Chapter 66
The fog that filled the Hermit's Valley like a spider's web danced as if it were a prelude announcing his arrival, and then scattered like a skein of thread and was released into the surroundings.
Although he looked like a peasant with shabby clothes and a shabby fishing rod on his shoulder, his one step exuded the dignity of a great master, and from his two eyes, an edge that he could not hide flowed out.
In his childhood, how could he have thought of such a person as an ordinary fisherman?
Agong swallowed his dry saliva and, seeing Tongtian, who was striding towards him, politely bowed his head and took a fist-and-palm salute.
"Are you planning to go down the mountain without a word to your master?"
Agong turned his head, avoiding the scolding eyes of Tongtian.
Since he had left the Heavenly Demon Cave in the past, he had begun to feel a slight distance from Tongtian.
It was surely from the time he had come to realize anew that he had not been receiving unconditional affection from Tongtian.
The harshness and heartlessness that he had come to know after discovering the side of Tongtian that he had not understood when he was young had become a great shock and a sense of loss to Agong.
The warning of Cook Li, who had told him not to get involved with Tongtian, was a warning about Tongtian's ice-like composure and his cold heart, which could become cruel at any time depending on the situation.
Although Tongtian had clearly not changed from the beginning, as Agong's thoughts and gaze, which accepted it, changed, the warm affection he had felt before disappeared without a trace, and only the form of a master-disciple relationship, which was tied by the string of martial arts, remained, tying them together.
But although their relationship had become distant, Tongtian was clearly a master who had bestowed a great favor on Agong, and the bond of master and disciple was also a law that was no less than the bond of parents and siblings.
Although it had flowed urgently, since it was a matter of leaving the Hermit's Valley, it was right to inform Tongtian as well.
"I'm sorry. I was going to come back and tell you after the work was over."
"Who would think that you would come back to this place? If you leave this time, our bond will probably be the last."
Tongtian had been busy for a while because of the God-Sealing Platform and the gang of Sheng Wang of the Non-Duality Gate, who had run away.
Moreover, since a few masters of the Sea Isle Sect, who had run away with them, were also involved, they had been put on the list of the God-Sealing Platform, unlike his plan.
At Tongtian's words, Agong realized that the matter would not end as easily as he had thought.
Thinking back, since the number of people from the Non-Duality Gate who had run away would be more than a dozen, it was a distant matter to find them in this wide world.
"Although you have not entered the Sea Isle Sect, since you are my disciple, you cannot be called an outsider."
"Yes, master."
"There are also those in the Sea Isle Sect who have broken the rules and have left the Hermit's Valley, following Sheng Wang. Kill them all."
"Kill... you mean?"
"That's right. Even if you don't use your hands, they will try to take your life first. Don't be deceived by their outward appearance, and you must never show mercy in your hands."
Agong, at the sight of Tongtian, who was speaking of killing a person so easily, looked at him, dumbfounded.
No matter what, how could he speak of a person's life so easily, as if he were trading goods in the market?
Moreover, since he had heard well how strong the martial arts of the martial artists of the Hermit's Valley were, it was an unreasonable order.
"But..."
"If your existence is revealed while you are chasing the Non-Duality Gate, they may come to you first without you having to look for them, so you must not let your guard down."
"You two really say 'kill, kill' so easily."
Agong, now that he thought about it, realized that Tongtian and Old Ancestor Hongjun were so creepily similar in this part.
Come to think of it, since Old Ancestor Hongjun had also told Cook Li not to get close, it was clear that the one who had the most accurate eye for people here was, paradoxically, Cook Li, who did not get along with the people of the Hermit's Valley the most.
"If you go out into the martial world, are you planning to go and see Lingbao?"
"Are you concerned?"
Agong was well aware of the fact that the Taoist Lingbao and the Tongtian Cult Master, who were not here now, were making a bet with each other over him.
