Chapter 477

Chapter 477 – The lazy One Submerges (2)

The master asked if he was afraid.

Wei Yanho couldn’t deny it.

He had barely escaped from fear.

“Are your enemies strong?”

“…Yes.”

“Did they frighten you?”

He couldn’t hide anything in front of his master.

“Yes, they frightened me.”

Wei Yanho let out a deep sigh and continued:

“But don’t misunderstand me. It wasn’t the fear of dying. What I feared was that, if I fell before them, my family and acquaintances…”

Under Baek Muhan’s transparent gaze, Wei Yanho lowered his head and admitted:

“Yes. I was also afraid of dying.”

The tips of his fingers trembled slightly.

He had experienced death before.

When he fell to the Insane Demon and awakened, Wei Yanho felt death as something real.

If the Insane Demon had attacked once more, he would have died. He only survived thanks to Wei Sanho’s sacrifice and the demon’s whim.

Fear suddenly invaded him.

He had never felt death so tangibly before.

He had only thought that someday he would die. But realizing that that moment could be the end of his life, he understood what true terror was.

Upon reflection, he realized that he had always been on the verge of death.

A world where killing each other was not something strange.

He had understood what it meant to live in such a place.

‘And it doesn’t end only with my death.’

What would happen to those left behind if he died?

He still had unfinished business.

“I was afraid of dying. I didn’t want to die. But… when fighting them, I realized that the odds of dying were greater than those of surviving.”

Wei Yanho bowed his head.

“I’m sorry, master. I… tried to be a disciple you wouldn’t have to be ashamed of. But I didn’t succeed.”

“Useless idiot.”

Baek Muhan’s face distorted.

“Raise your head right now!”

Wei Yanho quickly raised his head. His master was truly furious.

“What nonsense are you saying? Ashamed of you?”

Baek Muhan’s stormy voice overwhelmed him.

“What’s so shameful about being afraid of death?! Does anyone not fear death?! Do you think Bodhidharma faced death with serenity?! Or that Zhang Sanfeng received it with joy?! It’s natural to fear death! If you’re not afraid of it, then you’re not human!”

“…”

“It’s normal for humans to fear death. Why should it be shameful?!”

Baek Muhan spoke firmly.

“Humans advance because they fear death. What could someone who isn’t afraid of it achieve? If life and death were the same, there would be no need to strive. There would be no reason to fight to leave a legacy in this short life. All those who have left something in this world are those who feared how brief their existence was.”

Wei Yanho’s eyes flickered.

“What’s wrong with fearing death?! Shame?! Idiot!”

Baek Muhan clicked his tongue.

“Others can say what they want, but not you. Don’t you even know what shame is?”

“What does that have to do with me?”

“Clean the sleep from your eyes before you speak!”

“Ugh…”

Wei Yanho scratched his head in frustration.

“But, master.”

“Tell me.”

“Then… were you also afraid of death?”

“This… useless one!”

“D-don’t get angry, don’t get angry.”

Wei Yanho raised his hands in a gesture of peace.

“Of course, you are different from others. I know. You weren’t afraid of death and created your own technique to accept it.”

“That’s not true, you imbecile.”

“Huh?”

Wei Yanho’s expression became confused.

“No one has feared death more than I have. I was terrified of dying.”

“What!?”

Wei Yanho looked at him in disbelief.

“But… you chose to die.”

“Because there was no other option.”

“You reached the pinnacle of martial arts.”

“What pinnacle or anything, you idiot?!”

Baek Muhan clicked his tongue.

“There’s always something higher. Even if you climb a mountain and go through the clouds, the sky is still beyond. Martial arts have no end. I climbed and climbed, but in the end, I only saw infinite possibilities.”

A bitter expression appeared on Baek Muhan’s face.

“That’s why I was afraid. My time was running out, but others still had it. Someday, someone would surpass me, and if my skills stagnated, I would be defeated again.”

He was ruthless.

There was no other way to describe him.

A man who, in life, brought the whole world to his feet. Someone considered the greatest not only of his era but of all time, still feared defeat.

At this point…

‘Wouldn’t he be the most cowardly man in history?’

“Your gaze is a bit strange.”

“…It’s a look of respect.”

“It looked empty.”

“No, it wasn’t.”

Although Baek Muhan looked at him with skepticism, Wei Yanho vehemently denied it.

“Well, whatever.”

Baek Muhan smiled mockingly and continued:

“I didn’t choose that path because I wasn’t afraid of death. I chose it because I was too afraid of it.”

“…But, master.”

“Yes?”

Wei Yanho asked, as if he didn’t understand:

“Wouldn’t it have been better to find someone talented in your family and teach them, instead of going through all that effort?”

“I already told you that I didn’t get along with them.”

