Chronicles of the Lazy Sovereign Novel - Chapter 14

Chapter 14

“Wei Yan-ho.”

Baek Mu-han called Wei Yan-ho softly.

“Ah, let me get some more sleep.”

Wei Yan-ho’s liver practically hung out of his body.

Recently, Wei Yan-ho had become strong enough to overcome Baek Mu-han’s violence.

Baek Mu-han had weakened and Wei Yan-ho had become stronger.

Finally, when Wei Yan-ho escaped Baek Mu-han’s torment, his lost laziness returned slowly.

“Wei Yan-ho.”

“Wow, I said just a little more. Don’t you trust me?

By then, a rock would fly down. Having been tormented by Baek Mu-han countless times, Wei Yan-ho could easily predict it.

Wei Yan-ho prepared to dodge the incoming stone.

“Come here.”

But Baek Mu-han gently persuaded Wei Yan-ho.

“Huh?”

Wei Yan-ho stood up unspeakably. He had a strange premonition. Baek Mu-han was different from the usual.

As he raised his body, Baek Mu-han sat in a meditation posture in front of him.

“What’s going on?”

Baek Mu-han smiled and pointed the space in front of him.

“Sit down.”

Faced with those words, Wei Yan-ho knelt and sat before Baek Mu-han. Today, Baek Mu-han’s words conveyed an energy that was difficult to resist.

“Listen carefully to what I say.”

“Yes.”

“I’ve spent my whole life learning martial arts.”

“…”

My only wish was to see the end of martial arts. So I didn’t care about anything but martial arts. In my quest for martial arts, I became an eccentric old man, and even my family came to suspect me.

“That sounds good.”

“Do you want me to hit you?”

“No.”

The kindness that had bloomed momentarily on Baek Mu-han’s face disappeared and his usual demonic expression appeared.

‘There he is.’

Where would this person go?

This was the man who had tormented Wei Yan-ho to death for the past five years.

Now that I think about it, it was natural for my family not to come looking for me. Considering what I had done. I ignored my children before martial arts and abandoned my family. I thought that if I saw the end of martial arts, everything would be accomplished. But it wasn’t. Martial arts are also something that humans do, so what good is it to see the end of the sword without walking the human path?

“…”

Baek Mu-han looked at Wei Yan-ho and smiled.

Wei Yan-ho had made him realize this.

For the first time, he tried to teach someone. He got angry and irritated.

But seeing Wei Yan-ho gradually improve, he felt joy and learned to be happy. And he understood what affection really was.

That’s why I didn’t teach you the Sword of Light Style.

“So what have I been learning all this time?”

“I have created a framework for you.”

“Structure?”

I gave you the frame that I used to create the Sword of the Twelve Ways of Light. Martial arts are also something that humans exhibit. If that person is not contained in them, it is just an empty shell. I gave you the frame. So you must go into it.

“I really don’t understand what you mean.”

To the confused Wei Yan-ho, Baek Mu-han simply sent a smile.

That kind smile, like someone looking at a grandson, somehow made Wei Yan-ho’s heart uncomfortable.

“You don’t need to understand it yet.”

“So I haven’t really gotten so strong?”

“That’s not all!”

“…”

A disciple of the Mad Sword being weak! What nonsense! Do you think I would tolerate such a thing?

– But you said you regret your eccentric personality?

“Relax!”

Wei Yan-ho shook and closed his mouth.

The nature of a person does not change.

Words are one thing, but to change that personality, it would be faster to be reborn.

Anyway, I created a frame for you. Now it’s your turn to dedicate your life and create martial arts.

“You talk like you’re about to stop seeing me now.”

Baek Mu-han smiled.

Wei Yan-ho felt strange seeing that smile. He and Baek Mu-han had already been together for five years. I had seen countless expressions during that time, but this was the first time I saw Baek Mu-han smile like this.

Kind but melancholy. And even though it seemed to calm him down, somehow it made him anxious: that kind of smile.

That’s exactly how Baek Mu-han’s smile was now.

“Yes, now is the time.”

Wei Yan-ho’s face hardened like a stone.

“What do you mean by that?”

Wei Yan-ho shook his head and laughed between his teeth. “His movement seemed desperate.”

– Master, you’re joking too much. Do you think I’d believe it?

Baek Mu-han simply smiled wide without saying anything.

“Really?”

“That’s right.”

You said thirty years! At first you said I would have to learn for thirty years! There are still twenty-five years left! You should live twenty-five more years!

“Yes, that could have been the case.”

“Then it is well. No, perhaps it is better this way. If I spent another twenty-five years with the Master, I could die of exhaustion.

Wei Yan-ho shook his head, but an undisguised anxiety appeared on his face.

Baek Mu-han wasn’t someone who invented stories to make jokes.

“Wei Yan-ho.”

You said you’d keep quiet about any word that came out of your mouth, whatever happened, so there’s still twenty-five years left!

“That’s right.”

“Then!”

“Controlling my internal energy within my body was not as easy as I thought.”

“…”

I don’t have the strength anymore, it’s time to split up.

