Chapter 60: Death Is A Cold Path (1)
The intervention of the Grand Elder was a shock to everyone.
Telling Yi-gang to prepare to ascend to the position of Young Clan Head. Although Clan Head Baek Ryu-san had fallen, this wasn’t the first time something like this happened.
Despite the suddenness of the statement, no one dared to oppose it openly.
Baek Do-yeom, who supported Yi-gang, held back his laughter, while Baek Seo-ok, who supported Ha-jun, remained silent.
However, in the quiet hall, someone’s laughter flowed.
“Pfss. Keuk. Huh.”
He tried to stifle his laughter but couldn’t.
It was Baek Jin-tae.
“Hehe, hahaha.”
As he tried to hold back his laughter with his hand over his mouth, sharp glares were directed at him, showing their displeasure.
“Jin-tae.”
“Kuk, yes, Grand Elder.”
It was the Grand Elder who approached such a Baek Jin-tae.
Kneeling, Baek Jin-tae looked up at his grandmother and said, “Heh, heh, Yi-gang has grown up so much…”
He spoke as if making an excuse, even though no one had asked him to.
Grand Elder smiled gently, patting Baek Jin-tae’s head. Even though Baek Jin-tae was already middle-aged, to her, he was just a young grandson.
“Yes, he has grown up quite a lot.”
“Hehe, yes, heh.”
Not just Baek Jin-tae, everyone else probably thought the same. The Yi-gang who returned was no longer the naive young man they once knew.
Baek Jin-tae suppressed his breath, barely holding back his laughter.
The uncontrollable laughter. The ailment he acquired during his youth had not been cured even as he aged.
Every time he would burst into involuntary laughter, he felt like his insides were being torn apart. His seemingly cheerful disposition was more of a mask.
Even if his innermost feelings were dark, he would end up laughing out loud.
Given that, it was better to live in such a way that nobody could see through Baek Jin-tae’s true feelings.
A cold bead of sweat slid down the neck of him trying to hold back his laughter.
The place Yi-gang headed straight to wasn’t his residence. He went to see his father.
Yi-gang was alone in the garden behind the Red Dragon Hall.
In the garden with a small pond, there was a round building. It was the place where the Clan Head would stay when his health worsened.
In the spring, flowers would bloom, and carps would leap from the pond, but the garden in winter, covered with snow, was melancholic.
“It’s me, Yi-gang.”
In front of the building, Yi-gang announced his arrival like that.
No response came.
「Go in and see.」
Even if the Immortal Divine Sword hadn’t said so, Yi-gang had intended to do just that.
Just then, a doctor opened the door and came out. He was the chief physician for the Clan Head.
“Please come in, Young Master.”
Yi-gang followed him inside.
The doctor stopped Yi-gang before the curtain.
“Wait here for a moment… Clan Head.”
Then, a frail and weak voice echoed.
“Wait, cough. Let him wait there.”
The doctor bowed to Yi-gang and went inside first. Sounds of rustling came from beyond the curtain.
While waiting, Yi-gang gently closed his eyes.
The smell of medicinal herbs lingered in the air.
And a faint smell of blood.
The peculiar stench emitted by someone who had been bedridden for a long time.
He couldn’t help but recall his past life.
The day he was first moved from a six-bed ward to the ICU. The beeping of medical equipment. The smell of alcohol, the scent of a critically ill patient.
The scent of death.
“You may come in.”
Hearing a voice that seemed to be making an effort to sound fine, Yi-gang opened the curtain and entered.
The Clan Head was sitting up in his bed, fully dressed.
“Why are you not lying down…”
“I haven’t become that weak.”
It seemed he had made Yi-gang wait to straighten out his clothes.
However, even so, he couldn’t hide the signs of illness. On the silk cloth dropped on the floor, there were bright traces of coagulated blood.
“You must be feeling quite unwell.”
“It’s alright. It’s not the first time I’ve felt this. The cold weather of winter probably aggravates it.”
The Clan Head’s lung disease was an old ailment. He had even coughed up blood and collapsed once the winter before last.
“More importantly, I want to hear your story.”
Even the Iron-blooded Clan Head became weak when ill. Sensing a difference in his father’s demeanor, Yi-gang shared his experiences from his visit to the Azure Forest.
“I will tell you.”
Upon hearing the tale of capturing the Twin-Headed Ghost Tiger, the Clan Head smiled lightly. When he spoke of his encounter with the Azure Forest Lord, the Clan Head’s eyes widened in surprise.
