test. It was youthful folly. I took the phrase ‘all the cold under heaven’ literally as a thing beneath heaven and tried to cut down a snowy mountain.”
Master breathed.
Her breath in the dawn was white.
In the white-touched sky, high mountain peaks soared.
“Back then, I could not even cut away the mountain's lower slopes...”
Master raised her sword.
“I wonder how it will be now. I’m curious.”
The sword swung.
It was a slow motion.
Master’s long sleeves needed time to follow her movements. The black sleeves fluttered freely in the air as the world seemed to pause for a moment. Master’s sleeve danced freely in the still air.
“Baraya,”
Sword dance.
“Baraya,”
Sword shaman.
“I am Baraya,”
The sword priestess swirled with the dance of the sword.
“My heart is a candle.”
And then.
“I shall burn this place.”
The snowy mountain was cut.
The snowy peak, embracing no trees and exposing no rock, meaningless except for the fact that it was there, was cut.
The mountain's scream resembled thunder. Following the echoing scream, a white snowstorm burst forth. The snowy mountain crumbled from its peak and raised a wave of snow, which raced downward in overlapping layers. It collapsed and collapsed again. A blizzard, not of the heavens but created by that woman, swept over the dawn.
"......."
Master exhaled.
“In the end, I cut only the peak. I cut the mountain with my heart, yet failed to cut it through, so Killing Heart remains far beyond me. This is the final realm I attained.”
“My disciple.”
Master turned to look at me.
A single great mountain was crumbling into white.
“I will undergo the procedure.”
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