“Is it my fault?”

Wei Yan-ho’s voice trembled.

“No. Don’t think like that. It’s fate. In fact, even talking to you like that goes against the natural. I’ll have to pay the price for it.

If that’s the natural order, it’s okay to break it as much as you want.

“I see.”

I’ll eat a lot and inject internal energy.

“Only words are enough.”

Don’t you think I can?

Baek Mu-han smiled widely.

“You know it’s impossible… right?”

“…”

“Now it’s done.”

Why didn’t you tell me?

Humidity leaked into Wei Yan-ho’s voice.

If you had told me, I would have gone out to eat well and to train long ago! I couldn’t escape anyway!

Baek Mu-han shook his head.

“Okay.”

“What’s good!”

Mad Sword smiled widely as he watched the furious Wei Yan-ho.

“I enjoyed the time I spent with you.”

“…”

So I thought it wouldn’t be wrong to disappear like this. If I had, I could have made a little more time, but it wouldn’t have been so nice.

“That’s a strange conversation.”

Yeah, it’s weird. I wanted to see you travel the world a little bit more, too, but this is fine, too.

“What’s okay?”

“Because I can see it.”

“…”

“I can see you clearly wandering freely around the world.”

Without the Master, I will lock myself in my room and not go out.

“So what?”

Baek Mu-han’s smile became deeper.

“Okay. No matter where you are or what you do, the fact that you are the proud disciple of Baek Mu-han, the Mad Sword, will not change.

“…master.”

“Wei Yan-ho.”

“Yes.”

Watch the world, hold the world within you, then everything else will come on its own.

“Yes.”

And look at people before the world. I looked too high and I couldn’t see what was at my feet. Don’t make the same mistake as me.

“I understand.”

Baek Mu-han looked at Wei Yan-ho with warm eyes.

“Don’t forget.”

“…”

I live in you. Even if I can’t see you again, even if no one in the world knows about my existence… I am contained in every gesture you make, in every sword technique you execute. So, even when we part, we don’t really separate. Wei Yan-ho, watch people and travel the world to complete you. You don’t need to be exceptional. You don’t need to be great. Just…

Baek Mu-han’s smile was infinitely gentle.

“Be happy.”

“Master…”

Baek Mu-han’s shape began to fade.

This isn’t right, this isn’t right, you can’t leave now!

Baek Mu-han did not respond.

He simply closed his eyes quietly with a soft smile on his lips.

No! I said no! You can’t do this anymore! I still have a lot to learn! No, I don’t need to learn! I say you don’t need to teach me anymore! So just a little more! One more day!

Finally, Baek Mu-han’s form completely disappeared.

Wei Yan-ho held out his hand unconsciously to grab the empty air where Baek Mu-han had been, knowing he could not catch him.

“Just a little bit more…”

The cold air of the cave enveloped Wei Yan-ho’s body.

Wei Yan-ho remained silent there for a long time, looking at the empty air and his own hand that had not caught anything.

Wei Yan-ho’s mouth, which was frozen like a statue, opened slowly.

“It would have been nice if you had told me a little earlier.”

If it hadn’t been today, if you had even told me yesterday, I would have been able to prepare my heart.

“Stunning me to the end… That’s why they called you eccentric.”

Wei Yan-ho looked at the cave wall.

The traces of the sword blows Wei Yan-ho had made during the training.

The traces that Baek Mu-han had left while demonstrating.

And the places where the stones were embedded were created by beating Wei Yan-ho.

Wei Yan-ho slowly approached the wall and caressed the deeply carved points.

“What am I supposed to do if this is all you left behind?”

Wei Yan-ho sighed.

He really was someone who, even with weeping eyes, had no consideration. To tell the truth, how much torment had he endured during this time? He should feel renewed.

“What am I supposed to do?”

But curiously, his eyes kept getting red.

“Master…”

Tears finally flowed from Wei Yan-ho’s eyes.

Once the tears began, they did not stop easily and flowed over and over again, as if to erase all the time they had spent together.

Wei Yan-ho remained in the cave like this for three more days.

Even knowing that he had to leave now, it would not be easy for him to take a step. He felt that if he left there, even the presence of Baek Mu-han would disappear from his heart, so he could not take a step easily.

But he couldn’t stay forever. Wei Yan-ho finally stood up.

Now was the time to leave this place.

Wei Yan-ho shouldered the package he had originally brought and turned his head.

“I’m coming.”

But there was no answer.

“I’m going to rest comfortably from now on.”

Wei Yan-ho’s monologue continued.

So don’t scold me for not getting up. Don’t scold me for sleeping too much or cursing me for being lazy. All this is because the Master used too much force carelessly and disappeared.

For a moment, he felt that Baek Mu-han was smiling widely.

“I’m not coming back.”

Of course, there was no answer.

“I mean it.”

Then, like a ghost, Baek Mu-han’s voice was heard.

– So what, we’re not together?

I know.

This is not Baek Mu-han’s voice.

It was Baek Mu-han’s response that Wei Yan-ho had created.

Wei Yan-ho smiled.

“Well, that’s true.”