He hadn’t yet mentioned the story about the Immortal Divine Sword, so he had to omit certain details, but it was still an intriguing tale.
Especially upon hearing about the offer to join the Azure Forest and the claim that they could heal Yi-gang’s body, the Clan Head showed an intense reaction.
“Go to the Azure Forest.”
“Father.”
“Go. If it means saving your life, it’s the best path.”
His tone was surprisingly firm. Sending one’s son to another sect, especially from the Clan Head’s perspective, would not be easy.
“Or do you really wish to become the Young Clan Head, as Grand Elder suggested?”
“That’s not what I want.”
“Even after recovering your health?”
“Yes.”
That was Yi-gang’s genuine feelings. Being the Clan Head of the Baek Clan wasn’t an easy position.
Aside from the busyness of leading the clan, there’s also the pressure from the elders of the Council.
“In that case, Ha-jun has to take over.”
“I heard he was injured by a sword.”
“If it had gone even a tad deeper, he would have died.”
Saying this, the Clan Head clenched his fist tightly. His anger seemed as if, had Ha-jun’s attacker been before him, he would have torn them apart on the spot.
Yi-gang, too, tried to calm his boiling emotions and continued. This time, he shared some good news.
“I’ve brought something from the Azure Forest.”
He had received the Red-White Tuber Fleeceflower as a reward for a matter related to the rage insect. With it, they had made a special pill, which he believed could help the ailing Clan Head, whose lung disease had worsened.
Moreover, he mentioned that one of the Four Divine Physicians, Golden Needle Phantom, would visit next year. With his help, it might even be possible to cure the believed incurable lung disease.
However, the Clan Head’s reaction was more subdued than earlier.
“I had suspected that Golden Needle Phantom was from a Taoist sect, but it seems he’s a master from the Azure Forest.”
That was his only comment, followed by a nod.
“Aren’t you pleased?”
“You’ve been through a lot.”
Yi-gang showed the pill, made from Red-White Tuber Fleeceflower, to the Clan Head.
A clear scent quickly filled the room. The Clan Head gazed intensely at it and then handed it to the doctor.
“How does it seem?”
Even if Golden Needle Phantom was a renowned physician, he’s still from another sect. It was essential for the chief physician, the head of the Medical Division, to inspect it before the Clan Head could consume it.
Knowing this, Golden Needle Phantom had listed the ingredients of the pill and attached it to the package.
The head of the Medical Division’s eyes widened in surprise.
“This is… truly the work of one of the Four Divine Physicians. Such a meticulous combination!”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, and not only that. Besides the inner elixir of the Ghost Tiger and the Red-White Tuber Fleeceflower, it contains many rare herbs. It will undoubtedly greatly aid the Clan Head’s condition!”
“Anything else?”
The delighted physician looked puzzled by the Clan Head’s question.
“What other benefits does this pill provide?”
“It maximizes the body’s healing capabilities. And thanks to the inner pill of the Twin-Headed Ghost Tiger, it will also replenish one’s True Qi. Rather than being just a medicine for lung disease… it’s more like a versatile elixir.”
“It would be beneficial for the injured as well.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Very well. Cough.”
After a brief, harsh cough, the Clan Head spoke, “Administer it to Ha-jun on my behalf.”
“Father!”
Yi-gang looked at the Clan Head.
The Clan Head met Yi-gang’s gaze. Yi-gang felt an unyielding stubbornness in his father’s eyes.
“Didn’t you say Golden Needle Phantom is coming next year? Do you think I, who have endured for decades, will not survive this winter?”
“Even so…”
“Yi-gang. Death is a cold path.”
It was an off-topic comment, but Yi-gang remained silent.
“Your mother passed away. You might not remember it since you were too young, but as you live on, you’ll witness the deaths of those close to you.”
“Yes…”
“Usually, one witnesses the death of their parents first. It’s an incredibly sorrowful event. Cough, Cough. And even more heart-wrenching is the death of a sibling.”
The father’s voice was heavy.
“Did you know that Jin-tae and I had a younger sister? Had she been alive, she would have been your aunt.”
“I wasn’t aware.”
“She died long before you were born.”
It was a story he’d never heard. What kind of death had it been that no one had ever spoken of it?
“It was a horrendous experience, as if one’s insides were burning. If Ha-jun dies, you will feel the same.”
“…I suppose so.”
It probably would be so. The Clan Head continued speaking as if he wasn’t finished, “And more than anything, they say the most terrible pain is the death of one’s child.”
“The death of a child.”