That was why when Agong had obtained the understanding of mixing the Nine Gates True Scripture and the Manifest Demon True Art in the Heavenly Demon Cave, in addition to the fact that the number one divine art of the demonic path had been transformed by the influence of the Manifest Demon True Art, since it had become difficult to determine the winner of the bet with the Taoist Lingbao, Tongtian had been angry and had not been pleased.
"If the old horse is dead, what are you going to do?"
Although Tongtian had never once left the Hermit's Valley, he roughly knew about the situation outside the martial world in his own way.
Tongtian thought that the Black Qilin and the Taoist Lingbao had had a mutual destruction and had both died or had suffered injuries equivalent to that and were hiding the news.
"I still have to go and see him. It's the duty of a disciple. If he's fine, I'll ask for help... and I'll tell him the news of his disciple after a few years."
Would the Sword Immortal also get angry like Tongtian if he were to see the current Agong?
Perhaps not meeting the Taoist Lingbao was a way to protect Agong's heart.
Agong, recalling the Lingbao in his memory, felt a moment of hesitation.
If the Taoist Lingbao were to also show a disappointed and angry side like Tongtian, Agong's disappointment would be too great.
And Agong could not believe that the Sword Immortal was dead.
This was because whenever he recalled Lingbao's sword dance, he had felt with a shudder how high a state he was in.
"Do you remember when you first bowed to me nine times?"
"That..."
Perhaps it was when Agong and Tongtian had had the best time.
At that time, Agong and Tongtian could have had the relationship of an ordinary grandfather and a boy.
If he could go back to that time, Agong would not have made the mistake of coveting Tongtian's Heavenly Demon Hand.
"Although you are not a member of the cult, since you are a disciple of the demonic path, if you meet the disciples of the Manifest Cult, you must not be hostile to them and must help them."
"Yes."
"Even in randomness, there is a purpose, and even in a storm, there is a direction. If you get lost, remember these words."
"Yes."
"Then that's enough. Do your duty."
"Yes."
Agong, who had answered mechanically, took a fist-and-palm salute and began to go down the Hermit's Valley again, trudging.
Although he felt the stinging gaze of Tongtian on his back, Agong did not look back.
'Let's not look back.'
As Agong moved his feet, he felt a sad feeling welling up for some reason, and at the same time, he felt a hot heat in his lower abdomen.
"Am I also getting old?"
Meanwhile, Tongtian, who was watching the disappearing Agong, muttered to himself as if he were talking to himself.
If he had been a disciple who had been accepted by the main cult, he would have already been discarded and would not be in his sight.
He was not a great martial talent, and the hand of Old Ancestor Hongjun, who was like a thorn in his side, had touched him.
Was that all? He was a child who had been taught by the Taoist Lingbao, who had once been his rival.
Although he knew that Agong was a part of the God-Sealing Plan, strangely, he had not been lazy in his teaching of Agong even after that.
If it had been his usual self, when he had found out that Old Ancestor Hongjun had used him, he would have immediately killed Agong with one palm.
Knowing that it was difficult for Agong to take on the appearance of a demon that he had thought of anymore, he had to abolish Agong's martial arts.
But he could not do any of that and still remained as Agong's master.
In the end, even while looking at the current appearance of Agong, which was not satisfactory from one to ten, Tongtian could not easily take his eyes off the back of Agong, which was getting smaller.
* * *
Creak.
The side path of a huge manor.
The firmly closed doors opened, and through the small side path, the figures of three people were secretly moving through the darkness.
"This way."
The servant who was in charge of guiding the way guided the two people who were following him and went through the twisted path without hesitation.
It had already been three years since the sound of wailing had echoed in the house of So Ho, a renowned tycoon of Sichuan.
It had been exactly three years since So Ho's only daughter had fallen ill with an unknown serious illness and had been bedridden.
As befitting a great tycoon of Sichuan, So Ho had sought all the rare medicines and famous doctors in the world to save his daughter's life, but it had all been in vain.
As a last hope, he had sent a messenger to find the Medicine Immortal, who was said to be one of the Two Immortals, but the Medicine Immortal, who had disappeared, had unfortunately not accepted So Ho's request.
