Chapter 81: Scoundrel (3)

After he’d fed Baek Cheon every last rice ball and poured water down his throat to help him digest, Il-mok washed his hands with the leftover water.

"Phew."

Only then did Il-mok release the pressure points he'd sealed.

Baek Cheon, whom Il-mok had force-fed, wore a strange expression instead of having a fit.

His body, which had been screaming like it was dying, had become a little more comfortable now that some food had entered his stomach.

He’d been wondering why he should even bother living just a moment ago, but with a bit of sugar in his system, his mind had calmed.

For some reason, Baek Cheon felt utterly ridiculous for the comfort he was now experiencing.

While Baek Cheon was lost in complex emotions, Il-mok finished washing his hands and addressed him.

"So, you think dying is better because of one little mistake?"

"Yeah."

Hearing Baekcheon’s slightly more subdued reply, Il-mok sighed internally.

"I don't get it."

“Someone as high-and-mighty as you wouldn’t. You were chosen by the Heavenly Demon; you’ve never known anything but success."

“Can you stop with the bullshit? It’s only been about a year since I became the Master’s disciple.”

“That’s exactly my point. I’ve heard about what you’ve pulled off in just one year. Things others couldn’t manage in ten, you could pull it off in just one year. How would you know what failure feels like?”

“Hah. I don’t know what garbage you’ve been listening to, but it sounds like you haven’t heard a thing about what I was doing before I became the Master’s disciple.”

"???"

Baek Cheon wore a puzzled expression. Indeed, he hadn't heard anything about Il-mok's background before becoming the Heavenly Demon's disciple.

“My relatives all died when I was thirteen, making me an orphan. It’s all thanks to an innkeeper uncle’s kindness that I could barely survive by working as a waiter for two years.”

"!?"

"As if that wasn't enough, the Murim Alliance raided the inn because Master just happened to visit. Even that innkeeper uncle ended up kicking the bucket. It’s only because Master saw something in me that I’m still alive.”

Of course, it was less ‘seeing something in him’ and more ‘passing some kind of twisted test.’ The man had held a sword to his throat, after all.

But bringing that up would be like badmouthing the Heavenly Demon, so Il-mok just glossed over it. He had zero interest in joining this guy in the Three Steps, One Bow punishment.

"So by your logic, I should have just died at thirteen since my life was such a failure.”

Baek Cheon was momentarily speechless.

He'd only thought of Il-mok as heaven’s chosen lucky bastard, so he hadn't even imagined that he had lived such an unfortunate life.

"In that sense, aren't you luckier than I? Unlike me, who was an orphan and a waiter, you were a direct descendant of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s Five Great Families from birth."

Truth be told, Il-mok didn’t really care that he’d been a waiter.

His dream was to earn just enough to get by, play around, and relax rather than climb to a high position and suffer from overwork.

He was just framing his past to sound unfortunate for Baek Cheon’s benefit.

"That's why I really can't understand. As a direct descendant of the Five Great Families, you could live comfortably by doing nothing, so why are you spouting suicidal crap just because of one failure?"

Il-mok asked with genuine curiosity.

If Il-mok himself had been born into a prestigious family, he would have just trained moderately and taken it easy. That alone would have been enough to live comfortably.

After a moment of silent contemplation, Baek Cheon sighed and opened his mouth.

“…You’ve probably heard that my nickname before entering the Hall of the Demonic Way was the Baek Family’s good-for-nothing, the scoundrel of my family.”

“…I did hear something like that right before our match."

When the other person switched to formal speech, Il-mok responded in kind. Though he wasn't sure why the conversation had suddenly shifted to the nickname.

"Since I was young, I hated having things taken from me more than I feared death itself. It was probably because of my brother. Just because he was born a few years before me, I was constantly compared to him, and the good things always went to my older brother first."

"Hmm...."

Il-mok nodded with a curious sound.

He wasn't sure about modern times, but it was quite a common story in this era. Even back in his Seo Ji-hoon days, it was something he’d often seen or heard growing up. The eldest son always came first in the family.

"So as a child, I threw tantrums and caused trouble. Begging for attention. Demanding they give me the same things they gave my brother."

"I see."

"That habit stuck with me even when I first entered the Hall of the Demonic Way, but my thinking changed a bit as I got older. I realized that such a method could bring immediate benefits, but it was a losing game in the long run."

