Chapter 507: If Only Another Lifespan Could Be Extended

TL: FoodieMonster007

This very feeling was the desire boiling deep within Seo Daeryong's chest.

"Of course, I know very well that I could be a burden. But I want to fight for Master, too."

He couldn't just wait idly in the safehouse when his master might be in danger.

It would have been better if Geom Mugeuk had at least joked that he would make an excellent hostage for the enemies. Instead, he just stared at him in silence.

I shouldn't have said that.

He almost died in the temporary prison if it hadn't been for Jang Ho. That was still the extent of his skill.

His desire to save his master was sincere, but he knew he couldn't become a burden in this important matter.

Seo Daeryong smiled and changed his tune. "I was just saying. You know me, right? Have you ever seen me go anywhere dangerous? I'll be waiting at the safehouse for you and Master to return, Young Cult Leader."

Having said it, his pride was wounded and a sense of regret lingered. He added awkwardly, "Is there any way to get dramatically stronger in just three days?"

At that, Geom Mugeuk abruptly held up three fingers before launching himself away.

"Where are you going? Young Cult Leader!"

But Geom Mugeuk had already vanished from sight.

Seo Daeryong was puzzled.

Why did he hold up three fingers?

Was it because I asked if there was a way to get stronger in three days? Or was it because the Mount Phoenix Sword Sect meeting is in three days? Whichever it was, was there really a need to hold up his fingers like that?

Where did he go so suddenly?

The vanished Geom Mugeuk did not return after two hours, nor after four. He didn't come back until Seo Daeryong let out a playful sigh.

"You've forgotten about me, haven't you? I get it now. You meant you'll be back in three days, right?"

It was at that very moment. With the sound of wind, someone landed behind him.

"My movement arts are too fast for that."

Seo Daeryong turned around in surprise. "Where have you been… huh?"

He couldn't finish his sentence.

Geom Mugeuk was drenched in sweat. For him to sweat this much with his level of martial arts was as if he had unified all of murim, truly.

"Did you go and unify all of Chongqing or something?"

"If I had, I'd be drenched in blood, not sweat."

As he said this, Geom Mugeuk took a small box from his robes.

"What is this?"

"The answer to your question."

"My question? What did I ask?"

"Open it."

When Seo Daeryong took the box and opened it, he found a single pill glowing with a brilliant blue light. It was a pill that radiated an extraordinary energy at a single glance.

"No, I refuse! I won't eat it. I'd rather die than eat it!"

"How can you refuse when you don't even know what it is?"

"It's one of those miracle herbs, isn't it? I won't be indebted to you any further, Young Cult Leader. Please give this to that martial artist, or to General Jang."

"It's not a miracle herb."

"…It's not?"

As Seo Daeryong remained suspicious, Geom Mugeuk revealed the pill's identity.

"It's called the Explosive Strength Pill. It will allow you to unleash your demonic art more powerfully, but in exchange, your lifespan will be shortened. You asked, didn't you? If there was a way to get stronger in three days? Well, here it is."

Seo Daeryong looked down at the pill with trembling eyes.

"How much will my lifespan be shortened?"

"It's different for everyone. It could be a year, or it could be ten years."

The brilliant blue light seemed to be seducing him, trying to suck away a person's life. Just then, the face of the Blood Heaven Blade Demon superimposed itself over the pill.

Master.

For his strong Master to be in such a situation meant he was in danger.

Others might not, but I can't just stand by.

The locks that bind people together often aren't forged by grand events. Looking back, they were trivial things, and it was the same with the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.

The lock clicked into place the moment he realized his neat and tidy Master had let him, a drunkard, sleep in his own bed. His Master could have thrown the misbehaving drunk into any room, or even a stable, but he had let him sleep in his own bed.

It was sealed then. I'm going to like this person from now on.

Today, on the line of fate connecting him and his master, Seo Daeryong took another step.

"You never know, right? If Master is truly in danger, maybe I'll be able to save him because I took this pill."

"Your lifespan could be shortened by ten, no, even twenty years."

"It's fine, as long as another's lifespan can be extended instead."

Without hesitation, Seo Daeryong gulped down the pill. Why did this terrible medicine taste so sweet?

In any case, now that he had taken the medicine, Geom Mugeuk hurriedly had him circulate his qi. "Dissolve the pill with your cultivation technique."