“It’s a pain as if one’s heartstrings are being torn. I’ve seen it before. A mother who has lost a child wails as if she’s a wild beast.”
Yi-gang found himself unable to answer.
A previous life cut short. How had his mother wept at the death of her son?
“Are you intending to cause me such pain?”
The remark was about feeding Ha-jun the elixir.
In the end, Yi-gang had no choice but to nod.
“Alright… go now.”
Just as when he entered, Yi-gang left holding the elixir in his bosom.
He heard the sound of his father collapsing onto the bed. Indeed, his father had only been pretending to be healthy in front of Yi-gang.
Yi-gang trudged through the snow-covered rear garden.
The winter sky was a dull grey.
「In the face of a child struggling between life and death, any father would make such a choice.」
‘Did you expect this?’
「Do you think I, who have experienced so much, would not foresee what my descendants might think?」 the Immortal Divine Sword spoke, circling around Yi-gang.
Under normal circumstances, Yi-gang would have smirked, but now his mind was too clouded to do so.
‘Death is a cold path.’
He recalled his father’s words and the Azure Forest Lord’s hints.
Before Yi-gang left, Forest Lord whispered something to him. At that time, Shooting Star Fang was disabled, ensuring that the Immortal Divine Sword couldn’t hear.
“If you wish to maintain your trust with the Immortal Divine Sword, don’t speak of its past.”
Seeing Yi-gang’s suspicious glance, Forest Lord grinned and continued, “However, there are people in this world who won’t show their pain unless you ask.”
“In that case…”
“If you truly care for it, perhaps it would be best if you reached out first. After all, this world isn’t that warm. Hasn’t it been wandering for a whole century without attaining Nirvana?”
With those words, Forest Lord left.
Yi-gang had always believed that not asking was for the Immortal Divine Sword’s benefit.
But he wasn’t entirely sure now.
‘I have something to ask.’
「Oh? What’s with that serious face?」
‘Grand Elder would be your granddaughter, right?’
「That’s… correct.」
Laughter vanished from the Immortal Divine Sword’s expression.
‘You must’ve recognized her right away, given the surprised look you had back then.’
The moment Grand Elder appeared, parting the curtains, the Immortal Divine Sword froze as if it had turned to ice.
「Hmph, seeing my granddaughter might have startled me.」
‘When I first attended the Elder’s Council. Back then, you completely hid within the sword and didn’t show yourself at all.’
「…What are you trying to say?」
‘When Ancestor passed away. I know they lived to be 112 years old. It must’ve been quite a long life.’
「Indeed.」
‘And since Grand Elder was only three years old when you passed… you must’ve spent little time together.’
The Immortal Divine Sword couldn’t reply. It seemed anxious for some reason.
Yi-gang glanced at it briefly and then looked down at the pond.
He hadn’t tried hard to dig into it, but he had naturally noticed the peculiarities concerning the Immortal Divine Sword.
‘When you passed away, the Forest Lord of Azure Forest hadn’t even been born yet.’
That was odd. The time the Immortal Divine Sword was believed to have died was before the Azure Forest Lord was even born.
Yet both the Immortal Divine Sword and Azure Forest Lord claimed to have met each other. If the Immortal Divine Sword truly died at the age of 112, this was impossible.
「Enough.」
‘Considering Forest Lord is over ninety, I didn’t initially think about it. Even if the Baek Clan is known for longevity, I never thought you’d be around 140 years old.’
The Immortal Divine Sword had not died at 112, but had lived at least up to the age of 140.
Its expression shifted from one of rage to one of anguish. Just as it couldn’t express its anger towards Forest Lord, it couldn’t show it to Yi-gang either.
‘There were no records of you being active after the age of 112, so you must have gone into hiding on your own.’
「You…」
‘In the underground space of the manor where the Shooting Star Fang was found, there were straw ropes. And in the place where the Azure Forest sealed the Pixiu necklace, the same style of straw ropes were present.’
That too was one of the suspicious points. Who on earth placed the meteorite sword in the manor, where the Immortal Divine Sword once resided, and sealed it with those straw ropes?
‘In your last years, when you went to the Azure Forest, was it perhaps to tie your own soul to the earth?’
The Immortal Divine Sword couldn’t answer.
‘To remain in the world even after death?’
Whether it was an affirmation or denial, it could be discerned from its expression.
“After leaving the world, going into hiding, and even after death, remaining in this cold world…”
「…」
“…What on earth were you waiting for?”
The composed expression that the Immortal Divine Sword had been desperately maintaining crumbled.
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