"So the solution you came up with was to achieve excellent results at the Hall and gain recognition from your family?"

"That's right."

"I see...."

Il-mok nodded as if he understood, then delivered his verdict.

“Your vision is about as broad as a soy sauce dish.”

"!?"

Baek Cheon's eyes widened in astonishment.

Ignoring this reaction, Il-mok continued his criticism.

"Though he held different views from the Divine Cult, the ancient sage Confucius said he set his mind on learning at fifteen. Yet here you are at seventeen, thinking only about gaining attention from your family elders. How incredibly small-minded is that?”

From the beginning, Il-mok had no intention of comforting or soothing Baek Cheon. He was only trying to knock some sense into the guy’s thick skull.

If you always jump to defend someone just because you feel sorry for them, you’ll end up spoiling them rotten. Sometimes, you have to scold them even if you feel bad.

Besides, this kid wasn’t his, so why should he go out of his way to console him?

‘Though why I am lecturing someone else’s kid was beyond me.’

While Il-mok was inwardly grumbling, Baek Cheon rose to object.

“Are you calling the approval of my Baek Family, one of the main lineages of the Demonic Path, ‘just’ something trivial?”

"I know your family is prominent, but it's still just one family. In the grand scheme of things, it's nothing special. Even without discussing the world at large, just within the Divine Cult, there are four other families of similar standing, not to mention my Master who stands above them all."

"......."

Unable to find a rebuttal, Baek Cheon hesitated, then his face grew gloomy once more.

"Then all the more reason I should die. I couldn't even manage the small feat of being recognized in a family. I can't even dream of doing bigger things."

"Stop talking such dumb crap. Think of Emperor Gaozu of Han. Until the final Battle of Gaixia, he lost almost every single battle to the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, yet in the end, it was Emperor Gaozu of Han who unified the realm. Failures are commonplace when you are pursuing great ambitions. That's because such endeavors are inherently difficult. That’s why the most important thing is an unbreakable spirit, wouldn't you agree?”

"!!!"

As if having reached some epiphany, Baek Cheon wore a surprised expression.

Now that the conversation seemed to be progressing, Il-mok moved beyond shock therapy and offered sincere advice.

“So, before you go setting grand ambitions, take a good, hard look at yourself first.”

"At myself?"

"That's right. If you're going to set a grand ambition, shouldn't you first figure out what you truly want to do? What do you love the most?"

Il-mok himself had done some reflection, embraced a grand ambition—to slack off and live comfortably—and was forging ahead with an unbreakable spirit.

Though constantly hindered by his Master and Jin Hayeon, his spirit remained unbroken.

Il-mok continued his heartfelt advice.

"Let me be blunt. If your family elders told you to die for their recognition, would you do it? Of course not. So, stop worrying about the Baek Cheon that others see and figure out the Baek Cheon that you wanted yourself to be.”

Regardless of what others said, Il-mok's desire to live comfortably remained unchanged.

That was the very core of Il-mok himself.

"You'll have to be doing the Three Steps, One Bow for a while anyway, so you’ve got plenty of time on your hands."

Even after Il-mok finished speaking, Baek Cheon remained silent for a while.

He wasn't ignoring Il-mok's words. He was simply organizing Il-mok's words in his head with a blank expression.

And having finished organizing things to some extent, Baek Cheon, whose eyes had become clearer, spoke cautiously. "I understand what Confucius said. But I'm not sure if I can truly make a comeback. Having spoken disrespectfully to the Heavenly Demon, can I ever realize my ambitions?"

“Tsk. You still don’t get it. If your ambition is firm, others' opinions don't matter. Besides, I’m the one who heard those insults, and I’ve forgiven you. So why should you care what anyone else thinks?”

"!!!"

For a moment, Baek Cheon showed a moved expression at Il-mok's mention of "forgiveness."

Then, as if curiosity had struck, he asked with an expectant face.

"Then, what is your grand ambition?"

Il-mok pondered. He knew that answering with something like "wealthy idler" would nullify everything he had just said.

So after quickly racking his brain, he came up with a decent answer.

“To personally avenge the old innkeeper who took me in and looked after me for two years. My Master told me that the Leader of the Flying Dragon Unit orchestrated the whole affair.”

"Oh...."

Baek Cheon looked at Il-mok with a surprised expression again.