Seo Daeryong sat down and began to circulate his qi. Geom Mugeuk helped him dissolve the pill by infusing a stream of qi into his back.

He circulated his true qi for one cycle, then two, then three. With Geom Mugeuk's help, the pill's effects were completely absorbed into Seo Daeryong's body.

Finishing his circulation, Seo Daeryong opened his eyes. His gaze was much clearer and deeper than before he had absorbed the pill. His first words after checking his body's condition were, "It's not, is it? That kind of strange pill."

From his qi center, he could feel an inner arts so profound it was incomparable to before.

Geom Mugeuk's relaxed smile served as his answer.

"What kind of pill was it?"

Then came an unexpected name. "The Azure Jade Divine Pill."

At the words the Azure Jade Divine Pill, Seo Daeryong was stunned. It was a miracle herb even more effective at increasing inner arts than the Demonic Essence Pill he had taken before. It wasn't a pill that made you stronger by shortening your lifespan.

"This precious thing!"

"I figured you wouldn't take it if I just gave it to you."

"Of course I wouldn't. Take back the inner arts!"

"Unfortunately, I haven't learned the Star Absorbing Demonic Art."

"Young Cult Leader!" Seo Daeryong stared at Geom Mugeuk with trembling eyes.

"You were lucky. Fortunately, there was one left in a certain place."

It was an era where miracle herbs were hard to find even with money, but Geom Mugeuk had the vast experience from before his regression. He knew better than anyone who sold what and where. Besides, he also had the money he earned from the previous affair.

"The Elder will be happy when he hears you were willing to help even by shortening your own lifespan. He'll scold you on the outside, calling you a fool, but he'll be truly moved. I'll even take the credit for that."

Seo Daeryong felt embarrassed and burdened.

"Actually, I knew it was a miracle herb. There's no way you'd make me take a pill like that, Young Cult Leader. And you made up the name on the spot, didn't you? How tacky is the Explosive Strength Pill? Don't even think about tricking me again! I was the top entrant of the Sanzu River Hall! I'm not some pushover who gets fooled easily!"

Of course, to Geom Mugeuk, he was the biggest pushover in the world.

"I'll have to be careful around that top entrant from now on. He just pops things in his mouth without knowing what they are!"

"That's not true, it's not!"

Seo Daeryong was happy. His lack of inner arts was his greatest weakness compared to his formidable Heaven Destroying Demonic Blade Technique, and Geom Mugeuk had just compensated for it.

How am I ever supposed to repay all this kindness?

Just then, Geom Mugeuk held up two fingers.

"Right, what on earth does that mean? It's two this time."

"It means I'm going to show you the second way to get stronger in three days."

Geom Mugeuk went into his quarters and came out with something. It was protective armor. It was one of the sets of armor he had acquired from the report given by the head of the Eunhan Trading Company as a gift to his father, which he had obtained by wearing four layers.

The White Scale Armor. As its name suggested, the protective armor was a pure white color.

"I thought it would suit you. I was planning to give it to you anyway."

It suited him even more today. For a man willing to risk his own lifespan for his master, this pure white armor was a perfect fit.

"No, I'm really fine." Seo Daeryong waved his hands and stepped back. "Please don't make me into such a shameless person."

"I'm lending it to you."

Of course, Seo Daeryong didn't believe him. He'd say that and then give it to him anyway.

"For how long?"

"About fifty years?"

Seo Daeryong's expression said, 'I knew it'.

Then, words came from Geom Mugeuk that stopped him in his tracks. "Didn't you say you wanted to help the Elder?"

Geom Mugeuk approached and handed him the White Scale Armor. Then he opened his own collar to show what was inside. He was wearing the Flying Black Dragon Armor.

"I'm wearing one too, so how dare you refuse?"

"No, that's not the issue!"

"If you were sincere when you said you wanted to help Master, then wear it."

How could he refuse when Geom Mugeuk put it like that? Seo Daeryong took off his clothes and put on the White Scale Armor. Right, not dying would be helping Geom Mugeuk.

The burden was a burden, but the White Scale Armor was absolutely amazing.

"Ah, this is really great! It's so comfortable it feels like I'm not even wearing it."

"It's that thin and comfortable, yet it can block most sword qi."

Seo Daeryong planted his giant dao in the ground and looked at his reflection in the blade. It was so unfamiliar. The treasured armor, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon's disciple wearing that treasured armor, and even the giant dao reflecting this image.