“Even so, wasn’t it better than choosing such a complicated method?”

“Hey! I have my pride as a man! Why would I teach my techniques to those who despised me?! I’d rather die than do that!”

He was lost.

This man was lost.

He was the greatest in martial arts, but as a person, he was the worst.

“What’s with that look?”

“…It’s of respect.”

“Good. You must respect me.”

I respect you, I respect you.

In many ways…

Baek Muhan smiled bitterly and continued:

“The people of this world tend to obsess over absurd things. That martial artists shouldn’t fear death, or that fleeing from a battle is not befitting of a warrior. What kind of madness is that?”

His master was incisive.

“Those who say that are the same ones who cling to life when their time comes. And that ‘not retreating before the enemy’… What changes if you give your life in a lost battle?”

Baek Muhan stared at Wei Yanho.

“Isn’t that so?”

“Yes!”

Listening to his master calmed him.

“Fear makes people cautious, and if the situation is doubtful, they should flee without looking back! That’s not something that damages pride. You can take revenge later. Dying now and losing forever is what really hurts pride! Do you understand?”

“Yes. I’ll remember it, I’ll remember it well.”

A smile appeared on Wei Yanho’s lips.

Unlike the forced expressions from before, this one was genuine.

“Then I’ll ask you again.”

Baek Muhan looked at him silently before speaking:

“Are you afraid?”

“Yes.”

Wei Yanho’s answer was immediate.

The answer was the same, but the meaning was different.

“Yes, I’m afraid. Afraid of dying. But I don’t intend to stand idly by because of that.”

“Good.”

“Now that I think about it, it’s a bit strange to be afraid. Not even all of them together could face you, master, so why should I fear them? I’m your disciple, after all.”

“Tsk tsk, always so arrogant.”

Although Baek Muhan scolded him with words, his expression was unusually warm.

“Remember one thing.”

“Yes.”

“You are my disciple.”

They were simple words.

But they contained a deep meaning. Wei Yanho closed his eyes for a moment.

How much would have changed if he had understood it before?

If he had recognized his master’s greatness before, if he had known how incredible he was…

He would have learned more, he would have…

No.

That wasn’t the important thing.

What he needed to understand wasn’t his master’s greatness, but that someday they would have to separate. That their time was limited, and that eventually, he would have to fend for himself.

If he had known, he would have appreciated it more.

“Master.”

“Yes?”

Wei Yanho bowed his head deeply.

“Thank you.”

“Are you crazy?”

“…”

“Ugh, you give me the creeps.”

“…”

No, he was wrong. The answer was to get away from this man as soon as possible.

“Stop fooling around and focus on improving your martial skills.”

“Yes.”

“The direction isn’t bad. You’re just clumsy in the method.”

“I’ll improve little by little.”

“You should.”

A flash of dissatisfaction appeared in Baek Muhan’s eyes.

“I don’t like that you use the techniques I taught you to follow in my footsteps, but if that’s the path you’ve chosen, I’ll respect it.”

“There was no other way.”

“It doesn’t matter. Any path is valid if it reaches the top. But, boy, the path I took is the most difficult of all. Do you think you can endure it?”

“Of course.”

Wei Yanho smiled mischievously.

“Because I’m your disciple.”

“Tsk, you’re just a smooth talker.”

Baek Muhan smiled warmly and raised his sword.

“Good. Let’s see how firm that determination is, shall we?”

“Wait a moment.”

“What?”

“Before that, there’s something I want to ask you.”

“Something to ask?”

Baek Muhan looked at him curiously.

“People are dying because of the Blood Explosive Dans, right?”

“Yes.”

“What should I do with them? I can’t cure them with my current abilities.”

“Useless idiot.”

Baek Muhan clicked his tongue.

“Fool, it’s something so simple. If they’re dying from lack of energy, just give them more energy.”

“But their meridians are destroyed. Do you fill a broken jar by pouring more water?”

“Then repair what’s broken.”

“Huh?”

“If the meridians are damaged and the qi doesn’t circulate, repair them. If you can’t, find another route.”

“Another route?”

“Meridians are just paths where qi flows, right?”

“Yes.”

“If a path is blocked, take another. Why get stuck there?”

“…”

Wei Yanho looked at him with wide eyes before saying:

“Sometimes I think you’re really smart.”

“Only now do you realize?”

“And that your personality is horrible. How can you be so unpleasant that your intelligence isn’t noticeable in the slightest…?”

“Enough, you insolent brat!”

Baek Muhan raised his sword and lunged at Wei Yanho.

“Eek! W-wait!”

“Silence, brat!”

Wei Yanho also raised his sword to face him.

The light of their swords filled the world.

White and dazzling…

A light so bright that it seemed to illuminate the whole world.

Master and disciple crossed swords until dawn.