As a direct descendant of the Baek Family, Baek Cheon knew that the Leader of the Flying Dragon Unit was one of the highest-ranking figures within the Murim Alliance.

To kill that Flying Dragon Unit Leader with his own hands…

“So that’s how you managed to reach such an incredible level in just one year! I can’t even begin to imagine the brutal training you must have endured for the sake of your revenge.”

Il-mok responded to the praise with an awkward smile.

'I... I just trained to stay alive?'

It was mostly thanks to his ‘kind’ maid threatening to lop his head off if he failed the entrance exam.

And, of course, his equally ‘kind’ Master, who seemed to think Il-mok was some kind of Super Saiyan and kept forcing him into ‘realistic combat spars’ that pushed him to the brink of death, also played a major role.

But perhaps taking Il-mok's awkward smile for modesty, Baek Cheon said with a resolute face.

"I haven't set my grand ambition yet, but I'll promise you just this one thing. Whatever my ambition becomes, I will help you with your revenge even if that costs my life."

“Ahem. Well, thanks for the thought, anyway.”

“The thought? Not at all, Young Master! I am absolutely sincere!”

Il-mok felt goosebumps all over his body as the person before him suddenly changed and shouted earnestly with starry eyes.

"Ahem. A-alright, so go back and rest for today. And reflect on yourself while you continue with your punishment."

"I will do so."

“And make sure you eat properly. If your body falls apart, your mind won’t be far behind.”

With those words, Il-mok utilized his lightness skill and left the place.

"......."

Baek Cheon silently stared in the direction Il-mok had gone with clear eyes for a while.

"I won't forget this kindness."

He suddenly cupped his fist in one hand towards the empty air and returned to the Black Tiger Pavilion.

***

Early the next morning.

Heading to the dining hall upon waking as usual, Baek Cheon began shoveling large amounts of rice into his mouth, unlike his usual behavior.

He needed the energy to endure the punishment he was receiving.

He could hear disciples whispering behind him as they watched him pile up his rice bowl, but Baek Cheon didn't care.

'The opinions of others don't matter.'

He was reflecting on the words he had heard from the Young Master last night.

‘What is it that I really want to do?’

As he circled the training ground performing the punishment, only that question occupied his mind.

One could say he had successfully turned over a new leaf, just as Il-mok had hoped.

However…

'That's right. What I truly love isn't recognition from others at all.'

There was just one thing Il-mok had overlooked.

'I never wanted to push aside my brother and become the family head either.'

This was the Hall of the Demonic Way, an institution dedicated to cultivating talent for the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. And every talent within its walls practiced Demonic Arts.

The side effect of the Hundred Flowers Demonic Art practiced by Baek Cheon, a direct descendant of the Baek Family, was precisely—

'Attention! I just loved receiving people's attention!'

Attention-seeking disorder.

‘The reason I was jealous of my older brother when I was a kid was just because I envied the attention that was going to him!’

The Hundred Flowers Demonic Art was exactly as its name suggested, it was an art that bloomed a hundred different flowers using various objects. That made it specialized for assassination techniques.

In the Central Plains, the Sichuan Tang Family was also renowned for its hidden weapons, much like the Baek Family. However, unlike the Sichuan Tang Family, which was famous for its use of poison in addition to hidden weapons, the Baek Family didn't handle poison at all.

The reason was simple.

Using poison wasn't flashy enough.

The reason the Baek Family was called the Hundred Shadow Baek Family was also due to the principle of the first family head.

Flowers are most beautiful at the moment they bloom. Thus, they believed that hiding various hidden weapons and blooming them at once was the true art.

'Yes. Attention! Attention is the reason for my life and its true value!'

The moment Baek Cheon's self-reflection reached that point...

The contemptuous gazes and criticisms from around the training ground began to feel entirely different to him.

'Hehehe. Yes. Look at me.'

He had only enjoyed positive attention in the past, but now, all forms of attention pleased him.

'I will surely change those gazes that look at me like trash. Hehehe.'

Just imagining turning those negative gazes around sent shivers down Baek Cheon's spine.

‘Yes! The Young Master told me to dream big! From this moment on, I have only one goal: to become the most famous man in the entire world! A man who commands everyone’s attention!’

He didn't know how to achieve that goal yet, but as the Young Master said, what he had now was time to think.

He could gradually devise methods as he went along.

"Hehehe."

It was the moment when the Baek Family's troublemaker evolved into a legendary attention-seeker.