To So Ho, who had been in such despair, a story about a strange man and woman who had recently appeared in Sichuan was heard.
It was a story that the two, a man and a woman, who had covered their faces with a veil, were treating illnesses with a divine method, and that even those who had disabilities or incurable diseases would get a new life as if they had been revived after meeting them.
Although he had already met countless quacks, So Ho had immediately decided to serve the mysterious man and woman.
"We're almost there."
At the chilling voice, the servant felt the fine hairs on his back stand on end without realizing it.
It was a strange moment when a strangely sweet scent was tickling his nose and he was constantly getting goosebumps.
Moreover, strangely, the two, the man and the woman, had been following him for a long time, but their footsteps were almost inaudible, and it was making him constantly look back.
'They are creepy people.'
Although he was curious about the face behind the veil, as soon as he arrived at the place where the young lady was staying, the servant bowed his head and guided them to the room.
"Master. I have brought the doctors."
As the doctors, who had covered their faces with a veil, went inside, the smell of medicinal herbs that filled the room immediately tickled the tip of his nose.
The woman, who had already been in bed for three years, was shriveled and was taking small breaths and was asleep, and a middle-aged man with a haggard expression, who was next to her, looked up at them with a wrinkled face.
"Leave."
In the voice of So Ho, the great tycoon of Sichuan, sadness and anguish were felt.
Although he had a billion gold, since he could not save his daughter, his sorrow had reached the heavens.
The pain of the past was showing on his face.
"I have heard that you have great medical skills."
"That's right."
Although So Ho's eyebrows twitched at the man's condescending tone, if the opponent really had great medical skills that could be compared to the Medicine Immortal as the rumors said, he could overlook this much rudeness.
"As requested, I have secretly brought you here, so please... save my daughter."
At that, the man took off his veil in one go.
So Ho's two eyes widened when he saw that face.
"A person with colored eyes..."
Although he was surprised at the face of the person with colored eyes, whom he had seen for the first time, and his fluent Central Plains language, So Ho rather trusted them because he was a person with colored eyes.
As the man with colored eyes shone his red eyes and lightly stretched out his hand, a red energy soon overflowed and flowed in, and the face of his daughter, who had been as dry as a dry log, began to liven up.
"Oh, oh!"
In the strange sight, So Ho could not hide his joy, seeing his daughter, who was regaining her vitality as if a dead flower were blooming.
Since the face of his daughter, who had been dying in her sickbed, was livening up, what did it matter whether it was a strange magic or a medical skill sent from heaven?
"Begin."
"Father..."
"Should I have your younger sisters do it?"
"..."
Although a strange atmosphere flowed in the room, So Ho, without caring about such things, held the hand of his daughter, whose complexion was returning, and shed tears of joy.
Thinking that his daughter would soon regain her smile and live a healthy life, he could not hide his joy.
The female doctor, who had lifted her veil, was a person with colored eyes with a breathtakingly beautiful appearance.
The woman, who had a mysterious appearance to the extent that So Ho had forgotten his joy for his daughter for a moment, raised her hand lightly with a bitter expression.
Sizzle!
While So Ho was distracted for a moment, the body of his daughter, which he was holding, began to turn dark red.
Although So Ho opened his mouth to scream at this terrible situation, he could not even make a sound, let alone move.
There was nothing So Ho could do but to watch his daughter, who was gradually turning into a red powder and was being sucked into the woman's mouth, with bloodshot eyes.
"Well done."
Before So Ho, a man who looked exactly like him was standing.
So Ho, looking back and forth between the woman, who was gradually turning into his daughter's face, and the man with colored eyes, who had his own face, rolled his pupils hard.
"There is no need to feel wronged. Your flesh and blood are being used for a great cause."
So Ho, seeing the huge bloody mist that was covering his eyes, blinked his two eyes.
Feeling his body gradually melting from his head, So Ho thought that this nightmarish time was a dream. The happy moments with his daughter passed before his eyes like a revolving lantern.
(End of Chapter)