"It suits you well."

"I must have saved you in a past life, Young Cult Leader."

Geom Mugeuk smiled meaningfully.

Sorry, but the one who saved me was Lee Ahn. You must have saved me in a life before that.

Geom Mugeuk looked far into the future.

"In fifty years, if you don't forget and return this saying you used it well, won't we laugh, remembering this day fifty years ago? We'll have a great time that day, reminiscing about the old days."

The thought of that moment made Seo Daeryong's heart swell with emotion.

"Will I still be alive then?"

"That's why you should always wear it."

And as if there was still one more thing left, Geom Mugeuk once again showed a single finger.

"What is it this time?"

"The last of the three ways to get stronger in three days." The final gift of the day remained.

"You've increased your inner arts, and you're wearing treasured armor, so now it's time to fight."

Seo Daeryong's eyes widened. He realized Geom Mugeuk intended to give him real combat training.

"Since the Elder is here, I won't teach you martial arts. But a practical duel should be fine."

To receive a practical duel from the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's Young Cult Leader was a miraculous encounter that couldn't be bought even with a mountain of gold.

Geom Mugeuk announced the start of the duel with a nonsensical remark. "I'm the incarnation of greed, you know, but I've given away too many precious things. Don't you think I'll feel better after I beat you up a bit?"

Seo Daeryong neither refused nor rejoiced. He simply stared at Geom Mugeuk in silence.

When the first practical duel ended, Seo Daeryong was crying. He had tried so hard not to cry, not to make Geom Mugeuk feel burdened, but tears streamed down his face. Do I deserve to be loved this much?

"Did it hurt that much?"

Seo Daeryong answered without lifting his head. "Yes, it hurt so much. Do you feel better now?"

Geom Mugeuk's voice reached his bowed head. "No, this is just the beginning. Get up."

The tears did not stop easily.

Standing by the window, Geom Woojin was watching his son and Seo Daeryong.

Hwi stood a step behind him, also watching the scene. He wondered what the Cult Leader was thinking right now.

If it were me, I would be proud, Cult Leader.

If he had a son like that. It was a life he could never have.

After watching his son in silence, Geom Woojin slowly walked to the tea table, poured some tea, and drank it.

"You also heard me say that the one who caused this incident might be in my past, didn't you?"

"Yes, Cult Leader."

After hearing those words, his son's statement kept lingering in his mind.

"Did anyone come to your mind?"

"No, no one."

Then Geom Woojin said abruptly, "I have one person in mind."

Hwi looked at Geom Woojin with a surprised face.

"I had completely forgotten about him, but as I looked back on the past, he came to mind. There was one person who weighs on my mind."

Geom Woojin fiddled with his empty teacup. "He is already a dead man."

"Then why do you think of him?"

Geom Woojin answered as he poured tea into his cup. "We never found his body at the time."

"!"

What if it really was him? So much time has passed.

Geom Woojin quietly drank his tea, thinking of the person who might have returned, piercing through all those years.

The practical duel training continued until the morning of the third day. They dueled, sparing only time for meals and cutting into their sleeping hours.

This practical training was on a different level from any training he had done before.

Seo Daeryong crossed the threshold of death countless times. There were too many close calls. A series of moments where he thought, ah, this is how I die.

But he didn't die. Because his duel opponent was Geom Mugeuk.

It was a duel solely for Seo Daeryong. It was training and teaching meant to pull him to the next level, and then the level after that.

Not a single word was said, but his incorrect postures and habits were corrected. Not a single word was said, but he was taught how to move in this situation and how to react in that one. As sword and blade clashed, he learned with his body.

That was why with every move he made, Seo Daeryong felt his skills improving. He didn't know it, but his skills were actually improving.

He had really said it as a joke. Asking if there was a way to get dramatically stronger in three days.

The giant dao on Seo Daeryong's back glinted in the morning sun. The Seo Daeryong of three days ago and the Seo Daeryong of now were different people.

"Daeryong."

"Yes, Young Cult Leader."

"What should we do now?"

Seo Daeryong could tell. He knew what Geom Mugeuk was feeling as he asked this question. He knew why he had poured so much of his heart and soul into him for the past three days.

So that he wouldn't feel like a burden.

So that you could be the one to say these words.

"I'm going to save Master now. Will you come with me?"